Hermione took a deep breath and entered the Great Hall. When her eyes made contact with the behemoth space, she couldn't believe she was still at Hogwarts. What was previously filled with long tables and floating candles was a vast area filled to the brim with Halloween decorations.

An enchanted backdrop that coated every inch of the floor, the ceiling, and walls was a dark midnight blue, dotted with tiny shimmering dots, giving the impression of an inky night. The only light in the entire area came from the glow of dozens of floating Jack-O-Lanterns which told horrible Halloween jokes as they whizzed by. Hordes of ghosts gathered in corners and scared an unsuspecting student every now and then. Towards the edge of the room, small circular tables had empty teacups and plates ready to make appear whatever drink or dessert anyone desired. Hundreds of students buzzed about, clad in enchanting and creative costumes. A few were dancing to the steady hum of music which seemed to come from all around. Some students had enchanted a few candles to float and change colors in the air, creating a rainbow of flashing lights alongside the yellow glow of the pumpkins.

It was amazing. Dumbledore had outdone himself. She looked around and tried to make out a familiar face in the crowd of the hundreds of students. However, there was not much illumination to offer great assistance, and the costumes they all wore successfully hid most identities.

Hermione meandered over to one of the tables in the corner and ordered the teacup to fill with Earl Grey. The glass immediately filled itself and she took it gingerly in her black lace gloved hands. She sipped it slowly and was careful not to spill a drop on her costume. She had found it the week before in Hogsmeade, and it wasn't cheap. She had only bought it because it came with two matching masks, and Cedric had insisted they match for the bash.

Hermione set down the cup and scanned the room once again, hoping to catch a glimpse of the white laced mask that matched her own black one.

Then, suddenly it appeared right beside her. She jumped slightly, and put a hand to her heart over her black satin dress. She stared at the tall figure, cloaked in dark robes and wearing the familiar full face white mask.

"You scared me!" Hermione exclaimed, then smiled. She knew he could see her lips, as her mask only covered the top half of her face, but she hoped he couldn't see her blushing cheeks too.

The figure said nothing to her, just looked and scanned her over through the small eye slits of the mask.

"Are you trying to be mysterious or something?" Hermione asked, half giggling. Well, alright. I can do that too." She made a lock motion on her lips and threw away an imaginary key. She stared intently at his figure in front of her, trying to read his expression through the tiny windows to his eyes.

The two stared at each other for a while until the figure finally broke the moment by extending his arm for her to take. Hermione glanced down at it and back up to his eyes, which bore into her deeply. She placed her hand into his white gloved ones, her eyes never leaving his.

Without a word, he led her across the room to the middle of the room. As if right on cue, the music changed to a slow, somber tune. The figure slid his sturdy arms around her waist and she slid her slender ones around his shoulders.

They swayed to the soft beat of the music. Hermione would have been fine just sluggishly stepping from side to side, but the figure led her sharply in tune with the sound, making sure the two of them hit every beat. He spun her, dipped her, swung her waist quickly around, all in perfect grace with his coordination and in the music.

It seemed like hours had gone by, and it felt as if there were no other couples in the entire room. It was only when the song ended that Hermione blinked and saw the other dozens of tired couples walk off.

The figure unlaced himself from Hermione and moved to walk in slow step by her side. She led the way off back to the table, where her untouched teacup was still waiting for her, hot as ever. It was almost like the dance had never happened. The only proof that it did was Hermione's slightly sweaty brow underneath her mask and the figure's continued presence staring directly at her, motionless and silent.

"Hermione!"

A sudden voice broke Hermione's trance and she turned to see who had called out.

She squinted in the dimly-lit darkness and saw a golden face emerging closer to her from the crowd. Much to her dismay, the face's features bore the same ones as Cedric's. He came closer to stand immediately next to her and she recognized his definite identity. Glancing down, she saw a white mask in his hands.

"Sorry I'm late!" He exclaimed after quickly embracing her. "I thought I had lost my mask. I was looking everywhere for it, and then I remembered I left it in Charms class. How's the bash?"

Hermione's heart quickened and she struggled to form words.

"B-but-"

If that's Cedric, then who is-

Hermione spun back to her right, but the masked figure was gone. She scanned the room, but among the many psychedelic and ravish costumes, none bore the familiar one.

"Are you looking for someone?"

"What? Oh! N-no. I-I thought I just saw Neville is all."

"Oh," Cedric smiled his heart-melting grin and placed his mask upon his face. "How do I look?" He asked.

"Great," Hermione mused, half-mindedly. She was still in a daze of mixed euphoria and confusion from her interaction with the mysterious figure.

"You alright, Hermione?"

"I'm fine." She said, looking back towards Cedric.

Looking at him, she noticed the immediate differences between the two. The slight height difference, the bigger build on the figure, the lack of sparkle in Cedric's eyes. How was she so fooled?

"I need some air." She declared, briskly walking away and weaving her way through the immense crowd until she reached the entrance to the garden.

Sharp, cold air stung her arms once she was fully outside, but with everything else on her mind, the sensation was temporarily forgotten.

But much like her mysterious companion, she knew it would come back to haunt her.

Draco angrily stormed away from the bash, heat from his face boiling every part of him into a confused rage. Confused because, well...he actually wasn't sure why he was angry.

All he saw in his mind at the moment was Hermione's disappointed expression when she saw he wasn't the person she thought.

Of course, he had expected that much, but he hadn't expected the sting of it.

But it was all so bewildering. Because he wasn't sure what had moved him to approach her in the first place. He had no idea going into it what coming towards her as a masked figure would accomplish. All he knew was that he wanted to do it, wanted to see her reaction, and then just played along.

But it was as evident as ever that she was useless. She wanted nothing to do with him, and so be it. He would have nothing to do with her either. No great loss there.

But Draco became aware of the heaviness in his chest at the thought. He ignored it, knowing it was for the best.

He sighed, walking further down the dark, empty halls back to the dungeons. All he wanted to do was sleep through his entire predicament and wake up back in his correct time.

He turned right to descend down the steps that led to the dormitories when suddenly he heard heavy footsteps pound the floor on the hallway adjacent.

He instinctively pressed himself flat against the wall and held his breath, not wanting to interact with any teacher or student it might be.

Then, he heard the person mutter a Revealing Charm in a familiar voice. Draco's eyes grew in panic, and as fast as he could, he whipped out his wand and murmured the Hiding Counter Charm. The person's footsteps cluttered on and started to fade, clearly unaware of the failure of their last charm.

Draco quietly and hurriedly turned away from the path toward the dungeons. What was Harry Potter doing out this late, wandering the halls with the intent of being alone, the entire student body conveniently in one place?

Draco wasn't going to let it slip from his suspicions. He charmed his footsteps to be silent and stayed a reasonable distance behind as he trailed the un-festively, non-costumed Head Boy, making sure to leave enough room to jump out of vicinity whenever Harry shot Revealing Charms every few minutes.

It was a treacherous and annoyingly active journey, but then Harry finally stopped, directly across a certain stretch of wall.

Draco dipped behind the intersecting hallway so as not to be seen just as Harry flashed one more Revealing Charm.

When Harry felt there was seemingly no one around, he put both hands upon the wall, closed his eyes, and concentrated hard. A moment later, a door appeared, and he entered it. Draco emerged to see more clearly just as the door sunk back into the now uniform wall.

Draco walked over and put his hands forward just as Harry did, concentrating on the mere idea of being let in.

But nothing happened. The wall stayed the wall.

Draco tried thinking that he needed a place to hide something, a place to hide himself, even a place to use the bathroom, but all was to no avail. It was just an ostensibly standard wall.

Draco knew something was wrong. Harry must have put a Security Spell on the Room, for he knew any strong thought was enough magic for it to appear to anyone.

He sighed and slowly backed away. He removed his mask, for he became suddenly aware of the uncomfortable sweat that had been building underneath it all night. Draco patted and fanned his face until he felt reasonably cool and turned to walk back to his spot around the corner so as to wait for Harry to return and further gauge his suspicions.

Then, Draco heard the abrupt sound of the expanding doorway within the wall. Someone was emerging from the Room.

As quickly as he could, Draco sped away and back to his spot, casting a quick Hiding Charm just as Harry walked out and cast a Revealing One.

With no one revealed, Harry scanned his surroundings from left to right and determined they were safe. He walked off in another direction to the other end of the castle.

After a few silent moments, Draco deduced he was safe from view. He walked back over to the wall. Closing his eyes, he tried again for a determined, hard thought that would allow him entrance.

He remembered all the times he used the Room last year, all the tactics he used to gain access. He put all of his energy into trying to get the entrance to appear. A small bead of sweat dripped across his forehead.

Draco wiped it away and reached to put his hands sturdily against the wall, his eyes still pressed firmly shut.

But much to his surprise, underneath his hands he felt the outline of a door frame. Sure enough, Draco opened his eyes to see the newly appeared threshold. He swiftly entered, watching as the door disappeared behind him when he was fully inside.

It was dark, but the stark amounts of hidden magical objects were still presently seen. Draco meandered about, not sure exactly what he was looking for. He shuffled around some old parchment when suddenly a feeling gripped him like no other.

A vibrating energy seemed to pulsate from somewhere in the room, drawing Draco towards it. Draco walked mindlessly forwards, turning here and there through the maze wherever the energy drew him. It abruptly stopped when Draco reached the foot of a bookshelf near the fireplace in the rear. A soft blue glow suddenly emanated from the corner.

Draco steadily made his way toward the light. He reached for the object, and grasped it firmly in his hand. He brought it closer to directly view what it was and gasped.

He couldn't believe it.

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