THE SOUL'S EXCHANGE

the after effects

As Alicent settled into her routine of feeding Aegon, the door to her chamber swung open with a suddenness that startled her. Hermione entered, cradling little Teddy in her arms. The moment she caught sight of Alicent, her mouth dropped open in shock, and her eyes widened in disbelief.

“What happened, Hermione?” Alicent asked, her brow furrowing in concern as she turned around. “What has shocked you so much?”

“You seriously slept with your husband?” Hermione exclaimed, her tone incredulous.

Alicent burst into laughter, the sound light and carefree. “God no! He must be somewhere in the castle, muddled in his head. I did not spend the night with him.”

Hermione quickly placed Teddy in Aegon's crib and, without missing a beat, dragged Alicent in front of the mirror, pointing at the purple marks on her neck. “Then did a dragon bite you and give you these marks?”

Alicent felt a rush of heat bloom across her cheeks, but she couldn’t help but tease back. “Maybe.”

A silent conversation transpired between them through their shared gaze. Hermione’s eyes widened in realization. “Daemon!” she gasped. “I thought you were irritated by the guy. I thought you found him foul and irritating.”

Alicent raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at her lips. “Yes, just like you found Draco to be an evil, foul, loathsome little cockroach.” She paused, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “And yet I found the two of you in my dorm, in my bed, together!”

Hermione’s cheeks flushed crimson, and she playfully hit Alicent on the shoulder. “But seriously, he’s your brother-in-law!” she teased, raising an eyebrow.

“Seriously, my cousin,” Alicent replied, her laughter mingling with Hermione’s.

Hermione gave Alicent a light smack on the back of the head. “At least you could have hidden these marks on your neck and collarbone! If it wasn’t me, if Emily had come, how would you have answered?”

Alicent smiled sarcastically, raising an eyebrow. “They don’t need to know the truth. They will just think I spent the night with my husband. What’s so wrong in that?” Her devious tone elicited another wave of laughter from the two friends.

Hermione forced Alicent to sit in front of the mirror, quickly casting a spell to hide the marks. As the magic worked, she held Alicent by the shoulders, her expression turning serious. “Are you sure about this? You are treading a very dangerous path.”

Alicent met Hermione's gaze through the mirror, her resolve shining in her eyes. “I have never been afraid of dangerous paths. In fact, I thrive in chaos. And this is the most chaotic and passionate thing I have experienced in my life.” She chuckled, adding, “More so than escaping the Malfoy Manor.”

Their laughter echoed in the chamber until suddenly, the door flew open. Padfoot, the shaggy black dog, barreled in, leaping onto Alicent with enthusiasm. He licked her face with fervor before sniffing at her shoulders. In an instant, he transformed into Sirius, a shocked and embarrassed look plastered across his face.

“What happened?” Alicent asked, genuinely curious.

“Nothing,” Sirius stammered, his laughter awkward. Hermione giggled, knowing full well that Sirius had likely caught the lingering scent of Daemon on Alicent, making him incredibly uncomfortable.

“What brought you here?” Alicent asked, trying to redirect the conversation.

“Actually, we wanted to discuss all the magical objects that were brought here. We need to check what all Death has sent along,” Hermione said, her tone turning serious.