Hermione walked down to the Great Hall with the air of someone who had done a wonderful job in a musical the night before but still had something terrible hanging over her shoulders. When she was seated at her spot beside Blaise, she was surprised to find how incredibly nervous she felt around him. She felt like blushing and giggling and she was sweating. She felt like the clichéd schoolgirl with a crush, and it pissed her off to no end.

As soon as she had begun eating and had gained a relative hold over herself, Blaise wrote something on the napkin and slid it over to her.

'Excited for tomorrow night?' It read.

'This is a cloth napkin you idiot!' Hermione scribbled back.

'Not a morning person, huh?'

'Shut up'

'I'm not talking'

'You know what I mean'

'We're running out of room, so just answer the question'

'I am not excited for tomorrow night!'

'Rather be going with Draco?'

'What's it to you?'

'I am your date'

'And I am walking away'

Hermione was incredibly pissed off. She was acting like some giggling schoolgirl who fancied a boy far beyond her league and she wasn't sure what to do about it. She was going with him to the ball, that much was for sure. And she was going to have to tell Malfoy before the ball, otherwise he'd be too upset for words.

"Hey, watch it Granger," Malfoy said as they bumped into each other.

"Shut it Malfoy," she replied quickly, having vague recollections of a time before nights in the snow, play practices, and footsies. He slipped something into her hand as they walked away from each other.

I think now would be an appropriate time to note that the two of them had officially succeeded in baffling the population of Hogwarts. They went from hating each other to acting like newlyweds. And then, clearly, newlyweds who cheated on each other, what with the Blaise situation. In the halls they acted as if they despised each other, but others would see them sharing kisses a few hours later. One could only assume that they were insane or couldn't get a grip on their feelings.

The truth was that they weren't sure where the façade ended and reality began anymore. Their lives were a strange mix of acting and showing their true feelings, and it didn't even make sense to them.

Anyways, Hermione headed for her room and looked at the note Malfoy had slipped into her hand. 'Just to be all clichéd, meet me in the Astronomy Tower tonight. 11:11'

At 11:11 that night Hermione found herself sitting against the wall of the Astronomy Tower. At 11:11 exactly, she chided herself. He is such an idiot.

"I know you think I'm an idiot," his voice startled her for a second, but then she realized what he'd said.

"How did you know?" She asked, small smile on her face.

"Because I asked you to be here at 11:11 instead of a more natural number."

"OK, I'll bite. Why 11:11?"

"You can make a wish at 11:11," he replied easily.

"That's a whole lot of wishes."

She could make out his figure shrugging in the eerie light. "I figure if you don't abuse the privilege, you might get lucky."

"Like being an idiot?"

"What about it?"

"Everyone's entitled to be an idiot, but some abuse the privilege…"

"Very funny."

"I thought so."

"You have something else to say," he said after a moment, sliding down to sit across from her.

"Yes," she replied slowly, thinking over her next sentence. "About the ball…"

"Should we go or should we not?" He finished for her, about to continue.

"No, there's something else."

He sat in silence for a moment before replying. "Yes?"

She took a deep breath. She hadn't realized how much it would hurt and yaddy yaddy yada. "I'm going with Blaise."

Malfoy's voice was icy calm as he replied. "Oh?"

"Yes."

"Should I ask the circumstances?"

"It's not like I'm attached to anyone, is it?" Hermione said, part in defense and part in challenge. There was more silence from the opposite wall.

"He's blackmailing you?" Malfoy asked finally.

"Yes," Hermione said, feeling a little relieved. She did, however, take note of the fact that he hadn't answered her challenge.

"With what?"

"The fact that you're sleeping with me." She could feel his smirk slide onto his face through the darkness. "I mean," she said, stumbling over her words a little, "In the same bed. Since we haven't actually…"

"Do you want to?"

"What?" Hermione asked sarcastically. "Right here, right now?"

Another easy shrug. "You don't seem like the type."

"I'm not. Anyways, I'm sorry. I would have gone with you, but we're not really…."

"We're not anything anymore, are we?" He asked tiredly. "We're not enemies, we're not boyfriend and girlfriend, but we're not just friends either. We can't decide on one or the other."

"It's different this way."

"But not better. Not any easier than it was when we hated each other."

"Should we go back to hating each other?"

"Maybe."

"It would be easier. Less people would hate both of us."

"And you could have a chance with Blaise," he said, a tone of finality in his voice. He stood, looked at her with a strange softness on his face Hermione was sure she'd never see again, and walked away.

"I could…" Hermione replied sadly, watching his retreating form. "I could."

Hermione awoke the next morning to find herself still in the Astronomy Tower, eyes filled with salt. She'd been crying in her sleep again. Moving from her uncomfortable position, she reflected on the night's events. As she walked solemnly back to her dorm, she knew that, for the first time in a week that had seemed like a month, she wouldn't find a boy with his shirt off sitting on her bed or in a chair.

She knew that there would be a cold air about the room, and it would seem as cruel and unforgiving as a room can. She knew she would curl up in her covers and cry a bit more and she wouldn't be warm at all. And she knew that all the magic of wishful thinking and snow outside her window would be lost.

And it was. All of it. And she did curl up in her covers, and didn't make a peep until Ginny showed up three hours later.

"Hermione," Ginny called through the door, tapping lightly. "I figure you were with Malfoy, but he was at breakfast…So something's gone wrong; you never sleep in Herms. I'm coming in, OK?"

Hermione didn't reply, just sat with her back against her pillows and stared at the door. She pulled the covers up around her, tighter than they had been.

Ginny pushed open the door and crossed to Hermione's bed, sitting down beside her.

"Wanna tell me what's up?" Ginny was more worried then she would have been for anyone else. The thing about Hermione was that she was always sensible, she was always calm and under control and she would never lose her head over a boy, least of all one who she still hated with a part of her heart.

So Hermione recounted the entire story, in the calm clear voice Ginny was used to. Hermione didn't cry the entire time, and Ginny didn't look too sympathetic.

"So we're enemies again and I'm going to a ball with his conniving, blackmailing Slytherin acquaintance." Ginny, for the life of her, couldn't figure out why Hermione had said 'acquaintance' with such venom. She also had no idea what she was going to do.

"How bout this?" Ginny asked. "Don't go."

"Blaise'll…"

"I know Hermione," Ginny, gearing up for her pep talk.

"I'll go Ginny. I have an idea. In the mean time," she said, sizing up her friend, "I need to see your dress. I need to make you look beautiful for Harry."

Ginny looked stricken. "How'd you know I was going with Harry?"

"I know things," Hermione said in a mysterious voice that was a perfect imitation of Professor Trelawney. "Lots of things…" The two girls fell off the bed laughing.

By four O'clock that afternoon they had a small troupe of girls gathered in Hermione's room. Hannah, Hermione, Ginny, and Lavender and Parvati, much to Hermione's disgust, were sitting in a small circle on her carpeted floor. Inside of the circle were various beauty products, and suspended around the room were their dresses. Now, since you'll all want to know, this is the long-winded description of the dresses. If you don't care about the dresses, skip to the next bold print:

Ginny's Dress: Ginny's dress was, predictably, a dark green. It had one sleeve that came down to about mid-palm. The neck was modest, and the there was a corset running up the side without the sleeve. The skirt was ruffled and alternated from the green to black. Her shoes were black as well, and I don't have enough imagination to describe them as well.

Hannah's Dress: A cherry red with a neck that cut across to her arms, leaving her neck and shoulders bare. It wasn't incredibly tight but it didn't hang like a bag either, and it came down to the floor, letting her darker red shoes poke out from under it. There was a diamond pattern over it that wasn't incredibly eye-catching, sort of like Old Victorian wall paper only it looked good. The stitching was a dulled gold, as was the small ribbon around her waist.

Parvati's Dress: White, flowing pants underneath a green Vietnamese-style, high-necked light green dress. It was three-quarter length sleeved and had a slit running to about her bellybutton up one side, about where her pants were fastened. (So it didn't show much skin.) There was a faint pink flower pattern on the back as well.

Lavender's Dress: The sleeves and skirt were a light fabric that changed from red to purple to a deep blue and a little light pink thrown in. The sleeves and skirt were both billowing. The upper part of the dress was tighter and white, with fabric that gathered to a small stone of a deep purple-blue colour.

Hermione's Dress (What you really care about): Midnight blue, strapless, flowing to the floor, tight enough to show off her curves but not tight enough to be too tight around her stomach, which wasn't incredibly small and which she felt insecure about like most girls! There was a slit running up the skirt to reveal a pale, shimmering fabric, like the colour of shining pearls. Along the bodice and down along the slit in the fabric ran a length of small rhinestones that caught all different colours. The fabric gathered on the bodice at a small white brooch.

The five of them spent about an hour and a half doing their hair and makeup, helping each other out and giggling continuously. The only problem was discussing dates.

"Are you going with Dreamy Draco?" Parvati asked Hermione as she and Lavender sighed. Hannah, who was doing Lavender's hair, rolled her eyes. Hermione grinned at her before replying.

"No," she stated simply, reaching over to add a little eye shadow to Ginny's eyelids. The two girls gasped, and even Hannah looked interested. "I'm going with Blaise. Blaise Zabini."

"Love triangle!" Lavender squealed.

"Not really," Hermione replied in her most patient voice.

"What happened between you and Draco?" Hannah asked curiously. "I remember the night of the play…." She looked down at Lavender and Parvati, who were listening eagerly to her every word. Then she looked at Hermione, and, much to Hermione's relief and Ginny's approval, decided to end her sentence right then.

"We just…" Hermione sighed. "It's really hard to explain, and I'd rather not think about it. But I am most certainly not in love with Blaise," she said, looking at Lavender, who'd just opened her mouth to ask exactly that.

A half an hour later, the three were dressed, giggling, and excited as they trouped down the stairs to the doors of the Great Hall, where everyone was meeting their dates. Everyone, that is, except Hermione. Hermione was dressed, but she wasn't giggling and she wasn't particularly excited.

When she stood at the entrance to the Great Hall, she pondered over her predicament and her date. And that night in the Astronomy Tower….A few seconds later, two long arms wrapped around her waist. She drew in a breath, thinking it was Malfoy as remembering his arms around her waist the night of the play.

Then she heard Blaise's cold words cutting through the air around her ear. "Love the dress, really."

"Blaise," she hissed, plastering a fake grin on her face and instantly becoming stiff.

"Good to know you're happy to see me," he replied easily, slipping his arm into hers.

"Simply delighted," she replied, letting him lead her into the Great Hall.

"I'm going to talk to some of my friends," he said to her almost as soon as they'd entered. "I'll meet you over by the food table. Wait for me for our first dance. Please," he added thoughtfully, but it sounded more threatening than sincere.

Hermione stared after him, wondering why she still felt maddeningly attracted to him even though he was such an ass.

She stood by the food table for a few moments before reaching to grab a cup. She looked at the selection of drinks and poured herself some milk. She chugged it down in a very unladylike manner and set her cup back down on the table. "I'm drinking milk at a ball," she muttered to herself, scanning the room.

"I know," said a voice from behind her. "It is rather odd, isn't it? Would you like some more?"

Hermione spun around to find Malfoy behind her, cup in one hand and pitcher of milk in the other, a quizzical look on his face. She grinned. "Yes please."

He poured her another cup and then commented "Look Granger," he began, and Hermione waited with bated breath for his next words. "If there's no use crying over silt milk then there's no bloody use looking ecstatic over poured milk either."

A/N: Chapter 14. As long as promised; sorry the update took forever. Hope you liked the dress descriptions….(MG, your dress is in there, as promised. Did you recognize the milk line as well?)