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Hermione was furious.
At Malfoy.
At McGonagall.
At life.

Why? Just when she was starting to get back into the routine of things, something had to come along and disrupt it.

A Halloween Ball.

Really? Of all the bloody things in this world, she had to choreograph a Halloween Ball! For one it was overplayed! They were witches and wizards for Merlin's sake! Being in costume would amount to showing up in Muggle attire.

"But Professor-"
"Ms. Granger, this is not a request, or a negotiation. Halloween is a sacred night for our world, I assume you know. Plus the ball will allow for the students something to look forward to. A break and a relief. You may go."

She said that as if she had never gone to a ball.

Honestly, a ball would add more stress. There's picking out the perfect outfit for one. One that says that you want to have fun, but without trying or looking like a total slag. There's getting the makeup and appearance just right. There's freaking out because you don't know who you're going with. Will someone ask you? Are you going with friends?

She was sure guys didn't have it as bad, but even they had pressure.

The only relief was that it wasn't a costume ball. McGonagall had said there was no way she was dealing with THAT.

Hermione left the Headmasters office and went back to her room, where she proceeded to yell into a pillow.
"Uhh, Hermione?"

Hermione looked over.

Lavender Brown was sitting on the third bed.

Hermione hadn't noticed her when she came in. Lavender looked like Hermione remembered her. Brown wavy hair, soft features. But she looked haggard. She'd lost weight, and there were remnants of bite scars on her neck, leading down to the shoulder. Her hair had lost some of its luster and her eyes didn't have that brightness to it.

Hermione was so surprised at the change that she just stood there staring. Lavender gave her a sad smile.

"Yeah. It takes some getting used to. I didn't expect to be back so soon anyway. I figured I still had a few more months to go in Mungo's. But the Medi-wizards said that, well, there wasn't much they could do. All my external injuries have been dealt with. I just need to get used to being...different. It's not all bad though." Lavender perked up. "I finally get to see my friends again, and they don't seem to mind my, uh, change. Parvati had everyone sign a welcome back card."

Hermione felt horrible.

She was freaking out and screaming into pillows because she had to organize a ridiculous party, and she was having boy troubles, yet Lavender had been bitten by a werewolf. Her problems were stupid by comparison.

"Well, it's good to have you back." Hermione finally said.
Lavender smiled. "So why were you screaming into a pillow?"
"Oh! Um, there's this Halloween Ball that McGonagall wants me to organize. Which I wouldn't mind, but, well, it's not really my thing."
Lavenders eyes brightened. "I could help! If you'd like, I mean. I would understand if you wouldn't want me to, but..." she trailed off. "I never said thank you. You know, for getting Greyback. I also wanted to say...sorry. For Sixth year. I know I was a complete cow with you, because of Ron. You didn't deserve that. I was just jealous of your relationship with him. I don't like him like that anymore, so don't worry."

Hermione chuckled. "Yes, well, Ronald and I have decided to stay friends. We tried a relationship, but it didn't really work out."

"Oh." She didn't sound surprised.

"I should probably apologize to you as well, for Sixth year. I wasn't fair to you either."
"Well, nothing like burying the hatchet, eh?"

Hermione laughed.

"Well, I need to go find Malfoy to get this Ball thing taken care of. It's just us and the prefects, but you're welcome to come to the meeting if you want to help."
"Sure!"

Hermione waved goodbye and went to find Blonde-Boy.

She decided she wasn't sad about the situation anymore. It was grading on her last nerve. Either he liked her enough to ask her out already, or he was going to be a complete coward. That's what pissed her off the most.

Malfoy needed to man up.

XXXXX

"You need to man up."

"For the last time Blaise, I told you why I wasn't going to act on it."
"Because you're a total pansy?"
"This coming from a Pansy?"
"Oh, shut up Draco! You know your excuses-"
"Are valid."
"-ridiculous. You know that times are different and that-"
"There are raving lunatics out there who would attack us."
"-we support you, whatever your decision."
"If you support me for whatever my decision, then why are you badgering me?"
"Because you're making a stupid one!" Pansy yelled.

Malfoy put his head in one of his hands with the other on his hip. He sighed.

"Look you two; I appreciate your support for whatever the hell I feel toward Granger, but-"
"Malfoy!"

Malfoy turned around to see Granger striding toward him. She did not look pleased.

'This is how I die,' he thought.

For two weeks he had skirted around Granger. She had become detached from him. Didn't speak or look at him, unless absolutely necessary. And it irked him.

He enjoyed Granger's company, and to have her ignore him just because he rejected her, well it was irritating!

He had lost it and finally told Blaise and Pansy about the situation. Everything. From kissing in the library, the hallway, hugging Granger, their moment in the Astronomy Tower. He had left nothing out. They did not seem all that surprised. In fact, the most they reacted to was his rejection during Potions class.

"Dammit Draco!" Pansy had yelled.
Blaise had merely thrown his head back in exasperation, cursing to the clouds.
"I don't get why you two are angry at me. You know I have a point. And besides, you can't judge. You're not in my situation."

Pansy and Blaise had shared a look.

He had tried to decipher that when they started arguing about his supposed "lack of man-bits", as Pansy put it.

And now Granger was here.

"What?"
"We're going to have a Halloween Ball. You and Pansy need to find the other prefects and have them meet me in the Charms classroom." She left.

That was it? That was the most dispassionate thing Granger had ever said to him. Not to mention, she was ordering him around like a first year!

He heard laughing behind him, and saw Blaise giving him a small grin.
"Easy to see who wears the wizards' robes in that relationship."
"There is no relationship!"
"Which is the problem," Pansy said.
"Why are you two still bugging me about this? I told you why-"

"Because we finally got you back!"

Blaise had a stormy expression on his face now. "We finally got you back, Draco. Pansy and I aren't idiots. We're not oblivious. You've changed since the war, and we understand. The things that happened, we get that. But Draco, you had fallen inside this, this dark hole. You weren't happy. And I don't know what it is about Granger, but she somehow managed to, I don't know...she got you out. You're happy with her. So why not be with her?"

Draco stared at Blaise. That was the most serious the Italian had ever been.

"Blaise-"
"No, mate. I'm tired of you making excuses. You've done things your whole life based on other people's opinions. Now go and do your Head Boy duties to attend to."

Blaise walked off.

Pansy was equally as surprised at Blaise's reaction. She and Draco walked out of the Slytherin Common Room in silence.

XXXXX

Malfoy had to say, they did a fantastic job in the Great Hall.

Of course it was fantastic. He decorated the damn thing.

The prefects had all come up with the bright idea to have a 'Muggle' Halloween Ball. Whatever that meant.

And that apparently meant ridiculous versions of witches, spiders, ghosts, goblins, vampires, and skeletons. Honestly, Malfoy had never seen such idiotic decorations. The Muggles' version of a witch had green skin with an enormous wart on an even bigger nose; the only thing accurate about it was the broom, the robes, and the hat. The spiders were made from some annoying shiny stuff that got EVERYWHERE. It was Granger's idea to transfigure them from normal spiders to acromantulas, however.

Also, Muggles seemed to think that ghosts were white, floaty blobs with eyes. Draco might as well have put on a white sheet and gone around saying 'BOO'. The goblins were also inaccurate. The entire Muggle version of wizards and magic were inaccurate.

Even more disturbing was how the students of Hogwarts ate it up. Several were laughing at the "Frankenstein" monster in the corner. That was obviously just a tamer version of Inferi.

There wasn't really any light. There were pumpkins with pictures carved into them, with candles placed inside. There were the floating orbs or "spirits of the dead" that gave off a soft, ambient glow. The Great Halls ceiling was made to look as if there was a full moon amongst stormy and shifting clouds.
There was also music being played by a few younger years that apparently had a band. They weren't the Weird Sisters, but they weren't horrible either.

"You did a good job mate," Blaise said, walking up to Draco.
"Hm," was all Draco said.
Blaise took a step back and looked at Draco. "...What now? Oh wait, I know. Granger."
Draco glared at him.
"Oh, don't give me that look. You've been wallowing around the entire castle for an entire week. 'What am I going to do? What should I do?' Really, mate. You know what you should do."

"How many times have I told you or Pansy that I don't want to go out with her because-"
"You're too afraid," Blaise finished.
Draco sighed. "That's not what I was going to say."
"You don't have to say anything. I know you, and you are afraid to actually show emotion for a change. It might ruin your precious 'image'."

"Like you don't try to keep your image," Draco snorted.
"Yes, but I'm not happy."

Draco gave a sideways look at Blaise. Blaise sighed.

"You really think I want to be 'The Womanizer'? To be, well...like my mother? No. I don't."
"Blaise you don't-"
"Let's just have fun shall we?" Blaise walked off.

Draco did not feel like a very good friend. He had noticed a change in Blaise, albeit a small one. He wasn't as sarcastic, and the last girl he had seen him with was before he had to go plan for this wretched ball. He had attested that to Blaise's peculiar interest in Looney Lovegood. The boy wasn't subtle. And Draco had smirked and snickered to himself at Blaise's choice of female. He had thought it was a stupid little crush, but then again Draco had no room to talk. He hadn't even noticed how unhappy Blaise was with his life.

This past week Draco had done nothing but plan for this ball and done homework. He hadn't even seen Granger. Granger was many things, party planner not one of them. She had let the Brown bint take over her spot for this event. He was beginning to think that maybe that had attested to his surely attitude of late.

Speaking of Granger, he didn't even see her in the Great Hall. Maybe she was escorting younger years. Third years and down had their own little shindig earlier in the day. Draco grimaced at his word choice. Hanging around the Americans had done horrible things to his vocabulary. Anyway Draco wasn't even sure that Granger was going to show up. Pansy had gone shopping with the female Weasley for a dress, surprisingly, but had said nothing on the topic of Granger.

Draco was honestly flabbergasted when the She-Weasle had come over to their table at breakfast and invited Pansy and Valerie to go shopping. Pansy was of course reluctant and suspicious at first. It took some friendly bantering from the Weasley and a promise that Pansy would find out embarrassing secrets about Ron Weasley before Pansy said yes. Valerie had stated, "I already have a dress," but was shot down and told that she would be coming along to give opinions then. No arguments.

Students were starting to file into the Great Hall now. Some were awed by the decorations, others curious. McGonagall had given him a weird look when he had given her the list of decorations and supplies. Draco was sure it was over the fact that it was Draco giving her the list, more than what was on it. Then again...

"So this is how you think Muggles perceive Halloween?"

Draco turned around to see Valerie looking all over the Great Hall. He took a step back.

She looked frightening.

He wasn't sure if it was the way she had done her makeup, the lighting in the Great Hall, her dress or all of it combined.

Her eyes were accented with really dark eye shadow. The space below her eyebrows was filled in with dark colors, giving that 'smoky' eye look that girls often coveted. Her lashes were longer and outlined heavily with eye liner. Her lips were dark red, like blood. Her skin seemed paler than usual, due to her dress being jet black. It was a simple dress. Floor length, long sleeves that went to her wrist, high neckline. The strange thing was that it looked like it was made from layers of spider webs.

He looked back up at her face. She raised a brow.

"You look..."
She laughed. "Well, it is Halloween."
Draco cleared his throat. "Right."
"Hey, you're just a guy. You can get away with simple dress robes."
"Because these robes were simple to get," he muttered. Valerie just shook her head.

Actually, they technically weren't robes. To make the entire Ball accurate, they had even decided to go with Muggle attire. Draco was wearing a tuxedo at the moment. And it was actually really comfortable. McGonagall had had a Muggle-Born tailor come in, and the students had to option to get an outfit from him. Draco couldn't remember looking better.

"So where's Pansy," Draco asked.
Valerie smirked. "She is coming down with Ginny and Hermione."

Granger.

Valerie noticed his shift in attention. She smirked again. "You know Draco-"

"Wow."

Valerie turned her head to the side and saw Felix standing there. It was actually Veela, which would have worried her any other time.

"I know. I'm gorgeous." She smirked.
Veela laughed. "Yes. And scary."
"It's what I strive for."

Veela rolled his eyes.

Draco shook his head in amusement. He looked over and saw Harry Potter enter the Great Hall with the She-Weasle. She had chosen a red colored dress that brought out her hair color. It had straps that tied around her neck to hold the dress up and there were designs of leaves and flowers that flowed through the dress.

Behind those two, Pansy entered talking with the Weasle. Like Draco, the two boys only had to wear a tuxedo, which was a dramatic difference from those ghastly dress robes Draco had seen Weasle in for the Yule Ball. Pansy herself was wearing a blue and silver dress. It was knee length with the majority of the material a satin looking texture. The bulk of the color was blue, but with silver swirls that went up and down the dress.
And then there was Granger.

Draco didn't know what he was expecting. Maybe something like fourth year where Granger came down and stole the breath from everyone.

But that wasn't the case now. Her dress was a pinkish color, knee length with a bow around the middle. That was all. It was plain and simple. And yet, she still looked beautiful.

Draco found himself smiling. Pansy strode up to Draco with Potter, the Weasles, and Granger in tow.

"The Great Hall looks spectacular Draco." She gave him a smile. He noticed Weasley was not happy about that.

Potter gave him a small smile. "It's actually pretty accurate for a Muggle version."
"Although," Valerie put in, "he's missing the teenagers t.p.-ing the place. That would have been the icing on the cake."

Potter, Veela, and Granger laughed.

"It does look great though," Granger said in awe. Draco smiled.
"The Yunktengs will be out tonight."
Draco peered to Granger's left to see Lovegood. Her dress was simple like Granger's, but a purple color and slightly longer with different sleeves.

"Yunktengs Luna?" Hermione asked.
"Yes. They're magical creatures that come out during a time of the dead."

The group all gave Luna a strange look, save for Valerie and Veela.
"Riiiiiiiiight," Weasley said.

"Hey, Draco mate, what do you..." Blaise trailed off as he noticed who had joined the circle.
"Uh, Lovegood. Hi. And Potter. She-Weasle. Hermione. Weasle. Everybody. Right! Coming Daph'!"

Blaise walked quickly over to Daphne.

Veela and Valerie shared a look, as did Draco and Pansy. The rest were oblivious.
Draco looked at the group. "So. Mingle. Dance. Eat-"
"Drink and be merry." Valerie said. Her face had taken on a more reserved look, stoic.

"Right."

Potter took Ginny to dance, while Pansy and Granger took up conversation. Weasley stood there confused as Lovegood tried explaining Yunktengs.

Granger had not looked at him, and it continued that way for the rest of the night. She danced with Potter and Weasle; talked with Pansy, Blaise, and Ginny; and did some ridiculous dance with the girls. But she did not once talk to Draco or look in his general direction.

Draco went over to the refreshment table and got himself punch. He scanned the room. People talked, danced, and had fun. Several Slytherins were striking up conversation with Ravenclaws and Gryffindors alike. He saw the Finnigan bloke staring at a corner and followed his gaze. Valerie and Veela were talking to Lavender Brown. She was wringing her hands together and looked quite panicked. Huh. A moment later, Valerie left the Great Hall.

He was seriously contemplating spiking his punch when Astoria came over.

"Hello Draco."
He had to fight to keep from spewing his drink.
Her dress was, um, SHORT, with a rather low cut neckline. Really low cut. Under normal circumstances, Draco would have loved the view, but seeing as whom it was, or rather who it wasn't, he was not excited. She gave him a dazzling smile.

"Disgusting isn't it? These decorations. I mean, they were beautiful how you had to arrange it, but it's just shameful that you had to use them at all. Filthy Muggles."

He drew himself up.

"Actually, I was the one who suggested it." Well, he hadn't come up with it, but it was the idea that he had supported the most.

Astoria's smile didn't slip. "It must be awful, having to put a face on for these inferiors. I don't blame you. But the time will come again when you don't have to-"

"It's not a face, Astoria."

She froze. "Beg pardon?"
"It's not a face. I don't mind Muggles. Or Muggle-Borns for that matter."

Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly, giving her the expression of a fish.
"You can't mean-"
"I do."

She stared at him. He didn't back down or let his expression waiver. He kept a hard stare. He wasn't sure if she simply did not know what to say, or what, but he walked away.

She stared after him.

Draco made his way over to Veela, who was watching Pansy and the Weasle.

"Curious isn't it?" Veela said. He didn't sound like the normal smart ass. He was the most serious and resigned that Draco had ever seen him.

"What is?" Draco asked.
Veela sighed. "Do you ever get tired of it? Playing the idiot, being oblivious? For all your talk of change, Malfoy, you sure are stuck in the past."
Draco didn't say anything.
"You can't even process the fact that both of your best friends like people who aren't Slytherins. People that are considered blood-traitors."
He still stayed silent.

"How long do you plan to keep it up, Malfoy?" Veela asked quietly. "If there's one thing I've learned, it's that life is far too short to keep your head stuck in the sand."

There was a buzzing noise.

Veela took a wand out of his tuxedo pocket and swished it. Green numbers glowed on the floor where Veela was pointing his wand.

11:24

"Damn." Veela pocketed his wand and turned to Draco. "I'm afraid I have to call it a night."
Draco gave him a weird look. "Call it a night at 11:24 on a Friday night?"
"Hey, Veelas need their beauty sleep." He smirked.
Veela walked off, but didn't head straight to the doors. He went over to Brown, who was talking with Finnegan. He said something in her ear, and pulled her away. She gave a small smile to Finnegan, who looked rather dejected. Brown and Veela left the Great Hall together.

Beauty sleep indeed.

Draco peered around the Great Hall looking for Blaise. As it was, the ball was only supposed to go to midnight, and Draco had a mind for having fun with a good friend called Ogden. And since his stash was, erm, depleted, then he would just have to mooch off of the Italian.

He found Blaise talking to one of the Patil twins and started making his way over when he heard a THWACK!

He looked over to see Pansy glaring at the boy, Harper. She had clearly just smacked him. He and his friends were laughing. Pansy was furious, but there were tears threatening to spill over. She rushed from the Great Hall. Draco started to go over there, but Weasley beat him. He didn't even bother with magic, just punched the little bitch. Harper spilled onto the floor into one of his friends. Weasley followed after Pansy.

"What was that about?"
Potter and Weaslette walked up to his side.
"I have no idea."
Blaise and Granger joined them.

"Well, let's find out," Blaise said.
He stalked over to Harper and yanked him up by the collar.
"Would you like to explain yourself?"
"What? I didn't say anything the bitch didn't deserve."

Blaise bristled.
Draco drew his wand.

'Patience.' A voice said. It was Valerie's voice again, and Draco wondered why it was always her voice.

Regardless, the voice was right. There were far too many witnesses here, and he could do much more damage with time and preparation. Blindly jumping into things wouldn't get him that far.

Blaise on the other hand, did not have that voice, for he too, punched Harper. The boy went sprawling again.

"Let's go find Pansy," Blaise said.

"We're going to tag along and find Ron," Potter said.

Draco glared at him. "It doesn't concern you, Potter."
Potter only rolled his eyes. "Unless you were blind, you would have seen Ron punching the little prick, so yes it does concern us."
Draco almost protested.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake. There's no reason why all of us can't go." Granger stalked toward the exit. Blaise, Malfoy, Harry, and Ginny followed.

They exited the Great Hall stopped.

"Would she have gone outside or up to the dorms?" Potter asked.

"Someone just left out the door a moment ago," a quiet voice said. The group turned to see Lovegood standing there. "I was following a trail of Nargles, when someone left." She smiled.

"Well, then outside it is then," Draco said.

They all left out the door and into the courtyard. It was a crisp night. The sky looked like the ceiling in the Great Hall. It wasn't quite a full moon, but there was still plenty of ghostly light. There were a few couples out here, getting into mischief, but the group ignored them. They left the courtyard into the grounds. They stopped a few feet from the entrance of the courtyard and stopped. Pansy or Weasley weren't anywhere in sight. They didn't have that much of a head start, so the group should have seen them, unless...

"They aren't out here," Blaise said.
"Alright, let's go check the castle then," Granger said. They turned back to the courtyard.

Movement caught Draco's eye.

By the Forbidden Forrest tree line, Veela and Lavender Brown were walking. They strolled along the tree line before Veela peered at a spot, and stepped into the Forrest.

"Blaise." Draco called.
"Huh?"
Draco told him what he saw.

"So? He's probably 'recharging'."
"No, I don't think so."

The two were too determined looking. Besides that, they weren't even touching. There was something else.

Draco walked toward the trees.
"Draco what are you doing?" Blaise asked.
"Well, either they're having a little tryst or there's something else going on. I intend to find out. Besides, if Veela is 'recharging' then we at least need to tell them what idiots they are for going into the Forbidden Forrest in the middle of the night, on Halloween no less."

The rest of the group was silent.
"It's not like you all have to follow. Go look for Pansy and Weasley."

"No, you have a point." Potter said. "And besides, Ron can take care of Parkinson."
He got a weird look.

"Oh, you all can't be that stupid." No one commented.

"Alright then Malfoy, lead the way."

XXXXX

Ronald Weasley was not great with women. And crying women were even worse. But he did not think of that as he chased after Parkinson. His fist hurt from when he punched Harper, but he ignored the pain. The little twat deserved it.

Ron and Parkinson had been talking about school at the beginning of the dance. They hadn't really noticed how much time had passed. They had talked about anything really. The topic of conversation had gotten to Malfoy and Hermione - Ron shuddered - when Harper had come over, laughing.

"Of course. The little slut has to turn to blood-traitors as a last resort. No one else will take her."

Parkinson had not really paid the boy attention. She had given him half a glance before turning her attention back on Ron.

"Then again, who would really want her? I mean, look at that face. She looks like a fucking dog. Actually, that's an insult to dogs. She's uglier than a dog."

Ron had noticed that Parkinson had clenched her hands into fists then.

"It's no wonder that her father wanted to shove her off to Crabbe."
Parkinson had lurched forward and struck Harper in the face then and then ran off.

Ron got mad. Well, he had been mad since Harper had opened his mouth, but was waiting to see what Parkinson would do. But now, with Harper standing there sputtering, Ron surged forward and punched him in the face before taking off after the Slytherin girl.

In the past few months he had been with Parkinson, he had noticed that she was not the girl she used to be. No one was the same person, not after the war, but Parkinson was the most dramatic change he had noticed.

And he had gone to her for tutoring on purpose.

He had thought about what Felix or Veela or whoever the hell said that Parkinson liked him, and wanted to find out for himself.

Parkinson had given him nothing. Ron supposed that was a Slytherin trait.

But over the previous two weeks, he had noticed how soft her hair was, how nice she smelled. He noticed how her smile was bright and filled with humor.

He liked her.

And when she had come down the stairs in that black dress, well, he really liked her.

And he didn't care what others though. Bollocks to them all.

He heard quiet sobbing and turned a corner to see Parkinson leaning against the wall. She had her head in her hands, and her shoulders were shaking.

Ron walked toward her slowly.

"Parkinson?"

She sniffed a couple times and tried to staunch her crying.

"What do you want Weasley? Come to gloat?" She sniffed again.
"And why would you think that?" He asked softly.

She thought about it for a moment, and shook her head.

"I don't know," she said in a resigned tone. "Force of habit, I guess."

He reached Parkinson and leaned up against the wall beside her.

"Yeah, I guess."

Silence, then...
"He's right. Harper. That's why my father hated me so much, why he couldn't wait to be rid of me. I wasn't pretty. Not like Mother. And she resented the fact, too. As if it was my fault that I wasn't the most beautiful Pureblood there was. My father told me that the name would give the men some draw, but I'd have to give them something as well. But I wasn't pretty, or too smart. I had nothing to give them. When my father told me that I was to marry Crabbe, he said that I should count my stars that someone had even agreed to marry me. That I was lucky I didn't have to become a mistress." She gave a dark laugh.

Ron didn't say anything for a minute.

"If you believed your father, then you really are an idiot."
She turned to him. "Beg pardon?"

"Well," Ron started, "you aren't, not pretty. I mean," he rushed, "that you are pretty. Honestly you're gorgeous. But that isn't just it. You're smart. If it wasn't for you, then I wouldn't be passing Charms at this moment. And...You're kind. You've changed for the better Parkinson. I mean, you have to admit, before you were kind of evil, but now you're not and you're really pretty and nice and I've noticed and-"

Parkinson pulled him by the lapels of his suit and kissed him.

"You really have no clue about women do you, Weasley?" She asked a minute later.
He shook his head no. She smiled and pulled him in for another kiss.