Hermione had done well with avoiding Odin, which was all she had been doing since the incident at Odin's "tea party." Odin seemed to be hanging around more often, wandering through the halls of the palace. It was quite unsettling, actually. With Odin constantly lurking, she felt as if he was planning something against her.
Loki did as much as he could to keep Odin away from Hermione. He spent a lot more time in Hermione's room. She had manipulated the barriers on her doors to allow Loki access, not that he needed it. Loki's abilities exceeded her magic, so there was really no reason for her to do anything to the barriers. Hermione had spent more time in her room since Odin's tea time, not even leaving to get food. Loki took care of that for her, either summoning food out of thin air or physically leaving to get meals for the two of them.
Hermione appreciated it very much, though she had told him it wasn't necessary. Of course, there was no arguing with Loki. So after a single look from Loki, Hermione said no more about it. The two were growing a lot closer now that they were spending more time together. Thor had been bugging Loki about it whenever the two of them crossed paths. Loki tried his best to brush him off, but Thor didn't seem to notice. Hermione hadn't talked to Thor in awhile. She hadn't even seen him since she was always hiding in her room. She wondered if he knew that he was welcome to swing by and chat with her, regardless of what Loki had to say about it. Thor was a good guy with good intentions. She certainly had nothing against him. By now, she had accepted what him and Frigga had believed about her. Besides, she was starting to feel something for Loki. They had become close friends, but Hermione's heart was starting to swell from whatever it was she felt for Loki. He didn't have to know that though. Hermione certainly didn't want him knowing, as she knew he would be very smug about it and just tease her for it. Whatever it was.
Loki came in with a stack of books in his arms. He pushed the door shut gently with the back of his foot before walking over to a table in the room and setting the books on top of it. Hermione was staring out the window, leaning against the wall with her head resting against the wall as well. Loki looked over at her, a curious look on his face. "Is something the matter, Hermione?" He asked, slowly approaching her.
"Yeah. Everything is fine. I'm just thinking," Hermione replied quietly, turning to face him.
Loki raised an eyebrow. "What about?" He asked just as quietly, clasping his hands behind his back. Loki could tell that there was something on Hermione's mind. As they had gotten closer, he had started to notice little things about her. The small lip bite she did when she was concentrating, the way she moved strands of hair behind her ear when she was nervous, as well as how her eyes seemed to roam the surroundings when she was avoiding a topic of conversation.
Her eyes were doing that same thing now, shifting from one corner to the next without landing on Loki. "Nothing important," Hermione said, a slight shrug from her shoulders. She liked to dodge questions as well, which was slightly irritating to Loki. He didn't show it on his face though. Loki was actually very calm and patient. He had his moments, but it was never anything too serious. Nothing that Hermione couldn't handle anyway.
"Hermione," Loki began, taking her chin gently and tilting her head upwards to look into her eyes. "Whatever is on your mind, you can't hide it from me. I am the god of mischief and lies. I always know when there is something you are not telling me. You do not have to hide anything from me, you know that, do you not?" Loki looked deeply into Hermione's eyes and she thought she was going to melt. "Loki, I-"
She pulled away, taking a step back. "I'm fine, really. it's nothing to be worried about. I promise."
Loki didn't believe her and he could tell that he wasn't going to get anything out of Hermione, at least not at the moment. He wanted her to talk to him, but he had learned that Hermione was pretty secretive. He wasn't sure if Hermione trusted him or not. She had told him before that she did, but if that was true, wouldn't she be honest with him and tell him what was on her mind? Loki decided to leave it alone for now. She would tell him when she was ready. He didn't know when that would be, but he hoped that it was soon.
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."
Hermione nodded. She remembered Loki telling her about that. It seemed like forever ago that he told her about how time worked on Asgard. Luna walked over to Loki and stuck her hand out for him to shake. "You're Loki. My name is Luna Lovegood. I'm a friend of Hermione's." Luna had a smile on her face, a very innocent one. Loki took Luna's hand and leaned lifted it, planting a small kiss on her knuckles. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Lovegood."
Luna turned back to Hermione. "We should go back, Hermione. The others will be even more worried than they already are." Luna grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her along. "Luna. Luna, wait." Hermione let go of the blonde's hand, causing her to turn and face Hermione. "What's wrong, Hermione?" Luna asked, concern on her pale face.
Hermione looked back at Loki, whose eyes were pointed at the floor. "I can't leave, Luna. I don't want to leave." Loki's eyes shifted at Hermione's words, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. "Why not?" Luna asked. "What about Ron, and Ginny, and Neville? They're worried sick about you. What am I supposed to tell them?"
"Tell them the truth," Hermione replied. "That I'm alright and that I miss them, but that I can't go back." Luna grabbed Hermione's hand gently and pulled her over to a wall, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Hermione, are you being forced to stay here against your will?" She asked with wide eyes.
"What? No. Luna... I like being here. I've made friends and I've just had a really great time here. Thing have happened since I got here and I can't say that those moments have been the best moments of my life, but other than that, I'm happy... and I'm not ready to go home yet." Hermione was being completely honest with Luna. She had enjoyed her time here and she wasn't ready to leave yet, but it was more than that. She didn't want to leave Loki behind, especially after everything that had happened. And she couldn't ignore the feelings she had for Loki. She knew it was wrong, especially because of her relationship with Ron. She didn't ant to face her ginger headed friend and tell him that she no longer had romantic feelings for her. She knew it would break his ginger headed heart.
Luna was about to say something when Thor came into the room. "Sorry I'm late. I was held up during training." Thor had a large grin on his face, to which Loki just rolled his eyes and shook his head. 'The fool doesn't know what subtlety is,' Loki said in Hermione's mind. He had stopped doing that a long time ago.
"What have I missed?" His eyes landed on Luna and his smile only grew. "Well, I'll be damned. Luna!" Luna's smile returned and the two embraced each other tightly. "I haven't seen you in a long time. How are you? How did you get here?" The two got so lost in their own conversation that they failed to notice the numerous pairs of eyes on them.
Odin cleared his throat and the two stopped their chatter, turning their heads to the king. "You two know each other?" Odin asked. Thor nodded his head. "Yes, father. We are very good friends."
"I see. And how is it exactly that you two know each other?"
"It's a long story, father. Believe me, she is no threat to Asgard or its people. She will bring no harm to anyone."
Hermione nodded her head in agreement, knowing that Luna wouldn't hurt a fly. There was no reason for Odin to worry. "Very well," Odin said with a nod. "Thank you for letting me know about her arrival, Heimdall. My faith and trust in you never wavers." Heimdall bowed his head to his. "Of course, my king."
"Luna, you must say. At least for a few days, just to catch up. Please?" Luna looked at Thor. "Oh. Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt. Though I really should be heading back. My friends will be worried." Luna looked over at Hermione, who had walked back over to Loki. Loki had his arm wrapped around Hermione protectively. She raised an eyebrow before turning back to Thor.
"Luna, please stay. You don't have to stay for very long, but I want to catch up with you. Please?"
Luna was hesitant, but in the end, she agreed to stay for a few days. She was immediately given a room and everyone parted ways, Thor practically dragging Luna along with him. Odin left without saying a word to Loki or Hermione, which they were very grateful for.
They left the bifrost, Heimdall watching them as they did so.
Once they were back in the halls of the castle, Loki spoke up. "What were you going to say before we were so rudely interrupted?" He asked, his eyes on Hermione. He hadn't forgotten that she was about to tell him something before the guard had shown up. Hermione shook her head, her eyes glued to the floor.
"Nothing. I was just going to say thank you for being so kind to me." Loki knew she was lying, he always did. Still, he said nothing and continued walking down the halls. Once they arrived, Loki immediately followed Hermione into her room. He really hadn't been staying in his own room since Odin's tea party. He really just didn't want to leave Hermione alone anymore.
"So, how exactly does your friend know Thor?" Loki asked after taking a seat. Hermione proceeded to tell him what Thor had said. That's how they spent the rest of that afternoon, talking about Thor and Luna.
...
It was a day later that Luna came knocking on Hermione's door. Loki had stepped out after Luna arrived as his presence had been requested by Thor.
"Why won't you come back with me, Hermione?" Luna asked once Loki had left. "I don't understand. Harry's death affected all of us, Hermione. If you don't want to come back because you're worried about being reminded of Harry, you're not alone."
Hermione shook her head. That wasn't why she didn't want to come back. That wasn't even close to being the reason. "I have friends here, Luna. People who I've gotten very close to. Luna, I do miss Harry, but that isn't the reason for why I don't want to go back to Hogwarts. I miss each and every one of you guys, but things have changed and I just don't want to leave."
"Is it because of Loki? I've seen the way you look at him. I saw how protective he was over you. Is there something going on between you two?" She asked, sitting down in the chair Loki usually sat in. Hermione sighed and shook her head once more.
"Loki and I have become close friends. And if you had been here before now, you would understand why he's so protective over me. There is nothing going on between Loki and I, other than our friendship." Hermione sighed and laid down on her bed. "Luna, I have to tell you something very important and you have to promise to keep it a secret," Hermione said.
Luna looked up from her hands, an eyebrow raised. She nodded her head. "Of course. I can do that."
Hermione took a deep breath. "When I first met Loki, I was against everything he did. I thought he was this horrible person and I didn't trust him at all, but then time passed and we got closer and closer with each day. Loki and I are just friends, but I don't want us to be just friends. I-"
Luna walked over to her and sat down beside her on the bed. Hermione sat up with a sigh. "I'm in love with Loki. That's the truth." Hermione shook her head. "But he doesn't know that and I can't tell him. I don't even know if he feels the same way. For all I know, Loki doesn't have any romantic feelings for me. I don't know what to do."
"What about Ron?" Luna asked. "Do you not have feelings for him anymore?"
"Honestly, no. Things have been so crazy since I got here. I really haven't thought about Ron at all. Loki has changed my life and he's actually a really great guy. I understand him and care about him, just as much as Loki does me. We have a connection, Loki and I. I can't imagine where or what I would be without him."
"Are you sure he's not just using you, Hermione? Deceiving you? He is the god of mischief and lies, after all. And he's really good at manipulating people."
Hermione shook her head. "No. I know Loki. He wouldn't do that, not to me. Besides, he isn't the man he used to be. He's better now." Hermione wasn't sure if she believed her own words. Luna's made her question whether or not she really believed that Loki had changed. "I trust him, Luna. I really do."
"You should tell him. That you love him, I mean. Keeping it a secret will only hurt you, Hermione, and I don't want to see that." Luna took Hermione's hand in her own, giving it a slight squeeze. "As your friend, I don't want to see you hurting. Tell him, Hermione. Let him know how you really feel about him before it's too late."
Hermione knew that Luna was right. Keeping this a secret would only hurt Hermione, but she wasn't sure how Loki would react. With any luck, he would feel the same way she did. Hermione inhaled before nodding. "You're right, Luna. You always are. I should go find him. I'll talk to you later." Hermione stood up, as did Luna. The two walked out of Hermione's room, closing the door behind them. They parted ways, Luna going back to her own room and Hermione walking through the halls to find Loki. She couldn't believe she was really going through with this, but she couldn't keep this a secret from him anymore. He needed to know how she felt about him. He needed to know that she saw him as more than a friend.
Hermione walked down the hall alone. It was eerily quiet and she felt like she was being watched. She kept looking back behind her, unable to ignore the feeling. After a short moment of finally being creeped out, Hermione sprinted down the hall as fast as she could. She turned the corner and ran smack into Loki. She shrieked as she fell to the ground. Hermione felt hands on her and she fought against whoever it was.
"Hey, hey. It's me, Hermione. It's alright." It was Loki. Hermione immediately stopped fighting him and allowed him to help her up. "Are you alright?" He asked with a look of concern upon his face.
Hermione exhaled, her heart racing. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, I just..." Hermione was out of breath and needed a moment for her breathing to return to normal. Loki placed his hand gently on the upper half of Hermione's back as she leaned over with her hands resting on her knees.
"Don't worry, love. Nice and slow. Breathe in, breathe out. In... and out..." He breathed along with her, helping her to calm down and get her breathing back to normal. "There we go. Nice and slow. That's better, isn't it?" He asked kindly. A genuine smile was on his face, yet his eyes still held concern within them. Loki seemed to sense that something had spooked her and he helped her to sit down in a nearby chair. "Just breathe, Hermione. Slow breaths. In through your nose, out through your mouth."
Once Hermione was calm again, she sighed and looked into his eyes. "Thank you," she said quietly. Loki gave a slight nod of his head.
"What is it?" He asked, sensing that Hermione was nervous about something. "Something is bothering you. What is it?" He reached for Hermione's hand, taking it in his and stroking her skin gently with his thumb. "You can tell me, Hermione. There's no need to be afraid."
Hermione's eyes shifted to the ground. She closed them and took a deep breath before speaking. "Loki, I-" She stopped for a moment, thinking about her wording. "Since I got here, my life has been insane. Never in my life did I think this would happen. I never believed in worlds outside of my own, but being here, with you, has changed everything." Her eyes stayed glued to the golden floor, unable to look into Loki's in this moment.
"I know that things have been crazy, Hermione. I'm sorry you had to be here when things went haywire." A small smile graced the god's features and he squeezed her hand gently. "You've gone through so much, Hermione, but you have stayed strong throughout all of it. i'm so proud of you for fighting so hard, but you don't have to fight anymore. I promise, there will be no more craziness."
"Loki, there's something I need to tell you... and I'm not sure how you'll react when I tell you."
"Tell me what?" Loki asked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. He could tell that Hermione was hesitating. "Whatever it is, there's no reason to be scared. Hermione, I promise you. You have nothing to hide from me."
Hermione took a deep breath. She couldn't believe she was going through with this. "Loki, I'm in love with you."
Silence.
Hermione didn't look at him. She didn't want to. She was too afraid to look at his reaction. What if he was angry? What if he hated her for feeling the way she did? What if he didn't even feel the same way? Hermione was terrified, but she knew she would have had to tell him at some point. She wouldn't be able to hide it from him forever, she knew that.
"Loki?" Hermione's voice was quiet, just barely above a whisper. Slowly, she turned her head. Her eyes met his and she quickly turned away, but Loki grabbed her chin gently and turned her head back towards him. They stared into each other's eyes for a brief moment before Loki leaned in and connected their lips. The kiss was gentle and slow, yet full of passion. It wasn't anything like the kisses she had shared with Ron. This was different, and she felt her heart pulsing in her chest at the intimate action.
It felt like the kiss lasted forever, but when Loki broke away, Hermione wanted nothing more than to reconnect their lips. Hermione turned away, unable to look at him. "I love you, too, Hermione," she heard Loki say after a few minutes. "How long have you been hiding your feelings from me?" He asked her, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.
Hermione sighed and shook her head. "I don't know. A few weeks? What about you? How long have you felt this way about me?" She was hesitant to ask, but she needed to know. Which one of them had fallen in love first?
Loki didn't seem to hesitate with answering her. "A few months. Since before the Christmas ball." Loki intertwined their fingers, looking down at their hands.
"That's why you got mad, isn't it? When Thor was helping me take care of the presents." Hermione finally understood why he had acted the way he had. At first, she thought that was just him being arrogant, but now she saw that it was just him being jealous, or at least overprotective. Loki nodded his head in reply.
"Yes, that is why I acted out the way I did. I'm deeply sorry for that, by the way. Jealousy overtook me. I was just protective over you, even though I knew I shouldn't have been." Loki closed his eyes, a soft sigh escaping his lips. "It's alright, Loki. That was awhile ago. Time has passed. I'm not mad at you. There's no need to apologize."
Loki nodded. "You are right." Loki brought Hermione's hand up to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss against her knuckles. The kiss was very light and tickled her skin.
"When am I not?" Hermione asked teasingly. Loki chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Now, now. Don't start with that." Loki had stood up and was in front of Hermione. He pulled her up from her sitting position and pulled her into a hug. Hermione wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. She could hear Loki's heart beating in his chest and she smiled.
The moment was ruined when a guard came up to them. "Prince Loki." The guard bowed his head. "The two of you are needed in the throne room immediately."
Hermione and Loki looked at each other before following the guard to the throne room. There was a look of worry and confusion on Hermione's face. Loki seemed to be just as worried and confused as he was holding Hermione's hand tightly in his. Once they arrived, Hermione noticed a girl standing before Odin, her back turned to the two. Odin gestured for them to walk forward. "What reason do you have for calling us here, Odin?" Loki asked as the two walked up to the king.
"There is someone here. She claims that she has information about the attack of the Dark Elves," Odin replied, his face blank of emotion. Loki raised an eyebrow and turned to look at the girl. She had long brown hair and grey eyes.
"And who exactly is it that comes forth now?" Loki asked as he walked up the stairs with Hermione beside him. He stood slightly further away from Odin than Thor was. Thor's arms were crossed over his chest and Jane was standing beside him. The girl looked over to the god of mischief and spoke quietly.
"My name is Esyn. I am from the village of Asgard," she replied, her eyes meeting Loki's to let him know that she was telling the truth. Loki nodded his head as Odin looked over to him.
"The attack took place back in December. If you had information about the attack, why come forth now?" Loki asked harshly. Hermione squeezed his hand gently. Loki turned his head and met Hermione's eyes. The god took a deep breath before turning back to the other girl. It was only now that Hermione noticed Luna leaning against the wall closest to Jane. "I was hesitant to say anything. I was caught and threatened by the ones who planned the attack. There are things I heard and discovered not many nights before the attack took place. I deeply apologize for not coming before."
The girl was trembling, probably not used to having this many pairs of eyes upon her. "There is an old house in the village that no one has lived in for many centuries. I was passing it one night when I noticed some people entering the house. Normally, I would think nothing of it, but my gut was telling me that there was something unusual about the situation. I know the identities of the people who planned and carried out the attack. I know who let the Dark Elves into the castle that night."
The suspense was killing all of them. "What are the names of these people?" Odin asked somewhat impatiently.
"Nolan Ferirson and Faye Welversdottir."
Hermione's eyes widened and she turned to the two workers who were stood in the corner of the room with wide eyes. Odin turned as the two rushed to the doors. "Stop them!" Odin shouted. The two didn't go down without a fight, but in the end, they were stood in front of Odin with their hands bound behind their backs. "There is no need to ask whether it is true or not. Your reaction to the girl's words has already given away the answer. Take them to the dungeons," Odin ordered. The two were forced out of the room without another word.
Hermione couldn't believe it.