Tags: Ballet!AU, Drama, Romance

Today was the day.

It was the day where she would be meeting her partner for the big introduction dance for the performance of McGonagall's company. The very idea, at first, seemed odd, but soon brought the idea of two rivalry companies performing together to be rather fun and civil. Of course Grindelwald's company was a fine place to be in, but Hermione was proud of where she was, the people she danced with, and how far she had come under McGonagall's wing as the star pupil of the company.

Dressed in red leg warmers, her new ballet shoes she had recently began breaking into, and her rose pink leotard, she stood looking comfortable and yet beautiful. Her frizzy, curly brown hair was pulled up into a neat, tight, high bun and she wore little makeup.

"Hermione Granger," came McGonagall's voice from out in the seating of the theater.

The girls around her smiled, touching her shoulder and voicing positive, encouraging words.

"Good luck. I hope he's perfect for your act," came Ginny beside her, Hermione's one true friend at the company.

With her heart racing in her ears, she walked out onto the stage where a light shined bright on her, nearly blinding her. She squinted her eyes as she walked until her eyes adjusted.

"Meet Tom Riddle, your new partner. Remember the dance?" asked McGonagall from the seating. It was so bright that Hermione couldn't visualize her instructor.

A man in black and green leotards stood center stage, watching Hermione with a face she couldn't read.

She had watched the girl who had gone before her completely freeze in the arms of her new partner, forgetting her dance altogether. Hermione wouldn't be that way.

Hermione nodded her head. "Yes," she said softly, but loud enough for McGonagall to hear her as her voice softly echoed through the large, quiet theater. She turned to Tom Riddle, looking up at him.

Tom Riddle was highly handsome. He was tall and lithe with wavy dark hair parted at the side to bring out the paleness of his skin and the lightness in his green eyes. The air the man held as he stood there, staring down at her without emotion, told her part of his story; Tom was the best at his company. He was very popular, and well-liked more for his charming good looks and gifts than his personality. If the way she read him, as if he were an open book, were to be wrong—she'd be damned.

Tom held out his hand to her and the melody of their song they were to dance to came on the theater's speakers. Of course opening night would have a live orchestra, but for now it was strictly stereo.

Hermione counted in her head before she reached out a delicate hand and let it flutter down into his like she were to be moving through water. His palm was warm as he wrapped his slender, long fingers around her hand and pulled her towards him as she grounded her feet to where she tilted onto her pointe and craned her slender neck, tilting her head back in a fluid-like motion.

At the right moment, Tom came at her, wrapping his free arm around her as she kicked a leg straight into the air and his other hand twirled her into him. She placed her hand flatly upon his chest when he had twirled her exactly two times. She raised her leg again, but this time curled behind her as she arched her back and slightly craned her neck as their eyes met and Tom tilted his head down towards her until there was scarce distance between their faces, his one hand gently brushing her cheek as was rehearsed.

Then, on time, the music began to pick up and Tom twirled Hermione outward, their hands leaving as Hermione picked up in speed and spun away from him once, raising her hands into the air as she fluently moved in a tiny circle on pointe. She slowly lowered her hands down against her one cheek and neck in a sleep-like motion, her eyes falling shut as Tom jumped over to her and circled her in a manly, but graceful and artistic way. A hand reached out to brush her shoulder as soft as a feather and Hermione tried to ignore the unusual shiver the act gave her as she raised her hands into the air and Tom picked her up by the waist, her legs splitting into a spread-eagle as he soon sat her down on one pointe and she kept her other leg in the air. He slid his hands up her torso, the seductive tease as part of the performance, and wrapped around her hands to spread them out to the air on either side. Her face moved to the side and he turned his face to look down at her. As practiced, he leaned in to kiss her and on perfect timing, Hermione turned her face into the opposite direction and pulled her hands away so that she could curl them against her chest and danced away from him.

Behind her, Tom breathed visibly and the two began dancing in unison, making movements that suggested how dramatic and achingly, frustratingly romantic the dance was about two close friends who are scared to become lovers.

The two ended up in each others arms to where he picked her up by the waist again and she curled a leg around his. Tom tilted her down until Hermione's face was inches from the wood of the stage. Having this much trust in a stranger, to not drop her, was a big thing for Hermione.

Memories of first learning the dance and having her practice partner drop her numerous times onto not only her face but her bum flashed in her mind, but soon faded as she loosened her leg just as Tom twirled her around towards him and held her shoulder in the crook of his arm.

A few quicker movements and a slow, seductive finish left Hermione on one pointe with her other leg raised and curled up against Tom's hips as he had his face turned from her. The music had ended and all that could be heard was the excited cheers from Hermione and Tom's friends.

In the seating of the auditorium, Hermione could finally see McGonagall. The aged woman looked at Hermione over her spectacles before she turned her head and murmured something at Grindelwald. He nodded to whatever she had said as she leaned into the small microphone the two shared.

"Thank you, Tom and Hermione. We hope opening night will be as good as that had been."

Hermione moved from Tom and let out a relieved sigh. Tom turned his head and watched Hermione smile brightly with sweat glistening on her skin like little stars in the brightness of the spotlight they shared.

Hermione swallowed her coffee before she sat her cup down on the table of the nearby 24-hour diner known for their cheap star-quality coffee. It was a little past 1AM in London and Hermione's tired eyes fell onto Tom across the way in the booth that they sat at.

"I'm surprised is all," he said after a while of a comfortable silence.

After the practice (or as Hermione liked to think of it, audition), Tom had asked Hermione out for a casual midnight coffee date to discuss their dance. One hour, two refills, and a conversation about past dancers and their dance later, Hermione was fighting back a smirk towards the strange man.

"How so?" She asked softly. Her voice cracked from the extended use of it earlier when laughing and sharing her excitement rather loudly with her friends Ginny and Luna.

Tom leaned forward. "I had four practice partners before you. All were awful."

Hermione cringed. "I only got one. And he dropped me a lot."

Tom shook his head. "I even had 'the best' in my company dancing with me. They couldn't portray the sexual, raw, romantic nature of the performance quite right." He sat back in his seat and gave her an odd, calm look. "But you, Miss Granger," he said slowly, "were something quite different."

Hermione held up a hand and chuckled softly. "Please. Just Hermione."

"Hermione," Tom tested, shaking his head as he leaned back. "We'll be the talk of the entire ballet world come opening night."

Hermione raised her shoulders until they reached her ears, her arms straight down as her palms sat between her knees. "You think so?"

Tom shook his head once and drank his coffee. "I know so."