Dance with the One that Brought You

Chapter 16: Throwing a Wobbly







“Oi!” screamed Harry, as he rushed forward and pulled roughly on Krum’s shoulder. Draco found himself propelled forward as well. “Get off her, Krum!” Harry yelled as he pulled Viktor up from the dip, but the Bulgarian’s hands were still holding her. Draco was on autopilot as he yanked her hand from Krum’s grasp and pulled her toward him.



“What are you doing!” Draco seethed through clenched teeth.



She was completely flustered, and just stared at him wide-eyed and frozen in place.



Harry’s face was dark and angry, his chest rising and falling, his hands clenched in fists. “What do you think you’re playing at here, Krum! This is a dance! Not ... a ... not ... whatever it is you have in mind!”



Viktor had regained his composure somewhat and looked at Hermione, who was watching Harry, who was glaring at Krum. Draco quickly took in all three of them, as he tried to stabilize the racing heartbeat that stampeded in his chest.



This might still just work out in his favor after all!



He quickly released Hermione’s wrist and smoothed out his robes. The cunning Slytherin went into quick action.



“Granger,” he said calmly, “I don't’ think we had better add that bit into the waltz. It would appear that Potty doesn’t approve.”



“Shut it, Malfoy!” Harry spat at Draco.



Viktor switched his target of interest from Hermione to Harry. He slightly narrowed his eyes at Harry, raising his head up, accentuating the full five inches of height he had over over the Gryffindor. He rounded his shoulders back, puffing his broad chest out.



Harry blustered at the action. “Well aren’t you going to apologize!”



“Harry,” Hermione begged softly, her eyes pleading for forgiveness. She still felt the awful sensations rushing over her limbs and again she crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed them, as if trying to warm herself.



“Harry, it wasn’t his fault!” she continued.



Harry looked at Hermoine for the first time since charging in to separate the two. He reached for one of her hands, and pulled her toward him. “Yeah, well, he knows better, doesn’t he? He’s eighteen, isn’t he?”



Viktor spoke for the first time. “Hermyninny, I’m sorry.” Then he walked up to Harry and stood nearly a foot within his reach, and he looked down to emphasize his words, “I’m sorry was here, but not sorry it happened.” It was an unspoken challenge between the two TriWizard Champions.



Viktor reached down and took Hermione’s free wrist and softly tugged her back toward him, attempting to walk away.



Harry had the other wrist still in his grasp, and yanked a bit harder on it, keeping Hermione planted next to his side, where she belonged.



Draco took a conscience step backward with a satisfactory grin and knew all he had to do was let this unfold. The two young wizards were going to play tug of war with the Gryffindor Princess.



“”Mione, come here!” Harry pulled. “I think you had better stay with me!”



“She’s not yours, Potter,” countered the Bulgarian. He spread his feet apart, firmly planting them in a domineering stance, and tugged again on Hermione’s wrist.



Harry immediately bristled at the unspoken claim, and felt more than protective of Hermione. Just where did he get off thinking he had any claim whatsoever on Hermione? This Bulgarian had no idea how long they had been friends, and how much they had been through together. He was an interloper. He was just temporary!



“Well she certainly isn’t yours, Krum!” he reinforced his declaration with another tug on Hermione. “Let her go, now!”



Viktor muttered a few words in Bulgarian, which obviously meant something along the lines of ‘go wank yourself.’



Hermione was jostled by the two of them yanking on her, and became unglued. Her neatly pinned bun had started to unfurl, and a few tendrils of curls came loose.



“Will both of you stop!” She was completely put off by this overt display of testosterone, and knew she had to set things back in balance.



“I’m not taffy!” She roughly pulled her arms free from both of them and then rubbed her wrists to emphasize how forceful they had become in their efforts to prove her as their property.



Viktor crossed his arms, still watching Harry. He looked immediately repentant when he chanced a glance at Hermione. He rarely lost his temper, and never behaved so brutish before when it concerned a girl.



Sure he had played rough out in the Quidditch pitches, and gave much better than he ever received when it came to the game. He was quicker than any wizard on a broom, including Harry Bloody Potter!



But this wasn’t just any girl, this was his Hermyninny. She was the only one that had ever been natural around him, not acting like some crazed fan wanting to be near him without even knowing him. This young girl knew him better than any girl in his own country, and they had only just met! She was honest with him, and she truly cared without pretense.



Viktor bowed in front of Hermione, surprising all them.



Harry backed up a step and was ready to grab his wand from his robe pocket. Surely Hermione wouldn’t fall for such a grandiose gesture as that one! Just exactly who did this foreigner think he was anyway?



He looked quickly at Hermione who still looked fevered, her faced not quite as vividly red as it was when she jerked herself out of their grasp.



“Hermione,” Harry ventured to get her attention off the Bulgarian.



Viktor then held his hand out to her, with the other arm folded behind him, clicking his heels together he inclined his head but still held her gaze.



“We continue,” Viktor explained.



“Bollocks!” exclaimed Harry. “As if she’d go with you now after having a pash with you right here!”



Hermione swung her attention at Harry and put her hands on her hips. “Harry! Enough!”



“What!” retorted Harry



“Just leave it! I can speak for myself. I can protect myself... if I need to.”



She just didn’t understand. Harry knew she didn’t know how boys function, and what kind of things go through their minds and bodies when you snog them the way she just did! Obviously she had gotten better at it since the night in the common room, and even since the spring. He shook his head at her, negating anything she said.



Harry changed tactics. “Look Krum, I think you’ve done enough dancing for one day!”



“Harry James Potter!”



“What!! I’m telling you, Hermione, this one is dodgy! He’s eighteen! Way too old for you!” Harry was working himself up in to quite a lather now, frustrated that Hermione couldn’t see what was two feet in front of her. She obviously had been blinded by him, or worse, had developed some sort of physical bonding with the Bulgarian ape. Harry would make her understand!



“Durmstrang wizards do not snog or even date Gryffindors! Slytherins, maybe! But not Gryffindors! Not without nefarious reasons!”



Viktor took immediate exception to the young wizard’s stereotype and raised his eyebrow. “Why you say this?”



“Because it’s true! I mean come on, what insidious reason could you have for dating Hermione?”



“WHAT!” she nearly exploded.



Malfoy chuckled to himself as he took another few steps backwards, out of range from any oncoming, errant curses.



“That’s not what I meant, ‘Mione and you know it! I mean the bloke is four years older than you! Why isn’t he dating someone his own age?”



She gritted her teeth together and uncrossed her arms, now flexing her fingers and then balling them into fists. “He’s THREE years my elder, and what has that got to do with anything?”



“Because he’s of age now, isn’t he!”



“... AND?” she demanded.



“And he knows things, Hermione.” Harry tried to explain it in terms that she would understand, without making this too uncomfortable. “Things that you don’t!”



“AND? So do you, I might point out! So do a lot other students, Harry!”



Draco scoffed inwardly --- unlikely that any student in Hogwarts knew as much as the brunette witch, but he wasn’t about to admit it. He knew exactly what Potter had meant. He considered himself a perfect example. He smirked like an evil deed waiting to happen. Potter was dead to rights, but certainly was a thicko for bringing it up here.



Harry wasn’t making himself clear enough. Viktor seemed to have an idea where this was going and lowered his extended hand. Harry walked up to Hermione and lowered his voice, but not low enough that he still couldn’t be heard by Malfoy and Krum.



“He’s a full grown wizard now, Hermione. A full grown MALE wizard.”



“Oh Harry, come off it!” Hermione rolled her eyes the way she always did at Ron when she was exasperated with his lack of understanding. “All wizards are male, aren’t they? Don’t think I don’t know what you’re going on about! Viktor’s not like that!”



Viktor edged closer to Hermione just as Harry had.



Harry wanted to take Hermione by the shoulders and shake her. Was she doing this on purpose? How could she stand there and defend the Durmstrang wizard and not see his side of this? Surely Krum didn’t hold any power over her?



“So he’s never tried anything then? He’s been perfectly platonic, has he?” Harry had had enough with beating around the bush. He’d just spell it out for her.



Hermione sucked in her breath and turned beet red.



Malfoy immediately snapped to attention at where this conversation was headed. If he didn’t do something quickly then he could be compromised! He needed to regain control over this conversation before things were revealed about last night.



Viktor had lowered his gaze now at Harry, and furrowed his brows while trying to maintain his composure.



“This is none of your business, Potter!”



“Harry, really! I can’t believe you would bring that up!”



“What! Let’s get this out in the open then! Let’s talk about who’s snogging who!”



Hermione went an even deeper shade of scarlet, from head to toe and Draco seemed to be the only one that noticed since Potter and Krum were too busy sizing each other up for an imminent round of fist of cuffs.



Potty was about to rain destruction down, by mentioning last night, and would ruin everything, the way he always did!



“Look here, Potter,” Draco walked toward them, raising his voice. “This isn’t a TriWizard Championship Task! It’s just a bloody dance!”



“Feck off, Malfoy!” Harry seethed, without taking his eyes off of Krum. “This doesn’t concern you.”



“It most certainly does!” Draco boomed. “This is my time, my dance practice! And you’re piddling about, wasting everyone’s air space.”



“Perhaps we should discuss this outside, Potter,” Viktor offered.



Hermione immediately came between the two and held her hands out, pushing them both further apart.



“Look, let’s just calm down,” she reasoned. “We don’t want to fly off the handle over such a trivial matter.”



“Snogging isn’t trivial to me, Hermione!”



“I didn’t mean it like that, Harry! I meant that fighting over this isn’t right! I need to talk to Viktor!”



“No, Granger,” Malfoy corrected, “you need to finish choreographing this dance! We only have a handful of weeks left, and now thanks to Sir Lancelot and Baron VonSnog here, we haven’t gotten anything accomplished today!”



All three of them turned to Draco, Viktor and Harry both glared at him, and Hermione almost wanted to laugh. Almost.



“So let’s say you two alpha males take your pissing contest outside, while Granger and I finish up, shall we?” It would serve Potter right, let him get a good thrashing by Krum. Hopefully Krum knew a few dark curses he could cast as well!



“Fine with me!” Harry exclaimed. He closed the space between him and the large Bulgarian. “You startin’?”



“NO!” Hermione stomped.



Before Viktor could answer, Hermione grabbed Harry by the arm and then pointed to the door. “You!” she commanded, “Out! Now!” While she pointed with one hand, she gave him a push with the other.



Harry pulled away abruptly from her and spun around to face her. “Hermione! Let’s just get this out and done with, now!”



“Not if you’re just going to spit the dummy! You’re in serious need of some anger management, Harry Potter!”



When Harry appeared not to want to budge, Hermione lowered her voice and turned so that only Harry could see and hear her.



“Let me do this my way, Harry, or we don’t do it at all.” She then softened the edge in her voice, taking a deep breath. “Please, for me?”



Harry curtly nodded at Hermione and turned to leave without another glance at the Bulgarian.



Draco had to give her credit. She was quite persuasive when she wanted to be. Whatever she had said made scarhead concede. He made a mental note of that.



“Say Krum,” Draco said, “how about we pick this back up on the next session? I really need time with your... partner. We need to finish the choreography. We’ve accomplished a piss-poor amount of dancing anyway.”



Viktor nodded in confirmation back at Draco. He knew he needed to go flying to clear his head. He had let things get out of control. He wanted to be much calmer when he spoke with Hermione.



The Bulgarian walked up to her and rubbed both arms, leaned down and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. “We will talk later?”



Hermione barely managed a smile in return. “I’m so sorry, Viktor. I don’t know what came over me. And I certainly don’t know what came over Harry. Should I come with you?”



Viktor smiled back at her, his eyes twinkling with gratitude. He was happy just to have her make that offer to him. He spoke softly when he answered her.



“You stay with the pale vesel. He’s right, you need to finish dance.”



Hermione cocked her head at the use of his native Bulgarian language. “Vesel?”



Viktor leaned over and whispered, “How you say? Boys who like boys?”



Hermione burst out with a laugh, then quickly covered her mouth. Viktor thought Draco Malfoy was gay! The Slytherin had gotten his just desserts as far as she was concerned. She could see how it could be misconstrued, Malfoy always wearing the latest fashion, probably had his own hair stylist, private manicurist and masseuse! Malfoy definitely was pampered.



“Later then,” Viktor repeated. He patted her head and turned to leave. Viktor seemed to like patting her on the head.



“Something amusing?” Draco asked her pointedly, without a bit of amusement in his own voice.



“Viktor seems to be under the impression that you’re a pillow-biter, Malfoy. However did he come to that conclusion, I wonder?”



Draco turned at least two shades of red. She would not turn this into her game! This day would be his to seize, and he’d put her in her place pronto.



“I bet you just loved that, didn’t you, Granger? Both of the world’s most famous young seekers panting over you!” he drawled. He felt angry at the her. No matter if she was under the potion’s influence or not, she still didn’t seem to be affected by his presence. Why was he the only seeker she wouldn’t seek?



He closed the space between them and lowered his voice as well as his mouth to her ear. “Probably got you worked up there, didn’t it? Two rabid dogs fighting over their ...” Malfoy cleared his throat before he continued, “... snitch.”



“Keep your snarky remarks at a minimum, Malfoy, or we’re done!”



“Oh we are far from done, Granger. You talk like you’ve got a choice...” He pointed his wand back at phonograph, which had stopped playing the music. “Tocarus!”



The music immediately began playing again. Draco smiled sideways at her knowingly. He bowed and then extended an arm, just as Krum had done, minus the heel clicking.



“You don’t get to choose, Granger. Now come to Papa.”







A/N: I just wanted to thank all of the great reviews I’ve had from so many of you! I have tried to answer them all if they had an email address attached. I laughed so hard at them! I can’t believe that RiddikulusSugarQuill took the time to read all 245+ reviews! That’s too funny! You guys ROCK!



Vesel is the English phonetic pronunciation of the Bulgarian word, written in Cyrillic alphabet. My Mac doesn’t have that font, so it’s just a well that I wrote it out in english! Yes I actually researched this on the net! :-)



For you fellow Yanks, “Spit the Dummy” is a Briticism for temper tantrum (dummy = baby’s pacifier)... my mum said it many times! ;-) “Having a pash” is like snogging!



And according to my naughty male cuzzies in Exeter, “Pillow biter” is just the same as all the other slang they use: Fudge Packer, Poofta, Fop, Ponce... You get the idea!



Finally as a special note, the chapters that are posted on AFF and FF are raw. No beta, no cleaning, no nice and shiny punctuation! You get me as I am! LOL But I am also a perfectionist, so the versions that are posted on Coloured Grey and Fiction Alley have been beta’d by Lisa725 and Eilonwy! Also thanks to Kazfiest for her notes she sends me on these raws after I post them! Since beta’s do this for the love of it, I would never try and rush them. So we only have 3 chapters posted thus far! Consider yourselves all “Alpha!” LOL!