Round 4, HoH Ravenclaw, Drabble, Character: Bill Weasley, Prompt: Birthday, WC: 526 (as of Google Docs)

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Hermione Granger's twenty-first birthday. It was highly anticipated, what with her being the first of the trio to turn so. It was never going to be a small affair, especially not with the Weasley family having fully integrated her into their lives, which was far from the quiet that she might have been used to. The problem being that she'd never liked noise or too many people. She had never liked crowds, or parties, or especially large social groups.

Bill was more used to being the life of the party - of course, not as much as his younger brothers. Tonight, though… he didn't feel it. There was that age-old unsettling feeling in his stomach. Call it anxiety. Sadness. He could only describe it as being hungry for something that he couldn't comprehend yet. Only something more. Something with more substance.

Of course, as Hermione came rushing out of her own party, all he could do was stand up and follow her with his worrying eyes. He set down his beer and called after her.

"Hermione!"

She spun on the spot. In the moonlight, her tear-tracks glimmered silver.

"Oh."

"Bill," she breathed, only half smiling, as though there wasn't quite enough energy in her. He didn't understand. "I just… I needed some air. Or a drink. Or to change my shoes. Take your pick."

He tried to smile back, but it felt just as awkward as hers looked.

"All viable excuses." Bill sighed. "But what's really going on?"

"So you do see right through me," Hermione said, voice thick with tears even though she tried to laugh. "I guess there's no harm in spending the penny of my thoughts."

"You do say some half odd stuff sometimes, Hermione," he said. "Sorry. Go on, tell me."

She walked three metres across to the bench positioned between a bed of peonies, and Bill followed, concerned. "It's Ron," she said, like it was the most simple thing in the world. "In there, with Lavender. Him being with her. I guess that I never expected her to be, you know, the long game. I thought it was just a fling. I always thought it would be me and him."

Bill nodded like he understood. And he did, in a way. Hermione and Ron were best friends - it was one of those things people sometimes believed, that you should end up with your best friend. But that wasn't true at all. It didn't have to be.

"Ron isn't the only guy in the world," he said.

"He's the only guy I ever thought might like me."

"I hate to say it, Miss Granger," Bill started, almost grinning, "but you might just be wrong there."

She shoved her shoulder against him and smiled properly.

"I just feel funny tonight," she said. "Like… Off. I can't explain it."

Bill smiled. "I get it. It's a weird evening."

Together they sat in companionable silence for some time, the early-autumn air cooling around them. Soon, it felt like time enough had passed and they could return to the party with a little more light in their step, and comfort in a newfound friendship amongst the shrubbery.

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Thanks for reading!