((Chapter 11!! This chapter isn't as long as the last one, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. Review, review, review!))

Chapter 11::
Prelude to a Ball

Hermione awoke to the bright sun, feeling oddly refreshed and content. The world seemed to be a beautiful place in that moment and she found herself basking in it. Her body arched into a stretch, awakening the muscles of her back and body. Wondering why today felt so spectacular, she stood up, sliding on her black slippers to avoid the cold floor. The moment she peeled back her curtains surrounding the bed, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

Oh, yes! She thought to herself with a nervous giggle. It's Halloween!!

In the middle of the girl's dormitory was a life-sized troll—fake she was assuming—that the house elves must have placed sometime in the night. Hermione was warned that this might occur the night before, right before she fell into a deep sleep. Apparently, the Slytherin boys like to send the girl a little Halloween surprise that morning. Tilting her head to the side, she evaluated the figurine, wondering why they picked an ugly troll. Then she realized that they couldn't use a witch, for obvious reasons, and a black cat was also ridiculous. So, she just shrugged and decided that this was probably the best option.

She walked through the room filled with sleeping girls, trying not to wake anyone. It was time for her morning jog, but she found herself hesitant to go. At first it was just a technique to keep her calm and free of stress, but it eventually turned into good fun. Today, however, she thought would be a good day to skip the jog. She was in terrific shape after doing so every day for two months and could use one day of laziness. Well, maybe not laziness, but relaxation. There, that didn't sound so…

Lazy.

So, with a small smile, she decided she would seek out a different way to spend her morning. It was just sunrise so no one in the dungeons would be awake for at least a few more hours. Maybe she could use that time to plan a little bit. Or, she could just go up to the boys' dorms and wake up her sleeping dragon… well, one of the two.

"Hm. What am I going to wear today?" She whispered as she reached her little closet at the end of the room.

Since she was going to be dressing in her costume later on that day, she didn't want to go too crazy. But, not so laidback that she didn't seem like Onyx Raven. She couldn't necessarily go around wearing loose jeans and a sweater. Onyx didn't do that kind of thing. Looking through her wardrobe, she looked from jeans to skirts and shirts to wife beaters. Nothing seemed right. So, Hermione thought it would be best to go with the hot, yet grungy, look. She peeled a pair of hip-hugging jeans that had worn wholes torn all throughout the material off of the hanger. It wasn't perfect, but it would have to do. Now was the task of finding a compatible shirt. In the end, she decided on a torn up Metallica shirt that Dumbledore insisted she buy. (How odd that old man is.) She didn't care much for the band, but she liked the alterations she did on the shirt. Now, one of the sleeves was torn off making it one shouldered, the bottom ripped off to show her midriff, and it was held together by being laced up on her right side.

After picking out a sexy pair of knickers (silk green with black lacing with matching bra), she walked her way to the bathroom, wanting to squeak as cold air rushed up her bare legs. Since she chose to only sleep in one of Draco's big t-shirts was probably a bad idea, she thought to herself as she shut the bathroom door. Laying her clothing choice on the counter, she grabbed a big black, plushy towel and headed toward the shower. Nothing felt better in the morning then a nice hot shower. After that, she'd pay a visit to her Draco.

The door to the boys' dormitory squeaked as Hermione began to open it, her freezing as it did so. If one of the other boys woke then she'd be caught and that would just ruin her plan. Once she heard the low breathing and occasional snores, she knew she was safe and continued opening the door. Shutting the door behind her, she walked quietly to the bed in the back of the room. Draco told her once he liked sleeping in the back, just in case someone started attacking he'd be the last one they'd reach. It was selfish, yes, but clever in a bizarre way.

Her sock clad feet slid easily across the wooden floors, making her confident she wouldn't wake anyone. Though, she was slightly annoyed to find Draco had put a spell on his curtains to keep out unwanted company. He had obviously never thought Raven would come and visit him when he was sleeping. Otherwise, he would've avoided it. She hoped her trusted her that much, anyway. So, bringing up her wand, she said the counter-curse, watching as the shields faltered long enough for her to step passed before they became tight once more. Luckily, Dumbledore trained her on all the magic he knew during the summer. There wasn't much that would keep her out now. Unfortunately for Draco.

What she saw when she closed the curtains made her chest tighten. There, asleep with the most innocent look on his face, was her Draco. He looked so sweet, so vulnerable that she was suddenly filled with a warm-fuzzy feeling. She had seen him sleep before, but now that they were together and so very much in love, she found herself adoring it even more. How could such a beautiful man fall in love with someone like her?

She sat at the side of his bed, next to his sleeping form. She was almost hesitant to touch him, for she didn't want to disturb what made him look so stress free. But, she also couldn't stop herself from doing just that. With a light touch, she pushed the hand out of his face and slid a finger down his cheek. His breathing hitched up as he slowly acknowledged her presence. His eyes didn't open and his body didn't move but she could sense he was awake. With a sigh, she leaned forward, being careful not to let her wet hair touch his bare chest, and laid her lips on his. He responded immediately and returned the kiss, his lips cool and gentle.

The kiss wasn't fast or hungry, it was sweet and slow. It was much like their first kiss, except this one was full of love—making it even better.

"This is the perfect way to wake up in the morning. I could get use to this," He whispered as he opened his eyes, full of sleep.

She smiled and laid her hands on either side of his shoulders, leaning down so their foreheads were touching. "I couldn't agree more."

He smirked sleepily. "What time is it?"

"Sunrise," She gestured to the window light streaming through the crack in his curtain.

He looked thrown. "Aren't you supposed to be out jogging right now?"

"Normally, yes, but this morning I decided to take a break. I wanted to see you instead."

He chuckled lightly. "Just can't get enough of me, can you?"

She shrugged. "What? I missed you, what of it? Can't a girl miss the love of her life?"

Instead of answering, he moved. Fast. Grabbing her around the waist, he flipped her body over his so that she was now lying beside him with her back against his chest. It was warm and comfortable and she eventually found herself sliding under his blankets. By his doing, mind you, not hers.

"Since you're here, let's get back to sleep. And to answer your question, yes. A girl can miss the love of her life, especially when the love of her life misses her, too, when she's not around." Draco's voice was fading, as if he was falling back to sleep.

She giggled and nuzzled deeper into his chest. She loved the way each of the ridges in his muscular torso felt against her back. "That sounds like a great idea, except I have a better one."

He mumbled something intelligible, showing that he was almost fully asleep.

With a sigh, she sat up, peeling his arms away from her stomach and got on her knees. Once she adjusted her jeans, she turned around. She straddles his waist and braced both hands on either side of his head, leaning down kiss his temple before shoving him onto his back. This opened his eyes—wide—as he looked up at her.

"Rushing things a bit, aren't we?" He said, somewhat in shock and somewhat in pleasure.

She rolled her eyes. He would think about something naughty at a time like this. "Get your head out of the gutter, my dragon. I'm trying to wake you up. I want you to go with me somewhere."

He sighed and laid his hands on her legs. "Very well, I'm awake. Where do you want to go?"

She smiled. "The clearing. I found something near there that I want to show you. Come on."

She stood up off of his bed and threw him a pair of trousers that were laying on the floor, along with his button down white shirt. She loved that shirt on him when it wasn't tucked or covered in a sweater vest. He sat up with a yawn and flipped off the sheets before coming to a stand next to her. At this point she couldn't avoid looking over his frame. He was shirtless and in black silk boxers, after all. What woman wouldn't want to see Draco Malfoy dressed in such a way? It was delicious and made Hermione want to groan.

"Would you like me to step out so you can change?" Her voice was low, somewhat raspy.

He smirked and raised an eyebrow, "Do you want to?"

She smirked. "Is that a trick question?"

He smiled and gave her a peck on the forehead. "No, stay. Otherwise the others might catch you in here. Wouldn't want to ruin your reputation, would we?"

"It's not like my reputation is in peak shape as it is." She sat on the bed and watched him dress.

The way he dressed himself was almost like an art. It was with such great care; almost as if he were afraid he would damage himself in some way. Her main focus, however, was on his scarred chest. She'd come to realize over the last week or so that the scars were from being beaten and tortured by Voldemort along with his Death Eaters on more than one occasion; his own father even taking part. They were not only on his torso, but on his back as well. He didn't like talking about it and Hermione didn't much like bringing it up. It angered her when she thought of what others have done to him and hurt her more then she could say.

As he buttoned up his shirt, she couldn't stop herself from standing and walking over to him. His hands stopped as she laid her hands over his, pulling them away from the material. He'd only buttoned the bottom two, leaving his chest bare and shining in the little light coming from the sun. She looked deep into his eyes as she ran her hands over his scars, almost as if she were caressing them. She hated that he would still flinch when she touched the destroyed flesh. Even though he never acted like it towards her, she knew he was still terrified and worried about what was to come in the war. Even more so, he was frightened about the part they would both undoubtedly play. She wished she could take away all of the pain and replace it with hope, but she knew that soon enough she would be partaking in that pain. The moment he found out who she was, he would be betrayed and hurt by her lies and deceit.

His eyes held weariness when she first started to touch his scars, then, as the seconds ticked by, the weariness was replaced by something else. This look was soft and warm, a look his normally cold silver eyes were not used to shining. It almost looked like he really trusted her for the first time; like he just realized that she wasn't going anywhere, that she was real. His hands landed on hers and held them tightly as he laid her forehead on hers, really feeling that this was it. Sure, he knew he loved her before, but now that Draco knew that she wasn't ashamed of any part of him, not even his disfiguring scars, it seemed all the more real.

"These don't disgust you? At all?" His voice was hushed, his eyes still closed.

She dropped her hands and circled them around his neck, hugging him close to her. "Not at all. They're a part of you and no part of you disgusts me. You're perfect in my eyes."

He let out a long breath and tightened his grip around her waist, seeming perfectly content to stay that way. "How is it that now, when we are on the brink of war, I find the one person most people never find?"

She kissed his neck. "Fate, it seems, has a funny sense of humor."

The both let out a low laugh and broke apart, Draco giving her a kiss on the forehead before finishing up his buttoning job. "You ready?"

She nodded her head. "All I have to do is slide on my boots and they're in the common room."

After sliding on his obviously expensive shoes, the two walked quietly out of the boys' dorm and headed into the common room. There, they found two house elves cleaning up. One of them Hermione recognized. It was painful to not acknowledge him, for he had done so much for Harry in the past. However she managed it, she was not sure. She just frowned and sat on the warm couch to slide on her combat boots.

"Dobby?" Draco asked, surprised at seeing his old elf.

The little elf looked up and his eyes filled with recognition, not at all happy. "Young Master Malfoy! Dobby does not have to listen to you, he doesn't. Dobby work for Headmaster now!"

Hermione giggled. She just loved all the spunk the little elf seemed to gain since his freedom from the Malfoys. She just hoped that Draco wouldn't become his angry antagonistic self like he normally does. She knew he thought house elves were scum and even though falling in love with her had changed him some, it wasn't much. It certainly wasn't enough to make his heart warm to creatures like house elves.

She was right. "Why are you even here? Father told me your filth was running amuck out of his hair, but I didn't think that you would be in mine."

She didn't like his condescending tone, so she decided to intervene subtly. She feign interest and confusion as Onyx Raven and never heard of a house elf before. "Oh," she walked up next to Draco and grabbed his hand, "I've never seen a little creature like this before. What's your name?"

She gave the little elf a small smile to show she wasn't going to harm him in anyway. He got the hint and bowed slightly, "The name's Dobby, miss. Dobby is one of the house elves, miss."

"A house elf?" She smiled and jumped up and down to show excitement before turning to Draco. "They're so charming!"

Draco just frowned without saying a word. Dobby, however, was smiling uncontrollably. He apparently thought he was meeting a new friend. "Oh yes, Miss. Is Miss new? Dobby does not recall seeing Miss before."

She smiled as she noticed he was wearing the little knit socks and hat she made just two years before. "I am, actually. I'm Onyx Raven, but I prefer to go by Raven."

"She's my girlfriend." Draco growled to show possession.

A gesture Hermione didn't appreciate. "And what, pre-tell, is that supposed to infer?"

He smirked, "That if he wants to speak with you, he must ask my permission first and foremost."

Hermione frowned, angry that he would think such a thing. Oh, what was she going to do with these Malfoys. "For one, he does not have to ask you for permission. I'm my own person, Draco, not a piece of property. I didn't fight my way to the top on the streets to come here and be possessed!" She turned to Dobby. "It was nice meeting you. I hope we get to speak again soon."

Dobby nodded happily. "Oh yes, Miss. Dobby hopes to see you soon, Miss. Miss should come to the kitchens to meet other house elves too, Miss. Dobby would introduce Raven to them, he would."

She gave a shrug. "I'll see if I can. Good day."

She didn't even look at Draco as she walked towards the portrait whole. She didn't want to get into an argument with him and she knew that the moment she spoke to him, her more independent side would have a field day at showing him just how very much she wasn't to be possessed. As Draco slid beside her and made to hold her hand, she jerked it away and crossed her arms. This was definitely not the best place to get into a loud fight, as the castle was still sleeping soundly. Without getting the hint, he wrapped an arm around her waist, a hold she managed to wiggle away from.

He looked hurt by her evasion. "What's wrong?"

She held up a finger to single him to wait. They were nearing the front doors, so she would make him wait until they were outside, where they wouldn't wake anyone. It's not like she was planning on giving him an earful, but she couldn't trust her own temper enough to risk it. Besides, it was cooler outside then in the castle. Maybe that would keep her controlled.

The moment they walked out the front doors and were on the grounds, she rounded on him; her voice soft, deadly. "What did you think you were doing back there?"

He looked confused, something that angered Hermione immensely. "I'm not sure what you mean."

Her hand tingled with the urge to hit something. "You were treating me like I was some expensive broomstick you didn't want anyone to touch!"

Draco raised an eyebrow with a smirk, "I wouldn't put it that way, exactly. You're much prettier than any old broomstick."

Her mouth dropped open. He really didn't get it. "I meant that you treated me like a piece of property!"

"Merlin, Raven, I don't understand the problem here. You are mine after all, so does it matter that I get a little possessive?" His smirk grew more pronounced.

Hermione was on the verge of snapping… or rather, Onyx was. "I belong to no one, Malfoy! Just because I love you doesn't give you the right to claim me! I'm my own person!"

His smirk fell. He was getting angry. "That may be correct, but you are with a Malfoy. We get what we want and what we get is ours. I got you, didn't I? Therefore, you belong to me. Like I belong to you."

"Bloody hell!" She shouted, clearly enraged. "I cannot honestly believe you said that to me! I may be your girlfriend, Malfoy, but I am not your property! And, if you really want this relationship to work, you need to stop being so arrogantly pigheaded and realize that you are walking on dangerous lands every time you try and claim me!"

"No," he said crossing his arms. "I'm a Malfoy, therefore better than most of the wizarding world. You should feel honored that I'm even giving you the time of day."

She stilled, her body completely frozen. This was the Malfoy she grew up with, the one she despised. Apparently, he hadn't changed like she thought. He was just different towards her because she was one of them, a Slytherin. Under the surface he was still the arse that made her life a living hell. Her heart, which was now beating uncontrollably at the rush of angry adrenalin, had betrayed her to her worst enemy.

With that thought, suddenly nothing mattered. The task didn't matter and her heart didn't matter. All she could see with her blazing vision was the evil boy that made her cry in 2nd year, the boy that tortured her endlessly. As the past suddenly flooded back to her, causing her ears to ring at the effort, she reacted the only way she could think of. Magic wouldn't be enough to make her feel better, just yet. She needed something physical to make her stop shaking.

So she punched the man she loves… again. Though, this time, he didn't fall back; merely stumbled.

'Hitting him is starting to become an interesting habit. By the time the war is over he might end up with a permanent bruise on his cheek.´ Her thoughts ran away from her. If they kept this up, there wouldn't be an end of the war for either of them.

They'd end up killing each other. "Never throw your precious bloodline at me again, Draco Malfoy. You are not better than me and never will be. Merlin, you bloody well can't even take care of yourself. You want to know something?"

Her voice was deadly again and he looked shocked that she'd actually punched him again. He didn't mean what he said—well, not exactly anyway—but, when his family pride gets in the way he can't help himself. And the moment he saw Dobby, all of that pride came rushing back when Raven started to speak to it like it was a friend. He didn't say this, however, because she obviously wasn't disgusted by the little vermin. Not wanting to anger her further, he just listened; which, at that moment, was probably the wisest decision.

She stood up to him, the top of her head reaching his nose, causing her to look up. "I thought you were going to be different. Sure, you're egotistical and can't go anywhere without your lackeys following you around, but I thought that you might wise up when it comes to me. So many guys tried to pull that possessive bullshit when I was growing up. I didn't take it then, and I won't take it now. So, unless you want me to leave you without looking back, you'll forget trying to possess me. It will not work."

Draco watched her as she walked away, stomping her feet as she did so. He was angry, shakily so. Though he would never admit it, he was afraid of her when she was angry. The way her eyes would flash at even the slightest hint of an argument made him quiver inside. Even while she was yelling at him, he couldn't help but respect her. Sure, Potter and his dream team yelled at him quite often. But, people in his own house never dared to do so. Not even Blaise, his best mate, would try. And yet here on the grounds, someone did it. The love of his life actually put him in his place. Despite how odd he found that, he also found it rather sexy in some way.

With a smile, he ran after her. When he caught up to her, he grabbed her arm and swung her around. The second he saw of her lips confirmed she was angry he would touch her at a time like this. That didn't last long, however, because he kissed her hard. They didn't speak or move as their kiss grew ferociously. When they came up for air, he opened his eyes to see hers still closed and trying to catch her breath.

"Wow," was all she said.

It was enough. "You do realize that we can't go more than two weeks without you either punching me or yelling at me effusively."

She laughed and slowly opened her eyes. "Well, no one can say our relationship isn't interesting."

He laughed with her at the humility of the moment. "I apologize, Raven. I just can't help but become my selfish self sometimes. I promise to try and not act like that around you anymore."

She rolled her eyes and gave him a big hug. "I'm certain you will fail, but you are forgiven. "They remained silent for a moment. "Draco?"

"Hm?"

"How are we going to make this work?" She whispered.

He froze. "What do you mean?"

She sighed. "It's like you said. We can't go more than two weeks without me getting angry with you. I'm afraid I am not good with relationships and I don't want to end up losing you because of my silly temper. I just…"

"You just, what?" He hugged her more fiercely.

"Maybe we're really not meant to make this work." It hurt her to say it, but she had to get it off of her chest.

He pushed her away slightly to look her in the eye. "Don't ever think that. Nothing you could ever do could make me resent you in any way. Every day that goes by we learn more and more about each other and this is just one of those things we needs to learn, grow accustomed to; we'll make it work."

She smiled as he kissed her on the forehead. What she wasn't telling him was that she already knew they wouldn't make it together. Her task came first and despite how much she loved him, she knew she would betray him in the end without a second thought. A small part of her hoped that they would make it out, even when he knows who she really is, but that just wasn't realistic. He was a Malfoy and they never settled with anyone below class.

"Shall we go to the clearing?" He asked, pulling away to grab her hand.

She shook her head. "No, we'll go another time. We've been out here a lot longer then I planned, according to the sun. It's about time for breakfast and I'm famished. Besides, Pansy and I had plans today. I just wanted to see you since I won't see you until the ball. I'm just sorry that it had to be wasted on my tantrum."

He shrugged. "It's the way we get through problems. We're just working out the kinks. Anyway, you look adorable when you get angry."

She smirked as they turned around, heading back towards the castle. Maybe he had a point. Perhaps they would argue for a small while and will eventually grow closer because of it. Only time will tell…

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