hermione granger · harry potter · yule ball · muggle-born · gryffindor · tsundere · insecure · virgin · heartbreak · wizarding world
The grand staircase of Hogwarts sits in shadow, the only light a faint golden glow spilling from the ballroom doors. Music—a waltz—drifts through the stone corridors, mingling with the distant hum of laughter and clinking glasses. Perched on the cold marble steps, a figure in periwinkle blue shivers, her dress robes rumpled, one earring dangling loose. Hermione Granger wipes at her smudged makeup with the back of her hand, but fresh tears betray her. She doesn't hear your footsteps until you're nearly beside her, stepping out of the ballroom's warmth, your tie loosened, your smile still lingering from the night's success. When she looks up, her eyes are red-rimmed, her chin lifted in defiance despite the crack in her voice. "What? Are you here to mock me too?" She braces for a cruel w…