Chapter Four

Finding Perfection

10:02 P.M.

Hermione and Cedric finally reach an old, roomy classroom. She didn't understand why he lead her inside, and continued to not understand when he sat in one of the empty chairs and pulled her onto his lap. "Cedric, what are you doing?"

"Maybe you're just nice to hold."

"This isn't right."

"Stop fighting it," he whispered in her ear. "It's perfectly right and you know it."

"Cedric, I barely know you."

"And yet you know me perfectly."

"Stop it… you're scaring me." At this, he released her and watched as she slowly made her way to the other side of the room. "Hermione…"

"I don't understand it Cedric. I haven't had any contact with you until tonight. You've never even seen me before, and now all of sudden, I know you perfectly?"

"I've seen you."

"As the friend of Harry Potter or the notoriously intelligent Gryffindor, but never as Hermione Granger. Please don't lie and say that you have."

"Ok, so I went a little over board."

"Just a little."

"It's just the aura of the night." Hermione sighed, and sank down into a chair on her side of the room. "We probably should be heading back."

"Why?" Cedric's voice cracked in his quick response. He didn't want to go back to the ball. Cho has seemed wonderful this morning, but after his conversations with Hermione, she just seemed to be uneducated and giggling. He wanted to remain here, and stop time.

"Because Cho will be wondering where you are, as will Viktor about me."

"But I-"

"Cedric, these last minutes have been lovely, but we do have to return to our own lives. Ron was angry enough when he found out I was seeing Viktor… went on about fraternizing with the enemy. We could never even have true contact again. Don't you see that-"

"So Ron Weasley is the reason you left the ball early?"

She sighed, realizing that he had, somehow, gotten it out of her. "Yes. It is because of Ron."

He nodded, trying to think of some way to make the minutes before they returned to the ball special. She had made his night truly special, and while he would hate returning to life-before-Hermione, he would do it. After all. he did have enough charm to fool anyone. Then, it dawned on him. "You said you went to Muggle school, right?"

"Yes, I did."

"Did they ever read you stories?"

"When we were young, yes. Most often fairytales."

"Then you are familiar with Cinderella?"

"Of course."

He smiled at her as he smoothly closed the gap between them. "Then allow me to be your Prince Charming."

"I don't know…"

"Just for the next three minutes… for one dance, let me be your Prince. You don't even have to leave a shoe for me to find when you disappear into the night."

He offered his hand to her again, and maybe if she hadn't looked up into his eyes, she might have been able to refuse. But she did meet his gaze, and soon found her hand in his, pressed close to his body. He was swirling her around the room. She felt weightless, and found herself laughing as he twirled her faster and faster.

And then he stopped, his breathing shallow. His face was inches from hers, and he circled his arm tightly around her waist, allowing no air to swim between them. And at this utter closeness, she found herself crying. "Hermione…. Hermione what's wrong? What have I done?"

"You've done nothing," she whispered into his shoulder. "It's just that it's all so… perfect. How can it be perfect? I don't even really know you…"

He breathed into her hair, trying to memorize its scent, knowing that soon she would be gone. "Because you know me perfectly."

There, in the center of the room, they swayed. They refused to let go of each other, and if either of them could have postponed parting any longer, they would have. But they could not. Reality called.