An hour later, Harry and Ron stood straightening each others ties while Neville shouted about not being able to find his shoes, Dean was gelling back his hair and Seamus had cracked open a bottle of gin and was drinking away his nerves.
"Stop" Harry took the bottle after Seamus spent ten minutes with it. "You don't want to puke all over Parvati, do you?"
Seamus shrugged in resignation.
"It made me feel better though"
Harry looked at the bottle with sudden interest before taking a swig.
"Harry!" Hermione was standing at the door with her hands on her hips. Despite her anger she looked quite beautiful in her ruby red dress and her hair tied so half was up and half was down.
"Sorry" Harry choked as the hot alcohol hit his throat. He handed it back to Seamus. As soon as Hermione disappeared Ron was lunging for the bottle.
After each boy had had his share, they went downstairs in a group looking very flash indeed.
The girls were waiting in the common room adding a last touch of make up and complimenting each other's hair.
"Most of them have already left" Ginny said when Seamus asked where the other students were.
After pairing with their dates, the witches and wizards left the room and made their way to the Great hall.
"Who are you going with, Hermione?" Harry asked, linking his arm through Claire's
"Draco" she whispered.
"Huh?"
"Never mind"
Harry turned to Claire. She looked great in her black dress, heels and Makeup. Her golden curls were tied back in a high ponytail with a black ribbon save a few curls that fell down by her ears framing her face nicely.
"You look good," he whispered playfully in her ear. She giggles and squeezed his arm.
"You too" she whispered back. Hermione glared.
Malfoy was waiting with Blaise outside the doors leading to the great hall. Blaise had Cho, his date, standing beside him looking quite irritated.
"Lets do this properly" Seamus said with a slight slur in his voice. He took Parvati's arm in his, just as Harry had done with Claire, and motioned for the other couples to do the same. When they were ready, Dobby, who was playing doorman with another house elf, pushed the doors opened and the group went in couple by couple. Seamus and Parvati first, then Neville and Olivier, Dean and Ginny, Blaise and Cho, Ron and Lavender, Harry and Claire and finally Draco and Hermione, who felt quite giddy about the whole situation. All eyes in the room turned to stare at the group. They were defiantly the standouts of the night.
There was an all boy band playing on the stage and Harry noted the name 'Tumblestone' scrawled across the drum kit.
"Oh my god!" Lavender and Claire screamed at once. "I love that band!"
She dragged Harry straight over to the stage where a mob of people were gathering and beginning to dance.
Hermione and Draco stood to one side of the hall watching the going ons. When Hermione felt Draco's hand slide around her and come to a rest on her lower back She felt a chill run up and down her spine as she watched other couples stare at them. Draco moved his face closer to hers and for one joy filled second she thought he would kiss her.
"Do you want a drink?" he asked. She nodded disappointedly and he moved off to the refreshment table set up by the door.
Hermione took the time to note what the Guests were wearing. The Chinese girls were wearing high-necked dresses that fell to the knee and were white with red flower patterns printed across them. The boys were wearing similar clothing but they wore matching pants beneath their robes.
The Australians were wearing the latest trends. Despite the freezing weather, the girls were wearing short, bright coloured dresses with lots of cleavage. The boys were wearing jeans and button up shirts. The Greeks were wearing white silk dresses with their hair put up and decorated with white flowers. He boys wore white cotton shirts and pants.
"Hello" one of the Australians came over to Hermione who recognised her as Chelsea. She was wearing a pink dress and long dangly earrings that tinkled with every movement.
"I'm Hermione" Hermione shook the other girls hand, fascinated by her accent. "Hey, don't you say G'day down under?"
Chelsea's face wrinkled in disgust.
"Only about ten percent of the country says 'g'day'. And that's mostly forty year old cowboys who still live with their mums."
Hermione and Chelsea talked for a few more minutes, mostly about Harry who was really big in Australia.
Draco came back with their drinks.
"Did you put something in it?" Hermione asked. She couldn't help being suspicious after her last encounter with Tod.
"Course not" Malfoy said idly, pulling a flask out of his pocket and pouring some into his punch.
"God! Your just like the rest of them!" Hermione said hotly moving away from him.
"Calms the nerves" was Draco's reply as he reached over and poured a little into Hermione's cup. He then watched her over them brim of his own cup as she took a sip. She almost spat it out.
"What is it?" she spluttered, hastily putting the cup down.
"Firewhisky"
"Would you like to come and dance with me?" Chelsea asked Malfoy suddenly. She'd been eyeing him all-night.
"Do you mind?" Malfoy was courteous enough to ask Hermione first. She shrugged as if she didn't care but inside she just wanted to stab Chelsea.
Blaise wandered over.
"Up for a spin, Granger?" he asked, glaring at Cho who was sitting in a corner watching Harry and Claire goofing around with Ron and Dean.
Hermione accepted and Blaise dragged her over to dance beside Malfoy.
Blaise was a raunchy dancer and Hermione hated him as he rubbed his body against hers but she was desperate to make Malfoy jealous.
No such luck. Malfoy seemed to be enjoying his dance with the Australian girl.
Hermione was suffering. Is that what Malfoy asked her here for? As a joke to make her suffer? Or was it love?
Just when Hermione's thoughts were beginning to cloud her head, Malfoy moved over and gave Blaise a shove. Blaise knew what to do and he immediately homed in on Chelsea.
Malfoy took Hermione in his arms just as a particularly slow song began.
Hermione, quite unsure of what to do, hesitantly put her arms around his neck as they began to sway to the beat of the music.
Draco put his hand on the back of her head and gently guided it closer to him.
For one more terrifically terrifying moment Hermione was sure this was the big kiss but he merely let her head rest on his chest. She didn't mind this time, though, because she was still close to him.
She could feel his heart beating steadily against his ribs and he smelt lightly of cinnamon with a whiff of firewhisky. She breathed it in deeply, hoping it would stain her nostrils.
The song ended to soon and the lead singer tapped his microphone.
"Well Hogwarts and Guests! That's us for the night!" he smiled as he listened to the girls' screams of protest. "We'll soon be replaced by the Weird sisters. But before we go we have one more song. It's our latest song, 'treasure chest'. Would anyone like to come up her and join in?"
There was a mad rush as the majority of the females in the room ran to the stage, begging and screaming for the blonde guitarist to pick them. He chose Claire.
She screamed in delight as he helped her up onto the stage and started the song.
Claire joined in at the chorus. She didn't have a soprano voice but it wasn't gut-wrenchingly awful either. She sounded like a singer just starting a career.
When the chorus was over she ran to the edge of the stage, where Harry was waiting, and took the leap of faith into his out stretched arms.
He twirled her around once before setting her neatly back on the ground.
Hermione and Malfoy watched from a distance.
"If there was an award for it, they'd win couple of the night easily" Draco mused, watching as Harry led his girlfriend over to the refreshment table.
"Its funny. They were just a couple, mostly for popularity, then, after Blaise's party they became inseparable. I wonder why?" Hermione was watching them too but her gaze was a lot cooler than Malfoy's.
Draco knew why they were closer. He could read Harry's mind. Harry didn't know because he constantly had to keep his mind closed to Voldemort. Salazar had mentioned the power he possessed on the night of Blaise's party. He also knew about Harry's new ability to cast spells without a wand but he didn't tell Harry. The other boy would tell him in his own time.
"Why wouldn't we win?" Hermione asked before she could stop herself.
"So we're a couple now?" Draco smirked at her.
"I guess…"
Draco let his mind wander as Hermione began to rave about how they would have to take it slow.
"-Doesn't she comes across as a bit of a tart?" Hermione's voice interjected his thoughts and he bought himself back to the present. She was glaring at Claire who was hanging off Harry's shoulder, laughing at a joke Ginny had cracked.
"She just wants to make friends," Draco explained.
"Yeah but she just seems to be using Harry. She always hangs around the boys-"
"Let them be happy, Hermione" Draco cut her off hotly. "Jeez, anyone would think you're jealous of her!" he walked off leaving Hermione feeling numb.
How could something so special end so quickly?
A loud ringing filled her ears and her lip trembled. She turned and ran from the room and out into the snow. She ran down the side of the courtyard and, not noticing where she was or where she was going, slipped on a rock and fell.
She sat, crying, in the snow unaware of the cold that was making her shiver.
About ten minutes later a heavy jacket fell across her shoulders and she looked up, startled.
Draco stood over her, hand extended, smiling slightly.
She took his hand and he pulled her up.
"Bit cold out here, isn't it?" he whispered huskily and pressed his lips to hers.
It was nothing she had felt before in her life.
When she'd kissed Krum her teeth had knocked against his and had given her a toothache for a week. When Ron kissed her it was all wet and sloppy.
Draco's kiss was beyond perfection. His lips were gentle yet hungrily eager to get more.
They stood like this for a long time, embraced in a kiss as light snowflakes fell around them, encasing them in a white wonderland.
Harry was having a great time with Claire. He didn't feel embarrassed to dance with her or to show her off to his friends.
The Weird sisters had just arrived in a puff of pink smoke when he noticed Cho and Parvati watching him and whispering to each other.
"Claire? Can we talk?" Parvati called out after a few minutes.
"You don't have to go" Harry grabbed her arm, sensing what was about to happen.
"Its ok" she gave him a quick, reassuring kiss before heading across them room.
Cho was at his side immediately.
"Can we talk, Harry?" she asked, bringing a soft pout to her lips.
"Fine" he said shortly and followed her outside to the courtyard. There were only a few people out there so Harry and Cho moved over to the other side. From where he was standing, Harry could see a couple embraced in the snow.
"Harry it was a mistake for us to break up" Cho said hurriedly.
"Huh?" Harry looked around at her. Soft tears breached her eyes.
"We
should be together."
"Your obsessed with Diggory" Harry said
blankly. He had just realised that the couple in the snow was
Hermione and Draco.
"All I can think about is you. You and me together"
Draco pulled away from Hermione frowning.
"Can you hear that?"
"Does it matter?"
"Just listen."
Hermione listened. Far away, in the direction the forest she could hear chanting.
The chanting became louder as the chanters came closer.
"Give us Potter! Give us Potter! GIVE US POTTER!"
"Oh my god!" Hermione clamped her hand over her mouth.
"We have to go" Malfoy grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her away form their kissing spot. As Hermione turned, she spotted Harry watching them from the courtyard.
"HARRY!" she screamed "HARRY!"
From where Harry was standing it looked like rape. He trusted Malfoy but Hermione was his friend first.
He took off at a sprint and in seconds he had body tackled Malfoy to the ground and was sitting on his chest, fingers curling for a punch.
"What the hell?" Malfoy grabbed Harry's fist in his hand and twisted it, just as his Samurai teacher, Gobermoru, had taught him, so Harry was forced onto his back. Malfoy was now sitting on top of him.
"Shut up and listen, Potter!" Malfoy hissed, clamping a hand over the other boy's mouth as he tried to shout.
The moment Harry heard the chanting he groaned.
"Get off"
Malfoy got up and yanked Harry to his feet.
Without a word the three of them ran back to the castle to get help. Luckily Dumbledore was still in the great hall and the moment Harry had finished talking he took them up to an empty room three floors up.
There they stood, watching the death eaters marshalling on the lawn. Directly below them Hagrid, Snape and Tokugawa were sealing the doors.
"What will we do?" Hermione moaned, dropping into a chair.
"I'll go with them," Harry decided suddenly.
"No" Claire was standing in the doorway with Ron. When she heard Harry's words she rushed into the room and flung her arms around his neck.
"You can't go! He'll kill you!"
"She's right, Harry" Dumbledore said lightly. "I know you have to fight him eventually but you have absolutely no magic left in you after last night"
"I know. But they also know that I blew up a whole street. The death eaters will defiantly be on their guards. I can just lead them to believe that I will blow them all up."
"But Voldemort, Harry, what will you do when you get to him?" Hermione spoke this time and Harry was shocked to see she was crying.
"Yeah how will you kill him with no magic?" Ron moved over to comfort Hermione, much to Malfoy's disgust. The blonde turned to the window and spotted his father at the head of the mob, leading the chanting.
"I actually plan to let him die of old age. No, it's about time he and I sat down for a little chat."
Hermione looked mortified at the thought of Voldemort 'chatting' but she stayed quite.
"Harry be reasonable" Dumbledore was begging with him now. "Voldemort wont sit down to chat. He will kill you the moment you come into firing range!"
Claire gasped and Harry held her tighter to his chest.
"He will chat whether he wants to or not. After all-" Harry opened his palm and let a white dove fly from it "-It not all gone"
Harry peeled Claire from him and headed for the door without a backwards glance.
"Harry, we have a telepathic communication," Malfoy said suddenly, turning his back on the window. The death eaters were getting ready to charge down the door. Harry stopped, puzzled.
"Huh?"
"Salazar told me. We can communicate through our minds. It's not the same as Occlumency, we can actually have a conversation."
"Got it" Harry left the room before anyone could say anything else.
He found Hagrid, Snape and Tokugawa with their backs pressed against the massive front doors.
"I'm leaving" Harry informed them.
"Are you
mad, Potter?" Snape hissed but he moved out of the way as Hagrid
and Tokugawa turned to open the doors.
"Possibly, I'm, not
sure yet."
"Harry" Tokugawa caught him by the arm before he could step into view of the death eaters.
"Remember to meditate. It will revitalise your body twice as fast."
Harry nodded, took off his jacket, slung it casually over one shoulder and stepped outside.
The death eaters stopped their chanting immediately as Harry took each step in turn. Finally he was standing in front of Lucius Malfoy.
"Where are we going?"
"Stun him!"
"No" Harry held up his hand as fifty wands were aimed at his head. "I'm here on my own free will. Take me to Voldemort or I'll blow you up just as I did that street."
Lucius snarled but did as Harry said and directed the death eaters back through the snow to the forest.
Just as they reached the brim of trees Harry stopped and looked back at the castle. He could see his friends and Dumbledore silhouetted against the windows. He raised a hand in farewell and stepped into the pitch-black forest.
Fifty wands lit up and the travelled deeper and deeper.
After an hour of solid walking the trees cleared out a bit and Harry and his escorts found themselves at the bottom of a mountain.
They began to climb.
Halfway up Harry suddenly became faithful for the endless laps of the castle every morning. He wasn't puffed in the slightest while some death eaters were having trouble keeping on their feet.
Harry could sense that Voldemort was near and he sped away from the tired death eaters and over to a particularly flat place on the mountain where the trees were so dense Harry had to turn sideways to get through them. Suddenly he found himself in a large clearing scattered with tents and a few fires.
Voldemort was waiting for him.
They approached each other steadily, glaring each other down.
"We need to talk." They said at the same time.
Re-re-re-review time!