Disclaimer: I long to own Harry Potter just as I long to own the planet Neptune, a beanbag chair, and Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. But alas, it is not so.

Author's Note: I cannot express how sorry I am that this chapter took so long to write. It was a doozy. I didn't really know how to address a subject that I knew I had to address at some point. However, since I wasn't up to addressing it completely, and I am tired and there's school tomorrow (by the way, I think I'm going to go cry now) I cut this chapter a bit short. Very sorry about that, but thank you so much for the feedback for my last chapter. You all know how much I love you.

ThousandI: I'm sorry for letting you down last time. Maybe this will help you recover slightly.

The-Princess-06: I know, the- "dark," as you say- theme seems to really be showing lately. The whole reason I only put the story under the category of "romance" was because I knew the story line would be primarily dark, but I had planned to write it with humor laced in here and there. How am I doing?

Alenor: It really is a pity…

Dracoluvsme2: Shucks, you make me blush… and I certainly intend to.

InDreams: I'm sorry you're sick. Get better soon.

Rose: Glad to know you're reading.

Darlightprincess: I definitely did know. In fact, the day I broke up with my boyfriend we had to insult each other in drama using insults from Shakespeare. It felt pretty darn good. For some reason, using ridiculous statements to offend someone is so much more meaningful than saying something like- "You're stupid" or something like that.

Paprika90: Thanks, I was nervous about putting the "venting" scene in there.

Sailor Moon Rose: Yay! That will make me sleep easier.

And now, on to the story…

Chapter 21: Valentine's Day Ball Gone Slightly Awry

Hermione, with Ron in tow, made her way through the now nearly deserted Common Room towards the portrait hole and out into the hallway.

"Where did Harry go?" she asked, nervousness apparent in her voice. Though Ron had relaxed her enough to get her out of her room, actually facing the dance was something he hadn't quite eased her up to.

"He went to the Great Hall. I told him to go meet Luna for me since I was determined to talk to you."

"You're taking Luna Lovegood?" she stopped and looked him incredulously in the eyes.

"Why is that so difficult for people to accept?"

"It's a bit unexpected, mate." Hermione pulled him forward down the staircase toward the Great Hall, stopping abruptly at the doors. "Wait," she turned toward Ron, "How do I look? My hair messed up or anything…?"

Ron gently raised a hand to her face and said quietly, "You look perfect, Hermione."

She smiled and pressed her face further into his hand, smiling appreciatively. He patted her cheek once more and put his arm around her shoulders, opening the doors slowly, leading her in. She only had to look for a moment to find Harry and she hastily pulled Ron toward him and Luna.

"Hermione," Harry grinned and went to her while Luna immediately pulled Ron on to the dance floor. "Where have you been? I've missed you."

"I was having issues," she smiled, "Don't worry about it, though. Ron seems to have solved it."

"Good," Harry lifted Hermione's hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss upon it. "May I have this dance?"

Hermione laughed and pulled him to the dance floor, "Absolutely."

The first dance they pulled out to was one which demanded a rather spunky beat and they were very soon tired, relieved to have a slow song follow. Harry pulled Hermione in toward him and she rested her face on the crook of his neck while his arm wrapped around her back.

Harry closed his eyes at the familiar sound of her breathing as she regained her breath against his neck. He could feel the rise and fall of her chest against his, her tight dress tensing, then relaxing as she breathed.

"Hermione," Harry said quietly, "You look stunning tonight."

"Thank you, Harry." She smiled at the compliment, it was something he would have said the year before, before Draco and Lucius and everything bad had happened. "I'm glad you like it."

They danced for a moment in calm, quiet silence, enjoying each other's company along with the random bits and pieces of other couples' conversations when they passed by.

"Harry," Hermione suddenly pulled away from him, her eyes wide in realization, "This is our first dance as husband and wife."

Harry laughed and pulled her back to him, "It is…" he closed his eyes again and kissed the top of her head, "It is."

The night was blissfully calm. The stars twinkled above them as every couple fell into a dreamlike silence, gazing into the other's eyes, shuffling mechanically about the floor, or simply sitting in the corner, acknowledging and appreciating the other's company. A lone violin played a slow, stirring melody, warm and rich with emotion. For that one brief moment, all was perfect.

Then, the violin stopped, the couples began talking and the room was filled once again with the atmosphere of a school dance, the snogging in the corner, the battles as to whether or not to dance, and the occasional scream from a girl whose dress was momentarily stained with punch or pumpkin juice.

And Harry and Hermione, who had so been enjoying the night, decided to separate, Harry getting her some punch and Hermione retreating to sit on the edge of the dance floor.

She sat for a moment, watching the couples out on the dance floor, but was suddenly aware of someone behind her and before she knew it she had been pulled up out of her chair and into the curtains behind her by an unknown hand. The hand, she found, was anything but unknown.

"Draco," Hermione said, trying desperately to pull away from his strong grasp, "What on Earth are you doing?"

"I'm saving you."

"Heroic, you idiot," she sighed, "Now please let me go."

"I'm not kidding."

"No, of course not. You're saving me from the horrible hands of Harry, aren't you? You're going to take me out there and claim me as your own, huh? And then I'll be saved." She laughed to herself for a moment. "Thanks for the thought, Draco, but the game is a little naïve… not to mention unnecessary."

She nearly got out of his clutches, but just before she could make it out of the curtains, Draco pulled her back to him.

"Draco," Hermione scolded roughly, "This is ridiculous. Let me go."

"You don't understand," Draco pulled her closer until she was flattened against him.

"I do understand, you ass…" Hermione struck him across the face and whirled around to go back to Harry, but Draco reached out and pulled her back from around the waist.

He whispered frantically in her ear, "My father is out there."

For the moment, Hermione was lost of all coherent thought. Her face lost all color and she fell limply into Draco's arms. He turned her around and took her face in his hand while he held her up.

"Don't panic," he said, "I can get you out."

Her eyes filled with tears and she blinked them away furiously, "What about you?"

Draco lifted an eyebrow, "I don't understand…"

"Is he here for me or for you?" Hermione asked, lowering her voice appropriately for such a tense ordeal.

"Me, I'm sure," Draco said, but was cut off again by Hermione's nervous inquiries.

"What did you do to make him come all the way to Hogwarts for you?" Hermione's eyes narrowed derisively.

Draco shuffled as much as the space allowed and finally confessed, "It wasn't entirely his will that I come back here in the first place."

Hermione's jaw dropped slightly and her eyes widened to the size of ostrich eggs.

"He actually forbade me to leave the manor," Draco explained, subconsciously playing with the strap of Hermione's dress, "He said that you were too much of a distraction from my future plans…" he laughed and ran a finger along her collarbone, giving her goose bumps. "Well, in decent terms, he demanded me never to see you again. Thought mixing with a… well, a witch like you… wouldn't do well to our reputation."

"It wouldn't." Hermione pulled away abruptly.

Draco straightened considerably and took Hermione's hand to lead her out of the curtain.

"Wait," Hermione pulled him back in to her, her voice shaking, "How are we going to get out?"

"We'll be very careful."

Draco pulled Hermione out hastily and flung them both in the midst of the dance floor.

"Hide your face," Draco whispered before he looked above the heads of the other dancers. It took only a moment for him to dive back down to Hermione, spinning her closer to him, delving deeper into the crowd.

"Did you see him?" Hermione snaked her arms around his neck and asked into his ear.

"He's at the curtain we just came from."

"Holy shit," she gasped.

Draco merely laughed and flung her down into a deep dip. "He was looking this way," he explained as she hung by his side.

"Please put me upright."

He complied.

"Where is he now?"

Hermione flattened herself into the crook of Draco's neck and looked around while Draco surveyed the opposite side of the room.

"He's at the staff table," Hermione pulled Draco toward the double doors, "Dumbledore's looking out for us."

"Not anymore," Draco shouted to her and pulled her forward, running full speed toward the doors.

Hermione glanced back in a panic to see Lucius barreling after them.

"Run, Draco!" Hermione shouted to him and Draco made his way closer to the double doors.

They reached them in good time and, reaching the hallway out, realized their next problem. There was nowhere they could get within the next ten seconds that Lucius wouldn't see them before they got there. So, as she heard footsteps coming nearer to the door, Hermione pushed Draco furiously into a nearby closet, the door closing simultaneously with the Great Hall doors opening.

They fought furiously to silence their breathing, every movement as loud as thunder in their makeshift sanctuary. They stayed this way for a long while, watching the shadows from the space above the floor and hearing the voices exchange suspicions as to which way they had gone. Finally, they distinctly heard Lucius' voice vanish north as footsteps clattered up the stairs, making them relatively comfortable of their private position.

"What now?" Hermione sighed, allowing her shoulders to drop in relief.

"Do you want to go out?" Draco nodded toward the door and Hermione gave him a look as if he were absolutely mad and shook her head solemnly.

"He'll find us eventually," Draco said.

"Thank you for the reassurance." Hermione looked about her in the little closet. "Hey," Draco turned to where she had looked.

There was a small hook protruding from the side of the wall, at the level of their knees.

"What's it for?" Hermione mused aloud.

She reached out and tugged at it, and, to her utter amazement, a square in the wall opened behind it. A small door revealing a small room.

"What on Earth?" Draco looked up into the room. "There's a ladder, Hermione."

"Where do you think it leads?" She held on to the hem of Draco's coat, shaking.

Draco raised himself to full height, "Does it matter?"

Hermione shrugged in agreement and he pushed her down into the small room. Taking the cue, she climbed frantically upward, Draco following her step for step.

The ladder climbed far higher than either expected and finally ended at a second door with a small hook to pull downward. Hermione managed to open the door, only to be blasted by wind and snow at the other side.

"Climb!" Draco shouted above the gale. "Keep going!"

Though she tried, she could not push herself out due to the battling winds. It only took a moment for Draco to realize this, so he grabbed at her knee and continued to climb, boosting Hermione out on to the ledge.

Once Hermione had gotten out of the shaft, she reached down to assist Draco out as well. Once both were securely off the ladder and the door had been closed, it only took a moment to realize where they had chosen to hide- a recession in the roof of Hogwarts.

"Draco," Hermione gasped, her lips becoming blue before his eyes, "I'm freezing."

Draco nodded and pulled her toward the wall of a turret, which served appropriately as a shield from the wind. Gathering Hermione beside him, he wrapped the two of them in his coat and they sat in silence together, enduring the blistering cold as Harry and their schoolmates partied below.

End Note: Review please. Oh, and sorry again for how long you've all had to wait for this.