To The Contrary!

By Emma

Chapter 5: Let's Get Down

Disclaimer: I own Ronnie, Sahib, the makeover, and the plot. Muahaha. *points and laughs at JK Rowling*

Hey Guys, thanks for the amazing feedback. Next chapter will just be authors notes, so don't get all excited or anything if you see it's been updated. LoL. Anyways, hope you enjoy this. I had fun writing it. Tis cuteness. And hopefully parts will make you fuzzy, and others will make you chuckle. That's what I'm going for. Please leave me constructive criticism. I'd appreciate it.


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Hermione spent the next few days (the weekend) to think about things. She knew that she should be feeling conflicted about going out with Malfoy again... but she didn't. Actually, her calmness about it frightened her a little bit.

She'd managed to dodge as many questions as she could from her classmates- up until the Sunday, the night before the dance, that is. When Harry and Ron knocked on her door for ten minutes straight, she felt she could take it no longer. She opened it.

It was close to midnight, and she was dressed in her bedclothes. To be more specific, she was again wearing the satin nightdress.

She yawned as she padded across the marble floor to the door, and when she opened it up Harry and Ron's jaws dropped.

"Yes?" she raised an expectant eyebrow, and Harry looked uncomfortable.

"Why were you talking to Malfoy on Friday, Hermione? And why did you get all fussed up and disappear and not talk to us?" he finally looked her in the eye, and she felt guilty. But only for a moment. They must have kept things from her before...right?

"I had my interview with the prefects about Head Girl and Boy for this year, and Dra- and Malfoy was just trying to egg you guys on. He had to talk to me because...because he didn't remember the time for the meeting, for when it began because he hadn't written it down." she said all of this very quickly, and managed not to blush. They eyed her suspiciously for a moment, and she felt her neck get hot.

"What?"

"It's just..." Ron began, "Why have you been avoiding us?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "I haven't been avoiding you. I've just needed ime/i time."

After they gave her a weird look, she added the magic words.

"It's a girl thing."

"Oh!" Harry and Ron exchanged a look and quickly said goodnight. She couldn't help but chuckle when she shut the door behind them

Malfoy must be a bad influence on me, she smiled despite herself, because I'm getting really good at this lying idea.

~*~


Draco had told Hermione that he would be at the portrait hole at seven so they could go to the ball together. He'd also learned that the two other prefects, Justin and Padma, were attending the ball together too. This could work to their advantage as not to get in trouble with Hermione's cronies - or his, for that matter!

He'd never dressed up for Halloween before, but a costume was mandatory for getting into the ball this year.

As he adjusted his enhanced pointed canines, he smiled at himself. He wore his black, high necked dress robes. He was a classic vampire, before they turned common.

He had no idea what Hermione would be wearing, but he was fairly sure he wouldn't care. She'd look great in anything.

~*~

Hermione stepped out the portrait hold at seven sharp to bump right into Draco Malfoy.

She looked up at him, and he stared right back down at her for a moment before steadying her and letting her go to look her over.

"What are you?" Hermione smiled as she looked at his dress robes. He opened his mouth and smiled, showing off his fangs. Her eyes widened and she smiled slyly at him as she pulled out a long pointed piece of wood from her eighteenth century dress.

"You said that you're a fan of muggle movies." she stated.

He nodded, and it dawned on him, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the movie. Her in the past, as a slave girl!"

She laughed at the proud look in his eyes, "Good job. We're a perfect match."

He stared at her, still smiling.

"Our costumes, I mean." she added lamely and he blinked. Then he held out his arm to lead her to the Great Hall where everybody was already flocking to.

They entered, and immediately spotted Justin and Padma. Draco had muttered his plan to Hermione on the way to the Hall, and they rushed over to the couple to explain.

They told the twosome to tell everyone that the prefects were required to come together so they wouldn't be suspicious, and Justin and Padma agreed to help.

Hermione smiled at the Ravenclaw girl, "Thanks so much, I don't know what everybody would say if they knew I was with him by choice..."

Padma gave her a quizzical look, "What's up with that anyway, Hermione? I mean, one day you loathe eachother..."

Hermione glanced at Draco and smiled mysteriously, "I'm sworn to secrecy."

Draco winked at her and pulled her away to the dance floor where students were already swaying though the music hadn't yet started. Professor Dumbledore appeared and cleared his throat before magnifying his voice to be heard over the roaring gaggle of students.

He said a short speech about how school rules were to be followed, that the costumes were wonderful and that they were playing with a new idea for their ear candy. Muggle music that was enchanted would be playing as a trial run for the dance.

Hermione looked beyond the headmaster to see Colin and Dennis Creevey fiddling around with the CD player. She held back a giggle as Colin turned up a crank while bobbing his head to an imaginary beat.

Suddenly, the room was filled with music. After a moment, she grinned at Draco.

"What is this?" he yelled at her as she began to sway to the music.

"Papa Roach!" she shouted back, and he looked confused, "Papa what?"

"PAPA ROACH! Like roach as in the bug." she chuckled to herself as his face contorted into a disgusted look, but he danced uncomfortably anyway.

She stopped and laughed at the tapping of his foot.

"You're not used to dancing freely, are you?" she said when the song was over, and he shook his head, "I was taught to let the ladies do the fast dancing."

"Why do people say you Malfoys are so smooth when you can't even dance?" she raised a quirky eyebrow, and he copied her look.

The saxophone version of Tequila came on next, and he grinned, "This one I know how to dance to."

The next thing she knew, she was in the middle of the dance floor, swinging her heart out with Draco. She was having a blast, and didn't care who was watching. In fact, she wasn't even noticing the murderous looks on the faces of her two best friends. It was fun, not having to worry about them.

After the last note rang out, there was scattered applause and some strange looks from both of their houses. But when the quiet notes of a slow song started, all the boys made faces, and the girls grinned and giggled. Hermione looked at Draco.

"This is my favourite song," she bit her lip, and he gave her a sly smile, "You game?"

"Sure."

He carefully pulled her closer and gently eased his arms around her waist. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he closed his eyes and breathed in her scent.

When he opened his eyes, his gaze met the sly, winking face of Ronnie Atkins who was in the middle of lowering his hands further and further on the back of his date's body.

THE BET!

He'd forgotten about the bet! Or the challenge...because nobody had put wages on it or anything...hopefully. He couldn't believe it, he hadn't thought anything about the bet since the night in the kitchens.

Wait. That meant that when he was conjuring up the ocean in the dungeon...he was just doing it for Hermione. Not to get her in the sack, not to make her like him...just doing it for her. A favour. A gesture of romanticism.

He shivered. He'd never even tried to be romantic in his entire dating career. What had caused this...this alter in his personality?

When Ronnie was out of sight, Draco tried to put the thought out of his mind and just enjoy the sensation of Hermione being in his arms. He'd never felt this close to anybody...any girl before. And he wasn't talking physically, because he'd been with dozens of girls closer than this... but he felt clicked in with her. It was a weird feeling.

He hadn't realized the song had ended until Hermione pulled back and smiled gently at him.

"See? I'm not that bad a dancer." he licked his lips, and she grinned at him when Tootsie Roll came on.

"Now this," she motioned out to the dance floor where the boys were clearing out, "This. This is a test of true dancing skill. You up to it?"

He watched as the younger girls started on the skanky dance moves, and he shook his head.

"Alright," she sighed, and winked at him, "I'll show you how it's done. Meet you after."

~*~

Hermione had never had so much fun at a dance. She didn't miss a song...and the only song her date had missed was the Tootsie Roll. Not that she could blame him, it was more of a girl thing anyway.

They walked back to the Gryffindor common room, laughing and joking about the different people and couples that had come together during this dance.

"Muggle music is just about as interesting as their movies," Draco commented, "There's romance, action..."

"Yes, the many different genres represent a different part of that person's life." said Hermione in a distinguished voice, then cracked up at the surprised look on Draco's face.

"So.." she trailed after a silence, "Did you have fun?"

"Yeah!" he said loudly, then a blush crept up his neck, "Did you?"

"But of course," she smiled. They stared at eachother for a moment, and then he cleared his throat nervously.

"Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"I've....I've never felt this way about any other Gryffindor."

Hermione was taken aback, "How did that only start off romantic?"

Draco shuffled his feet, "I've never felt this way about any other girl, actually. But the Gryffindor part...also true."

Hermione smiled, "Really?"

"Really."

Hermione fluttered her eyelashes, and looked at his face. His hair. His eyes. His nose and cheekbones....his mouth.

She touched his lips tenderly with a finger, and then looked up into his eyes. He angled his head slightly and slipped his hand around her waist.

When his lips touched hers, she could feel nothing but the firey spasms shaking down her body. She deepened the kiss slightly, and it made Draco pull her tighter to him.

She pulled back and caught her breath, still with his arm around her. She looked into his eyes to try and read what he was thinking.

"I'll...that...." he stuttered, and she placed a light kiss on his lips to make him quiet.

"I'll," she smiled softly at him, "I'll see you tomorrow, alright? But remember...we hate eachother."

Draco smirked his trademark smirk, though she could still see the brink of passion in his eyes, "Why, of course."

She bit her lip, "See you tomorrow then?"

"Nine o clock. Astronomy tower?"

"Sure thing."

"Well," he looked at his hands, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." she said quietly, and watched as he retreated down the corridor.

"Well," said a voice behind her, "that wasn't so bad, was it?"

Hermione turned to see the Fat Lady and her friend Violet.

"Oh, you won't tell anybody, please?" Hermione begged, and the two women giggled, "Of course not. Your secret's safe with us, young lady. Go now, scram."

Hermione smiled as she skipped up the stairs to her room. She landed on the bed in a daze.

Her last thought before falling into a slumber was, I really hope this isn't all a dream.


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So??? What do you think? Was that sweet? Funny? Anything I'm aiming at? Pleeeease review and tell me. You guys are wicked. :)