Hermione smiled up at Harry and stood. "Sure. Where's Padma?" she asked.
"Padma went to dance with a few of her guy friends that she knows through Parvati and Lavender," Harry said.
Hermione nodded and walked to the dance floor with Harry. As if on cue, a slow song began to play. Hermione felt a surge of bliss course through her body as Harry put his hands lightly on her waist. She had almost forgotten what it felt like to be in Harry's arms; she felt warm and safe and secure. She knew it was stupid to feel this way, Harry was only dancing with her because they were friends, and he probably felt sorry for her, sitting at the table alone.
Harry looked into Hermione's beautiful, sparkling eyes. He suddenly felt compelled to do something crazy. He didn't know what, maybe kiss her, or tell her he loved her. He quickly waved these thoughts out of his mind. 'You don't love Hermione anymore,' he assured himself. It's just hormones or something. But he wasn't so sure.
Hermione wished she could stay like this forever. Being in his arms brought back so many wonderful, sweet memories that it was almost painful.
Harry and Hermione didn't even notice when the song had ended; they were too wrapped up in each other. A different, livelier song started up, and then Harry and Hermione realized that they were still holding each other closely. Hermione pulled away, her face glowing scarlet.
Harry was reluctant to see her pull away from him. They stood there, a very brief moment of awkward silence between them before Harry felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to find Padma, with a very impatient and annoyed expression on her face.
"Hi, Padma," he said, somewhat disappointed to see her.
Padma gave Hermione a look of detest and began to dance with Harry.
Hermione saw Ron and went over to him.
"Hey, Ron," she said.
"Hermione, you want to dance with me, don't you? You never could keep your hands off me," he joked.
They both smiled, and Hermione suddenly remembered back in their fifth year, when she had gone out with Ron. Hermione had never had anything but platonic feelings for Ron (she of course really loved Harry), but everyone always said what a good couple they would make, and Hermione thought that maybe beneath the bickering they really could be harboring true feelings for each other. Hermione was wrong. They argued more than ever during that one week that they were a couple, and Hermione realized that their disagreements and arguments were just that: disagreements and arguments. Maybe people had thought that they would make a good couple, but both Hermione and Ron found out that those people were wrong. It had put a bit of a strain on their friendship at the time, but once the relationship had been over for a few weeks, things were back to normal.
"I just wanted to tell you good luck," Hermione said to her friend.
"Thanks," Ron said "But I'm kind of disappointed you don't want to dance with me," he with a mock pout.
Hermione grinned and danced a quick dance with Ron. "Good luck," she said again, "and have fun on your honeymoon." She then gave him a quick, friendly kiss on the cheek and walked back to the table. When she was almost at her seat, a drunken guest (one of Lavender and Parvati's friends, no doubt) stumbled into Hermione, spilling wine all over the front of her dress.
"Oh, I'm sorry," the girl slurred, not sounding the least bit sincere.
Hermione sighed. "That's alright," she muttered. She changed direction and walked to the ladies washroom to see if she could clean off some of the wine before it began to stain. It was not her night at all. She had an enormous headache from all of the happy drunken voices singing along with the music, and she was now covered in wine, and the moment she actually began to have fun, Padma had pulled Harry away from her. She had to put on a happy visage for Ron, though. It was his wedding and she had to be happy for him. She just wished she could be happy for herself.
* * *
"Harry, will come out to the lobby with me?" Padma asked.
"Sure," Harry answered, "Why?"
"I need to talk to you in private," she said, taking his hand and dragging him into the lobby of the building.
"So what do you want to talk about?" Harry asked.
"Are you cheating on me?"
Harry was taken aback. "What are you talking about?" he asked.
"You were dancing with that girl you were friends with in school."
"So? You were dancing with a lot of guys tonight."
"That's not just it," Padma said, sounding aggravated. "I saw the way you two were looking at each other."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Harry said.
"Don't lie to me, Harry Potter," Padma said icily. "I know there's something going on between you two."
"There's nothing going on between us!" Harry said.
"I know that you used to go out with her. I have no idea why, she's so ugly."
"Padma, she's my friend, okay? Please don't talk about her like that," Harry said, a lot more calmly than he felt.
"Anyway, that's not the point. The point is you used to go out with her. Maybe you've still got some feelings for her."
"Padma, that's not true," Harry lied.
Padma looked at him dubiously and said, "Harry, I don't think I want to go out with you anymore."
Harry was all but thrilled to hear this news. For months he had been trying to figure out how to break up with Padma without hurting her feelings. He had no idea why he had even gone out with her in the first place, she was never a very nice person and he suspected her of using him for his fame. He also had suspicions that she had been cheating him, but he couldn't prove anything.
Harry did his best to look hurt, but he could hardly mask the feeling of relief.
"I guess this is goodbye," Padma said, not sounding very sad or even remotely sympathetic.
"I guess so," Harry said.
Padma examined her fingernails, looking bored. "Bye Harry, it's been fun," she said, not sounding like she meant it at all. Then she turned on her spike heel and went back to the reception hall.
Suddenly one of the doors in the lobby opened.
Harry looked over, to his surprise, saw Hermione.
"Sorry," Hermione muttered, "I was in the washroom and then you came in, and I thought it would be rude to just come in here while you were talking to Padma, so I stayed in there. I accidentally heard what happened Harry. I'm sorry."
*~*~*~*~*~
I'm sorry if you don't like cliffhangers, as you can see I use them a lot and I'm very sorry, it's just that I never know where to end a chapter unless I stick in a cliffhanger. I'd love to hear what you thought of this chapter, so please review and tell me!
"Padma went to dance with a few of her guy friends that she knows through Parvati and Lavender," Harry said.
Hermione nodded and walked to the dance floor with Harry. As if on cue, a slow song began to play. Hermione felt a surge of bliss course through her body as Harry put his hands lightly on her waist. She had almost forgotten what it felt like to be in Harry's arms; she felt warm and safe and secure. She knew it was stupid to feel this way, Harry was only dancing with her because they were friends, and he probably felt sorry for her, sitting at the table alone.
Harry looked into Hermione's beautiful, sparkling eyes. He suddenly felt compelled to do something crazy. He didn't know what, maybe kiss her, or tell her he loved her. He quickly waved these thoughts out of his mind. 'You don't love Hermione anymore,' he assured himself. It's just hormones or something. But he wasn't so sure.
Hermione wished she could stay like this forever. Being in his arms brought back so many wonderful, sweet memories that it was almost painful.
Harry and Hermione didn't even notice when the song had ended; they were too wrapped up in each other. A different, livelier song started up, and then Harry and Hermione realized that they were still holding each other closely. Hermione pulled away, her face glowing scarlet.
Harry was reluctant to see her pull away from him. They stood there, a very brief moment of awkward silence between them before Harry felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to find Padma, with a very impatient and annoyed expression on her face.
"Hi, Padma," he said, somewhat disappointed to see her.
Padma gave Hermione a look of detest and began to dance with Harry.
Hermione saw Ron and went over to him.
"Hey, Ron," she said.
"Hermione, you want to dance with me, don't you? You never could keep your hands off me," he joked.
They both smiled, and Hermione suddenly remembered back in their fifth year, when she had gone out with Ron. Hermione had never had anything but platonic feelings for Ron (she of course really loved Harry), but everyone always said what a good couple they would make, and Hermione thought that maybe beneath the bickering they really could be harboring true feelings for each other. Hermione was wrong. They argued more than ever during that one week that they were a couple, and Hermione realized that their disagreements and arguments were just that: disagreements and arguments. Maybe people had thought that they would make a good couple, but both Hermione and Ron found out that those people were wrong. It had put a bit of a strain on their friendship at the time, but once the relationship had been over for a few weeks, things were back to normal.
"I just wanted to tell you good luck," Hermione said to her friend.
"Thanks," Ron said "But I'm kind of disappointed you don't want to dance with me," he with a mock pout.
Hermione grinned and danced a quick dance with Ron. "Good luck," she said again, "and have fun on your honeymoon." She then gave him a quick, friendly kiss on the cheek and walked back to the table. When she was almost at her seat, a drunken guest (one of Lavender and Parvati's friends, no doubt) stumbled into Hermione, spilling wine all over the front of her dress.
"Oh, I'm sorry," the girl slurred, not sounding the least bit sincere.
Hermione sighed. "That's alright," she muttered. She changed direction and walked to the ladies washroom to see if she could clean off some of the wine before it began to stain. It was not her night at all. She had an enormous headache from all of the happy drunken voices singing along with the music, and she was now covered in wine, and the moment she actually began to have fun, Padma had pulled Harry away from her. She had to put on a happy visage for Ron, though. It was his wedding and she had to be happy for him. She just wished she could be happy for herself.
* * *
"Harry, will come out to the lobby with me?" Padma asked.
"Sure," Harry answered, "Why?"
"I need to talk to you in private," she said, taking his hand and dragging him into the lobby of the building.
"So what do you want to talk about?" Harry asked.
"Are you cheating on me?"
Harry was taken aback. "What are you talking about?" he asked.
"You were dancing with that girl you were friends with in school."
"So? You were dancing with a lot of guys tonight."
"That's not just it," Padma said, sounding aggravated. "I saw the way you two were looking at each other."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Harry said.
"Don't lie to me, Harry Potter," Padma said icily. "I know there's something going on between you two."
"There's nothing going on between us!" Harry said.
"I know that you used to go out with her. I have no idea why, she's so ugly."
"Padma, she's my friend, okay? Please don't talk about her like that," Harry said, a lot more calmly than he felt.
"Anyway, that's not the point. The point is you used to go out with her. Maybe you've still got some feelings for her."
"Padma, that's not true," Harry lied.
Padma looked at him dubiously and said, "Harry, I don't think I want to go out with you anymore."
Harry was all but thrilled to hear this news. For months he had been trying to figure out how to break up with Padma without hurting her feelings. He had no idea why he had even gone out with her in the first place, she was never a very nice person and he suspected her of using him for his fame. He also had suspicions that she had been cheating him, but he couldn't prove anything.
Harry did his best to look hurt, but he could hardly mask the feeling of relief.
"I guess this is goodbye," Padma said, not sounding very sad or even remotely sympathetic.
"I guess so," Harry said.
Padma examined her fingernails, looking bored. "Bye Harry, it's been fun," she said, not sounding like she meant it at all. Then she turned on her spike heel and went back to the reception hall.
Suddenly one of the doors in the lobby opened.
Harry looked over, to his surprise, saw Hermione.
"Sorry," Hermione muttered, "I was in the washroom and then you came in, and I thought it would be rude to just come in here while you were talking to Padma, so I stayed in there. I accidentally heard what happened Harry. I'm sorry."
*~*~*~*~*~
I'm sorry if you don't like cliffhangers, as you can see I use them a lot and I'm very sorry, it's just that I never know where to end a chapter unless I stick in a cliffhanger. I'd love to hear what you thought of this chapter, so please review and tell me!