Chapter One
That Night
It was an end of the year party, secretly planned and hosted by seventh years of all four houses who were to leave Hogwarts. Somehow, right under the teachers' noses, they managed to put together a spectacular party where students in their fourth year or above were invited. Right in the Room of Requirement, hundreds of students danced, drank, ate, and just had a good time, under the influence of the intoxicating atmosphere.
Hermione Granger had stepped in awkwardly, not used to the extremely close proximity of everyone's bodies, pressing and grinding against one another. She had initially refused to go, but Ron, her boyfriend, pestered and prodded her to the point where she gave in out of pure exhaustion. She was dressed in a white cami, with a jean vest over it, jean skirt, and a pair of white sneakers with silver stripes on it. On her wrist was a fair amount of silver bangles and dangling from her ears were a pair of silver hoop earrings, and her fingers had a few silver rings and around her neck was necklace with an angel hanging from it. Also silver. Her chocolate and caramel hair was thrown into a ponytail with two strands of wavy hair framing her pretty face.
The music was pulsating from an invisible DJ and Hermione felt like getting lost in the music. That is, if she hadn't been lost already. Five minutes into the party and Hermione didn't have the foggiest as to where Ron had gotten off to. He had gone to get drinks, and never came back. She edged along the walls, avoiding what everyone called dancing. It looked like sex standing up to her. She reached a plushy sofa and settled in it, looking around for Ron. She was about to get up and resume her walking search when Blaise Zabini approached her with a let's-stir-up-some-shit expression on his face. Hermione instantly went on her guard and glared at him.
"Hey, what's a pretty, young thing like you sitting around for?" Blaise asked with a wicked grin and suggestive glint in his eyes, "Shouldn't you be with your precious boyfriend?" he said with a raised eyebrow and sneer, implying that he knew something she didn't..
Normally Hermione would've told him to bugger off, but something about his tone of voice told her that he knew more than he was letting on.
"What do you want, Zabini?" she snapped at him, leaving a wide open field for him to elaborate whatever he knew about Ron.
"Oh nothing," he said in an all too casual voice, "Just wondering why I saw your boyfriend sneaking off with Lavender Brown."
Hermione's heart skipped a beat. Ron with Lavender? That's impossible. Ron was with her, not Lavender, he would never go off with another girl. Zabini was just trying to get on her nerves.
"Whatever, Zabini." She said rising from her chair, making to walk past him.
"Going somewhere, love?" he asked, his tone amused and knowing.
"Getting a drink" Hermione said with an acid smile.
"Right," he said, unconvinced, before adding "Hope you don't end up in the spare Charms classroom."
Hermione shot him a venomous look before turning on her heel and stalking off, indignantly, leaving him standing there, a satisfied smirk lounging on his lips. Weaving in and out of the steamy, hypnotized, gyrating crowd, Hermione made it to the edge of the crowd and to the door. She slipped through the doorway and into the quiet hallway, the thumping bass silenced completely. Hermione continued down the hall until she reached the staircase that led upstairs. The spare Charms classroom was used rarely so it was away from the regular room. At the end of the hall, the door stood, somewhat ominous. Hermione's heart went on double-time and pounded nervously in her chest. She took her time getting there and when she arrived at the door, she found that it was slightly ajar.
Hermione's hand went to the doorknob, then dropped again. She leaned in to the space between the door and post, and heard silence. Just as she was about to turn and go, she heard a desk shuffle. Hermione bit her lip, silently praying that she would simply tumble upon a random couple making out. She pushed the door open all the way and nearly fainted.
Nearest to the window, where moonlight was pouring in, two figures were making quite a bit of noise in the shadows to the left of the window. Hermione was about to laugh it off until she recognized the fiery red hair of Ron Weasley. Lavender Brown was pushed against the stone wall, one of her legs wrapped around Ron, resting on his hip. Her fingers on one hand were knotted up in his hair, while the other explored his bare chest that was exposed due to his unbuttoned shirt. One of Ron's hands caressed her right side that was revealed by her belly shirt and the other disappeared under her short, black skirt. They were both locked at the mouth and were emitting pleasured moans and lusty sighs. Time seemed to stop and all Hermione could register was a dull thudding in her ears. It seemed like an eternity had passed when Hermione finally found her voice again.
"Ron!" Hermione cried out, tears forming in her eyes. The two broke apart abruptly and turned to face her. Ron looked horror-stricken as he fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, attempting to do them up again. Lavender bit her lip nervously, avoiding Hermione's eyes, as she smoothed down her skirt.
"H-Hermione I can expl-" Ron started to say, but was cut off by a surprisingly painful backhand from Hermione.
"Ow! That hurt!" he cried, clutching the side of his face.
"Good! I hope I drew blood!" she spat at him, satisfied to see that she did indeed draw blood. Blood could be seen dribbling between Ron's fingers, the ring on her finger had etched a thin, deep gash across Ron's cheek with the impact of the hit.
Tears streamed down her face, but her eyes filled with a raging fire. She then turned on Lavender, who flinched at her livid gaze.
"You dirty slut!" Hermione screamed at her, "I'm going to rip your hair out!" she threatened, advancing on her, hand raised. Ron caught her by the arm and restrained her as Lavender skittered to one side with a squeal, trying to avoid Hermione.
"Hermione, don't!" he said to her. Hermione glared poison at him and wrenched her arm out of his grip.
"Don't you touch me you filthy bastard!" she hissed at him in a deadly voice. She backed towards the door, wishing plagues on them both.
"It's over Ron, take your whore and leave me be." Hermione said, her voice low with hurt and hate. She then whipped around and left the room, slamming the door on them both before either could say another word. Then she ran. She ran and ran until she reached Gryffindor Tower all the way up on the seventh floor. Winded, she choked out the password.
"Magus…iubar." She said between pants for air and stifled sobs. She stumbled into the Gryffindor common room and up into the dark girls' dormitory, where she flopped onto her bed, wrenching the hangings closed around her. For a moment, she just sat there in silence. Then, like a rushing river bursting through a dam, Hermione broke down crying. She buried her face in her pillow, deadening the sound of her sobs. She remained like this, tired, hurt, and broken, crying until she finally slid into a dark, empty sleep.
