Chapter Five

A/N: A huge thanks to JenniferLupinBlack for being my alpha and to Craftsman for being my fabulous beta. I appreciate all the reviews and favorites. It means a lot to me, and I hope you all enjoy the final chapter of this story.

Disclaimer: JKR owns the world and characters of Harry Potter, not me. I am making no money from the posting of this story.

Chapter 5

The day of the ball flew by quickly, and before anyone knew it, it was time to start getting ready. All the girls were in their dorm rooms getting dressed, doing each other's hair and make-up. That morning, Hermione awoke to a blue and black corsage on her bedside table. A note was attached that said to meet by the punchbowl at six o'clock, promptly after the ball started.

She checked herself over in the mirror, pleased with her appearance. Her dress was a strapless gown that had a tiered skirt. It was a dark teal, with ribbons of black tulle appearing beneath each tier. On the bodice, there were black flowers surrounded by small crystals. She wore her hair half up and half down, so that some of her brown curls covered her shoulder.

The final accessory to her beautiful gown was her all black mask. The delicate mask swirled around her eyes, forming butterfly wings on the side. The whole outfit gave her a fairytale look. After putting on some lipstick, Hermione hurried to the Common Room where she was meeting Harry and Ginny. Ron and Lavender had already left for the party, for which Hermione was relieved.

"Hermione, you look like a fairy princess!" Ginny gushed, looking over her friend. "All you need are some black wings, and you'd be perfect."

Harry smiled and nodded in agreement, looking at his best friend. "You do look lovely, Hermione."

She blushed. "You clean up nicely too, Harry," Hermione said, looking between the couple. "The two of you look perfect." Ginny looked at Harry with a blush.

They did look perfect together; Ginny was wearing the pink gown while Harry wore a black suit. His masque was blue, making his green eyes more vibrant. She grinned when she saw that the two of them were holding hands.

"Ready to go?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded. Butterflies swirled around her stomach, making her feel like she would be sick.

Ginny looked at Hermione and sensed her hesitation. "Come on," she said firmly, linking her arm with Hermione's leading her to the portrait hole. "You're going to meet your prince charming tonight; there's no way I'd ever let you back out of this."

"What prince charming?" Harry asked, his protective behavior shining through. The two of them were like siblings, even though they fought quite a bit.

"Hermione's been receiving letters from a secret admirer the past two weeks or so. She's fallen head over heels for him, and they're going to meet tonight," Ginny explained.

Harry's brows shot up in surprise. "Really? Wow, Hermione, that's really..."

"Oh, shut it," Hermione said, cutting him off. She knew he would probably go on to say not to do it, but she really didn't need to hear it. "I don't want to talk about it. I'm nervous enough as it is, and I don't need you two making it worse."

Harry smirked, giving a shrug. "Whatever you say, Hermione. I just want to make sure you're okay."

The three of them walked down to the Great Hall, which had been transformed into the perfect ballroom. The ceiling had turned itself gold, with candles floating in the air. The walls of the room sparkled, with lights adorning the drapes that had magically appeared. Pillars stood along the side, and with the drapes, they created small alcoves.

The ball was already in swing. Couples were dancing around the room and the laughter echoed off the walls. No one was recognizable. Everyone was dressed up elegantly, masks adorning every face.

Looking up to the Head Table, Hermione recognized the long blond hair of Lucius Malfoy. He was sitting with Professor Snape, and the two appeared to be having a deep discussion.

"What's he doing here?" Harry asked.

Hermione shrugged. "He is on the school board. Maybe the other members are here as well."

"Well, it's six o'clock, Hermione. Time to go meet your lover," Ginny said, beaming. "Have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Tossing a wink at Hermione, she quickly grabbed Harry and dragged him out to the dance floor.

Hermione took a deep breath to try and steady her racing heart. Summoning her Gryffindor courage, she made her way to the punch bowl. There was no one wearing blue over there, but she waited. She watched the others dancing, hoping that she would have her turn on the dance floor soon enough.

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate*," a voice spoke out behind her.

She quickly turned around, knowing at once that it was her secret admirer. He was wearing a suit that was so dark blue it almost seemed black. His mask was simple, reminding her very much of Zorro's mask. Her eyes widened a fraction when she saw his steel grey eyes.

Her admirer grinned. "You do look lovely, Hermione."

His voice did it. She knew at once it was Malfoy. Her thoughts whirled with the revelation. Draco Malfoy was her secret admirer!

"You look handsome yourself," she replied, her throat going dry. He did look handsome. His suit was tailored perfectly, showing off his physic beneath.

"Would you care to dance?" Malfoy held out his hand.

She nodded, accepting it. As he led her onto the dance floor, her heart raced. If it wasn't for his tight grip on her waist, Hermione was quite sure she would have stumbled. He twirled her around with ease, oblivious to the inner turmoil of her thoughts.

"You were right," Hermione said, making conversation. "You are a good dancer."

"Years of practice," he replied. He dipped her low, peering into her brown eyes. "I've never had a partner as good as you, however."

She blushed. "I'm not very good," she protested.

"Nonsense. You're a good partner. You're allowing me to lead without fighting for dominance." He leaned close, his breath tickling her ear. "We mesh together well."

Hermione laughed nervously. "So it would seem."

He peered at her, his face centimeters from hers. For a moment, she thought the two of them would kiss. Surprisingly, she wasn't that disturbed by the thought. She wanted that kiss, even if it was from Draco Malfoy. The boy she knew from the journal was different from the boy she knew in front of her. But perhaps not. She didn't know Draco Malfoy all that well to begin with.

"Are you all right?" he asked, watching the emotions flash across her face.

Hermione nodded. "Do you think we could maybe get something to drink?"

"Sure, come on." Taking her hand, he led her to the side of the room. Grabbing two glasses of punch, he guided her to one of the small alcoves. There was a window there, overlooking the Hogwarts's grounds. After taking a sip, Hermione confronted him.

"What do you want with me?" she asked. "Is this a joke or something? Some sort of bet?"

His grey eyes flashed with hurt. "No, why would you think that?"

"Because, Draco, you never showed me any interest before," she said, revealing that she knew his identity. "You've never been particularly nice to me either."

He frowned. "How did you know?" He placed his drink on the window sill.

"Your eyes gave you away," she admitted.

"I shouldn't have been so mean to you when we were younger. It's how I was raised, although I know that's no excuse." Draco sighed. "I have my own ideals and beliefs now."

Hermione looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry. It's just, I've grown attached to you... or well, your writings, and I just..."

"Don't want to get hurt," Draco finished for her. "Hermione, I would never hurt you." He moved a bit closer to her. Hermione backed herself up against the wall. "My feelings for you are genuine. Everything I wrote to you was true."

"Really?" Her mouth went dry. His close proximity was making her thoughts scatter.

"Yes, really. You're a beautiful girl. I just couldn't approach you because I thought you hated me. Potter and Weasley don't like me at all, so I didn't want to take that chance," Draco spoke, moving closer to her.

Her eyes darted about frantically. "But I'm a Muggleborn."

"And I don't care," Draco quickly said. "Like I said, that Pureblood nonsense means nothing to me."

"But what about your father?" she asked. "He's here... He might see us."

"Then let him see," Draco said firmly. "I don't care what he says. My mother already knows and approves."

"You told your mother about me?" Hermione asked surprised.

Draco smirked, a laugh escaping his lips. "Yes, I did. She could spot a lovesick teenage boy over the Christmas holiday. I told her everything."

"I don't know what to say," Hermione whispered.

"Don't say anything," Draco responded. He quickly closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss only lasted seconds but it was enough to leave Hermione wanting more. He went to kiss her again, but she stopped him.

"Take your mask off," she commanded. "I want to see your face."

He nodded, removing his mask. Reaching up, he helped Hermione remove hers as well. Placing them both on the windowsill, along with Hermione's punch, he then returned his attention to the beautiful witch in front of him.

"Does this mean you'll give me a chance?" he whispered, his voice so low she barely heard him.

"Yes."

His eyes lit up.

"It'll be hard, especially with all the Lavender drama going on."

"I don't care about that," Draco responded. "I know she was lying, and your real friends will know she's lying as well. She will stop one way or another." A small smirk appeared on his face.

"I like that idea, although nothing too terrible," Hermione said as Draco let out a laugh. "And you'll have to be nicer to Harry and Ron."

He opened his mouth to protest, but the sight of her arching her brow stopped him. He nodded. "I'll try to be nicer, all right?"

Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck. "I just can't believe it's you. You were the last person I expected," she admitted.

Draco's hands found her waist. He held her close. "Who did you expect?" he asked.

She gave a shrug. "I don't know. Goyle maybe? Or some other student. For a moment, I thought Lavender was pulling a cruel joke. I never really made any guesses."

"Are you disappointed?"

She frowned, hearing the fear of rejection in his voice. "No, of course not." She leaned forward and gently kissed him. "I happen to be very happy with my admirer. It will take some getting used to, but I look forward to it."

Draco grinned and kissed her. His hands tangled themselves in her hair as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. She tightened her arms around his neck, pulling his body closer to hers. Hermione lost herself in the kiss, feeling as if she could kiss him this way for the rest of their lives.

Eventually, Draco pulled away. He leant his forehead against hers, listening as their heavy and erratic breathing evened out. Hermione pulled away slightly, giving him a smile.

"That was nice," she whispered.

Draco grinned. "Yes, it was. Let's do it again sometime." Leaning forward, he gently kissed her cheek. "But for now, I plan on twirling you around that dance floor until your feet ache."

Hermione linked her hand with his. "That sounds lovely, Draco."

After placing their masks back on, the two of them made their way to the dance floor. As he began to dance with her, Hermione caught Ginny's eye. She quickly gave the redhead a thumbs up, causing Ginny to clap excitedly.

Returning her attention to Draco, Hermione rested her head on his shoulder. She had finally found out who her secret admirer was. Ginny was right; the masquerade ball was a good idea. All of the pieces had finally fallen together.

*Quote from William Shakespeare, Sonnet 18.