Chapter Nine
**Hermione's POV**
Hermione's left eye was starting to develop a twitching problem the last few hours.
Staring at the bed with the two dresses laid out on top was causing Hermione a headache.
"No, No, No, I will not dress up like some streetwalking trollop with my breasts on full display, especially for people we do not need to impress," Hermione said, outright refusing to wear such a costume.
So Hermione once again started pulling things from her little handbag, multiple dresses ones for all occasion's.
After the final battle of Hogwarts, only months later, there was an epidemic of marriages all across magical Brittan for which the *Golden Trio* were expected to show to more than a few.
Politically, it was a smart move, showing the new Ministry officials working hand in hand with the ones mostly responsible for ending Voldemort's terror campaign.
Slowly, Hermione was pushed out of the picture due to the old pureblood families not liking the fact many Muggleborns were starting to want equal rights under the new administration. This of course causing friction from the old purists and herself.
Hermione hadn't minded not being seen again for a while, as it gave her more time to spend learning magic, from the professors who were always eager to teach her.
But she had an absolute ton of dresses for almost every occasion, she had been practically given a whole new wardrobe from all the gifts lately.
She gave Dany a sleek silver single shoulder strap ankle length dress. The back was open to the small of the back, and it had a long enough slit down the side where you could move easily but not show off too much leg.
The dress even had a concealed pocket that, no matter what you stored in it, would not show on the dress, which was very convenient.
The dress was a gift from Fleur, Charlie's wife, she remembered the day she had tried it on and Fleur refused to leave without Hermione owning it and even paid for it.
She had worn the dress only once, for Percy's wedding to his longtime Hogwarts girlfriend. Ron had gotten drunk and angry at the party, someone had made a pass at her and even thou she had politely declined the offer, Ron found a way to make it her fault.
In fact, that had been the last time she had seen most of the Weasley family, not even a week later, Ron's cheating was exposed for the world to see, on the front page.
Hermione shook her head, she needed to be in the moment, she couldn't let old wounds distract her. They were not in a safe place, not yet, and she needed to keep her wits.
Hermione chose to wear her standard witch's dress... okay, maybe the fancy one tonight, the one with the green it brought out the red in her hair, she thought. She still wanted to look good, she was a lady after all.
Now she just needed Winky's help to try to tame the beast known as her hair, a mission no one wished to partake in and she needed to know how Winky's other more secret mission was going.
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**Daenerys's POV**
The night was going well, she thought or as well as could be expected with the Dothraki never having been to a feast such as this.
She only had to stop her people from stealing three times, and for the life of her, she could not find Ser Jorah.
Hermione was upstairs still finishing getting ready because she said she had some final preparations to take care of, Dany just shook her head when she had seen Winky rolling up her sleeves as if preparing for battle, the memory brings a smile to her lips.
Dany moved through the crowded room, talking with most of the Thirteen, adding hints here and there about wanting possible trade in the future. Always leaving them wanting more Hermione told her, "Let them believe the idea for possible trade partnership in the future is their idea, this way you can get the most out of it when you "reluctantly" agree for more profitable terms". It was going slow, but she was learning to play the game, till the day came where she could remake the board entirely.
She had an interesting conversation with the Spice Lord, hidden behind a rude and often times neglectful behavior was a startling intelligence.
"You surprise me, Princess. I mean no offense, but the stories of your late brother did nothing to paint your family in a positive light."
Dany knew he was being purposefully, almost cruelly honest to see what kind of reaction she would give, he would push just enough to not be out right insulting.
Hermione had told her that this was the most dangerous kind of man, not because he used force or brutalized people, but because his type were the ones who used their minds. They allowed for others to make a fool of themselves by instigating on where they believed you were weakest.
Every word said for a meaning or a purpose, he was gauging to see if she had the same madness as her brother.
This thought gave her pause.
Her brother, of course, would cause a scene and make a fool of himself, so her answer was equally measured.
"Yes, well, now that I am free of my brother's foolishness, I hope to learn from his mistakes. You see, I feel learning even just a small amount of true governance will help me in my future goals," she replied, keeping a smile.
They kept up a good rapport till his last question threw her a bit.
"My dear Princess, do you happen to know anything of the Starfall recently? We were curious. The star falling near your assumed location, and you showing up not only healthy but with three young dragons."
Dany schooled her face with ease, having had a lot of practice never giving away her true feelings in fear of her brother most of her life. The dear princess part irritating her but the question of Hermione, gave her pause.
"I honestly did not see it land, one of my Blood Riders saw it, though. I believe he said a rival Khal, Khal Pono or something, of my late husband's was nearby and probably claimed whatever it was, as my man had to ride for his life to escape capture."
She lied, of course, knowing exactly who, what and especially where the star was. But her answer seemed to delight him, for he excused himself to look for someone, probably to share the new gossip.
At this time, the host of the evening came strolling into view, and headed in my direction I smiled waiting for his arrival my handmaids giving me space to talk to the host alone.
"Good evening, Princess, would you care for a walk?" Xaro asked politely.
"I would be delighted," Dany responded as she started walking next to him for a talk.
As they started walking, she noticed Ser Jorah eyeing them from across the pavilion, an unfamiliar look on his face.
"How long has your manservant been in love with you?" Xaro asked distracting me from my thoughts.
Dany simply rolled her eyes at the jest. "He is not my manservant, and he is not in love with me. He is my advisor... my friend."
As she thought of all they had gone through together recently, how he had stood with her even at her darkest.
"Unlikely. I can almost always tell what a man wants," he stated in an assured, calm voice.
"And what about what a woman wants?" Dany asked, starting to get annoyed at his questioning one of the few people she trusted.
"Much more complicated. You, for example," he said, while looking her way, which caused her to turn away slightly in irritation.
"What do you want?" he asked, probably already knowing the answer.
"To cross the Narrow Sea and take back the Iron Throne," Dany stated, looking up at him at this point, trying to show a confidence she wasn't sure she had.
"Why?" was his only response.
"Because I promised my Khalasar I'd protect them and find them a safe home," Dany stated as a matter of fact.
The bastard chuckled at her and asked, "You want to conquer the Seven Kingdoms for the Dothraki?"
Dany was about to say they were hers by right, but that was not true now, was it?
Hermione had said it herself—she had no right to it.
"I want to end the oppression of the people. I want children to be able to have a life I have come to find out is possible. I have learned of ways in which the world can become something truly wonderful," Dany stated with her whole heart, looking him straight in the eyes.
"Ah, a conqueror for the people, I see," he said with a smug smile.
Dany simply looked at him and said, "From a man who came from nothing to a leader of Qarth, you must have conquered much as well. But you stopped. Maybe you're just less ambitious."
She said it with a smile.
He chuckled along until the moment got a bit awkward.
"What do you want, Xaro Xhoan Daxos?" Dany asked, getting to the point now that they had stopped walking.
"At the gates of the city, you were the first to eagerly invite me in. Why?" She asked the last part a bit harshly to let him know she wanted real answers.
He took a second to compose himself before offering her his hand. "I will show you why."
Dany took it, and he led her to his vault.
Of course, Hermione had guessed correctly the man asked to marry her.
Hermione, the moment they entered the city, was reading and asking questions at every turn. She'd found a clause in the marriage arrangements practiced in Qarth. The bride and groom could ask the other person for one gift, and the other must give it.
Which meant of course he was trying to steal her dragons, she had nothing else of value to her name.
Hermione asked her to play along for a while, to string whoever asked along until they could find the real motive behind their attempted theft.
So, Dany had done just that and told him she would consider it, as they returned back to the party.
She would inform Hermione of the vault later, perhaps Hermione can open it, and she can get half of everything without the marriage.
They separated, and Dany finally found Ser Jorah while he was free and not in conversation, he had told her he had sent someone to the docks and had found a boat leaving the next morning.
Just as she reached him, she heard the voice of the man Hermione had asked her to avoid at all costs, and for the most part had succeeded, as the man gave her the creeps, she of course not letting it show.
"Mother of Dragons, on behalf of the warlocks of Qarth, I welcome you."
Pyat Pree said it with his blue lips and powdered face. The man looked like a walking corpse.
"A demonstration?" he offered his hand.
A pop sounded directly behind him, which caused them all to jump.
Hermione stood right behind the warlock, looking at him with one raised eyebrow the look reminded her of someone appraising something foul and beneath them.
"A demonstration of magic, is it? Let's see it then," she said.
She held out her hand in place of Dany's, for which Dany was grateful. She didn't want that man touching her for some reason.
Pyat Pree, for his part, steadied himself and greedily took her hand.
Hermione simply frowned at the man in irritation.
"Take this gem Look at it, into its depths, So many facets," he said with a rotten tooth smile before continuing. "Look closely enough, and you can see yourself in them."
He said it looking back as someone across the party shouted, "Often more than once."
Dany looked up, startled at seeing yet another Pyat Pree.
The whole party was startled, excluding a few of the Thirteen who had seen this trick before.
"Is that all you can do?" Hermione asked in a mocking tone.
"I beg your pardon?" Pyat Pree responded.
Hermione simply smiled and said, "How about this? Since you showed me your little trick, I'll show you one back."
This time, her smile looked predatory.
The Spice Lord picked that moment to make the whole situation even worse.
"Oh, I love it! We shall see who is better at magic tricks, the warlocks of Qarth or the Princess's little Westeros Woods Witch." Which to be fair she did sound, act, and look like a Noble born Northerner from Westeros.
Dany just had a feeling that something bad was going to happen, she just was not sure why Hermione seemed to hate this man Pyat Pree, but she was positive she was about to find out.