Hermione looked out into the crowd. With a heavy sigh, she walked up the stairs and back up into her dorm. Before entering her room, she turned around and gave a backward glance to the party. The party that was going on without her. Yet again. She gave a look of remorse and sadness, glancing at the middle of the crowd. The life of the party. Ron Weasly. There he was with Lavender yet again, the girl of his dreams. Beautiful, rich, popular. Although she wasn't very bright, she was the head of the girl's quidditch team. The girl every guy wants, and every girl wants to be. She watched as they danced with passion, commanding the crowd. As Ron brushed his hand across her cheek and leaned in for a kiss. How the crowd cheered loudly for them. Parties werent really Hermione's thing. She much prefered to read. She was even Ron's original date for the dance, until he saw Lavender sitting alone there. Its not like she didnt like to dance, its just that no one asked her. She took several hip hop and ballet lessons as a child on Earth, surely she isnt that bad. "Should i go back down?" She thought to herself. "No one will even notice im gone." Shaking her head, Hermione fought back the urge to join everyone else on the dancefloor, went into her room, took out her book of spells and started to study.

Ron was having the time of his life. The girl he had been crushing on for the longest time, actually accepted his offer to be her date. Lavender was your typical beauty, with eyes so icy blue, striking lips, silky, light brown hair that skimmed down towards her stomach. Her cheekbones were prominent and she had a good figure. He could hardly believe his luck. He tried to push his luck, leaning in for a kiss, to the delight of the crowd around them. His lips met with hers for a few seconds, and Ron felt like he was floating. Her lips parted, their tongues met and was entralled with fire. Ron felt like the luckiest guy in the world right then, and couldnt notice anything else. Not even when his bestfriend, and original date, ditched the party to study upstairs.

After the party, Ron sent Lavender home, gave her another goodnight kiss, and wished her goodnight. As a good gentleman and date should. She giggled coyly, kissed Ron lightly on the cheek, and went in. "Hell yes!" Ron exclaimed as he jumped up and down in excitement. Things were definetely in his favour.

When he got back to his dorm, he saw his bestfriend, Harry, lying on the bed as usual, playing with his wand and practicing spells. "Had a good time, Ron?" Harry asked in a monotenous voice. "A good time? The best of my life man Harry. You should have seen how gorgeous Lavender looked tonight." Ron said with a dreamy face. "Well, maybe if you spent less time ogling at your girlfriend, you would have noticed something. Goodnight Ron." With that, Harry used his wand to switch off the lights. "Wait, what do you mean 'notice something'? Did something bad happen? Why didnt you tell me? Does it have to do with Voldermort?" Ron spat out in a hurry. Harry shook his head and said, "Your original date. Hermione. You ditched her for your precious Lavender. Good on that Ron. Really. You could have hurt her you know. I was always in my dorm, and i know Hermione doesnt like to go to parties. But she makes an effort to, you know why Ron? Because everytime, you take her as your date without even asking, like you have some priority over her. She left the dance early, after you ditched her. I heard some footsteps outside my door, you know who it was? Hermione. She kept glancing over her shoulder into the crowd. She was looking over you Ron. And you didnt even notice she was gone. Really, i applaud you."

Ron was hit with a pang of guilt. Hard. He really never noticed his bestfriend leave in the middle of the party. "Dammit. Where is she?" Ron asked. There was a burn, a churning in his belly. He felt like a dick for ditching his bestfriend.

"Dont worry about it. I talked to her in her dorm already. Ron, youre my bestfriend, but so is Hermione. I dont want to see her hurt." He was supposed to feel better. He really was. But at the thought of Harry and Hermione together. Alone. In her dorm, make him feel like he had just been gutted in the stomach. He shook away that feeling immediately. "Ron Weasly. Your bestfriends. Have talked alone before. What are you thinking." He shook his head, changed into a shirt and his boxers, climbed into his bed. Clutching his bolster as tightly as he could, he silently wished. "Please let Hermione forgive me."

The next morning, when they were studying potions. Hermione's usually there first, right at the front, waiting for Harry and him to come. But when Ron and Harry reached, Hermione was nowhere to be found. Ron started to panic a little, seeing that Hermione still isnt in class. Five minutes. Four minutes. Three minutes. "Dammit where is she." Ron muttered to Harry. Harry shrugged, and told Ron to calm down. But Ron knew Harry was panicking too. "Two minutes, fifty. forty-nine. forty eight." Ron was counting down every second. Class had already started two minutes, forty seven seconds ago. Hermione is late for class. This is the first time shes late in her whole life, its the one thing she hates most. Tardiness. Ron glanced at Harry and nodded. They went up to the teacher and asked to be excused. Ron's mind was in a blur. What excuses he made, where he went after, Ron had forgotten. All he knew was a lifeless, pale Hermione was lying on the bed motionless.