Chapter 5: Mistaken Couple

Hermione stayed out late that night. Draco waited up for her, but when his watch said one o'clock he figured she might have stayed there. Hermione had stayed in the Gryffindor common room until 3 that night and had borrowed Harry's invisibility cloak to sneak back. The next morning she slept in until 11.

She got dressed and went out into the common room. Draco was sitting on the lounge reading.

"Good morning sleepy head," he said.

"What time is it?"

"11 o'clock."

"What! Oh my god I missed breakfast."

"I got you some." Draco pointed to a plate of bacon and eggs on the table. "But you might as well wait for lunch."

"No I'm hungry now." She sat down next to Draco and started to eat. "So, what are we doing about the Halloween Dance?"

"I don't know. For one thing, I think it's unfair that we are being forced to go together and everybody else gets a choice."

Hermione smiled. "So we're gonna force people to take dates? I like it."

"Yeah, me too. So if people are going in pairs, maybe we should get them to dress in pairs. You know, as a famous couple or something like that."

"Yeah, yeah I like that. But what about music? We could have The Weird Sisters come in again."

"Nah, everyone will want something new."

"Ok then. Well, why don't we get a DJ to come? He can play wizard songs and muggle songs."

"That's a good idea."

"And we can let people request songs. It will be like a fancy disco."

"What's a disco?"

Hermione laughed. "Sorry, I forgot you don't know anything about anything"

"Excuse me! I know a lot about a lot. Now tell me what a disco is!"

The two kept planning and then took their ideas to Professor Dumbledore who thought it was wonderful.

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That night at dinner Dumbledore stood up and everyone grew quiet excited about what he was going to say.

Word had spread that day that something was being planned and a lot of rumours spread around about what that something was. Some people even suggested that the Triwizard Tournament might be held again and Harry hoped not.

"Boys and Girls, I have an announcement to make." Dumbledore said. "This year, as a treat to you all, we are going to do something different for Halloween. At 7:30 we will have the traditional Halloween Feast. It is a little later than usual, but for good reason. At 8 o'clock the floor will be cleared and third years and above will be able to stay for the Halloween Dance.

The Great Hall erupted in cheers. All but the first and second years were cheering and clapping.

"It is preferred that you attend with dates as the dress will be as couples. Any couple that you can think of you may dress as. And as my own contribution, I will give a prize to the best dressed."

Again, all but first and second years cheered. Dumbledore then sat down and went back to his dinner. The students quieted down and you can guess the topic of conversation in most groups was.

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A week passed and October rolled around. Saturday afternoon Draco came to Hermione in the common room.

"Granger, what are we going to wear?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"To the dance! What are we going to wear to the dance?"

"Ohh! Well, I know whom I want to go as, but you won't like it.

"Try me."

Hermione hesitated. "Cinderella. When I was little I always wanted to be a princess and she was my favourite one. Now I've finally got the chance to dress up as one, but it's a stupid muggle story and I know you don't want to do that so I'll think of something else."

She was right. He didn't really want to do that, but what other choice did he have? 'If you let her go as what she wants she might start to trust you.'

"Well I guess I'm going as Prince Charming then."

Hermione did a double take. 'Did I just hear that right?'

"No, you don't have to."

"But I want to. Besides, I think I'll make a good prince." Draco stood up and stood with his back straight and his head held high and put on a very posh British accent.

"Won't you come to the ball with me miss?"

Hermione laughed. "You don't make a very good Prince."

Draco dropped the accent, knelt down and lifted up Hermione's foot. Then he pulled out his wand turning a book into a glass slipper and slipped it onto Hermione's foot.

"At least I know how to put a shoe on your foot."

Hermione looked at the shoe and then at Draco. She suddenly burst out laughing.

"What!" A surprised Draco asked. "What!"

"It's on the wrong foot." Hermione replied through a fit of giggles.

Draco double checked and the look on his face just made Hermione laugh even more. Draco then let out a small laugh and started to smile, and then he couldn't hold it any longer and he laughed out loud.

Hermione stopped laughing when she saw what Draco was doing. She couldn't help stare and smile at him as he laughed. She had just witnessed a genuine laugh with a genuine smile coming from Draco Malfoy.

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Draco and Hermione decided to have a Hogsmeade weekend the next Saturday, so that people had a chance to buy or hire costumes for the Dance.

Hermione walked there with Harry and Ron while Draco walked with Crabbe and Goyle just behind then.

Draco watched them talking and laughing and remembered the last week when he had let go and laughed. It had felt good, like all his troubles had floated away. So he tried to get a conversation going with Crabbe, but it didn't last long.

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Harry, Hermione and Ron were sitting in the Three Broomsticks indulging in a warm butterbeer. The day was a little nippy which was just a reminder that winter was drawing near.

Hermione saw Draco walk in with Crabbe and Goyle and she remembered they were supposed to go look for a costume together. She drank the last of her drink, said to Harry and Ron that she'd see them later and walked over to Draco.

"You ready?" she asked.

Draco simply nodded his head and turned to walk out. Crabbe and Goyle started to follow him, but he gave them a glare and they stopped. They knew about the task that Draco had, as their father's were Death Eaters. Voldemort was also using them as a sort of spy to perhaps tell him something Draco might not be, but Draco didn't know that.

He and Hermione walked into a costume shop that had every costume you could imagine, even from Muggle stories. The store had a lot of prince and princess costumes, but none that Hermione liked. Draco would have been content to buy the first one he saw and that fit him, but Hermione wouldn't have that.

"Granger, what's wrong with this one?"

"It's ugly Malfoy. We came too late. All the good ones are gone."

"Can I help you? The shopkeeper had come up behind then. She was an elderly lady with glasses and a grey bun. She was also quite small, but Hermione could see that she was sweet and knew what she was doing when it came to costumes.

"Yes thank you. We are looking for something that would suggest a prince and princess." As Hermione said this she could almost see the mind of the lady ticking as she looked at them both deciding what to give them.

"Oh yes. Any particular princess in mind"

"Cinderella preferably."

"Oh you won't find anything on these racks, but I think I have just the thing in the back" She started leading them towards a small room. "I don't hire this out to many people, but I can tell that you are trustworthy. Here you are dear."

Hermione gasped as the lady handed her the dress. It was beautiful. It had thick straps, but a very low neckline. It was a light silver-blue and had beads sewn into the material down to the waist. The rest of the material flowed freely in Hermione's arms. It also had a shiny tiara with it.

The costume Draco had was a cross between a muggle costume and a wizard costume. It had pants and a vest that had silver, blue and grey. It also had a flowing silver cloak.

The two immediately tried them on. Although Hermione had done nothing to her hair and had no make up Draco noticed she looked beautiful. Her dress hugged her body until her waist where it flowed down to the floor. Now that she had put it on it was sparkling. He stared at her for just a moment then remembered who he was and what he was supposed to be doing.

"Nice get up Granger."

"Right back at ya Malfoy." She noticed he was handsome and he even looked cute in the costume. The silver on his costume had started to shimmer giving it a wet look.

The shop keeper then walked in. "Oh my! You both look wonderful! I'm sure you've heard this so many times, but you two make the perfect couple"

The smile on Hermione's face disappeared and Draco's stomach lurched. Then both their heads turned to look at them standing in the mirror together. Their eyes met in the mirror and then Hermione forced out a laugh.

"That's funny."

Draco tried to laugh, but couldn't. It was as if both Hermione and the shopkeeper were expecting his answer, but he couldn't say anything. He gave up and walked back into his change room.

Both of them hired out their costume and walked out of the store without a word said.

Draco suddenly turned and rushed away in the direction of Hogwarts. Hermione watched him walk away and sighed. She wasn't sure what had happened in there, but she did know it was weird and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. She started to slowly walk back to Hogwarts.

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Draco and Hermione had come to a silent agreement and didn't talk about what had happened in the shop. But their friendship had become very limited and each time they tried to force a conversation it was a reminder of what had happened. The only time they did talk was when organising the Halloween Dance, which had silently crept up closer and before they knew it, it was time.