Chapter 3.

"Are you ready?" Harry's voice called through the keyhole into the bathroom.

"Almost," Hermione replied staring critically at her reflection.

"I'll be downstairs,"

"Okay," she called back, twirling once again and eyeing the way her dress fell.  It was a deep cherry red, simple but elegant dress, it clung bodice like to her upper body before flaring out slightly over her hips and falling into a discreet trail.  She took a deep breath and left the bathroom, grabbing her wand from her bedside table she stowed it in her small bag and headed down the stairs.

"Woah..." Harry murmured as Hermione appeared from the top of the stairs and walked tantalisingly slowly towards him.  "Hermione, you look – beautiful," he said sincerely, his eyes travelling over the expanse of creamy skin revealed at the top of the dress, and up to her face which was smiling, her toffee eyes sparkling.

"Thank you Harry," she said quietly, leaning up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek lightly.  He grinned broadly and offered his arm.

"Lets get going," he said, leading her out of their room and down the hallways.  They walked through the entrance hall, following the swarm of people in brightly coloured dresses and Muggle tuxedos.  The crowd poured down the stone steps into the dusky, setting sunlit grounds, reared to the left then entered the dance floor.  Dumbledore had come up with the genius idea of holding the Leaver's Ball outside.  He had enclosed a rectangle of grass with enchanted cherry trees, whose blossom was drifting down from the branches and littering the ground beneath like soft pink snow.  In between two trees at the far end of the orchard was a stage, on which a band was setting up.

"Wow, it's gorgeous." Hermione breathed as in each tree, suddenly hundreds of fairies shimmered into light.  Harry nodded, and then pointed at a tree to their right.

"Look! There's Colin, c'mon." He dragged her over.  Colin Creevey stood beside a trellis arch, entwined with cream roses and ivy, behind him was his trusty camera, set upon a tripod.

"Hello Harry!" He grinned, "Hey Hermione – you look pretty."

"Thanks Colin," smiled Hermione,

"Go on then you two, under the arch." Colin said gesturing at the roses.  Harry beamed at Hermione and pulled her under them.  Colin ducked under the black sheeting surrounding the back of his camera and yelled instructions to the couple.

"Left a little Hermione... Harry move your arm down a little – no not that far down... okay ready? One... two... three...."

A blinding flash and poof of smoke signalled the picture being taken; Colin threw back the cover and grinned.

"It's going to be great." He said confidently,

"Thanks Colin," Harry said grinning, Colin nodded,

"I'll be roaming around later to get some action shots and stuff –," he was cut off mid sentence by someone clearing their throat loudly.  Hermione, Harry and Colin stared at the person who had interrupted.

"Move it Potter you're holding up the line," Snarled Draco, Pansy Parkinson was hanging off his arm dressed in a ridiculously short and frilly pink dress, she sneered at Hermione who looked blankly back at her.  Colin muttered then ducked back under the black fabric, Harry scowled heavily at Draco's smirk.  Hermione wound her fingers into his and tugged lightly,

"Come on Harry," she said lightly, not even looking at Draco.  Harry ground his teeth then looked down at her and nodded.  They swept away and were stepped after a few steps by Professor McGonogall.

"Lovely picture, you two," she sniffed, motioning to the rose arch.  Harry grinned,

"Thanks Professor," he replied shooting an amused glance at Hermione. She rolled her eyes and towed him away; they had only moved a few more metres when Ron bounded up to them.  He grabbed Hermione and swung her round twice before setting her down and kissing her forehead.

"You look gorgeous 'Mione." He said, Hermione smiled,

"You too," she quipped.  He grinned, and then his eyes bulged in terror as a voice spoke from behind him,

"Ronald?"

A girl emerged from behind him, dressed in a long, flowing midnight blue dress, her long blonde hair scooped away from her face.

"Luna?" Hermione gasped as Harry goggled at the girl from beside her.

"Oh – hello, Hermione." Luna said airily, smiling at her, "Hello Harry..." she added, and Hermione dug an elbow into Harry's ribs and he promptly shut his mouth, shot Ron an impressed look then greeted Luna.

"Hey, nice to see you."

Luna smiled vaguely at them then touched Ron's arm.

"Ronald, shall we get some drinks?" she asked, he nodded.

"See you later," he called over his shoulder to Hermione and Harry.  They watched the couple's retreating backs, Ron's hand resting on the small of Luna's back.  Harry shook his head lightly.

"That was... odd," he said finally,

"Hmm." Hermione murmured in reply, her attention somewhat distracted by a certain flash of blonde.  Tearing her eyes away from the back of Malfoy's head she grabbed Harry's hand.

"Shall we go dance?" She said brightly as the band started up a slow, opening song, and they wandered onto the already bustling clear section of grass that was the dance-floor.  Hermione melted into Harry's embrace, her head fitting snugly under his chin; they swayed in time with the music.  The sky was darkening but the cherry trees were still shedding their blossom, and it fluttered across the floor in the light evening breeze.  Harry dropped his head slightly, so his mouth was at Hermione's ear then whispered.

"Thank you for coming with me,"

"Thank you for asking me," Hermione replied smiling, "This is the perfect night to end it all isn't it,"

"It doesn't all have to end," Harry said quietly, she felt her cheeks get hot,

"– school I meant," she blurted, then shut her mouth stupidly. 

"I know Hermione – it's just..." Harry began softly but stopped abruptly as someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"May I cut in?" Ron grinned, Harry chuckled and nodded, passing Hermione into his arms, "I'll go and get a drink," he said heading towards the laden food table.  Hermione smiled at Ron,

"Last dance we'll ever share at Hogwarts,"

"I know, sad isn't it? Ah well, we've still got all those lovely New Year parties at The Burrow," he said with a laugh.  After a few songs, Ron pulled back and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"Thanks for the dance Hermione, I better find Luna now," he squeezed her hand lightly, then struggled away through the swirling couples.  Hermione turned to leave the dance-floor when someone swept her into their exceptionally strong hold.

"Harry! I – oh," Her words died as she saw who she was dancing with.  She opened her mouth to speak but Draco beat her to it,

"I forgive you."

"You – uh – WHAT?" she said a lot more loudly than she had intended, causing several couples to look curiously in their direction, Lavender Brown draped over Seamus Finnagan stared at Hermione's partner and hissed,

"Hermione – what are you doing?"

Hermione forced a smile which turned out as more of a grimace,

"Oh, well, you know, time to move on from old hates, you know." She muttered through her bared teeth, Lavender raised her eyebrows then looked away.  "What did you say?" Hermione growled at Draco,

"I said – I forgive you." He replied composedly, Hermione's eyes flashed dangerously and as she glared at him she didn't feel any of the simmering lust that he usually induced in her.  He looked so much like 'old Draco' his hair was slicked back, she missed the cherubic curls, his face was pale, the pink patches that were usually present when they were together were missing, Hermione swallowed.

"I don't remember doing anything to be forgiven for." She said in a deadly calm voice.  Draco shot her a look that said 'Yeah, right' then grinned as if she was joking,

"Alright, I know you're stubborn," he said, "You look fucking sexy tonight Granger," he murmured into her ear, letting his lips graze the skin below the lobe.  Hermione jerked back, she pulled herself out of his grip.

"Whatever we had – is over Draco, you know that." She hissed angrily.  Draco's eyes widened slightly, but he caught himself just in time, and narrowed them to slits.  He stared hard at her for a long minute, expecting her to wilt, to fly at him to hit or kiss him, not expecting her to softly whisper, "I'm sorry," and turn her back on him.

Hermione rushed away through the couples, and reached the edge of the dance-floor, spotting a deserted path she went to speed up it, when someone grabbed her arm.

"It's over Draco – I told you," she said, her voice cracking slightly.  She tried to wrench her arm free but the person spun her round and catching sight of him, she fell against his chest.

"I'm sorry Harry," she sniffed.  Harry's hand automatically smoothed her hair, and led her to sit down beneath on of the cherry trees.

"It's okay," he murmured, but Hermione pulled herself away from him and shook her head.

"No – it's not.  I hurt you, I hurt Malfoy, I hurt me." Hermione said, a tear trickling down her cheek, Harry cupped her face with his hand and brushed it away with his thumb.  Staring into her deep chocolate eyes, on instinct, impulse even, he moved tantalisingly slowly, his face nearing hers, his lips nearing hers, until they touched.  The kiss was light, their lips barely brushing, Harry opened his eyes and searched Hermione's questioningly – in answer, Hermione's hand stroked through his shiny raven hair, brushing out a few stray petals, then tangled in it, and pulled his mouth to hers.  His tongue swept her bottom lip, requesting entrance and instantly the kiss deepened, their tongues duelling, wanting to find out everything they didn't know about each other, the tiny secrets even best friends didn't share.  Harry's lips left her mouth and planted a trail of kisses from the corner of her mouth to just below her ear.

"More than friends?" he whispered, Hermione grinned.

"More than friends." She agreed, kissing him again.

Later that night after endless dancing in the now pitch darkness punctured only by the sparkle of the fairies, glittering in the trees like fallen stars.  Hermione and Harry were wrapped together on the dance-floor, amongst the last couples to remain, many had left in tears – to sad about the end of their time at Hogwarts, many had left hand in hand to occupy the endless rosebushes around the back of the castle, but the ones that remained were dancing, or sitting around beneath the trees reminiscing about the past seven years.  Leaving the dance-floor Harry and Hermione sank into seats amongst a large group of their friends, mostly from Gryffindor, they were remembering the Weasley twins' infamous departure in fifth year, laughing heartily at Ron's animated reliving of the incident, Hermione's eyes swept the remaining students.  They landed on a short, frilly dress, Pansy.  She was tugging impatiently on Draco's arm, Draco's eyes were sweeping the orchard in a way not unlike Hermione's had been a moment before.  They locked onto hers.  For a long second, something seemed to pass between them, then Harry, still in mid-guffaw draped his arm casually across Hermione's shoulders and planted a kiss to her temple.  Draco's jaw clenched, then relaxed slightly and he inclined his head in what was – defeat? – acceptance? Hermione gave him a tiny smile, which he returned.  Then with a lingering look at each other they turned to their respective partners.  Draco let himself be dragged away by a screeched Pansy and Hermione leant happily against Harry's chest and joined in a sing song of Weasley Is Our King.

The End