Moments in Time
Disclaimer: Copyright J.K. Rowling & C.S. Lewis
XII: Diversion
or
"He likes her. She likes him. Everyone knows. Except them."
Hermione sat stock still as the Valiant Queen worked her unruly hair into a braid. She had protested heavily against the idea, for the thought of a Queen degrading herself to pampering her had seemed absurd but Lucy would not hear any of it. That didn't mean that Hermione was any less uncomfortable, however. And it certainly didn't help that the Queen's ladies-in-waiting were eyeing her with obvious disdain from the other side of the room.
Hermione hadn't paid much attention to it before, but on the long, awkward walk to Lucy's chambers, she took notice of how alive the castle was. Not in the magical sense, like the halls of Hogwarts with magically moving staircases ... no, though Cair Paravel had its own brand of magic within its walls; it was the animation of people and animals that made it charming.
The corridors were energised with maids and menservants carrying freshly pressed sheets and silver dishes that clearly encased food, a Lord escorting a Lady, young children, and animals who were clearly offsprings of those who worked in the castle ran by engrossed in their little chase game as Lucy laughing at them delightedly, guards stationed several hundred yards away from each other. The stark difference in Lucy's wing of the castle surprised Hermione. Edmund's wing of the castle, whilst bright due to the architecture of the castle, still somehow seemed dark, and now that she thought about it, there were guards stationed several yards away from one another too. Except, despite the blaring maroon and gold royal garbs that everyone who worked at the castle were required to wear in one form of uniform or another to represent their alliance; the guards seemed pretty invisible in Edmund's wing, but their presence was far more obvious in Lucy's wing.
The stark difference between the siblings stood out to Hermione like a sore thumb. She wondered why she hadn't noticed the activity around Edmund's wing as much as she had in Lucy's. In the back of her mind, she acknowledged that she and Edmund had never truly been alone in the corridors; even during their midnight snacks in the kitchen, there was the overwhelming feeling of being watched carefully but she had clearly overlooked it. Why was that? It was slightly alarming how low her guards had dropped in the presence of the King.
The usually outspoken witch was uncharacteristically silent, lost in her thoughts, and apparently the Queen had also picked up on it.
"From what Edmund has spoken of you, I thought that you were a woman of many words, Hermione," the Queen peered at her through the mirror.
Hermione's cheeks pinked. The hairs on her arm stood erect with uncomfortableness and she was vaguely aware of the sharp glances the other ladies sent her.
"I'm sure you brother's not really had much to say about me," Hermione replied, knowing that she was quite an insignificant part of Edmund's day.
As a King, he was an assiduous man and she knew that they only reason why he had been particularly attentive to her recently was because he knew she was hiding something and because he knew that she was of use to him. Hermione was fairly modest but she knew that her intelligence was a well-sought asset, Edmund would be a fool to not use her help - but unfortunately, he had gone about enlisting her help in all the wrong ways. He was just lucky that she was not really one to hold a grudge - unless your name was Ronald Weasley, that is.
"Quite the opposite, in fact," Lucy smirked softly through the mirror. Hermione briefly noted how much Lucy resembled her brother in that moment. "You look surprised."
Hermione blinked and cocked an eyebrow, "Well - it's just, - he talked about me? Really?"
Hermione winced at how insecure that came across, but at the same time, she found it hard to believe that the Queen was not just being kind. She barely knew the Valiant Queen - sure, they had a brief friendly moment in the kitchens that one night, perhaps a week ago, but their interaction had never extended beyond that ... and Hermione had hardly expected it to. Queen Lucy was a monarch of a country and Hermione ... well, we've all established that the reason Hermione still visited the castle was because of Edmund - and even that was only in the most platonic of ways.
"You're all that he has been speaking about the past week," Lucy frowned, looking as though she was puzzled by something.
"Oh," Hermione breathed, unsure of how to respond to such a statement.
"I was a bit disappointed actually, I had been hoping that you would visit after you were released from the infirmary. It was why I came to the tavern last night."
Hermione tried to remember the Queen's presence last night, the events of the prior night had pretty much blended into one for her. Too many things had happened too fast that it had become hard for her to decipher individual events. It was in that cloud of confusion that she had nearly bit Edmund's head off - and simultaneously made a fatal mistake of kissing and humiliating him. She was just lucky that she was currently not planning her escape from the dungeons. Yet, this announcement surprised Hermione, why would Queen Lucy want her to visit her? They barely knew each other and Hermione was nothing more than just another person who dwelled in Narnia.
"That right hook was particularly impressive!" Lucy added, graciously choosing not to tease the blushing older girl - she had a feeling that Hermione would retract into her shell if she was too forward.
"I've been told that I tend to be ... violent, when I'm angry," Hermione hesitantly offered an olive branch and smiled softly as remembered the slap she had bestowed Draco Malfoy back in third year.
"Not a bad trait to have," Lucy grinned, grateful that Hermione was letting her in, "I've always said that women should be allowed to express their anger in similar manners to men; Susan disagrees of course."
Hermione's face dropped at the mention of the other Pevensie sister, Lucy mirrored her expression.
"I would apologise for her, but I don't think that it has the same effect, does it?" She asked as she tied up the braid with a hairband.
"It's okay," Hermione shrugged, "her dislike for me would be easier to accept if I knew the reason, but this is nothing that I am not used to."
"Did you have a similar problem in London?" Lucy smiled gently and continued as Hermione looked at her in shock, "Edmund told me."
Hermione appreciated that Lucy had made the effort to lean in closer and whisper that sentence, she cast a wary glance in the direction of the ladies-in-waiting and grimaced as their glares grew in intensity. Hermione was silent for a moment too long that had Lucy biting her lip with worry, wondering if she had overstepped her boundary. She was put at ease when the mysterious girl replied once more.
"Of sorts ... my best friends are both men, and at school they were - popular? Well, perhaps infamous is a better word - Harry was, what you could call, a celebrity ... he was pretty well known by everyone in our society, so by association Ron and I became a part of the public eye."
"So you became the envy of many girls."
Hermione shrugged, "not to suggest that Queen Susan is in anyway envious of me, of course, but the three of us, we were as thick as thieves - and pretty much since the beginning our friendship was forged and sealed with numerous secrets and adventures that no one else was privy to the details of. I mean, I certainly didn't stand in the way of either of them perusing a relationship ... well - that's not entirely true ... with Harry I didn't mind, but when Ron dated Lavender I realised my own fancy for him - but that's a story that doesn't have a future - ...the point is, that with so many other things going on in our lives, when any one of us tried to have a relationship, it didn't work because there were so many things that we were involved in that others couldn't know about - and I was resented for being the only female on the inside. I suppose nothing makes us as lonely as our secrets."
"There are no secrets that time cannot reveal, Hermione," Lucy said with a sombre tone.
Edmund had warned her that the girl from London was endlessly cryptic and Lucy was starting to see why her brother was so fascinated with her story. There seemed to be a lot that she left unsaid and it left you grasping at the vines for just one more piece of detail.
"But three can keep a secret if two of them are dead," replied Hermione with a sorrowful smile that reflected off the mirror.
Edmund entered the Formal Royal Dining Room and suppressed an urge to roll his eyes at the opulence displayed. The peacock blue ceiling shone brightly as the sunlight filtered in through the large windows. The unnecessarily lit glass chandeliers added more luminosity to the room; making the reflective cream walls gleam like a large gem. The banquet tables had been set up in a U-shape, presumably to host the monarchs at the head of the table and their regiments on the sides. It seemed as though Susan had gone all out again to impress their guests.
As The Royal Herald announced his arrival, Edmund self-consciously readjusted his silver crown as he made his way down the grand staircase. A pained grimace appeared on his face as he spotted the balcony where everyone had gathered. He started to make his way over, only, his step faltered as he noticed the presence of Princess Mina and the Emperor. He knew it was pathetic, the way he acted around the girl, but he couldn't help his reflexive reactions. Catching sight of a stewardess carrying a tray of filled champagne flutes, Edmund called her over.
"Sire," the young woman said as she curtsied impressively before her King.
Edmund cocked his eyebrow at the way she still somehow managed to balance the tray in her hand as she dipped low. For a King who was known for his silver tongue, Edmund rarely spoke unless absolutely necessary so he didn't reply to the girl, instead, with a silent nod, he grabbed a flute from the tray and drank it down in one gulp. Smacking his lips together, he smirked mischievously at the blushing maid.
"I definitely needed that," he said with a bit more of a spring in his step as he grabbed another glass.
"I would put that down, Sire," came the clipped voice of The Royal Housekeeper, Prudence, from behind him.
"Come now, Prudence, surely I'm allowed to drown myself in this nectar before today's feast begin," Edmund smiled charmingly.
Prudence, however, like the skilled taskmaster she was, grabbed the molten liquid out of Edmund's hands and replaced it with a flute filled with what deceivingly looked like Faerie Champagne but was, in actual fact, apple juice. Edmund scowled at the offending drink that replaced his liquid courage.
"The Gentle Queen and I have worked very hard at making this visit successful, and the last thing I need is for you, Sire, and the High King, to ruin it all."
Edmund stared at the elder lady as she flounced off with a huff. On the best of days, Prudence was just about tolerable. It appeared today she weighed heavily on the insufferable scale. With a roll of his eyes, he made his way over to the balcony whilst muttering curses at Prudence for taking away the only thing that would have ensured him surviving until the end of this lunch from hell.
"King Edmund! You're here!" Princess Mina greeted joyfully, her eyes gleamed seductively as he appeared in their view.
"Unfortunately," Edmund muttered under his breath as he stood beside his brother - who kindly greeted him with an elbow to the stomach.
"Well, this is a pleasant surprise," Susan commented with a wide grin, "I thought that you would be the last to get here. Where is our dear sister?"
"Lucy was on her way here but she had a sudden errand to run, so she will, unfortunately, be a few minutes late," replied Edmund diplomatically.
"What errand?" Caspian asked curiously, as he leaned closer to Edmund.
"Oh, some last minute changes to the guest list," Edmund smirked internally as Susan's face dropped, "Lucy desired to play dress-up with our guest for her first introduction to the Court."
Caspian's face scrunched together as he tried to determine who Edmund was speaking about. Peter, however, had a look of dawning realisation and extreme worry as his gaze darted between his brother and the elder of his sisters.
"Tell me you didn't," Susan whispered desperately beside him.
Peter breathed in sharply as his suspicions were confirmed when Edmund decidedly ignored Susan with a devious glint in his eyes. This did not bode well. At all.
"Play. Nice." The High King hissed to his siblings.
It was at times like this that Peter truly resented his brother for his abysmal choice of timing for riling up Susan. The boy was a complete masochist. It was as though he wanted to make a public spectacle of the Gentle Queen breaking her illustrious amiable temperament. And to be honest, that event didn't seem too far off from occurring in front of their current guests judging from the way Susan's fist was clenched around her champagne flute. It was a miracle that the stem had not snapped off. With desperation, Peter took a large swig from his own glass, before belatedly realising that it was only apple juice. Damn Prudence.
"Take Susan away from Edmund," Peter whispered desperately to Caspian. The Telmarine King had also noticed the escalating tension and moved in-between the Pevensies.
"What is going on?" Cassie asked from the other side of Peter, noticing the sudden shift in ambience among the Narnians.
"My siblings driving me to my early demise."
Cassie stared at him with confusion.
"Trust me, you don't want to know," Peter replied, not really in the mood to get into specifics. He winced as Cassie looked slightly put out by his dismissal.
In the meantime, Mina had managed to drape herself all over Edmund.
"We really haven't had much time to catch up during this visit Eddie," the Princess simpered.
Peter tried his real best to do much better than Edmund at hiding his grimace, though he wasn't sure if he succeeded. And if the amused smirk from Queen Imani was anything to go by, he needed to brush up on his diplomacy.
"Yes, unfortunately with a country to run, I have been a bit pressed for spare time."
"Surely, you could ask High King Peter or even King Caspian X to take on more tasks to clear up your schedule," she replied carelessly as she trailed a finger over Edmund's jacket-clad arm.
"I could also ask my sisters, but luckily I quite enjoy my duties," Edmund cut in with a clipped tone, alluding to the fact that his sisters were also quite capable of carrying out the tasks expected of him.
"Your sisters?" Mina giggled obnoxiously, "don't be so absurd Eddie, the Queens have little time for such chores. Why, if Queen Susan was more focussed on nonsensical things, she certainly wouldn't have had the time to prepare a grand feast such as this."
That, in a nutshell, was how Edmund knew that she was not the right woman for him. He could never be happy with a partner who didn't care about his country as much as he did and he certainly would not pleased if all she did was sit around and plan parties. Susan drove him barmy with all her planning and the last thing he needed was another one in the castle. Otherwise, he would have to resort to embezzlement to ensure that there was some money left to fund more important causes.
"It's King Edmund, and you must excuse me," Edmund replied as his attention turned to the two women who had walked in through the doors and down the curved staircase.
The Royal Herald announced the arrival of, 'Queen Lucy the Valiant and Miss Hermione Granger', and boy did it seem terrible that there was not a title of 'Lady' in front of Hermione's name - as she certainly looked the part. Edmund was oblivious to the jealous scowl that had formed on Princess Mina's face as he swiftly extracted himself from her grip and moved away from their party - his attention completely on the newcomer.
Nothing could have prepared him for the vision that was Hermione Granger. He had been right before, with finer clothing and just a light dusting of makeup, she went from being a rather plain looking girl to someone who looked otherworldly. Edmund had no idea how Lucy had managed to get Hermione ready so quick, though as they walked closer, Edmund realised that not much had changed in her appearance as the only makeup Hermione wore was a pink stain on her lips and some kohl around her eyes to emphasise their smokiness. Her dress was quite simple in comparison to what his sisters were wearing, a very modest navy, long-sleeve lacy dress, it was by no means embroidered with gems and stones or flowing with a cape. But Lord above, she looked stunning.
As the gentleman that he was raised to be, Edmund held out both of his arms for the women to take. Feeling extremely smug, he walked them over to the crowd by the balcony.
"Hermione!" Cassiopeia called, breaking the heavy silence among their company.
The Archenland Princess moved ahead to greet the girl with one of her infamous hugs as Edmund was rudely reminded of their introduction in the kitchens all those nights back. He couldn't believe that it had only been just over a week ago that he and Hermione had met up at midnight for snacks and conversations and he, for the life of him, had no idea if they had, since then, stepped two squares backwards or forwards.
"It's so good to see you! I thought that Edmund had scared you off!"
Hermione giggled as she took in Edmund's indignant expression.
"Now, wait a minute," Edmund interrupted as Cassiopeia said the exact same thing that Lucy had said a little while ago.
"Well it's true isn't it?" Hermione asked, with a playful smile. Lucy smiled encouragingly from beside her.
Edmund was half taken aback by her complete one-eighty change in personality from that morning and half-ashamed to admit that the trio of Lucy, Cassie, and Hermione ganging up on him was more than just a little terrifying.
"Don't go spouting off lies Hermione," Edmund warned with a mirrored grin.
He was fairly certain that she was going to give him whiplash from her constantly varying personality - he briefly toyed with the idea that perhaps she was slightly bi-polar. He was too smart a man to say that out loud to her, though.
"I wouldn't dream of it, King Edmund," she replied. The teasing lilt in her voice sent Edmund's heart into overdrive and he could swear that it was doing backflips.
Caspian cleared his throat from behind them, "Perhaps introductions should be made?"
"Yes, Edmund dear, who is this beautiful young lady?" Queen Imani prompted.
"My apologies, may I introduce Hermione Granger, a ... friend of mine," Edmund momentarily hesitated as he weighed what he should call Hermione.
"A friend?" Queen Imani asked, a teasing smile forming on her face.
"Yes," Edmund hurried along, "Hermione, this is King Nain and Queen Imani of Archenland, Emperor Loke and Princess Mina of Calormen."
As though she had been trained from birth, Hermione greeted the monarchs with the grace of a Princess - in fact, she was so prim and proper that Susan had forgotten for a moment to glare at the girl.
Peter interrupted before more conversation could flow between the other monarchs and unnecessary details were slipped - such as the fact that Hermione was a girl who claimed to be a Calormen slave. That would certainly be considered extremely offending in front of their current party. Shooting a warning look at his brother, Peter ushered everyone to the table for lunch. Edmund walked beside Hermione, offering her his arm and held in a chuckle as she pinched his hand upon taking it.
"I can't believe that you lied to me," she whispered to him.
"Didn't think that I would let you enjoy Rocco's cooking without me, did you?" He asked.
"You're so immature!" She hissed.
Nevertheless, Edmund pulled out the chair beside him for Hermione and settled her in before he took his own seat at the corner of the U-shaped banquet table.
"You don't have to be so chivalrous, you know?" Hermione said as she settled in.
"Maybe, but I couldn't risk having you call me an unchivalrous prat in front of an audience," Edmund smirked softly as she blushed.
That was one of the many things that they had called each other last night. Hermione's face grew warmer as Edmund kept his eye contact, she swore that his smirk was sinful. She dropped her gaze as his changed from one of playfulness to something that bordered dangerously on being too intimate. It was only then that Hermione noticed the attendance of the Generals and High Ranked Soldiers from each country. Edmund followed her pale gaze to see the Kaders sitting down on the opposite side of the table. Under the table, she gripped his arm tightly.
"Are you sure that he won't notice his missing papers?" Edmund asked with worry for her safety.
"Positive," replied Hermione, knowing that the original copies were still where they belonged.
"Then act normal, you don't want to give the game away," Edmund advised.
Hermione nodded, he was right. She needed to act normal. Peter knew nothing, all he had as evidence was a strand of her hair and she could easily play that off. Breaking her gaze away from the shocked Kader men, with a faint smile in their direction; Hermione glanced around the table, noting that the Calormen Princess was glaring daggers at her.
"Any particular reason why the Princess of Calormen looks like she wants me six feet under?" Hermione whispered as she casually took a sip of her wine.
Edmund followed her gaze and grinned a feral smile that screamed victory.
"Probably because she considers you a threat," he replied.
"How am I a threat?" Hermione asked with confusion.
"Well for one, I'm speaking to you and not her," Edmund said, "and two, I used to court her."
Hermione choked on her drink.
"What - do - you - mean - you - courted - her?" She asked between gasps.
"Edmund, unfortunately, was no better than any other man. He fell for her beauty, only to realise that it didn't run skin deep," Lucy butted in as she passed a glass of water over to Hermione.
"Peter nearly killed him for almost starting a war," Lucy continued as Hermione stared with wide eyes, "It was only the fact that the Princess's virtue was still intact that prevented it all from going to pots."
Hermione blushed at the thought.
"I'm not that stupid," Edmund muttered darkly.
Hermione considered Edmund for a moment and sneaked a glance at the ostentatiously dressed woman sat on the opposite end of the table.
"Funny, I didn't think that she was your type," she said.
"And what exactly do you think is my type?" Edmund asked curiously.
Hermione shrugged weakly, "Not her, I suppose."
Perhaps it was not her best argument, but she was finding it astonishingly difficult to maintain eye contact with the Just King. His darkened gaze made her feel extremely self-conscious - and just how did his eyes turn from molten grey to obsidian black? - that could not be natural.
Lucy stared bewilderedly at her brother and Hermione. But before the youngest Pevensie was able to make a comment on their weird behaviour, the first course arrived, effectively cutting off all conversations. Lucy watched carefully as Hermione avoided all eyes that were on her and acted completely unfazed. That was the look of someone well adjusted to attention. 'She speaks in riddles,' Edmund had told her, 'it's half-truths with her'. Lucy had been confused by Edmund's observance but now she understood what he meant.
Leaning closer to her brother she whispered, "She seems like a good person. Don't be your usual self."
Edmund frowned at her, "What does that mean?" He asked as he kept his gaze on the girl. He tried not to show how annoyed he felt with the stares that she was receiving from the other men in the room.
"I mean, don't hurt her."
"I think I just had the most uncomfortable night of sleep in my life."
Ron groaned as he clicked his neck, lifting it away from the textbook. Ron rubbed his numb cheek as memories of late night revision in the library came haunting back to him, except now, he wished that was the case. There were not enough galleons in the world that he wouldn't give up right now to be back home.
"Shh!" Harry quieted him from near the window.
"What the hell, mate?" Ron garbled as Harry rushed over and grabbed his wand.
"Do you hear that?" Harry asked, indelicately gesturing towards the wall made of sticks and stones.
"Bloody hell, is it raining hippogriffs out there?" Ron questioned as the thuds outside the Burrow obliterated the normal silence.
Both wizards ran to the small circular window to see what was happening outside. Both men blinked at the sight.
"Harry!" Ron cried, his voice a few octaves higher than his usual baritone. "Are those vampires? This isn't normal, Harry!"
"Normal? We're in a land of talking animals who worship a lion! Look, when blood sucking anything starts falling from the sky, something is seriously wrong," Harry replied with a horrified expression.
"Will we ever catch a break?" Ron groaned as he grabbed his own wand and started casting wards around the dwelling.
The exasperated look that Harry shot him spoke volumes of how done his best friend was with their adventures.
"Just like old times right?" Harry cracked his neck. "So, just how do we get rid of these blighters?"
"Do I looked like a walking Fantastic Beasts textbook to you?"
"Right," Harry deadpanned, "that was Hermione's job."
"Bollocks."
Through the remainder of the meal, Edmund had been rendered silent. His mind had Lucy's warning on repeat. If there was anything that Edmund placed above his judgement, it was Lucy's faith. Lucy always had a good judge of character, and her faith in good people was rarely misplaced. So to hear her say that of Hermione; to warn her own brother away from hurting the girl had Edmund pondering on what could have transpired in the few moments the girls had had alone. Clearly Hermione had said or revealed something that had won over Lucy's empathy.
Lost in his thoughts he nearly jumped out of his skin when Hermione's hand touched his knee under the table. He looked up to see why she was grabbing his attention, and for a moment felt a bit lost when she wasn't directly looking at him. For a second, he allowed himself to believe that perhaps she was initiating something more with him, but he tossed that ridiculous thought aside as soon as he followed her careful gaze to see Peter Kader conversing with one of the maids. She appeared to be handing a note to the Captain. Peter's expression clouded and turned somewhat suspicious.
Hermione's hand on his knee tightened harshly as they watched him. Both of them tensed, when not moments later, Peter tucked the note into his pocket and excused himself from the table he was at. Hermione frantically turned to Edmund, trying to gauge a reaction from him, waiting for him to give her an order. But the man sat stupefied, wondering how he could remove himself from his current company. Hermione turned her head back around to see Peter walking towards the door. If they wasted any more time, they could lose track of him.
Being the spontaneous Gryffindor, always prepared for an adventure, Hermione forgot herself and abruptly stood from the table.
"Are you okay Hermione?" Lucy asked with concern.
"Oh," Hermione laughed a bit weakly, "just feeling a bit peaky, I'm just going to pop to the powder room quickly."
"Oh, let me come with you," Lucy offered.
"NO!" She exclaimed Lucy looked startled, "I mean, no, it's fine. I'll be fine. I just - if you'll please excuse me."
Hurriedly, Hermione chucked her napkin on top of her half finished main and all but high-tailed it out of the room, turning right just as Peter had.
Edmund cursed the reckless girl in his head as he threw down his own napkin and stood up moments later.
"Edmund, what?-" Lucy started but stopped as her brother walked, as though he was in no hurry at all, towards the door and the minute he stepped outside she saw him sprinting down the corridor, following Hermione.
What on earth?
Feeling rightfully awkward, she glanced down the table to see varying degrees of confusion and anger. Thankfully not many in the regiment had noticed the abrupt departure of Hermione, followed by Edmund. To those who had not really been paying much attention it just looked like Edmund had suddenly walked out. Except, now Peter had to do some damage control among their fellow monarchs. Princess Mina, in particular, did not look at all pleased and the Emperor, who had his gaze trained on his beloved daughter had a look on his face that did not bode well for the future.
When Edmund retraced the steps that Peter and Hermione had made, he was surprised when he turned around a corner to see just Peter at the end of it. He knew that Hermione had followed the man as he had seen her dress floating behind her as she ran - which was surprising in itself as she was so light on her feet. He wondered if it was even humanly possible to travel in heels without making a single sound. Though the alcoves in the corridors were fairly dark, it was barely mid-afternoon so if she was hidden in one of them, from his angle he should be able to spot her; but he couldn't see her anywhere. And despite his knowledge, he wondered for a brief moment, if she had wound down an incorrect corridor in her haste.
He cursed the fact that he was too tall and too obvious in his garish outfit to creep around the corner. Risking his luck, he peeked around the corner, only to note that Peter had disappeared. Running to the end of the empty corridor, Edmund gazed out the North West courtyard to see Peter heading towards the stables. He turned back around, wondering if he should find Hermione first but he nearly exclaimed out in shock to see her stood right before him.
"By the mane!"
"What?" She asked, confused and slightly startled.
"Where did you come from?"
"From that alcove there," she pointed.
Edmund frowned, but he had just walked straight past it and he hadn't seen anything. It's like she appeared out of thin air. Maybe he hadn't been paying much attention, she was rather small, it was easier for her to hide in small corners than it was for him. As he was convincing himself that he was losing touch with his vigilance, he noted the familiar piece of parchment in her hand.
"What's that?" He asked curiously, though he already knew what it was.
"The note he received," she replied with a frown as she read it.
"How did you manage to snag that?" Edmund frowned.
"Hmm? Oh, it must have slipped out of his pocket," was her noncommittal response. Edmund resisted the urge to scratch his head. "Do you know where this is?" She asked as she handed him the note.
Edmund grabbed the parchment and looked closer at the page.
"Yeah, it's a motel, a pretty run down place on the outskirts of the Eastern Village."
"Look at the date and time!" She exclaimed, looking pleased that they weren't faced with yet another puzzle.
"They're meeting tonight," he whispered.
"We better get ready for our journey."
Edmund grabbed her arm to stop her.
"What makes you think that you are coming?"
"You can't possibly leave me here!"
"It dangerous, and you're untrained."
"Trust me, I've been in worse situations. There's no way that I am staying behind. I'm coming whether you like it or not!"
"Do you ever listen to what you are told to do?" Edmund groaned.
"Now, where's the fun in that?" She asked impishly.
As usual, Edmund was at a loss for words. He could flirt with Hermione all he pleased, but when she flirted back he felt so caught off-guard. Before he could form words of coquetry in his mind, movement out of the corner of his eyes caught his attention.
"Shit! He's headed back this way!"
"He's probably noticed the missing note," Hermione realised.
She folded the note back up and carelessly dropped it on the ground. Then, grabbing onto Edmund's hand, she dragged him over to the alcove further down the corridor to avoid looking too suspicious. Under the influence of adrenaline, Edmund failed no notice the lack of sound from Hermione's heeled shoes on the marble floor as they ran.
Hermione cursed the fact that she couldn't cast a Disillusionment Charm again with Edmund around. That was how she had managed to go unnoticed earlier when she had summoned the note from Peter's pocket. The alcove gave them a perfect view of Peter whilst simultaneously hiding them from him, they watched with disheartened uneasiness as the man did indeed return for the missing note. Unfortunately for them, whilst Hermione was at a good height to hide in the alcove, Edmund was too tall and a slight shift in his movement caused light to bounce off his crown and reflect in Peter's direction.
"He's coming towards us," Hermione panicked frantically. She fingered the wand tucked into her belt with trepidation. She could stun Peter, if the situation turned sour, but was she ready to reveal her secret to Edmund?
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" She hissed, broken away from her thoughts, as Edmund covered her body with his. His dark features looked extremely foreboding and intimidating under the shadows of the alcove.
"Shut up and giggle," Edmund whispered.
Hermione's breath hitched as his obsidian eyes made brief eye contact with her before his head dipped into the crook of her neck. He didn't dare touch her, his nose precariously tickled the skin of her neck but he made no further advancements. Hermione realised, however, that for someone who viewed them from a different angle, their position looked particularly compromising. Realising his plan, she opened her mouth to obey, but instead of simpering like a brainless girl, Hermione gasped throatily, mimicking a sound she had unfortunately overheard Lavender Brown make whilst making out with Ron. As soon as it escaped from her lips, however, she blushed beet-red and wished that she could swallow it back. Oh, how awkward! Edmund must think that she was so wanton.
Edmund, however, was so discombobulated by Hermione's take on deception that he jerked forwards in shock and embarrassingly found his lips pressed into the tempting hollow between her collar bone and neck. This time, the gasp that escaped Hermione was far more husky in the most delicious of ways that Edmund found himself seizing the curve of her waist in his large hands. He vaguely registered the hard stick like object tucked against the right side of her waist, but it was hardly the most important thing on his mind.
Suddenly it went from being a fairly convincing illusion so something that was far too sultry and treading on the edge of being dicey. Edmund knew that there was a lot of sexual tension between them, the kiss last night from her had been evidence of that, but he hadn't really weighed how much until this moment and it suddenly became too hard to keep his hands off her. All of the unsavoury thoughts from his restless night came crashing back to him in one large breathless wave and suddenly Hermione was pressed within every inch of her life against his warm body.
Hermione was equally out of breath, though she had hardly yet indulged in any activity that would cause such deprivation of oxygen. For a second she was taken back to the moment they had in the woods when Edmund had covered her body underneath his to protect her from the three-headed beast. And then, she felt his teeth nip at her skin while his lips closed in on the area with a sucking motion and all thoughts drained out of her mind like sand through a grate. Lost in the glorious moment, Hermione's hands gained a mind of their own as they travelled up Edmund's chiseled chest to his shoulders. Where, in a burst of confidence, she wrapped her hands around his neck and ran her right hand freely through his soft hair, bringing him closer to her and further providing him the encouragement to continue.
At that same moment, Edmund's crown slipped off his head and rolled a few feet away from them; while Peter appeared behind Edmund with his sword pointed at the hidden couple.
"Show yourselves," the Captain ordered.
Edmund nearly groaned with complete resentment as the blissful moment was ripped away from him. In those short seconds, he had honestly forgotten why they had been hiding in the alcove in the first place. Putting on his best game face; whilst shamefacedly avoiding Hermione's eyes, he stepped out of the shadows.
"Your Highness!" Peter exclaimed in shock, quickly withdrawing his sword with haste.
Edmund fought to keep the grimace off his face, repeatedly reminding himself that he had to act normal.
"Captain," Edmund greeted with a nod. Though naturally, he was unable to hide his burning cheeks. Edmund fought the urge to punch the untrustworthy man as he grinned at him. That grin slid right off his face when Hermione, who was blushing as bright as a tomato stepped out of the shadows too.
"Hermione!" Peter exclaimed, looking aghast, "What in Aslan's name are you doing?" The man questioned his charge.
Unable to find the voice to defend herself, Hermione kept her gaze trained on the ground, not able to meet either man's eyes. Not that Edmund was looking in her direction anyway.
"Edmund Pevensie!"
All three of their heads snapped in the direction of the bellow and Hermione's face dropped at the sight of the assembly of monarchs of Narnia and neighbouring countries; at whose feet laid Edmund's crown. If her cheeks could burn darker, they did and in a very uncharacteristic move, she positioned herself behind Edmund to hide from the hatred pouring from Queen Susan's and Princess Mina's eyes.
Edmund however, faced his company with a poker face, noting that for the most part, Peter, Caspian, Lucy and Cassie, while stunned, looked equally amused. As for King Nain and Queen Imani, their eyes were shining with mirth, but like true monarchs, their actual expression betrayed no emotion. Susan looked as though she wanted to blame Hermione for everything wrong with the world and Mina was glaring daggers so sharp that Edmund knew if they were real, he would be dead ten times over. The Emperor, on the other hand, looked worryingly thoughtful.
"Can I help you?" replied Edmund, as though he had not in fact been caught canoodling in an alcove.
Hermione sighed deeply behind Edmund, she was still aware of Peter staring at her from the side. Never before had she been in such a compromising and humiliating position.
Oh, where was Ron or the Weasley Twins when you needed the comic relief? And as that thought passed through her head, she couldn't help but imagine the perhaps dumbstruck look on Ron's and Harry's face had they been here under different circumstances and the equally scandalised but encouraging grins on Fred and George's face at the perfect prefect Hermione Granger doing something completely impetuous. A picture of their reactions became ingrained in her mind and a short, fond giggle escaped her lips. She pressed a hand to her mouth to contain her hilarity; but when Edmund turned around to stare at her; his stone mask cracking with his bewilderment, she lost it. Perhaps she looked insane, but the situation was far too ridiculous to not laugh at, and as the snickers escaped through her clasped mouth, Edmund bit his lip, trying to hold in his own amusement. But he was not immune to her infectious laugh, and he found himself smirking, his grey eyes shining bright with mirth.
"Oh my god," Hermione whispered and Edmund couldn't help but agree with her. Aslan give him the strength to deal with his family and friends.
.
.
.
A.N./ Am I evil? MWAHAHAHAHA! Would you look at that, for the first time Hermione was in enough of a good headspace to think of Ron and Harry in an amusing way rather than with sadness and regret. That isn't to say that Hermione won't be feeling guilty for 'betraying' Ron...
As for The Adventures of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, well, the boys are getting some unwanted attention in Narnia - what is happening, I wonder? We will catch up with the boys in more detail in the next chapter - and though things may seem uncorrelated at the moment, trust me, I do have a plan and it will all make sense. It's down to you, dear readers, to keep guessing until I let you in.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Stay tuned for more!
I know that my update schedule has been pretty slow, so I apologise to my dedicated readers for having to wait so long for a new chapter! But now that exams are over, this story has my full attention. On we go. I'm pleased that generally my reviews have been positive, which means I must be doing something right, right? With a ship like EdmundxHermione it is a bit of a challenge to bring together two different worlds, whilst still trying to keep everyone in character and with little other inspiration as only a handful of fics on this couple exist, my imagination really does have to run an extra mile!
So, thank you so, so much to these wonderful people who reviewed the last chapter: LackingDelirium, Bananaphobia, Anon, craaazyaboutMalfoy, Summer Orchid, AliceinWonderland13, faizanightshade, Guest, twztdwildcat, and Parsi! Your continued support is very much appreciated, and to be honest without those special reviews, I don't think that I would have the inspiration to continue this story, so please keep them coming!