Disclaimer: I own nothing. Characters and setting belong to J.K.Rowling. Music belongs to Toby Lightman. Enjoy! oh, tell me if i should continue or just leave it as is...................................
Hermione slowed her breathing. The entire Hall stared at her for what seemed like eternity. 'Why did I agree to this bet?' she asked herself. it was amazing Professor Dumbldore had allowed her to do this. Do what you ask? Preform at this years Christmas Ball is what. She remember the light-hearted feeling she got when the Headmaster said, "Well for the best Head Girl in centuries, why not?" and she certainly couldn't forget the look on Harry and Ron's faces. 'IT'S FINE' she screamed in her head. 'They'll be paying me back for months.' All she had to do was sing her silly song. And sing it to the least favorite person in the world, Hogwarts very own Head Boy, Draco Malfoy. 'This is it,' she said to herself, taking one last breath and nodding to Professor Dumbledore to magically start the music and place a charm on her to increase the volume of her voice.
"I never knew who you really were... I want you to know who sleeps so close to you... before it's too late," she barely whispered, but it was heard throughout the Hall due to the amplifying charm.
Draco wandered what all the commotion was when the duface of a Headmaster called the entire Ball to a halt. 'This isn't in the itnerary,' he thought as he saw Granger take the stage. 'Why didn't she tell me about this,' he wondered as he glared at her. She seemed to be staring straight back at him. Then she said those words. Her voice, soft yet soulful, speaking to him? 'sleeps so close to you... before it's too late... those words what do they mean,' was his last thought before he was entranced by her singing.
" This was the last thing to enter my mind
This was something I was never concerned about
People play these silly games all the time
But what I find are these feelings of doubt "
She looked like an angel. Her hair was in wild spirals, like she had spent too much time winding her hair around her finger. on most girls it'd look trashy, but on Hermione, it was perfect. Her once chestnut locks now shone like espresso and was adorned with flecks of gold. It matched perfectly with her chocolate brown eyes, charmed to show gold in them too. All the guys stood in awe, they couldn't take their eyes off how gorgeous Hermione looked, her tan curvacious body in that dark champagne dress. It was an unusual halter top dress, the straps that tied around her neck met below her collar bone and the cloth becan like a triangle below that. her back was bare and the dress hugged her until about mid thigh where it just fell in piecy layers. Yes. She was an angel. And more than that, she sounded angelic. her song was slow, like a rock song. Yet she put so much soul and innocence into it at the same time. It was... no words could explain.
"I only want to be satisfied
But feelings come into play
And all my words just run away"
Draco stood stunned. When he had let go of Leola's, his date a Ravenclaw, hand he wasn't sure. All he knew was Hermione Granger was singing straight at him. And she bore to the center of his soul. 'What soul?' was the first thought he had. 'Why me?' was the second. Did Mudblood have feelings for Slytherin Sex God, Draco Malfoy? What did it matter. Right now she had him. She had every boy in the damn Hall.
Hermione sawe how he stared back at her while she sang. She felt all their eyes on her. She began to lose herself into a pair of silver pools. she slowly pulled away and scanned the rest of the Hall. Seeing the wanting gazes from the boys and the admiring looks from the girls, Hermiones courage increased as she continued singing.
"Are the voices being true
Do the roads all lead to you
'Cause there's so much left untold
When there's no one left to hold
But you might just believe"
Harry Potter stared at the sight before him. Hermione was in front of the entire school singing about a hidden love. 'Maybe I shouldn't have put her up to this,' he though as he watched her eyes settle on the blonde bastard again. 'She was so frightened when we caught her singing in the Prefect's Bathroom. I just wanted her to get over her fear of being in the spotlight. We went to far.' He stopped his worrying when he looked at Hermione's face,' She's enjoying this. God she is the most beautiful creature on the planet.'
"Did you say something hunny," Ginny asked squeezing Harry's hand. "No Gin. Shh now," Harry said in a bare whisper. He was too caught in Hermione's song.
"Tell me the words that are stuck in your head
Tell me, do you think this is real
'Cause I remember everything that you've ever said
My only wish is to know how you feel"
Ron was slowly boiling with anger. He saw how Hermione was looking at the ferret. He saw the second she found Draco from the stage, how her artificial loving look became real. And worse, he saw how the stupid man was so engulfed by her. 'She was supposed to be mine,' Ron sighed remembering how Hermione told him earlier in the year that she's never look at him as more than a brother. 'Malfoy, why did I tell her to sing to Malfoy' Ron thought. Suddenly the anger in him subsided. He knew why he chose Malfoy for her to sing to,' I guess I knew she had feelings for that git. the way she got so fumed by him. The way he got to her in a way no one else could. I guess so.' Ron blew her a kiss when she looked his way. She smiled. Then as she had done the last two times she looked around the room, she settled to look straight at Draco. This time her eyes wouldn't leave his.
"I only wanna be satisfied
But feelings come into play
And all my words just run away"
She was looking at him again. "Good," Draco mouthed to Hermione. He was sure she couldn't see it, but for some reason he needed her to look at him. Everytime her eyes parted from his he'd follow her path. Everyone. Potty. Weasel. He glared at them all until she was facing him again. Now that he looked into those endless depths again, he felt like she was the only other person in the room. He knew she had to feel the same way. There was something going on between them as she sang. She had suddenly brought him to life, and he didn't want to let that feeling end. He couldn't explain it. 'Better than sex,' Draco thought. 'What! sex? better? all the sex i've ever had?' part of him screamed back. 'Better than it all put together,' he thought again, listening to her sing.
"Are the voices being true
Do the roads all lead to you
'Cause there's so much left untold
When there's no one left to hold
But you might just believe"
Hermione couldn't think. Somehow she had stopped singing and just stared at Draco. But at the same time she could feel herself sing. It was like she could stare at him and everything else just fit. She didn't stumble like she had when she practiced on Ron and Harry. The world had dissapeared and she was seeing Draco Malfoy for the first time. Silver pools with aquamarine crystals floating inside. 'So is this love' she thought as she stared, and sang. 'Foolish,' she thought next, 'it's only a bet. I'm just an amazing actress. It's the song, it's controlling me.' 'Oh, keep control forever then,' was her next thought as she continued her song.
"I just wanna reach you
Am I getting through
I just wanna reach you
Am I getting through"
The crowd parted in a trance as Hermione sashayed down the stairs of the stage. She was getting more soulful as she sang. It was needy and rough and at the same time it was tender and honest. She didn't notice she was moving. He didn't notice she was coming closer. All they saw was the other's eyes, the other's soul. Soon they were only a feet apart. The rest of the attendents of the Ball were staring wide-eyed. If later asked, some Gryffindor boys would swear Snape and McGonagall both fainted and some Ravenclaw fifth years claimed they saw a tear behind the spectacles of the Headmaster. Who, according to many, seemed like he had seen this before. Good Ole Dumbledore. Hermione took one step back. Draco took two steps closer, closing the gap with everyword she sang. It was almost the end, the whole Hall could feel the tension.
"Are the voices being true
Do the roads all lead to you
'Cause there's so much left untold
When there's no one left to hold
But you might just believe
oh yeah ee yeah ee yeah
But you might just believe..."
Somehow Draco's hand had come to cup Hermione's face. Hermione had placed her hand on top of his. "You win,"she whispered. Good thing Dumbledore chose to take the ampifying charm off her at that moment. Her next words were, "I love you." Draco pulled her into his lips. She felt like she was kissing rose petals, she took in the rich, smoky, woody scent that was known as Draco Malfoy. He felt like he was in a different world. Her kisses were like none he ever had, needy yet so gentle he swore he was kissing a dream. She let her tounge lick his lips and he allowed her entrance. As their tounges battled, both became aware they weren't alone. Hermione gave a soft moan and Draco panted as they both broke away.
Suddenly reality struck down upon them. Hermione ran as fast as her legs could take her through the empty corridors, through the Head's portrait hole, through her and Draco's shared common room all the way through her bedroom door until she reached her bed. She sobbed uncontrollably. Draco just stood there in the midle of the Hall, fingers against his lips. The music had started back up again, and the other kids were dancing. After Merlin knows how long, Draco began to move again. He wandered the halls aimlessly until he suddely found himself at the archway to Hermione's room. She looked up when she heard a noise by her door. It was Draco. Hermione let out a weak smile and he walked in.