Disclaimer: The characters belong to J. K. Rowling.
Setting: Great Hall. Hogwarts students had a party in the beginning of the school year (DrH Fifth year). The dance is for the 4th to 7th year students only.
-:- Once is better than Seven -:-
Draco
When will they give up on attempts to bring unity among the houses? They always try to find ways to get me to talk with the Mudblood or spend time with her when I clearly did not want to. Even though I enjoyed torturing her, tonight was an exception. My appetite to make her hate me even more happened mostly in every occasion, in our every encounter and sometimes when I sought her myself.
But tonight, the desire was gone; I was not in the mood to exchange neither glares nor insults with her.
How was I supposed to know that the piece of parchment which Professor McGonagall handed to each and every one of us a week ago in Transfiguration class, where I wrote 'GRANGER' grudgingly, that I swore the parchment would have cringed in pain if it could due to the intensity of my hatred, that innocent piece of parchment, would put me in this unpleasant situation?
No one thought it would come to this. Everyone was surprised; everyone was horrified at the thought of not only rubbing elbows but holding close the ones they dislike from the opposite sex.
Everyone dreaded this dance. I dreaded it.
If I had known the real purpose of that piece of parchment, I wouldn't write Granger's name on it. No way I would! I would've written one of the names of the most beautiful girls in this school which happened to be in Ravenclaw. But I didn't because the moment I got hold of that parchment, I wrote the Mudblood's name without second thoughts since she was the first I thought of when Professor told us to write anyone we dislike (to put it mildly, for hate is a very strong word). My hate was directed to Harry Potter anyway.
Whoever's behind this was sick.
Hermione
Whoever came up with the 'dance with the one you hate' idea was very sick.
After dancing with Harry, then with Ron, who looked preoccupied (he just broke up with Lavender that is why. Poor Ron, what a perfect way to start the school year), then Neville who looked like he's going to faint when he asked me, and then Fred and George (just for fun), I'm finally sitting on our table alone, drinking butterbeer, taking in the view of the enthusiastic students in the dance floor.
I'd rather sit for a while because I'll need all the energy for later. I must be lucky because no one had attempted to ask me to dance. If there was, I wouldn't be able to say no because that was one of the rules. On the contrary, maybe no one thought of me as attractive.
I dismissed the thought away and looked at the crowd on the dance floor. The Great Hall was decorated elegantly; a crescent moon and hundreds of stars adorned the ceiling; the hall was semi-dark yet I could still see familiar faces in the crowd. When it parted slightly as the song ends, I saw HIM.
How could I miss his blonde hair and lean stature? It was as though he demanded attention from every girl in the room. Alright, alright, he had my attention, but not for the reason of pure admiration. It was for the simple reason that I loathed him.
How could I forget why I'm here, feeling nervous and nauseated?
When the piece of parchment was handed to me and the instruction was given as to what to do with it, I instantly wrote DRACO MALFOY in bold letters for the emphasis. In other words, it was inevitable not to write Draco's name on it. He and his father (and Voldemort of course) tops my list of most hated people in this world.
How I wish I wrote someone else's name.
I saw Harry with Parkinson in his arms. Well at least he's almost done with the task. It's because he wrote 'PANSY PARKINSON', that's why he's dancing with her. I have to suppress a smile when Harry looked at me, trying to smile but it seemed more of a 'constipated' smile. The sight was funny that I let a soft chuckle escape my lips.
Not far from Harry, Ron was dancing with Lavender. He looked like he was enjoying it; maybe they're together again. At least something good happened tonight for one of my friends.
Maybe tonight didn't seem as bad as I thought. Some are actually having fun while some are obviously sulking.
On the other hand, I found myself on the middle ground. I had fun earlier when I danced with my friends but the thought that one dance awaited and chaos and bickering was to follow, I have to calm my nerves and convince myself that it would be over soon.
What I felt tonight couldn't even be compared to what I have felt whenever I walked the halls alone half-expecting the arrogant Malfoy backed by his cronies to show up from out of nowhere and throw insults at me. But the dance and the proximity would have to bring us close, in a sort of intimate manner. The last time I've been close to him was when my hands made contact with his face during third year, when I punched him heartily.
If he made fun of me tonight, I wouldn't get mad; I'd get even by punching him (on the face again) though I highly doubt I could do that with the Professors watching.
Harry was finally freed from Parkinsonn's claws. They were actually civil with each other while they danced therefore no argument resulted. I wouldn't be surprised if Harry learned something interesting about her.
Every other minute, I had the urge to check on Malfoy's location. Now, he was dancing with a pretty petite girl from Slytherin. Why, was I not surprised? He's probably danced with all the Slytherin girls. That just about brought me to a conclusion that not only did girls hate him, they even FANCY him, which I found unbelievable considering his attitude and all the arrogance that he possessed abundantly.
I'd like to think of it as a sign that a lot of girls hate Malfoy - hated him the way I did, instead of on the 'fancy' part.
Boredom was evident on his face and his feet must have ached from the incessant dancing, which I'd take as a good sign. Maybe he'd be crippled when it's our turn to dance. That will surely save me.
What did anyone get from this anyway? Isn't this some sort of opportunity for the boys to take advantage of girls? (With the exception of Parkinson, who had held on to Malfoy, choking him in the process).
Good. Maybe he'd be unconscious when it's our turn to dance.
Malfoy was without a doubt biding his time which was favorable for me. If he wanted to prolong this, then so be it.
Draco
It's nearly midnight and I've danced with almost every girl, except HER, the only reason why I couldn't fully well enjoy myself tonight.
Why couldn't Granger be just as aggressive as Pansy and the other girls who had taken advantage of this event to get close to me?
It's not as though I had a choice. Everyone had no choice but to dance with the ones who asked. Granger certainly wouldn't ask me. Who in her right mind would approach the one she hate and then ask him to dance? Not Granger. She's too stubborn to do it even if it meant the sooner she ask me, the sooner this will be over.
Another slow song played and I'm still dancing with PANSY! The song was longer than the previous one; seemed like Pansy was enjoying every minute of this. She didn't even have the decency to pretend she wasn't in glee. This was the seventh time tonight that she asked me. I wonder when she will get satisfied. Will she ever?
In some way, maybe I should be thankful for that. Dancing with Pansy was BETTER than dancing with Granger. I'm overly surprised Granger managed to look DIFFERENT tonight. I knew not what she did, probably some make-over, which took her long hours for sure to prepare. She looked stunning in her royal blue dress: the fabric hugged every curve she had that was normally concealed by her school robes on a school day.
I shook my head as if that compliment could be erased instantly. I couldn't believe that I used such a word to describe her. Her usually bushy hair, tamed into soft curls, framed her face perfectly. Maybe it's all in the hair. She was without a doubt very lovely tonight. But that did not change the fact that she's still a Mudblood.
I was supposed to hate her, not admire her. So before she caught me looking, I averted my eyes, and pretended to enjoy every moment I spend with the girl in my arms even though I'm tempted to run away.
Hermione
Parkinson definitely couldn't take her hands off Malfoy. I knew exactly why. He looked handsome in his black robes. And the fact was she had been interested in Malfoy for years. I didn't know why they haven't announced their engagement yet.
On the contrary, he seemed to be struggling, or maybe waiting for the right opportunity to run for the door. At first he was kind of enjoying but the expression on his face could no longer hide the anxiety. Who wouldn't want to be freed from Pansy's grasp? She was almost strangling him.
Another minute passed and he was still there, a captive of Parkinson while I wondered what I've done wrong to deserve this kind of torture: the waiting, the knowing and the dreading that any moment I will be trapped in the arms of Draco Malfoy.
Rule 3: No one is allowed to leave their partners in the dance floor until the song has ended.
Isn't that absolute torture? I recalled Professor McGonagall mention something about deducting points from the house of anyone who was not able to complete the task.
Cheating was out of the question. The Professors came up with a charm that would enable them to know who did or did not do what should be done. Every student must surrender their parchments to their house heads. The piece of parchment where the names were written will turn blank by midnight once the task was completed. Their spell was brilliant I must say but not the purpose.
It amazed me how such a vague threat forced everyone to dance with the least person they want to dance with (those they HATE or simply DISLIKE).
There was no difficulty with Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs when it came to interacting and cooperating with each other. It's the Slytherins who were somehow too proud of themselves to cooperate.
Finally, the song ended for the hundredth time and the dance floor thinned out. I had a bad feeling the night was about to get worst for some sort of bad luck was coming my way. I could feel it.
I looked up, alarmed when I saw the 'bad luck' standing before me, his eyes unwavering, and his face smug. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes that told me he's up to no good. I had to swallow a painful lump, expecting for the worst.
Why was I suddenly nervous? It was of a different kind; something I would never associate with Malfoy. Why did he have to look like that tonight? I was not supposed to feel this certain attraction; not for HIM - not even a tinge of admiration, I should not feel it. It's wrong.
I must focus on the HATE. HATE. HATE. HATE. HATE. I mentally recited it like a mantra, tried to convince myself not to feel attracted to him, and blocked the feeling of being magnetized by the boy standing before me.
Remember, you hate him. Focus on the very familiar word. Loathe him. Despise him. Detest him. For Merlin's sake HATE him!
There was a building panic in my thoughts. The smirk on his face was simply distracting. And my heart started to beat faster than normal. It's a mixture of dread and excitement. He's using his charms on me, seducing me, and it's working.
But to no avail, I've forgotten about the all too familiar word which automatically washed over me whenever I see him. I felt my defenses weakening, more so when he asked in a gentle voice: "May I have this dance?"
I knew this was going to happen. I was prepared for it. What I was not prepared for was the initial reaction to this unexpected scenario: When in a gentle voice and without any trace of hostility, he said it as though he really wanted to dance with me.
The least I could do was to be sarcastic or at least pretend to be, so I could cover up the rush of excitement that spurred within me. "Of course, we both don't have a choice, do we?"
As the clock ticked away the remaining minutes, one last song before midnight, I took his hand. Better get this over and done with.
Draco
We went to the dance floor on my lead; I could see some spectators anticipating what would happen next. If they're waiting to see an argument, they'd be disappointed. I'm more after doing what I have to do; and that would be to show civility towards the Mudblood.
Her hands were sweating, an indication of unease. When we've reached the dance floor, as the song began, we just stood there; neither one of us made a move. But I held her hand steadily; I won't make the first move the second time. Holding her hand was a big enough step for me to take I must say.
Hermione
"Granger, are you sure you know how to dance?" he asked in mock concern. He's as arrogant as ever. Why did I forget about that? But at least he didn't use the word 'Mudblood' this time.
"Of course I do!" It was annoying, but then I was more upset with myself for losing my bearings.
"In case you haven't noticed, we're not even in the right dancing position." He said it as though I'm stupid not to notice. I knew we're not in the right dancing position but I couldn't bring myself to be the one to initiate.
I decided I would not put my hands around his neck. I would not let him snake his arms around my waist either. The thought of it irked me.
"If you want to get this over with, we'd better do what we have to do. Shall we?"
He's right. We stood two feet away from each other. His hand in mine was the only thing that connected us. But there's no way I would ever let him hold me in an intimate way.
Draco
Interesting; I wondered what she'll do when I pull her close to me. I suddenly found this situation amusing. Granger tried to feign disgust but she failed. There was only one thing left to do: bridge the gap.
I usually do not give in first but the possible look on her face was worth seeing. I moved to diminish the gap between us: I pulled her closer to me and to my surprise she didn't refuse. She knew that her actions were very much watched and might only attract the attention of the spectators.
I placed her hands around my neck. She went rigid as her body pressed against mine in a very intimate way. I couldn't see her eyes because she preferred to look down.
"Haven't you danced like this before?" I asked in a soothing voice. My snide remarks and sarcasm were nowhere to be found. I had the sudden need to make her feel comfortable with what we're doing.
"I have danced before Malfoy, but it was different. Not like this. I mean with you. If you know what I mean."
Hermione
"You should be thankful to have this opportunity to dance with me," he said; the arrogance that he could only portray all too well reappeared.
"Why's that?" I felt myself relaxing a bit as we sway to the rhythm of the song. I looked at his eyes and saw that he was not being arrogant at all. He only sounded as such but his expression was almost tranquil, almost looking nice if I didn't know him to be an overconfident prat. And for that, I could not decide which was more likable: the soothing voice or the conceited tone.
"Because I'm a pureblood Granger and you're a Mudblood, remember?"
How could he manage to mix arrogance with gentleness?
"I don't care about bloodlines Malfoy. I'm more concerned with what's in a person, of what he is."
I should be satisfied that my honest remark to his unkind explanation shut him up. But I felt guilt overcoming me.
"Let's just stop bickering and dance, shall we?" I said to somehow dissolve the guilt. And then I did something that I never ever thought of doing, especially to him. I inclined my head, my cheeks pressed on his chest. I couldn't control the need to do so. I realized that I could not look him straight in the eyes without being the first to look away. Besides, it looked stupid to be staring straight at each other without even talking. I did what I thought was easiest for us both.
'Talking' would only lead to bickering. I didn't want that, not now when we both have tasks to accomplish. I was aware that our dancing position turned from cold to warm. For some unknown reason, it made me comfortable with him for the first time in years.
Tonight, he was not completely very mean at all. If truth be told, he gave me the best dance I ever had.
Draco
For a moment, I became rigid as she had been a while ago. Seconds later, I find myself relaxing surprisingly. As her head was on my chest, I could smell her hair. It smelled like vanilla; sweet and mild. It was intoxicating, inviting.
I take back what I said earlier regarding Pansy.
Dancing once with Granger was better than seven times with Pansy.
-THE END-
A/N: Thank you for reading. Reviews are greatly appreciated, so what are you waiting for? ^_^
Edited: 07.10.2014