read Rae and me's Christmas Fanfic! It's being updated everyday and the grand finale is on Christmas Day!

Anyhow, another chapter of Change of Courses. I'm doing so many Fanfics right now that I really am lacking the attention sometimes. But don't worry. I'll keep updating if you REVIEW ME! - Nanja

Yeah, REVIEW! Oh, and don't be afraid of the pairings, they won't stay this way in the end! It'll be pumpkin pie and redmoon! - Nikki ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 16: the Ball

Hermione pulled Harry to the dance floor. She flung her arms around his neck and Harry put his hands on her hips. He began to sweat. Hermione was way to close. What were they supposed to do now? He didn't know how to dance...

Hermione had taken the lead, all Harry had to do was follow. Harry actually found himself enjoying it a lot. It was a lot better than 2 years ago at the Yule Ball with Parvati Patil.

The dance almost ended and Harry asked "Shall I get us something to drink?"

"Sure." Hermione answered.

Harry walked away to the table where all the drinks were put. Luna came walking towards Hermione. "Ron just walked away." She said in a misty voice.

"He just walked away? Are you sure he didn't go to get you a drink?" Hermione asked.

"Who walked away?" Luna replied. Hermione rolled her eyes and said "Never mind. Here they are again."

Harry and Ron made their way through the crowd with the drinks.

"Here you go." Harry said and handed Hermione her drink.

"Thanks." She replied.

"So, you're enjoying yourself." Luna stated.

"We are?" Harry asked.

"Yes, I can see it." Luna said.

"Well,.. can you also see if I must go to the bathroom?" Ron asked a bit misplaced.

Luna raised one eyebrow "Of course I can't, you are crazy"

Hermione and Harry looked at eachother and almost started to laugh.

"Oh, look it's professor Hamasaki!" Hermione said, while pointing at the woman who was walking towards them.

"Hello you all, having a great time?" professor Hamasaki asked, while looking around.

"Yeah,... sure" Harry tried and Hermione and Luna just nodded. Ron looked like he really needed to go to the bathroom.

"I'm taking a break" the professor started "all that singing, could ruin a great voice, you know"

Harry wanted to reply with 'You sound like Lockhart' but he just kept quite.

"So,.. who is your date, professor?" Hermione started.

"She hasn't got a date" Luna replied. At that, professor Hamasaki excused herself and walked away.

"Do you want to dance again?" Hermione asked Harry. Harry nodded and they walked towards the dancefloor again.

Somehow, every bad thing that had happened lately, was falling off his back. He didn't care and he didn't want to think about it either. If Voldemort was still after him, he'd be sure to make a good time. And after all, he wasn't alone in this one. Hermione, Ron... and Snape, they had all been trough a rough time. Now it was time to relax.

Just as the music began, he felt a sudden urge to tell Hermione that he wanted to be with her forever. The feeling just came all of the sudden, as if it had been there, waiting to get an oppertunity to appear and speak up.

He opened his mouth, but every word he wanted to say got twisted and looked more stupid than ever. "Uhm,... I.. ah,... I wanted to tell you...uh" He began and Hermione had a questioning look on her face.

Ginny and Draco came dancing too.

Ginny and DRACO?? Hermione's eyes became huge. She wanted to say it to Harry, but he quickly finished his sentence.

"I wanted to say that I love..." They turned around so he faced Draco and Ginny "Ginny!"

Hermione stopped dancing.

"What did you just say?" Hermione couldn't believe he just ruined her good mood.

"I said,..." he trailed off and gazed at Ginny.

Hermione felt how tears ran over her cheeks and she turned around. "I'm going!" she whispered and walked away.

Harry stood a little confused alone and he was still looking at Ginny. Ginny seemed to notice and left Draco alone, who was looking quite happy when he walked away.

"Harry!!" Ginny seemed to be more excited as ever before. Harry became a little bit dizzy, like he was watching a movie instead of really being there. Ginny wrapped her arms around him "Let's dance!"

Hermione wanted to run away, but someone caught her arm. "Has your BOYfriend left you GRANGER?" a cold voice said.

It was Draco.

Hermione quickly turned around "Let my arm go!"

Draco looked into her eyes with a lot of guts "Make me"

Hermione didn't know if she wanted to scream or kiss him. God, he was such a git but the way he looked into her eyes...

"Where's your DATE?" Hermione snapped back.

"Weasley girl? I just went with her so I could hear if her father had been fired yet" he grinned.

Hermione threw him a nasty look "You're so,.. so... so" she couldn't find the words.

"I'm so?" Draco raised his eyebrows "Well, that's a very strange compliment, Granger"

Hermione narrowed her eyes "What is it that you wanted to talk about, or did you just stop me so you could piss me off even more?"

Draco grinned "I stopped you because I wanted to dance"

Hermione's jaw dropped.

Ginny and Harry left the dancefloor, Harry feeling more floaty as before. "Uhm,... where's Hermione?" Harry asked a bit confused.

"She left. She's angry" Luna said from behind him. "But she's going to dance with Draco"

Harry looked at her if she just announced the end of the world "DRACO!?"

Ginny had a blank expression and dragged Harry away from Luna.

"Ginny is an evil little witch" Luna whispered, just hard enough so Ginny could hear her.

"You wanted to dance? YOU wanted to dance? Why don't you ask Pansy Parkinson?" she threw at him.

Draco began to laugh "Pansy? That little pig? Did you SEE how ugly she is?"

Hermione looked at him confused "WHAT do you mean with that? That I am not...ugly?"

Draco smiled for real for the first time in his life "Actually... that's my point, yeah"

Hermione felt as if someone just told her she has passed all her OWL's.

"Do you want to dance?" Draco asked more polite.

Hermione didn't know wheter to refuse or to dance,..

Ron came walked towards Luna. "It was SO busy at the toilets" he said.

Luna gave him an eye "Sure. Are you sure you didn't see any Grumrumls in the toilets?"

"Uhm,... Grumrumls don't exist, that's a fairytale..." he tried and Luna raised her eyebrows

"I wouldn't be so sure if I was you"

"Did you see Harry? Is he dancing with my sister?" Ron asked bemused and Luna nodded.

"The little evil witch snatched him away from Hermione" Luna paused "Hermione's hurt and dancing with Draco"

"The little evil- Oh, Ginny!" Ron was a bit confused "She's acting so strange lately... did you just say that Hermione is DANCING with DRACO... like Draco in MALFOY?" Ron gulped, searching over the heads of the many students. "Bloody hell!"

Luna grinned "Draco isn't evil, it's his dad. Do you want some punch?" Luna while tilting her head to the side.

Ron raised his eyebrows "Yeah,.. sure"

Hermione couldn't do anything but being dragged along by a very unusual Draco Malfoy.

The music was a bit to slow, why didn't they play samba or something? Hermione didn't want to know how close she had to stand against Draco.

Before she could refuse anything, Draco had already wrapped his arms around her. She wanted to scream but she also wanted to lay her head on his shoulder. The last option looked most suitable.

Harry's eyes switched from Ginny to Draco. Draco was dancing with Hermione? He wanted to punch Draco's face badly, but something held him back.

Ginny's eyes calmed him down.

Why was she staring so stupid at him? Couldn't she just make herself usefull by getting some drinks? He didn't want to look at Ginny. She was so different as she was before. Why was she different anyway?

Luna and Ron left the party.

"I had fun" Luna smiled and Ron let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, I had fun too, want to do it again at the Christmas ball?" He asked.

Luna smiled even wider "Sure!"

Harry wanted to leave too. He didn't want to see Hermione with Draco. He didn't want to see Ginny either. But Ginny was still standing in front of him.

He felt dizzy again.

All of the sudden, he pushed her aside and ran away. Sweat was dripping from his head. What was wrong with him?

Draco and Hermione were still dancing and everyone around them threw them a very questioning look. Especially at Draco.

One of the door swung open, a figure with a dark cape and a long magic wand in his hand came walking in.

It was Lucius Malfoy.

His eyes switched towards Draco, filled with disgust at the sight of Hermione.

She was the Mudblood, right? His eyes narrowed and when Draco caught his looks, he excused and walked over to his father.

"WHAT were you doing with that mudblood, son?" Lucius asked Draco briskly.

"I,... I was dancing father" Draco tried.

"That was kind of obvious, but why with a MUDBLOOD?" Lucius gave him an unfriendly stare.

"Sorry... I just... I guess... I" Draco started.

"You can't guess" Lucius said brisk and turned around "Where's that old man?"

"I'm right here, Lucius" Dumbledore said calmly from behind Lucius.

"... ah ... right, I needed to see you about..." his eyes switched towards Harry "certain things,..."

Hermione had left the Great Hall as well and entered the common room.