Don't Deal With Love

By: Malfoy-Amazing-Bouncing-Ferret

Chapter 8: Dances, Interruptions, and questions

"What? You have something for me?" she asked as she was being pulled into the drawing room.

"Yes, I have something for you." He smiled at Hermione and lead her to a desk where there was a large white box on lying on it. "Open it." he urged eagerly.

Slowly and cautiously, she slid the top off of the box and removed the tissue paper out of the box. When she did, she was in awe of what she saw. Inside of the box was a beautiful dress. The corset was covered in blue sapphires and diamonds. The skirt was long and made of a long flowing silver colored fabric. "Draco," she breathed. "it's so beautiful! I couldn't possibly wear this!"

"I would like for you to wear this to the party." he smiled at her expression of surprise.

"It must have cost you a fortune!"

"Don't worry. My family has the money. But before I forget, It also came with these." Draco said, picking up a pair of matching high-heeled shoes from behind the desk.

"Draco!" she whined.

"What?"

"I've never seen anything so beautiful. I've never owned anything that could be as expensive as this. Where did you get them?"

"Some place mother likes to shop at. I hope it all fits you. Mother said that she will be coming by your room tomorrow before the party, to help you with the dress and all of that girly stuff. I suppose she's wanting to have a 'girl chat.' Say, do you know how to dance? For, you know, elegant parties?"

Hermione looked up at Draco and blushed. "I know basic waltzing. That's all I know."

He reached out for Hermione's hand and said, "Come, I'll teach you."

After turning a few corners and down a flight of stairs, Hermione and Draco were walking through the entrance to a big, long , whit room. The floor was marbled and the walls held up a ceiling so high, Hermione wouldn't doubt it that it was the largest room in the mansion. The molding around the ceiling was gold and candles hung from a high crystal chandelier.

When they walked through the entrance, the candles lit up automatically.

"Wow!" Hermione gasped.

"Care to dance, fair maiden?" Draco asked as he bowed and presented his hand to her.

Hermione giggled and curtsied. "Oh, yes kind sir."

"Good, at least you know how to properly accept an offer to dance. Next thing is to stand like this." Draco placed on of her hands on his shoulder and the other rested in his hand while his other free hand was placed on her waist. "ok?"

Hermione felt very uncomfortable being like this with Draco. "Yeah."

Draco smiled. "Good. Now, whatever you do, do not look down. If you do, you'll end up tripping over your feet and stepping on mine. Keep your head up and follow my lead." Gracefully, Draco and Hermione waltzed around the ballroom.

Then, out of nowhere, Hermione broke down into a fit of giggles causing her to fall to the floor. She was thinking about how silly it sounded that she was dancing with Draco Malfoy. She was imagining the looks on her friends' faces if they heard about her dancing with Draco.

"What is it now?" Draco asked.

All, of a sudden, Lucius and Narcissa were waltzing together around Draco and Hermione. When they stopped, Lucius said, "Maybe she finds your dancing with her silly, Draco."

By this time Hermione had calmed down and was grinning at Draco.

"Let me show you the proper way to teach this, Draco." He smiled down at Hermione. "My dear," Lucius bowed down and presented his hand to her. "would you care to dance?"

Hermione stood up and curtsied. "Thank you, sir." she said taking his hand.

They stood the same way Draco had shown her earlier. "Now the trick to this, Hermione, is that you need to keep you eyes on your partners and they will lead you. And when dancing, I assume Draco has mentioned this, that it is common to have a conversation so that the girl doesn't giggle herself to where she cannot dance." Lucius looked at Draco, who's ears were burning red with embarrassment. Lucius and Hermione were dancing smoothly around the ballroom.

"See, you are a wonderful dancer. So, tell me, what do you think of my son?

"How do you mean?"

"What do you think of him? Do you think he's charming? What?"

"Other than the fact that he's called me a mud blood for as long as I've known him, he has -from what I've witnessed- a romantic and elegant charm about him."

"Do you think that you could ever love him?"

"Lucius I don't thi-"

He cut her off. "I understand that you are seeing Arthur Weasley's youngest son. This is just a question but, do-"

"Lucius!"

Abruptly, Lucius and Hermione stopped dancing. Severus Snape was storming into the ballroom. And at the sight of Hermione, he stopped.

"Lucius, why is it that you have just the person Pettigrew and MacNare were supposed to present to the Dark Lord?"

Draco came up from behind Hermione and placed his hands on her shoulders protectively.

"Severus." Lucius whispered. "We will talk about this somewhere else." he turned to Hermione. "My dear, you are a wonderful dancer. You will do fine tomorrow evening as long as you remember what I told you." Hermione nodded.

"Well," Hermione said turning to Narcissa and Draco. "I'm tired. Thank you for the dress and shoes, Draco." she yawned and waved at them. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, dear." Narcissa said.

"Hermione! Here, I'll walk you to your room. I'm on my way up to my room as well." he said linking his arm with hers.

"You know, Draco, Ron would kill you and then, he would kill me if he knew what we are doing." Hermione laughed as they walked through the back staircase. "But I don't care."

Draco looked over her facial features. "I think you will look absolutely beautiful in your dress." he lent down and kissed her forehead. "You will do wonderful tomorrow evening."

Hermione blushed when he kissed her. "I'm glad that you feel so confident." she started to drag him down their corridor. "Come in? I want to ask you something and I do not want prying ears to hear."

"Sure thing."

When they got to her room, she locked the door.

"Okay. I have to know now. Are you planning to become a Death Eater?"

Draco gave her a puzzled look. "No, I don't want to be a Death Eater. Father says I have other plans. I am trusting you with this information. I spoke to Dumbledore about this very same thing the last day of term. I told him that father wants me to be a Death Eater and that I don't want to become one. So, as soon as we graduate, I'm going to become a member of the Order of the Phoenix and I'm going to be Uncle Severus' back up spy."

"But wouldn't that be dangerous?"

"That's the whole point! I live for the danger." Draco looked down at his watch. "Good Merlin! It's nearly one thirty! You, my love, should be in bed." Draco stood up and kissed her forehead again. "I will be here to wake you up in the morning." When he got to the door, he turned back. "Good night Hermione."

Hermione smiled at Draco. "Good night."