I was busy pacing back and forth in my room in front of Hermione who was watching me with a queer expression on her face. The sun had set and I was pondering what to do about the invitation Draco had just sent me, and I was completely divided on what to do.

"Are you ready to explain to me why you have been pacing for a near half hour yet?" she said calmly, her eyes following me questioningly. She was exaggerating, though I had indeed been pacing like this for awhile.

"Well, you need to promise that you will look at this objectively and hear me out."

"Fine, I promise. Now what has you all worked up?"

I sat down beside her on the small bed a fiddled with my hands nervously, hoping she wouldn't freak out as bad as I anticipated her to.

"Well, I visited Draco awhile back and we've been talking, and he just invited me to a ball at his place hosted by his parents, and I kinda wanna go. But its probably dangerous, but I wanna see him, and it sounds like fun if you ignore the idea of being surrounded by death eaters." When I finished I took a deep breathe and looked at Hermione, who had a mortified look on her face that I knew meant I was in for one of her infamous lectures that was sure to never end.

"You can't possibly believe that Dumbledore would let you go."

"He's reasonable, and he knows I can take care of myself."

"But still, it's foolish. It could be dangerous." She replied heatedly.

You don't even know the half of it, I thought dryly to myself as I recalled my lineage and the duty bestowed upon me against my will that made me a prime target for you know who.

"Well, I still want to ask Dumbledore, I at least want to know if I can go." I countered.

"Please Rose, be realistic here, this is a completely ridiculous idea." She said adamantly.

"Maybe so, but most of the worlds most genius inventions and theories were thought to be ridiculous at first."

"But that's different."

"How so?"

"Because those ideas benefitted the world in one way or another, this plan only benefits you or Draco, and it's just a very very bad idea."

"Sorry Hermione, but I have convinced myself that I would try."

"You can't be serious, think rose, think! Use your common sense. You will be surrounded by death eaters and slytherins. It's not at all safe for you."

"I repeat, I have made up my mind, sorry to have made you worry about me like this."

And with that, I left and found Dumbledore. Once I had located him and sat him down I pleaded with him to let me go, the entire time he was quiet and pensive, with a somber, distant look in his eyes.

"So in conclusion, pretty pretty please?"

"I suppose. Just bring another potion with you."

"Seriously? I can go?"

"Yes, but I warn you, be very careful."

"Thanks!"

Like the last time I rushed out before he could change his mind and ran back to my room which I was now sharing with Hermione. When I burst in she looked up from the book she had been reading, her hair in a messy bun atop her head. She apparently understood my excitement, sighed and went back to her book. The moon was casting an enchanting glow through the window and triggered the part of my mind that made me feel tired and I slipped into the bed, with a piece of parchment, a quill and ink as I began my letter back to Draco.

Draco,

I can go to your ball, when should I arrive? I can't wait, hope you didn't miss me too much, haha. By the way, just how formal is this little event of yours?

Love, Rose.

I attached the note to the owl that Remus let me use since I didn't have one, and sent it off to Draco, sighing as I wondered what he was up to, and pondered just how I was going to survive the night at the party.

I crawled into the nice warm bed, but not before pulling out the Amulet of Apollo from under my pillow. Yeah, not the best place to hide such a priceless, important item, but I honestly doubted that anyone in the house would attempt to steal it and help he who must not be named gain power once again.

I looked at the amulet, and felt the mystical pull that always consumed me when I stared at it for long. Flashes of what had occurred at Hogwarts filled my mind, being in the dark corridor, sitting with moody, the fear that I felt, the loneliness, fighting with Barty, all of them flooded my mind and I suddenly cringed in fear.

I shoved the cursed object back under my pillow, and forced myself to go to sleep, despite the early hour. It must have worked, because I felt myself slip into the world of dreams, where nothing is in your control, and where even the most silly of fears can take hold of your mind and cause you to send screams of terror into the silent night.

I awoke the next morning to an insistent pecking noise coming from the window. I groggily slid out of bed, slipping and hitting my shoulder against the wall, cursing to myself as Hermione groaned.

I opened the window an in flew the obnoxious owl that dared to wake me. he landed on the chair beside my bed and I sleepily untied the letter and stroked his head.

I plopped back onto my bed and immediately woke up when I saw the letter was from Draco. I tore the letter open and let the envelope fall to the floor as I began to read his sloppy handwriting.

Rose,

I knew you would be able to come, my mother is excited about seeing you, in fact she had our family seamstress prepare an array of dresses and gowns for you. Just act like a rich, well bred pureblood and she will adore you. Don't worry about how elegant this will be, nobody will be paying much attention. I look forward to seeing you, and I know you missed me, I mean, this long without gazing at me must have been painful for you. Please arrive in three days at four so you and my mother may have 'girl time.' I look forward to seeing you,

Draco

I smiled at the letter and then it hit me, girl time with his mother? Meeting the parents was always so awkward, and from what I had heard his mother was an uptight cow. But I suppose she was only like that to those outside her social circle. Or at least, I hoped that was the case. But who knows, perhaps it will be fun, you never know.

All I knew was that I was going to an elegant ball where I would be surrounded by the enemy, completely alone, and be at the mercy of all of those around me. but, so long as I stayed aware, I would make it out alive, or at least, I really hoped I would.