A/n: finally! i get some reviews!
By the middle of October, Hermione acted strange around Draco. She would turn hot pink, smile and burry herself in a book.
In the common room, Hermione was reading a novel by her favorite author. Draco came down the stairs and looked at the bulletin board. He took a piece of paper off of it and read it. "Halloween Ball is coming" he murmured. "What?" Hermione closed the book and looked back. Draco passed the paper to her. "Looks like we're gonna have to get the ball going." Reading the notice, Hermione nodded.
Draco stared at her, just to see what she'd do. She looked up at him. She smiled and looked back down. "Err...I'm gonna go upstairs and brainstorm." she said. She left the notice and went to her room. Draco followed her. When she got to her bedroom door, she laughed. "May I help you?" she asked. "We're supposed to work together on the balls. Remember?" She, Hermione, indeed remembered what Professor McGonagall had told them on the trip to Hogwarts September first.
"Right...I forgot." she covered lamely. She let Draco come into her room. He had seen her room many times before. She walked to her writing desk and pulled out a chair. She sat down and pulled out the extra chair to let Draco sit as well. Hermione stood again and walked to her trunk that was at the foot of her bed. She rummaged through it and pulled out pieces of parchment. When she sat again, she started to write something on her parchment. "You already had ideas?" Draco asked.
Smiling, Hermione shook her head. "No silly. I'm writing the topics that we'll need to cover for the ball. So far I got refreshments, entertainment, decorations, costumes..." "Costumes?" "Yeah. I mean it is gonna be a Halloween Ball. So we're gonna have to dress up." Shrugging, Draco stayed silent and thought. "Well we're gonna get refreshments from The Three Broomsticks right?" he asked after a few minutes. "Uh huh...hey, can we get a muggle band?" Draco raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me? If they're gonna be muggles, they can't get into the building."
Biting her lip, she responded, "Can't we just erase their memory when they leave?" Draco laughed and shrugged. "Whatever. You chose the band." Hermione scribbled something on her parchment and thought once more. "Decorations should be the regular Halloween decorations we get every year right?" Draco asked. Hermione let the feather of her quill roam around her chin. "Hmmm...We should change it up this year. You know, since it's our seventh year." Liking the idea, Draco nodded. "Okay."
"What is it gonna look like?" She whispered something in his ear and he started laughing. "You're not serious." She nodded her head, "I am." "Oh my God. That really is different." Hermione smiled so big, her straight white teeth showed.
Ron and Harry sat in the Gryffindor common room, also figuring out about the Halloween Ball. "Do you think she's gonna go with me if I ask?" Ron asked. "Ron, I'm gonna be honest. No." Harry replied, sprawled out on the one person couch.
"It's been long enough. She couldn't be mad at me still." Harry shook his head. "Ron, if you want her to talk to you, you have to apologize to Malfoy." Ron put on a face of disgust and said, "Why? What did I do to him?" "Umm..I don't know. Maybe you beat him so hard he had to be in the hospital wing for days and his arm is in a cast!" "But..Why would Hermione care?" Harry shrugged.
"Who knows. But for whatever reason it may be, she will not talk to you if you don't apologize to him." Ron crossed his arms and pouted childishly. "It doesn't even matter really. Even if you do apologize to Malfoy, I bet Hermione would still be upset at you. And what if...never mind." Curious, Ron looked at Harry. "What?" Harry shook his head, not wanting to finish what he was saying. "Harry!"
Looking tense, Harry responded, "What if Malfoy was telling the truth? What if Hermione really doesn't like you?" "Not really what I want hear mate" Ron said, before departing to the dormitory.
The night before the ball...
"Put it up there" Hermione advised the Hufflepuff prefect who was helping her decorate the Great Hall. She and Draco informed Professor Dumbedore of the change of decoration for the ball. He was pleased that someone had finally suggested something different for the ball. Still a Halloween theme, there had to be a lot of black and orange.
Smiling at the progress she and the prefects were making, she had not heard Draco call her for a second. After the third time he had called her name, she turned around. "What is it?" she asked. He looked around the Great Hall at the decorations and looked back at her. "I think we should call it a night. It's almost done right?" Yawning a little, Hermione nodded. "Okay." She rounded the prefects and told them that they could go.
"It's looking good" Draco complemented as he and Hermione headed back to the common room. "Thanks" she said. At the portrait hole, the two children were not bickering or silent. In fact, Hermione guessed that they were taking turns on the swing in the middle. "How cute" she said, smiling at the picture. "Umm..." was all Draco could come up with. Hermione said the password and the two entered the common room.
"My gosh, I can't wait until tomorrow night!" she said as she spun in circles. "Calm down. One: it's just a ball and two: you don't even know what your gonna be." Shrugging, Hermione said "So?" "So, what if your mom sends you some messed up costume that you don't wanna wear?" Still with a blank stare, she retorted "Well, that won't really matter, will it?"
Draco checked his watch and said, "It's late. We should get to bed. And that surprise muggle band you said you were booking better surprise me plenty." Laughing a little, she replied, "Don't worry. Any muggle in general would surprise you plenty." "True." They went their separate ways once they reached their separate staircases. "'Night." Draco said. "Goodnight Draco."
Reaching his bedroom, Draco changed into his nightwear. He thought about the ball that would take place the next night. Not only was he hoping it would turn out fine, he was also thinking about what Hermione was gonna wear. He had already gotten his costume. Needless to say he liked it and was confident he was gonna look good in it. Moving away from the subject of the ball, he thought about Hermione being able to say his first name with ease now. He had not said her first name once this year. Or...not that he remembers ever saying her first name.
'Should I start calling her Hermione?' he pondered. He was confused enough as it was, so he pushed the thought to the back of his mind and went to bed.
When Hermione got to her bedroom, she also changed into her nightwear. Starting to get comfortable in her bed, she thought about the ball that would take place the next night. When Draco pointed out that she didn't know what she was gonna be for the ball, she was a bit worried. She hadn't gone costume shopping with her mom for years! What if her mom would go overboard and get her something she doesn't like.
'I'm sure mom would do something right. She's knows me too well.' Then her thoughts led to Draco. Of course she knew he would look good in his Dracula costume. 'He looks good in anything' she thought. She then realized what she was thinking. She told herself not to think such things of Draco Malfoy. Doing so is so...un-Hermione-like.
She hoped the ball would go well. She and Draco had worked hard on it. They tried to think of decorations that would be unique yet traditional at the same time, if that was possible. She snuggled into her bed a little bit more before deciding to let the ball go the way it will and she would just enjoy the outcome. She yawned and closed her eyes to sleep.
All this sixth and seventh years in the Great Hall were buzzing with excitement. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil were driving Hermione up a wall with their talk of the ball. "Oh my gosh Parvati, how am I gonna do my hair?" Lavender squealed. "Your hair? What about my make-up. I don't wanna go to the ball looking like a slob!" Parvati equally squealed.
Rolling her eyes, Hermione slid down the table. "Look Hermione, the mail's here!" Ginny pointed out. Looking up, Hermione saw owls swooping down from the high windows of the ceiling. Although, none came for Hermione. She sighed. "What's wrong Hermione?" Ginny asked. "Nothing. My mom was supposed to send me something." "Hey Hermione." She looked back and saw Colin Creevy holding a box.
"This is for you" he said, handing her the box. "Thanks Collin." She placed the box on the table and opened it. "What is it?" Ginny asked. "It's my costume for tonight." she replied happily. Ginny looked into the box and smiled, "That's so nice. You're gonna be gorgeous." Closing the box, Hermione decided to put it in the common room. As she was going to exit, she heard someone call after her.
Still with a smile on her face, she turned. But her smile faded once she realized it was Ron who was calling her. "Yes Ron?" He seemed fidgety and nervous. "Well...um...are you going to the ball tonight?" "Of course I am Ron. I helped put the whole thing together." "Oh..." Tapping her foot on the marble floor, Hermione was losing her patience. "Is there something...I don't know...important you wanna ask me?"
Ron's eyes were on the ground. He stared at his feet and mumbled his words. "Do you wanna go with me?" he mumbled. Hearing what he had said, Hermione simply replied, "Sorry Ron, but no." She turned on her heel and left the scene.
Disappointed, Ron went back to his seat at the table. "She said no, didn't she" Harry asked. Ron nodded and started to hit his forehead on the table.
That afternoon, while the students were in their classes, the prefects, Hermione and Draco was in the Great Hall, finishing up the miner details for the ball. "Hermione, I made the order of refreshments to The Three Broomsticks and Madame Rosimarta said it should reach the school by the ball." said one of the Ravenclaw prefects. Nodding, Hermione turned her attention to the walls.
"Ohh, that should go right...there" she directed a prefect. "Perfect." She looked around the room for Draco. She saw him on the platform where the band would play in the front of the room. "Draco, I need you to take over to a few minutes" she said as she walked over to him. "Why?" he asked. "I have to do something." Before he could ask why, Hermione was already on her way out the doors.
She headed toward Professor Dumbedore's office. She said the password to get in and she knocked on his door. "Enter" she heard him say. She opened the door and saw the headmaster sitting at his desk. He looked up at Hermione and asked, "You are here for the Halloween Ball check-ups?" She nodded. "So when the band is to arrive, he repelling spells are to discharge and when it is time for them to leave, their memory will be automatically modified?"
Slightly chuckling, the old wizard nodded. "Yes Ms. Granger. Everything will be accounted for. Oh, and may I ask, how are the decorations coming?" Hermione smiled and took a deep breath. "It's coming along fine, Professor." With a nod of his head, Hermione thanked him for his time and retreated back to the Great Hall.
When she got back to the Hall, Draco was talking to the Slytherin prefects. Hermione was expecting this. "Draco! Haven't you worked on anything?" The prefects turned and scowled at Hermione. Draco actually smirked. "I was. Then the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs said that they had it handled. So I left them alone." Half laughing, Hermione said "My goodness, Draco. The ball is tonight!" "Don't you think I know that?" Rolling her eyes, she left to a prefect and started discussing matters with the ball.
"How can you stand living with her?" one Slytherin prefect asked. "Once you do, you grow to ignore her" Draco lied. He seemed to love living with Hermione. Since very recently, he's been wanting to see more of her. He looked over at her talking to the Hufflepuff. She looked so serious and seemed like she was concentrating on every word the prefect was saying.
"She's just so damn bossy" the other prefect said. "I don't and won't take orders from a mudblood." The two prefects laughed. "Shut up" Draco said before he realized what had just came out of his mouth. The laughing stopped. Pushing passed them, Draco walked over to Hermione. "Is everything done" he asked in a hushed voice. "Almost" she replied. Draco sighed.
"We've been working all afternoon." he whined. Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean we? You and your friends over there haven't done shit." "Haha, very funny" he said sarcastically. She took a piece of parchment and walked around the Great Hall, scribbling things on the parchment. After a few minutes going around and checking things off, Hermione placed the parchment down.
That's when she gathered all the prefects. "Okay guys, it looked like we're done. I'm confident that the ball will be great! Now, we can go back to our classes before the ball." "Why? We're only gonna end up going for one class before the classes end" the second Slytherin prefect said. "That doesn't matter. We should try and get as much learning in today as we can."
"Oh come on. One class won't hurt. Plus, it takes some of us a long time to get ready for a ball." Draco interfered. Glaring at him, Hermione gave in. "Fine. Go, do what you want!" The prefects smiled and let out sighs of relief. They left the Hall, chattering. Hermione found Draco near a corner of the Hall with the Slytherins. She went over to him and punched his arm. "Who do you think you are? Interfering like that." Laughing, Draco responded, "Thinking out loud was all I was doing."
"You're so immature, you know that?" "It's not being immature. It's being thoughtful toward my fellow prefects and such" he shot back. Rolling her eyes, Hermione turned her back and left to the common room. "I find it amazing how you know how to shut her up like that." the first prefect said. "You just have to know what makes her tick." Draco replied, smugly.
"Well, whatever it is, you do a fine job." By this time, the Slytherins bade Draco goodbye and fled to their common room. "You're so immature, you know that?" That sentence ran through his head for a few minutes. Somehow, being called immature stung Draco greatly. But the running sentenced ceased when he realized...he was going crazy.
Later, Hermione entered her bedroom, with a robe on and hair wet. She bewitched her hair dryer and hairbrush to comb and blow dry her hair for her whilst she searched for the costume. She found her costume under her bed, in the box it had came in. She opened the box and took out the neatly folded Halloween costume. She had never seen it before so it must've been new.
She put on the costume with some difficulty with the bewitched brush combing her hair. Once her hair was dry, she undid the spell she had cast on her brush and dryer. She continued with the rest of the costume and waked around her room, barefoot. She went to her vanity table and applied the make-up she thought was suitable for the costume.
Some lip gloss, a little blush, a light shade of eyeshadow and a little mascara did the trick. Hoping it wasn't too much, she looked in the box for the shoes that came with the costume. She put them on and looked at herself in the mirror. She had dressed as Juliet. (a/n: I bet u were expecting that weren't u! evil laugh) She was wearing a red, velvet dress with a light pink satin inset. The dress had gold accents and had a matching headpiece and veil. (i got the description from google, just so ya know...)
The shoes were black, open toe platforms, the sleeves at the shoulder were puffed and draped down her arm with a slit up to her elbow. "I guess this would work." she mumbled to herself.
In the other room, Draco was also preparing for the ball. He made sure his costume was tailor made to the highest superior deluxe costume. It was a green velvet tunic with puff sleeves and pleated skirt trimmed with metallic braid. It had a ruffled collar and cuffs. He was dressed as Romeo. He would wear the hat that came with it but he did not bother with it. He didn't want to mess up his hair.
He combed his hair straight and let strands of hair dangle over his eyes neatly. He thought he could've looked better but, "I guess this could work" he mumbled.
Hermione had left before Draco even had time to put on his shoes. The marble stairs let off loud clicking noises from her heels. Her hair flew behind her and the dress did so too. When she reached the common room, she stopped. She straightened her headpiece on her head. She stepped out of the portrait hole and walked through the halls, to Professor Dumbledore's office.
Knocking at his door, she entered when she had his permission. "Good evening Ms. Granger. Pleasure to see you...again. You look lovely." "Thank you professor. I just want to double-check the settings for tonight." Professor Dumbledore raised a hand to silence her. "No worries Ms. Granger. All is accounted for and all will be well. Tonight is a night that is to be of fun. Not stress. Now, do not worry and go find your friends." Smiling, Hermione nodded. "Yes sir" she said before departing.
She went back up to the Gryffindor common room and entered. "Ginny! You ready?" she called as she went up the stairs to the girls' dormitory. She went in and the whole room was chaos. Girls were screaming and arguing over brushes, some couldn't find their shoes, others were fighting over mirrors and a couple didn't even have their costumes on.
"Ginny?" Hermione looked around and found Ginny sitting on her bed with Lavender behind her. Lavender had a chunk of Ginny's hair in one hand, a rubber band in the other and a hair pin in her mouth. "Hermione, you look beautiful" Ginny exclaimed. Lavender glanced over at her and nodded, saying something that was muffled by the hair pin.
"You ready?" she asked. "Almost" Ginny replied. When Lavender was done with Ginny's hair, she immediately raced through the room. Ginny stood and relieved to Hermione that she was dressed as a gypsy and linked arms with her and they both entered into the sane common room. "Wow Hermione. I haven't seen you look so good since the Yule Ball." They then heard someone coming down from the boys' dormitory.
"I look ridiculous." they heard Ron say. "Ron, you're not dressed as great-aunt Tessy again, are you?" Ginny yelled, laughing. "Shut up Ginny." When Hermione and Ginny saw Ron and Harry fully, she and Hermione laughed. Ron was dressed as a court jester. With a hat with bells and everything. Harry at least looked decent. He was a knight. "What's with the jester Ron?" Ginny laughed. "Fred and George sent it. They thought it would be a 'good laugh'."
Laughing, Hermione turned to Harry. "We should get going. The prefects and I worked really hard on everything." "What about Malfoy?" Ginny asked, ignoring Ron's red face. "Oh, Malfoy is being Malfoy. He's feeling better by the way. His arm is finally out of that cast Ron got him in." "How many times must I say I'm sorry!" Ron yelled. "You know you're not to say sorry to me Ron. Stop being so stubborn and apologize to him!" she retorted.
Now heated, Hermione left the Gryffindor common room with Ginny racing to keep up behind her. Soon, it was Hermione and Ginny walking toward the Great Hall and Harry and Ron were in the back. Stepping into the Great Hall, Ginny grinned wide. The Hall had some of the regular floating pumpkins. The floor was foggy and up above at the ceiling, a once clear sky had changed to clouds and the words continuously read Happy Halloween! The walls were covered in cob webs and skeletons that were bewitched to skriech when someone came near.
The beverage table was covered with a moth eaten and dirty table cloth. She allowed the house ghosts to wander freely through the Great Hall as well. "Wow Hermione." breathed Ginny. "This is...different" Harry commented. "That's what I was aiming for." They entered the Hall further and greeted the Gryffindor House ghost, Nearly-Headless Nick. As Hermione and Ginny strolled through the Hall that wasn't full yet, they came across Parvati Patil with her sister Padama."Oh my gosh, Hermione, I'm just totally in love with your dress. I think I know what would make it even better." Parvati said.
She went back to the small table she was sitting at and came back with a red mask that only covered the eyes. "Parvati, this isn't a masquerade, you don't need a mask." Shrugging, she handed the mask to Hermione. "Put it on. You'll look better." Deciding to play along, Hermione put on the mask. "I don't get why but okay." She walked around the decorated Hall with Ginny. "This is so cool. So when is the band coming?" she asked. "When everyone gets here" Hermione replied, scratching near the mask.
"I still can't believe you can pull off a Romeo costume without majorly tight tights" Blaise said as he and Draco walked toward the Great Hall. Blaise was dressed as some random Prince. When they spotted Pansy Parkinson near the entrance of the Great Hall, she looked as if she wasn't wearing a costume at all. She wore a demin mini-skirt and a white tank top under a short pink sweater.
"What are you supposed to be?" Blaise asked, laughing. "Umm...A muggle" she answered quickly. Draco rolled his eyes and actually entered the Hall. He smiled at the successful decorations of the room. He stood in place and was nearly knocked over when he was used to stop Blaise from running.
"What the hell is your problem!" Draco yelled. Blaise was laughing so hard, he was rolling on the foggy floor. Draco caught his balance and checked if he had dropped something. He looked down at Blaise and kicked his leg. "Ow. What did I do?" Blaise laughed, standing up slowly. "What is that?" Draco asked, pointing to something in Blaise's hand.
Blaise smiled and said, "I swiped it from a third year running around. It's a mask I guess." Draco snatched the mask from Blaise and looked at it. It was a simple, green mask. No theme to it at all. He chuckled. "A third year had this?" he asked. Blaise nodded, "I don't know why. Maybe to be some mismatched Zorro." Smiling and laughing, Draco put on the mask. "You don't look half bad Dray. Keep it on" Blaise said once he stood up straight.
Not really caring, Draco kept the mask on. With Blaise, they walked around the nearly full Great Hall. Draco's eyes caught sight of a gypsy with red hair. She saw him and she nudged the girl she was with. The girl she was with turned and saw Draco. He had seen that costume before. She was dressed at Juliet. She, too was also wearing a mask so he couldn't really identify who she was.
"Hey Romeo, you wanna make your moves on the Juliet over there" Blaise said smoothly. Looking at him and back at Hermione, he smirked. "Piece of cake" he said. He strutted toward Hermione and took her hand. "What is the name of this fair maiden?" Draco asked as he kissed her hand. She blushed and smiled. Before she could answer, Ginny tugged on her draping sleeve. "I think everyone is here" she said.
Hermione nodded and looked apologetic to Draco. She slipped her hand away from him and went toward the great oak doors.
"Oh my gosh, that guy was so cute" Ginny commented as she followed Hermione to the doors. "He was such a gentleman too. I wonder who he is." The two entered the Entrance Hall and saw a group at the entrance door. "Who are they?" Ginny asked. Smiling, Hermione replied, "They, my friend, are the band. The muggle band I scheduled." "And their name might be...what?" "Linkin Park. I absolutely love their music" she sighed.
She went over to the band and greeted them with a warm smile. She explained to them that their audience would be new to their music. They had mentioned to Hermione that they had liked the idea of sending them for a Halloween Ball. Saying Halloween seemed to be their specialty to their fans. They laughed and she showed them to the Great Hall.
She and Ginny re-entered the Great Hall. Everyone was there and dressed up. Most were at the beverage tables that were set up at the east and west side of the room. Hermione went up on the extra foggy stage and spoke. "Happy Halloween everyone. I hope you all have a great time! Now for our musical entertainment tonight is totally different than our other Balls. I would like you all to give a great Hogwarts welcome to Linkin Park." Everyone cheered and clapped as she got off the stage.
As Hermione was talking, Draco was with his gang of friends discussing their costumes. "Pansy, you don't even look like you tried" Blaise said, pointing out Pansy's lame excuse for a Halloween costume. She put her hands on her hips and stuck her tongue out. "At least I'm not wearing was Weasley's wearing" she cackled. They all brought their attention to Ron, who was talking to Harry at one of the near by tables.
They all laughed at his costume. "Hey, where's Granger? I wanna see what she's wearing" Pansy mentioned. They all looked around the Hall and shook their heads. "I bet she couldn't find a date. I wouldn't blame her. It's mortifying to come to a Ball unescorted." Pansy said. Then suddenly, they heard loud music coming from the stage. "Wow. Who are they?" Blaise asked, obviously liking the music.
"I guess that's the band she booked" Draco said, not wanting to say Hermione's first name or surname. Around his friends she was known as 'her' or 'she'. He paid his attention back to the music.
I don't know what's worth fighting for
Or why I have to scream
I don't know why I instigate
To say what I don't mean
I don't know how I got this way
I know it's not alright
So I'm breaking the habit tonight
Looking out to the dance floor, many people were dancing and having a good time. Feeling disappointed for some reason, Draco grudgingly decided to detach his back from the wall and actually do some walking around. "I'm getting a drink" he mumbled and walked over to the nearest beverage table. He grabbed a cup and filled it with butterbeer.
He gulped it down and looked out at the dance floor again. Ginny once again caught his eye. Only to see her dancing with the girl dressed as Juliet, oblivious it was Hermione behind the mask. He fidgeted with the ruffled cuff and stared at Hermione. Her hair in perfect curls and looking perfect in the dress. At some point, his mind reminded him: HELLO! Remember, you're a Malfoy. If she turns you down, it won't matter.
He took a deep breath and walked through the dance floor, having to squeeze through groups of people occasionally. He reached Ginny and Hermione. Hermione's back was facing him. Ginny saw him and stopped moving briefly. She slightly pointed to Draco and Hermione turned. Hermione's masked face saw Draco's equally masked face. "Er...Hi" she said politely. He smiled a little and took her hand. He bowed and kissed her hand.
"A pleasure dear Juliet." Hermione blushed and curtsied a little. "As to you Romeo" she smiled. By looking into his eyes, she sensed she knew him from somewhere. "Would you like a drink? You look parched" Draco offered. With a small smile, Hermione looked back at Ginny, let out a small squeal and looked back at Draco, looking sophisticated. "Of course. Thank you." Still with her hand in his, he lead her away from the crowd, out to the beverage table.
Draco poured a drink for Hermione and handed it to her. "Thanks" she said, taking the drink. She took a sip and looked at him. "Do I know you?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. Shrugging, Draco replied "Maybe. I don't know." She giggled.
On the other side of the room, Ron and Harry were still at their seats. Ron noticed Hermione. "Hey, who's that guy Hermione's with?" he asked. Harry shrugged. He noticed that the longer he stared at the blond boy with Hermione, he higher his temper had risen.
"So, what had given you the inspiration of dressing as Romeo?" Hermione asked with the cup still in her hand. "Well, I had read Romeo and Juliet when I was smaller and I just liked the characters so everything went on from there." Nodding in interest, she saw that he was going to ask the same question back at her. "My mom surprised me" she simply answered without having to be asked.
He laughed. "Don't you just hate it when they do that?" he asked in a friendly tone. She smiled and said "Oh my gosh, yes! I usually love surprises but when my mom surprises me, I feel nervous." Draco looked at her as if he understood. "Yeah. That's why I highly avoid having my mother surprise me."
Back at Ron and Harry's table, Ron was eyeing Draco suspiciously. "Do you think he would try and pull something on Hermione?" he asked with narrowed eyes. "Ron" Harry said. "Yeah?" "Shut up." Ron pouted and crossed his arms looking childish...again.
"Isn't this band great?" Hermione asked, looking up at the stage. The band had stopped playing for a second and the classical music started. Looking out at the clearing dance floor, Draco smirked at Hermione. He took her hand once more and said "Do you wanna dance?" Only making her smile even wider, she accepted. She followed Draco out to the middle of the room and danced slowly in each other's arms.
Ron, obviously did not like what he was seeing. More than once he attempted to stand and do something but Harry had held him back every time.
Pansy went out to the dance floor with Blaise and they danced closely to Hermione and Draco. "I swear, I think I know you from somewhere" Hermione said lightly. Draco looked down at her brown eyes and thought that he had seen her before as well. He just couldn't put his finger on it. But he pushed that to the back of his mind. He was dancing with a beautiful girl and they seemed to get along famously.
The two were so engrossed with gazing into each other's eyes, neither of them notice the song finish. When someone got their attention, the two left the Great Hall and exited toward the courtyard. It was a still night with a full moon out. Stars were lit brightly and lanterns were on here and there. "It's so beautiful out" Hermione commented, looking at the countless stars. As she looked at the stars, Draco looked at her.
He felt that he knows her but he just wasn't sure. The mask was slimming down his choices of who she could be. Although, Hermione was not really one of the top people. Draco cleared his throat nervously and it seemed to catch her attention. "You okay?" she asked, sounding concerned. All of a sudden, Draco found himself bring his lips to hers.
A sudden feeling of electricity went through them. Hermione gladly kissed him back. The feeling the both of them felt was indescribable. Hermione had never felt this way before. She didn't want to move from her very position. She brought her hands up to his neck and she found herself take off Draco's mask. As did Draco. They parted when they heard loud gasps and talking. They looked over at the group of students staring at them. "Wow" Blaise, whom was in the front of the group, said. Draco looked at Hermione and his eyes widened when he saw her face. Hermione looked as pale as a ghost.
She shook her head. "No, no, no." she said to herself. She started smacking her cheeks lightly. "Wake up, wake up" she murmured. Ginny pushed passed everyone and ran to Hermione. She took her ice cold arm and tugged her back to the school. Draco watched her leave. 'What the hell just happened' he thought. Now being the only one to look at, everyone whispered amongst each other and stared at the direction Hermione had left in and back at Draco.
Blaise looked over his shoulders, went to Draco and gripped his sleeve. He dragged him back into the castle as well. Ginny brought Hermione to the Gryffindor common room as Blaise did with Draco to the Slytherin common room.
"It was her. I can't believe it" Draco mumbled to himself as Blaise pushed him onto one of the Slytherin common room couches. "Forget about it man. Who needs her. Forget it ever happened." Draco's head whipped to face Blaise. "Are you mental! I can't just forget about it. You don't understand what kind of moment we shared back there. Even though we didn't know who the other was...it was magical. It made me to never leave her side. To never leave her lips for that matter."
Blaise rested his elbows on his knees. "Dray, I have to say that what just happened...should never happen again." Draco furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"
In the Gryffindor common room, Ginny sat with Hermione on the couch. "Hermione. Are you okay?" Ginny asked lightly. Hermione's bottom lip trembled as if she was about to cry. "He...kissed me. And...I kissed him back." She looked at Ginny. "What have I done?" Ginny touched her shoulder. "You didn't do anything." "Okay. But the worst of even kissing Draco Malfoy is that..I liked it. There was a moment where I thought I could be there forever. I felt my lips tingle as soon as our lips connected. Isn't that sick?"
Ginny shook her head. "No. It's not. It's a normal feeling." Hermione was fidgety in her seat and constantly looked over at the portrait hole as if expecting someone to come in. Ginny noticed this. "'Mione, if you knew that was Malfoy under that mask, would anything have changed tonight? As in: If you knew Malfoy was under that mask...would you have still danced with him, flirt with him, kiss him?"
Hermione's insides was telling her that Ginny was right. Nothing would be different if she had known Draco was under that mask. She decided to take deep, cleansing breaths. Just then, the portrait hole swung up. Hermione looked over quickly. Harry and Ron stepped in. Ron looking outraged and Harry looking confused and upset at the same time. "HERMIONE! HOW CAN YOU DO SUCH A THING!" Ron exclaimed. "You...and Malfoy? It's disgusting. You can't. You can't be with Malfoy. There's no way I'm letting you."
Hermione's jaw dropped. She stood up hastily and stepped forward. She pointed her finger in Ron's face and said, "Excuse me? Who are you to tell me who I can and can not see? You are not my father or my master. I do not follow by your ridiculous rule type statements. I do not like you Ron. You're like a brother to me. But right now you're giving yourself a first class ticket to being a git. Worse than Percy may I add! As a matter of fact, I would've liked Percy be my best friend right now instead of you. I kiss whomever I like. You do not make that decision. I'm a grown ass woman dammit!"
With that, she stormed out of the common room, running to her own. Running down the stairs, she used one hand to hold up her trailing dress and the other to hold onto the railing. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. Passerby students stared at her as she ran down the hallways. She quickly said the password and collapsed on the couch as soon as she came in. She gripped onto the pillow and sobbed and screamed into it.
In the Slytherin common room, there was a silence that could totally destroy someone's eardrums. "Blaise." Draco said, breaking the horrid silence. His friend looked at him. "I liked what happened tonight. Even if it was with her. I-I don't think I'll forget about it ever." "Draco, you're acting so out of character right now. The Draco Malfoy I knew would be disgusted with himself. He would be brushing his teeth and using mouthwash for hours. What happened to him?"
Draco stared at Blaise long and hard. "I'm not sure where he is, but he surely isn't here and won't be back for some time." Saying that, he departed the Slytherin common room and headed for his own. Since he had a longer walk to the portrait hole, he was seen by more students. Whispers and stares seemed to pain Draco even more on each floor. He said the password and entered the common room. Slowly, he came into the room and saw silver, high heeled shoes by the couch.
He came closer and saw Hermione sleeping on a moist pillow and still in her costume. Seeing Hermione at the moment made Draco's heart to somersaults. He didn't want to just leave her on the couch for he was sure that she would have a sore neck in the morning. He brought Hermione into his arms and carried her into her room. He placed her into her bed and covered her with her quilt. He had an urge to kiss her again but he stopped himself. He sighed lightly and left the bedroom.
Entering his own room, he changed into his pajamas and falling asleep was far most the most difficult challenge he had to face through the entire night. Although he succeeded at falling asleep at one point. 4 o'clock in the morning, being the latest.
A/n: so sorry about the wait. A lot of writers block. But its nice and long. Review please.