Chapter Ten

The song ended and the students applauded as Dumbledore stepped up to the front of the small dais and gestured to the band.

"Thank you everyone for attending. Let's give a big hand to Tarquinus and the Terrible Two." The applause swelled as the students hooted and catcalled their appreciation.

Dumbledore smiled benevolently and motioned for silence, his eyes twinkling beneath his half-moon glasses. "Now we're going to do something a little unusual, which you're all expected to participate in. In the interest of promoting inter-house relations and school unity, I would like you all to not dance with your date for one song, and instead dance with someone from another house." A buzz filled the hall, and Dumbledore gestured again for silence. "Now come on, students, this isn't that hard. In fact in my day, I remember dancing with this Ravenclaw girl with the most magnificent…" Snape coughed loudly and Dumbledore caught himself. "Well, enough of that. Please remember, we want you to have fun. But if you're dancing with someone of your own house, Professors Snape and Flitwick, who will be moving through the crowd, will dock points. No pressure!" Dumbledore smiled and sat back down, whispering something to MacGonagall who laughed softly.

Okay, not too bad. Hermione thought to herself. I'll just find Justin and… Her train of thought was broken as she stared at the extended hand in front of her.

"Granger, certainly you know what to do with a hand?" Malfoy said, smirking at her.

"What are you doing?" If looks could kill, Malfoy would have been in the grave by now.

"Granger, you heard the old man. We have to dance with someone not of our house. I saw you dance with one of the older Weasel's, and it would be nice to have a partner who could actually move for a change." He grimaced and indicated Pansy, dancing with a Ravenclaw. Well, maybe the word 'dancing' was a little generous. "I want to dance with you."

Hermione looked skeptically at him. "No tricks? No tripping? You're hands not covered in any nasty slime that's going to poison me, is it? Besides your normal slime, of course."

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Just take my damn hand, Granger. Flitwick is moving this way and I don't want to lose points."

Gingerly, Hermione placed her hand in his and he swept her suddenly into a more comfortable position. "There, not so bad now? I'm not going to kill you, I just want to dance."

So they did. Ignoring the looks of shock (Harry), horror (Ron), and jealousy (most girls in the hall), Hermione soon began to enjoy herself. Malfoy, she realized, was an excellent dancer. Better than Fred, in some respects, but Fred had a certain enthusiasm and vibrancy that Malfoy lacked, for all his polished skill.

At the thought of her date, her eyes began to scan the crowd of their own accord for the red head. She saw him a little while off, dancing with a very pretty Hufflepuff who was laughing at his jokes. Hermione's hands clenched a little.

"Don't crush me, Granger. It's a dance, not a wrestling contest." Rotating her so that he could see what she was staring at, he smirked. "Pining after the older Weasel? Well, I suppose your tastes have improved somewhat, though they still seem rather plebian."

Hermione glared daggers at him. "Shut up, Malfoy. I was enjoying dancing. Don't ruin it by opening your fat mouth." To her surprise, he did. The rest of the dance was passed in silence until the song finished.

Malfoy leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "You're a better dance partner than I thought, Granger. We work well together." He released her and disappeared in the crowd, leaving her to stare shocked after him.

"Hey." Fred caught her elbow, and she turned to him. "Malfoy didn't do anything to you, did he? I saw you dancing with him, and I got worried."

She smiled at his concern, noting the difference between him and his little brother. Ron would have accused her of being in love with the enemy or something equally ridiculous, instead of being concerned about her. "I'm fine," She said. "Let's keep on dancing."

The evening passed by quicker than she wanted it to, Fred continually keeping her laughing at his jokes. She would never have thought that she would have enjoyed his company so much, but she scarcely talked to or even looked at anyone for the rest of the night. Soon, it was thirty minutes to midnight, when the ball would end.

"Whew!" Hermione said, fanning herself as they completed yet another dance. "I didn't notice how hot it was in here!"

"It's the dancing. Do you want to walk outside for a little bit?"

She nodded and they exited the Hall unnoticed by most. Harry and Ginny, dancing nearby, saw them go.

"Don't tell Ron where they went, Harry." Ginny said. "Let them have some time alone."

Harry nodded. "I was about to say the same thing. I think they're a little more than pity dates, but Ron really doesn't want to admit it."

Ginny smiled up at him and snuggled into his chest. "I'm so lucky to have a guy who understands these things."

Harry pulled her closer and squeezed her gently. "I'm just plain lucky."

Hermione and Fred strolled the grounds, laughing softly at all the couples in the rose bushes that were caught by Snape and Flitwick. Finally they reached a bench that was suitably far away from the castle for them to have some quiet. They sat in comfortable silence for a while. Then Fred chuckled.

"What?" Hermione asked, turning to him.

"I was just wondering if George had spiked the punch yet."

"Fred!" Hermione gasped in horror. "I had some of the punch!"

"Easy there, Hermione," he said laughing. "If he had done it when you drank it, you would be feeling it, I assure you."

Hermione grinned back. "Figures that you guys would pull something like that. I was just waiting."

Surprisingly, Fred frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I just mean that you've been so wonderful and sweet all evening, I was just wondering when Fred the Prankster would emerge."

He turned away from her slightly, his voice suddenly colder. "That's not all I do, if that's so hard to believe, Hermione."

Hermione wondered at the sudden change that had come over him. "Of course, I didn't mean…"

"No, you did." He faced her, his face serious. "Look, you don't like it when people call you bookworm and stereotype you, do you?" She shook her head silently. "That's what people do to me and George all the time. They think we just joke around and never do any work. Actually, we were in the head of most of our classes when we went here. No one could beat me at Charms, and George was dynamite at Transfiguration. Did you ever think about what it takes to invent our products?" Hermione shook her head, dumbfounded at this new side of Fred. "No one does. Just because we like pranks and jokes doesn't mean that's all we ever think about." He turned away moodily and Hermione couldn't bear it.

"I'm sorry, Fred, I didn't think." She placed one hand gently on his arm. "I know what it's like to be labeled. Look, let's promise, shall we?" He looked at her, raising one eyebrow quizzically as she held out her pinky. "Pinky swear. The Muggle way. That we won't ever assume things about the other, okay?" She grinned wickedly as her started laughing and linked his pinky with hers.

"I swear."

Hermione smiled as the realization of her own words struck her. We won't ever assume… It sounded like something a couple would do, not pity dates.

Fred was gazing at her levelly and she blushed. "You know, Hermione, despite the pinky swear, Katie was right. You've grown up." He reached out one hand and gently pushed a curl off her face, cupping her cheek and leaning in slowly. Hermione shivered at the contact, and Fred misinterpreted her reaction.

"I'm sorry," He said shortly, pulling away abruptly and standing up. "I wasn't thinking."

Her skin cried out at the loss of contact. "No, Fred, I didn't…" Hermione swallowed and mustered all of her Gryffindor courage. Standing up, she faced him and gently pressed her lips against his.

For a moment, Fred didn't move out of shock, then his arms gently snaked around her waist and hers went around his neck. He kissed her softly, tracing her lips with his tongue. She moaned softly and parted them, granting him access.

She had been kissed before, by Seamus, by a Muggle boy last summer, by Krum, and once by Neville (though she made him promise never to tell anyone). But their boyish fumbling was nothing to Fred's experience and passion. Hermione clung to him as the kiss swept through her entire body.

"Go out with me," He murmured against her lips, and she couldn't help but answer "yes" between his kisses.

As he locked her in a passionate embrace once again, one thought managed to drift to the surface of her fog clouded mind.

Oh God, what's Ron going to say?

A/N: There was the ball! I hope you all enjoyed my little twist at the end there. Chuckles evilly

Anyway, as you can see, the story is most definitely not resolved yet. There still is a lot more to come.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of my wonderful reviewers. You guys have been awesome, and have really given me incentive to keep writing.

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Thanks to you all and I hopefully will have the next chapter up in a day or two!