beta'ed by my friend who beta'ed my other story Love IS Blind and Foolish, who sadly doesn't have an account D;
"I think I'm going alone…" I purposely blurted out.
"But it's new years eve, Hermione! You can't just go alone.." Harry looked up from the homework he just picked up.
"Yes I can, Harry. It really is up to me, and since no one asked me to go with them, I decided to either to go alone or not go at all. Although now that I think about it, I guess I'd rather not go at all." I was serious.
"I say, ask a random person out." Ron came out of nowhere.
"You're mental." Harry shook his head. "Not you, Ron." he corrected as soon as he saw the look on Ron's face.
"Easy for you to say. Tell me, are you going to watch the fireworks alone?" I gave him one of my best glares.
"Well, no, I've got Ginny. We're going as friends. It's not a big deal, I mean you can watch the fireworks with a friend, right? In fact, go ask a friend of yours and watch the fireworks with them." Harry glanced at Ron. I could barely understand what Harry was saying, as he was tripping over his own words.
"What? Harry, be honest. You guys are practically more than friends." I pointed out, resulting in a very red Harry as he quickly tried to cover his face with his previously forgotten homework.
"They're just friends." Ron said with his mouth full.
"Sure." I said sarcastically.
"On a side note, guess who I'm going with?" Ron cheerfully added, despite the cold tension around him. "Lavender! Lavender Brown!" He didn't spare a second for us to actually guess.
"Figures. You guys had been snogging each other everywhere around school." Harry said in a mumble.
"Come on guys, you could've been more excited." Ron plopped himself on a sofa. I looked down at the floor and then at Harry.
"I'm focusing hard on my homework." Harry made an excuse. He knew I never liked Lavender.
"You know, I'm planning a surprise for her right when the clock strikes twelve." Ron's eyes wandered to the ceilings.
"That's it. I'm done with my homework." I didn't realize it, but it was as if my heart filled itself with some dense potion that made it both heavy and painful.
"You forgot this one." Harry pointed out a homework I, apparently, wasn't done with.
"I-I will finish it in the dormitory. I'm tired, goodnight." I hurried to the dormitory stairs and didn't look back. I bloody wish that Lavender knew how lucky she is.
Today is the 31st of December, which automatically made it New Year's Eve. Do I think it's special? Yes, if we're talking about how I would be able to have the whole library for my own.
"Hermione!" Ginny looked desperate. "Do I look better with blue or green?" she was holding two different coloured ribbons on her hand so I can see how it works with her flaming red hair.
"Oh please, both are just a shade different, why does it matter?" I said rather too harshly.
"Are you having a rough day?" She said sympathetically.
"Of course I am!" I almost broken down to tears. "I mean, I'm sorry. This is not the best day ever." I buried my face in my hands.
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't know." Ginny put down her ribbons and sat beside me. "Are you going to watch the fireworks tonight?"
"No. No date." I confessed.
"Do you want to come with me and Harry?" Ginny's intentions were nice, but there's nothing nice about being a third-wheel, however comfortable all three are with each other.
"I'm flattered really, but it's okay." I swear Ginny looked relieved. I wasn't offended, I knew how important this might be for Ginny and Harry. Besides, I'd probably have my mind wind up wondering about someone else, when Ginny and Harry would be talking amongst themselves. A good plan, though I'd rather not.
"Well, anytime you change your mind, feel free to tell me?" Ginny wiped the tears off my face.
"Thanks." I managed a smile.
"I better get going, see you later! Wait, blue or green?"
"Green." I decided. Ginny took her ribbons and went back to her dormitory. I sighed.
It was just after lunch and everyone seems to be busy in their own dormitories, getting ready for the big night.
I read my way until the sun sets and the sky grew dark. I just sat there as I smiled and occasionally waved and picked up a short conversation with various couples going out the portrait hole and various people who couldn't wait to go out the portrait hole and meet their date.
"Hey, Hermione!" Harry was fastening his wrist watch while walking towards me. "I heard Ginny asked you to come with us?"
"Yeah, don't worry I'm not going to disturb you too." I smiled.
"No, no, no! Don't get me wrong, I'm p-perfectly fine with it. In fact, I'm asking you to come with us! Two against one, Hermione." Harry stammered.
"You cannot lie to me, Potter." I laughed and closed my book.
"Alright." Harry seemed to surrender. I saw Ron walked pass by while brushing his hair with his fingers. My heart skipped a beat and for a moment there I lost focus on everything else. Harry saw where my eyes were looking at and he immediately added,
"You might as well want to remember that Ron will be off having a pretty good time." Harry turned back to Ron and he was now snogging Lavender. "I'm pretty sure of that."
"What do you want, Harry?" I wasn't quite sure.
"Just come watch the fireworks!" He exclaimed.
"I'll watch from the common room window. Easy, right?"
"It wouldn't be the same, come on, maybe you'll find someone you will particularly fancy!" Harry seemed so excited about all this more than I was.
"You're so insensitive. Fine. If it makes you happy, I'll go." My tone was bitter. "And no, I will not be going with you and Ginny, if that makes you even happier."
"Who are y-"
"Alone." I stormed off to the dormitories and quickly found something to change into and put my book on my bedside table. I went back down to the common room and found that most of the people previously standing there had gone out to see the fireworks. I shook my head.
"Come on, Hermione." Ginny and Harry were still there. "We'll walk with you until we're outside, where it's crowded." I smiled and followed them silently, which must be awkward for both sides.
When we were outside, the sky was still dark showing that the fireworks haven't started yet.
"See you later, Hermione!" Harry said as he and Ginny walked the opposite way I'm walking. By now, I know the place pretty well and the dark wasn't a problem. I found my favorite rock to sit on just beside the lake and near a tree that would usually give me the shade I need under the sunlight. I started throwing rocks and see if I can make them skip on the water before plunging into the depths below. I never really realized how lonely I was until then, especially when the fireworks show started and I had no one to share it with. I lay on my back and tried to enjoy the scene.
"It's too beautiful to see that alone." A voice suddenly came from behind the tree.
"Wh-What?" I almost fell into the lake.
"Didn't expect to see you here, Granger." And now I realized who's voice it was; Malfoy.
"Go away, Malfoy." I looked away. He's probably the last person I would want to see right now.
"No one asked you out, Granger?" He smirked. "Hey, I don't have anyone to share the fireworks with either. How about I sit here?" He quickly added when he saw my reaction. "Don't worry, I'll keep a one meter distance." This wasn't the typical arrogant Malfoy-at least not as much- but I guess without anyone else around, this might just be what he was like deep inside.
"What do you want?" I raised my eyebrows.
"If a friend's upset, it's my job to comfort them." Malfoy stepped closer, the way he said it was dark.
"I'm not your friend, so go away." I was getting desperate.
"But you do need one, don't you?" Malfoy was not at all one meter away, he was close, much closer than what was comfortable that I could feel his breath. I looked away,
"One meter, Malfoy." I reminded him.
"Come on, Granger. Everyone else didn't mind my company, why can't one mud- muggleborn stand me for one night?"
"I'm not everyone else." I put pressure to my words. I was about to leave for the castle when I found him sitting there and not trying to stop me. I mean, before this night I would've thought any encounter with Draco Malfoy would lead into a fight, but after the things he said earlier, I really thought he would try and stop me from leaving him there alone.
I hesitated, but continued on walking towards the castle anyway.
"Hermione! Hermione!" I heard a voice say. I'm pretty certain that this time it wasn't Malfoy.
"Ron?"
"Hey, didn't expect you to be here." Ron was gasping for air between words.
"Same here." I was totally bewildered and had millions of things running in my mind. "Where's Lavender?" I tried hard to say it casually.
"Who? Lav- Oh! Ditched her." Ron said, as if he didn't care at all.
"You did?" I felt really bad for Lavender, but then happy.
"Yeah, I guess. Now come on. The fireworks aren't over just yet. Wanna watch it with me?" He led me back to the rocks and gestured for me to lay on my back beside him.
"Wasn't- nevermind." I was wondering where Draco had gone.
"What? Draco? Yeah, I kicked him out of here." Ron laughed.
"You did?" I said that phrase twice tonight. Ron wasn't himself, and I couldn't quite believe it.
"So what if I did? C'mere." I lay on my back beside him and tried to take in the moment. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Ron look at me in a way I never saw him use. It was like desire, warmth, and an odd mixture of pain, but definitely not Ron at all.
It's like he had been waiting for this. I thought he had no clue…
Thank you thank you for reading! :D