Outside the Fire

Disclaimer: All characters belong to JKR, not me.

A/N: Oops, forgot to say thank you to Sunglow for beta reading. And thanks to all my reviewers out there.

Outside the Fire

Chapter 2 - Matchmaking schemes.

Hermione emerged from the Library two hours later; satisfied she was well ahead of her reading schedule. She planned on going up to her room now and make sure she had everything ready for Monday's lessons before going down to dinner. She wondered if the common room had calmed down yet after the teams' victory as she headed up to Gryffindor tower.

She also wondered how noisy the party would be tonight. She was pleased she'd got her revision out of the way, because there was no way Harry or Ron would let her avoid the celebration tonight. She sighed wistfully at the thought of Ron and their aborted attempt at a relationship. After displaying signs of jealousy the previous year, he had finally asked her out towards the end of the final term. It had been a disaster; they really had nothing in common apart from Harry. It had been an awkward experience and they hadn't even kissed to see if they were compatible that way. They decided they were much better off as friends.

She had buried herself in preparations for NEWTS and decided she was much better off not being distracted by boys. That wasn't to say she hadn't looked, though. Her summer had been spent travelling Europe with her parents; Paris, Rome, Venice, Naples, Madrid, Barcelona, Brussels, Geneva, PragBerlBerlin; nearly all the major cities had been visited, soaking up the culture. And it was the Italian and Spanish males that had caught her eye. The way they carried themselves, confident and assured, with their stylish clothes and dark, flashing eyes. A few had surprised her by giving her more than a second look, but her protective father had headed them off. She had shrugged apologetically at them, and they had gestured with their hands, indicating understanding. Their women were similarly protected; virtue was highly prized still.

It had given her greater confidence though, to know she wasn't totally unattractive. She was a little on the small and slim side, and her hair definitely needed attending to, but the rest of her wasn't bad. She had nice eyes, a straight nose and a full mouth; could she help it if she preferred the Library to the Quidditch pitch? She held onto the stone banister of the staircase that was carrying her up to Gryffindor, wondering if she could get away with leaving the party early. She could perhaps make sure the first to fourth years were up in their dormitories before things got too rowdy, and knowing Ron and Harry, it was going to get pretty loud after eleven o'clock. She'd sneak off then, she decided.

There was no sign of Harry in the common room when she got back, but she hadn't expected him to be there. He'd be with Draco, of course. They were nearly inseparable after the events of last term and she was surprised that he still slept in his dorm room with the others. Ron was surrounded by some first and second years, explaining some of the more complex Quidditch rules, and he looked up and waved as she moved towards him.
"Hey, 'Mione. Going to get ready for the party tonight?"
"It doesn't take me hours to get ready, Ron, unlike some people." her eyes slid to Lavender Brown and he grinned.
"Meet you back here in a few minutes for dinner then?"
"Yes. I just need to put this book up in my room." she hugged a potions text close to her chest.
"You weren't reading at the match were you?" he frowned. A guilty look crossed her face. "You were!"
"I needed.."
"You always need, Hermione. Can't you just relax for once? It's Saturday!"
"I need to get good exam results, Ron, if I want to be a Healer." she said.
"But exams are months away." Ron shook his head at her.
"They'll soon come round, Ron, and you'll regret not being prep."
."
"I'll take that chance then, Hermione. I don't feel like studying on a weekend, though, okay?"
"Humph." she tossed her hair over heouldoulder and stomped up the stairs. "Slacker." was her parting word.
"Spoilsport." he shot back, grinning. A raspberry noise answered him.

~~@~~

"Are you sure they'll be alright with this, Harry?" Draco was leading his Quidditch team into enemy territory.
"Of course." Harry glanced over his shoulder at the others. Blaise rolled his eyes at Harry's confidence. Dinner had been a raucous affair, with Gryffindor table being the noisiest. Harry had had a quiet word with Ron about possible extra guests, and Draco had been watching carefully. He'd seen Ron's eyes straying to where Millie was sitting and the flash of appreciation there as he'd leant forward to ask the others on the table.
"Did you bring the alcohol?"
"Of course." Draco held up a tiny box where they had shrunk numerous different bottles. They walked silently towards Gryffindor tower and as they approached the Pink Lady they could hear the sound of loud voices and music.
"We'll cast a Silencing charm after we get in so McGonagall doesn't come to investigate." Harry explained and whispered the password to the portrait. As they clambered through the hole, the noise died away. There was an uncomfortable silence as the Slytherins stood by the entrance and debated whether to leave or not. Ron was the one to break the silence as he strode towards them.
"Good game today, Malfoy."
"Thanks, Weasley." Draco relaxed a little.
"Well don't just stand there, where's the booze?" Dean called from the other side of the room. There was a babble of noise as the Slytherins were drawn into the room and Draco enlarged the crate of alcohol. Hermione transfigured two punch bowls and proceeded to mix up two punchene ane a non-alcoholic version for the younger students. She also hexed the glasses so they would shriek if anyone under seventeen trying to sneak some of the alcoholic variety.
"That was sneaky, Hermione." Ginny had dropped one of the glasses into the punch as it yelled at her.
"Tough." she smirked and helped herself to a glass of the non-alcoholic version.
"You're not drinking?" Blaise had a glass of whisky in his hand.
"I still have rounds to make later," she said.
"Don't you ever skive off?" he took a drink.
"No."
"Merlin, you must have a boring life."
"Hermione likes to walk the safe path." Harry put his arm around her waist and hugged her gently.
"Someone has to be the voice of reason."
"You need to live a little, Hermione." Draco had come up behind Harry.
"I think I've lived plenty in the last few years, thank you, Draco."
"I mean loosen up. You're so uptight." Draco rolled his shoulders. "When was the last time you got laid?"
"Draco!" Hermione flushed and quickly looked around to make sure there were no youngsters listening.
"Oh, come on, Hermione, you can tell us." Blaise leant forward eagerly.
"I am not discussing my sex life with a bunch of boys."
"Okay, how about Ginny and the others, then?" Draco grinned as Hermione flushed even redder.
"I am not discussing it, period. Now bugger off!" she shooed them away.
"She's still a virgin." Blaise said in a low voice, and Harry clipped him around the back of his head. "What? I happen to like virgins."
"They're not virgins for long, thoughracoraco smirked.
"Can I help it if I'm irresistible?" Blaise fluttered long dark eyelashes comically.
"Just stay away from Hermione. She's like a sister to me." Harry looked over his shoulder to where Hermione was, "And Ron, so don't go getting any ideas if you don't want him after you."
"No good going after Ginny then." Blaise was wistfully eyeing up the younger girl, who was looking straight back at him.
"Ginny can take care of herself." Harry said, grinning, and watched as Blaise made his way through the throng towards his fellow Chaser.
"Is she still a virgin then?" Draco drew Harry over to a darkened corner.
"I have no idea. She and Ron only had one date together and he said it was like kissing Ginny. She spent the summer in Europe, but she never mentioned meeting anyone over there." Harry shrugged and drew Draco closer into his arms. "She spends too much time in the Library to ever any anyone, unless that's just an excuse."
Draco looked over to where Hermione was now curled up by the fire with a book and then looked back at Harry.
"No, that's not an excuse. Poor girl."
"Hey, if she caught you saying that about her you wouldn't think 'Poor girl' anymore." Harry nipped at Draco's ear.
"Hmmm, maybe not." Draco remembered being hexed at the end of fifth year and shuddered at the memory. He sighed as Harry's hands drifted down his back and up again, kneading lightly. He knew exactly the correct pressure to apply and Draco had hopes of getting Harry up to his room later for a full body massage. Well, if he managed to get him past Miss Eagle-Eyes sitting over there by the fire.

~~@~~

Ron helped himself to a glass of punch and glanced over the heads of the other students to where a certain dark-haired witch was standing. He frowned slightly when he saw that both Dean and Seamus were flanking her and she seemed to be amused at something Seamus was saying. He picked up another glass and tried not to notice his palms sweating a bit. Then he straightened his shoulders and stepped forward determinedly towards them.

"Seamus, Dean, Millicent." he nodded at the other boys and flashed a nervous smile at Millie, "You don't have ank."nk." he handed her the spare glass of punch.
"Thank you, Weasley." she smiled slightly at him.
"Call me Ron." he relaxed a little, "It was a good game today."
"For you, maybe." she leaned against the wall and looked up at him, which was a novel experience for her.
"You were ahead on points at one time." he relaxed more now they were on a topic he was familiar with, and stepped slightly closer, edging Dean out of the way. Seamus rolled his eyes and jerked his head at Dean to l the the other two alone.
"We'll see you later, Ron." Dean said and they moved away. Ron didn't bother acknowledging them, a fact Millie noticed, and she felt quite flattered. When she'd seen Weasley, no, Ron, heading towards her, she'd thought he was coming over to talk to his fellow Gryffindors. It had been a slight shock when he'd handed her a drink and proceeded to start a conversation with her, effectively ignoring his classmates. She'd heard the rumours about him prefeg bog boys, and decided that it was a shame. She wouldn't mind finding out what he looked like underneath that bulky sweater. Giving a mental shrug, she concentrated on listening to what he was saying about Quidditch, but his sparkling blue eyes and faint freckles over his nose kept distracting her.

Ron was finding it hard to focus on the conversation. He was boring her, he could tell by the glazed look in her eyes. He stomach twisted in knots; this was the first chance he'd had at talking to her properly and he was making a hash of it. He wracked his brains for the next topic of conversation, but couldn't think of anything.
"Do you want a refill?" was all he could come up with. Millie looked at her nearly full glass then back at him. She lifted her drink and tossed it back, feeling the alcohol burning on the way down.
"Sure, why not?" may as well get drunk, he obviously wasn't interested in anything but her Quidditch moves. She watched as he turned away to get her a refill and admired his tight backside displayed to advantage by fairly new jeans. It was just her luck that the only boy in her year to be bigger than her wasn't interested in girls.

Dean caught up with Ron at the punch bowl.
"Any luck?"
"What?"
"With Bulstrode. You are trying to chat her up, aren't you?"
"Tryining ing the word."
"What's wrong?"
"I can't think of anything to say." Ron said in a low voice, filling their glasses.
"It didn't look like you were doing too bad from where I was standing."
"You didn't see the blank expression on her face."
"Doesn't she always look like that?" Dean teased and ducked as Ron went to punch his arm. "Ask her if she plays chess." He suggested from the other side of the table. Ron's eyes lit up and he grinned at Dean, who smiled back at him. From across the room, Millie eyed the interaction between the two Gryffindors, incorrectly coming to the conclusion that Ron fancied Dean. She looked around the room and spotted Draco pressed up against Harry in the corner and Blaise flirting madly with Ginny Weasley. She wondered how Ron would deal with his little sister being seduced by Blaise I've Shagged Half The School Zabini.

"Here you go." Ron was standing in front of her, holding out her glass.
"Thanks."
"Fancy a game of chess?"
"Now?" she choked on her mouthfuloongUnless you don't play?"
"You don't have to keep me company, you know."
"I want to."
"Why?"
"I just do." Ron shrugged. This was rapidly turning into his worst nightmare; she obviously wasn't interested.
"Look, why don't you just go and flirt with one of your boyfriends and I'll go and talk to Granger over there." Millie pushed past him, ignoring his stunned expression.
"Hey!" he recovered and caught her arm, surprised by the taut muscles he found there. He pulled her easily back against the wall and pinned her there, looking down into dark blue eyes.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ron could feel the tips of his ears burning.
"Everyone knows, Weasley."
"Knows what?"
"That you're gay." she shrugged.
"What?!" a few heads turned at his raised voice and he glared back at them. He lowered his voice and bent over Millie, trapping her between his hands that he'd placed on the wall behind her. "What do you mean, everyone knows I'm gay?"
"Well, you ignore any girl who flirts with you." she shrugged again, feeling a little hemmed in but unwilling to show it.
"So? Maybe I don't like flirts. Maybe I just like a straightforward approach."
"So if I did the girly thing, you wouldn't be interested?"
"Depends. What type of girly thing?" Perhaps she wasn't bored after all.
"Oh, I don't know. The hair twirling, the fluttering eyelashes..." Mille did none of those things, though, "The grope under the robes.."
"The e I'e I'd go for." Ron shifted a little closer to her and dropped one hand to her shoulder where a long lock of hair had come away from the clip at her nape. "The hair twirling I can do myself." and he wound it around his finger.
"Now who's flirting?" a faint blush spread across her high cheekbones. Yes! He wasn't gay!
"You don't like it?" he hadn't seen anyone else trying it on with her.
"Maybe I like the straightforward approach myself."
"Okay. Do you want to spend some time wie, te, to see if we get on okay?"
"Sure, why not?"
"So, fancy a game of chess?"
"No." Millie looked up at him from under her lashes, "Fancy a grope?" and she smiled as Ron burst out laughing.
"Maybe later." he grinned and pulled her over to a sofa, much more at ease now he knew she liked him too.

~~@~~

Blaise tossed back his drink and poured another, adding some ice to the neat alcohol. Then he headed determinedly in Ginny Weasley's direction, deftly avoiding eye contact with a couple of other sixth year girls. He'd seen the speculative look in the redhead's eye a few times in the great hall and library and wondered if the rumours about her were true. She'd had almost as many conquests as him; starting with Michael Corner in her fourth year and then moving on to Dean Thomas later that same year. Each year after that had earned more scalps to her belt, but he hadn't been able to find out any further information about her liaisons.

No boy would kiss and tell about Ginny Weasley out of fear her brothers would hear about it, not to mention that she was handy with hexes herself. He decided she'd look good on his arm; her flame coloured hair a nice contrast to his own dark good looks. Now all he had to do was get rid of Longbottom who was hovering in the background.
"Hello Ginny." he handed her a glass of punch.
"Hey, this is alcoholic!" she nearly dropped the glass, "How did you manage to get that past Hermione's hex?"
"I have my ways." he casually leant against the back of a chair.
"Oh really?" her eyes narrowed, "You could be useful then."
"At your service, Milady." he gave a courtly bow.
"Smooth, Zabini, really smooth." Ginny grinned.
"It's an art." he flicked his long hair back over his shoulder.
"You're full of it, you know that?"
"Of course. Zabini's have been buittiitting for centuries. It's all part of our charm." White teeth flashed at her.
"Well you can forget about trying to charm yourself into my knickers, Zabini. It won't work."
"Damn. How about blackmail?"
"Nice try, but you have nothing on me." Ginny studied her nails, "unlike the dirt I have on you."
"I've done nothing to be ashamed of. Can I help it if the girls find me irresistible?"
"You're a slut, Zabini." She teased.
"Dear Pot, Love Kettle."
"Jealous?"
"You keep a count?"
"At least my boyfriends still speak to me afterwards."
"Low blow, Weasley." Blaise had been involved in more than one catfight over his tendency to start a new relationship without terminating the previous one.
"Someone has to try to reform you."
"Think you're up to the job?"
"Maybe."
"Do I get to sample the goods?" Blaise ran a finger down her cheek.
"Don't touch what you can't afford, Zabini. Let's see if your attention span can last longer than a goldfish's, shall we?" Ginny had come to the conclusion that Blaise needed a firm hand. His other girlfriends had let him get away with too much. There was something to be said for the old saying 'Treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen'.
"Fancy a dance then?" Someone had cleared a space in the middle of the floor and turned the music up.
"Okay." Ginny put her drink down and took his hand, feeling a slight tingle as he curled his fingers around hers.
"How is it that we haven't done this before?" Blaise moved easily to the music.
"You look as though you've danced before."
"Ha, Ha, very funny Weasley."
"But to answer your question, probably because you've been working way way through the other houses first, and were too chicken to tackle Gryffindor."
"I think I'm going to regret this." Blaise thought to himself, but decided to persevere; Ginny Weasley did have a really nice body under those robes...

~~@~~

Hermione winced as the music got louder as well as the chatter around her. She looked up at the clock on the wall and found it was only ten thirty. She remembered from her own first and second years that miht wht was the earliest they went to bed, so she knew it was going to be at least one o'clock before she could leave the party.

Harry and Ron wouldn't let her leave before then, but from the way Harry was wrapped around Draco and the intense conversation Ron and Millicent were holding, it didn't look like they'd miss her. She glanced around the room and saw Blaise writhing in front of Ginny in what passed for dancing, and Ginny was smiling at him. What was it about Slytherins that attracted Gryffindors? Granted, Draco and Blaise were stunning-looking, and Millicent was striking, but she couldn't see the attraction otherwise. Was it the hint of the forbidden that drew that element of the Gryffindor psyche? Well, you wouldn't catch her involved with one of them. If she had a choice, it would be a nice, safe Ravenclaw. At least you'd be able to have an lliglligent conversation with th Huh Huh, who was she kidding? The only boys interested in her were those who wanted a study partner. No boy wanted a girlfriend that got consistently higher grades than him.

Shaking herself out of her self-pitying mood, she slid her hand down the side of her chair and drew out her emergency kit of Shakespeare's Sonnets and a bar of Cadbury's Fruit and Nut, suitably charmed to the correct temperature; just short of teeth-cracking cold. Sng ang a rounded nail through the purple foil, she broke off a piece, studying it to make sure there was an even amount of almonds and raisins embedded in the milk chocolate.

Casting a discreet Silencing charm, she curled into the chair, angling it slightly away from the dancers nearby. The flickering fire dispelled any lingering chills in the room and she became absorbed by the words in her book, the chocolate melting on her tongue to leave the raisins and nuts whole. Pushing the raisins into her cheek, she ate the nuts before finally eating the sweet fruit. She reached out a hand to take the next piece and encountered nothing but an empty wrapper.

Raising startled eyes, she found Harry and Draco opposite her, feeding each other the last two chunks.
"Hey!"
"Hermione, this stuff is great. What is it?" Draco licked a chocolate covered finger.
"It was my Cadbury's Fruit and Nut bar. Enjoy it, did you?" her eyes narrowed. That was her last bar until she could owl her parents for some more.
"Erm, Draco, I don't think Hermione appreciates you pinching her chocolate." Harry nudged him.
"I didn't see you refusing your share." Draco licked the last trace off his finger, "Hermione doesn't mindringring, do you?"
"Puppy dog eyes only work with brown eyes, Draco." she threw the purple wrapper at him. "You owe me some more, now."
"But that's Muggle chocolate. You can't get it in Hogsmeade."
"That's why I don't share."
"Sorry, 'Mione. Can we get you anything from Honeyduke's to make up for Draco's greediness?" Harry asked. His pleading eyes usually got results, but only because he'd known Hermione longer.
"I suppose you can get me some nougat. With lots of almonds."
"No choccy?"
"No. I'll wait for my consignment from Mum." Hermione sighed, "It'll only take a few days."
"Don't your parents disapprove of sweets, being dentists?" Harry asked.
"The occasional bar is okay, and that one would have lasted me a couple of days."
"Couple of days? It would have been gone in sixty seconds if I'd known you had something as delicious as that." Draco draped himself over Harry's lap.
"Which is why I didn't tell you I had it, Draco." Hermione had discovered Draco's sweet tooth when she'd caught him in the kitchens pestering the elves for hot fudge sauce to go with his ice cream before the end of last term.
"You'll rot your teeth if you eat too much, you know."
"My teeth are perfectly healthy, thank you very much. I've never had anything wrong with them."
"Amazing what magic can do, eh?" Harry murmured, and was elbowed for his impertinence.
"Why aren't you joining in, anyway?" demanded Draco, diverting attentfromfrom his filching.
"I don't have to be drunk to have fun, Draco."
"But you're not joining in." he could be persistent when he wanted to be, and Harry was concerned about her, which meant he wouldn't be getting any until Harry was happy.
"I just don't feel like dancing, okay?" Hermione clutched her book tighter in her hand.
"It's okay if you can't dance, Hermione. I'll teach you if you want."
"I can dance, Draco, I've had lessons."
"Really? Show me." he stood up and held out his hand imperiously.
"How much have you had to drink?" she asked suspiciously.
"Enough to get you off your arse and onto the dance floor." he clicked his fingers.
"Just one, Hermione, to humour him." Harry cajoled.
"Oh, all right. One dance. Salsa?" she asked the blond.
"I prefer the Tango, but Salsa will do." Draco waved his wand and the music changed to a Latin beat. He pulled a reluctant Hermione onto the makeshift floor and swung her into his arms.

She found their height difference didn't matter much as she took the familiar position and Draco started to lead her through the steps. The floor cleared as the expert demonstration took place and they were both breathless by the end of it. The older students soon surrounded them and Hahad had to fight his way through the crowd to reclaim his boyfriend, jealousy coursing through him at the way some of the others were looking at Draco.
"I didn't know you could dance like that, Draco." there was a slight whine to Harry's voice that Draco found endearing.
"You never asked."
"You never volunteered the information."
"Well you know now. Want me to teach you?"
"Maybe in private."
"I know lots of other dances, where we can get even closer." Draco whispered.
"Who taught you?" Harry couldn't see Lucius ruffling his coiffure with anything as energetic as dancing.
"Would you believe I used to watch my mother and Snape dancing?"
"Snape?" Harry was flabbergasted. He pulled Draco out of the group surrounding Hermione, who were demanding that she teach them the steps. He spotted a quiet corner by the boy's staircase.
"Snape?" he demanded when they were alone.
"Father used to hate it, which is why I think Mother insisted Severus partner her. Under those black robes of his he's a good dancer. He taught me the steps and I used to practise with Mother in the holidays." Draco shrugged.
"Does it make a difference with a male partner?"
"I prefer to lead, so you'll have to be the girl."
"Dominating, aren't you?"
"You're usually on top in bed, so this makes it even."
"So does that mean you'll want to be on top afterwards as well?"
"You'll get used to the submissive role." Draco patted his cheek.
"But only in dancing." Harry's eyes glinted at him.
"Of course." Draco had an idea that he could get used to being dominant over Harry, and could see a few more fights in the bedroom. He licked his lips in anticipation.
"Hermione's a good dancer." they looked over to where Hermione now had a group behind her as she demonstrated the steps.
"She's a good technical dancer." Draco corrected, "She knows all the steps, but she's not passionate about it. Sev's the same."
"There's a difference?"
"Latin equals passion. Here, I'll show you." Draco dragged Harry up to his room and cleared a space on the floor. He showed Harry some steps and when he was confident Harry could remember them, he took him in his arms, and with the music wafting from downstairs, Draco led Harry in the dance. After an initial hesitation, Harry let himself go and moved with the music, feeling his heart-rate speed up as Draco brushed against him time and again. They were pressed up against each other at the end of the dance, breathing heavily and staring into each other's eyes, faces flushed. Harry groaned as Draco's eyes darkened, and he pushed Draco onto his bed, ripping at his shirt in his eagerness to get to the porcelain skin below.
"See what I mean now?" Draco was tugging Harry's t-shirt over his head.
"Definitely. You want to be on top?" Harry panted.
"And waste time? You have to be kidding." Draco clamped his legs around Harry's and thrust upwards, rubbing against him.
"Good." Harry spelled the rest of their clothes off and locked the door, casting a silencing charm just to make sure they weren't disturbed. They rarely used Harry's dorm as he still shared with the others and it was difficult to arrange, so they nearly always used Draco's room. Draco sighed as their bodies, damp from their earlier activity, slid against each other and he reached up to pull Harry's mouth back to his own. Tongues tangling, he guided Harry's hand down to his arousal and then fumbled in the drawer beside Harry's bed for the bottle of oil he kept there for times such as this.
"So what other dances do you know?" Harry smiled against Draco's neck, knowing it infuriated the other boy when he talked while making love.
"Harry!" Draco found it hard to think when Harry moved his hips like that.
"It was a simple question."
"Fuck...Harry...Move!"
"Where's that famous Malfoy poise now?" Harry licked his way from Draco's neck to his ear and round to his mouth.
"Out the fucking window, now move it Potter!" Draco growled and tightened his legs around Harry's.
"Your wish is my command, sir." Harry dipped his fingers in the oil and worked his way down to Draco's tight, Quidditch toned arse.
"Eager tonight, aren't we?" Harry murmured.
"I wouldn't be if you got your arse moving." Draco squirmed beneath him.
"Like this?" Harry thrust forwards and impaled Draco, forcing the slightly taller boy higher up the bed.
"Gods, yes!" Draco moaned and they moved with accustomed rhythm, panting with exertion as their arousal built. Magic swirled around them until a faint glow enveloped them, fading as their passion spent.

Draco groped for his wand and cast a cleaning charm; they didn't have time for one of their leisurely showers, and tucked Harry under the covers with him until their breathing slowed to a more normal rate.
"Enough passion for you?" he asked his dark haired lover.
"I still can't imagine Snape dancing like you."
"Let's say you bring out my wilder side." Draco curled his arms around Harry.
"In fact, I can't even imagine Snape doing what we do."
"He's straight anyway."
"Really? There have been rumours for years amongst the Gryffs that he's gay."
"Not true. So straight he's boring. Mind, I don't think he's had a shag in years."
"Not surprised with that hair and teeth. Has he never heard of shampoo and toothpaste?"
"He smokes, you know."
"Urgh. Filthy habit."
"That's why his teeth are yellow, and standing over a cauldron every day makes his hair like that."
"How do you know?"
"He is my head of house. I've seen him late at night. He cleans up quite well."
"He still smokes though."
"Yes. It'd be like kissing an ashtray."
"Not nice for the woman."
"No. He might be in a better mood though if he got laid."
"Oh?"
"Yes. You might not get quite so many detentions if he was happy."
"Thereby freeing up more of my time for you. Nice to know that you're thinking of yourself for once." Harry's tone was slightly sarcastic.
"It's one of my better traits. So, do you want to get him laid?"
"Oh yes, we'll just get him drunk and get a pro in, shall we?"
"Ha ha, very funny. No, I'll have to give this some thought." Draco sat up and swung his legs off the bed, hopping down to gather his clothes.
"I can survive a few more months with a grumpy Potions Master, Draco. You'll just have to give me extra coaching, that's all." Harry mended Draco's ripped shirt for him and gathered his own clothes uracoraco paused to give him a kiss of thanks, and when they were decent again, they descended the stairs.

Hermione was still holding a dance class and even Millie and Ron were on the floor. Harry studied the couples; the air was fairly crackling around Ginny and Blaise, and even though Ron and Millie's steps were hesitant, Ron's hold on her was firm and commanding. There was definitely passion simmering under the surface there. He could see where Draco's observation about Hermione was correct as well. There was a lack of fluidity about her that hinted she was holding back; she didn't throw herself into the music like Draco or even Ron did. It was a shame she didn't have anyone, he thought, the enthusiasm she showed with SPEW could be channelled into a relationship. If she put that much effort into her sex-life, the lucky man would certainly have a smile on his face.

He decided he'd have a word with Draco about it; if anyone could think of a likely candidate for a partner for Hermione, it would be him.


TBC