Rejection at it's Finest

"Hogsmeade weekend coming up." Harry noted as he sat outside under a great oak tree with Ron.

"Sounds like it's going to be fun." Hermione had just showed up and was greeted by a cold shoulder from both Harry and Ron.

"Come on, guys!" Hermione cried. "You know I wouldn't mind if one of you wanted to go someplace with a girl!"

Ron smirked. "Sure you wouldn't."

Hermione glared at him, but decided not to persist. "Okay, I'm sorry. I screwed up. Can you forgive me?"

Harry and Ron took a moment to think. "You ditched us." Harry stated.

Duh. Hermione thought. "I know, but it was for a good cause, honest!"

"You know we don't like the guy, Hermione." Ron said.

"Yes, I know. But this is my thing, okay? I'm sorry you don't approve, but I really like Ace. I wish you guys could accept that but if you can't then don't jeopardize our friendship over it."

Harry looked thoughtful. "Fine, I forgive you."

"Me too." Ron agreed.

"But don't ditch us again." Harry warned. "I may not be so forgiving next time."

"Ha ha." Hermione laughed, sarcastically. Harry grinned.

"So, what are we doing the Hogsmeade weekend?" Harry asked.

"Um, I think I'll probably be with Ace." Hermione blushed, sheepishly.

"And I have a… er… date." Ron stammered.

"With who!" Harry demanded.

Hermione sighed, thankfully. Ron's date took their minds off of her ditching them again.

"With Hannah Abbott." Ron was blushing madly. "She asked me if I'd fancy going into Hogsmeade with her, and I said sure."

Harry grinned. "Nice one!"

"So what are you going to do, then?" Ron asked Harry.

"I suppose I'll just hang out with Seamus and Dean." Harry said. "That's fine."

"Great!" Hermione grinned. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got someplace to be."

She leapt up and left so quickly that neither Harry nor Ron had a chance to ask her what place it was that she had to be at.

Hermione ran up to the castle straight for Ace's dorm. Once she reached the room across from the statue of Hector the Hated, she raised her hand and knocked loudly three times.

Ace answered the door wearing a towel around his waist. His hair was wet and dripping; obviously he had just stepped out of the shower.

"Um, hi." Hermione said, awkwardly.

"Hey!" Ace smiled. "Come in."

Hermione walked into his dorm and took a seat on the sofa.

"What's up?" he asked, still grinning.

"Nothing, I just wanted to see you." Hermione said, blushing.

"Well you know I always want to see you, baby." Ace said, slickly. He sat down next to her and gently kissed her lips.

Now this is what I like. Hermione said to herself. Ace's hands held Hermione's face as she played with his hair, twirling it with around finger. He continued to kiss her without jamming his tongue down her throat, and she kissed him back, thoroughly enjoying the moment.

However, the next second Ace pushed Hermione down on the couch and straddled her, her body between his legs. He leaned down and kissed her passionately, not even bothering to ask for admission before he forced his tongue into her mouth. She kissed him back, lost in the moment. Once again Ace's hands found there way up Hermione's shirt as his tongue coarsely wrestled her, and Hermione felt this becoming yet another near-sex situation. What the hell did I just tell him! Hermione thought.

She pushed him away from her. "Come on, Ace! Don't you listen!"

"I'm sorry, Hermione!" Ace cried. "But I get carried away when I'm around you! I can't help it!"

"Then I should probably go." Hermione smiled.

"Fine." Ace said, a bit angrily.

"Well, bye then." She got up and left his dorm, clutching her heart as she shut the door behind her. Why does he find it so difficult to not have sex? Why can't we just talk for a change? Hermione thought. He started tonight off so nicely, but then he had to feel me up again.

Hermione felt so absentminded that she was startled to come face-to-face with the portrait of the mermaids. "Coconut Ice!" She said hurriedly because the redheaded mermaid was tapping her fins impatiently on the vast rock she was lying on.

Thankfully, Malfoy was not in the common room at the time. Hermione felt awkward since the previous night; for one, Malfoy had actually done her a favor, and secondly he had complimented her in an odd sort of way. Why was he so different? After all, you'd think that since the demise of his father that he would loathe Hermione even more than he already did, but obviously that was not the case. She halfheartedly expected him to stand there last night watching her cower on the sofa, enjoying her being naked and crying.

A spur of the moment impulse told her that she wanted to take a bath at that moment. She made her way to the enormous bathroom and looked longingly at the infinite bathtub (more like a mini swimming pool) as she undressed herself. She slipped into the tub and began playing with the various taps before deciding on purple bubbles with a light, lilac scent.

Just as she began to feel soothed and rested, two people burst through the door.

A giggling Pansy Parkinson was clutching Malfoy's hand as he pulled her inside the bathroom. Thankfully for Hermione both of them were wearing robes, but obviously fancied going for a nice little "swim".

"Oh." Malfoy said awkwardly as he spotted Hermione in the tub.

"MALFOY!" Hermione shrieked.

Pansy let out a groan. "Drakie-Poo, can't you get rid of her?" she pleaded, shooting murderous glances at Hermione. Hermione was totally covered by the colorful bubbles, so she didn't feel too self-conscious at the moment.

Malfoy took Pansy's hand and led her outside of the bathroom. Hermione strained her ears to hear what he was saying.

"Look, baby, we'll continue this some other time when the mudblood's not around, okay?" he bargained.

"But Drakie-"

"We have all year." Malfoy said. "Now go on." Hermione could sense that they shared one last goodbye kiss before she heard the portrait slam shut beyond the exiting Pansy.

Much to Hermione's surprise, Malfoy reentered the bathroom.

"What the hell!" Hermione cried.

He walked over to an immense cabinet on the other side of the bathroom and withdrew two bathing suits: one for a guy and one for a girl. He threw the two-piece at Hermione and turned the other way as he slipped into the swimming trunks. Then, without warning, he slipped into the bathtub.

"MALFOY!" Hermione screeched again. She quickly and carefully began putting the bathing suit on under the water. "I am trying to have a bath!"

"Yes, well I fancied a bath and there's no way I'm not going to have it just because a little mudblood is it." Malfoy said simply.

"I'm surprised you'd risk bathing in the same water as a filthy little mudblood." Hermione said sarcastically. She was surprised at his decency to throw her a bathing suit and put one on himself, considering he was all for getting naked at every possible chance.

"What can I say, I'm a risk-taker." Malfoy replied.

Hermione rolled her eyes and tried to continue with the soothing feeling she had felt before Malfoy and his cow rudely interrupted her.

"So, seen that toad today?" Malfoy asked.

"What toad?" Hermione retorted sharply.

"That Ace guy." Malfoy said with great dislike.

"That is none of your business!" Hermione cried, trying to distance herself as far away as possible from him.

"I'll take that as a yes." Malfoy presumed. "I'm surprised that he's conscious. I guess next time I'll have to use a more painful spell-"

"Shut up!" Hermione shrieked.

Malfoy looked taken aback. "You don't still like him, do you!"

"So what if I do?" Hermione replied, defensively.

"You know he only wants sex! That's the only reason he's with you, Granger." Malfoy smirked. "If it weren't for you appearing so easy, he wouldn't have taken a second glance-"

That pushed Hermione's buttons to the limit. She leaped over to where Malfoy was bathing and pressed both of her hands on the top of his head, pushing him under water. Enormous bubbles began to rise to the surface, but Hermione did not care; she was so pissed off at him that she just wanted to see how long he would suffocate for before finally returning to the surface. Malfoy thrashed around uncontrollably before finally conquering Hermione and coming back up. He took a large gulp of air.

"What the hell is your problem!" Malfoy demanded.

Hermione ignored him. Instead, she reached for her towel and departed from the bathtub. "Fuck you, Malfoy." She said before leaving the bathroom altogether.

She was so angry that she decided to visit Ace once more that evening. If he wanted another heavy make out session, then that was fine with her. She needed something to keep her mind off of everything that was making her angry, and Ace always seemed to be able to do just that.

Before she knew it, she was approaching Ace's front door and banging hard three times.

Ace answered the door, this time fully clothed.

"Hey, Hermione." He said with less enthusiasm then usual.

"Hey," Hermione smiled. "I really need someone to talk to-"

She immediately noticed that Ace seemed distracted, almost hesitant.

"What's up?" Hermione asked, apprehensively.

"Look, I think we should just be friends." Ace said, quickly.

"Wha… What?" Hermione stammered, confused.

"This just isn't working for me. You're sweet and everything, but I don't think I'm ready for a girlfriend yet. Sorry." And with that, he closed the door in Hermione's shocked and confused face.