The week went by so quickly that Hermione actually considered using her timeturner to go back and practice a little bit more, but she was not one to meddle with the course of time when all she had was a case of stage fright. Draco had been doing his best to comfort her, since he appeared calm and cool with no nervousness at all.
"Mi, just relax. We have done this one hundred times before; you could do these steps in your sleep if you had to. You will be fantastic, don't worry."
"Draco I feel sick. I can't do this. I think I need to see Madame Pomfrey."
"No, you need to stay here. We are the last act, so why don't you try to enjoy the show?" He suggested. Hermione shook her head with vigor.
"No. Stage… to big, too many people, lights are bright, too bright, fall, trip, mess up, embarrassment!" She clapped her hands over her mouth and started to back up, towards the back exit.
"Oh no you don't!" Draco grabbed her arm and pushed her into a chair. "You stay here, I'm going to get you some water." She nodded. Hermione looked down and smoothed out a wrinkle in her dress. It was the same dress she had worn to the Christmas Ball, but she had put her hair up this time so that it would stay out of the way. It looked nice, pulled back into a neat bun. i Slow deep breaths Hermione, slow deep breaths. /i She coached herself. Draco returned and handed her a cup of water. She took a tiny sip of it and then set it down on the table next to her.
Rebecca was running around like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to keep everyone organized and on cue. She stopped by Draco and Hermione on her way to the stage.
"Are you two warmed up?" She asked frantically.
"Yes." They both replied at the same time.
"Good. Now have either of you seen a purple ballet shoe? Susan Bones has lost hers and she's up next."
The couple shook their heads, and Rebecca scurried off to help someone else.
"I don't know if I can-"
"Hermione, yes you can. Deep breaths, in and out, in and out. Do you need to squeeze my hand?"
"Draco, I'm nervous, not in labor." Hermione snapped.
"Sorry."
"Malfoy and Granger! Five minutes!" Rebecca read off her clipboard.
i Breath, just breathe, you're okay. You can do this. You've done all sorts of little dance recitals before, this should be cake. But then again, I was like, seven then, and that was ballet. I suck at ballet. Why do I keep practicing that stupid dance anyways? It's not like I actually need to for anything. Easy, easy as pie. Pie, pie sounds kinda good. Yeah, I'm sort of hungry now that I think about it… Wait! No I'm not. If I eat I will surely vomit. No pie. Pie is bad. So is cake. /i
"THREE MINUTES!"
i Oh Merlin, is it too late to back out? I don't want to do this anymore. No fun, no fun at all. /i Hermione frantically tried to think of a way to get out of it. i I could pretend to be injured… YES! That would work! I've twisted my ankle a bit, or, better yet, my knees are hurting again. /i
"Hermione?" Draco said, trying to get her attention.
"Yes?"
"It's time. Let's go."
"No, Draco I can't." Draco looked her in the eyes, and she really did look panicked. "I am meant for reading, and studying, and getting good grades. Not for this."
"Hermione Granger, you have a gift. You are a bloody brilliant dancer, and we would not be doing this right now if it wasn't a good idea. Just keep your eyes on me the entire time, okay? I'm the only one in the room, you can't see anything but me. I need you Hermione. It takes two to tango, I can't do this alone." He squeezed her hands for reassurance. "So what'll it be?"
She thought for a moment, wanting very much to say "no" but knowing that she would still have to do it anyways. She reluctantly nodded her head ever so slightly. Draco smirked and snaked his arm around her waist. "That's what I was hoping for." He pulled her to him roughly and kissed her passionately on the lips. "Let's go knock their bloody socks off eh?"
She smiled.
"Okay."
"Hermione! Draco! What are you doing! Get on that stage b now /b !" Rebecca yelled.
They walked onto the stage and took their positions. Through the thin curtain, her silhouette could be seen. In the audience, Ginny poked Ron in the shoulder and whispered excitedly, "Look! There she is!" Ron sneered at Ginny's words.
"I'm not daft. I can see. I do have eyes you know." He spat.
"Oh I know you have eyes, it's the lack of a i brain /i that concerns me. What's your problem?" She retorted.
"Nothing I just…"
"Put a cork in it you two! It's about to start." Harry interrupted.
Hermione stood on one end of the stage, with Draco at the other. She stood tall, with her chin raised high in the air and her back to him, with one hand behind her as if to say, "Stay away", and the other hand resting dramatically on her forehead. The music started to play and the curtain was lifted. The audience could see only Hermione first, with her "keep away from me" pose, in front of a glowing background of red. Draco walked (more like sauntered) from his place in the corner of the stage over to Hermione. He grabbed the hand that was sticking out behind her and spun her around so that she was now in his arms. Hermione fit her body into Draco's, keeping their upper bodies close like they had practiced. They were so close their noses were touching and they could feel each other's hot breath on their faces. Pressing his forehead to hers, Draco ran a hand slowly down Hermione's side, feeling her curves and the textured fabric of her peach colored dress. He continued to move it south, past her hips and her thigh until it reached the nook behind her knee. He pulled her up onto him, causing her other leg to extend behind her in perfect form. She pushed herself off of him, and waited for him to snap her back to him. He immediately did, rather sharply, and they did the fast, fancy footwork that made Rebecca swoon with delight every time she watched them dance. Turning her head away from Draco, she waited for his signal to start walking. The hand on her lower back pressed into her lightly, and she started going backwards. They alternated long steps with short ones.
"Slow, quick, quick, slow, quick, quick." Hermione could hear Draco softly saying the steps to himself. They moved into the tango box step, listening to the rhythm of the music. Snapping their heads to look at each other, they formed a perfect scorpion tail with their hands. They stared into each others eye, and truly believed that for that moment, they really were the only people in the room. Bringing the hands down back into regular position, they went into the rock step, holding on to each other and rocking back and forth taking baby steps.
"Wow. She's so brilliant up there." Ginny said in awe as she watched the couple. "They really are right for each other."
"Foul! That was a foul! Did you see where his hands were!" Ron hissed.
"Mate, it's Ballroom Dancing, not Quidditch." Harry pointed out.
"But he –"
"Nope. That's just how it's done Ron."
"Oooh look at me! I'm a poncy blond, bouncing ferret that thinks he can dance! Watch me put my hands all over a girl I don't deserve!" Ron mimicked, crossing his arms across his chest and slouching deeper into his seat.
"Shhhhhh!" A girl from behind him chastised. He pulled a face, but kept quiet, much to the satisfaction of Harry and Ginny. Back on stage, Hermione and Draco could feel the loud, fast music pulsing through their bodies. It had become near impossible for them to feel the difference between their own heart beats and the thumping beat of the music. Hermione wrapped her leg around Draco and snapped her head to the left, looking away from him. She pulled herself closer to Draco, and then pushed him away, and just as they had practiced so any times before, Draco audaciously led Hermione into her backwards pause. She allowed herself to go back until she was a few mere inches above the floor. Right before Draco was about to pull her up, she felt a sudden looseness in her hair. The clip securing her long, soft curls had come undone and she felt her hair graze the ground. Draco brought her back up, and her thick hair cascaded beautifully down her back, shining for all to see. A few oohs and ahhs came from the audience as they mistook the accident for something planned. Knowing better than to stop and put it back up, Hermione pressed on with their dance. If anything, the slight malfunction only added to the wild and passionate look of the dance.
Standing up straight again, Hermione placed one hand on her hip, and one palm flat on Draco's chest. She stared him down with her large honey eyes as she pushed gently and marched him backwards, dramatically kicking up her heels as she went to keep in tempo with the beat. Removing her hand from his chest with his own, he rapidly turned her twice, and then swept her back into his arms in the traditional position. They zigzagged across the dance floor, pivoting their feet to change directions. Stopping the zigzag step, and going back to the classic tango stroll, they moved around the stage one last time, and then did a couple of quick forward rock turns. The bright lights shined hotly down on them, and Hermione was glad it was almost over. She just hoped that Rebecca wouldn't forget to do her part.
From her place off stage, Rebecca pointed her wand at Hermione and Draco and waited for her cue. As the dancers glided past her, Hermione quickly glanced at Rebecca.
"Now." She said in a hurried whisper.
"Wingardium Leviosa." Rebecca said, casting the spell on Hermione and Draco. As they danced, they slowly began to float upward. Very cautiously, so as not to drop them, she drew circles in the air with her wand so that they rotated as the danced above the stage. Cheers and applause came from the spectators below as Draco dipped Hermione backward one last time, this time not as deep, seeing as his lips had found hers. Whistles and cat calls echoed off the walls of the Great Hall. They were gradually lowered back down, and they separated once their feet touched the ground. Taking his hand in hers, Hermione stepped up to the end of the stage and took a bow, Draco right beside her. The curtain closed, the music stopped, and the loud hum of students exiting the great hall filled the air. Screams of "Congratulations" and "You were wonderful" overtook the backstage area, as friends of the performers rushed in with flowers and open arms.
Draco lifted Hermione up in his arms and swung her around. "You were brilliant Hermione," He said. "I'm so glad you didn't flake out on me."
"Draco?" Hermione started.
"Yes Love?"
"I know this is supposed to be the celebration part of all this, but I think that its time we talked. You know, about that thing?" She said morosely. "We need to get it over with." Draco bowed his head for a moment, even though he knew it would eventually be time to face their little dilemma. He nodded and took her hand, leading her safely through the thick crowd back up to the Heads common room. As they walked away, Hermione thought she could hear Rebecca calling them back, but she continued on anyways.
They sat on the couch together, squeezing each others hands. They both knew what was coming, but no amount of preparation would ever be able to ready them for the pain and heart break that was about to ensue. Draco waited for Hermione to begin, since it was her acceptance that threw a rather large roadblock on their path to happiness. However, when the words just wouldn't come, and he could see that she was struggling trying to get them out, he did his best to help her.
"You've made a decision, haven't you?" He asked tentatively. She nodded and looked up at him. Her face appeared quite pale, the rosy flush from the dancing having drained out of her face minutes ago. He knew the answer, what her decision was, but there was still a need to voice it out loud, for them both to hear, and for them both to know that it was over.
"I'm… I have to, I – I mean I'm going to…" She took a deep, shaky breath. "I'm taking the offer." She forced the words out of her mouth and heavy tears spilled out of her eyes. Draco squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away, but Hermione didn't see the distraught expression that plagued his face because she had allowed her own sobs to bubble up in her throat and escape from her mouth. She buried her head in the alcove between his neck and shoulder and clung to him with all her might, letting the heart wrenching pain of losing your first love rip through her. Draco's silent tears fell along with Hermione's, dampening her hair.
"I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry Draco." She whispered into his shoulder. He said nothing, but just held her tighter. "I didn't know that I would get in. I didn't know that we would last. I didn't know that I would fall so deeply in love with you, or that I would feel like dying when I told you I was leaving. I- " She paused to catch her breath which was quickly running out like it often does when one is hysterical. "I just didn't know."
"Shhh… I know, it's alright." He rubbed her back in small circles.
"I love you so much Draco. I will never love anyone the same way that I love you." As another tear made its way down his cheek, Draco pulled Hermione back from him just enough so that he could lower his lips onto hers.
When he pulled away, he tilted her chin up so she was looking him in the eyes. "I know you need to do this for yourself Hermione, but never forget that no matter where you are, no matter how much space separates us, I could never stop loving you. You have been the brightest thing to ever walk into my life, and I consider myself to be the luckiest bastard in the world just to have spent the time that I have with you." Draco said sincerely. Hermione sniffled, and then nodded. She was not happy with what she had done, but she knew that it was for the best. Her best.