Wands were being drawn, and Hermione could feel the panic rising rapidly inside her. She glanced nervously at Professor McGonagall, who was staring intently at her and Draco. Ginny and Zacharias already had their wands drawn too, although for different reasons than the other students. Hermione turned back to Draco. "Well, that escalated quickly." she finally said in a sort of strangled voice.
"I'll take care of this." he replied grimly. "Just go get Ginny and Zach. We don't want them to do something impulsively stupid that'll make this even worse."
Hermione nodded and tottered off. She reached the pair of seventh years and said, "Guys, it's all right. Draco's got this under control. Let's go help him… without wands. Please?"
Zacharias immediately stowed his wand away, for anything from Draco, even a message, was law, but Ginny was more hesitant, dropping her wand arm only slightly. "We should at least have a Shield Charm for each of us in case a fight does break out and someone accidentally hits us."
Hermione opened her mouth to tell Ginny it wasn't necessary, but then stopped. Why not? Extra protection never hurt anyone.
She was about to reply when Draco's voice rang throughout the Great Hall. "Everybody, drop your wands! Now! Or this class is over!"
The bedlam came to a halt. Everyone froze, as if Draco had just uttered the greatest threat in the world. A few students looked confused, as though they were not sure Draco had just told a joke or had really just threatened them.
"I said drop them!" he cried again. A few of the younger students, particularly those in Slytherin, who were partnered with the furious Ravenclaws, dropped their wands. As soon as the wood clattered against the stone floor, the silence was broken, and others followed suit. The last to drop their wands were Romilda Vane and her cadre of friends, who looked truly disappointed that a fight seemed to have been averted.
Without warning, Hermione drew her own wand, and called out, "Accio Ravenclaw wands!" Twenty pieces of unique magical instruments flew toward her from the ground, and she gathered them in her arms. As everyone in the room watched with an expression of horror mixed with bewilderment, Hermione stacked the wands neatly and walked up to her meal table, setting the wands on her side of the table, and then adding hers on top. "No more fighting." she said firmly. "You can do that after class."
Draco grinned at her from ground level. "Accio Slytherin wands!" he cried, and copied Hermione's previous actions, as did Ginny and Zacharias with the wands of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, respectively.
When the wands had been secured, (Hermione had to convince Ginny that in order to be fair, they would ALL have to drop their wands, which Ginny only reluctantly agreed to), Draco lined up the couples into a large circle inscribed inside the corners of the Great Hall.
He then proceeded to call Hermione to join him, which she did, and they demonstrated the box method to all the students. Although it was mechanic and basically just walking to the beat of the harp's music, Hermione was glad that she was in close proximity to Draco again.
After several repeats of the basic frame of the dance, they stopped, and encouraged the enraptured students to try in on their own. There was plenty of space for each couple to dance a complete box without bumping into the couples next to them, and Ginny and Zacharias wove in and out of the circle, correcting postures, hand positions, and step lengths.
Draco and Hermione went around as well, answering questions, sometimes redemonstrating the sequence yet again, and occasionally dancing with the students who were truly lost.
As they neared Trevor Birch and his partner, Hermione started to panic again. Luckily, the couple next to them, Astoria Greengrass and her partner Justin Steele, were having trouble and Draco stopped to help them, seeming to take extra time and care to give Hermione a chance to prepare herself for the encounter.
Justin danced wonderfully, albeit a bit mechanically, steering Astoria like a ticking clock, slowly and consistently, but without rhythm or fluidity. Astoria, on the other hand, kept tripping over her own feet and stabbing Justin's with her heels, although he never complained. She whined that he was going too fast, although the tempo was barely at one hundred beats per minute.
Draco asked to step in, and Justin accepted without a word. Astoria clung to him, and Draco started talking to her gently and backing up from her, as he was obviously uncomfortable from the close contact with the girl. Somehow, she was even worse when she danced with Draco, although he was very patient and was constantly advising her on what to do. Perhaps it was because she was too busy staring at him.
Hermione remembered that this was Daphne Greengrass's younger sister. She could tell by the facial features, which were very beautiful and mysterious. Although Daphne was blond, and Astoria was brunette, they could've been twins. Hermione felt a twinge of jealousy over the sisters' profound beauty, and wished she spent more attention on her own self.
That jealousy increased tenfold when Astoria started flirting with Draco. As she was finally getting the hang of the box sequence, she giggled and thanked Draco repeatedly, complimenting his wonderful dancing as well as teaching skills, and then telling him she had been invited to Professor Slughorn's party tomorrow.
Draco was a gentleman throughout it all. Hermione could never be angry with him, for he was polite but never encouraged Astoria's flirtations. She was more angry at her lack of flirting skills compared to Astoria, as evidenced with her failed attempt to show off her legs earlier after dinner. However, the charismatic girl didn't seem to give up in the least on her attempt to win over Draco, and continued showing her affections. Hermione finally remembered that Ginny had told her earlier in the week that Astoria was trying to nab Draco for herself, and was suddenly consumed in a jealous passion.
It didn't help when Astoria asked, "So, Draco, I've heard that you've been invited to Slughorn's party, too. Is this true?"
"Remember that you're at the bottom of the box right now, so slide your right foot first." he said in way of reply. They moved in silence for a few moments before Draco finally said, "Yes. I received an invitation in class earlier this week."
"Well, are you going?" she persisted, trodding on Draco's feet again in her carelessness.
He winced slightly, but ever the perfect gentleman, he replied, "Perhaps." without any indication of pain in his voice.
"Well, if you do, would you like to go with me?" she asked coyly, stopping the dance altogether, and leaning towards him.
Hermione felt her breath catch. Ginny and Zacharias had finally reached where they were in the circle, and stopped, too, surprised at what looked very much like an embrace.
Draco looked intently into Astoria's eyes for a moment, as if seeing her in another way, and then stepped back. He curtly replied, "I'm sorry, but if I do go, there's already a girl I've been wanting to ask for a long time. Maybe another time."
"But the party's tomorrow night!" exclaimed Astoria, closing the distance between them again. Draco deftly maneuvered himself from her grasp, and went to Hermione. Although he didn't pick up her hand, or wrap his arm around her, side-by-side, they were standing so close that their arms touched. Ginny and Zacharias glanced at each other and decided to move on and let Draco and Hermione work this out on their own.
"Good luck on your dancing for the rest of the night, Miss Greengrass." he said coldly. He finally put his arm around Hermione and steered her towards the next couple, Trevor Birch, who was, even worse, dancing with Mafalda Prewett.
Mafalda was highly intelligent, Hermione could give her that. She had received top marks in every class since she had started Hogwarts, and aced all her exams. However, she was nosy and unpleasant in all other aspects, a miniature version of Pansy Parkinson. Sometimes, Hermione would rather have to deal with Pansy than with Mafalda. Whereas Pansy could be forgiven because of her obvious stupidity, Mafalda was just plain cruel.
Hermione didn't really have to deal with Mafalda in her first year, since that was the year of the Triwizard Tournament and she had other things to do. However, in her second year, and Hermione's fifth year, the problems started. As a prefect, Hermione was supposed to keep the underclassmen in line, but Mafalda did her best to foil that, as they were common enemies, Gryffindor versus Slytherin.
In sixth year, Mafalda seemed to be less troublesome, but was becoming increasingly known for her brilliant marks, and it was circulated throughout the school that "Hermione Granger had better watch out! Mafalda Prewett is a worthy rival."
Thus Hermione was wary as she and Draco approached the loathsome couple. Draco was obviously already distressed from the encounter with Astoria, and it didn't help when he saw Trevor, who had already lost interest in his partner and was eyeing Hermione hopefully, not at all bothered by the fact that Draco had his arm around her.
"Well, let's see it, then." said Draco professionally. Hermione could see that he was truly struggling to keep his temper and try to be polite, as in the case of both Trevor and Astoria. All for me? she thought, feeling flustered yet pleased.
Trevor and Mafalda performed it perfectly, and even put in rotations, just to show off, each for their own reasons. Trevor was trying to impress, and Mafalda was trying to intimidate. Bugger off. Hermione thought, annoyed.
"I didn't tell you to put in rotations yet." Draco said icily. But he added grudgingly, "However, keep up the good work." With that, he swept on with Hermione to the next couple. He didn't let go of her for the rest of the circle, as if afraid that someone would take her away from him or he would be forced to dance with someone else again.
"That was nice." giggled Hermione as they headed back to the center of the circle, on the way to join a waiting Ginny and Zacharias. "Why were you so generous in your compliment to Trevor?" she teased.
Draco let go of her arm and instead wormed his hand into hers. "Because I want him to dance well. Then he won't have an excuse to ask you to teach him and take you away from me."