Some Things Are Meant To Be
What ever limits us we call fate
There should be two educations.
One to teach us how to make a living,
one to teach us how to live
-John Adams
"T-teach you?" Hermione stuttered. Draco stared for a while before turning and rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. With a flick of his wand the music died down so that it played quietly in the background and he took a deep breath, preparing himself for her intense gaze.
"Yes," he said firmly. "I would like you to teach me how to ballroom dance." He kept his eyes trained on hers and Hermione held his gaze for a while before letting out a nervous laugh.
"You want to learn to ballroom dance?" she asked dubiously. Draco huffed.
"Must I beg Hermione?" he said with a roll of his eyes. Hermione smirked.
"Now that's something I wouldn't mind seeing," she crossed her arms across her chest, fully anticipating him huffing and saying how "A Malfoy would never degrade himself in such a way." However, Draco quickly dropped to his knees, his hands clasped together as though in prayer and he shuffled towards her.
"Please Granger, I want to know how to Ballroom dance," he took her hands in his and stared at her with puppy dog eyes. Hermione thought she would laugh if she ever witnessed such a thing, but, instead she found her self staring speechlessly at his hands which easily covered hers.
Following her gaze, Draco slowly let his hands drop to his sides as he rose from the floor. "Well if you really don't want to…"
"No!" Hermione exclaimed as he headed for his room. "No Draco, I'd love to teach you," she smiled and watched as he mimicked this in his cocky way. She rolled her eyes and stepped forwards so that she was only a few feet in front of him, he closed the rest of the distance so that he could place his hands on her waist and shrugged.
"I always see guys putting their hands here when they dance with a girl," he told her slowly. Hermione blushed slightly and looked at the floor. "Is it not right?"
"Urm," Hermione said quietly. "Not quite. You need to bring your right hand up so that it's on my left shoulder." Draco pursed his mouth for a second before slowly moving his hand and placing it where she instructed. He raised an eyebrow as though to question if he was right. "Right," Hermione breathed. "Now," she held out her right hand and Draco took it, Hermione smiled. "We're going to start with the waltz."
"I've heard of this," Draco told her. "Mother and Father were apparently experts at this; or so everyone would tell me at family get togethers. Big pureblood families are expected to be able to dance; I retaliated and although I've always had an interest in it, refused to learn," he smirked but it dropped instantly. "That never pleased father."
Hermione bit the inside of her cheek and tried to catch Draco's eye for a reassuring smile, but he kept his eyes downcast. "This is the one, two three, one, two three - thing; isn't it?" he stated rather than asked.
"Yes," Hermione nodded. "And I must stress that one is the down beat and is also when we take the biggest step." Draco chuckled.
"Ahh, here's the know-it-all Hermione I know," he rolled his eyes. Hermione smacked his shoulder where her hand was resting and shushed him.
"I think I can do this," Draco muttered as he took a step and indicated for Hermione to make her move too. Hermione's face lit up in surprise. "I've been to too many balls," Draco replied with a shake of his head as he steered Hermione in the other direction and they reversed the steps.
The gap between the two was pretty far; Hermione wasn't used to dancing from this distance but wasn't intending to do it any closer. The beat of the music picked up and Hermione found herself waltzing around the room pretty quickly, Draco steering them in each direction until suddenly she found herself in a heap on the floor.
Draco rapidly blinked his eyes and looked to his side to see a dazzled Hermione. "I steered us into a wall," Draco mumbled as he brushed himself off and pulled Hermione to a stand.
"I gathered," Hermione chuckled. "You were pretty good Malfoy," she said. "I don't think you needed me to teach you anything; except maybe where to put your hands."
"But everyone knows that dance," Draco whinged. "Let's try a different one."
"What did you have in mind?" Hermione laughed at his enthusiasm as he flicked through random ballroom songs. He stopped at one and turned to her.
"What kind of dance would you do to this," he asked curiously. Hermione blushed.
"The Tango," she muttered.
"Where do I put my hands," Draco asked as he stepped closer. Hermione bit down on her tongue; she really didn't fancy doing this dance with him. Oh who was she kidding; whenever she was asked to do this dance in class she would hope for a hot guy to be her partner, but it never happened. And here she was, faced with an opportunity to do this dance with the hottest guy she knew. Wait, since when did he become the hottest guy she knew?
"Well," he urged. Hermione swallowed.
"Put your hands where they were but this time place the hand that was on my shoulder blade here," she took his right hand and placed it on her waist. Draco's eyes narrowed and he smirked; was she blushing?
"Stop smirking," she exclaimed as she took a step back. "Listen Draco, this dance is very, urm, close" she muttered. "And if you're going to be all immature about it then…" she stopped when Draco put a finger to her lips.
"Just teach," he said adding, "Please." Hermione nodded and he removed his hand and placed it back on her waist.
"Right," she was blushing again. "I just, need to, urmm…" Hermione stepped closer again so that there was a very small gap between her and Draco's bodies. Draco almost gasped when the scent from her vanilla shampoo floated through his senses. He closed his eyes only to find her chocolate brown orbs staring at him when he opened them. Smirking, he tightened his grip on her waist closing whatever gap there was between them. Hermione tensed a little. "Yes, urm…" she stuttered, shaking her head before she continued.
"This is pretty easy. Basically, you step forward, starting on your right foot, for three counts and I mimic it in the opposite direction. Ready?" she asked and Draco nodded. Counting one, two, three the couple moved slowly. "And now on four we take two steps to your right turning to face our extended arms, and then repeat it." Draco stuck out his tongue in concentration as he followed the steps.
"Well done Draco, that was really good," Hermione congratulated as Draco began leading and picking up the pace. He slid his arm right along her waist and held her closely to her whispering in her ear.
"I really am good at everything," Hermione' head shot up and in result it collided with Draco's chin. Draco flew backwards, gripping his throbbing jaw with wide eyes.
"I'm sorry," Hermione squeaked as she rushed to him. "I didn't realise you were so…close" she finished quietly. Draco shook his head of the pain and walked forwards again.
"I've always said you were hard headed Granger," he said cracking his jaw. Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head. The music had change to a slow song, but not one for ballroom dancing. Its soft beat drifted around the room and had an odd calming effect on both the heads.
Draco suddenly took Hermione's hands and pulled her too him. "Malfoy what are you doing?" she asked as she leant away from his muscular chest.
"Dancing with you," he said simply. He lifted her hands up so that they draped around his neck and placed his lightly around her tiny waist. She smiled briefly and they both began swaying to the music. Draco lowered his head so that she would hear him over the music. "It's not your fancy stuff; but it'll prevent you from trying to knock me out again."
Hermione looked up and smirked before resting her head on his chest. She found her eyes closing and her lips smiling as she breathed in his scent; he smelt as though he'd just stepped out of the shower.
They danced in silence for a while before Hermione broke it. "You know, you really have changed; despite what other people say." She wasn't sure whether it was the right thing to say. She wanted him to know that she didn't plan on judging him on his past mistakes but it could be a soft topic for him. Draco didn't answer for a while and Hermione was about to apologise for ever brining it up before she heard him sigh.
"I wish everyone else would realise," he said slowly. Hermione pulled back so that she could look at him.
"Don't try and get everyone on your side Draco; you know you're good and that's all that matters," she smiled reassuringly.
"I know," Draco breathed in reply. "I've never been one to rely on other people's help."
"But?" Hermione questioned, sensing there was a 'but'. Draco sighed.
"But I'm fed up of being alone," he said. "I'm fed up of having to sort out my problems on my own. I've always said the only person you can count on is yourself and that you don't need anyone else. But I'd do anything to have someone on my side at the moment."
Hermione felt her eyes well up and ran her tongue over her teeth to stop tears from falling. When did he become so broken and vulnerable? Was it from all those times she'd said he was like his father, all the times she called him a death eater, all the times she, and everyone else, had laughed in his face when he'd told them he'd changed?
"I'm sorry," Hermione said.
"For what?" Draco whispered and she could feel his breath across her face.
"For breaking you down," she replied.
"What makes you think you broke me down?" Draco asked, again in a whisper which spread goose bumps over Hermione's skin.
"Did I not?" Hermione questioned as she tilted her head. Draco gave a small sad smile.
"You showed me reality Hermione," Hermione narrowed her eyes in confusion. "You showed me that I was acting like my father, I was acting like a death eater, and every time I called you the things I did, I was acting as though I hadn't changed."
"But I was wrong," Hermione breathed after a pause.
"I'm glad you think so," Draco replied quietly and smiled.
"You should smile like that more often," Hermione said.
"Don't get used to it," Draco replied. "It's a rare sight and you should feel privileged to witness it." Hermione laughed before stopping abruptly at noticing the small distance between them.
They had been so close for so long that Hermione's face had started blurring and Draco was sure he could count every freckled dancing across her nose. He did, however, notice when her eyes flickered shut and his blurry vision was gone when he too closed his eyes; leaning closer to shut the final gap between them.
"Hermione?" a voice screeched from the portrait hole.
