A/N: Hiii I'm back again! hehe so this is my favourite chapter so far and I hope you guys like it as much as I do! So here it is ENJOY!

Disclaimer: J. owns Harry Potter the only thing I own is the story title and plot.

THANK YOU: Shining Ruby for putting me on favourite story : )
THANK YOU: SasoriHime05 for putting me on favourite story : ) AND for reviewing 7 times! :D
THANK YOU: DM-greyeyes-sexiness-XOXO for reviewing 2 times :D
THANK YOU: CrunchyMunchers for reviewing :D
THANK YOU: Jayjay6671 for putting me on favourite story : )
THANK YOU: LucyLemmers13 for putting me on story alert : )

thank you all so much for the review and everything it really does mean a lot to me :) and we're on 30 reviews! THANK YOU ALL, LOVE YA!

One Unforgettable Year

Chapter 8: You Don't Mind?

Info you need to know: "Talking". Thinking. Dumbledore's Writing.

~The Slytherin Table, The Great Hall, October 2nd 2012~

Draco turned to his best friend when Dumbledore finished his speech and after he managed to stop Pansy from talking to him. He point blank refused her invitation to go to the Ball with him; still she was a persistent girl. So when Draco managed to distract Pansy with something else he turned to his smiling proudly friend and frowned at him. Draco knew then by his grin and the timing that Blaise was the one behind this. Draco sighed and shook his head. He should have known it would be him.

"Pray do tell what your motive was on asking for a Halloween ball, so far you've just landed me with more work." Draco drawled out, though he was curious as to why his best mate would want a Halloween Ball.

"I'm your best mate aren't I?" Draco nodded not understanding where he was going with this but didn't dare interrupt one of Blaise's 'explanations. "I know you like the back of my own hand. You're waiting for an opportunity to ask Hermione out. So I gave you one. Ask her to the Ball, you're a shoe in for a yes." Blaise explained and added a wink at the end. Draco shook his head again; he should have known too that would be his reason. Draco didn't bother to deny what Blaise was saying because he knew Blaise wouldn't listen. Plus he was right.

For a while now Draco had wanted to ask Hermione out but never did. Thinking she was still upset about Ron and that it was too soon in their friendship to ruin it if she said no. But Blaise had given him an excuse to ask her out. If she didn't want to go as his date then he would be satisfied with just going with her full stop. Draco got lost in thought and his imagination took over and he imagined a night/date with Hermione…

Blaise then wondered aloud who he should go with and looked around the hall, seeing as Draco was in his own little world. He didn't want to go with a Slytherin girl because he was a part of the unity club so he figured it would be good of him to go with someone in a different house. He had a bunch of people he wouldn't mind going with. Lavender was one of them or maybe Cho Chang, Blaise thought she was hot. Then there was Hannah Abbott in Hufflepuff she was pretty. Or there was Luna Lovegood in Ravenclaw. Blaise thought she was as weird as fuck but still pretty nice looking. Blaise looked at all of those girls and his eyes settled on Lavender who was smiling and giggling. He smiled then, liking her smile a lot. Lavender it is then. Blaise thought and got up.

Hermione giggled along with the other girls. They had been discussing costumes and Harry suggested that Ginny go as angel because 'she was his angel' as Harry had said it. The girls (except for Ginny whom had smiled and kissed Harry's cheek lovingly) had giggled at that, finding it to be cute. Lavender stopped giggling first when she saw that Blaise had arrived at their table.

Blaise sat down next to Hermione, in between her and Lavender. Blaise said a brief hello to the others but his eyes and attention was focused on the blond haired beauty. He smiled at her, one of his breath taking smiles and Lavender felt her cheeks heat up ever so slightly.

"Hey, Lavender." Blaise whispered almost seductively. He didn't care that the others were watching and hanging on his every word. Draco watched from the Slytherin table smirking, he couldn't hear Blaise but he could guess what he was saying. "Fancy going to prom with me?" Blaise asked and winked at her. She giggled and nodded and he smiled at her.

"Sure. I'd love to." Blaise grinned again and got up.

"Cool, I'll meet you there. See you at 7?" He said and winked at her again, she smiled and nodded. Blaise then turned to Neville and grinned at him. "There you go, mate. A demonstration on how you should ask the Lovegood chick to go with you." Blaise said, causing the girls to giggle and Harry to smile. Neville blushed and stammered never managing to get anything out. Blaise chuckled and slapped Neville on the back in a friendly way and said his goodbyes and walked back to Draco.

"And that's how you score a date with a hot blonde." Blaise said as he took his seat again, next to Draco. Draco grinned and rolled his eyes at his friend.

"You're a cocky bastard you know that?" Draco replied, Blaise just chuckled.

"That's why you love me. Hey, if you got it flaunt it." Blaise said and winked. Draco laughed and before the conversation could turn to Draco asking Hermione out (which Blaise was about to make it do so) Dumbledore walked over to their table. He smiled at Draco and Blaise. Who were the only students which had manners and took notice of their Headmaster and exchanged greetings.

"Mr Malfoy, if after you've finished your meal could you possibly ask Miss Granger to accompany you to my office. We have much to discuss about the Halloween Ball. There are a few things I want you to do." Draco nodded.

"Of course, sir. Hermione and I will be there soon." Dumbledore nodded and walked away. Draco finished his meal a few minutes later said goodbye to his friend and grabbed Hermione, telling her that Dumbledore wanted to see them. Hermione quickly finished her last bite, said goodbye to her friends and followed Draco out of the hall.

"I don't understand why he wants to talk to us about it; we're only prefects why not talk to Harry and Cho seeing as there the Heads?'" Hermione wondered out loud as she and Draco walked to their Headmasters office as asked. Draco shrugged. Just as confused about that matter as her.

"Well, I guess we'll find out why when we get there." Hermione nodded and that was it for the conversation until they stopped outside the office. Draco had said the password and they went up with the eagle statue. Draco knocked on Dumbledore's door and they entered when they heard him telling them to do so.

Dumbledore's office never changed during the seven years that Draco and Hermione had been there. It hadn't changed before that either it always stayed the same. Cluttered but organised at the same time. The flaming phoenix was burning brightly on its stand next to Dumbledore's desk. Dumbledore smiled at them and gestured for them to sit down and they obliged.

"Now you're probably wondering why didn't I ask Harry and Miss Chang here instead of you two?" He questioned, though he knew he was right. They nodded. "Well, that's because I wanted to discuss minor details with you two. I will talk about most of the other details with Harry and Miss Chang later on. However as you are both aware I indirectly asked you Miss Granger to unite The Houses, did I not?" Another nod from the both of them. "How is that going?"

"Well, it's going well, sir. Draco and Blaise have already become part of the group. Lavender, Ginny, Harry, Neville, Padma and Parvati all think of them as their friends. And I think of them as my best friends and vice versa. It's not that amazing though seeing as Draco and Blaise are the only Slytherin's that are willing to befriend us." Hermione told him. Dumbledore nodding throughout it.

"Well, I plan to help you're little bonding. I wish to inform you that I will be deciding whom the prefects go with. I will pair you with one another but you mustn't tell the other students so that they think that you are willing to go with one another. Hopefully that will rub off on them and they'll start to try and unite. Does that sound feasible?" Another nod from them both. Dumbledore got something from his desk and handing it over to them. "This is the list of the pairings, show it to the other prefects but remember to tell them to not tell their friends that they were asked to go with each other." Draco and Hermione nodded and looked down at the list scribbled in Dumbledore's neat writing.

Halloween Ball – Prefect Pairs.

Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy (Both of them smiled at this though hid it from one another)

Luna Lovegood and Cedric Diggory

Hannah Abbott and Michael Corner

Ronald Weasley and Pansy Parkinson

Draco and Hermione were pleased with the pairings. It saved Draco having to try and ask her out. It was already done for him. Also Hermione was pleased that she had a date and that it was Draco! Though Hermione was a little concerned about Ron and Pansy going together. Neither of them would be too chuffed about that.

"Professor, sir. I'm just a little concerned about one thing." Hermione said, stating her thoughts. Dumbledore nodded, indicating her to continue. "Well Ron and Pansy aren't really too thrilled with the uniting thing so I think neither of them are going to like to go with one another. Is there any possibility we could change it?" Hermione asked.

"Perhaps that neither of them want to go with each other will in fact bring them together." Dumbledore stated and said they could leave. Hermione frowned at that. She didn't think that would happen but she couldn't argue with Dumbledore so she nodded and left. Draco in tow.

They left his office and went to their common room. Harry was there and so was Ginny. Harry called a meeting and Hermione and Draco explained what Dumbledore was asking them to do. All of them excepted it – especially Harry seeing as he could go with Ginny because he wasn't a prefect and Dumbledore left the Heads' to choose who they wanted to go with – though Luna and Cho weren't that thrilled with it but they did not complain. Luna had wanted to go to the ball with Neville but now she couldn't and Cho wanted to go with Cedric but now she couldn't. Those two were slightly disappointed but they were still excited to go.

Though there were two people (as expected) who didn't like it one bit and of course put up a fight. Or in this case it seemed as if they were throwing a tantrum. Of course those two were Ron and Pansy. They said that they refused to go to the Ball if it meant going with each other. Draco said that Dumbledore told them it was compulsory to go to the Ball and to go together. Only bending the truth slightly.

"But we hate each other!" Ron protested, throwing his hands up in the air to emphasis his frustration.

"Yeah well you're going to have to just deal with it." Hermione snapped, Ron glared at her and Draco pushed Hermione behind him slightly and glared at Ron.

"One word." Draco threatened. His hand was around Hermione's wrist so if Ron tried something Draco could pull her out the way.

"Oh piss off, Malfoy!" Ron shouted. "Just because you get to go with the person you want doesn't mean you have the right to stop me from being angry at the fact I have to go with the person I don't want to go with!" Draco was surprised by his words but didn't admit or deny them. Ron was right, Draco was going with the person he wanted, though he wasn't going to admit that to Ron.

"Yeah well I do have the right to stop you from harming Hermione." Draco retorted. Hermione was just surprised to hear that he wasn't denying the fact that he wanted to go with her. She bit back a smile but couldn't stop her heart beating slightly faster.

"I'm not going to fucking harm her!" Ron shouted.

"Ron, calm down!" Ginny yelled at her brother. Ron growled and then stormed off to his room, muttering incoherently under his breathe. Pansy followed suit and stormed off to her room. Draco turned around to face Hermione. Ginny and Harry could tell that this was going to be a private moment so said they were tired and both went to their respective bedrooms. That left Draco and Hermione alone in their common room.

"You wanted to go with me to the Ball?" Hermione questioned after a few minutes of silence. Breaking it. Draco smirked.

"You don't mind going as a date then?" Draco whispered, seductively. Hermione was hypnotised and she could only manage to shake her head. Draco wrapped an arm around her waist and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "You don't mind if I want to kiss you at the end of the night?" Those words sent chills cascading down her spine and once again all she could do was shake her head.

Draco then moved so that his lips where mere inches away from Hermione's. They stood like that for a few moments. Both of them wanting to close the gap but neither daring to do so. Then Draco locked eyes with her and smirked, his famous smirk.

"You don't mind if I want to kiss you right now?" Hermione barely managed to shake her head before Draco's lips had crashed with hers. They closed their eyes and Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck, her hands automatically digging into his soft luscious hair. Draco kept one hand on her waist and the other gently held her head and he pulled her closer to him. Draco ran his lips along her bottom lip asking for entrance which she happily gave to him. Their tongues collided and battled for dominance until Draco won. After that they stopped kissing in order to come up for air. Their breaths were ragged, they were smiling and Draco rested his forehead against hers.

"What does this mean then?" Hermione whispered and Draco smiled at that, knowing fully well what the answer was.

"It means your my girlfriend." He stated and sealed that fact with a kiss.

A/N: so what did you guys think? Hate it, love it, like it, wish I would shut up? XD Is it too soon for them to get together? Hehe whatever you thought don't be afraid to tell me in a review! Thanks :3

Until next time - Tilda