Hey everyone! Here it is the big dance we have all been waiting for. Sorry if it doesn't go exactly as you would have hoped, but I have something big planned for our duo in the next few chapters, and I promise the mystery of the locket iwll be solved. Thanks. Please review, and give me any tips or suggestions as to where you would like me to take this story. I have a really good idea, but I don't want to make you mad by doing something a little outrageous. Thanks! Phaedra
Chapter 6 Hogwarts, a History
After Hermione was sure the Great Hall was decorated to it's fullest extent she went to her dorm. She checked the time, and reasoned she had about an hour until the dance started. Draco had helped with the decorations a little, but was too wrapped up in his own little world to be much help. Hermione went into her room, and directly to the bath. She cleaned herself up, and then changed into her costume. She had asked Harry if he would like to be Lord Gryffindor, and he was ecstatic. He had a few invites, but didn't really feel like leading some poor girl on. Ron had already had a date for the past month, some 6th year from Ravenclaw.
Hermione did her hair and makeup, it was all light, and very charming. She did a spell to turn her hair into beautiful loose ringlets, and then tied them up on the crown of her head. A few loose tendrils cascaded around her cheeks. She went back into her room, and noticed she only had a few minutes to spare. She raced around trying to locate the delicate slippers. When she finally found them she sat on the edge of her bed and slipped her stocking feet into the soft fabric. She looked around her room, and then towards her pillow. On top of it was a gold box with a maroon bow tied around it.
Her eyebrows furrowed and she moved towards the little box. She assumed Harry must have snuck in and left her a present, but when she glanced at the card the handwriting wasn't the same. The card read: Hermione, Maybe this will help heal your broken heart.
She puzzled at the meaning, but lifted the gold lid. Inside lay her locket, gleaming, and freshly polished. She pulled on the chain, and the entire thing came up out of the box. Somehow someone had fixed her locket. She thought very hard about who knew where it was. Then it dawned on her. She had let it slip to Draco that she kept the locket hidden under her pillow. But then she reasoned that even if Malfoy was a friend he wouldn't go to all that trouble to do something nice. It just wasn't in his nature. Or was it?
Hermione clasped the necklace around her neck, and raced from the room, tears glistening her eyes. She hurried to the Great Hall, and was amazed at how beautiful it turned out. There were candles suspended from the ceiling, and all the faculty were there, dressed to the nines. She smiled warmly at them, and scanned the still empty room for Draco. She just had to know if it was him who had fixed her locket. After her efforts were returned fruitlessly she walked around the room surveying her handy work. The dance was slated to being in 15 minutes. She wondered if she should go up to the Gryffindor common room and collect Harry.
"Ms. Granger! The Great Hall looks magnificent!" Professor McGonagall raved.
"Thank you. We all did a lot of work." she said graciously.
"And congratulations to you and Mr. Malfoy. I understand that you two put in quite the effort to find all of these great artifacts" she complimented bringing her arm up in an arc, signifying all the decorations.
"Yeah, it wasn't that big of a deal. But I have to run off and find Harry, he's my date." Hermione excused herself with that and a smile.
Hermione walked back out of the Great Hall, and pressed her back against the cool stones. She brought her hands up to her locket and held it securely in her palm. She stared straight ahead with unseeing eyes. 'Who would do this?' she questioned to her self. After a few more moments of deliberation she pushed herself off the wall and continued to the stair case. She was headed for the Gryffindor common room.
Hermione stated the password to the fat lady, and was admitted entrance. She walked through the narrow corridor that opened up to a warmly lit room. She heard hoarse laughter, and a few shrieks. When she emerged several sets of eyes were fastened to her.
"What? What is it?" She asked, slightly annoyed.
"Jeeze Hermione, you sure clean up nice." Said Ron with a big goofy smile plastered on his face.
"Yeah, you look really pretty Hermione." Offered Colin Creevy.
"Well, thanks fellas", Hermione said, scanning the room for her date. "Has anyone seen Harry?"
"Oh, yeah, he told us to tell you, that he would be running a little late, and to just head down to the dance without him." Answered Ron while staring nervously at his feet.
"What's the point of having a date if you walk into a place by yourself?" She growled angrily. "What's he doing anyways?"
"Uh, he said he wanted it to be a surprise." Ginny squeaked, Hermione noticing her for the first time.
"Well, whatever, I have to go down there now, and you three should set a good example for the first years, they don't need to know that you are staying up here drinking butter beers before the dance." Hermione finished with a flourish of her gown as she spun towards the exit.
"How the bloody hell did she know we were doing that?" Asked Ron incredulously.
"Hermione didn't become head girl for nothing, she knows everything." Finished Ginny in an awed whisper.
As Hermione huffed down the stairs she recounted their conversation. Harry went to do something, and he would be late. 'What could he possibly be doing?' she wondered, 'unless of course he had a certain locket to fix, and a certain restricted muggle jewelry book to return.' With that thought Hermione changed her path and headed towards the library. She picked up her pace, but unfortunately the hem of her gown was much too long. Hermione stepped on the delicate fabric, and with all movement restricted she ended up face planting it right outside the library door.
She lay motionless for a few moments, assessing all of her body parts, and being just too exhausted with the way her night was going to care much. Hermione heard the soft click of the library door closing, and turned her head in time to see a very dark figure skirting the wall around her lifeless form. 'Well whoever that is has no manners. If I saw a poor helpless girl laying face down in a rug I would at least have the courtesy to nudge her a little.' She though bitterly. The figure never stopped moving, if anything, it picked up it's pace. Then she noticed it. She would have recognized that costume anywhere. The silver and green accents, and the large embroidered S gave it away. It was the costume Draco had planned to wear to the dance.
Hermione remained in the exact same position she had landed in. This was bordering about 5 minutes now, but she no longer cared, she had a mystery to solve. 'What was Malfoy doing in the library? Maybe he was looking for a nasty hex to put on someone.' Her mind would not allow her to think of the possibility that he was there for the very reason she thought Harry would be. 'Malfoy is a creep, and that is all there is to it' She said to herself. She planted her hands on the ground and forced herself up. She might was well go to the dance, and see if she could find some answers there, because she was certain the rug would do no talking.
Hermione re-entered the Great Hall, and noticed that she was late. there were already several students gathered in small groups. She decided she should do her rounds, as head girl, and make sure there was no mischief going on. After she secured the perimeter, and was sure everything was in order she headed for the refreshment table. After helping herself to a glass of some green liquid, she turned her attention to the front dais. Dumbledore stood up, and began a speech.
"Students, welcome to the Winter Festival. Please give a round of applause to the committee for doing such an excellent job." a loud chorus of applause filled the room. "Now, as you know, this marks the end of the first term. Tomorrow you will all be on vacation, whether at your own homes, or here within these walls. Please enjoy your break, and be careful, evil can take many forms." Hermione sighed, this was similar to a muggle public service announcement about the dangers of drinking and driving. "Now, with that, please enjoy your night. As tradition calls for, may I please have the head boy and girl to the front."
Hermione froze with her glass halfway to her lips. 'What tradition?? What did I forget??' she screamed inside. She was positive she looked much like a deer in headlights. Again most of the room was looking directly at her. She couldn't see Draco from where she was standing, but she was sure he had the same stupid smirk on his face. She placed her glass back on the table, and began moving through clusters of students to the front of the Hall. She reached the front only moments after Draco, and the two stared at each other with something akin to shock on their faces.
Dumbledore raised his right arm, and the band struck up a soft melody. "The first dance!" Announced the headmaster proudly sweeping his arm in the direction of a very dismayed couple. Draco made the first move. He casually sauntered up the Hermione, and reached out. She cringed, but accepted the invitation.
Draco began to lead her in a very formal waltz. A few cheers rose from somewhere in the room, and Hermione scowled out at the gawking audience. Draco looked completely at ease, but he stared slightly to the left of her face. This troubled Hermione. 'What is so damn interesting behind me?' She wondered, tempted to turn and see for herself. Then she remembered what had been puzzling her all night. "Did you fix my locket?" She asked point blank, staring into his face looking for any sign of guilt.
"Have you come off your rocker Granger?" He asked coldly, only looking directly into her eyes from a split second.
"No," she hissed, "Someone came into my room, and fixed my locket, there was no name on the note, I just thought maybe you would have done it."
"Yeah, I make a point of doing nice things for people I hate," he said quietly. "Or did you think we were friends?"
Hermione glared at him with all the wrath she was feeling inside. "No, I never thought we were friends, hell, I never even thought you were human, I've had better conversations with Crookshanks than with you." She said acidly. Draco continued to look a little to the left of her face. Hermione had had just about all she could take for one evening. She decided she had nothing left to lose, so she went for it. "What were you doing in the library?"
"Returning a book," muttered Draco.
"Oh really, what was it about?" she asked sarcastically
"How to hex annoying witches. Can you stop talking now?" he said with a shrug.
Hermione looked toward the crowd, and then to the band. Anywhere but at Malfoy. ' I can't believe I was right about the hexes. What made me think Malfoy was capable of doing something nice for someone in the first place? The dance continued, and Hermione suddenly noticed how very close they were. His hands were warm and gentle on her lower back. She should have been repulsed by his close proximity, but for some reason his light touch didn't make her gag.
Draco stole a quick glance at Hermione while she was focused on something on the wall. she looked radiant. He could have sworn she was glowing. The gown had looked like it was made for her, unlike Pansy. No matter how many charms she tried, the dress still hung loosely, like a burlap sack. A tiny part of Draco wished his date was half as beautiful as Hermione. 'What are you thinking? She always has some stupid question to ask. Too damn nosy if you ask me. Sure, she looks alright, but I couldn't stand more then five minutes with her.' He refused to think about the hours they had spent alone in the attic, and the fun he almost had with her.
The song finally ended, and the two separated, Malfoy with his accustomed smirk, and Hermione with a toss of her head. The two charged in opposite directions. Malfoy walked up to his group, and endured a few painful elbows to his stomach from both Crabbe and Goyle. Pansy looked sullen as she swished her glass of punch, like it was some sort of alcohol. Draco moved away from his two attackers and stood next to his date.
"Sure looked like you were having fun out there." Pansy spat.
"Oh don't be dramatic, I liked that as much as you did. What was I supposed to do, tell Dumbledore to go to hell?" Draco asked through gritted teeth. He hated inquisitive girlfriends.
"Well you could have stood a little farther away." She pouted.
"Well next time I am forced to dance with a mudblood I will wear a rubber suit." He said, being as cold and sarcastic as he could muster.
"Let's go," she whined.
"The dance just started." He reasoned.
"I don't care, there are better things we can do then waste our time with these losers." She stated. She pulled on Draco's arm and began leading him from the Hall. He followed her shapeless form to the door. Noting that he wouldn't want to stay here either in an outfit that hideous, especially after watching her dance with someone like Harry Potter. The two slid out the door, seemingly unnoticed.
Hermione watched as the two made a run for it. 'Go figure, he couldn't even wait five minutes. So disgusting.' She made a face at the closed door. After a quick scan of the room she saw Ron's tall figure, and walked toward their group. She couldn't explain why she felt a little disappointed that it wasn't Malfoy that had fixed her locket. She reasoned that it was just because she had opened herself up to him, and she was to quick to assume everyone had a bit of good in them
When Hermione reached the crowd she noticed her date among the other heads bent in a tight circle. She coughed loudly, and a few faces peered up at her.
"Oh Hermione, you gotta check this out." Said Harry excitedly.
Hermione assumed it must be the surprise he had told the others about. She squeezed into the circle and looked down at Harry's hands. Inside he held a tiny baby bird. "I hope you don't plan on letting that loose in here." she told Harry with discouragement in her voice.
"No, No! This is the surprise I was telling you all about. I'm going to give this to Hagrid for Christmas. I'm putting all of our names on the card. It's called an Armouralas. It's supposed to bring good fortune to whomever owns it and keeps it happy. It's really rare!" He whispered to his co-conspirators. Hermione glanced at the bird, and then pondered the question still fresh in her mind. If that was Harry's surprise then he didn't mean her locket. She decided to take a stab at it anyway.
"Harry, did you fix my locket?" She asked. Several students in the circle looked up.
He spared her a look for about half a second, and then went back to playing with his bird. "No 'Mione, wasn't me."
With that Hermione turned away from the group. She wandered around the dance for awhile longer, not wanting to catch Pansy and Draco in her common room. She danced with Colin, who was wide eyed and adorable. She danced a few times with Harry, and once with Ron. The night continued to drag on. Hermione decided she had had enough. When she was sure the group was again engrossed with the bird she slipped out the door. She walked back to her common room at a feverish pace. She kept repeating 'tomorrow I will be home, tomorrow I will be home.' until she reached the statues. She shrugged as she said the password, and decided that the mystery could wait until after the winter break.