After a long long long break, I'm finally back to writing! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter, there'll be more to come :) And thank you so much for the reviews, most of them are really sweet and for those that were, ahem not so sweet, they're still learning points :)

So...enjoy reading and do keep reviewing!

Harry

I sit on my throne in the presence chamber, watching disinterestedly the scene that plays out every day in the presence chamber of a king. Some courtiers play the lute, some sing, some dance, beating their hands to the time of the music. Some play cards, and every now and then an oath or a crow of joy can be heard along with with the jingle of coins exchanging hands along with the fortunes of those playing.

"Your Majesty", one of my closest advisors and friends, Duke Ron, approaches the throne. "I have urgent news". His brow is furrowed with worry and immediately, I step down from my throne and we withdraw to a window enclave, hidden from the prying eyes of the court.

"The lady Hermione, even though she is in prison, has powerful friends who are not. My spies tell me that she has, through her friends, bought a cook in your kitchens to poison your food tonight and through your death, reclaim the throne", Ron says solemnly.

"What"? I spin around in shock and the duke abruptly shifts his position to conceal my shock from the court.

"It is true, Your Majesty, and should come as no surprise seeing how much the lady Hermione despises you." Duke Ron murmurs, and adds, as I feel my face turn a deep shade of crimson, "and perhaps it would be prudent not to let the court know of this, Your Majesty, so as to prevent any outbreaks of fear."

With a deep breath, I manage to keep a hold over myself and I nod slowly, menacingly.

"That little fox, how dare she," I growl, "I have not been so greedy as to want her life together with her crown, but she wants mine."

"Then I shall have hers."

Ron nods, slowly, regretfully. In the deep crevices of his mind he still remembers the young Hermione that was his playmate, her enchanting laughter that warmed him even on the coldest winter days and their childhood vow that they would always, always watch out for each others' backs.

But Ron was forced to choose between Harry and Hermione and he had chosen Harry. He had known that the shadow of regret would haunt him for the rest of his life regardless of who he chose, but he had no choice. He remembered Harry's words all too clearly that stormy night when he was forced to choose: "If you're not with me, you're against me. And if you're against me, you are dead to me."

Hermione had been against him, and now she would be dead.

"Tonight," I continue as I draw a tiny flask from my doublet, "drip two drops of this potion in her food.

"Cantarella," I feel my lips curl sinisterly. "The deadliest poison in all England, perhaps even in this world. I concocted it myself in case I ever fall into enemy hands. A high fever, blood vomited, hallucinations, some uncontrollable violent spasms, and she will be dead within the next few hours after having imbibed it."

I hand the tiny flask, no larger than the length and breath of my index finger to Ron.

"I trust you", I say, even as I see his face turn pale and his hands tremble as they reach out to take the flask from me.

"By tomorrow, she will have died of a mysterious illness and I will be in shock and filled with sorrow over the death of one who was formerly close to me." I turn away from Ron and confidently make my way back to the throne, my throne.

Draco

Some sinister feeling has settled itself over my being. I cannot sit still for more than a few seconds, I cannot stand without pacing around. I swear my heart is beating faster than usual. Even on this warm August afternoon I feel clammy all over and it seems as though a cold, invisible hand is clenching my heart.

Hermione! I think suddenly, filled with a sudden dread. Is she okay?

And it dawns on me how stupid, how incredibly stupid I am to think that she is alright. The usurper who calls himself king has stolen her crown, what makes me think that he won't dare to order her killed and be done with it? There are so many ways to have someone killed, I for one should know. All my childhood, I have heard stories of secret killings occurring within the royal family, all hushed up but never fully silenced. The murder of the princes in the tower, the sudden, unexplained death of the royal princess who fell out of favour...

What if Hermione is the next one?

No, I think almost immediately, no. Hermione cannot die, for I then would die too. I think of her sweet smile, her warm, welcoming eyes, her embrace that filled me with hope. I think of how she opened her heart to me, someone who was supposed to be her enemy. I think of how she believed that we would find some way, against all odds, to be together. And lastly, I think of how she once told me that she loved me, those long months ago and how I realised that I too, loved her.

All those long months shut in prison, she was the only thing that kept me alive and gave me a reason why I should not simply run headfirst into the stone wall and free my soul from this cruel world.

She is the greatest hope, the greatest love that I have ever had and I do not know how to survive without hope or love.

Slowly, I reach into my doublet for the tiny flask that I always carry around with me. It is sanlia, the remedy for all poisons in this world. It is an ancient recipe, passed down from generation to generation among a select few in my family. Some call it the "kiss of life".

I have always lived in fear of being poisoned by my enemies, but as I rotate the flask in my hand and hold it up to the sunlight, I realise that my fear of Hermione being poisoned is greater than my fear of being poisoned myself.

Later that evening, as a guard sympathetic to the House of Slytherin enters to bring me my dinner, I slip him the flask and command him to find a way for the flask to be brought to the lady Hermione at Tutbury Castle with all speed.

But I still cannot rest easy.

I alone know that I have, in a moment's haste and spurt of anger, gave orders in the name of Hermione to poison King Harry.

What if fate decides to punish me for wishing for the death of a king by taking Hermione instead?

So that's it for now, hopefully Chapter 12 will be up soon! Thanks for reading :)