Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of his friends/admirers. I am not doing this story for any sort of profit. It is entirely for my amusement, and whoever happens to enjoy it also.
A/N: This is my first fanfic so maybe be a little gentle. Thank you.
"Ronald, you know I won't wear anything such as that. It's too revealing." Hermione Granger paced around the bedroom of her and Ron's flat. She was wearing one of those 'little black dresses', but apparently, according to her boyfriend of two years, it wasn't enough on the 'little'.
"'Mione," he whined, in that oh-so-annoying way, "I just want you to look good for this party."
"Ron, for your information, I look just fine in what I'm wearing. I'm not gonna put on something that goes halfway down my chest and halfway up my ass, just because you want me to. Reducto. That's what I think about your choice of dress," she said with an angry flick of her wand.
Hermione hadn't been lying about her looks. She'd matured quite a bit since graduating from Hogwarts, three years before. She had reached 5 feet 4 inches by the time she stopped growing. She was extremely proud of the way her body had finally turned out. Her face had softened quite a bit, giving her the looks most women would kill for, and her skin had gained an alabaster look to it, along with a silk-like texture. Her body had slimmed down some, giving her the looks of a seasoned model, without the go-starve-myself appearance, and her boobs were the perfect size, bigger than most, yet not large enough to gain too much attention. Quite simply she had curves in all the right places, and not in all the wrong places. That "little black dress" fit her to perfection and she showed off said body without making her seem like a whore.
"Ron, I've been thinking, and what I've been thinking is that I wanna move out. Now, before you explode I want you to listen to me. Can you do that?" Hermione looked at his increasingly reddening face a little worriedly. She knew he wouldn't do any physical damage to her, but she was certain he would explode and wasn't prone on the headache that was sure to follow.
"MOVE OUT! What do you MEAN Move OUT! Hermione, you can't move out, why would you wanna move out? I thought things were going good for us. It's been two years. How-I-Wh-I love you Hermione, don't do this."
"Obviously not," she muttered under her breath. "Ron, listen to me! Now!" she shouted at him. "I'm sure we can be mature adults about this."
"Hermione, you're brea-," he started to say."
"Don't even say it, Ronald. I am not "breaking up" with you. We aren't in school anymore. What I am doing is ending our relationship. Now that I've told you, let's go. We have to meet Harry and his newest arm candy. We will continue this discussion later." As she said this, she grabbed her coat and purse and walked out the door.
"A discussion? You call this a discussion, Hermione. I don't see how this is a discussion, this is more like-like a-a bombshell." He said, following her down the stairs. "How can you expect us to go through the night like nothing happened when you just dropped that on me?"
"I can expect it, Ron, because were both mature adults here. Would you rather I have just left while you were at work and left you a note? Now, let's not finish this here, there's Harry and-oh, is that Lavender Brown? Hmm, fancy that." Hermione fixed a smile on her face and called out Harry's name.
"Ron, is something wrong." Harry asked him. "You seem a little distracted."
Ron turned his head from were he was watching Hermione dance with Malfoy. "What? Sorry, Harry, did you say something to me?"
"Yea, I told you Hermione just left the room with Malfoy, and I'm pretty sure they're planning on eloping."
"What?" He turned around so fast, he was sure his neck would be hurting if he wasn't so worried about Hermione going off with Malfoy. He saw them dancing and chatting exactly where he had been observing them a moment before. He turned around to glare at Harry. "Damnit, Harry, don't do that to me. Especially not tonight."
"So, what makes tonight so different?" Harry asked him, not a little curious.
Ron turned red, before mumbling a quick "nothing" and turning back to his examination of his girlfriend and the ferret. He didn't want to tell Harry about this unexpected event, at least not yet. As far as he knew, Ron would be proposing to Hermione tonight. It was a special event for both of them. The five-year reunion for their graduation class and the survivors of the Final Battle, as the survivors of said event liked to call it.
"You really expect me to believe that? I've known you for 12 years now; I know you as well as I know myself. Something's bothering you, now what is it?" Ron turned to him again, and almost caved in and told him. "Come on, Ron, I'm your best friend, you've already asked me to be your best man. By the way, have you asked her yet?"
"No," he mumbled. "Not yet."
"And why haven't you? I thought you would have done it before you arrived here," he stated, unwittingly making it worse for Ron.
"I haven't asked her yet because she informed me tonight that she wants to move out," he said before turning back to watching Hermione. "She said she's been thinking about it. Wants to continue our 'discussion' later on. Why would she do this Harry, it's obvious that we would get together; we've been in an almost perfect relationship for the last two years. Why would she do this? You don't think she's cheating do you?" At this, he turned to glare at Draco Malfoy, the man currently still dancing with his girlfriend.
"Ron, listen to what you're saying, this is Hermione you're talking about here, do you honestly believe she would cheat on you? She's always been, and always will be, the Golden Girl. You told me yourself that she wants to wait until she's married before she even does anything. This means that she's still a virgin. Now, stop being silly, and assuming anything, until she's told you her side of the story."
Ron sighed, before turning back to Harry. "I know you're right, Harry," he stated wearily, "but it hurts so bad knowing she doesn't wanna be with me anymore. I know I should stop jumping to conclusions and enjoy myself, and I'm going to do that right now. I'm going to go over and claim my girlfriend for a dance. Excuse me." With this, he got up and started towards his girlfriend and her dance partner.
Harry watched Ron walk, calmly to a mere acquaintance but quite obviously indignantly to a close friend, towards Hermione and Malfoy. He didn't know what Hermione was thinking ending her relationship with Ron, but he was sure she knew what she was about. Unknown to Ron, and Hermione, Harry was secretly thrilled about this turn of events. He had strong feelings for Hermione that no one but he, and somehow every girlfriend he'd had, knew about, but they were blissfully unaware. It started back in 6th year, when everyone was so sure he was head-over-heels for GinnyWeasley, Ron's younger, and only, sister. Of course, that wasn't true. He knew the only reason Ginny wanted to be with him was because of some kind of hero worship that convinced her she loved him and 'wanted to have his babies'. He didn't want someone who wanted him because he was 'The-Boy-Who-Lived'. He wanted someone who wanted him for him, someone who would be loyal no matter what, someone like Hermione.
He turned to watch Ron and Hermione dancing around the room. He decided to go over and intervene because Ron looked as if he would blow at any moment.
"Hey, Ron, do you mind if I have a dance with Hermione?" Harry pulled Ron a little way away so Hermione would not hear him. "You should go cool off a bit, mate. Go dance with your sister. Let me talk to Hermione."
He watched Ron walk over to where Ginny was sitting with her current boyfriend, Dean Thomas, before turning to take Hermione into his arms for the next dance. Luckily, for him, it was a slow song so he could talk to her easier. As he pulled her into his arms, he felt the familiar tingle go through his body at having her so close.
No, this couldn't be happening, not right now. Those were Hermione's first thoughts when she was pulled into Harry's arms for the dance. It's not that she didn't enjoy dancing with Harry; he was quite the elegant dancer. It was the fact that the man dancing her around the floor was the reason she was ending her and Ron's relationship.
She had always loved Harry from a distance. She never even considered trying to pursue those feelings though. At first because he was with Ginny, then she and Ron got together, and it just seemed like that was the expected outcome so she went along with it. He wasn't expecting her to be a copycat of his mother and quit her dreams so it wasn't bad at all. She was with a man who adored her and she loved as well, as a friend. She thought she was happy with that, that she could live her life with Ron and just be friends with Harry, because it was obvious he didn't return her feelings.
Hermione came out of her musings to see Harry staring down at her with a worried expression and something she couldn't quite put her finger on. "Are you okay, Harry? What are you staring at? Do I have something on my face?" She pulled her hand free to try to wipe the invisible speck off.
"No, it's nothing, Hermione, just trying to figure out what's wrong with you? I was beginning to worry you would chew your lip off if you didn't stop thinking so hard soon." He chuckled at her embarrassed smile. He snatched up her hand again and continued dancing. "So tell me, Hermione, what's bothering you? Why are you ending your relationship with Ron? You guys were so happy together. Is there trouble in Paradise?"
Hermione sighed and looked away to glance at Ron with his sister before turning back to answer Harry. "No, nothing's wrong, Harry, it's just I've realized I have feelings for someone that are a bit stronger than I had originally realized and it's unfair to Ron for me to stay with him when I can't love him as more than my best friend or my brother. I didn't want him to tell you I was moving out. I didn't want to ruin tonight. It's supposed to be a celebration, not to be ruined by my personal problems."
"Hermione, I want you to tell me your problems, that's what I'm here for," he said. "We're friends, that's what comes with it. We bear each others problems."
"Yea, thanks, Harry, I'll keep that in mind, but right now I wanna go be alone. Do you mind?" She looked up at him expectantly.
"No, I don't mind, as long as you tell me who Mr. Mystery is first. And tell me if you plan on telling Ron the real reason you're leaving him." She held onto her wrist so she couldn't leave without answering. She looked ready to bolt at any moment.
"No I'm not – I can't – tell you who 'Mr. Mystery' is. I'm too afraid of losing your friendship, and no, I'm not going to tell Ron the real reason I'm leaving him. All he's going to know is that I think it's time for us to end this. He'll take that. If not, then I can't help that." She turned around and walked swiftly out of the Great Hall at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She had to get home and think. Harry had brought up something that she needed to think about. What was she going to tell Ron about why she was leaving him? He had done nothing wrong; he had a right to a good reason.
Ron watched as Hermione walked out of the Great Hall before rushing over to Harry. "So, did you get anything out of her? Did she tell you why she's doing this? Come on, Harry. Tell me." Ron turned pleading eyes on Harry.
"No, she didn't tell me Ron, I'm sorry. She just said she had her reasons. You know Hermione, she doesn't do anything unless she has a good reason and has thought about every avenue open to her. This must obviously be the only course she can take. I'm sorry, mate. I wish things didn't turn out this way. Why don't you go home and get some sleep? Maybe she'll change her mind and things will be better in the morning." Harry started steering Ron towards the doors to the Great Hall with the plan of apparating him home. He was in no state to do it now.
"Yea, sure, if you say so, but I have a feeling it won't be that easy. You're right; Hermione doesn't do anything unless she has thought it through thoroughly. I don't think she's going to come back to me. I need to get home. You should go back to Lavender; she looks like she's looking for you. I'll be fine, don't worry." Ron turned around and shrugged Harry's hand off his shoulder before heading home.
Ron apparated to his and Hermione's flat in London to see her sleeping on the sofa bed. He bypassed her sleeping form and headed to the kitchen. He wasn't in the mood for sleeping right now, but there was a bottle of firewhiskey in the cabinet calling his name.
Harry watched him go with a sinking feeling in his gut. This was his payment for being marginally excited about Ron and Hermione's ended relationship. Hermione was in love with another bloke. He could tell by the way her eyes lit up at the slight mention of 'Mr. Mystery'. He turned around and headed to Lavender's side.
"What's wrong with Ron and Hermione? They've been really distant with everybody tonight. Is everything allright?" Lavender looked at the last glimpse of Ron's red head through the crowd before turning back to Harry. She didn't like to admit it to anybody but she still had a thing for Ron. She had never tried before because Granger was always in the way, but now that there seemed to be trouble with them she might have a chance. She knew she could get Ron to love her if she tried. Besides, he'd need someone there to listen to him now that Granger had left him. She broke out of her reverie to realize Harry had said something to her.
"I'm sorry, Harry, did you say something?" She looked at him and noticed there was an unhappy look in his eyes.
"Yea, I asked if you wanted to leave. If not, then is it okay if I leave? I'm not feeling so good suddenly.
"Yea, sure, I'm kinda tired anyways." She grabbed her wrap and walked on Harry's arm out of the Hall.
"Do you need me to see you home, or are you fine on your own?" He looked at her expectantly.
"No, I'm fine Harry. I'll see you later, Harry." She kissed his cheek before walking a short distance and disapparating.
"Yea, see you," he said to the silence before heading home and heading toward the kitchen and his own bottle of firewhiskey.
A/N: Please review so I may know why you think of it. This is just the first chapter. If I get some positive feedback I'll continue. hope you all enjoyed and thank you for reading so far.