Author's Note: It's about 3AM and the song "Sexy Back" (eeeeew, Justin) came on TV and this idea just popped in my head and wouldn't leave me alone.


Disclaimer: I own naught but the plot.


Never Missing a Beat
By Azareth Sakura

How could she just stand there, doing that in front of him. Okay, so maybe "stand there" was inappropriate of him to use to describe that, since the both of them were currently located in a newly opened witches and wizard's nightclub. She was there, in the center, dancing (if you could call those moves dancing) unaware of the attention she was getting. Honestly. Didn't she know what she was doing to him? How she looked to him? She hadn't even looked his way once all night. In fact, she probably didn't even know he was there.

That is all going to change.

Draco Malfoy slammed the empty glass back down on the table. "Another." He demanded rudely from the bartender. His rudeness, was completely warranted though (in his opinion) as he watched her hips sway in time to the music with a swarm of men around her. Men. But not this one. The only one. The only one she should be dancing with. The only one worthy of dancing with her. These thoughts were pushed from his mind as the bartender set down his drink.

"Here you go, mate." He said, before he turned to another customer.

"Thanks." Draco muttered sourly.

Idly he wondered where her two protectors were. After all, back when they were all back in school, there was rarely a moment where she was without one or both of her self proclaimed protectors. The Golden Trio. He snorted, secretly glad Potter and Weasely weren't around. Otherwise, there would have been no way he would have been allowed near her. Not that he was near her now…

Out of nowhere, Draco noticed a hand on her stomach. There was some perverted man's ugly claw on her bare, exposed, flesh. He glowered at the man, and downed his drink before slamming it down on the bar (once again). It didn't matter to him that she might hate him (still) and not appreciate his coming to save the day. All that mattered was that Mr. Friendly-Fingers step away from his girl before he got what he had coming to him.

He slowly made his way to her, pushing through throngs of scantily clad women dancing around him, dancing up to him, giggling as he walked past them, grabbing at his arms, trying to get the good looking man to dance with them. He only had eyes for her.

The song ended, and a new one was mixing in when he finally reached her, in the center of the dance floor. Draco paused for a moment, staring at her. Feeling his gaze, she looked up, and her chocolate colored eyes widened. "Malfoy?" She asked, the disbelief evident in her tone.

Draco said nothing, but removed the other man's hand from Hermione. "This is my girl." He said to him, before placing one of his own arms around her waist. Not wanting to look like an idiot standing around the dancing witch, he began to move with her, matching his movements with hers.

"What are you doing here? What are you doing here dancing with me?" She asked, the curiosity evident in her tone.

"I wanted to dance with you." He said simply. "And I didn't like the way that git was looking at you." He growled in her ear. The arm around her waist tightened slightly. "I've wanted you since you slapped me that one time in third year." He told her. "And now that I've got you, I don't plan on letting you go."

"I should hope not," she replied, "who would I dance with then?" They shared a laugh, and continued to move along with the song.

Never missing a beat.