It was the day of the Yule ball, the day before Christmas, and Hermione was almost as excited about about dumping Zabini as she was about the dance. She still wasn't talking to Draco, and he was ignoring her for the most part. Ginny, as usual, came to spend time 'with her boyfriend' aka getting ready in Hermione's room.
The Gucci dress looked just as fabulous on her now as it did in the shop, if not more so. Her hair was done in two french plaits that curled away from her forehead and ended at the back of her head, spilling into red-gold curls, courtesy of Hermione's curling iron and a few semi-permanent spells. The braids were shot through with gold and white threads, that blended with her hair and gave it highlights. She had natural makeup on, although her eyes were dark lighted with bronze that made her blue eyes seem brighter. She wore a gold celtic knotwork bracelet on her wrist, but no other jewelery except small gold and pearl earrings, courtesy of Hermione's jewelery box. Aside from that she wore the three-inch stiletto gold strap sandles, and she was ready.
Hermione wore the green monsoon dress that accentuated her curves with a pearl choker that fastened at the front with a square pale green stone. The peridot necklace hung beneath it. Her hair was all in a high ponytail from which hung bouncy curls, thanks to Amelie's metamorphmagus powers. A few curls framed her face, which had natural makeup on again, except for the shimmering opalescent green eyeshadow above and below her eyes which were lined with silver eyeliner, and rimmed with mascara-black lashes. She wore three silver bangles on each wrist, and four-inch stiletto silver and green leather strap sandles, with silver beaten-metal plates up the front.
"Can I come in?" both girls turned to the door, and then looked at each other. Hermione shrugged, and Ginny nodded.
"Sure." She called. Draco walked in, and stopped dead at the sight of the two girls.
"Whoa." He said lamely. Hermione smiled.
"You like?"
"Yeah." He said, mouth open. Ginny reached out and shut it with two manicured fingertips. He looked her over. "Isnt that the Gucci sign?"
"Yep." Hermione answered happily. "And doesn't she looked fucking gorgeous in it?"
"Definitely. Remind me to buy you designer for Christmas."
"You mean you haven't bought presents yet?" Hermione asked. He looked at her and winked.
"I've bought them. But I can always change my mind." He took her hand and twirled her in a circle. She laughed.
"You forgive me then?" she asked, halting the twirl so she was facing him, right there. The four-inch heels gave her somewhat of an advantage, so now she was looking at the bridge of his nose rather than his shoulder.
His hands slid onto her hips, and he nodded.
"I think so." She smiled.
"I'm glad."
"So am I – but please remember, he's meant to be my boyfriend." Ginny interjected. Hermione laughed and stepped back.
"Sorry."
"She can't resist me, love." Draco said with a shrug to Ginny. Ginny raised one eyebrow.
"More like you cant resist her."
"Well…" he hedged. The portrait interrupted him.
"Mr Zabini is here."
Hermione chivvied them both out of her room and into Draco's before reapplying her lipgloss, and going to the portrait door. Zabini waited for her looking so totally hot it was unbelievable.
"Hey love, you ready?" he asked. She nodded, and when he offered her is arm, she took it.
And then they were off to the ball.
Shame she had the wrong prince charming.
&
The dance was a whirl of colours and people, dancing, talking and laughing. Hermione, arriving on Blaise's arm, couldn't honestly say she was having fun. She couldn't wait to just sing, get it over with, then leave. After all, she was only dating Blaise because otherwise he wouldn't play and the ball would be ruined.
The dating scene could be so impersonal sometimes.
They eventually split so that Blaise could talk to his friends and she could escape to hers. Approaching them, she sighed in relief. At least, annoying as they were, they werent as irritating as Zabini.
"Hey Hermione. I see you've allowed yourself to sink to our level." Ron said scathingly.
"You said it, not me." Hermione said with a shrug. "Actually, I thought I'd rise from Blaise's level and actually have a halfway normal conversation."
"What, is the kissing too much for you?" Ron shot back.
"Not at all. It's the brain department he lets me down on."
"Had a fight then, have you?" Harry asked. Hermione shook her head.
"No. If we had I wouldn't have come with him."
"Yes you would." Harry contradicted. "Because Ginny's coming with Malfoy."
Hermione wrinkled her nose. "My day was going so well." She sighed dramatically, and jumped as someone covered her eyes from behind.
"Guess who?" They said. Hermione felt their hands with her fingertips, but still couldn't identify them.
"No idea." She said finally.
"Really? Have you forgotten us already?" Hermione smiled, recognising the voice now.
"Hi Fred." She turned around, and saw him looking injured.
"I'm George!" he protested. Hermione kissed his cheek.
"I'm sorry George. It's twin syndrome – I still can't tell you apart. What are you doing here?"
"Special guests." He said with a grin.
"Well, we could see you…coming in with Zabini. What's going on there?" Fred asked, coming up besides his twin.
"I'm going out with him." Hermione said with a shrug. "For now."
"You're going to dump him?" Fred crowed. Hermione glared.
"Shush! He doesn't know yet, and hopefully he wont know until after he performs, otherwise he'll either kill me or worse, refuse to perform."
"Remember what I said to you a few years ago, Hermione? You need to get your priorities straight." Ron lectured.
"I remember Ron, thank you." Hermione said. "He won't kill me, anyway. I'm far too valuable and he'll probably die soon after. So it's all good."
Careful. Amelie warned.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Harry asked, confused.
"My uncle's part of the mafia, Harry, no worries." She smirked. "I'm kidding, Harry. He won't kill me because there are loads of teachers here and a life sentence in Azkaban seems really long when you're seventeen."
George grinned. "Indeed it does. Want to dance?" he held out his hand to her.
"Why not?" Hermione let herself be pulled onto the dancefloor, and found to her pleasant surprise that George could, in fact, dance.
"It's a shame Ron has two left feet." Hermione commented as George twirled her. "Otherwise he might find these balls easier to go to."
"He might actually have a chance with half the girls here if he could." George agreed. He looked towards the door. "Look who just walked in." Hermione glanced over her shoulder and saw Ginny, looking radiant, and Draco looking ridiculously handsome.
Hermione didn't say anything, although George noticed how her face hardened.
"What's going on?" he asked bluntly.
"Me and Draco were going out until she joined the picture." Hermione said coldly. George nodded, though he looked slightly confused.
"That seems unlike Ginny, though. She's not normally the type to steal someone else's boyfriend. Trust me, there's something else going on here."
Hermione was fervently glad George and Fred had left school, otherwise she was sure they would have worked out the complicated game they were playing. Sneaks recognise sneaks, after all. Although, using that logic, why Blaise hadnt worked it all out himself was a mystery. Unless he already knew.
That was a very bad thought.
The music changed, and Geoge started steering Hermione towards the edge of the dancefloor. Pansy smirked as she passed her, going in the opposite direction.
"If you can't manage pureblood dances, how are you going to manage pureblood guys, hmm?"
"I'm managing better than you are – I heard you were dating a Hufflepuff. Don't worry about it though, Pansy. After all, you've sunk so low you can only really go up. Although being a scum-sucker is so totally your forte." Hermione smiled sweetly.
Pansy practically hissed in rage.
"I can dance this song." Hermione told George, who was looking wary. "If you want to, that is."
"It's a wizarding one…you'll look odd if you don't know the dance." George warned.
"I know the dance, don't worry about it." Hermione grinned, and George shrugged, pulling her back out onto the dance floor.
It was true. Hermione, using the knowledge from Amelie, danced properly and really well, completely surprising almost everyone in the room. Even Ginny and Draco gave her odd looks as they danced past.
It was very satisfying.
Halfway through the second song, Blaise came up and tapped George on the shoulder.
"Hate to interrupt," he said drily, "But its nearly time." He said to Hermione. She nodded, smiled at George, and followed Blaise through the throng of people.
"What were you thinking?" he demanded softly as they stood by the stage, waiting for their cue. "He's a Weasley!"
"So what? I'm not dating him…and just because I'm mad at Ginny and Malfoy doesn't mean I have to be mad at George as well."
"You're dating me." He hissed.
"So what?"
"So there are expectations you have to live up to." He said, as though talking to a stupid child.
"You know where to shove your expectations." Hermione said sweetly, before climbing onto the stage. He followed, rather stormily. Draco was already there.
"Nice of you two to join us." He sneered.
"Happy to please." Hermione shot back with a little curtsey. He glared.
There was a little introduction by Dumbledore, and then they started.
The first song was what Hermione had sung to 'audition' for the group – 'Ice Queen'
Hermione wouldn't have been surprised to find that the genre of the music shocked a lot of the staff and students, because after an oddly mellow start, Malfoy and Clawson started on the drums and bass, with a definite dark feeling behind it.
Then she started singing.
Singing on stage was very different from singing for a couple of people in a practise room. It was a lot more fun, for one thing. On stage, it didn't really matter if you were crap or not, since you had to keep going. So Hermione simply belted it out and enjoyed herself all the way.
It appeared the audience enjoyed it too, since the room exploded in clapping, and she could see Fred and George whistling.
They did about six more songs, which were mostly classified in the dark-rock genre. And while the students seemed to enjoy it, the teachers were a little less enthusiastic. Snape looked the grumpiest, although he usually did. She always enjoyed watching him at various balls, seeing his face go from annoyed to outright devasted by the end of the ball was always amusing.
The last song was a slow song, one she sang with Blaise, who had a bearable voice, at least.
She glanced over her shoulder, supposedly at Clawson and the other guy who's name she'd forgotten, and saw Draco looking very, very annoyed. She turned back to the rest of the school. She didn't need to be thinking about him now.
Blaise started off the song, and Hermione joined in on the chorus. People were slow dancing, and at the end of the song, everyone clapped, and Hermione got off the stage as quickly as she could, avoiding Blaise and Draco.
She made her way quickly through the crowd, murmuring 'thank yous' to people who kept congratulating her, and then finally emerged in the garden.
It was fucking freezing outside, especially since she was wearing a thin dress, heeled sandles and no cloak. The snow had been swept from the paths, and Hermione hugged herself and clenched her jaw to stop from shivering.
She knew Blaise was expecting her to sleep with him tonight – almost his reward for playing at the ball. But she knew she wouldn't, couldn't, bear it. She didn't love him, she didn't like him, and the sooner she ended it the better. But that led to yet another problem. How to break up with him.
In all her past relationships, although there hadnt been that many, she had been the dumpee, not the dumper. And so she had no experience when it came to dumping people, and had no idea how she was going to go about it.
She stayed outside for longer than she realised, trying to work out how she was going to manage it, when she was interrupted by the noise of someone approaching. It was Ginny, in a long white cloak with a big hood, that almost totally disguised her identity, if not for the Gucci buckle at her hip.
"What do you want?" Hermione snapped, unsure as to where anyone could hear them and unwilling to be optimistic and think that they were alone.
"Have you seen Draco?" Ginny retorted. Her voice was haughty and mean, but on her face was worry.
"Why, you lost him?"
"No. He's just wandered off somewhere. Never mind." Ginny stormed back inside, her job done.
Hermione walked round the side of the school and let herself in through a less-used door, and then quickly made her way up to the Heads Suite.
The common room was empty, and the suite was silent. Hermione quickly went to his door and opened it, and saw him lying on his bed, eyes closed, while a black-cloaked figure stood over him. Hermione backed out of his room silently and looked around, finally spotting a glass vase on the marble mantlepiece. Hefting it in one hand, she went back to his door, and saw the cloaked figure make a gesture, and Draco curled up protectively, his eyes screwed shut and his hands clenched. Hermione took a deep breath, then lobbed the vase at the figure as hard as she could. It hit him on the shoulder and fell to the ground, shattering. The figure turned to her, and she ran.
She hid in the niche between the bookcase and the wall, and nearly screamed when the bookcase moved and she slid into a passageway behind it. A passageway that was totally dark, and there was something in there with her.
"Who's there?" she whispered.
"Shh. Miss must be quiet, miss must." Recognising the voice of one of the house-elves, Hermione sighed in relief. Maybe she wouldn't die today.
She could hear the figure moving about in the common room, and various crashes, bangs and the sound of breaking glass accompanied it. Eventually the noise stopped, and Hermione and the house-elf waited nervously.
"Miss should stay here while Twinky goes and checks if he's gone." There was a soft pop, and Hermione was alone in the passageway. She felt along the walls with her hands, since it was too dark to see anything. No crack of light came into the passageway. Hermione wondered idly if this passageway had been on the Maurauders Map, and decided it wouldn't be. After all, none of boys in James Potter's group had been Head Boy.
Or Head Girl, for that matter.
Hermione stifled a giggle at her ridiculous thoughts.
Grow up. Amelie said condescendingly.
Where have you been? Hermione demanded. You didn't say a word through the entire ball!
I was asleep. I figured you wouldn't need me. Although judging by our current surroundings, I should have stayed awake.
Uh, yeah! Hermione snapped sarcastically. I went to check on Draco who left the ball early and found him on the bed with some cloaked guy beside him. When I next looked Draco looked in serious pain, and I threw a vase at the guy and he chased me. I hid and Twinky the house elf brought me in here-
Where's here?
Passageway behind the bookshelf. Anyway. I think Draco's still alive and Twinky's going to check the guy's gone.
There was a soft pop. "The bad man has gone, miss."
Twinky's back. Poor thing…having a name like that.
"Thanks Twinky." Hermione said softly. Amelie took over.
"We're right next to Draco's room, arent we?" she asked.
"Yes miss."
"Alright. Thanks for your help." Amelie took a deep breath, concentrated and walked straight through the wall, into Draco's room.
You haven't done that since we left my house in August. Hermione commented.
Didn't need to. Here, you take over. She gave Hermione control.
Hermione crossed the room quickly, coming around the side of the bed so Draco was facing her. Glass crunched underfoot, but he made no move. He was still curled up, his hands clenched and his eyes squeezed shut.
"Draco?" Hermione ventured. His eyes flew open, and his hands clenched tighter.
"Go away Hermione." He said sharply, his voice tense.
"What happened? What did he do?"
"Hermione." He gritted out. "Go. Away. Right. Now." Hermione glanced over his curled up figure in confusion.
Back off Hermione. I'll explain in a minute.
Without another word, Hermione left the room, sparing only one glance over her shoulder to see Draco watching her retreat, before his eyes closed once again.
What the hell? she asked, when she was safely out of his room.
It's a curse. Basically he is so totally hot right now that he's in pain. And if he doesn't get laid he might die.
You say it so cheerfully.
I'm deadly serious. Amelie returned.
So what do I do? there was no answer, but Hermione got the message. Alright. There was no answer yet again, but Hermione shrugged it off. With any luck, Amelie had gone to shut herself in a mental box.
Box it is then. Talk to you tomorrow. Have a good night. Then there was a kind of empty blankness where Amelie usually was.
Hermione kicked off her shoes and slid back into Draco's room, carefully avoiding the broken glass. He was still as she had left him, curled over on his side, facing the window with his eyes shut and hands clenched.
"I thought I told you to go away." He snarled, not opening his eyes. Hermione ignored him, going to the other side of the bed, and unzipping her dress, letting it slither off her body to puddle around her feet on the floor.
At the sound of her zip releasing, Draco went still. His eyes flew open, although he didn't turn over. While he was pretty sure that Hermione wouldn't have worked out what was going on, he had an idea that Amelie had both seen and dealt with this before. He just hoped it wasn't Amelie who had just gotten onto the bed.
A cool hand touched his shoulder, pulling him over onto his back. Hermione knelt beside him, dressed only in the matching pale green and blue lace panty and bra set. Then she bent and kissed him gently, her hands framing his face.
He reached up and gripped her arms with his hands, pulling her away from him. "Hermione, stop it."
"Or what?" she said, sitting back on her heels and crossing her arms. "I know whats going on. And I know that if we don't do this, you could die. So stop being stubborn."
"Hermione."
"Draco." He sighed. Smiling in triumph, she kissed him again, only to get flipped over pretty damn quickly. He hovered over her, and she could feel his erection against her leg.
"I'm sorry." He muttered, kissing her harshly, even as his hands pulled his trousers and boxers off and quickly disposed of her panties.
And then he was in her, moving harshly and desperately while she lay beneath him. This was nothing like she expected her first time to be like, but she figured that saving the man she loved was probably worth it. It wasn't like it was completely bad, anyway. He felt amazing inside of her, and the friction was making her hotter than she'd been in a long time, much hotter than she'd ever gotten with Zabini. And, of course, the pheonix was roaring through her, heating her up to the point she was sure she'd explode.
Draco came with a groan, slumping over her, his arms going around her. He rolled off her, onto his side, and he held her tightly against him.
"I'm so sorry." He whispered. Hermione shook her head, kissing one high cheekbone.
"Don't be." She whispered back. He kissed her gently, his fingertips running delicately along her side, and then he closed his eyes. Eventually his grip on her relaxed, and he fell asleep. After a few minutes of watching him, Hermione twisted in his arms so she lay with her back to him, looking through the parted curtains through the window, through which moonlight streamed across the desk and table, its brightness wavering as clouds passed over its surface.
Hermione sighed, her hands going to where Draco's hands wrapped around her stomach. She felt sore and bruised, and more than a little disappointed. It had been impossible for her to not hear the hype about 'the first time' and how amazing it was, but her first time was not amazing. A tear slipped over her cheek onto the pillow, and another one followed, running sideways across her face over her nose, hanging in a drop that tickled momentarily before it, too, fell onto the pillow.
Behind her, Draco shifted, his arms tightening around her. She listened to him breathing, softly and steadily behind her, although the rhythm was slightly different. She wondered if he was dreaming. Looking out the window again, she saw the snow beginning to fall again, the delicate snowflakes reflecting the dappled moonlight like tiny mirrors. Another tear slid onto the pillow.
Draco shifted again, pulling at her so she lay on her back. She turned her head to look at him and nearly jumped when she saw him looking back at her, his face pale and his eyes dark.
He wiped the tear streaks away from her face gently, kissing each of her eyes in turn, before his mouth met hers. He was infinitely gentle, and her arms twined around his neck as he rose to lean over her.
"Draco…" Hermione began.
"Don't say anything." He said quietly, kissing his way down her neck. Hermione whimpered softly, twisting her head to the side to bare more skin, and then she jumped as she felt his fingers between her legs. She looked up at him and he winked, before he bent his head to kiss her again, his fingers sliding inside her.
She groaned as he twisted them inside her, her hands clutching his shoulders. He grinned against her mouth, thoroughly enjoying what he was doing to her.
"Drac – oh!" Hermione sighed against him, pulling him closer to her. She felt him against her leg, and he caught her eye.
"You okay." She nodded.
"Yeah."
He slid inside her, and Hermione gasped at the feeling. So how come, merely three or so hours earlier, having sex with Draco had been thoroughly unrewarding, unsatisfying and un- oh holy fucking jesus. What the hell was he doing to her?
Draco moved slowly inside her, holding himself back with iron control. As much as he really wanted to totally lose control and go for it, he was aware that that was pretty much what happened the first time, and judging by Hermione's tears, that hadnt been a completely pleasant experience. So this time, he resolved, it would be about her.
They could go crazy next time.
They came at the same time, Hermione screaming his name and clutching his shoulders, her nails digging into his skin, while his eyes squeezed shut while he gasped her name in a kind of breathless ecstacy.
"I love you." She whispered as he slumped over her.
"I love you too." He answered softly, kissing her softly and then rolling off her, again taking her with him into his arms.
This time, they both fell asleep.
&
They spent the next morning in bed, talking and laughing and having sex. There were, in Hermione's opinion, worse ways to spend the morning. But around lunchtime Hermione dragged herself out of bed to deal with the odious task of dumping Blaise.
"But you seemed to have so much fun with him." Draco said mockingly as she made her way towards the door, completely starkers. She hoped to god Ginny hadnt let herself in and was sitting on the couch in the common room.
"Don't be stupid Draco." She said, shaking her head. "I've been more excited about dumping him in the last three weeks than I have about just about anything else."
Draco acted nonchalant, inspecting his sapphire ring. "Oh really."
"Really really." Hermione shot back, glancing at her own ring, just about the only thing she was wearing.
And found the rubies had turned purple.
"Draco. What colour are the sapphires?" She asked, returning to the bed.
"Blue." He answered scathingly. Hermione rolled her eyes and took his hand, inspecting them. They were purple.
"They're purple, dumbass." She said. "Like mine." She held out her hand, and Draco inspected the ring.
"So they are. That's interesting." He smirked and kissed her, and she sighed.
"Dump Blaise. Must go dump Blaise." She commanded herself, and pulled herself away towards the door and out through the common room.
Thankfully, Ginny wasn't there.
There was something lamely exhilerating about walking through the common room starkers, the feeling that she might get caught. Although that would be mortifying.
She'd never live it down.
But no one interrupted her, and she made it to her room, and got dressed, before heading out to find Blaise.
Dumping people seemed to take so much effort.
Especially when she could be having sex with a certain Draco Malfoy right now.
And to consider, this time yesterday she was a virgin.
How times change.
&
