Chapter Fifteen
Pansy and Hermione returned after five wonderful weeks in Italy. Hermione had enjoyed herself immensely, but she had never been so glad to return to Pansy's mansion. Both of the girls were looking forward to the Malfoy Ball two days after their return. They had bought brand new dress robes just special for the occasion.
* * *
The night of the ball arrived at last, and the girls spent the better part of the day getting ready. At last it was time to leave, and the girls were ready to go. Pansy was dressed in baby blue satin dress robes, with intricate beadwork on the front. Her hair was tossed up in a messy upsweep, and her eyes were accentuated with frosty blue shimmering eye shadow. Hermione wore dark green satin dress robes with similar beading on the front. She had curled her hair into tight curls and pinned them up around a French twist. She had done her eyes with dark smoky shadows and only a hint of pink at the edges.
The girls eagerly rushed to the carriage to be taken to Malfoy Manor. The whole house was lit up. Tiny white lights had been bewitched in all of the outside plants, and there was a fountain which was spraying fragrant waters right in the center of the circular driveway. Hermione stayed close to Pansy as the girls were shown inside.
The entire house was made of dark grey stone. Hermione imagined it would be very dark inside if it weren't for the bright lights. A red carpet covered the floor in the foyer, where there was another sweet-smelling fountain bubbling away. The house was decorated in fragrant white blossoms. The girls were shown right away to the ballroom.
Huge wooden doors, painted white and gold were open to reveal a room covered in the same white and gold paneling. An intricate crystal chandelier hovered in the center of the room, and huge white flower arrangements framed the room. On the other side of the ballroom, three sets of huge French doors were open to reveal the terrace and the adjoining gardens.
Pansy led Hermione through the crowded ballroom. As they walked, Hermione caught sight of several Hogwart's teachers, including Dumbledore, and various ministry workers she recognized. Hermione looked up to see Pansy's target: Draco. He was surrounded by Hogwarts students, most of whom Hermione recognized. Pansy gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and introduced Hermione to the students she didn't already know. Hermione was hit with the sudden realization of how difficult it must be for Pansy to pretend like everything was alright between her and Draco. She'd always wondered how Pansy had managed, but this was taking real skill.
They all talked for a while, wandering around the room and saying hello to the people they knew, and the people they didn't. After what seemed like ages, a chime rang, announcing dinner. Everyone moved out onto the terrace which was covered in little round tables. Hermione and Pansy sat with Draco, and a boy Hermione didn't know, but whom Pansy had introduced as Jason. Their dinner appeared on the silver plates in front of them. Hermione ate happily, thrilled to be here with her new friends.
Across the terrace, Albus Dumbledore was eating with some of his fellow teachers. Minerva McGonagall sat next to him, looking at the other guests. Her eyes landed on Hermione, and she grabbed Dumbledore's arm.
"What is it, Minerva?" Dumbledore asked. She pointed towards Hermione. Dumbledore shrugged and went back to his drumstick.
"Albus, this could be serious. Hermione Granger is one of our top students. She has no place being here, with those children. Think of what their friendship could lead to," McGonagall was deeply concerned.
"Oh, Minerva, calm yourself. They're harmless really. You said it yourself, She's one of our best students. She'll be able to tell the difference between what is harmless teenage fun and what isn't," Dumbledore insisted. Minerva sighed. She wasn't terribly convinced, but she knew it was useless to argue.
As the dinner progressed, the glasses filled with champagne. To Hermione's surprise, everyone began drinking it, without a second thought.
"Are we allowed to drink this?" Hermione asked. Pansy nodded.
"No one pays any attention. Its no big deal. Try it," Pansy directed. Hermione shrugged and took a sip. It was fizzy in her mouth. She swallowed it quickly. She wasn't sure she really cared much for the taste, but the food covered it right up.
After dinner was over, and everyone at the table had had several glasses of champagne, they went for a walk around the garden. The air outside felt thick and warm to Hermione. A heavy perfume was in the air, from all of the flowering plants. Hermione felt sleepy, but very happy. They walked around the entire garden, and finally came back to the house. They went back into the ballroom for a while, dancing and joking and laughing. Hermione had to agree with Pansy that she'd never had this much fun before.
A while later, Pansy took Hermione's hand and pulled her out of the ballroom into the hall. They went down the hall, past the foyer and up the back stairs into another hallway. They turned right and went into the first door. Draco and most of the other kids from school were sitting around a table. Pansy shut and locked the door behind them.
"Now the real fun can start," Pansy whispered in Hermione's ear. They sat down at the table, and Draco pulled a plastic bag out from a drawer. He emptied the bag onto the table, leaving a pile of white powder that looked a lot like powdered sugar, and pulled out two razor blades. He cut the powder into long thin lines, then rolled a 100 dollar bill up into a tight roll. He handed it to Jason who was on his left. Jason leaned over the table and snorted two of the lines. Hermione felt like she was in a dream. She'd never seen anyone do this before, and she hadn't known wizards to use drugs before.
"Muggles are good for something, eh Granger?" Draco joked, as though he were reading her thoughts. Hermione was still debating. Pansy handed the bill to her, and Hermione took a deep breath. She wasn't sure why, but she wanted to give it a try. She imitated the others and put the roll into one of her nostrils. Then holding the other one closed, she breathed in through the open nostril. The powder flew up the tube and into her nose, burning like crazy. She switched sides and did another line. She could taste it running down the back of her mouth and it tasted terrible. She wanted to blow her nose, but instead sniffled, pulling more of the powder out of her nose and into her throat.
Hermione's head was spinning. Everything was spinning in fact. She grabbed Pansy's arm.
"I have to go to the bathroom, " she implored. Pansy nodded.
"You okay?" Pansy asked. Hermione nodded weakly. "Down the stairs and on the left. The third door," Pansy directed. Hermione stumbled out of the room and headed down the stairs. She tried not to fall as she walked down the stairs. She turned right and headed for the third door.
The room was full of cigar smoke. There were several men sitting around a fireplace, talking in hushed voices.
"I wish we'd known you were coming," Lucius was saying. Then the men jerked their heads, registering Hermione's presence.
"I'm terribly sorry," she apologized. "I was looking for the bath-"
"Quite alright," an old man said, standing up to greet her. "Come over here, join us for a moment." He gestured to an empty chair. Hermione sat, as she was instructed. "You are, no doubt, a friend of Draco's yes?" He didn't wait for Hermione's reply. "So you're starting your sixth year at Hogwarts. And no doubt you make the Slytherin house proud with your good marks. So tell me, Miss Granger," the man paused, leaving Hermione to wonder how he had known her name but not that she was in Gryffindor. "Lucius here is telling me that I should have told him I was coming. Do you think it terribly rude of me to show up unannounced?" He asked. Hermione could barely focus, but threw out the first answer that came to mind.
"Well, were you invited?" She asked. The men in the room looked at her in shock. But the man who was questioning her threw his head back and laughed. The others exchanged nervous glances.
"Alright, Lucius, you win. But you old man, should have invited me to your party," The man said, jokingly. They all laughed at this remark. "Thank you, Miss Granger. I think you'll find the bathroom four doors to your left. I hope you have a nice evening, and I won't forget you," The old man said. Hermione stood up to leave. She unconsciously dropped a curtsey.
"Thank you, Sir," She said, realizing she didn't know who the man was. His eyes met hers, and for the first time, Hermione noticed they were dark red. She hurried out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom.
Pansy came in a few minutes after Hermione had come in.
"Are you okay?" Pansy asked. "I probably should have warned you about that," Pansy apologized.
"It's okay. I've never done that before," Hermione said, washing her hands. Pansy smiled.
"I don't do it often," she said. "Let's go back though, the night is almost over." She and Hermione headed out to the garden. There were amazing desserts piled high on a table on the terrace, and Hermione took a bowl of ice cream as she and Pansy joined the group again. They finished their desserts and wandered back in to the ballroom. Hermione and Pansy stood casually on the edge of the dance floor, watching everyone dancing around them. Professors Snape and McGonagall for example, made quite an interesting couple. But they were dancing politely, with plenty of space between them. Lucius and Narcissa, on the other hand, were dancing close to one another, looking very happy. Hermione hadn't ever imagined Lucius as the type to fall in love, but apparently, he had. Or he was a very good actor. Hermione felt a tap on her shoulder, tearing her away from her thoughts. It was Draco.
"Can I dance with you?" He asked. She smiled and nodded. He led her out onto the dance floor, right in the middle of the room. They started to dance slowly as one song ended and another one began. Hermione smiled, recognizing the song as an old muggle one - Van Morrison's Have I Told You Lately that I Love you. Draco pulled her closer to him, so that her body was pressing directly up against his. Hermione felt her pulse moving faster.
Then the room was empty, and it was just the two of them. They were lost in their own world. Snape and McGonagall stopped dancing and stared at their students. They knew it could mean trouble.
"I don't understand," McGonagall kept saying. Snape nodded. But the two didn't seem to notice the precariousness of the situation. Snape glanced nervously at Lucius, for certainly he would be furious at the sight of his son with a muggle-born. But Lucius was smiling happily at Draco, something Snape had never seen him do before.
That song ended and another began. The two danced for most of the rest of the night. Eventually, Lucius came by and tapped Draco on the shoulder.
"May I cut in?" Lucius asked, beaming at the two. Draco smiled, happy to see his father happy with him for a change, and started dancing with his mother. Lucius took Hermione's hands and started dancing. "Tell me, Miss Granger, how is it that you seem to have won over my son so easily?" He asked. Hermione was shocked. She hadn't won anything, had she? "Oh, don't tell me you didn't notice he's completely taken with you," Lucius laughed. "You silly little girl. So, tell me, now that you've met the Dark Lord, he's not so atrocious, is he?" Hermione gasped.
"He was so gentle, and kind," She replied, in shock. Lucius laughed.
"He liked you too," Lucius said, still laughing. "Although I've never heard anyone describe him quite like that before. Anyway, he sends you his best, I thought you ought to know." Just then, fireworks started that seemed to signal the end of the evening. Everyone headed out to the terrace to watch them. Hermione stood between Pansy and Draco. She stood there, her eyes fixed on the sky when she felt Draco take her hand. Casually, she glanced at him, not wanting to attract attention to it. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. This had been one of the most incredible nights of her life.
Pansy and Hermione returned after five wonderful weeks in Italy. Hermione had enjoyed herself immensely, but she had never been so glad to return to Pansy's mansion. Both of the girls were looking forward to the Malfoy Ball two days after their return. They had bought brand new dress robes just special for the occasion.
* * *
The night of the ball arrived at last, and the girls spent the better part of the day getting ready. At last it was time to leave, and the girls were ready to go. Pansy was dressed in baby blue satin dress robes, with intricate beadwork on the front. Her hair was tossed up in a messy upsweep, and her eyes were accentuated with frosty blue shimmering eye shadow. Hermione wore dark green satin dress robes with similar beading on the front. She had curled her hair into tight curls and pinned them up around a French twist. She had done her eyes with dark smoky shadows and only a hint of pink at the edges.
The girls eagerly rushed to the carriage to be taken to Malfoy Manor. The whole house was lit up. Tiny white lights had been bewitched in all of the outside plants, and there was a fountain which was spraying fragrant waters right in the center of the circular driveway. Hermione stayed close to Pansy as the girls were shown inside.
The entire house was made of dark grey stone. Hermione imagined it would be very dark inside if it weren't for the bright lights. A red carpet covered the floor in the foyer, where there was another sweet-smelling fountain bubbling away. The house was decorated in fragrant white blossoms. The girls were shown right away to the ballroom.
Huge wooden doors, painted white and gold were open to reveal a room covered in the same white and gold paneling. An intricate crystal chandelier hovered in the center of the room, and huge white flower arrangements framed the room. On the other side of the ballroom, three sets of huge French doors were open to reveal the terrace and the adjoining gardens.
Pansy led Hermione through the crowded ballroom. As they walked, Hermione caught sight of several Hogwart's teachers, including Dumbledore, and various ministry workers she recognized. Hermione looked up to see Pansy's target: Draco. He was surrounded by Hogwarts students, most of whom Hermione recognized. Pansy gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and introduced Hermione to the students she didn't already know. Hermione was hit with the sudden realization of how difficult it must be for Pansy to pretend like everything was alright between her and Draco. She'd always wondered how Pansy had managed, but this was taking real skill.
They all talked for a while, wandering around the room and saying hello to the people they knew, and the people they didn't. After what seemed like ages, a chime rang, announcing dinner. Everyone moved out onto the terrace which was covered in little round tables. Hermione and Pansy sat with Draco, and a boy Hermione didn't know, but whom Pansy had introduced as Jason. Their dinner appeared on the silver plates in front of them. Hermione ate happily, thrilled to be here with her new friends.
Across the terrace, Albus Dumbledore was eating with some of his fellow teachers. Minerva McGonagall sat next to him, looking at the other guests. Her eyes landed on Hermione, and she grabbed Dumbledore's arm.
"What is it, Minerva?" Dumbledore asked. She pointed towards Hermione. Dumbledore shrugged and went back to his drumstick.
"Albus, this could be serious. Hermione Granger is one of our top students. She has no place being here, with those children. Think of what their friendship could lead to," McGonagall was deeply concerned.
"Oh, Minerva, calm yourself. They're harmless really. You said it yourself, She's one of our best students. She'll be able to tell the difference between what is harmless teenage fun and what isn't," Dumbledore insisted. Minerva sighed. She wasn't terribly convinced, but she knew it was useless to argue.
As the dinner progressed, the glasses filled with champagne. To Hermione's surprise, everyone began drinking it, without a second thought.
"Are we allowed to drink this?" Hermione asked. Pansy nodded.
"No one pays any attention. Its no big deal. Try it," Pansy directed. Hermione shrugged and took a sip. It was fizzy in her mouth. She swallowed it quickly. She wasn't sure she really cared much for the taste, but the food covered it right up.
After dinner was over, and everyone at the table had had several glasses of champagne, they went for a walk around the garden. The air outside felt thick and warm to Hermione. A heavy perfume was in the air, from all of the flowering plants. Hermione felt sleepy, but very happy. They walked around the entire garden, and finally came back to the house. They went back into the ballroom for a while, dancing and joking and laughing. Hermione had to agree with Pansy that she'd never had this much fun before.
A while later, Pansy took Hermione's hand and pulled her out of the ballroom into the hall. They went down the hall, past the foyer and up the back stairs into another hallway. They turned right and went into the first door. Draco and most of the other kids from school were sitting around a table. Pansy shut and locked the door behind them.
"Now the real fun can start," Pansy whispered in Hermione's ear. They sat down at the table, and Draco pulled a plastic bag out from a drawer. He emptied the bag onto the table, leaving a pile of white powder that looked a lot like powdered sugar, and pulled out two razor blades. He cut the powder into long thin lines, then rolled a 100 dollar bill up into a tight roll. He handed it to Jason who was on his left. Jason leaned over the table and snorted two of the lines. Hermione felt like she was in a dream. She'd never seen anyone do this before, and she hadn't known wizards to use drugs before.
"Muggles are good for something, eh Granger?" Draco joked, as though he were reading her thoughts. Hermione was still debating. Pansy handed the bill to her, and Hermione took a deep breath. She wasn't sure why, but she wanted to give it a try. She imitated the others and put the roll into one of her nostrils. Then holding the other one closed, she breathed in through the open nostril. The powder flew up the tube and into her nose, burning like crazy. She switched sides and did another line. She could taste it running down the back of her mouth and it tasted terrible. She wanted to blow her nose, but instead sniffled, pulling more of the powder out of her nose and into her throat.
Hermione's head was spinning. Everything was spinning in fact. She grabbed Pansy's arm.
"I have to go to the bathroom, " she implored. Pansy nodded.
"You okay?" Pansy asked. Hermione nodded weakly. "Down the stairs and on the left. The third door," Pansy directed. Hermione stumbled out of the room and headed down the stairs. She tried not to fall as she walked down the stairs. She turned right and headed for the third door.
The room was full of cigar smoke. There were several men sitting around a fireplace, talking in hushed voices.
"I wish we'd known you were coming," Lucius was saying. Then the men jerked their heads, registering Hermione's presence.
"I'm terribly sorry," she apologized. "I was looking for the bath-"
"Quite alright," an old man said, standing up to greet her. "Come over here, join us for a moment." He gestured to an empty chair. Hermione sat, as she was instructed. "You are, no doubt, a friend of Draco's yes?" He didn't wait for Hermione's reply. "So you're starting your sixth year at Hogwarts. And no doubt you make the Slytherin house proud with your good marks. So tell me, Miss Granger," the man paused, leaving Hermione to wonder how he had known her name but not that she was in Gryffindor. "Lucius here is telling me that I should have told him I was coming. Do you think it terribly rude of me to show up unannounced?" He asked. Hermione could barely focus, but threw out the first answer that came to mind.
"Well, were you invited?" She asked. The men in the room looked at her in shock. But the man who was questioning her threw his head back and laughed. The others exchanged nervous glances.
"Alright, Lucius, you win. But you old man, should have invited me to your party," The man said, jokingly. They all laughed at this remark. "Thank you, Miss Granger. I think you'll find the bathroom four doors to your left. I hope you have a nice evening, and I won't forget you," The old man said. Hermione stood up to leave. She unconsciously dropped a curtsey.
"Thank you, Sir," She said, realizing she didn't know who the man was. His eyes met hers, and for the first time, Hermione noticed they were dark red. She hurried out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom.
Pansy came in a few minutes after Hermione had come in.
"Are you okay?" Pansy asked. "I probably should have warned you about that," Pansy apologized.
"It's okay. I've never done that before," Hermione said, washing her hands. Pansy smiled.
"I don't do it often," she said. "Let's go back though, the night is almost over." She and Hermione headed out to the garden. There were amazing desserts piled high on a table on the terrace, and Hermione took a bowl of ice cream as she and Pansy joined the group again. They finished their desserts and wandered back in to the ballroom. Hermione and Pansy stood casually on the edge of the dance floor, watching everyone dancing around them. Professors Snape and McGonagall for example, made quite an interesting couple. But they were dancing politely, with plenty of space between them. Lucius and Narcissa, on the other hand, were dancing close to one another, looking very happy. Hermione hadn't ever imagined Lucius as the type to fall in love, but apparently, he had. Or he was a very good actor. Hermione felt a tap on her shoulder, tearing her away from her thoughts. It was Draco.
"Can I dance with you?" He asked. She smiled and nodded. He led her out onto the dance floor, right in the middle of the room. They started to dance slowly as one song ended and another one began. Hermione smiled, recognizing the song as an old muggle one - Van Morrison's Have I Told You Lately that I Love you. Draco pulled her closer to him, so that her body was pressing directly up against his. Hermione felt her pulse moving faster.
Then the room was empty, and it was just the two of them. They were lost in their own world. Snape and McGonagall stopped dancing and stared at their students. They knew it could mean trouble.
"I don't understand," McGonagall kept saying. Snape nodded. But the two didn't seem to notice the precariousness of the situation. Snape glanced nervously at Lucius, for certainly he would be furious at the sight of his son with a muggle-born. But Lucius was smiling happily at Draco, something Snape had never seen him do before.
That song ended and another began. The two danced for most of the rest of the night. Eventually, Lucius came by and tapped Draco on the shoulder.
"May I cut in?" Lucius asked, beaming at the two. Draco smiled, happy to see his father happy with him for a change, and started dancing with his mother. Lucius took Hermione's hands and started dancing. "Tell me, Miss Granger, how is it that you seem to have won over my son so easily?" He asked. Hermione was shocked. She hadn't won anything, had she? "Oh, don't tell me you didn't notice he's completely taken with you," Lucius laughed. "You silly little girl. So, tell me, now that you've met the Dark Lord, he's not so atrocious, is he?" Hermione gasped.
"He was so gentle, and kind," She replied, in shock. Lucius laughed.
"He liked you too," Lucius said, still laughing. "Although I've never heard anyone describe him quite like that before. Anyway, he sends you his best, I thought you ought to know." Just then, fireworks started that seemed to signal the end of the evening. Everyone headed out to the terrace to watch them. Hermione stood between Pansy and Draco. She stood there, her eyes fixed on the sky when she felt Draco take her hand. Casually, she glanced at him, not wanting to attract attention to it. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. This had been one of the most incredible nights of her life.