Hermione sat at the tables in the hall, watching as people streamed down for the dance. People were dressed wonderfully; she thought it was a great idea to dress in muggle clothes-Guys in suits and Girls in gowns. She herself had donned a dark green gown with a simple strapless cut, accentuated with white gloves and a simple chain of pearls. She still felt pretty despite the fact that many people had more elaborate clothes than her. At the moment though, she was just watching people.

Ron and Harry had just come down. Harry looked quite decent, everything considered. Ron looked really uncomfortable, though his suit fit him well. She could just hear him moaning about how hot it was and how itchy his tie was and how he hated this whole thing. That was, she guessed, the problem with Ron. He didn't know how to pull it off.

Suddenly, there was a rather loud gasp near the entrance of the hall. Must be some really rich person with an elaborate gown or— but her thoughts were cut off as she herself gasped. It was Malfoy.

He was wearing the exact same suit as Ron and Harry, she knew because she had seen that very shopping bag in their Heads common room. But he looked so, SO very… different.

His silver blonde hair was casually tousled, where Ron's was neatly parted and Harry's was left to its own devices. His blindingly white shirt was crisp and un-rumpled, telling every female in the room that he took care of himself. He had left the top two buttons undone, leaving a slim 'V' of tantalizingly sleek golden skin, covering whipcord muscle. Hermione nearly fainted.

He held his jacket with one finger over his right shoulder. His pants were plain black, and made so that he looked taller and slimmer than he actually was. He wore simple black loafers which shone as he sauntered into the room.

Hermione gulped, and felt a blush rising in her face. She fanned herself. Ron and Harry had reached her and were unsure of how to react to her current state. Ginny arrived not soon after, and as her gaze followed Hermione's, she sat down on a chair, limp and pale. She took a sip of Harry's Firewhisky before looking again, and then she didn't put down the glass. Harry and Ron had no clue of what was going on.

Hermione couldn't help but compare them to Draco. Harry, like she said looked decent, but he looked like everyone else in the room. Ron was a different story. He could have looked good, but he was bursting out of his clothes. He was hot and bothered, leaving a nasty atmosphere around himself. He tugged at his tie and unbuttoned his coat and flattened his very flat hair. He didn't have that smooth movement or that casualness that made others pale in comparison. Draco knew exactly what he was doing.

Harry and Ron meanwhile looked around the room. Everywhere they saw, women were acting in the same way. None of them were dancing, much to the dismay of their partners. All of them just sat there and stared. Some licked their lips, others undid their hair and lifted it off their necks, and others lifted their skirts off the ground and exaggerated their hip and chest movements. All of them drank good amounts of Firewhisky.

Finally, Ron said, "I think they're all in heat."

Hermione slapped him, before turning around to watch again.

Harry asked Ron, "Whaddya think they're looking at?"

Ron shrugged. Hermione, Ginny and Padma who was behind them gasped as Draco moved close to them. All of them couldn't help but preen in some way. Padma raised her shoulders to touch her ears and accentuated her chest. Ginny did the same by folding her arms around her waist in a way that it was impossible to not notice her. Hermione breathed more heavily than normal and stretched her back, so her small waist could be seen. Draco seemed to know exactly what was going on. He smirked at the hand-print on Ron's face.

"Querida," he said smiling, offering a hand to Hermione. She gave him her hand and he kissed it before pulling her up (not that she resisted) "Dance with me." She nodded. Ginny grinned widely, happy for her friend while Padma looked disappointed. The hall hushed.

"What's going on?" Ron demanded as Hermione walked—no, floated smoothly with Draco. It wasn't her normal walk.

Ginny looked at him as if he was crazy. "He chose her…"

"So?" Ron demanded?

"He's freaking hot!" Ginny exclaimed.

"He's the hottest guy in the hall!" Lavender intervened.

Ron looked like he was going to throw up. Harry looked amused.

"Hermione doesn't think he's hot!" Ron said, insistent.

"Oh, she does. No woman can resist that," Lavender said gesturing to Draco's body. "Didn't you see how she was acting? She's smart too. Ginny and Padma tried to get his attention with their chests, but Hermione did it with her waist, cuz she remembered he has a thing for small waists."

Ron and Harry looked disturbed. Very disturbed. They hadn't really noticed that. They turned to watch Hermione.

Draco had put his hand around her waist and she'd placed her hand on his as they walked to the floor.

"You look stunning today, Granger," he said, smiling and glancing at her body. She let it pass.

"You look particularly delicious yourself," Hermione replied smiling, looking straight into his eyes. He looked surprised.

"You know how to play the game then, Granger… I wasn't expecting that," he said, pulling her closer.

"Of course you weren't. I have many hidden talents," she mumbled, delicately placing his hand lower on her hips as he tipped her over.

He was breathing on her collar bone, "Oh damn Granger, you're good. Better than I thought."

"Of course I am. I have been known to stun people when I choose," she said, flattening her palm against Draco's chest instead of sitting it on his shoulder. She could feel his heard beating.

They danced in silence for a moment or so, before Draco asked, "What did Weasley do?"

"He said that all the women were in heat," Hermione informed him. Draco laughed out loud, attracting attention to them again.

"Including yourself, which is why you slapped him," Draco smirked.

"Of course, you do look very, very good. But then, I think you feel the same way about me, don't you, because I know what gets you. You're blushing like a school boy Draco!" she laughed in a low throaty voice which no one had ever heard before.

Draco smiled genuinely. "Best damn dance I've had in a while."

"Same here. Try dancing with Mr. Two-feet there and you'll be scarred for life," Hermione stated, grinning.

"Speaking of two-feet, I had better give you back before they come over here and he ravishes you in front of all of us. I'll wake up in the morning without a few vital organs, I feel."

"Oh, I'd like to ravish you too, thank you very much, and I'd miss your vital organs too much, so be careful Malfoy," Hermione said, grinning wider now.

"Let me escort you back to your table, fair lady," Draco said gallantly.

"Thank you, Sir Knight," Hermione replied, laughing. He held her waist and pressed his hip to hers and walked her back.

Unknown to the two of them, Hannah Abbot, who had an unknown skill of lip-reading was telling all of this to Harry, Ron, Ginny and everyone else who had gathered around. She had cleverly skipped the 'two feet' part and replaced it with 'all the people I've danced with'. Ginny though, knew.

The group around Harry and Ron's table broke up as Hermione and Draco walked over. Just before they reached though, Hermione paused, and holding one hand of his in front of his chest, leaned to whisper something in his ear. This time, facing away so no one could see. Draco's face seemed to freeze for a moment, as if he was stunned by the close contact.

He could feel her cool breath on his warm neck and her voice in his ear. "They've been using Abbot to lip read every word. The last dance is mine, Malfoy."

Draco grinned. He loved that girl.

Harry and Ron were stunned by the affectionate look on his face as he led her to the table. She was warm and riled up and excited. Ginny could tell by the look on her face. Draco kissed her cheek just to annoy Potty and Weasel and walked away without a second glance. Hermione didn't look twice at him either.

Ginny and Lavender began squealing over her dance, Hannah joining in. They blatantly mentioned the lip reading, and Ron objected. "Don't tell her!"

"Don't worry Ron, I knew all along."

"And you still did all that stuff? Where did you learn to do that anyway?" Ron demanded.

"Yes of course I did. I like him. I am not 9, you know. You think I'm terribly inexperienced, but you couldn't be more wrong," Hermione said, angry now. "You're not my mother."

"Well, I'm sure your mother wouldn't mind knowing…" Ron smirked. Harry and Ginny gestured desperately from behind Hermione.

A slap echoed across the hall. "For your information, my mother knows me better than you do, you bloody wanker." She walked off to speak to Blaise Zabini, her gay prefect friend.

Blaise grinned. "Darling, I've never seen a single show as good as that."

"Why thank you, Blaise darling."

And she chatted away with other people for the rest of the evening. Ron couldn't find anyone to dance with, so he left. Harry and Ginny took the opportunity and didn't let each other go for the rest of the evening.

When the moon was about to go down, Draco intercepted Hermione's dance with Professor Flitwick. "May I have the last dance?" he asked, tapping Professor Flitwick's shoulder. Hermione grinned at his perfect seriousness. Professor Flitwick looked amused.

"Dance away young lovers!" he said, and stumbled off.

Draco bowed and led her to a side. "That was awkward…"

"It's okay," Hermione said, taking the liberty to lean on his chest. She grinned to herself as his heart began pounding.

"You really do look stunning," Draco said sincerely.

"Thank you. You really do look very hot."

They danced for a while more.

"What did Weasel do now? He didn't hurt you, did he?" Draco demanded.

"Nah. He threatened to tell my mum." Draco smirked. Hermione laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"I never thought this would happen. Draco Malfoy defending me from Ron Weasley. Role reversal much?" Hermione grinned.

"Well," Draco said, "I happen to like you very much… It's a bad idea, I know, but I can't help how my heart sings to your touch," he said quoting Muggle literature.

Hermione smiled, replying in turn, "My lips ache for your kiss," before she could realise what she had just said. She blushed.

The song finished. "Shall we retire, fair Lady?" he asked gently.

"Of course, Sir Knight, or should I say, Brave Dragon?" Hermione questioned, smiling at the play on words.

"Either way will do fine," Draco drawled, jokingly.

Harry and Ginny saw them leave the hall together.

"Isn't that a bad idea?" Harry asked.

"No, it isn't. She's liked him for way too long… and I think he likes her too," Ginny replied. "They're meant for each other."

"But he's in Slytherin and she's—"

"Forget that. He's a perfect gentleman, well educated, delicate yet possessive. He knows how to treat a woman. Everything she's dreamed of."

"Well, I know that if I liked someone, I wouldn't be able to act so cool infront of her. I hope you don't mind Ginny. I was never good at being cool." Ginny smiled.

In the Head's common room, the moment they walked through the door, Draco pushed her back to the wall and pinned her. He murmured a change in the password, effectively locking them in.

Hermione knew better than to be scared. He'd just be repulsed at himself and run away. She smirked back.

He growled and kissed her fiercely.

"And they rode off into the sunset," she finished the quote, before kissing him again.

END

Not how I imagined. Planned Hermione as terrified but realised that it sounds better if she knows what she's doing. May have gone a tad bit overboard with the flirtation, but he's Draco, right?

P.S. the quote is real. I made it up. :D

If you think it doesn't make sense, I'll be glad to explain.

REVIEW!!

Love,

Lady Merlin