Draco wasn't having a good time. He was quite used to extravagance and socialising, being an aristocratic member of the sacred 28, and this so-called 'ball' paled in comparison to even the low key get-togethers he was used to attending. He watched as his fellow students gazed around with wonder at the snow falling from the enchanted great hall ceiling, the fairy-filled Christmas trees and the icy dance floor. Pathetic.
He was used to being the centre of attention within his tight social group at Hogwarts and his fathers inner circle back home, to spending his evenings being schmoozed by social climbers and simpered over by overbearing witches hoping to win his favour - and in exchange, a luxurious and descendant life as a Malfoy Lady in his vast manor. However, with the arrival of the exotic Beauxbatons and mysterious Durmstrang students, Draco had unexpectedly been thrown into the background this year. It was a space he was unused to occupying - well, before Potter had made it his mission to shake up every school year and turn it into the boy-who-won't-die show.
He might have known this year would be no exception. How bloody predictable, that Potter's name would somehow end up being vomited out of the Goblet. And now Draco was forced to watch as the entire school clamoured to get a glimpse of the so-called Champions as they entered the Great Hall one by one, the great celebrities of the year.
Draco scoffed as the students strained to watch them descend the great stair-case to the dance floor. First came dim-witted Diggory, the newly declared Hogwarts heart-throb, smiling and waving as he basked in the attention with the Chang girl on his arm. Next was Fleur De-lacour who, Draco had to admit sourly, looked radiant as she floated down the stairs, accompanied by a Ravenclaw boy beside her who looked dumbfounded at his luck to be there. Draco still carried a sore spot about her lack of interest after he had attempted to win her favour by gloating to her about his family and many estates - although when retelling his version of events to his inner circle, he had claimed that vain and vacant French veelas were not to his taste. Next was the golden child himself, Draco rolled his eyes as he noted that apparently even at a ball Potter couldn't make himself look appropriately presentable, his hair sticking up at all angles as he sheepishly looked around the room and clumsily stepped on to the dance floor. Some Hogwarts Champion he made. He was accompanied by Parvati Patil, a tittering and giggling girl in their year who Draco didn't care to know much about.
He was about to make a snarky comment as he noticed there was a murmur around the room and people were craning their necks towards the top of the staircase. He followed their line of vision to Victor Krum, and rolled his eyes. Predictable. Still simpering over the famous Krum after all these months, even after it was obvious that aside from considerable talent at Quidditch, he had the personality of a brick. As he turned to Crabbe to voice his opinion, he noticed that the students didn't appear to be gazing at Krum, but the pretty girl on his arm.
Descending the staircase delicately in heeled shoes, a pale pink dress skimming her petite figure, and sleek brown hair draping into a stylised twist at the nape of her neck, the girl gazed nervously and unsurely at Krum, and then out to the crowd.
Draco felt his breath catch and did a triple take at the familiar face. The girl eyed the dancefloor, before her large brown eyes found Potter and gave a small wave. Potter's prize swot, Granger. She looked… different. Draco almost wouldn't have recognised her had it not been for the one familiar tightly curled hair that had escaped the sleek updo and framed her face. He continued to stare, bewildered. He was having a hard time processing that this girl on Krum's arm was the same frizzy haired pest that he had the displeasure of sitting behind in most classes as she stuck her arm in the air to answer every question the professor asked.
Krum was looking down at her, the same surly expression on his face as always, but mixed with a hungry and predatory look in his eyes, drinking her in. It was incredulous to Draco that the famous Krum, who could have had his pick of any girl currently residing within Hogwarts, would have chosen the Mudblood as his date for the Yule Ball. However, as Draco dumbly continued to stare at her in disbelief, he had to admit that Granger looked.. She looked..
He shook his head, clearing those absurd thoughts from his head. The Champions had finished their descent, and started their Waltz to the elegant music, all eyes on them. As he was forced to watch along with his fellow students as the dance continued on, the professors joining in, Draco thought melancholy that this night couldn't get much more tedious.
"Is that Granger with Krum?! She looks so different - she's finally tamed that lion's mane! And has she finally fixed those buck teeth? Apparently her filthy muggle parents work on teeth, of all things! Maybe they decided to do something about them, finally -"
He was wrong. There was nothing more tedious than having to listen to Pansy's constant drone about drivel. And he was to be subjected to this all night, as he had stupidly given in and agreed to bring her as his date, deeming it better than arriving solo like Crabbe and Goyle. It wasn't that he had had no more options, but there was an unsurprising lack of eligible pure-blooded females at Hogwarts, and the Malfoy men had to be picky about who they chose to be seen with. Draco's father had 'encouraged' him to indulge in Pansy's obsession with him, by heavily reminding him that an alliance was beneficial between the Malfoy's and Parkinson's, given that her family were fellow members of the sacred Twenty-Eight and she was descended from a long line of powerful wizards. It was all a political game, one which Draco, as sole heir of the Malfoy blood-line, was forced to be part of. Never mind that talking to Pansy for more than a minute made Draco want to cast a stupefy spell through his head.
She continued her never-ending commentary to Draco as he tuned her out, watching with a mix of irritation and amusement Potter clumsily stumbled around the dance floor, his partner seemingly taking the lead. He was uncomfortable to note that his eyes unwillingly kept drifting back to Granger, unable to fully comprehend why she was capturing his attention. Despite being timid in her movements, she danced with grace, with her eyes never leaving Krum's. His intense stare seemed to guard her as if she were a prized possession. Draco couldn't help but feel like he had entered an alternate universe. How had Granger, of all people, captured the attention of the world's most renowned and desirable Quidditch star? She, the bookish know-it-all, hardly seemed like an appealing prospect worthy of Krum's possessive grip on the dance floor. And yet, as Draco observed her from a distance, he couldn't deny there was something different about her, something that left him feeling uncomfortable. And, to his surprise, he wasn't the only one intrigued, as he noticed a multitude of onlookers seemed to be staring as intently as he was.
"...with love potion, I bet! But as I said, you can't cover up that mud-blood stench no matter how she dolls herself up, like putting lipstick on a pig, don't you agree Draco?"
Draco dragged his eyes away with a flicker of annoyance to Pansy, who was looking at him with a sly smirk, although she searched his eyes intently with a hint of jealousy as she attempted to gauge his reaction to her words. He wondered if she had been following his gaze.
He schooled his face back into a mask of indifference.
"Who cares about Potter's mudblood?" Draco grunted, his tone dismissive. This seemed to satisfy Pansy, as she turned back with a smug smile to continue her never ending drone.
...
The rest of the evening slugged on, with Pansy dragging him up to dance. Draco accepted unenthusiastically but spun her around gracefully. The waltz was ridiculously easy for him, having had dance lessons from the age of 8, and he moved with elegance and confidence. The same couldn't be said for everyone else, with the Oaf having now joined the dance floor with the giantess from Beauxbatons, his head resting on her bosom. This school was just getting worse.
As the music progressed, he lifted and twirled Pansy dutifully, but his mind was elsewhere. She seemed to notice and kept dragging his attention back to her, slightly annoyed. After a while he excused himself to get a drink, and sat back down at a table with his fellow Slytherins. One of them had secretly conjured some firewhiskey, and sneakily filled each of their goblets. Draco gratefully accepted, needing it to calm the strange thoughts rattling around his brain. There was one face which kept swimming to the forefront of his mind, no matter how many times he shoved it away. He gulped down the firewhiskey, the familiar burning creeping down the back of his throat as he swallowed it in one.
He spotted Potter and Weasel sitting at a table by themselves, not talking to their dates or amongst themselves and looking thoroughly glum. Eventually both their dates left angrily to dance with different boys, apparently not happy to be ignored at a table all night. Both boys barely had a reaction, and continued to stare at the ground in silence. Nothing pleased Draco more than when things didn't go Potter's way, and he snatched the chance to cheer himself up as sauntered over accompanied by Crabbe and Goyle.
"Look boys, it's the great Hogwarts champion," he said to Crabbe and Goyle, as soon as he was within earshot of Harry. "Someone grab an autograph book! Better get it now before the next task, seeing as he nearly died last time, I wouldn't say he'll last for more than 10 minutes on the next try" He smirked provokingly as Potter glared back at him.
"Shove off Malfoy." Potter glared at him, looking fed up. This encouraged Draco further, wanting to get under his skin.
"Couldn't bear to attend the Yule Ball without each other, could you? Twins in matching outfits, how utterly charming. But honestly, couldn't you find separate dates? Or are you two just incapable of doing anything apart?"
Ron's face flushed with anger. "At least we managed to find a date," he retorted, his voice laced with bitterness. "Unlike you, Draco. Where's Pansy? Or did you only bring your little lap dogs" He eyed Crabbe and Goyle with disdain, who didn't seem to notice the insult.
Draco smirked "Pansy is getting a refreshment, I just managed to peel her off of me. Unlike you Weasley, at least I didn't bring a date and end up being ditched. Although I would have expected you to bring Granger, since you lot are joined at the hip. I heard Granger found herself a much more appealing partner tonight. Krum, wasn't it?"
Draco wasn't sure why he had brought the conversation to the one subject he had been trying not to think about all night. It was almost like he couldn't help himself. However, he noted with smugness that he seemed to have touched a nerve with Weasley, as his face burned even more red.
Harry shot Ron a worried look. "Mind your own business Malfoy, don't you have anything better to do? Go back to your slytherin hole and leave us alone"
Draco raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. "Oh, I'm just making conversation, Potter. Still, Krums quite a step up from hanging around with the likes of you. I don't know how she's pulled that off - then again, maybe he has a perversion for know-it-all mudbloods"
Ron shot up, his hands balled into fists as he looked on the verge of punching Draco. Harry leaped up too, glaring at Draco with rage.
Draco's smirk returned, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Of course, Weasley, it must sting to see her with someone like Krum, doesn't it? Especially when you thought she'd be your date - you would have made a great couple, blood traitors that you are."
Harry physically held Ron's shoulders to hold him back, "Ignore him, Ron! He's not worth it!"
Draco chuckled, his voice dripping with mockery. "Ah, the famous Potter wisdom. Well, enjoy your night, gentlemen. I'm sure it'll be a memorable one." He sauntered away, satisfied.
...
As the night wore on he suspected the Slytherins weren't the only ones who had added an extra ingredient to their pumpkin juice, as people started dancing more wildly and several couples sneaked off to an unoccupied corner outside. The Weird Sisters made an appearance, and the lights darkened. He had to admit that even he was impressed by this appearance, having tried and failed to secure them for his birthday ball last year.
Most of the teachers had excused themselves, with only a few caretakers left supervising. The drinks kept flowing and the entire student body was on the dance floor dancing to the wizard rock music. The atmosphere had picked up significantly and Draco wasn't sure if it was the influence of his favourite band or the firewhiskey, but he started to enjoy himself.
He was dancing in the crowd to the Weird Sisters, Pansy in front of him pressing herself fully against his body 'by accident'. She was even less subtle with a drink in her. But by this point, his inhibitions had been sufficiently lowered and Pansy was starting to look quite pretty to him in her blue dress under the darkened lights. She continued her wiggling and attempts to be enticing, eying him with a smirk. When she reached up to kiss him, he didn't attempt to stop her. He was quite drunk, and it was a sloppy kiss, but he knew Pansy wouldn't mind. She always knew to wait until he was drunk to pounce, so this was nothing new to her. After a while he opened his eyes, still kissing Pansy, about to break away. However, his eyes caught Granger in the crowd.
He was sure she wouldn't have consumed alcohol, insufferably prideful as she was about following school rules, but he was a little sceptical as she danced with Krum, spinning around and laughing, her head tipped back. He was used to seeing her with her head in a book, with a concentrated look on her face as if she was doing mental arithmetics 24/7. He had never seen her look so… Free. Unguarded.
At that moment, her eyes caught his, and lingered for a moment, as though she was startled to be being watched. Draco was aware his mouth was still moving on Pansy's, his hands in her hair, blissfully unaware that he was staring intensely at the mud blood she so despised while he kissed her. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her, and after a moment, Granger looked away awkwardly and shyly, taking Krum's hand and allowing him to drag her away from the dance floor.
Draco forced his eyes away from her and gently shoved Pansy away, suddenly a lot more sober. He was clearly far too drunk. She pouted but backed off, joining the throng of students still dancing to the band.
Draco decided he best get some fresh air to clear his head, and headed outside. As he entered the courtyard he passed by Fluer and her date stumbling into a bush, hands all over each other. Nice.
He sat down and felt the icy sting of the fresh air on his cheeks as he tried to organise his thoughts. He ran his hands through his icy blonde hair. He was clearly out of his mind that Granger's simple hair taming trick and non frumpy clothes for once, had captured his attention. He had never felt anything more than contempt for her, given that she was the antithesis to him in every way. His disdain for her had reached its peak when, despite his best efforts, he had to explain to his father year after year that he was being cheated out of the top spot of his classes by a mudblood. To add insult to injury she was also Potter's pet, and usually the reason that the wonder boy actually managed to achieve anything at all through anything other than his dumb luck. Other than that, he didn't think about her much, his attention usually reserved for insulting Potter.
No, it must just be that he is unused to seeing her as anything other than a frumpy and awkward girl, and tonight her looking… not that way, took him by surprise. He blamed his encounter with Fluer earlier this month, it must have fumbled his confidence and made him lower his standards.
He shook his head and slapped himself once, before resigning to go down to his dorm and get some much needed rest. He walked through the great hall, and noted that the party seemed to have died down a little. As he approached the grand staircase, he suddenly heard the familiar grating voice of the Weasel carrying through, and he sounded pissed.
"He's using you!" Weasley whined.
"How dare you! I can take care of myself" Granger's distinct holier-than-thou voice rang through the hall.
"I doubt it, he's way too old Hermione" Draco stopped just at the doorway, hidden in the shadows as he observed the jealous and surly look on Weasley's face.
"What! If that's what you think, you know the solution then don't you? Pluck up the courage and ask me to the ball before somebody else does - and not as a last resort!" Granger looked on the verge of tears.
Weasely was mumbling something about that being besides the point as Potter walked through, looking thoroughly depressed and not even noticing Draco lingering just out of view.
"Where have you been?" Granger reeled "Never mind, go to bed both of you!"
"They get scary as they get older" Weasley glared at her as Potter continued up the steps towards him.
"Ron, you've spoiled everything!" Granger cried, and sank down on the staircase, crying.
To Draco's surprise, the great Harry Potter didn't try to comfort his friend in any way, and instead walked off to his room with his right hand man.
He should really have continued to bed, but he couldn't shake the weird feeling of seeing Granger alone and weeping on the staircase. Usually he would gloat, but it just seemed… sad. Out of character. And to make matters worse, her supposed best friend had left her there.
He lingered for a moment longer, in two minds. His body then betrayed him, and he found his legs moving of their own accord as he walked towards the staircase and sat down beside her.
...
Draco sat down beside Granger, feeling unnatural. He observed her silently, the tears streaming down her face, and a strange mix of empathy and curiosity welled up within him.
She must have sensed his presence, as she looked up suddenly, her eyes widening in surprise. But as her gaze landed on Draco, her expression shifted, her eyes narrowing with a mixture of caution and scepticism.
"What do you want, Malfoy? I can't possibly be bothered with you gloating at the moment." She sniffed.
Draco was unsure what to say, he didn't know why he was here. So he defaulted back to his usual sarcastic scathing. "Couldn't help but hear your pathetic argument with weasel and Four eyes. I've come to see the great downfall of the golden trio with my own eyes."
Granger glared at him "Get lost Malfoy, stick your nose in someone else's business for once." She turned away from him, and hiccupped, rubbing her eyes. She looked drunk.
"Wait, have you been drinking, Granger?" Draco teased, "Prized student Hermione Granger, drinking contraband at the Yule Ball? However will you end up head girl now? I might just grab Mcgonagall, I'm sure she will be very interested to…"
"Don't!" She grabbed his arm, and Draco felt like he had been burned. He nearly yanked it back, the mere thought of a mudblood touching him would usually be enough to turn his stomach. But Granger's eyes were desperate, and he found himself frozen as he sank back under her intense gaze.
"Please, don't tell her! I can't have this on my school record, I didn't even realise I was doing it until it was done! Victor offered me a drink and I took it- I never thought it - I had never tasted alcohol before, and when I realised -'' She was stumbling on her words, looking as if she could burst into tears again.
Although it should have filled Draco with joy seeing her scramble like this, he couldn't help but feel bad. He knew Granger was too lawful to ever have had a drink through her own will. He had also felt a slight weight drop in his stomach when he realised that Krum had essentially spiked her, whether she realised it or not.
"Calm down Granger, I won't tell your secret." He frowned, and pushed her arm off of him.
"Really? Oh thank you, Malfoy. Merlin, I appreciate it - this night couldn't get any worse." She dropped her head into her hands again, staring down at the empty hall, a line between her brow.
Her dress had slid down her slim shoulder and she had taken off her shoes. Draco found himself drinking her in, morbidly curious as his eyes caught the nape of her neck. Her hair had loosened, and the curls there were starting to reform. He found himself wondering what they would feel like in his hand. As he caught himself, he cleared his throat and steered his mind elsewhere.
"So, Weasel boy was angry because he's jealous of Krum? Not surprising, he is extremely pathetic." He wasn't sure why he kept talking, but he felt the need to extend his reason to stay here, watching her.
At the reminder, Granger's face filled with sorrow and anger. "It really is none of your business Malfoy, you should mind yourself from eavesdropping." She was silent for a second as she seemed to contemplate her evening, looking crestfallen. After a while, almost like she couldn't help herself, she continued on.
"I wanted this evening to be perfect, I spent so long getting ready - I was excited to spend time with Victor, even if I was being paraded about like a show horse. I knew Ron would be angry, but he should have.. He shouldn't be so stubborn, and maybe I wouldn't have to keep things secret"
She was rambling, but for some reason Draco let her, knowing she was probably drunk enough that she forgot who exactly she was venting to.
"And then Victor was so sweet, until he wasn't. I think he was annoyed by Ron, and then he gave me a drink and he kissed me, and I don't think he realised it was my first- that I was nervous, and he was all hands… I backed away and I think he got the wrong idea, and then I was worried about telling Ron so I left Victor by himself and now he is angry at me too and..." She shook her head, tears spilling onto her cheeks.
Draco looked away awkwardly as she wiped her tears away with her hands, embarrassed. Without thinking, he silently handed her a handkerchief from his suit.
It didn't dawn on him what he had done until Granger looked at the handkerchief in her hands, the Malfoy crest staring back at her, and a mixture of surprise and confusion crossed her face. She hesitated for a moment before using it to gently dab at her tears. The irony of the situation was not lost on either of them—the handkerchief of a Malfoy in the hands of a mudblood like her. But it struck him that he didn't care. She handed it back with a thanks, looking up at him apologetically. He stared back into her eyes, noting how hers were an inviting, warm chocolatey brown. He must be quite drunk too, he thought.
Draco cleared his throat, attempting to regain his composure. "Weasley is always an insufferable prat, Granger. Krum is about as interesting as a bridge troll. They're hardly anything to weep about" He said matter of factly.
She looked indignant. "You don't even know them! Ron can say just things without thinking, and Victor is very interesting, actually, there's much more to him than just quidditch." Granger stated defensively. Loyal Gryffindor through and through, even when the people they were defending were twats.
"I'm sure." Draco rolled his eyes. "Well let's hope the golden trio isn't fractured forever." His tone was scathing and sarcastic. He looked at her for a moment longer, then added "Although I do hope Weasley provokes you enough that you can give him one of your famous Granger punches. It would be entertaining to not be on the receiving end for once."
She regarded him with caution, a flicker of suspicion in her eyes as if she had just realised he might be leading up to something, a carefully planned revenge that he was about to unveil at that very moment. The incident in which she had punched him square on the face over a year ago had been unspoken between them ever since, which Draco had to admit had a lot to do with his bruised ego.
"Oh, that. Well, if you must know I honestly did feel bad for punching you, but you were being an arsehole." She eyed him nervously.
To his surprise, Draco found himself laughing. "Well, you were being an insufferable know-it-all, so you're one to talk. I suppose the biggest shock was that you, being the brightest witch of her age, or whatever drivel people say, didn't think to reach for your wand and went instead straight to hand to hand combat."
A reluctant smile played around her lips as she eyed him. "Yes, I was a little shocked by myself too, I suppose. I hurt my hand too, but it was worth it to see the look on your face after." She raised her eyebrows teasingly.
How strange. Draco was having a relaxed, pleasant conversation with Granger. As she smiled at him, the witch seemed to realise this absurd thought too, and came into her senses a little.
"Anyway, I should head back to my room." She pulled on her high heels hastily and made to stand up too quickly, and stumbled on the steps. Draco caught her instinctively, and his breath caught as he realised his hand was around her waist, and he could feel her entire weight against him.
"Sorry!" Granger cried awkwardly, struggling to straighten herself up on the steps. "I told you, I'm not used to drinking alcohol."
Draco released her as soon as she was straight on her feet - after all, he could only imagine what would happen if any Slytherin came upon them like this. A mudblood in the arms of a Malfoy. She clutched her bag, swaying slightly as she regained her balance, and then hiccuped.
"Okay, I'll be off now, thanks Malfoy". She stumbled up the stairs, and Draco watched with tension as he debated with himself. The staircases in Hogwarts were a death trap sober, never mind the state Granger was currently in.
He cursed himself and then ascended the steps, grabbing the witches arm to stabilise her and supporting most of her weight.
"Since you're such a liability, I will obviously have to escort you up to your room. You can thank me in the morning that you're not dead, Granger. Smartest witch of her age my ass. " He shook his head slightly as she gazed up at him, shocked that he had even offered and much less took her arm.
"You don't have to, Malfoy, It's just a few floors up. I can manage if I -" All of a sudden the staircase below lurched, and she gripped on to him for dear life.
"You were saying?" Draco drawled sarcastically, as he continued up the steps after the movement had stopped.
"You're not just trying to break into Gryffindor Common room, are you Malfoy? I shouldn't even be taking you to where it is. We're not supposed to tell anyone the location who isn't in Gryffindor."
Draco rolled his eyes. "Please. Obviously I know the location of the Gryffindor common room, who doesn't? You Gryffindors are loud mouths and besides, it's pretty obvious considering the entrance is literally on the staircase which most people use every day, it's not exactly discreet when people enter or leave. Slytherin is at least tucked away under the castle."
Granger looked thoughtful as they continued their climb. "Is it true that the Slytherin common room has a view of the Black Lake? I read about it in Hogwarts: A history. I always thought it sounded fascinating."
Draco snorted. "Of course you would. It's true, and it's only mildly interesting if you are interested in underwater wildlife. Just wait until one day, you're in there yourself, and look up from your homework to see the massive eye of a giant squid staring at you through the glass. It was my first week at Hogwarts." He shuddered at the memory.
She giggled "Poor little Draco, I bet you called on your father to do something about it straight away."
Draco's eyes flashed to Hermione's face. He wondered if she realised that that was the first time she had ever called him by his first name. She was still smiling softly, and holding on to him tighter still as they walked. She was warm.
He swallowed, but kept his eyes forward as he continued on. They managed to reach the portrait without any major injuries, thankfully. Granger was still hiccuping beside him.
"Well Granger, sadly for you this is where I leave you. And no, before you ask, I can't come in for a nightcap." He teased her in his sarcastic drawl.
"I'm sure I'll cope." She rolled her eyes and took a step away from him towards the portrait of the fat lady, who was feigning sleep. Then she hesitated and turned back, eyeing him before adding "Thank you. You didn't have to make sure I was okay, I appreciate it. You can be nice, when you're not being a prat."
"Don't get used to it." Draco smirked back at her.
"Goodbye, Draco." She gave another small smile and then muttered the password and entered the portrait.
Draco stood there for a moment, watching as she disappeared behind the frame. He suddenly felt very aware of where he was, and shook his head as he made his way quickly back downstairs, trying to shake the sound of his name on Hermione Granger's lips out of his head.