Chapter 14

The Ball

Disclaimer: Although I wish that I owned Harry or Ron or Draco, I do not own a thing.

It was 2:00 that morning that Hermione woke from dead sleep, her heart racing and beads of sweat gliding down her forehead. Placing her hand on her head, she fell back on her pillow, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Her reoccurring dream was the fault for her tears. Every night it would taunt her dreams and drive her nearly to insanity. Night after night, Hermione would see the angry faces of her friends, and every time she thought of that, she lost more and more confidence in herself and Draco ever working as a couple.

Like every single night before that, Hermione would take the only picture that she had of Draco from her book and hug it to her chest. Even if Draco was not there with her in real life, she could hold the picture and feel as comfortable as she would if she was with him.

With the picture enclosed in her hand, Hermione closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, all of her worries and fears cleared from her mind.

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Three hours remained until the ball, and every single boy and girl in Hogwarts hurried to get ready. Even though there was plenty of time until the ball, many found it necessary to prepare for the ball a few hours before so that they could make things perfect for the special evening.

Hermione, however, did not begin to get ready as everyone else did. She sat in the girls dormitory, watching Ginny, Lavender, and Parvati race around the room.

"Lavender, have you seen my lipstick?" Parvati called from inside her closet.

"What shade is it?"

"It's dark red."

Lavender shook her head. "I don't think I have seen it."

Parvatipulled out a small box from the closet and brought it over to her bed where she dumped it all out.

"Here it is," She said, holding up a small tube of lipstick.

Ginny walked over to Parvati's bed and looked through the pile of make-up.

"This is a pretty shade." Ginny said, holding up a tube of light pink lipstick. "Would it be all right if I used some?"

"No problem."

Ginny brought the lipstick over to Hermione and plopped down on her bed.

"Is everything all right?"

Hermione nodded her head. "Why do you ask?"

Ginny shrugged her shoulders. "You look a little worried. Is it about Harry and Ron?"

Hermione sighed. "Yeah, it is."

"Mione," Ginny placed her hand on Hermione's arm. "Everything's going to be fine. Like you said before, it's a masked ball. I'm sure that they won't be able to recognize you with a mask on."

"I hope you're right, Ginny. Draco has been so calm about all of this. I really don't know how he does it."

"The bloke adores you, Mione. Maybe he is so calm because he knows that everything will be all right? You have to trust that nothing bad will happen."

Hermione snuffed and pulled Ginny in for a hug. "Thanks, Ginny."

Ginny softly patted Hermione's back. "No problem, Mione."

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Nerves were at an extreme as the ball grew closer. With one hour to go, Hermione became frantic as her prediction of the evening seemed even more possible.

After being tugged at by her friends, Hermione decided to put the nervousness aside and get ready for the ball.

Hermione took the dress out of the closet and slipped it over her head. Her shoes and everything else that went along with the dress were put on last. Slipping into the bathroom without the girls noticing, she quietly shut the door behind her and walked over to the full length mirror. Hermione took a deep breath as she turned to face the mirror. She placed her hand over her mouth, tears threatening to fall down her rose colored cheeks.

She was wearing a yellow strapless satin gown, with many glittering sequins that ran down her chest and to her stomach. Matching satin gloves covered her forearms, and a yellow sequined mask covered her sparkling chocolate eyes. Her hair was curled and pulled back into a bun.

Hermione had never felt as beautiful as she did when she was in that dress.

A few minutes later, Hermione put the finishing touches on her hair and make-up and opened the door to the bathroom. The room was empty when she walked out of the bathroom. Taking one last look in the mirror, she walked down the steps to the common room and walked through the portrait hole.

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Hermione stepped out of the portrait hole and was making her way down the dark hallway when she felt a soft tap on her shoulder.

"You know, you look stunning in that dress." A deep voice whispered into her ear.

Hermione gasped and turned around, realizing at once who it was.

"Don't do that, Draco." Hermione said, playfully hitting Draco on the arm

Draco laughed and pulled Hermione closer to him.

"I'm serious, you really do look stunning."

"You do as well." Hermione said with a smile.

Draco was wearing a black jacket with a white shirt underneath, complete with a black mask that covered his breath-taking silver eyes. (A/N: I know that they usually wear robes. I thought that Draco would look better in the jacket.)

Draco placed his hand on Hermione's cheek and pressed his lips against hers. Hermione wrapped her arms around Draco's neck, accepting the kiss.

After a few minutes, Hermione pulled away and smiled. "We can't do this all night, Draco. We have to get to the dance."

Draco sighed and held out his arm. "You're right, we can't be late for the ball."

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The Great Hall shook with gleam as music blared through the speakers and couple's filled the floor, each showing off their own unique dance moves. Gold and silver banners were hung from the ceiling and lights were dimmed, the moon and the many different candles as the only main source of light.

"Everything looks amazing." Hermione said softly as she looked around the room.

Draco nodded his head in agreement.

"Would you like to dance?" He asked, holding out his hand.

Hermione smiled, nodding her head.

Draco took Hermione's delicate hand in his and guided her to the dance floor.

Like the sound of silence calling,

I hear your voice and suddenly

I'm falling, lost in a dream.

Finding their way through the crowded floor, Draco sought an open spot at the middle of the crowd and hurried to claim his place. With the music softly playing through the speakers, Draco laced Hermione's hand in his and wrapped his other arm around her waist.

Hermione closed her eyes as the soft beating of the music and Draco's warmth surrounded her. The feelings that she felt when she danced with Draco were like no other feeling that she had ever experienced before. The way he moved her across the floor, the way he held her close, the way he looked deep into her eyes, how he saw past her imperfections and deep inside of her soul. Everything that Draco did or said at that moment made her heart stop beating.

Like the echoes of our souls are meeting.

You say those words and my heart stops beating.

I wonder what it means.

"Hermione," Draco said softly, breaking the odd silence between the two. "You look really nice tonight."

Hermione smiled sweetly and laid her head on his shoulder. "You do, too."

Draco hesitated for a moment, and then took a deep breath.

"Hermione,"

"Yes, Draco?" She said, looking deep into his sparkling silver eyes.

"I need to say something to you."

"What is it?"

Draco looked down at his shoes and then into Hermione's eyes.

"I think I love you."

What could it be that comes over me?

At times I can't move.

At times I can hardly breath.

Hermione was lost for words. Something told her to say the same to him, while another told her not to. No one had ever said anything like that to her.

Hermione simply nodded her head in agreement. "You, too."

Draco smiled and leaned forward, placing a kiss on Hermione's forehead.

When you say you love me,
The world goes still, so still and silent.

Things remained silent between the two as the music played on, the feelings taking over them once more. The beautiful words Draco just said remained inside of Hermione's head. She wished that he would say them again. The words that she had never heard before, made her feel as lovely inside as she did on the outside.

There was something about Draco that amazed Hermione. The challenges that he had faced over the many years, the pain that he had delt with, the many things that he had overcome to be with her tonight. Until now, Hermione had never seen Draco in this light. She had never seen the feelings that he was capable of, the love that was buried deep inside of him. Hermione had been clueless to how much Draco really cared for her. Being there with him now, she felt more comfortable and loved than she had ever been.


When you say you love me,
For a moment, there's no one else alive.

Like in a fairy tale, every one of the couples seemed to disappear as Hermione and Draco danced to the music, both enjoying each others presence. Hermione's stunning golden dress swayed as their bodies moved to the music. The sound of the music softly humming through their ears. The tiny beads of sweat from the warmth of the room falling down their skin.

Everything about this night seemed enchanting. The night sky and thousands of sparkling stars above them added the perfect touch, along with the sparkling silver banners and the tiny mist of glitter falling down on the crowd every few minutes.

Hermione smiled as Draco squeezed his eyes shut, a mist of glitter falling down on top of him.

"You look very pretty, Draco." Hermione joked as she wiped away the glitter from his cheeks.

"Thank you very much."

You're the one I've always thought of.

I don't know how, but I feel sheltered in your love.

You're where I belong.

Hermione ran her hand through Draco's platinum blonde hair, glitter falling from each of the strands. Draco, too, picked up one of Hermione's curls and twisted it around his finger.

Hermione placed her hand on Draco's cheek and slowly leaned forward, placing a kiss on his lips. Before Draco could kiss her back, Hermione pulled away.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked, slightly squeezing her hand.

Hermione shook her head. "Nothing, it's just that I wanted to tell you something."

And when you're with me if I close my eyes,

There are times I swear I feel like I can fly

For a moment in time.

Somewhere between the Heavens and Earth ,

And frozen in time, Oh when you say those words.

Draco tucked the lose strand of Hermione's hair behind her ear.

"What did you want to tell me?"

Hermione took a deep breath. "I think I love you, too."

When you say you love me

The world goes still, so still and silent.

When you say you love me

For a moment there's no one else alive.

Draco flashed his pearly white teeth, his eyes sparkling with passion.

Hermione laid her head on Draco's shoulder and took in everything that was going on around her.

The couple next to them were doing the exact same thing; The girl laid her head on the boys shoulder while he swept her across the floor. Hermione smiled at the girl and wrapped her arms around Draco's shoulders.

And this journey that we're on.

How far we've come and I celebrate every moment.

And when you say you love me,

That's all you have to say. I'll always feel this way.

"Everything's going perfectly." Hermione thought to herself as she closed her eyes. "Please, please don't let anything ruin this moment."

"Hermione, isn't that Harry and Cho over there?" Draco said to Hermione, pointing in their direction.

Hermione lifted her head from his shoulder and turned the other direction.

She nodded her head as she watched Harry and Cho dance not too close from them. Cho had her head on Harry's shoulder, just as Hermione did with Draco, and from the look on Harry's face, it looked as though he was having a wonderful time holding her in his arms.

"They look really happy." Draco said softly he, too, watched them dance.

Hermione nodded her head in agreement. "They do."

Draco turned Hermione around to face him. "Do you think they're as happy as us?"

Hermione wrapped her arms around Draco. "Probably not."

When you say you love me

The world goes still, so still and silent.

Draco cupped Hermione's face in his hands and pressed his lips against hers. The love that they had for one another, filling the room for everyone to see. It didn't matter to Draco or Hermione that they were in full sight of everyone. Nothing mattered but what they were feeling for each other, and that was everything.

When you say you love me

In that moment, I know why I'm alive.

Hermione and Draco continued to dance, even as the music stopped. As the faster beat began to play through the speakers, the steps of everyone around them began to quicken.

Draco wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "Do you want something to drink?"

Hermione nodded, using her hand as a fan. While walking through the crowd, Hermione payed close attention to everyone around her.

"Here you go," Draco handed Hermione a glass of red punch.

Hermione took the punch and poured it into her mouth.

"Excuse me, could you hand me a glass?" Someone said from behind Hermione.

Hermione grabbed a glass from the table. As she turned around to hand it to the boy, she realized at once who it was and dropped the glass.

A/N: Hey there! Hmmm...who could it be? hmmm. Sorry about the length of the last chapter. This one is extra long. By the way, his songis byJoshGroban-Whenyou say you love me.Thanks to everyone that has reviewed! I'm not sure when I will be able to work on the next chapter. Saturday, my boyfriend and I will be celebrating our one year anniversary, and I'm celebrating Easter with my family on Sunday. I'll try my best to get it up sometime next week!

Love,

Jess