DISCLAIMER:

I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters used. They all are property of JK Rowling. This is a one-shot created for a fan fiction writing contest for the Facebook group Platform 9 3/4.

Much love to the awesome Aleia for her beta skills, as well as to Carter Riddle and Ariel Riddle for their support and encouragement.

October 1, 1996

Hermione excitedly made her way to the common room. She loved Mondays; it meant another week of classes. As an early riser, she never usually encountered many people on her way to the great hall, but this morning the common room was a circus. Students were pushed together like sardines, trying to read the notice board. 'What now?' Hermione thought. She was sure it was something mundane like a quidditch match.

"I can't believe it!" Lavender Brown squealed.

"I haven't been this excited since the Yule Ball," Parvati Patil replied.

Hermione made her way over to the notice board to find out what had everyone in a tizzy. Pushing her way through, Hermione approached the notice board and read:

Attention students, we are excited to announce this year instead of the Halloween Feast, we will be holding a masquerade ball in the Great Hall. Dress robes and masquerade masks are required, and the ball will begin promptly at 7pm on October 31st. Please direct any questions to your Head Boy or Head Girl.

Great, just lovely, another ridiculous ball sure to end up as much of a disaster as the Yule Ball had been. It might have been two years ago, but Ron's cold shoulder and behavior over Krum had not been forgotten. Students should be preparing for their N.E.W.T.s, not worrying about what they were going to wear or who they would take to a stupid dance. With a sigh, Hermione turned on her heel and headed towards the Great Hall and breakfast, putting the ball completely out of her mind.

Meanwhile, in the cold dungeons bellow the castle, a certain blond haired, grey eyed Slytherin was making his way to the common room. The scene in this common room was very different from the Gryffindor's. Yes, people were reading the notice placed on their bulletin board, but there were no excited squeals. Draco approached the board and read. A smirk across his face, he shook his head. Another pathetic attempt to make the houses socialize together; when would they just accept it wasn't going to happen? What a boring and useless way to spend his night. With one last sneer at the notice, Draco left the common room and headed to breakfast.

Draco entered the hall and took his usual place at his house table. Reaching for the coffee, that is when he noticed her from across the room. Head down, reading the daily prophet with messy brown curls in her face, sat Hermione Granger. Draco studied her for a moment, musing over her features. Despite the façade of hatred he displayed towards the mudblood, ever since the Yule Ball, he thought of her differently. As much as he hated to admit it, she was brilliant and beautiful. And more importantly, she did not bother with idiotic things like the other girls at this school did. But she was a Gryffindor and a mudblood.

Draco finished out his breakfast and headed to his N.E.W.T. potions class with no more thoughts of Granger. He took his usual seat and started to unpack his things when she came in. He could smell lavender as she walked by and took her seat at the table in front of him. She unpacked all her equipment methodically and in a certain order, almost neurotically. He went back to looking at the table when he heard that idiot of a girl Lavender Brown going on loudly about the ball. That was when it hit him. His head snapped back up to look at Granger, the ball was his chance.

October 6, 1996

Draco had spent the next few days formulating a plan. He obviously could not come flat out and ask Granger to the ball. First off, he was pretty sure she hated him and would curse him from here to kingdom come. Secondly, his father, the Dark Lord or his followers would never approve. The Dark Lord would surely kill him if he heard Lucius' son was taking the chosen one's best friend, and a mudblood at that to a ball.

It had taken a few days, but he finally figured out how he would invite her. It was, after all, a masquerade ball where masks were required, so that was in his favor. He decided to leave a note, including a mask, asking Granger to the dance in the library for her. He knew the perfect place; a place only she would find it. It was her spot. A desk in the very back corner, where she was sure to not be disturbed. Countless times he had gone to the library and watched her from behind the selves of the Muggle Studies section. No one looked for him there and it afforded him a perfect view of her. He often would go there to watch her and relax. He loved the way she furrowed her brow and nibbled the end of her quill when she was concentrating. It was a nice break from his task the Dark Lord had given him.

The plan was this: he would simply leave a note asking Granger to meet him in the entrance hall at the foot of the stairs at 8pm while wearing the mask he left for her. He hoped she would show, but he had another problem to solve. A mask wouldn't be enough to disguise himself. That would require a little more cunning. First he considered using polyjuice potion, but that only lasted an hour and he did not have the time to brew it. Then it came to him, a few glamour charms. He could change his hair color and his face a bit and that should be enough to conceal his true identity.

As for his Slytherin comrades, well that was simple. He had already told them what a stupid, pathetic idea a masquerade ball was, that he was not about to waste his night mingling with half-bloods and mudbloods. They had all agreed and were planning an anti-masquerade party to be held in their common room. As for himself, he would be spending his night working on his "task". It was the perfect cover. He would simply go to the room of requirement like he always did and get ready there. He just hoped his note was enough to convince Granger to go.

October 8, 1996

It had been a trying Monday for Hermione. Double potions had been a nightmare. Her brew had gone all wrong. Of course Harry's had been perfect. Stupid Harry and his stupid half-blood prince. She didn't know who this half-blood prince was, but she would find out. So here she was again after dinner, in her favorite place at Hogwarts, the library. There just had to be something about the prince here. The library had never let her down before, and she had no doubt it would come through for her again.

It was empty as usual, no one ever came to the library after dinner. Everyone always went back to their common rooms, but this was exactly how she liked it. She walked around a bit, picking out a tome here and there, before heading to her spot. The back corner behind Muggle Studies had always been her special sancutary since 1st year. No one ever bothered with this particular section, so she was never disturbed in her secluded corner of paradise. She was free to smell the parchment and read to her heart's content back here.

As she rounded the corner of the last bookshelf, she stopped in her tracks. Sitting on her table was a roll of parchment and a mask. 'What in the world?' thought Hermione. She quickly closed the distance to her table and sat down before first picking up the mask. It was gorgeous. It was a brilliant scarlet and gold, with the most beautiful lace detailing. She sat it down in exchange for the note tied up with a matching scarlet ribbon. With a hand slightly shaky from anticipation, Hermione pulled the ribbon off and unrolled the scroll.

My dearest Hermione,

I hope this letter finds you well. I have admired you from afar for some time now and wondered if you would give me the honor of being your escort to the masquerade ball on Halloween? Please wear this mask and meet me at the bottom of the stairs in the entrance hall at 8pm on October 31st, if you accept.

I will be forever waiting.

XXXX

Hermione could not believe her eyes, who would leave this for her? And this mask, it was definitely hand made. It would have cost the person a fortune. For once in her life, she was at a loss for words. What should she do? This could be anyone or a trap. To think, she had an admirer, was crazy! And they knew about her corner! No one knew about her corner except Harry and Ron. They better have not been playing a prank on her, because she did not find it funny.

October 9, 1996

"What do you mean someone left a note for you in the library?" Harry asked.

"Just what I said, there was a note and a mask asking me to the ball. I want to know which one of you did it! It was you Ron, wasn't it? It's not funny to play with me like that!" Hermione exclaimed.

"I am telling you, I have no idea about any note or mask. I swear to Merlin, Hermione," Ron retorted.

It truly seemed Harry and Ron had no idea what she was talking about. They looked just as surprised as she did when she showed the note and mask to them and Morgana knows Ron can't keep a secret. He would have started laughing already and gave it away. So who was this mystery person? It's not like she was popular with the boys, if she wasn't with Harry and Ron, she was studying. This was utterly perplexing, but exhilarating. She, Hermione Jean Granger, had a secret admirer. She was brought out of her reverie by Harry's voice.

"So are you going to meet this person?" Harry asked tentatively, "I don't know if that is such a good idea. It could be anyone or a set up."

"Harry's right, 'Mione, I wouldn't do it if I were you," Ron added.

Hermione's faced screwed up in indignation. How dare they assume it wasn't possible that she could have a secret admirer, that this was a trap? It was time she lived a little outside of Harry and Ron. Gods know she needed to.

"It's already decided. I am going," Hermione replied snatching her mask and letter back and storming off to her dorm.

October 31, 1996

The day had approached much quicker than Hermione expected. She had found a beautiful scarlet dress to match the mask in Hogsmeade. As much as she tried to ignore it, she was a little nervous. She had never done anything like this before. Meeting up with some unknown person was so far from her character, but it was liberating. Between everything that had happened the past 6 years with Harry and Voldemort, Hermione felt she deserved to have fun and be happy. If that meant taking her chances with a secret admirer at a masquerade ball, so be it.

Her dress was fitted in the bodice and off the shoulders. It was a brilliant scarlet with golden bead work along the top with a flowy skirt. She again used a whole jar of sleakeazy on her hair and had it in large, shiny, voluminous curls. Her make-up accentuated the part of her eyes you could see through the mask, with everything else left natural. She donned the mask on and looked into the full length mirror. She felt like she had stepped out of the masquerade number in Phantom of the Opera. She placed her wand in a holster on her thigh just in case Ron and Harry were right and it was a trap. She really hoped they weren't.

Draco left his fellow Slytherins and told them he was headed to work on his task. No one dared question him and he left the common room with its already booming party headed for the room of requirement. His face was a mask that held no emotion, but his insides were squirming. Would she even show? Was he out of his mind for even doing this? He had no clue as he walked in front of the door leading to the room of requirement thinking of what he needed the most.

The door appeared and Draco entered. Inside he found a bathroom very similar to the prefects' bathroom, his black dress robes and a golden mask were hung in the corner. Draco tried to swallow his nerves as he got ready, he was a Malfoy for Gods sake, and he shouldn't be this shaken over a ball with a mudblood. He shook his head and put on his dress robes.

After that it was time for the glamour spell. Draco changed his hair to a dark brown and made it a little shorter. Next, he altered his chin and cheeks ever so slightly, so he didn't have such aristocratic features. His eyes, he left. He wanted there to be some hint as to who he really was to make her wonder. He took off his Malfoy ring and placed it in his pocket. Now it was time for the last part, his golden mask.

At 8pm sharp, Hermione descended the stairs that led down to the entrance hall. There at the bottom was a boy who she didn't recognize, with brown hair and a gold mask. Could this be him? She slowly took the last few stairs. As she came towards him, the boy bowed to her and reached for hand. He planted a kiss ever so softly on her knuckles. Oh sweet Morgana, it was him, but who was he?

"Do I know you?" Hermione managed to choke out with flushed cheeks.

The boy simply nodded yes and took her by the arm. He gestured towards the great hall and she nodded. They walked through the doors to a well underway masquerade ball. The Great Hall looked like something out of Moulin Rouge. It was glamorously Parisian. Her admirer still hadn't spoken, but there was something about his eyes that seemed so familiar.

Draco had decided his best bet was to not talk as long as possible. He didn't know how well he could disguise his voice, but it wasn't hard to not speak. When he saw her descending the stairs, he was left utterly speechless. She was a vision in red and the mask gave her an air of mystery and sophistication. As he led her into the ball, arm in arm, his heart couldn't help but race. She had actually shown.

A waltz began to play and he nodded towards the dance floor. Hermione shook her head yes and allowed him to lead her onto the floor. As he placed his arm around her waist, he caught her scent of lavender. She smelled as good as she looked and all he wanted was to kiss her right then and there, but he resisted. He gracefully led her around the floor, loving the fact that she seemingly could not take her eyes off him or stop smiling. In that moment, it did not matter he was a pureblood or that she was supposed to be his arch enemy. All that mattered was her smile as he twirled her around the floor.

Hermione was dizzy. He was handsome and those eyes, like molten steel. So familiar but yet she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She could stare into them all night. As they danced, she forgot about everything. There was no war to be fought, no Voldemort to be afraid of. They were was just a boy and a girl dancing. This was exactly what she needed, a distraction.

He had a certain air about him that called to her. She did not know why but it didn't matter she didn't know who he was or that he wasn't speaking. Something about those eyes and the way he held her as they danced said trust him. And she did.

They must have danced for an hour of pure bliss, without saying a word. It was just small touches, his arms around her lower back and her arms around his neck. It just felt right. For moments at a time, they would just simply stare into each other's eyes. She still couldn't shake the feeling that she knew them from somewhere.

Draco could not believe it, they had been dancing for an hour without speaking at all. All his worries about completing his task were miles away. He was lost in the moment. For once, it did not matter what his father or the Dark Lord would want or expect him to do. It was just about him….and her.

Suddenly, it wasn't good enough for her to just see his eyes. He wanted her to know it was him, Draco Malfoy. He wanted her to know that despite what she thought, he did not loathe her. He had watched her from afar and knew she was more than what his father made her to be. She wasn't filthy. She was brilliant.

He gestured to the door open onto the gardens, wanting to take her on a walk. She nodded in agreement. It was now or never, he thought as he led her through the door to a secluded path through the beautifully decorated gardens. He led her to a bench off the path, away from everything else and sat down. She sat down beside him looking so beautiful in the moonlight. His heart racing in his chest, before he knew what he was doing, he leaned forward and kissed her. She seemed surprised at first, but then she started to kiss him back. Oh dear Merlin, this was more than he planned on.

He broke the kiss off, he didn't want to kiss her in this form. He wanted to know that she wanted to kiss him as Draco, not just as this mysterious admirer. Slowly he took off his mask, then he took out his wand. With a tap on his head the glamour faded and his face and hair changed to their natural state.

Hermione eyes widened in shock and she put her hand to her mouth to cover a gasp. Her secret admirer and the boy she just kissed was none other than Draco Malfoy. And she liked it.