Draco's palms were cold with sweat as he continually twisted them together in his hands. His eyes had remained focus on the floor, as he had planned. Section one was complete: phase two was about to commence. But for the calm exterior he was currently displaying, he was sure that everyone could guess that he was terrified: they could most probably hear his heart beating out of his chest.

He had reached a break-through with occlumency that morning after reading another chapter of the book he had borrowed from the library. However, the pure scale of this problem was drastically larger than he had ever expected and he couldn't help but notice the surge of panic racing through his legs.

Keep calm.

He looked up: it seemed that everyone had positioned themselves with their dance partners. Daphne, who had been stood beside him a moment ago, was now blankly observing him from the other side of the room. He spotted Granger:

-A dark, damp clearing – a blood-drenched body-

He clicked his neck. The image vanished. He allowed a small flicker of hope to rise in him: he had been perfecting the technique all day.

Granger was now making her way over to him and he had to concentrate hard on not picturing her shirt covered in blood, as it had been all those weeks ago. He displayed no emotion, but acknowledged her presence.

The less contact the better. He thought.

He focused on his breathing:

In, out, in, out. Good.

A voice suddenly blocked his thought process:

"First things first: you need to master the waltz holding position. If you all turn this way Laurella and I will demonstrate."

The boy with the blonde hair, whose name Draco had not acknowledged, turned to face the other girl in the room. He tried not to imagine having to do the same with Granger: although he knew it was inevitable.

His eyes focused on the man's hand that was now placed on the girl's waist.

Breathe.

His other hand found hers in the air –

In, out, in, out.

They remained motionless: as if a picture: captured in the moment.

"Notice where our hands are, one of your hands in your partner's and the other on either their waist or shoulder-" the man said.

"So if you all want to attempt the position we will come round and help you all individually."

They broke away: Draco's heart started thumping, louder, louder, harder, harder, it was going to explode –

"Malfoy if we're going to do this we better start."

Her voice. The first time he had spoken to her since the World Cup, that annoying, Mudblood-stained voice-"

Control the situation.

Remarkably, he managed to turn his body towards her, making sure his eyes remained focused on the floor.

"Trust me, I don't want to be here any more than you do." He heard her say, as if she were a thousand miles away.

I doubt that.

She stepped forward. His heart raced.

Get a grip.

"Fine."

He had managed to utter the first word he had spoken to her since he had saved her mangled body. His first big step was done and now it was going to be easier: hope flickered inside him.

They stood awkwardly opposite each other and all-too-quickly it was like it had been that night: just the two of them – the Mudblood and the pureblood – captured in the wrong time and place – alone -

Her hand was stretching out towards him. A second later he felt her hand touch his shoulder.

He lowered his arm towards her waist. He had no choice.

I have no choice. He repeated in his head. He couldn't escape this.

They had come remarkably far in a little space of time.

Their hands were stretching out simultaneously towards each other's -

He felt her cold, Mudblood skin touch his own and he shivered. He had felt it before: his hands had been drenched in her blood –

"Draco, is it?" A voice broke his thought, his nightmare. "You just need to move your hand a little further round her waist and you need to stand closer together."

He felt another strange, unfamiliar hand physically move his own further round Granger's waist. They were forced to step closer. He could feel her breath on his cheeks.

"Perfect." The man said and he walked away: as if it had been the most easiest thing in the world.