Draco (Hades) growled at the stormy grey owl before him. He looked down at the fresh crispy parchment in his hand again:

To my dear brother,

I am sorry to inform you but you will need to release our sister's daughter, Hermione. Hannah has threatened to send a plague upon the earth and so nothing will grow. The mortal farmers are starting to notice the death surrounding them. I have tried
very hard to convince Hannah to let Hermione stay there but she will not listen. Please send your response back with me and I will send Dean (Hermes) down to fetch the girl.

-Harry (Zeus)

How could his brother do this to him, he thought. He turned around and kicked the large vase filled with black roses. He was originally going to give them to Hermione to use as her virginal crown but that
wasn't going to happen anytime soon. The large vase shattered sending water and the roses everywhere. The owl jumped with fear before settling down again on his perch. Draco reeled on the owl sending fear through its veins again, its little heart
beating quickly.

"I know you can hear, you pathetic bird," his growled at it, "Go back to my dear dear dear brother and tell him I shall do what he commands," and the owl rushed off.

Draco growled again and kicked the nearest chair sending it flying into the wall, "Antonius!" he roared.

The ghostly figure of his servant came into view in front of him. Antonius was a handsome blonde haired soldier who had died in Troy during the First Greatest Wizarding War and unfortunately lost his arm during
it, "You called, my lord?" He was always so calm and Draco was sometimes jealous of the young soldier's ability.

"Yes," Draco snapped at him, "Please go to Lady Hermione's room and tell her our union has been canceled. She may explore around the palace if she would like but warn her not to leave it."

"Yes, my lord," and Antonius was gone in swirl of yellow.

Draco growled again and collapsed onto his throne. The dark metal was cold and was the only welcoming companion he wanted right now. He looked at the similar throne beside his except this one had metal roses attached
to it and slightly smaller. A crown lay on the crimson stained velvet seat and he picked it up. Black metal roses were placed in a careful circle with medium sized spikes pointed out from beneath the bending metal rose petals. Her crown was special
for it protected her when he could not and he knew that one day it could save her life. That thought was an early wedding gift from the Fates.

He felt something fall over his high cheekbones from his eyes. He raised a hand to touch them and pulled it away. He studied the dome of water upon his finger as more poured down his face. His breathing became
irregular and he brought the crown to his face. Salt water trickled down onto the crown and pooled in the areas where the petals dipped. Then he screamed, mostly in rage, and threw the crown down on the ground. The clang echoed across the dark
throne room.

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Once Lavender had gotten Hermione (Persephone) out of her chlamys into a simple robe that she had found, they walked down the halls with Lavender leading the way.

"How long have you been here, Lavender?" Hermione asked; her arms folded inside the huge sleeves of her robe.

"Umm," Lavender thought about it for a moment, "You know, I can't quite remember. I want to say twenty five years."

"Twenty five?" Hermione screeched, "That's a long time."

"Time flies by when you're dead," Lavender simply said and stopped at a large ornate door, "And this here is the library."

"The library," Hermione smiled and stepped forward. Her fingertips tracing the path of the engraved gold, "I am surprised that he has a library."

"His Majesty likes to read," Lavender said and Hermione's smile faded.

"Great," she murmured, "We have something in common."

"My lady," Lavender said and bowed slightly, "If I may say something as a friend instead of a servant."

Hermione nodded to her with a smile, "Of course," they had come to a truce when Lavender was getting her dressed.

"I think you have more in common than you realize," Lavender said, "For as long as I have known His Majesty and as much I have learned from you today, you have a lot in common."

"I highly doubt it," Hermione turned around and placed a hand on the cold handle, "Why is everything in this place so cold?"

"His Majesty prefers the cold," Lavender said, "I guess that is where you two are different. After all, Harry (Zeus) didn't make all mortals and immortals the same."

Hermione chuckled slightly, "So true. May I go in?"

Lavender smiled, "Of course, my lady. You don't need to ask."

Hermione turned the handle and the door swung open slowly, its hinges squeaking, "When's the last time he has been in here?"

"Not for a while," Lavender said, "He's been busy trying to place a plan together for something he wouldn't tell anyone."

Hermione nodded and the two girls stepped into the library. Hermione raised her hand a soft glow erupted in the room from her fingertips and she gasped. There were tons of books piled on top of each other. Ladders
in a dull brown color hung on their tracks as if they were on a side of a cliff. Plush deep emerald green couches were placed around the room with dark wood tables at least a foot near each couch. Hermione walked over to the closest bookshelf and
ran her hands over the shelf. She pulled her hand away when she felt a grainy paste on her fingers. A layer of dust covered them and she made a face as she wiped them on her robe.

"Well this place sure needs a cleaning," she murmured.

"Oh my," Lavender said as she stared up at the ceiling and Hermione followed.

"'Oh my' is right," Hermione said. The ceiling was like the exact replica of the night sky and the stars were like twinkling diamonds. She smiled as she recognized some of them.

"I wonder how His Majesty did that," Lavender said.

"For once, Lavender," Hermione said and smiled at the young girl, "I agree with you on something about him."

"I'm glad you think so highly of me, my lady," a deep male voice practically whispered in her ear sending unknown shivers down her spine, "And I am glad your body does too," those words echoed in her mind.

Hermione mentally cursed at herself for opening her mind and him for being so good at getting into people's minds, "What are you doing here, Lord Draco?" and she turned around as she said his name.

He stood in the door way, a dark silhouette against the setting orange sun, "I live here, Lady Hermione, or did you not notice? With an impeccable brain like yours, I must say I am surprised beyond measure."

She scowled at him and a low growl escaped her lips, "I know that, you idiot!"

He walked forward to her, "Lavender will you please leave us."

Hermione watched as her "servant" bowed low to him before leaving them alone in the dusty old library. When the doors were shut behind Lavender, Hermione spun on the balls of her feet away from him but Draco (Hades)
was already talking.

"It has been some time since I was last in here," he said as he walked along the wall of books, "I am surprised that you decided to come into this room," his stormy grey eyes glanced at her, "I figured you would
likely stay in your room or have some fun with Lavender in the privy."

"I do not spend my time prettying myself up and if I did, it would not be for you," Hermione snapped at him and folded her arms across her chest causing them to appear bigger which was noticed by the god in the
room.

"I should have known better," Draco said and he ran his fingers along the spines of the books.

Wish it was my spine, she thought and her eyes widened. Where in hell did she get that thought from?

"I use to come here when I was still young," he said, "Even during the war with my father I would come here. Got most of my ideas on battle strategies from these books," he pulled one with a thick red spine, "This
one was my favorite to read when I needed a change from the truth," he looked up at her and tossed it.

She caught it with ease and looked at the title, "The Tales of Beadle and the Bard?"

Draco smiled, "Yea. Have you ever heard of it?"

She shook her head, "Not that I can recall."

Draco chuckled, "Well if we ever meet again and for a long period of time, I will read it to you."

She looked up at him with wide eyes, "What do you mean by if we meet again?"

Draco sighed and ran a pale hand through his white blonde hair causing it to stick up in some places, "You are free," she smiled, "You are to wait here until Dean (Hermes) gets here and takes you back to your
mother."

She walked up to him, "Are you serious?"

Draco looked into her deep chocolate brown eyes, "Yes."

Then she did something that shocked them both, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him, "Oh, thank you!"

Draco smiled and wrapped his arms around her. He so wished to not let her go and to have her stay in his arms forever but nothing lasted that long. They let go of each other, "Well let's go. I'll show you the
garden while we wait for Dean (Hermes)."

"A garden?" her eyes sparkled with curiosity, "I didn't know anything could grow down in this gloomy place."

"It's not so bad once you get used to it," he almost repeated what he had said to Lavender.

She placed the book on one of the tables and walked toward the door with Draco beside her. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him carefully. There was something the matter with this god she had just met,
something that both confused and shook her to her very core. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but she would figure it out. She always did like a challenge.