A/N: I am soooooo sorry! i have literally had no time to update! I've had play practice until seven all month! Please forgive!

Disclaimer: Me no own!

HPOV

Hermione walked into the great hall, her wizards on either side of her. Her eyes widened as she took in the view of the newly decorated was purple and black tapestries replacing the ancient ones and the sky reflected the beauty of the stars, creating just the right amount of light.

"Wow," She breathed."It's beautiful."

'Not as beautiful as you.' the three wizards thought at the same time.

"Shall we dance?" Severus asked her, bowing. Hermione giggled.

"I'd love too!"

Severus took her hand and led her to the middle of the dance floor. He twirled her around as the two other wizards went to find a table.

"Thats amazing Severus! I didn't know you could dance so well!" Hermione observed, as he moved expertly around her. Severus smiled, and chuckled softly.

"My mom taught me when I was little. She said ' If you learn one thing, learn how to dance. A woman hates a man who steps on her toes.'" Hermione laughed, picturing a six year old Severus dancing with his mother.

"I never learned to dance. I was too interested in books and learning to want to take lessons and my mom never thought to teach me."

"Well, I'm kind of happy about that." Severus said as he dipped her.

"And why would that be?"

"Because now I get to teach you." He replied, looking straight into her eyes, making a dark red blush appear on her cheeks.

"I'd like that." They both smiled.

Meanwhile, at a table in the corner sat two longing slytherins, waiting for their chance to dance with the brown haired beauty.

"Do you ever thing Severus is going to let us have a dance?" Regulus all but whined.

"I'm sure once Hermione and Severus finish their dance we will be able to spend some time with her, but until then we should be patient gentlemen." At this he gave Regulus a pointed look, before returning his eyes to the dance floor. Only to see Lily Evans and her band of idiots making their way toward the spinning couple.

"Shit." Lucius mumbled.

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"Well lookie here boys, the famous Slytherin slut. It probably sucks knowing you're everyone's sloppy sec-" Severus interrupted Lily's rant, and came to stand in front of Hermione.

"Shut the hell up Evans. Just go the fuck away."

"Oh! it's Evans now is it? I clearly remember it being Lily all summer, when you were practically begging me to forgive you? Or have you moved on? You know Severus it's really nasty to play with something all the other kids have had their hands on."

"I said shut the hell up!" Severus yelled, but he was ignored.

"Did you know," Lily started, facing Hermione. "that Severus is in love with me, has been for years really. He was very distraught when I told him our friendship was through. I'd even bet anything he cried like the puny man he is. But do you know what that means for you? No? Well, It means that no matter what he tells you, no matter how happy you think he is, you will always be his second choice. And you will forever remain in my shadow." Lily finished, smirking, At this point, the three marauders were having to restrain the slytherin.

Hermione stiffened at Lily's words. She was right, of course, that's how things were suppose to be. Severus was suppose to be in love with Lily for his entire life, so much so that he worked until his last breath to take care of her, and then her son. And, to Hermione's surprise, this knowledge broke her heart. She inhaled sharply at the stab in her chest, and held back the tears, as she stared as the redhead before her.

She tried to think of what to say, something to shoot Lily down, or to atleast make herself feel better. She looked at Severus, who was still fighting to get lose from the idiots three, and lost her calm. She did the only dignified thing she could do in this pulled her shoulders back, held her head up tall, and walked away. And she almost swore she heard Severus scream her name, but she couldn't be sure.

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After Hermione exited the great hall, she ran. She ran, she didn't even know where to, until she reached the lake. Hermione looked around, surprised where her feet had taken her, before she finally let the tears stream freely down her face. She sank down to the ground, a tree supporting her back.

"Hermione?" Hermione turned around to see a concerned looking Regulus. "Are you alright?"

"I'm a-alright. Thank you Regulus." Hermione sniffled, wiping her eyes.

"Hey, don't cry." Regulus sat down beside her, and took her face in his hands. "It's alright." Hermione buried her head in his shoulder as he hugged her to him. After a few more minutes Hermione sat up and stared into Regulus's eyes.

"Thank you." Hermione mumbled.

"Just do me a favor; try not to cry. It makes me worry." Regulus joked, making Hermione chuckle.

"I'll try not to." She joked back.

"Well, we should probably get back to the dorms, it's getting late." Hermione nodded and they made their way back to the castle.

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"Hermione!" Severus all but yelled, as she entered the common room with Regulus. Severus ran up to Hermione, an apologetic look on his face.

"Hermione I-"

"Severus, please, just-"

"Please, just give me ten minutes. That's all I ask." Hermione thought about it, before nodding reluctantly. He grabbed her hand a led her out of the dungeons into a small alcove.

"Hermione, look, what Lily said...I did love her. She was my only friend when i was little, and I became attached. and I can't change that." Severus looked at her sadly. Hermione had tears staining her cheeks, and that broke his heart.

"So you just wanted to tell me what I've already been told. I'll never be good enough." Hermione started to walk away before he grabbed her by the elbow.

"I said I did love her, but not anymore. Hermione, I'm falling in love with you." with that, Severus pulled Hermione flush against his chest and molded his lips with hers.

A/N: Thank you guys so much for reading! Love to all! 3333