"Mister Malfoy, Miss Granger, a word please." The Heads looks at one another at the sense of deja vu while waiting for the rest of the class to file out of the room before hesitantly approaching he Headmistress. "I believe it is well and good that we give the students something to look forward to," she began not looking up from her writing. With a final flourish of her quill she put it the ink out and smiled at them, "In the form of a yule ball."
Hermione groaned aloud. She didn't mean to but it was out before she could stop it.
McGonagall laughed, "Sorry dear. I think it will bring a bit of cheer back to the student body while, as I said, giving them something to look forward to before the Christmas Holidays. As Head Boy and Girl, it will fall upon you to help organize, decorate and attend," she looked pointedly at Hermione who blushed, "Per tradition you are also to open the evening with the first dance."
"Is there to be a theme?" Draco asked civilly though Hermione could tell he wasn't please with the idea either.
"I'm glad you asked," McGonagall grinned, "House Unity." At their puzzled looks she chuckled and summoned the sorting hat from it's perch on her book shelf, "Everyone who attends will be sorted into a house that is not their own and will be expected to dress to represent that house. At dinner I am going to announce that the yule ball will be held on the Friday following exams and any wishing to attend will need to get sorted prior."
"Including us."
"Of course dear," she stood, "Now sit."
Hermione sat in the indicated seat while McGonagall placed the hat on her head.
"Hello Little Gryffindor."
"Hello again," she whispered, "and it's Slytherin now."
"Shall we get you sorted for this insipid dance." Hermione chuckled, even the hat thought it was a stupid idea, "You have yet to accept your new house."
"I have," she countered.
"Not so, I'm afraid. Your heart is still in Gryffindor. You may not admit it but you long for it. Therefore, once more I sort you in Slytherin. You need to accept your house young one."
He didn't yell as he had at her sorting ceremony but Hermione knew to stand and take him off when the Headmistress looked down at a charmed parchment and shook her head.
"We're going to discuss that one."
The hat ignored her.
Draco frowned and looked at Hermione who shrugged.
The Headmistress did not look pleased but accepted the verdict, "Your turn Mister Malfoy."
Draco sat obediently and rolled his eyes when Hermione approached him with a smirk and placed the sorting hat on his head. It wasn't long before Draco stood and placed it on the desk.
"Wonderful," McGonagall clapped, "You may feel free to share your 'new' house with whomever you like but be sure to dress for your house the night of."
"Will students be allowed off school grounds to get their gowns and robes?"
"With permission, I will allow it, yes, provided it is cleared with their Head of House first. Any other questions?"
The pair looked at one another, "No Ma'am," Draco answer for them.
"Then that was all. If you have any additional questions feel free to find me."
Goodbye were exchanged before they left, grabbing their bags on the way towards the door. When the door to the classroom closed behind them Hermione swore.
"I hate these things."
Draco smirked, "What house were you sorted into Granger?"
"I think I like the anonymity of it," she looked up at him with a grin, "You?"
"If you're not telling, I won't."
They started walking when Hermione suddenly laughed, "Heaven forbid it was Gryffindor. I can't even imagine you in Gryffindor red!"
"Do you not know me at all Granger," he pretended to be wounded with a dramatic hand at his throat before composing himself once more, "If I was Gryffindor I would use gold." Which sent Hermione into another fit of giggles. By the time they reached the Great Hall for lunch he pulled her off to the side before entering so the other students wouldn't be pushing past them, "In all seriousness, how are we to match if we don't know what how the other represents? Granted it won't be a perfect match given the houses, unless we were sorted in the same, but we could at least do our best not to clash."
Hermione stared wide eye'd up at him, "Are you inviting me to the yule ball?" Draco's ears tinted and she fought a grin, "You are."
"Well no, it's just tradition Granger. That is why we're to open the ball with the first dance."
"Oh," her heart fell into her stomach and she wondered when it had started beating so fast, "Draco, we don't have to go together."
"Tradition says we do," he chirped back with an eyebrow raised.
"Tradition has quite a bit to say but we all seem to be disregarding that. We should go with people we want to go with, not settle for one another because we're Heads. We will still open the ball, that's not an issue."
He looked like he wanted to argue but shrugged, "If you're sure."
"I am," she smiled.
Draco made a sweeping motion with his hand that said, 'After you,', "Then we'll start planning tonight?"
"If we must," she grumbled as she took a step out of their alcove and into the main corridor. Draco smirked as he watched her disappear into the crowd the Great Hall. At least he wasn't the only one displeased with the idea of a ball.
Most of the school was overjoyed with the news. Hermione had drifted to the Gryffindor table to tell them and seemed to be the only one of her friends who was against the idea. Ginny immediately tugged on her arm and started talking dresses. When Hermione pointed out she still needed to be sorted Ginny was among one of the first to approach the hat after the Headmistress made the announcement. Harry followed soon after claiming Ginny wouldn't let him leave dinner if he didn't, Ron trudge behind him with a shrug.
The excitement hadn't waned weeks later. Only couples knew what their partner was sorted into, creating a playful atmosphere of anonymity while everyone tried to figure out what others might wear. Hermione was seemingly uninterested. She and Draco had planned the entire thing in the first few nights and turned in the drafts to the Headmistress leaving their time open until the days before the infernal ball.
They were seating in the common area of their room, Draco in his usual chair and Hermione on the floor in front of the couch, when Draco slapped his book closed and looked at her.
"Yes, Draco," she spoke before he worked up the courage to.
His ears tinged pink though she didn't see. "I need help."
Hermione snorted, "Professionally."
"Har har."
"With what?" she smiled finally looking up from her essay.
"There is a girl I'm thinking of inviting to the ball."
"Oh?" Her heart sped up again.
"The problem is, I've never, well, I've never had to ask before."
Draco looked at her with vulnerable eyes and Hermione gave him a kind smile, "Prince of Slytherin has never actually asked a girl on a date? What about Pans?"
He scoffed, "Pansy was a convenience. It made our parents happy to see us attached at the hip. But I never had to ask, it was just expected of us."
"Who is it?"
"Astoria Greengrass."
"The seventh year? She's lovely," Hermione commented absently, "Well what do you like about her?"
Draco shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "I don't know, she's just, she has this air about her. She's confident yet humble, not to mention beautiful and smart. She's the perfect pure-" he stopped and looked wide eyed at Hermione, "I didn't mean that."
Her heart physically stopped for a beat. "Pureblood witch," Hermione finished for him in a whisper. She'd felt his words like a jab to the stomach but had kept her smile until the last bit. Collecting herself she shook her head to ease his ever visible worry at his own train of thought, "It's alright. You were taught to see that as an attractive quality in a witch. I'm not surprised Astoria made that cut."
"Hermione, I don't think that way, not for years."
"It's alright Draco, I know you don't. That doesn't mean you can't see her being a pureblood as a positive trait when you're looking for a possible partner." Waving off his next comment she continued, "What about a gift? Isn't that custom when inviting another pureblood on a date? They have courting gifts but they also have ones that indicate intention."
Having calmed in response to her own calm, Draco nodded solemnly, "That would work." Hermione returned to her textbook, picking her quill back up, "Will you go with me to pick something this weekend?"
Another stab, "I suppose but I doubt my tastes will be in alignment with what might be appropriate."
"Based off my mothers extensive collection of jewelry I have a good idea, I just need you to tell me if it is...I don't know, acceptable. I need a girls perspective."
Hermione snorted, "There are more qualified girls I'm sure but I'll do my best." Having returned to her homework she didn't see the look he gave her right before he stood up, said thank you, and disappeared into his room.
The following Saturday they woke up, once more in the same bed which had oddly become a new normal for them. Nightmares, it turned out, were something that plagued both of them and despite the awkwardness that usually followed in the mornings, they still helped one another each time they heard or one of them asked. Sometimes it wasn't even with words. Last night Draco had been standing in her doorway in his pajama's when she exited the bathroom and she'd merely taken his hand and they'd tucked into bed. After a few minutes laying nestled in his arm, Hermione crawled over Draco, as she preferred the side facing the wall to the door, and the pair quickly got up to get ready for the day. No words were exchanged, they simply met each other in the court yard after breakfast and made the trek to Hogsmeade in comfortable silence.
To her dismay he pulled her into a high end jewelry store she had never paid much attention to, let alone stepped foot in. While he moved into the room, completely unphased by the display cases, Hermione paused to take in the sheer number of them glittering at her. She wasn't one for jewelry, this was foreign territory.
Draco was already talking to the shopkeeper when she approached his side, looking around him to see the display of necklaces that had been put on top of the counter for him.
"What do you say Granger?"
The shopkeeper, not knowing any better, noticed her gaze linger on the least obnoxious piece and smiled. Picking it up he offered it to her.
"For the lady I presume? This compliments your eyes."
Hermione blushed as she put her hand out to accept the piece, "No not for me but it is gorgeous. Could you place a blue topaz or sapphire in place of the topaz?"
"Sapphire please," Draco intergected. Seeing Hermione's raised brow, he shrugged, "Blue topaz is too pale."
She snorted.
"Let me see what I can do," he smiled at her politely taking it back from her and moving into the back room.
Hermione looked at Draco over her shoulder, "She was sorted Ravenclaw so the darker blue is a safe bet."
"How do you know that?" He asked as he watched her move to look in the different cases.
"She came to me Thursday during my tutoring sessions and asked for help with her arithmancy homework. Girls like to talk about that kind of thing so I asked, turns out Astoria is no different," she shrugged.
"You say you hardly count as a girl yet you gossiped about gowns?"
Though she knew he was kidding, it stung, "No," she snorted, "I was curious for you. So you're welcome."
The shopkeeper returned and presented the new version of the necklace to Draco while Hermione stopped at another case. A tiny set of ruby earrings caught her eyes. They were simple and set in gold. Beside it a beautiful bracelet to match. Not gaudy or extravagant but simple and elegant. And very Gryffindor. The thought that the sorting hat was right made her want to roll her eyes. Stupid enchanted hat. She didn't hear Draco come up behind her as the keeper wrapped the necklace for him.
"You should get them," he whispered in her ear making her jump.
Hand over her heart she glared at him for scaring her but shook her head, "No, I haven't a need for them. Plus the hat says I need to embrace my new house so I should probably shy away from maroon and gold."
The shopkeeper returned with his bag and shook Draco's hand. Hermione waited patiently offering the older wizard a smile before turning to Draco.
"I'm supposed to meet Ginny and Pans. We're going off campus for a few hours."
He shrugged, "Have fun," he opened the door for her. She shielded her eyes letting them adjust to the sun, "Thank you for coming with me Hermione."
"Of course," she smiled at him, "I'm glad you found something appropriate that you liked. Astoria will like it, I'm sure of it."
"Without you I would have picked the red one."
Hermione giggled, the red one had been the biggest. Patting his arm she said goodbye, not noticing him watch her leave or him walk back into the shop.
Blaise Zabini liked to consider himself a smart bloke. He always managed to be the closest to Draco in marks, he kept out of the Dark Lords sights and managed to remain neutral, and he knew his friends like family. He and Draco had been friends since they were six and in such, he always knew when something was bothering him or when Draco had his sights set on something.
The same with Theo.
So when Draco and Hermione walked into the Slytherin common room from their common room door and she gave him an encouraging smile before slipping out the main door with Pansy while he moved to present Astoria Greengrass with a necklace and an invite to the yule ball, Blaise thought it quite peculiar. Especially since Blaise knew Draco was harboring unspoken feelings for his roommate.
He didn't clap with the rest of his housemates, he just leaned against the wall his eyes narrowed as he watched the scene before him unfold. Astoria accepted the necklace with a humble smile and a delicate kiss on the cheek that made Draco's ears tint.
Blaise walked beside Theo on the way to breakfast, Draco and Astoria just ahead of them, her arm linked in his elbow.
"I thought for sure he'd take Granger."
Theo nodded, "They are Heads after all."
"No," he huffed, "I thought he would ask her, like he did Astoria."
"I had my bets set after I caught them in bed together," Blaise nodded absently recalling Theo's enthusiasm that morning, "I wonder what happened."
The pair shared a look but said nothing more. But Blaise looked for the Head Girl as soon as they entered the Hall and was not disappointed to see her face fall when she noticed Draco and Astoria arm in arm nor how she remained engaged in conversation with Pansy and Millicent when they sat down. Unable to get that look out of his head he waited until the opportune moment to question her about it. Which happened to be when she was in the library for her tutoring sessions.
He found her in her usual corner, quill scratching away, her brow furrowed in concentration.
Sliding in the seat across from her he folded his arms on the table and waited. When she looked up at him, setting her quill down in the process, he smiled at her.
"Hermione. Is it weird to call you that? I feel like we're friends."
The witch in question smirked, "Hello Blaise, yes I believe we are. I'm surprised you're not playing quidditch today, Draco mentioned yet another scrimmage this morning."
"Wonderful, then you won't mind me asking this," he paused dramatically for effect, "Have you got a date to the yule yet, mi lady? And I am not playing because I believe it has just become an avenue for Draco and boy Weasel to smack each other around without getting into trouble."
Hermione chuckled, she had been thinking that as well, "No, I haven't."
"That is quite peculiar because until a few days ago I thought you and Draco would be attending together."
Her smile fell just a hair, becoming more forced. "Um, no. He was under the impression that we had to go together as we're the Heads but I told him he could invite whomever he liked."
"And that was Astoria?"
"It would seem so."
"What I can't seem to understand is why."
Hermione shrugged and picked up her quill again, "It's simple enough. That's who he chose to ask."
He hurried to follow her, "But it's not that simple is it? Heads traditionally go together."
"So everyone keeps saying," she mumbled.
"Then why not follow tradition?"
With a sigh she capped her ink well and began rolling up her parchment, "Because Blaise, I don't want to go to the ball let alone accompany someone out of obligation. Had he asked me for any reason other than because we were both Heads, I would have said yes. For a moment, I thought..." her face fell just for a moment before quickly schooling her features, "but I was mistaken. Clearly, as he invited Astoria."
It dawned on him as she said it, "He did ask, didn't he?"
"He asked because we're Heads, said it just like that. If I go with someone, I want to be on their arm because they want me there not because they think they have to." Tucking her things in her bag she gave him a small smile, "Thank you for the company, Blaise."
"Come with me," he called to her with a smirk.
Hermione started walking backwards away from the table matching his smirk, "If you were serious, I might accept but I happen to know you already asked Luna." Winking at him she turned and maneuvered through the library towards the door.
While Blaise remained in the library Hermione started down the stairs, mentally scolding herself for not schooling her reaction this morning well enough. Why else would Blaise have questioned her.
Too busy mentally scolding herself, she felt it too late. The stairs were mostly deserted when the hairs on the back of her neck rose but before she could raise her wand, her left leg stopped moving mid step and everything went black as the rest of her body kept moving and she tumbled.