Chapter 18

"We paid her to get you ready and for the costumes, not to kidnap you," Draco explained as they walked towards the Great Hall.

"To be fair, we didn't explicitly say she couldn't kidnap you. Clever little minx she is, I bet that's how she got Potter to agree to go out with her back in fifth year. There was that week that he went missing, chalked it up to him just getting himself stuck in the forest or something, but now I wonder." Theo commented, his eyes kept darting over to Hermione, looking her over again before down at their clasped hands and smiling. "Anything to help him get over that crush he had on that Ravenclaw bint, I got second hand embarrassment watching him follow after her and that's saying something."

"She kidnapped Harry!?" Hermione exclaimed looking at the two wizards on either side of her, "Why have I never heard about this? I never realized how utterly and completely insane Pansy is." The boys had stopped walking, causing Hermione to turn back around. "What?"

"Her best friend is Snape, of course she's bloody mental," Draco said, as if that explained everything. "I take it you've never met Posey, her mother, either. Pansy was raised to believe the world is hers for the taking and she took that quite literally."

The trio began moving again, heading towards the Great Hall where the ball was being held. Had Astoria not kept dropping the plans on whatever table Hermione was sitting at, she wouldn't have even known there was a party happening beyond the doors. It wasn't any louder than a typical Hogwarts dinner, but Hermione knew better. Magic was a wonderful thing.

"The entitlement of the girl is truly–" whatever Hermione was about to say was lost as Theo pushed the door open.

It was stunning. Jack-o-lanterns floated above them, illuminating the hall. Bats fluttered even higher, casting shadows as they flew. The ghosts were floating around, some acting as wait staff while others were just scaring the student body.

Every student, first year and up, had been allowed to attend. With the fourth years and older class able to stay later into the night, Hermione couldn't help herself as she laughed at the costumes everyone had worn.

Ginny and Blaise Zabini were easy to spot, dressed as Morticia and Gomez Addams, they played the part well. Taking up the entire dance floor, commanding attention while still being completely wrapped up in each other. Harry and Pansy, the vampires while Neville and his girlfriend were vampire slayers (complete with wooden crosses hanging from their necks).

Luc and Astoria were slow dancing, despite the music being a much faster paced. Astoria wore a ball gown that flashed between pink and blue, much like the one in Sleeping Beauty, only this was a more modern gown. She wore a tiara and heavy glittering earrings, making her appear to be the perfect princess. Luc couldn't pull his eyes away from the witch in his arms, he wore the crown and was dressed in the most over the top tunic, cloak, leggings and trousers set she'd ever seen. The elder Malfoy brother looked amazing, and not ridiculous in the slightest.

"They're so in love it makes them look even more beautiful and perfect," Draco whispered into her ear. "While they were betrothed as children, mother always knew they'd be happy, otherwise she never would have stood for it. She said her children deserve a love story that could rival her own, and the complete devotion my brother shows Tori and her in return, I think he has."

"Haven't you?" Hermione asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "With Theo, I mean," she corrected herself, pulling her eyes away from the couple.

Draco's smile turned soft, lighting up his entire face in a way that radiated how infatuated he was with his boyfriend. It was enough that had she been a weaker witch, she would have felt jealousy seeing him this way.

"Theo's my everything, I've known I was in love with him from the time I was thirteen. Though, truth be told, I've always felt there was something missing. I was terrified to tell him for years, but finally I did and he agreed and he felt the void too." Draco looked down into Hermione's eyes, cupping her face with his hand. "But then you came along, and something just clicked. Like you were the missing piece my soul had been searching for all this time."

"Draco…" his name coming out more as a wish than anything else. Never had she'd felt so loved and accepted as she had here. She'd stopped coming around her father's, because even with Lily and Harry's acceptance, she'd still felt like an intruder, an outsider to their family. She'd never been more than a burden to her mother and her grandparents had done their best, but they'd already raised their child and were ill equipped to do it a second time.

At school, she'd been too smart, too ambitious. The other students felt threatened by her success, her drive, not wanting to get close to her because of it. Those who had tried hadn't stayed long, once they saw the madness that was her life. Her dreams were crushing to her, much less to someone who would only be sidelined for them.

Hermione gasped when she felt arms wrap around her waist, pulling her against a firm bare chest behind her. "Meeting you was like lifting a veil off the world, everything was clear for the first time," Theo murmured into her ear. She hadn't even known the wizard was there, making her body prick with excitement. "We may not know each other very well, but I'm willing to bet that this is a forever type of love."

"L-love?" Hermione stuttered, turning in Theo's arms so she could look him in the eye. "You're not in love with me, that would be–"

"Crazy," Draco said against her neck, surprising Hermione by his sudden closeness. "But not impossible. The more I get to know you, the more I fall for you."

"What he said," Theo whispered, nipping at her earlobe. "There's nothing about you that hasn't enchanted me since I first saw you, and every moment I spend soaking you in, I feel more whole."

The music that Hermione had wholly forgotten was even playing, picking up the pace even more. She felt herself being pulled into the crowd of students cheering, singing, and dancing. Her eyes darted between the two wizards who said the most beautiful things to her, and just overall made her feel a love and acceptance that she didn't know she could feel from someone.

Theo and Draco passed her back and forth between the pair of them, never missing a beat or a step. Hermione showed the skills she'd possessed from the ballet lessons she'd taken as a child, living in the moment and just enjoying being with the boys. Her boys. When a song came on that she knew, Hermione sang along with the rest of the students that had grown up with no maj culture, leaving all the pureblood students at a loss, but laughing along regardless.

She chuckled at Theo as he tried to make Draco eat the fruit from his head, and when the odd group of friends that she'd somehow cultivated gathered around them, Hermione knew the joy she was feeling was genuine happiness. Harry smiled at her, and lifted his cup in her direction before taking a drink. The night continued in this way, people she'd known through Harry coming over, and the new friends she'd made since coming to Hogwarts also stopping to say hello.

Her boys never left her side though. Even in all the craziness of the ball; the dancing, the drinking, the socializing, Hermione was never alone. Always within reach of one or both of her boys. She couldn't help the smile as the realization washed over her. They were in love with her, and maybe she was in love with them.

Much later, when McGonagall was ushering everyone out, Draco pulled her aside and towards an ulterior exit. Theo followed closely behind, glancing over his shoulder to make sure that no one was any the wiser to the fact that they weren't going where they were supposed to be.

"What are we doing?" Hermione whispered, as they ducked behind a suit of armor, waiting while the grumpy caretaker stalked past.

"We're taking you to our secret bedroom," Theo answered, giving her a wink.

"Your bedroom?" Hermione asked, looking towards the dungeons. "Aren't Zabini, Goyle, and Crabbe going to be there?"

"We aren't staying in the castle, my love," Theo whispered, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. "We're going to thirteen."