A/N: Didn't get past the next level of testing. Oh well, there will be a next time! At least I'll be more prepared and will know what is going on. If you guys want an experience, definitely go for dispatcher interviews. They basically throw you into multi-tasking hell. Absolutely love it! Anyway, that leaves more room for continuing my writing! Enjoy guys! I would like to thank Truly Madly Deeply for the inspiration for this story...and thank you all for the love and reviews!

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Though she opted not to wear a watch, the habit of checking her wrist stayed with her. She sat in the chair watching as everyone else around her had been enjoying the ball, and tried not to get jealous while they laughed, talking with their dates and friends. Hermione ran her fingers down the dark turquoise chiffon that flowed around her legs, smoothing the fabric. She adjusted the velvety, black sleeveless bodice part of her dress, then slumped back into the chair. She checked her wrist again, the passing seconds felt like hours, though the same song still played. Someone screamed and her attention was quickly drawn to the dance floor where a boy had lifted a girl up over his shoulders. The girl kicked, screamed and giggled, and Professor Flitwick, all two feet of him, shook a hasty finger at them and reprimanded the boy to put the girl down. She smiled at the ordeal out of boredom, then checked her wrist again.

"Hey!" Lavender appeared next to her out of nowhere, collapsing into the empty chair next to her and immediately removed her shoes, rubbing her feet. "Great party, isn't it?" She seemed indifferent to Hermione's loneliness until Hermione pulled her lips into a tight smile and simply nodded. Lavender frowned.

"Are you here alone?" She asked. Hermione sighed, adjusting her bodice once more and leaned against the table.

"It would seem that way." Hermione scanned the room again, her fingers playing with the fabric of her dress. "My date hasn't shown up."

"But you do have a date?" Lavender grew closer, interested in this fact. "Tell me, who is the lucky guy?" And after a fast pause, added "and please don't tell me it's the ghost."

Hermione narrowed her eyes, shooting her friend a death stare.

"Please don't call him that. Professor Snape is still respectable." Hermione relaxed a bit, then shook her head softly, checking her wrist again she let out a groan. "No, it's not him. And it's not really a date, we just decided to attend together so neither of us felt left out."

"Well go ahead! Spill, who is it?" Lavender was now poking a finger into Hermione's side. Hermione wriggled away, swatting at her hand.

"Why should I tell you? So I can just be ridiculed by your judgement? I'm afraid you'll just have to wait until he shows up to see for yourself...if he ever does." She muttered the last part under her breath to herself and busied her hands with the plastic cup of punch she had gotten herself upon arriving.

"I promise I won't do such a thing." Lavender almost looked hurt and sat back in her seat, crossing her arms. Luna and Seamus, having noticed Hermione and Lavender broke away from the dance floor to join.

"Hello, Hermione." Luna greeted. "Having a good time?"

"Obviously not." Hermione quipped, then sucked air through her teeth. "You enjoying yourself?" She asked more pleasantly. Luna smiled thoughtfully.

"I'm sad it's the last Hogwarts ball we'll attend, but I am having a good time." She tilted her head. "If your date doesn't show up, you're more than welcome to dance with Seamus."

"Thanks, Luna." Hermione said softly. She had been watching across the room, catching a glimpse of silvery hair that she recognized immediately. Draco had stood on tiptoe, scanning over heads and shoulders, until he saw Hermione. She had held back a smile, the relief she felt when he appeared, choosing to look more annoyed. Though they were there only as friends, she didn't much appreciate his tardiness. Lavender gasped as he joined them.

"Sorry, I'm sorry." He said. Hermione began to speak, but Lavender, becoming protective, stood between them.

"It's one thing to be late. It's another thing to think she's going to forgive you for it. You have a lot to learn if you want to befriend Hermione, Malfoy. That includes being on time when she's expecting you."

"I have an explanation." Draco said. Lavender rolled her eyes.

"An excuse, you mean? Look here, Malfoy. She doesn't need excuses. Hermione needs friends that will be-"

"-Lav-". Hermione stood, trying to quiet her friend, but Lavender continued.

"-honest and compassionate. Not a Slytherin who thinks e can get away with-"

"-Lavender-". She tried again.

"-whatever you were doing. What was it? Lost track of time snogging someone else? Thought about backing out?"

"Why don't you just bugger off, Brown. This is between Hermione and me, you have no right assuming-"

"-stop it! Just stop!" Hermione said, but it was too late for either of her friends to hold their tongues.

"-assuming?" Lavender scoffed. "I do not assume. I know exactly how slimy your kind is and whatever you have to say for yourself..."

Hermione turned, leaving the table. She made her way across the room, not knowing if anyone had followed her. She didn't care, but knew that being in that was not what she wanted. The sounds of the party echoed through the halls, and only disappeared altogether when she broke through a door that took her outside. For a while she stood, taking in the calm ground of Hogwarts. The skies were clear, and the full moon gently illuminated the grounds. She could hear a few soft croaks from the Moon Frogs drifting up from the Care of Magical Creatures shack. It had been chilly, but no snow had fallen. For the moment it was welcome. She breathed heavily, her breath coming out in thick clouds, and she covered her face with her hands, forcing the anger that rose slightly to shrink back down.

Part of it had been due to the ball, and Draco, and Lavender, but the other part had been the stress of it all. She still hadn't forgiven herself for failing her potion, feeling the pestering doubt even though it had been weeks since she had her breakdown. It was heavily on her mind that night, mainly due to the fact that she hadn't seen Severus at all. He had seemed to be in hiding for the past couple of days, and she craved his intellect, his voice, the coolness of his hand.

A hand touched her then, grabbing her shoulder lightly. Her hands remained on her face, then dropped slowly. Someone had followed her, Draco, judging by the masculinity the grip brought, and it disappointed her slightly. She just wanted to be alone.

"I don't want to hear excuses, Draco." She started. "I don't want any kind of reason at all, really. I just wanted a friend. Someone to be there with me tonight to take my mind off everything, to help me forget the past couple of months."

The hand pulled on her gently, turning her around. She couldn't look up, knowing that if she made any eye contact at all, she'd lose herself. She stared, instead at the shoes. They were black, barely visible from beneath black robes, but from the size knew that they didn't belong to Draco. The black robes, so familiar to her, but almost forgotten. The last time she had seen them in clarity was almost a year ago. She drew her eyes up along the row of buttons that held the robes snugly against his chest, then flicked sharply to his face. She collapsed.

Severus reached out in time to catch her, taking her into his arms as she grabbed onto him, wrapping his arms around her small frame. She buried her head into his chest, shaking her head slowly then more quickly as it dawned on her that she was actually grabbing onto him. She pulled back, Severus letting go, scared that he was hurting her with his new found ability to touch, but she only pushed her hands against him.

"How the...you're...how? When? You're-I feel you...how is this happening?" Hermione didn't realize the tears that were flowing freely now, she was too immersed in letting her fingers squeeze up his arms, push on his chest, until she had his face lightly cupped. Severus didn't say anything. He was only standing there, letting Hermione touch him, smiling softly. His eyes shined in the moonlight as he watched her, letting it grow when Hermione let out a laugh, then a scream as she jumped, wrapping her arms around his neck. She squeezed tightly, and he squeezed back, his eyes closing as he gave into the feeling.

Somewhere in the mess, their lips had connected, too fast for either one of them to stop it. Obviously, they didn't care to find out as they hungrily pressed together, minutes passing before slowly breaking away. Hermione's tears were still streaming down her cheeks over a wide smile, and Severus had used his thumb to rub at them. Hermione grabbed his hand and had pressed it against her cheek, her eyes slipping closed at his touch.

"You're still cold." She said.

"Mmm." Severus said. "I'm still ghostly."

"But you're here, I'm touching you, this is unreal!" Hermione fit her fingers through the hand she was holding to her face, and Severus tightened his own around them. "How did this happen?"

"A peculiar circumstance led to it." Severus explained about the mice and Draco. He had explained how Draco had made a batch, unwilling to give up, and upon seeing the mice how he had developed the nerve to try it out himself after a few more specimens were tested. "The coloring only lasts until midnight, but as far as we can tell, as long as there's moonlight, the effect is permanent."

Hermione let out a sound somewhere between a laugh and a cry, then hugged him again, her forehead against his chest. Severus smoothed her hair with his fingers, pressing his lips to the top of her head. They remained like that for a long while until Hermione pulled back. Severus caught a small sliver of thought pull across her face that only seemed to grow into deep thought.

"What?" He asked.

"Oh, nothing." Hermione answered, but that look was still there.

"Miss Granger." Severus said, growing unsure. Hermione but her lip.

"Well, we've come this far." She started. "Why can't we try going for the gold."

"The gold-" Severus only needed a moment to mull over what she said before it dawned on him. She wanted to improve the potion, take the restoration to the next step.

"I've succeeded in making you touchable. I'm sure I could bring you back to life." Hermione said. Though the idea was intriguing, Severus shook his head.

"No." He said flatly. "This is too new, you've only just succeeded in giving the dead density, there's too much to learn before proceeding."

Hermione grinned devilishly.

"Try and stop me." She said, teasingly, before pulling away from Severus and entering the castle.

End of Book 1