Hermione was sitting on her bed, watching Padma pull outfit after outfit out of her closet, a book held open in her hand, but long forgotten as she attempted to help her roommate with her current dilemma. Padma had fifteen minutes before the Sigma Dels were due to leave for The Three Broomsticks. They'd spent a majority of the afternoon and early evening hanging out while packing their bags to head home. They could officially enjoy the end of the semester, now that their finals were out of the way.
Hermione's last exam was that morning, and she was planning to head home to Portland for the holidays. She was happy to get away from the stuffy sorority house for a month. Penelope's icy demeanor hadn't relented, and the rest of her sisters seemed to go out of their way to avoid her. At least Padma wasn't treating her any differently.
"What about this one?" Padma asked, a hint of desperation in her voice.
Hermione looked up from the book she was pretending to read. Padma had changed into a pair of form-fitted ripped jeans with a white crop top. She was pulling a black cardigan over her shoulders that matched her silky black hair. Silver hoop earrings hung from her ears, and her smokey eye makeup and dark lipstick topped off the look.
"It's perfect! Give me a heads up if you'll be out even later tonight," Hermione smirked with her insinuation. "With that look, I'd be shocked if someone didn't want to take you home with them."
Padma's cheeks flushed softly. "That's the plan. I'll need it before a boring month at home. I'll miss my wing-woman, though!"
Hermione gave her a sympathetic smile. "I know, but it's not my choice. I'd make things ten times worse if I showed up, you know that."
"The whole thing is ridiculous if you ask me. What are you going to do tonight, anyway?"
"Probably curl up right here and read my book. I might walk over to Florean's and get a peppermint mocha, but other than that, I plan on having a quiet, relaxing evening."
The lie came so easily from Hermione's lips, even though she was trembling on the inside. It was gutting her to keep this from Padma, but it wasn't safe to tell her within the walls of the sorority. Ron was her best kept secret, and Hermione intended to keep it that way for as long as possible.
She recalled their meetings in the library throughout the last week and how they'd planned for tonight between bouts of studying. Her mind ran through every detail often to make sure all was accounted for, and by the time today rolled around, Hermione was thankful for Padma's company this afternoon. She was in need of a distraction from the anticipation she'd been feeling for tonight.
Spending more time with Ron hadn't quelled the desire she felt inside. She'd been strong all week, staying focused on the tasks on hand, even though she desperately wanted to pull him into a deserted aisle and let him have his way with her among decades-old journals. Twice, she almost gave in, but the thought of Penelope's rage if they got caught was enough to keep her steadfast and strong.
Tonight, though, they'd be alone. In his bedroom, nonetheless. Sure, they had a task to accomplish, but Hermione wasn't sure she'd be able to hold out with her resolve. She couldn't deny how sexy he was, and the more time she spent with him, the more she didn't want to. But they had to get to the bottom of the feud if there could be any hope of pursuing a relationship with him. Until then, they needed to stick to their secret friendship. Emphasis on friend.
"I'm almost jealous of that," Padma joked as she grabbed her phone and slid all her necessary cards in the case for the evening.
There was a knock at the door. "Padma, we're getting ready to leave!" came Penelope's muffled voice from the other side.
Padma gave Hermione a sympathetic smile as she checked her appearance one last time before heading to the door. When she opened it, Penelope was standing there, tapping her foot impatiently. She narrowed her eyes at Hermione, ensuring that she didn't look like she was dressed to sneak into a party later. Considering Hermione was wearing her old and worn sweats, with her hair precariously thrown back and no make-up on her face, Penelope looked appeased.
Hermione met her pretentious stare with one of her own. She was over the looks and the nasty attitude. "Is there a problem, Penelope? Are you not satisfied with my dressing down? I didn't think I needed to look presentable, considering I was asked to stay behind tonight."
Penelope tilted up her nose at her as she huffed. "I'm just making sure you weren't planning on sneaking into the party. But that's not an excuse to look completely grungy. You're still a Sigma Del and should dress as such at all times."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry, I forgot that no matter what I do, you'll always be the first to find something wrong. Don't worry, I'll be changing in a bit if I go to Florean's. Or am I on house arrest now, too?"
"If you don't watch your tone, you might be," Penelope snarled. "Let's go, Padma."
Hermione watched Penelope turn on her heel and stalk off, while Padma gave her a small wave as she followed in their president's wake. Hermione bit back a retort about Penelope acting more like the sorority dictator than president, but she didn't want to push her luck. She still had a mission to complete tonight.
Hermione went back to her novel, forcing herself to finish her current chapter as she heard several heel-clad footsteps descending on the stairwell, and the front door opening and closing repeatedly. It took a few minutes to get the entire group of sorority sisters out of the house, but Hermione basked in the blissful peace and quiet once she was certain they were all gone.
She checked her watch; 8:15, a little later than she'd anticipated, but still enough time to get everything done. Pulling out her phone, she checked for messages, and saw that there was one.
Everyone's out. Heading to Florean's quick. Want anything?
Was it strange that he could read her mind? They hadn't discussed a late night coffee run, yet they were on the same page.
I'll take a peppermint mocha with whipped cream, please.
Hermione pushed herself off the bed and placed the phone in her pocket. She'd need to move quickly to get ready. She scrambled down the stairs and into the living room, making a beeline for the shelves where the archives were stored. Her eyes scanned the yearbooks, looking for the ones labeled with the years between 1955-1959, and another set from 1995-1999.
Over the years, she'd picked up on little bits of information here and there about 'unspeakable events' in the late nineties, and about how the pleasantries ended between the houses in question in '57. By pulling the books surrounding those years, she hoped to find something that would lead them in the right direction. Spotting the yearbooks on the higher shelves, Hermione reached up to grab them. She set them on the coffee table behind her and swapped them out with the copies she borrowed from the library so Penelope wouldn't notice anything was missing. Luckily, both sets looked identical from the spines.
Satisfied with the swap, Hermione grabbed the Sigma Del copies and returned to her room. She stuffed the books in her bag before changing into a comfy pair of black leggings and a long, yet fitted, plum colored sweater. The sweater's neckline plunged into a V, revealing the soft curve of her breasts that were accentuated by the lacy black push-up bra she'd chosen to wear that day.
She didn't intentionally choose that particular bra and the subsequent matching cheeky underwear hidden beneath her outfit, but she also wasn't complaining about the choice. Even if Hermione was intent on nothing happening tonight, she didn't see any problems with looking good. She grabbed her cosmetic bag and applied a light layer of make-up on her face, topping it off with a swipe of her preferred lip stain. A light spritz of her favorite fresh, floral-scented perfume finished her whirlwind preparation for the night.
Her hair looked fine up in its ponytail, so Hermione decided to leave it. She was due at the Zeta Mu house in seven minutes, so she needed to get going. Hermione slid on her black boots and put on her pea-coat before slipping her bag over her shoulder. She turned on the lamp that sat next to her bed so she wouldn't arouse any suspicion of her absence and shut the door to her room as she left.
Instead of leaving out the front door, she chose to exit out the back instead, just in case there were any stragglers walking up the street. She knew cutting across the back lawn to avoid Greek row was a bit excessive, but Hermione wasn't willing to take any chances. It took a little longer, but she still managed to make it to the Zeta Mu house with one minute to spare. Hermione pulled out her phone and sent Ron a message.
I'm out front.
Something didn't feel right about just walking into the Zeta Mu house. Texting seemed like a safer option as she waited by a tree, on alert for anyone who might be walking by, but thankfully the street was deserted. She looked up when she heard a sound come from the frat and saw that the door was now open, and Ron was peering outside. Taking one last glance around, Hermione set off at a light run to make it to the doorstep quickly. Ron opened the door wider as she approached and shut it quickly once she'd made it inside.
"Welcome to Zeta Mu," he said with a wide smile on his face.
"Thanks," Hermione said, looking around.
It was surprisingly clean and put together. From the way the Sigma Dels talked about how trashy the Zeta Mus were, Hermione was half expecting to find garbage littered about and other indicators that made the house appear dirty. Yet as she looked around, the main floor was as tidy as the Sigma Del house, just decorated in more masculine tones.
"Were you expecting something different?" Ron asked once again, as if he knew what she was thinking.
"N-no, not at all. I was just looking around."
Hermione tried not to sound flustered, but it was so damn hard when he was this close. She noticed that he'd opted for a casual look, too. Of course he had! This wasn't a date, Hermione kept telling herself. But he could have worn sweats and an old t-shirt. And he wasn't. He was wearing jeans that seemed to sit low and snug on his hips, with a dark blue henley that brought out his eyes in the most delightful way. The tips of his hair looked like it was still damp from a recent shower, and he was comfortably barefoot.
As if that wasn't enough, the now familiar scent of his cologne invaded her senses, and Hermione was brought back to the Character Ball for what seemed like the millionth time in two weeks. She took a deep breath to regain what little control she had of her traitorous body.
"Are you alright?" Ron clearly noticed she was having trouble focusing.
"Yes! Why wouldn't I be?" Hermione said quickly.
Ron flashed her a lopsided grin as if he could tell that she was lying. "Should we get started, then?" He gestured toward the staircase.
Hermione nodded as he led her up to his bedroom. His bedroom. This was going to be much harder than she could have imagined. And she'd certainly imagined. Hermione did her best to stay focused as she thought of the bag of books hanging off her shoulder.
They took a right at the top of the stairs and walked down the hallway until they came to the end. Ron opened the door on the left. "After you," he said quietly.
"Thanks," Hermione responded as she made her way into the room.
It was smaller than hers and Padma's, but still large enough for the necessary bedroom furniture. There was a twin bed with a red and black bedspread against the wall to the right of the door with a desk next to it. The second bed was donned with a bright orange comforter, and was on the far side of the room. It jutted out in a T-shape from the long wall instead of being situated against two walls. Hermione assumed this was because there were two closets on the far side of the room, separated by a large window.
That must be my escape route for the night, Hermione thought to herself. She finished her visual observation of the room, noticing a second desk against the wall across from the far bed. Two dressers were situated next to that, and there was another door to the left of where Hermione was standing just inside the room. She assumed that must be a shared bathroom.
"Mine's the orange bed if you want to get comfortable. Your coffee's on the nightstand, by the way."
"Great, thanks. How much do I owe you?" Hermione asked as she walked over to the bed and set her bag down, intending to pull out her wallet.
"Don't worry about it. I had extra dining dollars on my card."
"Are you sure?" Hermione asked. She didn't like being in debt to anyone.
"Yes, Hermione, it's fine. Though I can't guarantee how hot it is now."
Hermione picked up the cup and took a sip. It was still warm, and she smiled at the familiar taste. It was her favorite holiday drink. She couldn't help but think of the irony of being kicked out of tonight's mixer. Something stirring deep inside her indicated she'd much rather be here with Ron than at some stupid frat party any day.
"I can take your coat if you'd like," Ron interrupted her thoughts.
Hermione set her coffee back down and unbuttoned her coat. She didn't notice the way he stared at her choice of outfit as she shimmied the outer layer off her shoulders. It wasn't until she saw the darkness in his eyes when she reached out to hand him her jacket that she realized Ron's gaze was fixed firmly on the small amount of cleavage she'd decided to show off tonight.
Turning to her backpack, she smirked to herself in triumph as she unzipped the large pocket. "So, I was able to get all the years we'd discussed on Thursday. Thank goodness the library had extras to loan, otherwise Penelope would definitely notice they were—what?"
He was still staring. Her question brought him back to reality as he tossed her coat on the back of his desk chair and pointed to the stack of books sitting on his desk. Regardless of whatever trance he'd been in, he recovered quickly.
"Nothing. I've got all the Zeta Mu books here, too. I doubt any of the frat boys would have left long, endearing messages in their house copy, but I grabbed them just in case. I noticed they have inserts that are specific to the fraternity. That'll give us more information about its members for those years."
Hermione perked up at this. "Oh, I wonder if—" she reached out to grab one of the books she'd brought. Sure enough, it also had an insert, but it was specific to Sigma Delta Nu. "Yes! These do too. Good find, Ron!"
She settled on his bed as he sat across from her, yearbooks strewn about between them. Ron casually moved Hermione's bag onto the desk chair as she began diving into the first book.
"Do you have any idea what we're looking for?" he asked as he picked up one of his own copies.
"Not at all. The only thing I've managed to find out about at the Admissions office is a few last names that stand out. More legacy families, I think, and ones that are associated with Greek Row."
"Like Malfoy?" Ron practically growled under his breath.
"Yes, exactly. I have this odd feeling the Malfoy's are involved somehow, given Draco's entitled mindset. The other name I've heard a lot about is 'Black.'"
Ron nodded as he turned to pull something off his desk. When he turned back around, he was opening a notebook to a blank page. "Why don't we go through and start by looking at those names first? We can write them down and the years they were involved in the frat or sorority."
Hermione was trying not to swoon. She knew he was smart, even if he seemed a bit lackadaisical in his studies. She liked a man who took control, especially when it came to research. Ron was making it harder and harder to resist the temptation of giving into him.
She did her best to keep her voice even. "Sure, yeah. That makes sense."
They set to work. Hermione tackled the yearbooks from the 50s, while Ron dove into the ones from the 90s. She fell into a rhythm of page-turning, and every time she found a name that matched, she'd reward herself with a sip of her drink. Thirty minutes later, they had a list of names.
"Let's see. From the 50s yearbooks, I found two legacy names—both boys and both Tau Sigs: Cyrus Black and Abram Malfoy. When Draco was droning on and on about his family at the ball to anyone who would listen, he mentioned something about Margaret and Doris, which I believe are his grandmothers. I wrote down those names as soon as I found them, too. Doris Rosier and Margaret Bulstrode."
Ron nodded through furrowed brows as he looked at his own list. "I only found two names in mine. Dora Tonks and Remus Lupin. Remus is a few years older from what it looks like, but he came back to school for a second degree; Zeta Mu welcomed him back in the house. That's how he and Dora met."
"Wait, Remus was a Zeta? Not a Tau?"
"Nope. And Dora pledged for Kappa, but switched halfway through and became a Sig instead. Something tells me there's more to that story. I could ask my sister about it if I can't find anything in the Zeta Mu books, but at least it narrows our search."
"Your sister?" Hermione looked at him intently.
"Um, yeah. She's a junior in Kappa, and also my best friend's girlfriend," Ron said, slightly flustered.
Hermione stared at him, mouth slightly agape and coffee cup halting halfway in the air as she was about to bring it to her lips. "Your sister goes here, too? And your best friend...is he your roommate?" She was putting all the pieces together in her head. "So, does that mean when I ran into you at the park, and you had to leave your room—this room—it was so your best friend could have sex with your sister?"
Ron groaned. "Don't remind me. It's seriously the last thing I want to think about!" He was rubbing his eyes, presumably to get the mental images out of his head.
"Oh, my God!" Hermione said, attempting to stifle a giggle. "And I thought having to deal with Penelope as sorority president was the worst. I think that wins," she held up the cup in mock cheers before finishing off the last few dregs.
"I'll get you back for laughing at that," he said with a devilish smirk crossing his face.
"I look forward to it," Hermione responded in a flirty voice as she bit her bottom lip. "But, we should get back to this for now. We're making good progress."
She was proud of herself. It would have been so easy to shove the books to the side and lean forward, taunting him with her low-cut sweater. But alas, she'd opted to focus on the research. That was the correct thing to do, right? The longer she spent with him, the more she wanted to say 'screw it' and make the most of being alone in a room with a bed.
She could have sworn she heard him stifle a groan, but he obediently opened one of the books in front of him. "So, are we looking for mentions of those people in the written notes, then?"
"Yes, that's what I was thinking. The Sigma Dels treat these almost like burn books. Any gossip or news that's worth mentioning gets transferred to the yearbook at the end of the year and then placed on the shelf to live in infamy. It's part of the senior legacy that they leave behind."
"Fascinating. Hopefully, I can read their handwriting," Ron laughed as Hermione rolled her eyes.
She tucked back into her own books, in search of more information on Margaret or Doris. It didn't take long to find it. Hermione picked up her pen and began writing furiously in the notebook.
"What'd you find?"
"The origins of the whole Tau/Sigma and Zeta/Kappa pairings. It doesn't look like it even started out as a feud! More like classicism at its finest."
"Which is saying something, considering the Greek system is already pretty classist on its own. God forbid we mingle with other students not in a frat or sorority," Ron added.
"Yes, it all had to do with money for the two houses. The Taus tended to get the pledges who came from wealthy families, as did Sigma Del. Looks like Cyrus, Abram, Doris and Margaret were the dream team, and they strongly encouraged the underclassmen to continue pairing together. If they did, their families would donate more money, and they carried on that tradition once they became alumni."
"So, it's been a money game for that long?" Ron asked, but not looking up from his journals.
"It's not surprising, is it? But something else must have happened for so much animosity to be passed down for multiple generations. Have you found anything?"
"Yeah, there were a lot of notes about the 'Black Heiress' and how Sigma Del stole her back from the Kappas. A lot of drama," Ron concluded as he shut the book with a loud smack.
"I can tell you're quite interested in the drama. Why don't you let me take the 90s books from Zeta Mu, and I can do some more research over the holidays? I suppose I won't bore you with it," Hermione teased.
She got up from the bed and stacked the books before setting them back in her backpack. Ron handed her four more books, and she stuffed those in the large pocket of her bag along with the rest. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to make a quick escape because her backpack would be on the heavier side.
Hermione zipped the pocket before returning to where she was sitting before. "Are you excited to go home for break?"
"Yeah, but it'll be weird, I think."
"Why do you say that?" Hermione asked curiously.
"Well, it's the last time we go home for a 'break,' you know? We graduate in May. One more semester," Ron explained.
He was right. Hermione had been thinking about graduation a lot lately but had failed to realize all of the 'lasts' that were starting. This would be the last time Hermione would be returning home as a college student. It was almost too much to think about, especially considering she still didn't know what she was going to do after graduation. She was hoping to study in New York for her masters degree while interning at the MET, but she needed a backup plan, too.
"—Hermione?"
"Hmm?" Hermione hadn't realized she'd stopped listening.
"I asked where you're heading for the holidays.."
"Oh! Sorry, you just got me thinking about graduation and all of those lasts we're starting to experience as seniors. I'm going home to Portland. What about you?"
"You live in Oregon? How'd I miss that?" he asked genuinely. "Home's in Sacramento for me."
"That sounds lovely!" She'd be lying if she said she wasn't jealous of living in California. "And to answer your question about missing the fact that I live in Oregon? Well, it's easy. We've never actually talked about personal stuff."
Ron was watching her intently as she spoke. She knew now that the research was done, she should really get back to the house. It'd be much safer than staying here with him, where she might end up doing something she'd regret. Well, should regret. She knew if they had the opportunity, she wouldn't regret a thing.
"We could get personal now, if you wanted," Ron suggested as his eyes raked up and down her body.
Hermione felt her breath catch in her throat. "In what way?" she managed to ask.
There was that dark glint in his eye again. "Whichever you prefer," he said, his voice sounded slightly deeper.
Hermione watched him intently as she licked her lips in anticipation. Just like both times before, she decided she didn't care if it was a bad idea. She couldn't deny that she wanted him, and each time seemed to be more desperate than before. It'd been far too long since she'd felt his hands on her small frame.
Her eyes traveled down his body, and she noticed how tight his shirt was across his chest, leaving her curious about what he looked like underneath. Oh, this was bad. Hermione had made her decision after that point and forced her eyes to find his eyes again.
"We can always talk later," she said in the most seductive voice she could muster.
That was all the permission he needed to lean forward, closing the distance between them. Hermione wasted no time leaning back onto Ron's pillow as his lips met hers hungrily. As she allowed herself to immerse her senses in all things Ron, she forgot all the reasons her mind had come up with about this being a bad idea.