Disclaimer: JKR owns at all.

At the Club

I wasn't sure how a group of young witches and wizards would blend at a Muggle club. Having grown up in a Muggle family, I had a driver's license and regular identification papers, but I didn't know if the rest of the group was prepared. While we were standing in line at the door, I was quickly disabused of my concerns. I should have trusted that the people who had always thrown the parties in Gryffindor would know exactly what was needed to have fun and Muggle London.

When we arrived at the front of the line, the bouncer gave me a second look, probably because I look so young. After a moment's consideration he let me pass and I had my first look at a nightclub.

The club was dark and smoky and crowded. Given how dark it was I was surprised to see a number of colored lights flashing on and off from the ceiling at least four stories up. I noticed the club had no windows. Clearly it was an old converted warehouse. The flashing beams of light eerily lit the swirling clouds of smoke. The music was loud with a strong techno rhythm. I could feel the throbbing of the base against my skin, affecting my very heart beat, taking over my subconscious, and propelling me to move with it.

I felt wild and free. I didn't need drugs or alcohol, the music was affecting me all by itself.

I noticed the group I had come with splitting up. Fred and Angelina seemed to find each others company quite pleasant and were already moving in rhythm to each other. Lee had immediately moved closer the middle of the dance floor and was dancing by himself, although he was quickly attracting a crowd of observers. The others, who I didn't know so well, had also split up into couples and were dancing or heading off to the bar to get drinks. George however had stayed right beside me, a questioning look on his face, as if he wanted to know if I wanted to dance but realized how hard it would be to be heard over the music.

I graced him with the biggest smile that had been on my face since that horrible afternoon at the Leaky Cauldron. Gently, I reached out and take a stand, surprised at my own audacity, and drew him after me onto the dance floor. He smiled back and followed me with no resistance. George never struck me as the dancing type, so I was a little surprised at how readily he acquiesced.

Once we found ourselves in the midst of the crowd, I dropped his hand and started to groove with the music. Dancing together, and yet keeping our distance, we spent an enjoyable few minutes warming up. I was surprised at how good a dancer George was. I was even more surprised at how the dancer I was. I mean, not like dance in the middle of a circle while everyone looks on clapping and cheering good, but definitely not step on my partners toes and embarrass everyone around me for my complete ineptitude bad either.

Rather, I found that George and I moved together, in a strange compatible way the just felt right. Maybe the reason I had never thought myself a good dancer had less to do with me and more to do with a lack of connection I had ever felt with my partners.

After a while I started to notice a growing thirst. Once again I reached for George's hand, but this time I went into the bar. Walking along the counter I finally found a bartender available and ordered a rum and coke.

"Doing something to drink?" I asked him.

"I've never had Muggle drinks before, other than beer. Strange, isn't it? We always stuck to beer. What do you recommend?"

"Do you want to try mine?"

"Sure." He said, reaching for my glass. He took a quick sip. "Hey, that is really good!" A broad smile had formed on his face. Turning to the bartender he said, "I'll take the same."

He handed the bartender some money and took his change without counting it.

This time he took my hand and led me behind the bar to a room barely visible. It had some soft seating groups and the noise from the dance floor was less. Why you couldn't have a comfortable conversation here, you didn't have to scream like you did on the floor.

"So are you having fun, Hermione?"

"Yes George, this place is great. I never would have thought I would have this much fun at the dance club."

"You're good dancer." George said, not looking me in the eyes.

"I never thought of myself that way. I think I just so comfortable with you, free to move as a moment takes me. Does that make sense?"

"It does, Hermione. I hope you always feel that way."

He was looking at me now. I could see strong emotions in his eyes, but I couldn't tell if they were for me or about me. Protectiveness, yes. But as a sister? A friend? Had Fred been right? Was I brave enough to try and find out?

I took a last swig of my drink, and placing the cup on a nearby table, I stood up. "I am going back to the dance floor. I you ready, or do you want to sit in here for awhile longer?"

"I'll be out in a few minutes, I'm going to finish my drink." George said.

"Find me when you're done." I said, walking away back towards the crowd on the floor.

I quickly found myself lost in the crowd. Bodies and limbs were swirling all around me and time at the music, creating a wall of throbbing moving humanity. Finding a spot of open floor that was not in the very middle and yet not on the margin, I claimed it for my own, losing myself in a trance of movement and sound.

After a while I felt a hand brush across my back, settling gently at my waist. The touch created a spot of warmth obvious against my skin. A second hand closed on my other hip. Together, they began moving me to of new rhythm, slightly different to the one I had allowed to settle into my body. I quickly adjusted, feeling the hands grow more insistent. I felt the person's body nestle against me from behind, not grinding, but moving insistently together nonetheless. I felt his breath hot on my neck, tickling my ear, sending a shiver down my spine and making my skin break out in goosebumps. A moan, more felt than heard, escaped my lips, much too quiet to be heard over the loud music.

"Do you like that?" A voice said to me from behind.

It took a moment for me to register that while I recognized the voice, it wasn't the one I was expecting.

"Get off me you filthy bastard!" I yelled, for once totally audible over the music. Ripping away from him, I spun around to face the last person I ever wanted to see again.

Facing me, his platinum blond hair hardly mussed from dancing, stood Draco Malfoy, smirking that loathsome Malfoy smirk.

Of all the people that I could've run into in a Muggle club, Malfoy was the least expected, the least welcome, and the most upsetting.

Before I could even react, someone else beat me to it. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw a red-haired blur come streaking to my rescue. Malfoy never even knew what hit him, toppling over so fast that I was sure he'd have a matching set of bruises, one for his jaw, and one or the back of his skull had connected with the concrete dance floor.

"George, get me out of here" I said. I don't know if he heard me over the music, or if you just knew that's what I'd want, but it had barely left my mouth before he took my arm and gently let me towards the door.

"Let me just find Fred and let him know what's going on."

I didn't argue, I just grabbed his arm as tight as I could since the last thing I could stand was the thought of being separated. He'd saved me, again.

It didn't take long to find Fred, as he was a whirl of arms and legs and hair, and people gave him quite a bit of free space. It seemed that he intimidated the other dancers and no one wanted to get too close lest they be whacked.

I didn't hear what George said to Fred, but I definitely heard Fred's response of, "I'll kill that mother-fucker!" Again, I didn't hear what George said, but the effect was obvious that Fred took a deep breath, nodded, and disappeared into the crowd.

"Come on, let's get the hell out of here." George said to me.

Again, leading me by the arm, we headed towards the door.

Leaving the club was like stepping from hell into the Arctic Circle. It was freezing outside after the hot sweaty club. Frankly, it was exactly what I needed to knock some sense back into me and get me moving and thinking on my own again.

George and I headed around the corner and away from the prying eyes of Muggles. Once there was no one to see us, George and I quickly apparated back to the flat.

Author's note: surprised? So much for a happy fun New Year's Eve. Well, New Year's Eve is an over yet... thank you everyone for reviewing I can't believe I'm up to 59! You guys rock! Keep the reviews coming.