A fic inspired by Cole Swindell's 'Middle of a Memory'. I own no characters or song rights...
It was only an hour into the night but Draco was already on his fourth shot of fire whiskey. His brain felt fuzzy as he listened to Pansy, Theo, and Blaise speak. He always hated coming to these things, but somehow his mother always ended up talking him into it. It felt like the more he drank the more bearable these events became.
Then he saw her across the room. It wasn't the first time he had seen her but just like every other time it took his breath away. He needed tonight to be different. Tonight he would talk to her. He contemplated his different possible approaches however nothing seemed quite as perfect as her.
She was standing across the room with Potter and Weaslette. The nervous look on her face wasn't very fitting. In fact it was a look he wasn't sure he'd ever seen on her face before. He reached for another drink, downed it in a gulp, and sauntered across the room. Her backless Periwinkle dress flowed beautifully as it draped to the floor. As he reached the trio, he extended an elbow and said "Granger may I have this dance?"
Hermione looked to Ginny, bewildered. Ginny looked Draco up and down skeptically, but then shrugged her shoulders.
"I suppose" she answered placing her hand on the extended arm. He gracefully led her to the dance floor and positioned then into a familiar hold. After a few bars of music, Hermione's curiosity got the best of her. "What's your angle?"
"Pardon?"
"Your angle. What are you getting out of dancing with me?"
"The only angle I have Granger, is dancing with you."
"Why?" She asked tentatively.
"Why what?"
"Why do you want to dance with me?"
"Believe it or not Granger there is more to you than your volumeous hair and the books you study."
"I know this. I can't believe you know this."
"I'm aloof, not blind. And there's more to me than my money and dark mark."
"So if you're not rich death eater, then who are you?"
"I'm a man who exudes an air of confidence and entitlement because life has shown what can be lost when that confidence is gone." His face became quite serious. "Now the question is, who are you?"
"Who do you think I am since you're not blind."
"You're an egg." He dipped her as a part of their dance. "You've got this tough exterior, but once someone cracks your shell there's this delicate versitile inside dying to get out." His face was intimately close and Hermione could feel her heart beating loudly in her chest. Suddenly they were being pulled in different directions.
"Draco, you promised me a dance." Pansy demanded loudly.
"Hermione, Ginny doesn't believe I dance better than Neville. Come tell her otherwise." Harry complained dragging her to the table where Ginny sat. Hermione couldn't tear her eyes away from Draco though. He was different.
"You're welcome." Pansy snapped softly.
"Why?"
"You were about to kiss Granger. How drunk are you Draco?"
"I'm not sure how the two correlate Parkinson." Draco said icily.
"You wanted to kiss her?" She raised an eyebrow before shrugging. "To each their own I guess. Regardless, Potter was already on his way over there and that would have left you in the middle of the dance floor all alone. So I still saved you. You're welcome."
"Stupid perfect Potter." 'This could've been the start of everything,' he whistfully thought as he turned his head back towards Hermione who looked frustrated with Potter and Weaslette.
"You look like someone just advaded you're familiar." Pansy frowned.
"It's more like you and Potter tore the last pages from my book."
"Books are boring anyways."
"And that is why we broke up." Draco made eye contact with Hermione as she and Weaslette headed for the door. Hermione's eyes were fierce but apologetic and then she followed her friends out.