Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Harry Potter series. JK Rowling, her publisher, and her producer are the owners of the Harry Potter franchise and as such, I have made no money off the creation of this story. It was created merely for the enjoyment of other.

Chapter 8: Right Before

As Friday loomed near, Hermione and Ron began to worry about it. Ron decided that he would ask Hermione to the ball, if he had the courage to, and Hermione worried about whether or not Draco was going to show up at the center of the floor like he said he would. He hadn稚 said anything to her since Sunday morning, and it kinda worried her. Now, it was Wednesday and nothing had happened.

Hermione was walking to lunch when her Ginny came running up to her.

"Who are you going to the ball with Hermione?"

"Oh, at the moment, no one."

"Ok. Well, have you figured out who sent you that letter?"

Hermione stopped in her tracks, turned around and said, "Come on Ginny. I have to tell you something."

The two girls ran to the third floor bathroom where Moaning Myrtle lived. Once the door was closed, Ginny said,

"Hermione, what is so important that you have to bring me in here to tell me?"

Hermione said, "Ginny, if I tell you something, you swear you won't tell Harry or Ron, Especially Ron, or anyone else?"

"Yah Hermione you can trust me."

"Ok." Hermione took a deep breathe and said, "Ginny, I know exactly who the letter is from."

"Who?"

Hermione took another deep breath and whispered, "Draco Malfoy."

Ginny's mouth fell open and her eyes got twice their normal size.

"Malfoy?" she whispered. Hermione just nodded her head.

"Are you gonna meet him there?"

Little did they know, Malfoy was standing outside the door about to go to lunch. He stopped at the mention of his name on the other side of the door.

"Of course!"

"What about Ron and Harry and everyone else?"

"My costume will be so good no one will recognize me. And hopefully, his will to! No one will know about my Mystery Love."

"Hermione, you have got to be the luckiest girl on !"

Hermione smiled and said, "I know!"

"But Ginny, come on, I know Harry isn't the only boy who asked you."

Outside the door, Blaise had just come out of the boys bathroom and was about to say hi to Draco, when he was stopped. "Blaise," he whispered. "come here." Both boys listened to the rest of the conversation.

"Oh course not." replied Ginny. "Some even asked before it was official I was going with Harry!"

Hermione laughed. Her friend was pretty popular with the men.

"Ginny, who do you want to ask you? Who would you want to go out with besides Harry?"

Ginny, shrunk back a little, and nervously looked around, as if the boy who's name she was about to mention was in the Girls Bathroom with them.

"Oh come on Ginny! You can tell me! I swear to secrecy."

"Ok." Ginny took a deep breathe, looked around again, and said, "I honestly don't know. They're like puppies. I want them all but can only have one." Hermione opened her moth and laughed. "I'm serious! It's very hard to decide!"

"What about Harry?"

"Oh, he's the cutest puppy in the litter. You know when you just want this one or that one cause it so cute? That's how Harry is. But you can't tell anyone!" Ginny said.

Hermione smiled at the way Ginny said it. Than, a voice behind them said, "Oh how sweet!"

Hermione and Ginny stood there for a moment, taking in each other's secrets. Than, Ginny looked at her watch and said,

"Hermione, if we don't get to lunch now, we're gonna be late and not get to eat."

Blaise and Draco quickly moved away from the door and acted as if they were coming out of the boys restroom. The girls came out, talking about the ball and what they were going to wear. Draco and Blaise came up behind them, and pushed them out of their way.

"Move Mudblood" Draco said.

"Out of our way wenches." snapped Blaise. T

he girls sucked their teeth and said at the same time, "Uh Rude Much?" Than, they came up behind them and Hermione smacked Draco and Ginny slapped Bliase upside the back of their head and Hermione said,

"You boys need to learn some manners." And Ginny said, "Seriously". Both girls whipped their hair behind them, hitting the boys, and walked off down to stairs.

Hermione and Ginny arrived in the Great Hall and took their seats opposite Ron and Harry.

"So Ron, anyone asked you yet?" Hermione asked, curious.

Ron nodded his head and said, "Yah. Luna did."

"Well?" Ginny and Hermione said.

"I'm going with her."

"Ok. And what is she going as?" Ginny asked.

"Some elfian queen or something like that.

Hermione rolled her eyes and began to eat her lunch.

"Hermione, who are you going with?" Ron asked.

"No one yet" She and Ginny looked at one another and Hermione said to Ron, "Well, except for the Dragon."

"THE DRAGON?"

Ginny rolled her eyes and said, "Ron, the guy who wrote her the note." a tone of aggravation in her voice.

Ron settled down. "Oh."

The End and please Review.