Here's the next installment! This one is all about the Yule Ball. The marriage law will come into play in the next chapter.

Hope you enjoy, and please review!

Forgot to add this in chapter one: This song is partially based on the song "Don't Close Your Eyes" by Keith Whitley.

Disclaimer: Still don't own.

let it be me

chapter two

It was about an hour before the Yule Ball began, and Harry and Ron were due to come up to the Heads' common room at any moment to pick up Ginny and Hermione. Hermione, Ginny, and Luna had spent the last couple of hours getting ready for the big event. Most everyone from the Gryffindor-Slytherin bunch, it seemed, would be meeting in the eighth year Heads' dorm to head down to the rebuilt Great Hall. Luna would be attending with Neville, and Blaise and Theo had promised to show up with their dates in time to go down as a group.

Hermione had been surprised that Draco did not have a date for the ball. When she asked him about it, all he would say was that the only girl he had wanted to take already had a date. Hermione had jokingly suggested that he take his mother as his date. Harry and Hermione had both petitioned for Narcissa Malfoy's house arrest to be relaxed for this one night. The Ministry had initially agreed to a reprieve of about seven hours, long enough for mother and son to have time to talk before the main event started, as she would have to leave at midnight. Hermione had convinced the Ministry to allow Mrs. Malfoy to spend twelve hours at Hogwarts, from noon until midnight.

After Ginny had finished coaxing Hermione's hair into a French twist with soft ringlets curling about her face and Luna had donned a complete set of radish jewelry, the three girls descended the stairs. Harry and Ron had arrived a few minutes before, and so were waiting at the bottom of the stairs along with Neville.

Hermione was the last one to descend and so had the perfect view of Harry's eyes boggling at the sight of Ginny in her royal purple dress. She caught a glimpse of Neville taking Luna's arm before turning to her own date.

Ron at first looked like a gaping fish upon catching sight of Hermione, who was wearing a one-shouldered, floor-length bright red dress, its slim lines clinging to her slight curves. He broke out into a goofy, silly grin, and she returned the smile, walking towards her boyfriend. "You look beautiful, 'Mione," he said, taking her hand. She thanked him and returned the compliment—he had managed to find a set of robes that were actually from the twentieth century. Just then, she caught sight of Draco looking at her over Ron's shoulder.

His eyes were wide and intent upon her and looked to be swirling with some sort of repressed emotion. When he saw she was looking at him, one corner of his mouth lifted up in a soft smile and he nodded his head before turning to his mother, who was at his side.

Hermione laughed as the group chatted, but she couldn't shake the feeling that a pair of quicksilver eyes were following her.

X.X

Luckily, the introductory remarks and dinner went by quickly. Hermione mused that at the beginning of the year, a table setting with places for Harry, Ron, and Draco would have been simply asking for trouble, but nearly four months into the school year, the three wizards seemed to be getting along admirably well for young men who had antagonized each other for six years.

Draco had introduced her to his mother, which had slightly intimidated Hermione at first, but Mrs. Malfoy had been polite and apologetic. They exchanged a few words, but Narcissa seemed to be content to simply talk with her son and observe the festivities.

And then, it was time to dance. The Golden Trio were asked to lead the dancing, so Ron held his hand out to Hermione and Harry to Ginny. At some point, Hermione and Draco would have to dance together, since they were Heads, but Hermione didn't mind. She now counted Draco as one of her closest friends, and at least she knew he wouldn't step on her toes like Ron might.

Dancing with Ron felt familiar and comfortable, but something was off. Hermione could see Harry and Ginny locked in an embrace on the dance floor, entwined as much as was socially acceptable and staring into each other's eyes. She didn't begrudge them their love—they had certainly earned it after everything that had happened—but she couldn't help but wonder why Ron wasn't looking into her eyes—or she into his.

The first song over, Harry claimed Hermione for a dance. Ron didn't want to dance with his sister, so he made his way over to the dessert table. Hermione knew that would keep him occupied for a little while, and so after her dance with Harry was over, she made her way to George, who was standing in the corner next to Angelina. She had seen them briefly on the floor during the first dance, but apparently dancing was a bit too much for the master prankster who had lost his partner in crime. As she drew closer, she could see the deep lines that had slowly started to etch themselves on his previously jovial face. Hermione's heart went out to the young man who she regarded as an elder brother, and so she went to check on him. After much cajoling from both her and Angelina, she convinced him to dance with her. Convincing him had taken so much time, however, that the song was over halfway through once they reached the floor. George had thanked her for the dance and then left, but not before raising an eyebrow at whoever was approaching from behind Hermione.

She turned around and saw Draco walking up to her. "Two Weasels, Granger?" he said by way of greeting, holding out a long pale hand to her.

She took it, and he wrapped his other arm around her waist. "This is a very hard night for George—for all the Weasleys, but George especially," she explained as the dance began. "It's the first big gathering since the war, and so the absence of so many is felt more acutely, although I don't know whether George ever has any respite from his grief. I just thought that I might be able to help."

"Typical Granger," he drawled. "Always trying to do good for people, but doing it in the bossiest way imaginable." His tone was teasing, but tinted with affection.

She huffed as they continued to twirl. "I seem to be sticking with the family Mustelidae tonight." When he raised an eyebrow in confusion, she continued. "Well, I danced with two Weasels, and now I'm dancing with a ferret."

He scowled at her, and she couldn't help but laugh. She saw the corner of his mouth twitch and knew he was fighting a smile of his own.

"I just hope that someone doesn't try and hex me for this. We don't need to start a third Wizarding War," he half-joked.

"That wouldn't happen. We're in public and we're supposed to be remembering why we shouldn't fight another war amongst ourselves in the first place," she affirmed. "Besides, I wouldn't let anyone raise their wand against you," she added.

"Ah, do-gooder Granger hypothetically striking again?"

"Not totally," she said, slightly frowning at his ribbing her for her desire for harmony and rule-abiding (in most cases, when saving the world wasn't involved). "We don't need another war, true, but you're also my friend."

He smiled at that.

"You do look gorgeous tonight, Granger," he muttered softly. She inhaled sharply and looked up to meet swirling silver eyes. She was intensely aware of his arm around her waist and his hand in hers. For some reason, his touch seemed to affect her differently than Harry's or Ron's. Draco's hold had none of the brotherly qualities that Harry's had, or even the affectionate familiarity of Ron's. On the contrary, Draco's hold was strong yet gentle, holding her close, leading her expertly. She thought the strangeness of his hold must be due to the fact that she was in the arms of her former sworn enemy and childhood bully turned friend.

The song ended, and Draco bowed low over her hand. "I expect another dance, Granger," he said softly. She nodded and smiled in return, and the corner of his mouth twitched again before he turned to leave.

Hermione danced with Harry and then Ron again. She was nursing a glass of punch after dancing with Neville when Draco found her again. He asked if she'd been claimed for the dance, and when she shook her head no, swallowing the last of her punch in a big gulp, he asked if he could have the honor. In answer, she took his hand and led him back to the floor.

They assumed their former stance, Draco pulling Hermione as close as he had earlier. With one hand on his black-clad shoulder, she could rise up on her tiptoes and just see the various dancing couples and groups of witches and wizards talking. She spotted Ron with Angelina and George and Harry and Ginny talking with Luna and Neville.

Seeing her closest friends (and being wrapped in the arms of another) brought flashes of other faces to Hermione's mind's eye. So many good people had been lost, so many people with years yet to live ahead of them. Remus. Tonks. Fred. Sirius. Even Snape. Others like them. Others she hadn't known, others she had. All killed while fighting for the preservation of the Wizarding World.

Those countless witches and wizards should have been here, she thought. They should be celebrating with us, not mourning or being mourned.

Then, of course, there were those who might not have been able to attend a Wizarding function, but had been lost all the same…

She was brought out of her reverie by a cool hand resting on the back of her neck, a pale thumb gently moving across her cheek.

"Granger? Granger, why are you crying?" The pale thumb swiped against her cheek again as she looked up into concerned gray eyes, the contours of Draco's face slightly softening when she looked at him.

She sniffed and took a shuddering breath as Draco's hand moved to clasp her bare shoulder. "Granger?" he asked again. "Please don't cry. Potter and Weasel will think I've done something to hurt you and, even though we're getting along better, I wouldn't put it past them not to attack me if they thought I'd hurt you. I would rather not be blasted to smithereens or be hexed by the Weaselette."

She gave a watery chuckle. "What is it, Granger?" he pressed gently, his thumb absentmindedly tracing circles over her shoulder.

She sighed. "I'm sorry," she began, clutching his black-clad shoulder as a sort of anchor while she spoke. "I'm so glad to be alive, to have survived the war, so glad that most of my friends survived as well. I'm glad that this year has gone so well so far, that we've become friends—" here she saw him smile softly—"that the Wizarding world is on its way to repairing itself, that so many witches and wizards survived, that Voldemort is gone," she continued, spitting out the last phrase.

"But I look around tonight, and I can't help but think of all the people who should still be here, people who fought and died so that we could be here, celebrating. They should still be alive," she said, her voice breaking, and Draco's arm drew her closer. "Remus and Tonks should be here to see Teddy grow up, they should be thinking about having another baby. Fred should be at the joke shop with George, coming up with new ways to prank everyone. Sirius—Harry didn't get to spend nearly enough time with him. Even Snape deserved to have more time, even if it was just so everyone could thank him for spying for the Order for so long."

She looked at Draco when she mentioned his godfather, and saw her friend's eyes spark with pain, his mouth setting in a grim line. She had told him about Snape's involvement with the Order, and that had seemed to help some, but she knew the young man holding her still missed the man he had considered an uncle of sorts.

He caught her looking at him, and his eyes softened again. "Too many people were lost, I agree," he said. "I didn't know the people you named as well as you did, except for Snape. I do remember meeting my cousin briefly as a child," he said. "I do know that Tonks' death hurts my mother, because she was her sister's child, and I think my mother blames herself for what happened. I think she'll try to reach out to my Aunt Andromeda now, however. Family has always been important, and it is now more so than ever."

"I think Andromeda will appreciate that. She needs as many people to gather around her as possible."

He nodded. "Professor Lupin—looking back, I think he was the best Defense teacher we had, at least in the early years. He actually taught us," he clarified upon seeing Hermione's shocked face. "The twin—Fred—I never would have admitted this, and don't you go saying anything, but I actually had some respect for him and George, mostly because they got rid of Umbridge. That woman was a menace and a blight on the school, and I was so glad when they ran her out. They would probably have made it in Slytherin."

"But you…you were on the Inquisitorial Squad!"

"Yes, but it was mostly a status thing. By the end, I think we all hated Umbridge, at least secretly, as much as anyone else did. She probably would have come after us, too, in the end."

"I didn't know Sirius, but I know we were somehow related on my mother's side. Snape…I'd rather not talk about Snape," he said, the pain coming back into his face. Hermione rubbed his shoulder, just like he had done for her, and the corners of his mouth twitched for a second. "You're right, they shouldn't have died. But things could have been a lot worse."

She let that sink in. Things definitely could have been a lot worse. Harry could have died, Voldemort could have won…she snapped out of her depressing train of thought upon realizing what Draco had said.

"Did you just say I was right?" she asked, giving him a Malfoy-esque smirk.

He chuckled. "Don't get used to it, Granger, but yes."

She smiled, then sobered. "I was also thinking about people who didn't die, but are still lost…"

His thumb moved to her cheek again, and she realized that she had started crying silently. "You're thinking about your parents," he stated. She nodded.

"Hermione Granger, you are the smartest witch of your age—of any age, really," he said emphatically. "If anyone could find a spell to reverse a memory charm, it would be you.

"And you know, you don't have to do this all alone," he said softly. "You know that you have friends surrounding you who would be glad to help."

"I know," she said. "Thank you, Draco, for everything you've done in nearly four months—you've been such a help. You've pulled equal weight with your Head duties, you apologized for everything, and you've even helped me find books to research ways to help my parents and even looked through them with me." She chuckled. "I never thought I would be saying this, but I'm glad we became friends, Draco."

"So am I, Granger. I didn't mind helping. Still don't. Don't mention it, Granger. No, really, don't mention it. I still have a reputation to keep up, mind you."

She laughed, and she could tell he was pleased that he got her to laugh. "Oh, Draco, we both know that you have a kind heart underneath that cold exterior, you just have to look hard for it."

"Only for you, Granger," he muttered so low she almost didn't hear him.

She was surprised, but didn't mention it, as another worry came to the front of her mind. "If—when—I find my parents again, what if they get angry with me and don't want to have anything to do with me? After all I did to keep them safe, I couldn't bear it if they were too angry to rebuild our relationship." She felt the tears start to fall again.

"Granger," Draco said. "Hermione."

She looked up at him then. He rarely called her by her first name, even now that they were close friends.

"Don't cry," he entreated. "If you keep crying, you're going to wash us all away.

"Seriously, though, Granger," he continued. "I suppose I need to be honest with you. I do think your parents might be angry with you at first," he said, squeezing her hand when she looked dejected at his words. "However, they would be fools to continue to be angry after you explain to them why you Obliviated them. That was a terribly brave thing you did, you stubborn Gryffindor. I only wish I could have protected my family as well as you did," he said softly.

She squeezed his hand back. "Thank you, Draco. And I think you did what you could, considering the circumstances."

He hung his head a little, but she gently forced his face back up with a soft hand on his cheek. He leaned into her touch slightly and opened his eyes. She drew her hand back.

"Remember earlier, when I said that I wouldn't let Ron or Harry attack you if they thought you had hurt me?"

"Yes," he said warily.

"Well, there's another reason. I won't let them attack you because you truly have changed, Draco."

So the Yule Ball was a success! What did you think? Please let me know!

Next chapter, we learn about the marriage law, and everyone gets assigned a spouse...

See you in about a week!