When Hermione first awoke, she was momentarily confused by her surroundings. The bed was covered in green sheets and unfamiliar. Then she heard the light breathing against her neck and remembered – she was with Draco.
She looked around silently for a moment. It was kind of strange that she had lived here with Draco since August and had never really seen his room before. The walls were tall, and white with silver moldings. The Slytherin crest was painted on the far wall. All of that stuff was predictable. But on the wall far from the doorway was a moving picture of a Quidditch team – Hermione couldn't quite pick out which one they were – playing on an open field. There was also a picture of him at a younger age (twelve, perhaps?) with another younger boy. And lastly, there was a picture of him with his parents. However, it wasn't the standard family portrait that she would have expected, but rather one where the three of them were on a sailboat, and waving.
The sight of Lucius Malfoy smiling and waving made Hermione snort disbelievingly. Draco moved languidly behind her, squeezing her arm gently and stretching in the golden morning light.
"Good morning," he mumbled into her hair. "Thanks for sleeping here with me."
Hermione was quiet, enjoying his touch. He reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear and did it four times, making sure all the hair was behind her ear. She smiled at his touch.
"I think I missed Potions already," said Hermione. "This is the first time I've ever slept through a class, besides when I was sick or something."
"Really?" Draco yawned. "No wonder you're Head Girl. I've slept through a couple this year," he replied nonchalantly.
"I heard you get to five skipped classes and they take away your Head Chambers privileges," Hermione said seriously.
"Really?" Draco's eyes flew open in alarm, looking at hers.
Hermione laughed. "Sucker."
Draco tugged gently on her curls. "Don't tease a poor boy. Speaking of teasing, you should sleep in here naked more often. It looks really good." Hermione blushed at his words. "I mean, really good. Seriously, any time you get the urge…just pop in here."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'll keep it in mind," she said, rolling off the bed. Draco caught the tip of her fingers and held on.
"You're leaving already?"
"I'm going to get ready for second class," she said. "You probably should too, Head Boy."
"Okay," he said. Hermione waited for him to say something else, or maybe to even protest her leaving, but nothing came. She turned on her heel and stalked out of his room.
After leaving Draco, Hermione had gotten dressed quickly and just made it to her next class of the day on time. She had no idea whether Draco made it or not. To be honest, she was fairly angry with him.
She had left his room in surprise, after expecting him to say something substantial to her, something to make her stay. But he had just let her go with a simple 'okay.'
What in the world was she supposed to think? Did he even care at all about her? Or had he just been using her to have sex – pretending to be friends, forming a connection with her, all so that he could work up to getting her into bed whenever he felt like it?
She fumed as she climbed the stairs back up to Head Tower after class. Had this been his plan all along? To become friends with the Head Girl, seduce her, and then laugh with his friends about it afterwards?
She stopped in her tracks – suddenly unsure if she was being too harsh on him. After all, he hadn't said anything to her about their new type of relationship, but she hadn't said anything either. Maybe he was feeling just as confused as she was. She quickly brushed this passing thought out of her mind, determined to stay mad at him until he gave her some kind of explanation.
She walked through the portrait hole and bee lined for the desk in her room. She desperately needed to catch up on her studies, and although using the Friday evening was not ideal, she couldn't keep falling further behind. She pulled out her DADA book and placed it open on her desk, just starting to read the first few pages of their new assignment when she heard a sharp knock on the door.
Puzzled, she rose to go open it. Would it be Draco? She wondered. As she pulled it open a mane of red hair caught her eye, and she let her breath out, relieved.
"Hey Gin," she said, shutting the door behind the young redhead as she bounded into the room and flopped down on the bed.
"I am sooo jealous you live here," she moaned. "I wish I had a shot at Head Girl next year."
"Well, you still could," said Hermione. "Finals haven't started yet – you can start studying with me tonight if you want."
"That's what I came to talk to you about," said Ginny, turning over and wrinkling her nose at her brunette friend. "Studying? Tonight? C'mon, you're not seriously missing the Gryffindor party." Gryffindor seventh years had been planning a party in their common room for several weeks now. Hermione had originally planned on going but had decided to back out when she fell behind in her schoolwork.
"Yes, I seriously am," Hermione said, pacing around the bed. "I feel so behind in school and I haven't had a decent chance to catch up yet. Plus, you know me. Parties aren't really my thing."
"This is your thing! It's your whole year, all the kids you've gone to school with for ages," said Ginny, her green eyes wide. "You're going to have a great time. As for school," Ginny scoffed, "that's what Sunday night is for! Not Friday. Stop worrying so much; you're Hermione Granger. You can do anything!"
"Gin, it's not that easy. If I don't do well in school this year, they might not accept me into the Auror Academy, and then all my training this year will have been for nothing!" Even as Hermione protested out loud, though, she could feel herself coming around. She knew she would have a great time there, and it would be much more fun to spend the evening with her friends rather than pouring over her books and brooding about Draco.
Ginny could sense Hermione's resolve weakening. "Please?" Ginny asked, looking in Hermione's eyes. "For me? It'll be so much fun, and it'll be the most time we've spent together all year."
Hermione sighed. She knew she was going to give in eventually, so it might as well be now. "Fine, I'll go with you. You had better let me have enough time to study the rest of the week though!"
Ginny squealed. "Yay! I knew you weren't going to miss it. Come with me, you have to help me find something to wear!" Ginny grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her from her room, bounding down through the portrait hole to her dormitory as Hermione stumbled along behind her.
Ginny was staring in the mirror for the hundredth time that night. "Do you think this eyeliner is too intense?" she asked. Hermione glanced at her younger friend. Ginny was experimenting with her makeup that night and had opted for a light purple liner to fringe her green eyes. Her eyelid was covered in silver shadow, and bright fuchsia lipstick covered her pout.
"Umm," said Hermione gently, "it might be a little much altogether." Ginny squinted her eyes in the mirror, assessing the damage to her face, and sighed, starting to take the paint off with a damp tissue. Hermione had played it a little safer, only opting for a touch of dark eyeliner and a little bit of mascara. However, to her it felt nice – she rarely had the time or need for makeup this year, owing to the amount of time she spent outside running around in the mud.
Tonight, she enjoyed the extra attention she spent on her appearance. She thought the little makeup she had on made her look older, and dare she think it, sexier. Ginny had even insisted that Hermione forgo her usual, fairly predictable wardrobe and had pushed something from her own closet upon her. She was wearing a luxurious, green velvet tank dress that reached far enough down her leg to not be obscene, but it remained fairly alluring. She had simple diamond studs in her ears and the top part of her hair was clipped back.
Ginny had been bolder than Hermione and was sporting flirtatiously tight jeans, along with a bustier that had a corset attached. She was definitely comfortable with showing off her womanly figure. Her bright red hair hung halfway down her back.
Hermione waited patiently for Ginny as she redid her makeup, much more tamely this time. By the end she looked quite pretty and much more like herself.
Ginny turned to Hermione. "Ready?" she asked.
"Already?" Hermione said nervously, adjusting her earring in the mirror. She wasn't quite the social butterfly that Ginny was, and she wasn't sure she was ready for the night to start yet.
Ginny giggled. "Come on, everyone's going to be there already! We don't want to be super late – we'll miss all the fun!" Hermione looked in the mirror one last time and pulled the top of her dress. Ginny catcalled and grabbed Hermione by the hand. "Let's go!"
The girls left Ginny's dorm and headed to Gryffindor common room, hearing the music playing well before they entered the room. Ginny was right – everyone was there already, and the party appeared to be in full swing.
As soon as they entered, Ginny immediately flounced off to go find Harry. Hermione spotted Luna and Neville and decided to join them.
"Hi guys," she said as she walked up, smoothing her dress.
"Hello, Hermione," said Luna pleasantly. "I rather thought we were supposed to wear Gryffindor colors to the party. But the Slytherin colors suit you nicely."
Hermione was momentarily confused until she realized she was wearing a green dress. She hadn't really thought about it; she just thought the color went nicely with her skin. Luna, on the other hand, was decked out in maroon robes with gold trim, and wearing a headdress of what appeared to be a lion's mane to match.
"I didn't even think about it, I just threw on whatever Ginny handed to me," she explained. "You look great though, Luna."
"Thank you," she replied. "I thought people might like it if I wore the full lion's head hat that roared, but I seem to have misplaced it." Hermione suspected that perhaps Luna hadn't misplaced it, but that it was rather stolen by her fellow Ravenclaws. She chose to remain silent though, and nodded.
"So, I'm excited for the Unity Ball tomorrow," Neville said, changing the subject. "Luna, who are you going with?"
"Michael Corner," she replied. "He asked me, and I thought it was funny, because I don't know him very well. But I guess that is the point of the ball – to meet new people."
Hermione and Neville nodded in agreement. "Hermione, you ready for our big presentation tomorrow?"
Hermione cocked her head in confusion. "Presentation…did I miss a class assignment?"
Neville and Luna exchanged glances and smirked. "No…you know, right? We have to start off the dancing tomorrow at the Unity Ball. The Head Girl and Head Boy always start the ceremonies. McGonagall said we have to come early to be there in time for the presentation."
Hermione inwardly rolled her eyes. She should have guessed she would have had to interact with Draco tomorrow. They always made a big production out of the Head Boy and Head Girl. "Do I dance with you?" she asked Neville.
"Well, you and Malfoy start the dancing, but then I get to cut in and he can dance with his date. Don't worry, it won't be for long," Neville said with a serious face.
"Ugh, guess I'm not eating lunch tomorrow. I don't know how I would be able to keep it down dancing across from his weasel face," Hermione snarked. Luna giggled and Hermione suddenly felt flushed.
"Would you both excuse me a moment?" she asked. "I think I'm going to grab some punch." Luna and Neville nodded.
"See you later, Hermione," Neville called as she walked away from the pair. The space between her legs was suddenly sweaty and uncomfortable.
"Excuse me," she said as she passed by a younger Hufflepuff she didn't know on the way to the refreshment table. She poured herself a small glass of punch, sniffed it cautiously, and recoiled at the strong smell of alcohol. The punch had obviously been spiked already.
"Fan of my work, are ya?" a familiar voice asked in her ear. Hermione turned around to see Ron.
"Ron!" she exclaimed, looking him eye to eye. He was wearing an impish grin and already looked slightly knackered. "This is your doing?"
"Don't be silly," he replied. "It wasn't all me, Harry helped too." Hermione gave him a disdainful look, and Ron grabbed her by the elbow gently. "C'mon, you're at a party. There's no one here under sixth year." Hermione looked at him pointedly. "Fifth year?"
"Don't worry – I'm already out, there's no way I'm slipping back into prefect duty now," Hermione said, taking a small swig of the punch. "So…how've you been? Where's Lavender at?" Hermione asked, scanning the room for her blonde mane.
"Dunno," Ron shrugged. "She'll probably show up at some point. You know, we're not together or anything," he said softly, looking in her eyes.
"I know," Hermione said. "I just didn't want to do anything to rock the boat."
"So, are you coming to the Quidditch game tomorrow?" Ron asked. "It's Hufflepuff. It's going to be a slaughter."
Hermione giggled. "Well, I can't see myself doing any homework before the Unity Ball. And I haven't been to a Quidditch game in ages. I'm sure Ginny will convince me to come along."
"Good. They're predicting I'll have seventeen saves. At least two of them shoestring," Ron joked with mocked bravado.
"Hah," said Hermione. "Who exactly are 'they'?"
Ron shifted his eyes around conspiratorially. "Just Seamus and Dean. They're making a betting pool. And I may have exaggerated the actual number a bit. BUT," he raised his voice, "it's going to be a great game and I expect to do spectacularly."
"I don't know how you squeeze through the door with that big head of yours," Hermione mock sighed.
"It do anything for you?" Ron winked, putting his arm around her as he steered her through the party. Hermione relaxed under his comfortable touch. This felt like the old them again – them as friends. She wasn't sure what Ron's motivation was tonight though. Did he miss her as a friend? As something more? Was he just really drunk?
Ron directed her towards Harry and Ginny. Ginny was hanging off of Harry, her red hair tumbling across her face. Harry's arm was around her bare waist and his glasses were askew.
"You all started having a good time quickly," said Hermione. She couldn't help but grin when Ginny raised her face and gave her a sloppy smile.
"Mione!" she cried, throwing her arms around the slender brunette. Hermione half hugged her back, half held her up from the ground.
"Harry, have you been pouring punch down her throat?" Hermione asked as Ginny hung onto her and played with her hair.
"I dunno what you're talking about," Harry said, barely slurring his words as his face upturned into a shit-eating grin.
"It's alright, mate," said Ron. "We'll watch both of you tonight. Besides, you need plenty of alcohol. We have a big game tomorrow!"
Hermione stared at Ron. "Alcohol? He's playing tomorrow."
"Right," said Ron. "He needs to get his flying buzz on!" he shouted, and he and Harry slapped both hands in the air.
Hermione giggled and shook her head. Life was so different after the war – everyone was so carefree and a lot more fun. The dark air that had clouded over everyone had dissipated, and they could all finally breathe. She made sure Ginny was standing independently, and walked over to put her arms around both Harry and Ron. They hugged her back in return.
"I miss you guys," she said, speaking into their shirts. "I miss us all hanging out like this."
"Yeah cause you're never bloody around," said Harry, tugging her hair. "You're making your own bed there."
"I know," sighed Hermione. She really needed more of this in her life. "It'll get better. I need this too much."
"Right. No more hiding in your room. Or the library. Who even knows where you go?" said Ron. Hermione felt a pang of guilt as she thought of her time spent with Draco.
"Right," she said. "None of that." She glanced over at Ginny, who was intently playing with the threads of a pillow on the nearby couch and plucking some of them out. "Uhh guys? I'd better put Ginny to bed. I think she's too drunk."
"Stay a while," pleaded Ron. Harry nodded in agreement.
"I'm tired too! Not used to being up this late," she said, and realized it was true as her brain silently stifled a yawn. "I'll come back out for a bit after I put her down. I can't believe you all aren't trying to get to bed – how on earth are you going to fly tomorrow at ten in the a.m.?"
"Practice," shrugged Harry. "Also, it's Hufflepuff."
"Cocky losers," joked Hermione. "Maybe I will root for Hufflepuff tomorrow."
"You'll be the only one," shouted Ron. Hermione rolled her eyes as he and Harry slapped hands again, and she went over to Ginny and placed her around her shoulders.
"C'mon, Gin," she said gently, "let's get you to bed. I don't know how you got so drunk so quickly." Ginny followed her quietly like a little puppy as Hermione wove her way through the Gryffindor common room. She pushed Ginny up the stairs in front of them into the sixth year girls' dormitory.
"Hermione, you're such a good friend," Ginny crooned drunkenly in Hermione's ear as she supported her over to her bed.
"Thanks Ginny," Hermione said as she helped her take off her top and jeans. "Here, put this on." She pulled a soft cotton nightgown from Ginny's dresser and put it in Ginny's hands. Ginny slipped it on and stumbled a little bit.
"Steady," said Hermione as she gripped Ginny's arm. She moved her towards her bed.
"Mione?"
"Yeah Ginny?"
"You know, you don't have to get back together with Ron."
Hermione stopped, surprised. "Wherever did you get that idea?"
Ginny was looking at her as seriously as she could through her squinty, drunken eyes and smudged eyeliner. "I just…I think that if you don't want to get back together with him, you shouldn't have to. I think he expects you to. But you both are friends, and you will stay friends if you don't date." Ginny yawned and shuffled over to the bed by herself. "You're such good friends," she said dreamily.
"Right," Hermione said, distracted. "What are you talking about? Of course we're friends. Did Ron say he wanted to get back together?"
"He mentioned that you might," she said, crawling into her sheets and closing her eyes into a drunken smile. "But I think you should do what you want to do. Because who is the boss of you? You are. I can't tell you what to do. And Ron can't tell you what to do."
Hermione smiled – she loved when Ginny attempted to give drunken advice. "Alright, Ginny. I got it – I'm my own boss." She pulled the covers up to Ginny's chin. "And I'm sure Ron and I will stay friends. It's just hard sometimes after a breakup. It doesn't come naturally right away."
"Good. I want you to be with someone you fit well with," said Ginny, turning over sleepily. "And you and Ron are really good friends."
"Right," whispered Hermione. "Friends." She sat on the edge of the bed, but Ginny had stopped talking. Hermione listened closely until she heard Ginny breathing slowly and evenly. She crept out slowly, closing the dormitory door softly behind her.
The party was still in full swing when she re-entered the common room, and Ron and Harry had become the life of it. They were standing in the center, chanting "GRYFFINDOR! GRYFFINDOR!" at the equivalent of a dull roar as the rest of the Gryffindors joined in at top volume. Hermione laughed to herself and clapped to the chant as she rushed to join them.
"Hey," shouted Ron when he saw her. "We're doing the victory chant."
"I like it," Hermione shouted back, "it's very easy." She noticed Ron and Harry pumping their fists in the air and copied them. The energy in the room was incredible, and it was fun being reunited with her friends again, in the center of attention. She couldn't bear to leave the party at this point.
She stayed for a bit longer, chatting with other Gryffindors after the din had died down. Somehow, before long, she and Ron had found each other, and they sat down on the couch together, each holding another drink.
They were joking around in their usual fashion, and Hermione was peering at him through a drunken haze. She kept turning Ginny's advice over in her brain.
Why did she keep emphasizing that we were friends? Does she not like Ron and I together as a couple? But it's so easy with him – we've known each other forever. Is that what she was worried about, that I might get back together with him because it was easy? What does Ron even want, for that matter? He's staring at me too.
The alcohol had started to affect her brain – a rare occurrence for Hermione Granger – and she was having trouble processing the jumbled advice from Ginny along with the current intense stare she was getting from Ron. Her body was starting to shut down and she decided it was probably best to leave.
"Ron, I've got to go to bed," she managed to blurt out. "I think I'm too drunk."
"I'll walk you," he said, jumping up from the couch. He gave her his hand and pulled her up (she managed to not wobble more than a little bit), and he led her out of the common room into Head Tower.
They walked up the staircase, with more than a little trouble, and their progress was slow. But for some reason, this was extra funny to both of them, and they collapsed on the floor laughing in front of the portrait hole.
"Thanks for walking me back," Hermione said once their laughs had subsided.
"Anytime," said Ron, his face suddenly serious. "I missed you."
Hermione caught the intensity of his glance and started breathing more shallowly. Is he going to move in? she wondered. Is he going to try to kiss me?
Ron, however, did nothing more than gaze at her for an extra second, then he got to his feet and offered her a hand up. "I hope you'll be at the game tomorrow. Now that you know the victory chant and all," he said.
"I hope I'll remember it," she joked.
"Well, I'm sure one of the fans will help you out," he said. He started down the stairs and she turned to go inside the portrait hole.
"Oh Hermione?" he said, turning around on the stairs.
"Yeah?" she asked, hesitating before climbing in the hole.
"Save me a dance tomorrow night? We haven't danced at a real Hogwarts ball before."
Hermione grinned, remembering the fiasco that had been the Yule Ball during their fourth year. "Of course. Just remember to ask me first."
"Like I'd forget that again," Ron said. "The wrath…"
Hermione giggled and bid him goodnight. She stumbled through the portrait hole, still laughing, and adjusted her dress on the other side. She walked unsteadily on her heels to her room, not noticing the blond boy who gazed at her from his doorway.
I walk home alone with you, in the mood you're born into.
Sometimes you let me in, and I take it on the chin.
I can't get clean again. I wanna know, can we get clean again,
The God of Wine comes crashing through the headlights of a car that
Took you farther than you thought you'd ever want to go.
We can't get back again.
You can't get back again.
She takes a drink and then she waits,
The alcohol it permeates.
And soon the cells give way, and cancels out the day.
I can't keep it all together…
Author Notes: My favorite song by Third Eye Blind at the end, God of Wine. Thought it was fitting for this chapter. Would really like reviews, especially on the way Luna was written. I really don't like writing her and I would like feedback on how to write her more "true" to her character; otherwise I'm just going to use her much much less. Hope you all enjoyed this one =)