"Thank you for arriving so quickly lad," Aberforth greeted. "I don't know what's got her goat but she's acting strange. Really emotional and tearful and... strange." Dean followed the old wizard as he led them towards the witch in question. Hermione Granger was slouched on a bar stool, cradling a glass of firewhiskey and sporting a devastated look on her face.

"Hermione," he called, grabbing her attention. "How are you, love?" She sniffled and he was filled with dismay when her eyes took a shine to them that hinted to oncoming waterworks. "Woah! What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she denied, wiping her face on her sleeves to get rid of the couple of tears that had leaked out of her eyes. "I'm fine."

"I've been dating you long enough to know that when you say you're fine, you're lying to me," Dean told her, taking the stool next to her so he could sit and be closer. "I want to help." Her bottom lip quivered but she shook her head and remained quiet. "Hermione, please." She looked at him and seeing the raw desperation to help in his eyes, she sighed.

"Ginny found out about us," she confessed quietly. Dean frowned and twined his fingers with hers.

"And that's...bad?"

"No!" she answered, eyes wide. "She just, wasn't too happy about the idea of us together." She paused to gather her thoughts and work out what she was going to say and Dean sat patiently, his thumb rubbing the back of her hand comfortingly. "She had a go at me, said some words that were fairly insulting." She chuckled harshly, showing her pain. "Apparently she'd had you eyed in her sights for her next conquest."

"She'd already had me back in Hogwarts and it was a less than desirable event."

"Yes, she knows that but she's in some sort of belief that it was because she wanted Harry and now, if you two were to have a go, it would be perfect." She sighed. "She gave me an ultimatum. End things with you or lose all of the Weasleys."

"Surely her whole family can't hate you for having a relationship!"

"No, but she can pull out this lie from nowhere and they'll all be so mad that I hurt her that they won't care for my side of the story." She knocked back her drink and winced as the alcohol made its way down her throat. "I don't want to lose you. I don't want to lose the people I consider my family."

"What about me?" Dean asked curiously. "What if I don't want to get with Ginny?" Hermione blinked owlishly at him and he fought off a grin. "You didn't consider that we could go through this together? Like the couple we are?"

She blushed and cradled her glass. "I was worried that you'd actually be interested in her. She's gorgeous and funny and she's a famous Quidditch player. I'm just me."

"Just you?"

"Dean…" she whined, more tears filling her eyes at the raw emotion that was ablaze in his eyes. "Stop it."

"No," he denied, shaking his head. "I'm with you. I want to be with you. I've been half in love with you since Hogwarts. I don't want some woman who acts like a child and puts friendships on the line because she can't have something. I want you. You get me?"

She nodded, more tears trickling down her cheeks even though her mouth held a smile of extreme happiness. Dean chuckled at her softly and placed a curl behind her ear.

"Merlin, you're being emotional today, aren't you?" She nodded, blubbered really, and he opened his arms to her, allowing his witch to bury her face in his chest and soak his shirt. "What we're going to do is tell everyone, immediately. No excuses."

"Immediately," she repeated. "No excuses."

They hadn't even stepped out of the Hog's Head for longer than five minutes before they bumped into Harry, Ron and Ginny. Dean tucked Hermione closer into his side as they converged onto them but he didn't shy away from the contact and neither did she. Immediately. No excuses.

"Hermione," Harry called with concern as he drew close enough to see her face. "Have you been crying? If you'd called me, I would've come."

"Aberforth called Dean," she told them, motioning to the obviously present Dean Thomas. "He dealt with it."

"And why would he call Dean?" Ron asked, smirking at the couple knowingly.

"Because we're a couple," she answered after taking a deep breath. Her worries, however, seemed to have been for nought because Harry sighed and ruffled around in his pockets before handing the ginger wizard a couple of galleons. "Been together for the past four months," she continued in a distracted and confused voice as she'd watched the exchange. Her frown deepened when Ron scowled and handed the coins back. "What was that all about?"

"Well, I was pretty convinced that you were dating Dean," Ron admitted, smirking at Harry when he confessed that he thought it had been Seamus. "Harry was pretty sure that whoever you was with had been with you for the past four months. I was sure it was two."

"You were betting about me?" she asked in disbelief.

"Doesn't matter now," Dean interjected. "They know now and they all know that nothing will ever stop me from caring about you." His eyes narrowed in on Ginny who's jaw clenched to keep quiet. "Nothing and nobody." He looked down at Hermione and pressed a sweet kiss to her lips, smiling when she moaned happily at the contact.

"Give me another!" she whined playfully when he pulled away and he was only too happy to oblige.

Written for Hopscotch: Dean/Hermione (pairing), Ginny (character), Hogsmeade (location), ablaze (word), "Give me another!" (dialogue)

Chocolate Frog Card: Banshee (silver) - Challenge: Someone is extremely emotional or distressed in your story.

Gringotts Prompt Bank: The Hog's Head (HP Location), greeted, repeated (words instead of said)