Disclaimer: Book characters belong to J.K Rowling, yada yada yada.
A/N. Here it is, the big event. It's all been a prelude to this, you know. Thanks heaps reviewers (no! That isn't meant to mean that it's the final chapter, don't you worry).
Viktor turned around.
"Cho, do you mind if I dance with Hermione?" he asked, stupid oblivious git. The music had been going the whole time. Cho, obviously trying to look good in front of her boyfriend, smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, I'll dance with Cho," Harry added, "Ron, will you please dance with Fleur?"
Ron was so obliging. How surprising. Viktor slipped his arm around my waist while Harry pulled Cho aside almost roughly. Hey, I felt no sympathy for her.
"I'm sorry I didn't send you an owl and tell you about Cho. I can't help but feel you are quite surprised?" Viktor half-asked.
"Yes, quite surprised. And why didn't you tell me about the job at Durmstrang?" I asked him.
"I'm so very sorry, I was incredibly busy," he said apologetically, and our slow dance fell silent. I could see Harry and Cho whispering heatedly over Viktor's shoulder, and Fleur tittering at something Ron had said while he looked at her in apparent lust. Probably just happy to find someone who laughs at his lame jokes.
I was rather uncomfortable dancing with Viktor now, given that the trust factor of our former "friendship" was now completely missing on my side. So I was easily distracted from our shifty little dance by the sight of Harry storming out of the Hall. Cho stomped over and grabbed Viktor's arm.
"Sweetie, would go you and get me some punch?" she asked him in a dismissive tone, and he obeyed.
"I'll be taking my boyfriend back now. You've screwed things up for me, and if you think I won't fight back, you're sorely mistaken, you stupid little mudblood"
I was taken aback, but managed a quick recovery.
If you think I won't do everything in my power to keep you away from Harry, you're the one that's "sorely mistaken""
"Ooh, catfight!" Fred Weasley (who was dancing close-by and had overheard the exchange) yelled.
"Ten knuts on Hermione!" George yelled in response. I tried to ignore them and almost everyone nearby, watching us, as I continued.
"Also, if you're going to use an insult on me, try to make it one that that idiot ferret Draco Malfoy hasn't used before, because it hurts a lot less the second time around". There. Who was taken aback now? Cho, gaping like a demented fish, huffed and puffed over to Viktor and dragged him out of the Hall. There's that problem over.
My next, incredibly lesser problem was Ron. Hid dancing with Fleur had carried him over to the other side of the Hall, and was pretty sure they had missed my little showdown with Cho. I caught sight of them, Ron with an adoring look on his face that he'd never used on me. I stalked over to them and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Cho's left, you know, so Harry could probably have his date back" I whispered. He glanced at me like I was a mosquito, not wanting to disturb Fleur in her apparent bliss.
"Just 'til the end of this song". Fleur hardly warranted me a glimpse.
"If you don't stop looking at her like that, I'll go dance with Harry". Time to use that jealousy to my advantage. Unfortunately, it didn't work; he only repeated his words with more force.
Just til the end of this song, Hermione".
Fine. I walked off, to find Harry, who had headed in the direction of the gardens outside. It amused me, in a quiet way, that a group of Hufflepuffs from the year above actually move out of my way as I headed out the door determinedly.
I found Harry sitting on a ledge surrounding a rosebush. He looked at me but didn't say anything. I sat down next to him.
"Why didn't you tell me? I've acted like an absolute idiot. The girl had a boyfriend! What was she trying to do, anyway?" he asked, not really expecting me to answer.
"I honestly don't know. Anyway, would you have believed me if I'd told you?" I asked with a smile. He returned it.
"No, probably not. I'm sorry".
I stood up abruptly.
"Make it up to me. Dance with me" I said with a grin.
"Hermione, I'm not really in the mood…" he protested. I turned my back on him dramatically, folding my arms.
"Fine, if you won't tango with me, you're not forgiven"
After a few seconds I felt his arm around my waist and his mouth next to my ear.
"Shall we tango out here, or inside?" was his whispered proposition. I turned my head to face his.
"We better go inside, wouldn't want you getting any ideas".
I could have sworn I heard him mutter "Too late" under his breath, but for the sake of my mental health, chose to ignore it.
Ron hardly saw us enter the Hall, so wrapped up was he in his dance with Fleur (and certainly past one more song). I directed Harry away from Ron, over to the other side of the room, near Dean and Lavender. In a spot of perfect timing, the band started a slow, teasing tune. We immediately fell into the embrace (closed, this time) and Lavender gave me a quiet, knowing smile. Harry leaned me backwards, and then swung my body back towards him as the pace suddenly picked up. I felt he should have had a rose in his mouth or something as the sultry dance began. I could see around me the rest of the hall, doing their clumsy spins and turns, but I was in my own little world with Harry. It was a dance of practiced perfection, but none of the emotions were fake. I could feel something in me stirring; my feelings for Harry had been heightened from a stupid crush, and from our dancing I could tell he felt the same. Not once did our eye contact break, as our feet stomped and hips grinded and arms roamed. But slowly, as the song winded down, the walls between our world and the real world broke down. I could feel more than Lavender Brown's eyes on us. In fact, it seemed the whole hall had turned to watch, including Ron, scowling, now with an arm draped around Fleur. The moment that our feelings had finally been realised suddenly became horrible, and the tango was cut short. If Dumbledore had wanted people to forget of Voldemort that night, he had damned well succeeded.
A/N Tell me what you're thinking. Review.