The Reason

Hermione shuffled along beside Harry, waiting for the bomb to drop. She chanced a glance up at him, and saw that he was eyeing her thoughtfully. She swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump in her throat, and he coughed nervously.

"Something happened between you and Malfoy, didn't it?" he asked bluntly. She exhaled slowly and nodded. "Are you going to tell me what it was, or should I just assume it was bad and fly into a blind rage and kill him?" She looked up at his teasing tone and smiled.

"It wasn't totally bad," she said honestly. "We just... talked. It was really nice. Oh, Harry, you wouldn't even believe he was the same Malfoy we've been going to school with!"

"You're probably right," he admitted. "He seemed like the same old Malfoy I know when I was there, though."

"He told me he only acted like that because he was jealous of you." Harry stopped walking and laughed.

"Malfoy, jealous of me? You're kidding, right?"

"No, Harry. He said he was jealous of you, because of the way you touched me."

"That would imply that he cared about you, Mione." He watched as she blushed, and felt his jaw drop. "Does he?"

"He said he did, but I don't know that I believe it," she said, starting to walk again. "He was nasty to me again this morning when I woke him up."

"When you what?" he squeaked. She bit her lip.

"When I woke him up. We fell asleep in the same bed, talking. I swear, Harry, we didn't do anything but talk!"

"Oh," he said, mulling things over. He'd seen the look Malfoy had directed at her during dinner, even though he knew she hadn't.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I know it was disloyal to you, but I couldn't help myself! He seemed so..." She fumbled for the right words.

"Human?" he offered. She nodded.

"Exactly. And it was nice to talk to him. He laughed. A real laugh, Harry."

"Hermione," he started, turning to face her as they neared the Fat Lady's portrait. "You weren't being disloyal to me. I'd hate to think that you'd purposely ignore someone you'd fallen in love with just because you thought it would displease me."

"Who said I'd fallen in love?" she asked defensively.

"You didn't have to say it," he said quietly, wrapping her in an embrace. "I know."

"Harry, I don't even know how I feel - how could you?"

"I can tell. You wouldn't be so miserable otherwise. He'd be easy to forget."

"Oh, no," she said miserably, burying her face in Harry's shirt. "I can't love him! I can't even like him!"

"You can't help who you fall in love with, Mione," he said softly. "It just happens. And everything happens for a reason."

"You sound like that nitwit Trelawney." He laughed.

"Maybe her patchouli has gone to my head. She's burned an awful lot of it over the years." She giggled.

"I can't believe we're even having this conversation," she said, shaking her head. "And I still can't believe that you're okay with this."

"If he makes you happy, then what cause do I have to complain?" he asked, brushing a curl out of her face. She stood on her tiptoes and pecked him on the cheek.

"You know I love you, don't you, Harry?" He smiled.

"I love you too, Mione." He blushed, and she went into the common room. Ron and Hermione were as close to a family as he was ever going to get, and he would gladly give his life for either of them. He smiled to himself as he made his way back down to the Great Hall, but stopped short when he saw Malfoy approaching the stairs.

Draco was intent on finding her before she got to Gryffindor tower. He had to speak to her; he didn't want anyone else to ask her to that dance before he had a chance to apologize for being such an ass to her that morning. He'd gotten to the fifth floor when he saw Potter standing on the stairs, giving him an odd look. He stopped and stared back, silently daring him to say something.

"She's already gone to bed for the night," he said quietly. Draco blinked. Was Potter being civil to him?

"Has she been asked to the dance yet?" Harry felt a twinge of surprise at the desperation in his enemy's voice, and was tempted for a moment to lie to him. Slowly he shook his head.

"I don't think she'll go."

"Why didn't you ask her?" Draco blurted, his curiosity getting the better of him. The faintest smile crossed Harry's lips, then disappeared.

"She's not in love with me," he said. He moved around Draco and continued on his way down the stairs, not waiting to see his reaction.

Draco stared after Harry, not sure he'd heard him correctly. Had he said she was in love with him? His heart began to race wildly, and he turned to make his way back to the Slytherin common room. He went straight to his bedroom and sat down on the bed, lost in thought.

Is it possible? Could she really love me after everything I've put her through? Even after this morning? Do I love her? Why do I feel like someone has filled me with helium? My ruddy head is spinning! Is this what love feels like? Will she ever look at me again the same way she looked at me last night?

He lay back on his bed and pondered the endless questions that ran through his mind. He wasn't even aware of his fellow Slytherins coming in and going to their beds. After a while, someone turned the lights out, and all he could do was think about how soft she'd been last night. He closed his eyes and smiled as he remembered laughing with her. He'd never been so comfortable with a girl, and yet the whole thing terrified him. To open his heart to someone gave them ultimate control over him; she could break his heart if she pleased.

Sleep was a long way off, and when it came, he slept fitfully. When morning finally came, he rolled out of bed feeling sick to his stomach because of the butterflies that had taken up residence there. He showered and dressed, feeling numb the entire time. When he got down to the Great Hall, the first thing he did was look for her. She wasn't at her usual spot between Potter and Weasley, and he wondered if she was avoiding him.

Harry happened to glance up at that moment, and Draco caught his eye. To his utter surprise, Harry nodded and gave him an odd smile. He nodded back, then took his own seat among the Slytherins.

"So, did you find a date yet?" Pansy asked, sitting down beside him. She smiled flirtatiously at him, and his stomach turned.

"I told you, Parkinson, I'm not interested in you." He reached for his drink and tried to block her out.

"Draco, I'm a little worried about you. Don't you like girls anymore?" He turned and gave her a strangely masked look.

"Of course I do, Pansy," he purred. "I just don't like whores anymore." Her face turned purple, and she stomped away angrily. He smirked to himself, and caught Blaise staring at him.

"Did you just call Pansy a whore?" he asked disbelievingly. Draco shrugged.

"If the shoe fits," he said carelessly. A smile spread across Blaise's face slowly.

"Hallelujah," he said. Draco blinked at him. "Thank Merlin someone finally told her off! I'm so sick of seeing her drape herself all over anything that moves!"

"Are all the classes really cancelled today?" Draco asked, changing the subject. Blaise nodded.

"Yeah. Don't know why, but Dumbledore said we could have the whole day off. Are you looking forward to the dance?"

"Somewhat," he said. It was a half-truth. He couldn't wait to see her again, but he was extremely apprehensive about what her reaction might be. Blaise eyed him thoughtfully.

"You have someone in mind, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Gryffindor?" Draco arched an eyebrow, then nodded. Blaise smiled. "I heard you threaten Nott last night. Personally, I think the guy's a jerkoff. He did nothing but talk about her last night after you left. I'd keep an eye on him."

"Thanks," Draco said, feeling as though he'd scored his second friend this week.

"No problem." He stood and left the Great Hall, and Draco looked at the Gryffindor table again. Disappointment flooded over him when he didn't see her. He watched Potter stand and leave, and followed him. The entire student body watched and seemed to hold their breath as Draco approached Harry, obviously expecting one of their explosive confrontations.

"Potter," Draco called. Harry turned around, and didn't look at all surprised to see him. "Can you make sure she comes tonight?"

"Sure," Harry nodded. Then, "If you hurt her, Malfoy, I'll have no problems hunting you down and killing you." Draco did something that surprised even the teachers- he smiled at Harry.

"I'll be looking forward to it." Harry grinned impishly and left.

**

Hermione spent most of her morning moping around the common room. When Harry came back from breakfast, the first thing he'd done was tell her that she had to come to the dance so she could dance with him.

"Harry," she laughed, tucking chestnut hairs behind her ear. "You'll have plenty of people to dance with, I'm sure."

"I don't care about any of them," he asserted. "I want at least one dance with my best friend."

"Harry," she blushed. She could tell by the determined look on his face that he was going to pester her until she gave in. "Alright." He let out a loud whoop and twirled her around. She laughed as he sat her back down.

"Sometimes I think your mind is afflicted, Harry." He grinned mischievously and winked at her. She laughed and went upstairs. If she was actually going to show her face at this thing, she was going to need all the time she could get to tame her hair. She'd show Draco what he'd let slip through his fingers.

She was going to show him that he hadn't broken her.

**

Harry guided Ginny into the Great Hall, holding her hand tightly. She gasped as they entered and saw all of the decorations. Pumpkins sat everywhere, and loud, thumping music made his head throb. He smiled as he saw Ron dancing with his date, and Ginny laughed.

"No one ever said Ron could dance," she giggled. He grinned at her.

"Wanna dance?"

"Sure," she said, blushing. He led her onto the dance floor near Ron and smiled at his friend. He looked around the room, hardly believing that the scene before him was real. Slytherins were dancing with members of every other house, which was a feat in itself.

His eyes fell on a couple that were slow dancing, despite the fast music, and he froze. His mouth fell open. Ginny turned to see what he was looking at, and she gasped. Ron heard and turned to look, and soon their surprise rippled through everyone around them.

There in a very secluded corner, were Draco's mother and Professor Snape, looking very cozy, indeed. Harry fought the urge to laugh and quickly turned his eyes back to Ginny, who had no intention of fighting her giggles. He grinned and shrugged. It was going to be a night of surprises, after all.

Harry looked up and saw Draco making his way over to him. Ginny froze as he approached and stopped in front of Harry.

"Is she here?" he yelled over the din. Harry turned to Ginny.

"Hermione's coming, isn't she, Ginny?" Her eyes widened, but she nodded.

"She was putting her dress on when I left." Draco nodded and weaved back through the crowd towards the doors. Ginny turned questioning eyes to Harry, and he shrugged.

"Things change," was his only explanation.

Draco moved towards the food table, stopping near the punch bowl. His heart seemed permanently lodged in his throat, and he wondered if she would dance with him. She had to; he had too much to say to her.

The door to the Great Hall opened, and his breath caught in his throat. It was her, and Merlin, did she look exceptional! He felt his entire body tingle as he watched her enter. Her dress was red and shimmering, and it was held up by two barely-there spaghetti straps. It was long and covered everything but the tops of her shoes. Her hair was swept up on top of her head, with curls cascading down around her face. Small tendrils brushed against her cheeks, and his fingers itched to touch them. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a gesture he recognized as one of her nervous habits. He smiled.

The music turned from a loud, thumping beat to a slow, soft song. Draco blinked as he realized he'd heard that very song the first time he'd barged into her bedroom, and he gulped. Surely that was a sign. She turned her back to him, and he bit his lip. He moved quickly towards her and stopped behind her. He leaned forward so that his mouth was next to her ear.

"May I have this dance?" he whispered. She swirled around and stared at him wordlessly. He reached forward and wrapped his arms around her waist, ignoring the very surprised whispers that surrounded them.

"What do you want?" she asked softly, not daring to meet his eyes. If she looked at him, she knew her resolve would crack, and she wasn't ready to make herself vulnerable again. She had to be strong.

"You," he said. All thoughts of resistance flew from her mind, and she tugged her eyes up to meet his. He was staring at her intently. Her resolve began crumbling around her, and the rest of the room fell away.

"I'm sorry, I was hallucinating," she said, blinking. "Did you just say-" he smiled.

"You. I want you, Hermione." She melted at the sound of her name on his lips. "I was a fool yesterday to think that I could just let you go that easy."

"B-but," she stammered, speechless. She licked her lips nervously. "Aren't you afraid of what your friends will say? What my friends will say?"

"Look around you," he said, inclining his head to his left. She looked and saw Slytherins mixing with students from the other three houses for the first time, and her jaw dropped. "Do you think anyone will really care?"

"I don't know what to think," she said, her brow knitting in confusion. He pulled her closer and rested his chin on her head.

"Don't think anything," he said quietly. "Let's just dance." She nodded and closed her eyes, reveling in the feel of his warm hands pressed against the small of her back. She sighed contentedly, not paying any attention whatsoever to the people around them who had stopped dancing to stare.

When the music ended, she opened her eyes and saw Harry smiling at her. She blinked. He didn't have anything to do with this, did he? He winked and went back to dancing, and she looked up at Draco.

"Alright, we've danced," she said, pulling away from him. He reached for her hand and froze when she jerked it away.

"Can we talk about this?"

"There's nothing to talk about," she said, the hurt and anger from yesterday flooding back over her. "You told me yesterday how you felt." She turned and started running towards the exit doors, and he took off after her.

"Hermione!" he called, watching her run towards the lake. When she got there, she dropped down on her knees, not caring that she was getting her dress dirty. She began to cry, and didn't hear him as he approached. She had wanted to show him that he hadn't broken her, but he had.

"Damn, Granger," he panted, dropping on the ground beside her. "Where did you learn to run like that?" She turned teary eyes to him.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" she pleaded. He turned his head to look at her, and sat up.

"Because I don't think I can." He reached out and brushed the tears away from her cheeks with his thumb.

"Draco, please," she begged, trying to pull her face away. "I can't do this again."

"You know, I've never just slept next to a girl before," he said candidly. She blinked, still looking out across the lake. "It was incredible."

"It was nice," she agreed softly.

"I've never been able to talk to anyone like that before, either. You're incredibly easy to talk to, do you know that?"

"Thanks," she whispered, flicking her eyes towards him.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" she asked curiously.

"Everything," he said, making a sweeping gesture with his hand. "All of this. My nastiness to you over the years, my blind hatred of you just because someone told me that's how I should feel. And especially for yesterday morning. We had a good time together, and I ruined it all because I thought I was protecting us both by doing it."

"Oh," she said, feeling three inches tall. "I'm sorry for all of the mean things I said to you, too." He reached for her hand, and she didn't pull away from him.

"I never believed that this existed. Not in real life." She bit her bottom lip, and he traced a finger down her cheek slowly.

"What didn't you believe in?"

"Love," he said simply, his eyes not leaving hers. She gasped.

"Love?" she echoed. He nodded.

"I think somewhere in the middle of all of this, I fell in love with you, Hermione." She felt the tears springing into her eyes as he leaned forward to press his lips to hers. She raised her arms and wrapped them around his neck, afraid that if she let go of him, she would wake up and find that none of this had ever really happened.

He kissed her passionately, tangling his fingers in her hair. His euphoria was slowly building, and he vaguely wondered if she felt the same way. When her arms wound around his neck, he moaned softly into the kiss. Several moments later, he pulled away and looked at her breathlessly.

"Will you consider having me?"

"Having you?" she echoed dumbly, dizzy from his kisses.

"As your boyfriend." Her heart nearly stopped beating.

"Are - are you sure?" He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers one more time, then teased her lips apart with his tongue. She struggled to catch her breath as he pulled away.

"Absolutely. I've never wanted anything more in my entire life." He said the words with such conviction that she didn't think to doubt him.

"Alright, then," she whispered, nodding. He smiled.

"Excellent! Now I can tell Potter not to kill me." He smirked playfully, and she arched an eyebrow at him as he helped her to her feet.

"What does Harry have to do with this?"

"Not much - he just mentioned something about killing me if I hurt you again."

"You spoke to Harry, and you were civil to each other?" she asked, not daring to believe him.

"Bloke's decent enough," he said, brushing off his pants. When he saw her incredulous look, he raised his eyebrows at her. "But don't go around telling people that I said that. I have a reputation to protect, you know." She smiled and rolled her eyes.

"I'm glad we got locked up together," she said quietly. He straightened up and looked at her.

"Me, too. I kept wishing that we wouldn't have to leave that night."

"I'm afraid, Draco." He stepped forward and wrapped her in his arms.

"I'm not a perfect person, Hermione. But I promise you that I will never hurt you purposely again. You've given me a reason to change myself, but I can't do it on my own. I need your help."

"I'll do everything I can," she said, resting her head lightly on his chest.

"Are you ready to go back inside and tear up the dance floor?"

"With you?"

"Yes."

"I'm ready for anything."

THE END