White Houses
The clicking of their heels echoed in the large empty condo. Of course it wouldn't be empty for long.
"It's perfect! What do you think Hermione?"
"It's......nice"
"Oh come on 'Mione! This is the 7th condo you've turned down!"
"Well excuse me Gin for wanting this get together to be perfect"
"First of all, will you please stop calling it a get together! It's a party for crying out loud, secondly we're only renting this place for one night!...and thirdly it IS perfect!"
Hermione had to agree, the condo was small but had a cozy little touch to it. The maroon tainted walls complimented very well with the cherry wood floors and the windows looked out to the amazing view of the city.
"Imagine how great it'll look at night." Ginny persisted reading her mind. She paused for a moment, thinking it all through before finally saying...
"Alright, sure why not" she gave in regretting she had for now she was engulfed in Ginny's oh-my-gosh-I'm-so-excited hugs.
"This is going to be sooo much fun 'Mione would you please stop worrying!"
"I'm not worried!...I'm just.... a little nervous is all"
"Well at least we're done with the biggest part which was finding a place, now all you have to worry about is snacks and music, I can trust you won't flip out over that now will you?" she giggled shaking Hermione's shoulders playfully.
"So who are you inviting besides the guys?" she asked as she walked around examining the condo more carefully.
"Well I'm not exactly sure yet, don't you be worrying about that now ok! That's my job. Now can we please get out of here before you change your mind!?!?" Ginny whined grabbing the silver doorknob and walking out the door.
Hermione stared out the window, she missed being back in New York with the gang. Being a major designer everyone wanted her to design dresses for this shoes for that and that definitely meant traveling. She knew she wasn't going to be back for long, and obviously Ginny got the hint from her last email and decided to throw her a she-won't- be-back-for-long-so-lets-celebrate party. Hermione chuckled shaking her head before lazily walking out the door.
the night of the party
Hermione glanced over to the clock on her night stand reading 7:48 as she pulled on her black pointy toed heels. She walked over to the floor length mirror in her guest room examining her outfit. She pulled up her low-rise jeans a little before flattening out the wrinkles in her silky black halter with a plunging neck line and no back. She smiled satisfied with herself, placed her bangs behind her ears and grabbed her black Gucci purse before walking out.
"I thought you were going to wear your hair down!!!" Ginny whined anxiously pulling on her blood red pumps.
"Yeah but I 'd be more comfortable if I just straightened it and pulled it back into a pony."
"Great, now I have to put mine up to! We'll probably be with each other the whole night anyway." Ginny decided rushing back into the bathroom. Hermione chuckled remembering one of the many rules Ginny came up with: Best friends never clash. After waiting for about 5 minutes the girls rushed out of Ginny's apartment so they could get there a little bit early, they were that hosts anyway.
"Hey mate where is this place again?" Ron asked scratching his head while looking at the map Ginny had drawn for them.
"Ron, you do realize you're holding the map upside down." Harry said turning the map around.
"Of course I knew, I was just....testing you is all"He said giving a little nervous laugh before pressing his foot on the gas and disappearing around the corner.
"Snacks?"
"Check"
"Music?"
"Check"
"The life of the party?" Ginny asked making Hermione giggle.
"Check." To this Hermione and Ginny turned around to see Harry and Ron walking in the door and doing a little pose.
"Wow guys I'm impressed! I was sure you would've gotten lost." Ginny said walking over to them and giving them hugs.
"We don't always get lost" Ron said a little doubtfully.
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that." Hermione said jokingly walking over to them and embracing them tightly.
"Missed you, what has it been 6-7 months now?" Harry asked reaching for a cracker on the snack table.
"Oh stop it, 4 months is not that long." She said slapping him playfully on his arm.
"Yeah keep telling yourself that." Ron said reaching in between them for a drink.
After 15 minutes the condo was full with friends and gossip. Everything seemed to be going as planned, well at least how Hermione had planned.
"Oh excuse me"Hermione apologized for bumping into them before finally realizing who it was. "Oh my god it's you!"
"Don't be to happy to see me now Granger." Draco said glad he'd accomplished to shock her with his presence.
"What on earth are you doing here?" She asked still in shock
"Well for your information, I was invited." he said pulling out a piece of folded paper that seemed to be the invitation Ginny had given out.
"Ginny." she said walking away from him, pushing through the huge crowd to find Ginny telling what seemed like one of her little funny-conversation- starting stories.
"....and he says to me 'Honey you haven't lived 'til you've done it'"
"Ginny I need to talk to you!" Hermione said pulling her away from the laughing crowd.
"Hey I still had to tell them the rest!" finally realizing she wasn't the center of attention anymore.
"Did you invite Draco Malfoy?" Hermione asked eagerly ignoring the comment.
"Uh-oh"
"Yeah uh-oh, why did you invite him?!?!? You know I never wanted to see him again!" Hermione cried becoming angry and confused.
"I'm sorry 'Mione, it's just....well ever since he helped out our family...well you know that whole deal, well I guess I'm still trying to pay him back for what he did. And plus I didn't expect you to run into him with such a hug crowd and all." Ginny explained guiltily.
"Ughhh, awhh don't worry about it." Hermione said rubbing her forehead and heading back towards the refreshment table. After a couple of hours people started to leave until it was just Hermione, Ginny, Harry, Ron, Luna, Neville, Lavender, Parvati, and Draco.
"Ok guys now this is when the party really starts." Ginny said pulling out a an empty glass bottle and placing it on the floor. Hermione rolled her eyes, she should've expected Ginny do something like this she thought as she gathered around with the rest.
Crashed on the floor when I moved in
This little bunk alone with some strange new friends
Stay up too late, and I'm too thin
We promise each other its 'til the end
Now we're spinning empty bottles
It's the 5 of us
With pretty eyed boys girls die to trust
I can't resist the day
No, I can't resist the day
Hermione laughed when Ron's bottle landed on Parvati and she forcefully pulled him into the kiss. As fun as it was getting she still dreaded her turn of spinning the bottle.
Jenny screams out and it's no pose
'Cause when she dances she goes and goes
Beer through the nose of an inside joke
I'm so excited, I haven't spoken
And she's so pretty, and she's so sure
Maybe I'm more clever than a girl like her
The summer's all in bloom
The summer is ending soon
It's finally her turn and she nervously grips the bottle and spins it....for some odd reason she glances to where Draco is sitting to find him so focused on the bottle
It's alright and it's nice not to be so alone
But I hold on to your secrets in white houses
The bottle after what seems like ages begins to slow down and stops directly across from her.
Maybe I'm a little bit over my head
I come undone at the things he said
And he's so funny in his bright red shirt
We were all in love and we all got hurt
She stands up unsure of what she's doing, all eyes on them both.
I sneak into his car's black leather seat
The smell of gasoline in the summer heat
Boy we're going way to fast
It's all too sweet to last
He reaches out and touches her cheek as shivers go down her spine. She knows this is wrong but inside she feels like it has never felt so right. Before she realizes what she's doing she grabs his neck pulls his lips into hers remembering the oh so familiar taste.
It's alright
And I put myself in his hands
But I hold on to your secrets in white houses
Love, or something ignites in my veins
And I pray it never fades in white houses
Memories begin flooding her mind and it's just as if she had gone back about 7 years in some kind of a flash back. Laying in the grass on a summers day, the wind brushing the hair out of his facethe sweet taste of his lips never changed.
My first time, hard to explain
Rush of blood, oh, and a little bit of pain
On a cloudy day it's more common than you think
He's my first mistake
She finally pulled away and looked into his eyes that weren't stoney and gray but more of a sense of remembrance and contentness. She walked back to her place in the circle and acted like she was into the game when in fact she was reflecting on what had just happened.
Maybe you were all faster than me
We gave each other up so easily
These silly little wounds will never mend
I feel so far from where I've been
So I go, and I will not be back here again
I'm gone as the day is fading on white houses
I lie, put my injuries all in the dust
In my heart is the 5 of us
In white houses
After everyone has left Hermione plops down on the couch and looks out the window. She leaves tomorrow, her presence leaves tomorrow but her heart will stay here and with him forever.
And you, maybe you'll remember me
What I gave is yours to keep
In white houses
In white houses
In white houses
The End