Hermione began to stir. She threw her arm over her bed but found it was
empty. Immediately she sat up. Her sheets were rumpled, she was naked,
and Draco was nowhere to be found.
'Nighttime,' she observed as she glanced out the window. She sighed shortly. Of course she couldn't expect Draco to stay, it wasn't as if he loved her or anything.
"I love you."
His words from a couple hours ago rang through her head. 'Silly girl,' she thought to herself. Hermione shook her head clear.
She walked to her dresser and pulled out some underwear and pajamas. Lying in bed, she tried to fall back asleep but she found it rather impossible. The tower was silent, it was probably the middle of the night. 'Geez, I slept long. No wonder he left.'
She got back up and walked to her closet. Slowly opening it, she removed her red dress. She changed into it and surveyed herself in the mirror. It fit her wonderfully, just as it had the first time. She kicked off her fuzzy slippers; they ruined the mood.
Hermione cocked her head to the right. "You look simply ravishing, Hermione," she said to herself. "Is that you, Hermione?"
She curtsied. "A dance? Why I'd love to. Oh, I'm sorry, you'll have to wait until the next dance."
She held onto an imaginary partner as she whirled around in a waltz around her room. So carried away was she that she didn't even notice that a person had knocked and entered.
"H-Hermione? Are you feeling better?" Ginny was standing in short white shorts and a white tee shirt. She looked as beautiful as ever; Hermione had always felt she could never hold a candle to her.
"Ginny!" Hermione blushed and crossed her arms quickly as if trying to hide the dress.
"That's a very pretty dress you have on," Ginny said with a grin.
Hermione laughed nervously. "Yeah, it's for the, er, ball."
"Aw, don't worry. You don't know how many times I've done that before last year's ball." Ginny started back out. "Well, I just came to see how you were doing and deliver something so." Ginny handed Hermione a gold gift box with a matching gold ribbon on it.
"What's this?" Hermione asked as she received the gift.
"I don't know, I haven't opened it. It was delivered to our dorm, I think your owl needs to be checked."
"Oh, I'll keep that in mind.thanks, Gin."
"Anytime," she replied lightly. "And get some rest, you missed a whole day of school!"
"Yeah."
Ginny left and Hermione plopped down on her bed. She fingered the elegant bow reluctantly. 'Who was this from?' She looked for a card, a message, a signature, anything.but there was nothing.
Gingerly, she took the top off and removed the layer of tissue. Hermione gasped.
It was a pair of ruby red heels that matched her dress.
She flung the box aside and tried on the heels. They fit like a dream. Once more she crept before the mirror and observed herself. Even Hermione had to admit, she looked damn good.
The next morning at breakfast, Harry and Hermione kept up appearances. They joked and not even Ron suspected a thing. But inside, she felt horrible every time she looked at Harry. She glanced over at the Slytherin table. Pansy was stroking Draco's chest and whispering something in his ear. Hermione quickly looked away, ashamed. How could she have been so blind, so stupid? She had heard of 'getting caught up in the moment' but she never thought it'd happen to her. She was too smart for that.
"Hermione? Hermione?"
She snapped back to attention. Ron was calling her, her mind told her.
"Yeah, what, I'm here."
"OK, for the third time, what time do you all want to meet up tonight for the ball?"
"Uh, anytime is fine with me."
"Eight-fifty?" suggested Lavender.
"Sure," said Harry.
"Who're you going with, Lav?" inquired Hermione.
Lavender blushed and clutched Ron's arm possessively. "Oh, Ron and I decided to go together."
"Oh, that's nice."
Draco spied Hermione's head turning away from the Slytherin table. He got up out of Pansy's clutches but she turned right around and grabbed him. With unforeseen strength, she pulled him back down to the Slytherin table. Draco could have easily pushed her away but he was interested in why she used such brute strength all of a sudden.
"Where are you going?" hissed Pansy.
"To speak with someone," he answered shortly.
"It's Granger, isn't it? I've heard the rumors, Draco. You know how the Slytherin girls talk."
"Yeah well, I usually hear them moaning or screaming my name and not much else. What else do they talk about?" he asked disinterestedly.
"I've heard, Draco Maddox Malfoy, that you've been romancing the Mudblood and disgracing your family name. You know your place, but I think your pubescent urges have gotten the better of you."
That was the most eloquently Draco had ever heard Pansy speak. She continued, "Now, unless you want your father to burn you at the stake, I suggest you continue eating your meal and forget her."
Draco didn't answer her but resumed his breakfast.
Later that night.
The Gryffindor girls were flying about in a frenzy to get ready for the ball. Thirty minutes remained and the seventh year girls' dorm looked like an absolute war zone. Beauty books and pastel-colored potions, shimmery powders and dresses of every color lay strewn about. There was one girl missing however; Hermione.
Hermione was getting ready by herself in her own Head Girl's dorm room. She took care to slip on the red dress and fasten the straps of the heels. She had forgotten to thank Harry. Somehow it always slipped her mind.whenever she saw him.she didn't see Harry anymore, she saw something else. Something that frightened her.
She took out her wand and applied a glamour to her hair. It instantly created soft waves. She then applied a couple of glamours to her face and was ready. She sat around and waited for the clock to read 8:50.
Meanwhile in the Head Boy's dorm, Draco had just gotten out of the shower. He casually wrapped a towel around his waist and spritzed on some of his cologne. He then shaved and applied some aftershave, and carefully donned his dress robes. After making sure he looked immaculate, he headed out the door,
The ball started at nine, and five minutes later the first dance came on. Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and led her onto the dance floor. Pushing her around slowly, in time with the other couples, he moved stiffly. Hermione didn't look at Harry once throughout the entire dance.
A couple of fast songs came on, then a slow song. It repeated this pattern for a while. Hermione didn't dance at all, she sat while Harry went and had a blast with his friends and their girlfriends. She looked around the crowd for Draco, who was being steered around by Pansy. She gave a short sigh and took another gulp of punch.
The last song soon came on. As per tradition, it was a slow song. She saw Harry walking towards her from a distance., with his tie loosened, outer robe abandoned, and shirt slightly unbuttoned. He looked drunk, almost. She then looked to her right, and saw Draco. He was standing right next to her, looking as perfect as ever.
"Come to shove it in my face?" she asked, avoiding Draco's eyes.
"I don't understand," he said clearly.
"You perfectly well understand. You won, what more do you want from me?" she narrowed her eyes at him.
"I'd like a dance."
[[A/N: I got Draco's middle name from Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton's adopted child, I thought it fit in so perfectly. Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!!! I'd love to hear how you feel about the story. I'm almost done, there are about two more chapters along the way, it gets good.trust me!]]
'Nighttime,' she observed as she glanced out the window. She sighed shortly. Of course she couldn't expect Draco to stay, it wasn't as if he loved her or anything.
"I love you."
His words from a couple hours ago rang through her head. 'Silly girl,' she thought to herself. Hermione shook her head clear.
She walked to her dresser and pulled out some underwear and pajamas. Lying in bed, she tried to fall back asleep but she found it rather impossible. The tower was silent, it was probably the middle of the night. 'Geez, I slept long. No wonder he left.'
She got back up and walked to her closet. Slowly opening it, she removed her red dress. She changed into it and surveyed herself in the mirror. It fit her wonderfully, just as it had the first time. She kicked off her fuzzy slippers; they ruined the mood.
Hermione cocked her head to the right. "You look simply ravishing, Hermione," she said to herself. "Is that you, Hermione?"
She curtsied. "A dance? Why I'd love to. Oh, I'm sorry, you'll have to wait until the next dance."
She held onto an imaginary partner as she whirled around in a waltz around her room. So carried away was she that she didn't even notice that a person had knocked and entered.
"H-Hermione? Are you feeling better?" Ginny was standing in short white shorts and a white tee shirt. She looked as beautiful as ever; Hermione had always felt she could never hold a candle to her.
"Ginny!" Hermione blushed and crossed her arms quickly as if trying to hide the dress.
"That's a very pretty dress you have on," Ginny said with a grin.
Hermione laughed nervously. "Yeah, it's for the, er, ball."
"Aw, don't worry. You don't know how many times I've done that before last year's ball." Ginny started back out. "Well, I just came to see how you were doing and deliver something so." Ginny handed Hermione a gold gift box with a matching gold ribbon on it.
"What's this?" Hermione asked as she received the gift.
"I don't know, I haven't opened it. It was delivered to our dorm, I think your owl needs to be checked."
"Oh, I'll keep that in mind.thanks, Gin."
"Anytime," she replied lightly. "And get some rest, you missed a whole day of school!"
"Yeah."
Ginny left and Hermione plopped down on her bed. She fingered the elegant bow reluctantly. 'Who was this from?' She looked for a card, a message, a signature, anything.but there was nothing.
Gingerly, she took the top off and removed the layer of tissue. Hermione gasped.
It was a pair of ruby red heels that matched her dress.
She flung the box aside and tried on the heels. They fit like a dream. Once more she crept before the mirror and observed herself. Even Hermione had to admit, she looked damn good.
The next morning at breakfast, Harry and Hermione kept up appearances. They joked and not even Ron suspected a thing. But inside, she felt horrible every time she looked at Harry. She glanced over at the Slytherin table. Pansy was stroking Draco's chest and whispering something in his ear. Hermione quickly looked away, ashamed. How could she have been so blind, so stupid? She had heard of 'getting caught up in the moment' but she never thought it'd happen to her. She was too smart for that.
"Hermione? Hermione?"
She snapped back to attention. Ron was calling her, her mind told her.
"Yeah, what, I'm here."
"OK, for the third time, what time do you all want to meet up tonight for the ball?"
"Uh, anytime is fine with me."
"Eight-fifty?" suggested Lavender.
"Sure," said Harry.
"Who're you going with, Lav?" inquired Hermione.
Lavender blushed and clutched Ron's arm possessively. "Oh, Ron and I decided to go together."
"Oh, that's nice."
Draco spied Hermione's head turning away from the Slytherin table. He got up out of Pansy's clutches but she turned right around and grabbed him. With unforeseen strength, she pulled him back down to the Slytherin table. Draco could have easily pushed her away but he was interested in why she used such brute strength all of a sudden.
"Where are you going?" hissed Pansy.
"To speak with someone," he answered shortly.
"It's Granger, isn't it? I've heard the rumors, Draco. You know how the Slytherin girls talk."
"Yeah well, I usually hear them moaning or screaming my name and not much else. What else do they talk about?" he asked disinterestedly.
"I've heard, Draco Maddox Malfoy, that you've been romancing the Mudblood and disgracing your family name. You know your place, but I think your pubescent urges have gotten the better of you."
That was the most eloquently Draco had ever heard Pansy speak. She continued, "Now, unless you want your father to burn you at the stake, I suggest you continue eating your meal and forget her."
Draco didn't answer her but resumed his breakfast.
Later that night.
The Gryffindor girls were flying about in a frenzy to get ready for the ball. Thirty minutes remained and the seventh year girls' dorm looked like an absolute war zone. Beauty books and pastel-colored potions, shimmery powders and dresses of every color lay strewn about. There was one girl missing however; Hermione.
Hermione was getting ready by herself in her own Head Girl's dorm room. She took care to slip on the red dress and fasten the straps of the heels. She had forgotten to thank Harry. Somehow it always slipped her mind.whenever she saw him.she didn't see Harry anymore, she saw something else. Something that frightened her.
She took out her wand and applied a glamour to her hair. It instantly created soft waves. She then applied a couple of glamours to her face and was ready. She sat around and waited for the clock to read 8:50.
Meanwhile in the Head Boy's dorm, Draco had just gotten out of the shower. He casually wrapped a towel around his waist and spritzed on some of his cologne. He then shaved and applied some aftershave, and carefully donned his dress robes. After making sure he looked immaculate, he headed out the door,
The ball started at nine, and five minutes later the first dance came on. Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and led her onto the dance floor. Pushing her around slowly, in time with the other couples, he moved stiffly. Hermione didn't look at Harry once throughout the entire dance.
A couple of fast songs came on, then a slow song. It repeated this pattern for a while. Hermione didn't dance at all, she sat while Harry went and had a blast with his friends and their girlfriends. She looked around the crowd for Draco, who was being steered around by Pansy. She gave a short sigh and took another gulp of punch.
The last song soon came on. As per tradition, it was a slow song. She saw Harry walking towards her from a distance., with his tie loosened, outer robe abandoned, and shirt slightly unbuttoned. He looked drunk, almost. She then looked to her right, and saw Draco. He was standing right next to her, looking as perfect as ever.
"Come to shove it in my face?" she asked, avoiding Draco's eyes.
"I don't understand," he said clearly.
"You perfectly well understand. You won, what more do you want from me?" she narrowed her eyes at him.
"I'd like a dance."
[[A/N: I got Draco's middle name from Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton's adopted child, I thought it fit in so perfectly. Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!!! I'd love to hear how you feel about the story. I'm almost done, there are about two more chapters along the way, it gets good.trust me!]]