Secret Smile. *Complete*

Dancing

After dinner, the tables were cleared and everyone began to flutter around from group to group saying hello to guests. As promised, Draco never left her side. Not that he really wanted to. He was still in shock that Hermione had finally said she loved him. It felt like a dream, and he was terrified that if he moved away from her or even blinked then it would disappear, like a dream. So he stood right by her side s she smiled as said hello to everyone in the hall. 

"Excuse me, but I need to borrow the celebrity couple here to prepare to lead the dancing again", Pansy smiled as she interrupted a group of girls who had cornered Hermione and Draco and who were trying to flirt with him unsuccessfully. 

Draco hadn't even noticed. 

"Thanks for the saving," Hermione sighed as Pansy led her to the edge of the room. 

"Always," Pansy smiled. "Here I also have a pair of flats for you to change into. It will make it easier to dance and your feet won't hurt as much." 

"Pansy, you are my hero," Hermione said as she slipped the heels off, which were really beginning to hurt off, and the flat shoes on. She then flicked her wand and her, Pansy's, Ginny's and Luna's heels disappeared, reappearing in Hermione's closet. 

"I know," Pansy smirked as she joined Harry on the floor.

Draco held out his hand escorting Hermione out to the dance floor as the music started and they began to dance again. "This is the part of the evening I don't like," Draco frowned. 

"I wasn't aware that dancing with me was so painful." Hermione smirked. She knew this wasn't what he meant but she couldn't resist.

"I mean the part of the night where any man can come along and take you away from me for the chance to dance with you. And I will have to watch as he puts his hands on you." 

"The feeling is mutual, darling. I will have to watch as young girls flick their hair and flirt outrageously with you." She pursed her lips. She was already imagining it, and she was not happy.

"Never worry, my love. I plan to swap with Blaise next so that he dances with you and I dance with Luna, then swap with Harry, then Theo and then with Kingsley. Then I have asked George, Arthur, Bill, Percy, and Charlie to all take a turn. And I will dance with each of their partners in turn, so we will be quite busy. And I can promise you that if any girl tried to flirt she will be courteously smiled at and reminded that I am a taken man. That I am yours always and forever. I mean you did say you love me" he smirked. 

"I do. I have wanted to say it for a while, but I was waiting for the right moment. I planned to tell you tonight as the clock struck midnight, so we could start off the new year together as we mean to go on, but I got carried away and blurted it out in the middle of my speech because I got excited and wanted everyone to know how much I love you and am proud to be on your arm."

Draco was grinning as she spoke very fast now slightly embarrassed at her outburst. But Draco wasn't. He was in bliss. This had become the best night of his life without meaning to. To know that she felt for him, what he felt for her was an indescribably fantastic feeling. 

He bent down and pecked Hermione's lips to stop her. She looked up at him and smiled. "Sorry, I rant when I am nervous."

"I know. It's just one of the many things I love about you." 

Hermione's head snapped up. "So you do love me? I wasn't imagining that?"

"I do. I love you Hermione Granger-Zabini. And now, everyone knows it. I already told your mother I loved you when I formally announced our courtship."

"What did you say to mum exactly?"

"That I was in love with you and wanted to be with you for the rest of my life. That we wil not be following what is deemed by society as 'the norm'. We would take our time courting, getting to know each other and when we were ready we would move on to the next step."