Disclaimer: look chapter one

Chapter 4:

31 October: Halloween

The library was silent and abandoned. Usually there were more people here on a Saturday morning, to work on their homework or study for their exams. Today most students were busy with the Halloween Ball. As if someone needed a whole day to prepare oneself for such a silly event.

Hermione was a girl alright, and although she was excited about her costume, she simply couldn't understand the hysteria of the others.

The ball wouldn't start before six, so there was plenty of time left till she needed to fix herself. On the bright sight she was able to enjoy the silence. In the last two hours she had been able to manage more than usually.

Of course the luxury didn't last long.

"Don't you think you overdo it sometimes, Granger?"

She sighed. At least it was Malfoy and not Campell. The latter had ambushed her this morning to tell her that he would pick her up at sharp six from her room. She had told him again, that she already had a date, but all he did was smile and bid her goodbye. Apparently he didn't believe her. Well, that was his problem! Arrogant snake!

"Leave me alone, Malfoy," she muttered and continued to write her Transfiguration essay. "Don't you have something to do? Getting ready for the ball or something like that?"

"Oh, I see, someone is in a foul mood today. What's the matter, got some new members in your fan club?" he sniggered. For a reason that was beyond herself, Malfoy loved to tease her with that.

"Very funny."

"That's me." She didn't need to look up to know that he was grinning his favourite Slytherin smile. "And shouldn't you be the one, preparing herself for the ball? Given you're the girl -well sort of."

That got him a nasty look, which he shrugged off.

"It seems that you are girly enough for the both of us."

"I assure you I'm as far from a girl than you can get. Care to see for yourself?" he asked and wiggled his eyebrows in a playful way.

Hermione knew he was only teasing so a snort was all he got from her.

"What are you doing here?"

"Have I not the right, to spend some time with my friend?"

"Malfoy!" She emphasised the word.

"Alright, alright," he grinned, not the least bit irritated by her tone. "I'm tired of Zabini asking me if he looked ok every thirty minutes or so."

"What?" Stunned she looked up.

Rolling his eyes Draco sat down on the chair next to him. "Since Patil agreed to go to the ball with him, he's almost unbearable."

"What do you mean unbearable?" She wasn't sure what he meant, but Hermione knew that it would break Parvati's heart if he was only playing with her. The dark haired girl had lived through enough and still was having troubles with the likes of Lavender. She didn't need some Slytherin who was bored with his time.

"He's telling everyone who wants to hear it -or not, that she is his date. Strictly speaking, Patil is all he ever talks about and by now he must have ordered his twentieth costume, only to find fault with it again," he snorted. "As if Patil would care if he's wearing Egyptian cotton or Italian velvet!"

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. She wasn't sure if it was because of Blaise´s antics or the frustration in Draco's voice.

"So he really likes her, hu?"

"Are you kidding? He's got the hots for her since forth year! He nearly spared the Dark Lord the effort and killed Potter himself, when he realized that he had asked her to the ball. It cost me a good two hours to calm him down."

Stunned she looked at him. "He wanted to ask her to the Yule ball?"

"Of course not," he snapped, but before she could say anything Malfoy silenced her with his hand. "Zabini´s family may have been mostly neutral, but he was still a Slytherin, Granger. He couldn't just ask a Gryffindor to be his date! He wouldn't have lived through the war, I can assure you!"

"So if he never intended to ask her out, why would he want to kill Harry?"

"For someone as brilliant as you, you're quite dense sometimes."

Again they had reached a point, where she glared at his throat and wished she was strong enough to choke him for good.

"You know, if you're staring at someone like that, he could get the wrong idea. Sometimes I think you don't like me," he mocked her and was barley able to hide his grin.

Ouuuuhhh!

Breath, Hermione, she told herself and glared at him.

"Really, Granger." He shook his head. "Blaise is Slytherin. We don't like it when someone touch what is ours."

"Yours?" she asked disbelievingly. "Parvati is not something you can possess! She is a breathing, human living."

Only a Slytherin could come up with something as barbaric like that.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist." Rolling his eyes he stood up. "You asked."

"Yeah, well that doesn't mean I have to be okay, with your answer."

"Whatever, Granger," He rolled his eyes and grinned. "Be ready at six."

"Uhm ,Malfoy..." she started uneasy. "Is it possible for you to be there a little sooner?"

"Why? Can't wait to see me again?" he asked smugly.

This time she was the one who rolled her eyes, though inwardly she groaned. She should have just kept quiet, now she had to tell him why. On the other hand, she really wasn't interested in a confrontation with Campell this evening.

"Campellwillbethereatsix," she muttered quickly.

"What was that?"

Sighing she repeated her answer. "I said, Campell will be there at six. He didn't seem to believe the story about you being my date."

Like she expected he snickered. "Slytherins can be persistent."

"Oh, really? I haven't noticed!" Hermione snapped sarcastically. "What is that with you snakes? Did no one teach you the word no at some point in your life?"

"Of course! They also taught us that a no is only a no if you can't find a way around it." It was obvious that he thought if funny to teach her a thing or two about Slytherins. "Be ready at quarter to six then." And with that he was gone. Probably to torture someone other.

"Snakes!" she muttered darkly and dipped her quill into the ink again.

Some hours later, after a quick visit with Remus and Teddy she was back in her quarters and decided that there was more than enough time to take a little nap before she had to get herself ready for the ball.

Without troubling herself to get rid of her clothes she stretched out on her bed and closed her eyes and was almost instantly asleep.

Instantly she was transported into her dream and much to her dismay to the exact same setting as the last time. Even her eyes were still closed.

She could hear the people around her whisper but this time it was in awe and envy. Hermione wasn't sure if she liked that more then the incessant chattering from the last dream.

Sighing she searched for something she could focus on that would distract her from the people and found it almost instantly.

The man with the melodic voice was there, too and like before he was calling out her name. Smiling she enjoyed the sound which seemed much too beautiful to belong to a simple human.

"Hermione"

Her name sounded rich and somehow mystically when he spoke it. Not old and dusty like she often thought.

"Hermione"

Again she smiled and felt a warm rush when she realised that the voice was coming closer.

He called her three times more before she was sure, that he was standing directly in front of her. So near in fact, that she could feel his warm breath on her cheek and than directly over her ear. Again he called her name, but this time it was nothing more than a breathless whisper and the sound of it caused her to shiver.

Her heart was beating wildly and she had to remind herself that humans had to breath.

She took a deep breath and was hit with the most delicious smell she had ever been confronted with. A various mix of earth, sandal-wood and something she couldn't describe.

"Open your eyes, Hermione!" he whispered, but she shook her head no. When she opened her eyes he would be gone, she was sure of it.

"Look at me, Hermione!"

"You won't leave?" Her voice was barely audible and somehow she was astonished that she was even able to form words.

"I will never leave you. I will always be there," he promised and she could feel her traitorous heart reach out for him. It was foolish. Not only because it was a dream. It was foolish to believe those words and get hurt. That it was a dream made it only worse, as soon as she woke up he would be gone and she would be alone again.

How deep had she fallen, that by now she was seeking comfort in her dreams?

"You're only a dream," she protested.

"Only if you want me to be." And with that he did something she didn't expected. He kissed her. Soft warm lips were pressed against her own and made her tremble with a deep longing. Against her better judgement her eyes flew open.

Slowly he leant back and smiled at her and again Hermione could do nothing else than to remind her body that he needed oxygen to live. Dream or not.

Right in front of her, was one of the best looking men she had ever led eyes on. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a muscular body. The costume he wore only added to his striking looks. Hermione swallowed tightly and let her eyes roam higher. She was struck by a pair of piercing green eyes which looked at her from behind a silver masked.

His dark brown hair was neatly tied at his neck and she wasn't quite sure how long it really was, though it seemed enviably straight.

Why was it that everyone got perfect hair but her?

Inwardly pushing the stupid thought aside she tried to inspect him further only to discover that she was stuck with his eyes again.

They were equally beautiful as they were scary. She couldn't quite say what she found scary about them but something in the depth of them was just...well scary. Not mandatory in an evil way. There was just a part in them that didn't fit. As if they were too old to be part of him.

In a twisted way it made him just more beautiful to her.

Most people thought her to love things to be evident and clear, but that was not true. Where was the challenge in something everyone could figure out?

Hermione loved puzzles, they challenged her mind and kept her on her toes. There was nothing more boring then when things became plain and simple. One of her biggest fears was complete knowledge. Some might find it odd or would even laugh given that she practically lived in the library but it was true.

She loved to learn and loved to fathom out things and she would be downright horrified without that stimulation. Thank Merlin that that was a practically impossible. Even Dumbledore who was one of the most intelligent wizards she knew, didn't knew everything.

"Dance with me?" His question ripped her out of her thoughts about his eyes, though she had a hard time to rip her eyes from his.

She nodded and was rewarded with a broad smile that made her quite breathless, but was nothing compared to what his lips did to her body.

As if he had heard her thoughts he leant forward and kissed her hand. The skin where is lips had kissed her, tingled slightly and she could feel her cheeks heat up as she realized that they had quite an audience.

The man in front of her seemed to notice her sudden hesitation and smiled fondly at her.

"´No need to be shy. They just envy me for being with you."

Sure! All the sour looking woman just wanted to dance with her!

She must have spoken that out loud, because he started to laugh and lead her to the dance floor. The crowd parted for him like the ocean had to Moses and as soon as they were in the right position the music started playing for them.

Hermione loved dancing and he was a magnificent dancer. They practically floated over the dance floor and she started to feel like the fairy princess she tried to personify. And all the while he stared into her eyes as if she was the only woman in the room worth his attention.

A nice feeling.

But when had this dream changed from something like a nightmare, over a theatre-like dance into a stupid childhood fantasy?

When she was six and the other children taunted her for being different she often played fairy princess and knight in shiny amour with her favourite stuff teddy.

Of course she would be the princess and the overly sized teddy was her knight who rescued her from the dark witches and afterwards danced with her. Her magic had made the bear move on its own and always made her smile.

That was until her mother had seen it and forbade her to ever do something like that again. Today she understood that her mother had been simply terrified and couldn't understand because she didn't knew about magic then but she had never played her favourite game again.

Until now it seemed. Only that her teddy bear had transformed into the most charming knight with unbelievable dancing skills.

When had her life become that bad that she needed shelter in childhood fantasies? Not even Voldemort and his followers had caused that kind of reaction.

Sighing she just banished those thoughts and enjoyed the dancing when she heard a noise that definitely didn't belong in her dream. By now she even could tell what was dream and what not. And the knocking sound was real.

She knew that she couldn't fight her waking up but that didn't mean she couldn't try. She clutched his shoulders harder and in return she felt his hands gripping her tighter. As if he could hold her with him by it.

He couldn't and the last thing she saw, was his green eyes starring at her.

With a gasp she was wide awake but she nearly screamed when she looked at her alarm clock, which showed her that it was twenty minutes past four.

"Crap!" Hectically she fought her way out of bed and was half way into the bathroom when she remembered what had woken her up in the first place.

She opened the door but nobody was there. Not thinking much of it she was about to close the door when her eyes landed on something in front of her feet and her eyes nearly popped out of her head as she noticed what it was.

"Impossible!"she breathed and got down on wobbly legs to pick it up. There right in front of her was the golden half mask she had worn in her dream. It was exactly the same that she had seen herself wearing in the mirror. The little glass-stones -or what she hoped where glass-stones and not diamonds -decorating the mask sparkled in a way that smashed her hopes instantly.

She was just about to stand up again as she noticed something else on the floor. It must have lain beneath the mask for she couldn't see anther reason why else she hadn't seen it earlier.

Her fingers roamed hesitantly over it before she picked it up and took it with her into her room. Hermione wasn't quite sure what she should make out of this but right there in her hand was one of the most precious things a witch or wizard could possess -a Phoenix feather.

It was beautiful. A dark crimson with with golden sprinkles at the end and so long that Hermione guessed it had to be from his tail.

Why in Merlin's name would Fawkes grace her with one of his feathers? Sure he had behaved quite odd during her visit in Dumbledore's office and she somehow thought he liked her. But so much that he send her a feather?

And what about the mask?

Another look at her alarm clock told her that now was not the time to wonder about those things. If she didn't want to look like a harpy she better hurried.

Quickened by the thought of finally wearing her costume she established to change in record time. As she finally looked into the mirror she again couldn't believe her eyes.

She was as breathtaking as in her dream but she still looked beautiful. Not like during the Yule ball. This time she nearly looked unearthly. In a good way -at least that was what she thought. She had done what she could to match her appearance to the way she had looked in her dream.

The dress was nearly the same, although there were less gems on it to reflect the light. But the fit and the colour was as good as the one she had dreamt about. Her hair was a little more difficult, as she had prefigured. In reality gravity and her curls fought an unequal battle. One in which the gravity always was the winner, so her hair style was a little less spectacular.

In exchange her she had found a wonderful body butter that made her skin glow golden and brought a smile to her face. All in all she looked better than she could have hoped for. There was only one thing missing now.

Slowly but determined she grasped the mask and put it on. It fit perfectly and completed her costume.

Before she had time to think too much about her dream self and her real self -there was a knock on the door and she took a last deep breath before she opened it.

The sight that greeted her had to be a first. Draco bloody Malfoy was standing in front of her, mouth hanging open and at a loss for words.

"Didn't your mother taught you that it is rude to stare?" she smiled satisfied. If she was able to shut up Malfoy it would do.

"You clean up quite nicely." Apparently he had found his voice again. Typical for the wrong words.

"Is that the best a Malfoy can come up with? Charming," she mocked.

"Oh, you haven't seen half of it!" Wiggling his eye-brows he left no room for guessing what he was talking about.

Finally she was able to take a look at him. She must admit that he cleaned up nicely too. Draco was a pirate -complete with tricorn, sabre and pistol. Probably the best dressed and manicured pirate who ever graced this earth but unmistakeably a pirate. He was even wearing a black patch covering his left eye which fit quite nicely.

"Should I turn around so you can ogle my backside too?"

Rolling her eyes she stepped out onto the corridor closing the door behind her. "I think I will pass this time," she told him and laughed as he tried to pout.

"Don't pout!"

"Malfoys do not pout," he huffed and offered her his arm, which she took good natured.

To say that the rest of the school was shocked to see her -Hermione -war-heroine-Mudblood-Granger on the arm of none other than Draco-former-Death-Eater-Pureblood-Malfoy would be the understatement of the year, Hermione thought bitterly.

Half of them were frozen on the spot while the other half looked as if they were waiting for them to hex each other at any second.

From the moment on the two of them had walked through the doors an uncomfortable silence had extended through the Great Hall.

Not even Voldemort had caused such a scene and Hermione was torn between mortification and anger. Finally she decided for option three: to simply ignore them.

Malfoy seemed to think the same and asked her if she would like something to drink which she hurriedly answered with a yes, only to get out of the spotlight.

"Hermione, you look gorgeous!" A familiar voice announced and Hermione looked to her side to see Parvati Patil, dressed beautifully as an oriental princess, walking towards her on the arm of Blaise Zabini who looked as if he had won in the lottery. Apparently Draco was right with him being over the moon to be with the girl he had liked for so long.

He was dressed as an Arabian prince, which fit quite nicely with his olive skin. Together they made a striking couple.

"And you look breathtaking," she answered truthfully and admired the rich coloured costume that would have looked ridiculous on anybody with a lighter skintone.

"You look good, too," she nodded in Blaise direction. She thought after all the trouble he had gone through with his costume he deserved some kind of compliment.

"Thanks, Granger," he grinned. "You clean up nicely too!" The dark haired boy added which caused Malfoy to snicker uncontrollable.

"What is it? Some kind of Pureblood code for You look good?" she asked with a huff but couldn't help and smile slightly.

They talked for a bit before the men excused themselves to get something to drink.

"I wanted to thank you, Hermione. Padma told me what happened in the Great Hall. She couldn't understand what Lavender was saying but I can imagine. You haven't had to do that, but thank you none the less." Parvati told her earnestly and Hermione asked herself what else Lavender might have said about her before.

"You're welcome," she smiled kindly and bared herself from saying more. This was not the place and time to talk about depressing topics.

Obviously not everyone shared that opinion.

"Oh, no!" she muttered as she noticed an angry looking redhead storming in her direction, closely followed by a distressed looking Harry. The latter was dressed in a forest green costume complete with a funny looking hat with feather. From Ginny she knew that the two of them were dressed up as Robin Hood and Maid Marian which she found oddly fitting for the two of them.

As strong and clever as his idol had reputedly been, Harry didn't seem able to stop Ron from making an idiot out of himself.

She could feel Parvati beside her stiffen and a few people who were still gaping at her sensed some kind of new scandal they could gossip about and halted in their action so that they wouldn't miss anything.

"Ron, come on calm down..." Harry tried again but without any result.

"What the hell is the meaning of this?" her former best friend barked at her. His face was already red enough to rival his hair and but didn't seem to have reached its maximum.

"Hello Ronald, so nice to see you too," she answered sarcastically.

"Stuff it!" he snapped. "What were you thinking to come here with the ferret? Have you no shame at all? He's a Death Eater and you let him parade you around like some kind of whore!"

Hermione felt as if someone had slapped her and from the gasp of the people around her she could tell that they were shocked too. Even after all that had happened in the last weeks, there were still boundaries that shouldn't been crossed.

What had she done to deserve that kind of treatment? It wasn't her that had changed so much.

"RON!" Ginny's voice could be heard from behind her. A second later she was standing beside her. "How dare you speak to Hermione like that? Wait till I tell Mum what a git you are!" The little redhead defended her, but it did nothing to the numb feeling inside her that had started to grow a long while ago, but had never been so prominent as now.

Harry though still trying to reason with Ron to let it drop, said nothing in her defensive. Like before he was avoiding to even look in her direction.

"That's none of your business Ginny!" Ron downright hissed at his sister. "The ferret has no right to be here and if she's with him the same goes for her!"

Hermione was at a loss of words. What could you possibly say to someone you once called your best friend -someone you have fought a war with side by side -and now was looking at you with so much hate in his eyes that you wanted to cry?

But it looked as if Ron wasn't done just yet. "You are a traitor to your own house! After all Malfoy and his friends did to you throw yourself at him. You are disgusting!"

That got her out of her reserve but before she could find her voice again she heard Lavender Brown spat: "Slytherin bitch!" in her direction as she appeared right next to Ron an clung to him like some kind of parasite. The blond girl was dressed as a cheerleader, probably to match it with Ron's Quidditch player outfit. How fitting.

"Funny, hearing that out of your mouth." Draco's voice appeared out of nowhere, quickly followed by his person as he came to an halt next to her. "Given that you knew the Slytherin sleeping rooms better than most, my own house mates included."

Blaise was with him and positioned himself next to Parvati, laying his arm protectively around her waist, while he regarded Lavender with the same sour expression as Malfoy.

"Why, you disgusting Death Eater scum!" Lavender cried out enraged. "Why don't you take your whore and get lost?" she spat and forced an enraged gasped out of everyone around her apart from Ron who looked quite smug with the way things were going.

She was tempted to simply slap it out of his face but instead she composed herself, straitened her expression and said in the best haughty voice she could come up with: "Come one Draco, lets dance."

"Oh, is the little Miss-no-it-all at a loss for words?" Ron mocked and Harry who had hold back Ginny from attacking Lavender earlier, tightened the grip on his girlfriends arm.

When had Ron gotten this cruel? He had always got quite a temper and used to speak before he used his brain, but never like this.

"You know Ronald," she emphasized the name that made Harry and Draco wince instantly "I use to avoid fights with idiots. They use to drag you down on their level and beat you with experience on it. And the two of you, " she snorted and looked from Ron to Lavender, "seem to have extraordinary experience in that field!"

That got her a few chuckles and for a second she even thought to see a small smile on Harry's lips before it vanished quickly.

"Well said, Granger!" Draco snickered and offered her his arm. "You said something about a dance?"

"What is the meaning of this?" the shrill voice of Professor McGonagall could be heard as she forced herself through the student body which was standing around them.

"Nothing serious Professor. Just a little misunderstanding," Draco assured,"we were just about to risk a dance," the Malfoy heir added and put his charm on full force. Unfortunately it melted on McGonagall´s stern expression like ice in the sunshine.

"They are right Professor." It was Harry who came to their rescue. "Truth to be told were were all about to hit the dance floor." The hand around Ginny which a minute before was used to hold her back was now laying loosely around her waist.

"Yes, Professor." Ginny smiled too and the rest of them were quick to follow. Nobody wanted to get detentions.

The older woman didn't look convinced but with all students sticking together against her, there was not much that she could do. So after another sharp look, she turned around and walked away.

Five minutes later Hermione found herself in the arms of Malfoy on the dance floor. It was far away from the fairy like dancing from her dream though Draco was a wonderful dancer and took the lead flawlessly, unlike many other men she had danced with.

"Don't let him get to you, Granger."

"Easier said then done," she sighed.

"Weasley is an idiot and the only whore in here is the one on his arm." She didn't even try to correct him, nor did she allow herself to look for her so called friends on the dance floor.

It wasn't she who had done wrong! She didn't even know why Ron was acting the way he did in the first place. All she knew was that she suddenly hadn't been good enough any longer. Now that the war was over there obviously was no place left for her in his life and Harry...

Harry choose Ron. Like in sixth year, like on the the hunt -like always.

Like those time in the forest when Harry had welcomed Ron back with open arms and pushed her to the side still being angry at her for breaking his wand while she rescued his life. Like in the dark shadows of the forest, under the old tree, where she went to hide her tears she asked herself what she was worth when even her best friends seemed to have no need for her?

As much as she tried she couldn't free herself from the dark and sadthoughts. Draco did his best to play the charming date and she really appreciated it. Who would have guessed that Draco Malfoy was on his best manners when she was concerned?

It wasn't until an hour later, when Luna suddenly appeared on their table that she was ripped out of her self pity.

The golden haired girl was dressed up as the sun herself. The golden silk like robe which flowed playfully around her slim figure awarded her with a regal appearance. Shafts of sunlight, which looked like a halo surrounded her head and even glowed lightly when she moved.

But it wasn't Luna's spectacular costume that awakened her curiosity -it was Malfoy's reaction to her. It was really subtle and Hermione wondered that she even noticed it.

For a brief second his eyes lid up and the oddest expression crossed his features. Much like the time in the train, but unlike then Hermione was able to label it this time.

He liked her. Like in liked her!

Draco Malfoy had a crush on Luna Lovegood.

"Luna!" she greeted the girl warmly and couldn't help but smile brightly.

"Oh, hello Hermione," the other girl smiled back and then looked at Malfoy, who obviously couldn't take his eyes of her. "Hallo Dragon!"

Hermione would have giggled, hadn't she been sure that Draco would have choked her for it. But it was just too good to be true to see the light blush appear on his cheeks again, when he heard Luna use her nickname for him.

"You look fantastic. Where is your date?" she asked after Luna had sat down beside them.

"I'm here alone. No one wanted to go with me."

"Oh Luna I'm sorry. I didn't want to..."

"Don't be sorry Hermione. I don't mind." Knowing Luna she probably didn't but she still felt bad for bringing it up and even worse for knowing that Draco would likely have loved to be her date tonight. Instead he was here with her and she hadn't been the best company so far.

"Hallo, Luna." Draco's deferred greeting caused both girls to look at him. Apparently he had found his voice.

Luna smiled brightly, without noticing his slightly dazed state, or she simply didn't care. "You look good as a pirate."

Hermione had to bite the inside of her cheeks to contain a neutral expression. As surprised as she still was from the display in front of her, she didn't want to ruin anything. So she just smiled and kept silent, while the two of them started to chat about what they wanted to do after school. Mostly it was Luna who talked, but Draco seemed genuinely interested and asked more questions then Hermione had heard him ask in all their time at Hogwarts.

Now and then Blaise and Parvati would join them at the table, but mostly they kept to themselves, dancing and beaming at each other like a couple on the honeymoon. Ginny kept away from them, though Hermione saw her smiling encouraging over to her a few times.

Harry continued to ignore her while Ron and Lavender did her best to show her how impossibly happy they were with each other. Their vision of a happy relationship obviously consisted of shoving their tongues in each others throat and groping each other on the dance floor.

Neville with his date Hannah Abbot showed up for a quick hello, but Hermione knew he wasn't comfortable in Malfoy's company so she wasn't surprised that he didn't stay long.

It was nearly twelve when she nipped defeated at her drink while she watched Campell walking towards her. Soon after Malfoy had started to talk to Luna, Blake as he insisted she should call him appeared at her table. Again he had showed an immense sense of ignorance when he simply grinned at her and told her if she wanted to play hard to get, he was in.

That comment even got Malfoy out of his dream state and nearly caused a bloody scene. So in the end she had made a deal with him.

Two dances and he would leave her alone. He agreed -at least for tonight. She guessed that was better than nothing. And now the menace -adequately dressed up as the phantom of the opera -was here to collect her for second time.

"Mya!" He smiled the smile of a man, who knew his victim couldn't escape from him. Sighing she got up and allowed him to guide her to the dance floor.

Like Malfoy he was a brilliant dancer, which assured her that it had to be a Pureblood thing. Would the situation be different, she might have enjoyed it.

"Am I really that bad?" Blake suddenly asked.

"What?"

"Me. You look like someone broke your wand in two. Am I that bad?"

Was he really that bad? Well she guessed not. Any other girl would have squealed with delight to be in her place.

Sometime back in their fourth year, during the tournament, Lavender and Pavarti had started a hot list. Out of all the men -boys really -who were worth it (according to the to Gryffindors) they would form a top twenty list and update it every once in a while.

Hermione had never given anything to that stupid list, but it was hard to ignore -given that it was all most witches would talk about after it was out.

So at the moment Hermione was dancing with the eighth hottest guy in school. The hottest was Harry of course and Hermione doubted that he would ever leave that position after defeating Voldemort and being the Boy-who-lived-and-lived-again.

"No, you are not," she finally admitted and looked into is clear blue eyes which were watching her intensely. "I guess I'm just not used to it." To admit it, forced her to ask herself why she did everything to avoid him.

The truth was, it had always been Ron but over time his thoughtless or hurtful comments and actions caused her to shelter herself. After all she was Hermione Granger -famous for her brain not for attracting wizards.

"Well, then you better get used to it. "

She was about to answer -sure she had no idea what she should say -but she didn't need to worry about that any longer since Dumbledore choose that moment to rise from his seat and call for attention.

"I hope you all had a wonderful time tonight," the headmaster pronounced and was answered with claps and whistles. "We have to thank our head boy and girl for making it such a wonderful event." Again there was clapping and for five more minutes she listened to Dumbledore's pleasantries. "...something special. Very few have ever witness what you are going to see tonight."

That got Hermione's attention.

"One of the rarest magic the wizard world know of is the magic of a Phoenix, but what you will see tonight will be more then anyone of you can imagine."

Frowning Hermione looked at her headmaster. What could he possibly be talking about? The other people in the hall -even the teachers -seemed to be thinking in the same lines. Everyone showed an expression somewhere between curiosity and surprise, which only deepened the next moment, as Dumbledore made a quick move with his wand.

There -not more than two arm length away from her- on the middle of the dance floor appeared Fawkes. Or at least what was left over.

The Phoenix was obviously in the last part of his cycle. It was hard to imagine that the grey and peaky creature, which was sitting on a perch that appeared together with him in the great hall, was the magnificent bird that had sung for her a few weeks ago.

The dazzling red and golden colour had completely vanished and most of his feathers looked liked they had been cropped off. But the worst, at least in Hermione's mind was his silence. No tone escaped his throat. Neither a beautiful song nor an anguish cry as he waited for the fire to consume him so that he could be reborn again.

And for the first time in her life Hermione asked herself if it was a painless experience for the Phoenix to resolve into ashes or something he feared each time he knew it was going to happen.

From the excited whispers that could be heard around her it was clear that most of them were aware that they would witness the rebirth of a Phoenix, but Hermione understood that there had to be more. It couldn't just be a normal end of a cycle.

She couldn't say why, but while she was looking at the dying Phoenix an uneasy feeling spread through her body. It wasn't totally uncomfortable or what one would call a dark foreboding, more a tingling in...in her magic. That was odd.

Something big was going to happen and without realizing it she took a step back.

The tingling in her magic was increasing and to her great shock it seemed to manifest itself around her like a fresh wave of air. It wasn't the first time it happened. A few times in the past, when she had been riled up beyond reason the air around her would start to crackle with magic, but not like this.

This was something she had never heard of and there were very few things Hermione Granger had never heard off.

Blake beside her gasped surprised and jumped aside when her skirt and hair begun to flutter slightly as if the wind was playing with it. Gasping she watched with wide eyes, as the waving air around her started to crackle and tingle with magic to an extend she thought she could see golden sparks twirling around her.

What was happening to her?

People around her started to gasp, talk and shout all at the same time but Hermione couldn't hear a damned thing they were saying. Enthralled by her own magic she was frozen on the spot. She couldn't talk or move a muscle even if she wanted to.

All she could do was watch through dilated eyes and although she couldn't understand what was happening something in her told her that there was no need to be afraid.

The magic was now twirling wildly around her in spiralling circles and would crackle every now and then like fire in a fireplace. Swallowing hard she tried her best to ease herself. It was her magic after all. That she could feel and there was no need to panic she reasoned with herself.

And the more she calmed the more stable the magic became. Instead of wild, uncontrolled waves, the magic was now flowing around her in a steady golden steam. Her breathing became less and less hectic and finally eased. Suddenly it felt as if she could feel the tingling magic washing through her with every breath the took. In and out till the tingling filled every part of her body. It was the most amazing feeling Hermione had ever experienced and she started to smile.

And the exact moment she could feel herself becoming one with the magic surrounding her she heard a loud SWASH.

Wincing at the sudden noise her eyes searched for the reason of the disruption and her eyes widened some more.

Fawkes body had burst into flames, but instead of a short flash of fire and the rebirth -like she had read about there was a head high flame that seemed to burn of minutes and than in a flash it was gone. But instead of a new born Phoenix there was...

"No!" Hermione stuttered and finally found her voice back. "No!" She shook her head in disbelief and the magic waves around her started to crackle up again. "Impossible."

There crouching on the floor, naked like on the day he was born, was the man from her dreams. Even without the clothes and the mask, which normally shrouded half of his face, she knew it was him as she stared straight into his green eyes. "No," she said again. This time louder, with a panicked undertone.

The golden waves around her we buzzing loudly by now, mirroring exactly her confused feelings.

"Hermione"

His melodic voice was the last thing she heard, before everything went black.

TBC

A/N: Okay here it is...Human Fawkes is finally in the picture and from now on there will be more about him.

My main characters are Hermione and Fawkes but I think Draco and Luna would make a great pair so there will a bit more about those two.

Sorry to all Ron-fans but I can't promise that he will get better, while Harry maybe come around after some time.

I'm still trying to get the pieces together in my head so I'm not sure myself where this will lead me, though I have a plan^^ Hopefully you enjoyed it this far, even though it's a maybe a little different.

A cockie for your thoughts^^