Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except Angelica and the plot is my own as well.

Author's Note: Hi, this is one of my first fanfics so please read and review. Any constructive criticism is welcome. And please tell me if the characters are out of character. Thanks! Enjoy!

Chapter 1 – Reunions

Angelica stood in her room looking out the window. All she could see were miles and miles of her father's land. Land that would never be hers… She gazed longingly at the only home she had known her whole life, besides Hogwarts which was as good a home as any. But her years at Hogwarts had been rather unpleasant because she was often made fun of about her looks.

She would admit that she wasn't a lovely sight, what with her ugly face that had no appeal whatsoever. She had lost all self-confidence and now she had trouble with large crowds. It was this that had kept her from looking in a mirror for she was afraid that she would be frightened by what stared back at her. She had even managed to avoid the many balls (dances) that were held by her father by faking illness.

Angelica sighed; the only true friend she had ever had was Hermione Granger back at Hogwarts. It had been two years since she had been outside of Hogwarts and she hadn't heard from Hermione since then.

Although, it was just as well, she supposed, because if she decided to see Hermione, her two friends, Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter, were sure to be around and she didn't fancy seeing them again. They were some of the people who had made her stay at Hogwarts miserable. She supposed that they didn't do it on purpose but flinching every time they saw her face was enough to ruin anyone's life.

"Lady Angelica!" called the servant girl, Teresa, outside the door, "you must get ready for the ball tonight!"

"Oh no," she thought, "I had completely forgotten!"

More banging on the door, "Miss?" shouted the girl outside the door.

"I'm not going!" yelled Angelica.

"Oh, but you must!" cried the girl, "your father insisted!"

Angelica sighed; there was no getting out of this one, "All right, all right!"

She sighed once more before opening the door. This was going to be a long night.

Meanwhile

Hermione Granger sat in her room wondering whether she should go or not. She did want to see her friend Angelica again but was afraid that she would be angry with her for not contacting. The truth was that she had tried to send letters, but Ron and Harry had told her not to.

"Angelica? Why would you want to contact her? Your owls would probably scared to death as soon as they see her face!" they had said.

"Really! She isn't that ugly, and besides she is my friend!" she had said.

"So what? If you try contacting her, we'll be sure to intercept the owls!" they had threatened.

She had no choice. The many times she had sent letters, Ron and Harry were true to their word and had intercepted the owl.

Hermione sighed, she decided that she would go to Sir Angelo's, Angelica's father, castle. She began to get dressed and decided that she would see how Angelica reacted to seeing her again. Hermione put on a pale blue formal evening gown.

She went downstairs and into the Great Hall to see if everyone else was ready. To her surprise, there in the hall stood her friends Ron Weasley and Harry Potter.

"Ron! Harry!" she shrieked as she ran up to them and embraced each.

"Hermione," said Harry, "It has been a long time!"

"Yes Harry, it has," said Hermione softly.

Ron had a strange look on his face that soon turned into a grin, "Just as lovely as I left you!" he said.

"Oh stop it!" she laughed as she slapped him playfully on the back. "What are you two doing here?"

"We thought a lady as beautiful as you would need at least two escorts to Sir Angelo's ball to keep the men off of you," said Harry.

"So you're going? But Angelica will be there," Hermione said with a puzzled expression.

Ron wrinkled his nose, "Yes, that does present a problem. We'll just have to avoid her."

"Why do you hate her so?" she asked.

"We don't hate her. That is a rather strong word. We just dislike her, and it's because she was so unbearably annoying!" Harry replied.

"Oh, and the fact that she isn't the most pleasing woman to the eye has nothing to do with it?" Hermione said sarcastically.

"Oh yeah, that too," Ron said with a shudder. Hermione shook her head in disgust.

"Well, we better get going!" Harry said.

Hermione was escorted to a carriage waiting outside by both Ron and Harry and they all got in. This was going to be an exciting evening.

Later in the evening

Half an hour later, the carriage stopped in front of a large castle. Ron helped Hermione out and both he and Harry escorted her to the castle. They were stopped at the door by a guard with a list.

"Sirs Ron and Harry escorting Lady Hermione," said Ron to the guard.

He let them pass and they entered a well-lit hall filled with music and laughter. They went to a table and sat down. Suddenly, all the commotion stopped as all the heads swiveled in the direction of the stairwell.

A girl with long, beautiful black hair descended. She was the most beautiful woman anyone had ever seen; she had pale blue eyes with a hint of purple. Her complexion was smooth, but she seemed quite nervous at the moment.

Hermione turned and saw that all the young men in the room were staring at the mystery girl in awe. Even Ron and Harry had their mouths slightly open.

"Who is she?" wondered Hermione to herself, "She seems rather familiar."

The awkward moment of silence passed and everyone returned to what they were doing. The girl spotted Hermione and her expression went from nervousness to surprise. She began to walk towards her table. Harry and Ron did their best to fix themselves up. At last, the young woman was standing beside their table.

"Hermione? I thought that was you. You haven't changed a bit," she said with a laugh.

A feeling of relief washed over Hermione, "Oh my goodness Angelica! I couldn't tell it was you! You made quite an entrance!"

"I suppose," Angelica said as she fidgeted. She looked at Ron and Harry who both sported very puzzled expressions.

"Goodness, Angelica! What happened to you?" Ron asked.

Angelica looked uncomfortable, "Huh? Oh sorry, I was just leaving. Wouldn't want to disgrace you with my hideousness."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked.

"Yes, I was just going to ask you to dance," said Ron as he got up.

"No," said Harry, "dance with me first!"

Angelica had a look of surprise so genuine that Hermione nearly laughed out loud. "Um, gentlemen, I think it is time for Angelica and I to catch up. Run along and find some other lady who is willing to dance," said Hermione.

Ron and Harry looked disappointed but walked away anyway. "Sit down Angelica," Hermione said.

"I shall never understand men. First, they shun me, now they fight over me?" said Angelica in utter disbelief.

"Don't you see? They find you lovely," said Hermione.

Angelica stared at her then started to laugh, "Me? Lovely? Have you forgotten what they used to call me in school? Ugly Angel…. Wherever did you get the idea that they find me lovely?"

"Oh I don't know, hmmm, maybe because all the men looked as if they wanted more than to just dance with you when you walked in," she replied.

Angelica looked shocked, "Hermione! How revolting! I simply thought that they stared at me thusly because they had never seen anyone uglier in their whole entire lives!"

"Oh come now, surely you've looked in a mirror lately and seen that you're a grand sight to behold?" Hermione asked.

"Actually, I haven't, mirrors have always been bad luck because I knew that they never lied. I knew I was unattractive and would always remain that way, so why bother wasting my time looking in a mirror waiting for something to happen when I was so sure it wouldn't?" Angelica said.

"Well, surely something has happened for you are, in my opinion, the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. I always thought that you didn't care what others thought of you. You certainly hid your hurt awfully well," said Hermione.

"Isn't it a Slytherin trait? To be cunning? We're very good at hiding things," Angelica replied.

"I suppose so. You know, I always wondered why you were put in Slytherin. You weren't as nasty as the others," Hermione said in wonder.

Angelica sighed, "I shall never know. The sorting hat obviously thought I had more potential in Slytherin."

"Still, it makes you wonder. I remember the reason why we became friends," Hermione said.

"We both loved schoolwork and we were often labeled as 'know-it-alls"!" Angelica said with a laugh.

Just then, a pale, blond, gray-eyed, very handsome man entered the hall. "Oh no," whispered Angelica," What's he doing here?"

"Well, well, if it isn't Draco Malfoy. Come to join the festivities have you?" said Hermione to the man.

"Yes, I suppose so. I was feeling awfully bored up at the manor," Malfoy drawled. He spotted Angelica and looked her over from top to bottom. A grin appeared on his face, "A fellow Slytherin! I must say, you look quite sharp today Angelica. Quite unlike your normal self. What spell did you use? You might want to teach it to Granger here. Goodness knows, she could use a little help."

"She's fine just the way she is," growled Ron as he appeared behind Draco.

Malfoy laughed, "My, my, what a pleasant surprise. This is more than what I bargained for. Come to save your beloved I see. Don't worry, I was just leaving," Draco walked off to the other side of the room.

Ron had turned bright red either because of anger or embarrassment. "One day," he muttered, "I'd like to shove that smug expression right up his-."

"Lovely," Angelica cut in," IF you'll excuse me, I see some people I would like to meet."

With that, Angelica walked off. She went outside into the garden and sat down on a bench. She stared up at the star-filled sky and almost full moon.

"Nice night," said a voice from the right.

Angelica nearly fell off the bench, but saw that it was just Malfoy.

"Malfoy? You gave me quite a fright!"

He shrugged in a manner that said 'get used to it.'

"What do u want?" asked Angelica feeling her face redden from embarrassment. Malfoy shrugged again and said, "It is rather crowded inside, so I decided to catch some fresh air."

Angelica nodded. She couldn't believe it, here she was, talking to a man that had made her life miserable the moment she had stepped into Hogwarts. "I might be able to forgive, but I shall never forget," she thought to herself.

"So, you didn't really use a spell on yourself to make yourself more beautiful, did you?" he said with an amused expression.

Angelica stood up abruptly, "I should probably go inside and see to the guests."

She started walking away when strong arms grabbed her and whirled her around. Pretty soon, she found herself staring deeply into gray eyes.

He brushed a strand of hair off of her face, "Hey, I didn't mean it. Sorry, if I hurt you. Now you can't leave me without a dance first." He extended his arm and Angelica stared at it for a while before taking it. "Did he just apologize to me? I must be losing my mind!" she thought to herself.

Malfoy led her inside to the light and music and onto the crowded dance floor. The dance was a slow waltz and Angelica was very thankful for having taken dance lessons in her youth. She looked around and saw that all the men had jealous expressions on their faces while the women sported dazed looks.

Angelica tightened her hold on Malfoy protectively, but regretted it as soon as she saw the smug look on his face. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I have no intentions of being anywhere else but here," he said with a smirk.

She stuck her chin out, "I didn't think you would be going anywhere. I was just merely making sure you didn't step on my toes!"

Draco rolled his eyes and shook his head but didn't say anything. The truth was that he was the best dancer she had ever seen, and she knew it. No other man that she had ever danced with could move with such grace and ease. But then again, no other man could quite compare to Draco Malfoy. But, of course, she couldn't let him know that because he might use that to his advantage. But then again, his shoulders were so broad and muscular, and she was soon wondering what he looked like underneath… Angelica shook her head, "I must keep a clear head. I can't fantasize over Draco Malfoy. Even if he has broad shoulders and a rather nice back side…Oh, what's the use? I can't resist his charm," she thought to herself.

Draco felt Angelica relax in his arms only to tense up again as he pulled her closer. He lowered his arms down her waist to see her reaction. Her eyes grew wide. He smirked, "I'll bet you liked that."

She cleared her throat, "Actually, your hands being where they are is making me feel rather uncomfortable!" He smirked once more.

The dance soon ended and Angelica found herself being dragged to a table by Malfoy. Soon afterwards, Hermione joined their table and cleared her throat loudly.

Malfoy turned towards her, "To what do we owe this great pleasure?"

"Charming," Hermione muttered, "I would like to request a word with you Mr. Malfoy, if you please." He got up and Hermione led him to a corner of the room. The glare she gave him was enough to make anyone cower before her, but not Malfoy, he stared her straight in the eye without flinching.

"Well?" she demanded angrily.

"Well what?" he snapped back.

"What do you mean by flirting with Angelica?"

"I thought it was rather obvious. You see, when a man likes a woman, he flirts with her. Of course, you would no nothing of that now would you?"

She took a step closer to him and her eyes flashed menacingly, "Listen to me, you miserable little whoreson! I know who you are and what you do. I know all about that bet of yours. Blaise bet you a good sum of money if you could charm Angelica into doing…who knows what! Don't think I'm not wise to this. Now leave her alone! You made her life miserable at Hogwarts so give her some peace here!"

She looked over his shoulder, "Oh hello Angelica! So sorry, I did not see you standing there!"

Draco whirled around in time to see Angelica give him the foulest glare he had ever seen, and this time, he flinched. He didn't know whether it was because of the look of utmost loathing she was giving him or because her lovely face was twisted in pain.

"You horrible, horrible, miserable, foul excuse for a man!" she spluttered in between sobs, "and to think I actually started to believe you were human. Now you can go collect your winnings from Blaise since you accomplished what you came for. Yes, I did begin to have feelings for you however small. Rest assured that I shall never make the same mistake again!"

She stuck her chin up, whirled around, and walked away.

Author's note: so…how do u like it so far. Should I continue? Please review if u think it worthy of continuing. Anywayz…I will continue depending on the amount of interest so please, please review. Even if you have some criticism, I will still welcome it. Thanx!