Chapter 37- Confrontation

"Get your hands off my girlfriend Malfoy," Ron snarled as he barreled across the dance floor towards the pair. Draco dropped his hand from her waist but didn't step away. Ignoring Ron he turned his attention to Hermione.

"Thank you for the honour of dancing with me Miss Granger." He bowed, the perfect gentleman and pressed his lips to the hand he still held.

"My pleasure Mr. Malfoy," she responded like a pureblood debutante. Hermione couldn't help the smile that broke out across her face. Unbelievably Draco smiled back. It was a smile that would have melted the ice caps. Hermione thought he knees might buckle. Ron was her boyfriend she should have been reminding herself, but he was completely and utterly forgotten. That was until he violently intruded into her nirvana.

"Get away from her Malfoy," Ron forcibly inserted himself between the pair.

"Ron," Hermione cautioned as heads began to turn, "it was only a dance." Ron did not appear to hear her.

"What do you think you are doing embarrassing me by dancing with him like that?" Ron rounded on her.

Hermione looked at Ron shell shocked, no matter where her thoughts might have been there had been nothing improper in the way that she and Draco had behaved. How could Ron say that? She considered, her ire rising.

Harry knew Ron had just set fire to tinder and he held his breath as he waited for the petite brunette to explode. Hermione went deadly still. Her eyes narrowed at Ron.

"Shite," Harry cursed, more audibly than he ought, as he fought his way across the now preternaturally quiet dance floor in a vain effort to save Ron from himself. The other dancers had stopped: all eyes focused on Ron and the dance partners he had accosted. The couples on the dance floor became an audience waiting for the cabaret to begin, Hermione did not disappoint them.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do Ronald Weasley," she began in a low breathless hiss that belied her inner rage.

Ron foolishly ignored the powerful witch, focusing his attention on the sneering blond still at Hermione's side.

"You don't touch her you foul low life." Ron raged pushing Draco firmly in the chest. To his credit Draco stood his ground but otherwise didn't react.

Draco knew he had to prove himself here. Not by being the bigger bully but by being the better man. He had to show Weasley up, show he was a pure blood gentleman. Draco knew he could take Weasley in a duel but that would make it too easy for his enemies to send him back to Azkaban.

There was a collective intake of breath as Weasley drew his wand and pushed it into Draco's chest. Draco prayed to any deity that would listen that the hot headed fool would not do anything that would permanently damage him.

"Ron," Potter's voice called urgently.

Draco didn't think he had ever been so pleased to see Potter; the dark haired wizard forced his friend's wand arm down. Draco thanked whatever deity had sent Potter. Draco was not brave, he had no misconceptions about that, but he had just done perhaps the bravest, or most fool hardy, thing of his life- he had stood up to another wizard unarmed.

With his wand lowered and Draco in no immediate danger Hermione turned on Ron.

"How could you Ron?" Hermione admonished, "He was unarmed,"

"Don't talk to me, Slytherin's whore," Ronald spat.

Hermione looked like she had been petrified, Malfoy looked murderous and Harry was monetarily dumbstruck.

"Ron?" Harry said, unable to countenance his friend's behavior towards the girl who was as good as his sister.

"What did you just call her?" Malfoy spoke up his voice dripping with venom.

"You heard me," Ron snarled back.

"Draco don't," Hermione pleaded, regathering her wits but Draco had had enough he rounded on the ginger wizard his words ready to eviscerate.

"You don't deserve her. You never wanted her for who she is, it was always what she represents. The Golden Girl, the brightest witch of her age. Does it stroke your ego to have this brilliant witch at your beck and call? "

"Back off Malfoy you don't know what you are talking about." Ron said dismissively.

"Don't I? You should have loved her better. You've taken her for granted; for years I've watch you exploit her. All take and no give."

"What the fuck would you know Malfoy? She's my girlfriend, my friend since age 11."

"And yet here we are and I, her erstwhile rival, am the only one who actually appreciates her."

"I appreciate her, I love her!" Ron yelled.

"This is how you show you love her?" Draco scoffed, "you called her a whore!"

"What would you know about loving anyone but yourself? Ron countered.

"You would be surprised!" Draco ground out through tight lips, struggling to rein in his temper.

Harry watched the exchange closely, grudgingly he knew that Malfoy had shown himself the nobler man and had he been able to forgive the blond's past he would have acknowledge him a more suitable match for his sister in all but name. Harry knew Draco Malfoy was a brilliant wizard. Knew he was cultured and nearer to being Hermione's intellectual equal than anyone of their age and yet, he could never trust him even though Malfoy had repeatedly proven him wrong. Harry had assumed that when the war was over Malfoy would have lost interest in Hermione married some pureblood witch of his parents' choosing and Hermione would never have been any the wiser. How wrong he was and what made it worse was the way Hermione looked torn between her loyalty to Ron for all they had been through together and whatever it was that drew her to the Malfoy heir.

It may have surprised many but it was the blond who turned and walked away extricating himself from the situation. Ron continued to bluster like a petulant child.

Hermione had remained incredible still through the exchange between Ron and Malfoy. Her hands coming to rest on the dragon's egg pendant as was her habit when anxious. Suddenly she set off to follow Malfoy.

"Hermione where are you going?" Ron demanded, she didn't respond.

"Hermione!" Ron yelled, becoming more insistent as he belatedly realised that what he had said and done may be unforgiveable. Ron chased after the brunette catching her shoulders and spinning her around. There was an audible gasp of disapproval as some of those present expressed their shock at the way Ron was manhandling the petite witch.

"You are not going after him," Ron insisted.

Hermione snapped. She rounded on her red-haired, soon to be ex-boyfriend and quickly held her wand to his throat.

"I am done with you Ronald Weasley, now let me go!"

Author's note

Please review

What will happen when Hermione catches up with Draco? Will she ever forgive Ron?