A/N: Hi again!!! First I'd like to say Happy Birthday to Harry, as well as to Mrs. J.K. Rowling!!!! Sigh, Why does July always seem to disappear without a trace? Hehe
I got a lot of unexpected reviews this last chappie, so I was real excited. This woulda been up days sooner except I was put on computer probation, lol, and my darling sibs wouldn't relinquish the comp for so long, (shoots angry glance at lil bro). Ah well, Hopefully this chappie will be worth the wait.
To all the new readers: Thank u so much for taking the time to read this quite long fanfic. Its gotten to be soo much more than I expected…And if u review and leave ur email (or are just logged in with ur penname) I will notify u by email whenever I update, just a lil friendly service to brighten up ur day!!!! The same still goes to my other devoted readers. Thank you sooo much!!!
Logan: Here's the update!!! U can leave ur email if ud like, then ull always know when I update. Thankx for reading
LaBella4: Thank you so much!!! I'm so happy this story seemed different to u. Despite the slight mary/sue overtones, I wanted it to be as original as possible. I'm glad u like the D/Hr thing going on, I have another D/H fic on ff.net, in case ur interested…. I hope u like the next update
Alex: Thank u for reading!!! I'm glad ur anxious for this next installment
Potterlover: You ask exactly all the right questions , and I wanna answer them all, but that would be like giving away the whole plot!!!Hehe, u do get a few of them answered, and Ron and Hermione make up, but does she still have feelings for Draco?? hmmmm
Most of ur questions will be answered hopefully in the next few chappies, and yes, a few climaxes are coming up. Oh, and perhaps Pansy know more than just whats going on with Draco/Herm….read in the future to finds out, and a few more tiny hints about what Draco's connection or "link" is all about are in this chappie. Finally, I really really hope u had fun on ur vacation!!
Slyserpent: Hi! Glad u like the blue snow, I thought it would've been cool as well. I'll be sending u an email if u have ur address on ur profile so you wont have to check up on updates so much
Me: (got a name??hehe) thank u for reading and reviewing, and if u wanna know when I update…u know what to do…
Kari Black: thank u for being brave enough to give constructive criticism but still being so nice about it. I hope u read the rest of this story, cause I do address a few points uve made in later chapters. I actually wanted the readers to be a bit intrigued as to whether or not Eve was evil, but I'm sorry if it came off as merely confusing. I just wanted her chracter to have sort of this double nature, but u get a clearer picture of who she really is in later chapters.
When u said Harry was acting cowardly (I washed up the language, hehe), I wish u were more specific as to why u thought that, or if it just came off as something general, then that's worse. I finaly do have Harry do a few very very brave things in the end of the story to make up for a bit of his,er, inaction. And I started writing this long before the fifth book, so ya,a few things don't go with it, sorry about that, but nuthin I could've prevented. I'm still glad u like the way I write, and thank u for ur comments, ill try to make this story much better. Email me or sumthing when u get ur story up, but Ill be looking for it. Thanks for reading!!!
A Very Interested Reader: Did u review this last chapter? I wasn't sure, I didn't get it. But thank u sooo very much for reading all this time and for all ur informative, extensive reviews that are all a fanfic writer could ask for.
In this chappie: We see what happens to Draco (is he alright?), Harry gets a bit of help from an unexpected source, and the Graduation Ball begins!! (good news for all u romantics, like me)
The first part of the poem I reprinted is by Lord Byron, and is one of my absolute favs of all time-- all a guy has to do is recite it to me and I swoon.
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face….
Chapter Thirty: She Walks in Beauty"Draco? Are you alright? Draco?"
He groggily got up, but moving anything was painful. He felt dangerously weak, and after barely opening his eyes, he realized he was lying on his bed. He glanced at a mirror—he looked more deathly pale than ever before, and there were dark circles under his eyes.
"You scared me half to death. What happened?" He turned and saw Eve leaning over him, her coat and hair still moist from the snow outside.
"Fainted," he said vaguely.
"You're getting worse. Have you talked to Snape yet? Draco, I really don't feel good about all this that's happening with you."
He slumped back onto his pillow. "I need to tell you everything. But give me a drink first."
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"Okay," Ron whispered to Harry while they were sitting in a secluded area in the Common Room. "So how do we get out of here tomorrow?"
Harry looked around to make sure nobody could be listening. The fire crackled brightly, gilding the already scarlet and gold room with even more color. He gazed at the familiar squishy and worn couches, the red rugs, the scuffed wooden tables carved with endless initials and messages from past students, the red and gold wall hangings—the Common Room was always a given, and the thought that he would be leaving it all tomorrow, possibly to never return to it again… thought made him uncomfortable.
He gritted it and said, "We'll use a Portkey. I've seen Dumbledore make one and I've been practicing a bit of magic during the summer, after I turned 17."
"Alright. So we leave very, very early in the morning, before dawn," Ron said.
"Yeah, before anyone wakes up—they'll all be dead tired after the Ball anyway."
"And, er, afterwards….where do we go back?"
"We could always take the Knight Bus, and I think we should go back to school, to see if I'll be staying with Eve or anyone."
Ron paused. "You know, Harry, I won't be surprised if they expel us this time."
He gave a hollow laugh. "Yeah, right. As if the school will be reopening this year anyway."
Ron squirmed. "Harry…I want to tell you…Are you sure about this? I mean, all those warnings we got…there has to be a reason why nobody has told you about the place before."
"Ron, I've told you…My dream…I have to go, I just… have to. If you had seen her, you would understand."
"Don't you think that perhaps you should tell Dumbledore?"
"So he won't let us go?"
"Maybe if you tell him about the dream…I mean, what if it's a trap? Lucius Malfoy was there the night Eve gave you the message."
"I'm not telling Dumbledore anything," Harry said.
"Harry, he could help you, make sure you're protected," Ron urged.
"I'm sick and tired of being protected!" Harry yelled angrily, "I thought at least you would understand."
Ron looked at him seriously. "Listen, I'm going with you, aren't I? I just want to know if we're risking our lives for a good reason."
"Well if you're scared, I'll go by myself," he growled.
Ron exhaled in a frustrated way. "You should learn to depend on other people, Harry… Especially if they care about you."
He looked away. "It's just that…Every time somebody cares about me, they always end up…they always end up…." He broke off. "And I don't want anyone to do anything for me because of that. In fact, I don't know if even you should go with me."
Ron leaned over more closely. "I'm your best friend, and I'm going, whether you like it or not. I've followed you everywhere before—and I'm sure as hell not stopping now."
'But you were never there during the final hurdles—I always had to face Voldemort all alone,' Harry thought, but he smiled. "Alright. Until then, I think we should enjoy our last night here," he said, gazing up at the Common Room again.
"Yeah, right," Ron said sullenly. "At this moment Hermione's more likely to be snogging Malfoy than coming near me. I never thought I would see the day…" With an effort, he managed a small smile. "But don't let that from stopping you, mate. You going to the Ball with Eve?"
"I'm not sure. We had a…fight."
"Already?"
"She wants us to take Hermione with us tomorrow."
Ron raised his head defiantly. "No way. She'll be fine here with Dumbledore."
"That's what I said. But she wouldn't listen."
"I would never let anything happen to her. It doesn't matter what she feels for me."
Harry leaned his hand on his chin. "So we're both single. Mind being my date?"
Ron laughed. "The Daily Prophet will have a field day with that one, they will."
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"Oh my God," said Eve, sipping some of the wine she had found in Draco's cabinet. The glass she was holding was worth about as much as box seats to the Quidditch World Cup, but she didn't care. Draco had just told her everything Snape had told him, and about what just happened with Hermione.
"So you reckon that Hermione possibly has a magical connection with you?"
"Had," he said, straightening up. "But I don't think we'll be seeing any more of each other. And sure enough, I passed out as soon as I left her room."
"Do you think that…that means…"
"I don't know. I'm still alive right now, aren't I? I guess that's not a bad sign."
"Don't talk like that," Eve said, sounding a bit like his mother. "I think there may be something else besides her."
"Maybe," said Draco, leaning back again. "I mean, just being here with you, I'm already beginning to feel better." Then suddenly shooting forward. "Ouch!"
"What?"
He took out the dagger in his pocket and enlarged it to its original size. "What's that?" Eve asked.
"It's the dagger I killed Selene with. You know, my unicorn."
Eve was staring at it with apprehension and awkwardness. "You…you still keep it?"
He whispered, "Everywhere I go." Eve did not know what to say.
"It's a magical knife, enchanted to absorb and hold some of the blood of whatever it kills. My dad has a bunch of 'em. An odd keepsake of his most… favorite, victims."
"So it has some of your unicorn's blood in it? That's why you keep it."
Draco nodded. Eve sighed, then suddenly straightened up. "Tell ya what," she said briskly. "Let's forget about all this for one night. We're only seventeen, for God's sake."
Draco was staring intently at the knife. "I don't feel seventeen," he murmured.
Eve touched his chin with her finger and turned his face to him. "Go to the Ball with me," she whispered.
"Er, aren't you with…Potter?"
"Well, at the moment I happen to be with you."
"I don't understand," he said grinning.
"There are a few people that we both want to make a bit…jealous, right?"
"And?" he said slyly.
"Well, are we or are we not a couple of Slytherins?"
Draco smiled. "Right." He threw the knife on the bed and got up to his closet. He never saw Eve's fingers creep up to his knife as she slipped it into her pocket.
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"Hermione!" Harry called as he knocked on the door to her room. He was hoping she could spare a moment. The door opened, but he was a bit surprised. Ginny stood in front of him, and for the first time he noticed how pretty she really was. She was already dressed for the Ball (much to Ron's dismay, she was Seamus's date), and she was wearing a light gold, champagne colored dress made out of satin, with her long hair falling to her back in red ringlets, her heart-shaped lips colored red to match her hair.
"Wow, Ginny, you, er, look great."
Despite the candlelight he could see her blush. "Thanks. Are you looking for Hermione? She's still getting ready, I'll tell her you're here."
"Thanks. Er…What are you doing here?"
"We're all helping each other get dressed—the three of us girls."
"Oh….Eve's here too?" he asked awkwardly.
"She was," Ginny said, glancing out the door across the hallway. "She just came back, but she said she forgot her gloves outside—there were her mother's gloves—and she left. She hasn't come back yet." She looked at Harry. "Do you mind if I ask you what you're doing here?" She was examining him in his school clothes. "You're not ready at all, and the Ball starts in half an hour."
Hearing that Eve was not there gave him a bit of relief. "Oh, I just needed to get…something from Hermione, cause I'm packing for tomorrow." He blushed. "And I'm not…going to the Ball."
Ginny gasped. "You're not? Why?"
"Don't have a date."
She had a curious look on her face, then said, "So what?" Then she looked back furtively then leaned in closer to him and whispered, "Is Ron coming? You know, 'cause of what happened with Hermione?"
"No, I think he's coming. I saw him getting dressed." Ginny smiled happily. "Good. You should see Hermione, she looks gorgeous."
"What about me?" A familiar voice came through the room in back of Ginny. Hermione opened the door, and Harry never saw her look so amazing. He realized why Victor Krum had been so taken with her.
"Oh, hi, Harry," she said breathlessly. "Ginny, have you seen my Blemish-Banishing foundation?"
"It's on the dresser next to my Curl Defining Serum," Ginny pointed. Hermione turned around, but before she could leave, Harry said, "Wait! Hermione, do you have my--"
"Invisibility Cloak. Yes, I have it. You forgot it here, you dolt."
"Yeah, could I have it?" he asked, embarrassed. Frankly, talking to her while she looked that nice was slightly intimidating.
"Yeah, just a moment," she said as she walked off and came back again with the silky, beautiful cloak in her hand. "Oh my God, Harry," she said, finally looking at him properly. "You're not even dressed yet! I mean, you are a boy, but nobody can get ready that quick."
"I…don't think I'm going."
"Why not? Something happened with Eve? She didn't seem like she wanted to get ready, either."
'Actually, it was because of you,' he thought, but he was silent. Eve wasn't coming, either?
"Harry, you can't miss your own Graduation Ball. C'mon, it'll be fun. I don't have a date, either." Harry didn't answer. She rolled her eyes. "Listen, you can come with me, so you won't look stupid. Sure, it'll cause a few whispers, but who cares?"
"What about Ron?" he said with a touch of asperity.
Hermione opened her mouth, but closed it without saying anything. Then she said lowly, "If he wants to talk to me, or….dance with me, it's fine. I'm coming so I'll see him."
He grinned. "Okay, I'll tell him that," he winked. As he turned around to walk away, he heard her calling after him, "Looking forward to seeing you there!"
"Too bad," he said, but Hermione kept on smiling as she closed the door. Harry hid his cloak under his robes, then put his hands in his pockets as he walked through the hallway, when an annoyingly familiar, drawling voice made him jump.
"Not coming to the Ball, Potter? I don't blame you. With hair that awful, I wouldn't want to come, either." Draco Malfoy was leaning against his doorway, already dressed in a tailored suit, his own hair perfectly in place.
"Drop it and leave me alone, Malfoy," he said through gritted teeth.
"Too bad, I would have really enjoyed seeing your face as I danced with Eve," he said, looking at the ceiling.
He whipped his head back. "What?"
"What, didn't you know? She's my date for the evening."
Harry felt the anger pounding in his ears. "I don't care," he croaked out.
"Really?" A female voice came through the room, and Eve emerged through the doorway, still dressed in her coat and scarf from when Harry last saw her.
Harry froze, and his stomach dropped when he realized whose room she was emerging from. He had to double check to make sure his heart was still working.
"Well, it doesn't matter anyway," she said, as she walked out, brushing past him. "If you excuse me, I need to get ready. I don't want to keep my date waiting too long." She went into Hermione's room, closing the door more loudly than necessary.
Harry growled and stuck his hands deeper in his pockets as he began to stomp off.
"Potter, wait."
He stopped, but only because that was not what he was expecting to hear.
"Potter, if you're really not going, I need to talk to you."
He slowly turned around, his said, his voice shaking. "I'm through talking to you, Malfoy. At this point, there's only one thing left I can do." He raised his wand.
Draco looked at him, unruffled. "Go ahead, and let's see what happens. I dare you."
Harry examined him; he had made no motions to pull out his wand—he was just leaning on the doorway, his arms casually crossed across his chest. He looked as pale as ever. Without fully understanding why, Harry lowered his wand.
"Good," he said, "Now come in," he indicated with a motion of his head.
Harry's eyes widened and he blinked stupidly for a moment. Draco gave an exasperated sigh and he opened his door further, waiting for him. Harry walked in, merely out of morbid curiosity.
"What is it, you got some sort of trap for me in here?" Harry said, eyeing the room suspiciously.
"Oh darn," he said, getting more irritated, "Guess you've found my mousetrap with a Snitch on it here somewhere."
"Then what is it you wanted to tell me?"
"Potter, you need to go that Ball tonight."
"Okay, if you want me to go, then I'm definitely not going."
"You're going."
Harry could not believe he was having this conversation with this particular person. "Why the hell do you want me to go?"
"Personally, because I want to watch you squirm as you see me with Eve, but also because I know she wants you to come."
"Malfoy, my love life is none of your business. I'm not asking you what's going on between you and Hermione."
"Because there's nothing to ask about," he shot back, but then regained some calm. "Listen, you like her, she likes you, so cut the bullshit and go."
Harry narrowed his eyes. "Why do you care?"
Draco paused, then replied, "I care about Eve. I just… want her to be happy. Right now, things are getting more and more insane, especially for you two." He had an odd, tightened look on his face. "It's gotten to the point where you don't even know whether or not you'll live to see the next morning."
Harry was getting more and more confused. Was he just setting him up for a trick? This was Draco Malfoy, he reminded himself. The same git who tortured him and his friends for the past seven years. The same git who tried to get Hagrid sacked. He himself named Draco's father as a Death-Eater. There were three possibilities—either this was a trap, or he really liked Eve, or he had just gone mad.
He didn't want to take chances. "I'm still not going."
"Why not??" he demanded.
"Because…I….can't."
He raised one eyebrow in his signature look. "Can't?"
"I don't have anything to wear," Harry answered, suddenly remembering. That was true—he never had a chance to go shopping in all this craziness. "Unlike you, Malfoy, I don't have ten Armani suits waiting for me in my closet."
Suddenly, Draco's face beamed into a dazzling smile—Harry hated him for that smile. He walked smugly and opened his closet, indicating a row of crisp, expensive looking clothes.
"Armani Wizardwear—much better than that Muggle brand." He surveyed Harry. "You, know, you're very lucky to have my same size."
Harry gaped. "What?"
"I said, you're lucky to be my size, not only because I have such perfect proportions, but also because…" he took out one suit and handed it to Harry, who took it as if he had never seen a suit before.
"Here, you can keep it. I'd never touch it once I know you wore it." He walked back, rummaging through the closet.. "You're gonna need some overcoat or a dress robe or something, and a tie." Harry thought he had just fallen into a parallel universe. Draco handed him a matching overcoat and the tie.
"A white tie?" Harry asked skeptically.
Draco grinned, very amused with himself. "Trust me."
______________________________
Throughout the seven years that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been students, the Great Hall always managed to look beautiful during special occasions. Well, that night, it looked nothing short of spectacular.
With Hermione's help, the Hall had been decorated with chiffon sprinkled in fairy dust. The decorations matched the house colors for each corner that each House would sit in—Red and gold for Gryffindor, blue and silver for Ravenclaw, yellow and black for Hufflepuff, and green and silver for Slytherin. Fairy lights gave each circular table a gently glow and the golden and silver goblets and plates looked extra fancy. In the middle of the Hall hung an enormous, dazzling, chandelier which sparkled as of it were made of a million stars. The lights reflecting off of it gave an iridescent shine to the whole Hall. On the enchanted ceiling, snow was falling, but white this time.
Students were mingling and talking, the girls wearing gowns covered with long overcoats and the boys in suits covered with coats or dress robes. In the corner, a bunch of enchanted musical instruments were playing by themselves, as there was no time to find a band.
Harry walked in a bit late, looking very uncomfortable. He finally realized why Draco always managed to look so put together. In clothes like these, almost anybody would look like a prince, and after more than a decade of wearing old hand me downs that were too big for him, Harry was not used to wearing such fine clothes that seemed to fit as if they were made for him. He found Ron talking with Dean and Seamus, who was arm in arm with Ginny. Ron was wearing a suit and robes of a dark blue that matched his eyes, which were at the moment pinned to Seamus and Ginny, examining them both like a hawk.
"Er, hi, everyone," Harry said, indicating his presence.
"Harry, you look fantastic, old chap," Dean said brightly.
"Yeah, where'd you get the suit?" Ron asked.
"Er," Harry replied.
"Not everyone is here yet. I went to pick up Lavender, and Parvati nearly took my head off, screaming that she wasn't ready, that I should wait here," Dean said , complaining.
"Women," Seamus rolled his eyes. Ginny cleared her throat, and he turned to her, going red. "Of course, Gin here already looks so nice, it didn't take her that long to get ready." He smiled at her and she looked away, avoiding Harry. Ron smiled but Harry could tell it was not genuine.
"Ron here is waiting for Hermione, although he tell us they're 'not going together'" Dean said, making parentheses motions with his fingers. "What about you, Harry?"
"Don't really have a date," he muttered.
"What? The famous Harry Potter? Without a date?" Dean said. Harry nodded, although he wanted to get away, but without Ron, he didn't have anyone to talk to, besides maybe Hagrid.
Suddenly all of the boys gasped, except Harry, who had his back turned. He moved his head, and saw what they were gaping at. A bunch of Gryffindor girls had just entered the Hall, and in the middle of them was Hermione, politely chatting but looking wonderful among them, sparkling like a diamond among a bunch of costume jewelry.
"Is that…." Seamus trailed off.
"Hermione? Hermione Granger?" Dean said incredulously.
"Yeah, it is," Harry said, smiling at her.
"I told you she looked nice," Ginny winked at Ron. But Ron had suddenly become transfixed and incoherent. His mouth was fumbling uselessly to form words and he looked as if he suddenly wished he weren't there.
"Ron? What's the matter? Ron?" Harry said, shaking his shoulder.
"Uh," he said, still staring blankly ahead.
"Wow, if she's half as glad to see him as he is to see her…" Dean said.
"Well, why don't you go up and talk to her?" Ginny said. "She's not with any other boy."
"Not yet," said Dean, straightening his tie.
"I…I….I don't think I can," said Ron. Harry thought he was serious. It seemed as if Ron had temporarily forgotten how to control his legs.
"You've been talking to her for the past seven years," said Ginny, irritated. "Oh, honestly." She grabbed Ron by the arm and began dragging him toward Hermione, with him protesting pushing back.
"Wow, I never want to fall in love," said Dean.
"Yeah, it makes you do the stupidest things," said Seamus, still chuckling after Ron.
Harry silently wondered whether or not his judgment was impaired by Eve at the time he made the decision to leave tomorrow. Ginny and Ron and had finally reached Hermione and the group of Gryffindor girls, with Ron going more red as every minute passed by.
"Right," said Ginny, with a very uncomfortable-looking Ron squirming next to her. Hermione eyed him with an appraising smirk and the girls next to her stared at him, amused.
Ginny tried not to smile. "Hermione, have you met my brother Ron? He's in your same year, I believe, and he's been dying to meet you." The girls couldn't hold their giggles this time and Ron was giving Ginny a scornful look. Hermione was smiling, but still trying to be polite.
Ginny ushered the other girls away, who left, some of them, quite reluctantly. Not that it left Ron much more relaxed.
"Er," he murmured.
"Hi, Ron." She had a bit of dignity in her voice.
"Hi."
And after the infamous awkward silence, "I told you that suit would look nice on you. It matches the color of your eyes so well." She managed a smile.
There are a few memorable moments in life where words just utterly fail you. For Ron, this was one of those moments. "Well, you look….nice, too."
Fortunately for Hermione, she was smart enough to get an inkling of what he was really feeling. She gulped and said, "Ron, I owe you an apology."
"No. I do, really. I said some things that I shouldn't have."
"Well I didn't exactly say the perfect thing, either. I should have admitted that I went to see D—Malfoy. But…nothing happened…really. Eve thought he might have accidentally drank something that his father intended for her. I wanted to see what was going on."
"Yeah," said Ron, looking down. "I should trust you more."
'No, you shouldn't,' she said, fighting back the tears. She realized she had been much more in fault than Ron, but for some reason he was the one feeling guilty. 'Wow, this dress is amazing,' she mused.
"Hermione, I'm so--"Ron had opened his mouth, but she stopped him.
"Please don't apologize," she said, her eyes watering. "Please don't. You don't need to." He stopped, stared at her oddly, then took her hand, smiling at her. She smiled back. "How about a dance?"
He went red. "I haven't the slightest idea how to dance."
She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Alright, then how about we just get a butterbeer?" Ron couldn't agree more with her request. Still taking her hand he walked over to Harry, who waved at the, and was standing near the long table where drinks were being served. He had just gotten a butterbeer and Ron helped himself to one after he gave one to Hermione.
"Harry, mate, Hermione and I are going to step outside for a moment. But Harry did not answer. In fact, it seemed as if he had completely forgotten about Ron's existence.
"Harry? Harry?"
But Ron stopped his badgering because Hermione had just pointed to him what Harry was looking at.
Draco Malfoy had just entered the Hall, impeccably dressed, but slightly more pale than usual. However, he was standing straight with his signature casual elegance, as if determined to not let anything unruffle his style. After surveying the Hall for a moment, he disappeared out of the doorway and reappeared momentarily.
The cup of butterbeer slipped from Harry's fingers, crashing onto the floor and spilling its contents all over his shoes. But Harry hadn't noticed, because holding Draco's arm was the most beautiful vision of a girl Harry had ever seen in his entire life.
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