"Don't laugh..." Ginny said gloomily as Harry and Ron laughed. Apparently, the thought of someone accepting to go to the ball with Neville was really funny, and that was why Hermione had apparently made up the fact that she had already been asked. Speaking of Hermione, she was coming in the common room right at that moment, after the dinner she had actually eaten with Neville because her best friends weren't there.
"Why weren't you two at dinner?" She asked, walking towards them. Harry and Ron were still laughing, not really paying attention. At least, they weren't until Ginny, annoyed, told Hermione that they had been turned down by Fleur and Cho. Now, they were the ones who were annoyed. Hermione smiled a little.
"I guess all the good-looking ones are taken," Hermione said, amused. They thought they were so clever, didn't they? Well, justice had been served. Ron didn't listen to what else she had to say, he looked like something had struck him.
"Wait, Neville's right," he said as he stood up. "You are a girl."
"Well spotted," she said coldly.
"Why don't you come with one of us, then?" Ron asked, suddenly excited by the perspective. Of course, he should have thought about it before! It was as easy as that! Hermione would go with him and Ginny would go with Harry! He was smiling brightly at Hermione who just raised an eyebrow.
"I can't come with you," Hermione said, irritated.
"Don't be like that, we really need partners!" Ron said, annoyed that she was taking so long to say yes. Was she going to lie to him too?
"I can't," Hermione repeated, exchanging a look with Ginny who smiled at her encouragingly. "I'm already going with someone."
"No you're not," Ron said, beginning to be really impatient. "You just made that up because you didn't want to go with Neville," he said, frowning.
"Did I, now?" Hermione said, even more coldly than before. She narrowed her eyes. "It's not because you didn't notice I'm a girl until now that no one else has!" She snapped, surprising Ron a bit. He stared at her for a moment before he rolled his eyes.
"Come on, we know you're a girl," he said. "Will you come, now?"
"No, I'm going with somebody else!" She almost shouted before walking past Ron to go in her dorm, angry. Ginny stared at her brother and shook her head as he turned.
"Why is she lying like that? She can just say she doesn't want to go with us, if she really wants to go alone," he sighed, annoyed, sitting down again.
"She's not lying," Ginny said, still staring at her brother.
"You know who she's going with?" He asked eagerly, smiling at his sister.
"Yes, I do," she said calmly. "And it's none of your business." Ron rolled his eyes again, clearly not convinced and sure she was in the joke. After having to refuse to go to the ball with Harry because she had already said yes to Neville, Ginny stormed off to join Hermione, tired of Ron's behavior. And she was also sad that she had missed her chance to spend the evening with Harry. It would have been the perfect evening, they would have danced together and maybe he would have realized something, maybe it would have hit him like the fact that Hermione was a girl had hit Ron that night. She shook her head and knocked on the door of the dorm before opening it.
"Hermione, can I come in?" She asked as she spotted Hermione who was lying on her bed. She didn't seem to feel quite well. "Are you alright?" She asked, walking in and closing the door behind her.
"Yes..." Hermione sighed as she sat down. Ginny joined her, sitting next to her friend. "It's just... I'm really nervous. It's so stressful... And they're behaving like- like..." She sighed again, shaking her head.
"It's going to be fine. You're going to have a great night," Ginny said, confident. Hermione smiled sadly at her.
"I don't know about that," she said. Ginny tilted her head.
"Did something happen with Draco?" She asked very quietly. They were alone in the room but she knew that Lavender and Parvati were keen to listen to conversations, especially when it was allowing them to gossip afterwards. Hermione shook her head.
"No, everything's fine... Really, it's so great," she said and even if she was feeling bad, she couldn't help but smile. Which made Ginny smile. She glanced at Hermione's bedside table, spotting the music box. Hermione was, indeed, having a really great time with Draco, even if she had already told Ginny how hard it was to live this in secret. "But... Still, your brother and Harry... They will hate me like they hate him," she whispered.
"Of course they won't," Ginny said and she met Hermione's eyes. "Obviously, they're going to be angry, they're not going to like it. But if they really are your friends, they will have to deal with it."
"It's not that simple," Hermione said before she sighed again. "Look at Harry and Ron, they've stopped talking to each other during two months because of the tournament... They're never going to speak to me again after learning I'm dating the guy they hate the most in this school..." Ginny got it, of course, but she couldn't tell her that she was right, that they would be mad at her and probably stop talking to her at least for a while. Because Hermione needed to be confident. She couldn't back out, change her mind about the ball because she was afraid. She had to go with Draco, she had to let people know. She had already told Ginny about how much she wanted to be able to spend time with him without having to hide, without having to make Ginny lie to her brother and Harry.
"Did you ever thought about talking to them about it before the ball?" She asked. Hermione shook her head.
"No, absolutely not!" She said. The very thought was scaring her too much. Plus, she was angry, now. "Especially not after they way Ron just acted. He doesn't need to know, he'll see that I wasn't lying. That will teach him a lesson!"
"Exactly, it will!" Ginny said, smiling again, glad to see that she was still determined to go with Draco.
"What will teach a lesson to who?" Lavender asked as she walked in with Parvati. They hadn't been listening, but they had arrived in front of the door when Hermione had said that. A chance they didn't stop in their track, because Ginny was about to say how excited she was to finally see them together.
.
"Can't wait to see what you'll look like at the ball, Weasley!" Malfoy called from the other side of the hallway as he was approaching with Pansy. The holidays had began and not a lot of students had left the castle to go back home. They were all too excited by the upcoming ball. "And what your partner will look like. Not as bad as you, I guess."
Pansy looked at the two boys from head to foot.
"Draco, for that, they need a partner. Let's just see if they've got one, then we'll laugh," she said and they sneered, walking past them. They both turned, still walking though.
"I know, maybe you guys could go together? You'd make a lovely couple of losers," Draco added and they laughed again before disappearing in the crowd. Ron was muttering about who was a loser and Harry elbowed him.
"Relax, we have partners, it'll be fine," he said, now that he was sure Padma had accepted to accompany Ron to the ball.
"I would have liked to see him go alone," Ron mumbled, shaking his head. "Hope he'll be too busy showing off for Parkinson to come talk to us," he added. Harry made a face, thinking about the upcoming night. He didn't need to add that to the list of his worries.
"At least you're not the one who will have to dance first with the other Champions... He's never going to let me forget that."
.
Not only did Christmas Day arrived way faster than Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco had expected it to, but Draco woke up to find an enormous pile of gifts near his bed. It's with a certain delight that he opened them to find some stuff he had asked for during the year as well as more gifts. There was also a roll of parchment and when he opened it, he discovered the license his family needed if Draco wanted to take the Crup home.
"Awesome!" He let out as he put it aside, looking at a curious gift. The wrapping was a bit different, he wasn't used to that. He removed it only to discover a book from which a note fell out. It was from Hermione. He smiled, thinking that at that point, she had probably received the book he had bought her too.
"Enjoying your presents?" Pansy asked as she leaned in the doorway. Draco quickly turned his head, looking at her. He then smiled as he nodded. Then, put a finger on his lips as he nodded towards Theo's bed and Pansy walked in, closing the door behind her.
"But I have to say..." Draco whispered as Pansy approached to sit next to him. "I might make you eat the one you gave me," he said as he put his new book under the license.
"Come on, you should learn about them, it's important," Pansy said as she smirked, looking at the book she had bought him.
"I don't need to know anything about ferrets," Draco said shortly. Pansy knew that he was amused, though.
"Maybe I should read it to learn how to domesticate you, then," she said. "Maybe you'll be able to behave properly if I do."
"You-" Draco began before gritting his teeth, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Pansy who was grinning. "You be careful..."
"I'm so afraid, now," Pansy said before she glanced at Theo's bed. "You should be the one sleeping, not that bloody idiot. You sure you'll be alright for the ball?" She asked as she stared at Malfoy's pale face. The cycle was two days later and he wasn't looking too good. He shrugged.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I just need to stay inside today, rest a little, you know..." He said. "It's fine if you go, though," he quickly added. He had spent Christmas Day with Pansy ever since they had met and he liked that, but he wouldn't force her to stay around if he was sleeping. At least, unlike the year before, he didn't have to turn that night. What a horrible day it had been. Worst Christmas ever. He shivered as he thought about it again, and looked down as he remembered Pansy's disappointment when he had told McGonagall that he was staying in the castle for the holidays, meaning they wouldn't see each other for Christmas that year.
"I'm not going anywhere," Pansy said as she frowned. "After today, I'm probably going to have to share you, so I'm only leaving you in your dreams," she muttered as she looked down at her hands. Draco smiled a little.
"Don't be like that... I'll still let you follow me around," he said. Pansy, trying not to laugh by biting her lip, hit Draco's shoulder, making him laugh quietly. Pansy shared his laughter, still putting a finger on her lips to tell him to stay quiet.
"Would you look at that," Draco whispered after a moment, taking something from his bedside table. "Lupin sent me loads of chocolate. I can't believe him," Draco said as he shook his head, laughing. "I had to hide it from Crabbe and Goyle. He said it helps when stressed. I think he just uses the ball as an excuse to give me some, but still. That's nice," he explained, staring at the bar he had in his hand. He removed the wrapper and broke a piece of it to give it to Pansy.
"He knows about what's going to happen?" She asked and Draco simply nodded as he bit in his chocolate.
"What's going to happen?" Asked a sleepy Theodore as he sat up on his bed, rubbing his eyes. Draco frowned a little.
"Mind your own business, Nott," he said a bit shortly. Pansy frowned and gave him a gentle tap on the knee. Draco shrugged, annoyed. Theodore, who had just woken up, seemed too sleepy to react and they wondered if he had even listened to Draco.
"You really do need to rest if you're going to be in this mood tonight," Pansy said as she shook her head.
"Nonsense," Draco said as he stood up, "I'm hungry, come, let's go eat."
"Why don't you join us, Theo?" Pansy asked. Draco glanced at her and she frowned.
"Alright, yeah, let me get dressed," Theo asked, actually looking very surprised. Pansy nodded and smiled at him before she grabbed Draco's arm to make him follow her. He didn't let go of his chocolate but glanced at the gifts still on his bed, pouting as he let Pansy guide him outside the dorm. She closed the door again and turned to face her best friend.
"Stop acting like that, he's really nice, you just don't know him."
"I don't care, it's our day," Draco mumbled. "Plus, he looks mean, whatever he accepts and however he lives like." Pansy wanted to laugh, knowing how ironic this was coming from Draco's mouth, but she didn't. She pointed a finger at him.
"Stop acting like that, Draco, you'll be nice to him. We might be your only friends after tonight. You'll see that he's worth it."
"I'm not acting like anything," Draco mumbled as he narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms. Pansy raised an eyebrow, even less impressed than before.
"Yes, you do. You're acting like a baby," she said and Draco narrowed his eyes even more, so much that they were almost closed.
"He's fine with being alone!" He whispered, nodding at the door.
"Doesn't mean he doesn't like company," Pansy said on the same tone. She knew why Draco was acting like that. He was way too possessive and he didn't like the idea of sharing this day with anyone else but her. Even in their second year, Draco had asked his parents if they could invite her family over for Christmas. "You say he looks like he's mean, but has he ever been with you?" Pansy asked. Draco sneered.
"I don't need him to be mean with me. I've never wanted to hang out with him. You know why they don't like him. D'you think I would have spent my time trying to befriend him? I have a reputation-"
"That you're about to lose! Might as well start now," Pansy added, hands on her hips. Draco frowned but said nothing. "You'll thank me when you're not going to be all alone after tonight. And who knows, maybe you'll actually find you have some things in common."
"I frankly doubt it," Draco said, looking away. Pansy shook her head. "And what's he like anyway?" Pansy crossed her arms as she opened her mouth and the door opened. They both looked at Theo. Pansy smiled at him.
"Did you at least took the time to open your presents?" She asked before shooting a glance at Draco when Theodore started to talk. The three of them went down the stairs to leave their common room and go to the Great Hall. Draco noticed that a few Slytherins were glancing at them as they made their way out.
.
Draco barely had the chance to exchange a look with Hermione during breakfast. The tables were full of students, unlike the last year when almost no one was there, and she was busy with her friends. He, however, was busy only listening to Pansy and Theodore's conversation. They stayed in the Great Hall for quite some time, even if the other students were starting to leave and soon, almost a few of them were still there. Then, Draco, still a bit annoyed, said that he wanted to go back to bed, glancing at Pansy. Again, she invited Theo to stay with them and they went back in the dorm. Draco lay on his bed and hid under his covers, frowning as he crossed his arms. But in the end, he was too tired to care too much and he fell asleep without noticing it.
When he opened his eyes, feeling someone slightly shaking his body, he almost jumped out of his bed, seeing Theodore close to him.
"I-I'm sorry! Pansy went to get ready for the ball half an hour ago and- and she told me to wake you up, she said you have to see Professor Snape, is that right?" he said, looking a bit nervous. Draco frowned, removing his covers.
"Yeah, yeah, it's right," he mumbled.
"You slept all day long, are you alright?" Theo asked. Draco was still looking very tired for someone who had gone to bed early and who had slept for so long that day but he nodded.
"I'm perfectly fine," Draco said as he stood up, checking the clock of the common room. "She already left to get ready? But it's not that late," he mumbled.
"Well, you know, girls," Theodore said as he walked towards his own bed again.
"And what would you know," Draco mumbled so low that there was no way Theodore had heard him. He thought about it for a second before he crouched in front of his trunk, opening it to get his clothes for that night out. "So, Pansy, huh?" He said, capturing Theodore's attention again.
"Ah, yeah," Theodore said with a little smile. "I have to say, I thought she'd say no. I'm pretty lucky she said yes, though, she's really nice with me," he added. Draco nodded and opened his mouth only to hear Theo continue. "I was nervous but I thought that if I wasn't asking at that exact moment, I might as well never do it. You didn't make it easy, I mean, I thought you guys would go together and since you were there, it was intimidating-"
"Yeah, I told you, it's not like that," Draco said quickly, interrupting him. He thought that this guy was talking too much, he didn't really like that. Or he was looking for an excuse to not like him, Draco didn't even know anymore at that point. Theo stayed silent for a few seconds, looking at him.
"Who are you going with anyway?" He suddenly asked. Draco really didn't want to talk to him and he thought it was clear. He wasn't trying to behave and talk to him properly. Still, Theodore was trying to discuss. Draco was never searching for new friends, he hated that more than anything. It was too much worries, he didn't need to have more people he needed to lie to. Maybe that's why he was so reluctant with Nott. What if Pansy was right? What if he was actually nice or whatever she was thinking of him? What if he was starting to like the guy? He didn't want to be bothered, he didn't want to have to hide everything to another person.
"You'll see when we'll go," Draco said coolly.
.
"I thought you'd never come," Snape said, not looking up from his papers as Draco closed the door behind him. He was already ready for the ball, like most of the students.
"I had to get ready," he just said, feeling extremely nervous. He was wide awake now, there was no way he could keep his eyes closed more than two seconds. He couldn't stay still either and he had just left the room because he didn't want to talk with Theodore anymore. "Big night," he mumbled. Snape glanced at him before he put his quill on his desk, getting up. He walked towards Draco and the cauldron with the Wolfsbane Potion. He opened one of his cabinets to take a cup before he stepped next to his student.
"Is it, for you?" Snape asked, not looking at Draco. But the boy glanced at his godfather and he cleared his throat.
"Yeah, it is." Snape finally looked curiously at him. It was the first conversation they had this way since Snape had confronted Draco. He was often cold with him and his teacher had thought it was changing when Draco had asked him to walk to the Whomping Willow with him but it didn't really change anything. Draco was still very reluctant to talk about his private life with Snape. He couldn't help but still feel very bad about what had happened. Snape had hurt him and Draco wasn't the kind of boy who was forgiving easily, his teacher knew that. So, he didn't know if he should ask Draco why it was important. He knew what kind of things Draco could say back, just to hurt him. And he didn't know if he had the patience. Not with Karkaroff following him around the way he was, he was tired and not in the mood to put up with another fit of anger from Draco. "You'll see..." Draco muttered, feeling Snape's eyes on him. And after taking his potion, he went back to his dorm to join Pansy and Theo, ready to go, they were just waiting for him.
.
Even if at first, Harry was annoyed to have to go down in the Entrance Hall a bit early, wanting to stay in the common room, his mood changed a bit when he noticed the Slytherins. Ron was asking for the third time where Hermione was, sure she was probably alone and crying in her dorm, when Harry nodded towards them.
"I have no clue but look who's here," he told his best friend. Ron turned his head towards the entrance of the dungeons. He couldn't help but smile when he saw who had just emerged. Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy and Theo. Apparently, Crabbe and Goyle, who were standing a bit aside and glancing at Theodore, and to the surprise of no one, hadn't found anyone to go to the ball with. They noticed that Pansy and Theo were going together, since she was clutching his arm. So, Ron and Harry were delighted to see Draco alone, hands in his pockets as he was staying near Pansy and Theo.
"How ironic," Ron said with a big smile on his face. If something could make him happy that night, it was definitely seeing this.
"I was sure he would go with Parkinson," Harry said and Ron chuckled.
"Yeah, well, maybe even she realized he wasn't worth the effort." They both laughed and kept talking about it for a moment, thinking about how they would never let Malfoy forget that night he'd spend alone when even they had partners.
Then, they heard Padma and Parvati whispering and saw them pointing at something.
"She's so beautiful," was something they heard and they turned their heads to discover who the twins were talking about. Up the stairs, a shy but indeed very beautiful Hermione was arriving, capturing a few people's attention. She was going down the steps carefully, a shy smile on her lips as she noticed not only her friends but, a few feet behind, Draco with his own friends.
Draco finally turned his head in the direction of the stairs when he heard Pansy's girl friends muttering and saw one of them pointing at someone. He had been really focused on not looking in this direction for a while, he was too nervous. His heart was pounding hard in his chest and Pansy could see how strained his smile had been when she had tried to make him feel a bit better a minute before. Theo, who still had no clue about what was going on with Draco that day, had just understood that it was an important night.
Once out of the dungeons, Draco hadn't joined Theo and Pansy's conversation, even less Crabbe and Goyle's, he had just looked like he was listening to them. But Pansy knew better. She knew that in his pockets, his fists were clenched to the point his hands were probably hurting. She knew that he wasn't really looking at them either and that he was deep in his thoughts. And she had pressed his forearm and smiled at him when he had finally looked at her, trying to make him know that it would be alright.
But now, the expression he had on his face... She had never seen it but she understood. She understood what Draco had been trying to make her understand, she understood what he was trying to explain when it came to his feelings for Hermione. When he had turned his head, when he had seen her, there was no more strained smile on his face, just a totally new expression. His body had relaxed not only because he was too taken aback to let the nervousness overwhelm him anymore, but also because he was at ease with her, calm when she was around, and captivated by her. Pansy was pretty sure that if she was pushing him just a little, he would fall on the floor.
And she was quite right. Draco wasn't even feeling his legs anymore because of his anxiety and the weird feeling which was taking more and more space in his stomach. He also knew how to breathe, he was pretty sure he could remember how to do it, but it seemed like his body didn't want to obey and he stayed still for a moment, trying to process what was going on.
God, she was beautiful. He had never seen her in this kind of dress, with this kind of haircut and this kind of beauty. He had seen a lot of people in this kind of clothes. He had seen his mother getting ready for this kind of night and he had always thought she was the most beautiful among the other women. He had seen a lot of young girl there in this kind of dress but it seemed like Hermione was the one who could pull those off the best. Maybe he was only thinking that because he was in love, but he didn't feel like even Fleur Delacour could compete with his girlfriend.
He felt a pressure on his arm but he didn't look at Pansy, who was still gaping at Hermione. He knew why she was doing that, it was time for him to react and do something, but it took him two more seconds to finally move. A lot of people were staring at Hermione, including her friends. That was it, this was the moment they would all know. And damn, was he ready.
He removed his hands from his pockets and, letting out the really small amount of air left in his lungs, he stepped forwards, surprising the Slytherins around him, including Crabbe, Goyle and Theodore. Some students thought that he was just going to insult her, obviously, what else could he be doing? And others were staring curiously, daring to imagine something else. At that point, he didn't even notice that he had walked past Harry and Ron already. He only had eyes for Hermione. Again, she smiled very shyly at him, maybe even more than before.
Ginny was up the stairs with Neville. They had left the Gryffindor Tower with a very nervous but excited and gorgeous Hermione and they had stopped to let her go down the stairs alone, not to ruin anything. Ginny would have never expected being able to see this kind of expression on Draco's face and was definitely glad to have waited up there. Still, she couldn't help but stop staring at him for a second, just to look at Ron and Harry. Seeing them stare at Draco's back was priceless. They were looking lost, trying to understand why the hell he was approaching Hermione who was stopping almost at the end of the stairs, facing him and smiling.
As his heart got totally carried away because of the overflow of emotions going through his body and his head, he held out his hand. They both heard a few gasps behind, whispers, a Ravenclaw so shocked she had let out a "No way!" easily heard by the rest of the students there. Some girls were trying not to giggle excitedly as Hermione slowly put her hand on Draco's. And finally, he smiled at her. It was shy, a very small smile reflecting his anxiety, but he was smiling. She felt his fingers tighten a little around her palm as she slowly went down the two last steps and he finally turned.
The amusement Ron and Harry had felt a minute before had totally left them as fast as it had appeared. They couldn't believe it. Actually, they didn't even know how to react. Lavender had made her way between the students, leaving Seamus behind, to whisper with Padma and Parvati but they weren't even hearing the girls next to them. They were watching the scene with a weird mix of surprise, anger, disgust and incoherence. Ginny wished she had a camera with her because she wanted to remember their faces forever. She was just hoping Hermione wouldn't look at them and just focus on her night. She saw Draco getting a bit closer to Hermione, leaning a bit to whisper something to her. No one heard what he told her, no one knew how beautiful he thought she was, no one was able to hear his words because he didn't want them to. It was between Hermione and him.
And finally, they moved, Hermione clutching Draco's arm, feeling like letting go of him would make her fall on the floor too because of how nervous she was. But they seemed calm and confident as they made their way between the students to walk towards the Great Hall. Even McGonagall, who was coming to call Harry for the first dance, blinked and turned her head as she noticed Draco and Hermione walking past her.
.
"I can't even look in their direction... What are they doing?" Hermione asked quietly.
Harry and the other Champions had danced after dinner, which Ron and Harry had spent glancing at Hermione and Draco. They were sitting at one of the hundred tables replacing the four there usually was in the Great Hall and even if they indeed looked nervous, they were talking together and smiling. Theodore and Pansy were sitting there too, which only annoyed the boys more. They still couldn't believe it and exactly process what was going on. So, were they going out? And was she now friend with those Slytherins? How could she do that to them? After everything Draco, Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle had done to them... They were angry but Harry had soon to focus again. He was around important people and right after, he had to dance.
After the Champions had started, a lot of students actually joined them to dance on the slow song. Draco had dragged Hermione with him and as soon as they began, she could tell he was used to do this. He had probably learned this kind of dance when he was younger, he seemed to be in his element. It was like he was fitting perfectly in this kind of scenery. He was dancing very smoothly, steering, and Hermione was following easily. But she was a bit worried about her friends. So, some time later, as they were still dancing, she had whispered this question in his ear, as they were close to each other. Draco had tried to spot them for almost a minute before finally seeing them sitting at a table, looking depressed and angry. Ron was actually staring at them and Draco was pretty sure that if he had the possibility of killing with his eyes, he would have already been reduced to pieces. As he answered Hermione, he couldn't help but smile smugly at Weasley.
"Nothing, really... I think they're having the worst night of their lives," he said with a little smile as he looked at Hermione again. He was having a really good time, even more now that he was seeing how annoyed they were. And it seemed like their partners weren't pleased either because of them.
"Oh no, do you think it's only because of me?" Hermione asked as the song ended. Another one began, already much faster and Draco laughed a little as he took her hands. Of course, he knew there were still glances and whispers from some people, but he decided not to care that night. He had to enjoy it, not let it ruin it. And Hermione should be doing the same. They would care the next day, when they would be able to hold hands, when they would be able to spend time together more freely.
"Partially, I'd say," he answered, actually looking amused. Hermione shook her head, not being able to contain her smile. She was having a good time too and she knew that she shouldn't pay too much attention to them that night either. It was hard, but she knew it was for the best.
They stayed on the dance floor for a long time, the songs were switching and they somehow ended up dancing close again, on a slow one. They didn't know how much time they had spent there, some students had already left the Hall, but it was still early.
Draco felt her getting a bit more closer and he took a deep breath, the air being filled with her perfume. Then, he turned his head and kissed her head, closing his eyes for a second, well aware that Harry and Ron were still looking in their direction. Ron grimaced, turning his head for a few seconds before glancing at them again. Harry didn't really react, he kept staring, still shocked and not knowing what to say or do as his partner was being invited to dance by a boy from Beauxbatons.
"I'm proud of you, Granger," Draco whispered in her ear, quietly and very seriously. She slowly moved her head to look at him for a few seconds. He couldn't read the expression on her face but after a moment, she gave him a little smile.
"You should be proud of yourself," she said. "I can't even imagine what... What's going to happen tomorrow..."
"So let's enjoy tonight, why don't we?"
.
"Thank you for talking to her the way you did," Draco said to Pansy, a bottle of butterbeer in his hand. Ginny had asked them if it was ok for her to borrow Hermione for a few minutes and Draco had accepted a bit reluctantly but at the same time, it gave him the opportunity to sit down with his friend for a moment. He had joined Pansy and Theo at the table. They had been dancing a lot too and were laughing together when he joined them. Draco had been surprised to see the way Pansy had acted during dinner, especially since he hadn't made any effort with Theo himself. He knew that she was ok with his relationship, but he wasn't expecting her to be in any way nice with Hermione. Still, they had sat together to eat and Theo had been really nice with her. It wasn't a surprise, really, they already knew he was a blood-traitor. But Pansy had tried being nicer than she had ever been with Hermione. They had never had a normal conversation before, and he knew that Hermione had never really appreciated her, but she also didn't know anything at the time. Now, the situation was different, because she knew that he needed Pansy around, that they were really close and that she was accepting him for who he was.
Pansy smiled at Draco after taking a sip of her own drink.
"Well, I figured it would only annoy Potter and Weasley more," she said coolly.
"Right," Draco said as he tilted his head, scanning Pansy's face. He knew it wasn't the real reason but he wouldn't say anything not to embarrass his best friend. "Still, thanks."
"She's really nice. And smart," Theo said. Draco glanced at him and after considering him for a moment, he nodded, giving him a little smile.
"Yeah, I know..."
"I understand better why you were so stressed. But it's great!" Theo added, trying to reassure Draco a bit. He knew that everything would change for him now, he was well aware of Draco's reputation. And a few people had come to ask Pansy what it was all about, not minding bothering them while they were dancing. Most of the Slytherins weren't even looking at him when doing it, some of them were just really curious. And some students were actually excited about it.
"You're saying that because you're already an outcast," Draco said a bit more quietly. Pansy gave him a reproachful look but Draco kept staring at Theo. This one didn't change his expression, he didn't look hurt, he just met Draco's eyes for a few seconds before leaning on his seat.
"And proud of it."
Draco didn't answer, he looked around for a moment, noticing Hermione walking towards Harry and Ron's table. He felt anxious again but he looked at Pansy when she spoke.
"Even Zabini came to ask about it," she said, knowing they were sharing their dorm. Draco rolled his eyes as he took a sip of his drink.
"Wouldn't be surprised to learn he wants to leave the dorm," Draco said and Theo snorted.
"Two of us in there, I'm surprised he hasn't jumped in the Hogwarts Express to go back home yet," he said and Draco chuckled, making Pansy smile. She put a hand on his knee.
"Stick with Theo, he doesn't mind. It's going to be fine," she said and Draco glanced at her, giving her a little smile. After a second and another look at Theo, he nodded.
"Alright, if you really don't mind."
.
Hermione stopped in front of Harry and Ron's table and opened her mouth, not finding the words. She closed it, looked behind her as she joined her hands and she looked at them again.
"So... Are you guys having fun?" She asked timidly, looking away directly.
"Not really," Harry said after considering her. Ron didn't say anything. Harry looked at the dance floor again and Hermione glanced to see what he was looking at. She saw Cho and Cedric dancing together and she gave him a shy smile when he looked at her again.
"At least one of us is," he said as he looked away again. Hermione looked at her hands for a second, biting her lip. She didn't have to feel sorry for having fun with her boyfriend, she shouldn't be so shy. She knew she didn't have to act this way but she was feeling somewhat guilty. She opened her mouth again but Ron stood up suddenly.
"I'm leaving, I think I'm going to be sick if I stay here any longer," he said coldly. Hermione frowned.
"Ron, wait, I wanted to talk to you," she said. Harry glanced at her before looking at Ron. He wanted to hear her out but he was as angry at Ron, actually. He just didn't have the same way of showing it.
"Because you've got something to tell us, now?" Ron asked. "After... this? You actually want to share your feelings with us? How nice, Hermione, I think everything's alright again now," he said angrily before he started to walk towards the exit, followed by Hermione and Harry.
"Ron, what- No, wait!" She said and he turned around.
"I don't have to do anything, I only listen to my friends! Harry, come, we're leaving." Harry looked down and started to follow him.
"To your friends? You're never listening! To anyone," Hermione said, indignant. "That's exactly why I didn't want to tell you anything, because I knew how you'd both react!"
"We react like that because it's Malfoy! It's- It's- It's disgusting! It's our enemy, you're not supposed to-"
"He wasn't mine, Ron! And he shouldn't be yours anymore, you are all just too childish to admit it!" She said as Ron and Harry started to walk towards the Entrance Hall again, followed by Hermione. After walking through the doors, Harry stopped and turned around.
"For how long has this been going on?" He asked, clearly more calmly than Ron. He didn't know why he was. Maybe because, even if he had been shocked and really annoyed, he knew they were still talking to each other, he knew that Hermione was appreciating Draco's company. Maybe because he knew that in a way, Draco was caring for her or he wouldn't have bothered warning her in the woods. But were they already going out at that time? Or had it started because Draco had asked her to go to the ball with him? He was hardly believing that she had been hiding a relationship from them for so long. But Ron had arrived to the same conclusion as him when they talked about it, watching them dance. Maybe he was the reason she was spending less time with them, maybe he was the reason she was smiling more, maybe it was why she was defending him against Ron's words. How could she have fallen for him? It was absurd, beyond understanding. Hermione looked down again before glancing at Harry.
"Six months today," she said quietly. Harry gritted his teeth, looking away as Ron snorted, shaking his head.
"Unbelievable. You're really... I don't even have words, that's crazy! Harry, tell me we're dreaming!"
"Don't act like that just because you can't understand something!" Hermione said, angry. "You don't know what happened, you don't care about what happened, you just care about your stupid little fights!"
"I know enough!"
"You don't know him! At all! You think you do, you both always think you've got everything figured out but you don't!" She let out.
"I don't need to know him better, I don't want to, he's not worth the effort! He's pathetic! I'm sure he's only doing that for his parents or some other reason like that!"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Hermione said, taking a step backwards. "They don't know anything, don't be so stupid, Ron!"
"What do you know? They know he's no use to the li-" Fortunately, he stopped himself. Some students were around, and some were staring. He had almost said that Draco wasn't any use for the pure line they had anymore, but he couldn't. He had promised to keep the secret. And even if he was full of anger and that he only wanted to scream this secret in the entire castle, he wasn't about to do it. It created a weird moment of hesitation before he kept on going. "They're not going to lose anything by making him do that! It's just because you're friend with Harry! What if they just want him to get close to him to learn things about him?" He asked. Harry frowned a little, glancing at Ron. It sounded a bit absurd but he knew why he was saying that. Because of what had happened at the World Cup, because of the whole Death Eater thing. After all, they were sure Harry was in the tournament because someone was trying to kill him, and they knew Karkaroff was friend with Lucius Malfoy. But Harry also knew that Ron was furious and that he was probably talking without thinking, as usual. "Don't come cry to me when he'll dump you, Hermione, I'm not going to be there for you!"
"I don't need you to be there for me, I've never needed it," Hermione said, angry again. "I can deal with things by myself, and I know what I'm doing!"
"No you don't!" Ron said as took a step towards her. "If you did, you wouldn't be going out with this git!" Harry could see the tears going down Hermione's cheeks, at that point, and he pulled Ron's sleeve a little.
"Come," he said, glancing at Hermione. He was sharing his anger, he was feeling betrayed too, but he couldn't stand there and just watch Hermione cry when he knew that Draco had been her friend for quite some time now. But he didn't want to say anything either, because he didn't feel like it would be right. They had the right to feel angry because she had never told them the truth. During six months, she had hidden this from them. So he didn't feel like he wanted to talk about it that night, like she was deserving to have a long and hopefully more calm conversation with her about the situation. He hated Draco, he couldn't just accept this and talk about it like it was nothing. He didn't want to make the effort, he was already feeling too bad that night without that. He just wanted some peace.
"He never talks to me about Harry!" Hermione said. "Never! I'm the one who annoyed him with the tournament and who kept talking about how worry I was! He doesn't care at all about him, he never asks about anything concerning him! He- He cares about me and the fact that you don't believe that is not going to change anything because it's the truth!"
"Keep telling yourself that! He's done enough for me to know he's just a manipulative bastard!"
"Ron!"
"Just- Wait! You'll see! And we're not gonna be there when it'll happen! Right, Harry?" Ron asked, crossing his arms. Harry didn't answer, he just looked at Hermione who was wiping her cheeks, looking down. He felt slightly bad but he turned around to walk quickly out of the castle, followed by Ron. "And don't follow us, go back to him, he's going to wonder where you are!"
Hermione let them leave, disappear in the darkness and she slowly walked towards the stairs, climbing some of the steps before sitting on them, still crying.
.
Ron was right about one thing, after some time, Draco really started to wonder where Hermione was. He stood up, telling Pansy and Theo that he was going to look after her and he walked towards Ginny and Neville, who were dancing. The Great Hall was even more empty, at that point. The teachers were still there as well as some students on the dance floor and at the table but it was the end of the night for everyone. As soon as Neville saw him, he stopped dancing, taking a step backwards from habit. Ginny glanced at Draco, understanding what was happening.
"What is it?" She asked him, quite surprised to see him without Hermione. Draco didn't give any attention to Neville who was staring at him, he looked at Ginny.
"Have you seen Hermione?" He asked. After all, the last time he had been with her was before she had left with Ginny. He hadn't seen her when she had left the Great Hall with Harry and Ron but he thought that she would come back to her friend or to him at some point.
"Um- No, she told me she was going to talk with Harry and Ron and I haven't seen her since then, I thought she was with you," she said quietly. Draco frowned a little, looking around. He didn't say anything else, he just walked away towards the big doors under Ginny, Neville, Pansy and Theo's gaze. He stopped when he reached the doors, looking around, ignoring the few other students present there. His eyes fell on Hermione after a second. She was still sitting on the stairs, crying, her face hidden behind her hands.
He felt helpless. He wasn't sure about what he had to do, he just knew he wanted to be there for her, knowing what to say or not. So, he walked slowly towards the steps and climbed them, stopping when he reached her. She removed her hands from her face and wiped her cheeks. He could see that they were trembling and he sat down next to her as she tried to give him a smile.
"It's fine, I just... I'm alright," she quickly said. Draco didn't answer right away. Jaw clenched, he slightly narrowed his eyes as he stared at her. Her cheeks were wet and red and her eyes were still all sparkling because of her tears. He didn't like seeing her like that.
"Why are you lying?" He asked quietly. Hermione looked down and shook her head a little. She then smiled at him again.
"Because... It's not a big deal," she said. Draco looked away for a moment. He couldn't accept that. Who did they think they were, making her cry like that. And she was still saying she was alright?
"Don't say that," he said as he looked at her again. "Never say that, not to me. It's always a big deal if you're sad. Whatever the reason..."
"But we knew it was coming, I was prepared..."
"Nah, you weren't," he whispered. He met her eyes and he gave her a little smile. He raised his hand, carefully placing a strand of her hair behind her ear. He wanted to tell her that she was beautiful again because every time he was looking at her, he was feeling like he was falling for her all over again. But those tears were in the way. She wasn't fine, she wouldn't be fine whatever he might say. "Tell me what happened," he asked quietly. She laughed without any joy, looking away.
"They think... That you're manipulating me... That you're not honest... I told them it wasn't true but they just-"
"They don't want to hear it, do they?" Draco asked, trying not to sigh. He wasn't exactly surprised. "But you, you know it's not true. That they're... fools." Hermione met his eyes again. Hers were still filled with tears but despite feeling a wave of anger in his body, Draco didn't move, he just looked at her. "You know that I'm honest. If they don't see it... You can't help it and I sure as hell can't."
Hermione slightly smiled with that last sentence as she looked down again.
"Ron said we weren't friends anymore..." She added with a bitter smile before she looked at her boyfriend again. Draco didn't react immediately. After a moment, he touched his cheek, wiping a new tear with his thumb.
"I can punch him in the face for you, if you want," he said quietly. Hermione tilted her head with the same little and sad smile.
"Thank you but... I am fully capable of hitting people in the face myself," she said on the same tone.
"Oh, I know that," Draco said with a little smile. Hermione chuckled, understanding the reference to the slap she had given him the year before. Draco's smile got bigger when he heard her and he removed his hand from her face before standing up. Then, he held out his hand. "Come on. It's not supposed to be about them, tonight... It's about you." Hermione looked up at him, her chin shaking a little as she smiled and she took his hand, getting up without saying anything. "Would you like to dance?" He asked quietly. She nodded as she smiled shyly. She didn't exactly feel like it, and at the same time, she wanted to. She wanted to be in his arms and feel loved.
"I'd love that," she said, still feeling very hurt. But she knew that it would go away for at least a moment if she was focusing on Draco. It was already like a reward to see him smile the way he did then. They walked back in the Great Hall. A lot of people had already left and Hermione was pleased with that. It would be calm and they would enjoy each other company. There wasn't a lot of them dancing and a few were just sitting. A small part of the room was already dark and Professor Flitwick was using Charms to clean that space from the tables.
Pansy was still at the table with Theo and another girl that Hermione didn't know. They laughed and Pansy turned her head, catching Hermione's eyes. She looked at her for a few seconds before glancing at Draco. She gave her a little smile, just slightly strained because it was still very weird, and she got back to her conversation.
Ginny and Neville were still dancing, as well as Hagrid and Madam Maxime and Fred with Angelina. Ginny noticed Hermione and she gave her an encouraging smile before looking down at Hermione and Draco's hand. He was holding Hermione's hand like it was nothing, he didn't seem nervous at all anymore, just fine with being in the middle of the Great Hall like that. Since Ginny was dancing, though, Neville ended up by being the one facing Hermione at some point. He just gave her an awkward smile and Hermione was hit by the fact that even he might be annoyed by this relationship. Draco had been a real pain in the ass for Neville, always bullying him. So, the smile she gave him back was awkward too and she stopped looking at him, facing Draco. She let him guide her into the dance, feeling good in his arms.
Long after they started, she allowed herself to get closer. He was taller so she could lean against him and he moved his arms around Hermione's waist as she passed her own arms behind his neck. She rested her head against his shoulder, looking at Flitwick making the tables move. As they were turning on their spot, she saw Pansy again, she saw the staff table with McGonagall who was apparently looking at them, she saw the other rare couple still dancing and she ended up turning her head only to see Draco's neck.
Draco wasn't looking at anything in particular, still not believing everything that had happened. Not only that evening, but since the end of their third year. It had been one hell of a ride, and he was hoping it wouldn't stop. Hermione closed her eyes, against him, in his smell and his warm arms, and it seemed like she was feeling better already.
She opened her eyes only when he heard him talk quietly near her ear.
"Despite everything... Did you have a good time, tonight?" He asked, quite nervous about this. He had had a lot of fun and had loved being able to dance with her and just talk with her in front of everyone. He was hoping that her friends hadn't totally ruined her night, or that he somehow didn't annoy her in any way. Hermione slightly smiled and he could feel that she was holding him a bit harder.
"Of course I had a great time... The best, really." Draco smiled and he closed his eyes for a second before he turned his head, kissing hers.
"Good..." He whispered.
Again, they danced in silence for a few minutes.
"Aren't you tired?" Hermione then asked. Draco wondered if she was asking because she wanted to go to sleep but didn't want to say it. Then, even before he was able to say anything, and as she straightened up to look at him, he got it.
"Don't worry about that... It's almost over anyway, I'll have time to rest after..." He said. He was tired, yes, and he was looking tired, but he didn't want to go to sleep just yet. Not when he still had fifteen minutes to share with Hermione. Midnight would arrive soon and they would be forced to go back to their common rooms. He could stay up a little longer.
Hermione smiled and he felt her fingers slowly moving on the back of his neck. She seemed to be hesitating, like she couldn't get the words out. "Everything's alright?" He asked. Hermione only nodded. She looked a bit anxious and Draco tilted his head. "You can tell me if there's something bothering you," he said quietly. She shook her head.
"It's not bothering me... At all," she said.
"What is it?"
She bit her lips from the inside of her mouth as she looked down for a moment. She only met his eyes again a few seconds after and she smiled nervously.
"It's just... What you did tonight... What happened... You're..." Draco snorted and she wrinkled her nose. "Don't laugh, let me just..."
"I'm not laughing, I'm listening," he said with an amused smile.
"Idiot..." She whispered, her eyes fixed on his lips for a moment. Draco used that time to scan her face once more, trying to read her expression. He saw her cheeks turning slightly more pink as she spoke again. "I'm so nervous about what's going to come... What we will have to do... What happened... I didn't even think we would go this far, telling everyone, showing everyone... And I'm scared because... I take this very seriously, and I love being with you, and I knew it wouldn't be easy but I didn't think it would be so scary and I'm just afraid... I'm just afraid of what's coming because I don't want to lose you, because I love you..."
Her last words had been almost inaudible, but he had heard them. He felt like he had just missed a set of stairs, his heart had skipped a beat, his stomach had made a weird flip in his tummy and he had blinked, looking at Hermione. He didn't know if he was red in the face, but he knew that he was feeling really hot. As soon as she had said those words, she had looked away, biting her lip, nervous. Draco took a few seconds to find a way to speak again.
"Look at me," he whispered and he waited to meet Hermione's eyes again. "I'm glad you feel this way," he began, "Because... I've been in the same state of mind for a long time. I've been very afraid... Very anxious at the idea of people knowing, about the obstacles it would create... But you know what? After everything we have already faced, I don't feel like those obstacles are insurmountable. As long as we're together..." He shrugged and Hermione shyly smiled, her eyes filled with water again. "I know it's hard... I've been complaining a lot, for a lot of things... I'm probably a pain in the ass but what can I say, that's what I do best. I don't want you to cry because of us again... I know I have a lot of things I need to work on to be able to say that... I deserve you, but I'm ready to do what it takes... I love you and I feel bad because... You could have much more with someone else, not the same kind of problems..."
"I don't care about those," Hermione whispered back. Draco slightly smiled and leaned to kiss her softly, her grip around him becoming a bit more tight.