Charms

Hermione sat quietly, staring into the flames of the Gryffindor fire. She hadn't wanted to go down to breakfast today, so she was munching on a stack of toast that Dobby had brought her. Soon the portrait hole swung open, Ginny stepping carefully inside.

"So..." she asked.

"So... what?" replied Hermione. Ginny just looked at her, and Hermione relented, "Just a note."

"Just a note? What kind of crappy gift is that?"

Today you are supposed to receive

Nine ladies dancing...

Why?

Instead, how about something magic for later tonight?

It'll be waiting for you...

May I have a dance?

"A word of warning, Hermione. Ron and Harry were right behind me."

Ginny disappeared up the stairwell to the dorms, just as the afore mentioned boys entered the Common Room.

And stopped dead.

"Hermione!" exclaimed Ron, looking suspiciously at the piece of elegant paper Hermione had in her hand. Harry just rolled his eyes, and made his way over to where she was sitting.
"Hermione, I don't know about that prat over there, but I am sorry for how I treated you. I would make some excuse, except I know that there isn't one that would do you justice. I would like to say that I don't take you for granted. I value your help...I mean, think back to First Year! I'd still be trying to figure out Snape's logic question-thing..."

Seeing Hermione grin at Harry's words, Ron edged his way over.

"I realise it was me that did most of the yelling...and again, no excuse counts for it. But, for Merlin's sake Hermione, the Malfoys and the Weasleys have one of the oldest feuds in Wizarding History...I consider you to be family. So hopefully you'll understand why I was upset...I know, I deserve to be spitting slugs again, but I never meant those words."
Together, the boys asked, "Friends?"

*~ Can I really forgive them? This isn't the first time that they've deserted me. And I can still remember how they acted at the meeting the other day...~*

*****Flashback*****

As Hermione entered the room, she had noticed several things. First, there were eight chairs arranged in a circle. All but two were occupied. Draco and Hermione took the remaining pair, Hermione next to Hannah Abbott and Draco next to Blaise Zabini. They were discussing ideas for why the meeting had been called when Ron had started insulting them. 'Slytherin Strumpet' was one of the phrases she could remember Ron clearly saying.

Once McGonagall had arrived, and began the meeting, these comments slowly died away. Instead, they found themselves staring at the small images of animals transposed over each other's faces, and accepting the challenge of becoming Animagi. It was what Ron had whispered to her as she walked down the corridor after the meeting that had really hurt.
"I guess Second Year was foreshadowing...once easy pussy, always easy pussy..."

*****End Flashback*****

Hermione pulled herself from the painful memories as she cautiously extended a hand first to Harry, then to Ron.

"Friends. Until you two fuck up again, and I leave you once your own to suffer the consequences."

*~ I've never sworn infront of them before...~*

As Hermione exited the Common Room, she heard Ron whisper to Harry urgently.

"Malfoys has to be doing something nasty to her! That's the first time she's sworn!"

Unbidden, her dream from that night came back to her. The silver dragon dreams had once more been wrapped around her; this time snorting balls of fire each time Ron or Harry tried to get close.

*~ Now, if only I can get through these next few days in peace...no, dammit, I have Potions. Life has just become hell. ~*

**********

Professor Snape was posed with an impossible task. How could he keep his Fifth Year Potions class quiet on the last class of a half-day? Especially since said half-day was the final day of term and the day of the Yule Ball...suddenly his eyes lit upon a Muggle Book he had picked up in a bookshop while getting 'The Lord of the Rings' for Draco.

Cyclopedia of Valuable Receipts: A Treasure-House of Useful Knowledge for the Every-day Wants of Life read the title. It was very old, and close to falling apart. While the class checked their Polyjuice Potions, Snape prepared to let them do something that Draco had been begging him to be able to try.

Quietly, he wrote the instructions for the different combinations on the board. Once the class had put their cauldrons back in their keeping places, they returned to their seats.
"I know that I have vowed to never let you have the slightest amount of fun in this class, unless it is through the mis-fortune of another. However, I have received a request for a somewhat lighter workload today. And, since your Polyjuices are actually progressing properly, a 'fun' period has been arranged. On the board are written several different combinations of minerals and other materials commonly used by Muggles. You are able to make several different types of "Colored Fire". Please do not mix the recipes, the results could be disastrous. Also, no fires are to be created outside of your cauldrons."

The class eagerly got to work. Draco and Hermione shared a grin. During one of their talks, they had discovered that although neither of them was fond of fire, they did like looking at the flames in controlled condition (Draco was personally worried that he might burn buildings down while in Animagus form).

"What color should we do first?"
"Green," came Draco's instant reply.

"How terribly Slytherin of you. How about red?"
"How Gryffindor. Hmm, a cross between green and red..."
"How about pruple? It's one of the simpler ones, and doesn't look too hard."

Once they had collected and mixed the ingrediants, they watched in awe as their cauldron was lit from the inside by a brilliant purple fire.

"Cool..."

**********

"Oh, woe is me..." muttered Seamus Finnegan. Although he was considerably improved from his exploding 'water-into-rum' trick from First Year, he still wasn't very good with explosions. And mixing such volatile goods had NOT been good for his eyebrows...or his hair. As he touched the charred remains, his fingers came away covered in lilac soot from damage the flames of the same color had done.

The First Years girls sitting near him in the Common Room looked over with a false kind of sympathy. They were the only females down there already. The boys looked on, hiding their amusement behind their hands.

"I don't feel so bad now," whispered Ron to Harry. Inspite of the fact that thanks to the twins, Ron owned a very nice set of dress-robes, he still loathed balls. Harry agreed, but had been dragged into it by Ginny. The two boys were waiting for Ginny and Hermione to appear before they went to collect Cho. Just then, Ginny came down the stairs. She looked stunning in an ice-green gown with matching dress robes. Her short red curls were scattered with twinkling diamantes, and there were two little buns on top of her head, like Princess Leia had missed (AN: or like Scary Spice used to wear them, right on top of her head. Very cute!). Her make-up was carefully done, and looked almost natural. She was grinning in a VERY pleased way as she made her way over to the others.

"You look stunning..." murmured Harry, almost in shock.

"Dammit, you stole my line...nice look, little sis," added Ron.

Ginny just grinned. "Wait until you see HERMIONE!"

With that yelled last word, Ginny turned and faced the stairs. Shortly after, Hermione descended the stairs. And every male (and some female) in the Common Room dropped their jaws as their eyes bugged out.

Hermione was stunning. Her robes were a dark red over a simple dress (which was cream with gold highlights), while her hair was piled on top of her head, held in place with ruby and pearl clips. Some single strands framed her face, which was done up to perfection. Her soft golden eye shadow contrasted with the dark red lipstick that emphasized her full lips. Her jewelry was simple, a choker of three strands of small pearls that had a single ruby hanging from the middle. Her only other adornment was the five bracelets she had received at the start of the week.

"Didn't my secret admirer do well this time?" she asked as she led the group out into the halls of Hogwarts.

*********

Hermione was having fun. She had been dancing non-stop ever since she'd arrived, her outfit singling her out from the other witches, who were dressed all in one color. As her thoughts drifted to the parcel that had been waiting on her bed after lunch, Hermione smiled slightly at her current dance partner, Professor Dumbledore (he had been dancing with all of the Prefects...not that they had had many prefect meetings this year, for some reason).

*~ It was such a cool gift...a Mood robe...~* It was this article of clothing that looked suspiciously like a garbage bag when she first unwrapped it. However, once it was on...

*~ And it did all my makeup and everything...the person must know how much I loath and detest getting ready for formal events. ~* Hermione was very much a 'get up five minutes before I need to and put my hair in a messy pony tail' person in the morning. However, by the time she had walked from the Gryffindor Tower to the Great Hall, she had woken up completely. It was one of her better-kept secrets. She was shocked from her thoughts as she felt Dumbledore waltz to a stop.

"Ah, Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Turpin. How pleasant to see you. May I cut in, Mr. Malfoy? I can assure you that she is a delightful partner..."

With that, Dumbledore spun Lisa Turpin off, and Draco and Hermione were left standing beside each other. Finally, it was Hermione that made the first move.

*~ If looking this good gives me confidence, there go that extra five minutes sleep...~*

With a deep curtsey, Hermione politely asked, "May I have this dance?" spoiling the effect by the playfulness shining from her eyes. He answered with an equally deep bow, "But of course, madam."

As they began to dance, the song ended and another one started.

Take your head around the world

See what you get

From your mind

Write your soul down word for word

See who's your friend

who is kind

Its almost like a disease

I know soon you will be

Over the lies, you'll be strong

You'll be rich in love and you will carry on

But no - Oh no

No you won't be mine

** Oh lord...it's my thoughts. My thoughts being sung to everyone here...**

Take your straight line for a curve

Make it stretch, the same old line

Then try to find if it was worth what you spent

Why you're guilty for the way

You're feeling now

It's almost like being free

And I know soon you will be

Over the lies, you'll be strong

You'll be rich in love and you will carry on

But no - Oh no

No you won't be mine

**No matter what I do, you won't ever love me...** Seeing Hermione laughing, smiling and dancing with almost every other senior boy there tonight had just reinforced Draco's fears of rejection.

** How could she love me...when she finds out what my father did...** Trying to turn his mind from his dark thoughts, he smiled softly.

Take yourself out to the curb

Sit and wait

A fool for life

It's almost like a disease

I know soon you will be

Over the lies, you'll be strong

You'll be rich in love and you will carry on

But no - Oh no

No you won't be mine

*~ What was he thinking of...he looked so sad, so desperate...I wonder if he would ever let me in? ~*

As the swirling strings faded out, and the piano melody dominated the end of the song, Draco and Hermione continued to dance, each hoping for what they thought was impossible. Soon after, the clock struck midnight and they were still in each other's arms.

~

Fin.