Taking one last look in the mirror at myself in my new green dress, that was tight at the top and flowing at the bottom I smiled wide, but the more I looked at myself, the more my huge smile began to fall as I thought back over this last year. Things had changed so much since Voldermort. I was now head girl in my own privet quarters shared with the new head boy, Malfoy, although, he wasn't the arrogant little pig anymore, infect it turned out he never actually was, he still ignored me unless he needed to. Ronald, was my boyfriend, admittedly he had his floors but still, he was perfect enough for me.

Smiling again I turned and headed for the stairs. Descending slowly, I smiled at Ronald who gave me the once over. Looking to the ground I bit my lip waiting for him to say something.

"You're going in that?"

"What?" I said trough gritted teeth, glairing through my eyelashes at him.

"Nothing, it's just…" He let out a nervous laugh.

"What Ronald?" He began to struggle on words. "Are you saying I look a mess?"

"No, it's just dresses don't really… look good on you."

"What?"

Ronald seemed to have shrunk by at least 3 feet has I glared down at him. Suddenly, Ronald's head shot forward has Malfoy hit him with a book he had been reading quietly in the corner, then walked away rolling his eyes. Letting out a giggle I grabbed Ronald's arm, before he could start shouting, and I dragged him down to the great hall. He deserved it if I do say so myself.

The great hall was set out has it was before, tables surrounding the dance floor and one of the long tables to the side filled with food and drink. The theme, however was different, it was sort of a miss match of things depending the houses, snakes, badgers, eagles and lions with a mixture of all the colours. It represented us united once again. It reminded me of our song, not the words but how we sang it, in which ever tune we wanted to. Despite the decoration, it worked, it looked wonderful, McGonagall had done well.

Turning to the different happy faces of the students and teachers my gaze landed on a girls, who reminded of a blond moaning Myrtle. Her dress was an orange colour and the way she stood in the corner, shoulders hunched, looking to the ground made her look kind of frumpy. I had seen her around, sitting alone, always the joke, but tonight I was going to make her feel included. Smiling I made towards her but someone got there before me. Malfoy stood, hand held out, trying to catch her eye smiling. Eventually she looked up, smiled slightly and took his offered hand. Has they walked onto the dance floor she looked at other people with her head drooped over shyly.

Smiling at Malfoy being a gentleman for once I grabbed Ronald's arm and walked him to the dance floor. At first he refused, but eventually I was in his arms swaying to the music, granted he wasn't the dancing type but it made me happy. Looking up at him I saw he had a dreamy smile plastid on his face and it was aimed at…Daisy, 7th year Huffelpuff. Grunting my teeth I put my head back down on his shoulder, now was not the time to say anything. Happy thoughts Hermione, happy thoughts.

Malfoy caught my eye by the food table getting a drink and passing it to the 'blond Myrtle', I made a mental note to ask her name. She no longer looked frumpy, smile on her face, hair pushed back behind her ears. To me she no longer represented myrtle, I just hoped that that wouldn't change tomorrow, when Malfoy decided he didn't want to know her. Pansy made a show at that point and tried to make off with Malfoy but he stopped her, muttered something and Pansy smiled then nodded before beginning to talk to 'blond Myrtle'.

Suddenly I was been pulled from the floor by Ronald, frowning at him he pointed to a group of Gryffindor's. Allowing myself to be lead away we stopped to talk.

"Hermione, you look nice." Neville said.

"Really? You don't think I look a mess?"

"I never said you looked a mess." Ronald said.

"Well, that's what it sounded like to me."

"What happened?" Lavender joined the group.

"Nothing, you know what Hermione's like, not happy unless her heads in a book."

The group laughed at the 'joke' but me. I knew it wasn't a joke, I heard it in his voice and it was in his eyes. That tone that no one else heard, that look that no one else noticed. Forcing a smile onto my face I excused myself and made out that I was going to grab a drink then go to the bathroom, Instead I just left the hall and went to the astronomy tower to watch the star's. As I looked up to the full moon tears began to fall and I let them without wiping them away.

"Oh, sorry." I heard Malfoy's voice.

He had just come running up the stairs. Desperately I wiped at the tears, which made him freeze on the steps when he had turned to leave me.

"You ok Granger?" He was frowning, I nodded. "He was wrong when he said dresses don't look good on you."

"What?" I laughed.

"You look hot, basically."

"Thanks, but that's not it. He made a joke about me but…"

"You didn't take it has a joke." He moved towards me and leaned on the railing next to me.

I shuck my head. "I don't even think it was a joke, everyone else thought it was but…It sounds so stupid."

"What does? I'm not going to tell anyone, Slytherin, I keep my word."

"It was the way he said it-" I said after awhile. "- Joke in his voice but there was something else, and it was in his eyes…"

"Oh yeh that, I know what you mean. My mum and dad are like it all the time, pretending but the truth is there, or when someone jokes with you, you can tell they mean it. Be careful though."

"Why?"

"Because people will call you paranoid, and you'll start to believe them, but your not, you just know Weasley well enough to see it."

Giving him a grin I basically flew to the steps to sit, he understood, out of all the people in this school, Malfoy was the one to understand. Turning to face me he smirked jumping up onto the railings to sit. The silence wasn't an awkward one, but I searched almost desperately for something to say, this was, after all, the longest we had spoken about things not related to head boy/girl work.

"What you did was kind you know." I said.

"What did I do?" He asked frowning.

"That girl, you danced with her, you spent your evening with her."

"Arr, Jackie. I couldn't let her stand in a corner could I? Not a bad girl really."

"But you didn't leave her when Pansy gave you the option."

"Jackie was my date for the evening, I couldn't just leave her could I."

"Where is she now?"

"She left me for this boy, Chris. Good on her, my job is done."

We both laughed for while and I removed my shoes. So Malfoy had been playing Cupid tonight, even if he hadn't meant to. Concentrating on rubbing my feet I asked in a voice I hoped sound as if I didn't really care,

"What was he doing when you left? Ronald I mean."

"Eating." He answered truthfully.

"Really?" I looked at Malfoy letting out an annoyed breath.

"He was probably giving you time to cool off."

"I've been here about an hour, normal people ether follow the person no matter how much abuse is waiting for them or they give 10 minuets."

"This is Weasley, maybe he hasn't realised he pissed you off, after all he's slack."

"More likely."

Silence filled the air has I let out a puff of air and rested my head on my hands. Looking up slightly I saw Malfoy leaning back so he was laid on thin air, looking down to the ground. My heart began to speed up, he was crazy, what if he fell, but he carried on going back until he was laid almost vertical, only a thin bar supported him under his bum.

"Do you have to do that?" I asked.

"Why? Make you worried?"

"Well if you fall I can't stop you."

"I'm holding on, I won't fall."

"Famous last words."

Smirking he began to let go of the bar and pretend to fall. With every pretence my heart skipped a beat with panic. Standing I slowly made my way to, if he did fall I would at least try to catch him. Suddenly, his hands slipped off of the bar and he fell over the side, flipping has he went. His name left my lips in a loud scream has I ran to the side, but I couldn't see him. Of course I couldn't we were too high up. I called him again and again on the false hope he survived the fall.

Tears threatened my eyes. Giving one last hopeless shout I turned away only to bump head long into Malfoy…that dickhead.

"Wow Granger, relax, no one died." He smirked

"How…what? Dickhead!"

"What happened, I fell. How I got back up here, hello death eater. I can fly around in black smoke."

As if in a automatic reaction I began to hit him, has I hit him he moved back until at last I was tired. That idiot, I actually thought he had died. Some way head boy should act, I would never see the funny side has he said I would repetitively. Finally turning from him, arms crossed over my chest I walked away, back down the stairs and back to the great hall, Ronald had made jokes of me, but none to this extent.