They say that the dinner invitation was merely a courtesy, but in Draco and Hermione's minds, they felt as if it was a date in some way. They corresponded through the owl post often, but that was not enough for them. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, so the proverb goes, and it was completely true for them. Within a few weeks, Draco asked Hermione if she would like to go out with him again. She agreed. Since Hermione was getting the day off the following week and Draco was supposed to go off to London to check on the Death Eaters there, it was agreed that they would meet and King's Cross Station at the same time as before.
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Hermione's POV
King's Cross Station…It has been so long. If only I could have finished my studies… Harry and Ron, the three of us laughing, enjoying ourselves... we even thought that we would keep in touch after Hogwarts. It's too late now, no time for tears, though I'm dying inside. No, wait, not dying, being cured, to live again, like a phoenix. Draco, thank goodness…what would I do without him? It's ironic. My nemesis in Hogwarts has become my friend out of it. Harry and Ron…why couldn't they see that I was innocent? Why were they still blind? Why? Why? My last hopes of redemption…
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Unfortunately, when the day came, Hermione was feeling too beaten-up to go. Her employer had shrieked at her again, her colleagues had gone for lunch without her, one of her shoe heel had broken off… it wasn't what one would call the best of days. She decided that Draco would understand…hopefully.
Thus, when her door opened slightly and Draco's head appeared, she scowled. "What are you doing here? I thought we were going to meet at…" Draco smiled. "After ten minutes, it occurred to me that you are never late. So I came here." "Well, I don't feel like going, I'm sorry." She turned away. "Rough day at work, I expect?" "Yes, if you must know…" Draco looked at Hermione with a sneer. "Then I suppose I might as well go look for Pansy Parkinson to accompany me tonight…"
That quite ruffled Hermione. "If you dare…" "Well, it does seem as if someone is not in the mood for going out…" "Fine, wait here, I'll get dressed," Hermione got off the sofa and glared at him, "you stupid git." All she received was a smirk. 'Hmph! Stupid, stupid…' Hermione thought as she stormed away.
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Draco's POV
I thought she was going to refuse. Guess the thought that horrible Pansy Parkinson would be all over me changed her mind… She obviously doesn't know that I dumped Parkinson in front of all my dear Slytherin friends. As I look around her home, I wonder distinctly how she has survived for so long… the spell books have all been hidden, I'm quite sure of that. But her home is so bare, with only basic necessities… a far cry from the mansion where I live. But wait… why do I care how she lives?
Stop deluding yourself. You have feelings for her, and you know it!
Hermione, the Mudblood, of all people… We'll see…
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When Hermione came out (still a little angry at Draco for daring to suggest such a thing), she soon realised that her shoe was still broken… "Well… Looks like I can't go out," She remarked, staring at Draco in defiance. She was still quite cranky, frankly, and she couldn't see why he insisted.
Draco simply held out his hand and smiled. "Come with me tonight. I promise that you'll forget all your troubles for a few moments." Hermione paused, and finally took his hand.
"You'd better keep your word."
"I always do."
And with that, they were off.
Hermione found herself in a large ballroom: one that seemed to belong to an equally grand restaurant or mansion. Suddenly, she felt small, and her clothes felt poor and dirty. Draco seemed to sense her discomfort, and turned to her. "This is a ballroom that my parents sometimes rents when they have they have guests they don't want to invite home," He smiled. "There was a slight mistake in the reservation, so they have it for one more day." Hermione nodded, and looked around again. It was indeed an ornately decorated and very grand ballroom, fitting the Malfoy family's wealth well.
Draco pointed to a corner of the ballroom that was partitioned off. "I thought you might want to change." He smiled sheepishly. This was definitely not his area of expertise. Hermione just smiled and thanked him, and walked towards the closed-off area. She believed she could trust him enough, that there wouldn't be a trap…
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Hermione's POV
I was expecting some sort of surprise… but this is really nice of Draco. Being a secretary naturally means that I don't have much money to spend on my daily necessities, much less on myself. Yet I never expected that he would prepare a dress for me to wear! It's really too good to be true. Perhaps I should just check to make sure… He still is from Slytherin, but I don't know… it doesn't seem to make much difference anymore…
Draco's POV
I'm so pleased I thought of the dress in time. I imagined she would like to wear something different from what's in her wardrobe. She is taking quite a bit of time though… but I suppose that's how all ladies are. After all, my mother takes even longer than that. I can hardly forget the many times that she and Father quarrelled over her preparations. And even as I wait out here, I feel a mixture of so many different feelings. Nervous, yet… there seems to be affection for her. Malfoys never shy away from the truth (that is, if they can find a loophole in it), but this is truly something I've never felt for anyone before. If only she could like me too… but yet this warmth is blended with so much guilt and shame. How I have wronged her… how my one mistake has changed her entire life, I remember and regret. If only I had stood up to my father that day…
Hermione's POV
I've run a small check on the dress, and there doesn't seem to be any spells on it… I suppose it's safe to wear. After making sure that Draco wasn't peeking (I don't think he will, but… just as a precaution), I changed into the dress. It's such a beautiful burgundy colour… and such wonderful material too. It's something that I would never be able to afford. Oh well… I suppose when Draco promised that I would forget all my troubles, he really meant it. I feel like I've just stepped into something new, something I can't get out of… even if I really wanted to. All right, maybe I like him, but I don't think now's the time to face this… I have to be rational, calm… but how can I do that when he's just outside the partition?!
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When Hermione stepped out, she was truly a sight to behold. The dress emphasizes her body, not that Draco particularly noticed that. He realised that she somehow held herself higher, more proudly. Now that her drab clothes had been taken off her, and there was nothing to remind her of the painful life she lived, it seemed that she could forget everything. "Just to live for the moment," Draco thought, a smile coming to his lips. He walked over to her, and held out his hand, which she took. Together, they both made their way across the ballroom, to the single table placed at the side of it, which was laid with a dinner for two.
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"Ginny? Cho? Can we speak to you for a moment?" Fred and George Weasley called from inside their room. Cho had come over for a visit with Harry, who was engrossed in a discussion about the Ministry of Magic with Mr. Weasley and Percy.
Ginny didn't look up from her magazine as she answered. "Are you sure it's not another trick you have to test on us?" The Weasley twins had managed to open a joke shop with what Harry had given them after the Triwizard Tournament, something they had been very thankful for. Much as they could have taken other jobs, this was what they were most interested in, and they believed in doing what they liked. However, this time, their faces seemed paler than normal. Clearly, something was worrying them.
Noticing this, Cho nudged Ginny, alerting her to this odd fact. The two of them quickly excused themselves and entered the room, sitting on the bed. George began first. "I'm not sure, but I think Hermione is in trouble." "What! But why?" Cho asked in astonishment. And there, the twins recounted what had happened six years ago…
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Hermione smiled happily when she finally rested on her bed that night. After dinner, Draco had danced with her for so many hours, to the music of a harp, which played by itself. Swirling round, each step had been perfect, wonderful, in place. It was heaven, dancing with him. The night, if she did say so herself was most magical. She had enjoyed every moment of it. And at the end… he had given her a red rose, promising to write to her. 'What could that mean?' She wondered. 'Hopefully, he won't con me the way that Harry and Ron did…'
Then, something tapped at the window. Hermione opened her eyes, and realised an owl was outside. She quickly opened the window, and took the message from the owl's leg, hoping it was from Draco. What she read when she unfolded it worried her:
Hermione,
We believe you might be in serious danger. Meet us at Three Broomsticks at 3p.m. Please trust us; we would never send you something like this if we weren't completely sure of what we're doing.
Ginny & Cho
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A/n: Well, one longer overdue chapter is finally completed! Thanks for all those who kept on telling me to write, it's very good you kept reminding me…~_~; Am a terrible procrastinator, I am. But now the climax is coming. What really did happen all those years back? ^_^ Oh, how I love cliffhangers, even if the cliff is a bit too low… ^_~