Anyone But Me

Chapter Seventeen

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns and rules the Harry Potter universe and characters. I just got to visit her kingdom, which inspired this little fic. No compensation of any sort has or ever will come my way.

This chapter will be one (out of a handful) that is a mix of J.K.R.'s [Ch. 15, The Unbreakable Vow, HP&tHBP] and my writing. I needed to change some of the things surrounding Slughorn's Party to fit. Mostly it was dialogue, but I still felt you should be warned.

It is a shorter chapter but... We are working up to some better stuff, I promise! ;)

Okay... With that out of the way... Here we go!

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Ugh... Why couldn't those two just stop?! She couldn't even eat a meal without being forced to witness Ron and Lavender as they slobbered all over each other! She had been staring down into her stew, trying to stop the vomit that threatened to rise, when Parvati Patil turned and acknowledged her. "Oh... Hi Hermione!"

The other girl was over enthusiastic in her approach, which probably stemmed from guilt brought on by laughing at Ron's cruel jokes about her earlier. She didn't want to be forced to deal with any persisting issues with the witch so she smiled back at her. "Hi Parvati! Are you going to Slughorn's party tonight?"

"No invite." She replied dejectedly. Hermione was surprised someone hadn't asked her. While her taste in friends was questionable she was a pretty decent person and very beautiful... "I'd love to go, though. It sounds like it's going to be really good... You're going, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm meeting Cormac at eight, and we're going up to the party together." Hermione took a weird satisfaction in the way Ron disentangled himself from Lavender at the mention of the boy he suddenly hated.

"Cormac? Cormac McLaggen, you mean?" Parvati asked, astonished at the turn of events and the morsels of gossip she was freely getting.

Inwardly smirking, Hermione couldn't stop herself from adding fuel to the flame now that she saw how angry it made Ron. "That's right. The one who almost became Gryffindor Keeper."

"Are you going out with him then?" The other girl inquired.

Hermione hesitated for a second but watched as Ron turned pale. The vindictive part of her enjoyed having that kind of power over him. Last night before falling asleep she had realized what the jealousy he had exhibited must mean... He was regretting his choice...

Well tough chickens, it was way too little way too late, and she had the perfect way to ruffle his feathers. She vaguely registered how this might not be the best plan but giggled and blurted out. "Oh, yes, didn't you know?"

"No way! Wow! You like your Quidditch players, don't you? First Krum, now McLaggen..." Parvati noted.

"I like really good Quidditch players." She replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "Well, I will see you. Got to go and get ready for the party..."

Ron had paled even further at the unwarranted dig and she instantly regretted her choice, causing her to wonder why she was so evil sometimes. What was hurting him going to get her other than some sick form of revenge for the way he had made her feel? Had she always been this petty?

She grabbed her bag and hurried from the Great Hall, embarrassed by her own behavior and wishing she still had that Timeturner so she could go back and fix it.

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Hermione could not believe the predicament she had gotten herself into. McLaggen had pulled her under the mistletoe and kept trying to go in for a kiss! Even after she had politely told him no! After coming up with a quick excuse she had disappeared into the crowd. Hoping he wouldn't follow her, she was in need of a place to hide from the wanker...

Suddenly she heard Harry call out for her. "Hermione. Hermione!"

She rushed up to the pair of familiar faces, beyond relieved to find him and Luna. She didn't care to stop the flood of gratefulness in her voice. "Harry! Thank goodness! Hi Luna!"

"What's happened to you?" Harry asked her, taking in her appearance. She must have looked as crazy as she felt...

"Oh, I just escaped... I mean... I've just left Cormac under the mistletoe." She said, checking over her shoulder to make sure he wasn't anywhere near them.

Harry's eyebrows came together as he realized the unspoken implication in what she was saying. "Let's get some drinks, shall we?"

The three of them made their way across the charmed room. It was the epitome of ostentatiousness. And exactly what Hermione would have pictured coming from Slughorn... All draped fabric, gold, silver and coloured lighting. His Slytherin Pride definitely shown through in the palette.

Eventually they made it through the crowd and picked up a goblet of mead each. Luna and a very tipsy Professor Trelawney started up a conversation as Harry stared at her intently. It looked like he wanted to say something but was holding back.

Hermione didn't want him to think the worst of her because of her stunt earlier and her fears came true when he finally said what was on his mind. "Let's get something straight. Are you planning to tell Ron that you interfered at Keeper tryouts?"

She was taken aback. He knew that she had only charmed Cormac because he didn't deserve it after being such an ass about Ron. She was defending him! She raised an eyebrow and challenged his accusation. "Do you really think I'd stoop that low?"

"Hermione if you can go on a date with McLaggen..." Harry met her objection with the obvious retort.

"There is a difference between what you are suggesting and me going on a date to make Ron mad. And you know it! I have no plans to tell him anything about what might, or might not, have happened at Keeper Tryouts." She hissed at him. Her anger building at what he was implying about her character. He should have known her better than that.

"Good because he will just fall apart again, and we'll lose the next match..."

She rolled her eyes at what it all boiled down to for him. "Quidditch!? Is that really all boys care about? I've just been treated to 'A Hundred Great Saves Made by Cormac McLaggen' nonstop for the last hour. And now I have to deal with you only being worried about that stupid game?"

Harry went to respond but she spotted McLaggen who had found her in the crowd and was making his way over. She couldn't handle him anymore. It was becoming entirely too exhausting and she hadn't counted on him getting sloshed... "Oh shit... There he is... Deal with him Harry, please!"

He nodded and she slipped back into the crowd and quickly snuck out of the party. She was ready to be done with the whole institution at that point. Neither of the ones she had gone to recently had been what anyone could call fun.

She made her way down the corridor, hoping she could make her escape before Cormac thought to look for her out there. She had made it around the corner when she heard a scuffling down the way she had just come. Then a boy's voice cried out in pain before Filch hollered in victory. She stopped her advancement and peaked back around the stone wall at the same time that Filch crooned "Got you now, Malfoy!"

Filch's labored breathing filled the silence as he dragged Draco's hunched frame by his ear. The pair made their way down the hall and into the party. Draco hadn't looked hurt so she hoped Filch had not done too much damage... He was notorious for using corporal punishment.

What was he doing here? What could possibly be so important that he had gotten caught by Filch?

She waited there for a couple of minutes. Wondering if it would be worth going back in and risking getting caught by Cormac to find out what had happened. Or if he would come out on his own... It was only a curfew violation after all. That type of infraction wasn't the end of the world... She worried her freshly healed lip to the point of it starting to bleed again when the door suddenly slammed open.

Snape and Draco emerged. Snape's fingers were wrapped tightly around the back of Draco's neck as he led him from the room. "Come along Mister Malfoy."

For the second time that night she watched her unorthodox hero being escorted away because of making the choice to break such an easily skirtable rule. Whatever his unknown reason was, it could hardly be worth this punishment.

Hermione contemplated following right before the door opened again...