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Who said being queen was easy...

Hermione

I feel ridiculously happy, I can swear to God I have never felt this happy before. Even with Lady Ginny muttering under her breath about how half the court will think I am a traitor to the Gryffindor House, I still feel like dancing and singing and clapping my hands for sheer joy.

Draco (It suddenly seems too formal to call him just "duke") is sitting at a long table placed perpendicular to mine, which is located at the very front of the Great Hall and faces the two others.

In between bites of venison, I can see him sneaking shy glances up at me, surrounded by my most loyal courtiers who suddenly do not care about engaging me in conversation.

I hardly hear their muted, dissatisfied whispers complaining about my "outrageous behaviour".

Really, I think absentmindedly to myself, what can be so outrageous about a girl falling in love for the very first time?

"Maybe Gryffindor and Slytherin should call a truce, we could rule the kingdom as friends," I say later in the night, giddy from having drank goblet after goblet of the finest malmsey wine from the cellars and from having danced with Draco countless times.

My French hood is coming loose, but I do not bother about it. I can still feel Draco's eyes on me, the warmth of his hand on mine and a delicious mix of slight bemusement and pure bliss in his eyes as we danced to song after song.

How many times this evening I have wanted to tell him to forget about the deep divide between our houses I have lost count. In this moment, in all honesty, I would rather be a servant girl and happily run off with Draco than Queen of England, expected to be prim and proper and cruel towards the house of Slytherin.

"A truce, Gryffindor and Slytherin, a truce? The Slytherins, our friends?" One of my greatest companion and advisor, Duke Harry, stares at me as though I have just suggested that we all burn ourselves at the stake.

"With all due respect, Your Grace, have you lost your mind!" he continues, dark green eyes bulging as he stares at me furiously.

"No, I am serious," I start to speak, but am unable to raise my voice above the sudden uproar in the Great Hall.

I draw myself up to my full height and survey everyone in my presence. Even a fool can see that they are tremendously upset, no doubt about my suggestion.

"The Queen, how dare she! She is behaving like a traitor, intent on causing the downfall of the House of Gryffindor!" I hear a countess from a nearby seat say loudly, then glance nervously in my direction. I make sure I stare back at her with all the queenly presence I can muster.

She will pay, I think to myself, she will regret her careless words one day. I see her cower in her seat at the icy look I give her and a tiny wave of satisfaction washes over me.

But truth be told, I currently care more about dancing with Draco than what my courtiers think of me. I long to be the object of his affections, instead of seeing his loving gestures directed at his unloving, undeserving and ungrateful wife.

I think he loves me, I can sense the desire radiating from him as he danced with me and held me close on the pretext of some non-existent dance step. Even now, I can sense that his eyes are on me, taking in my every move.

How could it all happen so quickly? I wonder blissfully to myself. Reaching for my goblet, I realise that I do not care about how it happened, all I care about is that it is finally happening. Draco, the Slytherin duke, is finally falling for me. It is like a dream, a beautiful, beautiful dream.

"Your Grace!" I hear an urgent voice on my right belonging to Lady Ginny. "Our spy from the Slytherin household begs to see you. Immediately. "

Immediately, my heart fills with dread. If a spy wants to see me at this late hour, it can only be bad news, perhaps even horrific news.

I rise unsteadily to my feet, trying to straighten my French hood. I am pulled back rudely to reality as my duty as Queen confronts me.

"Tell the spy I will see him in my presence chamber back in my rooms," I say to Lady Ginny.

We sweep out of the Great Hall, my entourage of ladies-in-waitings behind me, but not before I give a little apologetic smile to Draco.

He looks crestfallen at my sudden departure, but what can I do? I am still Queen of England despite my love interests, and it is my duty to put my house's and my country's interests ahead of mine, no matter how reluctant I may be, no matter how much it hurts me to.

The moment I enter my presence chamber, the spy, a thin, sly man in his late twenties drops to his knees before me. His cheeks are flushed, his usually painfully neat hair in a mess.

"Rise. Quickly, tell me, what is it?" I command, trying my best to keep my fear under control. I seat myself on the nearest chair lest my legs give way under me, a growing dread rising in my belly.

The last time a spy requested the presence of my parents in the similar manner, he had also fallen on his knees in front of them, and it was to inform them of the greatest rebellion that England had ever know, staged by the Slytherin lords. I, a young girl of three at that time, had lost my parents in that rebellion.

"An uprising," the spy chokes, confirming my worst fears. "Forgive me, Your Grace, I caught wind of it too late. It is planned for the day after tomorrow, at the hour before dawn." He takes a great gasp of air and continues, "And this time, the Slytherin lords swear that they will not stop until they have you beheaded and a Slytherin king seats on the throne of England."

Good luck, Queen Hermione.

And soon...the uprising begins! Do read on :)

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