Hello, my loves! I'm back after almost 2 months! I'm soo sorry for the long wait. I've been really busy with school, sports, and all that jazz. Anyways, I finally decided to update this story.

If you guys have the time, you guys should also check out my new story, Stuck in Paradise, which is another Dramione fic. Personally I think that one's a little bit better than this one, but we'll see what the public says (ahem, reviews please?).

Anyways, here's the long awaited Ball scene! I decided to start making my chapters a bit longer now, so I hope you enjoy my extra work

DISCLAIMER: J.K. Rowling and I have been bartering over the ownership of Harry Potter & Co. but the woman won't break! Sadly, she is still in possession of the genius creations. I own nothing /3

DRACO

As he descended the main hall's stairs, he could feel the entire room's attention shift to him. With an almost non-existent smirk, he reveled in the stares of his peers. As his shoes hit the stone floor, he swore he stood two inches taller as he heard tiny whispers by the girls grouped all around, all giggling and eyeing his newfound handsomeness. Smoothing back his hair for the hundredth time, he stuffed one hand in his pocket, taking on an aura of power and confidence as he strode down the hallway.

Oh, how he loved the attention.

But his thoughts were quickly interrupted by a small commotion in front of the Grand Hall entrance. He recognized his friends and walked over, curious of what was going on. He recognized Blaise and Theo's voices.

"The old bat's gone mad. She should have at least warned us about something like this!" Theo exclaimed angrily. Draco just chuckled at his friend's hotheadedness. Theodore Nott was known for blowing his top over little things. He cleared his throat to get the two guys' attention.

"Oh, there you are, Draco. I was wondering when you would come. Nice suit," Blaise said with a smile. Although Draco wasn't one for…feelings, he always felt comfortable around Blaise. He had always been there for him and was the only one he could really talk to. He let his guard down when he was around Blaise, and it was always a bit refreshing for him. Draco warmly patted his shoulder.

"Thanks, mate. What's going on?" Blaise just grimaced.

"Apparently, there was a bit of a twist planned for tonight's dance. The theme? A mystery masquerade," Blaise sighed. Draco was a bit taken back.

"The old hag has a charm placed on the doorway. As soon as you walk in, some bloody magical mask is put onto your face and you can't bloody take it off. Not until midnight, that is. This isn't some bloody movie," Theo muttered. Draco chuckled.

"Calm down, Nott. It's not as bad as it seems. Actually, I think it may be a bit interesting," Draco insisted. Theo just looked even more angry.

"How the bloody hell am I supposed to tell who the eye candy is if they have a bloody mask on? Bloody bloody bloody hell," Theo exclaimed as he stomped around. Draco rolled his eyes. Sometimes Theo could be such a baby.

"I think that it's kind of a breath of fresh air. No one will know who I am and I won't know who anyone is. It's like a new start," Draco said. Blaise looked surprised at his friend's newfound insight. But Draco truly felt this way. No would brand me as Draco Malfoy, the Death Eater. I'd just be another guy in a mask, he thought to himself.

"Alrighty then. Let's head inside, shall we?" Blaise calmly walked towards the doors and entered. Shrugging his shoulders in defeat, Theo followed right behind. But before going in, Draco took a deep breath. For some reason, he was nervous. He felt weird.

Like something big was going to happen.

He just ignored the feeling and stepped inside the Hall. Sure enough, a mask materialized on his face as he strode into the decorated ballroom. He felt that the mask only covered the top half of his face, hiding his infamous pointed nose and high cheekbones. With just his eyes and mouth showing, he was pretty sure that no one would be able to recognize him. A light feeling of relief and excitement tugged at his stomach.

This should be interesting.

HERMIONE

She was positive she would be the last one to enter the Hall. She groaned.

I really don't want that kind of attention, she thought to herself. When she walked down the main hall's steps, she quickly turned around. She felt a presence.

Like someone was watching her.

She just shrugged off the feeling, telling herself that it was just pre-presentation nerves. But as she approached the doors of the hall, she found herself scared.

She, Hermione Granger, the Queen of the Books and Princess of the Golden Trio, was nervous.

About a bloody dance.

She checked herself once more, smoothing out her new dress and re-adjusting her heels. With a confident breath, she pushed open the doors and took a step in.

Everyone turned to look at her.

Oh Gods.

DRACO

Draco Malfoy couldn't breathe. Why?

Because an angel had appeared right in front of him.

As the doors opened, the most beautiful girl Draco had ever seen in his life had stepped in. With curls and ringlets the color of coffee and chestnuts, and skin that could only be rivaled by pure silk, the mysterious girl walked into the Hall, radiating unprecedented beauty with a rather self-conscious aura. Draco was in awe.

How could this girl not know how beautiful she is?

Knowing that she would soon be bombarded by a crowd of hormonal teenage boys, he decided to save her some trouble and swoop in before anyone else.

Too bad he wasn't the only one who thought that way.

Before he could even take a step, a boy with coifed brown hair and deep gray robes approached the girl and took her hand. He led her onto the floor for a dance, blending into the swaying couples already in tune with the music. He grimaced as he lost sight of her.

Damn, I'll get her next, he thought to himself.

Something about her tickled something deep inside of him. She looked so familiar, so-

He froze.

She was the girl from his dream.

The dress, the hair, the everything. It was her. He was sure of it. He was struck with a new sense of encouragement.

I need to dance with her. I need to see who she is.

HERMIONE

She had barely taken two steps into the hall when a rather handsome guy stopped her. With a jaw-dropping smile, he bowed a little and asked for her hand.

"Hello, my fair lady. Would you care to dance?" he asked in a deep voice. She blushed and nodded. He led her onto the dance floor, taking her hand and waist in the process. He smiled down at her, dancing to a beautiful waltz. Although he was absolutely gorgeous, he wasn't…who she was looking for. A nagging voice resonated at the back of her head. Looking for Mr. Dreamy, are we? It said. She mentally slapped the annoying little voice. Calm down, geez, no need to get physical, it said.

As the dance ended, he bowed to her once more. He wanted to spend more time with her, but she really didn't want to. She saw a flash of annoyance pass through his eyes, but it quickly disappeared.

"How about I get you something to drink?" he said politely. She nodded. She could use a drink.

"A pumpkin juice would be nice," she said. He grinned.

"No problem, my dear. I'll be right back." She grimaced as he used the term of endearment. She had just met the guy and he was already acting like she was his. No, thank you, she thought to herself. She went to go stand by the beautiful fountain that had been erected at the side of the Hall. As she looked into the water, she sighed to herself. Maybe I'm just wasting my time, she thought. As she contemplated just leaving, she felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned around to see the guy she had just danced with. With a smile, he handed her a goblet.

"For you, princess," he smiled, as he took a sip from his own goblet. But the way he stared at her cup made her feel uneasy. As she went to take a sip, she caught the scent of something strange coming from her drink. She shook it a little and took another whiff. Yeah, something was definitely off.

"Is this pumpkin juice?" she asked. The guy stiffened for a fraction of a second but quickly relaxed.

"Of course!" he said, with a hint of nervousness in his voice. She felt the uneasiness creep back in. She went to smooth over her hair when she heard a small crackle in her shoulder. The note! She suddenly remembered the mysterious reminders: Watch out for the wrong drink. She hid her anxiety and thought of a quick excuse.

"Can you do me a favor? I'm suddenly famished. Could you get me some food to eat? Actually, make it A LOT of food," she said. She needed to get him away from her for a while. She prayed he wouldn't see through her fake hunger. Thankfully, he just smiled.

"I like my girls with a big appetite. I'll be back in a jiffy," he said as he turned to go. She frowned. She didn't like the way he addressed her as "his girl." Whatever, she thought. When she was positive that he was out of sight, she dumped the "pumpkin juice" into the fountain she was standing by. To her surprise, the liquid turned bright red on contact. She felt herself turn red.

He had put a love potion into her drink.

She remembered a quick potion lesson from earlier that year. When love potions come in contact with pure water, they turn red, with their shade reflecting the strength of the potion regardless of what liquid they're mixed with. Her drink had turned a deep, blood red. Had she drank the potion, she would've fallen into a dangerous trance, becoming completely infatuated with whoever that creep was. She shuddered at the thought. But this led to another shocking realization.

The note.

It had helped her.

It had known what was going to happen.

Slipping it out of her dress sleeve, she read over the other two reminders. "Avoid the 3rd dancer" and "Your problem and answer is in white." She memorized the two and tucked the valuable information into the back of her mind.

She had a feeling they would be important.

YAYYY, alright that's the fourth chapter. I tried to make it as interesting and creative as possible, but I'm always open for suggestions and constructive criticism! Please review! I'm going to update as soon as I hit 25 reviews. That's only 12 more people! Thanks for everything, and keep reading.

You may applaud now (just kidding).

Mischief Managed,

popularsecrets