Disclaimer: not mine. If I did own them, well…I sure as hell wouldn't be writing this fic, now would I?

Note: I kind of have Ron really sort of shy around Hermione in this story. I know he doesn't normally act like that but in a fanfic, anything's possible. (2 plus2 equals 92 lol)

New Year's Kiss

---

"Hello, Hermione, are you in there?" Ron said, waving his hand up and down in front of her face. She shook her head quickly and looked at him.

"I'm sorry. What?" she said. She really hadn't been listening at all to what Harry and Ron were saying. They were talking about Quidditch, and though she didn't mind watching them play, it got annoying after a while to hear them talking about it so much. So she had tuned them out, propping a book up in front of her and reading until Ron had just distracted her about five seconds ago.

"I was saying, are you going to the New Year's Dance?" asked Ron.

"I don't know yet. It depends on if I find someone to go with," she replied.

"Oh," Ron said. He blushed a little and looked away. Then he turned back to face Hermione.

"Hermione, um…"

"I'm sorry. I have to go to the library. I'll catch you two up later," she said, gathering her things and heading out of the Great Hall and towards the library.

Harry and Ron watched her until she was out of sight. Then Harry turned to Ron and said, "Are you still trying to ask her out? I thought you would've given up a long time ago, considering she never even listens to you."

"Sod off," Ron said, and then became suddenly interested in the food on his plate.

---

Hermione, being Head Girl, was allowed in the Restricted Section of the library. She was reading her Divination textbook, as she had only just this year finally joined up in the class again, after much convincing from Harry and Ron.

There was only one other in the Restricted Section—a certain blonde Slytherin Hermione hated with all her being. It was only too bad that she couldn't kick him out, as he was Head Boy.

"Hey, mudblood, where's Potty and the Weasel? Or did they ditch you in search of some better friends?" Draco Malfoy said to her.

Stay calm, Hermione, stay calm. "No, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me mudblood, Malfoy," she said, gritting her teeth and trying her hardest not to hex him. Seven years of frustration built up, and if he pushed her over the edge, she would make his life hell.

"Or what? You're gonna sic you boyfriends after me? I'm so scared." Hermione fingered the wand in her pocket. Damn you, Malfoy. Damn you, Malfoy. Damn you…

"Whatever," she said. To escape from him, she gathered her stuff up and went to the Gryffindor common room to continue her studies.

"I hate him so much. Why doesn't he just give up already? I mean, he's good-looking and everything, but that doesn't mean I'm going to forgive him."Hermione stopped dead in her tracks as she thought about what she had just said. "What the hell?!" She mentally shook her head and ran all the way to her dorm. I'll just have a little rest to clear my head and then catch up to Harry and Ron at dinner. And with that thought, she laid on the bed and drifted off to sleep.

---

Malfoy was having troubles with his thoughts as well. The Mudblood certainly has grown into her looks. Wait…WHAT THE BLOODY HELL AM I THINKING?! He left the library and ran straight into Professor McGonagall.

"Sorry, Professor," he muttered, as he bent down to pick up his book from the floor.

"Quite all right, Mr. Malfoy," she said. "Have you seen Ms. Granger around?"

"She ran off somewhere," he said.

"Well, if you see her, tell her that I have some news for her."

"No problem, Professor."

McGonagall walked off down the corridor and Draco walked in the opposite direction. He walked to the dungeons and muttered the password (pureblood) to get into the common room. He was in the room no more than five seconds before…

"Drakey!" Oh bloody hell…

"Pansy, get off me," he said, as she had attached herself to his arm with a grip that meant she had no intention of letting go. She gave him a pout.

"Why?" she whined.

"Because I said so." He never knew why he had put up with her for so long. She was such a slut anyway.

"Fine." She gave another pout and let go of his arm, but remained close.

"Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed." He walked a few steps and turned to face Pansy. "Alone," he added, as he knew she was about to ask if she could join him.

He laid down on his bed, closed his eyes, and thought about things—why he still hung out with idiots like Crabbe and Goyle, why he ever screwed the Parkinson slut in the first place, Hermione Granger…

It was this last thought that made him jerk his eyes open and sit up. "Dammit…"

---

Hermione woke up some time later. She got dressed and went down to dinner. She met up with Ginny just outside the Great Hall and sat between her and Seamus Finnegan, with Harry and Ron sitting in front of her and Ginny.

McGonagall walked up to the table. "Ms. Granger, might I have a word?"

Hermione stood and followed McGonagall out the door.

"You know, of course, of the New Year's Dance coming up in a couple days?" McGonagall said. Hermione nodded. "Well, I'm not sure you know this, but, for the Head Girl and Boy, it's mandatory that you go. And it's also mandatory that you dance together."

"Dance with that…" Hermione was about to call Malfoy every foul name she could think of, then reminded herself that she was talking to a teacher. "Yes, of course, Professor," she said quickly.

McGonagall gave her a strange look and strolled back into the Great Hall. Hermione stood there for a moment, cursing under her breath. She took a deep breath to calm herself, then walked back into the Great Hall.

"What was all that about?" Harry asked.

"I have to go to the New Year's Dance, and as Head Girl I have to dance with the Head Boy," she said.

"Ferret-face? That bites, Hermione. Maybe you could hex him or something before hand," said Ron.

"I'd love to, but the teachers, especially McGonagall, would get suspicious. Anyway, she only said I had to dance with him, not that I had to go to the dance with him. So I'm still open on that bit."

"Well, in that case," Harry said. "Ron has something he'd like to ask you." Ron stared at Harry, and if looks could kill, Harry would be chopped in little pieces and thrown into a fire.

Hermione looked at Ron, waiting. He slowly turned to look at her.

"Um…Hermione, will you go to the New Year's Dance with me?"

"Sure," Hermione said casually. She pulled a book out of her bag and began reading.

The look on Ron's face showed that he couldn't have been happier, but Hermione didn't see it.

---

This blows. Draco Malfoy thought as he watched the Golden Trio in the Great Hall. I have to dance with that mudblood whore. Snape had just told him what McGonagall had told Hermione.

He watched as Ron's face turned from one of nervousness to one of joy. No doubt he's just asked Princess Mudblood to the Dance. (A/N: Don't ask me where Princess Mudblood came from. Just sort of popped in my head.) I'm surprised she's not going with Pothead.

"What's wrong, Drakey?" Pansy's question derailed Draco's train of thought.

"Nothing," he muttered. He turned his attention to his dinner and pretended to listen to what Pansy was saying. In reality he was wondering how he could go to the dance without Pansy hanging off his arm. He could ask another girl to go with him, but who?

He looked up and down the Slytherin table, looking for attractive girls. There were none available, so he stood up and left the Great Hall in search of someone who was available. He stopped a Ravenclaw sixth year in the hallway and asked if she would like to go with him.

"Sure, why not? I have nothing else better to do," she replied.

Just as she walked away, Pansy wandered out of the Great Hall, spotted Draco, and ran over to him. "Drakey, can I ask you a question?" she said in the sweetest voice she could manage, which wasn't very sweet at all.

"What?" he said angrily. She was really starting to piss him off.

"Do you want to go to the dance with me?"

"I'm already going with someone else."

Pansy looked at him for a moment, then burst into giggles. "That's funny," she said. "Now answer the question."

"I'm serious. I'm going with someone else."

Pansy looked hurt. "Fine. Be that way. Just so you know, I don't have to be with you. There are plenty of other boys for me."

"Who'd have thought?" he whispered to himself.

Pansy stormed off. Draco went to the Slytherin common room to work on a Potions essay. But lurking in the back of his mind was the thought that he still had to dance with Hogwarts' smartest witch.

---

The night of the New Year's Dance had arrived. Girls were gathering into little groups, whispering and giggling. Boys were bragging about who they had as dates, or complaining about having no dates. So it was with Harry, who still had no one to go with. As a last minute gesture of kindness, Ginny offered to go with him.

"Thanks a lot, Ginny," he said appreciatively.

At about 8:30, everyone began getting ready. The dance was going to start at 10:30 and last until 1, and the girls needed time to do their hair and make-up.

"Girls," Ron said, so only Harry could hear. "They always take forever to do everything. It's so annoying."

"Live with it. You're finally going on a date with Hermione," Harry pointed out.

"And that's why I'm shutting up about it."

Harry and Ron sat in the Gryffindor common room, waiting for Ginny and Hermione. At a quarter after 10 Ginny finally came downstairs from the dorm.

She was dressed in a pink dress robe, and had painted her nails the exact same shade. Her hair was done up in a bun, making her seem almost older than she actually was.

"Wow," said Ron, for he had just noticing Hermione making her arrival into the room.

Hermione was wearing a navy blue dress robe. She had sleeked her hair down so it was not nearly as bushy as normal and had put blonde highlights in it. It was wavy and fell down to past her shoulders. She noticed Harry and Ron staring and blushed.

"Who are you and what did you do with Hermione?" Harry teased.

Hermione smiled. "Thanks," she said unsurely, not sure if it was a compliment or an insult. Ron still hadn't said a word.

"Shall we go?" she asked to everyone in general.

"Sure," said Harry and Ginny in unison. Ron only nodded.

---

Draco had decided to meet his date, whose name was Ellie, at the entrance to the Great Hall. At about twenty-five after, she made her way over to him, dressed in a pale green robe.

"Hi," she said. "Let's go in."

Draco led Ellie to a table to sit down. He met up with Crabbe and Goyle, who, in their idiocy, had not acquired dates, and came for the sole purpose of protecting Draco. Not that he needed it.

"Dance with me," Ellie said, grabbing Draco's hand and nearly dragging him to the dance floor. Bloody hell, he thought. A Ravenclaw version of Pansy. Ah well, at least she's prettier.

It wasn't long before he noticed the Parkinson slut dancing with a guy whose name Draco did not know. Pansy noticed Draco looking, and, in an obvious attempt to make him jealous, kissed the guy she was dancing with. Disgusted, Draco looked away.

Two songs later, Draco told Ellie that he wanted to sit down for a minute. She agreed, and went to go get some pumpkin juice. She never came back.

---

Halfway into the dance, everyone was starting to get bored. Eventually, it was discovered that Seamus Finnegan had snuck Firewhiskey in for all the Gryffindors, and so they all had a relatively good time.

Ron stayed at Hermione's side nearly the whole night. They had only danced to one song, but he didn't care. He was finally on a date with her. Harry and Ginny were having a better time. They had snuck some firecrackers in and did a reenactment of last year's New Year's dance, one of Fred and George's last pranks. (A/N: Let's pretend they didn't leave in their 6th year.)

Finally, at about five minutes before midnight, Professor McGonagall went toe the place where the Teacher's Table normally stood, and magically magnified her voice so the whole room would hear her.

"Will the Head Boy and Girl please come forward?"

This is it, Hermione thought. She gave a quick glance to Harry, Ron, and Ginny, then made her way up to McGonagall, where Draco Malfoy was already waiting.

"As is the custom, the Head Boy and Head Girl will now share a dance." McGonagall gave what seemed to Hermione like a sorry-for-making-you-do-this-but-I-can't-change-the-rules look, then resumed talking to Professor Dumbledore.

"Let's just get this over with, Granger," Draco said quickly. Hermione nodded.

He put his hands on her waist and she placed her hands on his shoulders. A slow song played in the background and they began to dance.

Soon enough, other couples were dancing, so the full attention was finally off of them. It was all Hermione could do not to look into Draco's eyes. Stop thinking about him like that, Hermione. You do not like him. He's your enemy.

Draco was thinking pretty much the same thing. She's a mudblood. You do not have feelings for mudbloods. But when he looked at her, he saw how beautiful she really was.

And so, just as the clock began to strike midnight, he leaned down and kissed her.

Hermione didn't even care.

I know, it's a pretty crappy ending, but this is my first HP fic. Was it any good? Please review and tell me. Gold stars for all who review. ::gets gold stars ready::