DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter
Turning over the page Hermione starting reading again "The blood of a Unicorn can be used to keep a person who is near death alive, but "you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips."
Hermione sucked in a breath "My Godric" she breathed out and closed the book with a snap "why would he do such a thing" she stared at the closed book "near death" her finger began tapping the cover as she thought "so he's already dying and he's trying to stay alive".
She didn't get a chance to think more as Ginny and Luna ran into the room "Mione come on it's time dinner" Ginny grabbed her hand and started talking on and on about Neville and the flowers he had given her.
Hermione half listened, her mind already busy on something else.
Hermione took a deep breath as she stared at her reflection, she was nervous. What if he didn't show up? What if she had to stand and watch Harry dance with some blonde whilst she was alone?
Sucking in a deep breath she grimaced, she was a participent in this tournament and because of that she had to walk in with the others and their dates as everyone watched, they had to open the dance meaning they had to be the first people to dance . . . with everyone watching.
She nearly burst into tears at the thouth of embarrassing herself by having to dance alone.
"What's with you?" asked Ginny who was strapping her heels whilst sitting on her bed.
Luna looked up with dreamy eyes from her seat in front of the mirror she had conjured "she's nervous Ginny darling".
Hermione glared at them both but didn't look away from the mirror "how do I look?" she asked nervously as she turned around.
Ginny let out a pleased sound as she finally managed to put her shoes on and stood up "you look beautiful Hermione" Ginny smiled happily before turning to Luna "you too Lu".
Luna just smiled "thank you, you both look amazing" she turned to Hermione "now stop worrying".
Hermione took a deep breath and pouted "I'm just so nervous, what if her doesn't show up?"
Ginny smirked "then we know he's part of your imagination".
Luna rolled her eyes "ignore her, if your date doesn't show up then Ginny and I would be your dates" she smiled "can you imagine peoples faces if you walk in with us on your arms" she laughed and soon Hermione and Ginny joined in.
"Yeah" Hermione said with a smile "I understand, thanks Luna" she turned to Ginny then and laughed "Ginny what are you doing?"
Ginny was bending around and looking at her bum "does my bum look big in this dress?" she asked outraged, she turned around to her friends "why didn't you tell me? Oh this is awful, what am I going to do now?" She looked about ready to cry.
"Ginny" Hermione said as she tried to stop laughing "you look perfectly fine, and you're going to go to the dance wearing that gorgeous dress that's what".
Luna nodded as she bit her lip to stop from laughing "I agree" she smiled but her lip still twitched "no please stop ruining your make up!"
Ginny pouted but nodded "fine" she crossed her arms in mock anger "but your hair is out of place" she stated as she spun around and moved out of the room.
Luna watched her leave with her mouth wide open before suddenly she burst out laughing "Oh Merlin!"
Hermione rolled her eyes and turned back to the mirror, she took another deep breath and let it out slowly. She scanned herself from her long curly hair that was pulled up into an elagent updo and then to her shimmering dark purple dress, the top was a corset that then fluttered out in to a wavy skirt that stopped just above her knee, there was a black ribbon along the waist that was tied with a bow at the back, the bow matched her high heeled shoes perfectly. She had a thin silver necklace on with a small diamond on and matching earrings. She wore black mascara and eyeliner but had purple eyeshadow that made her eyes popped.
She finished regarding herself and nodded "it's as good as I can get anyway" she turned to smile at Luna who was now twirling her long hair.
"You know she didn't mean it" Hermione said to Luna who was now frowning at her own hair.
Luna sighed and stood up "I know" she smiled slightly before twirling "do you think he'll like it?"
Hermione nodded with a smile "you look amazing Luna, everyone will love you" before Luna could say anything she smirked "especially Blaise".
Blushing Luna rushed from the room calling out Ginny's name. Hermione's smile dropped as she stayed frozen in middle of the room. It seemed to be forever before she could bring herself to leave. She slowly moved out of the Dormitory and made her way towards the Great Hall, her heels were clicking on the stone floor as she moved. The coolness of the castle brought goosebumps to her arms and she had to rub her arms to get a bit of warmth.
She could hear the girls giggling and the guys chatting as she reached the stairs. She peaked around the corner and let out a sigh of relief as she noticed Tom. He stood apart from the others and was looking around, she couldn't tell what he was thinking as no emotion showed on his face. She stepped from behind the wall and made her way down the stairs.
She smiled as Tom lifted his head to look at her, his eyes widened slightly before he smirked and moved towards her. She gratefully took his hand as she reached the bottom, thanking whoever was listening that she didn't fall and make a fool of herself.
"Hi" she said quietly.
"Hello" his silvery voice replied, his eyes moved from her face to the lengh of her body and back, she blushed and looked down but he reached out a finger and lifted her chin so she was looking at him "you look so beautiful" he whispered as his green eyes stared into her amber ones.
She smiled nervously and looked away "Thank you" her blush heating her up and her eyes flickered towards him.
"Shall we?" he asked whilst offering her his arm.
Hermione nodded and accepted but her gaze moved to scan her surroundings, she found all of her friends together and smile at Ginny and Luna who grinned back. Ginny sent a wink in her direction and Hermione sent a playful glare back but rolled her eyes.
"Problem?" asked Tom.
"Err …. No?" she laughed it off "They are my best friends".
Tom nodded "ah, would you like to go up to them?"
Hermione thought it over, she looked at them again and noticed Harry and his date there and shook her head "no" she moved her eyes away to look up at Tom "I'm fine right here".
Tom smiled and nodded in appreciation "me too".
Hermione gave him a shy grin and was about to say something when Professor McGonagall called out for the champions.
Hermione looked at Tom "Are you ready?"
He looked down at her and nodded "Are you?"
She paused and thought it over "yeah" she answered not really believing it.
"Then let's go" he pulled her towards the Professor who stood waiting for them.
Hermione watched confused as her Grandmother smiled at her before frowning at Tom, her frown soon turned to a grimace and Hermione was sure she had paled as well.
"R . . . right" Professor McGonagall stuttered as she pulled her eyes away from Tom, Hermione looked at Tom but he just shrugged at her "if you and your dates would come through once everyone else is in there, you will move to the middle of the room and open the dance for everyone. The teachers and other students shall then join in the dancing and then you will be free to do what you wish".
Hermione nodded in understanding and presumed everyone else did.
"Hermione you look lovely" complemented Victor Krum as he smiled at her with his date, a shy girl who rarely spoke or even looked at a boy.
Hermione smiled at them both "Thank you Victor" she smiled at his date "you look really pretty Hannah".
Hannah blushed and nodded "you too Hermione" she replied softly making Hermione smile.
Harry stood to the side nervously with his blonde date who didn't seem to stop staring up at him. He glanced at his date with a grimace and rolled his eyes away from her, he blushed when he noticed Hermione watching him.
His eyes narrowed as he took in Tom "Harry Potter" he said as he held his hand out to Tom.
Tom regarded him without emotion and didn't move his hand towards Harrys "Tom" was all he said with a nod.
Hermione furrowed her brows up at her date but didn't say anything, she removed the frown quickly as Tom turned to her "shall we go?"
Hermione glanced around and noticed all of the students had gone into the Great Hall but them "yes" she answered before smiling at the others "you four want to go first?" she asked.
Victor smiled at his date and offered her his arm, she took it shyly and waved slightly at Hermione as they moved to the hall.
Hermione took Tom's arm and they moved to follow with Harry and his date behind them. She felt Harry's eyes on her but didn't turn to meet his emerald ones.
She exchanged grins with Ginny and Luna as she passed them. Ginny looked ready to burst with questions and Hermione was thankful that she couldn't get to her until after the first dance. Tom pulled them to an empty area on the dance floor, all three champion couples stood evenly spaced apart just as the music started and the spinning began.
Hermione had never enjoyed dancing that much but she felt extrememly happy and thrilled as Tom twirled her elgantly around the dance floor.
"You really do look amazing tonight" he murmured as he looked down at her.
Hermione looked up, her happy smile fading slightly as she stared enthralled into his green eyes "thanks" she replied breathlessly.
They continued to dance but Hermione couldn't look away from Tom's gaze, she felt strange all of a sudden . . . slightly dazed. She felt as if she wasn't in control of her own body. The song stopped and the connection between herself and Tom seemed to snap. She sucked in a breath as they stopped dancing and pulled back from Tom's embrace. She stared up at him with slightly wide eyes and gulped "who are you?" she whispered.
Tom sighed aggravated "this will be harder then I thought" he murmured through narrowed eyes. Hermione glanced around her, noticing all the teachers and students joining the champions on the dance floor, she was soon squashed between so many twirling couples that she felt suffocated. She couldn't tell who was who as their speedy dancing seemed to mash all of their faces together. Her eyes flickered wildly around her before they snapped back up to Tom. She needed out. She needed to get off of the dance floor.
The beautiful evening was certainly not turning out how she wanted it to. She sucked in a gasp as her eyes watered and she felt her eyes flutter with signs of lack of air.
Tom once again stepped closer to her and wrapped his arms around her, Hermione was sure that to others their embrace looked loving but really . . . he was squeezing the life out of her. He kissed the top of her head but she didn't dare look up, she kept her eyes scanning the dancing couples, hoping to find someone to help her soon.
"You know me" Tom whispered in her ear, his hot breath making her shiver with fear and something she didn't understand.
She opened her mouth and snapped it closed "I know you?" she asked confused.
She felt rather then saw him nod in reply "of course you do, you know me . . . although I don't think you like me very well" he snorted "but really" he shook his head amused "I don't need you to like me".
Hermione suddenly stopped breathing as her eyes widened.
"I don't need you to like me" sneered the man in the black cloak. The man with the red eyes turned to one of his followers "take her to her room, she needs to learn some respect" he snapped to one of the unknowns.
Little Ariana whimpered and fought with all her might but she just wasn't strong enough. Whst six year would be stronger then a large grown man?
"You" Hermione whispered in recognition "how could I have not realised it before?"
Tom chuckled as he raised a hand to stroke the mark I had on my shoulder, I shivered replulsed but he just smirked "I didn't want you to, it would seem you forgot all of our lessons on respect, I may have to re-teach you".
Hermione narrowed her eyes "why help me with the unicorn blood?"
Tom shrugged "fun".
Sighing Hermione glared harder "Why drink the unicorn blood?"
This time Tom smirked so smugly that Hermione sneered in reply to his answer "The unicorn blood lets me keep this form longer" he gestured to his body.
"Why that form?" she asked curiously, her eyes scanning the dancing crowd as Tom began to dance again.
"I had to get close to you, I was hoping your memories wouldn't have returned yet … if at all" he looked annoyed that not everything went to planned.
Hermione caught sight of Luna's long blonde hair somewhere in the crowd and tried to keep her eyes on her as she asked "so what now?" she asked so calmly that no passers by who happened to catch snippets of their conversation would know anything was wrong.
Tom paused in thought before reply "we dance" he finally decides.
Hermione finally looked up at him with a frown "We dance?" she asked confused "That's it?"
Tom nodded with a small smirk "yes, for tonight anyway".
Hermione didn't say anything for a while before asking "why?"
"I thought we needed to become reacquainted, I never intended to do anything but have a great night so . . . for now we stick to the plan, we dance" he pulled her closer "I was hoping you wouldn't realise who I was for a while".
"Why?" she asked feeling positively confused "you confuse me" she said with a sigh.
Tom shrugged and chuckled "I never intended for you to understand, if I am correct – and I usually am – then you have yet to recall all of your memories . . . the day that you do will be the day everything changes".
Hermione bit her lip not sure if she should ask for fear of the answer "why would my memories change anything?"
Tom shrugged "mental scars" he murmured "it took a lot of torture to get you to learn respect".
Hermione shuddered "Then I don't want to remember" she murmured more to herself then to him.
Tom continued to dance casually "maybe you don't have a choice" he pulled them both to a stop "things are changing Ariana, you will hate me more then you already do and I suppose I just wanted to spend some time with you where we got along . . . you will come to hate me more then you already do one day and on that day . . . the war begins".
Hermione was silent as she watched Tom nod to her politely and disappear into the crowd, she stood frozen for a moment until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She startled and spun around, letting out a breath of relief as she met the smiling face of Sirius.
"A dance m'lady?" he bowed and offered his hand.
Hermione couldn't help but smile and accept "of course kind Sir" she accepted his hand and let him pull her back into the crowd of dancers. Her gaze moved back to the area she saw Tom leave "one day" she murmured before turning back to Sirius who was now gazing at her in concern.
"Is everything alright?" he asked scanning her for anything serious.
She smiled, a true relieved smile "yes" she breathed out "everything's alright now" she murmured as he began to dance. Her eyes moved to meet the green eyes of Tom once again, he was watching her with an unreadable look on his face. He had stated his intentions and she knew she was safe until she had all of her memories, so for now . . . she could worry about the upcoming christmas she was about to spend with her horried muggle step parents.
REVIEW!
Question for my reviewers – shall my next chapter be a carry on from the yule ball … where Harry and Hermione dance and maybe the night will end with a kiss and swapping of confessions?
PLEASE ANSWER, WOULD REALLY HELP :) I now have a page on facebook that you can like, I shall be informing people on there which chapters I will be writing, I will ask any questions I need help with, you can share your own stories over the page with the other likers :) you can also share pictures to do with your fanfictions, other fanfictions or just couples you like! Does not have to be about Harry Potter pecifically. Like if you wish or don't I don't mind. The page is for your benefit as well as mine.
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