Title: Firefly
Chapter 8: Hell's Gates
Author: Kitty Malfoy
A/N: Hey! That last one was pretty long! I'm so proud of myself. Ok, so most of it was song lyrics, but that's beside the point. And thank you to those of you who corrected my mistake in chapter 5. I had described Draco's skin as 'ebony'. I meant to say ivory. His skin is not black...that would be weird. *Shudder* I went back and corrected it, so I don't get anymore persnickety reviews. Moving on: This chapter might be the last one for a time because I have finals coming up and I should start studying. There might be one more, but the week of Dec. 16, I'd highly doubt that I'd have anymore up.
*********
Hermione's thick, black cloak billowed out around her, as she skipped along the path to Hogsmeade with Harry and Ron on each arm. The cold wind gave her ivory cheeks a rosy hue and tousled her curls. Harry and Ron didn't seem to care how ridiculous they looked as they shuffled and hop- skipped down the dirt path. They were laughing and chatting on and on about nothing in particular as Hermione hummed 'Follow the Yellow Brick Road' to herself.
Back at Hogwarts a gray curtain was pulled aside from a window and Draco appeared inside it. He wore a frown and his eyes were focused on the laughing trio. He made a disgusted noise as Harry twirled Hermione about and the three danced and spun out of sight. His silver eyes lingered on where they had left his vision and then he turned away from the window and the curtain fell back into place.
The trio stumbled into the Three Broomsticks laughing hysterically. Harry and Ron moved to the back to find a booth while Hermione ordered their drinks. Wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes she smiled faintly. Some things never change.
"Hermione!"
Hermione turned around and saw Ginny walk inside. The younger girl slid onto a stool next to Hermione and ordered a Butterbeer. Once the cold bottle was in her hand she turned to Hermione and grinned. "Are you going to 'Hell's Gates'?" she asked sipping at her beverage.
"What?" Hermione responded in confusion.
Ginny set her drink down. "It's this new dance club that was just built here this summer. It's 'spose to be really hot."
Hermione's eyes widened and her lips curved into a grin. "I'm gonna go talk to the guys. Wait for me?"
"Sure"
Grabbing the three Butterbeers she found the boys in the back and handed them their drinks. "Do you guys feel like dancing?" She asked taking a swig of her beverage. They looked at her in suspicion.
"Why?" Ron asked gulping down his drink.
"Well," She started. "Ginny just told me about this new dance club called 'Hell's Gates' and she made it sound pretty fun..."
They looked more than a bit skeptical. Hermione pouted sticking out her lower lip. "Aw, come on. Please? For me?"
Harry sighed and Ron rolled his eyes, but they both slid out of the booth and nodded. "Lead the way."
Grinning in triumph and dragging the two along behind her she met up with Ginny and the four of them stepped out of the Three Broomsticks into the cold night air.
*********
By the time Hermione, Ginny, Harry, and Ron arrived at Hell's Gates they were ready to party. The music was loud and the resounding beat combined with their finished Butterbeers made their bodies hum.
"Look at the line," Ginny moaned.
Kids were crushed against the building in a line four deep, waiting to be checked by the security guards before they went inside to buy their tickets. The line almost continued down the block.
"Forget the line." Hermione started walking quickly. "Follow me."
Ron hurried after her.
"Come on," Ginny cried to Harry and grabbed his hand.
They ran past the security guards.
"Hey!" Someone shouted.
They hurried inside and shoved into the crowd of kids waiting to pay their entrance.
A security guard yelled after them," Come back here."
"We better go back," Harry glanced nervously behind him.
"Don't look back," Ginny warned. "They'll see your face. They won't come after us and risk having that mob of kids break loose and run in here. You think they want a riot?"
"Still, it was wrong what we did," Harry sulked. "What if the security guards look for us after?"
"Loosen up, Harry," Ron laughed and paid his entrance fee. "With everything going on, do you think they really care that four kids pushed passed the security guards without letting them dig through their pockets?"
Harry smiled. "The line looked a mile long. I really didn't want to wait in it."
"Now you've got it." Hermione paid and they hurried inside, ditching their cloaks.
The breakneck rhythm thumped through the walls and pulsed around them. Their bodies felt the need to move and they started to dance close as a group. Unconsciously, Hermione's eyes scanned the crowd, searching for someone.
"Hey, guys." Seamus Finnigan came over to Ginny and kissed her cheek. She smiled and followed him to the dance floor. Harry stopped dancing and watched them go.
Ron stopped, too, and peeked at his watch, then around the room. "I have something I have to check on." He didn't bother to wait for their reply, but hurried off.
"Who's he trying to fool?" Hermione asked.
"What do you mean?" Harry stared after Ron as he disappeared into the back of the club.
"I mean it's so obvious he's meeting a girl." Hermione put her hands on her hips. "Don't you think? I mean, why doesn't he want us to see her? I've even thought that maybe he's seeing someone's girlfriend, but I dismissed that one. It's just not Ron."
"He hasn't said anything to me." Harry replied.
Harry placed his hands on Hermione's hips. They danced close, facing each other. A cryptic smile slowly blossomed on her face. She smoothed her hands up over her waist, up and around her neck, then slowly through her hair, as if she were testing her power over Harry.
The two danced into the center of the throng, and Hermione closed her eyes and let the music take her away. She lifted her hands over her head and swayed. Someone bumped into her. She didn't bother to open her eyes to see who it was, but continued moving with the beat.
This time the person pressed against her. Warm hands snaked around her waist.
A pleasant nervousness rushed through her. She turned and started to murmur Harry's name, but his name caught in her throat. "Draco!" What was he doing at Hell's Gate?
"Hello, Hermione."
She stared at him. Then the memory of the passionate kiss flashed uninvited into her mind. She blushed and backed away from him.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her back. The air was fragrant with his tangy soap smell. "You want to dance?" She took a deep breath. She was filled with dizzy confusion. Why would he be here, wanting to dance with her? He smiled. Was he flirting with her?
She shrugged and slightly wished she had worn a sweater over her revealing dress. She could feel his belt buckle press against her stomach. She couldn't catch her breath.
"Why do you look so surprised?" he asked.
She glanced up at him, but said nothing.
He held her close, his hands firm on the small of her back. She placed her hands on his chest and tried not to look in his silver eyes. Normally his eyes were clouded and fogged, but tonight they were clear and deep.
He looked down at her, but she quickly looked away. Why couldn't she look into his eyes, now, when it was usually so easy before.
She continued dancing with him but felt uncomfortably aware of the closeness of their bodies, the scratch of his slacks on her bare legs.
His hands moved up to the exposed skin on her back and he leaned down, pressing his cheek next to hers. She didn't know what to do with her hands, which were awkwardly crushed between them, a barricade.
Someone tapped her shoulder. She turned quickly, grateful for an excuse to pull away from Draco. Her face felt flushed and she drew in air.
Ginny spoke into her ear. "I told you you would have fun here."
Ginny went back to Seamus, and Hermione turned back to Draco. He smiled in his own smirking way, but even with the crush of kids dancing around them, Hermione felt way too alone and isolated with him.
His hand was pulling her back to him when she caught sight of Harry's face through the strobe lights. She almost ran to him. But something in the way Draco was touching her made her hesitate.
She took a deep breath and watched Harry walk toward her. Harry stopped in front of her, took her hand, and pulled her away from Draco.
Draco was trying to smirk in indifference, but Hermione could see the twitch in the corners of his mouth. It surprised her how much she cared about hurting him.
Harry put his arms around her and a couple blocked her view of Draco. When they moved a second later, he was gone. Harry pressed her close and danced her slowly towards the other end of the club.
She smoothed her hands up his chest. She locked them behind his neck and gazed into his eyes.
"He was dancing with you," Harry accused lightly.
"Draco?" She glanced back. Draco had reappeared and he was staring at her. "Draco is just a friend. I'm sure he just felt sorry for me, seeing me dancing by myself."
"Hmph!" Harry looked back at Draco. "A Malfoy feels sorry for no one."
She looked at Draco, then at Harry. Was Harry jealous of Draco? Could such a thing be possible? Hermione cuddled tight against him. "Don't worry about him. I'm you're girlfriend, aren't I?"
She could feel Harry's lips against her ear. "I'm not worried," he whispered, and then his lips placed a soft kiss on her cheek.
She closed her eyes and let the wild drum beat throb through her veins. The music guided her as she danced. Her arms held high above her head as she twisted sinuously around and around.
Hands slid down her sides and came to rest on her hips. Reaching back she wrapped her arms around the person's neck and pulled them closer. She opened her eyes to see herself back with Draco.
'I really have to stop closing my eyes.' She thought sardonically to herself.
He nuzzled her neck trailing kisses along her shoulder up to her jaw. His lips grazed her ear and she felt him smirk. "Why are you avoiding me?" he asked.
With the strength she had felt from his kisses she pulled away and things slammed sharply back into focus. Her face was flushed and her curls hung damply about her face. The rest of the dancers seemed to move in super speed around her, until all she could see were blurs of color.
"Because I don't trust myself with you." She whispered. It was barely loud enough to be heard over the noise of the music, but she was sure he had heard it.
He looked at her strangely as she took a few steps backwards, then turned and disappeared into the crowd.
*********
R & R, pweze! Love you all to death! Review me!
Flames will be used in my Wiccan rituals.
Kitty Malfoy
(^ ^)
Chapter 8: Hell's Gates
Author: Kitty Malfoy
A/N: Hey! That last one was pretty long! I'm so proud of myself. Ok, so most of it was song lyrics, but that's beside the point. And thank you to those of you who corrected my mistake in chapter 5. I had described Draco's skin as 'ebony'. I meant to say ivory. His skin is not black...that would be weird. *Shudder* I went back and corrected it, so I don't get anymore persnickety reviews. Moving on: This chapter might be the last one for a time because I have finals coming up and I should start studying. There might be one more, but the week of Dec. 16, I'd highly doubt that I'd have anymore up.
*********
Hermione's thick, black cloak billowed out around her, as she skipped along the path to Hogsmeade with Harry and Ron on each arm. The cold wind gave her ivory cheeks a rosy hue and tousled her curls. Harry and Ron didn't seem to care how ridiculous they looked as they shuffled and hop- skipped down the dirt path. They were laughing and chatting on and on about nothing in particular as Hermione hummed 'Follow the Yellow Brick Road' to herself.
Back at Hogwarts a gray curtain was pulled aside from a window and Draco appeared inside it. He wore a frown and his eyes were focused on the laughing trio. He made a disgusted noise as Harry twirled Hermione about and the three danced and spun out of sight. His silver eyes lingered on where they had left his vision and then he turned away from the window and the curtain fell back into place.
The trio stumbled into the Three Broomsticks laughing hysterically. Harry and Ron moved to the back to find a booth while Hermione ordered their drinks. Wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes she smiled faintly. Some things never change.
"Hermione!"
Hermione turned around and saw Ginny walk inside. The younger girl slid onto a stool next to Hermione and ordered a Butterbeer. Once the cold bottle was in her hand she turned to Hermione and grinned. "Are you going to 'Hell's Gates'?" she asked sipping at her beverage.
"What?" Hermione responded in confusion.
Ginny set her drink down. "It's this new dance club that was just built here this summer. It's 'spose to be really hot."
Hermione's eyes widened and her lips curved into a grin. "I'm gonna go talk to the guys. Wait for me?"
"Sure"
Grabbing the three Butterbeers she found the boys in the back and handed them their drinks. "Do you guys feel like dancing?" She asked taking a swig of her beverage. They looked at her in suspicion.
"Why?" Ron asked gulping down his drink.
"Well," She started. "Ginny just told me about this new dance club called 'Hell's Gates' and she made it sound pretty fun..."
They looked more than a bit skeptical. Hermione pouted sticking out her lower lip. "Aw, come on. Please? For me?"
Harry sighed and Ron rolled his eyes, but they both slid out of the booth and nodded. "Lead the way."
Grinning in triumph and dragging the two along behind her she met up with Ginny and the four of them stepped out of the Three Broomsticks into the cold night air.
*********
By the time Hermione, Ginny, Harry, and Ron arrived at Hell's Gates they were ready to party. The music was loud and the resounding beat combined with their finished Butterbeers made their bodies hum.
"Look at the line," Ginny moaned.
Kids were crushed against the building in a line four deep, waiting to be checked by the security guards before they went inside to buy their tickets. The line almost continued down the block.
"Forget the line." Hermione started walking quickly. "Follow me."
Ron hurried after her.
"Come on," Ginny cried to Harry and grabbed his hand.
They ran past the security guards.
"Hey!" Someone shouted.
They hurried inside and shoved into the crowd of kids waiting to pay their entrance.
A security guard yelled after them," Come back here."
"We better go back," Harry glanced nervously behind him.
"Don't look back," Ginny warned. "They'll see your face. They won't come after us and risk having that mob of kids break loose and run in here. You think they want a riot?"
"Still, it was wrong what we did," Harry sulked. "What if the security guards look for us after?"
"Loosen up, Harry," Ron laughed and paid his entrance fee. "With everything going on, do you think they really care that four kids pushed passed the security guards without letting them dig through their pockets?"
Harry smiled. "The line looked a mile long. I really didn't want to wait in it."
"Now you've got it." Hermione paid and they hurried inside, ditching their cloaks.
The breakneck rhythm thumped through the walls and pulsed around them. Their bodies felt the need to move and they started to dance close as a group. Unconsciously, Hermione's eyes scanned the crowd, searching for someone.
"Hey, guys." Seamus Finnigan came over to Ginny and kissed her cheek. She smiled and followed him to the dance floor. Harry stopped dancing and watched them go.
Ron stopped, too, and peeked at his watch, then around the room. "I have something I have to check on." He didn't bother to wait for their reply, but hurried off.
"Who's he trying to fool?" Hermione asked.
"What do you mean?" Harry stared after Ron as he disappeared into the back of the club.
"I mean it's so obvious he's meeting a girl." Hermione put her hands on her hips. "Don't you think? I mean, why doesn't he want us to see her? I've even thought that maybe he's seeing someone's girlfriend, but I dismissed that one. It's just not Ron."
"He hasn't said anything to me." Harry replied.
Harry placed his hands on Hermione's hips. They danced close, facing each other. A cryptic smile slowly blossomed on her face. She smoothed her hands up over her waist, up and around her neck, then slowly through her hair, as if she were testing her power over Harry.
The two danced into the center of the throng, and Hermione closed her eyes and let the music take her away. She lifted her hands over her head and swayed. Someone bumped into her. She didn't bother to open her eyes to see who it was, but continued moving with the beat.
This time the person pressed against her. Warm hands snaked around her waist.
A pleasant nervousness rushed through her. She turned and started to murmur Harry's name, but his name caught in her throat. "Draco!" What was he doing at Hell's Gate?
"Hello, Hermione."
She stared at him. Then the memory of the passionate kiss flashed uninvited into her mind. She blushed and backed away from him.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her back. The air was fragrant with his tangy soap smell. "You want to dance?" She took a deep breath. She was filled with dizzy confusion. Why would he be here, wanting to dance with her? He smiled. Was he flirting with her?
She shrugged and slightly wished she had worn a sweater over her revealing dress. She could feel his belt buckle press against her stomach. She couldn't catch her breath.
"Why do you look so surprised?" he asked.
She glanced up at him, but said nothing.
He held her close, his hands firm on the small of her back. She placed her hands on his chest and tried not to look in his silver eyes. Normally his eyes were clouded and fogged, but tonight they were clear and deep.
He looked down at her, but she quickly looked away. Why couldn't she look into his eyes, now, when it was usually so easy before.
She continued dancing with him but felt uncomfortably aware of the closeness of their bodies, the scratch of his slacks on her bare legs.
His hands moved up to the exposed skin on her back and he leaned down, pressing his cheek next to hers. She didn't know what to do with her hands, which were awkwardly crushed between them, a barricade.
Someone tapped her shoulder. She turned quickly, grateful for an excuse to pull away from Draco. Her face felt flushed and she drew in air.
Ginny spoke into her ear. "I told you you would have fun here."
Ginny went back to Seamus, and Hermione turned back to Draco. He smiled in his own smirking way, but even with the crush of kids dancing around them, Hermione felt way too alone and isolated with him.
His hand was pulling her back to him when she caught sight of Harry's face through the strobe lights. She almost ran to him. But something in the way Draco was touching her made her hesitate.
She took a deep breath and watched Harry walk toward her. Harry stopped in front of her, took her hand, and pulled her away from Draco.
Draco was trying to smirk in indifference, but Hermione could see the twitch in the corners of his mouth. It surprised her how much she cared about hurting him.
Harry put his arms around her and a couple blocked her view of Draco. When they moved a second later, he was gone. Harry pressed her close and danced her slowly towards the other end of the club.
She smoothed her hands up his chest. She locked them behind his neck and gazed into his eyes.
"He was dancing with you," Harry accused lightly.
"Draco?" She glanced back. Draco had reappeared and he was staring at her. "Draco is just a friend. I'm sure he just felt sorry for me, seeing me dancing by myself."
"Hmph!" Harry looked back at Draco. "A Malfoy feels sorry for no one."
She looked at Draco, then at Harry. Was Harry jealous of Draco? Could such a thing be possible? Hermione cuddled tight against him. "Don't worry about him. I'm you're girlfriend, aren't I?"
She could feel Harry's lips against her ear. "I'm not worried," he whispered, and then his lips placed a soft kiss on her cheek.
She closed her eyes and let the wild drum beat throb through her veins. The music guided her as she danced. Her arms held high above her head as she twisted sinuously around and around.
Hands slid down her sides and came to rest on her hips. Reaching back she wrapped her arms around the person's neck and pulled them closer. She opened her eyes to see herself back with Draco.
'I really have to stop closing my eyes.' She thought sardonically to herself.
He nuzzled her neck trailing kisses along her shoulder up to her jaw. His lips grazed her ear and she felt him smirk. "Why are you avoiding me?" he asked.
With the strength she had felt from his kisses she pulled away and things slammed sharply back into focus. Her face was flushed and her curls hung damply about her face. The rest of the dancers seemed to move in super speed around her, until all she could see were blurs of color.
"Because I don't trust myself with you." She whispered. It was barely loud enough to be heard over the noise of the music, but she was sure he had heard it.
He looked at her strangely as she took a few steps backwards, then turned and disappeared into the crowd.
*********
R & R, pweze! Love you all to death! Review me!
Flames will be used in my Wiccan rituals.
Kitty Malfoy
(^ ^)
