A/N: First off, thank you so much to all of the wonderful people who has reviewed this story of mine, and who are still following it. I appreciate all the comments you leave, as well as all the favourites and follows. Each one means a lot to me, so thank you. This is the final chapter of this tale, so I really hope you all enjoy it. Also, many thanks to my betas: krazyredhead0317, dragoon811, Gemini Sister. I don't know where this story would be without all of your help, so thank you. xx

Warnings: Alternate Universe, Language, Mild Violence, Mentions of Character Death, Light Sexual Content

Disclaimer: The characters and canon situations in the following story belong solely to JK Rowling, Scholastic and WB. I am not making any money from the publishing or writing of this story.

Chapter Eight — The Shoes That Were Danced to Pieces

Hermione opened her eyes. Sleepily, she looked around and tried to figure out where she could be. She immediately noticed that she was in a bed and that her feet ached. Sitting up, Hermione was careful not to make a sound. She saw that she was in a large, circular room filled with beds. She took a moment to count them.

Twelve beds, including the one she was in. How strange.

There was a groan from the bed next to her, and a familiar redhead popped into view. The girl was Ginny! She smiled at Hermione when she saw she was awake. "Good morning!" she shouted. "Come on, all of you; we need to wake up!"

Hermione watched as people stirred from the beds. She recognized many familiar faces, including the Patil twins, Ginny, Luna, Cho, Tonks, Fleur, Lavender, Katie, Angelina, and… was that Lily, Harry's Mum? Hermione's eyes widened. It was!

Luna smiled dreamily. "Do you think father will be mad when he realises we've worn out our shoes?"

Hermione's eyes widened. Worn out shoes and twelve girls. I must be in the tale about the twelve dancing princesses… or something like that.

"Let's go to breakfast," Tonks announced. "Hurry and get dressed. We don't want to be tardy."

The room was chaos as all the girls tried to get ready at once. Hermione followed Ginny's lead and choose a rose coloured dress to wear for the day. She washed up and secured her hair into a tight bun. Her feet ached while she got ready, and Hermione knew that she must have danced the previous night away.

After everyone was dressed and ready, the twelve girls made their way to the dining hall. They each took a seat. Hermione was sitting between Ginny and Angelina. At the head of the table was Professor Dumbledore, who was clearly her father in this story, going by the very sparkly crown he wore.

"Daughters," he greeted them all, his blue eyes twinkling. "I have heard from a servant that once more all of your shoes are worn through. Would any of you care to explain this?"

There was silence. Hermione cast her eyes down towards her bowl of porridge, unable to meet Dumbledore's gaze.

"No one?" Dumbledore asked, his voice growing stern. "I'm very disappointed that no one has told me. Lily?"

Lily looked away. "I don't know, father."

"As the eldest, I expected that you would have obeyed me."

Hermione's eyes widened at the use of Lily's real name. She thought it over quickly and realised that the Grimm version of the twelve dancing princesses never named any of the twelve. The book must have just supplied Hermione with some people she knew to act as her eleven sisters.

"Very well. You all leave me no choice. I will take matters into my own hands."

Dumbledore stood at his throne, his twelve daughters standing to the side. The court had been assembled, as well as the town crier.

"I hereby do proclaim that whosoever can discover where my daughters dance at night should choose one of them for his wife and be king after my death. But, whosoever comes forward and does not discover it within three days and nights will have forfeited his life.

Hermione's heart shuddered in her chest. She wondered what role Severus would have in this story. He couldn't be the soldier as she was not the eldest sister. They wouldn't be given different love interests, would they?

It was not long before the twelve sisters were summoned to the great hall where their father sat on his throne. Apparently, a prince was coming to take up the challenge.

As Hermione entered the hall behind Luna, she was surprised to see Draco Malfoy speaking with Dumbledore.

Him? She thought. He's the last person I would have expected. She sighed. Where was Severus?

"Thank you, your highness, for receiving me," Draco said, flashing a smile towards Hermione. "I have heard news of your proclamation, and I wish to take up the challenge." He bowed low towards Dumbledore.

"Very well," Dumbledore said. "Should you fail, your life will be forfeit."

"I accept," Draco said, puffing up his chest proudly.

Dumbledore nodded gravely. "I shall have the room adjoined to the princesses' sleeping chamber prepared for you. From there, you may watch my daughters."

"This is creepy," Padma whispered, looking through the door where Draco was watching them intensely.

"I agree," Angelina said. "I don't know how I'll be able to sleep with him watching us like that."

Luna smiled at Draco, giving him a small wave. "I think he's quite nice. I hope he figures it out, so that I may marry him."

Hermione quickly coughed in order to cover up her exclamation of surprise. She wondered if this meant that Luna harboured romantic feelings towards Malfoy in the real world. She made a mental note to ask her later.

"Worry not, sisters," Lily whispered. "Look at his eyes; they grow heavy. Soon, he will fall asleep and we will be able to go out dancing."

Hermione looked at Lily and internally sighed. She seemed as perfect as Hermione had imagined she would be. It was easy to see why Severus would have fallen in love with her. Harry had told Hermione about what he had seen in Severus's memories, and it had never bothered her until now. Lily had been a thing of the past, but here in the book, she was alive and well. Hermione couldn't help but wonder if that would affect Severus.

"The prince is asleep," Cho whispered. She held up her new shoes and smiled. "Let us go."

The twelve of them took off dancing.

Draco opened his eyes and cursed. For the third night in a row, he had dozed off. Each morning when he awoke, the princesses were all in their bed, but all of their shoes had holes in them. It was with a heavy heart that he realised he had failed the king's challenge.

He walked towards the great hall with a heavy heart.

"Psssst," Draco heard. Turning, he saw one of the princesses in the corner. She motioned for him to come closer, which he did.

"You tried," she whispered quietly, before turning to walk away.

"Wait, what is your name? You have the beauty of an angel."

She smiled. "Luna," she replied before taking off down the hall.

"Luna," Draco whispered, watching her as she went. When Luna had disappeared out of sight, he continued his way towards the king's throne room. Each step felt as if it were growing heavier. When he entered the king's hall, he saw it had been transformed. A guillotine had been placed in the center.

"Prince Draco," Dumbledore spoke. "Have you discovered where my daughters go to dance at night?"

Draco shook his head. "I'm afraid not, your highness."

"Then your life is forfeit, per our agreement."

"Of course," Draco replied, slowly walking towards the guillotine. As he positioned himself beneath the blade, his heart raced.

His last thoughts were of the blonde princess named Luna.

Hermione sighed, looking out her bedroom window. It had been three weeks and there had still been no sign of Severus. She had ventured into the town a few times in hope of seeing him, but she had had no luck. She hoped that, wherever he was, nothing bad had befallen him.

"Another one failed," Lavender said. "That's the fifth one. When will this end?"

"I don't know," Parvarti replied. "I feel bad for all those men who are losing their lives."

"It's cruel of father to kill them," Ginny said angrily, her eyes blazing.

"But that is father's way," Lily said gently to the group. "He is not afraid to sacrifice lives to achieve what it is he wants. He means well, most of the time, but he goes about it the wrong way. He is very loving to us, but he has his moments of cruelty."

Hermione mentally agreed. While she respected and cared for Dumbledore greatly, she was also angry that he had kept so many secrets from Harry. The biggest one was that Harry was a Horcrux. How could he not tell Harry? She had been so angry that Dumbledore hadn't shared that vital piece of information until the last possible moment in the most circuitous way.

"Another has come," Fleur announced, a solemn look on her face.

Severus walked along the dusty, old road, his leg throbbing as he did so. His hand went to his upper thigh and rubbed it. When he had awoken in this tale, he had quickly realised that he had an injury. His thigh had a deep, painful scar on it, and. e assumed it was an old battle wound, as he wore an old soldier's uniform.

Severus was making his way towards the city where a king with twelve daughters lived. While he had heard about the proclamation the king made and he hoped that Hermione was one of the twelve daughters, the only way to know for certain was to go there and see for himself.

As he walked, Severus noticed an older looking woman on the side of the road. As he got closer, he saw that she resembled Minerva. "Hello," he greeted her.

"Good day," Minerva replied. "Where are you heading today, sir?"

"I'm not exactly sure," Severus replied, his expression blank. "I think I would like to discover where the princesses are dancing their shoes to pieces, and then become king."

Minerva smiled widely. She rubbed her hands together and the air cackled with magic. "That is not so difficult." She studied him for a moment, debating whether or not to continue. She nodded, mumbling something to herself under her breath. "Do not drink the wine they will serve you in the evening." She conjured a cloak out of thin air and handed it to him. "When you put this on, you will become invisible."

"So I can follow the princesses without being noticed," Severus said, weighing the material in his hands. It was lightweight, almost as if there was nothing there. He vaguely wondered if this was what Potter's invisibility cloak felt like.

"Good luck," Minerva said, giving him another almost feline smile. "Go on, then. The castle is not far. Just a bit longer of a walk down this road. It should come into view soon."

Holding the cloak tightly, Severus thanked her for her help and got moving. He was eager to get to the palace and see if Hermione was truly one of the twelve princesses.

Severus followed a servant into the throne room. There, he saw the king waiting for him. The king was Dumbledore, much to Severus's surprise. Looking around the room, he was disappointed to see that none of the princesses were there.

"So, my boy, you wish to undertake my challenge?" Dumbledore looked at him, a twinkle in his blue eyes.

"I do," Severus spoke, keeping his face impassive. "And if I win, I may marry one of your daughters and become king."

"Of course," Dumbledore replied. "I will arrange for royal clothes to be given to you In the bedchamber attached to my daughters' room. You may watch them from there."

"Thank you, your majesty." Severus bowed low.

"There he is!" Padma cried.

All of the girls craned their neck to get a look of the latest suitor. Hermione's eyes widened when she saw that it was Severus. She wanted to speak with him, but didn't know if she'd be able to. She caught his eye and saw his look of relief. She was about to move forward to speak with him, but froze as she saw Lily approaching him.

Severus felt his mouth go dry at the sight of Lily walking towards him. He had certainly never expected to see her here. His heart pounded in his chest nervously. She was just as beautiful as he remembered her to be.

"I've brought you a goblet of wine," Lily said, flashing a flirtatious look at him. She held out a goblet, which he accepted. "I hope you enjoy it."

She turned and walked away, swinging her hips as she did so.

Severus scowled as he caught Hermione's pained expression. What was wrong with her? Why did she look as if someone had just killed her cat?

Realisation dawned. Hermione was jealous. He couldn't believe it. She was jealous of Lily. Of course, she has reason to be. I did love Lily after all, but that was years ago. I have long since rid myself of the unhealthy obsession I had with Lily. Severus paused for a moment. Ah, but if Potter told her what was in the memories, then perhaps she believes I still love Lily.

Severus pretended to drink the wine and then lay down. He closed his eyes and began to snore, pretending that he was sleeping.

Lily let out a laugh. "He could have saved his life!"

Severus listened as the twelve of them got up, opened their wardrobes, chests, and closets and took out their best clothes. He imagined that Hermione was putting on an elegant gown as well. He could hear their feet tapping on the ground as they bustled about, getting dressed.

"Lily, perhaps we shouldn't go tonight," Luna said quietly. "I feel as if something bad is going to happen."

"Don't be a snow goose," Lily said, her voice harsh. "You are always frightened, Luna. Have you forgotten how many princes have been here and all for nothing? I wouldn't even have had to give this soldier a sleeping potion. He would have never woken up to begin with."

So Lily was responsible for the death of all those princes, Severus thought. It was unlike her, but he supposed this was the fairy tale version of his long-dead friend. He heard a loud noise and carefully cracked open one eye. He watched as Lily's bed disappeared beneath the floor. The girls climbed down through the opening, one after the other, Lily leading them.

Once they were out of sight, Severus stood and put on the cloak. He quickly followed after them, Luna being the last in the line. He cursed mentally as he accidentally stepped on the hem of her dress.

"Who's there?" Luna called out into the darkness. "Who is holding my dress?"

"Don't be stupid," Lily said, glaring at Luna from the front of the line. "You must have just caught yourself on a hook."

Severus held his breath as the princesses began to walk forward once more. He followed them, keeping a few feet away from the Lovegood girl so he wouldn't step on her dress again. He also noticed that Hermione kept looking backwards into the darkness. She must have known that he was following them.

The group continued along the path until they came to a walkway between rows of trees. Severus looked around, an awed expression on his face. The trees had leaves made of silver, and they shone and glistened in the moonlight. He reached out and broke a twig off, wanting to take some as evidence. Or potions ingredients. Or to melt them down and use them to—

He gave another mental curse as a loud crack rang out.

"Did you hear that?" Ginny asked, turning around and peering into the darkness. "Didn't you all hear that sound?"

"That is just a joyful salute that they are firing because soon we will have disenchanted our princes," Lily said. "Now come along."

Severus could only watch in amazement as they continued on their journey. There were trees now of gold, and then some that were made of clear diamonds. He broke a twig from each tree, frightening a few of the princesses, but each time Lily insisted that it was nothing they should be concerned about.

Soon, the group approached a large body of water. In the water were twelve boats, each with a prince waiting for them.

Severus quietly followed Hermione into her boat. As it was cramped with the three of them there, Severus accidentally brushed against Hermione's back. She stilled for a moment, before relaxing. She turned around and smiled at him. She knew he was there, even though she couldn't see him.

"I don't know why the boat is much heavier today," her prince, who looked like Viktor Krum said. "I have to row with all of my strength in order to make it move."

Hermione coughed, clearing her throat and fanning herself.. "It must be the warm weather. It's too hot for me."

Severus thought she looked breath-taking in her cream coloured gown. However, the material did look heavy and he imagined that she was sweating in it.

When they reached the other side of the lake, there was a beautiful, brightly illuminated castle. Joyful music, kettledrums, and trumpets sounded forth. Each prince helped his princess out of the boat, and Severus scowled as he watched Krum take Hermione's hand and lead her towards the dance floor.

He cursed a third time, realising that he was jealous of Krum. He tried to deny it, but Severus found it was pointless. He wanted to be dancing with Hermione, not watching the Bulgarian brute do it. His scowl deepened when Krum stepped on Hermione's foot.

He spent the evening watching Hermione. Every time she lifted a goblet of wine from the table, he drank it empty with a makeshift straw before she could take more than a few sips. It wouldn't do for Hermione to get tipsy while in another man's arms…Not with the lake right there.

Soon, the evening was over and Severus followed Hermione and the other princesses back across the lake. He hurried ahead of them so he could pretend to be sleeping when they returned to their room.

"See, he's still here," Lily said. "You were all worried for nothing."

The girls undressed and climbed into their beds.

Hermione lay awake in her bed, her heart racing. Each time she had been in the boat, she had felt Severus against her. She had grown flushed each time, and Viktor had smirked, thinking that he had caused her to blush.

She hoped that the next two days would pass quickly, so that Severus and she could move on.

Severus followed the twelve princesses the next two nights as well. Each time, they danced until their shoes were in pieces. Watching Krum place his hands on Hermione for three nights had been torture and he was more than eager to move past this. Krum would never touch Hermione in such a way again if he had anything to say about it.

Severus stood before Dumbledore and knew it was time to give his answer. Hermione and the other eleven princesses stood on the side, each one watching him warily. Hermione's eyes were wide with hope.

"Well?" the king asked. "Have you figured out where my daughters have been disappearing to?"

Severus had brought the three twigs, hidden in his pockets. "In an underground castle with twelve princes." He launched into his tale, describing how he had followed them to the castle. He explained the different trees and showed his evidence.

"Is this true?" Dumbledore asked, turning to face his daughters. All, apart from Hermione, had their gaze cast to the floor.

"Yes, father," Ginny said, looking up at him. "What he said is true."

"Very well," Dumbledore said. "Well, my dear boy, you have found out how my daughters have been wearing holes into their shoes. You may marry my eldest and become king." He gestured for Lily to step forward.

Hermione felt tears prick at the corner of her eyes. The story wasn't supposed to go this way. She was supposed to end up with Severus, not Lily. The book was wrong. This was wrong.

"No," Severus's voice rang out firm and clear. "I don't want to marry your eldest. I want her."

Hermione looked up and saw that Severus was pointing right at her. Her heart skipped a beat. He was choosing her! Severus was picking her over Lily. She could barely contain her excitement.

"Very well," Dumbledore said. "Come, come, I'll marry you both right now." He motioned for them to step closer.

Hermione walked forward, her heart racing as she did so. Her palms grew sweaty as she reached his side.

"Do you so choose my daughter Hermione and promise to care for her for the rest of time?"

"I do," Severus said. He reached forward and took Hermione's hands into his own. He gave them a reassuring squeeze.

Hermione stared into Severus's dark eyes and saw that they were filled with emotion. For once, he was baring himself to her.

"Daughter, do you choose this soldier and promise to care for him for the rest of time?"

"I do," Hermione said firmly, knowing that she would, both here and in the real world. While Severus was not truly hers, she knew that he would always have hold of her heart.

"I pronounce you husband and wife," Dumbledore said with a clap on his hands. "Go on, kiss." He wore an excited look on his face.

Hermione's gaze met Severus's. She gave him a small smile.

"Shall we?" he asked. He lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers. The familiar darkness consumed them.

When Hermione awoke, she found that she was entangled with Severus on a hard, cold floor. When she sat up slightly, she realised that they were on the floor in the dungeons. "Severus?" she whispered, her voice low. "I think we're back."

Looking around, she spotted the book on the floor near them. With a shriek, Hermione kicked it away with her foot.

"Easy, woman!" Severus cried as her foot nearly collided with his shin.

"Sorry," Hermione murmured. "I just wanted that thing as far away from me as possible."

Severus stood and then helped Hermione to her feet. His hand went to his pocket and he pulled out his wand. He caressed the long piece of ebony and smirked. "We are back at Hogwarts."

"Thank Merlin," Hermione whispered. "Severus, we need to figure out who sent me that book."

Severus didn't respond. Instead, he looked at her, his eyes burning.

When Hermione saw his heated gaze, she flushed. "Severus?" she asked, her voice heavy with desire.

"That can wait," he said, his voice low and seductive. "Right now, I have plans of giving you a proper birthday present."

Hermione's mouth went dry and she swallowed. The tension between the two of them had grown palpable. She shifted towards him, her body feeling as if it was pulsing with electricity. She wanted nothing more than to close the distance between so she could feel his body against hers.

Severus must have felt the same way because moments later, he closed the distance between them. He tangled his hands into her hair as his lips captured hers in a passionate kiss. He nibbled at her lower lip, making her gasp. Hermione arched up into him, pressing her body against his. She could feel his hardness through his trousers.

"My bedroom, now," he growled impatiently.

"Please," Hermione moaned, tingling in anticipation. Her breathing had grown heavy and she was breathless from his kisses. She could only imagine how the rest of it would feel.

He bent at the waist and scooped her into his arms bridal style. He carried her to his private chambers, where they spent the rest of the evening celebrating Hermione's birthday.

Minerva raised a glass of elf-made wine towards Dumbledore's portrait. "I do believe your plan has worked, Albus. Both his office and private Floos are closed off."

Dumbledore grinned inside his portrait. "I told you, Minerva. The two are a great match. They only needed… a little push."

"Here's to hoping that Severus will be a little more pleasant, and Hermione a little less stressed." Minerva raised her goblet before taking a sip. She smirked. Dumbledore wasn't the only one who had a meddlesome side.