Well, it's time for the ball, but things do not work out as planned... Do they ever?
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Chapter nine: The Autumn Ball

Hermione Granger was sitting on the windowsill in her dormitory. It was the night of the autumn ball and her dorm mates had already gone down to the great hall. She, on the other hand, was in no particular hurry. She was dressed and ready, but her mind was elsewhere.
She'd decided to go through with the plan for Neville's sake. He'd been worried about her but grateful for her loyalty.
Hermione herself felt horrible. She repressed the guilt over the harsh words she'd spoken to Minerva with the thought that she had deserved it. But had she really?
Had McGonagall ever really led her to believe that there was any love from her side?
Hermione sighed. Maybe it was just loneliness. Maybe she'd just reminded Minerva of Lily and that had clouded her judgement. She didn't know.
But why had she reacted so strongly when she'd seen her with Neville?
She'd cursed him! Minerva McGonagall had actually thrown one of her own students into a wall in blind rage. She'd seen it herself, she just hadn't reflected on it before now. She hadn't been able to.
Could it have been..? No.
Hermione shook her head at the thought.
"Hermione?" A soft voice behind her made her jump and turn around.
"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to startle you." Ginny Weasly smiled carefully at her. Hermione smiled back.
"It's alright Ginny. I just didn't know anyone was in here." She looked at the red-haired beauty before her. "You look fantastic." She said. "Why aren't you at the ball?"
"We're on our way, but Harry needs to talk to you." Ginny looked at her with some concern.
"But why doesn't he-" She stopped and blushed slightly." Oh, right, the stairs turn into a slide." She giggled a little at the memory of Ron and Harry furiously telling her about how the stairs to the girls dormitory always turned into a slippery slide as soon as a boy stepped foot on them.
Ginny grinned at her.
"He's waiting in his own dormitory for you." She started walking back out the door and Hermione decided to follow her. "By the way..." Ginny turned to face her as she opened the door. "You look amazing."

Ginny had followed Hermione to the boys' dormitory where Harry alone, was pacing back and forth. This really wasn't his area and he had no idea what to say. He just knew he had to say something. He couldn't bear seeing his friend in such agony any longer, and he was extremely grateful that Ginny had agreed to help him.
"Harry, you look great." Hermione eyed her friend who'd stopped in mid pace and suddenly looked very uncomfortable. For a moment he just stared at her. And it was Ginny who broke the silence.
"Yes Harry, she looks amazing. Now tell her why you wanted to talk to her." She smirked at them both, knowing that it was probably a big deal for Hermione to be recognised for her beauty, especially by her best friends.
"Uh, right." Harry fumbled and sat down on his bed, gesturing for Hermione to sit next to him. Okay, he had to do this, and he had to do it now. And Hermione really did look incredible.
Ginny sat down on Neville's empty bed right next to them, but with a slight distance. She was only there as support. "Hermione, I need to tell you something and I need you to promise that you will not interrupt until I'm finished. I'm not very good at this stuff you know." He'd said it all so fast and without taking a single breath. He looked pale and Hermione was getting worried.
"What stuff? What's going on?" She asked, slightly alarmed, looking from Harry to Ginny and back.
"Just promise me." Harry persisted.
"Okay, I promise." If there was one thing she still knew it was that no matter what she could always trust Harry.
"I know what happened today, and I know why." Harry blurted out and Hermione looked as if she'd been struck over the head.
"How? Wha-" She started but Harry cut her off.
"Hermione, you promised." He pleaded, as this conversation seemed to pain him just as much. So Hermione just nodded and waited for him to go on.
"Look, you if anyone know that you women confuse me, and love confuses me even more, so I won't pretend like I know what's going on between you and McGonagall." Hermione's jaw dropped. She threw a horrified glance at Ginny, terrified of what this news might make her friends think of her, but Ginny just smiled warmly at her. There was nothing but care and devotion in her eyes, and when she looked back at Harry, she saw the same emotions reflecting in his eyes.
"I will say this though." He braced himself. "I'd have to be blind not to know that you love her. I know I don't have the best record seeing it took me all these years to finally admit how I feel about Ginny," He blushed a little. "But this is different."
"It is different Harry, because Ginny loves you too." Hermione's voice was so filled with pain that Harry just looked at her in panic. Ginny on the other hand had knelt down beside Hermione and now took her hand.
"Hermione, you can't tell me that you don't know how she feels about you? By Merlin, you're the cleverest student in this school!" Ginny looked at her in astonishment.
"She never cared." Hermione whispered. "She just confused me with- uh, with someone else." Neither of her friends realised she's been on the verge of saying Harry's mothers' name, but stopped herself in time. "Just a few hours ago she told me to leave her alone." Harry and Ginny exchanged a look and Ginny had to lift Hermione's head up to get her to face her.
"Well, after what she did to Neville she probably felt a bit guilty." Ginny smiled slightly.
"You know?" Hermione looked astonished at both Harry and Ginny.
"Neville told us." Harry said. Hermione's head was spinning. This was just too much.
"He knows?" Her words where just audible.
"Yupp, and he could care no less." Ginny said. "After all, it sent him right into the arms of-"
"Don't say it!" Harry held his hands over his ears.
"They love each other Harry!" Ginny argued.
"I know, but I don't have to like it." Harry muttered.
"Anyway," Ginny turned to Hermione again after giving Harry a look worthy of Mrs Weasly. "What could possibly drive the so together professor McGonagall to do something so harsh?" Ginny looked sternly at Hermione. "Oh, don't you get it?" She seemed almost impatient. "There is only one thing on this earth that makes you do the most absurd and stupid things, things like cursing your students or date losers like Michael." Ginny turned a little red, knowing that she'd just revealed to Harry that she'd dated her first boyfriend to make him jealous. But she couldn't look at him right now as she refused to break eye contact when she noticed that Hermione still didn't believe her. "Christ, if Harry noticed why can't you! Listen to me," Ginny took a deep breath and said in her most calm and forceful voice.
"Hermione, she's in love with you." And Hermione looked up. Her eyes filled with tears as she met Ginny's reassuring gaze. Hermione tried to say something, but nothing came out.
"You remember all those times I came for you for advice about Harry?" Ginny ignored her boyfriends' surprised looks and just focused on Hermione who nodded.
"You didn't really think I was that lost did you?" Ginny smiled at her.
"Well, I was starting to wonder if you'd lost your mind" Hermione admitted and allowed herself to smirk slightly at Ginny.
"I was hoping you'd tell me." Ginny sounded a bit hurt.
"Tell you?" Hermione didn't understand. "Tell you what?"
"That you would confide in me about McGonagall." Ginny said quietly.
Hermione just looked at her. Then she understood.
"Oh, Ginny!" She didn't want her friend to think she didn't trust her! "If I'd known, I probably would have... I just, I didn't realise it until this year and then, well... everything got so complicated..." She trailed off but Ginny looked quite surprised.
"You didn't realise it until now!" She exchanged a perplexed look with Harry.
"Well, no... Or maybe I did, I just didn't want to admit it until I had no choice."
"But..." Ginny refused to believe her. "All those looks, the tension, you had to have known! It's been there between you both for years!" When Hermione looks as if what she'd just said had been in Greek, Ginny lost patience. She rose to her feet and walked back and forth a bit before stopping in front of Hermione and actually pointing her finger at her.
"Now you listen to me." Ginny's voice was so forceful it would even have made her older twin brothers jump and straighten up in their seats. "The kind of love you two share is something most people will never experience. So you'd better do something about this or I bloody well will! I'm not going to let you throw this away." She turned to Harry. "Let's go. Neville should be back to pick Hermione up any minute now." Harry didn't think twice about obeying, and stood up as if by reflex. You didn't argue with Ginny when she sounded like that.
"We'll se you downstairs." He said quickly to Hermione before following Ginny.

Just a few minutes later Neville came up.
"Harry said you might be here." He said, looking at her with even more concern than he'd shown before. "You okay?"
"Slight change of plans Neville." She said in a monotone voice, not really looking at him. "Sit down for a minute."

The ball was well on the way. The Great Hall had been transformed into a fiery autumn landscape and party-dressed people where dancing wildly to the festive tunes of the ever so popular Twisted Sisters.
Minerva McGonagall had not had a choice but to attend this night, and even though she'd managed to keep her emotions locked up tightly so that she appeared as calm and graceful as usual, she couldn't keep her mind from playing scene after scene in her head.
She'd taken a seat at a small table in the far corner of the room far from everyone else.
Minerva still hadn't seen Hermione or Neville. She didn't know whether to be relieved or worried. She could still hear the last words spoken by her young love; 'If you're dumb enough to question my feelings just because of Lily's lack of taste, then fine! Maybe I'm the fool for ever thinking you could actually love!'
How did she know about Lily? Why had she not been disgusted at that fact? And why had she said that Lily lacked taste? Question her feelings? Hermione was so young, she probably didn't know what she was thinking or feeling.
But that didn't lessen the pain of hearing the painfilled voice of hers shouting again and again in Minervas head; 'Maybe I'm the fool for ever thinking you could actually love!'
How could she say such a thing! But Minerva knew all too well the answer to her own question.
She hadn't given Hermione a single reason to think that she was capable to the fierce emotions running in her veins at this very moment. And it seemed that Minervas night was just getting worse by the minute.
As the front doors to the hall opened, there was the most gorgeous woman she'd ever layed eyes on. And yes, she was a woman indeed. There was no hint of the awkward young girl who'd walked into her classroom seven years ago.
Hermione had spent much time in front of the mirror for this night, and it showed. Her usually bushy, brown hair had been flattened down into soft curls and into an elaborate due on her head, with just a few strains falling down her front, framing her face in soft brown curls. She was wearing make-up too. Not much, but just enough to accentuate her eyes, lips and high cheekbones.
But it was the dress that made every single person in the room turn and stare.
The pale purple lowcut dress looked as if it was made in soft webb. It clung to her body as a second skin and did nothing to hide the figure of a fully grown and breathtaking woman.
But the stares where not only directed at her, though Minerva did not notice the very handsome young man at her arm. Neville Longbottom looked strinking on the arm of his friend. His unruely hair had also been tamed to show the soft blond curles that fell down to his forehead. He was wearing new ball robes, elegantly black and clean with just a hint of purple to match his date. The bright blue eyes shone of warmth and somehow seemed even warmer than usual.
The couple took their place on the dance floor as people moved to form a path for them to the center of the room. Appearently Hermione had drilled Neville in the art of ballroom dancing since they gave a spectacular preformance and Neville did not miss a single beat.
"Mind of I join you?" The slight hint of nervousness in Snapes voice made McGonagall jump.
"Not at all Severus, please sit." She said, looking at him as if expecting a scene.
"Look..." Snape took a deep breath as if what he was about to say pained him too much. "I'm not going to mention the episode this morning and I suggest you do not either."
Minerva didn't believe what she just heard and it seemed as if Severus noticed.
"Let's just say that I don't blame you and that I understand." He gave her a symathetic look but soon regained some of his usual frosty maners. "We'll never speak of this."
"My lips are sealed." Minerva smiled at him. She knew. As she watched Severus eyes consuming the sight she herself tried to avoid, she knew. Of all people she had found an allie in Severus Snape.
They didn't speak of it. But they both knew. And they both seemed to die a little with every passing song.

Hermione had slid a glance at Minerva as often as she could. But the woman hadn't looked in her direction once.
She'd been right, Ginny and Harry had been wrong.
But Snape was watching every step they took and she was going to follow through for Neville. Snape was hooked, all they needed to do now was to wiel in the bait.
"Mind if I cut in?" Ginny had appeared at their side as a slow song filled the room.
"No, not at all." Hermione said quietly and moved aside to give Ginny room to dance with Neville, but instead the red-haired girl took hold of her waist and swung Hermione around the dance floor.
"How're you holding up 'Mione?" Ginny's eyes where filled with concern and warmth, just as they'd been up in the dormitory.
"She doesn't even know I'm here." Hermione sighed.
"Really?" Ginny grinned broadly and took a thigter grip around Hermione and pulled her closer. "Take a look." She said and gracefully turned them both around on the spot so that Hermione's eyes met the tearfilled eyes of Minerva from across the room. A second later, Minerva had turned her head away from her but Hermione had seen enough.

She never thought she'd be spending an evening at Severus side and be grateful for his company. But here it was. They'd spent the evening in nervous silence, just speaking long enough to damn the world for what they both where feeling inside. They both knew that the inner conflict they where dealing with was the same in the head of the person next to them. In silent torture the two professors found company in each other, knowing that the other was just as confused and frustrated as they where.
Snape stared furusly at the two gryffindor stundets dancing in the middle of the room, while McGonagall did all in her power to avoid doing the same.
"Minerva..." McGonagall was oulle dout of her thoughts and turned to Snape who was looking out at the dancefloor. He didn't say another word but just gave a slight nodd at the floor. Minerva turned against her better knowledge towards the spot he was staring at. The sight of Hermione and Ginny, dancing slowly with their arms around eachother was too much. Her eyes started to water even though she fought them more fiercely than she'd done that entire evening. Suddenly she met Hermiones eye and the pain was so excrutiating that she could do nothing more than look away. Her heart was breaking so loudly she was sure the entire ballroom would hear.
She couldn't take it.
Without a word, she'd risen from the table and fled out the grand doors of the great hall.

McGonagall had almost run into Neville and Harry on her way out, but managed to avoid them by an inch. The two young men just stared after her for a second before rushing over to Hermione and Ginny who'd stopped dancing.
"She was crying." Harry said in disbelief of his own words.
"What are you doing standing there?" Neville asked Hermione. "Go after her!"
"But Neville, the plan-" But he cut her off.
"I can handle it on my own from this point." He smiled coyly before continuing. "Go, get out of here and tell her!" They where all surprised by the authority and determination that Neville suddenly showed, but Hermione didn't need more.
"Thank you." She said and kissed Neville on the cheek. "All of you." She said to Harry and Ginny who just smiled at her before she ran out the large oak doors.

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