Chapter Four
**Hermione's POV**
The meeting that followed started awkwardly, as no one knew where to start the silence seemingly far louder than words.
Leave it to Winky to start things off with a bang by pulling out the newer, larger tent in a flourish as it unfolded and staked itself to the ground in seconds, shocking everyone around. This tent given to her by a blushing Hagrid as a thank you gift for helping him set up a way to earn extra money, she had been looking for a larger version of her camping tent, in case of another emergency. He had come begging for help one day and the reason...
In his words: "Now that I'm all respectable like, I was planning on asking Olympe to make an honest man outta me. Yep, I figure it's time to be settlin' down now, everything calming down and all."
He'd been so adorable that day, Hermione helped pick an outfit and fix his tangled mess of hair that even made hers look tame.
Hermione had been pleased to hear that night that Olympe had said yes.
It saddened her that she'd be missing the wedding day now, but she hoped he'd have a good life and was incredibly thankful that at least he wouldn't be alone anymore.
They sat down on chairs Hermione wandlessly transfigured some large rocks on the ground that were now in the shade of the tent, complete with comfortable cushions.
She figured little flashy wandless magic to impress the natives might go far, but nothing threatening she didn't want to be attacked again, it got old very fast.
Winky served tea and cookies, which people devoured quickly enough, manners not withstanding she understood these people were hungry and thirsty the Dothraki for their part either stopped caring or not afraid of Winky anymore. *curious*
And let's face it, how could anyone stay afraid of such an innocent face?
Hermione asked the princess basically everything she knew of her brother, so she could get a context of things before she explained herself. Ser Jorah asking questions of his own mostly about my abilities to see if I was evil, I presume. I could tell these people did not trust magic and from what she had heard she could not even blame them.
She also asked about Daenerys's life up until now, so she could gauge what she was dealing with, plus she needed to know what goals her new charge had and how best to assist her. Ser Jorah not liking the fact that I was doing the questioning but seeming to afraid or weary to stop it.
By the end of Daenerys's tale, Winky was loudly sobbing, before blowing her nose and straightening up.
"The Pretty Dragon Princess losted her Prince and little princeling to evil bad witch! That nasty bad witch was lucky my Mistress did not gets to her, or else she might be burning a whole lots longer than Pretty Dragon Princess made her!"
Once again, throwing everything off kilter as she stomped off, wiping tears off her cute little face. Ser Jorah's eyes softening hearing Winky defending his charge.
"I apologize for Winky," Hermione said. "You see, before she came to be with me, she had another family she cared for. Evil men tricked a member of her family into...well making unfortunate decisions, eventually everyone ended up dying in the end, and the legacy of her family was ruined."
Hermione paused as the pain from the curse mark stung.
She wasn't ready for it this time, she had become distracted a lot lately, so she flinched a bit, but did her best to cover it up with a smile as her other hand pressed firmly on her arm, channeling healing energy into the Unicorn hair sleeve. hoping no one would notice which no one seemed to be paying attention.
Winky had actually been teaching her, how to channel raw magic into objects for permanent charms, who knew that if only Sirius had asked his house elf to remove that horrible painting, it would have been done in seconds, once again wizards underestimating house elf's.
Imagine that, learning from an elf those pureblood old fossils would lose their minds if they knew.
"I was the only one that could, or was considered appropriate, to take her in." Hermione's smile saddened. "But I thought of it as a blessing."
She then told Daenerys what had occurred once Winky had brought her the stone.
"You see, I figured out it was the Resurrection Stone, what it summoned... well, I don't know, but something other than a spirit, but definitely dead, add in a desire felt, a promise made, under a celestial event, and you create a one-way portkey to the desired destination, fueled by the event and channeled through the stone. I'm almost positive the stone is now destroyed, even one of the deathly hollows wouldn't be able to channel that much power and survive. But what is puzzling me is what connection....WINKY! Do you need a cough drop? You have been driving me insane." Winky had been making strange sounds during my entire explanation now I don't even remember where I left off, ohh it doesn't matter right now.
Hermione pulled out a cough drop from her trusty bag.
Poor thing.
"I'm sorry, Winky. I should not have raised my voice at you like that, I think we should make supper now, once everyone is feed we can talk more."
She patted the elf's head, feeling guilty that Winky looked like she felt guilty.
"Mistress, maybe we should see to helping these poor people inside the medical wing of the tent so you can heal them up right while I get supper ready for everyone."
Winky looked at her with those large puppy eyes.
Hermione decided instead to throw a test at this new princess. Let's see how she handles herself when she doesn't know the variables and see how she responds.
Hermione then looked at the princess with a wicked gleam in her eye.
---
**Daenerys's POV**
Dany didn't know what that look was, but she could have sworn she just saw *a twinkle* in this pretty little witch's eyes.
She knew that look, she had seen it used against her it was the look of someone planning something unexpected she was sure the witch was planning to undermine her some how, she just couldn't see how.
But to have that look used against *her*?
*Battle was on.*
"I think it's a wonderful idea, Winky. I believe you can make something extra special for the princess," Hermione said with a smile.
Gods damn it—another *twinkle*.
"What do you say, Princess? Are you brave enough to try a feast from another world, prepared by a magical creature of your legends?" Hermione said with a smirk.
Then she kept going with the theatrics, which Dany could see was having an effect on her people.
Some looked afraid. Some looked expectant, as if saying, *She is chosen. This must be a test from the Great Stallion.*
"The Khaleesi fears nothing. It is known," she heard one of her handmaids say behind her.
Dany couldn't be sure this bitch wasn't setting her up to eat something worse than a horse heart.
The more Hermione talked, the more Dany knew that if she backed down now, she would lose everyone. They would see her as weak.
As it was, if this witch wanted, she could probably just challenge her to some duel, kill her, and be the leader. Steal her children.
She would not fail her people. She would beat this challenge.
"Oh, and Princess?" Hermione's voice dropped lower. "If you don't feel up to it, I'm sure no one here would blame you for...backing down."
*This demon.*
Dany was screaming in her head, trying to keep a smile on her face and look calm.
She would show this bitch she was the Mother of Dragons, the rightful ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, and so on and so forth—
She couldn't even think, She was so angry, but she wouldn't let it show as she was also a bit terrified having had a very recent horrible experience with witches. This witch thou was different you could feel it *the power rolling off her in waves, it was almost intoxicating*
Fine, she'd play her game for now and beat her, destiny was on her side, after all.
"That sounds lovely, we would be honored to join you, and I would be honored to pass this oh-so-difficult test of yours," Dany fired back.
Hermione looked at her, and Dany saw her frown.
Probably not expecting her to pass the first part so easily, huh?
She would show this little witch what it meant to be a dragon.
---
**Hermione's POV**
Hermione looked at the princess in front of her.
*Disappointing, already failed the first part.*
Allowing a possible enemy to dictate a possible ambush or assassination attempt, and other worrisome issues she noticed. This girl let her emotions and ego dictate her actions instead of logic and the only reason she is alive right now is shear dumb luck. She could see the knight just to the right of the princess looking unhappy and worried, well at least he seems to understand a bit more of the princess current situation and realize they have no other options but to trust Hermione or else they would probably die.
As someone who was supposed to lead a group, they needed to think of the well, being of those they led, not their ego.
And this one was led by a collar by her ego, time to give this princess a wake up call was fast approaching.
Well, might as well have fun with it as she taught this spoiled little princess.
"Alright, Princess. Tonight, you run the gauntlet," Hermione said, her voice dropping low.
She purposefully made it snow lightly over the whole camp's heads with a wandless, incantationless hand movement.
They all looked up in fright.
Even the princess looked scared.
"Winky," Hermione said lightly, only loud enough for those around to hear.
Winky appeared a few feet closer, standing at attention like a proper royal guard, with a *pop* to her heels.
"Yes, Mistress?" Winky asked, looking serious.
"Tonight, Winky..." Hermione paused for dramatic effect. "We run the gauntlet of..."
I was interrupted as I looked down and saw a little golden baby dragon at my feet looking up at me, I was further shocked when the tiny golden flame lizard darted at me and started crawling up my body moving like a snake causing my rather cool moment to be ruined as I squeaked out as the tiny monster finally perched unto my shoulder and look me in the eye and give me the look of *this is my new spot.* Everything froze for a moment afraid of what was going to happen next. I looked at the tiny monster sitting like he now owned my shoulder, "Hello may I help you, little one?"