Just a day,
Just an ordinary day.
Just tryin' to get by.
The Great Hall was crowded as Hermione walked in. She looked around her for familiar faces, which were plenty, but they didn't seem to acknowledge her as she tried to greet them. She smoothed her dress before sitting on a chair near a large space that was being used as a dance floor. Several students were dancing, all dressed in their best robes and dresses. It was a beautiful night; the stars were shining brightly through the enchanted ceiling, and candles lit the large hall from their places in the candlesticks that floated high above the student's heads. Music was playing, but Hermione couldn't find the source.
No one seemed to notice her, they were all busy either dancing or talking to their friends. She could see Harry and Ron nearby, but they didn't give any sign of recognition when she tried to get their attention.
She wanted to dance, but something seemed to make her legs useless, and she couldn't leave her seat near the dance floor. Besides, there wasn't anyone who seemed free to dance with her, so Hermione sighed and resigned herself to a night of loneliness and utter boredom.
Just a boy,
Just an ordinary boy.
But he was looking to the sky.
She gazed around her, looking for something to occupy herself with, and she spotted a boy on the other side of the hall, the only other person that was alone and not dancing. She stared, unable to clearly see the boy due to all the people blocking her view.
She kept on looking and craning her neck, tried her hardest to see the boy's face, but no matter what she did, there always seemed to be someone or something blocking her view and she couldn't get up and go closer to the boy.
Suddenly, the students parted, and Hermione had a clear view of the boy. She noticed with a shock that it was Draco Malfoy, her rival and enemy ever since her first year at Hogwarts; who was lounging against a wall. Hermione quickly looked away, afraid that Draco had seen her staring at him, but when she looked back at him again, she realized that he was gazing up at the stars.
She continued looking at him, more out of boredom than anything else, as the other students danced.
After a few seconds, the object of Hermione's interest abruptly looked down and straight into her eyes. Her insides contracted in embarrassment, and a faint blush momentarily stained her cheeks. She wanted to look away, but she didn't want to give Malfoy the satisfaction of knowing that he had ruffled her feathers.
So she continued looking straight at Draco, and he at her, the students moving unheeded around them.
The staring contest continued for a few minutes, until a whirling couple broke Hermione's concentration. Once the two students had moved away, she was slightly surprised and even a bit disappointed when she saw that Draco had disappeared.
She heaved a deep sigh and looked at her nails in search of something else to occupy her mind. She wasn't used to just sitting and watching something without anything to occupy herself with.
As she looked down she realized that she was wearing a red velvet gown, with gold lace on the cuffs of her sleeves, something that she didn't remember putting on or buying. She frowned in puzzlement, until an unexpected voice intruded her thoughts.
And as he asked if I would come along
"May I have this dance?"
Hermione looked up in astonishment at the owner of the voice as Draco Malfoy was looking down at her, a question in his eyes and his hand extended in offering.
I started to realize-
That everyday he finds
Just what he's looking for,
Hermione was about to refuse, saying that she didn't dance with snobs. But she remembered that this was Malfoy that she was talking to, and after all the years that she had known him, she should know that no one refused Draco Malfoy.
Like a shooting star he shines
He stood there waiting for Hermione's answer, his pale skin and hair contrasting with his black clothes making him stand out from the rest of the students in the hall.
Hermione racked her brains for an excuse not to dance with him, and she finally remembered that her legs didn't work and she couldn't walk.
"I'm sorry Malfoy, but I can't walk." Said Hermione with mock sincerity.
He said take my hand,
Live while you can
Don't you see your dreams lie right in the palm of your hand.
"I'm not asking you to walk, Granger. I'm asking you to dance. Can't you just let down your bushy hair and relax?" Replied Draco with a smirk as he grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled up from her place.
Once he had grasped her hand, Hermione was surprised to find that her legs could work and she followed Draco as he led her to the middle of the dance floor.
He twirled her around before wrapping his other arm around her waist. She hesitated for a second, but in the end she decided to throw all caution to the wind and she rested her other had on Draco's shoulder and started dancing. As they began to dance, Hermione realized that the feeling of neglect she had when she entered the hall had begun to quickly leave her the minute Malfoy had held her hand. He was a good dancer, she admitted, as they moved around the other couples, his moves smooth as they moved in the steps of a dance Hermione hadn't performed since her fourth year.
And as he spoke, he spoke ordinary words
Although they did not feel
"What are you thinking about?" Inquired Draco, pulling Hermione out of her thoughts.
"Just wondering where all this came from." She answered, and turned her head in the general direction of the students around them. "I don't even remember that a ball was going to be held, I don't even remember buying a dress. It feels like a dream."
"It might be a dream," Replied Draco smoothly as he turned her. "But then again, it might not. Why should it concern you? Live for the moment, don't worry about these things." There was a smile in his eyes as he dipped her, and Hermione laughed.
She hadn't had this much fun when she danced at the Yule Ball with Victor.
For I felt what I had not felt before
You'd swear those words could heal.
As she returned to his arms, she felt warm when his arm wrapped around her waist. This feeling of warmth and security was something she hadn't felt for a long time, not even with her best friends, Harry and Ron.
"You think too much. Look at the mark your frowning left you." Said Draco, smoothing Hermione's forehead where her brow was furrowed in thought. She quickly moved her eyes back to Draco's face when he had touched her, surprised at the unexpected contact with her face. "I don't know why you want to spend your time working and studying, keeping your face buried in a book. You're a beautiful girl, you shouldn't hide it."
Hermione was surprised at this admission. Did Draco Malfoy really think that she was beautiful?
"What makes you think that I'm such a pretty face?" She asked light heartedly, certain that Malfoy would reply with a stinging barb.
He laughed and said, "You can't hide it. Your face has that child-like look to it that makes people want to protect you from harm. And the fact that your teeth don't look like a beaver's anymore helps."
Hermione gasped with the two-sided comment, and lightly hit his shoulder with her hand, but laughed along with him. But she felt glad that someone thought that she was beautiful, and she asked him, "Do you want to protect me?"
She looked straight into his eyes, and noticed for the first time that they were a dark grey, something that she never noticed before.
And as I looked up into those eyes
His vision borrows mine.
He smiled, but didn't answer her question, instead turned her around and smiled. Although he didn't reply to her question, Hermione didn't care. It was a beautiful night, and she was having fun with the one person she never expected.
And to know he's no stranger,
For I feel I've held him for all of time.
They continued dancing, the other students passing by unheeded. Hermione didn't know how long she was dancing; time seemed to pass unnoticed. Something in the back of her head told her that she shouldn't be dancing with her enemy for so long, that it was dangerous. But she told herself that it was safe, that she trusted him. And she had a feeling of familiarity around him, that she was once held like this before.
She smiled to herself, and relaxed a bit more. Malfoy noticed it and said, "There you go, just relax and have some fun. You only live once. For a long time, yes, but once."
And he said take my hand,
Live while you can
Don't you see your dreams lie right in the palm of your hand
In the palm of your hand.
As they continued dancing, Hermione was dimly aware that everyone around her had stopped dancing and had begun to watch them. But she didn't pay much attention to them and continued dancing with Draco, whirling to the music that flowed around them.
"Close your eyes." Whispered Draco in her ear, and she obliged, closing her eyes but still moving to the music.
Please come with me,
See what I see.
Touch the stars for time will not flee.
Time will not flee.
And you'll see
Oh
When she opened her eyes, she found that everything around them had disappeared, in its place the stars that she had first seen earlier that night. They were still dancing, only high above the ground. The stars shone around then, and the moon wan a beautiful crescent that bathed them in its silver light. She had the curious sensation that she was floating, that the only thing that kept her from falling was Draco's arms. She shivered with exhilaration at being so high, and moved closer to Draco, who responded by holding her tighter.
When they finally stopped, he placed an arm around her shoulders and held her close, keeping her warm. She sighed and looked out at he stars, and said "I wish this lasted forever."
"It can, if you want it to." Replied Draco. They looked at each other, and he smiled. She had a burning question to ask him, and as she opened her mouth to ask it, she saw with horror that the stars were fading, slowly growing dimmer as though they were being extinguished. She gasped, and although she was standing right next to him, she felt that she was moving farther and farther away from him.
She had this curious sensation that she was underwater and quickly rising up, and just before she reached the surface, she tried to ask him the question.
"Draco-"
Just a dream, just an ordinary dream.
As I wake in bed
Hermione opened her eyes with a gasp, and saw the moon shining through her window. It was night-time, the dance was a dream and instead of a beautiful dress, she was wearing one of her old night gowns. She had left Hogwarts behind years ago, and was now a Healer at St Mungo's and an agent for the Order of the Phoenix.
She sighed in disappointment, and closed her eyes again, trying to go back to sleep.
And the boy, that ordinary boy.
Or was it all in my head?
Meanwhile, unknown to her, Harry and Ron were sitting in the living-room downstairs discussing a plan of attack with Tonks.
Suddenly, Remus Lupin, their friend and fellow member of the Order, burst through the front door supporting a wounded Draco Malfoy on his shoulder.
The three friends jumped to their feet, their wands pointed at the intruder.
"He's on our side!" Gasped Remus, while helping the semi-unconscious boy into a chair.
Tonks pulled a flask of potion out of a nearby cupboard and tipped its contents past the boy's lips. He sputtered, but Draco stayed conscious.
"There, that should revive you for a bit. Now, what are you doing here?" Demanded Tonks harshly, outraged at seeing a potential Death-Eater in the very headquarters of the Order.
"It's a long story. The main thing is that he had a disagreement with his father, and was disowned. You-Know-Who's supporters are after him because he knows too much about them, and I stumbled across him as he was trying to escape. He's willing to give us information in exchange for protection." Answered Remus, as the boy was too weak to answer for himself.
"We need to heal his wounds." Spoke Harry, the first time he had uttered a word since Remus entered with Draco. Ron nodded in agreement.
"Where's Hermione?" Asked Ron; as Hermione was the only healer in the Order. Draco's injuries weren't serious, but they gave great discomfort to the boy, and Harry suspected that he had broken ribs. "She's asleep." Replied Harry.
"Should I go wake her up?" Asked Tonks with concern in her voice, and made as if to leave the room, but she stopped when Draco finally spoke for the first time.
"No, it's alright. Do you have any Mandrake juice?" He asked, wincing with pain from his wounds. The liquid was provided for him, and he added some green powder from a vial that was on a chain around his neck. He then drank the mixture, which had turned purple, and gave a small sigh of relief as his wounds were healed.
"That should heal them for a while, until someone can take a look at them in the morning."
"Are you sure? Shouldn't we wake-" Began Ron.
"No. There's no need to wake her up. I'll be fine. Listen, I want to join the Order. I used to be part of the Dark Lord's inner circle, and I know more about the Dark Arts than most of you do. Can't you give me a chance?" He asked, his brow creased with the effort of speaking for so long.
Harry and Ron looked at each other, unsure if they should give one of their oldest enemies a chance.
"I think we should let him sleep tonight and then we can discuss this in the morning with the other members." Said Remus diplomatically. There was no point in keeping Draco up any more than was necessary, and there were plenty of places he could stay.
"You can sleep in the room we have on the third floor. It's the door on the right, at the end of the corridor. Do you need any help?" Asked Harry.
"I think I can manage." Said Draco, getting up. Ron stood in front of him, blocking his path.
"This doesn't mean that I like you." He said darkly, before moving aside to let him by. Draco glared back at him before leaving the room.
As he made his way to the stairs, he tripped over the large umbrella stand, falling to the floor with a loud thud and waking up Mrs. Black.
Filth! Scum! Intruders on the noble house of Black! How dare you half-breeds and freaks violate the house of my ancestors?!
Remus and Tonks helped Draco up while Harry and Ron struggled to close the curtains over the screaming portrait.
"How can you put up with this piece of rubbish?" Said Draco, wincing with pain and from Mrs. Black's screeches. "Silencio!" He muttered, whipping his wand out and pointing it at the portrait. Instantly, the screeching stopped and the old lady in the portrait was left furiously mouthing her insults and obscenities.
Remus and Harry looked at each other. "You know, we never thought of that." Said Tonks, trying to hide a smile. The others laughed, the mood finally broken. "Are you sure you don't need any help?" Asked Remus. Draco shook his head. "I'm fine. I can manage on my own."
He made his way up the stairs as the others went back to the living room to talk about the recent events.
As Draco climbed the seemingly endless stairs, he couldn't remember the exact directions to his rooms. Was at the beginning or the end of the corridor? He asked himself once he reached the specified place, and decided to try the first door.
Did he ask if I would come along,
It all seemed so real.
As Hermione tried to go back to sleep, she kept on replaying the dream over and over in her mind, enjoying the feeling she felt when she danced with Malfoy. The blanket that was covering her slipped off, but she was too drowsy to pull it back on.
While she was slowly falling asleep, Draco was quietly pushing the door to her room open, and looking in to see if it was his room. He started when he saw someone in the bed, and was about to quickly leave. But as he was retreating, he saw that the person asleep was Hermione Granger, and something compelled him to look at her for just a little longer.
For what seemed a long time, he just stared at her, marveling at how child-like she looked like after all these years, how fragile she looked against the white sheets. All the pain and exhaustion he felt seemed to fade away as he looked at her, so calm and peaceful. He never remembered that she was this beautiful. She was shivering from the cold, and Draco debated whether to cover her again with the discarded blanket. She stirred a little, and Draco froze in his place, afraid that she would wake up.
But as I looked to the door,
I saw that boy standing there with a deal.
Hermione couldn't stand the cold, and she woke up. As she slowly returned to the waking world, she had the feeling that someone else was in the room. She turned, and saw someone standing in the doorway. As her eyes adjusted to the slight change in light, she saw with a shock that it was the real Draco Malfoy, the very person she was dreaming about.
She stared at him, and he at her, until he muttered a short apology and closed the door, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Hermione smiled, and made herself more comfortable before falling asleep, as the muffled sound of Draco's footsteps faded away.
And he said take my hand,
Live while you can,
Don't you see your dreams lie right in the palm of your hand
In the palm of your hand, oh,
In the palm of your hand.
Later that night, two people slept deeply, both comforted in the knowledge that they would see each other when they woke, both their dreams happy.
Just a day, just an ordinary day
Just tryin' to get by.
Just a boy,
Just an ordinary boy.
But he was looking to the sky.