Hermione sat on a step, desperately trying to keep her hands still on her lap. They were shaking, and she kept shuddering. What she had just seen in the mirror… she shook her head and looked down at her flowery orange skirt. She was all dressed up, which was a rather unusual thing for Hermione to be doing.
Ron had asked her to have some food with him after Quidditch practice. She, being the hopeless romantic she was, couldn't help but think of this as a date, even if it was a mini date. In a moment of desperation she had asked Ginny to help her choose something to wear.
"You're his sister" Hermione said as she sat in the great hall with Ginny on the other side of the table. "You must know what sort of things he likes in a girl." Hermione's cheeks were quickly developing a pinkish-red color. She had finally realized that she had feelings for Ron when he was almost hurt in a Quidditch game last month.
Ginny stared at her, and then looked up. "Hmmm." She paused for a moment, looked back down at Hermione's big brown eyes, pleading for her to help her, and finally decided.
"Alright, I'll try to help you." Ginny gave Hermione a big bright smile and Hermione squealed with relief and delight.
Ginny looked at Hermione in disbelief. "I can't believe you don't have a single skirt in here."
Hermione looked down, hot with embarrassment. "Yes well, I'm not the dressy type." Over the course of the last hour or so, Hermione had begun to think herself and the situation completely stupid. Ron probably didn't like her like that, so what would be the point in doing this? Hermione walked away from Ginny and her wardrobe and sat on her bed. "Ginny…" she began. "Maybe this isn't a good idea." She gave a slight smile, hoping that it looked calmer than she felt. Ginny put the clothing she was holding in the wardrobe and walked towards Hermione.
"What do you mean?" she said, eyes wide in all interest.
Hermione looked around the room, too nervous to look at Ginny in the face. "It's just…"
"Stop right there." Ginny cut her off. "I know where this is going." She got closer to Hermione and held her hands. "Hermione, you're beautiful and a perfect match for Ronald. Now if you don't mind, I need to dress you up for him. So let's get to work, shall we?" She gave Hermione a hug and made her stand up. Hermione nodded with a great smile on her tearful face. "This is going to turn out alright," she thought.
Ginny had picked an orange skirt from her own wardrobe and a blouse Hermione had already. She had then clipped Hermione's hair back on each side with a pin and her long wavy brown hair lay nicely with her blouse.
As Hermione walked down from the Girls' Gryffindor dorm she heard giggling. She stood on the steps for a moment to listen and quickly spotted Lavender Brown's curly long hair. She never liked that girl, as she was always flirting with Ron in class.
"Oh Ron!" Lavender squealed. "You're such a sweetheart!" Hermione hesitated to look further to the left, but curiosity made the best of her. When she did look, she saw Ron's fiery red hair. He was holding both of Lavender's hands and had a big smile plastered onto his face. Hermione turned and put her back against the wall. She gave out a gasp and covered her mouth with one hand, while the other clenched in fury.
"Lavender, I never knew-"
"Shhh Ronald," Lavender whispered. "Just kiss me."
Silence fell and Hermione's eyes filled with hot tears that swiftly made their way down her cheeks. Her heart was sinking, yet still beating very fast. She put her clenched hand over her chest and she slid down to the floor.
"How could I have been so stupid?" she wondered out loud. She went back to the Girls' dorms and took the other exit. She had wondered for a bit, and was now sitting on another set of steps near the Slytherin Common Room. "Ugh!" she yelled. "…so stupid…" she whispered.
"Really," a familiar voice began. "You've just figured it out now?"
Hermione looked up, wiped her tears, and said "I'm sorr-"
…she cut off.
It was Draco Malfoy. Harry's enemy... well their enemy. She squinted her eyes and stood up.
"What do you want Malfoy?" she began. She was now standing with two sturdy feet on the ground.
"What do I want?" he sneered. "What in the bloody hell are you doing around the Slytherin common room?" He moved closer to her. "Potter sent you here to spy on my Slytherin team?"
His face was pale and his white blonde hair was pushed to the side, and he was wearing a black suit. Hermione backed away. She shook her head.
"Then what? Why are you around here?"
Draco took a look at the outfit she was wearing and began to chuckle. "Oh I see. Waiting for your boyfriend to come and pick you up?"
Hermione looked at the ground again, shamed and embarrassed. She just stayed quiet, hoping the tears would hold back until Malfoy left. But the hurt was too great and too fresh, and she began to whimper and the tears began to flow. They fell to the ground, her head still down. Malfoy was now quiet. He backed away from her. "H-hey…don't cry. Girls are ugly when they cry."
Hermione lifted her head upward and looked at Malfoy's blue eyes. Her eyes were now red from all the crying.
"You think this is funny?" she shrieked. "I love him! And now- and now he's gone with some squeaky fuck!" Hermione was panting and struggling to catch her breath through the tears. Both of her hands came up to cover her face as she sat back down on the steps. She continued sob, while Draco just stood there, looking and feeling astonished.
"Just- just don't come too near to our common room you Mudblood!" And with that he sprinted back into the room he had come from. Hermione heard a loud door shut, but she could really care less. She just continued to sit there, motionless.