A/N: Once again, I would like to thank all those who have reviewed my previous chapter:

Also, as the end is drawing nearer in my story, and I would perhaps advise if readers went back and re-read the last premonition of Hermione's in chapter 10 if you do not remember it, as it is quite important.

I hope you enjoy chapter 13.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

As always Christmas day at Hogwarts was a joyous one, and the morning was spent opening gifts, exchanging pleasantries and eating breakfast. However, as the day wore on and seven o'clock drew nearer the girls, one by one headed for their dormitories in order to spend hours obsessing over hair and makeup so as to look suitably attractive for their dates. Where as the boys, would hang around the common rooms, playing exploding snap and wondering why on earth anyone would need three and a half hours to get dressed.

Lavender, who made the mistake of assuming Ron cared how exactly she did her hair, decided to ask him, "Should I have it up?" she demonstrated, sweeping her hair up, "or shall I have it down?" she asked, allowing it to fall across her shoulders.

She waited expectantly whilst Ron, who having realised that this needed a well-chosen answer, tried to come up with the correct solution. "Erm," he muttered, looking around the room wildly for some help from the other boys, "how bout both?" he finally blurted.

"Both?" she mused, "Ronald Weasley you are a genius! Half up half down…. Why didn't I think of it!" she squealed and pecked the ginger boy quickly on the lips before rushing back up the stairs to her dormitory.

Ron, whose face colour now matched his hair, grinned to himself, putting his finger on his lips and decided, that this dance wasn't such a bad idea after all.

The Weasley boy was too caught up in a world on his own to notice when Hermione and Harry walked through the portrait, "what's up with him?" the head girl asked Neville. Neville turned to look where at Ron, who had not moved or blinked in about three minutes, "Lavender kissed him, I think he's had a minor heart attack".

Hermione grinned, "ahh, young love," however when Ron still failed to react she shrugged and continued taking to her friends, "well I just came along to wish you all good luck for tonight".

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, "aren't you coming?"

"I already told you I'm not," she reminded him.

"I thought you were joking," he replied.

The head girl rolled her eyes, "well anyway, I'll see you two tomorrow, and merry Christmas!" She waved goodbye to her friends and headed back to her own common room. Ron had still not moved.

Draco looked one last time in the mirror, checking his handsome reflection was at its usual level of perfection. As he looked a little closer into the mirror however, a sudden realisation scared him. He had changed. Not so much physically, however upon looking deeper, it was apparent that Draco looked like never before… he looked happy. The sneer, which once graced his lips, seemed to have morphed into somewhat of a smile, and his usually stormy eyes were now like two silver orbs, bright and alive. If his eyes were the windows to his heart, it would be apparent that Draco Malfoy was in love. Not that he would admit this to himself. Not yet.

He had decided to attend the dance without a partner, and was adamant to have a good time, however such aims were fast forgotten whenever he thought of Hermione. He had considered not going, however, it was as though he were trying to prove to himself that he was not infact in love with Miss Granger, and was capable to spend the evening out of her company.

With this thought in mind, Draco strode out of his room and down to the common room, where he found Hermione sitting on the sofa in her Pyjamas, reading a book. She looked up from the pages at the sound of footsteps and smiled at the sight of the blonde Slytherin.

"Are you sure you don't mind me going?" Draco asked awkwardly.

"Don't be so ridiculous, I'm fine!" the head girl lied giving him a gentle nudge through the portrait.

He turned and smiled at her, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before the portrait swung shut behind him. The head girl was left alone in the common room with her thoughts.

She took a deep breath and inwardly chided herself for acting so weak. She didn't own him. Draco had every right to go to the dance without her; if anyone were to blame, it would be her for not going with him. Hermione slowly made her way back to the sofa, and sat down, allowing the warmth of the lit fire to comfort her. She adamantly erased any unwanted thoughts from her mind, and allowed herself to slip deeper into the words in front of her, until eventually she was in a different world, lost within the pages of her book.

As Draco entered the great hall, it had to be said, that there was no way to describe its grandeur and beauty in few words. He and Hermione had spent hours arguing over little details, and now, it had all paid off. One could clearly see the head girl's style and heart had gone into this and each exquisite detail made the whole thing more surreally perfect. The ground was thickly covered with fake snow and ice sculptures decorated the room.

And yet, all Draco could think of as he stepped into this winter wonderland was the girl who should be by his side. He slipped into the room, a cup of punch poised in his hand, and just from the way he drank, so gracefully, it made one want to stop and paint his perfect features.

A few fourth year girls stood in a huddle close by, eyeing him with much enthusiasm. Draco tried to ignore their continuous giggling whilst downing the last of his drink and for lack of anything better to do, circled the room, finally taking a seat with a gang of Slytherin boys. He tried hard to stay part of the conversation, however, much to his anger; he kept finding his thoughts with the brown-eyed Gryffindor he had become so fond of.

Somewhere far away, in a dark room stood a certain Malfoy, stroking a bottle of a certain concoction, as he held it tightly in his hands. It just so happened that this little potion was the key part in his plan for revenge.

The man looked into the fire collecting his thoughts, and preparing himself, for what he had decided, would be a rather entertaining evening. Very dramatic if he did say so himself. Lucius couldn't help but be proud of his little plan.

"It is time," he muttered to himself, then in a louder voice he added, "let the fun begin," a dark smirk apparent on his face as he pictured the nights events in his mind.

He watched her from where he stood, so beautiful as she lost herself within the pages before her. And for the first time Draco didn't know what to say. As he looked at the girl, his stomach seemed to tie itself in knots, and this scared him, as such emotions were not meant for Malfoy's. And yet he liked the way she made him feel so nervous and so excited at the same time.

"Now who's the one staring?" joked Hermione, as she finally noticed his presence. "Why aren't you at the dance?" she asked, marking her page and closing the large book, looking up at the boy curiously.

He didn't answer straight away, instead bit his lip, as though carefully considering an answer, then, eventually he said what his heart told him, "It made no sense for me to be at the dance, when the person I want to be with, is right here"

"Oh" Hermione smiled, a small blush tinting her cheeks.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked her shyly.

She looked at him as though he were crazy, "Draco, there's no music".

"So what?" he mumbled pulling her out of her chair,

"And I'm wearing my Pyjamas"

He shrugged pulling her closer, not caring that they looked ridiculous, swaying slowly to no music whatsoever. One can only suppose that love does funny things to your mind.

Neither noticed, that outside a small snowflake fell slowly to the ground before it melted and disappeared forever. As if on queuethousands of identical flakes began to fall to the ground, eventually thickening and began to settle upon the grounds of Hogwarts; with them, bringing the inevitable evil which would change the young lovers lives forever.