One Bite ✔️ (#Wattys2017)

Chapter 15...

   Suddenly the door to the armory burst open and a tall woman appeared out of the doorway, "King Draco! Lady Hermione!" the woman came to them, her long auburn hair trailing behind her. She wore a long white robe, which shimmered like fish scales in the water. Her eyes were a forest green and they were sparked with an anger that seemed to always be there.

    "Andromeda (Iris)!" Draco came to her and they embraced, a joyful smile on both their faces, "Tell me, my dear friend, have you come to join our side," Andromeda was the goddess of rainbows and messengers, and her being here could only mean one thing.

    "Sadly not, Draco," Andromeda (Iris) responded, her face filled with sadness, "I refuse to take part in these war games."

    "Then what are you doing here, not that I mind you visiting me?" Draco smirked.

    "I have a message from the Anemoi."

    "The Anemoi?" Hermione asked, stepping forward next to Draco. She had heard of them but never knew what their names were.

    Andromeda bowed her head to Hermione, "Lady Hermione, may I congratulate you on your crowning? I know you will be a great ruler," Hermione smiled at her in thanks, "The Anemoi, my lady, are the gods of the wind. There is Sirius (Boreas), the god of the North wind, and James (Zephyr), the god of the West wind. There is also Peter (Notos), the god of the South wind, and Remus (Euros), the god of the East wind."

    "They know a lot of what goes around in both the mortal and immortal world," Draco informed her and then he started to chuckle, "They like to play tricks, too."

    "Almost too much," Andromeda smirked at Draco and she chuckled lightly. Hermione felt awkward not knowing what the joke was and Andromeda seemed to notice this, "They tried to get me and Draco together, Lady Hermione."

    "Throwing us into one of the closets here in the palace," Draco told her, "Of course, it failed."

    "Oh did it fail," Andromeda laughed.

    "Classic," Draco said under his laughter.

    "What was their message, Andromeda?" Hermione asked a light smile on her face. Clearly, nothing ever happened between Draco and Andromeda except pure friendship and so Hermione suppressed the feeling of jealousy.

    Andromeda cleared her throat and raised her hand, from her fingertips came a light mist, "Blaise, darling, will you help me here?" Hermione's friend stepped forward and raised his dark skinned hand; from it burst a brilliant light, burning like the sun. The mist and the light together formed a rainbow and from the rainbow came an image of Mt. Hogwarts.

    "Good evening, my fellow gods and goddesses," the roaring voice of King Harry (Zeus) echoed across the throne room. He had changed and he no longer looked like the King of the Sky. Harry's hair had grown extremely dark and his eyes were a deep green, blue hinted around the edges. His face was more defined and patches of hair grew along his jaw. His body was more defined as well and covered in thick dull metallic blue armor. A dark blue cloak blew behind him and his hand held his mighty lightning bolt. On his head was his crown made of pure gold but was dull and cracked slightly as if it had a sickness. He stared down from his throne at his siblings and children and other deities as if he was looking down a simple ant, "I have gathered you here today to inform you of your Queen," the immortals turned to each other, whispering gossip and worried questions, "I have dethroned my savage, cheating wife from her throne and in her place I have crowned Hannah," several of the immortals started to protest knowing the lies and truth behind his statement but he silenced them with one flourish of his lightning bolt, a heavy thunder rolling across the floor, "Silence! Hannah is now your Queen and anyone who says against it shall be banished from Mt. Hogwarts," the room was silence at his words and he smiled, evil radiating from it, "Now, may I introduce to you the goddess of the harvest, the new love of my life, and your Queen, Hannah!" the door to the throne room burst open.

    Hannah (Demeter) waltzed forward, each step she took screamed power. Her hair was lush and full and streamed down her back. Her chlamys was black and made her bronze skin pop. She had a long black robe on that drifted onto the floor and on the edge; the fabric flew away, disappearing in the air. Her eyes were sparked with anger and vengeance and many of the immortals back away from her as she made her way to Harry. On the top of her head was a crown made of gold, an exact replica of Harry's, but much more feminine. She joined him on the slightly smaller throne beside him, a smirk on her face, "My King," she said, her voice was toxic. He bowed his head to her before she sat down on the throne. She turned to look at the immortals gathered before them, "My people," she spoke to them, "King Harry has spoken about me, but not about what we are going to do next," she paused, "So, as many of you know, King Draco of the Underworld has taken my daughter again and has waged war against our land. We shall fight back and you all will help us fight for my daughter," some of the immortals burst out into cheer, but many stood silent.

    One brave immortal stood forward and Hannah recognized her as her daughter's close friend, Astoria (Artemis), "King Draco did not take Lady Hermione, Hannah," Astoria growled, her eyes shining silver like the moon, "You know this and we will not stand behind your lies. Where is Queen Ginny (Hera), Hannah?" Astoria challenged her, "Where is she really?" Hannah glared down at her as Astoria turned to look at her fellow immortals, "Do not join this war! It is nothing but lies and will only lead to the destruction of our world and the mortals! It is our job to bring peace and prosperity to our worlds and war is not the answer! King Draco and Lady Hermione are in love! She left of her own free will to be with King Draco rather than bed King Harry!" she pointed a finger at the said king who started to look a little foggy eyed, "Hannah wants her back so she can give Hermione to the highest bidder who will do nothing but ruin her," Astoria turned to Cho (Aphrodite) who stood off to the side on the arm of Theo (Ares), "Tell me Lady Cho, do you not believe that a couple who are in love be together or rather have a random couple  forced together?" Cho looked down at the floor and Astoria could see her answer. She turned back to Hannah, "You will not win, Hannah, you will not win," Hannah had enough.

    "Silence, you... you... you freak!" Hannah exclaimed, her eyes wide with anger. She raised her hand and from it sprang light which raced toward Astoria. Astoria ducked in time as the ball of light missed her and exploded the wall behind her, "I hear by declare that any immortal found to be in league with King Draco is to be banished from Mt. Hogwarts and stripped of their title. They will remain in the mortal world, undying," Hannah looked down at Astoria, "Leave, Lady of the Hunt, and return to my daughter and tell her that I will come to get her and when I do," Hannah smirked, "Oh, let's just say that it won't be pretty."

    Astoria rose from the ground, realizing she couldn't do anything else to make Hannah or Harry see sense, "May I ask the immortals a question before you banish me?" Hannah thought about it for a moment and, the little sympathy that was left in her made her decide.

    "You may."

    Astoria turned to her fellow immortals, "Will anyone join me?" The room was still and silent and Astoria knew many of them were only staying put out of fear, "So be it," and she walked toward the door of the throne room.

    "Good bye, Astoria, former Lady of the Moon and Protector of Girls and Mistress of the Hunt," Hannah announced, "May you find your new life a living hell."

    Astoria turned around, anger in her eyes, in her hands appeared her trusty bow made out of a slice of the moon and on her back appeared her quiver of arrows, each arrow was quick silver. She notched an arrow in her bow and raised it in the air, aiming at Hannah. She let it go and the arrow sprang into action, it hit its mark perfectly. Hannah glanced at the arrow sitting beside her head, a sting of pain on the tip of her ear, "I am the Lady of the Moon and the Protector of Girls and the Mistress of the Hunt and will not be replaced," and she was gone.