A/N: I don't own these characters or the superheroes mentioned.
Chapter 2: The Party
Hermione adjusted her ears and mask for the fourth time overly her smoothed and straightened hair and checked her tail once more. It had a bit of wire in it so at least it did something other than dangle limply. She'd considered charming it to move, but work went late that day and by the time she'd pulled her boots on, charming them to fit better and adding a bit of cushion, it was nearly time for the portkey. She strapped her wand, disguised as a whip, to her thigh with a holster, which she thought was a clever touch. Slipping on her clawed gloves, she grabbed the plastic Superman badge that had arrived by owl that morning, took one last glimpse in a mirror and suddenly felt the familiar yet awful pull from behind her navel as she was yanked through space and spat out in a rather neglected-looking garden where other similarly disguised witches and wizards tumbled into view. Dusting off her fake-leather suit, she joined the throng queuing up at a large, shabby door where they were permitted entry one at a time where wands were scanned for ID purposes.
Desiree had been right about one thing, though: there were a lot of fit wizards and witches in the DMLE and it had never been more apparent. Various lycra and spandex-clad bodies crowded the room in various horrendous shades of reds, greens, and blues that left little to the imagination. Others were paired with impossibly short skirts. Suddenly Hermione's catsuit felt acceptably modest. Her eyes scanned the room for a familiar pair of glasses as she looked around. She found them at last, perched upon the face partially hidden by a hood. As she drew neared, she noticed that he had quiver of arrows on his back and was dressed in fake leather from head to toe, much like her - though less tight and without the kitten heels.
"Hey Harry," she quipped as she joined him.
"Hermione!" he said as a smile creased his face. "Didn't have enough of being a cat before, eh?"
She rolled her eyes. "Let's not talk about that, okay?"
He chuckled. "Yeah, well, this has got to be the weirdest DMLE ball we've been to, and that's saying something. Perhaps next year we can convince them to go back to something more.. traditional?"
"Did anyone come as the Hulk? Perhaps they can break things and end the party early."
"Dunno, but there are two Supergirls. Think they'll fight?"
Hermione squinted. "Nah, it's Tasha and Allison. Probably did it on purpose. They do everything the same. Alright, I'm going to go get a drink. Want something?"
"No thanks. Not yet anyway. Technically I have to make sure no one does anything stupid."
Hermione walked across the room to the bar and got a Gin and Tonic from Aquaman and found a place to stand away from much of the throng.
She was admiring a handsome long-haired wizard carrying a large hammer when a voice from behind caught her attention.
Draco had been cautiously moving around the edges of the room. He was supremely uncomfortable in his pseudo-armor (should he had went for classic Batman, awkward tights be damned?), when someone caught his eye. He gaze swept over her, from the pointed ears and mask to tail and those high boots. Catwoman, hmm? The fact was he'd always liked cats. He was never allowed to have one growing up because of the shedding, so when he finally moved out the first thing he acquired was a cat. The big white ball of fluff he named Persephone made a mess of things if not fed on time, but was otherwise cuddly and sweet and made his flat feel a bit less empty. But this witch-cat was something else entirely. She was completely unaware of the eyes that followed her as she made her way across the room to the bar. Doubtless she wasn't the preening sort. Most of the witches he knew would have strutted across the room and demanded attention. No, this witch was quiet, subtle, and very… she was fit was what she was. Curves in all the right places, not too thin, and was that a whip on her thigh? Purrrfect.
So when the opportunity came to sneak up behind her, he took it.
"Me-ow," he drawled in her left ear. "Little pussy cat's come out to play."
He paused as she whipped around, claws glancing off plastic armour. Her eyes narrowed as she quickly looked him over.
"Thought Batman knew to stay away from cats."
"Did he now? It seems to me that he never quite remembered," he smirked.
Something about her face seemed familiar, though he was sure he'd never quite paid attention to her lips before. He found himself struck by the urge to draw his thumb across her lower lip that was deliciously plump and a lovely shade of peach. He took a step closer to her and heard the sudden hitch of her breath as his knuckles stroked her cheek. His heart thundered in his chest as he swallowed.
"I happen to like cats," he murmured, dragging his gaze slowly from her perfect pout up to her eyes, hidden partially by her domino mask. But when their gazes met at last, her own suddenly went wide.
"Malfoy?!" she hissed. His was the only impossibly grey eyes she knew.
Recognition registered on his face at the same moment. That tone, those eyes. Oh sweet Merlin, this couldn't have been any worse. It was Hermione Granger.
"Shite, Granger, I didn't…"
She pushed him backwards into the wall.
"Save it, Malfoy. I happen to know when I'm being made fun of."
She turned on her heel and strode off.
Draco stood as motionless as if someone had stunned him. He had no idea how to process what had just happened. When had Granger gotten so interesting to look at? And why did she think he was making fun? That had been the furthest thing from his mind.
An hour or more passed before Draco spotted her again. She was speaking with Wonder Woman and another witch wearing a blue suit with the number 4 emblazoned on the top. They were soon joined by Spiderman and his girlfriend. The four others seemed to be chatting far more than Hermione who seemed to be withdrawing from the conversation.
Draco took it as his cue to join in.
"Care to show us what you can do with that whip?" he whispered in her ear.
"Piss off, Batboy," she replied, rolling her eyes.
"Batman and Catwoman," chuckled Seamus who approached them along with Dean. They were dressed as Captain Marvel and The Flash. "Brilliant! You should have told me sooner, I'd have come as Riddler."
"What? You don't think—" Hermione sputtered.
"Yeah, I could have been Penguin," added Dean before doing his best impression of Penguin's laugh.
This caught Desiree (Number 4)'s attention who began gushing over everyone's disguises and reiterated what Seamus had said only moments before.
Draco wrapped his arm around Hermione and gripped her shoulder tightly. "It wasn't planned, but it seems about right, doesn't it?"
"What's that Muggle word for it? Frenemies?" Desiree grinned.
Hermione prised Draco's fingers from her person. "We are not frenemies. We're… we're… I don't know what we are."
Wonder Woman's eyebrows shot up in interest.
Desiree noted Hermione's discomfort and quickly turned the group's attention to a nearby wizard who'd come as Gambit and was attempting to do card tricks with an Exploding Snap deck.
"I think your friend Number 4 might be onto something," Draco murmured. "Frenemy has a nice ring to it."
"Come on, that's schoolyard nonsense. Everyone knows you're not quite the git you were in school."
"I'll take that as a compliment, coming from you."
Hermione snorted and turned away from him.
Just then a witch dressed as Sugar (or was it Spice?) passed by and gave Draco a wink.
"Why don't you go bother her instead?" hissed Hermione.
"You make a good cat, Granger. Feisty and aloof."
"I am not aloof," she huffed, realising as she said it that she was only confirming his remark.
"So was that rumour true? That you Polyjuiced yourself into a cat one year?"
"Who told you that?" she growled.
"Batman never reveals his sources."
"Don't you dare mention it again," she said in warning.
"Pussycat has claws, does she?" sniggered Draco.
"Keep it up and you'll find out firsthand."
"Is that a promise?" he asked in his lowest Batman voice.
She hated to admit it to even herself, but the chills that raced up her spine just then were definitely not born out of fear.
"Maybe," she conceded.
"If you're just leading me on, Granger…"
"As if you mean anything by it."
"Do I need to prove it?"
Hermione licked her lips nervously. "It never worked, you know. Catwoman and Batman."
"Only because he was too afraid and hid it by chasing other women."
"Is that what you do?"
"I don't have time to date, don't be absurd."
"So what's with the articles in Witch Weekly?"
"Merely keeping the rumour mill supplied."
"I'm finding all of this highly implausible."
An idea suddenly popped into his head. "Go for a ride with me."
"What?"
"Come on, this party is lame. Let's go for a ride."
"What sort of ride?" she asked suspiciously, though she was in complete agreement: the party was a total bore. And the very idea that he seemed interested in her of all people was rather gratifying. Plus… she'd be lying if she said she wasn't interested. The handsome ferret had become respectable and respectful, even of her. A few Christmases ago, he even loudly apologised to her for his previous asinine and else-wise hateful behaviour in front of all their friends. She blamed the eggnog that night, though it was true that he was no longer the terror he once was. To tell the truth, he hadn't been since the Wizengamot trials at the end of the war.
"Motorbike." His reply cut through her wandering thoughts.
"Merlin, who ever gave you the idea of getting one of those deathtraps?"
"So that's a no, then?"
"Have you been drinking?"
"Nothing alcoholic. I have to work early tomorrow."
"I can't believe I'm going to do this."
"Wait, so is that a yes?"
"Let's go before your cowl gets too tight for your head."
"That's not the only thing that's getting tight," he muttered to himself.
"What was that?"
"Nothing, let's go then."
"Wait, I have to tell Harry." She ran off, leaving him staring after her.
"Rotten luck, mate?" inquired Hershel who sauntered over and had just witnessed Hermione bolting.
"Well, dunno yet. She's supposed to come back."
"And you trust a witch in a catsuit?"
"This one? Yeah."
"Harry, I'm leaving. This party is horrid. I'll see you on Sunday for brunch, yeah?"
"You're leaving?" Harry's eyes flicked back to Malfoy who was standing near the door still talking to Hershel. "Malfoy didn't say anything out of order, did he?"
"Hmm, no? Why would you think that?"
"Because, Mione, he keeps looking over here."
"Oh, well… that's because I'm going for a ride with him on his motorbike."
Harry gave her a funny look.
"Have fun then. Tell him that if anything happens to you, I'll have him scrubbing all the Ministry toilets with a toothbrush."
Hermione laughed awkwardly and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "See you Sunday, Harry."
She slipped back through the crowd to where Draco was waiting by the door and tapped her whip against her leg.
"Shall we then?" she inquired coyly.
"See you, Wright," Draco said in a hurry as he began to lead Hermione by the elbow toward the door.
"Try not to hurt him too badly," he called after them. "I need him back at his desk on Monday."
Hermione snickered. "Am I that threatening?" she asked quietly as they headed out the door.
"Not always. But I'm smart enough to not forget who is carrying the whip."
"Good boy," she said with a grin.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed this silly tale!