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Chapter 11: One Lucky Guy

Draco left his bedroom around 7:50 so that he could fully anticipate the sight of Hermione meeting him at the bottom of the stairs for the ball. He stood up straight, eyes forward to the top of the stairs where Hermione would reveal herself from. In his hand was a blood red rose. Students all watched him wait Hermione. Draco looked down checking that everything was placed straight and correct. He wanted to look sharp in his attire. He wrote black pants and a tuxedo black jacket over a bright white shirt tucked in perfectly into his pants. He crossed his arms carefully making sure he did not harm the rose. He stared at the rose, remembering how he thought giving a girl a flower was pathetic and pointless. It was going to die anyway. Why bother? But this particular rose caught Draco's eye. It shimmered for him. Each petal was in place of perfection. He ran his thumb over the side of the rose; it was as soft as Hermione's face. He closed his eyes as he thumbed over the petals until he sensed eyes gleaming down onto him from the top of the staircase.

There stood Hermione in the most gorgeous dress that made Draco silently gulp in shock. His eyes ran through her whole body. The way that the soft magenta dress flattered her body, curving where she curved and ruffling at the sides from wrinkles placed on purpose in the front. His eyes met hers that were hidden beneath curls that fell in front of her face. A smile crept across her face and she looked at Draco at the bottom of the steps, counting the seconds before they would meet at the end. Slowly she held onto the side of the railing moving gracefully down to where he awaited impatiently at the bottom. She stopped before him looking down almost ashamed of what she was wearing. Which she was, she was wondering if she wore the wrong thing because he had said no word to her. She feared what exactly he would say. Draco took his hand and lifted her chin to meet his eyes.

"You look…" he paused not knowing what the perfect word to say would be. He raced his eyes back and forth focusing on each of hers.

"Ridiculous? I know. I didn't know how to do-" Hermione begun to dip her head back down towards the ground but Draco interrupted her with his finger on her lips.

"Amazing, Granger. You look amazing." He finally let out smiling. Hermione admired Draco and couldn't believe that he spoke such words and that such compliments could come from him, but he has surprised her before, she shouldn't expect anything of the ordinary Draco she knew since year one.

"Thank you." They still stared at each other, yet again completely in their own world. Unbeknownst to them, Draco's groups of Slytherins were staring at them enraged.

"This is for you" he said smiling while he handed her the red rose. Hermione didn't know what to say but she didn't have to, her eyes expressed all the thanks, gratitude and happiness that were needed. He smiled and reached for her hand and led her into the hall where the ball room was being held.

All the previous years' balls were not amusing or thrilling to Draco. He'd sit half the time not wanting to please his date in the need of dancing. He'd watch his friends and even Potter, Weasel and Hermione dancing with each other or their dates. He had always watched Hermione flow across the floor with her date and would always think of reasons why that particular guy had no right to be there holding her in their arms. He never did like balls but this one. This ball was one that he couldn't be happier going to, granted he'd rather him and Hermione stayed in the common room, he knew he'd love every moment of this night. They walked in confidently with each other, not caring for a second what others thought or said.

"Alright Granger, pick wherever you'd wish to sit."

"Mmm, how about… over there?" she pointed to the corner of the room in the back.

"Ah, you want to be discreet? Don't want to show off that you have the phenomenal Draco Malfoy aye?" Hermione laughed and shrugged it off.

"Alright, let's go sit." They sat down as more and more students filled into the hall. Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Teri walked over to where Hermione and Draco sat laughing at each other.

"Do you mind Malfoy?" Harry asked as he pulled back a chair before planning to sit.

Draco sighed irritably but looked at how it would make Hermione grateful and all he wished to do was please her at the moment. "You might as well Potter." Hermione grinned widely and rubbed Draco's hand in regards to her happiness. The four sat down smiling and relaxing, all while being amazed to the fact that Draco was alright with being in presence of them.

Slowly the music struck up and began to progress. Several students went straight away out to dance, like Ron and Teri who seemed to be getting along with each other quite well. Harry and Ginny went off as well smiling arm in arm. Draco and Hermione were left alone at the table smiling softly at each other. Hermione looked out to the others dancing, where she wanted to be but doesn't suggest it. Draco watched her yearn for a dance, but wants to make it a surprise when he would ask her. The first few songs ended and he was pulling off what he did at previous balls which angered him. He needed to change it. He got up and held out his hand.

"Would you like to dance?"

Hermione grabbed a hold of his hand and nodded willingly. They walked off into the middle of the dance floor where they slow danced holding each other tightly. They traveled in circles across the floor in the crowd of people, but all they could see was each other. Draco enjoyed being the one who had her in his arms, instead of going through another ball on the sidelines not happy with his dance while he watched her smile while some schmuck clang onto her. This time, it was no schmuck, it was him. He felt like he was holding the greatest thing in the world. He looked down when he felt her head move up. They stared into each others eyes for the last few minutes of the dance, swaying back and forth, to and fro. Draco smiled knowing he made her the happiest girl in the room. The song ended and he smiled gladly that he was there with her.

"I'm thirsty; I'm going to go get a drink, alright?"

"I could get it for you…" he said suggestively

"No its ok, I want to say hi to some friends who are over there anyway. You do your thing, I'll do mine and I'll meet you back at the table in a few minutes." She smiled and disappeared into the crowd of moving students. Finally when she was no where in his vision, he turned around and walked back to the table and sat down watching others dance.

He smiled, unable to hide his happiness. Draco was actually happy and he didn't mind showing it, in fact he wanted people to see that he felt like the luckiest person alive. He wanted everyone to know, that was until an unwanted shadow appeared on the table.

Draco looked up angered. "What do you want?"