Hermione POV:

I can hear the audience grow quiet as the lights dim and the cellos begin to play.

…One… two...breathe

I hold my pose as I hear the curtains begin to pull apart; the last barrier between myself and the wizarding world. A world that had not seen this witch in five years.

...Remember to breathe…

Following the rebuilding of Hogwarts, Hermione had decided to disappear from the public eye of the wizarding world. She hadn't explained to her friends her decision to leave. She had just left one day in search of some peace after the end of the war and to heal after the many deaths she experienced including her parents. She had disappeared from England 3 months after The Battle of Hogwarts. She ended up settling in Monte Carlo, France. A place that still had magical roots but that allowed her peace of mind. Upon arrival to the vibrant city, she struggled with what she should do to start new. She had found an apartment and had taken to exploring her new city. She soon stumbled upon a dance academy for wizards/witches. As she had watched the dancers throughout the day from all ages, she knew she had found her answer. No one knew that Hermione was a dancer. She had begun dance lessons once she could walk and had secretly continued her dance studies within the walls of Hogwarts and during the summers. She was quite accomplished in many forms of dancing. The war had taken that away from her but the thought of returning to the art made her smile for the first time in weeks. When she had left the studio, she bumped into one of the male dancers.

"Are you ok?" he said.

"Oh yes. Sorry I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." I said

"Don't worry about it. It's not every day that one bumps into such a beautiful witch." He said with a smile

"Well thank you. My name is Mia" I answered.

He obviously knew who I was but he didn't say anything and responded that his name was Jacques.

…Three… Four...

I looked back up and he was smiling and then proceeded to ask if I was a dancer. I replied that I was and he stated that I should apply to the Academy. Jacques was the first friend I had made in my new city and soon I found myself very at ease with him. A couple days later I accidently let it slip my real identity and I froze. He lifted my chin and told me that he already knew who I was but hadn't wanted to press for anything. Over a cup of coffee I explained why I had relocated and that I wanted to live in anonymity. He then calmly took my hand and explained that I desperately needed his help if I really wanted to be anonymous. Shortly thereafter I found myself at a salon studio that was owned by his twin sister. Six hours later I had walked out with straight sunshine blonde hair that fell to my lower back. This simple change was so startling that I couldn't even recognize myself. Jacques' sister Ava also had helped me learn how to correctly apply makeup. Within weeks, I was accepted to the dance academy and spent my days dancing my troubles away. And now five years later, that same dance academy had been asked to perform a show in tribute to the events of the Two Wizarding Wars and that is how I found myself on a stage, posed to dance in front of those who were but a memory.

…Five… Six...

The performance would illustrate the fear, hope, and loss that had occurred during that troubling time. When those dancers who had been chosen to dance in the piece had been informed, I slightly freaked. Jacques would say it was more than slightly. In the ensuing chaos, I quickly discovered that I had not been as anonymous as I thought. My fellow dancers, who were also close friends and even the teachers, knew the truth but had respected my wishes. And now 3 months later, 10 female and 10 male dancers were performing the two-hour piece that paid tribute to those in the seats beyond the stage and also to me. And in a way, forming this piece and trusting my friends with the information from that time in my life, had healed myself more than I ever knew it could.

I shifted my eyes to Nicollette who stood next to me, mirroring my pose. She gave me a calming smile.

…Seven… Eight…I can do this…

I heard the music swell as myself, Nicollette, Raine, Amara, and Aradia began to unfold the tale beginning with the formation of the First Order of the Phoenix. I made my way around the stage, pushing all my fear and anxiety out of my mind. We were supposed to be illustrating the formation of the Order of the Phoenix. I thought of Harry's and Neville's parents. Both fighting to provide a safe future for their sons. Both of whom were lost to their sons. I couldn't see the audience but I knew they saw me and recognized me as I heard a gasps erupt once they saw my face clearly. I inwardly smirked.

From the corner of my eye, I could see the five male dancers dressed in fitted black suits with charcoal masks that surrounded their eyes make their way to their respective partner. Marc and I circle each other. Soon we are dancing as each of us struggle for power thus illustrating the struggle between the Order and the Death Eaters. Marc pulls me in as I struggle. He lifts me in the air and I lean out as he holds my legs against his chest. I once again find my feet on the ground and twirl out of Marc's grasp. The men have begun to retreat off stage as Nicollette, myself, Amara, Raine, and Aradia finish out the peace signifying the end of the First War. I slowly exit the stage as the music begins to trail off. As I dance off the stage, I could feel the eyes of a man following my movements. The man who had betrayed my heart, who was a large reason I fled to France, and is the man the Ministry has stated I have to marry within the next 9 months, as part of the new Marriage Law.

Draco POV:

He stared at his reflection. Had he ever been happy? He could remember a time when he had been happy even though it had been during a time of war. It had been with her. The woman who had completely loved him and had seen past the mask of hate he had been forced to wear in order to survive his childhood. She had been his sole reason for making it through the war. She had been the light in his life that he had been missing. She made the pain bearable and gave him strength to work against the regime of his father and the murderous, demented Lord Voldemort. But as quickly as she had come into his life, she had disappeared and he only had himself to blame.

The day of Voldemort's demise was the happiest day for Draco. He couldn't believe he was free. Free to love the woman of his dreams. His joy had been destroyed as he had drunk the drink which Draco later learned had contained a love potion due to his father's actions. In an instant the thoughts of his true love had been replaced by the woman his father deemed appropriate for his son. Draco remembered feeling trapped as he watched himself propose to Astoria Greengrass on the field of battle and saw the pain caused in the eyes of the woman he truly wanted to be with.

Draco punched his mirror in anger as he recalled the day his father had once again been the reason for his pain and misery. Months following that fateful day contained daily doses of the love potion supplied by his father during morning breakfast. However, a year later even the old man couldn't have controlled the extent of Draco's injuries in a friendly game of Quidditch with a group of friends. Draco had ended up in St. Mungos in a coma. Due to this, the doctors at St. Mungos had him heavily sedated and in the early morning following the accident his father had been apprehended by St. Mungos security trying to inject his comatose son with the love potion. Upon waking up, Draco was once again a free man who was no longer under his father's control. His father had been placed in Azkaban for his crime and Astoria on house arrest.

The day Draco left the hospital; he began searching for Hermione, his true love. He refused to believe that no one had seen her in five years. She had been too close to Potter and Weasley. She wouldn't have left them. However after questioning them, harassing their families, and stake-outs he was no closer to finding her. She really had disappeared from the world. And every day since then Draco had died a little more until that fateful day when an owl from the Ministry had arrived with the announcement regarding the new imposed Marriage Law. He had been angry when he had learned that he had a year to marry the assigned witch or else be forced into a Muggle lifestyle. His anger had receded once he had seen who his assigned witch was, Hermione Granger. He had yelled for joy when he realized that within the year he would be married to the witch of his dreams. However, that was 3 months ago and he still had no idea where his little witch was. He knew he had caused her pain as was evident by her disappearance but he was certain that she wouldn't want to lose her memories of her life as a witch and thus would have to seek him out. He just wasn't sure if that would happen. His witch was temperamental and unforgiving.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy! What have you done to your mirror?" yelled Narcissa.

"Reparo" muttered Draco

"Draco, she will come to you eventually. She has to. She is too brilliant to go back into a Muggle life with no friends or family. No memory of who she is" Narcissa said.

"What if she doesn't, Mother? I caused her so much pain. So much misery that she fled the country and left her friends." Draco said.

"I have a feeling you will find her very soon, my son." Narcissa softly said with a small smile. "Now we must hurry, the performance begins in an hour and you know how I dislike being late."

Forty-five minutes later, Draco found himself seated in front of a stage with the curtains closed. He gazed around and saw his mother talking to Pansy's mother. He saw Pansy sitting next to Neville her husband of 4 years. He always thought they were an odd couple but he wasn't one to judge a person's true love. On the other side of Pansy, Daphne had arrived with her soon-to-be husband Ron Weasley. The two of them made Draco gagged a bit. Ron sat next to Blaise talking animatedly about the latest Quidditch game. All while Blaise holding hands with his girl Luna while she discussed something with Ginny Potter who sat next to her husband Harry. The announcement the Marriage Law three months previously had been met with initial hostility but eventually all parties had begun to put aside past mistakes and the couples all seemed to be very happy with their assigned spouses. Draco desperately hoped that he would soon be as happy with his witch.

Soon the orchestra began to play a soft medley which quickly hushed the crowd. The lights dimmed and the curtains began to move. Magical gold letters hovered 5 feet above the stage. "An evil lord soon grew too much power. He promised power and status to his followers. A new world order. Against such a demon rose a group, an Order who looked to the phoenix as its hope for the chance at a rebirth. This is the story of the Two Wizarding Wars filled with years of fear and death but also family bonds and friendships tested in time of war. A time that would force children to rise to the stature of adults and finish what their parent's started."The last of the words floated away and the music grew louder. The audience fixed their eyes on 5 female dancers who began to dance the story of filled with a somber beginning and every so often golden words would glitter propelling the story forward.

Draco's gaze was soon drawn to one female dancer. Something about her seemed familiar. He watched as she performed turns and twirls. She twirled closer towards the end of the stage, the music slowed and the dancer's face was lit by a golden light. Draco's eyes grew wide. It's her. She's here. Her hair, it's blonde! She's beautiful. Draco looked over to the Potters whose faces were as shocked as his as they recognized the golden-haired beauty. He felt his mother squeeze his hand. He looked at her face and he knew. His mother knew she would be here.

"You knew she would be dancing. How?" he whispered.

"How do you think a performing dance academy from France won the rights to design and perform the tribute to the Wars? I sit on the board who organized this week's celebration." Narcissa smoothly replied.

"Thank you Mother." Draco responded

"Don't thank me yet, she'll probably hex you the minute she spots you." Narcissa said as she returned her gaze to the stage.

Draco's gaze returned to Hermione. She had grown into a woman during the last five years. Her blonde hair was tied back from her face and hung down her back in curls. Her cheekbones were more prominent; her eyes glittered with happiness as she danced around in a tattered light blue dress. His eyes gazed down her body. She had beautiful curves. Her breasts had grown a bit and Draco felt himself go hard at the thought of tasting her breasts again. He imagined running his hands down her flat stomach. Her legs were long and lean from hours of dancing. He imagined those legs wrapped around his hips as he pounded inside her. He let out a groan and realized that his mother must have heard him. She looked over, saw desire written over his body, and giggled at her son's predicament.

Draco watched as his witch was approached by a male dancer dressed as a Death Eater. The man pulled Hermione into his body. They struggle back and forth and eventually she is lifted into the air and her legs are braced against this man's chest as she leans back. I see red. I'm ready to charge up the stage when I realize that she has returned to the ground and the five men are retreating allowing the female dancers to finish their performance and slowly leave the stage. Draco looked down at his watch, less than two hours and he would have his witch back in his arms. Golden words flutter over the stage as the Death Eater dancers end their song-"The fall of a Dark Lord brings peace to a broken world but not without loss of many lives."
***Song during dance: A longer version of Evanescence "Cloud 9". Mainly the instrumental portion.***