To be a Princess

She hated the summer holidays. For most it was a joyous occasion. One in which youngsters were free for the whole summer and could do whatever they wished. It was a time for adventures and short lived romances.

For everyone but her that was. She was stuck here, locked in this room for all of summer. Excuses pouring out of her tired mouth as to why she couldn't spend time with her friends. Excuses she grew tired of repeating. Even she was beginning to doubt and question as to why she was here.

Did she have a choice? Of course. But it wasn't an easy one. So much rested upon her young shoulders it hardly seemed fair. Glancing back down at the book she had been studying she sighed.

“Is there a problem?” Her Grandmother's Swedish accent was strong but she still knew how to enunciate her English words perfectly.

“No Grandmother.”

“Why are you sighing child?” The elder lady asked raising a perfect eyebrow.

“It is nothing Grandmother.”

“Do not lie to me child.” She said with such authority the younger girl shuddered.

“I just feel like I need a break.” The young girl muttered quietly not quite meeting her Grandmother's eyes.

“A break?”

“I'm sorry, it's stupid.”

The older woman's eyes softened and her posture relaxed. “Dear child I am sorry you think you cannot talk to me. I am your Grandmother you are allowed to talk to me of anything you desire.”

The pretty girl looked up through her eyelashes carefully. “But you are also my queen.”

The Grandmother laughed shaking her hands. “I am not your queen. I am our people's queen. I am merely your Grand-mama.”

“But this is so important!”

“Yes. It is.” The elder lady agreed.

“But it's been four weeks, four long and tiring weeks. There's only so much knowledge I can hold before I want to burst. I need to get out. I want to go back to England and see my parents and spend time with my friends. I want to go shopping before I go back to school. I want a little normalcy.” She ranted. It felt good to let it out. Never in her fifteen years had she been so open with her Grandmother. But still she felt she was out of line. She should have known better.

“You are simply no normal teenager.” She paused. “You want to go home?”

“Yes.” the girl whispered.

The elder lady pursed her lips and nodded. “I cannot force you to stay but I must impress how close we are child. It is six months until your sixteenth birthday and I have to announce you to the people. This is where you make your final decision and I must admit I do not think you are even close to being ready.”

The young girl sighed.

“I know my duties Grandmother.” And as though the conversation never happened she began reading from the book where she had left off.

It wasn't easy being a princess Hermione Granger thought bitterly.