Tease

um i am sososo sorry that it took more then a day like i said but i was really busy.. sorry here it is though. the longest and funniest one yet too!!!!!!!


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It comes in an instant and lasts three days after forever

Time to dance


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The first thing Hermione felt the next morning was her sore throat and burning eyes. She had completely given into weakness and cried into her pillow until she fell asleep. Unwilling to wake up and know for sure that it wasn't a nightmare, Hermione grumbled at the stream of light.

Unfortunately, her plan to crawl into her bed's haven didn't work out too well. After the aching throat and stinging eyes, soon came the pounding headache. She tried so hard to make herself fall asleep that her head pounded with a renewed energy.

No salvation for those living in yesterday.

Praying desperately that Draco wasn't around, she walked outside. If she saw him with another girl, there would be no chance of avoiding a humiliating crying jag. Thankfully, he wasn't there, judging by the silence.

Her movements were slow and careless. It was as if her energy had been neatly sucked out of her. It was pitiful how much Draco's words held sway over her.

I do not need him. I do not need him.

She repeated the mantra to her reflection. But the shadows under her eyes called her on her lie.

Stupid prat


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Trust Ron to always keep her mind off things. She tried to contain her giggles behind her planner watching Ron dance with Harry. They were hopeless at dancing. Every time someone passed by them, on the Hogwarts Grounds, they sprang apart and cleared their throats in a manly way.
Taking another peek, she saw that they were both watching her frustratedly. "Hermione...come on"

She laughed and shook her head. "You two are on your own. It's much more amusing"

They glared at her then pouted with such desperation that she decided to give in and help the poor souls.

"First, you do not stand a foot apart." She took Ron's hand authoritatively and poised in front of him. "Next, look your partner in the eye." He jerked his eyes up from her chest and grinned. Harry shook his head indignantly.

After a few tries and a sore foot, Hermione managed to make Ron's hip sway. He seemed too wary of the peculiar movement of his lower body. He would remain stiff then randomly jut his side out, hitting Hermione.

"Ron...GENTLY!"

"Yes gently Weasley. Granger's probably the only girl who'll every touch you. Don't break her." Harry, who had been pealing with laughter had stopped to see Zabini smirking at the sight. Beside him was Draco, whose upturned nose indicated that he'd gladly be anywhere else.

"Zabini - go away," Hermione said firmly. She tried to temper Ron's anger and embarassment, focusing on him instead of Malfoy.

"Is this the Golden Trio's Ritualistic dance?" Zabini persisted. Harry replied that they were preparing for the end of the year ball. Satisfied that all humor in the situation had been lost, Zabini walked away.

Hermione managed to see Draco's wrinkle of disapproval before he followed his friend. Anger flared up in her instantly. She thought it was because of his condescending attitude. His arrogant pointed nose. But, in the end, she knew her anger was directed toward herself.

Centuries worth of pureblood ideology couldn't be changed overnight and certainly not by one person.

Sighing, she turned toward Harry. "Do you want to practice now?" Seeing the pleading look in her eyes, he got up.

The laughter soon ensued as Harry tripped over his robe, bringing Hermione down as well. She gripped her side and indulged in frivolous amusement. But the tears in her eyes weren't all so carefree.

Part of her had left with the blond Slytherin.


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Draco tossed up the snitch and snatched before its little wings could escape beyond his grasp. After every catch, he would allow it some more freedom then clasp its fluttering wings. Zabini lazily watched him, finally yawning.
"So who are you taking to the ball?"

Keeping his eyes on the golden ball, Draco shrugged. "I have no idea. I've just lost interest in the whole bloody thing"

"...Daphne?"

His grey eyes rolled at him. "I don't want to go through another night like that one. 'No you don't look fat' 'Yes your makeup's fine' 'No Pansy doesn't look better'"

Zabini roared with laughter at the memory of Draco tying Greengrass' hair ribbons every 5 minutes. He had ended up with a red slap mark on his face for burning her silk 'one-of-a-kind' ribbon to ashes.

"Women...so prissy"

"Not -" Draco closed his mouth awkardly. Not all women. Blaise didn't seem to have noticed, probably musing about women.

"I'll probably leave after opening the ball with Granger." Ministry officials had been in attendance at the Yule Ball. Because of his father, he had had to keep up appearances. Now, he could do as he pleased. He didn't give a damn anymore.

Zabini smiled slowly, ready to launch into a persuasion. "You sure you won't-?"

"No," Draco said with finality. The stupid git had been pestering him to ask Hermione again and again. There was no way he was agreeing to that. The door to that area was firmly shut and sealed.

Draco's pale hair grazed his cheek as he solemnly stared at the snitch. His friend's gleeful expression was bugging the hell out of him. With a swift flick, he hurled the ball so quickly that it hit Blaise's arm before it could fly away.

"Ow...no need to be so sensitive," he grinned.

"Shut up Zabini"

"Not until you-"

"No way!" he insisted.

No way


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He had been extremely skittish around her after Blaise left. The image of Zabini taunting him with that smile was ingrained. Nice of him to burst the denial bubble. Now her legs were waving in the air and he couldn't seem to find anything else to occupy his sight.
"Are you going to the ball?" he blurted out.

Stupid stupid Draco!

She look up surprised, wondering if he had been sitting across from her the whole time. Probably not, since she had been painfully aware of him lately.

"Yes," she said slowly. "We're required to since we organized it"

Draco nodded stupidly. Why did he even talk to her in the first place?

"Do you have plans?" Arrghh...what was going on with his big mouth?

Hermione looked up again, closing her book to observe him carefully. She wondered if he was going to ask her to the ball!

No. I will not settle for being a last resort. Like for Ron at the Yule Ball

"Maybe. Well...yes, yes I do," she amended. He raised his eyebrows and his pale eyes danced languidly on her.

Resting his legs on the table, he decided to shut up once and for all. "We've to open the ball"

Holy mother of Salazar...what the hell!

"I know," Hermione said. She looked at him suspiciously then back down at her book.

The broken conversation ended and silence engulfed them. She ignored his incharacteristic rambling, preoccupied with her own thoughts. Hermione was dying to ask him who his date was, but couldn't. She didn't care. More importantly, she had to act as though she didn't care.

A loud knock sounded on the door and she jumped. Ron rushed in, looking a little hassled. He was holding a pool of black fabric away from his body.

Draco scowled and sank lower into his seat.

"Mione help me!" Draco mimicked his voice behind Hermione's back and she pretended that she didn't hear the squeaky imitation.

"What's wrong?"

He held up what appeared to be a robe, but not a traditional one. "All the guys bought these new robes, but they have these weird ribbons on them!"

"Do I look like a guy?"

Ron hesitated and Hermione gaped at him. "Don't take so long to answer that!"

Draco started laughing and she whipped around to glare at him before turning back to Ron. "I'm sorry, but you're our friend. Our smart, no genius-"

"I'm helping you Ron..so shut up," she admonished. "These are ties, Ron, not ribbons. They go around your shoulders to your back"

Tying the knots gave the robe a robust form and didn't look half bad. But Draco snickered none the less.

Idiot. What does she even see in him?


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Hermione flopped onto her bed, exhausted. She had been helping her completely inept friends all day. There was no more energy left for the dance.
It didn't matter anyway. She had no date, was rejected by Draco, and would have to watch everyone else dance with their dates. What difference do dark circles and aches make?

"Hermione?"

She got up to see Ginny, glowing with excitement. They had decided to get ready together. Hermione's stomach plummeted when she saw the case of jewelry, makeup and accessories.

"It's just a ball Gin," she laughed.

"On the contrary, it's our last Hogwarts ball," she said properly, then squealed. "And it's my first with Harry!"

Hermione smiled meekly at her enthusiasm. Her friend noticed her listlessness and nudged her. "You've never been one to follow the crowd. So don't feel bad for doing your own thing"

Her brown eyes sadly met her blue ones. Ginny smiled encouragingly.

"What's the point of going with someone as an armpiece right? I'm not going to hang onto Harry the whole night. Us Gryffindor girls will party up the hall!"

Hermione snorted and burst into laughter. Ginny grinned in return.

They lapsed into a content silence then hurriedly started dressing. Curls of hair were flying and makeup was being thrown across the room.

"Eyeshadow...eyeshadow..where's the eyeshadow?" Hermione glanced in the mirror to see Ginny looking under a pillow.

"WHERE IS THE EYESHADOW?" she shrieked.

"Calm. Slow breaths," Hermione dictated. She could see the redhead collapse onto the bed. With her luck, she'd get that rumpled rolled out of bed look.

"You sure you don't want to go with Draco?" she asked. Hermione's hand stilled.

"No. No way"

"You'd rather go alone than with him? No offense to Harry, but Draco's hot!"

Her forehead creased in confusion. "What are you on about?" Ginny was holding the ball's invite in her hand.

Taking it into her hands, Hermione glanced over it.

"Read! Don't skim," Ginny said. She looked at it again, but noticed that there were a few changes.

I invite you, Hermione, to the Hogwarts' Graduation Ball.

Come celebrate the start of a new chapter with me

Enjoy the music by famed Dragon's Kiss

Savor delicacies from around the world

See Hogwarts in all of it's glory

One last time

Draco

Her lips moved soundlessly. Draco invited her. She was the mystery girl?

No...Oh my-

Without a word to Ginny, she rushed out of the room and knocked loudly on Draco's door. She heard a long groan before a soft shuffling.

"What's this?" she thrust the card into his hands. After blinking out of his drowsy state, he focused on it.

"I sent this 3 days ago," he stated.

"I didn't know that!" her voice's pitch escalated. He simply looked dumbfoundedly back at her.

"Oh"

She looked tentatively at him. "Did you get another date?"

He shook his head in denial then looked clearly at her. "Well?"

She looked down consideringly at the invitation, even though she knew the answer. "Just a dance?"

His lips curled up in delight.

"We'll see"


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As everyone lost themselves in the music, they slipped away. The ball had come together beautifully. Everyone had been complimenting them.
That was enough.

Her hair came out of the bun, but she didn't care. Neither did he.

He curled an arm around her and assumed his smug demeanor.

"Let's go back. You can educate me on how to use all those toys."


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The End