Chapter 3
Hermione walked away from Slughorn's class very apprehensive. She did not know how many people had swallowed her story about being a metamorphmagus. Changing your appearance this way naturally was frowned on in the magical world and it was so complicated to change your eye colour that many people ended up losing an eye when attempting to do it. Only the very advanced (and the vainest) of witches and wizards tried it. Most magical enhancements, in fact, were only ever done by the very young getting rid of acne and the older to look more youthful. Hermione's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Ron, who she caught staring at her out of the corner of her eye.
Ron had been very angry with Malfoy the majority of the class, but this anger now was evaporated as something else had filled his mind.
"Ron, please, you're so distracting!" She said
"What?...Hermione it's a compliment! I never thought after Romilda Vane I could like love potions, but it turned out I was wrong!" He seemed to take the point however, and stopped staring at her so avidly. She rolled her eyes at him and then turned to Harry, who had a slight frown on his face.
"What's up Harry?" she said
"Oh no..." Ron groaned "I've got to dash." Hermione glanced around "Ron, what on earth?" Then she understood, Lavender Brown was walking towards them in the corridor that was packed with students that had walked out of their classrooms after class.
"Oh come on Ron, you're going to have to face her at some point" but Ron had already disappeared into the crowd. Hermione sighed with her frustration and then turned back to Harry again.
"So Harry, what's up?"
"Hermione, I lied for you back there. I don't even know exactly what it is that I am meant to be covering up, but I still lied for you." Hermione bit her lip
"Harry, I swear I have done nothing to be ashamed of"
"Well one day at least promise me you'll give me the whole truth. Ron and Me think its a love potion, everyone else thinks you're a metamorphmagus. One day I just want to hear what actually happened ok?...But really, what you've done to yourself...is that really what you want?" Harry asked
Hermione was confused "What on earth do you mean Harry?"
"Well..." Harry shrugged; he did not know exactly how to phrase what it was he wanted to say. "Well, Hermione, look at it this way. Before you changed, you and Ron were growing apart, right?"
"Well, yeah" Hermione replied.
"Well now that you look the way that you do, Ron is going to want to continue the relationship with you and claim like you never grew apart, you know that don't you?"
Hermione frowned, she had not thought about it that way. She had always assumed that looking good was all about her self-perception and her own confidence, not about what that would mean for her relationships.
"...and Hermione, now all of your relationships with boys will be like this. People will want to go out with you because of how you look and not because you're just an awesome person. But if you want the relationship with Ron to end or to keep going, you're going to have to be straight with him."
Suddenly Hermione's mouth began to move without her controlling it "Harry I know you care about Ron, I promise you I will not hurt him. I'll talk to him later. I think we're over."
Hermione was stunned. That was not what she had meant to say at all, but she knew that was what he had wanted to hear. The power she had gained by looking in the mirror had begun to show its colours. Now more than ever while looking at Harry she knew that some heartbreak was coming for her and her best friend. Suddenly Hermione realised the courtship corridor never specified whether the powers she had gained there were only for romantic love. The courtship corridor had taught her how to keep all people closer to her.
Harry looked very relieved. He smiled at her
"You better be careful, not even Malfoy could think up an insult for you while you look like this." Together they walked towards the third floor for transfiguration.
The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. Professor McGonagall had not entirely accepted the excuse for Hermione's new looks, but she also knew that Hermione was by no means powerful enough as a witch to magic such a radical change in appearance. Professor McGonagall was the only head of Hogwarts to keep teaching after being appointed the head job. Hermione greatly respected her so she wanted the Professor to at least partially believe her story. As the professor looked at her in class, a slight frown on the Professor's face and her mouth a thin line, Hermione could not help but feel a little guilty.
All the other teachers and students seemed reluctantly impressed by Hermione's new looks. The only topic of conversation that day that got more coverage than Hermione's new look was Zabini's birthday party scheduled that night.
"I hear it's going to be a big one" one Susan bones had said "Zabini's parents are crazy rich"
Hermione rarely attended birthday parties, because her status as Head Girl required that she retain a little respect around Hogwarts castle. Some of the parties that she heard of were massive though. The biggest so far was Malfoy's, which she heard had all the entertainment a party could want including the Wyrd Sisters (a popular Wizarding band). This particular party was sure to only be a just-come-of-age-teenager piss up. Zabini was never one for being particularly classy. There was little the school could do to stop such parties as all of the people going had come of age and because permission for the party was sought from the headmistress McGonagall herself. McGonagall had to say yes to such things if she did not want them to occur in the dormitories.
At the end of the day Hermione made her way back to Gryffindor tower, a little apprehensive about attending her first party. She walked up to the dormitory and looked in her trunk for something nice to wear. The only thing she could find was her dress robes, which she knew were far too classy for a night out at the three broomsticks. She looked across the room and saw Lavender and Pavati sitting on their beds staring at her. They had been painting their nails when she walked in. Lavender Brown looked particularly put out at Hermione.
"Hi Lavender, hi Parvati" she said to them. They nodded at her stiffly as though it was the last thing in the world they wanted to do. She turned back to her trunk with a sigh. In the end she put on a pair of jeans and a nice embroided shirt, hardly party wear, but she conceded that it was nicer than what she wore around the castle on the weekend. She then turned her attention to the mirror to look at what she wanted to do to her face, but she could not think of anything she wanted to do to change her appearance. There was no need to tame her hair anymore and there was not a need for makeup as there had once been. In the end she settled on concealer, mascara, a little blush and a small amount of lipstick. She used her wand to apply all of them. When she had finished she looked back across the room at Lavender and Parvati, who were frowning
"Is that how you changed your eyes and hair as well, with your wand?" Lavender said.
"no, that was an accident Lavender. I don't actually know how it happened" Hermione lied.
"Well do you think that he'll like you more if you do that to yourself? Ron is worth more than your vanity" she spat, then, wrenching the curtains closed on her four poster bed Hermione was left in silence. No tears sprung to Hermione's eyes, she was used to Lavender's anger and jealousy. She replied, without any control over her mouth
"Ron lost interest in me as you know Lavender, but I don't think I want him anymore. Someone else is interested in me. I'm sure Ron may have some residual feelings. If you still like Ron, why don't you ask him out again" Hermione knew that that was what Lavender wanted her to hear but also that this could get ugly soon she needed to clarify things with Ron and fast. Lavender peaked out of the curtains, she looked happier than ever "really Hermione?"
Hermione smiled uneasily, but Lavender seemed lost in her own thoughts.
"Thanks for telling my Hermione, you're a real friend, lots of people wouldn't be able to say that to someone about their ex boyfriend" Lavender disappeared again
Hermione was worried. She did not know where this was going but she did not like it. She was going to have to work hard to make sure she didn't hurt anyone. Hermione made her way down to the common room alone, she knew that Lavender and Parvati were going to take a while beautifying themselves for the party.
In the common room she saw Harry, Ginny and Ron all sitting by the fire. Ginny was looking stunning in a green dress that matched her eyes perfectly. Ginny made Hermione feel underdressed. "Ginny, I didn't know you were coming" Hermione said. "Well, Harry invited me and I turned 17 last week so thought I'd give it a spin." Ginny was looking at Hermione uncertainly, but with a knowing look in her eye. Hermione assumed Harry had spoken to her about her change in looks.
"Never thought I'd be so excited for a Slytherin party" Ron interjected. When Hermione looked at Ron she saw him staring at her in a way that she was not comfortable with. He looked as though he wanted to ask her to marry him on the spot.
"look, Ron I need to talk to you" Hermione said. She saw in the background that Harry was looking grave, but nodded approvingly at her. She drew him into the corner of the common room out of earshot of the others.
"Ron, look I like you very much as a friend" she said, her voice grave and sympathetic. "But I just don't think we've been anything to each other for a long time and I don't think that just because I have changed the way I look we should now try to be with each other now"
Ron's elated expression slowly dripped away as she said her speech
"Is there someone else?" he growled with a mutinous look on his face
"No, not right now Ron, but soon there may be. Look, I know Lavender still likes you and we have been friends for ages, I think we can continue to be friends after this." Ron was as red as his roots with mingled embarrassment and anger, but he nodded. Hermione began to walk away but Ron caught her arm
"I don't want anyone else. You've got to be joking about Lavender, I could never be with her again after what happened" he said, "I'll have you, that's a promise."
"Ron, you never owned me in the first place. You've got to want to be with someone, not just to own them."
Ron stalked away. Hermione knew he would get over it soon though. The only reason he wanted to be with her now was her new looks so he couldn't really be that upset. Hermione followed Ron back to Harry and Ginny. "ready to go?" Harry said. "Ready as I'll ever be" Ron replied.
As they walked out of the portrait hole and on to Hogsmead, Harry struck up a conversation with Ron and pulled ahead of Hermione and Ginny with him. Hermione smiled, Harry was a good friend and knew he would take Ron's mind off what had been said. Hermione turned to Ginny to start talking to her "so Ginny how have you been?" Ginny made sure that Harry and Ron were deep in conversation when she turned back to Hermione
"Hermione, I know you've been in the courtship corridor, I knew as soon as I saw you"
Hermione was so surprised she had to gather herself before saying anything.
"How do you know about the courtship corridor?" she said finally
"I found it in 4th year when we started up the DA, how else did you think I suddenly became attractive overnight?" Hermione suddenly remembered back to how suddenly guys became interested in Ginny when Hermione was in her 5th year.
"You didn't change that much Ginny"
"Well, I obviously wasn't unhappy about my eye colour beforehand so that didn't change, but I did change quite a bit. I became much taller and thinner practically overnight and all my scars and such just disappeared"
Hermione thought back and realised that she hadn't noticed that Ginny was beautiful until that year had finished.
"Did you stand in front of the mirror though?" Hermione asked
"I thought about it a lot" Ginny said, "but then I thought I was happy with what had happened. I was only 14 then and quite self conscious."
"Well I chose to look into it, just for a little and then I stopped before the end" Hermione replied
"Really, whats it like?" Ginny looked so curious, and Hermione knew Ginny had been thinking about whether she should have stood in front of the mirror herself.
"It tells you what to say to stop you from screwing up your relationships. It also kind of warns you with a feeling in your chest who is going to break your heart later and who you should be with."
"thats so weird" Ginny said
"I know Hermione replied"
They continued to ponder the courtship corridor all the way to Hogsmead. Hermione wondered which founder of Hogwarts had put this secret in the castle but she knew that the mysteries of Hogwarts would never be answered.
Ginny and Hermione caught up with Ron and Harry outside the three broomsticks. Hermione was glad to see that Ron was no longer looking angry or upset and that some of his previous enthusiasm for the evening had returned. "You ladies ready to go in?" Harry said.
"Ready as I'll ever be for a Slytherin party" Hermione said. "Let's go"
Hermione shot a look at Harry that clearly said 'thanks' just as Harry shot a look at Hermione that clearly said 'your welcome.'
When they walked in they saw that the Slytherins had already been drinking for a little while some of them were quite tipsy and Pansy Parkinson was singing 'a cauldron full of hot strong love' with Zabini in the corner. They looked more cozy than 2 friends necessarily should.
"oohhh look it's the blue eyed Granger" Malfoy shouted from the corner, he had not been drinking as much as the rest but he still did not look completely sober.
Hermione did not know why, but this hurt her more than expected. It was not even an insult really but she felt somewhere in his teasing was an insult that she didn't want to hear from the person that supposedly was meant to be her great love. Hermione turned red and walked to the bar. This was going to be a long night and she needed something to take away the knowledge that Draco Malfoy was the person that she was meant to be with. After 2 shots of fire whiskey courtesy of the party tab and poured by Madame Rosmerta, she looked around. The pub had began to fill up so that it was no longer just filled with Slytherins. The whole of 7th grade has begun to arrive, and she watched as Lavender walked through the door, spotted Ron and made a beeline for him. She noticed Ron was swaying slightly. He must also have had himself a few shots of fire whiskey.
Hermione knew she didn't want to be with Ron, but she didn't like to see him flirting with Lavender either. She turned back to the bar and saw full pitchers of mead placed on the bar for the party guests. She grabbed one and downed it. Hermione had never really drunk like this before and she knew it was unhealthy to take out her frustrations with alcohol, but the numbing feeling that was spreading through her body took away all of the stress and pain she was feeling.
Hermione then picked up another glass of mead and turned around to see Draco right behind her "Steady on Granger, you aren't meant to drink like that head girl and all"
"Well you're a prefect, so that's not saying much for you either" Hermione replied as her insides filled with a warmth that was not anything to do with the alcohol
"Have you even drank alcohol before Granger?"
"Yes of course" she said, sipping her drink clumsily
"No I mean, have you ever drank like you are now, three drinks within a matter of 10 seconds?"
Hermione giggled, Draco was leaning in towards her and she became very aware of the fact that her head was becoming fuzzy. The pub was loud with chatter and Ron was snuggling in the corner with Lavender. Why do people who don't like each other suddenly like each other under the influence of fire whiskey? Hermione thought. She turned back to Draco
"I have never had more than a sip before"
"ohhhh we've got to fix that Granger. You need to learn to have some fun." He dragged her over to the Slytherin table in the corner, where all of them were playing cards. The Slytherins looked at her and a Black haired slytherin looked at her sneering "what's the mudblood doing here Draco?" Draco began to sneer himself "I don't rightly know, what are you doing here Granger?"
Hermione was so confused the alcohol was affecting her brain
"But Draco you just dragged me over here" she said
"Yes Granger I did, but you did not have to come now did you? Why did you want to come?"
Hermione looked at him with tears starting to well up in her eyes. She ran away quickly, hearing the Slytherin laughter behind her
"You think you're so irresistible Draco" she heard Harry say "Why don't you just leave people alone for a change"
Hermione smiled, she downed her drink and began to stumble in the direction of the bathroom. She almost got there when she tripped over Ernie McMillan's chair before she hit the ground someone caught her, and walked her outside with their arm around her. She did not look into the kind stranger's face until she was outside. When she looked up, she saw that it was Malfoy. He had walked her outside with everyone watching, his arm around her to keep her steady. Hermione pushed him away angrily.
"Go away Malfoy
"Forgive me Granger, I did not mean to insult you before. I was just kidding round." Malfoy was smirking, his usual smirk but somehow it seemed less cruel. They were standing outside the pub in the cool night air. Hodsmead was always beautiful at night, but Hermione was still angry
"When you called me a mudblood before, was that also just kidding round?"
Malfoy's smirk was gone, now replaced by a frown "You don't know what it's like with my parents Granger, don't pretend like you understand." Hermione shut her mouth and felt her anger subside. It was true, she didn't know what it was like to have parents that got him into so much trouble. So much trouble, in fact, that his house was taken over by people that would have killed him in a second.
"Malfoy why are you being nice to me now then"
Malfoy sighed "Sick of being a jerk maybe? Maybe feeling a bit sorry for you because you don't own better party clothes that this"
She smiled. It was true she was the most under-dressed person at the party .
"I think it's something more" she said "I think you like me more than you want to say." She knew it was the alcohol speaking and she knew also that she would probably regret it but she put her arms around his neck. He looked surprised but he softened almost immediately
"You know the first rule about little kids is you are cruel to each other if you like them right? Maybe that was me..."
He leaned in and Hermione looked into his face and before she knew it they were kissing. It was the most beautiful kiss she had ever had, soft yet so powerful. She felt the warmth inside her chest spread from inside out to the tips of her fingers. She did not want this moment to end. His hand slid up her back into her hair. Her arms were still around his neck and she felt the hairs stand up there.
"Hermione?" She heard behind her they broke apart suddenly. The moment was ended
She turned to see who had called her name and she saw Harry there, shocked, framed in the doorway of the Three Broomsticks. He looked angry and stunned all at once. Hermione did not know how to explain in her intoxicated state
"This one's yours to look after, Potter" Malfoy said with a sneer. Hermione was so hurt she burst into tears. Malfoy was playing her like he always had to everyone. Malfoy walked back inside with a laugh. Harry looked angry but walked up and hugged her tight. He stayed there with her. He hugged her for what seemed like an eternity, before in silence he started to walk her back home.
"what about Ginny" Hermione said
"Ginny knows I'm walking you home" Harry said, he still looked angry but Hermione knew at least he wouldn't tell her off now. "He's a jerk, Hermione, but you knew that already. Let's try and at least keep this knowledge away from Ron for a while. You know he was trying to make you jealous, right? But Draco probably won't tell his friends because it's embarrassing to him too"
"Ron was trying to make me jealous?" she said slowly, not comprehending. Harry rolled his eyes as though it was obvious. He walked her home in silence and to the common room. She walked up stairs alone and lay down in bed fully clothed. She cried in earnest then, hiccuping between her sobs and her head still spinning. How could she have been so stupid to believe Draco liked her? She had meant nothing to him. She got up and began to pull her jeans off. It was then that she realised there was something in the pocket of her jeans. It was a note written on a napkin from the three broomsticks
'Tomorrow night. Astronomy tower. 10 o'clock
-DM'
