Hour of Grace

HOUR OF GRACE

by Strega Brava

Chapter Six: Dances, Desperation and Dumbledore

In the days leading up to the Halloween Ball, Hermione found herself questioning Draco's motives more and more. What had he meant by his not being worthy of her? Was he serious? Was he playing some sort of cruel game with her? And why was it, whenever he looked at her, she sometimes felt that he saw her through someone else's eyes? That did not make any sense whatsoever.

What perplexed her even more was the behaviour of Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Snape. They were both acting rather odd, watching Draco closely...almost as if they were waiting for something to happen or for him to do something. What that something might be, she couldn't even hazard a guess.

"Why do I have the feeling that there is something going on in Hogwarts that not even they know about?"

She thought to herself as she sat in the common room after dinner one night.

As she sat working diligently on a Transfiguration paper, Harry came up to sit beside her.

"So, have you completed seventh year yet?" He smiled as he looked over her paper, which was already over the limit Professor McGonagall had set.

"Honestly, do you really think I could do that?" She punched him in the shoulder.

"Ouch. You hit me a little harder than was absolutely necessary," he whined, rubbing his shoulder dramatically while Hermione collapsed into giggles.

"Are you okay?" he asked her suddenly.

Startled, Hermione looked up at him. "Why do you ask?"

Harry took off his glasses and looked at them thoughtfully before raising his eyes to look at her. She could see that he was concerned.

"You haven't been yourself lately. I don't think any of the others have really noticed but I have and I just wanted to make sure that everything is okay."

Hermione smiled at him in genuine affection. Harry had always been more in tune with her than Ron. Ron was Ron and he was a wonderful friend but he wouldn't notice a change in her unless she suddenly grew snakes in her hair...great big Slytherin snakes.

"Now, why did I just think of that?"

She thought to herself.

"I'm your friend, remember?" he wasn't really willing to let this pass.

She sighed as she thought to herself that even she wasn't really sure how to describe what it was she was feeling.

"You have to promise me that you won't tell anyone else," she whispered.

His face showed some surprise.

"Not even Ron?" He asked.

"Especially not Ron. I don't think he would understand. He'd probably do something...drastic."

"This has something to do with Malfoy, doesn't it?"

Hermione couldn't look up at him...she was afraid to see disappointment in Harry's eyes. She nodded...just barely.

"How did you guess?" she said in a very low voice.

"He has been acting strange lately too. Normally, I wouldn't have given it a second thought but it mirrors the sort of things I have been seeing with you."

"When did you suddenly become so perceptive?"

Hermione wondered to herself.

"Sometimes I think he looks at you and, this is going to sound awfully stupid, but it's as if it isn't even him. I mean, he is a slimy git and I really can't think of a single redeeming quality in him but...sometimes...I've caught him just looking at you...and..."

"And it looks like there is something human in him after all?" Hermione ventured.

Harry shook his head, putting his glasses back on. "No, it's not that simple. He looks at you the way Ginny looks at me sometimes...probably the way I look at her too. Then it disappears...like it was never there. I probably sound ridiculous, don't I?"

"No, you don't. I'm just preparing for the hexes you probably want to throw at me."

Harry put a hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"Hermione, look at me," he asked.

Reluctantly, she looked up at him. He didn't look angry or disappointed or disgusted with her. He looked worried but he was smiling, albeit awkwardly.

"Look, I'll be honest with you. I can't lie because you've always known when I lie...how you know this is beyond ordinary witching ability but you never were an ordinary witch. I don't like Malfoy. I never have liked Malfoy...not since the first day I met him. Seemed like a true spoiled pureblood who wouldn't know what the words integrity or friendship meant unless you made the words magically appear in the air and do a tarantella in neon colours. However, something is going on between the two of you...there is some sort of connection that neither of you seem to have asked for but it's there. I'm not crazy about it but I don't want to see you like this."

Hermione's eyes filled with tears and she hugged him tightly. She had been so afraid that he would turn his back on her.

Harry wasn't really used to this sort of behaviour from Hermione, who was normally very much in control of her emotions. He put his arms around her and patted her back awkwardly.

"Do you care about him?" He asked, not sure if he really wanted to know the answer.

She mumbled something into his neck but he couldn't make out anything coherent. He pushed her back just a bit.

"Do you?" His eyes searched her tear-stained ones.

She nodded.

"I can't tell you that this is going to be easy. I mean, you have to realize that no one is going to understand this. I don't even understand this..."

"But you are still here."

He nodded, smiling somewhat, "Yes, I am still here, aren't I? That either makes me the best friend you have or the most completely idiotic junior wizard on the planet."

"Most assuredly the best friend I have," she hugged him again. This time, he hugged her back in genuine affection.

"So, what are we going to do?" he asked.

*******the night of the Halloween Ball***

Hermione stood before the full-length cheval mirror in her room and looked at her reflection nervously. Although she had not wanted to purchase new dress robes, Harry had managed to convince her by dragging her to the local gowning shop and forcing her to try on many robes before finding one that was perfect for her. She had to admit he had good taste as he had selected a lovely set in burgundy that gave some definition to her figure and brought out the highlights in her hair.

"You are a girl, Hermione. You might want to show the world that fact once in a while," he had grumbled when she had complained the robes were a little too fitted.

Parvati Patil had done her hair in a very simple chignon and it somehow made her look and feel taller although that probably had more to do with the fact that she wasn't carrying her oversized bookbag.

There was a knock on her door.

"Are you ready to come out, Hermione? Harry and Ron are waiting for us in the common room," Ginny's voice sounded from behind the closed door.

Hermione walked over to the door and opened it slowly.

Ginny smiled when she saw Hermione.

"You look lovely. It's really too bad that my prat of a brother has never noticed."

"That I am a girl?" Hermione smiled.

"I guess I always thought that you and he would get married but, now that I am mature," Ginny smirked dramatically, "I can see that will never happen. You will always be best friends and I am losing out on a potentially great sister-in-law."

Hermione hugged Ginny. "You are not losing out on a friend though."

"That's true. So, do we go down and dazzle them or do we make them grind their teeth in frustration and wait?"

It was Hermione's turn to smirk. "As much as I would love to make them wait, I really want to get out of this room."

Hermione carefully locked the door behind them as they made their way down to the common room.

As Hermione entered the room, she could see that it was much more colourful than usual owing to the myriad collection of dress robes. Everywhere you looked, you saw various shades of blue and green and purple and red. It was rather blinding at first but one slowly got accustomed to it.

Harry walked over to them, closely followed by Ron.

"You both look really nice," Harry said, reaching out a hand to Ginny who took it blushing.

Ron frowned slightly at the two of them.

"New robes, Hermione?" Ron asked.

"Yes, they are. I bought them not too long ago. Thought I might try something a little different."

"They look nice...make you look...dunno, different." Ron looked a little flustered which made Ginny giggle.

"Come on, everyone, let's head over to the great hall. I can't wait to see the decorations!" Harry started towards the portrait door. Ginny, Hermione and a still-flustered Ron quickly followed.

"Have a nice time, dears," the Fat Lady called after them.

Hermione turned around and smiled broadly at the kindly portrait. She had never particularly looked forward to these functions. That was then. Now, she felt a little nervous and jittery.

"I certainly hope I don't trip over the hem of my robes," she thought to herself as she hurried along.

As they entered the great hall, they could not suppress a whistle of appreciation. This year, it seemed, Dumbledore and Hagrid had outdone themselves. Along with the standard bats that swooped down from the enchanted ceiling, there were a number of cauldrons set up along the walls of the great hall which had unknown ingredients bubbling menacingly.

"Wonder what Snape put in there," Ron grumbled.

"Maybe that's where he will be putting the students who are unruly," Hermione said casually as Harry laughed.

"I know someone who deserves to be thrown into a cauldron," Ron continued as he caught sight of Draco and the ever-present Pansy Parkinson who looked like an overgrown tulip in dress robes of shocking pink with a design in green lame along the hem, the sleeves and the plunging neckline.

"Looks like Pansy is ready to get out of that dress in a hurry," Ginny smirked, "I wonder how she is keeping that from falling off her shoulders?"

Hermione managed to maintain a neutral expression on her face although she noticed that Harry was looking at her carefully.

"Double-sided tape?" Hermione offered.

Ron, Harry and Ginny looked at her in astonishment and then burst out laughing.

"I can just picture her peeling off her dress and shrieking in pain," Ron sputtered.

"Ron!! I'm surprised at you...imagining girls in a state of dishabille!" Ginny chortled in mock outrage as Harry simply laughed.

"Honestly," Hermione muttered. She hadn't thought it that funny and she wasn't too impressed with Pansy and her rather obvious intentions. She thought that Draco looked very nice in his dress robes made of some material that was too dark to be called silver and yet too light to be considered grey. It made his eyes stand out and had the added benefit of making him look less pale.

She looked away quickly before anyone noticed and sat down with the others at one of the tables to enjoy the delicious meal that was set out for them. The tables were decorated with miniature jack-o-lanterns and skeletons that danced around and announced each course in a macabre sort of barbershop quartet. There were candles everywhere, which flickered and caused the shadows to dance around in a most intriguing way. Hermione thought the entire effect was lovely and tried to involve herself in her friends' conversation. However, her thoughts kept going back to the silver-haired youth at another table even if she dared not look at him.

"He is watching you," Harry whispered in her ear. Hermione looked at her friend in shock. "Every so often, for just a moment. I'm surprised that Pansy hasn't noticed...she seems to be prattling on and on about some nonsense."

They settled back to their meal (and the dancing pumpkins and skeletons) and Hermione valiantly resisted the urge to turn around and look at Draco. It was as if she could feel him looking at her...the hairs on the back of her neck seemed to tingle every so often. At one point it was so intense she actually rubbed the spot in frustration, wondering privately if he had cast a spell on her.

Luckily, it was time for the dancing and the band was well worth the wait. They started up with a lively tune that immediately made Hermione think of Fred and George...this was their type of stomping music. Ron escorted her to the dance floor and they proceeded to move to the music, Ron a little more enthusiastically than Hermione. Hermione smiled as she watched Ginny and Harry dancing together. Harry was not a great dancer by any stretch of the imagination but that didn't matter...he was enjoying himself.

"That's all that matters,"

she thought to herself.

The dance was a lot of fun and Hermione did manage to enjoy herself. She even had one dance with Neville who surprised her by being quite a graceful dancer...no more stubbed toes and forced smiles. The music then turned to something more slow and soulful. Hermione realized that she had no one to dance with and, with a backwards glance at Ron, who was deep in conversation with Seamus and Dean about the Cannons, went towards one of the bubbling cauldrons which, she was informed by another student, actually contained a variety of drinks. She poured herself a glass of something (that changed colour periodically and tasted of pineapple) and looked around for somewhere to sit. Turning around, she found herself suddenly face to face with none other than Draco himself. He so surprised her that she spilled her drink on her robes.

"Excuse me, I had better see about cleaning this up," she said hurriedly before rushing past him out of the great hall. What was wrong with her? She should have been angry with him. Why did she run?

Without realizing it, she had found herself in one of the courtyards, illuminated by many small fairylights. One could still hear the music out here.

"What is the matter with me?"

She thought to herself as she sat down on a stone bench to cast a cleaning spell on her robes. "I should have told him to sod off or something like that. Why is it that I am left practically speechless whenever he looks at me? Why do I care suddenly what is behind those enigmatic eyes?"

"I see you were able to remove the stain," Draco's voice sounded from behind her. She turned around quickly and said not a word as he sat down next to her.

"I am a witch, after all," she responded quietly, glad that the fairylights could not reveal that she was blushing.

"Some stains are not so easy to remove," he said, almost to himself.

"Why are you here, Malfoy? As you can see, I am perfectly capable of cleaning my own robes."

"Yes, you are very...capable..." again, his voice was enigmatic...as if he was struggling to get the right words out. He stood up and held a hand out to her. "Dance with me?"

Hermione found herself unable to refuse and, against her better judgment, took his hand, standing up to face him.

He smiled awkwardly and pulled her gently into his arms and moved together to the music. Hermione felt as if she had suddenly entered into a world where only she and Draco existed. One of his arms had found its way around her waist and held her close against him. The other hand held hers against his chest...she could feel that his heart was beating furiously...just as hers was. He rested a cheek on her forehead and did not say a word as they danced there...alone with only the music and the fairylights to accompany them.

The music ended and Draco released her momentarily.

"I have to go...he will be back soon," he whispered as he touched her cheek softly.

"Who?" She asked, wondering at the sadness she suddenly saw in his face.

He did not respond...he simply brought his lips to hers and kissed her. Hermione felt the world spin out of control as a flood of emotions washed through her, leaving her shaken with sudden revelation. His kiss was loving, gentle...everything she had imagined a first kiss should be.

"If you believe nothing else...please believe that," he whispered as he let her go and ran back towards the great hall. Hermione stood there in the moonlight and nodded to no one in particular. She suddenly felt as if this were all a part of some complex puzzle...a puzzle to which she was missing a vital piece.

Feeling completely unable to go back to the great hall, she made her way towards the portrait door and to her own room.

"At least I can think here,"

she thought to herself as she changed into her nightgown and sat by the window, opening it to let in the crisp autumn breeze. Despite all the excitement and the strange fluttering feeling in her chest, she quickly fell fast asleep.

*****Dreaming*****

The two hooded figures were meeting again.

"He is growing stronger...his resistance is unprecedented," one of them said.

"It does not matter. Soon, he will be of age and he will resist his destiny no longer," the other figure muttered angrily.

"I do not understand how he is doing this...it has never happened before," the first figure remarked fretfully.

The second figure did not say anything and the room seemed to shimmer with an evil light that reflected the fires in the torches, bathing everyone in a blood-red glow. Everything began to blur and the figures disappeared.

There was nothingness and silence.

And then there was a voice...the voice that was strangely familiar...

"One hour...nothing more."

That was when she began to scream.

*****End of dream*****

Hermione woke up with a start and looked around her in a panic. She quickly realized that she had been dreaming but it did not stop the shaking inside her chest or the pounding of her heart. She knew what she was listening for and she was not surprised when she heard it...the sound of someone crying in agony.

Without a moment's hesitation, she slipped on her robe and hurried out of the room. She quietly made her way up to the boys dormitory to where Harry's room was, thanking the stars that, being Head Boy, he had a room to himself as well. She knocked quietly.

Within moments, he opened the door looking bleary eyed, glasses askew and with his hair sticking out even more than usual.

"Is Voldemort attacking?" he asked sleepily.

"You have to come with me. Put your robe on and get your invisibility cloak. There is a mystery here and I need your help," she whispered, fearful that someone would hear her.

Harry nodded and went back into his room. He reappeared almost instantly and they headed out towards the common room. They quickly went through the portrait door (after telling the Fat Lady they were hungry and going to ask the house elves for a snack) and put the cloak on.

"Do you hear that voice?" she asked him.

Harry shook his head.

"Well, thankfully it isn't another basilisk then,"

she thought to herself as she listened to where the voice was coming from. She pulled on Harry's arm and off they went.

They went down a number of corridors and ended up in front of the entrance to the Slytherin common room. Harry looked at Hermione in surprise but said nothing. Hermione simply nodded and pointed towards the door.

"I have to get out of here...what am I going to do? When he comes back, he will hurt her. I know he will. I can't let that happen but I am not strong enough," the voice sounded panicky.

"I heard that. I didn't hear it before but I do now," Harry whispered very quietly.

"If he hurts her, I will die." The voice continued frantically, "She is the only reason...the only good thing...the only...no, the time is up already...I can hear him coming...please don't hurt her. Please don't hurt her. Please..."

The voice faded away slowly. Hermione grabbed Harry's arm tightly in fear. What had happened?

"Hello, dear friend...sorry I had to go...did you miss me?"

It was a slightly different voice.

The two friends turned to one another in shock. That voice, dripping with sarcasm and redolent with evil, was Draco's!!

Without saying a word, both of them turned back and headed towards the Gryffindor portrait door. Then, Hermione stopped.

"No."

Harry stopped to look at her. There was a grim determination on her face.

"We go see Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape," she stated quietly.

Harry nodded and, together, they headed towards the headmaster's quarters.