There they were. Sitting in Madame Puddifoot's, all loved up and cutsey in that stupid little cafe than was pinker than Professor Umbridge's office. She would never have made him go there, but he didn't seem to be complaining now. She sneered as she watched their date. It was disgusting. It was inappropriate (they were all over each other, for Merlin's sake!) It was, well, sweet. And she couldn't stand it.
Hermione was literally left out in the cold, as Ron and Lavender fawned over each other behind those steamed up windows. She could just imagine Lavender's high pitched giggle as she pouted and fluttered her eyelashes at Ron. It was ridiculous, but of course it was totally working. Ron was turning red, and he just couldn't keep his eyes (or, it seemed, his lips) off her. Lavender playfully swatted his hand away when he played with her blonde curls. She blushed prettily, her cheeks the same shade of pink as the dainty cup in her hand. Ron gazed unabashedly at her pursed lips as she blew on the hot drink to cool it. They laughed together, he played with her hands, and lent across the table for kisses.
Hermione's eyes filled with hot bitter tears as she watched them. She couldn't look away, couldn't stop thinking that it should have been her with Ron, not Lavender. Never Lavender. But she couldn't blame the other girl, she had done nothing wrong. Ron was the one at fault here. They hadn't been a couple...but Hermione had felt they had an understanding. Some sort of unspoken attraction for each other. A tension they had been dancing around, arguments, blushes and sneaky glances. And she had asked him to Slughorn's Christmas Party! The idiot had to have known what she meant by that invitation. She thought they had finally been moving towards the inevitable, but no. He had chosen Lavender instead.
She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hold in the pain. This was so much worse than the scene they had caused at the Yule Ball. It was worse than any fight they had ever had, any pain she had ever endured. She was too angry, too hurt to even be in his presence. It was hard to know which was stronger, the rage or the sadness, but either way being near him was agony.
"Hermione, come on."
She turned to see Harry looking at her sadly. She didn't say a word, just felt the tears spill down her cheeks.
"Let's go to the Three Broomsticks, okay?"
She took one last glance into the pink nightmare and walked to Harry's side. He frowned as Ginny and Dean walked past, hand in hand. Hermione and Harry sighed in unison, both wanting what they couldn't have, and began to walk through the village.
Hermione was still lost in thought, unable to shake off the memories of Ron and Lavender's date. She had always mocked the lovesick heroines of the novels she read, who obessed about boys or were crushed when love didn't work out. Now she realised she had underestimated that pain. Maybe she wasn't so smart after all.
Thanks for reading! Chapter Two will give Ron's perspective on his new relationship with Lavender.