Woot woot! Chappie 12 finally out! Lol. My computer had to go get fixed, so I had to write this in the computer that's inside my room. That one has no internet, but Microsoft Word works just fine ^_^. 

Thanks to all who reviewed!! Remember: I love you! ^^ : Milk, DracoMalfoy, Shivohnsongbreeze, DolceEspressivo, jokester515, Gliniel of Tirragen + Malfoy, Waterdemon900, Dragon-soul, Kristi, Crystalline Lily, PinkRosePetal, Bubblicz, Christabel, SVZ, Marzipal, KeeperOfTheMoon, cheerchik113, Jessica, Dark Vampire, Danny, minda,  EclipseKlutz, Karly, pumpkin head, Blade Griffin, Tom Felton´s Babe, goddess of love, VenusDeOmnipotent, PrettyGurl88, Vanillastar, Heather, short-n-sweet05, Starry Skies, Kelzery, Silver Fawkes, YingRui, Intuerimors, Sarah, Slytherin-cool, fds, jupi, Serenity Raye, Dreaming One, Vikkitoria, and fb90!!!

And there were some people who sent flames. Thanks! ^_^ ok, so maybe Draco´s reaction WAS too OOC, because maybe his pride wouldn´t let him go to the ball with Hermione with everyone watching. But remember: He wants to dance with Hermione, so he´s not about to stand back and let someone else dance with her.

And maybe yes, there would be more rumors going around. But I can´t just start changing all the chapters right now. I´ll try to make Draco more real from now on... but if I don´t succed, then you´ll just have to bear with me . Besides, it IS my first fanfiction. In my second I´ll have more experience, and I´ll try to make it as real as possible!! ^_^ for now, just imagine that I´m good at controlling Draco´s reactions, lol.

***

Hermione looked across the common room at Lavender, who was sitting in an armchair near the fire, and peeking at Ron every once in a while.

Then she looked at Ron, who was running his hand through his hair for the thousandth time over his essay of History of Magic. It was standing up sharply now, and Ron tugged at it in desperation.

This, Hermione thought. Is pathetic.

She got up from the chair she was sitting on, and walked over to Lavender.

Lavender looked up at her and smiled.

"Hi," Hermione said, sitting down next to her. "How's Ron doing?"

Lavender blushed. "Cute as always,"

Hermione smiled. "Are you going to stay this Christmas?" she asked.

Lavender sighed. "Is there any chance I could go with Ron to the ball?"

"I don't know," Hermione admitted, biting her bottom lip. "Maybe you should ask him to go. He thinks you won't go with him if he asks you because he probably bored you at the masquerade,"

Lavender's face brightened up. "He really wants to go with me?"

"I wasn't saying that, either," Hermione said carefully. "I think he just wants to go with someone,"

"Oh," Lavender said, looking down at the floor.

"But don't worry," Hermione said, trying to cheer her up. "I really think you have a chance with Ron. He's so clueless at times… he really won't notice you like him unless you tell him. And if you do, I'm sure you'll receive the answer you deserve,"

They both looked at Ron, who, just then, was trying to smash the small broomstick with his fist as it flied around frantically, trying to avoid Ron's fist.

"Er… he, umm…" Hermione tried to think about something that could excuse Ron's behavior.

"Don't worry," Lavender said, and chuckled. "It must be annoying," she looked at Hermione. "Maybe, tomorrow, I'll ask him to come with me,"

Hermione nodded. "That would be great," she got up, and, before leaving, whispered, "I really hope he says yes, Lavender,"

Lavender smiled, and continued reading. Hermione returned to her chair, and looked at her essay, which was neatly copied in clean parchment. For some reason, her thoughts wandered to Draco. She remembered looking into Draco's deep gray eyes as she asked him to the ball. He had accepted… he'd go with her. He'd dance with her again.

She got butterflies in her stomach, something she'd never felt before.

"Hermione!" someone exclaimed at her side.

She looked to her side. It was Harry.

She also noticed that her chin was in her hand, and that she had been looking out the window.

"Yeah?" she asked, embarrassed.

"I need help with my essay," he said with a pleading look.

She sighed. "Alright. Bring your materials,"

Draco had barely taken a step into the common room when Pansy jumped over.

"How about if we go to the ball together?" she asked cheerfully.

Draco could've killed her right then and there. In fact, if looks could kill, she would've been pretty dead by now.

Not only had she sent a letter to her parents saying the most ridiculous things, and had annoyed him until he could've screamed with rage, but now she dared to come in front of him and ask him to go to the Ball with her?

She smiled innocently under his glare.

Still glaring, he walked away.

She followed. "Please, Draco?"

She tugged at his sleeve. "Pretty please? I really, really want to go with you!"

He clutched his fists, and gritted his teeth, trying not to loose his temper.

"Draco!" she exclaimed, now positively hugging his arm. "Go with me! You're supposed to go with me! We're meant to be! Even your father says we would be perfect for each other! My parents want me to be with you!"

That was it. He couldn't stand it anymore.

He whirled around sharply, making Pansy detach herself from his arm, and look at him, scared.

"Leave me alone!" he yelled.

Some people stopped talking, and looked at both of them. Draco Malfoy didn't yell much.

He glared at them, and they all looked away and started talking again, as if scared of him.

Draco turned to Pansy angrily, and got her by the sleeves roughly. He dragged her out of the common room, and walked with her until they were in a silent, dark, mossy, damp tunnel.

He put her against the wall and got her arms, looking straight into her frightened eyes.

"How dare you write that letter to your parents, Parkinson?" he hissed.

She didn't say anything, only looked away.

"How?" he demanded, rising his voice and shaking her a bit.

She breathed in, and then looked at him. There were tears in her eyes, and her voice quivered.

"I don't want to see you with that Mudblood, Granger!" she sobbed. "I only want you to follow in your father's footsteps… to become a deatheater, just as I will!"

"I don't want to!" he shouted.

"You should," she said, sobbing.

"Oh, I should?" he asked silently. "Why?"

She looked away again.

"I'm not as blood thirsty as you are," he said. "But you love to make people suffer, don't you, Parkinson? You love to see them twitch in pain, yelling until their throats give out, begging for death,"

"Stop it!" she screamed.

"Why should I stop?" he spat. "You've never stopped whenever I told you to!

She started sobbing.

"Don't cry now, Parkinson," Draco said cruelly. "It won't do you any good. You should've known I have a quick temper. You should have known that, if I was provoked, the consequences could be fatal,"

She cried harder.

"This is what you like to do to people. You like to make them suffer, don't you?"

She breathed in and out, calming down so that she could talk to him. Draco waited, glaring.

"I'm going to become a deatheater," she said, quite bravely looking into his eyes. "And you should, too,"

He let go of her. "I don't want to. And I won't. Leave me alone, Parkinson,"

He started to walk away, but what Pansy said stopped him. "You're going to the Ball with her, aren't you?" she asked silently.

"Yes, I am," he answered.

She gave a sob, but, even if her voice quivered, what she said next was still menacing. "If you go with her," she said. "I swear you will be sorry, Draco Malfoy,"

"You just dare to do something," Draco answered even more silently still. "One wrong move… and you´ll be the one who will be sorry,"

And he left, leaving a sobbing girl behind to hide in the shadows of the tunnel.

Two days later, the last day of the trimester finally came.

When the bell rang to announce the end of the last class, Harry, Hermione and Ron cheered along with the rest.

"It's over!" Ron cried happily as he slammed the History of Magic door open. "No more teachers! No more work! No more-"

Hermione cleared her throat. "I don't want to ruin your cry of victory, Ron, but I might remind you that we have homework for the holidays. And we're coming back in about two weeks, so-"

"Aww… hush, Hermione," Ron said, waving his hand. "Why think about that now? We have two weeks of freedom ahead of us!"

Hermione smiled and shook her head. Good old Ron.

"Hey, Ron," Harry said as they started climbing the marble staircases. "I'm going to practice some quidditch this afternoon. Want to come?"

"Of course!" Ron exclaimed. "Why did you even ask?"

Harry laughed. "Alright."

"I think I'll go too," Hermione said.

"It'll be cold," Harry warned her.

"I know," she answered. "Don't worry,"

She felt a tap behind her, and turned around. It was Lavender.

"I… couldn't help overhearing," she said, turning red. "Do you… do you mind if I go with you?"

Hermione giggled, and, with a wave of her hand, told Ron and Harry, who were waiting for her, to keep on going.

"Of course you can come," she said.

Lavender smiled. "Thanks,"

They started walking. "Maybe, if you spend lots of time with us, Ron will notice you more,"

Lavender sighed. "I hope so. The Ball's only five days away, and…"

Hermione smiled and nodded. "Why don't you ask him? He doesn't seem to get the point, does he?"

"I was going to ask him the other day," Lavender answered. "But I got too shy at the last moment."

"I'm sure he'll say yes," Hermione assured her. "Even if he says so because he'll go with anyone, I'm sure that, in no time, he'll start fancying you. Right now he's just an innocent, clueless, er… 'Sweetie'"

Lavender giggled. "Are you sure he'll say yes?"

Hermione nodded.

"And you're really sure that he could start liking me?"

"I have every confidence,"

"Let's go!" Harry called out, coming down the stairs and shouldering his firebolt. "It's getting late! It'll be evening soon!"

Ron got up from where he was siting, and Hermione and Lavender came out of their common room.

"Lavender's coming too," she informed the boys.

Ron shrugged. "Ok," he said without much interest.

Lavender's shoulders sagged a little.

As they climbed through the portrait hole, Hermione nudged Lavender, and winked. They had went over all the things she could say to Ron, and how to get on his good side.

She nodded.

Then Hermione went in front with Harry, leaving Lavender and Ron behind.

"So," Lavender started. "Are you good at flying, Ron?"

"Sorta," he answered.

"Sort of?" she asked in disbelief. "I've seen you fly at times, and you're really good!"

He grinned. "Thanks. Were you sitting in the stands? I didn't see you,"

"No," Lavender answered, getting red. "I…just…sometimes I happened to look out the window, and… I could see you,"

"Oh," Ron seemed to believe this. "Alright,"

He waved his hand at the broomstick furiously. "Damn thing," he muttered.

Lavender started sweating.

"It won't stop following me around!" he complained to her.

"Oh… really?"

"It's annoying! It was cool at first, but now I can't seem to shake it off me," he went on.

"I'm glad the first trimester is over," Lavender said, trying to change the subject. If he found out who had sent it with her in front of him, she would positively die.

"Me too!" he said happily, as the four of them stepped out into the cool afternoon.

"No more work, no more nothing," she went on.

"True!" Ron exclaimed, and smiled at her.

Such a beautiful smile, she thought.

They reached the quidditch field. Harry mounted the firebolt at once, and kicked off from the ground as the rest of them sat in the stands. Hermione noticed that Pansy was sitting nearby, but didn't give it much thought.

"Woo hoo!" Harry cried as he went higher and higher in circles.

It wasn't long before Harry, Lavender, and Ron, who were chattering easily, heard two screams.

They looked up in alarm, and saw two figures speed off from each other in the air.

Both of them stopped almost at the same time.

"Watch out, Potter!" one of them cried as he turned around to face Harry.

"Watch where you're going, Malfoy!" Harry shouted back.

"Malfoy?" Ron asked to no one in particular.

"It was your fault, four eyes!" Draco yelled.

"Hey, Malfoy!" Ron shouted from the stands, waving his fist at him. "Watch your words!"

"What's the matter, Weasley?" Draco asked. "Didn't you-"

"Hi, Draco!" Hermione lost no time to yell.

Draco looked at her, and then he had to shut up. It seemed he couldn't insult both Harry and Ron when she was around. He felt guilty with her eyes upon him. Besides, they were her friends.

With a last glare to Harry, he flew towards the ground, and landed perfectly.

He walked over to Hermione.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi," she answered pleasantly.

Ron gaped at her. How could she be pleasant after he had insulted Harry?

They heard a choking sob, and saw Pansy staring at them.

"What's wrong with her? Why's she crying?" Hermione asked.

As usual, her questions had a strange effect on him when her innocent, wondering brown eyes stared at him.

He got her arm, and pulled her up.

He nodded rather coldly at Ron, who was glaring at him, and at Lavender, who was looking at him in surprise.

 "Hermione," he said, once they had disappeared behind the stands. "I have to talk to you."

By the time he had finished telling the story about what had happened two days before in that dark tunnel, Hermione was covering her mouth with one hand.

"I know I was cruel," he admitted. "I have a quick temper."
He was resentful for doing what he had now that he had told Hermione, because she was looking pretty shocked. He didn't want to see that face. He wanted to see her happy.

"Don't go with me," she said finally. "To the Ball,"

He would've given anything for Hermione to take those words back.

"What?" he asked, alarmed. "Why?"

"From what you've told me, Pansy could get you into real trouble with your father if you did,"

"She won't," he assured her. "She wouldn't dare,"

"I'm not so sure about that," Hermione said, crossing her arms.

"Look," he said. "I want to go to that Ball with you. Besides, Pansy isn't the only threat I have. You have no idea what the Slytherins will whisper after my back if I go with you,"

"Exactly," Hermione said again. "Another reason not to go with me."
"But they won't dare get me into trouble. They know me,"

She shook her head. "Just don't go."

He stood silent. Hermione looked serious. Too serious.

Did that mean… she didn't want to go with him?

He felt sadness come over him.

"You don't want to go with me," he said silently.

"That's not true!" she exclaimed, looking shocked. "I just don't want everyone to laugh at you,"

"They won't laugh," he assured her.

"And I especially don't want you to get in trouble with your father!"

She was so good.

He shook his head. "You want to go to the ball, I want to go to the ball. Case closed. We're going."

Hermione was silent for a minute. She wanted to go with him so, so badly. But she didn't want him to get into trouble.

He looked so serious, though. She knew nothing would change his mind.

"Fine," she said, giving up. "But if you regret it, it's your fault."

He nodded. "Ok,"

When Hermione came back to the stands, she found Lavender and Ron talking and laughing. They seemed to be getting along better.

"You missed Ron flying!" Lavender said as Hermione laughed. "Harry let him use his firebolt for a while. He flies really good!"

Ron grinned again. "Thanks. Can you fly, Lavender?"

"Not much," Lavender answered.

"I know the basics," Hermione told her. "But I don't know any tricks,"

"I've never seen you fly!" Lavender exclaimed. "Fly for me for a while,"

"No," Hermione answered.

"Why not?" Lavender asked. "Come on!"

"She only went on the firebolt a couple of times," Ron said, kicking the lavender and brown broomstick. It zoomed right back to him the minute it recovered, though. Ron cried out in exasperation.

 Harry landed in front of them just then. "Malfoy's back," he muttered, pointing at where Draco was flying around.

"Let Hermione fly around with your firebolt, Harry!" Lavender exclaimed.

Harry looked at Hermione questionably. "You want to?"
"Er… well, actually-"

"Of course she does!" Lavender cut her off. "Come on, Hermione, give it a try,"

"Fine," Hermione said. Two times she had given in this afternoon.

She walked towards the broomstick, and mounted it. "Ok…" she said, looking unsure. "I'm kicking off now…" she gave a small kick, and rose slowly into the air.

This is fun, she thought, as she urged the firebolt to go faster. The cool wind brushed her hair back, and it felt great to fly around with the sun setting. She laughed, and somehow managed to give an amazing loop in the air.

She laughed out loud. She closed her eyes, breathing in the evening air. And then, probably because of having her eyes closed, she lost her balance and hung upside down, with both hands and feet on the firebolt, like a chameleon, hanging on for dear life.

What could she do now?

She saw, with the corner of her eye, as Draco flew closer.

Then she started swinging. Right, left, right, left. Then she finally had enough impulse, and managed to stand upright again. She sighed with relief, and watched as Draco left.

Knowing him, he probably felt foolish for coming to help and then finding out she didn't need his help after all.

She smiled at his kindness.

Then she looked down, where her friends were waving at her, and cheering. But there was someone she didn't see. She was so busy looking down at her friends that she didn't see Pansy pointing her wand up at her.

She only heard her cry "Rictusempra!" before she was doubled up in laughter, and trying to hold on to the broomstick.

It felt as if a thousand hands were tickling every inch of her body, and they didn't stop…

She was loosing her grip on the firebolt. She needed to hold on… she would fall… Her hand started to slip from the handle. She tried to grip it tight, but she couldn't.

She fell.

All the time she fell, she both laughed and cried. A very weird combination.

Draco, who had just turned around to see what was so funny, had looked just in time to see Hermione fall off. Without thinking, he quickly dived, and flew under her. He stretched out his arms, and got her only inches from the ground.

He landed, lay Hermione on the ground, and kneeled next to her.

He took out his wand and pointed it at Hermione. "Finite Incantatem," he muttered.

Hermione stopped laughing, and looked at him. Then there were tears in her eyes, and, before he knew it, she stood upright, and she was hugging him.

"Thank you," she said between sobs. "I was so scared…"

Draco didn't know what to do. He had to admit that he loved to have Hermione hugging him, but he didn't know how to react.

Finally, he patted her back uncertainly.

"Hermione!" Harry cried.

Lavender, Ron, and Harry were running towards them across the field.

"Are you ok?" Ron asked.

"I'm sorry!" Lavender said between sobs. "This is all my fault… I should've never urged you to fly around when you didn't want to! I'm sorry, Hermione!"

The three of them were crowded around Draco and Hermione, because she still hadn't detached herself from the boy. She seemed to find a sort of comfort and protection she couldn't explain there.

It was also very pleasant.

"Hermione, come on, it's all over now," Draco said as Harry, Lavender and Ron started looking at him suspiciously.

She finally let go of him, once she had calmed down a bit, and smiled at him before turning to the other three.

"I'm ok," she managed to say, brushing away her tears.

"I am SO sorry!" Lavender exclaimed again. "Please forgive me!"

"It's ok," Hermione assured her, trying to calm her down. "Don't worry about it."

"Don't worry about it?" Lavender asked desperately. "How can you ask me that? Of course I worry about it! I really AM sorry, Hermione!"

"I said it's ok," Hermione repeated.

Then she hiccuped.

"Great, first the tickling charm, and –hic- now this,"

Harry chuckled. "Glad to see you're ok,"

"Who put the tickling charm on you?" Ron asked, still staring suspiciously at Draco.

Hermione stood silent for a moment, and then sighed. "Pansy."

They all jerked their heads towards where Pansy was sitting.

But she wasn't there any more.

"Coward," Lavender muttered.

"Why would Pansy do that to you?" Harry asked.

Draco was staring fixedly at where Pansy was supposed to be sitting.

Not only had she threatened him, but now she was trying to harm Hermione?

I swear you will be sorry, Draco Malfoy. her words suddenly came back to him.

He hadn't thought about this kind of punishment. How dare she try to harm Hermione? Anger rose up inside him.

He'd get her for this if it was the last thing he did.

"Well, I don't seem to be needed anymore," he muttered, starting to stand up. "So I'll just-"

Hermione stopped him by grabbing his sleeve, and smiling at him. "Thank you, -hic- Draco. I really mean it. That's –hic- two times you've saved my life now,"

"Forget it," he mumbled, looking away, aware of four pair of eyes on him.

Hermione let go of him, and he walked off without another word.

Ok, I tried to add some fluff in this chapter!! Lol. Don't worry, the long awaited kiss will come in time! Oh, and yes, maybe Draco WAS too mean to Pansy, but it all has a cause. Again, sorry if the way Draco´s behaving isn´t too real. Oh, and since I don´t know any latin, I used the tickling charm that appears in book two.