Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
A/N: Thnx to Yuna-flowering, foxer, Ptrst, and XxXtAP-daNCiNg-sPIdeRsXxX for reviewing chpt 3.. =D

In response: o1. yeah, i didn't want it to end so fast - it would be weird if the story ended right there in chapter 3 lol. timing is everything ;)
o2. thnx foxer for ur comment - all my chapters are pretty short since there's little action, unless i write a sequel .. i like to update everyday, i'm already a few chapters ahead so it doesn't matter anyway =)
o3. Ron/Hermione are cute, but i really love Draco =) hehe i want him to have a decent side too..i think he may be a bit too sentimental for his own good in this story =S


Chapter Four: Unfinished Dreams

"I just wanna hold you close

But so far all I have are dreams of you

So I wait for the day

And the courage to say how much I love you"

Hermione was out of breath once she reached her common room. She couldn't believe how close the masked man was to knowing who she was, and she got scared at the last minute which was why she ran off.

Hermione sighed. Oh I hope he's not mad at me for leaving him like that, she thought as she took off her dress and changed into her pajamas. Even though it was still early, she didn't really want to stay at the Ball and decided to just go to sleep instead. She smiled at the thought of who she spent her time with, but quickly frowned when she realized that she doesn't know who he is and that there's a chance she might not see him again. Oh well, maybe we weren't meant to be, she thought as she finally drifted off to sleep.

------------------------------------

Hermione was walking on the grounds of Hogwarts, admiring the soft snow and the glittering stars in the sky. She breathed in deeply, taking in the scents of the atmosphere, and sighed contently. However, she was distracted when she felt a soft tap on her shoulder. She turned around, and there he was, looking back at her.

"I-I'm sorry about running off..." she started to say but the masked man placed his fingers on her lips.

"Sshhh... Don't worry about it"

Hermione nodded and stared into his warm, grey eyes. She knew she must have seen those eyes before but she just can't remember.

"You look beautiful tonight" he said, breaking their silence.

She blushed and said, "Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself." This caused her to think of the reason why she would say that. She doesn't even know what his face really looks like since he wore an eye mask, and only noticed how his costume seemed to fit his muscular body. She decided to ask him the one question that has been on her mind ever since she first met him.

"Can I ask you a question?"

He smiled. "You already did, but continue on."

She grinned, remembering their first conversation. "I've always wanted to know who you are. Do you mind taking off that eye mask so I can see your face?"

He didn't answer, but just continued to smile at her. She thought it was stupid of her to ask, and wanted to turn away of embarrassment when she noticed that his hands were slowly reaching up to his eye mask. She was trembling with excitement since she was finally going to see his identity. He reached up to his eye mask and was slowly taking it off....

------------------------------------

Hermione woke up abruptly when she heard someone slamming the door. She knew it was Draco and wanted to yell at him for waking her up when she was just getting to the good part of her dream but she was too tired to do that. She continued to lie in bed, reflecting on her dream but when she realized that it probably won't come true, she sighed sadly and pushed those thoughts aside.

Draco didn't want to stay at the Yule Ball any longer. After the mystery girl ran off, he just stood outside, wondering what just happened and what went wrong. He regretted not running after her, but decided that he probably couldn't do anything about it. He went back inside to the Great Hall, maybe for a tiny chance that he would find her, but no such luck. He continued to stay there for a while longer, drinking much more alcoholic beverages than he intended, but still wasn't enjoying himself so he just slipped out and went back to his dorm for a good night's rest.

He was very tired once he reached his dorm room, and slammed his door hard but he didn't care since there was nobody around anyway. He took off his costume, changed into his pajamas, and collapsed onto his bed where he fell into deep sleep.

------------------------------------

Draco was walking on the grounds of Hogwarts, admiring its snowy atmosphere and the different scents of nature. He saw someone up ahead, but it was only a blurry figure so he decided to go up to them to satisfy his curiousity. When he got closer, his heart skipped a beat when he realized that the blurry figure was the mystery girl. He tapped her shoulder to get her attention, and when she turned around, he found himself having butterflies in his stomach.

"I-I'm sorry for running off..." she started to say but he placed his fingers over her lips. He didn't want her to apologize to him; he only wanted to savour this moment they have together.

"Sshhh... Don't worry about it" he then said. She nodded and looked into his eyes, making his body even weaker.

He smiled. "You look beautiful tonight." Even though he couldn't fully see her face, he still knew that she must be the most gorgeous girl he has ever met.

"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself."

This small comment caused him to grin even more, but also tempted to ask her that one question that's been on his mind.

"Can I ask you a question?"

She laughed. "I think we've been through this before. But go on."

He smiled, remembering their first conversation. "From the first time I saw you, I knew you must be special. You are so beautiful, but I've always wanted to know who you are. Do you mind taking off that eye mask so that I can see your face?"

She didn't answer, but just continued to smile at him. He blushed from embarrassment but noticed that her hands were slowly reaching up to her eye mask. He was extremely happy since he was finally going to see her identity. She reached up to her eye mask and was slowly taking it off...

------------------------------------

Draco was suddenly awakened when his eyes were momentarily blinded by the sunlight that was streaming through his windows. He silently cursed it for ruining the best part of his dream and laid back down to sleep. He couldn't close his eyes since he was thinking too much of the girl in his dream, and instead got up to go to the bathroom. He was about to open its doors when suddenly it just opened by itself and he was faced with Hermione who had a towel wrapped around her body.

He smirked, enjoying the sight before him. "Well, well Granger, we've got to stop meeting like this."

"In your dreams, Malfoy."

He smirked even more. "It doesn't have to be in my dreams. It already came true, now, hasn't it?" He loved tormenting her all the time. It wasn't the fact that she always hung around Potter and Weasley, but it was actually because she was the only girl who stood up to him. All the girls in school were constantly eyeing him, wanting him to belong to them, but not her. Hermione was different, and that threatened Draco a bit. He didn't want his reputation to be ruined.

"Would you kindly get OUT of my way!!" she exclaimed.

"Not in that tone."

She sighed heavily and said through gritted teeth, "Please."

"Hmm... Maybe I don't want to."

She continued to sigh, and tried her very best to push him out of her way since he was very close to her. But he still wouldn't budge, which made her more annoyed. Draco didn't mind this. He even laughed inwardly as he watched Hermione tried her many pathetic attempts to make him move. Being so close to her, he could actually smell her scent. Vanilla... must be her shampoo, he thought but was interrupted when she suddenly shouted out his name.

"MALFOY!!"

"Bloody hell! No need to yell, Granger! I'm not deaf! I would've let you out eventually", he said with an evil grin on his face. He stepped aside while she stormed out of the bathroom entrance and up to her dorm room.

He admired that toughness in her, something that none of the girls he met had. Secretly, he had to admit, that Granger was far better than any of them even if she wasn't a pureblood witch. He smiled at that thought while he sank into the warm water in his bathtub. He could still smell that vanilla scent that Hermione had left in the air and sighed contently.