Silver Waves

Summary: With the Yule Ball coming up Hermione had hoped he would ask her out, seeing as he wasn't though she ended up somewhere else, with someone else.

For the Stretch Your Boundaries Competition, using the prompts; permission, "The heart has reasons that reason does not understand." (Jaques Benigne Bossuel), and "The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper." (Eden Phillpotts)

Word Count: 1,635

It grew silent the farther she walked from the main halls, the only sound being her feet as they made contact with the stone. Everyone else was probably already at the Commons, talking about the upcoming Yule Ball while she tried not to think of it.

If Hermione was being honest, it was all she could think about. From the day, the dress she was going to wear courtesy of her parents sending money for her to go shopping down in Hogsmeade, to her date. That would be Victor Krum, the only guy at the school that seemed to notice she was a girl. One that wanted to be going to that Yule Ball with someone else entirely.

Now if he would just notice she was a girl as well and ask her - well, asked her before - she would have smiled, probably have gotten that butterfly feeling all the girls her age talked about. Mainly she would have said yes, she would have given him her permission. If only he wasn't asking Fleur out along with most of the male student population. That girl was a veela though, she attracted men to her like bees to honey. It was hardly an effort. With him... with Ron, it was her trying to put in the effort, to make him notice her. To just keep failing at each turn.

He obviously didn't think of her the way she thought of him. Didn't even think of her as a girl.

She let out a huff as she rushed down some stairs infront of her not caring where they led, not even paying attention to where she was going anymore. The nerve of him! 'Well, Hermione, you're a girl.' Yes, yes she was, and it only took him four years to figure that out. How long would it take him to figure out that he should have asked her to the Yule Ball? A week? No, he would probably forget she was a girl within the week. Years most likely. How many she didn't know. Maybe four, by then they would be out of Hogwarts, eighteen and starting careers in the Ministry.

That's what she should be thinking about. Her future. Not some ridiculous Yule Ball that would have all her friends dancing, having a good time while she tried not to look longingly across the room. To see whoever he was with and feel a pang in her stomach very much like the one there now.

"Stupid," she muttered to herself, finally coming to a stop, feeling a breeze against her face. Hermione finally looked up to see she had walked out of Hogwarts entirely. There was just grass infront of her, and further down she could see the lake that she had been under so recently. With a sigh she headed down towards the grove of trees at the waters edge. It wouldn't do to get caught out here, but she didn't want to leave and go back inside the castle where all her troubles were. Staying out of sight until she felt she could go back in was her only option then.

Hermione weaved through the trees down to the shore, stepping over roots as she went. When her shoes started sinking into the loose dirt she leaned against the bark of a tree, pulling them off along with the socks so she wouldn't have to deal with them being wet later. She left them ontop of a nearby root before walking down to the bank, feet sinking in the mud.

It felt nice, cold and wet, sticking inbetween her toes. She would have to scourgify it off when she walked back but for now it was fine. Taking in a breath of the night air she walked until she could feels the waves rolling up to her ankles, simply watching the water flow back and forth, the moon light making it glow silver in the dark.

She was just starting to feel calm when a branch snapped to her left. Hermione turned quickly, churning the water for a moment, "Hello?" she called, hoping it was just her imagination, but then there was the crackle of leaves and she stepped back, foot sinking further into the mud.

A branch was pushed out of the way, revealing a man that must have made the noise. His hair was messy, looking like it hadn't gotten a proper comb in months, and even with the moonlight she was unsure if it was blonde or brown as she could see individual strands highlighted by it. The eyes were of a lighter variation, brown, but easily distinguishable even in the shadows of the tree. "Shouldn't you be inside?" Even his voice sounded gruff, just like his appearance.

"I'm taking a breather," she replied. If he wasn't going to even say a, 'Hi,' she didn't see any reason to be polite.

There was a harsh chuckle from him that almost made her jump, it sounded raw as if he hadn't used his voice much lately. "Is that right? Hogwarts too dull for you?" there was a short pause, "It was dull for me."

Hermione let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding, "You were a student here then?"

Brown eyes turned from the lake to look at her. "Yes," that was a relief. At least she knew he wasn't some random wizard that had just happened to come here. "I guess you could say I'm... revisiting," he chuckled again, as if at a secret joke.

"How's that going for you?" she asked, looking back to the soft waves again, feeling his gaze move back as well.

He was silent for awhile and she wondered for a moment if he had even heard her question, if she had even spoken at all. "It's the same as it has always been, a bit more lively with the tournament but otherwise... still dull. Can't say I miss it much," a few seconds passed, "I miss this though."

"This?" she glanced to him, catching his gaze that looked close to amber when the tendrils of moon light hit it just right, like now.

"The lake, it's peaceful. The only spot in Hogwarts that isn't hectic. Not having to dodge hexes meant for someone else," she laughed a little at that. It must have surprised him as he stopped short in his explanation, just staring at her.

"Sorry," a giggle slipped past her lips, "It's just, any hexes I dodge are usually meant for me." That thought sent her mind back to the school and she sighed, "I'll be dodging a lot in the next few days."

"Why's that?"

"Well," she paused, not sure why he would care but then went on, dragging her hand through her hair as she did. "I got asked to the dance by Victor Krum, and about half the girls in my year want to go with him so," she sighed while twirling a strand of hair around her finger, missing the way his gaze moved towards it while she spoke, "They'll be trying to take my place. The ones that are playing it close anyways and feel the need to hex a girl for, 'stealing him' from them." she drew her finger to her face, hair still wound around it as she tapped at her cheek, "That's just the normal jealous girl stuff." In a way she preferred it to Malfoy and his gang hexing her just for being muggle born. Those girls had more motivation than he did, that was for certain.

"But?" She glanced up as her gaze had kept lowering while she had talked. He was closer now, only a foot away and she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze, wondering what he was getting at. "You don't want to go with him."

She blinked. Was she that obvious? "It's not that I don't, it's just... I had been hoping someone else would but... that's not going to happen." She skimmed her finger over her lips as all the scenarios, ways in which Ron would ask her out flew through her mind. It was just in her imagination though. None of them would ever happen. With another blink she was out of that frame of thought, breath halting as his eyes were level with hers, an arm outstretched past her shoulder, hand laying on the tree as he had moved closer once again.

For a moment she just stared, tongue trailing her lips after a second, watching how his gaze followed them. Just watching those eyes on her. She parted her lips to breath in air for her suddenly devoid lungs, feeling a complete lack a second later as his lips were on hers. Her chest burned but her arms only raised to wrap around his neck and try to draw him closer to her. So that their bodies were flush against eachother as her lips parted, his tongue slipping through the open space and she kissed back, trying to replicate the way his lips felt on hers.

With a huff she managed to draw back, panting, "You should go with me."

There was that familiar chuckle again, and it seemed to pull at her chest. "I wasn't a favorite student. They would probably tell me to leave the grounds if they found me here," he paused, grinning at her now and she felt dizzy, "Snogging one of their students senseless."

The way he said it, his tone close to that used in farewells made her lips form into a pout. "You're leaving?"

He smiled, flashing teeth, eyes glowing in the dark, "You could wait for me if you like." she just nodded, hearing that chuckle once more as he stepped back into the shadows he had emerged from.