Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any characters contained within
this story, J. K. Rowling does, and she kicks ass, so I wouldn't steal her
stuff from her.
Chapter 3: Surprise
"Hermione, you'll take his breath away!" Ginny sighed as Hermione twirled around her room in her new robes. Her robe was navy blue velvet and her hair was straightened and highlighted, giving her entire face a shimmer.
"And whose breath do you mean?" she beamed at Ginny. She fluffed her hair and giggled.
Ginny sighed again. "Any man in there. You look absolutely gorgeous. You are irresistible."
Hermione pulled Ginny off of her bed and spun her around so her green robes spun out around her and the little wisps of hair she left down tickled her face. "There's one man whose eyes will be on only you tonight. I could never take his gaze off of your body, no matter how hard I might try." Ginny's mouth dropped. "Not that I would!" Hermione said quickly. "I'm just saying!"
Ginny laughed. "I know, I'm just yanking you." Ginny smoothed out her robes and checked her hair in Hermione's mirror. "Do you really think that he'll like the way I look? It's so different."
There was a soft knock at the door that interrupted their conversation. Hermione opened the door and standing out in the common room were Harry and Seamus, beaming and waiting for their dates. "Harry and Seamus are outside," Hermione turned and said to Ginny. "It's time to go."
As Ginny walked out the door Seamus took her arm and began to pin a flower to her robes. "You look stunning, Ginny. I'm really glad you agreed to go with me."
Ginny smiled. "I'm glad you asked." She looked around the common room. "Where's Ron?"
Harry just laughed. "He's still putting his robes on. You know, he has to look perfect, and of course make a grand entrance ten minutes after everything's going." They started to file out of the common room and headed down to the Great Hall where they could already hear that the party was in full swing.
Hermione laughed. "Why did he decide not to bring a date this year? I don't understand his motivations for anything anymore." Seamus and Harry just looked at her in disbelief. "What?" she asked.
"Lavender almost killed him at last year's Yule Ball," Harry said. "I think he danced with every girl there at least once. He's turned into quite the gentleman and every girl wanted to dance with him. So as not to anger another date, he decided to go by himself so he can dance with whomever he chooses."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "My brother the Don Juan. Who would have ever thought that a Weasley would be the man of every girl's dreams?"
"Not I," Hermione said as they walked into the Great Hall. Almost every head in the hall turned to look at the foursome as they entered and made their way to their assigned dinner table. Hermione had no doubt in her mind that everyone was talking about her and Harry and whether or not they were back together. She smiled in spite of herself.
The four sat down to dinner and began talking vibrantly about classes and Quidditch. Whenever the subject arose Hermione was teased relentlessly about her short fling with Viktor Krum, a professional Quidditch player, back in her fourth year. All of a sudden the room went quiet.
Hermione, Ginny, Harry, and Seamus looked to the door to see what was going on. Hermione began choking and Ginny's eyes filled with tears as she covered her mouth. "That isn't." Harry began.
"Ron!" some second year girl shrieked over the silence. Girls began murmuring and fanning themselves with their napkins and Ron walked over to Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Seamus, winking and nodding to different girls as he went. He looked positively like Gilderoy Lockhart, a professor from their second year that every woman in the wizarding world was crazy for, to Hermione. His red hair was swept back and his robes were so silver they almost sparkled.
He flashed the table a smile. "Good evening everyone," he said taking his seat for the meal. "I trust you've been having a good time so far."
"What on Earth are you doing Ron," Ginny asked, completely dumbfounded by her brother and his ridiculous new outfit. "You look like a nancy-boy wizard!"
"You look like Lockhart!" Hermione blurted.
Ron smiled again. "And doesn't everyone love it." They all rolled their eyes and went back to their plates, each trying to stifle their laughs.
Hermione couldn't stand it anymore and stood up. "Harry," she said. "Would you like to dance?" She held out her hand to him. He took it and stood up, whisking her out onto the dance floor. They began to move gracefully around the room drawing the attention of everyone away from Ron. "I couldn't sit there with him anymore," she giggled into Harry's shoulder. "He looks like Lockhart!"
Harry smiled down at her and brushed his hand through her hair. "If I remember correctly, you had one massive crush on Lockhart our second year."
She blushed deeply remembering her innocent crush on the professor. "I was young," she said. "I didn't have any real feelings for him. He was just good looking." Harry nodded and held back a light laugh. "Besides, you were the only man that had my true heart back then."
"And now?" he asked as he dipped her to the music. The crowd began to whisper.
"And now you're the greatest man I've ever been able to call my friend." She looked up into his eyes. It surprised her to see them shining back at her.
He smiled and kissed her cheek. "I think I can live with that answer," he whispered into her ear. "I hope you find someone worthy of your love and your heart. And if anyone every hurts you, I'll hex them, I promise."
Forgetting the etiquette of the evening, she threw her head back and let out a deep laugh. "Thanks, Harry," she said wiping away tears of laughter. "I'll hold you to that one." As the next song started up she saw Ron ask a sixth year girl to dance. "Hey, Ron's left the table, let's go sit back down for a minute and talk some more." They walked back to the table and sat down with Ginny and Seamus.
"You guys looked like you were having fun out there," Ginny smiled. "I'm supposing you were keeping away from Ron the pimp or whatever he's trying to be." Hermione raised her eyebrows and nodded. "I don't know what's gotten into him. Seventh year guys are mental."
"Hey!" Harry and Seamus said in unison looking at her indignantly.
She rolled her eyes and looked at Hermione. "I stand by my comment."
Hermione looked out over the dance floor; she saw Ron and another girl dancing wildly. She inwardly shook her head at his antics. Then she saw him across the room. His eyes were locked on hers although he was dancing with his own date, some Slytherin girl whose name she couldn't recall. A wave of jealousy washed over her; she remembered how he must have felt when she told him that she was going to the Ball with Harry. She didn't want to think about it, so she turned back to the conversation about how ridiculous Ron looked. "Hermione," Ginny interrupted. "Come with me to get something to drink." They both rose from their chairs and turned towards the punch table, manned by Professors Sprout and Snape.
"I can get you girls something," Seamus said, standing up.
"That's alright, we've got it," Ginny said. She held tightly to Hermione's hand as they walked up to the table. "I think I'm going to be sick," she whispered to Hermione.
Hermione just looked at her. "Calm down, he's not going to disembowel you or something in the middle of Yule Ball."
Ginny just looked at her. "Hermione, that's gross."
"Hello Miss Granger, Miss Weasley," Professor Sprout said as they reached the table. "I trust you and your dates are having a good time?"
Hermione smiled brightly. "Oh yes, Professor Sprout. Everything has turned out wonderfully. I'm so glad you both agreed to help out."
Professor Snape just sneered. "Have some punch," he said handing a cup to Ginny. Her insides turned to knots as she took the cup from him and her fingers brushed his.
"Thank you," she managed to squeak out.
Hermione turned around and looked out across the dance floor again. She saw him again; he was coming towards the table. Quickly she ran her hands through her hair and pressed her lips together to make sure her lipstick was ok. "Here we go," she thought as he walked up to her.
"Granger," he said with a smirk.
"Malfoy," she sneered back. Their eyes locked and she saw past the hardened outer shell that everyone else was so accustomed to. She hated keeping up the charade of loathing and contempt, but it was the only way, in both of their eyes. "What do you want?"
His lip curled as he looked her up and down. "I want." he faltered. "I want to." He dropped his head and his smirk, when he looked up at her again he was the Draco she knew from their late night rendezvous, the Draco no one else knew. Her face went white. "I want to apologize for all of the nasty things that I've said to you over the past seven years," he said in a slightly raised voice.
"What are you doing," she whispered, her eyes growing wide.
"I know I've told you time and again that I'm sorry," he said even louder. "I tell you every night before you leave. And I know that you say it's ok. But isn't." People were beginning to look over in the direction of the punch table. Draco's voice was getting louder with each sentence. "You should never put down someone you love, even if they tell you to." The entire room was silent. The music stopped and every eye was on Draco and Hermione. Her face had lost all color, and if she had tried to silence him it would have been impossible, her feet wouldn't move and she was incapable of vocal expression. "Hermione," he practically yelled. "I love you, and I don't care who knows!" She all but fainted at his outward expression of love for her. "If you let me, I will try to make it up to you, for the rest of my life."
Hermione gasped and her hand flew to her mouth as Draco dropped to one knee. He drew a box out of his robe and opened it, holding it out to her. "Hermione Granger, will you marry me and I will try to make you the happiest woman in the wizarding and muggle worlds."
The sparkle of the diamond reflected in Hermione's eyes. The entire school held their collective breath, waiting for her response. Tears began to stream down her face. "You already have, Draco, you already have." She sniffled and smiled brightly. "Yes, I'll marry you!"
For the first time in all of their lives, they saw Draco smile, a real smile, as tears began to fall down his own face. He took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto Hermione's hand. "Thank you," he said. He stood up and kissed her deeply. Then he swept her up into his arms and spun her around.
"The future Mr. and Mrs. Draco Malfoy!" Dumbledore said standing up and clapping loudly. Unsure of what else to do, the entire student body stood up and began to cheer wildly.
Harry's mouth was hanging open back at the table and Ginny sobbed tears of joy for her best friend. Ron at some point had hit the floor and was revived in time to see Hermione and Draco holding each other tightly.
Chapter 3: Surprise
"Hermione, you'll take his breath away!" Ginny sighed as Hermione twirled around her room in her new robes. Her robe was navy blue velvet and her hair was straightened and highlighted, giving her entire face a shimmer.
"And whose breath do you mean?" she beamed at Ginny. She fluffed her hair and giggled.
Ginny sighed again. "Any man in there. You look absolutely gorgeous. You are irresistible."
Hermione pulled Ginny off of her bed and spun her around so her green robes spun out around her and the little wisps of hair she left down tickled her face. "There's one man whose eyes will be on only you tonight. I could never take his gaze off of your body, no matter how hard I might try." Ginny's mouth dropped. "Not that I would!" Hermione said quickly. "I'm just saying!"
Ginny laughed. "I know, I'm just yanking you." Ginny smoothed out her robes and checked her hair in Hermione's mirror. "Do you really think that he'll like the way I look? It's so different."
There was a soft knock at the door that interrupted their conversation. Hermione opened the door and standing out in the common room were Harry and Seamus, beaming and waiting for their dates. "Harry and Seamus are outside," Hermione turned and said to Ginny. "It's time to go."
As Ginny walked out the door Seamus took her arm and began to pin a flower to her robes. "You look stunning, Ginny. I'm really glad you agreed to go with me."
Ginny smiled. "I'm glad you asked." She looked around the common room. "Where's Ron?"
Harry just laughed. "He's still putting his robes on. You know, he has to look perfect, and of course make a grand entrance ten minutes after everything's going." They started to file out of the common room and headed down to the Great Hall where they could already hear that the party was in full swing.
Hermione laughed. "Why did he decide not to bring a date this year? I don't understand his motivations for anything anymore." Seamus and Harry just looked at her in disbelief. "What?" she asked.
"Lavender almost killed him at last year's Yule Ball," Harry said. "I think he danced with every girl there at least once. He's turned into quite the gentleman and every girl wanted to dance with him. So as not to anger another date, he decided to go by himself so he can dance with whomever he chooses."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "My brother the Don Juan. Who would have ever thought that a Weasley would be the man of every girl's dreams?"
"Not I," Hermione said as they walked into the Great Hall. Almost every head in the hall turned to look at the foursome as they entered and made their way to their assigned dinner table. Hermione had no doubt in her mind that everyone was talking about her and Harry and whether or not they were back together. She smiled in spite of herself.
The four sat down to dinner and began talking vibrantly about classes and Quidditch. Whenever the subject arose Hermione was teased relentlessly about her short fling with Viktor Krum, a professional Quidditch player, back in her fourth year. All of a sudden the room went quiet.
Hermione, Ginny, Harry, and Seamus looked to the door to see what was going on. Hermione began choking and Ginny's eyes filled with tears as she covered her mouth. "That isn't." Harry began.
"Ron!" some second year girl shrieked over the silence. Girls began murmuring and fanning themselves with their napkins and Ron walked over to Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Seamus, winking and nodding to different girls as he went. He looked positively like Gilderoy Lockhart, a professor from their second year that every woman in the wizarding world was crazy for, to Hermione. His red hair was swept back and his robes were so silver they almost sparkled.
He flashed the table a smile. "Good evening everyone," he said taking his seat for the meal. "I trust you've been having a good time so far."
"What on Earth are you doing Ron," Ginny asked, completely dumbfounded by her brother and his ridiculous new outfit. "You look like a nancy-boy wizard!"
"You look like Lockhart!" Hermione blurted.
Ron smiled again. "And doesn't everyone love it." They all rolled their eyes and went back to their plates, each trying to stifle their laughs.
Hermione couldn't stand it anymore and stood up. "Harry," she said. "Would you like to dance?" She held out her hand to him. He took it and stood up, whisking her out onto the dance floor. They began to move gracefully around the room drawing the attention of everyone away from Ron. "I couldn't sit there with him anymore," she giggled into Harry's shoulder. "He looks like Lockhart!"
Harry smiled down at her and brushed his hand through her hair. "If I remember correctly, you had one massive crush on Lockhart our second year."
She blushed deeply remembering her innocent crush on the professor. "I was young," she said. "I didn't have any real feelings for him. He was just good looking." Harry nodded and held back a light laugh. "Besides, you were the only man that had my true heart back then."
"And now?" he asked as he dipped her to the music. The crowd began to whisper.
"And now you're the greatest man I've ever been able to call my friend." She looked up into his eyes. It surprised her to see them shining back at her.
He smiled and kissed her cheek. "I think I can live with that answer," he whispered into her ear. "I hope you find someone worthy of your love and your heart. And if anyone every hurts you, I'll hex them, I promise."
Forgetting the etiquette of the evening, she threw her head back and let out a deep laugh. "Thanks, Harry," she said wiping away tears of laughter. "I'll hold you to that one." As the next song started up she saw Ron ask a sixth year girl to dance. "Hey, Ron's left the table, let's go sit back down for a minute and talk some more." They walked back to the table and sat down with Ginny and Seamus.
"You guys looked like you were having fun out there," Ginny smiled. "I'm supposing you were keeping away from Ron the pimp or whatever he's trying to be." Hermione raised her eyebrows and nodded. "I don't know what's gotten into him. Seventh year guys are mental."
"Hey!" Harry and Seamus said in unison looking at her indignantly.
She rolled her eyes and looked at Hermione. "I stand by my comment."
Hermione looked out over the dance floor; she saw Ron and another girl dancing wildly. She inwardly shook her head at his antics. Then she saw him across the room. His eyes were locked on hers although he was dancing with his own date, some Slytherin girl whose name she couldn't recall. A wave of jealousy washed over her; she remembered how he must have felt when she told him that she was going to the Ball with Harry. She didn't want to think about it, so she turned back to the conversation about how ridiculous Ron looked. "Hermione," Ginny interrupted. "Come with me to get something to drink." They both rose from their chairs and turned towards the punch table, manned by Professors Sprout and Snape.
"I can get you girls something," Seamus said, standing up.
"That's alright, we've got it," Ginny said. She held tightly to Hermione's hand as they walked up to the table. "I think I'm going to be sick," she whispered to Hermione.
Hermione just looked at her. "Calm down, he's not going to disembowel you or something in the middle of Yule Ball."
Ginny just looked at her. "Hermione, that's gross."
"Hello Miss Granger, Miss Weasley," Professor Sprout said as they reached the table. "I trust you and your dates are having a good time?"
Hermione smiled brightly. "Oh yes, Professor Sprout. Everything has turned out wonderfully. I'm so glad you both agreed to help out."
Professor Snape just sneered. "Have some punch," he said handing a cup to Ginny. Her insides turned to knots as she took the cup from him and her fingers brushed his.
"Thank you," she managed to squeak out.
Hermione turned around and looked out across the dance floor again. She saw him again; he was coming towards the table. Quickly she ran her hands through her hair and pressed her lips together to make sure her lipstick was ok. "Here we go," she thought as he walked up to her.
"Granger," he said with a smirk.
"Malfoy," she sneered back. Their eyes locked and she saw past the hardened outer shell that everyone else was so accustomed to. She hated keeping up the charade of loathing and contempt, but it was the only way, in both of their eyes. "What do you want?"
His lip curled as he looked her up and down. "I want." he faltered. "I want to." He dropped his head and his smirk, when he looked up at her again he was the Draco she knew from their late night rendezvous, the Draco no one else knew. Her face went white. "I want to apologize for all of the nasty things that I've said to you over the past seven years," he said in a slightly raised voice.
"What are you doing," she whispered, her eyes growing wide.
"I know I've told you time and again that I'm sorry," he said even louder. "I tell you every night before you leave. And I know that you say it's ok. But isn't." People were beginning to look over in the direction of the punch table. Draco's voice was getting louder with each sentence. "You should never put down someone you love, even if they tell you to." The entire room was silent. The music stopped and every eye was on Draco and Hermione. Her face had lost all color, and if she had tried to silence him it would have been impossible, her feet wouldn't move and she was incapable of vocal expression. "Hermione," he practically yelled. "I love you, and I don't care who knows!" She all but fainted at his outward expression of love for her. "If you let me, I will try to make it up to you, for the rest of my life."
Hermione gasped and her hand flew to her mouth as Draco dropped to one knee. He drew a box out of his robe and opened it, holding it out to her. "Hermione Granger, will you marry me and I will try to make you the happiest woman in the wizarding and muggle worlds."
The sparkle of the diamond reflected in Hermione's eyes. The entire school held their collective breath, waiting for her response. Tears began to stream down her face. "You already have, Draco, you already have." She sniffled and smiled brightly. "Yes, I'll marry you!"
For the first time in all of their lives, they saw Draco smile, a real smile, as tears began to fall down his own face. He took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto Hermione's hand. "Thank you," he said. He stood up and kissed her deeply. Then he swept her up into his arms and spun her around.
"The future Mr. and Mrs. Draco Malfoy!" Dumbledore said standing up and clapping loudly. Unsure of what else to do, the entire student body stood up and began to cheer wildly.
Harry's mouth was hanging open back at the table and Ginny sobbed tears of joy for her best friend. Ron at some point had hit the floor and was revived in time to see Hermione and Draco holding each other tightly.