Chapter 7 – Mystery and Betrayal

"Her-mi-one!" Harry gagged, as Hermione beat him furiously with a heavy book from her backpack. Everyone's attention was now turned to them like being an audience in a television show, but Hermione didn't care. She wouldn't have been surprised if there'd been fumes coming out of her ears, because this surpassed anything, even her unfortunate run-ins with Malfoy.

"Hermione!" Ginny pleaded, standing about a few feet away, "Have you lost your mind? Let him go!"

Hermione dropped the book and took a step back.

"How dare you?" She said in the most dangerous voice.

"I didn't do it on purpose! You left the book on the desk, so I just took it! How was I supposed to know that it was your diary?"

"So you opened it and still didn't figure out that it was my diary? I know you're dense, but no one could be that dumb."

Hermione crossed her arms in fury, and she was about to speak but Ginny beat her, "Harry, that was very wrong of you. Hermione, cool it for a bit and sit down. And what is everyone looking at?" said Ginny, glaring at everyone in the room, "Show's over! Go about your business!" With that, everyone looked away and started talking amongst themselves, but not necessarily about their own business.

Hermione dropped herself on the couch across from Harry. She sighed, "How much did you read?"

From the look on Harry's face, any answer that would be said would be the wrong answer. "Er-parts of it."

"What parts?"

"The good parts," said Harry, with a hint of a grin. Hermione glared at him and was about to get up and ready to strike, but Ginny let out her hand between them.

"You might just want to go ahead and ask Ron to the dance, because he's never going to do it." said Harry.

"What is he afraid of? He asked me to the Yule Ball in our fourth year."

"Yeah, but that was at the last minute when he didn't have a partner. This time he really wants to ask you."

"Then why doesn't he?" said Hermione, with irritation.

"I think he's afraid of the fact that he likes you too much."

"So I've heard." She said sardonically and looked at Ginny.

"They would make such a sweet pair, don't you agree, Harry?" said Ginny.

"Uh-huh."

"You know what, I think I'm going to go ask him right now." said Hermione, full of adrenaline, and jumped up like a spring. Harry and Ginny looked at her in surprise. As she walked away to leave the common room, she heard Harry say, "I think she's losing it."

Hermione made her way through the castle to Professor McGonagall's office where Ron and the other prefects were supposed to be doing their duties that night. Her chest was thumping like crazy and she was sweating. Something had woken up inside her that was making her go crazy. Either she hadn't gotten enough sleep, or she was really losing it.

Hermione was halfway to her destination when someone turned the hall and came face to face with her. It was Ron.

They both stopped and stared at each other for what seemed like ages to Hermione.

"Well?" said Hermione.

"Well what?" said Ron, looking at her confusingly.

"Isn't there something you want to ask me?"

"Erm..."

"Oh forget it!" screeched Hermione, and turned to leave, but Ron grabbed her arm with full force.

"Will you go to the dance with me?" said Ron in a timid voice, letting go of her hand.

Hermione beamed at him.

The night of the Halloween dance had finally arrived. Hermione was in her dormitory, observing herself in the mirror. She touched her bushy hair and frowned. She was tired of looking like she did day after day, so a decision had come upon her to make a sudden change and dye her hair black. She knew her parents wouldn't approve so she decided she would change it back after the dance. It took her about a few minutes to make the Hair-Dye Potion, and nervously, she drank it.

Hermione looked in the mirror and was astonished at the difference of her appearance. The black hair made her ivory skin look pale, but it made her gray eyes stand out and her cheekbones appeared smoother and rounder. She brushed her hair for about five minutes, and then moved on to fitting into her costume.

"Wow." Hermione heard someone mutter as she walked down the steps to the common room. Clutching to her skin tightly was a soft-as-silk forest green colored dress that came above knee length and had a very low cut neckline. The dress was backless, which was putting the chills in her. She was also wearing a necklace of fresh mint leaves along with a matching crown lying upon her curly (not bushy) black hair.

"You-look-amazing." said Ron, goggling at her from top to bottom. Hermione could tell that Ron had dressed himself up as a vampire, because he was wearing a massive black cloak, and as he stared at her with his mouth open, she could see his bloody fang teeth.

"Thanks. You're not looking too bad yourself. You're not planning to bite me, are you?"

"That's up to me. What are you supposed to be anyway?"

"A Dryad."

Hermione saw the puzzling look on Ron's face, "They're spirits of nature. They protect trees in the forest. Don't you ever read?"

"Why would I when I can ask you?" said Ron simply, "shall we go?"

The Great Hall had completely transformed into a party hall. Hermione could taste the flavor of carved pumpkins that were floating in midair, and smell the sweet-scented candles that gave a glimmering orange-glow in the room. There were pumpkins placed in every corner and above them were orange lights, almost looking like Christmas lights. At several places, there were scarecrows that were talking amongst each other, and the House ghosts were gliding around the room and making wailing noises. They're the only ones around here who don't need costumes, she thought. The dance floor was filled with half of the Hogwarts students while the other half were pigging out near the dinner tables, especially on candy.

As they both walked together in the Great Hall, Hermione could see everyone's heads turning. They were gawking at her like a supermodel had just walked in, and suddenly, she felt very uncomfortable. After all, it wasn't everyday that she walked around the school half naked.

"Everyone's looking at me." She whispered in Ron's ear.

"Of course they are. What did you expect?" said Ron, laughing.

She decided to change the subject, "Who is Harry coming with?"

"Loony Lovegood."

Hermione snorted. Luna Lovegood was one of the most unusual girls she had ever met, or probably the most unusual girl that ever existed. Either it was the fact that she wore peculiar things like carrot-topped earrings that made her different or that she believed in things that didn't exist, like heliopaths or Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, or the fact that she just looked strange.

At that moment, Luna appeared next to them with a dreamy look on her face. She was wearing a raggedy old tea cozy, and fake bat-like ears were situated on the top of her head. Next to her was a figure with black robes and a hood on the top that completely covered his face.

"Harry, is that you?" Ron said curiously.

Harry pulled off his hood and before he could reply, he noticed Hermione and his eyes widened.

"Wow," he said, still staring at her, "You look stunning."

Luna scowled at him, which finally made him come back to his senses. "Come on, let's dance!" she exclaimed and pulled Harry by the shoulder to the dance floor.

"Um...shall we go get something to eat?" said Ron nervously.

"Oh no." said Hermione, "we're going to dance."

"No way. I don't know how!"

"You will. It's easy." And with that, they both headed to the dance floor next to Dumbledore and McGonagall on one side and Ginny and Dean on the other.

Hermione looked at Ron in the eye, "Put your hands here," she put his hands on her waist, "and now, just look at me and go with the flow." She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, and they swayed slowly to the music. Ron was gazing at her as if he'd never seen her before. She felt like that they were having a staring contest because neither of them blinked their eyes.

It was like a Cinderella moment. Hermione felt wonderful and thought everything in the world was beautiful right about now. She forgot all the foul things in the world for a moment, she forgot all about school, and who knew what else and just savored Ron from top to bottom.

In the past six years, Hermione had never realized how attractive Ron was. His red hair shined even if he was twenty feet away, and he had the cutest nose and puffy lips that she had the instant urge to kiss...

And he's extremely tall, she thought as her arms started to get tired.

About three songs passed and Ron spoke, "Let's take a break."

"Alright."

"Where'd you learn to dance like that?" said Ron, as they walked their way to the tables.

"I don't know. I guess if you just go with the rhythm of the music, anyone can dance."

"No they can't." said Ron, grinning.

They reached the tables and Hermione grabbed some apple pie and pumpkin juice. When she turned around, Ron wasn't there.

Where'd he go? She walked around the Great Hall slowly, and after a few minutes she spotted him standing next to Dean and Seamus, looking awfully cheerful. Hermione was annoyed. Did he have to wander off like that? She felt like a fool standing there all by herself, and she was about to go find Harry when she heard someone behind her.

"Dance with me." Hermione turned around and jumped in surprise, spilling half of her drink on her dress. Damn.

For a minute, she thought it was Harry under the tall black-hooded figure as he took her hand, but she spotted Harry dancing wildly with Luna far away. The figure took out his wand and pointed it at Hermione's dress, "Evanesco!"

He grabbed her and they danced smoothly to the music. So far, the only thing she knew about this person's identity was that he had pale skin, from the look of his hands.

"Who are you?" Hermione whispered in his ear, or the place where his ear supposedly should be.

"Your worst nightmare." He had a scratchy voice, almost as if he was attempting to disguise it.

Then she thought it was Malfoy, but when Hermione observed the Great Hall, she saw Malfoy standing in the corner with Crabbe and Goyle. Who was it?

"Uh huh." This is getting too weird. She detached herself from him like pulling away from a magnetic force and went to Ron. Each second she kept on throwing glances behind her, and she could perceive the figure following her.

Hermione paced herself, because now she was getting scared. Her heart had been beating twice as fast after dancing, but now it was beating four times as fast. But what she saw next almost gave her a heart attack.

It was Ron. He was in the middle of the dance floor, dancing with another girl. She was extremely gorgeous, with strawberry-blonde hair and red luscious lips that were too close to Ron. Hermione saw that she was almost as tall as Ron, making her look thin and slender in her dragon scale costume.

A vile feeling erupted all through Hermione. She had an urge to go right up to them and slap the slut in the face and then hex Ron, but she didn't do anything of the sort, because in the next second, the tall girl and Ron were kissing.

How could he? Hermione felt moist tears forming in her eyes. In her ears, the music and the laughing all around her stopped abruptly. She looked away from them and stormed out of the Great Hall.

Her whole face was covered with tears now, and she had mascara spots trailing down her eyes. Hermione couldn't believe it. Ron liked her, not some trashy girl that he didn't even know. Ron loved her, and she knew it.

Then why was he dancing with her? Maybe I'm not worth anything anymore. Maybe he really didn't want to ask me to the dance.

Maybe he didn't. After all, it was she who went to him first and forced him to ask her. She felt like beating herself up for going to Ron first.

Hermione entered the Gryffindor Common Room and collapsed on one of the couches. She had never felt so betrayed and devastated as she did now. She cried and cried as if there was no end to it. She couldn't see anything or feel anything around her, and one thing she certainly didn't perceive was the black-hooded figure standing near the entrance door to the common room, watching her very closely.