Masquerade

Chapter 1

Draco looked around at the crowd of masked witches and wizards pensively. While the idea had repulsed him initially, a masked ball had it's benefits. Though he had escaped prosecution as a death-eater, he was viewed as a traitor by most; The Dark Mark on his forearm branding him forever as the enemy. In his mask, he was just another anonymous, albeit wealthy, wizard.

He moved freely through the crowd, at ease with social interaction. After all, he had been raised in high society. He had to admit that it was a relief to not see judgement in the eyes that met his. Most people wouldn't expect him to attend a ball celebrating the five year anniversary of the fall of Voldemort.

Of course, Harry Potter, ever the saint, had personally contacted him about attending the ball. Draco found it rather nauseating that bleeding-heart Potter was such a do-gooder. However, Draco couldn't quite find it in himself to hate Harry, as much of the goodwill had been directed at him.

The years following the war hadn't been easy. Lucius Malfoy had been arrested for his part in the war, along with the remaining Death Eaters. Narcissa Malfoy wasn't arrested, but she was placed on a watch list along with Draco. Harry had been unwilling to stand up for Lucius, but gladly spoke to the Ministry about monitoring Draco and his mother rather than sending them to Azkaban.

Draco could easily spot Harry's messy black hair across the ballroom. He rolled his eyes, wondering why Potter never bothered trying to control his hair. Before he could give it further consideration, his eyes fell on the young woman Potter was dancing with. She was a brunette, so that ruled out Ginny Weasley. Draco spotted Ron Weasley nearby, dancing with a young woman with curly brown hair. That had to be know-it-all Granger.

So who was Potter dancing with? She was graceful and her bright smile seemed to make the room feel more inviting. She wore a pale blue, satin ball gown that accentuated her curves and made her skin appear luminous. Potter muttered something in her ear, making her laugh. The sound was joyous and almost musical, leaving Draco with a strong desire to snatch her away from Potter and discover her identity.

The young woman graciously accepted a dance from man after man. She didn't appear to be particularly flirtatious, but she was obviously well liked. Draco couldn't imagine why he would suddenly be so intrigued by a woman that he didn't know.

Draco frowned when Harry caught his eye and gave a little nod of greeting. Draco returned the nod, pleased that the woman took notice of the exchange. She was sipping from a flute of champagne wearing a pensive frown.

Draco's attention was diverted for a moment by an old witch complimenting his taste in dress robes. He suppressed an irritable groan as she chattered at him, oblivious to his impatience. Once she was finished admiring the expensive fabric and intricate stitching, he thanked her as politely as he could manage and turned his gaze back to the mystery woman. She wasn't there!

With a silent huff of frustration, he scanned the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. After several minutes, he nearly gave up. The ballroom was quite full, and he supposed that there was the possibility that she had left. He was surprised when he realized that Harry had moved to stand right next to him. Harry smirked slightly and gestured to the wall opposite of where they were standing. "She's over near the window," Harry said.

"Thank you," Draco said quietly, relieved, his eyes fixed on the far wall. He turned, intending to ask who the woman was, but Harry Potter had already disappeared into the crowd again. Determined, Draco made his way across the ball room. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so full of curiosity. He found the young woman quite attractive even though most of her face was covered by a mask. It would drive him mad to go home without having learned her name.