As stated in the summary, this story is inspired by the Romeo and Juliet, and also a modern day version of Romeo and Juliet called "Unmasking Juliet" by Teri Wilson. I truly hope you enjoy this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it so far. Updates will be once a week! A big shout of to my cheer squad and beta team: accio_broom and be11atrixthestrange. you guys are the literal best!

"True, I talk of dreams, which are the children of an idle brain, begot of nothing but vain fantasy…" - Act I, scene iv

The night was barely halfway through, and Hermione had had enough. Join a sorority, they said. It'll be fun! You'll make so many lifelong friends and have more connections to the professional world than you could ever imagine. So, she pledged during her freshman year, and after almost giving up twice, she'd been initiated as a member of Sigma Delta Nu, or Sigma Del, as everyone called it.

Now, Hermione was in her senior year of college and her fourth year of the sorority. She lived in the Sigma Del house with her roommate, Padma. They attended all the events and fundraisers required of them, and their sorority was at the top of the Greek ladder on campus, which was why she found herself in the middle of the Character Ball, hosted by Theta Zeta Eta.

The Sigma Dels were friendly with the Theta Zetas, as they were with most of the other houses on campus, except for the Zeta Mu Taus, their sworn rivals since the creation of Greek life at Pacific State. Hermione didn't understand the hatred, but they rarely mixed with the fraternity, so it didn't bother her much.

But that was beside the point. Hermione turned her attention back to her surroundings and couldn't help but roll her eyes at the extravagance of the event. With alumni who contributed to their sorority regularly, the Theta Zetas always threw the most over the top events, and this one was no less magnificent. Most sororities and fraternities simply hosted their parties in their houses, but Theta Zeta Eta had rented a winery in nearby Napa Valley for their event.

Hermione had to pick up extra shifts with Admissions to cover her portion of the limo the Sigma Dels reserved for the ball. In her mind, keeping up with pretenses was a bit overrated, but she'd made it this far with her sisters, so she figured she'd stick it out. It was good to have some sort of social life since her Art History degree would have left her quite lonely on its own. Though, she figured she'd rather be lonely right now than faced with her current situation.

When it came to extravagant events such as this, the Sigma Dels were typically escorted by members of Tau Sigma Alpha, the top fraternity on campus. Appearances needed to be kept between the two most popular houses at school. Her sisters had guilted Hermione into allowing Draco Malfoy to accompany her. What's one date? They'd insisted. He's the dreamiest Tau Sig, and he wants to take you. You should be flattered, Romilda had snarked.

Well, then why don't you let him escort you? Hermione had bit back the response she'd so desperately wanted to say as she ultimately gave Draco a polite 'no, thank you.' But Draco couldn't handle her declination, so he'd complained and threatened to sever Tau Sig's ties with Sigma Del if Hermione turned him down, which forced her hand.

So, here she was, standing on the outskirts of the dance floor, listening to muffled conversations around her that were drowned out by the DJ's music. It all made her claustrophobic, and Hermione needed to get away, if only for a short while. She looked over at her forced date, who seemed to be engaged in a lively conversation with one of his frat brothers, and decided he wouldn't miss her if she escaped outside for some fresh air.

Hermione crept away from his side, unnoticed by the rest of the partygoers, and made her way to the large oak doors. She opened one without a second glance back toward her date and slipped outside onto the accompanying terrace. The cool air hit her face, and she took in a deep breath. It was amazing how quickly nature could relax her.

Walking over to the edge of the balcony, Hermione looked out at the moonlit view. There were rows upon rows of grapevines, and the scent of fresh fruit was filling her senses. She felt the stress of the evening melt away even as the party continued inside, yet the urge to get even further away from the crowded room remained. There were stairs that led to a lower patio, and Hermione took them before anyone could have noticed she was outside.

As she stepped onto the patio, she heard the door open above her, and the noise from the party flooded into the night. Yes, it was a good decision to come out here, she thought. Hermione looked down and checked her watch, only to reveal that she still needed to withstand another hour of the god-forsaken party before the limo would be taking them home; well, whoever was left. Hermione was certain that some of her Sigma Del sisters would undoubtedly be going home with some of the Tau Sigs. At least Padma promised she'd be there for the ride back. She knew how uncomfortable Draco made Hermione, and how she would not be caught dead returning to campus with him.

Hermione heard the sounds of the party as the door opened again, and she ventured further onto the property, walking down one of the rows of grapevines. Maybe she should have pretended to be ill tonight after all, but of all the parties she was expected to attend as a sorority girl, this was the one she was looking forward to the most. It was a shame that the entitled blonde ferret had all but ruined her night. He really did personify his house's mascot: the snake.

The Sigma Dels, on the other hand, had claimed their mascot as the eagle, which fit their dedication to wit and wisdom. This was one of the reasons Hermione had been looking forward to tonight's event. The Character Ball was a fancy way for the Theta Zetas to host a dance, but instead of the typical short skirts and revealing dresses that were standard party attire, all attendees were asked to dress as a character from a novel. Everything about them needed to be true to the character they'd chosen: clothes, shoes, hair, makeup, and even accessories, which was why Hermione had left her phone in the limo. The Theta Zetas didn't mess around. Hermione had chosen to dress as Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. It was her favorite book, so renting the regency dress was certainly worth the price to become her favorite character.

There was a rustle from behind that brought Hermione out of her thoughts. She paused, immediately wondering if someone had found her. Not Draco, not Draco, she practically begged.

"Should you really be out here when there's a party raging inside?" said a voice behind her.

Hermione turned gracefully to see who the voice belonged to. She was thinking quickly for an excuse in case it was an employee when her brain short-circuited. The man in front of her was dressed in Regency-era clothing, much like herself. Her body relaxed slightly as she realized he was likely another party-goer, but Hermione still felt on edge.

He was tall, with freckles sprinkling his face and his sapphire eyes watching her closely. She felt like he could see right through her, see all her thoughts and dreams, her secrets and desires. It was unnerving yet invigorating at the same time. She struggled to find her voice as she tried to place him within the Greek system.

"Shouldn't you?"

He smirked at her retort. "You wouldn't happen to be channeling your character, would you?"

"You know who I am?" Hermione was surprised.

"Did you truly expect that Mr. Darcy wouldn't be able to single out his one true love in a sea of modern-day characters?" he cocked an eyebrow at her.

Hermione's lips curled at the corners at his response as her heart fluttered in her chest. It felt as though this stranger understood every part of her despite not knowing her in the slightest. Who was this guy, and how had she never met him before?

"Ah, so you've been watching me," she responded coyly.

"Well, when you see one other person dressed in Regency Era clothing, amongst a couple hundred fraternity and sorority members dressed in other more boring costumes, it definitely catches your eye." His smirk turned into a lopsided grin that made me weak in the knees. "So, what brings you out here, Ms. Bennet?"

Hermione smiled as she thought for a moment. "Well, you could say that a Wickham-like character has soured my evening."

"Ah, the blonde? Yeah, he seems rather pretentious."

"That's one way of putting it," Hermione agreed as she stepped closer to him. "I'd rather wander through the grapevines than suffer through the party."

He nodded slowly. "Have you tried any of the grapes?" He asked as he plucked one off the vines.

"No!" she responded incredulously. "You shouldn't have done that. It's not ours to take!"

He chuckled. "Do you really think they're going to miss one grape?"

The man popped the tiny fruit into his mouth. Hermione couldn't help but watch the way his lips moved as he chewed the small grape, and her mind wandered to how his lips might feel against her own. Her eyes followed his hand as he reached out to pluck another grape off the vine.

"Try it."

Hermione hesitated as he stepped closer and held the grape out to her. The scent of his cologne was intoxicating to her as it flooded her senses. She could practically feel the heat pour off his body in their close proximity.

Throwing caution to the wind, Hermione leaned forward as her lips parted slightly over his fingers. She gently took the grape in her teeth and pulled it away from his grasp. Hermione closed her lips around the grape and bit down, allowing the mixture of sweet and tang to invade her taste buds. She closed her eyes momentarily as a soft "mmmm" escaped her lips.

"That good, huh?"

"Yes," she agreed.

Hermione opened her eyes to see him watching her intently. She was used to the Tau Sigs showing interest in her, but none of them had ever looked at her like this before. At least, that's what she thought. Maybe she didn't allow herself to notice any others. Her bookish ways found her in the library several times a week, and whenever she attended parties, Hermione would stay for about an hour before disappearing back to Sigma Del.

He was so close, and Hermione was struggling with her self-control. After watching him eat the grape, she wanted nothing more than to feel his lips on hers. Maybe it was the romantic atmosphere under the stars and among the vineyard that was fueling her courage, or perhaps it was the fact that he was dressed as Mr. Darcy, and she was Elizabeth.

The war in her mind continued to wage on, even though Hermione had made her decision. Her heart was pounding in her chest as he watched her carefully, waiting for her next move. Ceasing thought, Hermione allowed her body to take the reins.

Her hands reached up and grabbed the collar of his coat, pulling him in to eliminate the remaining space between them. She lifted up on her toes as she pressed her lips into his. For a split second, Hermione second-guessed her rash decision. And then one of his hands gripped her waist while the other cupped her face as he tilted her into his lips to kiss her back. And he kissed her hard.

It was unlike anything Hermione had ever felt before. To be wanted. To be kissed so passionately that she saw sparks fly through closed eyes, and shivers ran up and down her spine. She allowed herself to become completely lost in the feel of this stranger, who seemed to know her better than any of her closest friends.

She pushed the question of his identity from her mind and allowed herself to fully become the character she was dressed as. It was a truly self-indulgent moment, but Hermione didn't care. Right now, she was Elizabeth Bennet and he was Mr. Darcy, and she'd finally accepted his proposal.