Draco's smile faded when he saw who was lounging on his throne.
"My dear dear dear Uncle, how has hell been treating you?" the dark skinned man smiled up at his with blinding white teeth while he twirled Hermione's crown, would she have been Queen, on his fingers.
Draco chuckled, two could play at this game, "Fairer then I see being the messenger to the All Almighty Harry (Zeus) has been."
Dean (Hermes) chuckled again as he got up off the throne. He took the rose crown and placed it upon his head. He turned in different directions, "What do you think?" and then Dean sighed as Draco sent him no response and placed the crown upon the throne again, "Hannah (Demeter) has become angry at you."
Draco crossed his arms across his chest, "Tell me what else is new."
Dean just smiled, "A lot of things have happened since you last came out of your hole," he said motioning around them, "Still haven't remodeled I see."
"I have no need," Draco said, "So, Harry sent you for her?"
"Of course," Dean bowed slightly, "Who else would he entrust with such delicate cargo?"
"I wouldn't," Draco growled at Dean's sarcasm.
Dean (Hermes) glared at the king of the Underworld, "Where is she, Lord Draco?"
Draco smirked, "Right where I left her, purring in pleasure," he loved how he could pull every bodies strings like this; one of his many talents.
Dean's face seemed to become redder and redder until Draco thought it would explode, "Do you know what you have done?"
Draco just shook his head in a sarcastic manner, "What is that I have done, young Dean?"
"Hannah wants to keep Hermione's virginity intact; she's more valuable that way. If she finds out you took it...," Dean sighed, slowing his eyes and controlled his breathing, "Hannah has placed a plague upon the land, people are starting to die," Dean said, "I thought you hated your job. Wouldn't it be best if you let Hermione go back to her mother and end this onset of death?"
Draco chuckled, "Why would I do that? I have a beautiful creature up in my bed, my land is once again full, and my dear servants and friends have something to do."
Dean growled, "Harry has ordered and so do I, for you to hand her over to me, Lord Draco."
"By all means," Draco leaned in and growled, "Order me around, pitiful god of thieves. Tell me, are you going to take her before giving her back to Hannah? Cause I did not force myself upon Lady Hermione. I'm too much of a god with ethics to do so." That was the last straw for Dean and he lashed out at Draco. Draco caught the dark skinned fist that came hurling towards him, "You will not do that, Dean," Draco told the still young god.
"Give her to me, now," Dean growled very low, "I don't exactly trust you, now, since you lied to me about her virginity."
"What's the magic word?" Draco smiled, "Did your mommy not teach you any manners? Oh right, she was too busy fucking my brother," Draco growled as another fist came flying toward him from Dean.
"You will not dishonor my mother in front of me," Dean said.
Draco just chuckled as he turned away from the young god, "Come Dean, I'll bring you to my dear kitten," and Draco led the still flustered god out of his palace.
"Wait till I tell Cho (Aphrodite)," Dean chuckled darkly, anger and revenge flowing freely through his veins, when he realized where they were going, "The dark and secret King of the Underworld has a few kinks."
Draco reeled at Dean, "You will not tell anything to that gossip wrench, do you hear me? Or I will make sure my dear friends, the Fates, give you a sneak peek into your future."
Draco watched as Dean's Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he gulped, "I won't tell anyone."
Draco smiled, "Good," and he led them to where Hermione was last seen.
He did not start to worry till he circled the garden area twice, "Loose something, my lord?" Dean (Hermes) smirked at the god a little ahead of him.
"Not at all," Draco smiled as he dropped down on to his knees where Hermione had stood, "Just misplaced," his hands lightly ran over the soft dirt beneath his touch. He stood up and smiled. Oh, his Lioness, even with her claws and teeth, was not clever enough, he thought as he stepped into the bushes with a confused Dean on his tail.
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Hermione smiled gently, her hands running over the flowers as she continued to walk forward. She thought of what had happened between her and Draco moments before. Her emotions were a mesh of feelings ranging from each side of the spectrum. When he was about to hit her, she noticed that there was something different about him. She meant what she said about him and that was how she saw him; a good but misunderstood god.
She looked up at the sky, light was barely out now and she wondered how long she had been down here for. Was her mother worried about her? Had anyone noticed her absence during the feast tonight for Uncle Harry? She would not be surprised if no one had not. She did not believe Draco when he had said that her family loved her. A lot of her cousins were jealous of her and whispered hateful things behind her back. Her only real friends were her aunt Pansy (Hestia), her cousin Astoria (Artemis), and her other cousin Lily (Athena). They each taught her something which has helped her in her life as an immortal. Pansy (Hestia) taught her how to control her emotions so she would appear calm but on the inside she was a raging storm. Pansy also taught her how to close her mind to her enemies. Astoria (Artemis) taught her how to fight though she never had any use for it yet. Astoria also taught her how to read the stars, how to gut and skin animals, and how to track them. Hermione always held respect for Astoria no matter how much she got teased for being a virgin still. Lily (Athena) was her hero and taught her everything that Hermione needed to know as a goddess. Lily also taught her different battle strategies and how to weave which only the last one she would be praised for by her husband when she was given one.
She missed her life on Hogwarts but down here in the Underworld... it offered so much for her, Draco offered her so much. She continued walking beneath the large tree which she noticed now bore fruit. Her mouth watered at the sight of the apples, peaches, and cherries. Her stomach rumbled and she reached for an apple. She held her hand back though and continued to walk on, racking her brains as to why she should not eat the food of the Underworld. Lily and Astoria had both told her and told her and told her the reason but she could not remember. She stopped when she saw a pomegranate. It was large and purely red. Her mother never let her eat them at the large parties Harry (Zeus) held. Hannah told her that it was forbidden fruit which only desperate woman ate because it filled them with lust. Hermione was always tempted to reach out when her mother was not looking and sneak one of the forbidden pieces of fruit into the folds of her chiton.
Now, Hermione thought, might be my only chance. So she reached up and clasped a hand around the large fruit and plucked it from the tree. She sure was hungry since she was used to having very large meals and not having anything since her "abduction" had caused her to become so. She went over and sat down on a huge moss covered boulder just staring at the fruit in her hands. Her stomach rumbled again and her decision was made. She broke the pomegranate in half and took one plump red seed out. Hermione studied it for a moment before placing the red seed on her tongue and chewed carefully on it. Her taste buds exploding in a delicious combination of sweetness and desire.