Harry and Ron were in the common room playing chess, sipping on butterbeer. Harry ordered his bishop to move three spaces just as the door to the girls' dorms opened. Harry looked up and his mouth dropped. Ron, paying no attention, cheered as his queen smashed Harry's queen.
"Your move, mate," he said. When Harry didn't answer, he looked up and Harry staring. "What is it?" he asked, turning around to look at what Harry was. His own jaw dropped and the glass in his hand crashed the floor.
Standing there were Hermione and Rik. Both boys' eyes were riveted to Hermione. Gone was the conservative girl that hid behind the school uniform and the sweaters and jeans. Before them stood a girl dresses in an extremely revealing, electric blue shirt. Her hair had been straightened out flat as a board and her make up was bright and flashy. The only semblance of her Hermione they saw was that she looked extremely uncomfortable under her friends' gaze.
"Hermione?" Harry whispered. Ron only managed a little squeak.
Rik laughed heartedly and shook her head. "You boys are going to have to learn how to behave around women," she said. "There's gonna be more at the club."
Ron squeaked again. "And we're closing the mouth," Rik said and closed Ron's mouth. "Now, both of you stand up so I can look at you," she ordered.
The boys managed to make it to their feet and stay there. Both were dressed in casual, baggier-than-usual jeans and a button up shirt; Harry was wearing a dark blue and Ron was dressed in green.
Rik gave a nod of satisfaction. "You boys look good," she said. "Let's get a move on."
"How are we going to get there?" Hermione asked.
"The Floo network," Rik answered. "There's a smaller restaurant in front of the club and it's owned by a young wizard. He's let me use it before."
She pulled a small bag from her pocket and opened it. Harry, Ron, and Hermione each took a handful of the powder and Rik took one before she stowed the bag in her pocket. She quickly threw the powder into the fire and said in a strong voice: "The Lion's Den!"
There was a whirl of green light and it died. She stepped out into a small room filled with huge cushions and thick rugs. One after the other, Harry, Hermione, and Ron stepped out behind her. "Cozy," Ron said as he looked around.
Rik smiled fondly. "It is nice isn't it," she said. She led them to the door and out onto a balcony. Below was the restaurant; people seated at tables chatting and eating. "Riky!" a booming voice called out. Rik grinned and ran down the stairs to meet a giant of a man. He caught Rik in his arms and whirled her around in a fierce hug. "You off to have fun?"
"Hell yeah," Rik said. "I want you to meet my companions. Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Guys, this is Ibari."
Ibari bowed and gave each of them a strong handshake. "I am honored," he said. Some one from the kitchen called him and he answered he would be right there. "I need to go. You cubs have fun," he said and quickly hurried to answer the call.
Rik smiled and led her friends to the back door. They crossed a small alley to a building covered with Neon Lights and music pulsed loudly. Rik ushered them inside. It was crowded with mostly people and thick layer of cigarette smoke hung in the air. She smiled as her young friends stared at people dancing (some more 'dirty' than others). "Welcome, my friends, to the night life." The trio remained speechless. "You need to relax. Loosen up." She paused and scanned the crowd. "Hermione, I think that guy wants to ask you to dance."
Hermione followed Rik's gaze to an extremely handsome boy with dark hair and blue eyes who was in fact looking at her. He seemed to make up his mind and began to make his way over. "What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?!" Hermione whispered furiously.
"Relax, accept and have fun," Rik answered just as the boy came up.
"Hey, you want to dance?" he asked.
"Or have sex on the floor?" Ron snickered into Harry's ear.
Rik smacked him in the back of the head as Hermione stuttered yes. The boy took her hand and led her to the dance floor. "Will you behave?" Rik said as soon as they were out of earshot.
"Sorry," Harry answered.
"Now, go find y'selves some girls, eh?"
"You're joking, right?" Ron asked.
"No, I'm not. I want to see you with some babes. Go!" Rik gave Harry and Ron a hard nudge with her hip and sent them flying into the crowd.
Ron seemed to get spit out by the crowd and nearly smashed into a pretty blond girl. Rik gave shook her head in amusement as Ron said something and the next minute both him and the girl were dancing together.
Rik plunged into the crowd, dancing and flitting from partner to partner, all the while keeping an eye on her three friends and their progress. Hermione was the first to really loosen up as she danced with the young man. She was dancing as if she had been going to clubs her whole life. Ron wasn't doing too badly either. Harry, who was paired with a pretty red head, took the longest to get comfortable. But once he did, he was not too bad of a dancer.
There was a lull in the music and the DJ began babbling incoherently into his microphone. Rik and her friends took this opportunity to go get drinks at the bar. Hermione's eyes widened.
"What is he doing here?" she said in a furious hiss.
Puzzled, her friends turned to follow her gaze and saw a familiar tall, blond boy.
"Draco Malfoy?!?" Ron said with disbelief.
Rik chuckled. "My God," she murmured. "He came."
"You knew he was going to come?" Ron asked.
"Well, I'm the one who dared him," Rik answered. "I just never thought he would get the balls to come." She sighed wistfully. "A lost opportunity of humiliation." She brightened. "Or recovered?" she said and slipped into the crowd.
"Do you have any idea what she's talking about?" Harry asked.
"She's going to ask Malfoy to dance," Hermione murmured, watching Rik approach Malfoy.
"Does he even know how to dance?' Ron asked.
Hermione turned and looked at her friends. "Opportunity recovered," she said with a grin.
Draco was feeling strange and out of place and somewhat revolted at being surrounded by so many Muggles.
"So you found the balls to come?"
Draco turned to see Rik leaning provocatively against the wall. She looks beautiful. "I never turn down a challenge," he said defensively.
Rik just chuckled as if she were patronizing a child. Draco scowled. He saw Rik's gaze move to something past him and her eyes widened with fear. Draco was about to turn to see what was it that caught her attention when he found himself yanked onto the dance floor just as a new song was starting.
"Now," Rik said. Draco's heart raced at being in such close proximity to her. "Prove yourself on the dance floor."
The song had a flamenco-Spanish style to it. Rik began dancing expertly and much to her surprise, Malfoy was able to counter her level. The two danced as if they had been training together professionally for years. Which ever way Rik moved, Draco responded. The very crowd seemed impressed and stopped dancing to watch. Rik kept her astonishment hidden, concentrating on the dance. Draco spun her out, keeping a tight hold on her hand. In one smooth motion he spun her back in and dipped her just as the song ended.
There was an explosion of thunderous applause. Draco and Rik seemed to be frozen. Draco was mesmerized by Rik; her usually pale skin was flushed pink, her hazel eyes looked green, and her lips were red and slightly open, taking air in. Draco would've kissed her had she not said: "I would like to be straight on my feet," she murmuered
Draco realized that he still held her in the dip. He quickly righted her up and let her go. Immediatyl, she disappeared into the crowd that surged forward to dance
Harry , Hermione and Ron pulled their mouths shut. They knew Rik was a good dancer but Draco?!? They saw Rik striding towards them and they saw she had a funny look on her face.
"We gotta go," she said and continued striding towards the door.
Her tone of voice told them not to ask questions. They just followed her, trying to keep. Suddenly, Rik skidded to a halt, her eyes on something in the crowd. "Get back to Hogwarts through the Lions Den and be quick about it," she ordered. "Don't worry about me. I'll catch up."
Her friends nodded and quickly left the club while Rik quickly melted into the crowd.
Draco stumbled through the crowd, trying to get to the back door through which he had come in. He entered a quieter part of the club and gave a sigh of relief. No Muggle was present and the boom of the music wasn't so deafening. Just then, there was a hard thud, coming from a corridor leading to the inn part of the club and rapsy voice saying:
"Think you're so clever, don't you?"
"I don't think, carbón," Rik's voice said, which had the hoarse quality of somebody being chocked. "I know."
There was another thud. "I don't think you want to get cheeky with me," the raspy voice growled. "If I bring you back, I am to be your Cryptor."
"Ooh, I'm petrified," Rik grunted sarcastically.
There was another, harder thud. Draco couldn't see anything but it sounded like Rik was getting pushed up against the wall. He walked into the corridor.
"Rik, you promised me-oh!" he stopped feigning ignorance at the sight of Rik held up against the wall by her throat three feet of the ground by a huge bear of a man. "Am I interrupting anything?"
"On the contrary," the man answered, "I was just leaving."
He gave Rik one last shove against the wall before dropping her and disappearing down the hall.
Draco hurried over to Rik and helped her up. "Are you alright?"
Rik pushed him away and leaned against the wall, gasping. "I'm fine," she said. "You did me no favors."
Draco opened his mouth to protest but cut him off. "I have to go. Not a word of what you saw to anyone. If I so much hear a whisper of it, I am coming to you, and by the time I'm done, you'll be begging Satan to come take you to Hell. Am I clear?"
Draco had heard threats like this his whole life and had dismissed them easily. But the glint that now shone in Rik's eye told him he better watch what he said. "Crystal," he said.
Rik gave a small nod of satisfaction and strode out of the hall, leaving him alone to pnder his thoughts.