Disclaimer: Throughout all that has happened, I still do not own Harry Potter. It still belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Warnings: Evilness...mean people...usual.

Author's Note: I'M AN OLDER SISTER!!!!! (again!) I'm sorry I did not update on my regular every four day shedual, but on Friday the 13th of Augest my mom had a baby! I was so excited for it that I couldn't come to the computer and type up the next chapter, I'm sorry but not too sorry :P. If you're interested to know, my little brother's name is Daren John! It doesn't sound like I wanted it to, but I still love him! I will take this time and smile! :):):):):):):):):):):):):) x a MILLION! I'm so excited! So I made you guys a long chapter! Kinda....

Lindy: Thanks again for reviewing! You've reviewed so many times and I really appreciate it! Lol, ya if I see a dress like that somewhere I'll let you know. I just made them up in my little mind. I like them too though :) Fictiongurl, Lionessliz, Lynn-50670, and Rytanya: Thanks for reviewing! I love your words of encouragment! Jax: Thanks for the review! I wanted Blaise and Pansy to be mates to Hermione for once. (hehe I just said mates I think that's the coolest word ever! Well, besides Mushy-ish!) But I suppose she was too upset to really accio her diary back. Brooks: Boom! Haha, I love how you say that a lot now! It's the coolest. lol. More action in the next chapter, I promise. A whole chapter dedicated to it! ;) Celtic Angelic Witch: I know you have reviewed! And you were only one off! Darn, but here I'll post you're name up here! LAURA LAURA LAURA! I love you're yoyoyo what's up thing! It made me smile! Dangerkitteh13: Well, at first I was like omigosh I got my first flame! Someone hates me! But I see now why you could be upset :P but trust me, not any Draco Hermione action in this chatper, but the next one is DEDICATED to it! ;)

The Wizard's Ball

Hermione stretched her arms above her head and sighed. She had fallen asleep on the couch in the Gryffindor Common Room. She looked around and saw that no one was there. The sky outside was dark and somewhere a clock ticked. Hermione checked her watch and saw that it was near two thirty in the morning. She yawned and headed out of the common room to go walking in the castle.

Hermione remembered when she was prefect. No one was out at two o'clock in the morning. It was the best time to go out in the castle alone. She walked carelessly around not heading anywhere in particular.

Weeks had passed since Hermione and Draco's fight and the Christmas Ball was tomorrow, or rather today. And strangely enough, Hermione was excited for it. As much as she hated to admit it. She didn't have a date, but she was excited, because in the words of Pansy you never know what can happen at a dance!

Pansy and Blaise had dedicated the whole day to getting ready for the dance. They were getting peticures and manicures, their hair done, they went the whole nine yards with getting ready. Hermione had agreed to help them, but planned to just do a little make-up on herself. She wasn't that much of a fan for make-up anyway.

Hermione walked slowly up to the room of requirments. She hadn't been there since her fifth year when Harry had used it for DA. She felt the doorknob and thought about if she should open it. She didn't know what she required. She needed Ron and Harry to know the truth, she needed Draco to be friendly with her, she needed to know why Parvati and Padama were so mean, but she didn't know what the room would hold.

She took a deep breath and opened the door. She let out her breath in disappointment. All she saw was a bare room. Just like any other classroom in Hogwarts. At first she thought she was mistaken and this wasn't the room of requirments but then she double checked to see if it truely was, and it was.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. There were rows of desks and a regular chalk board in the front. A big desk was at the front of the classroom. The walls were covered with shelves that were stuffed full with books. Hermione entered the room fully and the door shut behind her. She examined the titles of the books around her. They were the books that she had always wanted to read, but had never found!

Hermione got excited as she looked in the desks. She found them full of quills and parchment to take notes or write letters with. She smiled. This room was her own sanctuary. She could be here all by herself and study, read, or just think. No one would ever bother her.

Well, maybe someone would.

The door creaked open and a head popped into veiw. Hermione didn't notice the head and continued to look at the other books. "Miss Granger," the voice said in a cool, intimidating manner.

Hermione spun around to see Professor Snape. He stood in the doorframe a small sneer on his face. "Oh, Professor Snape!" Hermione exclaimed leaning on a desk for support.

"Just what do you think you are doing out of your bed at this hour?" he asked stepping into the room. Hermione looked at him for a moment. He didn't seem to be too upset actually. He almost sounded like he wanted to know the answer.

"I just wanted to be out," she said truthfully.

Snape examined her, his cold eyes studying her features for a moment. "Is that all?" he asked like he knew the answer all ready.

"What were you expecing?" she asked, curious.

Snape sighed. "When I saw you enter this room I thought you were meeting someone," he said looking around the room for someone that would be hiding. "But then I realized that Potter and Weasley wouldn't meet you here."

Hermione looked down at the floor pretending to be interested in her shoes. Snape looked at her for a moment before continuing. "What is it that bothers you about not being the dynamic duos sidekick anymore?"

Hermione didn't get upset like she usually would but thought about it for a moment. "I don't know, sir. I've just been friends with them for six years and now they hate me. It's hard to have something that you thought you were close to suddenly ripped away from you."

Snape's mouth curved at the end like he was almost going to smile or frown at the same time. "Potter was right. You are the smartest witch of your age."

Hermione's head shot up. One, Snape just admitted that Harry was right. Two, he just said that Harry talked about her to him. But when? "Don't bother getting worked up. It was a long time ago," he said seeming to read her thoughts.

Hermione looked back at her feet. "Hermione, have you ever talked to anyone about what happened?"

Hermoine looked up in Professor Snape's black eyes. They never showed emotion, somewhat like Draco's eyes, but now they weren't as black as Hermione remembered them. They seemed almost...different. Another thing that was different was the fact that never in her life had Snape called her Hermione. He usually called her 'stupid girl' or 'insufferable know-it-all'. His eyes looked serious and Hermione shook her head. "No, sir. No body listens."

Snape shook his head, his greasy hair falling into his face. "I think they would listen. You just need to trust them," he said backing toward the door. "I know it's hard to trust again, but do try it. It will help." He left the room and Hermione stared at the door he had just left through.

He stuck his head back in. "Oh, and five points from Gryffindor for being out at two in the morning. Hurry up before I make it more," he added. Hermione shook her head. She knew it was too good to be true. Snape wasn't that openly nice to his mother.

Hermione smiled to herself and left to go to the common room. That was what she needed. She needed advice to come from the most unlikely of people.

Pansy and Blaise paced the room trying their hardest not to yell at Hermione again. She had been in the bathroom for the past hour. Pansy looked at the clock on the wall. Her face reflected in the face of the clock and she smiled to herself. She liked the way she looked. Her golden yellow dress fit quite well and her face was tinted just the right color to make it seem like she just came out of the pages of a story book. Her hair was in a bun that left peices hanging down. The peices hanging down were curled in tight curls and framed her face perfectly. She smiled even wider as she looked at the earings that she had borrowed from Blaise. They were a rare stone that was very expensive. Every twenty minutes they would change to a different color that would go with anything. She loved them!

She glaned over at Blaise. Blaise looked like she was at her own wedding, the way she glowed. Her dress was altered to fit her better and it worked. It hugged her body closley and she looked like she was a flame from the fire. Pansy bet that when she danced tonight that she would look like a dancing flame. Her make-up matched her dress. With redish eye shadow with glitter on it whenever she blinked it looked like a butterfly had just flown by. Blaises hair was left down. Instead of curling it like she usually did she straigtened it and it shimmered in the light. The new highlights that Hermione had put in for Blaise didn't look forced and too straight like some highlights did but perfectly natural and convincing.

"Hermione! What's taking so long?" Blaise shouted again.

Hermione sighed again. "Nothing. I'm done," she said as she opened the door.

Blaise and Pansy both sucked in breathes as Hermione entered the room. Her dress flowed down to the floor and seemed to hug her body. The colors shimmered at the slightest of movements. Hermione wore black gloves along with the dress that came up to her elbows. Both Pansy and Blaise knew she wore the gloves to cover up her horrible scars. Hermione would never want to expose the min public. Her tan skin fit well with the black. Since the dress was strapless Hermione had a big necklace hanging down the front. It was like diamonds only more stunning. It changed colors whenever she moved along with the dress. Prisims reflected on her face everyonce in a while. Hermione's hair was down somewhat similar to Pansy's. It was in a bun with peices hanging out. They only differnce was that Hermione had straightened the hair falling out of her bun instead of curling it.

"Hermione," Blaise began but couldn't finish. There weren't any words to describe how beautiful she looked. Hermione smiled at the look on her face.

"It's not that great," Hermione said blushing.

"Yes, it is," Pansy argued back smiling.

They linked arms and walked down to the Great Hall together. No one saw them on the way there though becuase they were the last ones to leave. As they reached the big oak doors Hermione spun around. "I forgot my earings!" she said turning to run back to the bathroom.

"Hermione, we're right here. Let's just go in, you look good enough all ready." Pansy said tugging on her arm.

"No, I need them. You guys go on ahead. I'll be there as soon as I can." Without waiting for them to answer Hermione ran all the way back to the Slytherin's common room to get her earings.

She searched for them for what seemed like forever. Finally she found them. They sparkled against the pale bag they were by. Hermione slipped them into her ears and smiled.

Harry had given her these earings for Christmas just the last year. Hermione loved them. They weren't anything special really. Just silver studs with a little chain hanging down them, but they seemed to be a comfort to her.

She quickly made it back to the Great Hall. Taking a deep breath she entered the Hall.

Everyone spun around to see who had entered. No one said anything. People stopped dancing to stare at her. Hermione felt her face grow hot. If it was from the bright lights or the people staring she didn't know. She quietly made her way over to Pansy and Blaise, who couldn't stop smiling. Hermione was proud to notice that Harry was standing with his mouth open and Padama seemed upset. Ron was no where to be seen.

Soon people started to dance again and Hermione felt the heat off of her. She smiled when she approached her friends. "Ok, we were wrong. You do need the earings."

Hermione grew bored after a while. Although watching everyone dance with each other was entertaining for the first hour or so of the dance, Hermione started to wish that someone would ask her to dance soon. Pansy would sit by her for a while only to be asked by someone to go and dance. Only Crabbe and Goyle had danced with Hermione so far, and they didn't count. The person Hermione really wanted to dance with was no where to be found. Harry and Ron would occasionally glance over at her, but she would just ignore them.

Blaise had dissappeared as well. Hermione thought she saw glances of her everyonce in a while but quickly proved to be wrong; it was usually just someone in a red dress.

Hermione was pleased to see that the Patil twins looked absulutly horrid in their dresses. Parvati was wearing the ugliest purple Hermione had ever seen. It was a deep plum that didn't match her yellow earings she was wearing. Her earings wouldn't look right with any dress. They were the biggest earings Hermione had ever seen. They hung down to about her chin and ended with a big yellow stone that looked like it would be the egg that big bird was hatched from. It was quite surprising that she could even lift her head with the weight of the earings.

Padama wasn't any better. She had on a blue dress that was almost laughable. It didn't have much to it. Basically it just covered what needed to be covered for a school dance and left very little to the imagination. Many of the girls and boys at the dance seemed to be upset by her dress as was Hermione. Harry didn't seem to be though. Padama's hair looked like it was over styled and burned almost.

Professor Dumbledore stood up, snapping Hermione back to reality. "Now, we will have a wizard's ball!" he said with a smile. Some people cheered. Some groaned.

Hermione had heard of Wizard's Balls. It was like the muggle form of snowballing. Where you would dance with someone until someone announced a switch, and you would switch partners. Only with a wizard's ball everyone participated until everyone had danced with everyone.

Hermione stood up and joined the line of girls waiting for a partner. Dumbledore clapped and the music started. Everyone moved closer together. Hermione's first partner was Crabbe.

Crabbe didn't talk much. He just looked down at the floor trying not to step on Hermione's feet. She laughed whenever he did and he would smile sheepishly. Dumbledore seemed to prefer going through a whole song until he yelled switch. Hermione was sure that she would be dreadfully tired after the wizard's ball had finished.

She remembered that the longest ball had last twelve hours. She hoped against hope that it wouldn't take that long.

After several dozen switches Hermione had danced with first years up to seventh years. None of them talked that much, except some Hufflepuff second year who wouldn't stop talking about how cool this ball was. Hermione would nod and agree politly and couldn't wait until the next switch happened. Hermione smiled as she saw Rytanya, the fifth year Ravenclaw from Germany dance with Goyle. Goyle looked so much bigger than her and looked like he could crush her.

"Switch!" Dumbledore called out and Hermione spun around to face her next partner. Ron spun around and glared at her.

"No way," he said turning to leave.

"Ron! Let's just get this over with. You know that we have to dance eventually. Better sooner than later," she said putting her hands on her hips. Ron's face turned red and he agreed finally. He placed his hands on her shoulders, but only bearly. He didn't look at her but scowled whenever they had to come closer to squeeze by someone.

"How have you been?" Hermione asked trying to make a conversation.

"Fine."

"Do you have anything planned for the holidays?"

"Yes."

"Ron, it's hard to talk to you if you just answer with one word."

"Exactally."

Hermione sighed giving up.

"Do you like your new life?" Ron asked ravishly.

Hermione gazed into his eyes. They were full of hatred and remorse. "Well, I don't know. I liked the old one. This one is...different."

"Different?" Ron asked looking away from Hermione's hard gaze.

"Well, people belive me."

Ron pushed her away. Hermione stumbled back and looked at him. She had never seen him so mad. He walked off and Hermione stood there for a moment looking after him. People looked at them waiting for her to say something that could make the gossip buzz again.

"Switch!"

Hermione danced with Neville. Surprisingly they talked about Neville's gram. He didn't seem to hate her as much as Hermione thought he would.

Again it was time to switch partners. Hermione saw that she was with the other person that she didn't want to dance with; Harry.

He looked at her a moment and then hasitly put his hands on her hips. Hermione put her hands on his shoulders lightly. They swayed back and forth for a while not really doing much.

"Those are the earings I gave you aren't they?" Harry asked after a while.

Hermione nodded. "T-they look nice," he said looking away.

"Thanks."

"Why do you hang out with the Slytherins now?" Harry blurted. He stopped dancing and looked at her.

"Because, no one else hangs out with me. If you didn't notice since the beginning of the year I didn't have a lot of company," Hermione said jokingly. Harry didn't laugh.

"Ya, but that's because---"

"Don't you dare say it, Harry Potter!" Hermione said glaring at a point behind him.

"Say what? That you sold me out?" He asked raising his voice. Some people turned their heads to look at them. Hermione glared at them and they turned back to dancing.

"I can't belive you're still on about that!" She hissed at him dropping her hands from his shoulders. He let go of her hips roughly and stood back to look at her.

"I'll be on it for the rest of my life! It's not something you can just forget about!"

"Harry---" she pleaded.

"Switch!"

"No! I'm not going to hear it! I've been wanting to talk to you for a while now. I saved your life countless times and this is how you repay me? Did those six years of being friends just take their toll on you? You should have died than sold me out! That's what Ron would have done! But no, little miss Hermione needs to be different than the crowd doesn't she? She always does what she wants no matter if it's the right thing to do or not!"

Hermione's tears threatened to fall. She looked helplessly at Harry. He kept on raving about how horrible she was and Hermione couldn't help but agree with him. Ron with his partner Blaise came waltzing over. Blaise looked about ready to either kiss Ron or bite his head off. It was hard to tell. She looked at Harry and then the helpless Hermione. Ron looked back and forth between the two too.

"Ron!" Harry thundered. Ron stepped forward looking at Harry fearfully for a moment wondering what he had planned. "Ron would have died! He would have died to save you! He would have died to save me! He would have died to save Malfoy!"

"I don't know about going that far," Ron said under his breath but no one heard him.

"You should have died to protect us!" Harry repeated.

"Yes! Ok? I should have! I wish I did! This is worse than death!" Hermione cried picking up her skirts and running out of the hall. She was blinded by her tears that she didn't see the person at the door. She ran into them and they fell. Hermione quickly picked herself up and ran out.

"Smooth move, Potter!" Pansy yelled at him, stepping away from her third year partner.

"She deserves it!" he yelled at her turning to leave.

Pansy and Blaise both slapped him on either side of the cheek. Harry stood transfixed on the floor not wanting to believe that two girls had just slapped him at the same time.

Draco saw all this happen. He would have punched Potter too...if he wasn't chasing after Hermione.

Author's Note: Oki Doki, you know the drill! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! I would like to thank Rytanya for being my 50th reviewer! I dunno if that's actually you're name or anything, but it seemed to do the trick. If you missed your name in this chapter, it's up there! {sorry if there are misspelled words in this, I did not use Word (which so niftily checks for mistakes for you!) but I used WordPad instead. Don't ask why, I just did. I'll fix it later though if there are a lot}

Another time to smile! :):):)

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!