Okay I lied, and I'm sorry, this isn't the lemon chapter, that's coming up though. Hope you like this one! Please read and review!

CHAPTER 4

Hermione sank down on the steps with a sigh, her feet hurt already from the heels and she gladly took them off. Neville sat down beside her, his long legs stretched out in front of him.

"Hermione, why did you say no when Ron asked you to the dance?" he asked quietly.

Hermione was surprised by this question. "Oh, um, well he wanted to go as friends. But I thought after how I acted last year, people would think we were together and I didn't want that. So I said no to save myself having to tell everyone that we aren't together…"

"Oh, that makes sense. Are…are you disappointed that you had to come with me?" he asked.

She looked at him searchingly. "No Neville, I'm not disappointed. I was glad that you asked me. I hadn't really thought you would, but when you did I was glad. And you're such a wonderful dancer… I'm very glad I came with you."

He didn't reply, just stared into her eyes. Very slowly he came closer and Hermione felt herself moving toward him, drawn forward. Their lips met and Neville's hand went behind her head to hold her there. Hermione moved her hands up to his neck and into his hair as their kiss deepened.

Suddenly Hermione pulled away, breathing deeply. "I…I'm sorry Neville. I think we should go back inside," she said quietly.

He nodded; not looking the least put out, smoothed his hair and got to his feet. Hermione put her shoes back on and took the hand he offered her.

The dance was still going strong when they walked back in. Harry and Ginny were dancing and laughing with Ron and Luna. Glancing around to see if anyone noticed their absence, Hermione's eyes fell on Malfoy, who was looking back at her. He sneered when he noticed that she noticed him looking. Hermione looked away from him and let Neville pull her into the crowd.

"Alright everyone, we're going to change things up a bit. Now on the count of three you are to find a dance partner from a different house," said the main singer.

Almost everyone looked at each other like this guy was crazy. And then he started counting and everyone began scrambling around for a partner. Contrary to common belief, most couples were from the same house so almost everyone had to find a different partner. Hermione looked around her. Everyone was being claimed. Harry was now with Susan Bones, Ginny had been unhappily claimed by Blaise Zabini, Luna was dancing happily with Neville, and Ron was with a rather unpleasant looking girl Hermione didn't know. She turned again looking for a partner when someone took her waist.

Turning, her mouth fell open when she saw Draco Malfoy in front of her, his arms around her waist. "What do you think you're doing?" Hermione snapped at him.

"I would think someone as smart as you would know dancing when you saw it. Especially as you have shown how accomplished you are at it."

"I know what you're doing, I meant why are you doing it with me?" she demanded. Though she was less than happy about the situation she was in, she took the opportunity to discreetly pluck a black hair from his clothes.

"You would rather dance with Longbottom than me? That hurts Granger," he said with a smirk.

"Neville is nice to me, Neville doesn't make fun of me or call me names, Neville is a gentleman. You, Draco Malfoy, are not nice to me, you do make fun of me and call me names, and you are not a gentleman. So, can you honestly ask why I would prefer Neville to you?"

"Is that where you two went? You wanted to show you're appreciation to him?" Malfoy asked, lifting his eyebrow suggestively.

Hermione gasped and the sound of her hand hitting his face echoed through the room, even above the music. And then she began winding her way through the crowd that was now standing still, watching her. She made it into the Entrance Hall before she let the tears fall.

"Hermione!" Neville yelled behind her, coming out of the Great Hall.

Hermione quickly wiped away the tears before he caught up to her.

"Hermione what happened back there?" he asked softly.

"I let Malfoy get to me is all. It's nothing Neville."

"That did not seem like nothing Hermione! You just slapped Draco Malfoy in the face in front of half the school!" he said.

Hermione shrugged, "he said something I didn't appreciate, and now he knows it. I'm serious Neville, its not important."

"Hermione," he said with an agitated sigh. "Why won't you talk to me?" he asked. It was only now that Hermione realized how much Neville had grown up. To look at him, you saw a composed, rather good looking young man. And when you saw him do magic, he was no different from anyone else. He wasn't the slow boy who couldn't do anything anymore.

It was her turn to sigh. "Neville, he just said something I didn't like okay? I was stupid for reacting to him but I couldn't help it. He implied that I was a slut okay? Just let it go."

Neville's mouth was open as if he wanted to say something but couldn't get anything out. Finally he said, "how could he think that?"

"He said that I must have been showing my appreciation to you for bringing me to the dance when we went outside. In my definition that's calling me a slut."

Neville shook his head. "I should go say something to him. It's not right what he said to you!"

"No Neville, please just drop it! I just want to forget about it all," Hermione replied.

Neville looked hurt at these words. "Forget about it all? You mean, about everything? Or just Malfoy?" he asked.

"Oh Neville," Hermione said softly, "of course I didn't mean about….us…I just…I'm so confused and upset right now. I think I really need to be alone. I'm sorry if I've ruined the rest of your night."

"It was worth it Mione, all of this, it was worth getting to be your date to the dance. Well…good night then," he whispered, walking in to kiss her on the cheek.

"Yea, good night Neville. And thanks again."

Neville nodded and watched her retreat up the marble staircase toward the dorm she shared with the boy she'd just slapped in the face.

Hermione changed out of her dress and into some shorts and a tank top when she finally got to her room. Hanging her dress on the door of her closet, she let her hand trail down the fabric, as if to imprint the memory of this night on her mind. After a moment she went to her bathroom and began taking her hair down, watching in slight dismay as the destruction of her wonderful hair do caused her to go back to looking like the plain old muggle-born Granger.

A little while later she heard footsteps and then Malfoy's door slam.

With a sigh, she went to her cabinet and pulled out a small vial of Polyjuice Potion. Though she was even more against this now that she and Malfoy had had their fight than she had been before, Hermione felt she had to do this. She sprinkled the hair she'd gotten off Malfoy at the dance earlier that night onto the top of it and waited for it to dissolve into the solution. To her surprise it turned a soft shade of red. Closing her eyes she drained the whole thing in a few gulps.

She watched her reflection as her features changed into those of Pansy Parkinson. When the transformation was done, she took a deep breath and silently opened and closed her door.