The night was cold and dark. No moon to be seen, no stars that sparkle in the summer skies. It was not summer, far from it; it's the middle of a dreadful winter. The clouds overhead, dark and gray, cover the atmosphere in the most chilling and haunting descent from above.
It's going to snow. The snow is so cold it can drown out the fires inside of the stone castle.
But here she stands, at the edge of her balcony with nothing but a robe and her bare feet against the old stone. She must be cold, but despite the darkness of night, she admires the beauty of the dreary landscape.
One by one, the snow starts to fall. And within an hour, the landscape is covered by beautiful, fluffy, fields of white. And with the moonless night, it glows.
After enough admiration of her kingdom and being unable to feel her fingers, she walks back into her chamber and shuts the door with a sigh. She gradually puts logs back into her fire, even though her servants do it for her. She doesn't have the heart to call them from their slumber. It was nearing 3 AM after all.
Even though her chambers are filled with soft fire, the golden rays shine upon her hair, making them look like fire instead. She lays in her bed but does not sleep. Tomorrow is a big day, well, later is going to be a big day. The day her father and brothers return after being months away. Months of loneliness and anxiety. Months of worrying about her family. Of her friends. Of him. In a few hours, she'll see him again.
Perhaps that is why she can't sleep. Perhaps her excitement was unable to put her body at rest. But was it truly the emotion of excitement? Perhaps it's anxiousness.
She lays awake still, watching the early rays of the morning sun penetrate the dark clouds above. Not a wink she slept. Not until she sees him. Not until she can hear his voice, not until she is able to gaze in wonder into his beautiful green eyes. Not until she can feel his hands on her body as he pulls her into his warmth. Not until she can smell the woodsy smell of the outdoors on him. Not until she hears his voice slip from his lips. His lips. Not until she can finally feel his lips pressing against hers. Full of love, full of passion, full of just… him.
In a few hours, they'll be riding through the gates on horseback. Her father first, then her brothers. The army's top commanders and then finally, him.
How she longed to jump into his arms and tell her that everything will be okay. That he's here. Home. Back to her. That he'll stay with her forever and they can run off into the winter sunset and never look back to the war that kept them separate for years. What a long and brutal war it was with hundreds, perhaps thousands at this point, of lives lost for conflict of a rebellion against the crown. In those lonely hours before the sunrise, she imagines what her life would be like with him.
But all she can do is dream. Dreaming for the war to end. Dreaming of her family safe from harm and danger. Dreaming of the beautiful green-eyed man who haunts her dreams in the most loving way. A life with him, in the countryside far from the reaches of contribution. With children running along her side. In a bed where they just made love under the full moon and bright stars. Growing old. Seeing her life with him in the mere hours of sunlight. She can only hope he's safe and unharmed. Anxious to see him ride through those gates alive.
This bloody war nearly made her lose all hope of victory. The men in her life coming home, then going away by a week's time. And months, sometimes years she won't see them. It started when she was only 17. Now she is 24. 7 fucking years of war she had lived through. A princess in waiting should have been married by now, but the constant state of war gives no time for such events.
No matter, she only wants him. To be married to him.
If only that were possible. He was not royalty. Not even his status allows him to court someone like her. She does not care who he is. A prince, a lord, a knight, a peasant, a soldier… She wants him, but society does not accept him.
She blinks back tears at the thought.
For now, all she can do is dream.
By breakfast, she was already up and about. She snuck her way down to the library before the castle wakes from its slumber. She ran her fingers through the books on the aisle until she came across a rather odd and old cover. Bitten away by bugs and dew, the pages yellowing from its years on unuse, it was the perfect book. Taking it from the self and carefully opening the cover, she reads "The Tales of Beedle the Bard". A fictional children's book. No wonder it has sat on the shelf for years, but it'll do to keep her company until the big moment. Quietly and carefully, she sneaks her way back into her chambers where it is still warm due to the fire. By now, the sun has risen over the horizon. It bathes her chambers in a fiery golden glow. The cast of the snow that had fallen the night before lights up the landscape. The Black Lake is nearly frozen over, but she can still see the waves overlapping on the shores. It was quiet as the snow echoes every tiny sound in the forest. Peaceful, all in all.
She climbs on the loveseat by the window. No matter how cold, hearing the morning go on about is the way she feels safe and content. The cold stings her face as she opens the window but decided it did not bother her. After all, it does not bother him. She wonders if he stayed up at night watching the snowfall stick to the ground. Wherever he is. She wonders if he thought of her as he laid in bed imagining their lives together. How silly. He was in the middle of a war. Fantasies of romance and marriage do not compare to the thoughts of survival. He had more important things to think about.
Distracted from her thoughts, she continues to read the old book. The tales of magic and heroes remind her of the old Greek epics she read many years ago. Of a soldier who embarks on a journey after the Trojan War, taking him years to get back to his wife and children as he faces monsters after monsters in his quest at sea. Facing hideous monsters such as one-eyed giants known as the cyclops or giving in to witch's call who they called Calypso, who offered the hero immortality. Perhaps these monsters do not exist. In these forms at least. The monsters in her reality take the shape and form of men.
Men who are monsters that murder innocent children. Monsters who burn down entire villages with no mercy, leaving those out in the cold to die. Mass genocides in the country have gone on for years. A way of the rebellion's recognition of power and strength. Enough to scare the kingdom into taking part of a war they started. Death Eaters are what they are infamously known for. Wherever they go, death follows closely behind them.
For years they brought fear deep within people's souls. Fearing they can come at any moment and take their entire lives in a snap. No one would expect them, they would come and go, burning down everything in their paths. So many innocent lives are gone, too many to count and remember their names or their stories.
Their leader is ruthless. Having no mercy in his dark soul. From what she knew, he always stayed behind the attacks, leading his army to do the dirty work. He stays in his mansion, wherever that is- torturing, murdering, and who knows what else. His victims never get to live to tell the tale nor ever feel the daylight on their skin. He is feared in the country. News spread of his darkness in neighboring countries, enough to stay away in aid.
She finds herself staring at the page and reflecting on those years, completely aware the words were just words with no meaning. No imagery, no pictures. Nothing to fill her mind with wild images of adventure. Instead, she's alone in her chamber, inside the cold, cold structure of stones. She waits until someone seeks her out for breakfast. Not that she was even hungry. She'll get dressed in her beautiful gown, hair pinned up into a delicate bun, the slight blush on her fair skin. She'll be beautiful. She'll smile at her mother as she greets her. Eat the food that was set in front of her in the dining room. She'll go accordingly with her mother and greet the other lords and ladies in the castle who have taken up residence when the war started.
She was going to live a normal and boring day. Until her father and brothers come home at least. By then they'll stand in the courtyard beside her mother and Lady Minerva. Her ladies in waiting standing behind her dressed in their beautiful dress. The guards will then open the gates and trumpets will sing their song of the arrival of her father and brothers. But her eyes will not be on them, her eyes will seek the dark-haired man who has stolen her heart all those years ago. He'll be on horseback, wearing his uniform, hair unruly as always, but green eyes shining ever so brightly due to the snow that had fallen on the ground.
But for right now, she waits. And wait. And wait.
It was after an hour when she hears a soft knock on her huge, wooden, chamber door. A chambers maid slowly opens the door but finds the bed empty. A short panic, but it quickly faded she spots the red-haired princess by the window.
"Your highness! Your window! It's freezing in here!" She exclaims with worry.
The red-haired girl smiled softly and closes the window softly. "I know, but the sounds in the morning seem to echo, don't you think?"
The chambermaid hesitated to answer but nodded in agreement. "I suppose so, your highness. I didn't realize it snowed so much last night. Everything seemed so much brighter when I woke up this morning"
"Yes, I agree." She smiled. "I forgot how beautiful." She says, "I was admiring the landscape"
The princess stood up from her chair, carefully dropping the book on a nearby nightstand, and walked over to the chambermaid who was lighting up the fireplace.
"Don't you think the castle is too cold to keep the logs warm?" She wondered.
"Yes, I do. Unfortunately, the lumberjacks brought back wood that had ice on it. Maybe that's why?" Carefully, the chambermaid answered. Not really knowing how to respond to such an odd question. "Perhaps I can start a warm bath for you? It is a big day after all. The king and your brothers are coming home. You must be excited!" She rose from the fire and made her way to the bathtub. She pulled the separator away, as the princess started to undress.
The cold air touched her soft shoulder and she let out a soft sigh at the contact.
"Yes, I am actually. It has been months." She replied.
She was excited to see her family of course. Excited to finally sit down with them once again around the dinner table and sharing laughs and stories. But that was years ago. It was different now. No laughter, no stories. Only reports of the war. No happiness.
When the bath was ready, the princess stepped in and automatically felt relieved when the warm water touched her skin. She relaxed in the bath as the chambermaid started to prepare the dress she would wear for the day.
"Hermione." The princess called out. "I would like to wear the beige dress please."
Hermione, the chambermaid, placed the hideous dark purple dress back into the wardrobe and brought out the beige dress that she requested. The purple dress was a gift from Lady Fleur Delacour. Well, Weasley now. No matter how expensive and lavish the dress was, it always clashed with her red hair. The beige dress was a gift from Lady Luna Lovegood. A dear friend of hers who had sewed and designed it with her own hand. She always wished she had the artistic creativity as Luna Lovegood.
Lady Luna was a person of her own. Her blue, ocean eyes seem to always drift away in such a dream state manner. She was quiet, quieter than the other ladies. They always seem to find her odd. But the princess loved her. She loved who she was and how true she is to herself. She dreamt of creatures such as dragons, unicorns… and whrackspurts? Whatever those were, but she was always amazed by her stories and tales from her small adventures in the forest. Such creativity, such beauty. Lady Luna is one of a kind, and the princess admired her for that.
She looks over to Hermione as she pulls out some shoes to match the gorgeous dress. She's beautiful. She often wonders how smart Hermione got, despite being a servant of the castle. Moreover, her intelligence is part of her personality. With long, dark, curly brown hair that is now tied in a low bun, many of the staff in the castle adore her. Beautiful and educated in more ways than simple housekeeping, the princess knew there is a world beyond the castle that Hermione could explore and spread her intelligence. She always wondered why she took up a job in the castle rather than becoming a schoolteacher, perhaps. But the princess is lucky to have such a wonderful chambermaid at her side. Out of all the others, she was her favorite. She favored their conversations most days and loved the stories she told from her life outside the castle. It wasn't much, but it was more than the princess could ever imagine. For she, stuck behind stone walls and gates from the time she was born, only traveling to other countries twice or thrice. Before the war of course. It was too dangerous out in the world. Even Luna could not venture out into the forest anymore.
She always thought about leaving the castle, even going to the village. Always wondered what the villagers do in their everyday life, even interested in the farmer's activities to provide food for the village. She always dreamt of what it was like to smell the fresh bread in the bakeshop she hears all the servants talk about. She wonders what it is like to sit down by the Black Lake and listen to the ripples of the water while she reads. Although she can hear the lake at her chamber window, the full experience is a mystery. For the time being, she hopes.
When she was 16, her eldest brother, William, or Bill, married a beautiful French woman of the House Delacour. A powerful family in the Northern regions of France, second to the crown. The family and French crown were fortunate enough to help aid in the war with the Death Eaters and their leader. They brought out financial aid and of course a strong army.
She envies her brother. He found love despite an arranged marriage. Fleur Delacour is beautiful. One of the most beautiful women she has ever seen. It was not hard for Bill to fall in love. Blue eyes and blonde hair, outmatching Luna's similar beauty. There was something the French woman that looked foreign despite similarities. Whatever it was, all eyes turn to her whenever she walks by. She is lovely, only eyes for Bill. Her true love, her soulmate. The adoration in her eyes, whenever she looks up at Bill, is the true sign that their love will not falter. They are eternal, and the princess knows that. She is happy for her brother of course. Happy for them, always. She does not miss the fact that their marriage was the last good thing to happen before everything fell apart.
The wedding itself was beautiful. Set in the summer, in the gardens, surrounded by family, friends, and music. It was memorable, the last good thing. She remembers Fleur in the most beautiful wedding gown she has ever seen. Her blue shining in the afternoon light, but it was not the afternoon glow, it is her seeing her brother standing at the alter smiling waiting for his bride to be. The ceremony was beautiful. She sat next to her mother and brother Charlie. Her mother crying in pure happiness at their vows, Lord and Lady Delacour the row next to them crying as well, her brothers cheering as their eldest brother kissed his bride, Luna throwing white flowers on the aisle, but her eyes do not seek the happiness. She seeks him, always.
The afterparty was set in the Great Hall. It was large enough to fit hundreds of people in the same room. It was decorated with white flowers, white tablecloths, golden goblets… Now, everything in that room is dull.
She remembers the lively music filling the air as guests click their goblets full of wine. Hearty meals were served, traditional dances all around, happy smiles, happy laughter… happiness all in all. She loved those kinds of parties. It has been years since such an event occurred. Not even her birthdays were celebrated in such a manner when the war started. She missed it all.
That night, in fact, had been the night of her first kiss. To the green-eyed man, she dreams of every single night. And every single night since then, she cannot stop thinking of him and their time together. But that night of her brother's wedding, she remembers sneaking out into the garden where the ceremony was taken place hours before. She needed air. Despite the joy-filled room, she felt suffocated, lonely.
It was warm that night. The garden was filled with soft lights and mere fireflies here and there, all around the lonely garden. Lonely of course, just like her. Loneliness, not because she was not loved by her family, but perhaps that empty feeling inside of her that has been aching in her chest since she first laid eyes on him when she was 11. Five years had gone by, back then he was just a stable boy. His godfather, Sirius Black, was just the Master of Arms when she first met him but rose his way in her father's military as a top-ranked general. She knew her father always trusted him, despite his dark family background, but he knew Sirius Black was nothing like his relatives.
Sirius Black provided weapons and iron for her father's military, beneficial in the times of war along with his financial status. Sirius Black brought his godson with him when he took residence in the castle. However, there were no special favors for the boy, as the boy worked his way into the castle. He did not mind, she doesn't think. She never saw him cry because of the work or falter for the inconvenience. In fact, it had been the other way around.
How pathetic.
She cried, running to the stables to hide from her brothers after they teased her. She was sure no one was there; everyone had been enjoying the sunshine that day. Surely, no one was around. How wrong she was, as she cried curled in the corner of the stables. There were no horses either, just one in the back of the stables. She did not pay mind to why it had not joined the other horses in the field, she didn't care.
It felt like hours she was hiding away from the rest of humanity; she didn't hear the small footsteps coming her way. She barely felt the soft brush of fingers on her shoulder.
Miss, are you okay? He asked. His soft, worried voice echoed in the lonely stable.
Who are you? She snapped. Why are you here?
I was just brushing the horse, Miss. His name is Dobby. You see, he was bullied by the other horses and ran back here.
Ironic, she thought. The horse Dobby and herself were in a similar situation. But ever since their first conversation those many years ago, she is drawn to him. Drawn to his green eyes, his dark, black hair, his voice… to him.
Back in that garden, she remembers walking far away from the noises inside the castle. And still, she did not hear those footsteps that approached her.
"Hi." He spoke. She jumped at the simple words, still not expecting anyone to be around. "I saw you walk out, I wanted to make sure you were okay."
"Er—yes. Sorry, I needed air." She responded as she turned around to gaze into his beautiful green eyes. "Beautiful wedding, was it not? I'm sure it was nice to see your mentor finally settling on a bride."
He smiled softly. Bill had been training him in swordsmanship for the past couple of years. At 15, Sirius Black had asked a favor from Bill to train him whenever he had the chance. Bill was more than happy to train, nearly training every day for hours. She knew Bill enjoyed it. She knew he was happy sharing his skills of the sword. Eventually, he became an apprentice to Bill. Bill in fact is next in line for the throne. Perhaps it was those skills of leadership that could help him in his future.
And at 17, he was promoted to the king's guard. A much higher position than being a stable boy. She knew he enjoyed it. Ever since they were younger, he sought adventure and action and always told her tales about his fantasies of becoming a knight. She knew he wanted this position, always had. Ever since Sirius moved them into the castle, she knew he wanted to do so much more in his life than be stuck in a stable full of horses. They always talked of adventures in the outside world, together, just the two of them, exploring the world and going to different countries.
How young and naïve, those thoughts were. They didn't even have their first kiss until the night of Bill and Fleur's wedding, that is.
"Yeah," he agreed, with a soft chuckle. "I always thought Bill would like nothing more than go into the forest and hunt for the rest of his life. But Lady Fleur seemed to charm him, I suppose."
"Oh, of course." She agreed, looking into the sky. "Fleur seems to charm everyone in the castle."
"But not you?"
She looked back at him. She always thought she and Fleur were always the complete opposite. Fleur liked flowers and nice things. She loved gifts and anything golden. She, herself, always find herself outdoors and pretending to be a knight when she and her brothers played when they were much younger. She doesn't care for nice and fancy things. The mere thoughts of flowers that were gifted to her were posh and it always made her feel to be committed to someone she does not care for. As if they were a sign of submission. She liked riding horses, exploring the hidden passages of the castle, never liked wearing fancy dresses, nor liked wearing high-heeled shoes. Fleur liked all those things. The princess was never lady-like in her own time; she feels uncomfortable in formal settings, never liked the other ladies who acted snobbishly. She always felt like an outsider amongst them. Just like Lady Luna. Perhaps, that's why she and Lady Luna were close friends.
"Fleur…" she started, not really knowing what to say, "she's something for sure. Average ladies don't seem to catch my brother's eye." She chuckled, turning away, "She'll make a great future queen, for sure. I'm sure she'll have all the servants dress in fancy clothes, have the halls decorated with flowers imported from the Dutch. I'm sure she'll host ghastly tea parties in the garden every day and have formal dinners and reading circles, and-"
"Gin…" He interrupted.
Gin. Ginny. The way her name slips from his lips always seems to make her knees buckle every single time. The fluttering in her stomach doesn't seem to even be described.
"Are you happy for him?"
She turned back to him. "Of course, I'm happy for him. He's my brother."
"Then what's the problem?" He laughed.
"I… I don't know." She doesn't. She didn't know. What was the problem? Would the problem be that she's losing her brother to another woman other than herself and her mother? "Perhaps, I'm not used to seeing my brother with any woman. He always turned them down. He could never settle on a Lady until Fleur came into his life." She admitted.
The beautiful green-eyed boy – no, man – laughed and took her hand. "Let's take a walk, yeah? Find somewhere quiet and away from the party?"
"Sure. That sounds wonderful." Nervous as she was. She felt his hand tightened on hers as he led her towards the back of the garden that overlooks the Black Lake and the forest. For years she had adored him, and recently, she is starting to think he adored her as well. From small eye contacts in the hall to laughter in the stables because of Ron's ridiculousness, to the small meetings in the library, to now… holding her hand in the garden underneath the summer night.
They walked in silence and settled on a bench. He kept her hand in his and she was not ready to let go. For a few minutes, they stared into the lake, wondering if there was a giant creature that lurked in its dark waters. It was a joke they had as kids, of course, such things would not have existed.
"The moon is beautiful tonight." She whispered, staring into the lake as the full moon of summer reflected on the surface of the water. "Quite warm, too." She added.
"Yeah." He agreed. "At least the breeze feels fantastic."
Of course, the weather conversation. She wondered if people in the far future would ever talk about the weather as a conversation starter. Ideally, she doesn't really know what to say, but she knows she is comforted by his presence after a full day of rubbing elbows with the other royal houses.
"Yeah." She paused, still looking out into the lake. "I always thought Bill would have a wedding in Autumn. He never did like the summer heat."
"Thanks to Fleur." He laughed, "I bet his every decision is made by her."
She chuckled. "Of course." She continued to stare at the lake, she seems to not take eyes of the moon's gracious glow in the rippling waters. It was mesmerizing. Mystical.
"Luna always thought the full moon gave her some sort of supernatural powers. She says she feels more connected to the "Mother Earth". Sometimes I think Luna may have been a witch in her past life, or so she claims. After all, her name does mean "moon" in Latin. It makes sense, actually."
"Ginny." He whispered.
There it is again, the fluttering in her stomach, like butterflies. She turned back to him, but he was not staring into the lake, he was gazing at her. For how long? She wondered. "Harry?"
"Today was just beautiful, don't you think?" He asked. Where is he going with this?
"Of course," she genuinely responded, "It was lovely, everything a girl could dream of."
"Can I confess something to you? Seeing how we've known each other for years…"
"Of course, Harry. Anything." She faced him fully and he took her other hand into his.
"Do you ever dream of something like that?" He whispered.
"As any lady would…"
He sighed but continued. "I think I would like a wedding like that one day. Perhaps, smaller and not crowded with faces I do not know. Something small, and intimate."
"What are you trying to say, Harry?"
"I- "He paused and let go of her hands. What an empty feeling. He stood up from the bench and walked towards the railing. "It's impossible and I don't know how to describe it. But sometimes, I find myself dreaming of a wedding." He paused again, and after a minute he continued once more. "With you actually. If our circumstances were different."
He was not facing her as he confessed. How could he? It was a bloody crazy idea. Not with her, she's a princess and he's just a castle guard with no royal status. It was impossible. It could never happen. She would marry a rich Prince or Lord from some foreign country away from her home, away from him.
"Harry?"
He turned to look at her and she had gotten up from her spot. "I think I would like that crazy brilliant idea, too."
He stared into her eyes, finding any indication that she was just joking. But he could not. She was serious as he was. He never confessed his feelings to her, ever. For years he felt like he had been in love with her but knew he could never be with her. It was tricky, they're both from different worlds.
"Ginny?"
"Yes?" She stepped closer, and closer, and closer…
"I must confess, but I think I want to kiss you."
"You want to kiss me?" She smiled, "with no feelings attached or something more."
"Something more." He answered as he softly placed his hand on the side of her neck, pulling her closer. "Definitely something more." And with that, he crashed his lips to hers as her hands wind around his neck, softly curling her fingers into his hair.
He pulled her closer, his other hand behind her back, into a more passionate kiss. Filled with hunger. Filled with admiration.
And with that night, she remembers, and every night since then, she had made to sure to remember the feel of his lips against hers every time they kissed.
That had been years ago, and what a wonderful night that was. A night where she truly felt love.
But one thing is for sure, she still feels lonely. Without his presence, she feels lonely like she had been before her first kiss. She misses him, her Harry. Oh, how she misses him so badly.
"Your highness?" Hermione breaks the silence, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Your dress is ready. Shall I dress you?"
The princess smiles. "Thank you, Hermione. Mother knows I can't properly dress myself." She laughs.
"Of course, Your Highness." Hermione laughs.
"And Hermione?"
"Yes?"
"Between you and I, in private and to ourselves; please call me Ginny. I command it." She chuckles.
"Of course, Ginny." Hermione smiles.
Hello! Okay, I'm back. I found some inspiration and with a bit of time away from school and work, I wrote this. So it has been years since I updated my previous story and honestly, I ran out of ideas. However, I felt inspired by Game of Thrones and Lord of The Rings and their medieval setting. I've always liked historical fiction and of course Harry Potter, so why not combine them both but take away the magic part to make it feel more... challenging? Different I guess. That's what I'm aiming for actually... So, here we are again!
Please read and review! Tell me mistakes, your opinions and thoughts are welcomed! (please don't be too mean, i'm sensitive lol) But i hope you lot enjoy my new story!
*Disclaimer! All the characters belong to JK Rowling. I am merely a fan fantasizing about a different setting for her characters. PLEASE don't sue me, i'm doing this for fun and to boost up my creativity!*
*The storyline for Lord of The Rings and Game of Thrones belong to their respective authors as well. Their storyline just inspires me into creating something of my own.* Thank you!