For the first time in a very long time, Hermione Granger was happy. After trials, tests and near death experiences as a third of the Gryffindor trio, she was finally able to live like a normal girl.
She would soon be ending her sixth year at Hogwarts, and was looking forward to spending the summer with her best friend Harry, and Ron, her boyfriend of three weeks. She had also acquired some new friends, through a potions project, in which she had been paired with Pansy Parkinson. She had been terrified at first, but knew even the idea of changing groups was futile. The first work session they had was somewhat strange; Pansy had been nice to her, and Hermione couldn't for the life of her figure out why. But they worked well together, and as they worked they became closer. When the assignment was done, they kept with their study lessons.
Following a friendship with Pansy was the package of Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy. Their first 'friendly' meeting had been even stranger. Blaise and Hermione had always treated each other as usual: a member of another house who they really didn't care that much about. The problem lay between Draco and Hermione. Too many insults had been flowing between them to just become friends like that. At the end of the day, Hermione had no problem with forgiving Draco and saying she was sorry in return, as long as he had grown out of his prejudice self. Something, it turned out, he actually had. And as Hermione had walked back to her room after that first meeting, she thought about the last few mounts and how she hadn't heard any mocking from him.
After a couple of weeks, their teasing had become friendly, although Hermione always held her guard up to some extent while they were with the guys. Pansy had become the one Hermione would turn to when she needed a girl to talk with, and she often studied with all three of them. They were closer in wits than she had thought, and she found it refreshing to hang out with Slytherins.
The biggest problem in being friends with them was, to no surprise, Harry and Ron. At first they had been livid at the thought of her being alone with three Slytherins and had almost joined her when she went to study with them. Ron swore at her and came up with the stupidest names for Draco and Blaise each time she went, and always made sure she was totally whole and sane when she came back. After a while it became quite tiresome, and finally she yelled at him and told him to mind his own business. After this, he never mentioned it again, although he always narrowed his eyes when she left. Harry had slowly come to accept it and didn't say anything about it other than that if it made her happy, it was fine by him.
As she strolled down the hall to the library Hermione was almost humming. Last week, Ron had seemed like he could finally let it go, and stopped being disgruntled about the whole Slytherin friends ordeal. Finally she could be open with all her friends.
When she heard a faint sound from a nearby door, she stopped in her tracks, and couldn't help but listen in. At first she could only hear mumbling, but when the voices grew louder, she recognised one of them.
It was Ron; she was about to open the door to peak in when she heard his words:
"I know love, I'll tell her once we get back, it's just hard to know I let her down like this."
Hermione froze as she waited for someone to reply. The answering voice was one she recognised from many evenings in their room.
"Well, I want to spend the summer with you, I don't want her walking around thinking she has you or anything. I want everyone to know you are mine! It's not your fault she is too much of a bookworm to be able to be loved."
Lavender. Of course. Who else. From those two sentences she realised what was going on and a lump formed in her throat. The words stung. She knew she should just open the door or leave, but as a masochist, she held her ground.
"I know, and I want them all to know you're mine, but Hermione doesn't have anyone else, and I feel sorry for her."
Upon hearing her own name, she felt as though she had been slapped. As silent, angry tears ran from her eyes, she staggered to the library to take refuge. Making her way to the corner in the back, she slid down the wall and sat down. Her fist were clenched. She was till crying. Her mind could not comprehend what had happened. All she could to was swear under her breath, and try not to make too much sound.
She knew she was a bookworm. Hell, everyone knew that. But one of her best friends should have been able to see through that, and love her for who she was. And if he couldn't, why had he kissed her in the first place?
Only three weeks ago, she and Ron had first kissed on a visit to Hogsmeade. He had held her arm, and pulled her away from the others under the pretence that he wanted to talk to her. Then he had leaned forward and captured her in a sweet kiss which she har responded to while he blushed like mad. They had come out from the forest holding hands, and from then on all had gone smoothly. She didn't even know when he would have found time to spend with Lavender.
Lavender's words stung so badly, and Hermione's heart were pounding in her chest as if trying to escape. As quit sobs escaped her, she buried her head in her knees.
After a while, Hermione heard footsteps coming her way, and hastily tried to dry her cheeks with the back of her hand. As she stood up, Pansy came around the corner. Hermione recalled she had promised Pansy they would talk a walk around the lake together, though she had forgotten in her tears. When she looked up, she saw a flash of worry in her friend's eyes.
"Hermione, what's wrong? Have you been crying?"
Uncomfortable with this display of feelings, Pansy frowned a bit.
Still crouched by the wall, Hermione swayed a little, and Pansy's discomfort made way for the instincts of a friend, and she crossed over to Hermione in two strides, pulling her into a hug. As Hermione explained what had happened, she could hear Pansy swear under her breath; and when they finally let go, Hermione's tears had dried. She tried to think rationally, but it wasn't easy. Her head felt groggy, as if she was hung over. As they made their way out of the library, Pansy holding Hermione uptight, one thought penetrated her mind. She was supposed to be spending the summer break with Ron.
Pansy, who must have seen the emotion on Hermione's face, caught on.
"Hermione, would you like to spend summer break with me? I'm visiting some family in the States, and I would love to have you with me."
Hermione slowly registered the words and looked at Pansy with what she hoped wasn't too much of a hopeful smile. Pansy smiled back at the sight of that, and stated.
"Well, that's that, then, you're coming with us."
Thrilled to have somewhere else to go this summer, Hermione was too happy to register the last word of Pansy's statement. Only two days were left in the school year, and she hoped that it would end all right. While she knew that a confrontation with Ron was imminent, she was unsure of whether or not she would be the one to initiate it.
As the two friends made their way through the halls, a dark shadow watched them from afar, with a curious smile on his lips.