Hey everyone, sorry it's been a while... i've been caught up in another fic. So here it is.
Chapter Twelve
To say Hermione was confused was an understatement. Well, just the understatement of the century. She sat on the floor, huffing. "I can't dance." She told them all; Blaise, Mrs. Zabini and Draco. "I'm a hopeless cause. Haven't you realised it yet?" She asked exasperatedly. It had been a week since the flying accident, and things had become more relaxed around Zabini Manor.
Maria frowned. "Stand up, dear. We'll fix this. I can make anyone dance." She said, as Hermione stood up. She beckoned Blaise over and made them stand beside each other. She frowned again. "That's our problem." She said quietly. "You're dancing with the wrong person. You're going to dance with Draco now."
Hermione and Draco both sighed as Mrs. Zabini smiled happily, telling them to get into place and turning on the music once more.
Hermione blushed as the blonde took her waist and hand. He fixed her posture with little effort and began leading her around the floor when the music began. Draco seemed to dance with no effort at all, while Hermione concentrated on her steps.
She counted in her head; one, two, three. One, two, three, and so forth. She smiled as they glided gracefully around the floor, only occasionally stumbling, and nearly squealed in happiness. She was dancing.
She looked up to find Draco smirking at her. "What are you smirking at, Malfoy?" She asked testily. He chuckled lowly and her face went pink.
"Nothing, Granger." He said, simply. "You're doing a lot better though." He remarked coolly. She beamed at him. "Of course, you know, that's because you're dancing with me." He said cockily and she snorted.
Blaise had heard it and as he waltzed around with his mother, he laughed. "Just because you're a poof." He jested.
Hermione laughed and Draco smirked more. He liked her laugh. "No, it's because I know how to dance." Maria let out a laugh and fondly rolled her eyes.
There was a knock on the open door and Pansy stepped in, smiling. "Hey Hermione! You're dancing!" She exclaimed happily.
"I know! It's amazing." Hermione said, just as she stumbled slightly on her footing. "But I'm not quite that good yet." She said blushing. Pansy beamed.
Maria stopped dancing with Blaise and hugged Pansy. "You know how to dance, yes?" She asked the younger woman. Pansy nodded, smiling. "Good, you can dance with Blaise." She said, taking Pansy by the hand and practically throwing her at Blaise.
"Hi Blaise." Pansy said slightly shy as Blaise took her waist with a smirk.
"Pansy." He greeted. Draco and Hermione watched as they smiled at one another. It was as if a light bulb went off in both their heads.
"Malfoy, have you ever thought of Pansy and Blaise together?" Hermione asked quietly. He looked at her and smirked, nodding his head slightly. "Do you think it would work?" She whispered.
Draco grinned and spun her out and she squealed. He pulled her back in and dipped her down, laughing when she came back up, slapping him on the shoulder. "Yeah, I think it could." He remarked coolly.
She was frazzled. "You PRAT!" She exclaimed, though she was smiling. "Don't do that again!" Hermione scolded.
Blaise and Pansy laughed at them. "Smooth, mate, real smooth!" Blaise laughed at Draco as he smirked.
Pansy shook her head and let Blaise dip her down. "Just let it happen, Hermione." She said as he pulled her back up. However, her words held more meaning than thought.
Draco took Hermione's waist again and they started their waltz. But Hermione was paying attention. She tripped over her own feet, encased in high heels, and fell to the ground, Draco landing on top of her. "Ouch." She groaned. "Malfoy, get off me."
He rolled off her and lay next to her on the floor. Pansy and Blaise were laughing their brains out and clutching each other for support. "Granger!" He complained. "Concentrate!"
"I'm sorry!" She said loudly, sitting up and throwing off her heels. Maria seemed to have disappeared. "It was those bloody things." Pansy and Blaise were still laughing. "Are you okay?" She asked, concerned.
"Fine." He grunted. "Just a little sore." He said dryly as he sat up, too. "What about you? I was the one who landed on you."
"Nothing's broken and nothing's bleeding, I suppose. Probably just bruised." She laughed. He smiled at her as she looked at him.
"You poor thing!" Pansy helped her up. "Are you alright? That oaf didn't hurt you, did he?" She asked, shooting a pointed look at Draco.
"I am not an oaf!" He defended, but it went unnoticed as Hermione and Pansy ignored him.
"I'm fine. Just a bit bruised. I am never wearing high heels again." She said, cringing as she looked at the bright red heels Maria had made her wear.
Blaise laughed and helped his best mate up. "Oh yes, the pain girls put themselves through just to look good. It really is ridiculous." He laughed. "But it does wonders for their sex lives." He added quietly to Draco, who laughed and gave him a pat on the back.
"Are we done with dancing today?" Hermione asked. She was wearing a yellow dress that flowed out at her hips and she wanted it off. She'd rather not be wearing a dress. "I need to change." They all nodded and she ran up to her room, coming down minutes later in a pair of black jeans and a t-shirt.
"What are we going to do now?" Pansy asked. "I think we should go out and get some ice cream." She suggested. Well, it was more of an order, because everybody immediately agreed.
They readied themselves and flooed to Diagon Alley, where they headed straight for the ice cream parlour. Draco found them a table and the waitress came over to them.
She began eyeing Draco and Blaise like bits of meat. "What can I get you?" She asked the boys flirtatiously.
"I'll have… a scoop of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour ice cream." Draco ordered. Blaise ordered the same.
"I'll have a scoop of Caramel, topped with liquorice snaps." Pansy said.
"I'll just have plain chocolate ice cream." Hermione said with a laugh. "You have such odd tastes."
"Well, Granger, it is the wizarding world." Draco drawled. "What did you expect?" The waitress bought their ice creams and Draco paid for it. She left, fluttering her eyelashes and smiling charmingly.
They ate their ice creams, laughing and joking about dancing and how ridiculous it was to be forced into dancing, and of course, making fun of Hermione and her inability to dance without injuring herself.
That was up until the door opened and the bell rang. Hermione looked over and nearly screamed. Viktor had walked in.
Draco felt her tense. She grabbed his hand in fear and he immediately took charge. Blaise and Pansy saw Viktor just as Draco stood. He pulled off his jacket and put it around Hermione, flipping the collar up to hide some of her face and pulling her hair down.
"Let's go." He said quietly and they all stood, Draco's arm around Hermione.
But it was too late. Viktor had spotted them. "Hermy-ninny?" He asked, unsure. His eyes narrowed as he closed the distance between himself and the group.
"No, I'm sorry, you must be mistaken. This is my little sister." Blaise said. "Janice." He said quickly. "Have you seen Hermione? My mother missed her at lunch and she so wanted them to meet, because they're so alike."
Viktor did a double take of him. "You. You stole her from me. Come here, Hermy-ninny." He commanded and Hermione felt her insides twist as her body went to obey.
"No." Draco said loudly. "Look, she doesn't want to see you, you arsehole." His grip on Hermione tightened. "Not after what you did to her." Draco was slammed against the wall, a wand pointed at his neck.
"You know nothing!" Viktor roared. "You snivelling wretch!" He bellowed. His wand pushed into the blonde's throat and he was just about to utter a lovely little cutting jinx.
"NO!" Hermione yelled. "Viktor STOP!" She pulled him away and looked him in the eye, trembling. "Please, don't hurt him." She said quietly.
Viktor frowned, his eyes flashing in anger. "You protect him?!" He yelled. People in the parlour were now filing out to get away from the confrontation, while Blaise and Pansy ran to get help. "Are you screwing him behind my back?!" He was now pointing his wand at her face and she cowered back.
"Please, I'm sorry. Don't hurt me." She begged.
"You WHORE!" He exclaimed, pushing her against the wall. "And vere is your ring?!" He held up her hand tightly.
"Obviously she doesn't want to marry you anymore." Draco drawled, before shouldering him off Hermione. She slid down the wall, her eyes open in shock. "Just go away and leave her alone. She'll press charges against you and you'll be sent to Azkaban. Now bugger off." He said nastily.
He got up again and was about to attack, when an orange light sent him hurdling across the room. "Get away from her!" Harry Potter's voice yelled. "You bloody prick!" His wand was pointed at Viktor's chest and his Auror's badge shone brightly from his chest.
"You're coming with us, Krum." Ron said from beside him. They held Krum at wand point as they apparated to head quarters.
Draco looked down at Hermione, who was sitting on the floor, her head in her hands. "I am so sorry. I didn't know he would be here – it wasn't my fault." She said quietly. He pulled her up and hugged her.
"Shh, it's okay. I know, it wasn't your fault." He soothed, just as Blaise and Pansy came in the door. "C'mon, let's take you home." He said, before they disaparated away with a pop.