AN: Okay guys, I'm doing the ending in parts! This is the second part, the very last part will come soon. I only chose to make it three parts. :) Thanks for your reviews!

ENJOY!

She seemed to notice him, they locked gazes but for just a split-second, because she quickly turned her gaze away. As if to say, she was better and stronger than some broken girl looking desperately at the eyes of a forgotten love –whether or not he knew.

Draco's eyes followed her as she found her date, approached him and they hugged. Neville. He sourly thought of the day he found them under a tree near the lake. Suddenly a warm, squirming and uncomfortable feeling writhed inside Draco's stomach. Jealousy? He could not believe it. He frowned, pushed it away and snaked his arms around the waist of his own date.

Suddenly, the wooden doors that served as the entrance towards the Great Hall burst open, and a glorious looking Albus Dumbledore greeted their eyes, with his arms spread open, eyes twinkling with delight… and the hall behind him, it was now stranger to the students. It was absolutely enchanting.

Everyone had their eyes glued upon the Professor who was dressed in a magnificent velvet robe, and others had their eyes sneaking peaks at the hall that lay behind.

"Good evening students!" Dumbledore started. "Welcome, welcome indeed to our very first Ball, The Opening Dance of The Year!" He said cheerfully. Cat calls and applause followed his statement.

"You all look very handsome and very beautiful, really. Hogwarts does have the best assortment of people, and the good looking too." He chuckled. Everyone else laughed.

"But nevertheless, welcome everybody! I trust that everyone will have fun tonight. This is the perfect time to treasure and appreciate each one, without thought of school or Professor Snape." He said goofily. "True that!" Someone piped in. Everyone roared with laughter.

"Hence, I invite you now to enter this beloved Hall, which was transformed graciously by your teachers and I myself." He started. "Have fun, and let the good times, begin." He finished with a sincere smile, and a little bow.

Everyone applauded, and made their way towards the Great Hall.

Gasps and an assortment of Ooooh's and Aaaah's followed as they all took their steps inside the newly transformed hall.

The Great Hall was unrecognizable. Everything about it was brilliant. Perfect and exquisite glass chandeliers fell gracefully down the ceiling, with shiny diamonds encrusted around its silver chains.

Its light was the color of a burning a candle, it was dim, not too bright and painful to the eyes, not too dark that it was hard to see. It was just right, with the glow of a perfect candle light, illuminating everything that needed to be illuminated, and allowing just the perfect amount of darkness for mystery and romance.

Draco subconsciously looked towards Hermione's direction. Under the candle light her face looked even more enchanting, softer, admirable, and her eyes were warm and drowning with the light, quietly making her eyes inevitable to fall into.

He forcefully looked away. They all continued to take in the surroundings.

There were round tables everywhere, all draped in the rich color of silver. The dinnerware was made of finest goblin gold. The walls were all covered with intricate designs, some with carvings of Cupid, others with illustrations of Angels and the Heavens. It seemed like Valentines and Christmas all put together, some of the best days of the year.

Sitting at the center of the tables were glass containers that seemed to hold inside a beautiful, fluttering tiny fairy, lighting with either yellow, maroon, green, or blue… the colors of the houses. It seemed to all blend and match perfectly, though the variation of the colors. The lights were excellent. The setting was excellent.

To the center of the hall was an enchanting magical fountain, filled with pixies that lit it up, and bewitched water that flowed and occasionally brought with it some diamonds, rubies, and shiny silver trinkets… little things that never fail to light up the night.

There were also minuscule violins and pianos, naked to the eyes, but its sound so pure and so perfect, you'll always feel it right beside you. It played the smoothest of music, ringing around the hall, making the mood absolutely… perfect.

Hermione sat down in a fairly large round table, along with Ginny and Harry, Ron and Luna, and of course, Neville.

"So, what d'ya think of the setting?" Ron asked in a low voice, smirking.

Ginny answered for Hermione. "She finds it perfect, of course! No need to ask like a pig. Have some manners, your tie is falling on the plate!" She scolded.

Ron went pink, adjusted his tie and just leaned back.

Suddenly Dumbledore spoke. "Dear students," He started. Hemrione's eyes traveled towards him, and for a split second she saw Draco's eyes follow her.

She locked her gaze at Dumbledore. Look at me now, she said to herself. I won't look back for you anymore.

"Lovely that you are all here, I greatly appreciate it. This will be a ball to remember, I will make sure of that." And from the corner of his eye, Hermione could've sworn she saw him wink at her. She looked quickly at Draco. He looked just like the others- listening and looking with out seeing.

"But Alas! A twist." Was all Dumbledore said. And with a loud clap from his hands, all source of light was gone.

Gasps and crazy whispering dispersed among the students. Everyone didn't know what was happening, all light was lost, and they could only see darkness. The tables seemed to have disappeared. It was just them, empty space, and darkness.

"What's going on?" Ginny asked nervously.

Everyone else was busy asking questions, except her. No, busy wondering wasn't for Hermione. She examined the signs. She observed the patterns, what could Dumbledore be planning? She took a deep breath. Whatever the plan was, she took in mind, it will always involve Draco.

Her heart started pounding. Suddenly, the room swiveled, spiraled, it turned and turned, sending many girls squealing and boys trying to determine their dates through the multitude of screams.

Hermione closed her eyes. Outside the world was literally spinning, -as though the room was suddenly a box that Dumbledore decided to shake. She then listened to her surroundings.

Different voices drew near her. It wasn't the voice of Harry anymore, nor was it Ginny's or Ron, or even Luna.

"Guys?" She heard someone say. Her heart continued beating. Hufflepuff, she said. "Where are you guys?!" Someone poked her.

Something told her she must not reveal her identity. She pulled her arm away. The total darkness was blinding.

Something crawled about Hermione. She had a feeling she knew what was happening.

If you're right for me…She thought to herself. Find me in the darkness.

Now she knew why she wasn't supposed to reveal her name.

"Students." A voice echoed off the walls, sounding omnipresent, everywhere and about everything, so that they couldn't point its origin. "Do not be alarmed." Dumbledore's voice said.

"This is the twist in our story." He simply said. And the room twirled and swiveled once again.

Surprisingly, none of them were losing their balance or getting nauseous, but they were being continuously shuffled.

Hermione's stomach went cold. A nasty lurch went through her system. It was like walking to your death sentence, or rebirth. Either or, however you'd look at it. She knew what was coming next; it could either make or break the night.

"As I've said…" Dumbledore's voice started. "This is a night for opening our circle of friends and extending our attention towards other people." He said. "And so, you will all open this night, with a dance."

Everyone cheered and clapped. "Woooohooooo!" Some people said.

Hermione closed her eyes. Surrender, she thought. To a fate you can't escape. …- Or don't want to, she contradicted. Somehow she liked it, somehow she didn't.

"Now, you all have a choice. It is not like you're condemned to something you don't want to follow. No, of course not! You will always have a choice." Dumbledore said with conviction.

"The room as you've noticed, has been moving and in the process so have you all been shuffled. I want you to all take a few steps toward the persons you feel you're closest to, and alas! You have found your first partner for tonight." He finished.

Hermione could hear people pair up in the darkness, and the usual, "Who's this?" And little giggles that followed.

She didn't move, nor did she take even the tiniest of steps. She wasn't breathing.

Then in the darkness she felt someone move slowly towards her, taking slow and careful steps. She wasn't giving out any sound.

The figure moved even closer, and as he came inches near Hermione, She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was prepared now.

A hand slipped towards her waist. Familiar hands, she said to herself. And as the person moved closer, she inhaled a scent that was painfully familiar to her.

"I guess you're my partner then." Draco's voice said in the darkness.

BAM. An unavoidable blow Hermione was expecting to receive. Her cold stomach now had butterflies and had dropped twenty feet down. This was the feeling of knowing fate was manifesting itself… or rather, giving chances and opportunities for a person whether to come out, or hide.

Will you hide now? She asked herself. Or will you allow yourself to just let the chips fall?

You always have a choice.

"Will you tell me who you are?" Draco asked sincerely.

Silence.

She took a deep breath, her eyes were getting wet. She couldn't say it. She couldn't say her name, nor could she give out clues on who she might be.

Here she was, trying to move away from a past that looked like it would never happen again. And it comes crawling back.

Will I run… will I hide? Hermione thought last, for at that very moment, the lights went back on.

The first thing Hermione saw was the shocked pair of brilliant silver eyes before her.

The hand on her waist disappeared. He was uncomfortable. She was sorry.

"I'm sorry." Draco surprisingly said. He looked down, "I'll look for another partner instead--" He started. Hermione was moved with pity, and regret. "I know you don't want to dance with me… well, after what I did." He said shamefully, and turned around.

I'm not the one hiding… she started. He is.

Hermione then looked at his retreating body. She wasn't moving. She wasn't doing anything. He wasn't doing anything either. So who was hiding?

Maybe we both are. She thought to herself. She gulped hard and was brave enough to call him—"Draco!" She called after, and she actually took a few steps towards him. It's been a long time since she longingly called for him.

He stopped. His back was still at her.

She sighed. "It's okay." She said gently. Suddenly she felt a deeper rush of sincerity inside her. She closed her eyes. Everything flashed before her. Every day of that beautiful summer. The painful night at the hospital wing… and the even more painful days that followed that night…

She looked at where they were now. Here, in the middle of a hall, by chance to be partners in a dance she hadn't expected to share with him. One chasing after the other, occasionally someone giving up, finding hope again, giving up, and finding hope again. It was really hard, and she had gone through so much. He didn't even have the slightest clue.

"I forgive you." She said silently. Even she was surprised at what she was saying. She looked up at him.

Draco might have had his back at Hemrione, but make no mistake his eyes went big, his stomach turned cold, and his feet, glued to the ground. He didn't move. He was surprised at the words he just heard. Were these the words he was looking for? -Waiting to hear? Was he going to do anything about it?

We always have a choice.

"And you don't need to find someone else. It's okay, I'm here." She started. "And I'd love to open this night dancing with you." She finished.

After that sentence, Draco's guard went down. He dropped, a thousand miles away from his hard heart and regret, and he started opening up to new possibilities. He softened up.

He slowly turned around. The girl before him looked even more beautiful than he remembered.

He then took those marvelous steps towards her, –back to her.

Finally he was inch and inch to her, her eyes staring at his, chocolate brown, as he always remembered in class.

He gave a slight smile. Hermione gave a slight laugh. Draco snaked his hands towards her waist, and she felt that familiar tingle every time Draco touched her.

They locked gazes, not saying anything, not a single word, Hermione slowly put her hand on his shoulder, giving him permission to lead her, to take her wherever he wants to and chooses to.

He took her hand in his free one, and looked at her. His silver eyes looked so pure, so honest; it's been months since Hermione saw that kind of look.

"Welcome, Hermione Granger, to the best night of your life." He said goofily, and Hermione couldn't help but give out a laugh.

And as the music grew louder and greater, they moved to the beat, to the soft strings of a violin… They twirled, they swayed, along with the notes of the piano… the keys of the music.

No one spoke a word. The setting was too perfect to break with mere words. They danced the way they had practiced, only this time it was perfect, effortless… errorless. They flowed, a singular body, a reunion of two rivals, a collision of destinies.

The sweetest memory, Hermione thought, since the day Draco lost his memory –since the day she lost a love.

There was something about her, Draco thought. Something different. –Something other girls didn't have. It was uniquely Hermione's. He wondered what it could've been, what sort of effect it had on him… and why it was only her.

Maybe it was the fact that she wasn't like other girls. Maybe it's because she had no earthly vanities like other girls did… she didn't fuss about make up and beauty like other girls did… She didn't have to work for beauty. She was the epitome of it already.

He moved closer, inhaling her feminine scent, supporting the frame of her body, wondering how lucky he must've been to have ended up with her. He could've ended up with some random girl from the intensity of the shuffling. What were the odds? He thought to himself.

He led her across the shiny floor of the Great Hall, swaying, moving, impenetrable… inseparable. I've got, with me, the most beautiful girl in the world. He thought, smiling to himself, leading her with a silly joy inside his system. The cold was gone, his stomach was fleeting happy, butterflies were flying.

Suddenly the fleeting and surreal dance was cut short.

"May I cut in?" Pansy Parkinson suddenly said.

Hermione looked at Draco, not knowing what to say, and not wanting to leave either. Draco looked back at her, not saying anything either, but he didn't budge. He wanted to stay the way things were.

"Excuse me, Granger, but that's my boyfriend you're dancing with. My turn." Pansy said impatiently to Hermione.

Hermione's cheeks went pink. She took her hands away from Draco. "I'm sorry." She whispered softly, and started to move away. Draco resisted the strong urge to stop her, to keep her within his reach, but he couldn't. At least, not in front of Pansy.

He watched her retreating body, feeling pissed and sorry he couldn't spend much time with her, and feeling torn and powerless for not running after her.

Suddenly, a splendid thought occurred to Draco as he watched Hermione's retreating body. The Silver Notes the Weasleys gave me! He thought.

Immediately he locked his gaze at the girl, not looking anywhere but at her, and he thought of what he was going to say.

"Can you believe?" Pansy suddenly said, right after Draco changed the course of his gaze and looked at her.

"What do you mean?" He asked, clueless.

Pansy scoffed. "I mean, what are the odds that you'd end up partners with her?" She rolled her eyes.

Draco didn't say anything, he just gave a forced smile. Then, "Yeah, what are the odds?" He said, smiling to himself.

"But anyway…" Pansy cooed. "That doesn't matter, I'm with you now…" She started, and she was the one who was actually leading the dance, as Draco only half-heartedly followed.

Hermione meanwhile made her way back at the table, where Ginny, Harry, Ron, Luna and Neville were already seated, talking busily.

When Hermione approached, silence fell and all eyes were on her. She gave a quick smile, and sat down.

The eyes weren't moving still. They were just staring.

"…What?" Hermione asked honestly.

Ginny smiled. "We saw you dancing with Draco…" She started. Hermione giggled. "Stop it, it's not my fault he ended up my partner…"

"Yeah… right." Ginny said, rolling her eyes and giggling.

Hermione smiled, but soon her smile faded as she saw Harry's hard gaze on her. "I thought you were going to stay away from him, 'Mione?" He said grudgingly.

"Yeah, I thought you said he was no good, and you were going to forget about him, live normally… and what's it called? Oh yeah… move on or something like that…" Ron trailed.

The color in Hermione's face drained. She was speechless for a while. Ginny looked worriedly at her, and rolled her eyes at Ron.

"Yeah…" She started. "I--I know I said that, but that was…before." She said.

"Before what?" Harry asked suddenly.

"He changed." Hermione answered, hurt. "Listen, I know he's been a total prat lately, but I believe there's still hope. I mean, I didn't believe we'd end up together that summer, did I? And I think there's a really good person beneath his icy features. I know there is. And I know once, I fell in love too." She said, with pleading eyes, hoping her friends would understand and soften up, the way she did.

Harry took a long time before he softened up. "Fine Hermione, do what you want, I know I can't stop you anway." He said, trying to smile hard.

Hermione gave a big grin. "Thanks Harry!" She said with twinkling eyes. "You don't know how much this means to me." She said honestly.

Harry nodded. "Yeah well, just try not to get hurt." He said, ending the discussion.

Suddenly, Ginny pulled out something that was lying under Hermione's purse. It seemed to be a silver note.

"Hey… what's this?" She asked curiously. Hermione looked. "I don't know… seems like a Muggle Post-It…" She trailed.

"Post what?" Ginny asked distractedly. "There's a note here…" She said, and her eyes scanned the little paper. Right after, her eyes got really big. "Oh Merlin! Hermione, read it! It's from Draco!" She said excitedly.

"WHAT?!" Hermione, Harry, Ron, Luna and Neville all asked at the same time.

They all looked around.

"Easy guys, there's only one Hermione here." Ginny giggled. "Here, read it."

Everyone was sitting at the edge of their seat, eyes eagerly following the note that Ginny passed to Hermione, wishing they could read it too.

Hermione got the paper. Her eyes started to read the gray writing on the magnificent silver paper.

Dear Hermione,

Meet me outside in the lawn, under the tree near the lake. I'll see you there in ten minutes. 8:10.

Love,

Draco Malfoy.

Hermione's eyes went big. "Oh my gosh!" She said.

"What?!" Harry asked impatiently. "What does it say?!" Luna, Neville and Ron all said together.

Hermione laughed and passed the note around. "Geez, sorry guys, I didn't know you were interested." She smirked. Then she immediately turned to Ginny.

Excitement filled them both. They were now filled with this girlish excitement and anxiety in meeting a boy.

"What are you going to do!?" Ginny's eyes went big. "Are you going?!" She asked excitedly. "Oh Merlin Hermione if you're going you have to tell me! I'll keep track and spy for you." She said, giving her a smug face.

Hermione looked around, "Should I?" Everyone in the table looked at her. Thankfully, Harry spoke. "You should go Hermione, you said he changed, and Draco Malfoy isn't exactly the first person who'd have a change of heart. Go for it." He said, this time smiling effortlessly.

Hermione squealed, stood up and gave him a hug. "Thanks sooo much Harry!" She said. "Wait, should I go now?!" She asked nervously.

Ginny was making calculations. "Go, go go!" She squealed. "It's been what, 6 or 7 minutes we wasted just talking about it and passing it around! You don't want to be late! And it doesn't matter if you're early!" She said excitedly. She got Hermione's hand and dragged her all the way out of the Hall.

"Move your butt!" She said, laughing. "Geez Hermione, this is the moment you've been waiting for. He's finally coming back." She finished sincerely, giving a warm smile.

Hermione smiled back at her. "I know, and just when I was losing hope." She laughed. "See you Ginny! I'll tell you everything tonight, okay?" She said. "Promise?" Ginny asked.

"Promise." Hermione smiled, and as she waved goodbye, she then made her way towards the very familiar tree near the calm, smooth lake.

She then started to wait.

Meanwhile, Draco was somewhere inside the hall, trying to escape the evil clutches of Miss Pansy Parkinson.

"..And so anyway, I had to have my dress changed again, 'because it obviously didn't show off my beautiful waistline…" She started, Draco wasn't even listening. He was too busy looking at the giant magical clock on one of the walls of the hall, and it glistened 8:08.

"Pansy…" He suddenly said. Pansy looked at him. "What?" She asked.

"Uhh—" He started. "I—I need to go somewhere first." He said uneasily.

Pansy's eyebrows shot up. "Where do you have to go?" She asked suspiciously.

"I'm.." Draco started. "I'm going to Snape, he wants something from me." He said confidently, not breaking eye contact so as to be believable.

Pansy considered for a moment... "Oh but wait!" She said. Draco tried to restrain his groan.

"You have to eat dinner!" She said. "Look! The food has just arrived, come come, let's eat first… I don't want you to go to Snape hungry." She said, and dragged Draco to their table.

Draco looked around. Thankfully, they were far away and out of sight from the Gryffindor table.

He looked at the clock. 8:12. He grudgingly sat down, and didn't speak as Pansy put mounds and mounds of food on his plate.

Meanwhile, Hermione sat down by the tree, her eyes following the trail of the stars. The moon looked full and bright that night, shining like a hundred pixies and fairies that stayed inside the hall.

She looked around, even the lawn was beautiful. Right smack at the middle, the fountain was designed even more magnificent than the last time Hermione saw it so alive. It was full of pixies and fairies, and miniscule mermaids who seemed to be glowing. All of them were smiling.

Hermione smiled herself. Up above, even the tree dangled with fairy lights and pixie trinkets. Everything seemed more beautiful than ever. The decorations reciprocated Hermione's feeling…

He's finally coming back now… She said to herself, not helping herself but to smile. Sweet endings, sweet reunions.

She looked around, looking for any sign of him. Seeing as he was nowhere to be found, she rested her head against the trunk of the tree, and patiently waited.

Time passed…and Draco tried to chew and eat his food as fast as he could. Outside Hermione was waiting for him, and here he was, eating in comfort, while she was out, probably in the cold.

"Drakie-poo…" Pansy cooed. Draco almost winced as he heard the nickname he had already forgotten. "What's the hurry?" She asked sincerely.

"Uhm--" Draco said between mouthfuls. He drank water, making sure he didn't lose his table manners and etiquette. He swallowed before talking. "I just don't want to be late, that's all." He forced a smile.

"Well, don't worry, Snape loves you." She cooed. She looked at the clock. "It's just 9 o'clock." She said.

Draco almost spilled his water. His eyes went large. "WHAT!?"

Pansy was taken aback. "Wow, sorry Draco, I didn't know you were so critical about time…" She started.

Draco stood up, he didn't even say goodbye, but just hastily walked out of the hall.

Pansy stood up. "Don't follow him." Crabbe and Goyle suddenly said.

"Why not?" Pansy snapped.

"When it's Snape, he wants to be alone. Even we don't go with him." Goyle simply said.

Pansy grudgingly sat down.

Draco ran past the heavy doors and went straight to the lawn. He was heavily breathing, frantically looking for Hermione.

Oh Merlin… Merlin Merlin Merlin I'm so late…. Where is she? He wondered.

His silver eyes paroled the lawn. He looked at the lake, no movement. He looked under the tree, no movement at all.

She was nowhere to be found.

Draco gave a deep sigh and sat down on the front steps. He put his head in his hands and breathed heavily.

I screwed up again.

He started thinking of the possible places she could've gone to… or had she come at all? Draco began to wonder, maybe she was just playing him. Maybe she thought he wasn't worth her time.

Frustration crept up Draco's spine. He was pissed, he was angry, livid at the fact that he thought he actually had a chance.

"I'm so stupid!" He said out loud, to no one in particular.

"Draco?" Someone suddenly said.

A wave of relief washed all over Draco and he hastily stood up. "Finally--!" He stopped right smack in his sentence.

Pansy was looking at him, worried and confused. Her eyes were almost wet. "Are--are you okay?" She asked.

Draco sighed. "Yeah, I am." He finished, cold, icy.

Pansy approached him. "You're changing. Like you're very distant now." She said.

Draco didn't say anything.

"I went to Snape." She said.

Draco's eyes went big. "You did? What did you do that for?" He said.

"Because I was worried. I wanted to tell him I was sorry and it was my fault that you're late. But when I went to him he told me he didn't tell you to come." She said. Her voice was sad and disappointed.

Draco didn't want to look at her.

"Who are you waiting for?" She asked.

Draco did not reply.

"Thanks Hagrid!" Hermione cheerfully said. "I was really starving, good thing you had food ready!" She giggled.

"Anytime 'Mione, ye just come here 'nytime ye want, ya got that?" He said warmly. Hermione nodded her head and laughed. "Sure, I promise." She said. "Excuse me now, I have to get back to the lawn." She waved goodbye, and hastily made her way back to where she was waiting.

"I can't tell you, Pansy." He simply said.

Pansy seemed hurt. "How come?"

Draco sighed. "Because…" He said. "I'm not sure of anything… I'll tell you when I'm sure though…" He said.

Pansy's eyes closed. "Are you leaving again?" She asked.

Draco looked at her. "I need to find someone." He simply said.

He then turned his back, about to walk towards the tree he hoped Hermione used to be, when something stopped him in his tracks.

"Draco!" Pansy said. He looked around.

She seemed like she was about to cry. She approached him, already feeling like she was losing the man she loved, and she wrapped her arms around him.

Draco was taken aback by the hug. "Pansy, I'll be okay--" He was suddenly cut off, he never finished his sentence again, for

Pansy kissed him. Right there, under the moonlight, in the lawn he asked Hermione to meet him, his body wrapped in the arms of another woman, passionately engaged in a kiss.

Not a few feet away, there stood a shocked and pain-stricken Hermione. She couldn't believe her eyes. Even from a distance the pain wafted to her with the air.

Her shoes fell from her hands. She had taken them off so she could run faster towards Draco-- for this.

She went through bush and shrub for this! Her feet were tired, dirtied by the soil, dirtied by her efforts to get back as quickly as she could, just so the boy she loved wouldn't have to wait for her.

And here he was, in the arms of another, in the meeting place he told her to be, the place he told her to await what she didn't know would be a broken heart.

Tears started falling. Heavy tears, non stop tears, tears as fluid as the ones she shed when Draco lost memory of her. The same tears fell for the same lost love.

She was angry. She was pissed. She was heartbroken. Her heart, heavy with sadness, loneliness, and false hopes.

She believed he had changed. She had given him another chance. She had gone through those painful days all for this, which all turned out wrong. It wasn't how she thought it would be.

She started running. She didn't know where, but she didn't care. All she cared about was getting as far as possible from Draco, from the source of all her discomfort. She was frustrated.

I should've started running long ago. She said to herself.

There was no point in waiting for something that will never come.

She was too taken aback by what she'd seen. Her vision blurred from her tears, she was in such agony, she didn't even feel the pain that touched her feet, stepping on loose twigs and rocks.

She ran, she ran and ran… Cold air sweeping her face, drying her tears that got wet just seconds after. The air touched her skin, prickly, icy, painful in every part. Even the sounds of violins and pianos from the Hall were distant. She was far, disconnected from the world, disconnected from everything. Until suddenly, she reached a dead end. It was a brick wall that extended all the way up, and she saw a familiar looking window.

Dumbledore's office!

"D—D--Dumbledore! P-p-professor! Please…" She started to say, her voice shaking from her sudden loneliness. She was vulnerable, she was broken, she didn't want any of it anymore.

She had lost hope.

Suddenly, the office window opened, and out looked a very concerned Dumbledore.

"My dear! What are you doing there? What happened? Come, come quick…." He trailed, pulling out to her a magic pole. "Just touch the pole and you'll be pulled up to my office…" He said with concern in his voice.

Hermione nodded. She extended a shaky hand, and her fingers touched the icy pole, painfully similar to the feeling she was carrying inside her.

Carefully she was transported up, and she carefully entered Dumbledore's office through the window.

She tumbled in. She didn't even bother to stand up. Dumbledore had to go to her, he embraced her shaking body, so limp, so lifeless, so let down.

"Stand up, Hermione." Dumbledore said gently.

Hermione cried into Dumbledore's embrace. Her tears soaked his carefully groomed beard, and it wet his marvelous gown.

"S—s-ssorry.. I'm making such a mess…" She said shakily.

"It doesn't matter." Dumbledore said. "What happened?" He asked concerned.

"I don't--want--anymore." She said. She closed her eyes and pounded her fists onto Dumbledore's chest. Images of the kiss swam around her head, parts of the dance she now confirmed was too good to be true, bits and memories of the summer she would never get back haunted her.

"Portkey." She suddenly said, before Dumbledore could even ask what she didn't want anymore.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. What do you mean by Portkey?" He asked sincerely.

"I want a Portkey." She simply said. "I need a Portkey." She said, standing up and wiping her tears. She looked a mess.

"What for--?" Dumbledore asked, but was cut short by the sudden burst open of his office door.

"HERMIONE!" Harry, Ginny, Ron, Neville and Luna all said together.

"What happened?!" Harry asked. He approached her.

Hermione freed herself from his grasp. Harry was taken aback.

Ginny seemed concerned. "Hermione… w-what… what are you doing?" She asked, searching for her friend that seemed lost among this mess, among her dirty feet, her wet clothes and messy hair.

Hermione looked at Ginny, her eyes were fierce, strong and lonely at the same time.

"Hermione, what are you doing?" Ginny asked again.

"Running Away." She said.