Author's Note: Yay! My first fanfic! The first chapter in this story takes place before the Yule Ball, at some other school-dance type thing. Harry Potter and characters are not mine. Reviews appreciated!
------------------------------------------
Chapter 1
Left Out -
Hermione sighed as she watched the swaying couples. She flung her chocolate-brown hair over her shoulder and rested her cheek glumly on her hand. Her honey coloured eyes burned with a fierce longing as she watched the dancers. Lavender was dancing cheek-to-cheek with Seamus nearby, and further on, Malfoy was snogging Parkinson in a way that would have made Hermione gag if she was not nearly green with envy.
Not that she had any wish to be in Pansy's place at that moment, but…
She glanced at Ron out of the corner of her eye, but looked away quickly. There was no way she would let him ruin her night. She could dance as well as any of them, and had fun doing it too. She would just have to sit out the slow ones, that was all. She sighed again and stood up.
"Butterbeer?" she asked her two friends in a flat voice. Harry and Ron glanced up.
"Hey, that'd be great!" Harry agreed. "Thanks 'Mione!" Ron didn't say anything, just nodded. She avoided his gaze and stalked away towards the concession table.
She didn't feel the eyes on her back as they followed her across the Hall. She didn't notice someone staring as she tossed her curled hair so it glittered in the candlelight. It was pinned on one side with a diamond clip that caught the light in a breathtaking way. She didn't observe someone gapping as her buttercup-yellow gown swept along the floor and swirled as she turned. She was unaware of the admiration in someone's eyes as she straightened her shoulders, bare except for a thin, semi-transparent, pale blue shawl, and returned with the drinks, the fabric of the dress clinging to her curves as she moved.
"Ron? Are you listening?" Ron felt a jab in his side and turned sheepishly.
"Sorry Harry, what did you say?" Harry rolled his eyes and repeated his question.
"I said I'm going to go dance with Malfoy's sister, okay?"
"Um, yeah, have fun."
"Ron!"
"What?"
"Malfoy's sister."
"Uh-huh."
"Ron!"
"What?"
"Malfoy doesn't even have a sister."
"Oh."
Harry gave up with a shrug and walked away as Hermione slid into his place.
"Your drink," she said, slamming the bottle down in front of him in annoyance. He took it and drank deeply, grateful for something to do with his hands.
After a moment, he set the bottle down, opened his mouth as though he was about to say something, then closed it and lifted the bottle to his lips again. Hermione had turned his back on him and was once again watching the dancers with a wistful look on her face, fingering the diamond teardrop that hung from a delicate silver chain around her throat. Ron watched her hoop earrings dance in the faint light, and then turned away.
The music stopped and a livelier piece began to play. Hermione stood up, brushing imaginary dirt from her skirt.
"I'm going to dance," she said to no one in particular and, turning sharply on her heel, walked briskly into the crowd, leaving Ron alone with three bottles of Butterbeer, one empty, and two full.