Author's note: I do NOT own any of the series I burrow the characters and the setting from. Thanks for the reviews, favs, and follows. Enjoy.
Edmund's first few days at the Hogwarts was not so bad at all. With Dumbledore's graceful help, an owl always delievered him a package of documents to look at. Thus, no longer did he complain that he was forced away from his duty. He mostly spent his time in his appointed room, certainly a luxurious one, or on the bench near a pond outside the castle. He would lay back on the bench with his casual blouser and pants. Edmund noticed that the students often came out to watch him—though he never got what sort of spectacle he would be. He did not know that in the eyes of the young, hopeful girls (witches, to be exact), he looked as dreamy as a unicorn under a rainbow.
This, of course, became the cause of Ron's ever more discomfort toward the king. The trio had to walk across the yard in order to get to the correct lecture room. While they walked, Hermione noticed that a lot of girls, in groups of twos or threes, sat on the downward slope and stared at something with a sparkle in their eyes. Hermione followed their gaze, only to find the dreaded king she so longed to forget. As she so suddenly ducked her body low, hiding between Harry and Ron—thus, causing Ron to blush—she made known of the king's presence to the other two as well. After Ron was done staring at Hermione's arm twined with his and got rid of his ridiculous blush, he saw the king going through his pile of documents and looking professional as ever.
"I don't see why girls are so over him." Ron's brows were furrowed, as if it became a natural instinct to do so at the sight of Edmund.
Harry grinned a little at Ron. "I think he quite deserves the attention. He has the look and the title. Now we see that he also has a character, and an attractive one!" He meant is as a joke, though all of his words were true, but Ron's face turned even more unpleasant at Harry's answer.
Before Ron could fully scowl, Hermione stood up straight. "This is stupid. He probably doesn't even remember me. I have no reason to hide. Yes, it's quite embarrassing that I said and acted as such then, but when you're young, you tend to do things that are quite stupid. I have no reason to hide." She breathlessly finished as if to cast a spell on herself.
Ron enthusiastically nodded, and Harry just patted her on the back lightly. Thus, passed their first day after the king's arrival.
The fact was, Edmund still remembered that there once was a rude girl named Hermione Granger who dared to talk so crudely to the royalty, not because he was a pathetic little wimp who holds grudge against every offense thrown upon him and waits for a perfect revenge, but because he had an exceptional memory. But this particular fact did not influence Edmund to do something related to the girl. First of all, he did not like to waste his time. Second of all, it was a long time ago. Lastly, it did not cause him any drastic tragedy than a mere annoyance. That, he could tolerate.
So when he was lying on the bench, reading the endless amount of legal documents, a task he truly enjoyed doing, Edmund was not planning anything related to the rude little girl from the train so many years ago. Except, he heard the name.
"Miss Hermione Granger!" It was one of the professors.
Edmund looked up, amused by the situation just begging for him to notice the familiarity, and found an aged woman, the professor that called, he guessed, approaching a group of three students with Gryffindor uniforms. The three now faced the professor, so he couldn't see their faces, but a particular type of hair caught his attention.
The middle one had a ruddy brown hair, so bushy, one would have mistaken it as a broom from afar. Edmund snorted a small laugh (causing Trumpkin to look back with a weird stare). He noticed that her hair, compared to then, was a bit calmer in appearance, as if she actually attempted to brush it now and then. He remembered her words that day.
"I'm Hermione Granger, soon to be the brightest witch of the age, I'm proud to say."
The brightest witch of the age, she said? Edmund thought. We'll see how true a prophet she was.
So when the professor was done talking to the group, or to a member of the trio, Edmund, while pretending to read his documents, watched as they turned around. The girl was quite grown but still owned the parts of her face as a child. Overall, she was pretty (though Edmund would say "not ugly"). The boys that escorted her on both sides were somewhat plain. The boy on the left had hair as black as Edmund's and wore glasses. He was too far off to tell the definite color of his eyes, but it was certain that they were lighter than black. The other boy who stood a bit awkwardly on the right had fiery red hair, and due to their numerosity, Edmund could tell that there were freckles on his face. They were talking all so brightly that Edmund had a sudden twist in his disposition to ruin their mood. He sat straight, documents still in his hand. Trumpkin, again, looked back to question, but before he could do so, Edmund called out.
"Hey! Over there!" He waved a little.
All the peaceful strollers (some pretending to be one in desire to watch the king) and the trio, looked at him, their eyes wide open like a threatened meerkat. Edmund looked straight at Hermione and nodded. "Yes, you!"
He noticed she turned slightly pale and murmured something to her friends by her side. Edmund waved for her to come forward, not letting his pretentious, gentle smile leave his lips. The boy with black hair said something to her and patted her on the back. The red-haired boy glared at him. The boy's hatred toward him was so apparent that Edmund was mildly amused. He patiently waited as the three walked toward him. Several students watched from not so far off. When they were about a yard away, Edmund noticed that the girl was actually "not ugly" at all. She was...very pleasant to the eyes, if only she would take good care of her hair!
When they thought it was appropriate to stop and ask for the purpose of the summon, they did stop, and the boy with black hair and glasses spoke first. "Your Majesty, though it pleases us greatly that you have called us to your presence, may we ask why you have asked us to?"
"I think it a better manner to introduce yourselves, please?" Edmund, still hanging onto his good-natured smile, asked.
All three of them (except Ron who was sort of reluctant) bowed their heads apologetically and answered Edmund's demand one by one.
"My name is Harry Potter, Your Majesty, a sixth year student in the House of Gryffindor." The raven-haired boy said.
The targeted girl announced next. "Hermione Granger, also a sixth year student of Gryffindor, Your Majesty." Edmund pretended not to notice how her words seem to tremble a little at the end.
Lastly, the hateful ginger boy spoke. "Ronald Weasley, a sixth year of Gryffindor as well." Edmund noticed a hidden grunt in the boy's words but ignored it.
"Nice to meet you all. I just wanted to ask for the ideas and suggestions of the wise students of Hogwarts. Do you see this pile of work?" Edmund pointed at the documents and a few rolls of confidentiality stacked/placed neatly by the bench he laid. "I have an evening to solve them all, but I've been, oh!, so miserably stuck on this one problem." He quite jokingly and dramatically waved a couple of documents that were in his hands. "Will you please help me out, my good friends?"
Inwardly, Ron snorted so hard at the words "my good friends" that he could been lifted from the ground. Hermione had her eyes on the ground, not daring to look up in fear that the king might notice her. Harry nervously smiled as if nothing was wrong. Ron knew everything was wrong. Why is this king so young? Why couldn't Queen Susan come? Why does this king have to look so charming? Above all, Ron was mad because he sensed somehow that the king was playing with them. He did not need their help in solving any of the politics. Probably, Ron thought.
King Edmund explained the political dispute he was stuck with to solve, but none of the words rightfully flowed into Ron's head. They went through one ear and out the other. Ron's mind bubbled with impossibly ridiculous anger.
"I'm afraid that we won't be of any help, Your Majesty." Harry finally managed to end the matter quickly.
King Edmund displayed a face of disappointment (not sincere at all, is he? Ron asked himself). Hermione also quietly chirped in. "We're terribly sorry, Your Majesty."
The king good-heartedly laughed. "Don't mind, my friends. It was my task from the start. I still thank you for your presence. You may leave as you want."
Hermione inwardly let out a deep sigh of relief. Thank goodness, he doesn't remember! When the three turned around and walked few steps away from the king, a voice made her freeze in her spot.
"Though I am a bit disappointed to hear it from the brightest witch of the age."
Hermione turned around just in time to witness the wicked smile on the king's lips that immediately turned gentle like before. There was only one thought in her head.
Bloody Hell.