December 3rd 1994

Draco laid in his bed with Hermione after a long study session for potions. "The Yule Ball is in three weeks Granger."

"Yes, I'm aware of this Draco."

"Since I can't take you, who're you going with?"

"Who said you can't take me?"

Draco laughed. "Do you really find it logical for me, a pureblood slytherin to show up to the Yule Ball with you, a muggle born Gryffindor?"

Hermione glared at Draco. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Your friends would attack me, mine would attack you. It'd be chaos!"

"Oh, so you're scared of my friends? You're afraid I'd embarass you and tarnish the Malfoy name?" Hermione sighed. "Why would it matter? I mean, you love me don't you?"

"Of course I do. And I'm not afraid of your friends or of you so called 'tarnishing' my family name. You don't embarass me. I'm just saying it'd be a disaster. It also wouldn't be very enjoyable with everyone staring at us the whole time."

"You wouldn't want to make everyone jealous?"

"Why? Do you want to make Pansy jealous? She'd probably try to curse you. And besides, if my father finds out, which he will, I'm pretty sure he would curse me into oblivion."

"So are you not taking me because of what the school might think or because of your father?"

"Well both!"

Hermione sat up and began glaring at Draco again. "You've got to be joking Draco."

"No, I'm not."

"So you're not going to ask me?"

Draco stared up at the ceiling, trying to avoid Hermione excessive glaring. "Ask you what?"

Hermione groaned in frustration and whacked Dracos chest. "Ask me to the ball! Honestly Draco, I thought you were intelligent."

"Oh, sorry."

"Sorry? Sorry you're not thinking or sorry you won't ask me to the ball?"

"Um, both..?"

Hermione stood up immediately and got dressed.

"Where are you going?" Draco asked cluelessly.

"Away from you. Bye Draco." Hermione stormed out of the dungeons without another word, not caring if someone saw her.

Draco punched his headboard repeatedly in anger. "Fuck fuck fuck!" Draco got up, put a shirt on and went to the common room. As he sat down Pansy entered the common room. "Pansy! Come here."

Pansy instantly pranced over to him and sat almost in his lap. "Yes Drake?"

"You want to be my date to the Yule Ball?"

Pansy immediately smiled at Draco. "Of course Drakie!" She moved so she was sitting in his lap and began playing with his hair.

Draco slightly smiled. "Great."

Pansy suddenly jumped out of his lap and looked at him. She grabbed his hand and pulled him off the couch. "Come on!"

"What? Where are we going?"

"To Hogsmeade! You have to help me pick out a dress!"

Draco groaned and freed himself of Pansys grasp. "Can't you take Daphne or Millicent with you? Besides, don't you want it to be a surprise?"

Pansy sat back down. "But what if your dress robes don't match my dress?"

"I'll just wear classic black dress robes okay?"

Pansy sighed. "Alright..Come with me anyway? Pleaseeeeee Drakie?"

Draco sighed and stood up. "Fine, let's go."

Hermione was sitting in The Three Broomsticks with Harry and Ron when she saw Draco enter with Pansy. She tried her best not to stare at Draco, loathing the attention he was giving Pansy in public instead of her. She stood up abruptly as Draco and Pansy sat down.

"Where are you going?" Ron asked.

"I umm, have studying to do. For exams."

"But it's Saturday." Hermione ignored him and exited the pub, trying to get as far away from Draco as possible. Hermione sighed sadly as she walked back to the castle.

As she passed a few student from Durmstrang she heard a rough voice call her name. "Hermyone?" She turned around to see Viktor Krum.

"Yes Viktor?"

"I vas wvondering if you've been asked to the ball yet..?"

Hermione looked down at her feet shyly. "No, I haven't."

"Vould you like to go with me?"

Hermione thought about it for a few assumed Draco had already asked Pansy, so just to get back at him, she decided she'd go as Viktor's date. "I'd love to." Hermione smiled all the way back to the castle. Back at The Three Broomsticks Draco was sitting with Pansy in a far corner when Viktor Krum walked in. He seemed quite smug, probably due to him getting massive attention from all the girls.

"He thinks he all that." Pansy said.

"Well he is the youngest seeker to play on a national team and he is a triwizard champion"

"I was talking about Potter."

"Oh. I thought you were talking about Krum."

"You're much better than Krum, Draco."

"You think so?"

"I know so." Pansy smiled and hugged Dracos arm tighter.

"Can you loosen your grip Parkinson? You're about to squeeze my arm off."

Pansy kissed Draco out of nowhere. He didn't bother to kiss her back though. "What's wrong Drakie?"

"Uh, I gotta go study..for potions. Finals are soon."

"Don't you want to go buy your dress robes?"

"I can do that next weekend." Draco got up and began walking back to the castle, hoping he'd find Hermione.

Hermione was sitting in courtyard, trying to look over her potions notes. She couldn't quite keep her focus on them due to thinking about Draco and Pansy being together, and then there was Viktor asking her to the Yule Ball. Out of nowhere came a white dog. It pranced over to her and sat in front of her, looking up at her with piercing greyish blue eyes. She didn't bother showing it much attention, due to her thinking it was just a stray. The dog yipped for attention and licked her hand. She looked into the dogs eyes and suddenly realized it wasn't just a random stray, but that it was an animagus. Draco Malfoy in animagus form to be exact.

"Draco!" She hissed at the dog. "You never told me you were an animagus.."

Draco barked as if asking Hermione to follow him. She got up and followed the dog up the path to the owlery. Draco changed back into human form. "My parents don't even know I'm an animagus."

"You mean you aren't registered with the ministry?! Draco you could get expelled!" Hermione sighed and looked at Draco. "Where's your shirt?"

"Uh, I don't know."

"What if people see your chest...?"

"I can put a charm on it like i always do."

"Like you always do? You never do it when i'm around."

"I thought you found it romantic."

"Why would i find you being tortured romantic? And don't even try to be sweet to me right now. I'm still mad at you." "

For not asking you to the ball or seeing me and Pansy?"

"Both!" Draco sighed and began walking back toward the castle. "Draco, wait..."

Draco stopped and turned around to look at Hermione. "Yeah?"

"Are you taking her to the ball?" Hermione managed to squeak out.

"Uhm..yeah.." Hermione sighed and tried to hold back a stray tear. "Bye Draco." As Draco left back for the castle, Hermione tried not to cry at the news of him taking Pansy to the Yule Ball instead of her.