The God & The Witch

Child of the Moon

Hermione sat down on her bed, a soft sigh escaping her lips. She wanted to tell Loki, but she couldn't. It wasn't just because of his smugness, but because she was afraid of how Loki would react. Would he be happy? Would he tell her that he loved her back? Would he be angry? Would he laugh at her? Hermione didn't know. Hermione wasn't usually a risk taker, not in this sense. She had had to take risks tons of times when she went on dangerous adventures with Harry and Ron, but this was just Hermione telling Loki that she loved him. It shouldn't be this hard. Hermione wanted to smack herself. Why couldn't she just say it?

"Hermione?" Her head shot up, her gaze shifting from her lap to Loki, who was looking at her with concern. She realized that she had been silent for several minutes, staring off into space. "Are you alright?" Loki asked, kneeling in front of her. He placed a hand gently on Hermione's cheek and looked into her eyes with concern and... something else. Hermione wasn't sure if she had seen right, but she thought she saw a look of love in Loki's eyes. She was tempted to ignore it or pretend like she hadn't seen it at all, but her heart was racing. "Yes, I'm okay." Hermione nodded her head slightly. "Loki," Hermione began, taking a deep breath. "Why do you care about me so much? What have I ever done to get you to care about me as much as you do?"

"It's quite simple, is it not?" Loki asked. "In the time that you have been here, you've shown me more kindness than anyone else. I never believed in that whole 'destined to save me' thing that Frigga and Thor were on about. You ask what you have done to get me to care about you so? You have done so much, Hermione, so much... to help me become the man I am now. You have made me a better person, Hermione. I am forever grateful for having met you. Our story had an odd beginning, but I only see it getting better from here. Still, I believe that there will be challenges we must face, but I have faith. I believe that together, we can get through all of the obstacles that stand in our way." Hermione was almost in tears, but she managed to keep them back.

"Loki, I-" There was a knock on the door. They're heads turned and then turned back to each other. Loki raised an eyebow before standing and approaching the door. He opened it slowly, peeking his head out to see who it was. "Yes?" Hermione heard a voice that she didn't recognize. "His majesty has requested your presence. He is at the bifrost with Heimdall." Loki rolled his eyes. "It is urgent," the guard said.

Loki looked at Hermione. She knew she couldn't avoid Odin forever. She nodded her head back and stood up. The two walked down to the bifrost where Odin and Heimdall were waiting for them. "What could you possibly want, Odin?" Loki asked in an annoyed tone as he crossed his arms over his chest. Odin's face was blank. "Someone has arrived in Asgard who claims to be a friend of Ms. Granger's. We needed her in order to access whether or not it is true." Hermione's head turned from Odin to a figure that was approaching them. Her eyes widened. "Luna?!"

Luna smiled at Hermione. "Hey." Hermione walked over to the blonde girl and embraced her tightly.

"How did you get here?" Hermione asked after she released Luna from the hug. She couldn't believe that Luna was here. That was the last thing she had expected to happen.

"The mirror of Erised," Luna replied. "We were so worried about you, Hermione. Ron's been going mad thinking that something bad had happened to you." Ron. She hadn't thought about him in awhile. She hadn't even thought about how worried he must have been about her. "How much time has passed?" Hermione asked Luna.

"A few days. I don't know why I didn't come sooner. When you told me about seeing Loki in the mirror, I didn't even think that it could be a portal to Asgard. I'm so sorry that I didn't come sooner." Hermione had been shocked when luna said that only a few days had passed. She had been gone for months in Asgard's time.

Loki took that moment to intervene, clearly sensing Hermione's confusion. "If I may," Loki began. "You may not," Odin interrupted. Loki glared at Odin before returning his gaze to the two girls. "I do believe that I have told you of how time works here, Hermione. While time passes quickly in Asgard, it is slower in other realms. Years could pass in Asgard, but only a few weeks in other realms such as Midgard."