Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to J K Rowling

Chapter 1

"Ron, you are being impossible!" Hermione moved around the bedroom packing her short stay bag ready for her weekend away.

"Am I? Am I really? Well excuse me for wanting to spend a weekend with my girlfriend."

"That isn't the point, Ronald," Hermione let out an exasperated sigh. One weekend, it was one weekend away from him. Could he not just let her have some time to herself? It had been two and a half years since they had realized their feelings for one another but since then, since introducing certain things to their lives, he had been far too clingy for her liking. "It isn't as though I'm leaving you forever, Merlin's beard we could both use some time apart. It'll do us good. I can't remember the last time I spent a few days without seeing you. When was the last time you and Harry went out?"

"But I want to be with you, Hermione; we can see Harry any other time. You've been working all week-"

"And every bloody second we've spent out of work has been together. I'm not going to apologise, Ron. We both need our space even if you don't want to admit it. It isn't healthy for a relationship if we're constantly together. There's never any time to grow as separate people."

"You're just embarrassed of me, aren't you? Stupid Weasley, doesn't know a damned thing about muggle culture! Don't even bother trying to deny it, you know that all this is just you not wanting to be seen with me in public in front of a load of muggles. You're afraid I won't be able to blend in and that people will notice and that I will ruin everything."

Throwing the jumper she had in her hands into her bag, Hermione stopped packing and looked at Ron dead in the eye. She was done with fighting this battle.

"I'm going to the muggle Culture Festival without you, Ronald. End of story. You know what? There isn't even any room for an argument any more. I'm done. You're obviously not mature enough to handle my needs decently as well as reigning in your own. You have refused to give me a weekend alone for more than a year now and I'm not standing for it anymore."

Ron looked to the floor, then back to her face. He could see he had crossed a line, she didn't even look angry anymore. Just resigned and determined. Tears prickled his eyes.

"I'm sorry Hermione, I-" He was cut off abruptly when she turned her back to him and zipped up her bag, pulled on her winter coat and scarf and slung her bag over her shoulder, ready to leave. His features darkened as his brows knit into an uncertain frown. "Hold on, you're not actually serious!"

"Try me, Ron. I'm done. You can't just turn on the water works and expect me to give into you. You've used that card far too many times. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of you," she looked to the ground, then back to him for her final word. "I'm breaking up with you, Ron. I need my own space and at this rate that space is growing significantly smaller by the second. We need time apart. And more importantly you need to grow up; otherwise you will never have a functioning relationship. I'll be back to pick up the rest of my belongings soon."

And with that Ron was left staring as she walked out of the room. Hermione felt the tears start to roll down her cheeks freely now that she was out of his sight. As she reached the bottom steps in the house she heard crashes as Ron went into a fit of rage and tore the room apart. With a faint *pop* Hermione dissaparated from the vicinity.

Hermione arrived at her destination no less than a second later. She arrived in a damp alley, surrounded by many tall, elegant buildings. She pulled her coat tighter around her and scolded herself for thinking it would be better to bring more books than jumpers. It wasn't as though she would have time to read them anyway, if even a page! The Culture Festival was planned so perfectly that the majority of her time would be used meeting new people who also loved good literature, music, art and food as well as actually experiencing some of those things, starting with the meal this evening cooked by some of the best chefs in the world. At this meal the seating was pre-arranged in order for who people sat next to, to be completely random. The seating arrangement would be in her hotel room, waiting, with only her name and her seat so she could not even guess who she would be seated with. She was looking forward to meeting some like-minded people who had interests in conversations which actually required a brain cell or two.

She walked brusquely out of the alley and down the busy street. She had missed being in a muggle city, other than London. London had, to a point, been spoiled by all of the magic which it contained. She was too well known there among the magical community so she was always meeting witches and wizards who recognised her from the papers. Before she was eleven she could have been eating in a restaurant without knowing that below her were house elves cooking their food to perfection. Now there were only a few places she could go to without feeling the need to request the presence of the manager so that she could give them a piece of her mind.

Here in this city she blended into the background. She could walk and not have a care in the world. Busses and cars passed her on the busy street. Only a few people took notice of her, which was to be expected, but they were not as rude as the witches and wizards of London and allowed her to go about her business.

She soon entered her hotel and signed in. She smiled gratefully at the woman behind the desk and went to find her room in the large hotel. It was rather grand, with plenty of art on the walls. She could tell why the festival was being held in this city; it had history and culture in plenty!

When she got into her room she decided to have her second shower of the day to warm up after being outside in the cold and to relax after her argument with Ron. It was then that the realisation struck her; she was single! Had she really broken up with Ron? Going over the conversation in her head she realised she had and was surprised to find that she felt light hearted knowing she would no longer have to put up with him. She decided that although she loved him she did not want to be with him, and that was ok. They needed their time apart. Who knows? She thought. Maybe one day he'll grow up and we'll be able to be together again.

Hermione made her way down the stairs later that evening in a dress she had bought especially for this occasion. She knew it was a posh event and didn't want to look drab. Her hair was up with threads of curls hanging here and there. Her dress was long and slim. It was midnight blue in colour, the shape of it clung to her body in all the right places, until her hips where it hung gracefully, covering all of her legs apart from one little slice, visible due to the split in the fabric put there by the designer to tease others. The dress revealed a bit of her cleavage, but not so much that it was not modest. Her back was visible due to the lack of cloth, the front of her dress was held in place by thin strips of fabric tied together at the back of her neck, in a halter neck style.

An attendant ushered her through the warmly lit lobby into the ballroom where tables and chairs had been set up. Hermione glanced around nervously. There were a lot of people there, she saw no one who looked her age. Maybe it would have been nice to have someone here with me. She sighed before quickly scolded herself for momentarily thinking she had been wrong in what she had said to Ron and reminded herself that she was here to meet new people who she was more compatible with. Looking around again she noticed how elegant everyone looked. A small smiled tugged at the corner of her mouth at the thought of Ron trying to fit in at a place like this. He wouldn't have lasted ten minutes before giving himself away.

Soon she was being escorted to her seat at a table with five other people, none of which had yet arrived. She sat down on her chair and took up the menu so she could look at the drinks; meals were already pre-booked for the event. She was too nervous to pick her head up as she felt people beginning to fill up the table. A waiter came around to take orders for drinks.

"What would you like, ma'am?" The waiter asked Hermione with a smile.

"Just water, please." She replied.

She gave her menu back to Jane, the name of the waiter indicated by her badge. Hermione put a stray piece of her hair behind her ear and listened to the others on her table. The person next to her asked for a small glass of whiskey. Hermione snapped to attention as she heard his voice. She opened her eyes and looked to her side. Her stomach dropped and her heartbeat accelerated.

"Actually," she said as she gained Jane's attention. "Can I have a glass of wine please?"

Jane nodded and left the table. Hermione turned her head and smiled around the table, but avoided the gaze of the man seated next to her. Her old potions professor; Severus Snape!