Hermione Granger liked to think she had patience. Granted, she liked to think she had a lot of traits, she was an only child after all and her parents doted on her like she could do no wrong. But instead of taking advantage of her parents and their never ending love of her. She took it upon herself to be a rather golden child. She took her education and upbringing seriously. She made sure to be well mannered and with the exception of the twins, she never quite frolicked like a child with others to her parents somewhat bewilderment.

However, Pansy Parkinson could very easily be her undoing. She did not know how so many prejudiced and foul words could come from one person so rapidly. She had composed herself rather well when Parkinson had claimed that Hogwarts had gone to the slugs when they were now making mudbloods into Prefects. And then she had talked about how, they had a certain stench unlike any other. Hermione secretly hoped that was right, so Parkinson would have to suffer through the stench as much as Hermione had to, of her grotesque bigotry.

"And Hufflepuffs. What a useless house if there was ever any. I do not believe one noteworthy person has ever been made. And what a joke, the Head Boy only got his position because everyone pitied him for tying with a fourth year." She said, though she neglected to add it wasn't just any forth year but Harry.

Okay, that was it. "Parkinson, how do you even leave your house, when your world is chock full of such drudgery? Why do you not just lock yourself in a tower and throw away the key. So that you're not so put upon by mudbloods and unworthy persons at every corner." Hermione asked in such mockery, even she was surprised by how sickeningly saccharine she sounded.

For the first time all night, Parkinson was quiet. As she hadn't even gotten a peep from the Gryffindor the whole time, despite addressing her as mudblood. And saying she was only admired because no one expected much from mudblood anyway. People would clap if a mudblood could merely raise a wand.

She however did not get to respond as a cough like laugh could be heard not far down the hall.

Hermione peered down the hall, as three sets of footsteps could be heard. Alexia Ilium led the way as Cedric and Ian walked together, just behind her. The Head Girl gave Hermione nothing more than a brief glance but the boys grinned at her like as if their night had been made.

"Parkinson, Granger. You're both relieved of your duty. Myself and Nielson will take over for the last hour. Thank you for your work. Though I would mind next time if you would cut the chatter to a minimum. Any student loitering past hours would have no problem going undetected with the warning."

Parkinson actually had the grace to blush. Though it was most likely because Ilium like herself was a Slytherin. "Yes Lexi," she said before turning around to hear towards the dungeon.

"Thanks for defending us Hufflepuffs' honors." Ian winked at her.

"I didn't say enough-" Hermione began but Ilium raised a brow and Hermione cautiously trailed off.

"Come on Mimi, I'll walk you back to your dorm." Cedric said, lightly putting a hand at her waist and ushering her with him. "Good night Ian, Ilium." Cedric said with a slight nod.

"Night!" Ian chirped back.

Alexi Ilium, said a stout goodnight.

"I really did enjoy the sarcasm." Cedric finally said as they turned the corner and out of earshot of the two.

"I cannot believe you paired me on my first rounds as prefect to be with Pansy Parkinson!" Hermione seethed, getting straight to the point.

Cedric sheepishly grimaced. "Well with quidditch tryouts coming up, most of the prefects need their rest."

"Quidditch? Quidditch?! That's why I was paired with Parkinson. Oh Diggory I hope you have more to add! Or you're treading on very very thin ice."

Cedric stopped so the two were face to face. He was trying so hard not to smile at Hermione's attempt at a murderous glare.

"You know Malfoy's a lazy bum and his position on the Slytherin team is set in stone. But imagine, both Parkinson and Malfoy paired together. You know they'd be so unfair to every house but theirs. And I know that if anyone, anyone could take Parkinson head on, if she did unfairly treat a student. You're it." He said before kissing the frown mark on her face.

"Much better. But if you pair me with her every round, because of that reason. I will be hexing that gorgeous head of hair of yours, a permanent red that even Fred and George will claim you as a long lost brother."

This time Cedric could not help but laugh whole heartedly.

"I don't know how you do it. Make me laugh, yet fear and love you more."

"Well next time, I want Ian."

"Of- Ian?" Cedric said realizing she had said his best mate's name, not his.

"Yes, then you can take your turn suffering through the endless intolerant chatter of Parkinson."

"Oh," Cedric echoed unenthusiastically.

~~

Unlike his usual self, Ian did not bother filling the silence with his, well in his opinion, clever conversation starters.

"Ian-" Alexi began but stopped when Ian corrected her with his last name. They were no longer close enough that she could informally call him by his first name.

"I don't let people who try to use me and my best friend for such petty gains as popularity, call me by my first name."

"I was fourteen and insecure!"

"Everyone was fourteen and insecure!" Ian fired back.

"I know, but I, I couldn't choose." Alexi murmured.

"No, you did choose, and I was heartbroken but completely supporting you. What I cannot forgive is you going back on your words and trying to turn Cedric and I against each other for you! He's my brother in every way! But you wanted to twist that, so that everyone envied you even more than they already did."

"It wasn't! It wasn't all..." Ilium conceded because to an extent, she had reveled in the attention she'd gotten as the girl who Cedric Diggory and Ian Nelson were fighting each other for. "Cedric's like the heart but you were the light and laughter. When he was too serious and overwhelming, you were like the smile that said life was short, relax and enjoy." She began. "The both of you complement each other, in a way that I don't think most people could explain. But I didn't realize it till I made my choice.

"Cedric is one of the greatest guys anyone will ever meet. I would take a killing curse for him if I had to. He's serious when he's concerned, when he knows he needs to be. But he's also witty and funny. As funny as me if not more. But you need to show him that he can let his guard down. But obviously you were never able to do that. If you watch him with Hermione Granger, you'd see his smile's much brighter than mine because he has that one person he lets all his guard down for." Ian finished, ending the conversation he never wanted to have. He did not care what Alexi Ilium's excuses were. He would never forgive her for almost making him lose his best friend by blinding him with a lustful infatuation... and for showing him that even he too was as human as the next, that he could be as jealous of his best friend as any other person. But jealousy fueled with insecurity and puberty had made him say some things that to this day, he would never forgive himself for saying.

~~ 

"Mr. Diggory, what a pleasure. I wasn't expecting you this evening." The Fat Lady said, flustered as she was not looking her finest this evening. She like a few other portraits had been chastised by Umbridge for wearing too flamboyant costume that did nothing else but distract students from their duties. So instead of her gorgeous gowns, with just an enticingly delicate dip that accentuated her ample bosom, she now wore a boring blue muslin that Umbridge had migicked and deemed appropriate.

Hermione closed her eyes and shook her head. She might as well not have been there.

"Hello Violet,"

"Cedric dear, can you tell that dull fashion less woman, that us paintings are not under her jurisdiction but that of our artists."

"I'll see what I can do, but I think the blue is very fetching to your complexion."

"Well in that case," The Fat Lady said rather giddy with the compliment.

Hermione could not help but roll her eyes. What a charmer...

Cedric just grinned. Hey it was a nice advantage to have his girlfriend's house painting like him, it made it that much easier to get to her.

"Hey, Mimi tomorrow is tryouts, do you want to come and watch?"

Hermione bit her lip as she did have a bunch of things to do... but Cedric also rarely asked her to do something for him, at least that wasn't already for her benefit. "Of course." She replied because, it was a no brainer. It was Cedric's last year and well, Quidditch was important to him. So she'd be there to support him as he was with S.P.E.W. despite his own reservations. It was kinda what love meant...

Hi Everyone,

Sorry its been so long but I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it. I almost forgot how much fun writing was...

I will try to be better and update little by little.

Thank you everyone who has stuck with me and my writing. I appreciate every one of you so much. Now onto my messages... I really should be better at answering them than I am.