A few days had passed since the attack on the castle. The warm, happy feeling Asgard had once had was no longer there. Instead, Asgard was dark and cold. The sunny skies of Asgard were now cloudy, just like the wizarding world in Hermione's sixth year at Hogwarts. Frigga's death had affected all of Asgard. The people of Asgard weeped in the streets for their beloved queen whose life had been taken before her time. Even the workers in the castle were devastated. Odin had gone easy on them and insisted that the workers take some time off to heal.
Hermione had noticed that Odin was struggling, which was to be expected after the events of Christmas Eve night. Many of the guests had been killed, their bodies scattered in the halls and in the ballroom. The bodies had all been cleared of the castle and word had been sent to the realms in which the guests had come from, explaining what had happened.
Thor wasn't in the greatest mood either, but Jane was keeping him company. Hermione had talked to Jane more since the ball, mainly because she wanted to know what Loki and Thor had been arguing about on that night. "There's something inside me, something inhuman," Jane had said. "It, apparently, belongs to the elves. That's what they were after. That's why they were here."
Hermione was still dealing with the pain in the only way she knew how... reading. She spent hours in the library, reading through as many books as she could. She did as much as she could to keep Frigga's death off of her mind, but that was easier said than done. Despite all of the people who were suffering because of Frigga's death, it was Loki that Hermione was worried about the most. She knew how good Loki was at hiding his emotions, but she had seen Loki's face at the sight of Frigga's body. She could see the tears that had formed in his eyes as he stared down at his mother's figure. It hurt Hermione to know that Loki was trying so hard to remain strong, and she knew that he was being forced to keep calm.
Odin had instructed that his sons keep the tears to themselves and let no one see them cry. Hermione was furious that Odin was forcing Loki to keep his emotions to himself, as if Loki hadn't been doing that for most of his life. Loki had been quiet for days now, though she could swear that she heard crying in the room next to her. It was usually pretty quiet, but Hermione had picked up on the soft noises from time to time.
Everyone had been having meals in their rooms, avoiding anyone's company. Some of the workers, despite Odin allowing them time off to heal, had stayed behind to take care of the royal family and the guests who were still here, which were Hermione and Jane. After the attack, any of the surviving guests had gone straight back to their realm.
Hermione had just finished lunch and was currently sat on her bed, reading one of the books she had taken from the library. Her ears picked up the faint noises coming from the room next door, followed by the sound of things crashing. Sighing, Hermione saved her spot in her book and put it on the bed next to her before standing up. Slowly, she opened her door, closing it behind her and walking up to the door of Loki's room. She could still hear the noises. Hermione's raised her fist, knocking gently on the wood. "Loki?" Her voice was soft, gentle. "Loki, are you okay?" There was no answer.
Hermione silently turned the handle and opened the door. The room was a mess. Books were scattered all over the floor, a wooden chair was broken, the pieces scattering the room. Hermione knew that Loki had done this in a fit. Hermione's brown eyes scanned the room and landed on Loki. He was sat on his floor, curled into a ball, his head hiding in his hands. It made Hermione want to cry at the scene before her, seeing Loki in the state he was in. Hermione quietly shut Loki's door and took small, silent steps towards him. "Loki?" Her voice had dropped to a whisper as she approached the god. Hermione could tell that Loki was crying.
His body was trembling and his breathing was heavy, not to mention she could see his tears glistening on his hands.
Hermione sat down next to him, putting her head on his shoulder. Barely a few seconds after, Loki shifted and latched onto Hermione, arms wrapped around her body and head over her shoulder. His crying got louder, turning into full on sobs. Hermione held him tightly, rubbing his back and soothing him. "Shhh. Shhh. It's okay. It'll be alright."
Hermione wanted to believe her own words, but she was still dealing with Frigga's death as well. Loki had it worse than she did and in this moment, the only person Hermione cared about was the god of mischief. Hermione could feel him calming down. He wasn't trembling as much and his crying had grown soft. Hermione let out a breath, closing her eyes as she held him in her arms. She continued softly rubbing his back, noticing that it was helping to calm Loki.
Eventually, Loki stopped crying, but even after he had calmed down, Hermione stayed with him. Even though Loki was no longer crying, Hermione knew he was still hurting and she didn't want to leave him alone. Loki tried to apologize for the mess and for crying, but Hermione wouldn't let him. "There's no need to apologize," Hermione had said. She didn't want him to apologize for anything, especially when she knew why he was in the state he was in. So, they sat there in silence, basking in each other's company.
...
It was the evening everyone had been dreading. The sun was hidden behind the clouds, like it had been for days. It was cold outside, a lot colder than it had been. It seemed that the realm itself was reacting to Frigga's death.
Hermione was still worried about Loki, even now as she looked at her reflection in the mirror, dressed entirely in black. Faye and Molly had returned to help out wth the funeral and to pay their respects. Hermione did everything she could to keep the tears from falling, but she felt like she was losing the battle against her emotions. Any minute now, the tears would start falling and she knew there was no point in trying to stop them. Being who she was, it was hard for Hermione to keep her emotions to herself. She wasn't as emotionally strong as Loki.
Taking one last look at herself, Hermione sighed and turned and walked out of her room. Faye and Molly left soon after to return to the rest of the staff.
The funeral was being held on a cliff. Frigga's body rested on a golden table, decorated with ancient designs. Hermione couldn't keep fighting anymore. The tears she had been trying to hold in poured out of her. The tears stung, making it impossible for her to keep her eyes open. "Are you okay?" Thor asked as he approached her. Hermione wiped the tears away. "Yeah. I'm just emotional," she replied, crossing her arms.
"I'm not surprised. We all are emotional today." Hermione sighed. "I don't feel like I deserve to cry. I've only known your mother for a few months." Thor looked at Hermione. "Don't be silly. You may not have known her for very long, but you two were close. You have no reason to feel like that." Hermione nodded, saying nothing else.
Not long after, Odin stood in front of everyone who was attending. Everyone stood in silence as Odin scanned the crowd. "What a tragic day this is. And what a way to end another year. The attack on Christmas Eve was not expected. Many lives were lost, including our dear Queen Frigga." Odin gestured to his wife's body. "Many of you know how kind my wife was... and how brave. While I am hurt by her passing, I am glad that her life was filled with love and kindness. To all who are here to mourn alongside my family, your attendance is greatly appreciated."
Odin walked back into the crowd. Some of Odin's closest friends escorted him away from group and began conversing to themselves.
Thor placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "You have as much a right to be here as anyone else. You need not feel like you are unworthy of mourning." Hermione nodded, a small smile appearing on her face. Thor smiled back before dismissing himself to talk to some of the others.
Hermione slowly approached Frigga's body. She stopped a few feet away from the table, arms crossed. She felt someone stop next to her. Right away, she knew it was Loki. he was dressed in an all back suit, hands in the pockets of his black dress pants. Hermione could sense that Loki wanted to say something but was having a hard time with saying it.
"If she were still alive, Frigga would be happy to have you at her funeral," Loki said, staring at his mother's body. Hermione didn't look at him. "I'm sure she would have been just as honored to have you here, Loki." Loki smiled to himself, looking at the ground. Hermione heard him breathe in before he spoke. "I never thanked you," he began. "For comforting me and staying with me afterwards. I know I was a mess. I don't usually let people see me like that."
Hermione looked at him, brown eyes meeting his green ones. "Your mother died. I understand why you were in the state you were in. It's nothing to be ashamed of, Loki." She put a hand on his arm, rubbing it gently. "I've only been here for a few months, but being here as really changed my life. I never thought my life could get more exciting, but coming here has been one of the best things that have ever happened to me. I have you to thank for that."
"Me?" Loki asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked down at her. "What did I do?" Loki was shocked, to say the least. Hermione's words did make him feel a tinge of happiness.
"Despite the things you've done in the past, you've redeemed yourself. I can see that Odin trusts you more than he did when I first got here. You've changed immensely." Loki's eyes stayed glued to hers. Hermione bit her lip. "You've also saved my life multiple times. If it weren't for you, I might not be here." Hermione looked down, unable to look into his eyes any longer. Loki smiled, noticing her shy away.
"Well, I appreciate it very much." Loki walked closer to her. He put his finger under her chin, tilting her head up so their eyes met again. "You don't know how much it means to me." Hermione's breathing was steady, even as she stared into Loki's eyes.
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," Odin spoke, pulling the attention of the crowd back to him. In his hand was a single match, a flame dancing at the end of it. "As the sun sets, we say a final goodbye to Queen Frigga. May she rest in peace." The crowd mumbled those last words before Odin threw the match atop Frigga's lifeless body. Loki and Hermione watched the flames grow, taking a final look at Frigga's body.
"Come on," Hermione whispered to Loki, nudging him. Loki looked back and noticed the crowd dispersing. He simply nodded as he looked back at Hermione. She took his hand and gently pulled him away. "What will happen after her body turns to ash?" Hermione asked as they walked away. "Her ashes will be buried in the family crypt, in a tomb made especially for her," Loki replied, squeezing her hand gently.
"We need to figure out who let the elves in on Christmas Eve night," Loki said after awhile of silence. "I will not rest until the culprit is caught. My mother will be avenged... this I promise."