*ANOTHER flash back* I must admit, I am found of them.
It was a stainy, dusty night. Hermione would much rather lie on her bed pretending to sleep, but she had stumbled out a 'yes' to Dean and she was going to keep it. Like most everyone else she had asked her parents to fly in her old dress robes. Some kids ordered their parents to buy new ones, some already had spares ready. Most of the younger classmen who didn't have old dress robes from before were just going in their normal ones. Maude was furious about this, but there wasn't much she could do but snip at them.
Hermione looked at herself the long mirror Pavarti hung up beside her bed. She examined her appearance for the first time in quite a while. It was ok she thought. Her robes were just a bit short, and tighter across the chest from before. She guessed she was acceptable. Since this was a semi-formal ball she didn't go through the trouble of straightening her hair. She knew there must be a simple, magical way to straighten it; she just hadn't found it yet. "I hate my hair." It was a little wet, as she had tried to calm it down a bit. It worked alright, her hair didn't look as frizzy as normal. But still, she didn't think she was pretty enough. And she knew why she thought this was so important. "God!" She straightened her dress out nervously. She knew Dean was in the common room, probably anxious since she was incredibly late. The ball already started. "Ok, ok." She summoned up her will. 'He's going to be there.' She ignored herself. 'I'm being stupid.' She pushed her hand down the front of her dress again, trying to fix nonexistent wrinkles. It was like she was obsessed with the image in the mirror. "OK, now I have to go."
The door opened. Draco sighed. "Draco!"
"I told you to go away."
"I can't believe you'll miss this!"
He turned his head to look at her. Pansy was standing in his dormitory door with newly bought robes. They were red and fell a bit lower than normal on her neckline. He didn't see why, it's not like she had a chest. "I'm going to say this as slow as possible. Go-A-Way."
She ignored him and huffled over to his bed being extremely annoyed. "The ball's started. It's really nice--no, it's pleasant!" She waited. He shifted so she was looking at his backside. "Uh! Draco!" she screeched, pulling his shoulder roughly so he was thrown back to looking at her. "Listen to me! Get up and go to the ball right now!"
"What's so hard about this? NO."
"Exactly: what's so hard about this? It would really mean a lot to me if you came."
"Well…NO."
Pansy tried a new tactic. She knelt down so she was balanced on her ankles. "Hermione will be there," she said in a heinous voice, full of wicked pleasure. "Don't you want to see Hermione?" she asked, if talking to a young child. She ran her fingers up Draco's neck, feeling a chill run up them. "Maybe you can snag a snog. You know, I'm sure you'd love to defile you're pureblood mouth," she said in a very matter-of-fact way. Draco waved her hand off him, roughly. Pansy sneered. "I'd think you would be the last to betray blood."
"I don't," he said through gritted teeth, failing to block her out.
"Oh sure," she said very sarcastically. She started playing with his slicked back hair, messing up the ends. "Maybe I'll just get me a Mudblood. Sport the thing around." She felt a faint sign of heat from his neck. Considering Draco was very cold, she was surprised, and spitefully satisfied, to see he was so angry. "Oh, don't be so uptight. You know I could never get near one of those things." In a flash Draco turned around and shoved her off him. Pansy fell of her ankles and her elbows caught her just before she hit the floor. They stared at each other, equally surprised. After the shock wore off, Pansy got to her feet and spat, rather uncharacteristically at the foot of his bed. "Fine. Be a blood traitor. I don't give a damn. You can go to Gryffindor for all I care." She stopped out, the heels clicking loudly. She stopped, pausing at the door. "Weasley," she said coolly.
Draco turned back around, trying to think of something other than what she had said. An insult like 'Weasley' cut right into him.
"Wow," Hermione gasped. 'Maude did a really good job…for last minute.'
"You want to dance?" Dean asked.
"Huh? Oh, no. I mean not right now. I'm-I-I need to sit down."
"Already?"
"It was a long walk here."
"Ok." Dean led them to a table with Seamus and Lavender. She had just assumed she was going to sit with Ron and Harry, but she could compromise for now. She sat down, not thinking.
"Hermione!" She looked up at Ron running over, his date dragging behind him. Mandy Brocklehurst from Ravenclaw. She waved sheepishly as Ron stopped in front of them. He nodded acknowledgingly to the rest and then spoke to Hermione. "Glad you decided you'd come some time during the night."
"Why thank you," she said sarcastically. She noticed Ron was wearing a much better pair of dress robes than he did in fourth year. "Where's Harry?"
"Off with Cho," he said, rolling his eyes.
"Oh, right."
Ron noticed the strange look in Hermione's eyes. "What's up?"
"Nothing."
"You look nice," said Ron, almost saying 'you look decent,' which probably wouldn't be very well appreciated.
"Thanks." Ron tried to say his welcome, but Mandy pulled him away and he merely waved a goodbye.
Hermione looked down at the table. She knew who she'd like to be here with. Astonishingly, her eyes were brimming with tears as she looked into the candlelight. She quickly forced them away, but pondered on why she'd be so moved.
"Marcus? That's surprising." Pansy turned away from her date.
"Oh, Draco," she said coolly. "You didn't bother to wear dress robes?"
"I'm not the only one. Anyways, I just came to say 'hi,'" he said, awkwardly on the last note.
"Hi."
"…Yeah, well."
He turned but Pansy jerked his shoulder back. "You're not getting off that easy. Why would you come all the way down here?"
"Nice walk."
"Really?" she said, humoring him.
"Absolutely. Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to be late for my walk back."
"Why don't you do that," Flint said, turning Pansy back to face him.
"Oh, sod off." She caught Draco who tried to sneak out when her back was turned away. "If you came here for me, your own kind, here I am. If you came to disgrace the name of 'Malfoy,' she's over there." Pansy indicated a group of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. Hermione was dancing uncomfortably with Dean. Draco, despite himself, felt his eyes narrow. He felt Pansy's eyes on him. Disgrace the name of Malfoy…
"Dean?"
"Yeah?"
"I, er-" Hermione's eyes flew past his head to a couple dancing to a slow song, played by the band Better Than Banshees. Draco and Pansy. Her heart jumped, and immediately she noted they were too close. "I need drinks," she said, as if he had slapped her. She noticed her tone and added gently, "Be right back." She pushed past people, as if she had been embarrassed, towards the drinks. Was she surprised? No…It was just, even if she shouldn't, and even if it was completely unreasonable…she still hurt a little bit.
She took a pumpkin juice and starred at it, not really seeing it.
"Hello." She didn't pay attention to the voice; it was probably for someone else. She was right, the voice and someone else started talking about their dates to each other.
"Hello," she heard someone else say. Hermione continued to stare at the orange liquid rippling about in her cup. She glared at it, smiled, and then readopted her lost look. So many things were going through her head and she barely heard any of them. "Hello."
'If I want to be honest with myself I-'
Hermione almost spilled her drink, but she couldn't move with shock. Someone's hand was lifting her chin softly. She looked up. "Hello," he said again.
"Hello," she said after a short pause. She didn't really know what she was saying; she just mimicked the noise he made.
"Look, Hermione. I just want to say-"
"Hermione?" The two of them looked over at Dean. Draco immediately took a step away from her. "What's going on? Is he giving you trouble?"
"No, I was leaving-" she said quickly, trying to desert the scene.
"What's this?" Pansy's harsh voice came calling. Dean looked over at Pansy, confused.
"I was just leaving," Hermione repeated.
"Hermione was he hassling you?" Dean asked as she approached him. "Look, you've got no right calling people stuff like that," he shot at Draco.
"Oh, back off," Draco retorted, planning to go back to the tower, angry with the evening.
"No! You've got no right-"
"Shut up," Pansy hissed.
"No."
"Dean," Hermione nagged, gently. "Let's let it go."
"No, I won't."
Draco turned to face Dean. "What are you going to do?" he asked in a mock-excited voice. "Duel? Muggle Duel? Whine all night?"
Dean meant as if to push Draco but Hermione pulled his robes, making him step back. "Come on, Dean!" she said, force in every word. "They're not worth it."
As Dean turned around Draco snapped and pushed Dean so he almost fell over. A few people noticed and backed away as Dean turned around. Dean was about to respond but Hermione growled and grabbed him again. "NO! Malfoy, I'll report this."
"Oh, I'm scared."
"I don't care. Come on, Dean. He's just being stupid. Slytherins aren't up to human intelligence."
Pansy stuck her tongue out as the two left. Normally, Hermione wouldn't have cared, but she felt as if Pansy was gloated like she had won something.
a/n-THE ORDER OF PHEONIX! Woo! I had to go all over the place at like 12 to get that, the lines were crazy sick and the first store I went to LIED about their "limitless" supply…damn bastards. Anyways since this isn't professional, it's just for a bit of fun, I'm not really going to try and make drastic changes so it fits Book 5 better. Maybe when I look over the whole thing (when it's finally done) I'll tweak a few things here and there. Plus I think Flint has already graduated according to this being their 6th year, but eh.
But it's sooo good, especially since all o' them are acting like they are actually teenagers! Finally, I mean he was 14 and afraid of girls, it was getting weird. But now he's all moody and like 'get away from me' and shit, which is cool in its own way. I'm rambling. My book version of Harry is finally back, book version is so hot. I'm replacing the movie version of Draco with the book version though, defiantly, book version is ugly. Like a white bat.
And I'm again sorry. There's been a continuing case of writer's block.