Masquerade

Chapter 2: The Plan

An announcement went out ages ago for the Masquerade Ball the week before N.E.W.T.s and O.W.L.s. It was a plan of Dumbledore's to distract the seventh and fifth years from studying too hard. In many ways is worked. For those without boyfriends and girlfriends there was the rush to get a partner before going to the Ball - Merlyn forbid it - alone.

Hermione did not include herself in the scramble as there was only one person she had in mind to go with and didn't much fancy going with just anyone otherwise. Blaise, on the other hand, found his partner from two years ago had been snatched up by his other best friend, Theodore Nott, and couldn't help, but think that it was about damn time for the two of them to get together. The night of the Ball came finding both alone and too stubborn not to go anyway.

Everyone's costumes were extravagant as the limits were only their creativity and the amount of magic they could handle. For Luna Lovegood this was no problem. Harry loved her over the top dress anyway feeling that it was true reflection of her personality. Hermione couldn't quite tell what she was supposed to be, but could make out animal figures in the pattern of the dress that seemed to be acting out fairy tales.

Hermione wore a classic gown of light silvery blue with a delicate swan mask. It was the perfect design in its simplicity. She felt lovely in it, even compared to her fellow classmates. The Patil twins wore brilliant orange costumes with tiger masks, daring people to mistake one for her sister.

Even the boys got into the act of dressing up. Neville wore vibrant green for his frog costume and Ron looked splendid in his golden lion get up. No one looked bad in costume and everyone felt the festive cheer that came when the year was nearing its end.

As the music began in the Great Hall, couples separated to dance. Hermione stayed at one of the small tables light with candles watching the activity from a far. She played a game with herself trying to pick out her classmates among the masked dancers. "Surely what you are looking for is right here, no?" asked a deep voice that she would recognize anywhere. She turned to find that she was interrupted by Blaise in a fantastic indigo peacock costume.

"Depends on what you think I am looking for," she responded playfully as one eyebrow rose suggestively. The problem with Blaise was this exactly. The playful banter that dominated their conversations could suggest other things, but neither would ever name what it was they were both really getting at. No one had asked either to the dance just for that reason. Everyone was under the impression that they were both already together except that they had never officially said so.

Blaise sat next to Hermione to keep her company. "So what were you looking for?" His eyes bore into hers and all she could see was the heat and passion that reflected in them.

"I was trying to match our classmates to their costumes for the evening. That doe there must be Ginny with Neville," she pointed out.

"How ridiculous is Draco? Is he wearing a snake suit?" They laughed. "He is so predictable."

From across the room, Millicent and Theodore watched them.

"Why doesn't he just tell her?" Theo asked.

Millicent looked at him surprised. "You mean, you even know?"

"I'm quiet, not blind."

"I was just saying if a boy as thick as you noticed . . . " she drifted off smiling playfully.

"Do you want me to keep dancing with you?"

"Of course," Millicent had been joking with him, but realized that Theo didn't like the joke. "I'm sorry, I just meant -"

"It's all right. I understand. The issue at hand is Blaise and Hermione though."

Harry, who had been dancing by with Luna, had overheard them and couldn't help but add his own thoughts. "You're right something needs to be done."

The group had stopped dancing and stood there watching Hermione and Blaise laugh and flirt with each other, not quite understanding each other's feelings.

"So anyone have a plan?" Luna asked.

"Oi! Ron!" Harry called. When the redhead arrived, Harry asked, "Any idea how to get Hermione and Blaise to realize their feelings for each other?"

"You think he'd know that?" Ginny and Neville had not been dancing too far away.

"Hey, I resent that! I can be helpful in these sorts of matters," Ron said as he tried to puff up his chest. His date, Sophie McDaniel, a sixth year Hufflepuff, looked at him skeptically.

"So then what's your suggestion?" When Ron didn't have an answer for his sister, she turned to the rest of the group. "Well?"

"We could just tell them," suggested Theo shyly. "I mean, it's not a good plan, but it is, uh, yeah."

"No, that's very good." You could see everything fall into place behind Ginny's calculating eyes.

"Hermione wouldn't believe us though," Harry said.

"Neither would Blaise," Millicent didn't sound very optimistic.

"Well, maybe if we didn't really tell them when we told them." Everyone looked at Luna, not sure what to make of her comment. "I mean if they hear us talk about it then they'll believe it more than if we told them directly."

"Oh," the group was finally on the same page.

"So you guys, just make sure Blaise can hear you talking about how much Hermione likes him and we'll get Hermione to overhear us." Ron thought the plan would work perfectly.

"No, no, they're smarter than that. He needs to hear you talk about her feelings. Why would we know how she really feels?" Millicent took charge of the situation. "And we'll do the same for Hermione."

"That makes it more complicated," Ron said.

"It makes it more believable," said Ginny looking right at the two lovebirds.

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Hermione enjoyed Blaise's company for the rest of the night. Neither of them danced, but they had a wonderful night nonetheless as they ignored the rest of the school. After the last dance at midnight, most of the couples made their ways slowly back to their houses.

"Well, I should get back to my dorm," Hermione said hesitantly in the entrance hall.

"Yeah," Blaise looked at his feet for a moment. "Want a companion? It can be rather scary in these hallways at night. And the Heads' dorms are awfully far away."

She beamed as she looked back at him. "I'd love that."

They joked and laughed most of the way to her room stopping when they made it to the Prefects' Commons. The tall room echoed their laughter, making them aware of the noise they were making. "Shh," Hermione said exaggerating the importance of their need for quiet. Blaise just began to laugh more at this.

"I'm being serious. I'm Head Girl and I know the rules." She put her hands on her hips trying to look menacingly at him. Blaise laughed louder before tackling her to one of the sofas tickling her mercilessly. "This is an expensive dress," she cried.

"You can fix it with a flick of your wand. So, quite your whining." Blaise straightened up and let Hermione sit up next to him on the couch. They were both out of breath, but couldn't stop laughing. "See you look perfectly fine," he said hesitantly now that they had grown quiet. As he looked at her, he knew she was perfect in his eyes, not seeing a thing he wanted to change about her.

The room had now enveloped them in silence with the absence of their laughter. They just sat there sharing one of their trademark looks. It happened often enough that they were comfortable now just to stare at the other openly. It was one of the many reasons they should have know what they thought of each other. They felt completely comfortable with each other that when silence settled on them they didn't feel the urge to fill it immediately.

Ernie MacMillian came through the main door then, nodded to them, and quietly made his way up the stairs. He was now used to Hermione and Blaise spending so much time together. The whole school was. He wondered if anything would happen before they all left.

"I better head out." Blaise stood up and offered Hermione a hand as well.

"I had a - a lot of fun," she said.

"You were the most beautiful swan tonight," he said, but in a tone that she was never sure if she could take seriously.

"I was the only swan."

"All right," he conceded, "But what about me?"

"There was more than one peacock and I don't know what Lavender would think if I said you were more beautiful than she was." Hermione shrugged and Blaise laughed.

"Bounanotte, gioia mia^§."

"Sweet dreams."

But nothing is sweeter than the time I spend with you when I am awake, Blaise thought.

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The next morning Hermione took a break off from studying and picked up a classic favorite of her. Her well-worn copy of Pride and Prejudice would always be her favorite book. She had lost track of how many times she had read its pages looking for comfort or distraction. The morning after the Ball she read it to sort out confusion.

As a third party, the relationship between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy had always made sense. Hermione understood why they acted the way they did. Especially now at the fortieth read through, it was part of her to know what the two of them did. It was an easy activity after a night in which all she received was more confusing boy actions.

Ernie came into the common space from his room and yawned. "Morning."

"It's 12:30, Ernie."

"Is it?" He sat across from her. "You're reading that book again." He had noticed that Hermione pulled it out whenever she had spent prolonged periods of time with Blaise. He was sure he understood the connection even if she didn't.

"It's a favorite." She marked her place and set it down. "Have a good night?"

Ernie nodded. "It was good. You looked great. Have fun yourself?" He had always tried to get Hermione to talk about her relationship with Blaise. As much out of curiosity as wanting to help her understand it herself, but the second part was more to justify the first reason.

"It was a great night. Everyone looked wonderful. It was a lot of fun."

It didn't seem that Ernie was going to get information from Hermione this way, so he daringly went for a more direct question. "Blaise walked you home?" Ernie sat down and picked up a copy of the Daily Prophet as he tried to look casual.

Hermione looked up from her book at the newspaper covered Head Boy. "Yes," she began. "He did, because he's a friend." She looked at her book again and tried some of her own straightforward line of interrogation and she did so simply. "Why do you ask?" she asked with a yawn.

Ernie panicked inwardly. Hermione was not supposed to use his trick against him. He had two choices. The first was to answer as she had and therefore not really answer. Or he could answer truthfully hoping to gain her trust for the truth to come out. "I don't think I am the only one interested in the two of you," he said.

"You mean like a couple?" They both knew that Hermione knew what he meant. There had been rumors for the last few weeks. She privately rejoiced and hoped they were true. She wondered what Blaise thought of the talk but had no confidence in asking him.

Ernie lowered his newspaper and just looked at her. "No, I meant as business partners." The sarcasm was dripping. As he lifted his newspaper again he asked, "So what about that?"

Hermione lowered her book again quickly only to face the headline Wood Saves Finals Game for Puddlemere instead. "There isn't much time 'til we leave. Therefore it is unlikely that what you propose would come to fruition," she said in her most clinical and detached way.

"Are you talking about a potions experiment or your love life?"

"I don't have a love life."

"So a potions experiment then? Good, easier to control and only messy on the physical front - not emotionally." He had lowered the paper again and now looked at his room mate raising one eyebrow as to ask a question without having to use the words.

"We've been friends for a bloody year and a half now and nothing has happened, has it? Why would it now?"

"'Bloody?' Now that's getting emotional. I thought we established that we weren't doing that," Ernie joked. "Sometimes things happen when you least expect." Ernie shrugged, not seeming as sure of himself to Hermione as he had moments ago. "So you do like him."

Hermione turned red, realizing what she just let slip. "Nn- no," she stammered. "We are good friends." She looked away from Ernie. "Besides, there's no time for anything to happen anyway." As she brought up her book again, Ernie realized that he wasn't getting anything else out of her today, but what he did get was as good as any signed declaration.

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Later that evening Ernie happened upon Harry, Ron, and Ginny in fevered discussion outside the Great Hall. Two names were all he could catch of the conversation in passing, but two names were all he needed.

"What about Hermione and Blaise?" Ernie had made an obvious U-turn to come back to the group who now glanced worriedly around the foyer for the people in question.

"Nothing," Ron said all too quickly.

"Do I look stupid?" Ernie asked. "I know about their situation better than anyone, I live with her."

The three of them looked at Ernie with an expression of sudden comprehension. "So you would know," Harry said.

"Yeah, she told me about her feelings this morning." It was the three conspirators turn to give disbelieving looks. "Okay, you're right!" He threw his hands up in the air. "So she didn't exactly say it, but she got there more or less."

"Really?" Ginny looked at the Head Boy trying to find out how much he really did know.

"Look, obviously the whole school knows what the two of them don't. They like each other. I'm not giving you new information." Ernie lowered his voice. "So what are you guys doing about it?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," Ron could not lie. Instead the sentence came out stiltedly.

"Don't try to look innocent. Everyone knows you guys like action. You aren't just going to wait around for them to take care of it themselves. We all know Flobber Worms will have taken over the world before that happens."

"You know, Ernie may just be the extra layer to our plan that we need," Ginny said to her co-conspirators turned from Ernie.

"How's that?" Ron asked.

"Believability. You're right, Ginny, he could work on both of them from yet another angle neither expected," Harry said. "He's trusted and not directly connected to any of this." The other two nodded and they turned back to Ernie. "Want to help?"

"What do you think?"

^§ Bounanotte, gioia mia = Goodnight, my joy (Italian)