Author's Note: This is my October entry for DelusionalDoll! I hope you enjoy my little Dramione Cinderella story. They are a little OOC and I'm sorry if that annoys you but I like them sweet and fluffy and silly. Enjoy!

Prompts: Fairytale!AU, Interrupting

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognise

Shut Up and Dance With Me

The stone steps that lead up to the palace were intimidating, lined with smartly dressed straight faced guards every few feet. Hermione held her breath as she began her ascension and her hands trembled no matter how tightly she gripped the voluptuous folds of her periwinkle skirt. Her heart was pounding so hard against her ribcage that she was sure they could hear it. She was sure that her nerves would betray her and they would realise she didn't belong here, that she was an imposter. Any second now they would leap forward seize her by the arms and drag her back to that dank, dark little cellar.

When she reached the top of the stairs without incident Hermione sucked in a large breath. The footman stood beside the large gilded doors threw her an encouraging smile before he stepped forward and pulled open the door revealing the ballroom to her. It was a large room, all white and gold, filled with light and noise. Hermione was immediately overwhelmed. She walked forward slowly, trying to look graceful whilst taking everything in.

She descended a short staircase down onto the floor and was suddenly surrounded by people on all sides; the crowd seemed to suck her in. The clumped in gossiping groups around the perimeter of the room leaving a clear space for the dancefloor and off to the right side of the room a long table stood laden with all sorts of unimaginable goodies. She noticed that a fleet of smartly dressed servants navigated the room carrying silver trays on which stood elegant flutes of a sparkling liquid.

Hermione carefully plucked one of these off a passing tray and cautiously sipped at it. It fizzed delicately in her mouth and filled her from head to toe with warmth. She drained the glass quickly and gave it back to another footman before deciding to explore the room. At the back of the cavernous room a small group of musicians were playing what she recognised as a waltz and Hermione stopped to watch, mesmerised, as the couples spun together in a whirlwind of colour and jewels.

She couldn't believe that she had actually pulled it off. That she was here and she was determined to enjoy herself if it was the last thing that she did. She moved carefully, squeezing between the groups of people, smiling and nodding at strangers who returned her simple greetings. She admired the many beautiful gowns, feeling quite simple in her own periwinkle creation despite the fact that it had been conjured with magic.

Then disaster struck and Hermione almost ruined it all. As she squeezed around the front of the crowd, headed for the table of delights, the group of women in front of her shifted revealing none other than the woman who raised her. Or at least the woman who was supposed to. Bellatrix Lestrange stood gossiping with a group of important looking people, not phased at all about leaving a poor, weak girl alone in a dark cellar. Her daughters, Hermione's stepsisters, Pansy and Daphne, both as ugly within as they were without, flanked their mother on either side. All three women thrust their chests out in attempt to attract a mate.

She watched, frozen by her fear, as the hateful little group tittered at a terrible joke from a fat walrus of a man. Bellatrix swished her fan flirtatiously and Hermione felt a little sick. Her step mother made as if to turn and Hermione backed up in panic. Her fairy godmother had told her that she wouldn't be recognised, either by them, but it was a gut reaction.

She turned to flee the scene and head back the way she came but her foot in those ridiculous glass slippers caught on the hem of her dress and she began to fall. Arms out and whirling she stumbled trying desperately to gain her balance before she caused a scene. Hermione closed her eyes ready to give into her disastrous mistake but before she could hit the ground someone seized her.

Hermione expected to be hauled off and thrown in a dungeon, sure that they had realised that she didn't belong here, but instead she was pulled to her feet and then swept off them. In complete shock her eyes flew open and she realised that she was dancing. Whoever had caught her had whirled her into the waltz rather than letting her interrupt it.

"Wha-what?" she stuttered amazed that her feet seemed to know the steps. It must be those slippers at least they were useful for something.

"Shh," the man holding her up hissed but he smiled warmly, "I don't think anyone noticed."

Hermione only seemed to realise then that she had to be dancing with someone. He was a very handsome someone too with short but messy blonde hair and the most distracting grey eyes that she had ever seen. She realised that she was gawping at him and cleared her throat searching for something to say that would keep the blush at bay. "You noticed," she pointed out eventually.

He chuckled at that, "very true but I have had years of training in noticing the smallest of details. I could get killed in battle otherwise."

"Oh, are you a soldier then?"

The man frowned a little. "Don't you know who I am?" he asked confusion lacing his tone.

"Should I?" Hermione asked peering at him trying to see if she recognised him at all.

He laughed, "no, no you shouldn't don't worry. My name is Draco."

"Well I'm very pleased to meet you Draco, thank you for saving me from eternal embarrassment just imagine if the prince had seen me! I would have been thrown out for sure. My name is Hermione."

"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl," he quipped smirking rakishly at her.

Hermione chuckled breathlessly and tried in vain not to blush again. "I am sure you say that to all the girls, but next time make sure she doesn't have such an ungainly name or she's sure to know you're lying."

"You're quite frank aren't you," Draco laughed as he twirled her.

"I am not used to compliments," she retorted proving him right.

"Well you should be, but it's quite refreshing that you aren't. Most of the girls here are only after compliments and, of course, the hand of the prince."

"Yes," Hermione said looking around as she dropped into a deep curtsey as the dance came to an end. "I wonder where he is, I'm sure I have to pay my respects or something, this is my first ball you see and probably my last," she laughed, "but I'm not even sure what the royals look like."

"Don't get out much?" he asked taking her arm again as if to dance the next. "Well I wouldn't worry about it I'm sure they won't mind-"

"Your highness? Your highness! Prince Draco, over here?" a shrill voice that Hermione recognised as her stepmother's shrieked over the quiet of the ballroom and Hermione turned to see that Bellatrix was looking straight at her own dance partner.

In shock she turned back . "You're the prince! And I said, and oh god. You think I'm frank and-"

"Beautiful," he supplied but Hermione was already lost in her own panic.

"-I made such a fool of myself and I said oh if the prince had seen me and he did because he's you and oh god."

Draco looked desperately to the band in the corner and they took his signal to start playing something else. He took Hermione into his arms and started dancing with her again as she realised that they were moving she looked up in panic. "No you can't dance with me, I'm not a princess!" she protested, "you have to dance with someone more befitting your station my lord."

Draco sighed and chuckled. "I am your prince and I can do what I want."

"But-"

"No buts!" he insisted looking down at her he only became more determined that this was the girl he would ask to marry him. "Shut up and dance with me."

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Much Love, MaryandMerlin x