After leaving the Great Hall, Hermione and Ginny collapsed into fits of giggles.
Hermione had to lean against the nearest wall, she was laughing so hard.
Ginny joined her on the wall, and when they had regained their breath, she looked over at Hermione, an small smile twitching the corner of her mouth.
"You were awesome Hermione!" she crowed, and then, through more giggles she managed;
"You. Should. Have. Seen. Malfoy's face! He was breathing so heavily I thought he'd have an orgasm right them and there! Oh my gosh!!!" she doubled over and laughed until tears ran down her face.
Hermione grinned back at her and said "I swear I saw a puddle of drool near those boy's feet. Merlin it feels good to have a laugh! And his face! He didn't know what hit him! I saw his expression when we left and he was just like…" she let her mouth gape and her eyes open as wide as possible.
Ginny giggled and then slapped her on the back.
"This is going to be all around the school by lunchtime you realise?"
Hermione's grin faded a little, but it was replaced by a look of grim determination.
"I don't care, so long as he realises how much of a mistake he made, and I get my revenge."
She looked sideways at Ginny and smiled wryly, saying, "It's probably best if I put the second part of my plan into action today isn't it? Draw the attention away from my little…show…this morning."
Ginny grinned at her and said "Well, you could wait until next week for the next lesson, but I think this week is best. Keep the memories fresh in his mind."
She waved goodbye to Hermione and walked away, leaving Hermione to stand in the corridor and relive the moment.
She grinned happily and pushed herself off the wall, walking to her next class without a backward glance.
If she had looked, she would have seen a handsome, blonde haired boy, leaning against the door of a nearby classroom, his arms crossed and a puzzled expression on his face as he watched her walk away.
Time lapse (of about three lessons)
Hermione bounced up and down in her seat excitedly.
She had known about the Dance classes since a few days before school started – being Head Girl gave you certain privileges like that.
But Professor McGonagall had just announced it as certain, and now she knew that it was to happen that afternoon, after all their classes, in the charms room, and they were to have theirs with the Slytherins.
She had known that it was almost certain they would be together; classes in Seventh Year normally were Gryffindor/Slytherin and Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw.
This seemed to be some kind of evil, twisted plot concocted by Dumbledore, but for once Hermione felt only gratitude towards the old man.
He had made revenge so much easier.
She was alone in the room now, McGonagall having left minutes earlier.
Hermione stopped fidgeting and held herself tightly to the chair.
As soon as he walks through that door…
She breathed in deeply and stood up.
Walking to the mirror that spanned the opposite wall, she checked herself from head to toe;
Hair out, curls no longer frizzy, the work of one fantastically gifted Ginny, sleek and shiny, cascading down her satin clad back.
Blue top, plenty of cleavage.
She adjusted herself quickly in the mirror so that plenty of skin was showing.
That'll shock him, she thought with satisfaction.
She sleeked her hands down smooth, black, tight-fitting pants, and turned around, trying to catch a glimpse of herself from the back.
She smiled triumphantly as she saw how well her pants fitted.
As she walked back to her chair, she nearly tripped on her very high high-heels.
Lucky I practised in these, she thought, smiling ruefully as she rubbed her ankle.
She glanced once more to the mirror and sat perfectly still in her chair.
Two minutes later, students began streaming in.
She saw Harry and Ron enter the room and raised her hand out of habit.
She sighed when they deliberately turned away from her and stood on the other side of the room.
Oh well, she thought miserably, no time for feelings now. Just execute my plan and get it over with.
Finally, Draco entered the room, followed closely by Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle.
Pansy clung desperately to his arm, limpet-like, and Hermione was glad to see that he didn't enjoy the attention.
In fact, after a few seconds, he shook his arm so vigorously that even her vice-like grip couldn't hold, and then he told her to "go and suck someone else's blood, you ugly vampire."
Pansy nearly started crying at the cold look on his face, and, much as Hermione hated her, she found herself staring fiercely at Malfoy.
He seemed to sense her bone-meltingly evil glare, because he turned, and, seeing her, he looked away quickly with a barely suppressed groan.
Hermione smirked and tapped a finger on her thigh.
After a few more moments of silence, Flitwick entered the room, his head barely visible over the throng of students.
He walked to the front and rapped on the desk with his wand, causing everyone to turn quickly to the front.
"Time to start students!" he shrilled loudly, and waved his wand so that a waltz began to float around the room.
"Find a partner! Boys and girls, no same sex partners please!"
There was a general muttering and the boys seemed to gravitate towards the opposite wall as one, none looking at the girls, as though afraid they might receive some kind of horrible disease or be shunned forever from the ranks of men if they dared to approach a girl.
Hermione raised her eyebrows at Flitwick and he took this a signal to initiate their plan.
She had asked him to partner her with Draco, and he had seemed to find it a captivating idea, possibly because she had made it look as though she fancied him, rather than that she was wishing to commence revenging her pride.
He clapped his hands and proceeded to call out partners.
"Mister Potter, Miss Parkinson!"
Hermione glanced quickly over to gouge their reactions.
Harry was looking disgusted and had to be physically pushed forwards before he made his way towards Pansy, herself looking as though she had just been forced to eat something disgusting.
"Mister Weasley, Miss Brown!"
Ron looked as though he was about to have a heart attack as he saw Lavender glaring at him from across the room and stumbled forwards, turning purple as he took her hand and lead her across the dance floor.
She held her hand limply in his, Hermione could see, even from across the room. She felt a savage pleasure in this and had to look away before she did something she might regret.
"Mister Malfoy, Miss Granger!"
The room went quiet, as they all turned to see how these two known enemies would react.
Hermione seemed strangely calm, almost as though she had been expecting it, and after the initial look of terror, Draco raised his eyebrows seductively before smirking at the outrage on Hermione's face.
She made no move to approach him and eventually he walked forward and extended his hand.
She took it, grasping his fingers so firmly that he yelped and pulling him, none too gently, into the centre of the room.
She looked him up and down disdainfully and then turned her body so that she was holding him in the correct position.
He looked at her in surprise, amazed that she might know how to dance.
Then again, possibly not such a shocker.
Professor Flitwick called out the rest of the partners, and, when he had made sure everyone held each other properly, he started the music again, holding out his hand for a pretty fifth year girl who had volunteered to help teach the classes.
"Now, I want everyone to follow my steps please!"
He showed them the waltz, and the students copied his movements.
Draco and Hermione were by far the best partnership in the class, moving with the ease and fluid grace that comes from many dance lessons.
Draco looked down at her as he danced, thinking.
For some reason, he loved the way her body moved against his, the poise with which she held herself.
He felt as though, watching her dance, dancing with her, he saw a little of what might be going on in her mind.
She was a wonderful dancer, no doubt about that.
It was amazing to think that he had his arms around her, in such a way as any other may have thought showed their closeness.
But there was no closeness apart from physical, and they would never be any closer than this.
Neither wished it so.
Her steps were perfect, but there was a look of complete boredom on her face as she repeated the steps over and over, holding him close, but without any passion.
Eventually Flitwick turned off the waltz and the students all looked at him.
"This, students, will be much too difficult for you to do yet, but Annabelle and I will show you, as Miss Granger requested earlier that we have a demonstration of this beautiful and passionate dance."
He started a tango, his rhythm perfect, his steps beautifully conducted.
There was nothing but a mechanical cadence in his steps however, and Annabelle was not showing any of the enthusiasm that was required for this dance.
Draco leant down and said softly into Hermione's ear, "that isn't right…there isn't any passion, any sexual tension. That's everything the dance is about."
He shook his head, Hermione feeling the movement as his blonde hair tickled her cheek.
Her heart pounded but she put it down to nerves, nothing more.
She nodded against his chest, feeling him falling, falling, into her spider's web…nearly there…
Eventually they stopped and everyone clapped without interest.
Flitwick waved his wand and bowed to the class, and then to Annabelle.
Then he walked out, leaving the class to talk eagerly of their first lesson.
Hermione looked up at Draco through lowered lashes and said deviously, "Bet you couldn't do that, Malfoy."
Draco narrowed his eyes, trying to see some kind of trap, but, seeing nothing, fell right into it.
"'Course I could. I'm a brilliant tango dancer. I bet you couldn't do it."
"Try me."
He raised an eyebrow and then, as she kept looking at him, he leant slowly, brushing his lips on her collar bone, and whispered onto her bare skin,
"If you insist."
She shivered a little at the feeling of his skin on hers, his mouth so soft...
She narrowed her eyes at him and pushed him away quickly.
He smirked and reached forwards, pulling her back into his arms.
Still looking at her, he raised one arm and waved his wand, making the tango music begin to play softly.
The class looked around to find the source, only to see Draco and Hermione standing in starting position, Hermione glaring furiously at him, Draco looking as though he were enjoying her rage, a beatific smile on his face.
Hermione snarled and Draco smirked, watching her face carefully.
He loved getting a reaction out of her; so, so much.
The beat quickened and Hermione tightened her grip on his arm, locking her gaze on his.
The room was completely still, watching hungrily to see what would happen next.
They moved backwards, forwards, at the same time, their eyes only on each other, Hermione feeling her tension floating away as she became lost in the music.
Suddenly Draco had leant her backwards and his mouth was on her neck.
She could feel his breath, hot and spicy on her skin, as he whispered "Let's give them something to watch, shall we?"
Finally, she thought, pushing herself back upright and unleashing her hold on Draco's arm.
She held his hand tightly and tango-walked away from him, looking over her shoulder seductively at him, watching his eyes travel down her body to the tight fabric of her trousers.
He pulled her back in to his body, her hands on his chest, and she looked up at him, smirking slightly.
His arms were around her body and she pushed herself away, holding his hands and then pulling herself back in, stepping lightly away, then lifting her knee and the heel of her foot outwards, and slowly moving, his eyes transfixed by her leg.
Then she stretched her leg out fast, putting her foot down as though she was stabbing the floor.
He reacted instantly, pulling her towards him, and she placed her arms slowly around his shoulders, then letting them stray down his arms, her right leg twisting around his body so that her back was up against his side and her calf was against his back.
His arms travelled down to her waist so that he was holding her steady and she let her leg down slowly, feeling it move against his waist with satisfaction.
They started stepping backwards, the music growing faster, Hermione's heels snapping sharply on the floor, her knees moving rapidly.
As she moved forward and he looked at her, his face close, she leant forwards, he stepping back, her feet still on the ground and her arms around his neck.
Her toes were touching the floor, but every other part of her body was leant against him, total trust in her stance.
He moved quickly forwards, pushing her up gently and his hands on her hips.
She let her own travel to his shoulders again, and she stepped a leg over his, so that when he stepped backwards, she was again leant against him, but this time straddling his leg.
He looked down at her, shocked, and she smiled upwards.
Draco pushed her up again, and they stepped to the side in perfect unison, her hips moving seductively and pressed against his own so that he moaned quietly.
She twirled away from him and then quickly back, holding her arms around his waist and pulling him flush against her body.
Her arms found their way around his neck again and she looked him straight in the eye as she lowered herself down, down…
Then she let her leg stretch out behind her, one knee bent, her face looking upwards at him, an expression of total passion on her face.
He pulled her slowly to her feet as the music slowly faded and she tightened her grip on him.
"One more thing, Malfoy."
She held his eyes with hers and placed a finger on his chest.
She ran it down his chest, down to where the button of his jeans normally was.
Strangely, Draco felt her skin as though on his own, rather than through the thin material of his t-shirt.
His skin tingled and felt oddly cold.
Her finger travelled lower, past where he would normally have been able to feel it, but the significant amount of fabric from his trousers seemed to pose no barrier to her wandering, shiver generating skin.
He looked down in consternation, wondering at this development, only to see her hand spread flat on his bare chest.
He looked back up at her, uncertainty on his face. She was smirking, watching his face, as she pointed downwards.
He looked down and blushed lightly.
He was completely naked, and the only reason no-one had yet commented on this occurrence was because Hermione was hiding most of his body with her own and the tight grip she had on his body.
He realised the import of this and backed away without thinking, looking down to see if anything had happened downstairs.
A cry rose from the class who had been in a state of shock after watching their passionate, tension filled dance.
Hermione looked around, a grin on her face, expecting to see amusement on the Gryffindor's faces, at least, but saw only stunned faces staring at her as if they had never seen her before.
She whirled back around to face Draco, and whispered menacingly, "There you go Draco Malfoy. That is what you get for messing with me. Don't ever do it again, because I can tell you now, this little stunt will look like a walk in the park when I'm finished with you."
He was looking at her in astonishment, his own nakedness forgotten, and she walked back towards him, a smirk on her face.
"But you enjoyed that dance, didn't you? I can…see you did."
She grinned and a pink flush crept up his cheeks as he realised what she was implying.
Well, he had enjoyed the dance, who wouldn't?
He was a seventeen year old male, after all, and tango wasn't exactly called the most passionate dance in the world for nothing.
The silence of the class seemed to break suddenly, and Slytherins started laughing hysterically, Gryffindor's eventually joining in.
Hermione looked around with satisfaction, wondering if it could get any better than it already was.
Draco was standing in front of her, naked, humiliated, and she had finally gotten her revenge.
Draco turned towards her, his face burning, but seeming otherwise calm.
He opened his mouth as if to say something and then closed it quickly.
Then he turned and strutted out, looking magnificently naked as he vanished around the corner.
And Hermione felt as though she hadn't gotten her revenge at all.