AN1: Sorry, I've been kinda...eh...about updating lately. THIS IS AU!
THIS IS AU!
THIS
IS AU!
THIS IS AU!
THIS IS AU!
What is this again? Oh yeah.
THIS IS AU!!!!!!
Don't say I didn't warn you that THIS IS AU!
Disclaimer: I have no ownage rights to HP or anything recognizable in this.
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When a land is ruled over by a monarch, the people usually never have much of a say in what happens. Occasionally they do, but not normally. That's why many prefer a different system of ruling that isn't a monarchy. Those in the royal family, however, may disagree. It's more than likely that they like the power that they have and wouldn't want the government system to change to something horrid such as communism or democracy. And the royals, you'd think that they like being...royal. It's got to have its perks!
But there are some that would prefer to be normal. Some who would prefer to not have unending power over everyone in the land. There are some like Draco Malfoy; or rather: Prince Draco Malfoy. He didn't mind being royal but if it were up to him, he'd rather be a regular person. Everyone treated him oddly because his father, Lucius Malfoy, ruled over Great Britain. He wasn't the kindest ruler, but he was most certainly a better one than that awful Voldemort.
Anyway, Prince Draco—henceforth referred to as simply Draco—would much rather have preferred to be the son of a peasant than that of a king. This behavior appalled King Lucius and he banned his son from dressing as a peasant or going anywhere unescorted. That's why Draco is where he is now. Instead of getting tutored in the palace by his private tutor, he is dressed as a peasant and is taking a potions class at the community college.
Miss Hermione Granger, however, is a peasant and unlike Draco, she'd jump at the chance of being royalty. She had many strong views and powerful ideas of what to do with the kingdom, if only someone would hear her out. But nobody important took peasants seriously and even less so if the peasant wasn't a male. It annoyed Hermione to no end, but it was the life she was used to and she learned not to fight it...too much.
She currently attended classes at the community college and had the highest grades there. She was hoping for a scholarship to one of the most influential schools in the country: Hogwarts. There, she thought that she could get her ideas heard and maybe even acted on.
She was always one of the first five people in any class. She wanted to get a good seat towards the front and unlike the students who were with her during her first seventeen years of schooling, these ones took class seriously and actually desired a place in the front.
Today she was first and chose her favorite spot: second row from the front and the desk just to the right of the center. Hopefully no one obnoxious would sit by her today. The door creaked open and a young man, obviously not wanting to be recognized slid into the seat beside her. Something about him seemed awfully familiar but she just couldn't place where she'd ever seen him before.
It took her twenty minutes into Potions to figure out who he was. His voice gave him away. The teacher directed a question at him and he answered in a polished voice the correct answer. It was only then that she realized he was the prince. Hermione would have known that voice everywhere. It was always being broadcast on the WWN.
Discreetly she studied him out of the corner of her eyes. She was amazed that she hadn't placed him before. Her dorm mate, Lavender Brown, had posters of him plastered all over their dorm and the bathroom. Hermione couldn't take one sodding step without seeing him staring her in the face!
She thought about addressing him as Prince Draco, but then thought again. If he'd have wanted to be public about whom he was, than he wouldn't have gone through the trouble of appearing peasant-ish. It was vaguely endearing that the prince would lower himself to mingle with those in a class much lower than the one he was born into.
No matter how endearing it was, that didn't mean that Hermione was going to be particularly pleasant with him. She was fully aware of what was happening under his father's reign. The giants, who were once their most powerful allies, were now being treated as slaves and all the ogres that had helped them to overthrow Voldemort were being massacred. It wasn't right and she wasn't going to stand for it.
Hermione was lost in her malicious thoughts of the king and his cruel ways and exactly where she thought that he should shove his broomstick when she added unicorn tail into the potion instead of lacewing flies. Only Draco had noticed and had realized the drastic effects of that one little mistake.
"DUCK!" He yelled.
The students and the professor looked wildly around the room for the danger but took cover anyway. Hermione was the single student in the classroom—besides Draco—who hadn't already moved. Acting as fast as a strike of lightning, Draco grabbed Hermione's hand, yanked her down to the ground and covered her body with his.
A loud explosion erupted and potion flew everywhere. Due to the protection she had, none of the substance had splashed onto Hermione, but a couple spots had fallen onto Draco's purposefully shabby robes. He waited another couple of seconds before saying loudly, "It's all clear,"
"Are you okay?" He asked Hermione as he gently eased himself off of her.
"Yes, I'm fine! You didn't need to save me, it's not like I'm some helpless damsel in distress or anything."
"The score is chivalry: 1 and gratitude: 0. You're welcome." Draco walked off, slightly huffy and Hermione felt a little bit guilty; after all, it was her fault. Although technically if Draco hadn't have been there then she wouldn't have been distracted enough to mess up the potion. But it wasn't as if she'd ever see him again. It was the prince, the prince! What was he doing at the community college anyway, she wondered.
Maybe he's running away from the crown. What an idiot! Does he not realize that he could change the world once he's king? He can undo the damage that his father has made. Or maybe he's just hiding. He could want a normal day. It must be pretty tiring getting waited on hand and foot. She snorted derisively. Yeah, right. Well whatever he wants, he should get it somewhere else. He's distracting me. I've never messed up a potion to that degree before. But thankfully it's break now. I'm going to the library. I doubt that he'll be there.
Hermione was making her way through the shelves when she faintly heard someone yell: "Watch out!" She looked left and right and found no danger and so she assumed that whoever it was that yelled wasn't directing his caution to her.
Wrong.
Someone came barreling into her from behind and purposely knocked her to the ground and pushed her out of the row she was walking in. His body covered hers. This was the second time that Hermione had found herself in this position in less than two hours! It was ridiculous! She was about to get up when a loud tumbling noise made her freeze in her tracks.
Right where she had been walking, a bookshelf fell to the ground with a loud crash. She felt an enormous amount of gratitude towards the person who saved her. Hermione glanced up and saw the familiar head of hair that belonged to no one other than the prince.
Hermione groaned. Not again. "Do you have some sort of fascination with knocking me down, Prince Draco?" She said, looking at the one who had for the second time today, knocked her over.
Draco chose not to answer her somewhat rhetorical question and instead looked at her in slight amusement. "Now it is chivalry: 2 and gratitude: 0. It's nice to know that my efforts to save you are appreciated." Sarcasm was evident in his tone.
Hermione looked as if she were about to fire some retort at him—possibly something about how she wouldn't have needed saving either time if he hadn't have been in her thoughts due to his random appearance at her school—but he started to talk again before she could even complete the first syllable. "You know, you're the first female I've met that hasn't swooned at the sight of me."
She snorted. "Then maybe I've done you some good. Merlin knows you don't need any more of an ego than you probably already have."
"Maybe you have." He said this in a slightly huskier voice and Hermione's eyes widened at the change from the joking tone that he had just been using. He stood up quickly and offered her his hand. Hesitantly she took it and he squeezed it firmly before pulling her up.
Once she was steady on her feet, she had expected him to drop her hand. When he didn't she looked up at him expectantly. Instead of letting go of her hand, he pulled her to him and leaned in to kiss her. Hermione let her common sense and annoyance for the man in front of her go, closed her eyes and waited—somewhat anxiously—for the inevitable contact. As their lips were about to touch, the door banged open.
"Prince Draco!" Lavender screamed loudly. How she had known where to find him was a mystery to both Draco and to Hermione. "I love you!! I am the president of your fan club!"
Hermione dropped his hand and stepped away from him as if she had been burned. "I should go," She ran out the door and slammed it behind her.
"Oh thank goodness she's gone! What a nightmare! It's so miserable rooming with her." Lavender spoke breathily. "I know where you live. And I know which room is yours. Your window is on the fourth floor and it's the third one from the left. Sometimes, I watch from outside and see you flick your lights off."
Draco looked very alarmed at the announcements of this stalker-ish woman. How had she even known where he was? "Um, that's very...er, flattering, but I really need to go." Without waiting for a response from her, Draco ran out the door.
In his haste to get away from Lavender as fast as humanly possible, he wasn't watching where he was going and ran smack into somebody and knocked them flat to the ground.
"Oh no! I'm so sorry! Here, let me help you," Draco trailed off when he saw the familiar thick plait of chestnut hair and blue robes. He smirked. "So we meet again."
"Not you!" She was only half-joking. "Are you planning on making this a habit?"
He offered her his hand and again, pulled her to her feet. Before she could react, Draco wrapped his arms around her waist, dipped her down and kissed her thoroughly on the lips. Surprisingly enough, she didn't protest in the least.
"It depends. Can that be part of the routine?"
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AN2: IGNORE TYPOS! I will fix them later, I promise! Eh. Odd ending. Oh well. Please review!
And the first one who can spot the movie that this chapter was inspired by, I'll...write a chapter for them or dedicate my next chapter to them or do something! I don't know what yet. Suggestions are great.
And Erica, you don't count. I think you already know what the movie is. So no.
Lovelove, Amanda
