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Butterbeer And Chocolate Cake
By PatronyBologna

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Category: Angst Valentine Challenge (2006-1)
Characters:None
Genres: Angst, Humor
Warnings: None
Story is Complete
Rating: G
Reviews: 32
Summary: ** Winner of Best Overall in the Angst Valentine Challenge **
Set in HBP: Hermione and Ginny escape the Great Hall for some solitude. Misery loves company. A bottle of butterbeer, a heafty slice of chocolate cake, and an unexpected visitor put the last few months in perspective. Sometimes funny and often heartfelt, Butterbeer And Chocolate Cake takes the sting out of cupids misplaced arrows.
Hitcount: Story Total: 4948



Disclaimer: Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions in this story are my own and in no way represent the owners of this site. This story subject to copyright law under transformative use. No compensation is made for this work.





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My first shot at a challenge. I couldn't resist the evil plot bunny, though I know I should be working on 'other' things!

Disclaimer: Everything is Ms. Rowlings, Happy Valentines Day!



Butterbeer And Chocolate Cake







“Hmph.” Hermione sat up a little straighter on the bench, viewing her dinner plate that now framed her latest work of ‘art’. Harry, Dean, Seamus... even Neville and an especially aggravating Ron, were all yammering on endlessly about all things Quidditch, barely taking a moment to breathe between shovels of roast beef and mash. While listening to the boys, Hermione had shuffled her food around until it resembled a crude looking, stick-figured Ron that she had made out of string beans and half a carrot slice. Her string bean Ron was knee-deep, figuratively and otherwise, in mud- or gravy... either one would do.

“Oh, the Cannons will have it in the bag this year...” She heard Ron, who had at least sat a few places down from her, sparing her from the Won-Won that Lavender would throw in every so often, attempting to regain his focus on her, though his attention was obviously centered on something else he loved. Hermione took her fork firmly in her hand, jabbed its tines into the carrot slice acting as Ron’s hair, and enjoyed the satisfying crunch it made as she chewed it.

“I like to do that myself sometimes.” Ginny laughed, lifting the napkin up off her lap and laying it on the table next to her own ‘art’. “Beets work too, but they don’t have the same effect when you bite into them. If you need blood though, nothing works better.”

Hermione nearly choked in her effort not to laugh and quickly chased what remained down with a large gulp of pumpkin juice. “You too?”

“Uh-huh.” Ginny moaned and rolled her eyes towards Dean, who was- just like Ron- otherwise engaged. “I’m getting a headache.”

“Me too...” Hermione snorted just as Lavender’s giggles pierced through the ambient chatter of the Great Hall, “And a stomach ache. There must be something going around.”

“Well, let’s not contaminate everyone else.” Ginny got up from the table and nudged her head towards the door.

“Oh yeah, it would be prudent to quarantine ourselves, Madam Pomfrey is busy enough.” Hermione stood up and swung her leg over the bench. “Especially today.”

“Are you going to leave that?” Ginny asked a blank faced Hermione. “Your choice, of course, but I like to finish the job. Who knows, it could help your head ache.”

Hermione, again taking her fork with all the delicacy of a two-year-old, rearranged the beans and mash, sufficiently removing any hint of arms, legs, or a body. “Much better.”

The two girls waded through the rows of tables and streamers of red and pink, meeting up at the end of it before heading straight for the door and the deserted entrance hall.

“Two brilliantly beautiful witches just walked out of the room and nobody noticed.” Ginny swung back her head, flipping her hair off her shoulder in a matter that was all too Phlegm-ish.

“Oh, I think somebody did.” Hermione answered rather shamelessly.

Ginny immediately blushed, “Whatever, Hermione.”

“Stomach bothering you again?” Hermione giggled at Ginny’s sudden flush.

“Yeah, I need some dessert!” Ginny tugged on Hermione’s sleeve and headed in the opposite direction of Gryffindor tower.






“Miss Wheezy! Miss Wheezy!” Could be heard among the sea of tables, plates, pots, pans, and elves.

Dobby, wearing a lovely ensemble of mismatched red and white socks, Ron’s old maroon jumper, and something excessively frilly (both girls thought that it looked like a worn out pair of an older witches unmentionables) was perched on top of his head like it was some sort of chef’s hat as he came bounding into view.

“Hi Dobby.” Hermione was the first to greet the elf, feeling a little disheartened that he was not wearing one of the many items she had knitted, but decided to be cheerful and pleasant nonetheless. She was given a smile in return, but his full attention remained with Ginny.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Dobby.” Ginny stifled a giggle and unpinned the enchanted cherub broach the twins had sent her, from her robe. Kneeling down on the stone floor, she fastened it to his shoulder and rubbed the plump belly of the cherub with her finger. It immediately started to shriek and play an Old Welsh tune on its harp that happened to be one of Ginny’s favorites. Like all things Fred and George, it had some drawbacks, of which were momentary outbursts of ‘Keep your hands to yourself!’ and ‘What are you looking at!’ that had been mixed in with the lyrics, but by now the whole thing was out of tune and garbled so it was safe for Dobby.

“Thank you, Miss Wheezy!” The House-elf beamed and rubbed the belly again.

“No problem.” Ginny stood back up, wincing at a particularly sharp note.

“Would Miss Wheezy like anything?” His tennis ball eyes a tad watery.

“Yes, actually.” Ginny ignored the little annoyed cough that Hermione had given her. “We’re wondering if we could get a bit of dessert.”

“Oh yes, what would you like? Cake, tarts, pastilles?” Dobby continued to tick off the desserts that Dumbledore had ordered for Valentines. “Puddings...”

“Whatever you got will do, but a girl always likes a bit of chocolate.” She added with a wink.

With that the elf was off and disappeared again into the Great Hall sized kitchen.

Addressing the earlier cough from Hermione, Ginny answered, “It’s like seeing Madam Pomfrey, only the medicine tastes better.”

Hermione bit slightly on her lower lip and looked around Ginny’s leg. Ginny followed suit and found a disgruntled Winky standing just behind her.

“Happy Valentines Day, Winky.” Hermione tried again to get into the elf’s good graces.

“Humph!” Winky replied and stepped further around Ginny.

“It’s spreading.” Ginny whispered.

“What’s wrong, Winky?” Hermione asked.

“Dobby.”

“Dobby?” Ginny asked amused.

“He said to keep you company.” Winky said to Ginny, twisting her tea-towel toga in a knot. “And he’s been giving me things, awful things.”

“What things has he been giving you?” Still determined, Hermione made an extra effort of concern.

Hesitantly, checking to see if any of the other elves where watching, Winky pulled out from underneath her toga one of Hermione’s red knitted scarves and showed it to the girls. “It’s awful, that Dobby...”

“Maybe he’s trying to be nice.” Ginny tried to be consoling but was having a hard time keeping a straight face. “Maybe he wants to be friends.”

“It’s not that bad, is it?” Hermione eyed the scarf, trying to determine if it was one of her latest works. Winky ignored her and tucked it back inside her toga.

“I’m sure Dobby just wanted to give you something, you know, for Valentines Day.” Ginny was barely holding it together. “What would you have rather had, that is if Dobby were to give you something?”

Winky seemed to give it a moments thought before answering and just as she was about to say something, Dobby returned with two serving trays full of every dessert and then some. Winky, taking the opportunity, curtly bowed out and made a beeline to the back of the kitchen and out of sight.

“Oh Dobby, this is too much.” Hermione said as he handed her the tray with a pitcher of pumpkin juice and a few bottles of butterbeer.

We’ll just take these, if that’s alright?” Ginny took one of the dessert trays in one hand and swiped the bottles off the other. “Thank you so much, Dobby.”

“Anything for Miss Wheezy.” Dobby blushed, and added just for Hermione’s benefit, “Anything for Harry Potter Sir, and his friends.”

“That was a lovely scarf you gave Winky.” Hermione added, “Really nice of you.”

“It’s one of my favorites.” Dobby puffed up, “She cried when I gave it to her.”

“You don’t say.” Ginny feigned surprise.

“Maybe I’ll give her another one-” The elf was already making plans for his next gift giving foray.

“Girls like surprises, Dobby, you might try something different.” Feeling a bit bad for him, Ginny tried to help.

“Miss Wheezy is too kind, too kind indeed!” The House-elf bowed.

“Thanks again Dobby.” Ginny nodded with her head and followed a slightly pleased Hermione out the door.








Finding a secluded spot in the empty common room, Ginny set the tray down and helped herself to a bowl of chocolate pudding before flopping down on the sofa. Hermione popped the corks on both butterbeers and handed one to Ginny while taking a long draw on her own. She picked a thick piece of chocolate cake and settled herself down into the opposite corner of the sofa, kicking off her shoes before propping them up on the back of it.

“How’s your head?” Hermione asked, examining her fork for any left over frosting she had missed.

“Better.” Ginny left out a deep breath and reached for a berry tart. “Yours?”

“Better.” Hermione laughed, “Oh, look at the two of us. How pathetic are we?”

“Oh, we’re not the pathetic ones. No, that would be the boys.” Ginny scooped out a large, gooey berry with her finger. “They’re all dimwitted when it comes to girls. I’ve lived with six, astounding examples mind you- even my Dad steps in it sometimes. Your stomach’s feeling better too, I see.”

Hermione took the last bite of cake and nodded, “Yeah, I just get so...”

“Nauseated?”

“Yes!” Hermione pointed her finger at Ginny who had described it perfectly.

They both laughed for a minute and then silence fell between them.

“Hermione?”

“Yeah.”

“What would your ideal Valentines Day be, I mean, if things were different.”

“Good question.” Hermione laid her head back against the arm of the sofa and closed her eyes. “A picnic.”

Ginny kept silent, not wanting to break her train of thought.

“Doesn’t matter if it’s snowing, raining, sunny... it doesn’t really matter, we can always bring an extra blanket if it’s chilly and an umbrella.”

Ginny watched a smile break across Hermione’s face as she was picturing the scene in her mind. “What would you eat?”

“Whatever he brings,” She chuckled, “Probably something heavy and not very practical or romantic, knowing Ron-“

Hermione clasped her hand over her mouth and sat bolt upright, hoping against her better judgement that it didn’t actually make it out. “Oh my goodness.”

“Calm down, Hermione, its not like I don’t know.” Ginny shrugged it off and tried to get her back on track. “Okay, so you’ve had a picnic, you’re either still hungry or you really do have a stomach ache, then what?”

“Uh,” Too embarrassed to continue, she added hastily, “We go for a walk, the end.”

Realizing that she wasn’t going to get anything else out of her, Ginny gave up. “That sounds nice.”

Hermione eyed her, expecting one of her wicked retorts.

“No, really.” Ginny said honestly, “I’d like that too.”

“Alright, so what’s you’re ideal Valentines Day.” Hermione snatched up another tart.

“I suppose it’s fair.” Ginny began, “Quite moments and simple, thoughtful things are always the best.”

“Ginny!” Hermione pulled the pillow out from behind her back and waived it threateningly.

“Oh, I’d win and you know it.” The other rolled her eyes.

Hermione cocked her arm back.

“Alright, I’ll tell. No need for violence... besides, this is too good to put down.” Ginny took a large bite out of her slice of cake. “Here at Hogwarts?”

“Sure, why not.”

“With Dean, or somebody else?”

“Whomever.”

“On a weekday or the weekend?”

“Whenever you want, Ginny.” Hermione wasn’t going to fall for anymore of her stalling tactics.

“A card, a smile, a hug, proof I’m a girl.” Ginny took in another large bite of cake. “I’m not sure if I’ll ever escape being ‘Ron’s little sister’. I’ve followed you’re advice, but I don’t think I’m getting anywhere with it.”

Hermione gave her a sympathetic nod, both girls seemed to be on the same ship that was sailing nowhere and presumably taking on water, fast.

“I’m mean, we’ve become good friends and all, this summer was the best yet, it’s just-”

“Dimwitted boys.” Hermione leaned over and gave her a one armed hug.

“I know he has a lot on his plate. So many responsibilities, saving the Wizarding World and everything. I just don’t want to miss... I want him to know... what if-“

“What if he never knows, what if you never get the chance to-”

Yet again, the war and its consequences had reared its ugly head. The darkness of the ‘What If’s’ ran viciously through both their minds, squashing out what light of hope they did have.





“Aaaaaghh!”

Ginny and Hermione popped their heads up from behind the sofa like a couple of groundhogs, just in time to see a frustrated Lavender Brown rip the ribbon from her hair.

“Bad night?” Ginny bravely asked, wishing she didn’t the moment Lavender started to sashay over to them.

Hermione held her tummy with an expression of utter dread. Ginny replied with her own bewilderment and mouthed frantically behind her hand, ‘I don’t know.’ By now, Lavender had sandwiched herself between them and started to devour a mini cherry pie whose crust was in the shape of a heart.

“What is it with your brother and Quidditch?” She finally said after a few more bites. “That’s all he talks about anymore. Quidditch this, Quidditch that. You’d think I put this on for nothing!”

Lavender tugged at the shockingly pink jumper under her school robes. Neither Ginny nor Hermione had to look very hard to see that it had a deeply cut V-neck

“And this perfume I had special ordered! Its lavender! But do you think he noticed....” Lavender licked her fingers clean, “Nope!”

Unable to help herself, Hermione handed her the remaining slice of cake. “I’m so sorry Lavender.”

The newest member of their little party glared at her for a minute, trying to decide if she was being sincere or not, but took the cake nonetheless.

“He’s an idiot. I have no idea what he was thinking.” Ginny, not unlike Hermione, saw an opportunity. “We were just talking about how boys can be so insensitive.”

“Dean was there the whole time too! Do you mind?” She motioned to the half-bottle of Ginny’s butterbeer.

“Not at all, help yourself.”

After a quick swig and fork full of scrapped-off frosting, Lavender continued to vent her evening’s disappointment. “I mean, I got his attention finally and I thought he was going to kiss me, so I closed my eyes-- this is good.” She crammed in another bite.

“Anyway, so I’m thinking that he’s going to kiss me any second and the next thing I know he’s kissed the side of my head and I’m like ‘You missed my lips by a kilometer!’ and he’s all ‘Happy Valentines Day’ and goes back to discussing the finer points of being a Keeper, I don’t even think he heard a word I said. So that was it, I left him and the rest of them to it.”

“You broke up?” Ginny asked, convincingly devastated.

“No, of course not. I just couldn’t listen to it anymore.” Hermione’s hopes of pulling yet another dismal Valentines out of the gutter were dashed. “At least Dean realized you were gone.”

“Did he?”

“About ten minutes after the fact.” Lavender set her empty plate back on the serving tray, “I swear he could wake up- Ron, of course- Saturday morning to find me practically starkers and doing ‘The Hippogriff’ on the foot of his bed and he’d pass me over for his broom without a second glance.” Finally taking a deep breath and rubbing he temples she whined, “Oh, I’ve got a headache.”

Hermione snorted, and if looks could kill, Lavender would have had her pushing up the proverbial daisies yesterday. “But at least I have a boyfriend. Not like all those sad, pathetic girls who drown their dull, non-existent love lives in butterbeer and chocolate cake.”

“Yeah, you’re right, Lavender.” Ginny added with a slight edge to her voice, partially in defense of Hermione and at irony of what she had just said. A few students started to file in through the portrait hole. “At least we have boyfriends.”

“Well, when you see your brother, tell him I went to bed because I wasn’t feeling well.” Lavender got up and shimmied her skirt back down to a somewhat more appropriate length. “He’ll no doubt tell me how sorry he is and will want to make it up to me.”

“Okay, I’ll let him know.” Ginny waived her off as she climbed the staircase and disappeared behind the door to the girls’ dormitory.

Hermione slunk lower into the crook of the sofa. “Well, that was...”

“Revealing.” Ginny laughed.

“Quite.” Hermione joined in. “Her mistake was in doing ‘The Hippogriff’, I would have just sat there wearing nothing but his jersey and reading his copy of Quidditch Weekly.”

“Or just a snitch.” Ginny added causally like they were talking about the weather.

“I felt bad for her though.” Hermione added when the laughter had died down.

“Yeah, Dean pays about the same amount of attention to me sometimes. Although I highly doubt Mum would knit me a jumper like that.”



The common room continued to fill now that dinner and the rest of the Valentine festivities were beginning to wind down, but Ginny and Hermione’s little corner stayed unoccupied except for themselves.

“Want anything else?” Ginny offered Hermione the tray.

“No thanks, I really don’t want a upset stomach.”

Ginny got up from the sofa and headed for one of the main tables near the portrait hole. Immediately the other students, who had obviously not had their fill of treats, surrounded her. Making her way back, she flopped down again. “Insurance.”

“Good thinking.”

“What’s all the buzz about?” Hermione flicked her head to an exuberant Pavarti who seemed to be the center of attention.

“Zacharias Smith.” Ginny smirked, “At least someone had a ‘happy’ Valentines Day. Scuttlebutt is he conjured up a large bouquet of yellow tulips and handed them to her at the table during dessert.”

“Lucky her.” Hermione finished off the last of her butterbeer and deposited it on the coffee table.

Ginny shifted uncomfortably around so that she was facing Hermione but still had a good view of any intruders that might venture their direction. She lifted her legs up, crossed them in front, and grabbed a throw pillow, hugging it close to her.

Hermione, realizing that Ginny was about to tell her something important, tucked her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

“Hermione?”

“Hmm?” She did not meet her eyes, instead she smoothed out her robe as it hung over her knees.

“You should feel bad for Lavender. At least I do.”

“Hmmm.”

“Listen, it’s my fault, really... all this Won-Won business.”

“Don’t be silly. It’s Won-Won’s own doing.” Hermione sardonically batted her eyes at his pet name.

“Yes and no.” Ginny glanced over at the crowd still twittering wildly and encircling the dessert tray before she quietly began. “You see, I let something slip.”

“What did you let slip?” Hermione was truly unaware of what was coming next.

“After the last practice before the match against Slytherin,” Ginny paused to make sure that she was following her. “Dean and I went off to- uh, unwind.”

“Uh-huh.” Hermione knew exactly what ‘unwind’ had meant, a full on snogging session.

“Anyway, Ron and Harry walked in on us, we were behind the tapestry hiding the short cut to the tower. Harry looked... oh I don’t know, stunned and embarrassed, I guess... but dear brother Ron was furious. He started on about what other people would think of me, that I shouldn’t be snogging anyone.”

Ginny paused again and watched Hermione’s face loose a bit of its color.

“We got in a huge row, of course, Harry stepped in-between us to try and break it up. In the heat of the moment, just after Ron tried to jinx me, I said some things I shouldn’t have.”

“What did you say?” Hermione whispered, having an inkling of what was coming next.

“I said that Harry had snogged Cho, that you had snogged Krum, and told him that he had as much experience as a twelve year old.**” Ginny said guiltily. “I’m so sorry, Hermione, I was just so mad, so hurt. I’m sorry.”

Hermione sat in silence, going over the newest revelation in her mind, recounting the rest of the events of that night and the days to follow. “So that’s why he was being so short with me. That’s why he was lashing out... all because I snogged Viktor Krum two years ago?”

“It was shortly after that, after the game, that he started going out with Lavender.” Ginny started filling in the pieces to her brothers less-than-stellar reaction to the news. “Hermione, I don’t think he ever really liked Lavender... the proof was her lack-luster Valentines Day.”

“So he’s using her to get to back at me.” Hermione had shed a single tear, but her voice was a mixture of hurt and anger over the fact that he would do such a stupid thing and that Lavender was caught in the middle of it. “And to think I was feeling guilty for sending those canaries at him.”

“Hermione, I’m telling you this because I think... no, I know, that Ron still likes you. He always has, it’s just that he’s a git when it comes to you.” It was Ginny’s turn to console Hermione, whose tears began to fall silently in earnest. “I’d jinx him for you, really, but I thought you’d might enjoy it more.”

Hermione gave a great, shuddering sniff and wiped her eyes dry with the cuff of her robe. “I really do feel sorry for Lavender.”

“And I feel sorry for Dean.” Ginny admitted, “I’m doing no better than what Ron is doing to Lavender, not when I still hold out hope for Harry.”

“Hey.” Ginny quickly whispered a warning, she caught Harry out of the corner of her eye and he was heading straight for them. “Hi, Harry.”

“What’s going on?” He had noticed that Hermione was still facing the opposite direction. “Ron’s waiting out in the hall for you, Hermione.”

“Why?” Ginny asked.

Harry shrugged, still staring at the back of a bushy brown head.

“Prefect duties.” Hermione finally replied, there was no hint that she had been upset except for a slight glossiness in her eyes. She straightened herself up and without a glance said ‘Thanks, Harry’ and headed for the portrait hole and an awaiting Ron.

“She okay?” Harry nudged his head back towards the retreating Hermione.

“Yeah, bit of a headache, she’ll be alright.” Ginny smiled, “So how was your Valentines?”

“It was Valentines Day?” Harry joked and edged around the sofa to join her. “Didn’t notice.”

“I know what you mean.” Ginny said under her breath but quickly changed the subject. “How was the Quidditch discussion.”

“Long.” Harry rubbed the back of his neck.

Ginny giggled, “I thought you liked Quidditch.”

“I do, but that wasn’t the point of it.” Harry admitted that there was more going on than what it seemed. “Ron just didn’t want to, you know, Valentines Day and all the expectations that go along with it.”

“How much longer do you think he’ll keep it up?”

“Don’t know.” Harry stretched his legs out on the coffee table, catching Hermione’s empty bottle before it toppled off. “I think he doesn’t know how. I know I wouldn’t.”

Both sat and contemplated Ron’s self-made tar pit and what the repercussions of it were. Ginny, however, was also swallowing the bitter truth of her own making.

“Ugh, I think I ate too much.” Ginny broke the silence.

“Me too.” Harry chuckled and patted his middle.

“Butterbeer and chocolate cake?” Ginny asked off-handedly.

“How’d you know?” He said, slightly surprised by her accuracy, “You too?”

They both laughed at each other’s supposed dessert-induced misery and enjoyed the simple moment between them.



“There you are.” Dean had walked up behind Ginny and was now snaking his arms around her neck, briefly kissing the crown of her head, “I wondered where you had gone off to.”

Trying desperately to tame the creature that was tightly coiling itself, preparing to strike out at an unsuspecting Dean, Harry took his cue to leave. “Good night.”

“’Night.” Ginny called back before whispering to herself, ‘Happy Valentines, Harry.’



Nothing ever works out quite the way you’d expect it to. In all, the causalities of the day slowly make their way up to bed one by one. The girl who feels her boyfriends’ affection slipping away. The girl who’s long-suffering and seemingly endless patience in waiting for her best friend to realize that her feelings run deeper. And the girl who loves her brothers’ best mate, a boy with messy black hair and vibrant green eyes that hide behind wire rimmed spectacles. The boy who’s very own eyes, unknowingly to her, have been opened. Each were licking their invisible wounds; the tell-tale sign of heartbreak to come, of painful truths discovered, and untamed creatures that bite, claw, and rip at your insides. But in the end, though one would logically determine that the girl with the bouquet of flowers had emerged victorious from the day (having proof of secured affections), it’s the girl who faced her heartache with the stalwart grace that comes with continued hope and the witch who got her quiet, simple moment... Butterbeer and chocolate cake.



To all those who’ve ever had a less-than-stellar Valentines Day, cheers!! ~Patrony :)


** HBP: Chapter 14, pg. 228 (U.S. Edition)
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