One Bite ✔️ (#Wattys2017)

Chapter 12...

Later that night, Hermione waited outside the throne room by herself. She stood still waiting for the doors to open but deep inside her she was worried that Draco's kingdom would not like her as a Queen. Yes, the Palace people liked her but that was only a small fraction of Draco's kingdom. Would she even be a good Queen?

She was shaken from her thoughts when the doors opened and her breath caught in her throat. On either side of the throne room were hundreds of ghosts and they all stared at her. She swallowed her fear and took a step down the aisle. At the end of the aisle stood Draco in his long black cloak and shiny armor and on his head was a crown unlike anything she had ever seen. The crown wrapped around his head in a single sheet of metal but in different places, pieces were cut out to cause the metal to flow in sharp waves. It was silver but as the light shined down upon it flashed gold. She smiled at him and he mirrored her.

Soon she came to the base of the throne and got down on one knee before him, her dark black fur robe spread around her. He made a motion with his hands and a young man came up next to Draco, holding a cushion with a beautiful crown laying upon it, "Thank you, Thanatos," Draco said as he picked up the crown, "Lady Hermione," his voice was as loud as thunder as it echoed across the throne room for everyone to hear, "Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the people of the Underworld according to the statures that the Council of the Dead agreed on and the respective laws and customs of the same? Will you in all your power cause law and justice and mercy to be executed in all judgements?"

"I solemnly promise and swear to do so," Hermione's voice rang out in the throne room.

"Then by the power vested by me given by the people of the Underworld, I proudly introduce to you, my people," Draco spoke to the ghosts in the hall as he finally placed her crown of metal roses upon her head, "Her Majesty, daughter of Morpheus and the goddess of spring time, Hermione, the Queen," she smiled as she turned around to face her people, "Of the Underworld," and the ghosts broke out in cheer as she was officially introduced to them.

She felt Draco come up beside her and she twined their fingers together as they stood before their people, "I love you," she murmured to him.

"Love you too," she heard him say causing her to grin, "Attention, my people," and the ghosts became quiet at the call of his voice, "King Harry has called war upon our land," a burst of quiet whispers came from the hall, "I need your help in order to keep our land. I need you all to fight by Queen Hermione's and I's side. Are you with us?" the hall was quiet and this caused Draco to become puzzled.

Hermione saw this and she smiled as she stepped forward, "My people," she had their attention now due to their need to know what her first speech was, "I know that we have no right to ask of you this but we do need your help," she stepped down to stand with her people, "King Harry thinks that my King, Draco, took me and I want to tell you the truth," she smiled as she noticed some children standing near the front row. She went over to them, "Hi, I'm Hermione," she introduced herself but the children were quiet and shy, "The truth is," she looked up at Draco who looked down at her with a shine in his silver eyes, "We fell in love like Perseus and Andromeda," and she looked back at the children who smiled at the mention of the couple, "We fell in love but our family has misunderstood us," and she looked at her people, "Will you help us?" the hall was quiet until a young woman and man stepped forward both covered in tattoos. Hermione recognized them as Amazonians.

"We are with you, Your Majesty," the woman said as she held onto the man's hand. Soon, more people came to stand before her until everyone had stepped forward.

It was in that moment that Hermione became a queen and everyone saw that and nothing ever made Draco more proud of his Queen then how she grasped her hold of his people in this single moment.

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*dialogue of coronation vows from Princess Diaries 2 so rights to them for that. Thought it would be perfect for Hermione and Draco.