Just You

Periwinkle (14)

Hermione woke with mixed feelings. It was Sunday, the day before the Halloween festivities.
She felt a sort of emptiness. She had given the kids she was tutoring the Halloween weekend and week after, and Ginny and the rest of the prefects who were planning the festival had shut her out for her own good.
And at the same time, Ginny was still mad at her. But she couldn't be mad at Ginny. Her friend was good enough to think of her well being whilst being mad at her. Hermione wasn't sure how she was ever going to make it up to her.
On top of that, there was Draco. Now he, and he alone, had been at the forefront of her mind this week. He was effecting her in a way no one else had. He seemed different now.
She knew she was getting closer to him, but she didn't want to push it. She felt that if she tried to go too far, he would revert back to his old ways and shut her out again. And that was the last thing Hermione wanted. Whatever was happening with this boy, she wanted to know him.
It didn't matter whether it was friends or something else, it was good enough for her to just be here for him, like he had been there for her.
Hermione sat up, and her eyes were automatically drawn to the purple gown in the corner of her room.
She wasn't much for the festivities that they had been planning, but the ball at the end of the night did seem fun.
Hermione had only been to one ball in her life, and it was a night she would never forget. Whether it was for the happy or sad memories, she was thankful that it had happened to her.
She then got up, got dressed, brushed her hair, and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. When she opened the door, Draco was already there.
He looked at her, probably expecting some sort of retort about being a creep and getting out, but Hermione didn't feel like yelling today.
"Hi," She said as she faced the mirror.
"Hi?" Hermione wouldn't look at him. "No snide comment? Nothing?"
"Well, Malfoy, if you're going to be nice to me, you should expect nice back."
"Okay, so you're saying that I just have to stop being nice to get the normal Hermione back?" She laughed at that.
"No, I just mean that if things are going to change, I might just stop hitting you with books." She smiled to herself, knowing that would tick him off.
"Just might?" He came closer. "Granger, my shoulders can only take so many bruises."
She finally looked at him. A smile was playing at his lips, waiting for her to take the bait. She looked in his eyes, and knew that this boy just might be the death of her.
"I don't know if I can help it," She said as she turned to him, leaning against the vanity.
"No?" He stepped closer.
He looked so good. He had just gotten back from the quidditch pitch. He told her the other night he had decided to start training for the season, and she was glad he was doing something he liked.
He was in a compression shirt and sweatpants, and he looked, well, perfect. She didn't know how she couldn't have seen it before. Hermione must have been blind to not even notice how good Draco Malfoy looked on a daily basis a couple years ago.
Hermione looked in his eyes, and saw his hunger. It had felt like forever since they had kissed.
"No. It seems such a shame that someone so perfect roams the earth." He looked her up and down, talking the step that left inches between them.
"Hermione, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were calling me perfect."
Her heart was on fire. Nothing felt like being this close to him. She felt closer to him than ever, now that he had opened up to her more.
She stepped impossibly closer.
"Maybe I am, Draco."
That was it.
He must love hearing his name come from her lips, because in a second she was lifted onto the counter.
He parted her thighs and stepped between her legs, and drew his lips to hers.
He was fire to the touch.
He kissed her until she couldn't breathe. He broke away for just a second, only to smash his lips to hers once again, opening her mouth. His hands were at her waist, gripping her so tight Hermione felt like he would never let go.
His kisses trailed down her jaw, and she moaned. He stayed there until she knew he would leave a mark. He kissed his way back up to her mouth. His tongue met hers, and he tasted of caramel and apples.
When he broke away again, he put his forehead to hers.
"You make me absolutely crazy." He was so out of breath. Both of them were.
"Which is why I want to ask you something."
"What?"
He smiled.
"Yes. It's important, so pay attention."
"Draco right now, you're the only thing I can pay attention to." He smiled and kissed her again.
"Wow, you make things like this really hard. Ok." He took a deep breath. "I want you to be my date to the Halloween ball."
"You're kidding."
"I know that it's in public, and people would see us together. I know people will talk and afterwards look at you with distaste and spread rumors about you, but-"
"Yes. Malfoy, of course."
"You're kidding." She laughed.
"No. I don't care what other people say. And I'm trying this new thing where I'm the only one who gets to decide my worth. Let them talk. I want to go with you."
He smiled. A real smile. Not one out of pity or smugness, but actual happiness.
+++
Hermione looked in the mirror. It felt unreal. When Malfoy had asked her to go to the Halloween ball with her, it had made her forget everything else. She barely got any homework or reading done yesterday, and today seemed like a dream.
She had tried to go to some of the events that were planned today, but the one game of Halloween-themed wizard chess she tried ended horribly for her, and after that, she figured she would wait for the night.
She turned so she could get a full look at the dress before she headed to the ball.
This all seemed so stupid now. She wasn't even sure she would enjoy this. And this was not a fairy tale. But she had worked for hours to get her hair to look perfect, ringlets falling down her back, the top of her hair straight and for once, not frizzy. Her makeup was amazing, and it had taken her long enough.
Hermione was not going to let this gown go to waste.
She stepped out of her bedroom to find Draco waiting, adjusting the cufflinks of his dress robes, the jacket lying on the chair. Malfoy was wearing all black tonight. He had told Hermione he wanted to reference a black cat. But Hermione thought he was anything but bad luck. He glanced up at her, then seemed to be frozen in place.
"You look-"
He actually looked stunned for probably the first time in his life. Hermione smiled. But, they had a dance to get to.
"Hey, before we go, there's something I have to tell you. It's actually a masquerade ball."
His frozen expression turned into a sideways smile as Hermione revealed the masks she had gotten her and Draco. He walked towards her.
"Am I just to dumb to not look at the actual flyers for the ball? I mean, I'm head boy for goodness sakes."
"Probably," she said as Draco took his mask from her.
She had asked Malfoy days ago before she went to buy them what his robes looked like. She wanted them to match. Hers was black with silver lining, emphasizing the silver around the eyes. His was purple with periwinkle lining.
"You know, that lining is the same color as your dress at the Yule Ball."
"I'm surprised you remembered," she said as she was adjusting her mask.
"Well, it was hard to forget." He put his mask on, and the deep purple brought out the light silver of his eyes. "I asked Pansy what color it was called that night. I think she figured it out then."
"Figured out what?"
"That I liked you, even then."
Hermione might have thought he was lying if she didn't know him better. She looked into his eyes.
"Why?"
"I don't exactly know, but that night, Granger, I thought you were profoundly beautiful. I still do."
"Are you sure you're not just tricking me into wanting to kiss you?" She tilted her head.
"And do I get one?"
"Not yet."
Draco sighed as Hermione grabbed his hand. For the first time in months, she felt excited about what was to come.
It almost seemed too good to be true.