Chapter 09:

A giggling Ginny and Arya walked ahead of a tired Hermione, the next morning, as they made their way down for breakfast.

Hermione was beat! She hadn't slept a wink the whole of the previous night and then she'd moved out of her warm furry blankets too early in the morning, to glamor charm her teabags and waxed skin.

She was in no mood for Ginny's rant when she started on and on about how careless Jon was, to not even meet his friends on his birthday, when Jon and Robb failed to appear at the table for breaking their fast.

And of course, Lady Stark just had to use that same day to break all hell loose over her new wards.

"In a few days is Robb's nameday. A lot of our allies will be in attendance. You two are our wards and thereby are under our protection and we shall provide for you too. But your age and lack of prospects are bound to raise questions. I suggest that you find yourselves a husband at the gathering if you wish to live amongst us for long. Old, unwed maids aren't treated too kindly in our world. Best to find yourself a husband while you still can."

"She's joking right?" Ginny asked wide eyed, as the Lord and Lady of Winterfell left the halls.

"No. You've got to marry soon. Women in Westeros have three kids by the time they are your age. What sort of a place do you come from where women are left to turn old without a prospect, I'll never understand. But don't worry, all our allies are noble men and with your beauty I am sure you will attract quite a lot of attention," Sansa patted Ginny's hand since she was sitting right in front of her.

"If it ever comes to that, I'll get Mione married," Ginny turned to look at Hermione. "What!" Hermione shrieked.

"Yeah, you're older to me after all. And once you're married you'll leave for your husband's place. We are a package deal, so I'll leave with you and be saved from an unwanted marriage."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I don't want you two to leave Winterfell. Why don't you marry Jon and Robb? Then we all can just stay here together," Arya piped in.

"Oh, don't be absurd!" Sansa chided her younger sister. "Robb is the eldest Stark. He has to choose a daughter from a strong ally, someone who brings in more strength and a stronger standing. And Jon is a bastard. No self-respecting woman will marry him. There's also the question of his wish to join the Night's Watch. You do remember him asking for Father's permission, don't you?"

Hermione felt her nerve throbbing in her forehead while Ginny had a crazy urge to hex someone, preferably Sansa...

"We are going to see Jon for his nameday celebration, any of you want to come along?" Arya asked, completely changing the topic, all of a sudden.

"No. And neither will I let any of you go. Wait until Mother finds out," Sansa stood up in a huff and Arya ran behind her, pulling at her hair to make her stop.

"I need a walk," Ginny stood up after the younger Starks had left the halls.

"I need a pain potion, or else I'm going to pull a fainting spell," Hermione stood up, shakily.

"Let's walk till the Maester's cabin then. I get my fresh air and you can get your potion." Both the witches walked out of the castle towards the Maester's cabin, and that's where their world spun a .180 complete

"... had to cough up more money than when I do bed her because you couldn't man up for the deed," Theon looked lividly at Jon.

"Honestly, how could you leave a naked woman untouched? I thought you liked her.." Robb asked. "I don't want to talk about it.." Jon insisted.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Ginny turned red in her face with anger.

Hermione's already throbbing mind tried to put the pieces of the broken conversation together. It took her a second too long, but when she did piece it all in, she was furious! Her head ache pushed to the back burner, she pounced on the three men in tow with Ginny.

"You went to a brothel for your birthday celebrations? While we slogged in the damn kitchens preparing you a feast? Making plans to surprise you while you were away fucking a slut!"

"You stood back and watched while your friend gifted your brother a whore for his coming-of-age birthday bash?"

Both the witches looked on furiously at the three men they had come to consider as friends if nothing more.

Sensing trouble, Theon made himself scarce quickly enough.

Hermione felt her magic swirling around her because of her heightened emotions and she broke away from the party, moving towards the wood, not wanting to hurt anyone because of her lack of control.

Robb ran behind Hermione into the woods while Jon grabbed at Ginny's hand, pining her with a hard glare. "It's you. It's all because of you. You are ruining my life! All my plans, everything I'd dreamed of ever since I was child, it's all changing because of you!"

"What the fuck are you on about?" Ginny asked trying to shriek Jon's arm away.

Jon only tightened his hold on her. "I was going to be a man of honor, a guard of the Night's Watch. A man that finally made his family proud. A man wanted at the Wall by his family in arms. Needed there. Finally accepted. Then you came along! Since the minute I set my eyes on you, I knew you were going to be the end of me. And I was right. You've ruined my life, my dreams and left me wanting things I have no rights on. Why did you have to come here? Why did you have to turn my life upside down? Why did it have to be you?" Jon asked, his voice thick with accusation, yet broken with hurt.

"I didn't do anything! If you hated me that much, all you had to do was stay away. I never came to you, it was you who offered to teach us weaponry. We never came knocking on your door, asking for your help."

Jon snorted. "You wouldn't, would you? You are all self-sufficient, not needing a hand from anyone. It's mere mortals like me who have to suffer in the hands of the likes of you. I hate myself right this moment, you know, and it's all because of you!" he spat. "You make me feel, you make me crave for more. So much so, that even when I had the prettiest whore in the town, naked in front of me, all I could think of was you! How I didn't want to be with her, with anyone else for that matter but you."

Then his eyes gleamed. "Is this sorcery? Have you put a spell on me?"

And that was that. Ginny lost the last hold she had on her mind and slapped him. Hard. Right across his face.

"Don't you dare make such an accusation at me ever again."

Jon lost his last straw too. He pulled her to him, fisting his hand in her hair, bringing her close to his face. "Don't you ever do that to me again, witch," he warned and brought their lips together in kiss that was meant to punish her. Bruising both, their kiss turned frantic and ignited them both with emotions stronger than they could control. But finally his reasoning kicked in and Jon pushed Ginny back as if her touch burned his skin, making her stumble and he walked away without a backward glance.

In the woods, things were just as crazy. "My lady.." Robb ran behind Hermione, but her pace was surprisingly faster, despite her much smaller stature.

"Go away," she yelled just as they both ducked under the forest's cover. "Hermione.. will you please.."

Hermione turned around, her anger making her act up as she snatched her wand off its holster at her wrist and threw an avis oppugno at him, a spell of her own making that she'd only ever used once before.

Robb ducked as Hermione sent a flock of small yellow birds hurling his way, intent on attacking him. He managed to shield himself from most but a few still nipped his face and ears, but he was way past caring.

"Hermione... Mione... please.. just wait.. give me a chance to explain.." he begged, running behind her despite her hexing of him.

"Explain what Robb?" Hermione suddenly stopped and faced him, angry brown orbs looking on in accusation and betrayal at the frantic light blue ones. "How you can't stand up for your brother in front of your parents but decided holding his hand while he proved his masculinity in a pleasure house was important? How your lips are sown shut when he actually needs to hear two words of comfort from you but you were there giving him a piece of your mind because he did not fuck a whore?"

"Tell me, Robb, since I'm pretty sure she did not do a refund, did you at least get your money's worth after Jon walked out?"

"Mione.." Robb shook his head. "It wasn't like that. It was Theon's idea. I'd probably lost my mind, there's no other reason why I went along with it. I thought he'd best come of age this way, since he is planning to join the Night's Watch."

"Is that how you came of age, Robb? Upholding family traditions, are we?"

Robb winced at the double edged words and Hermione flinched away from him at his telling reaction. "You did..." she whispered brokenly.

"Mione.. It's nothing like what you're making it sound.." he brought his hand ahead to comfort her.

"Don't touch me. Don't call me Mione. You aren't a friend, you have no right to that name. You are no one to me Lord Stark, no one."

Robb's felt his head explode, heart shatter into pieces and knees give way as he knelt onto the forest floor and Hermione fled from his side, intent on putting as much distance between them as she could.