Anyone But Me

Chapter One

To Hades with them!

Those two spoiled rotten gits thought that she was "unfun". That was a direct quote! Ron and Harry had the audacity to say she didn't know how to let loose. No, no, no! Hermione -frickin'- Granger couldn't possibly want a night off! And they hadn't let up... Even after she had expressed an interest in going to that ridiculous party!

Hermione stood in the waning light that peeked through the tower window. Most of the bottom panes had been covered during the last snow storm but the tops still allowed enough light to see by during the day and early evenings. She watched as the dust motes caught the dying rays and twinkled like glitter. Her mind wandered back to hearing the Seventh Year Ravenclaw girls giggling about the future festivities in the bathroom between classes.

Latisha Randle and Daisy Corran had prattled on about which "exemplary students" from each house would be there and what they had chosen to wear (if their ramblings were anything to go by, their outfits would be showing off all of their "exemplary assets"). Most importantly, at least to them, was why the wizard hosting the latest party, Cassius Warrington, had personally invited them. Hermione had taken her time washing up and gained some other more valuable information, like which room was going to be utilized that night.

Everyone in school had heard of these parties, making them the worst kept secret in all of Hogwarts. They were usually hosted by one of Slytherin House's Seventh Years. The undertaking mainly consisted of smuggling in their parents' booze from home and making sure the most popular students were invited. Fifth Years and up were the only ones allowed to attend, as it was intended to be a well deserved break from the demanding life of O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. preparation for the Fifth and Seventh Years. Under the guise of building connections for life outside of school, the crème de la crème of each Hogwarts House found and charmed an empty classroom for a single night each month. "Building connections" being the more proper term for hooking up... And then hoping they didn't regret their drunken shenanigans in the morning...

The Professors and Headmaster never caught them. Or more than likely, they realized that the students needed the outlet and let the nights of debauchery continue.

Hermione had never been invited. Neither had Harry or Ron for that matter. That didn't stop them from having a go at her about wishing to be invited. She couldn't help but think of how nice it would be to have one night where she could metaphorically let her hair down. Be able to let go and just feel like a part of the "in" crowd for once.

Those two horrible boys would never admit it but she knew they felt the same way. Their sneers a couple of months back showed their unvoiced feelings when the three of them had overheard the Slytherin in charge of October's soirée bragging about the multiple bottles of fifty-year-old firewhiskey he was able to snag. The jealousy at being excluded from the event had been tangible.

Last year they had often wondered aloud why they were never invited. Inventing excuses and explanations that had become more and more ludicrous with time, in the way only their imaginations could. They had come to the conclusion that Harry, in particular, had earned an invite due to his position as star Seeker alone.

She had known the real reason why and it was quite simple really... Besides the obvious "snitching" risks from Harry's unusually close relationship with Dumbledore; they were tainted by Harry's outbursts about Voldermort being back. Even with the ever-growing fame that had shadowed him since the moment he stepped onto the train for the very first time. Nothing had been worth the very real possibility of inviting him only to be stuck having to repeat an outburst from Umbridge's class. Being forced to listen to Harry argue that HE was very much alive and gaining more followers to his cause every day would, without a doubt, be the biggest buzzkill.