T R A I N E D T O S I N | dramione

Twenty nine

Hermione woke to the sound of running water. She blinked a few times, sighing as she propped herself up on one elbow and studied her surroundings. Draco's room.

Hermione quickly inhaled, the activities of the night before slowly coming back to her in ways other than just memory. She swallowed, then let her eyes follow the light haze of steam seeping under the bathroom door.

Then, as if he could sense her conscious, the water stopped and the shadows beyond the door danced underneath the frame in the slither of marble she could see from the bathroom.

Before she could avert her gaze, the door was swinging open and Draco was stood in its place, fare skin dappled with water drops.

She quickly moved her eyes to his.

"How did you sleep?" he said in a dull voice, hand occupied at his waist where he secured the towel even tighter now in her presence and her eyes' habit to wander.

Ignoring the reasoning, she realised this was the first night she hadn't had a nightmare, or she had and it wasn't bad enough to remember. She brought her thoughts back to the present before they began to wander like her eyes had began to do along his torso.

"Fine," she answered simply, pulling her cheek between her teeth.

Draco raised a brow and Hermione flushed a light shade of pink.

"It was fine."

"Okay." He began towards his wardrobe which at no surprise, was almost completely black.

"There's a ball tonight," he started, scanning through the hangers. "For New Year's Eve."

"Already?" Hermione wasn't sure when she had lost track of the time, but she suspected it was a long time ago.

"I want you to come with me."

Hermione's brows furrowed as she stared at his back.

"You know I can't." She pushed herself up so she was sat straight.
"It's a masquerade. No one will recognise you."
"It's too much of a risk, Draco. People will be curious, want to speak to me. They will notice."
"And what if they do?" Draco turned to her. "You think they will try to pull something? When you are on my arm?"

After a few moments of silence, he turned back around and continued to scan his wardrobe.

"Granger, you are coming."

.

Hermione spent the day at her window, watching as the elves shuffled around the grounds with banners and lights clutched in their arms. By the time it was dark, strings of small lights were weaved between tree branches and rows of lanterns lit up the gravel path.

When people began to arrive at the gates in carriages pulled by what she suspected was the finest horses, she made her way to the front of her room, where a dress had been hanged by Topsy in the morning.

The gown was still in its covering, and so Hermione brought a hand to the top and began to unzip. The white cover fell away, revealing layers of carefully crafted black.

By the time the cover was completely off and looked at the floor, the gown had expanded enough that Hermione had to step back.