Those Grey Eyes
Dramione fic-let (3 chapters) : sort of a hp fairy tale
Setting: After Voldemort's down fall, but everyone came back to retake 7th year cause the teachers and parents wanted to properly prep the kids for life (aka erase the Cruciatis curse from their memory), or something of the sort. Ron didn't love Hermione, he's still with Lavender, or another girl, make ur pick I don't care.
POV: Hermione's
Disclaimer: I own nothing
xoxoxoxox -- Chapter 1: The Ball -- xoxoxoxox
I scanned the different announcements posted all over the school. They announced Hogsmeade visits, dances, events, Slug parties, anything of importance. I stopped at one in particular:
***
Masquerade Ball:
6th-7th years only-hosted by Slughorn- Masquerade
Ball hosted on the eve of October 31, Hallowe'en, in which all 6th – 7th grade students may attend.
Time: 6 pm – 12 am
Dress: formal (not a costume party), masks required
***
A masquerade ball; it actually sounded fun. I read the announcement again, and then turned and made room to allow others to read them. Finally, there would be a place where no one needed to know exactly who I was. No one would stare at me thinking that's the girl that helped Harry Potter defeat You-Know-Who, no first years would stare at me in wonder, or Slytherin's harboring bad feelings eye me in the corridors. None of that; it would be a place where I could just be myself and not have to worry about what people expected of me these days. I remember not sitting with Harry and Ron the other day, and "oh no," the world was going to end.
I turned around and hit someone on accident. "Oh my, I am so sorry…"
I looked up to see who it was. "Watch it Granger, you're getting your mudblood filth all over me."
I swallowed and gritted my teeth as a failed attempt to calm myself. It was Malfoy. I exchanged my sympathy look with one of sheer dislike. I looked him right in the eye and said, "Piss off, Malfoy."
"Well, if I'm not mistaken, Granger, I believe you ran into me."
"Your point?" I asked, growing agitated.
"You owe me an apology."
I scoffed as loudly as I could, "The day I apologize to you is the day you become halfway decent of a human being."
"Are you implying something Granger?"
"Yes, but you can't seem to get it through your thick head."
Malfoy took a step closer to me, and I just stood straighter and eyed him, my fingers inches from my wand. Suddenly someone pulled me back; it was Harry. "Hermione what are you doing?" he asked looking around him to see others watching us, most likely gossiping.
I looked away from Malfoy. "Sorry, got carried away," I said through my teeth, as if I were calm. I forced a grimace, as a sort of apology toward Malfoy. Harry didn't say anything else, but he escorted me away from Malfoy, trying to calm me down, and more likely, get those gossipers' eyes off me.
*****
Malfoy was soon forgotten, as I had more important things to do, like getting ready for this upcoming ball. All the 6th and 7th year students were talking about it, and I was excited as well, to have fun without the restraints of a reputation to keep…
*****
The day of the ball...
I took in a breath, as I hid behind the closed door of the ball. I was late. Late was hardly even the word. Crookshanks had destroyed my dress right before I had put it on, and I had to look up a spell, and when that failed, Ginny- my life savior, had come in and said something along the lines of, I have enough brothers that I found dress repairing spells. And here I was, practically an hour late.
I took in a second breath, and listened to the exhale. I was ready to do this; no one would know who I was with this mask. There was no reason for anyone to know who I was. My sole purpose tonight was to just have fun, then forget about it tomorrow.
I walked into the view of the opened door. I found the party in full swing, and heard a song end. Everyone turned to hoot and cheer the band. I walked into the ball with the clicking of my shoes on the stone floor echoing so loudly in my ears, I wondered if everyone could hear them. I felt as if hundred's of eyes were on me, not sure if it was my imagination or I was really being watched. My eyes fell on a pair of familiar, grey ones. And yet today, they seemed luring.
I didn't break my gaze with those grey eyes as I walked over and sat in a chair at the edge of the dance floor. I almost called him over; I couldn't help it, those grey eyes were too captivating. His eyes twinkled behind his mask, and when a song ended, he began to walk toward me, looking me over. He smiled across the way, and I couldn't help but smile back.
He was handsome, light blond hair, black suit, a dark green tie. He walked with a sort of well-bred elegance, but that wasn't the most handsome thing about him. It was his eyes. His grey eyes that held so much in them. I couldn't help but stare into them, wondering what kind of person lay under such a beautiful, enticing, pair of eyes. He paused in front of my chair. He smiled, and I noticed that half of his smile rose higher then the other, "You want to dance?" he asked, holding out a hand.
I felt a blush creep up. He was very good looking. My heart fluttered as I responded, "Sure." He smiled wider and I took the offered hand. He brought it to his lips and kissed it, and then began to lead me to the dance floor. Tonight was most definitely going to be fun.
Once we reached the dance floor, a slow song began to play. I didn't know if this was the best song to have my first dance with this boy whose eyes were too divine for his own good, but when I looked at him questioningly, he only smiled encouragingly and took my wrists, and gently placed them around his neck. He placed his hands on my waist. I looked up into his eyes, and smiled, "Why'd you come in late?" he asked leisurely.
"Fashionably late?" I tried.
He smirked, in a way that seemed oddly familiar, like his eyes, though I couldn't place where I had seen it before. "You really expect me to believe that?"
I smiled and gave in, looking past his shoulder. "I suppose not."
I heard a chuckle, and it brought my gaze back up. "So honestly, why are you late?" I didn't get to say anything else as the song ended, and we turned to clap and cheer.
Another song started up, this time a little more upbeat. I supposed, regretfully, that my time with him was done. I began to head off the dance floor, he grabbed my hand, and I turned back around, "Hey where are you going?" I opened my mouth to explain, but he cut me off, "Don't you want to dance again?" he asked with a smile, but I wasn't so sure that he would accept a no.
Fortunately for him, I wanted to dance again. I felt my face brighten with another smile as I replied, "Sure."
The night went by quickly. I danced with my mysterious stranger all night. We were interrupted, with the occasional girl wanting to dance with him, or the occasional boy wanting to dance with me. But I always found those eyes again. I always found those grey eyes when I danced, I always found him again, and he found me. We always knew where the other was. After what seemed like the hundredth dance, he offered me his hand once again, "Care to take a break?"
I nodded, "Okay."
He guided me to a couple of seats far from the still energetic crowd. He didn't release my hand though. I found that he didn't find it awkward in the least to not let go of my hand. Though I didn't really care, I felt those sparks when he held my hand, that anticipation factor beating inside me when he touched me. He took my hand and brought it into his lap. The band announced the ball was ending in half an hour. He didn't turn to me, nor I to him, but he began to talk. "Would you tell me who you are?" he asked lightly.
I turned to him suddenly, "Why?" I asked him off guard. Who would want to know who I was? The braniac that followed Harry Potter around, the girl that was supposed to marry one of her best friends, the one that is known simply as Harry Potter's friend. I didn't want him to know any side of that, I just wanted him to know me, Hermione Granger, the girl that just wanted to make a decent living, the girl who loved to be with nature, the girl that loved books and reading, just because it was all fun. If I told him, it would be shattered.
His eyes turned serious and cold, something I didn't think could happen, but it did. "When we leave here tonight, is it all just going to be a dream?" I swallowed. I didn't know what my intentions of coming to this ball were anymore. My first intentions were to just have fun, but then I didn't think I'd actually be attracted to someone. I didn't think I'd want to stay with one person in particular; I didn't know. He turned to me. "If so, let's not let tonight end." He fingered my chin gently so I was looking in his eyes, they weren't cold anymore. He eyed my lips and I knew what he was doing, I didn't question it, I closed my eyes, and leaned in as well.
Something pushed me away, and I almost fell off the back of my chair. I caught myself and looked at what just happened. A girl was suddenly sitting in his lap, his lap. "Draco!" she cooed. Draco? I asked myself. "I've been looking for you all evening," she rolled the word "all" in her mouth, enunciating it, while inching closer to him. "Were you avoiding me?" She leaned in further, forcing him to wrap an arm around her.
I, on the other hand, had a different agenda, "Malfoy?" I asked completely stunned.
"Yes, I am Draco Malfoy. What's your name?" he looked at me questioningly, but I shook my head. This was all a mistake. Draco Malfoy was my prince? This couldn't be right.
I continued to shake my head as I stood up in front of Draco, and who, undoubtedly, was Pansy Parkinson. "I'm sorry, this was a mistake. I have to go." I took a step forward, and he dropped Parkinson on the chair. She squealed in protest, but he grabbed my arm. I stiffened at the touch.
He spun me back around, "Who are you?" he asked me.
I felt my heart pounding, my blood flowing, and my hands begin to shake. I reached up to my mask shakily; this was the only way to get him to understand how this was a mistake. I looked into his eyes, his stunning grey eyes. Slowly, I pulled the string keeping my mask in place, and caught it as it fell from me. I looked into his eyes again, hoping to find comfort, instead finding shock. "Granger?!" I heard Parkinson squeal.
I looked anywhere but at him. "I have to go." I turned, and dropped my mask in the process. I didn't bother picking it up, and ran out the door. I couldn't believe it, out of all the people that those perfect grey eyes could have belonged to, it had to be him. Out of all the wonderful, nice, intelligent people I could have met tonight, I stayed with him. The whole night I could have spent having a fairy tale, wasted. My heart was pounding, my pulse was racing. I was about to kiss Draco Malfoy, my enemy. I didn't stop running until I reached my room in the Gryffindor tower.
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