A/N: Thank you for your patience, now back to our originally scheduled program.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't my brain child. My bank account can vouch for that.

CHAPTER SIX

Draco stepped out of the shower and healed the blazing red cuts over his chest and biceps. His little stunt with the knickers dredged up horrific dreams - memory fragments twisted by his worst fears of what could have happened all those years ago. He had punished himself but he wouldn't let them ruin this evening. He hadn't had someone who could match him when it came to the game of courting for a long while. With Granger's temper and apparent loose morals, tonight should be interesting.

As he applied his mint aftershave, he remembered how good Granger smelled in her office. She smelled warm like bergamot and coffee. Either she spent a lot of time in the shop or the smell permeates her flat. Regardless, he hoped she smelled like that tonight. He spritzed himself with his sandalwood cologne.

After pulling on his bespoke black two piece suit, complete with a white Oxford and a black tie, he ran some product through his hair and went downstairs to prepare some drinks in the living room's wet bar. As he poured himself a tumbler of scotch his Floo roared alive.

She looked stunning. Well, the back of her did. As she stepped out of the Floo she was getting a sense of the unfamiliar room and faced away from him. His eyes memorized every freckle, dimple and curve of her exposed back. She turned and did not disappoint. Her eyes were lined with thick lashes and liner, her skin, normally lightly freckled, was creamy and flawless, and her lips, Merlin, those lips were dabbed with a touch of gloss.

"I clean up pretty nice, don't I?" Granger spread her arms and twisted her hips to show off how the dress hugged every inch of her torso.

Draco chuffed a laugh, mastering a face of indifference and brought his tumbler of scotch to his lips, "Not bad at all, Granger. Scotch? Vodka?" Not bad was an understatement but he wouldn't tell her that. Based on the confidence she was exuding she knew how lush she looked in the dress. He was impressed, Definitely not the same buck toothed swot from school.

"I'm not picky," she replied as she made herself comfortable on his light grey sofa. She sniffed the glass as he handed it to her and took a seat across from her. "Gin. How very proper of you," she took a sip, "Of course, it's the best bloody gin I've ever had."

"Like I said, the veterans are funding my lifestyle." They shared a dark laugh. "So I must ask again, Granger. How is it, you work, what sixty hours a week at a desk, and you look like this?" Draco gestured to her body.

"I take a Muggle boxing class three times a week. So if you do anything tonight I don't like I can kill you with or without magic," she teased then took another sip of gin. "And you?" She gestured to his body in the same fashion he did.

"Genetics and Quidditch twice a week. Speaking of things you do and don't like, let's see if you were kind enough to wear my gift."

With the same quick gesture of his fingers as she had seen before, the bullet in her knickers roared to life. She squeezed her eyes shut and sucked in her lips as her body reacted immediately to the sensation. When she opened her eyes he was kneeling directly in front of her, slowly lifting her dress skirt.

"What are you -"

"Shh," Draco cut her off, "we can't have this making noise all night." He lazily ran his fingers up her inner thighs, coaxing her to spread her legs before cupping her mound. His heart was racing as he whispered a Muffliato charm. "You'll have to get a better poker face than that if you want to keep this a secret tonight." He ceased the vibrating, smirked and stood abruptly to discreetly adjust his growing desire. Draco held a hand out to her, "Come on, don't want to be too fashionably late."

She downed the last of her gin, took his hand and stood. She so close to him their bodies were nearly pressed together.

He leaned down to once again brush her hair over her shoulder. He planted a brief kiss on her neck and inhaled her sweet scent, "Oh, we're going to have so much fun tonight, Granger."

Stepping out of the Floo, Hermione didn't feel any less nervous. Or was she excited? She couldn't tell. All she knew was she had to master having a straight face tonight.

The room reminded her of the Great Hall at Hogwarts during the Yule ball in their fourth year. This only appeared to be the foyer of the event. Next to two sets of very large doors she spied Luna and Neville talking to a familiar tall dark haired man.

"A little ostentatious, no?" Malfoy politely asked.

"Well yeah, it's a Malfoy party. I wouldn't expect anything less," Hermione jested.

"This isn't this Malfoy's taste. My Mother insisted on being the event coordinator, so this is her handy work."

His mother? The woman who allowed her sister to torture and mutilate her. The mother of the man she was expecting to shag tonight. She was to meet his bloody mother in a normal, social fashion as if the Malfoy matriarch didn't want Hermione under her designer heels. "Maybe I should…" Hermione turned for the Floo.

Malfoy grabbed her upper arm, "Although I'm sure you could flip me right now, please stay. After nearly ten years of being a social outcast, she's learned that her racist ideologies aren't exactly popular. Besides, we haven't even started our game yet." He cocked his eyebrow as the pill in her knickers buzzed twice.

Hermione let out a small moan of anger and pleasure. "Fine," she bit out. "I'll stay. But if she, or you for that matter, makes a scene or nasty comments, I'm gone."

Malfoy held up both his hands in surrender, "Fair is fair. Now, let's go say hi to Luna and Neville. There's someone you ought to see who, I promise, isn't a racist biddy."

Draco led Granger through the crowd of people into the ballroom Luna, Neville and Theo had disappeared through. The look of wonderment on Granger's face was priceless. The grand room was a chilly white, but was warmed by the hints of red and gold across table dressings and other comfier furniture around the room. Floating sparkling lights filled the room, the ceiling was enchanted to snow up to about a metre over Draco's head, and each table was beautifully decorated with white and red poinsettias. Granger's reaction was warranted, Mother outdid herself this year.

Neville noticed Draco and waved them over. Neville's eyes nearly fell out of his head when he saw Granger.

"Hermione," he smiled as they approached, "you look incredible!"

Granger let out a laugh, "Thank you, Neville. It's an art that only comes about every decade or so. I assume, this is who I was to meet; Theo, right?"

Theo took her hand and kissed the back of it while in an obscenely low bow, "Evening, Granger. You're looking just ravishing. I would assume, seeing as you're not quite my cuppa tea." He winked at her and his eyes, for the briefest of moments, flicked in Neville's direction.

Draco appeared to be the only one who noticed. "Alright, mate?" He asked Theo knowingly. Theo nodded and Draco set off to find a waiter to get everyone some drinks. When he returned Granger was questioning how he and Theo stayed in touch.

"After the War I was unhireable, for some strange reason. So Drake took me in as Chief Operating Officer at Malfoy Industries and I've been working under him ever since. Although I'm sure ye don't mind it, it's not the most pleasant position for me." Theo wickedly winked at Granger.

Her cheeks flushed and Draco took the moment into his own hands. With the flick of his fingers he engaged the secret nestled between Granger's legs and he heard a sharp intake of breath through her nose. They made searing eye contact from across their small group before Granger seemingly refocused on whatever nonsense Luna was spouting about.

Draco had to bite the inside of his cheeks from smiling. Merlin, this is good! She's actually playing along! His mouth was practically watering from anticipation.

A twist of white and black hair caught Draco's eye and he excused himself from the group before ceasing Granger's torment, at which she visibly relaxed.

"Hello, Mother," Draco greeted his events coordinator with a peck on the cheek. "Beautiful party. Thanks for arranging it."

Narcissa smiled up at her son, "You're welcome, dear. Are you enjoying yourself? Am I correct in hearing your date is Hermione Granger?"

"Yes, I am. She's not my date, she's here visiting with our old classmates." Draco felt his hackles rising. He didn't relish the idea of his mother's scheming with Granger involved. "There's nothing going on between us, so wipe that look off your face."

"She's quite beautiful, isn't she?" Narcissa gave a small smile and wave to Granger who was watching the silent conversation from across the ballroom.

"Perhaps. But we wouldn't want to muddy up the bloodline, now would we?" Draco sneered.

Narcissa smacked Draco across the arm, "Oh Draco, stop it. Give credit, where credit is due. I've donated to Muggle-born charities, coordinated their events free of charge. Hell, I've even started paying my sodding house Elves at your request. What more can I possibly do to amend what happened?"

Draco took a deep breath, feeling the usual tingle of a panic attack coming on. "You're right, Mother. I apologize, I shouldn't make a scene at your party. Pick somewhere for us to get breakfast together on Christmas day. Enjoy your evening." He pecked her on the cheek again and made a quick exit to a deserted balcony.

He braced his hands on the railing and leaned his head forward, taking painfully deep breaths and holding. Just as the feeling was passing, he heard someone join him.

"That looked bad," Granger dryly commented.

"I don't want to talk about it," Draco dangerously growled.

Impervious to the threat, Granger responded, "Good, because I don't really want to pretend to listen."

He stood up straight, slowly and looked at her profile that staring out over the city skyline. "What happened to you to make you like this?"

Granger shrugged and cast her glance sideways to him, "What happened to you to make you like this?"

Draco sighed and returned to facing over the balcony ledge, hands clasped, forearms rested over the railing. "'War is a curious thing, don't you think?'" Luna had said that line to him many times over their years of friendship.

"Yeah," she agreed knowingly.

When they returned inside, groups had dispersed to make room on the dance floor for couples to sway slowly to the music playing. Hermione didn't recognise it, but it was a hauntingly festive piano accompanied by flutes, violins and a deep male melodic voice.

"Lorcan d'Eath," Malfoy answered her thoughtful face as he pulled her to dance floor and embraced her as he led their dance. "He was a half vampire singer. Very popular with the witches."

"I've never heard of him. It's very beautiful." She felt her cheeks fill with blood as his fingers lightly grazed up and down her spine at the small of her back. His fingers drummed against her skin and she felt the vibrations pick up again. She was happy their encounter on the balcony hadn't derailed the evening plans she had anticipated.

Malfoy held her tight against him and bent down to whisper in her ear, "Tell me when you're close."

His voice was like honey and it send a rush of heat to her stomach. Hermione laid her cheek against his chest to hide part of her face as they swayed. Her knees became weaker and weaker as the song went on. Her knickers were soaked through and she could feel herself leaking between her thighs as she clenched her muscles. She could feel his heart was racing as fast as hers but her breathing was far more erratic. She glanced up at him, he was calmly staring at a wall over her head as if he wasn't supporting most of her weight. Tears started pricking at her eyes as she was reaching her peak and squeezed his hand clasped in hers, "Now."

The vibrations stopped and he pulled back from her causing her to stumble. He grinned wickedly and kissed her cheek, "Thank you for coming out tonight, Granger. I had a wonderful time. I'll see you in a week." With that, Malfoy strode from the room and disappeared through a Floo.

Standing in the middle of the dance floor, humiliated and soaked between her legs, she felt her fury in a way she had never felt before. She stormed from the room, hoping no one noticed her flushed face and neck and Flooed back to her own flat. She pulled the ruined knickers down past her knees as she was barely out of the sooty hearth and starting rubbing herself furiously.

She imagined hitting him in the face, causing him to fall to the floor. Binding him with an Incarcerous and riding him for her own pleasure. It didn't take long for her to come after the evening she had. As she came down from her orgasm, she snarled loudly to no one.

Fuck Malfoy! Fuck that bloody tosser! Seven years worth of humiliation wasn't enough, now he had to ruin sex for her? The one ruddy thing she had control over!

She screamed in frustration at her own stupidity at letting herself even imagine having Draco fucking Malfoy as a sexual partner. She knew this would happen and she did nothing to stop it.

"You did this to yourself, you insufferable know-it-all," Hermione scolded herself out loud.

"Hey, where did Drake get off to?"

Theo glanced over his shoulder to see Pansy sit at his empty table. "Hey, I don't know. Last I saw he was dancing with Granger."

Pansy's eyebrow cocked amusedly, "He brought Granger as a date? Huh, I guess he may have been fibbing when he said he didn't talk to her much."

Theo's eyes were glued across the room on Neville and Luna dancing wildly across the room. "Yeh I suppose, but she seemed pretty insistent they weren't here as a couple."

"Oh yeah? You spoke with her?" Pansy asked following his gaze.

Theo shrugged, "Somewhat. We mainly just talked about work." He cleared his throat and looked down at his drink. "Do ye want another water or tea?"

"No." Pansy stared at her best friend, "Longbottom?"

"Longbottom." He sullenly confirmed, eyes downcast.

Pansy felt a swell of panic in her chest, wishing Drake was here to help talk him down. "Please don't go disappear again. Last time you were gone for a whole week. I just got you back," she reached into his lap and squeezed his hand.

Theo glanced up to see Luna heading towards the exit and Neville approaching the table with a small, boyish grin on his face. Theo sighed roughly and rubbed his face, "Alright, fine. I won't go. But ye fecking owe me, woman. All that I do for ye people, I can't believe I was sorted into Slytherin. Alright, Neville?"

Neville plopped himself down in a chair next to Pansy, "Yeah! I love these sort of celebrations. It reminds me of the Yule ball in Hogwarts! I was last to arrive in my dorm, even Seamus was in bed before I got back!"

Luna sat next to Theo as the song changed and Neville held his hand out to Pansy.

"Might I have this dance, Ms Parkinson?"

Pansy took his hand and followed him to the dance floor, "Oh you Gryffindor men, keeping chivalry alive." Looking teasingly over her shoulder at Theo who flipped her two fingers.

Rarely ever alone with Lovegood, Theo was unsure of what to say, "How's it, Luna?"

"I'm on the lookout for Nargles. They often infest mistletoe, you know," she replied gazing at the poinsettia centerpiece.

"I didn't know that. While our dates are busy, could I accompany ye on your hunt?" Theo stood.

"That's nice of you. I haven't checked the upstairs yet," she replied following his lead.

Once they arrived at the massive stairwell, Theo started pulling down mistletoe sprigs for Luna to investigate. Hoping Narcissa wouldn't walk by and give him a tongue lashing for undoing all her hard work.

"Thank you for going with Neville on his runs. He doesn't seem to know when to stop and hurts himself worse each time," Luna remarked as she inspected the sprig in his hand and shook her head when she deemed it Nargle-free.

"He told ye about that?" Theo asked, feeling a little awkward. "It's no problem, like I told him, running couldn't hurt my growing gut." He chuckled lightly before growing serious again, "Besides he hasn't owled me about a run since I offered, I had to go to him while ye were in Chelsea. So it might just be an offer left on the table."

"He went on a run at the end of November, he didn't need his cane. I wonder if he didn't push himself so hard so he could dance. Neville loves to dance." She was quiet for a few moments before she seemed to find her train of thought again. "I think you were away on one of your trips. Did you go somewhere pleasant?"

"No." Theo growled, feeling anger grow in his chest at Neville's broken promise. Well speak of the devil and he shall appear. He watched Neville stroll across the foyer to the mens toilets. "Do ye mind continuing on your own, I have to hit the loo."

Theo entered the toilets behind Neville, checked for other intruders and wordlessly locked and silenced the room. He waited until Neville was done at the urinal before launching into his attack.

"Oh, hi Theo. Are you enjoying yourself?" Neville asked brightly as he dried off his freshly washed hands.

"I was hunting Nargles with your girlfriend until she told me a funny story. Would ye like to hear it? It's about a man who runs for some fecking reason even though it causes him to use a ruddy cane. This man explicitly promised his friend he would call him for his runs. Yet he didn't. I suppose it's not very funny, but quite relatable, yeh?" Theo had backed Neville against the tiled wall during his story.

Neville's face cracked with guilt and fear, "I-I'm sorry Theo, I knew you were away and you don't like to be disturbed so I thought…"

Theo let out a loud frustrated breath and hung his hands limply at his side, "You're right. I was. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at ye. I'm not planning to go away any time soon, so write me. Even if I'm away. Ulysses, Drake's owl can always find me." Theo's hand was gripping Neville's forearm and slide down tentatively to hold his hand.

Neville stared down at the clasped hands, his breath shaking as it came out. "Okay. I'm sorry I worried you. I'm okay, though. I was fine after our run and you saw me dancing," he flashed that boyish grin that made Theo's heart splinter.

He smiled back at Neville, "Yeh, I did. Ye'll have to teach me sometime. I have two left feet."

Slowly, Neville put his arm around Theo's waist and pulled him close, "You can put your hand on my shoulder or on my waist, I suppose there isn't a protocol for two men." He raised their clasped hands in the air and started to move them in a simple box step. Theo chose Neville's waist. His heart jumped at the taught muscle under his hand. In that moment Theo felt a little self conscious about his flabbier body and vowed to get into better shape. Even if Neville was only interested in birds, it wouldn't hurt to be leaner.

"How do ye know I wouldn't need to know how to lead a woman?" Theo teased.

Neville smiled and shook his head, "I may be forgetful, but I'm not dense. Besides, I don't think Pansy cares if you can sway in one spot or move your feet in a box like this."

Neville looked down at their feet and realised for the first time how close their bodies were. Only mere centimetres separated their level chests. Neville cleared his throat, growing uncomfortable at the fluttering in his chest, "For the box step, it's just one foot forward, or backward in my case, left foot follows, left foot steps to the right, right foot follows. Yeah, just like that. Right foot back, left follows, left to starting position and right follows. Brilliant! You now know how to dance!"

Theo wiggled his hips in a ridiculously exaggerated fashion as they continued to step, "I'm a natural, I won't be able to keep the men off me!"

Neville laughed while he stopped the step and made to let go of the other man, but Theo gently pulled Neville against the entire length of his body. Neville could feel Theo's equally elevated heart rate, which couldn't have been from their leisurely dancing.

Theo cocked his head and whispered in Neville's ear, "Thank ye for the free lesson. I'll have to pay ye back somehow," he paused, seemingly wanting to say more but caught himself. "Happy Christmas, Neville." With a squeeze, Theo let go and stepped back.

Neville could feel his cheeks were full of blood as he smiled at Theo, "Happy Christmas, Theo." He held the door open for Theo then went to find Luna. His long time partner. To go back to their home. Neville's heart sank and he felt the desire to run home, but fought it. He'd made a promise he didn't intend on breaking.