Unofficial Portkey Archive

Chapter 7

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Hole in my soul

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Yeah there's a hole in my soul
But one thing I've learned
For every love letter written
There's another one burned

Is it over
'cause I'm blowin'out the flame

Hole in My Soul - Aerosmith

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Hermione wore tight, low cut jeans and a white, business suit vest. She smiled at everyone when she saw them. She really loved being with the twins, they always cheered her up. She introduced herself to the two new girls. The blonde one gave her a proud smile and said,

"I'm Vicky, Harry's girl."

Hermione gave her a welcoming smile, but she felt like turning around and walking straight back to her room. She turned around and walked over to the stereo. "Does anyone mind some muggle music?" she asked.

Jenny's face brightened. "My mum's a muggle, I love their music!"

Hermione looked through the CDs they had to choose from and she went for a classic, "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison. Ron gave Harry a stern look.

"Right," he said and jumped to his feet. "A drink, Hermione?" She looked surprised at him but nodded and followed him to the table where they had put all the bottles.

"Muggle drinks?" she asked surprised.

"Yup, needed to branch out. What do you fancy?"

"I guess I'll have… hm… just a butterbeer to start."

"Coward," he joked, and she pushed him with her shoulder. Obviously jealous, Vicky walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist. Why did I invite her? he thought. For her next drink, Ron made Hermione a screwdriver. She liked it a lot but felt that it was a bit strong. She felt relieved to see that this party had the same feeling as always.

"So, where did you get that great tan?" Jenny asked, trying to make some conversation.

"Oh, I worked outside in Romania for six months. It was really sunny, so…"

"Wow." Jenny interrupted.

"Yeah, wow, Hermione," Seamus agreed and raised his eyebrows. "You almost look like a gingerbread man, I could fancy a taste." He winked. Hermione knew he was joking but it was embarrassing anyway. Both Ron and Harry glared a little at Seamus. Jenny was quite intrigued by Luna's stories from The Quibbler, but Vicky mostly sat starring at Harry.

What a nut! Hermione thought. She was getting a little bit tipsy, but she felt good. This was the first time in a very long time she was in the same room with Harry without feeling too weird. It was almost like the good old times.

As Harry was mixing a batch of sangria for everyone, George suggested that they play a game.

"Remind me, how old are you again?" Ginny laughed.

"Shut it," he waved a hand at her. "It's new, from the store. A magic sort of truth and dare"

"Honestly!" Hermione muttered.

"What's that?" Luna had no clue what muggles did.

"You've never played?" George asked. "Well we have to then."

"Don't be afraid." Ron said teasingly to Hermione.

"I'm not afraid. It's just immature. But fine… whatever." She swept the last of her third screwdriver and they all sat down on the floor around a small, round, coffee table. It was rather tight, so Vicky made sure to squeeze as close to Harry as possible.

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"I want to ask something." Neville raised his hand.

"Yes Mr. Longbottom." George did his best impression of Professor McGonagall.

"Well, this game is from your shop after all… Is it jinxed in anyway or will it be a fair game? Will I end up with a green nose or something?" The rest around the table nodded.

"Good questions in deed, five points to Gryffindor," Fred continued.

"But another ten off because Mr. Finnigan over there stole my firewhiskey," George interrupted.

"The game is absolutely fine. Merlin's honour!" Fred finished.

Fred placed what looked like a floating wand in the middle of the table. He made to push it with his hand in the air and it started spinning. It pointed at Ginny.

"Truth or dare?" Fred asked.

"Truth," she answered cautiously. The wand lit a small spark, and then spat a very small scroll. Fred took it and looked down.

"Tell us something you stole," he read out loud. Ginny laughed, relived it was such an easy one.

"Well, I sure am glad you're not a prefect anymore. But Hermione, I stole your old notebook when you were a fourth year and I kept it until I was a fourth year." Hermione gaped and the giggled.

"You little sneak!"

Ginny pushed the wand and it landed on Neville. He chose truth as well. Ginny read, "If you could ask anyone anything, and you would be guaranteed and honest answer, what would it be?"

Without even thinking he said, "I would ask Snape what his boggart was." He spun the wand and it landed on Ron, he of course had to be brave and chose dare.

"Spin the wand again, and give whoever it stops on a kiss," he waved at the wand and it stopped on Ginny.

"Do it again!" she cried out disgusted. This time it landed on Jenny. Ron didn't seem to mind this at all, Hermione watched as he gave her a few tongue-less kisses. She wished she could be freer like that sometimes. He spun the wand and it landed on Vicky.

"Dare," she stated before he had asked.

Everyone was sure what she was hoping for.

"Make the most disgusting sound you've ever done in the toilet," Ron laughed and the rest of the room joined him, and Hermione wondered if he had made it up. He showed it to Vicky and she looked cranky. She made a silly fart noise and rolled her eyes. She spun the wand. It landed on Hermione and she chose dare.

"Nice, Hermione," Ron teased and nudged her in the side. Harry looked from Ron to Hermione. Are they flirting? Well so what if they are? She's not my girlfriend, I shouldn't even care. I don't care the slightest… he thought

Vicky opened the scroll. "I'm to make you any drink of my choice and you have to drink it," she announced pleased. She walked over to the bar and poured a really large firewhiskey for Hermione.

Well here's to being freer, Hermione thought and swept it. Fred and George clapped their hands. She spun the wand and it landed on George.

"Dare!" he answered as quickly as Vicky had.

She read, "Let the group decide a partner, lie in this persons lap and let him or her spank you five times."

"Luna, you should do it!" Fred laughed. She didn't mind at all, she spanked him quite hard. Now the wand pointed at Harry.

"When was the last time you had sex?"

"I guess, last weekend," he answered. He saw Hermione giving him a judgemental look. Harry quickly spun the wand. It landed on Ron again.

"Dare"

"Wow, looks like you're kissing again Ronny boy. The person opposite you," Harry laughed and looked over at the other side of the table. Hermione! She didn't really know what to do, she looked at Ron and laughed a little. She looked over at Harry but he avoided her look. Ron walked around the table and gently put one hand on each side of her face. He leaned in and she closed her eyes. He slowly kissed her lips, and slightly let his tongue touch her bottom lip. It was a great kiss.

Ginny made a little applause. Vicky seemed inspired and placed her hand high on Harry's thigh. Harry was so distracted that he didn't even notice. Ron pretended to dry some sweat from his forehead when he sat back down.

Hermione was feeling pretty drunk by now. She turned to see what song would be next on the stereo, "Represent Cuba with Orishas".

Seamus was next for a dare and he was forced to tell everyone how many people he had snogged in his life. He couldn't even remember. Then the wand pointed at Ginny.

"Who was your first lover," Seamus read making a sexy face as he read the word lover.

"Everyone knows I'm still a virgin," she laughed.

Hermione almost choked on her sangria. I didn't know that? Ginny with all her boyfriends. Ginny who had been with Harry for so long. Harry! Hadn't he been with Ginny? Did that mean…was I his first? Her head was spinning, she looked at Harry but he refused to look back at her. Jenny was next and she was supposed to kiss Fred, but he refused, saying that Angelina would kill him.

"Well you're close enough." Jenny grabbed George who didn't protest. Vicky was kissing Harry's neck by now while he was still looking at the wand.

"Oi, Miss Vampire!" Ginny said harshly.

Vicky looked up. "My turn?" she answered innocently.

"No it's Harry's." Ginny rolled her eyes.

Jenny read out his dare. "Give the person next to you a hickey."

Harry started sucking on Vicky's neck. Hermione went over to the stereo. She felt like she had had enough "Truth or Dare" to last a lifetime. "I want to dance!" she stated. Luna and Ginny jumped up. It looked like she wasn't the only one. Son of a preacher - Dusty Springfield came on and everyone got up. It wasn't the regular fast beat one might have hoped for but it was a nice calm beat, and they started swaying their hips from side to side. Hermione and Jenny sang the lyrics out loud and Ginny laughed at Hermione.

"I am so glad you're back," she shrieked and hugged her from behind. Ron danced up to Hermione and swayed his hips together with hers.

Hermione almost wanted Harry to see it, she had to watch him and Vicky all night and it was his turn to be jealous, but he barely glanced at them. He was busy dancing with both Jenny and Vicky. When the ballad "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas started, Hermione wrapped her arms around Seamus's neck. He was a bit too drunk for her taste and he kept stepping on her foot. She saw that Jenny had beat Vicky to the punch and was dancing with Harry. Suddenly there was a knock on her shoulder.

"Wanna swap?" Jenny asked and looked at Hermione. She gestured and winked with her eye. Hermione understood this to mean that Jenny wanted to dance with Seamus. Before she could answer she was pushed aside. She moved closer to Harry and wrapped her arms around his neck. He placed his hand on her back and pulled her closer. She could hardly breathe.

There it was, the Harry smell. She put her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. She turned her face towards his neck so no one would see her face. Harry slowly led her around to the music. He felt stiff and uncomfortable, but she didn't care, she just wanted to enjoy the moment. Harry concentrated hard on not pulling her too close, but he could smell her hair; vanilla and shampoo. He felt her face buried in his neck and his heart beat faster. It was so nice, but so wrong.

I can't do this, he thought. Why the hell am I torturing myself? He felt her breasts against his chest and he tried to concentrate on something else. But suddenly the image of a naked Hermione flashed before his eyes. "I am really tired," he said suddenly and pushed her away. "Are you coming?" he turned to Vicky. Hand-in-hand they walked up the stairs. Hermione was left standing alone on the dance floor.

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"I think I am going to bed now," Hermione mumbled ninety minutes later. She really did feel tired, thanks to the alcohol in her system. She had pushed to stay awake as long as possible after Harry had left. She didn't know what they were doing in his room, but she couldn't bear to think about it. And she sure didn't want to risk hearing it, since her room was on the same floor. Neville and Luna both jumped up, it looked like they had been dying to go as well, it was getting really late. Jenny left hand-in-hand with Seamus, and Hermione quickly found herself alone with Ron. He looked half-dead, lying on the sofa.

"Do you mind if we clean this up tomorrow?" she asked.

"I sure ain't doing it tonight," he mumbled.

She helped him off the sofa and with his arm over her shoulder they walked up the stairs. Ron gave her a light kiss on the cheek and then walked into his room. Hermione stood quietly outside Harry's door. She couldn't hear a sound, but that didn't mean anything. She put her hand softly on his door and wondered for a second what it would have felt like to be the one invited in there. Invited to his bed…

Hermione cried herself to sleep. How could she still be in love with Harry when he made her hate him so much?

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Thanks to all of you actually read this story. Thanks for your reviews, keep `em coming!

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