Breaking Hermione

The Ball

Hermione P.O.V

I walked back to Hogwarts with the rest of the students, Selice Slytherin's dress slung over my arm in its silken encasing. Even though it was a lightweight material walking with it was like the equivalent of holding a 10kg bag of Hagrids notorious Rock Cakes. I felt like I was becoming everything I feared to be. A different version of the Hermione I thought I was. Would wearing Selice's dress just be the crowning jewel on my identity crisis?

I got to the Castle walking a safe distance behind the Slytherin guys. If they couldn't see me they wouldn't trouble me. Tom apparently had told them to ease up on raining hell on my parade but nonetheless being around them still made me absolutely terrified. And that wasn't going to change anytime soon.

There wasn't long to go until the Winter Ball began. I thought I would be terrified about this night but now since the onslaught of Tom Riddle's constant attempts to kill me had dissipated I was beginning to feel something almost like excitement. I felt for once just like the other students of Tom's era at Hogwarts. Happy go lucky. Eager. Adrenalised. I thought of my date Isabella Rey. None of the teachers had minded that my date to the Ball was going to female. Witches and wizards had better things to worry about other than the sexuality of others, unlike in the Muggle world. I relished in the chance to present another offence to Tom, not the fact my date was a girl but the fact I had declined his advances. He deserved it. He was so arrogant and overall so ignorant to who I was as a person. For months he was walking all over me. This was my chance to put my heels on and step on his heart right back.

I had just about reached the Slytherin Common Room when I froze in thought. There was no need for me to get ready with the rest of the Slytherins. I wasn't even going to the Ball to mingle with them anyway. I turned on my heel and marched the other way. I would go to the Room Of Requirement. Maybe I could imagine a dressing room for myself. I had my heels in my beaded bag, and most of my belongings since I didn't trust anyone in my House enough to leave my possessions lying around.

I reached the hall where the Room Of Requirement was. It was crazy to realise that this room would be engulfed in Fiendfyre in years to come, the disastrous effect of Gregory Goyle's Horcrux destroying fire. I remember coming to this room to be alone when everything around me seemed to be Ron and Lavender Brown lusting after each other in my sixth year at Hogwarts. It was one of the only places in the School asides from both the Gryffindor Common Room and the Library that felt safe to me. And now... I was going to be using it to put on Selice Slytherin's dress to go to a Ball that Tom Riddle was going to.

I closed my eyes, concentrating as I walked past the hidden entrance, envisioning in my head clearly what I was needing the Room to be. A door slowly grew into form before me, tall and dark wood with a shining ebony handle. I checked the hall looking to my left and my right. The last thing I wanted was for someone to be watching me. No one was in the Hall. Clearly I was in luck. I took told the handle without hesitation quickly shutting it behind me. It was gratifying hearing the snap of the door closing. No one could get me now.

I turned around to find a splendid sight. A very small but elaborately decorated room adorned with mirrors everywhere, cosmetics perfectly lined on the dressers.

I walked over to the nearest dresser, casting a skeptical eye over the foundation and blush, my hands coming to find eyeliner, mascara and a wad of pink lipstick. I didnt care for brands but I knew as soon as I started applying my lipstick that it wouldn't be coming off. The distinct sheer hinted of a magical property, and as I placed the eyeliner over my eyelids carefully I realised upon accidentally smudging it with my shaking hand that it wouldn't smudge the entire night.