Chapter 21
They dressed quickly for dinner. Draco had bought her this straight cut black dress covered in silver beading. It was gorgeous and it slid on like silk, in fact she suspected it was silk. It reached just above her knee and the beading was in concentric patterns that gave an almost illusionary effect. It practically stroked her when she moved. He did have really good taste, but with this dress he had outdone himself. She didn't even dare to think what it cost. She tied her hair back. The dress seemed to command a bit more of a formal look. Strappy silver heels came with it.
Draco was back to wearing black. A formal suit that had obviously been made for him. His hair was still wet from the shower he had and it was slicked back and glossy. It made his features look a little sharper. She watched him as he placed his cufflinks into the crisp white shirt.
The room was dark, they hadn't bothered to light any lamps. They hadn't spoken either.
When he was ready, he indicated for them to go and she obliged. He perused her form in the light of the hall.
"I should have bought some jewellery."
"This dress is one big jewel. It doesn't need any more."
He didn't concede his opinion, instead he touched her lightly on the elbow to get her moving. He seemed angry. She had no idea why he'd be angry.
The large sitting room was lit up when they got down. Everyone had made an effort with their appearance. There was a lot of expensive clothing and jewellery in the room, and expensive scents.
They had only been there a few seconds before Nott called Draco away. Hermione was left to order a drink from the waiter.
"You look divine." Marcus Flint said. She hadn't seen him coming. He was wearing a very formal suit as well and it flattered him.
"I don't know about divine, but thank you." She said. He couldn't figure Marcus out. She certainly didn't know what he'd been doing when he kissed her, but she had a feeling that he hadn't intended to be malicious. She suspected he just liked trying it on. "You look good too."
Her compliment stirred a mischievous glint in his eye. And you can just forget it, she said in her mind hoping her expression communicated it adequately. Absolutely not going to happen. Although she suspected he got by with the ladies on that mischievousness. She was not going to get caught alone anywhere tonight. She decided she would even take a girl hostage if she needed to go to the bathroom.
Her drink arrived, and Pansy-bitch seemed to follow it.
"And where is your fiancé this weekend, Marcus?"
His fiancé? Hermione thought with astonishment. She gave him a hard look to match.
"In Spain, I presume." He said.
"Lovely girl." Pansy said. "Spanish. The Flints are very traditional. Been arranged since birth, hasn't it? Such arrangements aren't often done these days."
Hermione couldn't help but to felt sympathy for him. She had no idea what it would be like to betrothed to someone from childhood. Particularly if it was someone you weren't all that enthused about.
"Although sometimes I think more's the pity." Pansy said and looked Hermione up and down. She was obviously saying that it ensured the exclusion of ambitious un-desireables. Hermione smiled tightly. She wasn't going to rise to the jibe.
"Although sometimes tradition is used to perpetuate something completely illogical that has no means of standing on its own merit." Hermione said.
"Merit is over-rated." Pansy continued. "Especially when merit is given to characteristics which are without worthy consideration."
"Such as what?" Hermione challenged.
"Things of fleeting attraction." Pansy said, as per typical, she was turning this into a direct attack on Hermione and her 'links' with certain Slytherins.
"Well, if it is so fleeting, why bother to discuss it?" Hermione said because Pansy brought it up everyone time they had words, like she needed to be convinced of something. She said the statement dismissively. She wasn't interested in this conversation any longer. Having a philosophical spar with Pansy could be interesting, but Pansy always turned it into a tiresome direct attack.
Unfortunately there wasn't anywhere she could dismiss herself to. There weren't any groups of people she would rather talk to and there was no other reason for diversion, so she was kind of stuck there.
Draco was still talking to Nott. He had his drink hanging down from his finger tips, with his other hand adjusting his belt buckle. He looked over to her and caught her watching him. He didn't smile, he just stayed there watching her.
Then it struck her, she could go over to him. That was the perfect excuse to get out of this awful discussion with Pansy.
"Excuse me." She said without looking at either Marcus or Pansy. She stepped around them and walked towards Draco. She even put on a smile for anyone watching. She wasn't sure if anyone was watching, other than Draco. He didn't smile back, but he didn't scowl either. He just accepted that she was joining him.
"The conversation was getting tedious." She said.
"Oh." He said non-committally.
"As fun as getting my skin stripped from me is, there is just so much you can take in one sitting."
"She can be single minded." He said with a smile.
Nott was listening, so they had to be careful. Draco snaked his hand around her waist and Hermione made an effort to have the front of her body open to him, even though she wanted to pull away and get some space between them. Not so much because she found him revolting like before, more for the reason that she didn't find him revolting exactly.
There was no doubt there was an attraction there. One she hadn't really acknowledged until that afternoon. Her body reacted to him, she tightened, probably noticeably just below Nott's eye level. In a way she doubted an observing male wouldn't not notice.
Being attracted to Draco Malfoy was the height on insanity, but it had happened somehow. Standing here next to him, toying with it was beyond insane.
"I might go sit down for a while." She said. "My calves are a bit tight from the walk this afternoon."
She didn't want to walk away to be one her own, but she needed a little space. She was going to flush if she didn't. It would leave her open to target practice by the other Slytherins, but she didn't care.
She sat down on a sofa and threw back the rest of her drink. After a while, Daphne Greengrass joined her, which was probably the best possible outcome as far as Hermione was concerned. Daphne didn't directly attack, she tended to be curious about Hermione's 'alternative' lifestyle.
"Did you enjoy yourself today?" Daphne said, the consummate host.
"It was a lovely day." Hermione said. And disturbing, she failed to add. "Did you play?"
"Yes." Daphne said. "I'm not as good as my sister, but I can hold my own. You should try it some time."
When hell freezes over, Hermione thought, but she just smiled.
"This is a lovely house." Hermione said. Not entirely truthful as she considered the décor over the top by a fair bit, but she wanted to change the subject.
"Thank you." Daphne said.
"I understand you don't live with your parents." Daphne said. "That must be challenging."
"Not really." She said. "It is not a large place, so it isn't difficult to manage."
"My parents would never agree to that. Do your parents not object?"
"No, they are very supportive of independence."
"How strange." Daphne said. Hermione realised that the pureblood girls were expected to stay at home until they married. They weren't prudish in some senses, they had boyfriends and physical intimacy, but there were limits, and independence was beyond it.
"And you don't have elves?"
"No." Hermione said. She guessed part of keeping your daughters depend was omitting the skills required for it. They didn't know how to do things like cook or clean, buy groceries or even pay bills.
Draco sat down on the other side of her. Appropriately close for their supposed relationship, which meant close.
He had a new drink in his hand.
"Dinner is being served in a little while." Daphne said loud enough for most to hear. "But enough time for one more drink." She waived over the waiter to take orders. Then she turned towards Hermione and Draco, "I must go check everything is in order."
"She is curious about my independent living." Hermione said to Draco when Daphne had left.
"It is a bit confrontational in this society."
"I hadn't realised." Hermione said.
"Sometimes it is apparent how little you know of us."
She didn't say anything. It was true, she took what she wanted and often dismissed everything she didn't. If she continued with this conversation they would likely get in a confrontation and she didn't want that. Neither did he apparently.
Adrian and Miles Bletchly joined the group in the seated area.
They spoke for a while on the logistics of the upcoming Quidditch World Cup in Poland.
"Have you got tickets?" Miles asked her.
"No." She said. "I can't go this time."
The boys looked shocked.
"We have a spare ticket, if you want one." Adrian said. It was very sweet and Hermione was flattered.
"Thank you, but I have a trip planned during that time."
"You do?" Draco asked.
"I have to complete the legal processing of the trade agreement with the Orkney Islands." She said, curious to why he was surprised or even cared. Although she realised it was part of the show they were putting on.
"Who would be cruel enough to make someone work during the Quidditch World Cup, that's barbaric." Adrian said.
"I'm not the biggest Quidditch fan, so better me that someone who is pining to be there."
"I recall you were at a game or two at school." Draco said.
"Harry was my best friend, kind of had to front up."
"But at the Quidditch World Cup, you won't?"
"If you were playing, darling, I would be there with bells on." She said coyly and gave him a peck on the cheek. There was again no doubt that the electricity was there, even with a little peck.
He grinned that grin that she was pretty sure constituted trouble. "You're so sweet." He said and placed his hand on her thigh.
Adrian and Miles had lost interest in their 'couple' conversation.
For a second, Hermione feared that Draco might make a fuss about her not going to the Quiddictch World Cup, but she was relieved when he didn't. It was a few weeks away and they were breaking up at the end of tomorrow. Their relationship would quietly finish and he would have a new girl on his arm the next weekend, for whatever event the Slytherins had planned to entertain themselves then.
His hand on her thigh burned. Her skirt had ridden up a bit when she sat down and the skin of her thigh was exposed. It looked like just a typical touch between lovers. He stroked his hand a bit higher up her thigh. Not rudely high, but just a little higher. She felt every little millimetre of friction and the sensation radiated upwards, setting her on fire again.
She cleared her throat, but he didn't stop. No one was paying any particular attention. She looked him in the eye trying to get a handle on the vibe she was getting off him, why he was doing this. He face was completely composed, but his eyes were mercurial. His fingers slowly slid inwards from on top of her thigh, slightly towards the inner part of her thigh where he stroked miniature circles on her sensitive skin.
Her breath hitched. She looked around, but no one seemed to notice anything untowards. Just a guy with his hand seemingly resting on his girlfriend's thigh. She sought out his eyes again. He was challenging her. To the world, they were just a couple with typical familiarity, but what was really going on was a seduction.
Draco had taken a step across a line and she didn't know how to respond. She couldn't push him away, she could threaten him, but she wasn't. His fingers traced a line down her inner thigh to her knee. She practically wanted to buck with the intense sensation. She squeezed the thighs together just to make it stop, but it didn't stop the heat flaring in her.
A bell chimed. "Dinner is served everyone." Daphne said with pride.
He pulled his hand away and Hermione tried to control her breath, and her mind, because there was a part of her that just wanted to straddle him there and then. Obviously not the most logical part of her.
She didn't know what to do. Playing this game with Malfoy was bad with a hint of horrific.
He stood up and put his hand out for her to take.
"Coming?" He asked. She wasn't sure if he meant that as a double entendre, but to her body it didn't seem an unreasonable question.