The Purpose of Love
Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership for any characters other than those that are figments of my imagination.
A/N: This is just a little quip for now, and I really hope I can complete this one. More than anything I want to take this story put my own characters and my own plot. However I suck at character and plot building, so until I feel my skills are up to par, we're going to go with this
Chapter 1
Hermione and Ginny sat in conversation at the bay window and observed the rest of the girls in the Gryffindor dormitory as they spoke animatedly about the upcoming ball that Dumbledore had announced that night at the welcome back feast. The war was over, and Dumbledore had decided to throw a feast in honor of the peace that now was over the land. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had all been offered the first month of school off, in order to relax and put the events of the summer behind them. Harry and Ron were far to eager to accept the offer, however Hermione was determined to get back to her old life, before the war, and before Voldemort, but not without some changes. She had become more confident in herself, more strong willed and observant, but at the same time, kept everyone at an arms length, afraid to be hurt by love again. With the victory, she, Harry, and Ron had all become mini celebrities and received quite a large sum for their story in the war. Although very savvy with her newfound wealth, Hermione had taken the time to give herself a new wardrobe, with the help of her dear friend Lavender. After all, the Head Girl must set an example to the rest of the school.
So there Ginny and Hermione sat, chatting quietly and observing the rest of the girls clamor on about the upcoming ball that weekend. They laughed as the girls began to dance and parade around the room, and even joined in some. Lavender even came to Hermione and begged to borrow some clothes for the ball. With a content smile, Hermione looked around the room. The room was engulfed in feelings of happiness, love, and most of all peace. All was right with her world.
Deep in the dungeons of Slytherin, Draco sat and observed the room. Too few of his housemates had returned. As far as the seventh years were concerned, it was himself, his best friend and confidant Blaise Zabini, and Blaise's cousin, Pansy, along with a few others whose names he could not recall. With a depressed sigh he shook his head. There were a handful of first years, who were, more than likely, sorted by request of Dumbledore, in order to keep the house going. Draco could not even recall a single name. There were a handful of roughly fifty, second through fifth years combined that had returned for another year at Hogwarts. The sixth years had maybe the bleakest return of all. A grand total of three students returned. As Head Boy, Draco was saddened by the loss. According to Dumbledore, the Syltherins would be placed in classes with the Gryffindors, except the first years, yet another fact that Draco was not happy about. Although he and his fellow seventh years had joined Potter's side in the war against Voldemort, there was still some remaining hostility. Glancing around the room again, he noticed Pansy had struck up a conversation with one Millicent Bulstrode, and with Draco's cousin, Jenna Richfield, a fourth year.
"So Miss Jenna, do you think you will be going to the ball?" Pansy questioned.
"I don't know Pans, it depends on whether Draco lets me or not. You know how protective he gets. Cripes, you think I was a porcelain doll the way he acts."
"You can go to the ball Jenna!" Draco chimed in from across the room, with a smile at his cousin. It was true; he could be a tad overprotective at times, but with good reason.
"What about you Millicent? Will you attend the ball?" Jenna questioned. Though three years younger than the other girls, Jenna seemed to have a stronger connection with the two of them than girls her own age.
"With what to wear?" Millicent lamented, and so the conversation continued and Draco went back to scanning the room as Blaise strode up to him.
"So Drake, tell me, which lovely young lady will you be escorting to the ball?"
"None."
"None, why not?"
"I am going as my obligation as Head Boy. The girls here are after my money not me."
"Surely not all are so terrible! I do know of a couple Gryffindors that have caught my eye, one redhead in particular." Blaise's crush on Ginny was nothing new. The quiet, yet fiery girl had been the object of Blaise's affection, yet the silly boy did not have the courage to speak with the girl. He had showered her with gifts since the first day he had laid eyes on her as a second year.
"I know this is your year Draco. You will find someone and you will fall head over heels for them." With severe doubts Draco let the conversation turn to classes the next day. First thing that Wednesday morning was Charms.
TPOL
Saturday morning could not have come fast enough for the castle's residents. On Saturday morning, the girls in Gryffindor, like the rest of the castle woke to quite a surprise. A bulletin had been posted on the bulletin board in the room. It read:
To the Girls of Gryffindor,
In honor of times of old, of an era forgotten,
This night's ball shall be an Elizabethan Masquerade.
Each student has had an outfit tailored to their specifics.
You will find them in your wardrobe, along with a mask.
A hairdresser and makeup artist will be in your dorm at seven o'clock.
The ball begins at eight o'clock.
Please do not be late.
Yours,
Professors Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall
With a squeal of excitement the girls rushed to their closets to inspect their dresses. The girls dresses were all very similar in style, but still different to create their own sense of uniqueness.
Hermione's was a rich crimson color, with gold stitching. A built in corset and square neckline allowed it to mold to her body perfectly. The undergarments for the dress were a pure white color, and all together complimenting her rosy complexion, caramel hair and brown eyes perfectly. A golden colored mask and matching heels completed the outfit. As Dumbledore said, the outfit was made for her, a perfect fit for the aptly dubbed Gryffindor princess.
Lavender had a dark pink dress, similar to that of Hermione's, though her accents were silver. Ginny's was a royal blue also. Parvati's was the only light one of the group. Her's was a soft lilac color that complimented her dark skin amazingly. The conversation soon turned to whom they would hope ask them to dance that night and other similar topics.
In the Slytherin dungeons, Draco and Blaise found a similar notice and two absolutely stellar outfits. Each had a complete tuxedo of the time period, straight leg pants, and a coat with tails that went down to their knees. Draco's was black and had a crisp white shirt, as well as a black top hat and crimson red necktie and mask. Blaise's suit was a stone gray, also with a white shirt, but with a dark blue necktie, mask, and a gray top hat. The boys could hear the giddy and excited squeals coming from the girls' dormitories, and could not help but smile at the excitement of their friends.
Back in Gryffindor dormitory, the girls spent their day getting ready. They all pampered themselves with long hot showers, and Hermione found a spell for instant manicures and pedicures. Just because it was an Elizabethan ball doesn't mean they couldn't look their absolute best! She did each girl in turn and then herself. Like a crazed wedding party, they all helped each other into their undergarments, saving the actual gowns for after makeup. The makeup artist arrived promptly at seven, and the girls all stood by their dresses as she came around and with a wave of her wand, it was perfection. Each girl slid into their dress, then shoes, and with masks in hand had their hair done. In accordance with the time period, the girls decided to not have dates, and meet with their male suitors there instead. Finally 7:50 rolled around and Hermione ushered the girls downstairs.
In the dungeons Blaise and Draco were dressed and ready to go, just waiting for Pansy to come. Millicent and Jenna had decided to go ahead without the trio. While waiting, Blaise could practically taste Draco's discomfort.
"Lighten up Draco, tonight nobody knows who you are, or who anyone is. The masks are a great idea on Dumbledore's part. People cannot treat us differently because they will not know who we are." Before Draco had a chance to respond to his friend, Pansy glided out from the girls' wing of the dungeons, clad in an elegant emerald green dress, a silver mask over her face.
"Ready boys?" She asked, gliding toward the door, the boys following in suit. The trio made their way to the Great Hall and was wowed by the sights.
Dumbledore had truly outdone himself with this one. He had transformed the hall to fit that of an old ballroom in an Elizabethan mansion. Where the Professor's table would have stood, there was a simple quartet. All around the expansive hall were circular tables, most already filled with students. The band had already begun to play, and couples were dancing. It was assumed that everyone was already present, so when the trio walked in, Blaise in the middle, Draco to his left and Pansy to his right, the music had stopped and the couples dancing stopped to stare at them.
"Who is that?" whispered Hermione to Ginny, who were sitting off to the side, craning her neck to get a better look. She was obviously annoyed slightly that someone had the audacity to be late for the ball.
"I don't know she said, but the middle one is cute." She replied with a chuckle. The band chose that moment to strike up again, and the dance resumed.
Blaise's attention was drawn toward a table where two girls were seated. He noticed that one girl's dress matched his tie, and time seemed to stand still as their eyes locked from across the room. She smiled sweetly and shyly at him, and turned her attention back to her companion.
"Be still my heart!" he called to Draco. "I think I have found another to steal my affection away!" He pointed toward the royal blue beauty. Draco followed his finger, but instead his eyes fell on the girl's companion, dressed in crimson red. She was exquisite. The color of her dress, in accordance to the candlelit room made her caramel hair seem golden bronze, and her warm chocolate eyes drew him in.
"Don't look now Mione, but you seem to have an admirer." Ginny giggled as she snuck a look back over to the gray suited man. Hermione turned her attention and Draco quickly looked away embarrassed.
"I'm going to go find something to drink." Draco muttered to his companions and snuck off toward the punch bowl.
"Fine, go mope, I'm going to go enjoy myself." Blaise shot back at his friend. He made his way across the room to the table where his blue clad beauty waited for him.
"My dear madam," he said, adopting a heavier English accent. "May I have the honor and pleasure of being your dance partner?" With a giggle Ginny accepted his hand and the two made their way to the dance floor. Not long after, Hermione was pulled into a dance, and forgot about her admirer from earlier.
He did not forget her so easily. He spent his time standing by the punch bowl with Pansy, who, although was craving to find Jenna and Millicent, stayed with Draco, to keep him from being lonely. Draco, a scowl fixed on his face to ward off any potential inquiries to dance, stared after the crimson clad beauty, and watched, as her smile seemed to light up the entire room. He was hooked on her. At one point, Pansy finally got fed up with him and walked away. Blaise and his girl walked up to him at that point and the three began a conversation. Hermione soon joined him.
"Come now," Blaise started looking at his friend. "You must dance with at least one person." He sent a meaningful glace towards Hermione and Ginny.
"You know I hate dancing. I've hated it from all the family parties that we attended. You also know that I only dance with girls that I'm very well acquainted with. Unfortunately the two women I would feel comfortable dancing with are otherwise occupied." He replied curtly nodding toward where Pansy and Jenna were having an unbelievable time on the dance floor. With a shrug Blaise grabbed Ginny's hand and another random suitor came and whisked Hermione away.
Draco continued to watch Hermione as she twirled gracefully around the floor. Too soon it seemed, she stopped dancing, as did Blaise, and he lost sight of her as Blaise rejoined him at the punch bowl again.
"She begged me for some rest, so she could tend to her 'sister' as she claimed, probably the one in red. Oh she could not be my Ginny, she has only brothers." Blaise complained. Little to either one's knowledge, the two had taken that moment to stop by the punch bowl, behind the two gentlemen. The girls decided to listen in.
"Get yourself together man, I mean honestly. She's just a girl."
"But a beautiful one."
"I will admit you do seem to have claimed the fairest one as your dance partner for the night." A smile spread across Ginny's face.
"What about her sister?" Blaise questioned. "She too has a great beauty about her, though to me she does not compare to my dear Ginny or my partner tonight." Ginny stared at him in shock. Was he her admirer that continually sent her gifts?
"I'm afraid she doesn't quite do it for me my friend." Draco responded, lying through his teeth, as to not have to retract his earlier statement. Pride made people do stupid things. "She doesn't catch my eye the way girls catch yours." He claimed and went back to his drink. Hermione's smile fell slightly as she and Ginny quietly stole away from the boys.
"My dear students," Professor Dumbledore roared over the noise of the students. "I'm afraid it is now one o'clock. I hope you have all enjoyed yourself thoroughly, and it is now time to say goodnight and return to your dormitories. Your masks will be removable once you have exited the Great Hall. Have a good night!"
Grabbing Ginny's hand, and surrounded by Parvati and Lavender, Hermione made a quick exit to begin the gossip phase of the night. Noticing her trying to slip away, Blaise dashed after the foursome, determined to catch up with his crush.
"Wait!" he cried, causing the girls to stop and turn. "Please, let me see your face." He begged Ginny.
"Not unless I can see yours first." She demanded. Without hesitation, Blaise pulled off his mask. Shocked by his handsome features, Ginny stood speechless.
"Well?" he asked. Hermione noticed her friend's inability to move.
"My dear sir," she greeted him gracefully. "It seems your looks have shocked my lovely sister into silence. She will write to you soon. Expect a letter within the next week from her." She finished with a sweet smile, and pulled on Ginny's arm before the four of them made off towards Gryffindor tower, all giggling and laughing excitedly. It was evident that Ginny was in love with Blaise, and to Hermione, that Blaise was in love with Ginny. It touched their hearts greatly. Draco put his hand on Blaise's shoulder to break him from the daze he was left in, and pulled him back to the common room. It was going to be a long week for his friend and he knew it.
A/N: Hope you guys like it. If you are going to review, please no flames. If you don't like it don't keep reading it, however, if you'll tell me WHY you didn't like it then that is a different story.