A/N: Hey people! This chapter is about… oh, just read it and you will know, lol.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: I'm tired.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own them. I wouldn't mind owning Draco/Tom or Daniel… or a wand ;)

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CHAPTER XV – A BIG mess

"what are you going to wear at the ball Hermione?" Ginny asked.

The girls were in Hermione's room, of course Draco didn't know that Hermione had had to sneak into her and Draco's common room with Ginny so that Draco couldn't see them. Luckily Draco wasn't around now.

Ginny was sitting on Hermione's bed. She and Hermione were talking about several things, mostly about the ball.

"this", Hermione said and gave Ginny her dress. It was deep purple and black. It wasn't too casual but not too showy either. With some delicate curls she would be perfect.

"wow! This is amazing! You're going to turn few heads, huh?" Ginny smirked.

Hermione laughed.

"I hope I will."

"no, seriously, it'll fit you just perfectly!" Ginny said fiddling with her dress. "Is this silk?"

"umm… I don't think so…might be…"

"so, I heard you're going with Ron…" Ginny said grinning.

"yeah. I finally got a partner", Hermione laughed.

"but aren't you disappointed?"

"about what?"

"that you have to go with him", Ginny explained. "and not with… someone else…"

"what are you suggesting? That I would rather go with Malfoy than Ron?" Hermione frowned.

"I didn't say that. You did", Ginny said.

"but you meant it, right?" Hermione asked taking her dress from Ginny and putting it back to her closet.

"not actually…" Ginny said quietly. "But you'd want to…?"

Hermione looked her in disbelief. She was about to say something but didn't know what. Should she just deny it all? Or tell the truth? That she really liked him. That she wanted so badly go with him. But this was Ginny. She couldn't just tell straight to her that she liked her worst enemy. It would be like Harry announced that Lord Voldemort was his best friend. Hermione thought that maybe she should say absolutely nothing and see how it goes… if it goes anywhere.

"you do", Ginny said.

Hermione tried to look very amused but failed. Ginny saw through her.

"I dunno what to say Hermione", Ginny said. "I thought, you'd never like him."

"I don't!" Hermione exclaimed. "That all is in your head, Ginny. I don't….like him…"

They heard the portrait swung open in the common room.

"he's here…" Hermione said giving Ginny a scared look.

"great. Now we have to whisper", Ginny replied.

"yeah. Well as long as he doesn't come here, everything's alright", Hermione whispered.

"why would he? Because he likes you back?" Ginny smirked.

"Ginny!" Hermione hit her arm softly.

They heard a knock at the door.

"oh God! We have to hide you Ginny!" Hermione whispered alarmed.

Hermione opened her closet door and pushed Ginny in.

"I'll get rid of him!" Hermione said to her and shut the closet door.

Hermione went to her room door and opened it. Yes, it was Draco and he looked pretty bored. He stepped in before Hermione could stop him.

'great!' She thought.

Draco laid himself down on her bed and made a loud yawn.

"nice to see you too", Hermione said to him.

"yeah, whatever", Draco mumbled. "I was just thinking, Granger, that are we going to decorate the Great Hall?"

"yes we are", Hermione said sitting on her bed too.

"wonderful", Draco said sarcastically.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"and when is that exactly going to happen?" He asked.

"Next week, on Saturday… when the ball is."

"ugh! Why do we have to do all the servant stuff?!" Draco exclaimed.

He sat up next to her.

"it's part of our job. This is what Heads do, Malfoy", Hermione said.

"ok professor Dumbledore", Draco scoffed.

Hermione rolled her eyes once again.

"so, still going with Weasley then?" Draco laughed.

Hermione frowned.

"yes I am. Still going with bitch – pardon me - Pansy?" Hermione asked angrily.

"yeah. Are you jealous?" Draco asked laughing a little.

"me? Ha! I wouldn't sink that low, Malfoy", Hermione said sharply.

Draco laughed.

"funny… I thought you were", Draco smirked.

"look, if you don't have anything else –"

"ok, ok" Draco still laughed raising his hands up. "I'll leave", Draco said and got out of her room.

Ginny came out of the closet as soon as Draco was out of the sight. She looked very amused.

"you do", Ginny said.

"I do what?"

"like him", Ginny said and checked that Draco wasn't in the common room.

She grinned at Hermione and left her.

After reading books at the library went Hermione to the Gryffindor common room to see her friends.

"hi Harry!" Hermione greeted when she got in. "Hi Seamus!"

"hi!" Harry and Seamus greeted in unison.

"where's Ron?"

"he's in trouble", Seamus said.

Hermione sat next to him on the couch and Harry sat down in front of her and Seamus.

"tell me something I don't know", Hermione laughed. "No, what happened?"

"we were running in the corridors and he bumped into Filch", Harry explained.

"ouch."

"yeah… he got detention."

"and you didn't?" Hermione asked somewhat amazed.

"I have tomorrow", Harry nodded.

Seamus started laughing.

"hi guys!"

Hermione, Harry and Seamus, and everyone else in the common room turned to see Lavender.

"ahh, you're here too Hermione!" Lavender grinned happily.

"so boys, who are you going with?" Lavender asked and sat down next to Harry.

"where?" Seamus asked.

Lavender rolled her eyes.

"to the dance, duh!"

"I'm going with Tina from Ravenclaw", Seamus said and blushed.

Lavender and Hermione giggled at his reaction.

"ok. You Harry?"

"I don't have anybody yet. I guess I should ask someone, huh?" Harry laughed.

"yeah! Unless you want to go alone", Lavender said.

"hey, but –", she trailed off.

"what?" Harry asked.

"I'm going alone. You're going alone… we could go together, right?"

"yeah, why not."

A wide smile spread across Lavender's face.

"it's settled then!" She grinned.

Hermione laughed at the two of them.

"oh, but what about Ron!?" Lavender asked.

"what about him?" Seamus lifted his left eyebrow.

"who is he going with?"

"with Hermione", Harry said.

"but Hermione's going with Draco", Lavender said.

Everyone in the common room turned to see Hermione. Seamus's mouth dropped open. Harry was looking very astonished and furious at the same time. Hermione gulped.

"H-Hermione?" Harry stuttered.

"did he ask you?" Seamus asked.

"no! It's nothing like that!" Hermione exclaimed.

"well do tell us what it is then?!" Harry ordered.

"I will! It w-"

"how could you do this?! Go with him?!" Harry shouted.

"I thought you hated him, Hermione", Seamus said.

"I do! I mean I don't! I mean –"

"what are you going to tell Ron then, huh?! That you can't go with him because you are too busy with Draco Malfoy, your new love?!" Harry shouted.

"no! Listen to me Harry!" Hermione defended.

"now I know what you were doing all those times when we asked you to hang out with us but you said you had to "plan ball stuff"!"

"shut up Harry! Just listen to me, please!" Hermione screamed tears in her eyes.

Harry stopped screaming and waited Hermione's explanation.

"Lavender made the whole thing up! Malfoy never asked me. I never asked him. Dumbledore just said we should go together because we're Heads."

"I knew that, but Lavender made it sound like he ditched Pansy and asked you", Harry explained.

"yes", Hermione said to him and turned to glare Lavender.

"sorry. I must've got it wrong…", Lavender said quietly.

Hermione turned to Harry again.

"Draco is still going with Pansy and I'm still going with Ron, ok?!" Hermione said in tears.

She stormed out of the Gryffindor common room. She was angry how Harry and the others had reacted. It was so unnecessary! Of course she understood how it must feel when your best friend tells you she's with the enemy now. But in a way it annoyed Hermione. She was 17! She could decide herself who she wanted to be with, even though she wasn't with Draco…

'Lavender and her big mouth!', Hermione thought angrily.

Hermione knew that she could never tell anybody if she liked Draco. But that of course IF she liked Draco… She knew she did… Ginny knew now too, but Hermione still denied it. Ginny would just probably say something to Ron and Harry. What would happen if they knew? Would they abandon her cruelly? Would they kill Draco, though he doesn't know about her feelings?

Hermione couldn't answer to those questions but one thing was now sure: Hermione really liked Draco. She could call it a crush. But as long as Draco didn't know anything, everything would be alright. He would just probably tease her because of her feelings. He would laugh cruelly straight to her face if she told him. Or worse, he could tell the whole school what she felt for him!

'maybe I will get over him… maybe this "crush" is over tomorrow…or next week', Hermione thought.

"Miss Granger?!" Hermione heard someone come behind her.

She turned around and saw Dumbledore.

"yes?"

"as you know, the Valentine's day ball is next week. I just wanted to know is everything under control?" Dumbledore asked.

"yes."

"even the decorating part? You and Mr. Malfoy will decorate the Great Hall?"

"yeah, of course", Hermione smiled.

"good", Dumbledore smiled back. "I guess you don't need my help then?"

"no thank you. But we'll ask if we need any."

"good. I assume you and Mr. Malfoy aren't going together then…?" Dumbledore suddenly asked.

'God!' Hermione thought, 'Why are everybody making this such a big deal?!'

"yes, we aren't."

"I understand… well I have to go now, and I think you too. Otherwise you're going to be late for your lessons", Dumbledore said giving her a sweet smile and left.

"Hermione?" Harry tapped her shoulder when they were having their Care of Magical Creatures lesson.

Hermione didn't want to answer. Harry had reacted very childishly when he had heard she was going to the ball with Draco, which of course wasn't true. Harry had shouted at her. He had hurt her feelings. He had made her cry.

"Hermione?" Harry tapped again.

"what?!" Hermione almost screamed when she turned around to face him.

"I was- I- I'm sorry", Harry said looking down very ashamed.

"you should be! Don't you trust me?! If I ever went to a dance with Malfoy it would only be because we're Heads", Hermione lied.

She felt herself as a betrayer but she couldn't just admit that she liked Draco. She liked him but how could she tell that to Harry, or Ron?! She had saw Harry's reaction. Ron's might be worse.

Hermione was sure that her crush was like a disease that would go away soon. Hermione had never thought that liking, or loving, somebody was wrong… but this was Draco Malfoy. He is totally different. Liking or loving him is wrong, especially if you are Hermione Granger. No one would ever approve that.

"I'd never go with him voluntarily!" Hermione said. '…I would', she thought.

"I'm sorry Hermione. I don't know what went into me… I just couldn't bare the feeling that one of my best friends would be going to the ball with Draco Malfoy… It would be almost like you two were dating or something… I'm sorry. I really am", Harry said sadly.

All the sympathy in Hermione were now send to Harry. She hugged him tightly few tears fell down her cheek. Then she remembered Draco.

'these feelings are so wrong!' Hermione's head screamed.

But her heart said the opposite.

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A/N: I'm sorry to those people who don't like when the trio fight together… this time duo though…lol. Well anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. The ball is reaching!! :D

Special thanks to my lovely reviewers:

Mik – I will.

Lazerjet – lol, true.

Meg – I like the idea how the dress should look like but I described Hermione's dress in chapter … so it's kinda late now :( Thank you for the great idea though! :D

Mione-n-Draco4ever – lol, the ball is coming closer! :D

Hildie – Thanks! :)

Feather-quill – I will, lol!

Angel Innocent