Sixteen Candles

Chapter Six

.

She had figured that the safest place to hide would be the kitchen. And plus, Hermione really wanted a birthday cake of her own. The house elves had been more than happy to let her stay in the kitchen as she started to devour the savory chocolate cake that they had magically made for her at the last minute. It was delicious, and if anything was going to go right on her sixteenth, this was it.

Until an entire shelf of cook-ware was knocked to the floor and the only person guilty of the mess was standing next to where the shelf should have been, wincing at his mistake.

Used to the stalker-ish tendencies of an underclassman, Hermione didn’t bat an eye, “Hullo, Ted.”

Walking towards her, he scratched the back of his neck, “I’m really sorry about what happened in the Great Hall… I had no idea you couldn’t dance.”

Hermione snorted as Ted ran into the table, knocking over a set of utensils so they were scattered on the floor. Feeling sorry for the poor boy and for her shitty birthday, she didn’t even bother to tell him to leave when he pulled up a stool next to her.

“What a decent night, huh?”

She smiled a bit at that, “It’s my birthday.”

“Seriously?”

Hermione nodded and put another fork full of cake in her mouth, “Yeah, I mean, it’s really been a bad birthday, though, so let’s not dwell on it.”

“What’s wrong? You didn’t get anything good?”

“I didn’t get anything. Not even a ‘Happy Birthday’ from two of my closest friends. They just acted like it was just a normal day.”

His look was so incredulous, it looked as though she had told him there was no such thing as magic, “Bloody hell… I’d freak if anyone forgot my birthday.”

Hermione sighed and for the first time really looked at him. When he wasn’t being creepy, this kid wasn’t that bad. Sure, he could probably lay off on the after shave, but no one was perfect. “I mean, I’m sixteen… and I should be happy, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Well I can’t get happy,” She glared at her cake like it was the true source of all of her problems, “It’s physically impossible for me to get happy.”

There’s was a somewhat of an awkward silence. Scuffing his shoes, not knowing what he could really say to make her feel better he nudged her with his shoulder, “Would you feel better if you knew one of my secrets…?”

She raised an eyebrow (a skill she had picked up and perfected from Pansy), “Don’t gross me out.”

“No I’m not talking gross, just embarrassing.” He had expected that kind of reaction, after all, he had come onto her in the middle of an empty hallway.

“Alright.”

After taking a deep breath, and looking around making sure no one was around, “This information cannot leave this room, ok? It would devastate my reputation that I have so dearly tried to uphold.”

She inwardly smirked; he sounded like a younger version of Draco. “You have my word.”

“I’ve never shagged a girl before… I’m not a stud.”

Hermione was shocked silly. This was the deep dark secret of his? She couldn’t help but laugh. And laugh she did; the brunette genuinely smiled for the first time the entire night.

Ted even chuckled a bit, “Look, I appreciate you not laughing at me.”

“I’m sorry, Ted.”

They fell back into an easy silence. She was glad that he had seemed to get over trying to woo her; she was actually enjoying having a somewhat decent conversation with someone.

That was, of course, before he leaned in, seemingly prepared to participate in a good snog.

She practically screamed as she tried to move away, ending up falling on her arse, bringing the stool she was sitting on with her, “HEY!”

He turned a little pink, and offered her his hand, “Pardon me.”

Taking it, she shook herself off, “Its ok, I guess.”

As the strawberry blonde started to pucker up and come closer again, Hermione was about done with these antics on her birthday; the lioness practically growled, “I meant it’s ok that you did it once; not that’s it ok to try again!”

A bit dejected, Ted apologized, but remained in his proper space.

“Sorry if I embarrassed you…” Hermione started, trying to make him feel a bit better. She knew the powers of rejection all too well, whether one made a move or just looked at from afar, “You know I really don’t want to hurt your feelings… it’s really sweet of you to listen to all of the stuff going on in my life.”

He seemed to have shaken off the whole ordeal, and was back to the Ted she had been having a pleasant conversation with, “I care about it, really, I do. I know I come off as a giant creep. But it’s all really who my friends want me to be… I’m a jerk.”

“But all boys are pretty much jerks, though aren’t they?” She laughed, trying to bring some humor back into the dialogue.

The younger classmate of hers didn’t take it as a joke, however, “Yeah, but you see, I’m kind of like their leader… Kind of like the king of the fifth year dipshites.”

Frowning at his use of language, Hermione suppressed the goody-girl inside of her, “Well, you somewhat have a title. That’s pretty cool. But, you know, a lot can happen in a year! You could come back for your sixth year a completely normal person.”

“Really?”

The look of awe etched all over his face made her giggle, “Sure.”

“Would I be totally off my rocker if… if I asked if I could shag with you?”

She shook her head; Hermione had already seen it coming, “You asking doesn’t make you as crazy as why I wouldn’t.”

“Why?”

The only two people she had ever shared this with were Pansy and Ginny. Deep, dark and personal, but now that some random person had her “Intercourse Survey” note, and was probably sharing it with the world, she might as well just tell him, “I’m kind of… saving myself. It’s really stupid. He doesn’t even know I exist.”

“Who?” Ted smiled as he taunted her a bit more, “Whoooo.”

“… Draco Malfoy?”

Ted was shocked at his good luck, “You like Draco?! Draco’s my mate! I just talked to him in the Great Hall. He asked about you.”

Her eyes were the size of saucers and her mouth was catching flies, “Did not.”

“Did too!”

She put her fork back down to the table. This was unbelievable, “Oh Merlin… oh, if you’re lying to me, Ted, I’ll hex you till even the professors can’t fix you.”

He laughed at her lack of trust, “I’m not lying!”

“Blimey… what should I do!?”

“This is not my department.”

If Ted hadn’t been so preoccupied with making her stopped worrying, he could’ve taken in the fact that for the first time, Hermione Granger, smartest witch of her generation, didn’t know what to do; “Should I let him come to me? Oh Merlin, but then what if he changes his mind? Bloody hell! What would you do if you were me?”

“I’m a gambling man by nature so, I would go for it.”

The brunette smiled, “This is so bizarre, but I think I will. Oh, you’re the best, Ted.”

He watched in a daze as she kissed him on the cheek and hopped off her stool, ready to go find the certain blonde. But then he remembered, “Wait…”

“Mhm?”

“I kind of have a problem. I might have made a wager with my mates… you remember, the dipshites?” He waited until she had nodded, “I’d bet them I’d do it with you.”

The look of admiration she had been giving the underclassman not five seconds ago turned to a fierce glare, like a lioness ready to kill something for coming to close to her cubs. Ted gulped, and quickly added, “But that was before I knew you as a person! I can get the proof without actually getting physical!”

“How.”

“… Can I borrow your underpants for ten minutes?”

.

Author’s Note

Thanks so much to my step-in beta quik-wit! I think she did a lovely job. Fallingstar93 was just a tad busy with life, but she’ll get right back to beta-ing the next chapter (:

I’m somewhat disappointed that my last chapter didn’t get more feedback. Personally, I think that’s my best and most exciting chapter yet… please, even if you don’t like it, could you review and tell me what you think I should change? Thanks a ton!

Love it? Hate it? Don’t think it’s going anywhere? Leave a review.