A/N: Ok, the chapter we have been highly anticipating is finally here! As well as the very beginning of the ball, lol. Yes, this fic is going to be long with many chapters, but I don't think you guys have a problem with that right? LoL I'm sure you don't. Anyway, I love how people are growing to either hate or get annoyed with the wall, cause I mean, when will it come down? *shrugs* you're all gonna have to wait and see, muahahahaha! ^_^
Also a small thing to say to a few people who I shall not name, if you guys really think I'm going to hand Draco and Hermione to you all lovey dovey and fluffy on a silver platter, than you're WRONG! I can't do that simply cause, there are so many people that do, I'm choosing to be evil and make it a slow and agonizing process lol, its more enjoyable that way lol. Then again, I can't please the world, and I don't want to try. Alright I don't seem to have much else to say today, weird. On with the fic!
Warning: OotP spoilers from now till the end of the fic!
Disclaimer: ::takes out Mr. Sock::
Slytherin Diva: Mr. Sock, do you by any chance know who owns Harry Potter?
Mr Sock: Ummm, Harry Potter, is that those really big fat books series?
Slytherin Diva: Yes, Mr. Sock, do you know by any chance who wrote the books?
Mr. Sock: Ummm, you?
Slytherin Diva: *sighs* No, Mr. Sock, not me…someone else.
Mr. Sock: Who then?
Slytherin Diva: *falls on head* Mr. Sock, you're really not helping!
Mr. Sock: Was I supposed to be?
Slytherin Diva: *sweatdrop* UGH!
Mr. Sock: Whoa! Look at the vein coming out on your forehead its huge! I think it has a pulse!
Slytherin Diva: *flame eyes* SHUT UP! JUST SAY, J.K ROWLING!
Mr. Sock: Uh, J.K Rowling?
Slytherin Diva: Say she owns Harry Potter you lint brain!
Mr. Sock: Hey I resent that! But anyway, ok so that woman owns Harry Potter. Now what?
Slytherin Diva: You go into the hamper!
Mr. Sock: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
::Shoves Mr. Sock into the hamper and walks away::
Credits: ::Mr. Sock speaks from the hamper:: That damn Slytherin Diva, she doesn't own shit of Harry Potter…she's too much of a bitch!
::Slytherin Diva kicks hamper::
Slytherin Diva: Shut up!
Thanks Too: DanceChic0869, sweetstar3, Chach-A-Lot, Mila, xxbabysparklesxx, wildmage101, love2045, Blue-Dreamz, bad-ass-angel, super sycoh, Born2die, FredandGeorge4eva, ScRibBLrOfDrEaMs, The Sarcastic Morbid One, Madame Moony, CeLeStIaL BeInG, Sen-Chan, overXposed, UN-fOolished, Pannygirl, hpgal186, kelsey, ~*~Lisha~*~, Tristanlover59, Chyld of Black Fire, Draco-FutureBF, Junsui Chikyuu, noisyamie, akiko-sung, Raye-Rei, Lavender Brown, La Angell and *emmy* for the great reviews! You guys kick ass!
Chapter 12: The Medieval Ball
During lunch the day of the ball, Hermione sat with Harry, Ginny, Ron, Lavender, Parvati, Dean, Seamus and Neville.
"I can't believe the ball is tonight! Oh, I have the perfect outfit, you'll love it Ron," Lavender said with a squeal as she hugged Ron's arm.
Ron smirked nervously, "I'm sure it's nice, too bad I won't see you till after that bloody opening dance."
"Well, what's done is done. At least it'll be over within a few minutes," Ginny began while eating a croissant, "by the way Parvati, who are you going to the ball with?"
Parvati blushed and looked over at Dean who smirked, "Dean and I are going together."
Ginny grinned, "That's great."
"What about you Gin? Who you going with?" Parvati asked with a smile.
Ginny shrugged, "No one has asked me yet," she began as she quickly glanced over at Harry, "if I go alone that's fine though."
Harry felt himself blush, he could finally ask Ginny to the ball. Now would be as good a time as any, right? Wait, no, Ron, what would Ron say? He wouldn't care would he?
Harry swallowed the massive lump forming in his throat, 'I have faced Voldemort, a Basilisk, Dementors and Death Eaters, surely I can face asking Ginny to the ball right? Ron won't care will he?'
Harry shut his eyes and gained all his nerve,
"Ginnywillyougowithmetotheball?"
Everyone looked at Harry and Ginny blushed. Ron was looking at Harry with a look of pure shock, but he couldn't manage a word to say.
Ginny saw everyone looking at her, Harry suddenly felt like hiding under a rock, "Sure Harry, I'd love to."
Harry felt the ten tons of steel in his stomach vanish suddenly, "Great, I'll meet you by the fireplace in the common room."
Ginny grinned, "Ok."
Parvati then looked over at Hermione who hadn't said a word all throughout lunch, "Hey Hermione, who are you going with to the ball."
Hermione sighed, "Malfoy."
Parvati gasped, "You get to go with that amazing piece of man-flesh to the ball? I envy you."
"Parvati!?" Ginny shrieked, "How could you say such a thing about Malfoy!?"
Parvati shrugged and noticed the shocked and sickening look on Dean's face, "Oh don't worry Dean I still like you better, but who can deny how great Malfoy looks. Even you admitted to it a while back Hermione, remember?"
Hermione's eyes widened in embarrassment about the same time, Ginny's, Harry's and Ron's eyes widened in shock. Lavender simply elbowed Parvati in the ribs for saying such a stupid thing, Lavender at least knew enough not to talk about Malfoy.
"Mione, is Parvati serious?" Ron asked in disbelief.
Hermione bit her lip nervously, "Well…I said he is attractive, I'd have to be a bloody boy not to think so. However I did say that his personality took away from his physical appeal, so you can all relax now."
Harry shook his head, "You girls, I'll never understand any of you. You think Malfoy is good looking yet you hate him anyway, yet you like mentioning how good-looking he is regardless. Just stop the madness, I'd like to keep my lunch, after all this is my arch enemy we're talking about here."
"Sorry Harry, forgot for a moment." Parvati said hiding a grin.
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It was around five in the afternoon and Hermione decided to take up Lavender's invitation of getting ready for the ball with them in the Gryffindor common room.
'If I don't know what Malfoy will be wearing, it'll be all the better for me,' she thought as she made her way towards the Gryffindor common room with her dress and mask and shoes in hand.
She saw Malfoy walking down the hall with Crabbe and Goyle, obviously they were off to get ready.
'Though I guess it won't be so bad, after all I will have the most good looking guy at Hogwarts as my date, if he keeps his mouth shut the entire time it might just be enjoyable,' she thought as she approached the Fat Lady and headed into the common room.
The common room was buzzing about, a lot of the guys still hadn't gone up to get ready, hardly any girls were around for it was obvious they already started getting ready. Hermione then heard, "Hey Hermione! Come on, we haven't got much time!"
Hermione saw Lavender waving to her from the staircase that led to the girls' dormitories; she waved back and headed towards Lavender.
"So glad you finally made it Mione, we thought you might've not come."
Hermione frowned, "Why would I not come? I missed you guys lately."
Finally they made it to Hermione's old room where Lavender and Parvati still were along with Ginny now.
After an hour the girls were dressed in their medieval dresses, Parvati was wearing a dress of black and blue that flowed down to her sides, she had long velvet black sleeves and a square neckline trimmed with silver lacing; her hair was down in waves kept back with a blue head band and she had a blue face mask which had designs of black vines and small silver roses on it.
Lavender had a white silk gown that flowed down to the floor halfway down the gown a pale lavender color appears and further down the gown the lavender tint gets darker down to the end of the gown. Her sleeves where long and they belled out at the wrists which were also tainted lavender, her hair was tied into two French braids that went down a few inches past her shoulder and her braids were laced with white silk threads; her mask was white with lips painted lavender and two lavender hearts over the eyeholes.
Ginny had an emerald dress of velvet with gold lacing at the end of her long gown and sleeves that triangled up to the bottom of her fingers, the gold lacing was also around her square neckline and waist; her fiery red hair was tied into a thick braid which went over her shoulder and stopped at her elbow. Her braid was laced with gold threads of silk and it was tied with a gold band at the bottom; her mask was gold with green painted on the lips and over the top of the eyeholes to appear as eye shadow as well as green vine designs around the edge of the mask.
Hermione was obligated to represent Gryffindor so her dress had to be scarlet and gold. Her dress flowed down to the floor like a scarlet waterfall, the bottom was trimmed with gold lacing, her scarlet velvet sleeves triangled at the end towards the bottom of her fingers like Ginny's dress and were trimmed with gold. Her neckline was shaped like the top of a heart trimmed with gold, her waistline had gold trimming that was shaped like a triangle pointing down; her mask was scarlet with gold vines designed around the outer edge of the mask and small black roses on the vines, the lips were painted gold and the eyes were painted gold on the top of the eye holes and slightly outward to appear as eye shadow. Her hair was braided into a head band and the rest of her was made wavy, several thin braids where in her hair as well as a few small red roses in her braid band.
The girls looked amazing.
They all looked at themselves in the mirror, they were all hoping they're dates would approve, all of them except Hermione that is. Hermione didn't care what Draco would think about how she looked, she didn't even really care how he would look. Yet an awful thought came to her head, how would Blaise think of how she looked?
Hermione felt her heart beating fast in a sudden fear and she raced away into the bathroom. No one saw her go except Lavender.
Lavender raced after her and began to knock on the door, "Hermione! You ok?"
"No! I'm not going to the ball I've changed my mind!" She said in tears.
Lavender frowned, "It's a bit late to change your mind now, Mione. You have to go to the ball, what's the matter? Why are you saying this anyway?"
Hermione began to shake as she thought of Blaise forcing himself upon her again, "I-Its just that…I'm so afraid Zabini will do something to me again. I'm so scared Lavender, I'm just so scared he'll hurt me again."
Lavender could hear the pain in Hermione's voice, it nearly brought tears to her own eyes, "Don't worry Mione, you'll be fine! You'll have Malfoy with you, Zabini wouldn't even think of doing anything to you as long as you're with Malfoy."
Hermione scoffed, "I'm sure Malfoy would let him! That's it! I'm not going!"
Lavender shook her head, "You can't do this Hermione, it'll all be alright. Just come out, the ball starts in half an hour."
Just then Ginny came into the room, "What's going on?"
Lavender sighed, "It's Hermione, she's afraid Zabini will try to do something to her at the ball."
Ginny put on a concerned face, "Oh no," she said as she walked towards the door and began knocking, "Mione, it's Gin. Please come out! Or let me in!"
"No!"
Ginny looked at Lavender worriedly, "We got to get her out of there."
"Yea but how? The only way she'll go to the ball is if she was positive Zabini wouldn't do anything to her." Lavender replied feeling helpless.
Ginny frowned, "But how can we do that?"
Lavender leaned against the wall and shrugged. Just then it hit her, 'Malfoy,' she thought.
'He wanted to know what was wrong with Hermione. If I tell him she won't come out and why and about Zabini and everything, and if he swears to not let him near Hermione, then maybe…just maybe Hermione will go to the ball then.' Lavender thought feeling stupid she didn't think of it before.
Ginny saw the smile on Lavender's face, "What are you smiling about?"
Lavender looked over at Ginny, "I think I have a way to get her out. In the meantime stand watch here, I'll be back shortly."
"Where are you going?" Ginny asked as Lavender began heading out the door.
"To Hermione and Malfoy's room!" she shouted as she then disappeared.
Ginny looked curious, "Why would she go there for?"
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Draco was doing the finishing touches on his velvet black cape that he had just finished tying around his chest. He looked at himself in the mirror and grinned, 'Damn I look good, maybe this'll get me some action tonight.'
Draco was told to represent Slytherin by wearing silver and green, but did Draco ever listen when to him it didn't really matter? Of course not, Draco instead chose to wear green and black.
He had black velvet boots that went up to cover his knees and folded over the top he wore skintight cotton dark green pants, since he refused to wear those medieval tights. He wore a black silk shirt that was laced open down the middle to the top of his stomach revealing a bit of his firm muscular chest, his sleeves were very loose and his cuffs were crimped loosely around his wrist. His velvet black cape reached his knees and had a hood thrown back behind his shoulders, his platinum blonde hair was left without gel letting a few stray hairs fall over his eyes and framing them perfectly. His mask was on the night table; it was painted one side black and one side green.
He was looking damn good and he knew it.
Just then he heard a knock at his door, he rolled his eyes, 'Bet granger forgot one of her stupid things here.'
He opened the door, "What!?"
Lavender flinched, "Uh-hi, it's me."
Draco raised a bored brow at her, "What are you doing here Brown?"
'She's looking good tonight,' he thought in his usual manner.
Lavender began to fidget with her fingers nervously and she looked down at the floor trying to find the words to say what she was about to say without Hermione's permission.
"Well!? I haven't got all night you know." He said leaning against the doorframe and looking at her impatiently.
"It's about Hermione, and what I was going to tell you in the library the other day," Lavender began, that got Draco's attention as he stared at her intently, "About why she cries and all that. But you mustn't tell her I told you ok?"
Draco nodded, "Yes, yes, alright come on out with it."
Lavender took in a deep breath, "The night of detention, well…oh dear how do I say this…"
"Brown if you don't say it, I'll put the Cruciatus Curse on you and make you tell me!" Draco spat impatiently.
"Shut up! You promised not to be mean anymore if I told you!" She shouted back.
Draco glared at her and bit his fist to stop himself from saying anything else.
Lavender then took in a deep breath, "The night of detention, Zabini, he raped Hermione, he put the Imperius curse on her and then a memory charm after so she would forget everything. Yet she began remembering what happened in her dreams, that's why she cries every night…she's remembering Zabini raping her."
Draco thought he wasn't hearing right, no he wasn't, he couldn't be.
'That bloody bastard! How could he, she was a virgin…he just took…oh shit! That's why she went on and on about virginity while teaching that class, Merlin how could I have been such a blind idiot, everything was staring me in the fucking face and I was too blind to notice! Oh Merlin, that's what she had to deal with…that bastard…he'll pay for this, cause lord knows Granger won't do anything.'
Lavender saw a bright flame burning in Draco's eyes and she suddenly grew fearful, "Hermione also locked herself in our bathroom, she's afraid to go to the ball," Lavender began as Draco snapped out of his rage filled thoughts and looked down at Lavender.
"What on earth for?"
Lavender shook her head feeling sorry for Hermione once again, "She's afraid Zabini will rape her again or try to during the ball. So I thought if I told you what happened to her, you might be willing to make sure he doesn't go near her, so she'll feel alright about going to the ball."
"Tell that stubborn girl to forget about that dickless worm, force her out of there…I have something I go to go settle." Draco said as he pretty much blindly stormed down the hall.
"How do I get her out!" Lavender called out to him.
"How the bloody hell should I know? Just find a way witch!" He replied from down the hall as he ran around a corner.
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"Where's Zabini?" Draco asked as he stormed into the Slytherin Common.
Millicent Bulstrode and Pansy Parkinson were talking by the fire and they looked up at Draco, Pansy replied, "He's in his room."
Draco nodded in acknowledgement and then headed for the stairs.
"Damn Malfoy is looking sexy tonight, I wonder if I could get him in bed later." Pansy said with a mischievous grin.
Draco raced up the stairs and then burst open Blaise's door, luckily not that it mattered to Draco, Blaise was the only one in the room.
Blaise looked up at him in surprise, "What do you want here Malfoy?"
Draco glared at him, "Your dick on a platter!"
Blaise looked at him with slight fear, for when Draco was this mad, it
was always a bad thing for whoever he was mad at.
"What are you talking about?"
Draco glared at him and began to reach for his wand, 'I think muggle violence will be more affective.' he thought.
Draco walked over to Blaise who had gotten up from his bed and Draco without thinking twice punched Blaise hard in the face, managing to break Blaise's nose, he then kicked him in his gut.
Blaise, with a bloody nose, scrambled to get up and punch Draco back but Draco moved out of the way and punched him again, "Stay down!"
Blaise apparently not hearing got up again pointing his wand at Draco.
Draco rolled his eyes, "I said stay down you little shit!" he shouted pulling Blaise's wand out of his hand, and breaking it in half.
He then pulled Blaise by his cloak and smashed him against a wall.
"What, did I do?" Blaise mumbled in extreme fear for his life.
"Since when have you started raping girls Zabini?" He demanded.
Blaise looked at him confused, "I-I, what do you mean?"
Draco slammed his head against the wall, "Don't fuck with me! You raped Granger, didn't you!?"
"So what if I did? Its not like you haven't raped any girls before!" Blaise said in defense.
Draco glared at him with a deadly fire in his eyes, "I never needed too you idiot!" he began, with a look to kill, "since when have you started confusing rape with clever seduction?"
"Like it matters! I made sure she wouldn't remember, I used the trick you taught me!"
Draco gritted his teeth, "Well she remembers now! Every dirty little thing you did to her! She was a virgin you bastard! Did you know that!?" He shouted slamming Blaise's head against he wall again.
Blaise looking ready to fall unconscious from the blow said, "No. Why do you care anyway?"
"How many other's have you raped huh? HOW MANY! How many were virgins!?" He shouted tightening his grip on Blaise's neck, "She cries every bloody night cause of you! She's been miserable for a week, a week of pure hell cause of you! Death would've been better for her, knowing how she is, that's what I would've given her…but you managed to do better didn't you…how Slytherin of you. Did you like it Zabini?"
"I-I D-don't kn-know," he struggled saying.
'You're a little fucking shit Zabini and you're never doing this shit again, I could easily kill you right now before you even had a chance to scream and don't think I don't want to kill you right now, cause I do, I really do." Draco said darkly.
"Bu-but-" Blaise began, but then stopped, as he saw Draco take out a knife from his cloak, which he had stolen from Blaise.
Draco smirked evilly at Blaise, as he flashed the long knife in front of him.
"Touch Granger again Zabini," he began as he slid the knife across Blaise's cheek creating a small thin red line of blood, "And I'll carve you a new face, and change your gender, understood? Or maybe, I'll just flat out kill you and do ourselves both a favor. Since you have to make an appearance at the dance, I won't break your legs…for now at least."
Blaise nodded furiously.
Draco smirked, "Good. You will not look at Granger tonight, you will not go near her ever again, and if you so much as look at her I'll gauge your eyes out and shove what's left of your wand up your ass and if anyone asks, Filch tried to rape you."
Blaise nodded fiercely.
Draco then looked at the knife, and quickly stabbed it into the wall missing Blaise by centimeters causing him to practically piss on himself in fright, "Here's your knife back." Draco said smoothly as he then punched Blaise hard in the stomach.
With that he walked out of the room and Blaise collapsed on the floor, and Draco left the Slytherin common room before anyone could talk to him.
But before he did he quickly said to Millicent who was still by the fire, "You might want to help Zabini to the Hospital wing, Peeves has been having some fun with him."
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Lavender had returned to Ginny, who was still by the bathroom door, Parvati had gone down to meet up with Dean.
"She still won't leave huh?" Lavender asked as she approached Ginny.
Ginny shook her head, "No."
Lavender knocked on the door, "Hermione! You don't have to worry about Zabini, he won't do anything to you…" Lavender didn't know how else to say what she thought was true but wasn't too sure was true, she had to just lie hoping she was telling the truth, "Malfoy, said he won't let Zabini near you."
Ginny's eyes widened and she looked at Lavender in total shock, "Is that where you went? To see Malfoy?"
Lavender nodded nervously, "Y-yea."
"Did you tell him what Zabini did?" Ginny asked in a frantic panic.
"Yea, but before you go crazy let me explain. When I told him, he seemed really angry about it. He even told me to tell Hermione to forget about Zabini and go to the ball…I think…he really will watch over her." Lavender said with hope lacing her voice.
Ginny looked at Lavender not knowing exactly what to say, "Malfoy said this? I find that hard to believe. We've been enemies with him for years already, why would he care about Hermione?"
Lavender shrugged, "I don't know. But one thing I do know, is that for some reason or another he does care about what Zabini did."
Ginny sighed and knocked on the door, "Hermione, listen to Lavender she's telling the truth. Come out, you'll be fine…I give you our words as Gryffindor's we're not lying to you."
After a few seconds you heard the door unlock and Hermione came out of the bathroom with tear stained cheeks, "Oh Hermione," Ginny said hugging her, "Let's fix you up quickly for we only have fifteen minutes."
"You gave me your words as Gryffindor's, I hope you weren't just saying that," Hermione said with a sniffle.
"We're being honest Mione." Lavender said as she closed the bathroom door behind them.
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Lavender and Harry walked to the Great Hall together since both their dates were going to be in the opening of the ball.
Ginny and Ron walked together alongside Hermione.
"Oh hey wait!" Ginny said stopping.
"What now?" Ron asked with a whine.
Ginny glared at him, "We're supposed to put our masks on before going down and Ron you have to put your hood on as well."
"Oh," Ron said as he put his mask on and pulled the string behind his head, his mask was half crimson and half black, Ron was basically dressed the same as Draco except his pants and shirt were crimson instead of green.
Hermione and Ginny put their masks on as well and then they walked down to the entrance to the Great Hall.
Hermione's heart was beating rather rapidly as she saw that she, Ron and Ginny were the last ones to arrive.
"So glad you could join us," McGonagall said sternly.
"Ginny, Ron, please take your positions in the front of the line," McGonagall said with a wave of her hand towards the front of the line as they went Ron flipped his hood over his head.
"Hermione, take your place in the back."
Hermione began walking to the back; she saw Hannah and Ernie with their masks on arm in arm and Ernie had his hood on, as well as Padma and Anthony who like all the other guys had his hood on. She then saw Pansy with her mask on and next to her was Blaise with his mask and hood on, he seemed to be bent over slightly with his hand to his stomach.
"Oh Zabini what has gotten into you? Straighten up will you?" Pansy said sounding very annoyed and irritated.
"If I do, I throw up," Zabini replied in a mumble, if it weren't for the mask Hermione was sure she would've seen him with his eyes closed in pain, and she smirked at the thought.
She then saw one tall figure with a mask of half green and half black and a hood on over his head covering his hair standing alone obviously waiting for her.
As she approached him his head turned towards her and she felt her heart skip a beat suddenly, she saw two silver eyes looking at her through the mask and it made her shiver silently.
Before Hermione could say anything to Malfoy, you heard McGonagall clapping to get their attention for it was just the prefects and Hermione and Draco left outside as the doors to the Great Hall had shut.
"Each time the doors open one pair will go out at a time," she said as she then went into the Great Hall closing the door behind her.
The doors opened and Ron and Ginny walked through arm in arm and you heard loud cheers from within the Great Hall, then the doors closed and the line moved up.
Then the doors opened again and Hannah and Ernie went through the doors arm in arm like Ron and Ginny had been, then the doors closed blocking out the cheers. It happened two more times till the doors shut and only Hermione and Draco were left to enter.
Hermione then looked next to her and saw that Malfoy had extended his arm out to her for her to chain to, she looked up into his eyes and unconsciously put her arm through his. Too bad she couldn't see the mischievous smirk on his face when she did so.
The doors then opened again and Draco and Hermione arm in arm walked through the doors, the cheers were massively loud, and Hermione thought it so strange that she was walking arm in arm with Malfoy and not really caring about it, but somehow enjoying it.
'I'm not used to this sort of thing I think,' she thought as then she and Draco walked by the prefects till they were in the front of the Great Hall.
Eventually the cheering stopped as Draco and Hermione stood there still arm in arm as the Prince and Princess of the ball.
"Now, the ball shall be opened with the first dance started by our Head boy and girl and prefects," Dumbledore said as then the soft sound of gentle and light music was heard.
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A/N: You must really want to kill me right now for stopping the chapter like that right? Muahahahahaha! Didn't I say chapter 12 would kick ass? Well don't worry, chapter 13 should kick ass and if you think Blaise got off easy you might be right, but don't worry…it all gets better, trust me. *evil grin* So now what's going to happen at the ball? Will Hermione find out what Draco did for her? Oh the questions, lol, they continue. Well anyways state your comments and so on review and all that good stuff and I'll be posting soon! Bye!
