Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.
"Um ok wow, you really want me to come to your party? Im not sure Blaise I won't really know anybody there." Hermione said a bit confused her cheeks staining red.
'Get a grip Hermione' she thought
"Oh nonsense Hermione you will know me and Draco and if you know me and Draco you will know everyone." He said opening his arms out wide embracing the whole room.
"Blaise enough! She can't come and that is that. She doesn't know any of the dances." Draco was checking the list off with outstretched fingers.
"She probably doesn't even know HOW to dance, she will look stupid as my ugh assigned partner-"
"Date" Blaise cut in
"Assigned partner" Draco was gritting his teeth
"Date" Blaise was now leaning over the table
"I did not pick her to accompany me to your stupid ball you did so therefore she is my assigned partner." Draco's face was inches away from Blaise's in the middle of the table. They were both seething.
Hermione had never seen something so funny in her life. They were like two little girls fighting over a dolly.
"Alright alright you two there is no need for another tantrum." She pushed them apart and turned to Blaise "I will be honored to come to your birthday ball-" She turned to Draco "as Draco's assigned partner, I don't really enjoy the idea of being Draco's date any longer than I have to."
Draco rolled his eyes
"Fantastic I am so glad to hear that." Blaise looked ecstatic and turned to Draco "Well you two better get started on learning the dances as for me I have a meeting to attend to." He threw a silver credit card on the table "Lunch is on me."
"Ah no I think lunch will be on me this time Zabini." Draco threw a gold credit card on the table.
Blaise's smile almost faltered for a second and Draco knew it was because he had the most recent credit card only offered to the most prestige members of society. Draco knew it bugged the hell out of Zabini when he didn't have the best of the best. He had to put Zabini in his place after this afternoon's display of rivalry. Zabini always had to be reminded who was the underdog when it came to Malfoy.
"Fine ill see you later." He said tight lipped in Draco's direction "Always a pleasure miss Granger and I look forward to seeing you at my birthday ball." He said with a smile.
Then he was gone
Hermione sighed why couldn't all men be like Zabini?
"Do you know what you have done now?" Malfoy looked mad
"It's just a party Malfoy how bad could it be?"
"How- How bad could it be? Is that what you just said?" His face was red and his neck was strained in Hermione's direction. She thought he rather looked like a Giraffe "It's plainly obvious that you have never been to a pure blood ball before." He sank back into his chair and sighed.
"There are four main dances that ever couple must know that will be performed during the night they are the waltz, Tango, Cha- cha and the foxtrot."
"Oh now I know what you mean by 'she doesn't know the dances'" Hermione was feeling foolish
"Do you mind I wasn't finished?" Draco snapped. "Now because of you idiotic decisions to say yes I now have the burden of teaching you those dances. Do you know how hard it is going to be in a week?" He paused
She was looking down and fumbling with her fingers
"Come on Granger lets go I suppose I should start teaching you now" he got up out of his seat.
………
They were standing in his ballroom at the Malfoy Manor. The sheer size of it nearly made her dizzy and she wondered about all of the previous parties that had been held in this remarkable place.
"Alright now pay attention and listen carefully to everything I say I don't want to have to repeat myself." He snapped
She was standing in the middle of the ballroom with her feet together and her hand positioned on Draco's shoulder and her other hand in his. She felt really weird being this close to any other man other than Harry and Ron, oh and if you count Viktor of course. Draco had his white shirt rolled up at the sleeves and a few buttons were undone at the collar, his hair was falling over his eyes and he looked quite striking and then he opened his mouth.
"I'm gonna teach you the steps first and then we will go over the minor details later." He sighed
'This is going to take ages'
…..
The sun had set before they took their first break. Hermione had taken off all of her clothes except her white under singlet and her black pants which she had rolled up to just under her knees. Her skin was shinning with perspiration and her hair was wild. She had already memorized the waltz and they were about to start the Tango.
"Here" Draco handed her some water
"Thanks" she said softly. They sat in silence for a while
"Come on I have to at least get two dances taught by the end of the night." He stood up and motioned her to take her place.
"Now push your right foot back, NO Granger with more hip." He barked at her he wouldn't have a less than perfect partner
She tried again
"More"
She tried again
"More"
"I CANT give any more" She basically screamed and looked away.
He stared at her intently "Granger most of these dances are not just about the steps it's about feelings and incorporating those feelings into movement. I need you to feel the passion and sensuality and remember how you felt when you received your first kiss or the last guy you had sex with whatever." He threw his hands in the air.
"Well I can't do that Malfoy because my first kiss was disgusting it felt like a slug was trying to worm its way into my mouth and I um ive never." She faltered "Ive never done the other thing before." Her face reddened dramatically
She had just told Draco Malfoy one of her most personal questions in her life.
'Oh well it is true why should I lie about it?
'Because you will never hear the end of it now' The little voices in her head raged on and she didn't notice Draco Malfoy slipping his tie over her eyes as a blind fold until it was too late.
Darkness
The record player had skipped onto the next song and salsa music started playing
"Malfoy what are you doing?" Her hand moved to lower the blindfold but his hand caught hers and lowered it back to her side. She felt his hot breath on her left ear and noticed her other senses had increased in intensity. She could smell his spicy scent that she had never noticed before it was quite intoxicating.
"Shhhhh, im showing you." His breath tickled her ear
"Showing me what?" She stammered meekly
"Granger you ask too many questions" She could hear the amusement in his voice
"Now just Shhhhh." His fingers stroked down the side of her face. She felt him move behind her, his rough fingertips traced her shoulders and he found his way down to her stomach he wrapped one arm around her and pulled her roughly into him
She let out a little squeak
He used his other arm to grip her hip "Right leg back" He moved her hip with his hand. "Whatever you are feeling right now in this moment Granger…" His hand glided down her leg then back to her hip "…USE IT." He moved his hand from her stomach and rested both hands on her hips as she moved them she was still pressed so tight into him as they moved as one.
Before she knew what was happening he had spun her around and dipped her down and pulled her back up she felt his breath on her lips as they stopped movement for a spilt second.
Hermione had never felt this way before she was shivering but sweating at the same time. She almost leaned in to touch his lips on hers but forced herself back.
Draco was watching her indecisiveness very curiously. He stroked his fingers down her face and his thumb stopped at her lips. Draco brushed over them lightly as he untied the blindfold and let it fall to the ground. Hermione's eyes fluttered open and met his silver/ grey ones it was then that she noticed how close he was holding her. She opened her mouth and her voice came out as a choked whisper
"What did you put in my water Malfoy?"
"Nothing I-I just wanted to show you how you should feel like when you are dancing." He let her go abruptly
"Ha as if I would want to seduce you? I just felt sorry for you." He sneered and turned away from her
Hermione felt so stupid she felt her eyes water but was determined not to cry. She had been humiliated in the harshest way by the one person she hated most in the world. She tried to make her voice calm she tried to make her voice sound like his words didn't affect her.
"Whatever Malfoy just don't ever touch me again. Ill dance how I want to dance not how you tell me to and if you don't like it you know what you can do with these dance lessons." She gathered up her things and left the ballroom.
"Five pm tomorrow practice again." She heard him shout after her. She replied by slamming the front door.
Draco picked up the glasses that the elves had given him and Hermione that were full of water earlier in the night and threw them as hard as he could across the room.
'Get a grip'
"What the hell is wrong with me, I never get upset over girls." He growled to himself
He knew that Granger wasn't a girl anymore not by the way she moved tonight no, she was a woman.
"A woman, a woman? Since when did Granger become something other than an unattractive bookworm?" He said under his breath
"Something must be in the water!"
……………
A/N: Well another chapter finished. This one was a bugger to write because it was sort of half transition half eventful chapter. Plus it was the first real step towards HG/DM lovin. Anyway reward me for my efforts please and review.