Love Hurts, But It's Worth It.

Love Hurts, But It's Worth It.

Chapter One: The Beginning.

Hogwarts had never looked so beautiful to Hermione Granger as she walked into the Grand Hall and stared up at the ceiling in wonder. It still hadn't ceased to amaze her with its beauty. The night sky was deep, deep blue, and occasionally a shooting star would fly across the velvet colour and disappear into the distance.

She smiled around and looked at all the familiar faces, feeling like she had been transported back five or six years to her time at the school. Her long dress brushed against her ankles and, often, the floor. It was made of a dark blue, silky material, almost the same colour as the sky above her, and had thin straps over her shoulders, despite the unusual early September chill that had hit England a few days ago. She had her hair up at the back of her head, and several stray strands had escaped and were hanging around her face, having been neatly curled on the way to the school by a charm she had learnt the year before.

Her eyes glistened with happiness as she waved slightly at an old friend across the room. She turned to look at the two men at her side and they smiled back at her joyous expression, but one of them immediately dropped their smile and looked irritated again. Hermione rolled her eyes and then grinned at his familiar pout and spiky, untidy hair.

"Why am I here?" Ron moaned.

"Don't whinge," she answered, pushing his arm lightly.

"I was not whinging."

"Really? Well, what do you call it?"

"I was simply voicing my distinct displeasure at having to be here on the very night of the World Cup, which, by the way, I may have been able to get tickets to."

"Yes, fine, but you were voicing it in a voice that is usually more commonly used by teenage girls when their mothers won't let them stay out late, or wear their tight robes."

"Shut up, Herm." He slid his arm around her shoulders and brushed a wisp of her hair back behind her ear. He kissed her cheek lightly and looked down at his clothes, making Hermione laugh as he tugged at them uncomfortably, unused to wearing the smarter contents of his wardrobe.

His shirt was dark green and worn over a pair of light-coloured trousers, and a black jumper was thrown over his arm. His red hair was still as unruly as ever and Hermione was itching to brush it again, but she knew it wouldn't make any difference to its untidiness. She gazed up at Ron and smiled as he looked down at her, an affectionate smile curving his mouth as he wondered why she was staring at him like that. His best friend saying something to him took his gaze away from her and Ron turned to look at him.

Harry was the same as ever. His almost black hair hung in its usual mess over his ears and down to the collar of his shirt, brushing it gently with every move of his head. He smiled up at Ron (pretty much because everyone had to look up to speak to Ron, he had hit six foot in the fifth year) and laughed at something that Hermione had missed while she was scouring the room for people she knew.

Harry was still their best friend and had recently broken up with his girlfriend so had no date to the party, but he wouldn't be short of offers, she knew that. He had got very tall, nowhere near as tall as Ron, but he couldn't hope for that. His hair was always untidy but that was a drawing point for some women, he always managed to pull it off well. His green eyes glittered behind his usual glasses and he was, as always, dressed impeccably. He was wearing a cream shirt and a pair of black trousers under the most beautiful jacket that Hermione had ever seen.

She had seen it before, of course, but she still loved it. It was long and made of black leather, brushing the backs of his knees as he moved. The outfit was perfect, he pulled off the 'just got out of bed and haven't bothered' look and mixed it with the 'I don't know I look this good, I just do' look.

Ron didn't have quite the same sophistication, but he looked his cutest in the clothes he lay about at home in, and she didn't care how he looked anyway, she loved him.

"Hermione! Ron! Harry!" She turned at the deep voice and smiled as Neville Longbottom came hurrying over to them.

"Neville, how are you?"

"I'm fine." He hugged her and then Ron and Harry, all of them smiling now as he introduced them to a pretty young girl by his side. "This is Ella." Ella smiled shyly and slid her arm through Neville's, obviously a little overwhelmed by everything. Hermione smiled in her friendliest way and offered her hand.

"Hermione Granger, I went to school with Neville. This is my boyfriend Ron, and our best friend Harry."

"Harry Potter?" she said loudly. He winced and she shrunk back. "I'm sorry, I just forgot that Neville said he went to school with you. Sorry."

"No problem." Harry nodded good-naturedly and ran a hand through his hair, a habit Hermione had tried, and failed, to stop him doing. "So, Neville, what are you doing nowadays?"

"I'm a Herbology specialist for the Ministry." They all nodded interestedly and then, suddenly, someone squealed their names.

"Hermione!" She turned just in time to catch a green and red streak that looked incredibly familiar.

"Ginny?" She was amazed. "When did you get back? I thought you were coming home next week?" Hermione looked up at Ron and he didn't look at all amazed. "You knew about this? And you didn't tell me?"

"Gin asked me not to. She wanted it to be a surprise." He was smiling slightly.

"It is! Oh, God, you look amazing. How are you?"

"I'm fine." Ginny hugged her again and they laughed. "Oh my sweet Jesus, Hermione, Venezuela was so beautiful."

"Really? Oh, that's great, I'm so glad." They hugged again and then Ginny turned to hug Ron and Harry, smiling widely at them.

"How are you boys then? Well, I'm actually talking to Harry, I've already spoken to Ron since I arrived."

"You've spoken to her?" Hermione's mouth was open and they all laughed at her astonished expression. "You should not be that good at lying to me!"

"I'm fine, Ginny, thanks for asking." Harry changed the subject, leaving his best friends to bicker quietly and affectionately with each other. "You, I do not have to ask. Because you look amazing, your tan really suits you." She smiled up at him and then nodded a little, looking down.

"Thank you." Her childhood crush was sometimes painfully apparent in her mind when Harry was really kind to her. "Is Lauren here?" She knew something was wrong the moment she asked the question about his girlfriend because he looked down at his hands and she frowned anxiously.

"No. She isn't here. We broke up two weeks ago." He looked straight at her and she hugged him fleetingly in consolation.

"I'm sorry about that." She watched his face as he looked over her shoulder at Hermione and Ron, who she could still hear bickering, but now about something completely different.

"I'm just saying, they hold this every year, why couldn't we miss this year's reunion?"

"Because we missed it last year and you promised me we'd go this year. And we missed it the year before because we were away, and so we've actually only been to one, and I haven't seen a lot of these people for years."

"But it's the World Cup, Herm, the only world cup that I am interested in and there was a chance Percy could get me tickets and I wanted to go." He was whining again and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Stop behaving like your brain cell count would be outnumbered by the number of shoelaces you've got, and grow up."

"We could have gone next year, instead of this year." She was obviously glaring at him and so his next words were hurried. "I'm just saying, I hope you know that I'm very disappointed that I'm missing it." She laughed then, a small disbelieving laugh that was very affectionate, but very exasperated.

"You 'hope I know'? Ron, I think Crookshanks has got the picture, and he's a bloody cat! You've been whinging about this ever since I told you the date of this party; I don't think I could not know!" Ron laughed then and he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her head gently. She smiled as he shook her gently then looked up at him, laughing softly as he kissed her temple a couple of times.

"Stop now, Herm, I need a break."

"Mmm, me too, let's dance." He nodded and she dragged him onto the dance floor, pulling him up against her. Harry watched them and smiled as Ron spun Hermione round in a circle, making her laugh. Ginny held her hand out to him and he shook his head.

"I don't dance, Gin, you know that."

"So change for a night. Come on, Harry, loosen that jacket and party with me." She saw the almost frightened look on his face and rolled her eyes. "Okay, you don't have to party with me, but you do have to dance, and you must be bloody sweltering in that jacket."

"I am actually." He shrugged it off his shoulders and hung it on a hook that was suddenly on the wall next to him. He picked up Hermione's dark blue wrap from where she had thrown it across a chair and hung that up to, along with Ron's jumper.

"What are you, their mother? Come on, Harry!" Ginny led him into the middle of the dance floor and started him dancing, leading him at first but giving him a chance afterwards, much against her better judgment, and her toes suffered for it. Harry was right, he could not dance; well, unless you counted him dancing on her feet. She laughed as he spun her out though, and he did get better. Then suddenly there was a tap on Harry's shoulder and he turned to see a redheaded man smiling at him, giving him the hand of his partner.

"George?" Fred shook his head and gave Harry Angelina's hand, taking Ginny from him.

"I want to dance with my sister, Harry, I haven't seen her for ages. Is that okay?"

"Oh, no problem. See you, Ginny." He took Angelina around the waist and spun her gently, making her smile. "Hey, Lina, what you up to?"

"Not a lot, Harry. Not since yesterday, anyway." She laughed slightly. "You know, it has just occurred to me that we spend far too much time together. You and Ron and Hermione, George and Fred and me and, I would say Ginny, but she's been away. We are always at the Burrow or someone's house." Harry smiled widely.

"Well, that's the Weasleys, isn't it? You should know that, Angelina, you're about to marry into it all." Her face broke into a huge smile, as it always did when anyone mentioned her upcoming marriage to Fred.

"Yes, I am."

"You're very lucky about that, you're actually going to be a Weasley. Hermione will be too, one day. I'll never have that."

"You could marry Ginny, then you'd be part of the family." She started laughing with Harry as they danced across the floor.

"Lina, you know perfectly well that if I made a move on Ginny, I'd be killed by Ron. And then Fred'd kill me. And then George would kill me. And then Charlie would kill me. And then-. Are you getting my point?" She nodded, laughed, and then frowned thoughtfully.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah. Any older brother would do it for their little sister, they don't think their friends are good enough for them."

"I suppose." She spun out from him, her red dress flaring out, and then the song ended. They clapped the band and then separated, heading for their various friends. Harry smiled as he reached his. He didn't know how he knew, but this party was going to be very interesting.

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Chapter two following shortly.........................................please review.......