Balls held at Malfoy Manor were large, opulent, and extravagant. The who's who of the wizarding world was always invited. The balls had been forcibly stopped when Voldemort had risen to power both times, but now that Voldemort was dead, Lucius restarted the tradition to rebuild the Malfoy name.

Most of the well dressed ladies and gentlemen seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely with the return of the Malfoy Balls. She moved in time with the music, watching the black fabric swirl around her. Amongst the other beautifully done-up women, no one glanced her way. She waited, carefully, for someone to cast a look her way. As the evening grew long and the candles burned low, she sighed and left the ball, returning to her own manor, where lavish balls had once been held.

The next week, his father held another ball, insisting that this time, Draco not be absent. So he leaned against a wall in the ballroom, in his finest dress robes, as females of many ages tried to get him to dance. He watched happy couples dance together, the women's dresses garishly colorful and excessive. And then Draco noticed her. She wore a simple black dress, but it flowed elegantly around her. It balanced well with her auburn hair and complemented her pale skin. He couldn't fathom why she was all alone.

She smiled radiantly at the young man watching her. She had smiled at anyone who had looked at her for more than a second, desperately needing their attention, but they usually turned away, unable to hold her gaze.

Draco stood up and crossed the room to reach her side. He held out a hand to her, silently asking for a dance. Her ice blue eyes widened in some mixture of hope and terror. Her radiant smile returned and became something passionate and powerful as she slipped a chilled hand into his and set her other hand delicately on his shoulder.

Draco had become captivated in the intensity of her stare. She seemed afraid that he would disappear the second she let go, yet her touch never weighed more than a feather. By the time she promised to return, he could not envision her leaving.

What's your name?

Draco Malfoy. What's yours?

I'm Hermione Granger. Do you live here?

I do.

Have you always lived here?

Since I was born.

At the next ball, they spotted each other simultaneously. He laid a hand on her waist and began their dance before she could say a word, curling his fingers around her cold ones. She seemed more vibrant in the arms of the blond man. The eyes of every individual were riveted on them as they waltzed across the manor's marble floors. Draco dismissed their stares, having grown up his whole life under their influence. And once she was gone, he was left with a lonely ache in his chest, yearning for another's company for the first time in his life.

I've missed you, Draco.

And I you, my dearest. Where do you live?

The definition of 'live' is ambiguous. I subsist, in my own way. Is that not enough?

Another ball came and went, and the leaves tumbled from trees with each gust of wind. All throughout, Draco was never absent from Hermione's side. She gained verve with each ball, but she never said a word to anyone other than Draco. Slowly ice crept across ponds and lakes and the snow piled up on the bare branches of trees. Draco introduced Hermione to Narcissa and Lucius as his fiancé, despite their lack of enthusiasm and her refusal of a ring. He could not desire anyone other than this cobalt eyed woman who evoked such potent fire in him.

Will you introduce me to your parents?

My parents cannot accept us even as little as yours did.

And here I thought my parents were the most prejudiced couple in the wizarding world.

My parents are dead, love.

Nearing the holidays, the balls were put on hiatus, though the manor was bustling in preparation for a spectacular Yule Ball. Draco received an invitation for a ball at the same time as the one his parents were planning. He received no indication of the whereabouts of this ball, but instead, the invitation came with a single pink note written in a graceful, sloping cursive.

I've seen your world. I present you with a chance to see mine.

On the night of the Yule Ball, Draco waited amidst the happy party-goers. When Hermione showed up, she no longer wore the same satin black dress she had always worn, but a cascading white dress that shimmered with every twirl she made. Even before she reached him, every eye followed her. She held out a pale hand to him and, as his warm fingers slipped in between her unusually frigid ones, she rose up on tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips that set his body ablaze.

When Draco opened his eyes, he stood in the same place he had in his own manor, yet the decorations of this ballroom were different. People still swirled around him in time to the music, though their outfits were several decades outdated. The woman in his embrace rapidly recaptured his attention. She reached out people near her, introducing them to Draco, presenting him as her fiancé. She became a thing of brilliance to Draco, no longer a withdrawn partner, but a flawless companion. They danced in the spotlight; his dress robes a perfect contrast against her glittering white dress, her tanned hand clasping his pale cheek. Before the end of the night, Hermione grasped his arm firmly. He saw the same mixture of panic and wishing in her eyes that he had seen the night of their first dance.

Draco… don't forget me.

He faltered for a second and watched as the terror left her eyes. Several intruders rudely crashed Hermione's celebration. Shrieks broke out among the other couples, but she continued to stare fiercely into his silver eyes. He broke away from her gaze in order to watch an intruder shoot a beam of ice blue light from his wand. Hermione was engulfed in a dense black mist as the spell reached her body. She did not move her hands from Draco's upper arms, and as the black mist closed quickly over her face, he caught a glimpse of rich caramel eyes. And then she was gone.

As though he was frozen in his spot while the rest of the world was sped through time, the ball ended and his lover's attackers combed her manor and left with their spoils. Spring, then summer, then fall, then winter, then summer, then winter again; the manor fell apart around him, rapidly decaying, crumbling. Time's pacing increased, and Draco watched the ruins of the manor become a playground for children. He became as a shadow, unmoving, unseen, as the manor was rebuilt with the same foundations as Hermione's. Draco observed many other balls thrown by his ancestors. He saw the young Tom Riddle gather his followers, watched his father receive his Dark Mark, and stood in his place as many were tortured and killed. He watched himself grow up and remained silent as Voldemort assembled his followers a second time.

Suddenly Draco was caught up to the present, to the very Yule Ball his parents were throwing. Hermione was gone from the past, but Draco was left in the present. Hermione pulled back from the kiss. She smiled up at Draco, and he took in her transformation. Her skin was tan, her eyes were the same deep brown he had seen before she disappeared, and her arms around his neck radiated heat. Her smile, though, was still warm and genuine.

"I've been waiting for you for a very long time."

Draco's returning smile was no less sincere. "Come, love. Allow me to introduce you to my parents. I think they would appreciate meeting the woman I want to marry."

This was inspired by Lovely Amelie's Victorious fanfiction, A Certain Slant of Light. Not based off of (because I can't stand writing unhappy endings) but inspired. Make sure you catch that difference. Anyway, I really wanted to write a Dramione, so… this ficlet was born. Hope you enjoyed it. Please review.

~Arian