Chp. 3 A night to remember
"Ok, I'm going to do it." Ron looked around to check if anyone else was in the room besides Harry. There wasn't, so he continued on. "Tonight I am going to tell Hermione the truth. I am going to tell her I love her." Harry assured Ron that it was the perfect night for it. As both of them slipped into their dress robes, they changed the subject and started to discuss last years dance. Two other wizarding schools had joined them by the names of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. It was originally held for just the Triwizard Tournament, but Dumbledore liked the idea of people joining together and getting to know each other better.
An awful night for Ron, that was. Last year, he wanted to ask Hermione to that same dance, but didn't have the courage, and she was asked by a Durmstrang student by the name of Victor Krum. Ron did not want that to happen again. He remembered how beautiful she had looked that night. "Well we better get a move on. Were already 3 minutes late." Harry said, trying to rush Ron a bit more. "Alright, Alright. Let me get my wand, just in case Malfoy comes along."
Ron escorted Hermione down to the ball, since Harry had lost his wand in the dormitories. "Wow! It looks beautiful!" Hermione said with a look of awe on her face. Ron was about to say so do you, but was interrupted by a clapping noise in the distance. It was Dumbledore, eagerly trying to get the students attention. "Wizards witches, I welcome you to the second annual, new and improved, Wizards Ball! Now, I want you all to remember there is to be no talk of studying or of homework. Tonight is just for fun!" Dumbledore was right. Tonight is just fun, and it will be great, thought Ron. "Ron!" He turned around to find someone pushing through the crowd towards him. "I found it. I don't know how i lost it!" Harry had finally arrived.
After about 15 minutes of mingling and Ron telling him about how beautiful Hermione looked, Harry was bored and thirsty. "Hey, Ron, i'll be back. I'm getting some punch." When he started tp approached the bowl, there was a girl. No, not just a girl. She was the most beautiful person Harry had ever seen. She looked innocent, but her beauty was breath-taking. Harry stood there for a minute to admire her. He couldn't see her face. Just her backside. But Harry could tell her face would be just as beautiful as the rest of her. He had to meet her. He walked up to the bowl, and put a hand on her shoulder. He started to introduce himself. "Hi, i'm Ha.................... Hermione?!"
"Oh Hi Harry. I was just getting some punch." Hermione had turned around. Oh no.......this can't be, Harry thought. "H-h-hi Hermione." He was stuttering now. He couldn't believe he saw Hermione, his best friend, in a romantic way. Or maybe he could. Ron was right. Hermione looked outstanding. Her hair wasn't frizzy and curly anymore. It was straight, sleek, and bouncy. Her face was not bare like usual. She had shimmering pink eyeshadow on and rosy cheeks, with clear peppermint gloss on. Harry could smell it. She had a tight, long black dress on that showed of her small, countless curves. Harry was looking up and down, trying to capture anything else that Hermione had changed.
Finally, Hermione started to speak. "Harry, are you alright? You look like your completely out of it." Harry knew the reason he looked like that. "You look really beautiful, Hermione." Harry said, feeling a bit uncomfortable. "Um, thanks." Hermione felt the same way. They stood there for awhile before they started to speak again. "Well, i guess i should......" Hermione said, not finding the words to finish the sentence. "Yea me too." Said Harry, feeling the same way. But before Hermione turned to leave, she had one last question. "Harry, what were you going to say before you said my name?" Harry knew that if he told Hermione he was going to introduce himself, she would ask why, and then he would have to tell her the truth. "Um.....Happy. I was going to Hi, I'm happy." You are SO stupid, Harry thought. Hermione knew something was wrong, but she didn't feel like dealing with it tonight. "Oh. Well alright. I'll see you later." And then, she was gone.
It was already an hour and a half into the dance and Ron had barely talked to Hermione, let alone dance with her. Harry was outside in the garden, still trying to put his feeling back in place. He wondered if he had really felt those feelings. He had never felt like that with Hermione before. It's probably just because it's the dance, he thought. Or maybe it's because I just got over Cho and i feel that i need somebody right now. But in the back of his head, a voice was telling him that his feelings were real. Well, for the remainder of the night, he was going to try and find out. And with that, he got up and entered the great hall.
Outside, in the hallway, Hermione was sitting, alone, with no one else, or so she thought. A small tear ran down her face. Her mind was racing. She was thinking about Ron. He hasn't even talked to me, she thought. "Why doesn't he like me?" She quietly said. "Because your a mudblood." She heard a quiet, but very sexy voice say from the side of her. She looked up and who else, but Draco Malfoy was standing above her, with his evil grin. Malfoy was very good looking. He was tall, with a well toned body and dark, gray eyes you could get lost in. He was the envy of the whole school. Well, almost the whole school. "Malfoy, I swear, if you don't leave me alone, I'll........" He interrupted her in the middle of her sentence. " You'll what, Granger? Are you going to try and fight me?" Draco said. "No, I......." She couldn't find the words. What would she do? She couldn't fight him. He would pound her. Then, out of no where, she saw Malfoy's hand being offered to her. "Oh well then, come on. I mine as well make a night out of it. I'm not having any more fun than you are." She was very much surprised. Was Malfoy actually being NICE, Hermione thought? She was so caught up in her thoughts, she forgot about the hand he offered. "Are you coming?!" He shouted. She came out of her thoughts and took his hand. There was a very strong connection when she felt his hand. It sent shivers up her spine. But they were good shivers. She tried to ignore it as a sign of disgust. And then, they walked into the great hall, together.
Meanwhile, Harry was on the other side of the room still looking for Hermione. Then, finally, he spotted her across the room. But she was with someone. A boy. Harry thought he saw the sign of Slytherin on his robe, but it was hard to see in the darkness of the room. But one thing stuck out to Harry. His hair. A shining silver color all swept back. Oh no. It's Malfoy! He must be bothering her again, thought Harry. He ran to get Ron and both of them were fuming. They ran to Hermione, and Harry punched Malfoy right in the nose while Ron grab Hermione and took her away. Ron thought that this was the perfect moment to tell her. He had just saved her!!! But then, right when he was about to tell her, he felt a hard, cold hand hit him right in the cheek. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!??" Hermione had hit him! Ron was baffled. "I thought you needed help! Malfoy was....." But Ron was interrupted. "HELPING ME!!!!" Hermione shouted. "Helping you? But he was........ you were........." Ron was so confused. "I was in the hallway and I was crying. Malfoy was out there and he escorted me back into the hall." Ron was going to ask why she went with him but then another thought came to his mind. "Why were you crying?" Ron asked. He sounded worried. Hermione had made a mistake. She didn't want to tell him the true reason she was crying. "I felt sick. And it was crowded." She really hoped he would buy it. He did. "Would you like me to take you to the hospital?" Ron said. "No. No im fine now. " And with that, she ran off, leaving Harry and Ron to deal with a furious Draco.
