Taking a Chance
"Ohh, I'm sorry..." the woman whom they had been speaking about appeared at the rooms open door "I was just looking for somewhere to have qui-" she suddenly realised who exactly was in the room, "Malfoy, Parkinson, I'll leave you to your rendezvous" before turning to walk away.
Draco stared after where the flustered Gryffindor had gone, he could feel his heart beat go up a notch ever so slightly.
"She felt it to" Pansy whispered in his ear, and within seconds Draco was on his feet seemingly unable to control his body any longer. He glanced once at Pansy whose encouraging smile sent him out the door looking for the curly haired Witch.
It was a seemingly easy task, he found her in the first room he looked, well it was rather the third room he looked in but the first he'd walked all the way into, third time's the charm and all that. She stood on the room's balcony; the loose bits of her hair flying about, making Draco have the urge to tuck them back into place.
"Granger?" the blond started hesitantly as he stepped through the French doors.
Her back stiffened ever so slightly and without turning around, she spoke "Malfoy, to what do I owe this pleasure? Have you come to tell me not to tell Blaise? Because you might as well save your breath, I have no interest in the mating habits of ex-Slytherin's."
He gave an indignified chuckle, "Me and Pans? You've got to be kidding, thats not been on the cards since fourth year, if I'm being honest, possibly third year. She was just convenient."
Hermione gave a single dry laugh, "Great, she was convenient, why are you telling me this?"
He sighed, running a hand through his hair, his sign of discomfort, "I just wanted to tell you that me and Pans aren't like that. And I'm sorry for being a complete and utter dick earlier."
"Just earlier?" Hermione retorted, before finally turning around to look at him.
Stood in the doorway, a mask fixed firmly across his face, his flaxen hair dishevelled, the top button of his dress robe shirt unbuttoned and his bowtie untied and hanging around his neck, not to mention his usual smirk gracing his features, Hermione had to admit that he was a very handsome gentleman... sexy, if she was being truthfully, and brutally honest.
His smirk increased, "Okay then, for all those years I have been insensitive prick, for all those times, I called you names, for all those times I cursed you for getting better grades than me- I'm sorry" with each different thing he took a step closer to Hermione, until he was inches away from her. She herself was now firmly pressed against the concrete railing of the balcony. He inched his mouth towards hers giving her a chaste peck on the lips before bringing his mouth to her ear, whispering, "Your turn?"
He stepped back from her, his usual steel eyes, having melted into a liquid mercury colour, twinkling with a hint of mischief.
She quirked an eyebrow, giving him an equally sultry smirk, licking her lips before she said, "I'm sorry for calling you a ferret, I'm sorry for punching you, and I'm sorry for being better than you at school."
Then much to her surprise and his as well she pulled the loose bowtie on both sides so that Draco had no choice but to comply by leaning his head down, and placed her lips firmly to his. None the less it didn't take Draco very long to react, his right hand came up to cradle her head as he deepened the kiss.
When the pair surfaced for air, Draco placed the smirk firmly back on his face as he leant his forehead against Hermione's, both palms holding her head in place, "That was definitely better..." she trailed.
"They say third time is a charm" as he leant his head back down for another kiss he was stopped by a finger on his lips.
"I can't Malfoy" she shook her head carefully taking her hands away from cradling her face. "I won't lower myself to-" she was cut off by her Grandmothers voice.
"Hermione dear? I have a guest who wishes to see you"
When Hermione focused back on Draco's face it was to see a frown on his features, him having removed his mask from his face. "Lower yourself?" he asked simply.
She suddenly realised her mishap, "I didn't mean it like that-"
"Miss Granger, Mr Malfoy, we're not interrupting anything are we?" the refined voice of their old Transfiguration Professor spoke from behind Draco.
"No Professor McGonagall" Draco's voice answered, turning away from Hermione, "We're finished here"
Hermione grabbed onto his lapel before he could turn fully around, causing him to turn to her with her tugging motion, "Let me explain?" she pleaded, but he ignored her taking her hands from holding the fabric of his dress robe.
"You made yourself perfectly clear" he hissed under his breath, adjusting his bowtie and shirt turning around to the two elder ladies that stood just inside the room. "If you'll excuse me ladies, I shall leave you with the birthday girl." With that Draco turned and left the room, anybody else that saw him would see his usual confident stride but Hermione could see the slight hunching over of his shoulders- and it made her feel even more guilty.
Expelling any and all thoughts of Draco Malfoy from her mind Hermione decided to focus on her favourite Hogwarts Professor.
-30 Minutes Later-
Hermione, Cecil and Minerva all casually walked back to the Manors Ballroom, their journey was full of questions from the old Professor directed at Hermione, to which Hermione only paid a small bit of attention to, she seemed to be unable to keep her sole attention on the conversation at hand, as it wavered to a certain blond haired Quidditch player.
The ever so inquisitive teacher seemed to recognise that her ex-pupil was far from up to talking, and seemed to have much on her mind, and decided to leave the subject she had been about to uptake giving a knowing smile in the direction of Hermione's Grandmother.
"Mr Malfoy, seems to have... grown-up, shall we say, wouldn't you agree Miss Granger" the mention of Draco had Hermione snapping her head to meet the green eyes of her ex-head of House.
"He's also rather handsome" Cecil piped up from the side.
"I agree" Hermione replied not having heard her Grandmother's statement.
"He'd make a rather good husband... he'd protect you well" Cecil continued.
"I'm sure he will do well for whoever he chooses to be his wife" Hermione replied diplomatically.
"I meant for you Hermione"
Her reply was a simple chuckle and a clicking of her tongue on the roof of her mouth, "Everyone seems to be on that wavelength, but your all wrong." They finally reached the ballroom and as soon as they walked through the threshold Hermione sought out Draco, sat elusively in one corner of the room.
"Yes, well whatever, it seems as if you have your conversation to finish so us old girls shall leave you to it." Having been dismissed, Hermione unconsciously began walking to the Slytherin.
-Meanwhile-
"You know Cecil, she reminds me and awful lot of you, and Draco is a lot like his Grandfather Abraxas- I do believe history is destined to repeat itself without a hiccup this time." McGonagall noted, carefully eying her two former pupils through her square spectacles, as the other woman did the same.
"I do hope so, from what I have been told about young Mr Malfoy, they would be very much suited to one another," Cecil sighed as she watched her only granddaughter confidently walk across the floor before she suddenly stopped. "I never thanked you properly Minerva, for looking out for her all those years while she was at Hogwarts, she was constantly in the firing line and yet she has come out fighting fit, so thank you."
"What are friends for Cecil?" the Professor gave a wrinkled smile, her eyes twinkling as she looked at her favourite pupil, "She got up to even more mischief than we managed to get up to, and yet seemed to get out of it easier than we did, even though she has the inability to lie, just as you did Cecil."
Hermione stood stalk still midway towards Draco, as he leant up to a rather voluptuous blonde at his side and whispered something in her ear causing her to laugh and bring her hand to his chest, all the while he simply smirked.
Defeated Hermione walked over to the bar to order a firewhiskey off the bar keeper, before she downed it and got another, before asking for a scrap of paper, and a quill.
Draco sat mulling over what had happened upstairs with the birthday girl, when a rather attractive blonde thought it necessary to come and sit, partially on his lap, and began talking to him, while her cheap smelling perfume clogged up the air bubble he had safely around him.
Leaning up to give her a piece of his mind he noticed Hermione out of the corner of his eyes watching him, so he instead changed tactics- he made a joke to the blonde, and she began laughing, but he was more focussed on watching Hermione for her reaction, out of the corner of his eye. He watched as she heaved a long sigh out of her throat and began walking over to the bar, and that's when the blonde garnered his attention again, running her hand very close to his groin.
He quickly removed the appendage, only for it to be replaced by its twin, and then her whole body finally sat on his lap. As she squirmed to get comfortable one of the waiters came over to hand him a refill of his glass and passed him a scrap of paper, which simply read:
I'm sorry
H x
Snapping his attention up, he just managed to catch a glimpse of her emerald dress in the throngs of people, before it made a quick dash for the door to the gardens again.
Standing abruptly he left the blonde to slump unceremoniously onto the seat he had been on, before beginning to walk towards the door. When he abruptly stopped running a hand through his hair, he had second thoughts- that was what she wanted, him to follow her, so he backtracked and headed over to the bar she had previously vacated.
"Rumour has it, Granger has left her own party" Blaise announced as he sidled up next to the blond at the bar. "Did you have something to do with it Drake?" Draco's answer was to simply take a sip of his drink. "Either way it seems if she's gone, you have no way to win the bet." A smirk appeared on the tanned man's face.
Putting his hand into his pocket Draco pulled out a velvet pouch, taking ten golden pieces out he tied the rope back, and slid the pouch along the wooden tabletop of the bar, whilst pocketing the other pieces.
"You're forfeiting?" the Italian queried, as he eyed the contents of the pouch. He knew Draco wouldn't diddle him out of his winnings but he wasn't sure his friend would go down without a fight.
"Like you said, she's not here, so I can't win can I. So, why not simply hand over the hundred galleons now?" 'Not to mention I've been avoiding her'
"Mate you should at least give it a go. Go find her, bring her back, or find her and take her back to yours, whatever you decide, at least try."
Patting his best friends shoulder, Draco shook his head, "It's just not worth it this time Blaise" Draco downed the contents of his drinking glass. "Use that money wisely- spend it on Pansy show her how much you love her." He knew his friend was almost as well off as he himself was but he still felt it need to be said. "But right now I've got somewhere to go, someone to speak to, and Pansy is looking for someone with a decent pair of feet to keep her away from that guy that's giving her the eye." Draco said as he turned to face the dance floor, leaning against the bar.
Chuckling as the Italian slammed his glass onto the bar table at Draco's words, "I guess I should go save her" without another word Blaise pocketed the velvet bag walking off onto the dance floor, twirling Pansy around as soon as he got to her.
Draco himself stood from his spot leaning against the bar and began making his way outside. Once there he slowly made his way towards the seat she had been sat on earlier, and was surprised to find her not there. Furrowing his eyebrows he began walking more into the grounds and as he passed through a pair of conifer hedges he noticed the moonlight reflecting off a pond, and on the water's edge stood a figure.
Hands in his pocket he began slowly walking towards the figure. On much closer inspection it was indeed the birthday girl stood there, her chocolate coloured eyes stared unblinking into the calm water. Suddenly the calmness was broke as the brunette through a stone across the water, skimming it three times before it finally sank.
"That takes skill" he commented, as he was finally a metre away from her. Hermione only nodded her head to show she'd heard him. "I accept your apology" he offered.
She scoffed, "Great, that makes everything better." She replied sarcastically, "Are you going to let me explain though?"
He blinked at her retort, "I... I guess I should"
"Well you should know I didn't mean you were lower, I just didn't want to be one of them" she clarified.
"One of whom?"
"The blonde? I didn't want to be one of them that meant noth-" she stopped herself before she got too far. "I didn't want to be a notch conquered by you" she whispered the last part.
"Meant nothing?" he whispered carefully taking her chin in his fingers, "I don't kiss people like that who mean nothing to me," he confided. "Like this" he reiterated before capturing her lips against his.
Hermione was dubious about responding to his advances, until she felt him increase the pressure on her lips with his own, and his mouth part slightly. When she felt his tongue swipe across her lip, she cautiously opened her mouth to allow him entry and soon she eagerly began responding in kind. Exploring each nook and cranny of the cavern that was the other mouth, they both soon became lost in the sensations. So lost in the sensation was Hermione, that she hadn't realised that she was in dire need of air, until she felt Draco slow his pace, before he finally stopped and pulled away, his heavy breathing showing his exertion at the simple activity they had been involved in.
She gasped for air, as Draco began to speak, "That, means something to me," he paused catching his breath more, "That means you won't be another notch" he whispered tilting her chin upwards so that she was looking in his eyes. "How about we get out of here?" he queried, a slight smirk forming its way onto his face.
Hermione simply nodded, her eyes never leaving his as she stood on her tip-toes leaning up to reinitiate their kiss again- as fireworks went off in the back of both of their minds.
Stood watching them in the far distance just outside of the Manor, Cecil and Pansy stood side by side, watching the couple wearing identical smirks on their faces.
"I'm glad they finally took off their masks" Cecil commented cryptically, "To see what was underneath, and what was staring them in the face." She smiled as she patted Pansy's arm that was tucked into the crook of her own.
History is the main thing holding people back from what they want, or in some cases need. Forgetting one's history is easier said than done, but if you hide it, and show the potential of what life could be like without it, people find it easier to forget the past.
That's what Hermione and Draco did, by hiding beneath a mask, they hid their past, and were simply two people who realised the potential of their relationship. So when the masks are removed it was up to them to make it work.
A/N: Right that is the end of Underneath the Mask- I hope I have kept you entertained and you enjoyed it. Please leave a review. I know some of you will be thinking why did it end like this? Well that was my choice, I may do a little extra piece to go along with it but we'll see. Thank you to all those that reviewed it, your views are greatly appreciated, if you enjoyed it, leave a review and check out my other stories; How Do I Say? and Lover's Embrace which are both under this current rating :)
Once again thank you for reading;
Scorpio219 -x-