This little two shot (wanted to be one, but I was in a hurry to copy it down by hand) was written for Saphirus from . You can see the picture and her profile with the links on my profile here since I couldn't get the links to work here with in the story. Hope you enjoy the picture as much as I did. I wrote a fan fiction on it I liked it so much! Hehe enjoy! Following and final chapter should be here by tomorrow, if at all possible. Oh and I was given permission by the artist to write a story about it ).
It Takes Two to Tango
Chapter 1
"Why do we even have to take this class?" Ron whined for the thousandth time as he walked next to Harry and Hermione with his hands firmly in his pockets. It was a warm evening in late April and Ron couldn't help but look outside, thinking of other things that he could be doing.
"Because, Ron, Professor McGonagall thinks that a Social Interactions class will help our generation to be better rounded adults when we leave here now that the threat of danger is gone. She believes that since we had been living in fear for so long, most of the students have forgotten how to be proper ladies and gentlemen. How many times do I have to remind you of this? We have been going to this same class in the same classroom twice a week after dinner since we came back from Christmas break!" Hermione said, finally becoming thoroughly annoyed with Ron's constant and persistent whining.
Ron burped loudly, pausing to listen as it echoed off the walls of the corridor, smiling with pride before turning to Hermione. "But Hermione, I am perfectly well civilized and sociable."
"I would definitely agree with that statement, if you belonged to a herd of baboons! You may as well shave your arse and join them. You look enough like them as it is, you may even get a nice, warm welcome." Draco Malfoy jeered as he passed the Golden Trio with Grabbe and Goyle following him closely, guffawing stupidly. Pansy brought up the rear, her puppy-dog eyes pointed straight at Draco as if he were the North Star in the sky. As the four of them passed, Hermione could have sworn that she saw drool trailing from the mouth of the other girl, dribbling off her chin.
"Shove off, Malfoy." Harry said as Draco smirked, continuing on his way.
"Why couldn't you have been chosen as Head Boy, Harry? You would have been a much better choice than that arse." Ron said grumpily as they reached the door to the classroom where they could hear students on the other side chatting animatedly.
"Because I was never a prefect, remember? Why didn't you get Head Boy?" Harry asked.
"Bad grades, I'm sure."
"Well, if you had studied more, like I have suggested for the past seven years, I'm sure you would have had more of a chance." Hermione sighed, sounding more like a mother than ever before.
"Yeah, well, not everyone can be like you, Hermione. Everyone in our year knew you would be Head Girl since first year. We would have been surprised if you hadn't."
"No need to sound nasty, Ron. It's time for class, shall we go in?" Hermione said, trying to calm her temper toward Ron's attitude. After hearing the same thing for several years, her nerves were wearing thin.
Walking into the classroom, they noticed that they were clearly the last to arrive. Professor McGonagall was standing at the head of the classroom, staring at the door, waiting on them patiently.
"Now that both of our Head students have arrived, let us get started. Hermione, Mr. Malfoy, please join me up here? I will need your assistance with this minor demonstration for tonight's lesson." Looking at their Headmistress questioningly, Hermione handed her school bag to harry and, along with Draco, walked up to Professor McGonagall. Turning back to the class, she continued.
"Today marks the first day in the course that I will be teaching you how to perform different dancing styles. And to add a visual, our Head Boy and Head Girl will be posing as our examples." When she had finished, Hermione and Draco both turned to their Professor, mouths agape.
"You can't be serious! Professor! Aren't there any other choices? I'm sure that Pansy would be more than willing to dance with this rude, inconsid… I-I mean, with the Head Boy." Hermione said quickly, begging the professor to see reason.
"No, I'm sorry Miss, Granger. You two are the Head students. It's your duty to set a good example for all the students assembled here tonight and all the other students around the school." Professor McGonagall said in an undertone. Raising her voice slightly, she added, "Now if you two would, please, go to the center of the classroom, we shall get started.
"The first dance that I shall be teaching you during this part of the course is called the Tango. The dance it self is very simple once you get the hang of it. The first thing you do is…"
"I hope you know how to tango, Granger." Draco whispered in Hermione's ear as they were guided into the beginning position by their professor who was talking to the rest of the class.
"It's been a while, Malfoy, but I think I can keep up with you of all people. After all, I've been able to meet you word for word since the beginning of first year. How should dancing be any different?"
After ten minutes of explanation of techniques, positions and a brief history of the dance, McGonagall told Draco and Hermione that they may begin as she turned to the phonograph and placed the needle on the record.
As the music started, Draco and Hermione suddenly found themselves in a trance-like state, beginning to dance feverishly to the music as if they had been dancing together for many years and it came to them as naturally as breathing.
"Hey Ron," Harry nudged Ron whom had began snoozing next to him.
"Huh? What?"
"Look at Hermione and Malfoy." Harry pointed to the pair with his head. "Have you got the feeling that they've done this before? I know I sure do." Ron watched intently. He really wanted to disagree with Harry, but the truth was that Harry was right. The dancing pair moved with more grace and fervor than most couples who were new to the dance should.
"So why were you staring at me, looking so upset, during lunch today, Draco?" Hermione whispered in Draco's ear as he dipped her back, pulling her right knee to his waist. Arching her back, he slowly pulled her up, tracing a path from her mid sternum, up between her breasts and up to her neck before snapping her up into a standing position close enough to feel each other's heavy breathing on the other's lips, before continuing with the heated dance.
"You haven't talked to me in weeks, why wouldn't I be a little upset?" Draco whispered back as they stood straight up and twirled before moving towards the other end of the room.
"Don't you remember why we haven't talked in so long?"
--FLASHBACK—
"What was that about?!" Hermione said in a high-pitched tone one afternoon in the head dorms. Draco was leaning against the door frame to the stairs that lead to his bedroom on the opposite side of the common room.
"I have no idea what you mean." Draco said innocently, crossing his arms casually.
"Oh, please! Don't give me that bullshit, Draco. I saw the way you look at other girls. You always look at other girls. I'm supposed to be your girlfriend!" Hermione's voice was rising in volume, her hands gesticulating wildly.
"What do you expect?! We aren't telling anyone, due to your wishes. Aren't I supposed to be available? Or at least pretend to be?" Draco asked, shrugging as he caught her eyes with his.
"That doesn't mean you can't show some kind of restraint!"
"I can't help it; it's a habit that I was born with. It's not that easy to get rid of, I can assure you."
Hermione looked at Draco for a moment, then sighed and shook her head. "I can't do this any more, Draco. I'm tired of thinking that you only have eyes for other girls that aren't me. I know I shouldn't be jealous, but it's something that I can't seem to stop either."
"Well, what do you suggest I do about it?"
"I don't care. I think we both need a break. We obviously have some things to think about."
Draco paused, looking at Hermione as if he hadn't heard her right. "Wait, what?"
"I think we need a break…from each other. Seeing you eyeing all those other girls like eye candy, it's making my grades suffer. I'm so scared of losing you to other girls that I can't concentrate and it's driving me crazy! We have been dating for two years now, and I've treasured every moment that we have spent together, especially when you taught me to dance last summer. I had wanted to learn for the longest time, and you made that dream come true." Hermione paused to smile sadly at the memories before she finished. "However, I think that it's time for us to take a break from each other so that we can spend time figuring out what we both want."
"But…Hermione!" Draco said, looking at her with wild eyes. Hermione almost had second thoughts when she saw the scared, tearful look on his face. She had to take a moment to shake herself.
"I'm sorry, Draco." Was all she said as she cast her eyes down and turned to go up the stone steps to her dorm, unshed tears in her eyes.
--END FLASHBACK—
Seeing the understanding dawning in his silvery eyes and knowing that he remembered, Hermione looked down. "So you do remember? I couldn't speak to you because I was unsure how I felt about you being surrounded by other girls because I couldn't even see you through all the shit that were fawning over you and through the clouds of perfume. Always being touched or groped by them, watching them try to seduce you…"Hermione whispered sadly as she and Draco danced from one side of the classroom to another.
Draco huffed. "Here you are, getting upset at me for a few little things that meant nothing to me! What about you? You were always letting Weasley flirt shamelessly with you. It's the same thing every day, two months ago and still today. How do you think I felt when I had to watch that?" Draco whispered back fiercely.
"You can't be serious! I just do that to keep you safe! It's not like I enjoy any of it!"
"Keep me safe? I hardly see how you flirting with another guy would keep me safe. Especially with that filth of a human; and you call him your best friend." Draco scoffed under his breath and frowning at his dance partner.
"Don't you understand or remember anything that I've told you about my friends in the past two years that we have been dating? I told you I didn't want to tell my friends about us because I didn't think it was a good idea just yet. The real reason I didn't want to tell them just yet is because if Ron found out, he has the type of temper that would lead him to hurting or even killing you!"
"I can hold him off. We both know I'm smarter than that sack of rocks for brains and have twice the strength." Draco spat.
"I won't deny any of that," Hermione added, tears forming in her eyes at the tone in Draco's voice. "But I don't want to risk your safety!"
"Why?"
"Because"
"Because, why?"
"Because… Because I love you, that's why!"