"There she is." Neville whispered to her nochantly nodding toward a tall slender girl with blonde hair and olive skin, talking to her friends. Jayne or something like that, she couldn't remember. She was tired. It had already been well past midnight when Neville knocked on her door. She was still rubbing the cold out of her eyes when she opened the door to reveal Neville, dressed in a nice shirt and black denim jeans.

"What's up?" she asked confused.

He wouldn't look at her, instead somewhere off to the side of her. "I- um" he started and stopped. Hermione just smiled and waited for him to continue. Puberty may have hit him like a truck and the war made him, and all of us, grow up too fast but every so often the small, scared and clumsy boy she met so many years before peeks his head above the surface. He took a deep breath and started over and told her that he got on with a girl in one of his classes and she had invited him to a party and he wanted her to come with him.

"Why me?" she asked even more confused. She wasn't really a party person… and neither was Neville when she thought about it.

Neville chuckled. "Why not? You know Ron's a shit wingman and George… well I don't want to talk about George."

Neither did she.

The wood of the door was cold against her forehead "Okay, give me a second to get dressed." she told him and closed it softly. Slowly she made it back to her bed and found her wand stashed underneath her pillow.

With a flick she made her bed and went to her closet. The clothes she had brought with her had only been enough to fill a third of the room. But somehow it still felt like too much. Where is ginny when you need her? she signed I should at least look nice for Neville. Her outfit was a black band hoodie, cropped low enough to hide the scars she had around her torso but still showed a bit of skin, and black leggings.

She had found a ornate gold bracelet with a single blue gem, amough the jewelry Malfoy had sent her. After the years of bad blood between them you would think that any sign of him would bother her but in truth it didn't. She promised forgiveness.

And he forgave you, a small voice reminded her.

"She's pretty."

"Thanks." he said nervously. He took a small sip from his cup. "Ugh, what in this?"

"Muggle firewhiskey." she told him taking a sip from her own. It really did taste vile.

Jayne must of felt them staring at her because she quickly looked their way. She smiled when she recognized Neville and broke away from her friends.

"You made it!" she exclaimed, when they came together. When she was this close Hermione could see that she had been wrong about her. She wasn't just pretty she was beautiful. Her hair would have gone down the entirety of her back if it wasn't in braid. Eyes the color of the sky through her as she said "Hey, i'm Jayne."

"Hermione." The way they moved closer to each other, didn't go unnoticed. "How do you like here so far?" She asked.

"Its okay so far. Might take some time getting used to."

Jayne smiled. "Defintently, I still remember when I first moved here. It must have took me months before i could even find my way home from school."

"Oh really? Where are you from."

"Mississippi."

"Wow." Neville broke in "But you don't have an accent."

"Why, yes I do Mister Longbottom." Jayne said in a southern accent moving even closer to him. Neville twisted his arm around her. Hermione rolled her eyes. She was happy for him, it had been a long time since she had seen Neville even talk to a girl.

Hermione stuck around just long enough so it wouldn't be rude to excuse herself and left Neville and Jayne alone.

She went to go do what do always did when she was alone and bored, explore. From the living room she sought out the kitchen. The combination of the number of people and just how large the house was meant that she ended up lost despite herself. Why is everyone so rich here?

"Excuse me." she said, stopping a boy as he walked past her. He turned to her confused. "Can you show me where the kitchen is?"

Slowly he lead her back the way she had came and down the stairs. "Here you are." the lad said giving her a bit of a courtesy. "Cheesy I know but its all I had."

"Ryan. You're lovable class clown and host."

"Hermion-"

"I know who you are. You've guys were all anyone would talk about today at school. What utter boredom." Ryan said as handed her a drink from the bar. "I thought I saw the other one down stairs talking to Jayne…. I mean if that's what he wants. Where are the other two, the tall one and the freaky one."

The freaky one? Was he talking about George?

"Listen here motherfucker. Don't you ever call him a freak. You understand me?" Hermione roared at him. Her outburst draw every eye in the room as turned at whispered to each other.

Ryan simply looked at her bored. "You done?"

No i'm not done. She was about to start up again until a large boy with long black hair burst through the threshold holding a steel drum.

He suddenly stopped. She was surprised to see Jordan appear by his side along with a small group. "Everything alright?" the boy asked as he placed the drum down on the table. There was a funnel attached to it that she hadn't noticed before.

"Everything's cool, Jacob." Ryan said narrowing his eyes at him but he did take a small step away from her. "What are you doing here anyway? I don't remember inviting you."

Jacob shrugged. "And was I just supposed to miss out on the fun? No way."

"At least you brought a keg." Ryan grumbled before exclaiming "Alright you pieces of shit lets get this shit started!" The crowd began to cheer and chant until he put the funnel to his mouth but quickly take it away again. His eyes met hers before smiling and turning back to the crowd.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" He yelled jumping on the table. "This here is Hermione."

She narrowed her eyes at him. What are you doing. "Everyone give it up for Hermione. There we go. Now I would be a horrible host if I didn't let the newest member of the Forks High family get first dibs."

They began chanting her name "Hermine, Hermione!"

"No really I-"

"What so you came to a party not to have fun?" Ryan cut her off.

Fuck this guy.

Hermione was absolutely positive that had Voldemort known just how much fun keg stands were, he would have held muggles in much higher esteem. "Whoa." Jordan and Jacob screamed has Ryan and some random girl tried to keep her up right. She drank until she gagged and it went all over her. Everything was spinning and she felt dizzy when she was done but she felt amazing.

Ryan picked her up and spun her around "There we go. Everyone a round of applause for Hermione! Next!"

His eye fell on Neville and Jayne in the corner of the room. They had caused quite a scene causing more and more people to crowd the room. They exchanged looks before Neville signed and made his toward the Keg.