A big thanks to all those who've continued to follow this story. It's been a while since I've posted, so I figured I'd make this chapter a little longer. Hope you enjoy it. Leave a comment to let me know how I'm doing. Thanks again.

SquireSkai

The entire castle buzzed with excitement the day before the ball. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood, that is except for Ron and Hermione. Neither had spoken to the other since their little spat the week before, and neither made any attempts to apologize. They were civil enough but they never said more than was necessary.

Sure Ron was a pig headed git, but that didn't mean he liked hurting Hermione. He had no idea what he had done to set her off, but knowing Hermione could be stubborn as a hippogriff, he would have to initiate the conversation first if they were to be on speaking terms again.

The school day had just ended, and everyone was keen on preparing for the ball. Strolling through the portrait after a few laps around the pitch, Ron saw Ginny and Hermione standing by a window chatting quietly. Seeing as he may not have another chance to clear things up before the ball, Ron trudged over. He stood next to his sister with slumped shoulders and cleared his throat.

"Hermione can I talk to you for a moment?"

Without even acknowledging his presence, Hermione continued her conversation with Ginny, who knew that Ron wouldn't take Hermione's cold shoulder well.

"Come on Hermione I know you can hear me." Still no answer came from his bookish friend. Frustrated with her stubbornness he grabbed her arm and dragged her to a corner away from the crowd.

"Ronald let go!" Hermione ordered trying to pull free.

Not so gently Ron pushed her against the wall and stood in front of her blocking her escape.

"Look just let me say what I have to say, then you can go and talk makeup with my sister, alright?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and tried to leave again, but Ron's tall and broad frame worked well as a barricade. Seeing there were few options for her, she conceded to Ron's request.

"I'm sorry for the argument that we had, though it's not my fault you're mental" he muttered that last bit so she couldn't hear him. "I don't want us to fight ok. I miss talking to you and I'm sorry if you thought I was trying to ask you as a last resort. That's not what I was intending. I know we're not really supposed to have dates or anything, but I just felt that there wouldn't be any harm in asking you. But I guess there was. And I'm sorry."

She hadn't been expecting him to apologize since she usually was the first to resolve their disputes. As reluctant as she was to admit to her own failures, Hermione had to amend this mistake and apologize for over reacting.

"It wasn't entirely your fault, most of it was but," seeing the teasing smile on her face made Ron chuckle along with her. "I just don't want to be a last resort, you know?"

"Hermione you wouldn't have been my last resort."

"I know that now, but..."

"Mione, I wouldn't have asked you as a last resort."

There was brief moment when brown and blue eyes connected. It was as though a thin thread was being held between them and at any given moment it could snap. That moment came sooner than either would've liked. A group of first years howled in excitement as a game of Exploding Snap ended with a puff of smoke.

"So are we okay?" asked Ron hesitantly, afraid Hermione might have noticed the longing in his eyes.

"Yes we're okay." Hermione smiled hoping he wouldn't notice her reddened cheeks.

"Good." With that last conformation, Ron excused himself back to his dormitory and Hermione rejoined Ginny to finish discussing when they would be meeting with Parvati to get ready for the ball.

The day of the ball the castle seemed almost abandoned, but if one were to walk into any of the girls' dormitories they would see and hear all sorts of things from squeals of excitement to groans of frustration. The Gryffindor's were possibly the most rambunctious group. Many of the girls wanted to make themselves taller or tried to accent their "features" a bit more, but none were very good at transfiguration spells leading to some interesting changes. These changes were resolved after Professor McGonagall was summoned to fix a spell that turned one girl into an hour glass instead of giving her an hour glass figure.

Hermione found this almost comical and was glad that she and her friends had decided to do simple transfiguration. She, Ginny, and Parvati agreed that working as a small group they would be able to get ready faster. Hermione was the best as spells so she was in charge of transfiguration, while Ginny and Parvati were in charge of hair and makeup. It did take them a few hours but glancing at the full-length mirror they were satisfied with their work. Parvati's hair was piled on her head and the usual black locks were changed to a light brown. She also had Hermione change her eyes to an ocean blue color saying that her brown ones were too plain. Having the traditional flaming Weasley hair, Ginny was only too eager to change her appearance. With a quick bit of magic, she was changed from a red head to a blonde. Her hair was braided to formed a crown on her head and the rest hung loosely down her back. Her bangs hung off the side accenting her new green eyes, and her clear skin looked so smooth now that her "annoying" freckles had been temporarily removed. Hermione was reluctant to drastically change her appearance, but after some pleading by her friends she agreed to change her hair and eye color as well. Her hair was black and tied back in a simple ponytail with a few strands framing her face. Her once brown eyes now shone in their new hazel color. If the light hit them at just the right angle they emitted a gentle glow that would cause anyone to pause. They quickly got into their dresses and made final adjustments before deeming themselves perfect. Now it was time for the ball.

Looking into the Great Hall the girls were quite surprised with what they saw. It was still elegantly decorated but in a way that reminded Hermione of a muggle prom. The hall would've easily been an under the stars theme, with the magical touch of floating candles. The room was dimly lit and scattered around the room were tables covered in white cloth and a simple flower centerpiece. Where the Professor's table used to be there was a stage with a band playing loud and upbeat music.

"I love this song," Ginny told her other masked friends who watched as she joined the fray of students jumping around in front of the stage. She moved with the music causing her luscious blonde hair to swing with her. The dress she wore was just above her knees and showed off her legs nicely as well as her shoulders as it was a strapless dress. To add to her charm she wore a pendent in the shape of a snitch that's gold color contrasted beautifully with black dress and black mask trimmed with red lining. She waved at her friends to join her, causing Parvati to giggle and Hermione to shake her head. Not wasting time they entered the crowd and joined in the fun.

All three friends were quite good at dancing and the rest of those around them must have noticed because they soon became the center of a dancing circle. They had been to enthralled by the music to notice they were being watched. It wasn't until a gentleman in black button walked up behind Parvati that they took note. He placed his hand on her waist against the lacy purple dress that hugged her torso and reached her knees. Parvati turned to him and looked at him shocked as he flashed her a toothy smile, revealing a cute dimple in his cheek. She looked over at her friends for some advice to which they raised their eyebrows and nodded. Turning to the handsome stranger she began to dance with him as another fast song played. Watching their friend swooped away from them Ginny and Hermione became hyper aware that they were surrounded by a crowd.

"This is a little weird," Hermione murmured to Ginny as they continued to dance but less enthusiastically.

"You said it."

Thinking quickly Hermione scanned the circle around them and smiled.

"Wait here," she told Ginny hastily.

She was about to protest at being left alone, when she saw what Hermione was up to. Hermione walked up to a shy looking girl who wore pink gown similar to the one she had worn to the Yule Ball. Taking her by the hand she brought her to the center and had her join them in a dance. Understanding what she was trying to do, Ginny nodded to her and did the same. Soon there was a small group dancing at the center of the circle and it was only getting bigger. More and more people joined in the fun wanting to feel included. There were even a few young men who tried to get Ginny and Hermione to be their dance partners. One had succeeded at looping Ginny into a dance, but it wasn't until she consulted Hermione that she took the offer from the dashing man in a tan vest.

Hermione continued to dance in the group slightly jealous that her friends were able to procure dance partners and she wasn't. She'd spend a good amount of time trying to find this dress and no one seemed to take notice. It had taken some convincing from Ginny but she had to admit that the red form fitting dress suited her well. It reached about mid thigh and although it was more open chested than she was used to it didn't reveal too much. The spaghetti straps tied behind her neck showed off a bit more skin from her back and a single diamond necklace accented her outfit. Though she was proud of her choice in attire it was in this moment that she wished that she'd made arrangements to hang out with Harry and Ron. As it were, they agreed to go with their dorm mates, hence the reason she had attended with Ginny and Parvati. What she hadn't foreseen was being left on her own. Though it seemed as though someone had taken a liking to her.

"Hi," came a deep voice from near Hermione's ear. Instinct told her to go for her wand, but realizing she wasn't in danger she smiled at the masked man behind her.

"Hello," she replied in an innocent tone.

"Care to share a dance?" he asked extending his hand.

Hermione looked him up and down with a critical eye. Although the war was over she was still hesitant about strangers especially those with masks, but then again everyone was wearing masks. He dressed rather nicely in grey slacks and white button up shirt. She could tell that there was some product in his hair but not so much that it slicked back like Snape's once did. Deciding to have some fun she accepted his hand and they danced. It wasn't long before she realized that maybe that wasn't the best choice. He wasn't a terrible dancer per say, but when he tried to spin her around she got whiplash and felt dizzy when she finally found her footing. Not only that but he was one of those grabby type of guys. He tried more than once to put his hands on her bum and even once tried to kiss her. After only one song Hermione was done with this lad. It took some maneuvering but she eventually managed to sneak away while he was distracted by the band who must have played his favorite song because he went nuts after that.

Relieved that he hadn't followed her she made her way to the refreshment table to get a butterbeer. She had only taken a few sips when she saw him standing at the edge of the crowd obviously looking for her. Hermione almost spit out her drink in her frenzy to find a place to hide. Standing next to her was a guy who was leaning against the table obviously not going anywhere. Not seeing any other solutions she grabbed him by the shoulders and hid behind him, which proved quite easy since he was a good foot taller than her.

"Whow, can I help you?" he asked, looking at the young woman ducking behind him.

"Yes, can you not look at me and just stand there." Hermione said in a panic.

"Ummm… Okay." He tried to act as normally as he could with someone hiding behind him. He felt her shift so that no part of her was showing. Scanning the room he saw some guy who looked as though he were searching for someone.

"That your date?" he asked without looking at Hermione.

"Sort of," she answered quietly.

Hermione couldn't see his face, but from the vibrations she could feel from his back she could tell that he must have been laughing.

"This isn't funny you know."

"Oh of course not. It's perfectly normal for a grown woman to hide behind a complete stranger to get away from her horrible date." He turned and gave Hermione a smile. "This isn't out place at all." He couldn't see Hermione glaring at him, but if he had he most likely would've laughed even harder.

Sipping his drink he watched as the "horrible date" made his way out of the Great Hall still looking for his lost date.

"Coast is clear," he said turning completely around to face Hermione.

Letting out a sigh of relief she thanked him.

"Was he really that bad? He seemed like a decent bloke."

"Ha… " Hermione let out a sarcastic chuckle. "Oh yes decent bloke. If you think someone who tries to grope and then kiss me without so much as knowing my name a decent bloke, then yes he's a decent bloke."

Raising his hand up in defense he said, "Alright I take it back. He's not a decent bloke." He smiled at Hermione and she couldn't help but smile back. "I myself am a decent bloke if you care to share a dance with me."

"I think I'll need a little more than your word to know that you're a decent bloke." Hermione answered hesitantly.

"Fair enough." He nodded and then asked if she'd like to just sit and talk since they didn't know each other. "I mean you did use me as a human shield."

"Fair enough." She answered back and got a cheeky grin in return. They walked over to an empty table and he pulled out a chair for her, giving an extravagant gesture for her to take a seat. Hermione shook her head but accepted nonetheless.

"So," he started after he'd taken a seat across from her. "Normally I'd start a conversation by asking your name, but seeing as I can't ask that, I'll just ask what I can call you."

This caught Hermione off guard and she didn't know what to say. Sensing her confusion he shrugged and gave her a calming smile.

"Well for the evening I'm known as Luckless." Her puzzled look was enough for him to continue. "Some friends and I agreed to have an alias for the evening to make communication between us a bit easier. Mine is Luckless."

Luckless looked at her expectedly and nothing was ringing any bells so Hermione said the first thing that came to mind.

"Bell."

"Bell? Like Christmas bells?" he asked with a chuckle.

Hermione tried her hardest not to blush and just nodded her head.

"Well it's nice to make your acquaintance, Bell." Luckless stretched out his hand to hers to shake. Taking his hand, Hermione took the moment to get a good look at him. Luckless had shaggy brown hair that looked as though he'd tried to comb it but it refused to be tamed. His lopsided grin caused a familiar tightening in her stomach that she only got before a test, or when seeing a certain red head. He wore a dark blue button down shirt and a loose black tie that went well with his black slacks.

"Likewise, Luckless." The handshake was brief but he kept eye contact with her, his gaze never phasing.

"Just out of curiosity, did you and your "date" show up here together or did you just stumble upon each other?"

Hermione could tell that he was trying not to laugh at her again, but there was an evident tug on his lips.

"Actually I came with a few friends, but they were swooped away by handsome men so I was solo on the dance floor." She admitted.

"And no one tried to swoop you away?" he asked surprised.

"Well someone did, but that," she pointed towards the entrance, "was what seemed to have found interest in me."

"Not all blokes can be a ten like me," he added in a playful tone.

"Oh so you think you're such a catch don't you?"

"I'd say I'm decent enough. I mean I do make a habit of saving girls from horrid dates." He gestured towards her teasingly.

Hermione shook her head but couldn't help but laugh along with him. She had to admit that although he was a little full of himself he was better company than the other bloke.

"If you're such a catch then why did I find you all alone at the refreshment table?"

"Ah well you see, because I'm in such a high demand I needed a break from the crowd of screaming girls who were fighting for my attention."

"Is that so?"

Luckless held a fake smile for a few seconds before he let out a deep sigh.

"No… I'm just here with a few friends." He gave her a genuine smile this time. "We figured we'd have more fun if we came stag. You know so we can pick up damsels in distress, such as yourself."

"Oh well, all of woman kind is indebted to you," she answered sarcastically.

"I wouldn't go that far. Though I would say I've merited a dance from a beautiful woman in a red dress."

Hermione was quite enjoying this playful banter and decided that one dance couldn't hurt. Standing up she offered him her hand. Guiding him to the dance floor she started to sway her hips to the music. When he didn't move she asked what was wrong. It came to her as a surprise when he said he didn't know how to dance. This was a new one for Hermione, but she wasn't one to turn down a challenge. Taking his hands she stepped side to side with him, helping him get the rhythm of the music.

"That's it," she told him as he followed the music perfectly. Before she fully realized what was happening, he'd pulled her towards him and took a step to the side, successfully spinning her with the beat of the music. After the spin he pulled her in close and placed a hand on her waist. Luckless smiled down at her as he continued to move with the music.

"I thought you said you couldn't dance?" She asked skeptically.

"Did I say that?" he asked feigning ignorance. "Oh my mistake."

As the music picked up speed he let go of her waist and they jumped up and down with the crowd. Hermione watched as Luckless got really into the song, and sang along with the band, as did the rest of those in the Great Hall. Luckless smiled at her while he sang and tried to get her as excited as he was about the song. Hermione, not wanting to put a damper on the mood, smiled and pretended to sing to. He saw straight through her facade but kept dancing nonetheless.

The song ended and reverted to one that wasn't as fast but was still perfect for dancing. As Luckless turned to face Hermione, or as he knew her Bell, a small hand was placed on his shoulder turning him towards a short blonde who looked angelic in her white gown.

"Luckless, there you are. We were getting worried that you'd actually left like you said you would." She said in concern not yet having taken notice of Bell.

"I haven't left yet Arena. Just found myself a dance partner." This drew Arena's attention over to the pretty brunette standing next to Luckless.

Hermione could feel the other girl looking at her as critically as Bell had looked at Luckless the first time. For a moment she thought she saw the girl glare at her, but the cheerful grin on her face erased that feeling.

"Why don't you bring her along? I'm sure the lads will be keen to know how you got yourself a date."

Smiling down at Hermione, Luckless asked, "What do you think, Bell? Care to spend some time with a band of misfits?"

"Only if trouble is guaranteed."

"Oooooo, I like her," Arena added with an impressed expression.

With the decision made, Luckless and Bell followed Arena towards a group that was standing right in front of the stage. They formed their own dance circle with an open space n the middle for people to show off their moves. Hermione was impressed by the energy and enthusiasm they emitted towards whoever was in the middle. Not all of them were the most talented dancers but there was always a loud cheer for them. As they approached, someone spotted Luckless and announced his return.

"Where'd you go off to?" asked a boy at the edge of the cluster as they reached them.

"No where," he answered sticking his tongue out playfully.

"He was getting himself a date," said Arena joining the small group of girls that were in the center.

This drew attention to Hermione who was a bit distracted by Arena's wild dancing. The new boy extended his hand out the Hermione in greetings.

"Hi nice to meet you…"

"Bell"

"Bell, nice name." he took a step closer gave a fake attempt to whisper, "If he's holding you hostage blink twice."

"Shut up," Luckless gave him a small shove. "You're just jealous."

"Oh yeah, I'm jealous of your silly name, Luckless," he said in a funny voice.

"Better than yours, Smokey." He answered in the same funny voice.

Looking over at Bell, Luckless noticed her staring at both of them perplexed.

"He has a particular proclivity for pyrotechnics," he explained.

"Its an art form," Smokey said with great pride.

"He's good at blowing things up." Hermione couldn't help but laugh at Smokey's crestfallen glare towards Luckless.

"Had to take that away, did you?"

Luckless just shrugged and asked where a guy named Dan was, to which Smokey said that he'd been gone a while.

"He said something about finding his snitch."

"Course he did," Luckless said as though that answer explained everything.

"His snitch?"

"He means his girlfriend."

"Oh…"

"Come dance with me, Bell" Smokey dragged Hermione out to the dance floor once it was clear and started to spin her around wildly. It wasn't long till she was so dizzy she was stumbling as though she were drunk. She heard others having a chuckle, but soon people joined her and Smokey, spinning like tops, some of them crashing into each other. Hermione bumped into a few people herself, but everyone was laughing at their madness. She crashed into someone else, apologized and was about to pull away when said person grabbed her arm. Looking at his face Hermione recognized him as the boy who had been attempting to grope her earlier that evening.

"I found you," he said with a smile that made Hermione feel uneasy.

"I suppose you did." Again she tried to pull away, but he didn't let her go. "Want to go for a walk with me?"

"No thanks."

"Come on, just a short walk," he leaned in closer to her and whispered, "Or it could be a long one."

Hermione was disgusted at the smirk he wore. Snatching her arm out of his grip she said, "I do believe I've made myself clear, and if not here it is again. I Don't want to go anywhere with you."

"Listen you.." he grabbed her shoulders, but was pushed off her by a taller boy who stepped in between them.

"There a problem?" Luckless said.

Rolling his eyes, the "horrible date" tried to side step Luckless, "This isn't your concern, mate."

"Actually it is." Luckless kept him away from Hermione. "Bell, here, happens to be a friend of mine. So her concerns are mine. That clear, "mate"?"

"Luckless," she placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, just let it go." She tried pulling him away, but he continued to glare at the other boy.

"Luckless? That's a good name for you. Cause it doesn't look like you'll be getting anywhere with her tonight."

Luckless lurched towards him, standing only an inch away from him.

"I seem to be having more luck then you," Luckless whispered to him. "At least she wants me around."

What happened next went rather quickly. After Luckless's comment, the other boy punched him in the stomach, causing Luckless to grunt at the impact. He threw another punch but Luckless was able to duck before it landed on his jaw. And so a fight began. Well fight wouldn't be an accurate description. It was more of a dance were Luckless was gracefully dodging punches as the other boy trips over his own feet. It was evident that he was getting frustrated at not hitting his mark, so the "horrible date" got wild, lunging into the punches. It was one of these wild attacks that Luckless caught his arm and locked his arm at the elbow. With his free hand, he punched Luckless across the face. This caused Luckless to push him back, lightly rubbing his jaw where he'd been hit. High off of the prospect of landing a good punch, he threw another but this one too was caught. Instead of locking it at the elbow, Luckless spun him around so that he had his arm pinned to his back. Though his back was facing Luckless the he tired to elbow him in the face, but Luckless just used the momentum to lock both arms behind his back.

"Just stop now before you completely embarrass yourself," Luckless whispered harshly. The other boy must have taken note that the situation must have made him look like an idiot so he gave a subtle nod for Luckless to let him go. Once he was free he turned and glared at Luckless.

"What's going on here?" bellowed Professor McGonagall who had arrived only moments ago to see what the commotion was about.

"Nothing Professor. Just a bit of a misunderstanding," Luckless answered not breaking the connection.

"Well this "misunderstanding" will end right now, or you will both be escorted out of the hall." Looking over at the professor both boys nodded and straightened up.

"She wasn't worth it anyway," with that the "horrible date" turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Everyone dispersed and the festivities continued as it had been before the fight. The group of friends that Hermione had joined went back to dancing in their circle and acting just as wildly as they had before. Though the trouble had passed, Hermione noticed that Luckless seemed a bit distracted. She tried to edge him back into the swing of it all but it didn't seem to work. He'd forced a smile for a while but it wasn't long till he excused himself from the group.

Hermione followed him out of the hall and into the courtyard. He stood near the fountain and watched the small fairies danced around on the frozen water. She saw him give a genuine smile when the fairies began to perform an elaborate light show of blues, green, reds, and yellows. She'd meant to let him be, but he'd taken note of her before she had the chance leave.

"Hey," she said quietly.

"Hey," he returned again putting up a fake smile.

"Is everything alright?" The fairies being shy beings hid behind the fountain as Hermione moved to sit next to Luckless.

"Of course, never better." It wasn't hard to tell he was lying.

"You aren't upset about the fight are you? Because it was very clear you were the victor in there," Hermione gestured to the entrance, causing Luckless to chuckle. "Ask anyone, they'll tell you the same."

"No, I'm not concerned about winning the fight. I know I won hands down but…" He paused a moment and stared at his feet. "I wanted to apologize for even getting into a fight."

"You don't need to apologize. It wasn't your fault."

"Regardless, it's not something I should've done." He looked quiet upset with himself, for reasons Hermione didn't understand. "I just don't want you to think I'm a prat, is all."

"Luckless, you did it to protect me. I don't see how I could be mad at you for that."

He gave her a puzzled look, but then gave her a very familiar smirk. "And here I thought you were the kind of girl that didn't like it when boys fought for her."

"I most certainly am not!" Hermione answered sharply. "But I do appreciate someone looking out for me. Though I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself," Luckless raised his hands in surrender, "a little backup never hurt."

Luckless turned to face her completely and asked, "So I'm not a complete and total prat?"

"No," Hermione smiled, "not completely."

Though they were outside the music could still be heard, wafting its way over to them. It must have been time for the couples to take the floor, because the music was slow and soothing. Luckless took a step back and bowed to the girl he knew as Bell. Extending his hand out, he pulled her towards him so they could share this dance. The fairies, who had been watching from behind the fountain, flew towards them wanting to join in the dance. Their soft glow added a calming element to the chill winter evening. Just as the song ended, the air rumbled with the sound of the bell chiming midnight.

Still looking into his eye Hermione mumbled, "I suppose it's time to take this off." She reached for her mask, but as she touched the corner of it, Luckless placed his hand atop hers.

"Bell, I have an odd request to make." He said hesitantly. "Could we post pone revealing ourselves?" From the confused look on Bell's face he could tell she hadn't been expecting that. "It's just that I've enjoyed my time with you immensely… and I'd like to spend more time with you before you know who I am."

"What would you propose then?" Although she was skeptical of Luckless's reasons she did find some comfort in the thought that he was as unsure about revealing himself as she was.

"Perhaps we could meet once a week in our disguise, and after a time we could show each other who we are?" He said it as more of a question, as though he were afraid Bell might reject the idea.

"That sounds like a reasonable request." Luckless seemed quite shocked that she agreed so quickly and asked if she was sure of her decision. "Yes I'm sure. The only thing would be finding a place to meet and communicate to each other."

"Well…" Luckless pulled out a galleon from his pocket and showed it to her. "We could use this." He tapped the coin and numbers on the edge of the coin changed. "Friends and I used to use these coins to meet up for…"

"DA meetings." Bell finished.

Luckless gave her a shocked but pleasant smile. "I take it you were part of Dumbledore's Army then."

"As were you," she nodded towards him.

"It's one of my fondest memories of being here at Hogwarts."

"Mine too." After talking of Dumbledore's Army for a spell, they'd come to the conclusion that they would meet next Saturday evening in the Room of Requirement.

"I suppose I should let you go inside." Bell nodded, watching as he tenderly kissed her hand. "Good night, Bell."

"Good night, Luckless." Hermione turned to the entrance and walked towards the Great Hall. She looked back towards Luckless who gave a dramatic bow before walking out of sight.

Saturday couldn't come fast enough, Hermione thought as she entered Great Hall unmasking herself as were everyone else.