"Don't act all mad!"

"I'm not acting!" Draco snarled.

"This is a complete double standard, and you know it!" Hermione accused him.

"Yeah. Well, I'm jealous," Draco whined, then he pleaded, "Just tell me who?"

Hermione didn't even hear his question, she went back to the real reason they were arguing, "You're taking Pansy Parkison to the ball because you said it would look weird if we went alone. But here I am, lo and behold, with a date, no less, and suddenly I shouldn't go anymore."

"Now you see the light," Draco said completely agreeing.

"Hmph!" Hermioen seethed, "I'll agree not to go if you agree not to go."

"What?" Draco asked unbelieving of her, "And have all of Slythering and Gryffindor laugh at a Malfoy for going to a ball? Are you kidding me?"

"Then I'm still going," Hermione stated simply.

"I wouldn't be able to stand to see you there with another guy," he clamped his eyes shut, "thinking about it makes me want to pound his head in... who is it?"

"You'll find out tonight at the ball."

"No. I refuse to allow you to go." Draco saw her face and softened, "At least I picked the ugliest girl to take."

"No you didn't. Bulstrode is way uglier."

Draco made a mock serious face, "Now, baby. You know I could never go that ugly. I do have standards."

"Standards? You're dating Hermione Granger."

"Hermione Granger?" Draco said in surprise, "You're kidden me? The hottest girl in school!?!"

Hermione blushed and said, "Stop it."

"No," he said bringing his face into her hair, "You're beautiful, Hermione."

She took in a sharp breath, he automatically knew why. It drove her insane when he talked in her ear. He loved it.

"Just tell me who it is," Draco said in her ear softly trying to use it to his advantage.

"No. You'll find out tonight just like everyone else. She pushed him away. Draco's face went stern, "If it's Weasle or Potty I refuse to allow you to go!"

Hermione huffed, "I don't need your permission, Malfoy."

"You're my girlfriend and I don't want you going on a date with either of them. They might get the wrong idea. I don't trust them."

"I do trust them. I'd trust them with my life!"

"I wouldn't," Draco muttered.

Hermione pulled herself from the floor and started to walk away from the section of the library they had sound proofed, but before she did she said, "I'm going to go get ready for the ball."

She held her position to hear his verdict.

She wanted his blessing.

Draco gritted his teeth, a habit Hermione detested, and came to a hard resolution, "Go then, but tonight, if you show up with Weasley of Potter, we're over."

Hermione's jaw hung open at his determined mind set. He didn't look her in the eye when he said it. Surely he didn't mean it. But he did for he raised his face to look her in the eyes.

"I forbid it. Do you understand that, Hermione? Over?"

Hermione turned away quickly and left without answering. She wanted to take Ron or Harry just for spite, but she was also glad to have a different date then Ron or Harry. Now she could spite all three of them. Draco and Ron would be jealous when they saw her date. Harry probably not so much. She could trust him to be her friend no matter what she did or who she dated. At least she hoped he would.


The oak front doors opened, revealing a hall consumed with students wearing a cascade of different and unusual colors. Hermione hung on for dear life to Victor Krum's arm as she accompanied the Durmstrang students inside. Krum was at the front of the party.

Hermione saw Harry and Ron and they casually looked over Krum and his date before Ron and Padma went into the great hall. Hermione was trying to make eye contact with Harry, but he seemed intent on looking at Cho. She nervously felt her butterfly necklace. It had soft colored blue gems and Hermione had found it that very morning among her Christmas gifts. She had known automatically that it was from Draco. She closed her eyes as she held the dainty butterfly and she felt so many emotions wash over her. So many comforting thoughts seemed to come from the necklace; and they all seemed to be about Draco.

McGonagall called forward the champions and their dates. Hermione allowed Krum to steer her. She was adamant on allowing him to show her a good time even if she did not reciprocate his feelings.

Hermione saw Harry's gaze drift to avoid Cho and Cedric and land on herself. She beamed modestly but stood poised as Harry's jaw dropped when he realized Krums date was his best friend. His eyes seemed to illuminate as he drunk in the vision of her sleek and elegant hair, her ethereal periwinkle-blue dress robes, and her reeling aroma of self-confidence. Hermione smiled nervously and bashfully under Harry's fanciful gaze.

"Hi, Harry," she said happily, "Hi, Parvati!"

Harry's gaze was nothing to Parvati's for she was bluntly staring at Hermione in unflattering disbelief. Hermione suddenly became very afraid as they entered the Great Hall. Krum's fan club from the library stalked past, throwing Hermione looks of deepest loathing. Pansy Parkinson gaped at her as she walked by with Malfoy, and Hermione almost wanted to run out as she saw Draco's cold face look over her swiftly and not even acknowledge her presence.

Hermione suddenly regretted coming to the Yule Ball. She realized how childish and stubborn she had been to want to spite Draco. Her precious Draco. She could not even confide in her two closest friends for they would never understand. Ron walked right past Hermione without even noticing her and she instantly felt the irrepressible desire to run to Ron. She was overflowing with want to cry her heart out on his shoulder and to tell him the biggest mistake she had ever made.

But he would never understand.

She could never tell him or Harry. Krum interrupted her thoughts as he looked down at her concerned. "Hermy-own," Krum asked compassionately, "You do not seem very happy vith me. Is zomething 'rong?"

Hermione immediately replaced her detached look with a smile and then laughed recalling how he had said her name. She no longer wanted Krum to show her a good time, but now, she wanted to show him one.

"No, nothing's wrong," she said allowing him to pull out a chair for her. She immediately engaged Krum in conversation as they sat down forgetting every care in the world and even S.P.E.W. as they began to eat.

"Vell, ve have a castle also, not as big as this, nor as comfortable, I am thinking," he replied to Hermione enthusiastically, "Ve have just four floors, and fires are lit only for magical purposes. But ve have grounds-

Hermione danced with Krum none stop using all reserves of adrenaline until her dehydration got the better of her. Hermione noticed Parvati excuse herself from sitting with Harry and Ron so she set down in Parvati's empty chair. She was a bit pink in the face from all the dancing.

"Hi," said Harry. Ron didn't say anything.

"It's hot, isn't it?" said Hermione, fanning herself with her hand. "Victor's just gone to get some drinks."

Draco watched nearby as Hermione jumped to her feet and stormed off across the dance floor disappearing into the crowd. Draco wanted nothing more than to throttle Weasley but he had more on his mind then anger. He was so full of sorrow and thoughts of his precious Hermione. He shook Pansy off his arm and left her to fend for herself between Crabbe and Goyle.

Draco found Hermione outside, in the garden, sitting on a bench. Before she even had time to realize someone else was there, Draco was knelt on the ground by her side, with her hands in his. She looked from the ground to his face and her hollow eyes brimmed with tears. Neither attempted to apologize for their earlier fight, but Hermione just cried into his arms and he just held her tightly.

Draco whispered to her softly yet contemptuously, "I'll murder him. I will. Say the word and he's gone."

"Oh, Draco," Hermione said pulling away and wiping her face, "Don't be so dramatic."

"I'm not," he responded frankly taking a seat next to her, "I'm being candid at the least."

Her pulled her closer securing her waist in his arms and lowered his face to nuzzle the grove in her neck. She surprised him by allowing him access by titling her head back and revealing more of her neck. He was used to playing cat and mouse with her and he was downright giddy from her inviting response. This made Draco even more confident and his imagination ran wild. His hands seemed to acquire a fiery touch as he cupped her thighs and hips and touched her waist and back. He chuckled when he felt her skin involuntarily jerk through her dress robes from his touch. He found it amusing and thought that her skin was almost as nervous as his hands were. He felt a chill run down her spin as he simply kissed her neck and she responded by quickly pulling away.

"Is there," she inquired breathlessly, "Any offhand chance you actually know what you're doing here?"

Draco replied nonchalantly while nipping at her neck, "I'm a Malfoy. I always know what I'm doing."

She pushed him away to make him stop as she quickly retorted, "Ever the arrogant one aren't we?"

"So?" Draco asked, "What's wrong with me being confident I know how to treat my girl right? Every man in the Malfoy family has an innate sense of how to please a woman. I don't need an instruction manual," He dipped his head towards her neck again to nip at it some more as he added, "I know what I'm doing, ok?"

Hermione laughed pushing him back yet again, "Oh, Draco," she was genuinely amused, "That's not what I meant. I'm positive you know what you're doing there." Her eyes fluttered down and her cheeks turned a rosy red and said, "I'm muggleborn, Draco, "she twisted her hands nervously, "I know the repercussions of ... well-" Hermione blushed self-consciously toying with her necklace. "I just simply wanted to know if you knew how to avoid..." then she said in what, Draco thought of as, her nerdy tone, "Wizards don't write about this stuff in books. At least not books here in our school library."

Realization had dawned on Draco's face and he had no idea how to address the issue. He couldn't admit to her that he knew practically less about it then she did when he was the pureblood wizard here. He actually hadn't even thought about it yet. He smirked at the idea that his innocent Hermione had thought of it first.

"...and," Hermione said before her courage failed her, "If you ever want a relationship that extends past a few sneaked kisses in the library," she paused for him to catch on to what she was implying, "Then rethink this whole secret relationship thing."

"Hermione," Draco said with pleading eyes. "This isn't something I could answer tonight. First, I'd have to wait until this summer so I could have a chance to talk to my father. Even then I'd have to catch him in a very receptive mood. To be that receptive actually, he'd have to be dead and I don't think that would even stop him from murdering me. And then there's my mother. She hates muggleborns more than my father."

Draco looked at Hermione with deep sympathy as he watched thoughts race through her mind. He smiled slightly. Watching her think, now that was the cutest face Hermione possessed, and Draco tried to suppress all the dirty thoughts from racing through his mind.

He knew she wanted more of a relationship that didn't consist of sneaking around and lying to her friends. He completely understood. He wanted a real relationship with her more than he had ever wanted anything in his life.

He wanted to sit next to her in class. He wanted to hold her hand in the halls. He wanted to kiss her in full view of Weasley and Potter. He also wanted to rip her clothes off and make her moan but those were thoughts he didn't allow himself to think while she was right next to him.

He wanted more than anything in the world to take her hand at that moment and walk her to the middle of the Yule Ball and dance with her, in his arms, for every student, teacher, and school to see. Hell, he wanted to show the world.

Draco stood up next to Hermione, bowed, and extended his arm with his hand open and said in the most pompous voice he could muster, "Ms. Granger, may I have this dance?"

She smile warmly and laid her hand in his as she stood. The smile sent him reeling with emotions but he suppressed them as he simply kissed her hand softly and then placed it on his shoulder as he brought her closer to him. They began to dance circles around the bench, and he led her magnificently while he hummed, "Ba da da, da dum de dum, da da dum, de dum."

He twirled her once away and then twirled her back into his arm and then proceeded to dip her.

She laughed merrily at his cocky suaveness and he simply said, "My father once paid for dancing lessons." He kissed her softly as he brought her back up. Her arms locked around his neck. "Did they pay off?" Draco asked and she responded with a slight nod and kiss. They proceeded to circle in one single patch of ground finding their own rhythm.

Draco slowed them to a stop to just look into her dreamy eyes as he closed any gap or space between them. His fingers made soft circles on her back and he felt her tremble slightly. Having her that close to his body was the most marvelous sight he ever saw. Hermione seemed content on just closing her eyes and just being enveloped in Draco's embrace but he couldn't keep his eyes open long enough. He had to beat his thoughts back every few seconds just to keep them semi-clean. For instance, every time he looked down, all he could see was the sight of her precious cleavage pressed up against him. He resisted the urge to rip her clothes off right there in the open and resorted to placing his lips on her shoulder. His lips slightly parted and he left a small trail along her collar bone and left it glistening. When he reached the chain of her necklace he planted a kiss on it.

His hand nervously started on her stomach and he slid it slowly up and over her bosom until he reached the dainty butterfly sitting on her rising and falling chest. He lifted the silvery blue butterfly long enough to place a kiss where the butterfly had been sitting. He breathed in her heavenly sent as he said, "I've had this necklace since I was 11."

He paused and proceeded to tell her, "It was given to me before I came to Hogwarts. I was in a shop, and it was just given to me by someone I didn't even know. She was older and looked a bit sad but she was beautiful in a way. When she handed the necklace to me it changed into what it is now before my very eyes. Before, it looked like a sapphire teardrop." He smiled at her and looked at the small butterfly sitting on her chest, She smile indulgently back at him, "It makes me so happy to see you where it."

She responded by clasping the butterfly in her hand and kissing Draco deeply with all that she could muster. She whispered softly into his ear, "I love you."

Draco succumbed to her and replied back, "I love you."