Chapter Four

"Malfoy! Haha! What is that?" hooted Craig. Everyone burst out laughing except for me and him, still staring at each other in disbelief.

"Wait…That's your last name, Drake?" questioned Lisa between giggles.

"No, it's a nickname that stuck," he scowled at them, which only caused more snorts to erupt. He turned back to me. "What are you doing here, Granger?" Ah, how familiar that snap is. How I have not missed it.

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?"

"I don't think that's any of your business," he snapped as he did that annoying curling of the lip thing he always did. I clenched my fists.

I remembered the part he took in Dumbledore's death so long ago. It still heated my blood to boiling point. Shortly after the news got out, he disappeared. No one knew where he was, despite the searches from the Ministry. Not to mention by Harry, Ron, and myself.

"How do you guys know each other anyways? Did you used to go to high school together or something?" asked Dave.

"Something like that…" I said between grinding my teeth.

Lisa stopped chuckling and looked up sharply at us. She knew all about my school. I was too angry to care.

"I'm going to talk to him for a second, alright?" I waited for no reply and dragged him to the back exit. It led us to a deserted ally that stank of garbage and cat dung.

"What do you want, Granger?" I pushed him forcefully down the stairs.

I walked up to him, full of pent- up anger. "What do I want? I want to know what the hell you're doing in New York!"

"I could ask the same of you." I did not hesitate.

"Excuse me! I'm not the one who was involved with killing Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of our time!" A small part of me inside realized guiltily that I was involved with the deaths of a lot more people than one.

"That was eons ago, Granger. Get over yourself." I hated how calm he remained. So I yelled even more.

"You disappear altogether from the bloody Wizarding world, and where do I find you? Escaping all your consequences in a club in New York City!"

"Well, isn't that a bit hypocritical of you?" He came a few steps toward me. "Just what are you escaping from, Ms. Perfect Prude? Oh, and nice prostitute costume, by the way." I looked down at my clothing and blushed in spite of myself.

"I'm not escaping anything! I'm on vacation!" A bold- faced lie.

"I'm so sure. As if Hermione Granger takes vacations." He turned around and pulled something out of his pocket. After he lit it, I realized what it was.

"You're smoking!"

"Wow," he clapped sarcastically while holding his cigarette, "you are the smartest witch ever." He stuck it in his mouth.

Infuriated, I snatched the cigarette in the middle of an inhale and threw it on the ground.

He stalked menacingly close to me. "Listen up, and listen good, girl. This is my territory so you better not mess with me. You think you know me, Granger, but you haven't got a clue."

This startled me and for a moment, I was a bit speechless. However, I resumed my posture and said sarcastically, "I'm shaking." Trying to look self- assured, I walked back up the stairs. Before I turned the handle, I looked back at him. "You don't want to mess with me either, Malfoy. I have contacts with the Ministry of Magic and I'm sure you don't want your location revealed by a certain witch."

I didn't pause for him to respond. After I was safely on the other side of the door, I leaned against it and gave a sigh.

This was just bloody brilliant.

How was I supposed to mind my own peacefully with Draco Malfoy around?

I sat down on a stool by the bar. The bartender came over and said, "You're the girl Lisa brought here, am I right?" I nodded. "Well then, would you like a topper?"

I was about to shake my head, but instead said, "What the heck. A few toppers it is."

And a while after that, everything became hazy.

I realized that I was getting drunk, but the bartender kept filling up my glass, and I just couldn't resist. Whatever this man was feeding me, it was bloody delicious.

I lost track of how many glasses I downed. Probably over fifteen. The vision was fuzzy at the edges and I knew that if I got up, I would fall. Somehow, I found that funny. I started laughing out of nowhere.

Dave sidled up onto the seat next to me. Well, I think it was Dave. I couldn't be sure because my vision and memory was a bit off at the time. He took one look at me and smirked. "A little tipsy, are we?"

I took a moment to gather up speech. "I…am not drunk…you." I couldn't very well say a name if I wasn't sure who it was.

"Oh yeah? Try standing."

"I will!" I declared. Big mistake. The moment my feet touched the floor, I lost balance. I somehow found myself in mystery man's arms.

"Whatever. If I were you, I'd lay off the Seduction's Allure's."

"My God, is that what I've been drinking all this time?"

"Yup."

"Well, it was bloody good!" He laughed.

"Well, glad to see you've discovered the world of alcohol. There's Lisa."

Lisa turned around to the sight of me stumbling to get to her with practically my whole body weight on the very sexy boy next to me.

"What happened to her?" she laughed.

"Seduction's Allure," he simply said.

"Ah," she said in understanding. Well, she can sit with Heath here. He's a bit stoned as well."

"No way!" I broke free of his grasp, and surprisingly stood my ground. "I don't want to sit down! I want to dance!"

I walked resolutely to the dance floor, and there was the first time I tried dirty dancing.

The kind of dancing everyone finds appalling, but secretly harbors the desire to try it out without accusing glares coming our way. And in my drunken state, I lived out that fantasy.

I danced wildly with men whose name I did not know, I let them touch me where they pleased as long as they on the right side of the line, and all reserve was out the window.

"Hey! Who knew you were such a wild thing?" I turned around to face Kyle.

I laughed out loud and began dancing with him.

"Ooh, filthy!" he laughed.

All of a sudden, the music quieted and someone began to speak from the stage.

"How's everyone doing tonight?" I looked over at the stage and saw a well- dressed man who was speaking into a microphone.

Everyone applauded and screamed as loud as they could. Afterwards, a male voice shouted out, "Turn the music back on!" Appreciative laughter.

"Very funny, Craig!" the man directed toward the front of the audience good- naturedly.

"Anyways, sign-ups for the singing competition are here and now! And listen: if you suck, please do not sign up." Everyone laughed and called out joking cries of indignation. He put his hands up in defense. "Nothing personal, people, but this is a five- thousand dollar grand prize here! We're not looking for William Hung here; we're looking for Kelly Clarkson!"

I hadn't a clue who either of them were but I cheered along with everyone.

"Sign-ups are right here. First fifty people!" Immediately, people began to swarm the stage.

"Sounds fun!" I thought aloud.

A mean laugh sounded behind me. Obviously Malfoy. "You're not actually thinking of entering, are you? With your voice, you'd probably sound the alarms."

I angrily turned to face him. "Oh yeah? As if your voice is any more charming. I'm sure if people don't laugh at your ridiculous name, they'd start when they hear you sing!"

He smirked. "Care to make a little wager on that, smart ass?"

"As a matter of fact, I would!"

"Good. I'll sign us up." He left swiftly, leaving me confused and dazed.

Keep in mind that I was drunk when I agreed to this. I had never sung in my life except for a little humming here and there, and maybe when I was washing my hair.

In my drunken haze, I just forgot about it and continued dancing and drinking. I didn't see Malfoy for the rest of the night.

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Unfortunately, it did not last the next day.

I woke up in the living room of Lisa's flat. My head was pounding like a drum, and I started to regret drinking all those Seduction's Allures, however delicious they were. I looked around the room and realized that along with me, the whole group was there. Dave was draped on a chair, Heath and Craig were both sprawled on the floor, and Kyle was curled up on the sofa, as was I on the other side.

And where was Draco? He was calmly preparing breakfast in her tiny kitchen, looking clean- cut in jeans and completely sober. It irritated me.

I checked the walls for a clock. Finding none, I reached over and shook Kyle.

"Kyle. Kyle. Kyle!"

"What, dude?" he grumbled against a pillow.

"What time is it?"

He mumbled something incoherent that I didn't catch. "What?"

"He said go away, he's trying to sleep." I turned my head to find Draco walking toward me with a plate of food. The smell of bacon and eggs wafted toward the air around me. I suddenly realized how hungry I was.

"Why is everyone here? How did I get here? I don't remember." Expressionless, he set down a glass of juice for me and said, "I carried you."

I nearly choked on the bacon I was chewing on, which was very delicious, by the way. Very surprising.

"You're joking me!" He shook his head. He pulled up a chair and ate next to me. He was very elegant about all this considering where he was.

After a while, I asked, "Was I heavy?"

He smirked at me and said, "Light as a feather."

After some more silence, he spoke. "I don't suppose you remember our little bet."

I drew a blank. "What bet?"

"Singing competition? Sign-ups?" He was toying with me!

It rang a bell, but I didn't grasp it all yet.

Then it hit me. I choked. "No way! I'm not doing it!"

His smile was wider then I'd ever seen it. "Too bad. You signed up, and now you are obligated to do it. You'll be competing against me and forty- eight others."

"You're kidding me! I'm not singing! I don't sing."

"Sorry, Granger, but you can't back down now." He looked anything but sorry. In fact, he looked quite giddy at my despair. "Now to settle the matter of what our winning shall consist of."

I stood up. "I don't think you understand. Let me repeat myself. I do not sing. Ever."

He still ignored me. He tapped his chin and said thoughtfully, "What to do, what to do…"

"Malfoy! Are you deaf or are you just stupid? Read my lips. I'm. Not. Singing. Forget. It."

He stood up and towered over me. "Are my senses deceiving me, or is Hermione Granger backing down from a challenge against Draco Malfoy? Can you really cope with that thought? Can you really cope with me gloating about it from now on and forevermore? Can you stand the shame that comes along with giving up? Face it, Granger, you're trapped."

His smile was so mocking and superior, I wanted to smack him. But also, at the same time, an unexpected wave of sexual attraction hit me and it completely caught me off guard. I merely looked at him. I quickly took a breath and said, "Fine. What are the wages?"

He smirked that little irritating yet sexy smirk of his, and said, "If I win, you do anything I say for a week. And when I say anything…" He leaned down so his breath tickled my ear, and whispered seductively, "I mean everything."

God, he was so hot it was sinful. It wasn't even remotely fair.

Somehow I kept my cool and retorted, "Well, same goes for me then. Anything and everything, you must obey."

He chuckled and whispered, "I wouldn't have it any other way…Hermione."

Argh! It wasn't just! Breathless he made me, and yet I wanted to strangle him.

Before I could say one more thing, he swept back into the kitchen, just as the guys started to wake up.

I flopped back onto the couch and thought to myself, What the bloody hell did I get myself into?