A/N: I'm sorry for the long waiting. School sure eats a lot of time…

Fallen & Risen 29. May I have this dance?

When Heley, Draco, and lady Malfoy returned down to the guests, Hermione, who saw Heley first, ran to meet her friend.

"Heley!"

Hearing Hermione calling their friend's name, Ron, Neville, and Luna stopped their conversation and followed Hermione. They were soon joined by Blaise and Ginny. Noticing Heley's red cheeks and slightly puffy eyes, Hermione froze and stared at the black haired girl. She was worried; Heley must have cried.

'What happened between them?' Hermione wondered.

"Hey, guys," Heley said meekly as she walked down the last steps of the stairs, smiling (poorly) at them. Her bad excuse for a smile didn't escape Hermione's, Ron's, and Neville's attention.

"What were you talking about?" Ron asked, frowning worriedly. "You've been absent for a very long time."

"Er, well, hmm…" Heley hesitated. She wanted to tell them what had happened during the last hour, but not here, where anyone could be listening. Draco understood her hesitation.

"Heley, why don't you go to the blue salon with your friends? I have to meet some guests with my mother. It will take us some time," Draco said, sparing her from the dilemma of having to talk to her friends in his presence. Heley was relieved by his offer.

"That would be appreciated. Thank you," Heley said, very grateful. Draco smiled to her - and conveniently knocked all Heley's friends for a loop (What da- &?$%*% was going on? Did Draco Malfoy just smile? How many seconds were left for them to live before they died from a strange and painful dead?). On the other hand, Blaise was grinning. He was certain what Heley was going to tell them would give him more blackmail to use against Draco. And of course, he also wanted to know why Heley had met with Draco and his mother and also why she was wearing the prestigious Black necklace.

"Let me show you the way to the blue salon," Blaise said, leading the way. Being a usual guest at the Malfoy Manor, he knew where the blue salon was. They followed in his steps.

Heley told them everything from the moment she met Mr. Wingston, explaining how she wasn't major by wizard world standards, about the heritage Sirius left for her, about Draco's new title and position as her warden, and about the necklace lady Malfoy gave her. But she skipped the part about Draco begging her help to Lucius Malfoy. Heley wanted to keep that episode a secret. Besides, she thought that Lucius' story belonged more to Draco than to her. She also skipped over the part about Draco being the one who put the necklace on her. It was too personal for her to share it with everyone.

"So, basically, it means that from this moment on, Draco Malfoy has complete authority over you, right?" Neville asked. Heley chewed her lips, squirming in her chair.

"Yes," she trailed. Ron grimaced.

"Poor Heley. I wouldn't want to be in your shoes," he said. Heley cringed and tensed. Hermione hit her boyfriend across the back of his head. Whack!

"Ow! What was that for, 'Mione!" Ron protested. Hermione only threw him a glare of daggers, which were saying 'How could you say that to her? Don't you see that it's already hard for her without you rubbing salt in the wound?'. Ron turned around to watch Heley and saw her slightly pale face. He bit his lip and cursed himself. He wished he had thought before speaking. "Er, sorry, Heley," Ron mumbled apologetically.

Heley slumped her shoulders and sighed. Everyone in the room became quiet. They could feel how hard it was for Heley to accept her new situation. Blaise took the initiative to comfort her.

"I know this must be hard for you, Heley, but know that Draco would never do anything that might upset you or make you sad. I give you my word," Blaise said. Surprised by the conviction in his voice, everyone turned to him. Heley stared at him as she chewed her lip. She was torn between her fear and wanting to trust him.

"How can you be so sure of yourself?" Ron asked. Blaise only smiled.

"Just believe me," Blaise only said. Neville and Ginny looked at him, remembering what he had promised them. Ron saw the glance his sister and Neville had thrown at the Slytherin. They remembered what Blaise had told them before about his friend. Ron frowned suspiciously.

'Ginny knows something about Malfoy and Heley that I don't,' Ron thought. 'And Neville knows about it too.'

After the conversation in the blue room, lady Malfoy came to collect Heley. She wanted to present the new member of the Black ladies to the guests. Many people saw the necklace around Heley's throat and were curious about it. They had expressed their desire to make her acquaintance and gathered around the girl standing next to the Malfoy mistress. Seeing the crowd clutched around her, Heley wanted to flee. Sensing her panic, Draco moved to stand beside her. His calm presence dampened Heley's fright, and she started to relax. Draco didn't leave her side for a moment, after that.

At the other side of the room, Ron was watching them. In fact, he didn't stopped watching from the moment lady Malfoy took Heley away. Now, with lady Malfoy on her left side and Draco on her right side, Heley was more comfortable with speaking to the guests. It irked Ron, but he had to admit that the Malfoys were being good guardians for Heley, even that Draco Bloody-Manticore-Blast-End-Skrewt-Crossbreed-Dung- Ferret Malfoy! (A/N: Inspiration from Phoenix Soar's Unorthodox Matchmaker, chapter 2, "Life is back to normal - Not".)

'Is this why Ginny and Neville seem to trust him aroundHeley?' Ron wondered. Ron ground his teeth and swallowed a curse he intended to use on the blond haired boy. It frustrated him that he didn't have a good reason to hex the Slytherin Head Boy. Surely, the departure from this world of the ferret wouldn't be such a big lost to anyone. And he, Ronald Billius Weasley, would happily take the pleasure to escort that stuck up pure blood to the other world! Ron made a note to himself to borrow some stuff from George's shop when he will send the blond snake off. Suddenly, a feminine arm slipped under his, instantly snapping him out of his frustration. Ron brought his attention down to the girl who was cuddling his arm. Hermione smiled up at him.

"I'm also worried for Heley, but we should trust her more. And even if I must lose my position as Head Girl, I'll help you curse Malfoy, if he does anything wrong to her," Hermione said and tightened her hug around his arm. Ron grinned, liking the idea.

"Okay!" he said, his eyes shined with excitement and started to concoct some new and horrible curses for the ferret. While listening to him describe a particularly nasty and disgusting hex of his newest creation, Hermione leaded him toward the buffet. Food always did wonders on Ron, so she was sure the buffet would lighten up Ron's mood.

"I'm sure George will help me make a new prank just for the albino Drakput Malfunctioning ferret," Ron said. The good smell of the food had already started their miracle on his spirit.

"Of course he will," Hermione agreed motherly, spotting the oyster Ron was so fond of earlier in the evening. Certainly, these oysters would make Ron forget about Malfoy very quickly. Hermione grabbed a plate and filled it for Ron.

Heley sighed of relief. The guest with whom she was speaking finally decided to spare her and left her to torture another person of his acquaintance. That was why Harry had always hated social events.

'Now, I officially hate social events more than ever!' Heley thought. Draco smiled when he heard her sigh.

"You did well for your first time. Congratulations," he praised. Heley grimaced.

"On the other hand, I'm not sure I can handle this until the end of the night. How do you not lose your head with the horde of them crowding around you like a pack of hungry lions around a piece of fresh meat?" Heley asked.

"Years of practice," Draco simply answered.

"Heley, never let people see your true feelings in public. If people see that you're scared of them, it would only make them want to crush you. However, if you stand firm in front of them, they will retreat. This is how this world works," lady Malfoy taught. She paused before adding, "And tonight is not as exhausting as most nights."

Heley paled and her jaw dropped. Tonight wasn't as most nights? Then how exhausting was it normally? Heley bit her lip.

'I don't want to know.'

Lady Malfoy smiled at Heley.

"But as Draco said, you have done well for your first time," she said. "Your grandmother Dorea would have been proud of you."

The orchestra stopped playing. It was the signal that the waltz would be the next song.

"Ah, it's time for the waltz," lady Malfoy said. It was a tradition for the Malfoys to open the waltz at the New Year celebration. The musicians were waiting for lady Malfoy and her partner to come on the dancing floor. But tonight, Narcissa Malfoy didn't want to do it. Every year, Narcissa Malfoy always opened the waltz with her Lucius Malfoy. She wouldn't dance with anyone other than her husband. So if he wasn't there with her, then she wouldn't do it. It was a very precious moment between her and her husband. She wasn't going to have anyone else taking her husband's place.

"Draco, please open the waltz for me," lady Malfoy said. "I don't feel like dancing. I will rest for a moment. Please, do it with Heley."

"Ah! What? No! Wait!" Heley screeched, but Draco cut her.

"Yes, mother," Draco answered, bowing obediently and pretending he didn't see Heley's panicked face. He turned to the black hair girl and gave her his hand, the palm up. "Heley, will you give me the honour of this dance?"

Heley's face drained of color. All the Hogswartians, particularly the 7th year Gryffindors, gasped in horror when they saw Draco inviting Heley to dance, various thoughts running through their heads.

'Is he a masochist, asking her to dance with him?'

'Come to think of it, he didn't dance with her at the Christmas party at Hogwarts, so he doesn't know how bad it is dancing with her. But then again, he must have seen at least one of her numerous falls…'

'Ma-maso…'

'Definitely maso…'

'He's a masochist!'

'Will his foot be spared by her?'

'I can't believe that I'm thinking that, but I admit I admire the ferret's courage to ask her to dance with him,' Ron mortified.

'He seems confident of himself,' Neville noticed, wondering why.

Heley was on the verge of having an apoplexy as she stared at his offered hand, but she couldn't run away. Everyone in the room was watching. The guests were waiting so they could take the dancing floor too. Heley gulped.

"D-Draco, y-you are aware that I am a bad dancer, r-right?" she stuttered, cold sweat appearing on her forehead. Draco smiled, remembering the Christmas party at Hogwarts.

"Don't worry," he simply said. "Leave it to me. Everything will be fine. Trust me."

Yet, Heley still refused to give him her hand so he took it. Draco kissed the back of her palm. Heley blushed at the feeling of his soft and warm lips on her skin. Next, he wrapped her arm around his and leaded her in the middle of dancing floor. The musicians prepared their instruments, waiting for the conductor to give the starting beat. Once in the middle of the room, Draco put his left arm around Heley's waist and pulled Heley close to him. Heley felt the blood rushing up to her face. The music started and Draco guided the first steps of the waltz. Heley tensed because of the proximity with him. It was embarrassing. Plus, her height complex wasn't helping her. Heck, the top of her head barely reached his nose, making her felt more miserable about her shortness than ever. She hated dancing, and right now, it was exactly what she was do-… was being forced to do. Everybody knew she was clumsy with her feet on the ground, and she was aware of it more than everybody knew. Feeling her tense against him, Draco leaned down and murmured in her ears.

"Relax. Just follow my lead," Draco whispered, his warm breath making Heley's cheeks burn. The only answer he got from his partner was a loud gulp. He smiled to relax her and made her twirl in his arm.

Big surprise: Draco didn't get his feet crushed, and Heley didn't trip. Draco was totally controlling the dance. With him as a dancing partner, it was impossible to trip. He helped her left foot number two become the right foot it was supposed to be. He was a good leading partner. They made a beautiful couple.

"I admit, I'm impressed with Draco," Dean said, annoyed. Ron, Neville, and Seamus nodded in agreement and grimaced like Dean because they were annoyed too. Draco was succeeding where they had all failed. Blaise locked eyes with Draco. The Head Boy was smirking at him.

'I beat you,' Draco's eyes were telling him.

"Awwn…" Blaise groaned in annoyance. He hated it when Draco did something he couldn't. And obviously, Draco knew he hated it too. It seemed that Draco hadn't forgiven his 'best friend' for making fun of him at the Christmas party at Hogwarts.

"Slytherin!" Blaise grunted between his teeth. Draco ignored him and made Heley twirl before pulling her against him again. Soon, the guests joined them. Neville turned to Luna and bowed to her.

"Luna, may I have the honour of this dance?" he asked her. Luna gave up watching the darlweens, which were pulling on the bow of the fat lady in pink, and smiled to Neville.

"It would be my pleasure," she said. She gave him her hand, and he led her to the dance floor to join the twirling couples.

Lit up by the spirit of the New Year, Seamus gathered up his courage and asked the girl he liked to dance. When Millicent Bulstrode said yes, Seamus flashed all eight of his super white, front teeth and hastily pulled her onto the dance floor, nearly making her trip. Dean and Seamus' potion partner Victoria saw it.

"Finnigan blew up our potion because he was watching Milly instead of watching what ingredients he was putting in the potion," Victoria said to Dean.

"I figured it was something like that," Dean said, grimacing. "Seamus has fancied her for quite a while, you know. To be exact, it's been two years. When Professor Slughorn appointed Millicent as my potion partner, he was disappointed."

Victoria giggled.

"Why didn't he ask her out before?" she asked. Dean sighed.

"Well, let say the tension between our respective houses wasn't helping. And during the war wasn't a good time either," Dean responded. Victoria chewed her lip. She knew what he meant. "But oh well, I'm happy that things are turning out well for him. It was getting really annoying with him mopping around about her because whenever he mops, he chomps on my reserve of Chocolate Frogs!" Dean finished.

"Hahaha!" Victoria laughed. Dean smiled at her and extended his hand to her.

"Wanna dance?"

Victoria grinned, took his hand, and they jumped in with the twirling people.

Above the first floor, where Professor McGonagall was, the old headmistress was watching them, little tears of happiness twinkling in her eyes.

'Dumbledore, can you see them now? What you have always wanted has finally come true.'

A/N: I'm sorry to announce this, but from now on, my update rate will be slower. School is taking up a lot of my time. Please, I hope you understand. Thank you.

Update on Thursday Octobre 28, 2010. Beta'd by ElusiveTruth.