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Chapter 17
"Love means never having to say you're sorry." - Love Story
"I would love to dance with you," Hermione said, holding his hand.
Draco led her to the dance floor and as he did, heads turned their way. All of them were asking, since when did Draco Malfoy talk to Hermione Granger? Now they're dancing together?
Hermione wrapped her arms around Draco's neck as he wrapped his around her waist, bringing them face to face, ignoring the remarks that followed them.
To both of them, nothing mattered now. *The most important person is right in front of me.*
Draco wanted so much to lean over and kiss her. But he couldn't. He didn't know what was going on in her mind. He didn't know what she would do. He used to think that he did, but now, after everything that has happened, he didn't know anymore. Draco gazed at her. Her hair had never been better. It was so shiny and looked so soft that he reached forward and stroked it absent-mindedly. Her eyes were twinkling with so much beauty and zeal. He smiled wistfully at her.
Hermione was also thinking about the boy that she had in her arms. *How did everything come into this? Everything seemed so simple. Not that things now are complicated. They are, but only a little bit. He looks so beautiful...in every single way.* She just loved his hair. It was so sleek and so fixed. She loved his eyes. There was so much emotion there, emotion that wanted to get out. And his smile. Draco didn't smile very often, though he does when they're together, and when he does, everything stopped. At least that was how it felt to Hermione. He was also a good person inside. Hermione knew this and she trusted Draco fully. She wrapped her arms around his neck tighter, bringing them cheek to cheek. She closed her eyes and enjoyed this moment.
"Thank you for dancing with me," Draco whispered in her ear.
Hermione smiled and opened her eyes. She looked at him "Why are you thanking me?"
"Because you agreed," Draco said, smiling. "I didn't know whether you would or not."
"I'm your date. Of course I would dance with you," Hermione said. "Besides, a ball won't be a ball without dancing. I'm a bit surprised, though."
"Why?"
"I never thought you dance," Hermione confessed.
"Why?"
"I know, I know. I just-couldn't imagine you dancing," Hermione said, giggling.
"And now that you know, what do you think?" Draco asked, smiling at her.
"I love dancing with you."
"Well, you're a terrific dancer yourself, Ms. Granger," Draco said, snickering.
Hermione laughed. "So how have you been?"
"What do you mean?" Draco asked, confused
"What have you been up to these past few days?" Hermione said, rephrasing the question.
"Oh. Not much. I've been working on Professor Binn's essay lately," Draco answered, shrugging. "That's all. And you?"
Hermione shrugged. "Same. Nothing much."
Hermione suddenly giggled.
"What?" Draco asked.
"It's just-it's Ron. He looks so in love with Lavender," Hermione said, nodding her head towards them.
Draco turned to look and sure enough, Ron was gazing lovingly at Lavender as they danced. He faced her again and shook his head. "I understand how he's feeling."
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"You can't help but look at a really beautiful girl. I mean, how do you think I feel dancing with you right now?" Draco said.
Hermione blushed prettily and smiled.
After a while, they sat down and began to eat dinner. More songs played, though, and the dance floor was never empty. All through out the night, there were people dancing and really enjoying their time.
Draco leaned towards Hermione and said, "I think our decorating worked."
"I know. Katie and Roger are going to be so pleased," Hermione agreed.
Hermione turned to look around and smiled at her school mates, who were having so much fun. Then she saw Harry, sitting at a table, alone, and fidgeting with the table napkin. She turned to Draco.
"I'll be right back."
And without waiting to hear Draco's response, she stood up, walked over to him and sat beside him.
"Hey!"
Harry looked at her, surprise very clear on his face. "Hermione! Wh-what are you doing here?"
"What are 'you' doing here? Why aren't you out there, dancing?" Hermione asked back.
"Well, I'm not really in the mood," Harry said.
"Where's Ginny?" Hermione asked. "Why don't you ask her to dance?"
"Oh, she wouldn't want to, after what I did to her," Harry said, looking down.
Hermione sighed. "Did you try apologizing to her again?"
Harry shook his head. "No. I mean, what's the point? We're just going to get more broken up."
"The point is you miss her. And I'm sure she misses you, too. One of you has to make a move. Why don't you be that person, Harry? Ask her to dance," Hermione said encouragingly.
Harry took a deep breath. "Okay. Thanks, Hermione!" He stood up and turned to leave, but faced Hermione, who had also stood up, again. "Hermione, before I go to Ginny, can I ask you a favor?"
"Sure."
"Will you dance with me...one last time?" Harry asked softly.
"Of course," Hermione replied quietly.
Harry took her hand and brought her to the dance floor.
"Harry, why 'one last time'? We can dance anytime," Hermione said.
"Yes, I know. But this will be the last time I can dance with you and express my feelings for you," Harry said.
"Harry--."
"Hermione, this is the last time. I promise. After this, I won't bother you anymore," Harry said. "I just want to say good-bye."
"Good-bye?" Hermione said, feeling remorseful.
"Yes, good-bye. I will never ever be able to show you how I feel about you again because I'm going to be faithful to Ginny. I'm going to give her my whole heart," Harry said.
"I think that's really wonderful, Harry. You and Ginny are going to be so happy together," Hermione said.
"I love you, Hermione," Harry said and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
**
"You and Harry seemed to enjoy your dance," Draco said as they walked back to their common room. He couldn't hide the bitterness in his voice.
"He let go," Hermione said, smiling inwardly.
"What do you mean?" Draco asked.
"He and Ginny are going to be so happy together," Hermione said, smiling openly.
"They're back together?" Draco asked.
"Yeah. Finally," Hermione said. "I've been wondering when they were going to."
Draco couldn't help but feel relieved. They reached their common room, but Hermione stopped walking and faced Draco.
"I had a really wonderful time tonight," Hermione told him.
Draco grinned. "I did, too."
They stood there for what seemed like forever. Hermione turned to go in when Draco stopped her.
"Hermione, I want to say I'm sorry for acting the way I did," Draco began. "It was un--."
"You don't have to say sorry," Hermione said, cutting him off. "You did nothing wrong."
"I didn't trust you, Hermione. I'm just-I hope I did," Draco said.
"It doesn't matter. Everyone commits mistakes. Everyone deserves a second chance," Hermione said.
"So are you giving me a second chance?" Draco asked.
Hermione smiled mischievously at him and said, "Maybe."
Maraming salamat for your reviews! Maraming salamat means thank you very much in tagalong. Keep them coming!
Chapter 17
"Love means never having to say you're sorry." - Love Story
"I would love to dance with you," Hermione said, holding his hand.
Draco led her to the dance floor and as he did, heads turned their way. All of them were asking, since when did Draco Malfoy talk to Hermione Granger? Now they're dancing together?
Hermione wrapped her arms around Draco's neck as he wrapped his around her waist, bringing them face to face, ignoring the remarks that followed them.
To both of them, nothing mattered now. *The most important person is right in front of me.*
Draco wanted so much to lean over and kiss her. But he couldn't. He didn't know what was going on in her mind. He didn't know what she would do. He used to think that he did, but now, after everything that has happened, he didn't know anymore. Draco gazed at her. Her hair had never been better. It was so shiny and looked so soft that he reached forward and stroked it absent-mindedly. Her eyes were twinkling with so much beauty and zeal. He smiled wistfully at her.
Hermione was also thinking about the boy that she had in her arms. *How did everything come into this? Everything seemed so simple. Not that things now are complicated. They are, but only a little bit. He looks so beautiful...in every single way.* She just loved his hair. It was so sleek and so fixed. She loved his eyes. There was so much emotion there, emotion that wanted to get out. And his smile. Draco didn't smile very often, though he does when they're together, and when he does, everything stopped. At least that was how it felt to Hermione. He was also a good person inside. Hermione knew this and she trusted Draco fully. She wrapped her arms around his neck tighter, bringing them cheek to cheek. She closed her eyes and enjoyed this moment.
"Thank you for dancing with me," Draco whispered in her ear.
Hermione smiled and opened her eyes. She looked at him "Why are you thanking me?"
"Because you agreed," Draco said, smiling. "I didn't know whether you would or not."
"I'm your date. Of course I would dance with you," Hermione said. "Besides, a ball won't be a ball without dancing. I'm a bit surprised, though."
"Why?"
"I never thought you dance," Hermione confessed.
"Why?"
"I know, I know. I just-couldn't imagine you dancing," Hermione said, giggling.
"And now that you know, what do you think?" Draco asked, smiling at her.
"I love dancing with you."
"Well, you're a terrific dancer yourself, Ms. Granger," Draco said, snickering.
Hermione laughed. "So how have you been?"
"What do you mean?" Draco asked, confused
"What have you been up to these past few days?" Hermione said, rephrasing the question.
"Oh. Not much. I've been working on Professor Binn's essay lately," Draco answered, shrugging. "That's all. And you?"
Hermione shrugged. "Same. Nothing much."
Hermione suddenly giggled.
"What?" Draco asked.
"It's just-it's Ron. He looks so in love with Lavender," Hermione said, nodding her head towards them.
Draco turned to look and sure enough, Ron was gazing lovingly at Lavender as they danced. He faced her again and shook his head. "I understand how he's feeling."
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"You can't help but look at a really beautiful girl. I mean, how do you think I feel dancing with you right now?" Draco said.
Hermione blushed prettily and smiled.
After a while, they sat down and began to eat dinner. More songs played, though, and the dance floor was never empty. All through out the night, there were people dancing and really enjoying their time.
Draco leaned towards Hermione and said, "I think our decorating worked."
"I know. Katie and Roger are going to be so pleased," Hermione agreed.
Hermione turned to look around and smiled at her school mates, who were having so much fun. Then she saw Harry, sitting at a table, alone, and fidgeting with the table napkin. She turned to Draco.
"I'll be right back."
And without waiting to hear Draco's response, she stood up, walked over to him and sat beside him.
"Hey!"
Harry looked at her, surprise very clear on his face. "Hermione! Wh-what are you doing here?"
"What are 'you' doing here? Why aren't you out there, dancing?" Hermione asked back.
"Well, I'm not really in the mood," Harry said.
"Where's Ginny?" Hermione asked. "Why don't you ask her to dance?"
"Oh, she wouldn't want to, after what I did to her," Harry said, looking down.
Hermione sighed. "Did you try apologizing to her again?"
Harry shook his head. "No. I mean, what's the point? We're just going to get more broken up."
"The point is you miss her. And I'm sure she misses you, too. One of you has to make a move. Why don't you be that person, Harry? Ask her to dance," Hermione said encouragingly.
Harry took a deep breath. "Okay. Thanks, Hermione!" He stood up and turned to leave, but faced Hermione, who had also stood up, again. "Hermione, before I go to Ginny, can I ask you a favor?"
"Sure."
"Will you dance with me...one last time?" Harry asked softly.
"Of course," Hermione replied quietly.
Harry took her hand and brought her to the dance floor.
"Harry, why 'one last time'? We can dance anytime," Hermione said.
"Yes, I know. But this will be the last time I can dance with you and express my feelings for you," Harry said.
"Harry--."
"Hermione, this is the last time. I promise. After this, I won't bother you anymore," Harry said. "I just want to say good-bye."
"Good-bye?" Hermione said, feeling remorseful.
"Yes, good-bye. I will never ever be able to show you how I feel about you again because I'm going to be faithful to Ginny. I'm going to give her my whole heart," Harry said.
"I think that's really wonderful, Harry. You and Ginny are going to be so happy together," Hermione said.
"I love you, Hermione," Harry said and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
**
"You and Harry seemed to enjoy your dance," Draco said as they walked back to their common room. He couldn't hide the bitterness in his voice.
"He let go," Hermione said, smiling inwardly.
"What do you mean?" Draco asked.
"He and Ginny are going to be so happy together," Hermione said, smiling openly.
"They're back together?" Draco asked.
"Yeah. Finally," Hermione said. "I've been wondering when they were going to."
Draco couldn't help but feel relieved. They reached their common room, but Hermione stopped walking and faced Draco.
"I had a really wonderful time tonight," Hermione told him.
Draco grinned. "I did, too."
They stood there for what seemed like forever. Hermione turned to go in when Draco stopped her.
"Hermione, I want to say I'm sorry for acting the way I did," Draco began. "It was un--."
"You don't have to say sorry," Hermione said, cutting him off. "You did nothing wrong."
"I didn't trust you, Hermione. I'm just-I hope I did," Draco said.
"It doesn't matter. Everyone commits mistakes. Everyone deserves a second chance," Hermione said.
"So are you giving me a second chance?" Draco asked.
Hermione smiled mischievously at him and said, "Maybe."