Chapter Four: "Best Mistake"
A/N: I'm a little disappointed with the reviews. I'm hardly getting any. I don't know, I might drop the story if I don't get more reviews. I won't updating for a while, and I mean it this time, if I don't get a lot of reviews. So please, review
Hermione sighed. "I'm sorry, Harry, but I can't go with you."
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. It was clear that someone had gotten to Hermione before Harry. Who was Hermione going with?
"Oh," Harry managed to say, looking disappointed, "Why not? Are you going with someone else?"
Hermione looked away from Harry, and Harry took the chance to admire her soft brown locks. "I'm not going with anyone else."
Harry felt thoroughly confused. His heart was pounding, and he couldn't even think straight. So Hermione wasn't going with him because she didn't want to go with him? Was that it?
"Well then, sorry to ask Hermione," Harry began, "But why not?"
Hermione looked at Harry, her eyes staring into Harry's. "Because," she whispered softly, "I don't want to go with a guy who is only going with me because he's doing a favor for his friend."
Harry sat there silently. He wanted to tell Hermione the truth so badly. His heart was telling him to just confess how much he loved her, but his head told him not to go through the humiliation. Hermione didn't love him like he loved here, and there was nothing he could do. "Hermione," Harry told her quietly, "I want to go with you… honestly. You're my…" Harry swallowed, trying to spit out the words, "You're my best friend."
Hermione's gaze fell slightly. "Well then, I guess it's settled. We'll go to the dance together."
Harry sat there, silently screaming in joy. He was utterly shocked, and couldn't believe that he was going to the dance with Hermione, his best friend.
"Re-really?" Harry asked, his voice returning to normal, "Aren't you waiting for someone uh special to ask you?"
Hermione shrugged, looking down. "Would I pass up the opportunity to go to a dance with my best friend?"
Harry's heart sank. He felt crushed. "Yes. Best friends." Could they ever be more than just best friends? If Harry wanted Hermione, he'd have to prove it to her at the dance. That was his only chance. "Now is your black eye better?"
"Madam Pomfrey has worked her magic," Hermione answered, smiling slightly. "Thanks for asking… about the black eye and the dance."
Harry smiled slightly, and then excused himself for bed.
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Ginny cursed under her breath over and over again. The ball was muggle attire, and Ginny had nothing suitable to wear. All she had was a pair of worn out jeans and two shirts. She had nothing formal or eye-catching that would make Draco drool.
Ginny pursed her lips. At that moment, Lavender Brown came strolling into the room, carrying a big bag. Ginny walked over towards her curiously, wondering if the bag Lavender was holding contained Lavender's dress.
Ginny wasn't sure if it was a good idea to ask Lavender to see her dress, since Lavender was slightly annoyed with Ginny. Lavender had always liked Draco, and was expecting him to ask her to the ball. However, when Lavender learned that Ginny had taken Draco away from her, she was very angry.
"Want to see my dress?" Lavender asked with a sickening-sweet smile on her face.
"Okay," Ginny replied, a fake smile plastered on her face. Lavender pulled the dress out of the bag and Ginny gasped.
Ginny felt a twinge of jealousy as she stared at the beautiful and elegant lavender dress Lavender was holding up. It contrasted with her hair perfectly, and would definitely make Draco drool.
"Do you like it?" Lavender questioned, looking smug. She put the dress up to her body, and held it there with a smile.
Ginny shrugged, trying to look as though it didn't look that great. "I don't know. Is lavender really your color?"
Lavender scoffed and put the dress back in the back. "Let's see your dress… if you even have on yet."
"Actually," Ginny said coolly, "I'm planning on getting my dress today. Right now, in fact. So it looks like I'll see you later."
Lavender carefully placed her dress on her four-poster bed, ignoring Ginny. Ginny gave Lavender a look and then pushed passed her, heading off towards Hogsmeade.
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Draco sat on the couch in the Slytherin Common Room with Blaise Zabini. He really wasn't in the mood to talk to his girl-crazed friend, for he was positive the topic of the dance would come up. And then, Draco would have to explain how he wasn't going with a Slytherin, but a Gryffindor. A very pretty Gryffindor…
"So have you asked Parkinson to the dance yet?" Blaise asked absentmindedly, yawning.
Draco looked around and realized that he and Zabini were the last ones in the common room. It was probably very late if everyone was already in bed. Glancing out of the window, Draco would only see darkness.
"Malfoy?" Zabini asked, looking up at Draco.
Draco looked away from the window. "Huh?" Draco yelled at himself mentally for not paying attention to Zabini. If he didn't pay attention to the conversation, he might start talking about the dance.
"I asked if you have asked Parkinson to the dance yet," Blaise repeated again, looking at Draco. Draco tried to cover up his panicked look, but he couldn't hide it from Blaise.
Draco squirmed in his seat, not looking at Blaise. "Actually, no. I've uh decided to go with someone else. To tell you the truth, Zabini, I'm kind of bored with Pansy." Draco gave Blaise one of his well-known smirks, hoping to convince Blaise.
"Okay, well then who's the lucky girl?" Blaise asked, looking interested, "Greengrass? I had a feeling you were checking her out that other night."
Draco coughed uncontrollably. Daphne Greengrass? Hot? Sure, she was good for one-night stands, but she didn't have what Ginny had. "No, actually the girl isn't in Slytherin."
Zabini's eyes sharpened, and he looked at Draco, taken aback. Draco Malfoy attending the dance with a Non-Slytherin? This was unheard of. "Well then, who's uh the girl? Do I know here? Please don't tell me it's a Gryffindor…"
Blaise looked at Draco for reassurance that it wasn't a Gryffindor, but Draco didn't say anything. He just looked down, refusing to meet Blaise's eyes. Maybe it was a mistake agreeing to go with Ginny to the dance. Well, she did dare him to go with a Gryffindor. Therefore, it wasn't as if he even cared about her. He was doing it just for the dare.
"I'm going with Ginny," Draco grumbled, "It was just a stupid dare, okay? I was dared to go to the dance with a Gryffindor, and she was there at the moment, so we decided to go to the dance together. She was dared to go with a Slytherin as well, so we both are doing it just for the dare."
Draco knew he was rambling, but at this point he didn't care. He would do anything to stall Zabini's reaction to the whole thing. In fact, Draco was tempted to just bolt from the common room. However, he knew what he was expected of. He had to keep his cool, and act as if it was no big deal going to the dance with Ginny.
Zabini was actually smirking. "She always was hot. Now, if you go with her to the ball, I could always date her…"
"No!" Draco hollered, before he knew what he was saying. Draco caught himself. He quickly added, "You can't date a Gryffindor, Blaise. What would it do to your reputation? What would it do to the reputation of your fellow Slytherins?"
Draco thought about his own words. When he started dating Ginny, what would the others think? Draco shook his head vigorously. What was he thinking? There was no way he'd ever date Ginny. He was going to go with her to the ball, and then that's all. There will never be a Draco-and-Ginny. There'll be a Draco. There'll be a cute Ginny who is unfortunately in Gryffindor. The two would never be together.
Draco pictured Ginny in his head, seeing her vibrant red hair and vivacious smile. More than just looks, she had character. That was what Draco appreciated the most. She didn't only care about her figure and guys, but life.
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"Hey Weasley!"
Ginny felt a tingling feeling inside of her as she heard the voice of a certain blonde she was constantly thinking of. Ginny looked over her shoulder and saw Draco standing there, a small smirk on his lips. For some reason, Ginny realized that he looked slightly confused.
"Confused about something, Malfoy?" Ginny asked, a small smile playing on her lips. She headed towards where Draco was standing, her smile getting bigger and bigger the closer she got.
"Yeah," Draco answered slowly, his eyes meeting hers. Ginny's eyes stared at Draco's gray eyes, unblinking. They stood there for a moment in comfortable silence, just staring into each other's eyes.
"What are you confused about?" Ginny asked softly. She found herself slowly getting closer to Draco, and she realized that Draco was getting closer to her as well. Their lips were only an inch away.
"I'm confused about what's about to happen," Draco answered truthfully. With those words, he closed the gap between his lips and Ginny's before Ginny could even answer what he had just said.
Ginny felt Draco's eager lips on hers, and closed her eyes. She could feel the world disappearing slowly. She put her arms around Draco's head and melted into his arms. Draco kissed her passionately, deepening the intense kissed.
They were so wrapped up in one another that they didn't even notice Ron standing right there in the hallway, his jaw hanging open in disgust and disbelief.