It wasn't too long after that, maybe a day or two, after he found out about her tragic past that talk of the winter ball was beginning to hit Draco's friend group. That was because the dance would be taking place the weekend after they all returned from winter break, a break that Draco was spending with his family at the manor. It was one of the few times he actually dread being home, hating seeing his sweet sister get beaten for no reason by a woman who knew nothing of his sister and what she was truly. Blaise had asked Pansy the month in advance, doing so to give the duo the time to coordinate their clothing to look nice the night of the ball. Draco had yet to find a partner to go with and such was the topic of discussion this morning over breakfast as everyone enjoyed their last breakfast together before the winter holiday came to them and they had to leave.
"I'm just saying, it wouldn't kill you to ask someone to go with you to the dance. I can't go with you since Blaise and I are arranged to go together, you have to ask someone else to go with you if you wish to go." Pansy scolded the other, looking at the blonde male with a look that screamed she wouldn't be letting this go any time soon. This earned an eye roll from the blonde, looking at the other with annoyance in his steel blue eyes as he heard her words. He knew that of course, but he was just thinking of the right way to ask the lass he wanted to the dance. It was well known between the silver trio that Draco was planning on asking Denver, but he always caught himself trying to figure out the proper way to ask her. She was a feminist by trade and he knew that, but the girls had to be asked by the boys or they weren't allowed to go. So, the original plan of letting her ask him to the dance went out the window as soon as that announcement was made. Then he thought about asking during Quidditch practice, but he had been so distracted by her skill that he got slammed in the nose by the snitch which Blaise had thrown at him for being distracted. He thought the blonde would have caught it, but that wasn't the case unfortunately and he ended up with a busted nose. He could've asked her the past two days after classes and such, but she had been busy with work stuff and running the favors that the prefects needed. Needless to say, today was the last day he could ask her and there was barely any time for him to do so thanks to him leaving today and her staying here to spend the holiday with her godfather. Not to mention he was still trying to keep himself calm after everything he found out two days ago. It resulted in a lot of glares toward the ravenette, even if Draco had promised not to pick a fight over it. Doesn't mean he wouldn't be petty in the end.
"If he would just buck up and ask a certain red headed Slytherin lady instead of staring at her all the time, he wouldn't be in this mess." Was the bit of teasing from Blaise that caught his attention, his cheeks flaring a dark pink as he glared at the darker skinned male.
"O-Oh please! I don't stare at her all the time." Draco hissed back, earning an eye roll from the male who huffed at this. The blonde had earned an eye roll back from the darker male, flinching back as the other glared at him playfully.
"Yes you do mate. You stare at her all the time. The worst part though, is when your face gets all red and flushed." Blaise said, menacingly pointing a fork at him. The implications of those times made Draco's face go from pink to red, looking at Blaise wide eyed in embarrassment as Pansy let out a little 'ooo' at the implications of it herself.
"Blaise!" The blonde hissed, trying to get him to be quiet yet it fell on deaf ears.
"I'm just saying. Either you ask her to the dance or I ask her for you. I'm tired of seeing you get red in the face like that before ever so 'discreetly' sleenking off." Blaise said in a hum, his tone full of an attitude that showed he wasn't joking around. He was serious as he was tired of the male doing this odd little dance around the redhead. Either he was asking her today by himself or he was asking her for him. Either way the darker male was tired of this shit. Pansy on the other hand wasn't dropping it yet, looking at Draco with playful eyes as she let out another 'ooo' at the implication.
"I didn't think you were the kind of boy to fantasize about a girl you weren't even sure you had a crush on. Draco Malfoy, you absolute heartbreaker." She hummed out, earning an eye roll from the blonde in question as he pushed back his hair in frustration.
"I-It's not like that. Zabini makes it out like I'm actively trying to sleep with her when I haven't figured that out yet." Draco murmured, resting his head against the table with a frustrated sigh. Pansy chuckled, rolling her eyes as she looked down at the male with a wicked grin on her features.
"What is there to understand Draco? You like her in some capacity or another. Just ask her to the dance and fuck trying to figure it out. It'll hit you when you least expect it." Pansy hummed, earning a small gag and an eye roll from her boyfriend next to her.
"Could you get any cheesier?" Blaise asked sarcastically, a wide smile taking his lips as she playfully rolled her eyes at him. She glared at him before the two shared a kiss, the darker skinned male rolling his eyes as he noticed the demanding way she was looking at him. Draco sighed at the sight, having looked up at the girl when the suggestion passed by her lips and now he was seeing this display of PDA. Then he caught a glimpse of her, watching her walk into the Great Hall with his sister and a deep blush coated his own features. What she was wearing had his jaw hitting the floor, but then again most things she wore made his jaw hit the floor. She had on a Slytherin sweater, the thing loose around her stomach and arms yet perfectly fit around her chest as if it couldn't quite fit her frame. She had paired it with a black knee length skater skirt and underneath it were silver colored wool stockings, making him drool a little as she walked into the room. It wasn't until a distinctive chuckle was heard that he snapped out of it, seeing Blaise and Pansy giving him a look that said 'I told you so' as he went red in the face. He then watched in horror as Pansy turned around and waved at Denver a bit nervously. This made Draco tense, watching as the girl waved at the redhead he was swooning over.
"Hey Denver! Come join us for breakfast!" Pansy called, making sure she had gained the redhead's attention. She gave a small nod and a playful smirk to the girl, hugging Heather goodbye for the break before she came over to them and Draco was left in a state of panic. Did he look okay?! God, she was coming over before he could double check that sort of thing discreetly. He glared at Pansy before watching as she came to the side of the table the couple was sitting on. She spotted Draco on the other side, quickly making her way around and sitting down next to him as she looked over the meal they had in front of them.
"Morning you three. I thought you would all be busy packing your things this morning." She hummed out thoughtfully and Draco's face went a bit pink at her voice. It was so sweet sounding, like a perfect scoop of vanilla ice cream as he listened to her talk. He quickly shook the thought from his head, looking down at his own plate as he continued to eat after having been distracted long enough thanks to the couple across from him and now her. He needed to finish eating, especially with the long ride home ahead of him and his sister had today.
"Oh no, Blaise and I finished packing first thing this morning." Pansy hummed casually as she watched the two eat with a smile on her lips. It was a wicked smile and, if Draco had been paying attention, maybe he wouldn't have sipped his drink quite then as she grinned at him deviously.
"Draco has been meaning to ask you something though." She hums, earning a near spit take from the blonde and a curious look from the redhead who murmured a small yet confused 'oh' as she turned to the blonde. The male was glaring at Pansy, covering his mouth to keep himself from coughing and spitting out the drink as he sat there. She simply gave him a wicked grin, knowing the male had been caught off guard as she snickered a little behind her hand before continuing.
"Yes. Isn't that right, Draco? Something about the upcoming dance you wanted to talk to Miss. Potter about?" Pansy asked the blonde, returning the glare with her own playful eyes as she looked him dead in the eyes. Oh, if looks could kill in this moment. Pansy would be dead on the bench in front them if looks could kill at this very moment. Draco blushed a deep pink hue as Denver looked at him expectantly, quirking a brow up in curiosity as she watched him. He nods his head, clearing his throat a little as he turns to face her a bit more.
"Well you see I…" He went to ask her the first time, but made a crucial mistake. He looked up at her. He froze then, getting lost in her eyes as he looked at her dead in them. He realized he was staring, mouth agape, not too long after he started. He looked away from her, going to continue to speak yet that felt wrong. You were supposed to look someone in the eye when you ask them this kind of question, right? That meant he should be looking her in the eyes and not down at the floor like he was now, right? Right. So, he attempted to look her in the eyes again yet once again he froze and got lost in her eyes. This earned an eye roll from the girl who let out a little chuckle, grabbing Draco playfully by the shirt to grab his attention.
"Yes, I'll go to the dance with you Malfoy. I'll be wearing green, black, and silver so do your best to match that. I'll meet you in the common room at 7:30pm sharp so we have plenty of time to make it to the dance on time." She hummed out, looking him in the eyes before she let go of his shirt as the departure bell rang. This was what snapped Draco out of his thoughts, quickly standing at the prodding and behestment of Pansy and Blaise.
"A-Alright. Sounds perfect. I'll see you then." He hummed out, quickly smoothing out his shirt before grabbing his suitcase and beginning to move toward the door. Then a thought struck him, looking back at her curiously as he did.
"How did you know that's what I wanted to ask you?" He asked her, watching her flip a sickle between her knuckles as she waited for the other students to leave. This question earned a laugh from the girl, looking up at him with those mischievous hazel eyes as she caught the coin in her hand.
"Don't worry Malfoy, I didn't read your mind." She hums, earning a small sigh of relief from the male before he gives her an expantent look as he did so. This earns another eye roll from her, smirking as she looks up at him.
"You're easy to read Malfoy. You're like a kids book to me. Easy to read and the message direct." She hums, hearing the bell chime and motioning him off. He nods; chuckling as he wished her a goodbye and she waved him off to the train, both smiling as this happened and excited for the day the dance arrived at the school. Even if it was a tentative happiness, worry on both sides of this duo for something else much worse.
~Time Skip~
"Merlin's sake! Could this tie be any more difficult to tie!? And on tonight of all nights to be having this kind of wardrobe malfunction!" Draco huffs out, standing in a corner of the common room, fiddling with his tie and trying to get his suit tie perfectly straight and at the perfect length that it was the standard definition of perfection. Obviously; it wasn't necessarily working since the blonde was still bickering and annoyed by it. He wanted tonight to be perfect for the both of them, knowing that this might be one of the few happy memories they would have if his plan with the wardrobe was to work. Especially if he was to fail in his task to fail in killing Dumbledor, knowing that would mean the end of his life. He wanted to ensure she had one magical night with him, wanting to impress her. He knew how that sounded, but he just wanted to give a friend of his the best night of her life. After all the pain and torment she had gone through and might continue going through, he wanted to be a good friend and provide her with an amazing night at this dance. Or, at least, that's what he was telling himself.
"Quit your muttering Malfoy." Blaise hummed, being the snarky and confident male he typically was. That was until he noticed the other's tie wasn't tied yet, his eyes going wide for a moment before they shut and reopened in an angry glare.
"You seriously don't have that tied yet?! I thought your mom had taught you to tie one of those bastards since you were five!" He hissed in a whisper of a yell, looking at the blonde with angry eyes. Draco returned the glare, though there was a bit of anxiety in his eyes as well.
"Of course she did! I just can't get it flat and straight! My hands won't stop shaking to do it right!" He hissed back to the other, keeping his voice just barely above a whisper as well to ensure the others around them didn't hear him. This earned a wide eyed look from Blaise before the male bursted out laughing, earning confused looks from the other males in the room and a panicked one from the blonde.
"Would you shut your trap, you git! What's so funny about this anyhow!? This is important!" Draco said, watching as the darker skinned male came closer to him. His hands gripped the blonde's tie, swiftly tying it as he chuckled to himself while he spoke.
"I think it's hilarious you're so nervous over impressing a certain someone that you can't adjust your tie without your hands shaking and ruining." He murmurs out, earning an eye roll and a scoff from the blonde who was doing his best to keep himself from blushing.
"You would be too if you didn't know how many good days you had. Especially for a witch like her. She's gone through so much. She deserves one happy memory to add into her collection of one. Especially on a night like tonight." He grumbled, watching as the darker skinned male nodded in understanding and stepped back from him. His tie was perfect and, in total honesty, Draco looked perfect for tonight. He was wearing a pine green colored suit, a nearly black shade of green, with a gray shirt underneath it and black tie which the male had just finished adjusting for the blonde. His blonde hair was slicked back as usual and he had on a rather unique cologne, a strong mixture of vanilla and lavender hitting his nose with an undertone of pine. He also had a black pocket square in his breast pocket, looking perfectly elegant for the night that was about to come.
"Well don't worry blondie. I think you'll knock her socks off. Just remember one little thing." Blaise said, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder as 7:30pm slowly came closer and closer. Draco rolled his eyes, laughing a little as he looked over at the other with a small smile on his lips.
"And what would that be, Zabini?" He asked the other, earning a far more serious look from the male which made him flinch a little. Whatever it was he was about to say, it must have been very important.
"That tonight, no matter what, she's going to remember it as one of the best nights of her life. Because you have been nothing, but loyal to her and you show a deep set of care for her. If she's as damaged as you say, she's going to love this night no matter what. Because of that." He reminded the blonde, earning a stunned look as the male slowly nodded in agreement. With that, Blaise patted the male on the shoulder and was on his way, meeting up with Pansy who was dressed to the nines like every other girl was. That's when he heard the chime of the clock, realizing it was now 7:30pm which meant Denver would be up any second now. He looked over to the stairs of the girls' dorms and, sure enough, there she was. Draco felt his jaw hit the ground as he watched her walk toward him, absolutely awe stricken by how stunning she looked in this moment. There she stood in this gorgeous emerald green ball gown of a dress, the sleeves made of some sort of see-through mesh material with black bead work on the skirt and sleeves. Her untameable red hair was done up into two cute little buns, just a few loose strands framing her face which was done up with makeup. Her hazel eyes had this stunning ombre of green eyeshadow on the lids and there was this thick black eyeliner that looked sharp enough to cut, not to mention her normally pink lips painted over in black lipstick. He couldn't see her heels, but he could hear them against the cold stone floor of the common room yet that was nothing compared to the stones she wore. She was wearing a silver chain necklace which had an oval shaped emerald surrounded by diamonds with stud earrings and a ring to match, making her look even more stunning. It was right then, right there, that he realized just how beautiful Denver was. How he had come to appreciate seeing her in her relaxing lounge wear, but how even now she looked absolutely stunning to him. His heart was racing in his chest as she walked toward him, catching the briefest whift of her perfume which smelt intoxicatingly good. It was the scent of chocolate mixed with mahogany and the slightest hint of roses as well. She smiled up at him, a warm and soft smile as he cleared his throat and picked up the white rose hair pin his mother had arranged for him to give her.
"You look stunning tonight." He murmured out, carefully tucking the hair pin into her hair by her left ear. It was a white rose surrounded by a few emeralds on a silver barrette, a look of concentration in his half lidded eyes. She did look absolutely stunning and right now, if he didn't know better, he would've leaned in and kissed her. He couldn't though, that wasn't right to her. They were just friends, right? She was his friend and nothing more, right? He couldn't have fallen in love with her…right? She smiled, holding up a white rose of her own to tuck into his jacket pocket with a soft look in her own eyes.
"So do you, Malfoy." She murmurs out, gently and very carefully tucking the flower into his breast pocket before she draws back her hands with a look of conflict in her own eyes. She was worried about him, about this mission she heard he might be on. She was worried about losing him and the one person she held most dear in this school, besides her god father that is. They soon shook off those thoughts though, Draco holding his arm out to her as the prefects ordered that it was time to go. Denver looked up at him amazed, earning a shy side eye from Draco who's other hand was rubbing the back of his neck.
"Shall we then? It's time to set off." He murmurs out, a deep pink hue on his face as he waits for her answer. She looks at him amazed for a moment before she nods, carefully taking his arm with her own and giving him her own shy smile. This earned an amazed look from the blonde, looking down at her with gentle yet shocked eyes as he did so.
"Let's go then." She hums out softly, earning a nod from Draco as he then guides her out of the common room. The entire walk there had both their hearts racing in their chest, both of them keeping their eyes forward on the group ahead of them when they weren't sneaking glances at each other through the corners of their eyes. When they got there, they were left absolutely amazed by the sight of the Great Hall, the entire space looking like it had been teleported in from an enchanted winter woods that was then layered over the space. The music that was playing was absolutely perfect too, drawing many of the prospective pairs out to the dance floor with smiles on their lips. This is what drew Draco's attention into the space, going to lead Denver yet feeling her pull back against him. This earned a confused look from the blonde who was a step lower than her now, the floor of the Great Hall having sunk some to give them all more space to dance and enjoy themselves.
"What's wrong? Don't you want to dance?" He went to ask her, before he followed her gaze and saw what made her freeze. There, dancing with his sister, was Harry and that's when it became clear. She was scared that he was going to start a fight with the male, looking back up at her worriedly yet doing his best to smile. She saw he recognized the fear, going to look for a place for them to sit before she saw him extend his hand to her. He wouldn't pick a fight tonight, not when he saw that look and wanted to make sure she had a good time tonight.
"Trust me…" Was all he murmured, holding his hand out to her and the look she had completely changed. She wanted to believe, but she had been hurt before by those she trusted. Could she really trust him? There was only one way to find out, she knew that, and that was by leaping in head first. So, she took his hand with her own black nailed one and followed him out to the dance floor. The first dance, as was tradition with this school, was a slow song so this was perfect to him. He gently guided her to the center of the dance floor by her brother and his sister before he stopped and took her into a proper waltz. He blushed as one hand gently gripped her waist, the other holding her hand as he guided her through the steps. Her hand clasped his and her free one went to his shoulder, not caring about her dress which ever so slightly spun with her body. It was in this moment that time truly stopped for them, looking each other in the eye as they made their way through the simple steps with the occasional twirl thrown in for charm. It was like they were the only two in this room, not a care in the world for the other people around them as they slowly made their way around the room. Draco, for the first time, admitted to himself that she was what he wanted. Not just in a partner, in a future wife and mother to his children. She was the one he wanted to go through life with filling that role. Denver found herself in much the same state, looking up at him and getting lost in his silver toned blue eyes. She trusted him, someone she wasn't supposed to trust yet here she was. Head over heels for the enemy because he wasn't her enemy. He was her person, her confidant and right hand man. He was the perfect balance to her and he knew her pain, only wanting to make her feel better. Tonight they realized they were in love and that, despite their sides in the war, they wanted to be with each other. They just hoped they could find each other in the aftermath of it all.