If Only in My Dreams (Dramione)

Chapter 1: Hope

A/N: Canon through HbP. Contains some elements of DH, with my own spin on events. If you enjoy it, please Vote, Comment, and Follow! 

To make things work for my story, Voldemort and Death Eaters have not completely infiltrated Hogwarts or the Ministry of Magic at this point. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. All rights belong to J. K. Rowling. This is just me having fun with her characters.

***

Draco Malfoy splashed cold water on his face and raised his eyes to the mirror above the sink. The image staring back at him was a grim one.

The last few years had not been kind to him. The reflection he saw was tired, drawn, and pale (even for him).

It was a reflection he had grown to despise over the course of his lifetime, more so in recent years, as his actions as the Malfoy heir and a Death Eater took a toll on his conscience.

But tonight, there was a subtle change in the image he saw gazing back at him. For the first time, he saw something new.

Hope.

The smallest glimmer of hope shone back from his eyes and he clung to it like a lifeline.

After months of careful planning, tonight he would set into action a series of events that would either free him from the wretched life he had been living or end him for good.

He reached into the pocket of his impeccable dress robes and pulled out a small vial of Polyjuice Potion. He swallowed it in one gulp, twisting his face in displeasure at the foul taste.

His blond hair, sharp features, and tall stature morphed before his eyes.

He lost a few inches from his frame, his hair turned black, and his eyes went from gray to brown. Staring back at him was the moderately attractive face of Steven Carmichael, a deathly dull wizard about his own age, whom he had met several times in his childhood and teens, while traveling to the States with his parents.

"Boring as sin," he muttered distastefully. "Just Granger's type."

Leaving the bathroom, he grabbed his cloak and wand off his bed. He knew he only had a few hours before the effects of the Polyjuice Potion wore off, so he had no time to waste.

He stepped into his fireplace and threw in a handful of Floo powder, saying his destination clearly. "The Ministry of Magic!"

He had a know-it-all witch to charm.

***

Hermione Granger dabbed her lips with a subtle red lip gloss and assessed her reflection in the mirror. Her long dark curls had been tamed into natural ringlets that framed her face on one side and were swept behind her ear and over her shoulder on the other. Her features had been slightly highlighted with simple makeup, causing her cheeks to appear flushed, her eyes to seem darker, and her skin to look flawless.

The white dress robes she wore, with thin, gauzy off-the-shoulder straps, showed off her slim figure and hugged her waist.

The neckline was cut in a modest but attractive V, above which she wore a simple diamond pendant. Falling a few inches above her knees, the light airy material of the skirt swayed gracefully when she walked.

To finish off the look, she had on a pair of silver heels—high enough to give her a few more inches in height, but comfortable enough for her to survive the evening. On her wrist was a delicate silver charm bracelet her parents had filled over the years.

Overall, the dress was more fashionable and daring than she was used to. Ginny Weasley had taken her dress robe shopping for her first Ministry of Magic's Christmas Ball and had insisted that the white dress was the right mix of sophistication and allure.

Hermione had rolled her eyes at the redheaded witch's statement.

"Really, Ginny," she had said with a smile, "who would I possibly be hoping to attract at the Ministry's Christmas party?"

Ginny had smiled back at her conspiratorially.

"You never know, the Ministry often hosts talented wizards from all over the world at the Christmas Ball. You could meet a brilliant debonair wizard, who could sweep you off your feet and ride you off into the sunset on his broom." Ginny sighed dramatically and placed her hand to her heart.

Hermione couldn't help but stifle a laugh over her friend's dramatics. She appreciated Ginny's optimism, but the practical part of her was not so easily swayed.

"Honestly, Gin, even if such a wizard did show up, I don't think I would even notice. I've been so preoccupied recently—doing research for Harry and Ron, keeping up with the Order, and working my new job. Romance isn't exactly on my radar right now."

Which was true. She hadn't thought about a man romantically since she and Ron had started a quick relationship the summer before seventh year while hunting Horcruxes with Harry. It had been exciting at first, especially after she had spent years wishing he would notice her in that way, but it had soon fizzled out.

Although she and Ron had an excellent friendship, they both realized they were too different to sustain a romantic relationship. Ron didn't understand her penchant for reading or deep conversations. He was most enthused by Quidditch and large meals.

She quickly realized that the spark she had developed for him over the years had burned only because of their similar interest in fighting Voldemort and helping Harry. But without those things, they didn't have much to base a solid relationship on.

So, the spark had faded, and Hermione had sadly left the boys to continue their search for Horcruxes, while she returned to Hogwarts for her seventh and final year. She helped them as much as she could through her research. To ease the loneliness, she threw herself into her schoolwork, then graduation and her new Ministry job as an assistant in the Department of Magical Education.

She didn't feel that way towards Ron anymore, but she also hadn't met anyone else who excited her either. Most likely because her mind was so taken up with the impending war against Voldemort and his followers. She consoled herself that there would be time for things like that after they defeated the darkest wizard of their time and his Death Eaters.

"But Hermione," Ginny reminded her gently, "we're all swamped with the Order and everything going on right now. That hasn't stopped Harry's and my relationship from growing. I'm just saying, don't close yourself off from the possibility of love because things are so crazy right now. Look at Tonks and Lupin, and Bill and Fleur. They found love even with a war looming. You could too."

Hermione sighed. She knew Ginny was right, but she wasn't holding out hope. Perhaps she was just too practical to be swayed by romance. If there was someone out there for her, she hoped she would recognize him when he showed up. Until then, she had work to do—helping Harry and the Order defeat Voldemort was the top task on her list.

Now, as she looked herself over in her bathroom mirror one last time before preparing to Disapparate to the Ministry's Christmas Ball, she gave a sad smile and silently shook her head. In all honesty, she was so tired these days, she would much rather be curled up in her pajamas with a good book than preparing to go to a party.

But her new job at the Ministry required that she make an appearance at the ball. Plus, she knew Ginny would be wanting all the gossip about whether there were any mysterious handsome wizards there.

She grabbed her cloak, placed her wand in a delicate silver clutch purse, and headed to her fireplace to Floo to the Ministry of Magic.

Although she wasn't expecting to meet anyone at the ball, she couldn't help but feel a small dash of hope in her heart as Ginny's words floated in her head one more time. Perhaps there was someone special waiting for her out there, after all.