Summary- The Dance… Jared, Jessica, and Lauren drop in as a surprise, and Hermione has a wonderful time. She finally lets Jared know about her and her past, but is careless about her surroundings.

~*~

Hermione stood in the middle of the prefect common room, unable to comprehend what was going on, so she turned to the nearest person, who happened to be Harry, and pounced on him.

"What is going on Harry?" She asked in a slightly dazed voice.

Harry just grinned and shot a wink at Lauren, who giggled. "Well, Mione." He said slowly. "We know you have been having a tough time lately, and this is your ball and I and Ron also remembered how you said you and Jared made plans to go to your prom when you thought you were a muggle.  Sooooo, we talked to Dumbledore about getting special permission to bring students from other school to our dance for the weekend.  He said there was nothing in the school rules that said students from other schools could not attend also nothing about muggles."

Harry was grinning from ear to ear by now, clearly very proud to have found a loophole in a rule everyone thought was a given.

Hermione finally turned to her old friends and smiled. "Well then, what do you think of our school?"

Jared smiled widely "It's awesome!" He said excitedly. "That picture out front talked to me! And he was flirting with Jess!"

Hermione laughed, then realized what they were wearing- wizarding robes. Jared was wearing a fine black silk material, the nicest to rival anything that Malfoy owned, and Jess was wearing pale pink robes that gave her complexion a rosy colour. Lauren was wearing robes of green, but that didn't surprise Hermione, as she knew Lauren was a witch. "Uh guys?" Hermione asked Ron and Harry. "Whose clothes are those?" She motioned to Jared and Jessica.

"Theirs." Ron said. "They have been here for hours; we have been in Hogsmeade buying them clothes to wear!"

Hermione laughed. "You know what? From now on I'm just not going to be surprised anymore, you guys just do it so much!"

Everyone laughed, which was drawing attention from the other prefects quarters. "What's going on out there Mione?" Padma asked, coming out of the bathroom, her makeup and hair perfect as always. "Oh! Who's this?" She motioned to Hermione's friends.

"Their friends of mine, Padma." Hermione said. "This is Jared, Jessica, and Lauren."

"Oh! Pleased to meet you." Padma said politely. "I don't think we have ever met before, do you go to another school?"

Lauren nodded. "I go to the Salem Witches academy in America, Hermione and I grew up together before she found out she was a witch." Padma nodded and turned to Jared and Jessica. "Do you go to the same school as her?" She asked.

Jared shook his head no. "Actually," He pointed to Jessica then himself. "Jess and I are, err, muggles, I guess you would say."

"Muggles!" Padma asked, shocked. "You're muggles? Oh my! You are very special then! I don't think there is any record of any sort of muggle ever being in the castle! Wow!"

Hermione giggled at Padma's surprise. "I was surprised too Padma." She said. "Seems as though Harry and Ron have been scheming behind my back." She gave her friends a little grin.

Padma laughed. "Well in any case, welcome to Hogwarts guys, I do hope you enjoy your stay. I have to meet Michael soon, Hermione, so I'll leave you here, but-" Padma lowered her voice so only the people around her could hear. "Malfoy will be down shortly, just so you know." Hermione nodded and waved Padma off, "have fun tonight!"

After Padma exited through the portrait hole, Hermione glanced at all her friends. "This is great." She sighed. "Thanks Harry, Ron, you guys are the best." She turned to Jared. "Ready to see what a Hogwarts Prom is like?" He grinned and nodded.

But before they could exit the common room, an unexpected and a definitely uninvited guest appeared, sweeping down the steps from his room.

"Mudblood." Draco Malfoy acknowledged Hermione. "Nice to see you out of the infirmary, I trust you're over your weak mental illness?"

Hermione glared at Malfoy, and Jared nudged her "who's this charming fellow?" He asked with a slight grin.

Malfoy narrowed his eyes. "Draco Malfoy." He said. "I'm sure you know the name, your robe shows that you are form high class, probably worth more then the Weasels whole house."

Ron lunged at Draco, but Jessica held him bad with a forceful hand. Years of playing ball made her quite strong. "Stop Ron, I can already see what kind of guy this loser is." She said with a sigh.

Malfoy turned to her. "Why! A girlfriend Weasley! But how could you possibly be able to keep a hold of such a beautiful creature?" He flashed a dazzling smile as his Malfoy charm started to turn on. Hermione was surprised at the change in his look, it was true, Malfoy did have the looks, and he could get just about anything with that smile, unfortunately for him, however, Jessica would have nothing to do with him.

"You look to me like sheer wizard scum." She said bluntly, never missing a beat. "There you are, degrading your peers, when I'm sure you're much more pathetic then what you make them out to be, what did you say your name was? Draco? What a completely ridicules name! And Malfoy! Mal Foi! At least your last name fits you!"

Hermione was stunned at her friends' outburst, and Draco's smile slid clearly off of his handsome face. "And what is your surname?" He asked. "You dress like a pure blood, but you're probably just some mudblood like Granger here."

Jessica stuck her nose up in the air. "I'm not a mudblood." She said, feigning indignity. "I am, oh what's that word? Oh yes! I am a muggle, and a very angry one, at the moment!"

Draco's face fell into a look of shock. "A muggle! Here in the castle! Potter I think you and you're little sidekicks have gone too far! Dumbledore will have you thrown out for this little stunt!"

Hermione smiled sweetly at him. "Oh but Dumbledore said it was a fantastic idea, having my friends over for the weekend, truly an inspiration, strengthening the muggle ties."

Draco turned to Jessica, "So you're a filthy muggle." He said, looking disgusted, then turned to Jared, who nodded before even being asked, but when Draco's eyes fell on Lauren, who was standing slightly behind Harry, he opened his mouth again. "I always thought Potter was better then to have to hire muggle whores." He said.

Lauren looked shocked for a moment, then stepped in front of Harry, who looked ready to punch on Malfoy. "I'm not a muggle." She said shyly, but defiantly meeting his silver eyes. "I'm a witch, Mister Malfoy, Son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, heir to the Malfoy fortune, I am a witch as pure as you are, my name is Lauren Annaliese Covington, and I am certain you have met my father, have you not?"

The reaction in Malfoy was astounding, his eyes grew wider then two bludgers, and his mouth hung agape. "You're Lord Covington's daughter?" He asked stupidly, then his eyes narrowed. "I don't believe you, his daughter is in America, attending an all girl's school, and Lord Covington's daughter would certainly not be in the presence of filth like all this." He swept his hands to Hermione and Jared.

"I am his daughter." Lauren said, still in a quiet voice. She then lifted up her left forearm, and there was the most peculiar mark Hermione had ever seen.

A birthmark in the fragile shape of a rose was in place about an inch and a half below her elbow, and it was about the size of half-dollar, no bigger, no smaller.

"So you weren't lying." Draco said, his smirk returning. "So how do you know Granger, when your family is only purebloods?"

"That's really none of your business, Mister Malfoy." Lauren said coldly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a dance to attend, ready Harry?"

Harry grinned and set about leaving the portrait hole, leaving a very angry Draco Malfoy behind them.

~*~

"So how did you do it?" Hermione asked Harry and Ron, who looked very proud with themselves. "How did you convince Dumbledore to let in two muggles?"

Harry grinned. "Dumbledore thought it was great that we, Ron especially, were friends with muggles, he was delighted actually, so it was quite easy."

"You don't usually get along with, err, us muggles, Ron?" Jessica asked.

"Actually." Ron said, blushing slightly. "You're the first muggle I ever met, well got to know, I mean, I've seen them, and I've talked to them, but they didn't know who I was and…yea, you know."

Jessica seemed interested at the whole prospect. "So you mean to tell me that anyone I know could be a witch or wizard…wow…. That's just…wicked."

Hermione and Harry exchanged glances; those two were really hitting it off.

"This place is amazing!" Jared exclaimed from Hermione's right. "Look at the ceiling! Or is that the sky?" He asked, looking up at the ceiling of the great hall.

"It's enchanted to look like the sky outside." Hermione said. "Its great fun to look at, but we've all gotten pretty used to it by now."

"There's nothing like this at Salem." Lauren said with a sigh. "It's rather boring there actually."

Hermione giggled. "The Halloween feast will start soon." She said. "We'll sit here." She pointed to a table that sat about eight. "They took out the house tables, huh?"

"Looks like it." Ron said, pulling out Jessica's chair for her. "I kind of like it like this; not everything is so separate."

Of course the three non-students had no idea what they were talking about, but they politely nodded their heads anyway.

"I really like the Headmaster Dumbledore isn't it?" Lauren said. "I've heard so much about him! He's one of the only wizards you-know-who was afraid of, wasn't he?"

Harry shook his head silently. "Yea, Dumbledore one of the greatest wizards of our time."

"Whose you-know-who?" Jared asked, looking very puzzled.

"Voldemort." Harry said simply, as Lauren and Ron visibly flinched.

"Voldemort?" Jessica asked. "What kind of name is Voldemort, and why does Ron squirm whenever I say it?"

"Voldemort was the darkest wizard of our day." Harry said, trying to explain just how evil The Dark Lord was. "He despised muggles, killed a great many of them, and he despised muggleborns. He believed in the perfect wizarding race, a race where only pureblooded wizards were allowed to live, pure blooded wizards like Malfoy and Lauren here. Voldemort also killed my parents, and tried to kill me."

Lauren, Ron, and Hermione all knew this of course, Lauren because she came from a wizarding family, but Jessica and Jared looked completely shocked.

"He killed them? Just like that?" Jared asked. "Sorry if I sound insensitive, but that's just…it's just…! When did that happen? And what happened to you? I mean obviously he would have wanted to kill you too? Make a clean job of it?"

Hermione nudged Jared in the side, but he and Jessica were looking at Harry with rapt attention.

"It's a long story." Harry said shrugging.

"Voldemort probably wanted Harry's parents to join them, so when they didn't, he killed them. Harry's mum was protecting Harry when Voldemort tried to kill him, so Voldemort killed her to get to Harry, but when he fired the curse at him, it backfired.  Because his mother died to save him, making Voldemort weaker then the weakest thing on earth, and sending him into hiding for about thirteen years." Hermione said, quickly.

"Well, that's the cliff notes version." Harry said with a grin.

"I think that's enough talk about Evil Dark Lords." Lauren said, "When do we eat?"

No sooner had she said that, then the golden plates and goblets in front of them magically filled with food.

"Oh my!" Lauren said. "We have nothing like this at my school!"

Jessica snorted. "And you think we do?" She asked, referring to her and Jared.

"This food is fantastic!" Jared said through a mouthful of chicken. "My compliments to the chef!"

"Chef?" Ron asked curiously. "What's a Chef?"

Jared finished chewing then asked. "Ok then, who made this exactly?"

"House elves." Hermione said brightly, "I still can't believe they like doing all this."

"What are house elves?" Jessica asked. "Like little tiny men?"

Harry laughed out loud, getting some curious glances from around the room. "House elves are definitely not people." He said. "Their creatures that Wizards use as a sort of servant, they usually come with old houses. Hogwarts has the most in all of Europe."

Jared still looked amazed. "I can't believe I never knew any of this." He said. "Next you're going to tell me dragons and mermaids exist."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other and grinned. "The gamekeeper had a pet dragon once." Hermione said. "Yeah, and I had to fight one two years ago." Harry said cheerfully, taking another bit of mashed potatoes. "Cunning little buggers, Dragons are."

Jared just stared. "Ok, what doesn't exist?" He asked.

"Anything can exist, if you want it bad enough." Hermione said. "There's a spell for everything, but of course there are regulations you have to follow."

Lauren just looked amused. "This is the most fun I have had in a very long time." She declared. "You all simply must visit me in the States sometime soon, perhaps Easter?"

"Maybe." Hermione said thoughtfully.

They ate and talked some more, impressing Jessica and Jared with the magic of their world, until the plates and goblets where clean once more and the music started up.

"Would you like to dance?" Jared asked Hermione, and she noticed Ron and Harry asking their dates the same.

"I'd love to." She responded, and he led her to the vast dance floor.

"I'm really glad you came, Jar." Hermione said as they danced to an unfamiliar wizard tune. "I felt so bad; do you remember our Prom promise? I think my telling Ron and Harry is what gave them the idea to get you, Lauren and Jess here, they are amazing, aren't they?"

"Completely." Jared said, grinning. "And yes, I do remember our promise; I even remember that day. It was all so simple then, wasn't it? And not you and Lauren went off and got magical on us, and here we are again, simply dancing."

Hermione smiled as the song ended and went to go get her and Jared some punch. She returned to a table where Jared was surrounded by a group of Hermione's friends.

"A book on kissing, huh Mione?" Dean asked teasingly. Hermione felt herself relax.

"Jared! I thought you where going to stop telling people all my embarrassing stories!" She exclaimed.

Jared grinned guiltily. "Sorry, I couldn't help it this guy ambushed me!"

"Awe, Dean wouldn't do a thing like that!" Hermione said grinning.

"But he's got a wand!" Jared said, pretending to shake in fear. "I'm defenceless!"

"Well, where's your wand?" Dean asked curiously.

"I don't have one." Jared said simply, grinning. "I'm a muggle."

Dean started to laugh. "That was a very pathetic joke." He said, smiling.

"He's not joking, Dean." Hermione said with a smile. "He really is a muggle, one of my oldest friends, in fact."

"Awesome." Dean said. "My dad's a muggle, nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Jared said, before Hermione pulled him onto the dance floor again.

"You're really hitting it off with everyone, aren't you?" She asked, smiling. "I'm surprised Dean wasn't more surprised though, you're the first muggle here ever, as far as I know, and I happen to know a lot." She grinned.

"I'm having a great time." Hermione said happily. "This is much better then I thought it would be I thought I would be sitting in the corner pouring punch for people."

"Aw I know you better then that, Mione." He said. "You would be dancing with someone, who can resist you, or your karate moves?"

"Hey!" Hermione said in mock anger. "Watch it or I'll introduce you to my irresistible karate moves."

Hermione laughed and smacked him playfully. "I've forgotten how much I missed you." She admitted. "When I first started school, I was terribly alone, even Harry and Ron didn't like me. I used to write you a letter everyday, telling you everything, and wishing I could get them to you, but I thought you might freak out a little if an owl showed up at your house with a letter from me."

Jared smiled and gave her a friendly hug. "Hey, no use dwelling on the past, when the future is what we can change, right?" He asked her, smiling.

She giggled. "You're starting to sound like Dumbledore now." She said.

They danced again, this time talking about his life at school. Turns out Jared was a jock, and had gotten into football and basketball in his high school years. Soon Hermione had an overwhelming urge to share the details of her life with him, no matter how uncertain they where.

"Jar?" She asked. "I think it's time you learned more about me, and my history."

Jared nodded silently and followed her out of the crowded great hall, and to the Quidditch pitch. The night sky was clear, and you could see the striking shape of the half moon floating over their heads. The air as cool, but comfortable, and they could hear crickets faintly chirping somewhere in the distance.

"Come over here." Hermione said to him, walking close to a statue of Rowena Ravenclaw. A beautiful pink rose bush was beside it, very out of season for the time, but Hermione paid it no mind.

Jared looked at her with curious eyes; it almost broke Hermione's heart that she hadn't told him yet.

"I'm special." She started. "I mean, not to sound conceded, but Harry and I…. We have a lot in common." She flushed for a moment, then continued. "Voldemort…the one we were telling you about? The one that killed Harry's parents? Well, he killed mine as well."

Jared's eyes opened wide in shock. "When? Just now? What?" He was completely amazed.

"No, no." Hermione said. "Not the parents you know…. They adopted me because Voldemort killed my real parents. My real name is Hermione Pewit, and I'm the heir to one of the biggest wizard fortunes in the world."

Jared looked on, amazed at all the information, and they talked long into the night, and into the morning, never noticing a figure with silvery blonde hair, and grey eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness.