Unofficial Portkey Archive

Looking back on things, she supposed one could say it was all like one of those bad teen movies. It had all started out innocently enough. Ron was getting married and she had needed a date. Well, hadn't needed a date, but she didn't particularly want to go stag and have to depend on Harry or the other Weasley boys or any of the boys for Hogwarts for dance partners.

So she had done the logical thing and asked a co-worker to go with her.

David Reed had been a good friend for a few years now and he owed her a favour.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" she asked him again for the millionth time.

"I don't mind at all Hermione. It'll be fun and I'll finally be able to meet the famous Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter that I keep hearing about," he said as he flashed her that smile that sent a small tingle through her. She and David had dated briefly, if it could even be called that, a couple of times. She always hesitated on using the word dating, considering that both stabs at a relationship with him had ended up with the two of them in bed together shortly after returning for dinner. The other fact that both stabs at the relationship, put together, only amounted to two weeks made her hesitate at calling it dating as well.

"Oh good. You'll come and get me at 2 then?"

"With bells on," he said. "You are going to wear that little blue number, aren't you?" he whispered into her ear. She smiled, blushed a little and nodded. "Smashing," he said as he headed back to his office. Hermione shook her head, but could wipe the smile off of her face. David Reed was a dangerous thing and she couldn't get enough of him.
***
She should have realized that things were not going to go well when he came back from the bar with only one drink.

"I didn't know you wanted anything," he said, without offering to go back and get her something. She shook it off though; she had invited him to this, not the other way around.

"It's alright, I should have said something," she said with a little smile. He took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze and she didn't feel as bad.

Her next clue should have been when he disappeared after dinner. Continuously and for extended periods of time. He would blame the food, an upset stomach, he said. She glanced around and didn't see anyone else complaining of any ailments.

"Any allergies you didn't warn me about?" she asked. He shook his head.

"No. That chicken did taste a little off though," he said as glanced around for a waiter and ordered another drink. Hermione chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, trying to think of something else to say.

"Do you want to go? I'll explain it to Ron and Anna. . . "

"No, no, no," he said as he sat down and pulled her into his lap."I'll be fine. Besides, the dancing is going to start soon. I know you love to dance," he whispered seductively in her ear, his breath hot against her neck and she giggled a little as his fingers danced up her arm to that little ticklish spot behind her ear.

"I do love to dance," she agreed. He chuckled and rested his chin on her shoulder as they watched people mill around for a while before he put his drink down and excused him self. She noted that this time, he seemed like he genuinely needed to leave, unlike the other three times.

Hermione didn't see Harry's disapproving look from the other side of the room.

"What is it?" Ginny asked as she came to stand beside him. Harry looked down at her for a moment before looking back to Hermione.

"Hermione," he replied simply. Ginny frowned a little.

"What about her?"

"David Reed," he said again. He heard a soft 'oh.' come from Ginny. Harry just didn't like the guy. He knew that David and Hermione had taken a shot at something, a couple of times, but it hadn't lasted long at all. He knew none of the specifics and he was pretty sure that he didn't want to. He was very sure that Ginny did know all the details. "Care to enlighten me?"

"And I quote 'He's like a drug. I know he's bad for me, but I can't help going back for more.' End quote," she said as she turned on her heel to go back to her date. Harry ground his teeth a little, but stood his ground.
***
The dancing had started ages ago. At least it seemed like ages go to Hermione and even longer since he had taken off for the umpteenth time that night. Logically, she knew that she should just give up on him and go and dance and have a good time with all her friends, but part of her was worried about him and said that she should stay where he could find her. She had invited him and he didn't know anyone else. . . She sighed a little in relief as she slipped her shoes off and put her feet up on one of the chairs for a bit. She glanced around the room to see who was where and doing what. She caught Harry's eye and he smiled, motioning her over. She dropped her shoes on the floor and headed over slowly.

"Where's your friend?" he asked as he pulled her onto the dance floor.

"Not feeling well. He won't let me take him home though," she said. "He doesn't want to ruin my good time," she said, plastering a smile on her face, hoping to fool him. Harry wasn't fooled, but he didn't say anything, he simply spun her around and pulled her back into his arms.

"So, I leave you alone for a few minutes and you run to the arms of another man?" They both heard behind him. Hermione smiled at the little joke and Harry just tried not to look angry.

"Someone has to show the lady a good time," Harry said as he turned Hermione over to David. She looked at him critically and Harry made a graceful, but quick exit. He headed to the far side of the dance floor, flagged down a waiter and ordered himself a stiff drink.

"Looking a little vengeful there, mate," Ron said as he came over and flopped in a chair beside Harry. Harry's head jerked around and looked at Ron.

"It's nothing, stupid really," he said. Ron followed Harry's glance back to Hermione.

"Who's she with?"

"Someone who doesn't deserve her," he said as he put down the empty glass. "I need some air," he said as he left the hall quickly. Ron's mouth flopped open and closed for a moment as he tried to process what had just been said before Anna came over and pulled him onto the dance floor for another round.
***
Hermione had been the one to excuse herself this time and when she had come back, it all made sense. She turned a corner to head back into the hall and saw him with some floozy waitress in a dark corner. He was chatting her up, playing with her hair and whispering sweet nothings in her ear. Hermione watched as she giggled and wrote something on his palm before giving him a soul rattling kiss and what, as far as Hermione could tell, was a good grope for the road.

She turned on her heel and headed the other way, out the far exit. She walked as quickly as she could; wishing she had never put these stupid shoes back on. She tried to tell her self that it was stupid to feel this way, that she had invited him as a friend to this, that there was nothing to feel bad about.

But she couldn't help it. She flopped down on the bench that was just out side the door and she sat for a moment, feeling that cursed lump building in her throat and she felt even dumber. She was crying over some guy she wasn't even emotionally involved in anymore. She blinked back a few tears and eventually gave up, burying her head in her hands and simply letting it all out. She couldn't believe that she had been dumb enough to think that this time it was going to be different with him, that she was letting something like this get to her. It was Ron's wedding for Christ's sake! She should tell him to take a long walk off a short plank and then she should go and have some fun with Harry and Ginny and Ron and everyone else there that she knew.

But she couldn't. She was feeling rather selfish at the moment that she was having a horrible evening and that made her feel even worse. This was Ron and Anna's day. She should be happy for them and celebrating with them and she couldn't stop feeling sorry for herself.

"Hermione?" she heard David call her. She jumped up and tried to get away, but she stumbled over her own dress and couldn't see through her tears. "Hermione what's wrong?" he asked as he quickly caught up to her and grabbed her shoulders, turning her around.

"What's wrong?!?" she exclaimed as she tried to wrench herself from his grasp. "What's wrong?? "You're what's wrong!" she said as she lashed out at him. He let her go; a little shocked at the fact that she took a swing at her. "You spend all night drinking and disappearing and then I watch you get a free grope! Don't touch me!" she cried as he reached for her again.

"Hermione, she was all over me all night and I finally let her think that she got me," he said, trying to sooth her. "I didn't even keep the number she gave me and I didn't particularly enjoy the free grope." David reached for her again and Hermione took another angry swing at him. She had connected a shot to his jaw and was about to land a second one when another set of arms stopped her.

"I think you can leave now," she heard and she felt her rage leave her as quickly as it had come. David and Harry stared at each other for a long moment before Harry pulled her away, leaving the other man standing alone in the parking lot.
***
She had cried for what seemed like ages that night. All the frustrations and anger burning hot tracks down her cheeks with the tears. She had muttered to Harry about how bad she felt about making a scene and how she hopped Ron hadn't been too upset when they had left. He had stayed quiet though, and let her get it all out. He had stayed the night with her as well and she was rather thankful for that, since she wasn't really ready to be alone the next morning.

One could definitely say it had all worked out like a bad teen movie. Tears, sex and alcohol all wrapped up into one rather disastrous affair.

It did have that rather predictable happy ending though, or at least it was headed in that direction.