Harry Potter and the Final Duel
Chapter Four: The Ball
"I think we should do something special the last night here, what do you think," Alacia asked.
"Sounds like fun to me," Hermione said. She had only been there for two days, but already she trusted Draco and Alacia, who she had never met before in her life, just as much as Harry and Ron.
"Like what?" Draco asked.
"Like a dance," Alacia said, "You know Draco, like Father always hosts. I would be so much fun. And if we plan far enough in advance, you and Hermione may be able to invite some of your friends from Hogwarts. And I can invite my friends from Drumstrang..." Alacia was still talking, but Hermione wasn't listening. She was expecting her to invite her friends, namely, Harry and Ron. Harry she wasn't worried about, he wouldn't be paying attention anyway because he would be with Alacia. But how could she write to Ron and invite him. She could just picture the invitation,
Dear Ron, how would you like to come to a ball with me and Draco Malfoy and his sister, even though I know you hate him. Write back soon, Hermione.
The words sounded stupid even in her head, and would probably just sound even stupider if they were on paper. Something of what she was feeling probably showed on her face because Draco began to speak the her, bringer her thoughts shaply back to Earth.
"Hermione, are you okay? You look troubled."
"What, oh no. Just thinking," she said.
"You're thinking about if you can invite Ron or not," he said.
"Yeah," Hermione said. Draco seemed to be able to read her like a book.
"Well, I suggest that if you want a good turnout, meaning more than one person, I suggest you invite him, because thats to friends of yours, and I don't really have friends at Hog--" he was cut off by Alacia
"Yes you do, what about Vincent and Gregory."
"She means Crabbe and Goyle," he said to Hermione, who was looking puzzled. Then he turned to Alacia and said, "And someone I can't hold inteligent conversation with hardly quilifies as a friend."
"Yeah well, you know what I mean,"
"No I don't," Draco said.
"That's besides the point, so what do you think, should we host a ball, Draco?" Alacia said, rather testily.
"Yeah, it sounds like fun," he said, then he turned to Hermione and said in a low voice so Alacia wouldn't hear, "Besides, we've got to tell them sometimes, don't we."
***
Hermione sat in the room that Draco and Alacia had set aside for her when she had come. She was pouring over a piece of parchment. Finally she finished the letter she was writting to Harry.
Dear Harry,
How are you? How's everything with your Aunt and Uncle? I'm in Bulgaria at the moment, so I'm really sorry if this letter gets to you late.
The next tidbit of information I give you may take a bit of explaing but please don't explode. Promise? Okay here goes. I mentioned that I am in Bulgaria, but I am not with Krum. He dumped me, to put it simply. I don't really want to go into it right now. But I am currently staying with (remember you promised) Draco and Alacia Malfoy. Mr. Malfoy is not here. Alacia said that she had met you at camp. And from the way she talkes about you I would expect you where rather close. Not that that maters. Well, we are going to be hosting a ball on August 27th if you and Ron would like to attend. If not I look forward to seeing you on the 28th when I come home.
Love always,
Hermione
"A very well written letter Hermione," she turned around sharply and saw Draco standing behind her. She hadn't noticed him enter the room, "If I can just add a post script," he said. She handed him her quill and added a p.s. He then rolled up the letter and tied it to the leg of his eagle owl.
Later that day, Harry Potter sat in Ron's bedroom and read the letter he had been sent. He had kept his promise, he hadn't exploded, and he hadn't told Ron who sent the invitation to the ball (which had been included with the letter) because he knew Ron would explode. But as he read the post script that obiously not written by Hermione, he smiled. He knew who had written it, even though he had never seen his handwriting. He put it in his trunk, and made sure it was folded so Ron couldn't see what had been written there.
P.S. I would be honored if you would come to the ball, Alacia will be waiting for you. And just so you know, Harry, I do love Hermione, the same way you are in love with my sister, from what I can gather.
***
"I can't believe it's the night of the ball already," Alacia said.
"I know. I've been looking forward to this since you mentioned it two weeks ago," Hermione said, looking at Draco. The two had only grown closer during the last to weeks. Espesially after Draco had put in the letter to Harry that he did love her, because that had made it real.
"Yeah, we should go into town today and get some new dress robes for the ball," Draco said.
"You're right. Mine don't fit me anymore," Alacia said.
Later that night...
Ding Dong. Hermione heard the doorbell ring.
"I'll get it," Alacia called from upstairs.
"No, I'll do it, I'm already downstairs," Draco said, as the doorbell rang again. He walked over to the door, and opened it.
"Hi all." Hermione ran to the door. She would reconise that voice anywhere.
"Harry! It's so nice to see you," she said.
"Nice to see you too, Hermione. But thats a little less than I can say for Mal-- a... Draco," he said, with a forced smile, "Not that I don't belive you, just that its a bit of a shock."
"I completely understand Pot--, Harry," he said, smiling, but not the forced smile that Harry was wearing, "So, where's Ron?"
Harry was about to respond, when Alacia came running down the stairs, and nearly knocked him over hugging him.
"Oh Harry, it's so nice to see you again," she said before kissing him.
"Get a room, you two," Draco said, to Alacia and Harry, who was now so red he would have blended perfectly with a bowl of tomato soup, "We set up a guest room for both you and for Ron, because you'll probably be staying the night, am I correct?"
"Yeah, thanks," Harry's smile was genuine now he had his arm around Alacia, "And I have no idea where Ron is. We flooed here, but I think we both ended up in wrong fire places. I ended up in some place called the Green Dragon."
"Thats the pub, in the village, just be glad it's a wizarding pub," Draco said.
***
The ball was about to start up, and Ron still hadn't shown up. Everyone was just sitting down to dinner, Krum getting very nasty looks from both Harry and Draco, while Hermione avoided his eye contact as she sat down on Dracos right hand. (A/N: that means his right side for anyone who didn't get that. I try to keep to the way J.K would write)
Then at eight-o-clock, Draco lead Hermione into the main room, and Harry lead in Alacia. The music started, and Draco and Hermione began to dance. She had never felt like this ever before. Sure she had danced with Krum, but that was nothing like this. She felt like she would melt into his arms as he held her. Then as the music ended, Draco leaned in to kiss Hermione. She felt his lips brush hers, and she felt like the luckiest girl in the world. Draco Malfoy liked her. Draco Malfoy. Draco... Those were the only thoughts in her head as he kissed her more passionately than ever before.
But as we all know, luck does not last. And it was Hermione's misforturne that Ron Weasly walked in at that exact moment.
Chapter Four: The Ball
"I think we should do something special the last night here, what do you think," Alacia asked.
"Sounds like fun to me," Hermione said. She had only been there for two days, but already she trusted Draco and Alacia, who she had never met before in her life, just as much as Harry and Ron.
"Like what?" Draco asked.
"Like a dance," Alacia said, "You know Draco, like Father always hosts. I would be so much fun. And if we plan far enough in advance, you and Hermione may be able to invite some of your friends from Hogwarts. And I can invite my friends from Drumstrang..." Alacia was still talking, but Hermione wasn't listening. She was expecting her to invite her friends, namely, Harry and Ron. Harry she wasn't worried about, he wouldn't be paying attention anyway because he would be with Alacia. But how could she write to Ron and invite him. She could just picture the invitation,
Dear Ron, how would you like to come to a ball with me and Draco Malfoy and his sister, even though I know you hate him. Write back soon, Hermione.
The words sounded stupid even in her head, and would probably just sound even stupider if they were on paper. Something of what she was feeling probably showed on her face because Draco began to speak the her, bringer her thoughts shaply back to Earth.
"Hermione, are you okay? You look troubled."
"What, oh no. Just thinking," she said.
"You're thinking about if you can invite Ron or not," he said.
"Yeah," Hermione said. Draco seemed to be able to read her like a book.
"Well, I suggest that if you want a good turnout, meaning more than one person, I suggest you invite him, because thats to friends of yours, and I don't really have friends at Hog--" he was cut off by Alacia
"Yes you do, what about Vincent and Gregory."
"She means Crabbe and Goyle," he said to Hermione, who was looking puzzled. Then he turned to Alacia and said, "And someone I can't hold inteligent conversation with hardly quilifies as a friend."
"Yeah well, you know what I mean,"
"No I don't," Draco said.
"That's besides the point, so what do you think, should we host a ball, Draco?" Alacia said, rather testily.
"Yeah, it sounds like fun," he said, then he turned to Hermione and said in a low voice so Alacia wouldn't hear, "Besides, we've got to tell them sometimes, don't we."
***
Hermione sat in the room that Draco and Alacia had set aside for her when she had come. She was pouring over a piece of parchment. Finally she finished the letter she was writting to Harry.
Dear Harry,
How are you? How's everything with your Aunt and Uncle? I'm in Bulgaria at the moment, so I'm really sorry if this letter gets to you late.
The next tidbit of information I give you may take a bit of explaing but please don't explode. Promise? Okay here goes. I mentioned that I am in Bulgaria, but I am not with Krum. He dumped me, to put it simply. I don't really want to go into it right now. But I am currently staying with (remember you promised) Draco and Alacia Malfoy. Mr. Malfoy is not here. Alacia said that she had met you at camp. And from the way she talkes about you I would expect you where rather close. Not that that maters. Well, we are going to be hosting a ball on August 27th if you and Ron would like to attend. If not I look forward to seeing you on the 28th when I come home.
Love always,
Hermione
"A very well written letter Hermione," she turned around sharply and saw Draco standing behind her. She hadn't noticed him enter the room, "If I can just add a post script," he said. She handed him her quill and added a p.s. He then rolled up the letter and tied it to the leg of his eagle owl.
Later that day, Harry Potter sat in Ron's bedroom and read the letter he had been sent. He had kept his promise, he hadn't exploded, and he hadn't told Ron who sent the invitation to the ball (which had been included with the letter) because he knew Ron would explode. But as he read the post script that obiously not written by Hermione, he smiled. He knew who had written it, even though he had never seen his handwriting. He put it in his trunk, and made sure it was folded so Ron couldn't see what had been written there.
P.S. I would be honored if you would come to the ball, Alacia will be waiting for you. And just so you know, Harry, I do love Hermione, the same way you are in love with my sister, from what I can gather.
***
"I can't believe it's the night of the ball already," Alacia said.
"I know. I've been looking forward to this since you mentioned it two weeks ago," Hermione said, looking at Draco. The two had only grown closer during the last to weeks. Espesially after Draco had put in the letter to Harry that he did love her, because that had made it real.
"Yeah, we should go into town today and get some new dress robes for the ball," Draco said.
"You're right. Mine don't fit me anymore," Alacia said.
Later that night...
Ding Dong. Hermione heard the doorbell ring.
"I'll get it," Alacia called from upstairs.
"No, I'll do it, I'm already downstairs," Draco said, as the doorbell rang again. He walked over to the door, and opened it.
"Hi all." Hermione ran to the door. She would reconise that voice anywhere.
"Harry! It's so nice to see you," she said.
"Nice to see you too, Hermione. But thats a little less than I can say for Mal-- a... Draco," he said, with a forced smile, "Not that I don't belive you, just that its a bit of a shock."
"I completely understand Pot--, Harry," he said, smiling, but not the forced smile that Harry was wearing, "So, where's Ron?"
Harry was about to respond, when Alacia came running down the stairs, and nearly knocked him over hugging him.
"Oh Harry, it's so nice to see you again," she said before kissing him.
"Get a room, you two," Draco said, to Alacia and Harry, who was now so red he would have blended perfectly with a bowl of tomato soup, "We set up a guest room for both you and for Ron, because you'll probably be staying the night, am I correct?"
"Yeah, thanks," Harry's smile was genuine now he had his arm around Alacia, "And I have no idea where Ron is. We flooed here, but I think we both ended up in wrong fire places. I ended up in some place called the Green Dragon."
"Thats the pub, in the village, just be glad it's a wizarding pub," Draco said.
***
The ball was about to start up, and Ron still hadn't shown up. Everyone was just sitting down to dinner, Krum getting very nasty looks from both Harry and Draco, while Hermione avoided his eye contact as she sat down on Dracos right hand. (A/N: that means his right side for anyone who didn't get that. I try to keep to the way J.K would write)
Then at eight-o-clock, Draco lead Hermione into the main room, and Harry lead in Alacia. The music started, and Draco and Hermione began to dance. She had never felt like this ever before. Sure she had danced with Krum, but that was nothing like this. She felt like she would melt into his arms as he held her. Then as the music ended, Draco leaned in to kiss Hermione. She felt his lips brush hers, and she felt like the luckiest girl in the world. Draco Malfoy liked her. Draco Malfoy. Draco... Those were the only thoughts in her head as he kissed her more passionately than ever before.
But as we all know, luck does not last. And it was Hermione's misforturne that Ron Weasly walked in at that exact moment.
