One Bite ✔️ (#Wattys2017)

Chapter 22...

Hermione (Persephone) and Draco (Hades) made their way back to their tent, their hands clasped together. A dull ache resided between Hermione's thighs and Draco felt exhausted still from their activities. When they got to the tent, Draco pulled back one of the sides of the tent for Hermione and she walked in. He came behind her, but she stopped in her tracks causing him to run into her.

"Hermione, what-?" he froze as his eyes landed on the figure lounging in the pillows on one side of the tent, long fingers popping pieces of fruit from the nearby hills.

"Queen Ginny (Hera)," Hermione said.

Queen Ginny (Hera) looked up at the goddess of spring time, a smile on her face. She dropped the grape back on the plate and stood up from her nest in the pillows. She wore a long, dark green chlamys, a black robe falling behind her. Her red hair flowed down her back; the sides pulled up and braided to form a tiara on her head. Golden thread was weaved through the braids and flowed down her red hair, "It's just Ginny, now, Hermione," she walked toward the pair, "Or should I call you Queen Hermione? Congratulations, by the way. If you ever need help of advice, you know where to message me."

"Hermione, please, and thank you," Hermione took careful steps forward, quite taken back by the fallen queen's attitude toward her.

Ginny then turned to Draco, "Brother."

"Sister," Draco nodded to her, "What are you doing here?"

"Joining the fight," she simply said.

"But Harry (Zeus)?" Hermione asked, wrapping her dusty white nightgown around her body.

Hermione watched Ginny's blue eyes go electric before calming down, "I know about him. I'm not fighting him; I'm fighting my sister, Hannah (Demeter). I know my Harry wouldn't betray our world nor me in such a way," her tone was sad and Hermione felt pity for the goddess of marriage, "That's why I am here. For Harry," Hermione watched was her eyes began to water and Draco's mouth almost dropped for he had never seen his sister cry like this before, "I love him, Hermione. Out of all the immortals you should know what that feels like. You're the only immortal who knows what it is like to love truly is. I can see the way you and my brother are and I'm jealous," Hermione ran toward the goddess and took her in her arms as she cried, "I love him so much, Hermione," Draco was still frozen to the spot at the emotions Ginny was releasing, "I don't what I'd be without him."

"You'd still be you, Ginny," Hermione responded, "Strong, powerful, a goddess that any god would love to have. King Harry is lucky to have you and I know he loves you."

Ginny shook her head, her red hair sticking to her tear streaked face, "No, he doesn't."

"Yes, he does, Ginny," Hermione said, her eyes glancing toward Draco who simply stared at the two goddesses, "Have you ever wondered why none of the gods tried to get your attention?" Ginny was silent so Hermione continued, "King Harry was the reason. He made sure no god came toward you with unwanted attentions. He wanted the whole world to know that you belonged to him, that you were his Queen."

Draco unfroze from his spot and came up next to his sister, "Trust me, sister. Hermione speaks the truth. Harry came up to me many eons ago asking me questions regarding my feeling and intentions for you. I told him, slightly confused at all of this, and he accepted it," Ginny seemed to have calmed down, "Sister, there is nothing that a king would not do for his Queen. He would take away the sun or melt the stars from the night sky because of his Queen. That type of love is hard to break. Not even Hannah's (Demeter) stolen magic can break that."

Ginny nodded, happiness filling her body at her brother's words, "Wait, stolen?" Hermione asked her brown eyes wide, "What do you mean?"

"Hannah," Ginny suddenly said, her head lifting from Hermione's shoulder, her face red and hair disheveled, "Was the only one of the Great Six born who did not have magic. So, she gained magic through other means," at Hermione's confused face, Draco answered.

"Her body."

Ginny nodded, "She was very good at seducing the other gods and Titans, but she never gave them her body. She was loved by all, but it wasn't enough for her."

"So," Draco continued the story, a heavy pressure he didn't know was on his chest disappeared, "One night, Harry was having another party, the last one I was ever allowed to come to," Ginny's face fell with sorrow, regret, and disappointment, "She had decided that she would finally give her body to one of the gods in exchange for their magic. All of it."

"She found her victim easily," Ginny said, "A tall minor god, handsome and dreamy in his own way."

"My father," Hermione said.

Ginny nodded, "Yes, your father. She seduced him easily and got him to give her his magic."

"What was his magic?" Hermione asked, her mind running at millions miles at this new found knowledge, "What was my father's magic?"

"Hypnosis," a sudden voice interrupted them and all three gods turned toward the entrance of the tent. Two gods stood there and Hermione recognized them as her father and his companion, "Dreams, and make people fall asleep."

"Father," Hermione stepped toward her father, her brown eyes going misty.

Morpheus raised his hand to stop her and he sighed, "Know that I would give up my magic and my immortality in a heartbeat, Hermione, for you. You are the best thing that has happened to me," he stopped and glanced at Hypnos next to him, "Well, one of them," he chuckled, "I know I haven't been there for you, but I've watched over you and seen you grow into this beautiful, smart goddess before me. I'm proud to call you my daughter."

"Father," Hermione rushed forward toward Morpheus and hugged him. Morpheus' face crumpled up in pain at her bugs before returning to a dull ache given to him from Hypnos.

"Your mother loves you, too, sweetheart," Morpheus whispered in his daughter's ear, "Don't forget that no matter what," and they released each other, Hermione looking at him with doubt.

"Well," Draco suddenly announced, clapping his hands together, "Now that we have gotten a few things clarified, I need to ask you guys to leave. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow and we need our strength."

Hermione said goodbye to her father and Ginny before they all left. Ginny gave her a large hug and whispered, "Thank you," for all the words that she had spoken. Once everyone was gone, Draco came up behind Hermione wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Come, my Queen," he whispered in her ear, "Our nest awaits us," and Hermione led them into the side room filled with silk pillows.