A Dragon's Heart

A Dragon´s Heart

By: Lilie Blaze

Chapter 3: The Magical Garden

Hermione woke up and, looking at the clock, realized it was half past eleven. She jumped out of bed and showered as quickly as possible. Then, pulling on a robe and applying a drying charm to her long hair, she hurried out of her room and ran toward Dumbledore´s office. Stepping in, she saw the Headmaster and Draco already waiting, both looking quite amused at her disheveled appearance.

"Good afternoon, Miss Granger," the Headmaster said. "Now that you are here, we can get down to business. Hogwarts will be having a Fall Ball in exactly three weeks and your job is to plan it. You must pick a theme, as well. Now, I´m afraid there is one more thing I must ask you to do. I must ask that you accompany one another to the ball. I know this may be difficult for you both, but I must insist."

"But Professor-" Malfoy began to protest but stopped when the Headmaster raised his right hand to silence him.

"No buts; I´m sorry, but I must insist on this," he said firmly, "Now, since it is too late for the two of you to make the trip to Hogsmeade, I suggest you spend the next few hours planning the ball."

With that, the pair was dismissed.

Silently, they made their way to their common room. Once inside, Hermione turned to face Draco.

"Well," she said, "we´d better get started. I´m just going to change into something comfortable."

"Yeah, me too," Draco answered, heading into his room.

~*~*~*~

In her room, Hermione undressed quickly and pulled on a pair of low-rise jeans and a white tank top. The top fit quite snugly and the distance between it and her pants showed off her tanned midriff. Looking in the mirror, she quickly applied some make-up charms to her face and an anti-frizz glamour on her curls as they cascaded down her back.

Satisfied with her appearance, she stepped back into the common room and gasped slightly at the sight before her.

Draco, leaning against the wall near his room, was wearing Muggle clothing! He wore a pair of dark jeans and a sage-green t-shirt that was clingy enough to show off his toned body. He looked so handsome Hermione had to smack herself mentally in order to look away.

"Ahem," she cleared her throat.

"Oh, sorry, I was just waiting for you and-" Draco stopped suddenly and could not do more than stare at the creature before him. She looked simply stunning in her Muggle clothing.

"So, um, do you want to work out on the balcony?" Hermione asked, feeling slightly embarrassed, as Draco could not tear his eyes away from her.

"Oh yeah, the balcony sounds good," he answered, trying to focus his eyes somewhere other than on Hermione.

The pair settled themselves comfortably in the lounge chairs and began discussing possible themes.

~*~*~*~

A few hours passed and they still hadn´t found a theme for the Fall Ball. Picking up a book, which Hermione had left on the table earlier, Draco read the title, slightly intrigued.

"`The History of Mythology,´ what´s this?" he asked.

"Oh, it´s a Muggle book about ancient beliefs," she stated, grabbing the book back. Looking at the cover, she gasped excitedly, "Oh my gods! This is perfect, Draco! What a great idea!" she shrieked, pulling him into a tight hug.

"Uh, Granger, you´re cutting off oxygen," Draco said.

Letting go quickly, Hermione blushed at the realization of her actions.

"Sorry," she said, feeling embarrassed.

"It´s ok," he said. "Now would you mind telling me why the hell you got so excited?" Draco asked, curiosity getting the best of him.

"Oh, right!" Hermione exclaimed, remembering her brilliant idea. "I just got a great idea for the theme! `Famous Couples in History!´"

"It´s a great idea!" Draco replied, with a note of sarcasm. "And what exactly will we go as then?"

"You and I will go as Aphrodite and Aries," she answered, smiling calmly. "The Goddess of Love and the God of War."

"Fine, whatever," Draco said, secretly liking the idea. "Dumbledore gave us special permission to go to Hogsmeade tomorrow, so we can find costumes then."

"Great," Hermione answered, smiling slightly before she got up and walked back into their common room to finish her Potions homework.

~*~*~*~

The next day, the pair woke up early and made their way to Hogsmeade. Once there, Hermione led the way to `Katrina´s Costume Robes.´ A short and plump-looking witch who turned out to be Katrina greeted the pair at the door.

"Hello dears!" she exclaimed, a smile plastered on her face, "What may I help you with today?"

"Well, we need to find costumes for a ball. The theme is `Famous Couples in History so we are going as Aphrodite and Aries, the Goddess-"

"The Goddess of Love and the God of War!" the cheery witch finished and smiled broadly. "What a perfect couple you two are for that role!" And with that, she ushered them both to the back of the store.

It had been relatively easy to find a costume for Draco, but Hermione was having a hard time trying to find something to suit her taste. Draco´s attire consisted of black pants and a sleeveless black velvet shirt, which showed off every muscle on his body. He´d also added a black cloak for effect and an authentic-looking sword.

As Draco made his way to the front of the store to pay for his costume, he noticed Hermione already waiting for him at the exit, holding what he assumed was her costume.

"When did you find your costume?" he asked, surprised at her quick shopping.

"Oh, um, I found it while you were changing," she stammered, "and I didn´t want to waste any time..."

"Ok, are you going to let me see it?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"It´s a surprise."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Let´s go," Draco snapped, getting annoyed with their conversation. The pair left the store quickly and made their way back to Hogwarts.

~*~*~*~

The next three weeks passed by quickly for the pair as homework piled up and the ball came closer and closer. Hermione and Draco spent most of their time studying, finishing homework, and putting together the final details for the Fall Ball.

Finally the day of the Ball arrived; Hermione, Ginny, Lavender, and Parvati locked themselves in Hermione´s room to get ready.

"Hermione, what are you and Draco going as, again?" Parvati asked.

"Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, and Aries, the God of War," Hermione replied. "How about you and Dean?"

"Oh, how perfect for you two!" Lavender exclaimed, giggling slightly.

"We´re going as Hamlet and Ophelia," Parvati answered, grinning at Hermione.

"Really?" Ginny asked, smiling, a look of surprise on her face. "Harry and I are going as Romeo and Juliet! We´re going to match!"

"How about you, Lavender?" Hermione asked. "What are you and Ron going as?"

"Well, we decided to go as Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio," Lavender answered, blushing slightly.

"Oh, how perfect!" Parvati exclaimed. "White dress and all?"

"Yes, white dress and all," Lavender answered, grinning shyly.

"Ok, girls," Hermione said, smiling, "enough chit chat, let´s get to work!"

~*~*~*~

Four hours and many charms and glamours later, the girls were finally satisfied with their appearances. Looking around, Hermione had to agree they all looked gorgeous.

Ginny definitely looked the part of Juliet in her medieval-style emerald dress. Her auburn hair fell in perfect ringlets and was held up with a few pins.

Parvati had chosen a navy blue dress very similar in style to Ginny´s, with the exception of a few minor details. Her raven hair fell in straight wisps down her back, with a few pieces pulled back and held in place by a few daises, violets, and a piece of rosemary.

Then there was Lavender. She did, in fact, wear an exact replica of Marilyn´s white dress and had curled her blond hair in just the right way. With a few charms, she looked like she could pass as Marilyn herself.

Finally, the girls each hugged Hermione before heading back into their dorm to meet their dates. As she closed the door behind them, she walked over to the full-length mirror for a final check. Seeing her reflection, she smiled with satisfaction. Her dress was strapless and made of soft pink satin. It hugged just the right curves on her body. The top and bottom were held together by white mesh, embroidered in pink and burgundy roses and showed off her perfectly toned stomach. However, her midriff wasn´t the only thing her dress revealed. Her long legs were also showing from under the two high slits on each side of the dress. She had chosen white heels and a light pink cloak with a rose clasp for accessories. Her long hair had been charmed to appear lighter with many blond highlights. It cascaded down her back in perfect curls with a few rosettes in the front as decoration.

Smiling softly, Hermione stepped into the common room.

~*~*~*~

Seeing her step into the room, Draco could not hide the amazed look, which crossed his handsome face. Hermione looked stunning.

"Wow..." he sighed, taking in the sight before him. "You look...nice," he said, finally composing himself. "Shall we, uh, go?"

"Yes, I think so," Hermione replied, smiling shyly as Draco took her arm in his and led her toward the Great Hall.

As the large doors swung open, the pair made quite the entrance, catching the attention of most couples.

"Uh, Draco?" Hermione whispered, leaning closer. "Do you know how to dance?"

"What?! Of course I know how to dance; do you?" he asked, looking at her pointedly.

"Yes, of course. I was just checking," she answered, as she looked around the hall.

"Well, then why don´t you prove it?" Draco smiled. "Dance with me." The look in his eyes wasn´t the same cold expression Hermione was used to. At that moment, his eyes were warm and inviting as he looked at her, asking her to dance.

"Ok," she replied softly as he led her onto the dance floor and wrapped one arm around her small waist while gently holding her hand in his other hand. They were the perfect dancing partners, moving softly and gracefully around the dance floor, complimenting each other with their presence.

"I didn´t mean what I said," Draco said softly.

"What?" she asked, slightly confused.

"I didn´t mean what I said about you never comparing to a pureblood," he started, his eyes meeting hers, "You´re above most of us."

"Wow..." Hermione whispered, blushing. "Thank you, Draco. That means a lot, especially coming from you."

"You called me `Draco´," he whispered, his eyes shining more than ever. "You´ve been doing so lately."

"Yes, I tend to be on a first name basis with those I care about," she answered, smiling as Draco pulled her body closer and bent his head down until his lips were merely an inch from her ear.

"I want to show you something," he said, "but you have to trust me."

"Ok, show me," she answered; feeling a little anxious as Draco suddenly pulled her off the dance floor and toward a side door. Once outside, Hermione found herself in the Hogwarts garden. "What do you want to show me?" she asked, curiosity getting to her.

"Shhh. You´ll see," he answered, placing his index finger on her pouting lips. Leading her toward a large tree, Draco took her slender hand into his own as they faced a small heart engraved in its trunk. Taking out his wand, Draco traced the contour of the heart and whispered something Hermione didn´t quite catch. Suddenly, the garden disappeared and they found themselves still holding hands, surrounded by a jungle. There were vines and beautifully colored exotic flowers everywhere. Everything looked so perfect, as though it were taken right out of a painting.

"This is MY garden," Draco said softly, smiling at the amazement covering Hermione´s pretty face.

"It´s...it´s beautiful!" Hermione exclaimed, her excitement rising by the second.

"I must agree," he said, pulling her slightly as they made their way to a small clearing. "My favorite spot," he explained, sitting down.

"I can see why," she replied, sitting beside him. "This is truly beautiful"

"Hermione-"

"Draco-"

"You first," Hermione replied.

"Oh, ok...I just wanted to say that I am really sorry for all the horrible things I´ve done to you in the past, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me and we can start over-" Draco babbled on nervously.

Feeling sorry for him, Hermione placed a finger on his lips, motioning for him to stop. Then, smiling, she leaned in slowly and planted a soft, sweet kiss on his cool lips.

"Forgiven..." she said, pulling back slightly, then kissing him again. This time the kiss was more passionate and breathtaking. Smiling softly, she whispered, "Forgotten," between their intimate kisses.

Hearing the clock strike midnight, the couple made their way back to the Great Hall, never letting go of one another´s hand.

~*~*~*~