A/N: I'm really sorry about the long wait for this chapter, but my work schedule has been insane, and I just haven't had that time.
R/R!
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Chapter 27
The end of the year feast was earlier than usual this year, as they had the ball afterwards. The Gryffindor's all cheered loudly as they won the House Cup for the sixth year running, Harry and Hermione's points for capturing the death eaters easily put them ahead of the rest.
After the feast, everyone left for the common rooms, the third years and up got dressed for the ball and then headed back an hour later.
As somewhat of a joke, Harry and Hermione had bought the clothes that Seamus and Parvati had shown them. Harry knew he had been right the moment he set his eyes on Hermione. She did look incredible.
"Hi, Harry you look good." Hermione told him as he walked down the stairs to meet her.
"Wow. You to Hermione. You look great."
She smiled sweetly at him and he took her hand, they were the last ones to arrive at the ball. Everything stopped when they entered. Harry assumed everyone was just taking notice of how incredible Hermione looked.
They smiled at everyone and moved to the dance floor, where they danced for hours. After a while, while sitting at a table with all the other Gryffindor sixth years and their dates, Cho Chang came over and nervously asked Harry,
"Erm, Harry, is it true? You know, what they're saying, that you and Hermione are wearing wedding clothes because you..ah..you know, um, asked her to marry you?"
Seamus and Parvati erupted in laughter, as did the rest of the table. Harry gave him a quick grin and turned back to Cho, having a great idea who had started the rumor.
"No Cho, that's just something stupid rumor some morons in our house started."
The table erupted again, Cho joining the laughter, Seamus and Parvati were blushing brightly, but laughing with the rest. After Cho had left, Seamus turned and looked at Harry.
"Sorry Harry," he said smiling. "I just couldn't resist." Harry and Hermione smiled at him and went back to the dance floor.
Everyone was very sad when the dance ended, and Harry and Hermione parted sadly at the dorm stairs. They knew that the next day may very well be the last time they saw each other in many weeks.
The train ride back on Hogwarts Express was very sad indeed, but they did all have fun playing and talking, and all of them cheered when Ron was handed his first ever defeat in chess by Padma. Ron insisted later that he let her win, but Harry knew better. The only downer on the trip was when Draco Malfoy came in.
"I won't be seeing you then Potter, mudblood." He said sneering at them. "You'll both be dead by next school year."
They rolled their eyes and Harry replied, "Nice try Malfoy, but didn't you already promise us that we wouldn't live to the summer?" Malfoy blushed brightly and stormed off, then Harry and Hermione turned back to their friends.
Finally they arrived at King's Cross and exited platform 9 3/4. Harry prepared to depart with Hermione but was surprised to see that the Dursley's were not there.
Harry quickly recovered and after bidding Ron and the rest good-bye, he asked Hermione's parents for a lift, happy that he could have at least another hour before they had to part.
They were talking so excitedly that they didn't realize that they had ended up in front of the house, and Harry got out quickly to see why there were so many people surrounding it. He gasped. Hermione screamed.
The dark mark was floating over #4 Pivet Drive.