b (This is the second part of the Christmas Ball. I'm sorry this one is a little bit on the short side, but I promise to have the next chapter up soon after this one and it will be much longer. I hope you like it.) /b

"I need something to drink!" Hermione yelled to Draco over the loud music. Draco nodded and followed her off the dance floor. Hermione plopped down in a chair exhausted after nearly two hours of dancing and Draco returned to her a few minutes later with two Butterbeers in hand. Hermione popped reached for hers and took a long swig.

"Ahh, Butterbeer. Thanks Draco." She said refreshed.

"No problem 'Mi." He replied.

"You've been calling me 'Mi." She pointed out.

"Way to spot the obvious, yeah I have been. Is that a bad thing?" He asked.

"No, it's much better than Herms like Ron used to call me. I like you having a nickname for me. It's… nice, except I don't have one for you. How about Drackie?" She suggested. Draco pulled a face that obviously meant he didn't like it. "What about ferret?"

"Oh haha, very funny." He said sarcastically. She laughed.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to work on one later." 'As Time Goes By' by Carly Simon had started to play. Hermione's eyes widened and she slammed her drink down. "Oh come on Draco we have to dance! I love this song. It's the song my parents dance to all the time. Come on," She grabbed for his hand.

"Ehh, I don't think so. I can't slow dance." He protested.

"Draco Malfoy that is the biggest heap of rubbish I have ever heard. You are a fabulous dancer. Now up with you." Draco groaned unhappily but allowed himself to be dragged to his feet and toward the other dancing couples. He fastened his arms around her waist and her arms went up around his neck. Hermione rested her head on his shoulder and inhaled deeply, taking in his scent. He smelled intoxicating, and she let herself melt into him, her body fitting perfectly into him as if they were made for each other. They swayed gently to the music, enjoying the feeling of being in each others arms.

"Okay," Draco thought. "This isn't so bad. I don't know why I protested in the first place. Man, she looks so good tonight." Letting one hand leave its place on her back, he tilted her chin up to him. "There, now I can see those beautiful eyes." Hermione smiled. She stared into the grey-blue eyes she once thought only held coldness and evil but now gazed lovingly into her own warm brown ones. Hermione blinked, then placed a small kiss on Draco's lips and returned her head to its previous place on his shoulder. She sighed contently.

Ron watched in disgust as his former best friend made goo-goo eyes with her despicable date, then kissed him before cuddling up to him again. The sight made him shiver with repulsion. He felt the heat rising off of his ears, which he could only assume had turned red in anger. He directed his gaze over to Harry, who, on the other side of the room had found himself a dance partner in Lavender and was now shifting back and forth awkwardly trying not to step on her feet. "Alone as usual." Ron thought morbidly. He sighed to himself. Just then, a short girl that he recognized as a fourth year Hufflepuff, made her way uncomfortably to Ron.

"Hey Ron." She said not taking her eyes off the ground.

"Hi." He said in a monotonous voice. How ever much he tried he could not keep his attention off of Hermione and Draco for more than a few moments.

"Umm, hey Ron? Would you maybe like to dance with me?" The girl asked shyly. Ron looked at the girl again. She was short, almost a foot shorter than he, with wavy blond hair and brown eyes. She wasn't unattractive, but his heart was set on one person and no one could measure up to her. Not wanting to hurt the girl, he nodded. He followed her onto the dance floor and placed his hands cautiously on her tiny waist. Her small hands just barely reached the tops of his shoulders, and he made sure that they stayed a fair distance apart. With his gazed locked on Hermione, he completely lost all sense of time. When he snapped out of it the song was over and the girl had gone. Harry walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Let her go mate." Harry said. Ron shook his head.

"He's not right for her." He said. Harry just shrugged and pulled on Ron's elbow.

"Come on, let's just leave. I'm tired." Harry pleaded, trying every tactic to get Ron away from the sight that was very obviously making him jealous. Ron agreed, defeated.

The music picked up again and Hermione moved her hips with the beat, rendering Draco dumbfounded for a moment. Back and forth, back and forth, in a circle, back is arched, his eyes glued to the shaking hips. "Damn she's good." He thought before jumping in and dancing with her. Draco slid his hand slowly down Hermione's back and let it come to a rest on her butt. He bent down and whispered into her ear. "Do you want to get out of here?" She giggled and nodded. Maybe it was all the butterbeer she had drank that night, or maybe it was just anticipation, but Hermione couldn't stop giggling like a fool. Draco himself was looking a little wobbly.

"What do you recon was in those drinks?" She asked as they walked unsteadily out of the Great Hall. Draco leaned on Hermione for support.

"Phftt, liquid?" He said stupidly. She whacked him in the arm.

"You're a smart ass even when you're drunk. Damn Slytherins, they just b had /b to spike the butterbeer didn't they?" The two somehow made it up to their dorm without too many falls. Holding on to the wall for support, they fumbled up the stairs to Hermione's bedroom.

"So what'd you wanna do?" Draco asked.

"I dunno, what'd you wanna do?" Hermione slurred giddily back.

"I dunno, what'd you wanna do?"

"Heehee, I dun know. What'd you wanna do?"

"You." Draco clapped his hand over his mouth and laughed. "Did I say that out loud?"

Hermione nodded enthusiastically. She was laughing so hard she topped onto the bed, grabbing Draco on her way down and pulling him with her. Draco flipped over onto his back and pulled Hermione on top of him. They both looked at each other and giggled. Hermione dove in and attacked his lips with her own. They kissed passionately, and despite the current drunken situation, both put all the love they had for the other into the kiss. Draco reached up and caught hold of the zipper on Hermione's dress. He pulled it down and Hermione sat up and gasped.

"What?" Draco asked with a guilty look on his face.

"Draco Malfoy I'm surprised at you!" she said. Her face twisted in thought, and then she shook her head. "Actually, no I'm not." She laughed. She kissed him again and felt his hands pushing the straps of her dress down. She sat up again, trying to cover herself.

"Haha, its nothing I haven't seen before 'Mi." He said happily, remembering when he had walked in on her changing.

"But there's protection, and, and, location, and, umm sobriety, and and…" She rambled on counting on her fingers. She stopped and looked down at Draco shirtless and looking hopeful. "Hmm, how did his shirt get off?" She wondered. He ran a finger down her arm.

"Plleeeeeaaaassee 'Mi?" She melted.

"Oh what the hell." She said lowering herself onto him again. The dress came up and over her head and was discarded somewhere in the room. They turned over and Hermione could feel Draco kissing and sucking her neck. She moaned when he found "the spot" that made her feel like she was floating on a cloud. Two minutes later, Draco was still leached onto her neck.

"There. All done." She heard him murmur. She pulled his head up and kissed him while she worked furiously with his belt. She got the clasp undone and was pushing his pants off when he stopped kissing her and rolled onto his side facing away from Hermione. She sat up and looked over his shoulder at him. His eyes where closed and his mouth was hanging open slightly.

"Draco." She said poking his arm. "DRACO!" She tried again. She got a deep,

"Shhnnnnooooooonnnkkk." In reply. Snoring. They were just about to have sex for the first time and he was snoring? She let out a frustrated "Arrgh!" Hermione turned over away from Draco and rested her head on the fluffy pillow. "Stupid, good for nothing boys. 'Plleeeeaaasssee 'Mi'" she mimicked to herself. "Please say yes to a shag so I can pass out in your face." She imitated. Soon she slipped into a heavy, dreamless, drunken sleep only to awaken in a few hours to pounding migraine.