Boys Night, Girls Night

Thank you everyone for the reviews! And I am sorry Ms. margaritama- that was indeed Ron :-) But I love everyone's conspiracy theories! The culprit should be unmasked soon. SOOOO As promised- here is your new chapter! I'm trying to get another one posted this weekend, but no promises since its finals week at school. Hope you enjoy, let me know what you think!

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Draco had heard Hermione’s name heralded loudly, and started to make his way towards her. Seeing her, Draco found himself stuck motionless. He watched her make her way down the stairs, obviously pained by all the attention, but hiding it well.

She was beyond compare, biased though he might be. She outshone every woman near her, making the socialites and heiresses look tawdry by comparison.

Her dress showed off as much as it concealed, tailored to perfection. The cut of the green gown she wore showed off her curves, while the beading sinuously wove across her chest and over her shoulder. The confidence she exuded from knowing she looked her best added to the twinkle in her eye and grace of her gestures.

Draco felt his chest expand with pride, and though he was too manly to admit it, felt his heart skip a beat. There it was again, that emotion too dangerous to name, one he intentionally shied away from. Before Draco could make his body move forward, he saw her small frame disappear in the crush of people wanting to talk to her, sign her dance card, needing her for one thing or another.

He realized his shirt was not the only thing growing too tight. His trousers also had become quite restricting.Taking a deep breath, he focused on keeping his baser urges in check. He could catch a glimpse now and then as she offered her dance card.

The low cut dress showed off those perfect breasts, and he could remember the velvety texture of his nipples, her face as she coyly played with him knowing it turned him on. The tight bodice showed the outline of her hips and made the most of her tiny waist.

He noticed she attached herself to the Weasel King, and he was glad. Knowing his reaction to her, he knew exactly what every other man in the vicinity was thinking. Something he was not happy about. He wanted someone who was immune to her more noticeable charms.

Draco was almost done his list of suspects- with no major success. He watched as Stanley walked over to sign her dance card felt a spike of anger. He may have grilled him to little or no effect. He answered politely, but Draco still held out a verdict on him. Something didn’t make sense. Stanley was close to Julie, who had been out of work for a couple weeks now. Julie, the one who was the only one in close proximity to Hermione during working hours.

If he were to line up suspects, Stanley might not be the number one suspect, but definitely an accomplice.

Shaking his head, he saw Potter look at him and jerk his head to indicate a side window embrasure. Draco followed him into the alcove, careful to keep Granger in his sights.

“Anything?” he prompted.

Harry took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Draco felt for him. Harry looked way worse than he did. Harry had deep shadows under his eyes, which were slightly bloodshot. He looked utterly exhausted. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I could state that the perpetrator isn’t here, but it just doesn’t fit his MO. The suspect gloats in being close contact with her without her knowledge.”

Draco was at a loss. He only had one suspect left. Granted, it was one hell of a suspect on his list, but he knew Granger wouldn’t believe the person possible. Draco watched Hermione giggling with Ginny who had just walked up. “We’re failing her.” He stated softly.

Harry followed his eyes while clasped his shoulder, determined. “We will get this person, Draco. We just need to be patient. Anyone on your list you want to have a closer watch on?”

All of a sudden Draco tensed, hard as gilded iron that decorated the railings on the balconies. Harry, whose hand was still on his shoulder felt the difference and looked at him questioningly.

“Stanley.” He forced out.

Harry nodded, and looked at whom Draco was reacting to. “And Krum.” He guessed.

“Excuse me, Potter. I found my last suspect.” Draco moved quickly back into the crowd. As imposing as Draco looked, the crowd seemed to part for him.
Walking over to Granger, Ginny, and Krum, his thoughts seem to be stuck on a repetitive cycle.

Get Krum away from her.



Hermione was actually managing to enjoy herself. She had run back to the kitchen to check on things, and found that not only were they on time, they were just waiting for the signal to serve dinner. She walked to each pot and sampled the food to find it was delicious.

Everything seemed to be perfect. Walking back into the reception hall, she stopped to talk with the major domo. He greeted her with great news. They were running ahead of schedule. She felt herself relax for the first time since walking down the staircase. Taking a deep breath, she saw Ginny moving her way.

She looked at Ginny and actually felt a little jealous. Her best friend was wearing a simple empire cut gold gown that had a slight shimmer where it caught the light. She wore her wavy hair down her back, just a pair of simple dangling earring to accompany her outfit. If her dress shimmered it was nothing to how Ginny seemed to glow.

“Well look at the soon to be Mrs. Potter,” she smirked. “You clean up good, Ginerva, I might even be into you.” Hermione gave a saucy wink.

“And look at you! Well damn.” Ginny gave her a once over. “A night of rampant sex does wonders for your complexion.” She muttered. They both cracked up. “On a serious note, there is something I need your help on.”

Hermione grabbed a champagne glass from a passing server. “And who is in trouble now?”

“Why, the handsomest man in the room.” Came a new voice. Hermione turned and found herself neatly tucked into a hug by Viktor. “He is in danger of making a fool of himself before the most beautiful woman in the room.” She heard him murmur in her ear.

“Glad you finally decided to show up.” Hermione said rather acerbically. She had been waiting for him to go over the last of the seating arrangements for dinner.

Krum took a step back as if to take a good look at her. “Well, well, well. Prince Charming had to show up for his Cinderella.”

Hermione felt a twinge of unease. As if divining her thoughts, Ginny spoke up. “Sorry, Vickie, I’m taken,” breaking the tension nicely.

They all chuckled. “I’ll just have to make due with the step sister. Hermione, may I have the first waltz?” Krum gestured to her card with a sardonic smile.

Why not? Hermione thought. He helped plan this event; it was fitting in a way. Besides, it’s not like Draco had shown up to claim the dance. She saw him throughout the past hour in conversation with everyone but herself. Truth be told, she was a little miffed he had yet to seek her out.

Ginny raised an eyebrow at her, obviously questioning why she was waiting. Yes, this was a catty move. But she still wasn’t sure what was going on between her and Draco. Last night was years away from now, and tonight she found herself alone with a handsome ex-boyfriend asking for a dance.

“Sign away.” She gave him a warm smile holding out her card.

“I’m surprised Malfoy hasn’t branded his name on every dance here.” Krum looked at her questioningly.

“And why would you think that?” Hermione asked, a bit thrown off by his perceptiveness.

“Maybe because he’s been staring at you since you’ve arrived.” Krum gave her a knowing look.

Hermione felt a faint flush on her cheeks. “Staring and doing something about it are two different things.”

“Hmm, seems we can test that theory in a minute.” Ginny looked at her as if trying to communicate a warning. Hermione was at a lost as to what she was warning against. It wasn’t ten seconds later when the warning placed a warm hand on her back.


The sight of Hermione laughing and completely at ease with that self-indulgent git acted on Draco’s tolerance like vinegar on varnish. His common sense warred with his protective instincts as he stalked up to the happy grouping.

Krum saw his coming and let a smug smile serve as a welcome for him. Draco was dying to launch a punch into that brooding self-serving face. Instead he coolly nodded. “Krum. Ladies.” He added a little more civilly.

Hermione started as Draco appeared at her side suddenly. She felt his hand at the small of her back. It was as possessive as it was meaningless without raising the eyebrows of the ever-watchful gathering. Looking up at his face, she had started to smile warmly at him, pleased he finally had made his way over, but she stopped once she realized he wasn’t even looking at her. He was all but glaring at Viktor.

In response, all Viktor did was grin unabashed and not at all repentant back at him. He might acknowledge Draco obvious efforts to claim Hermione, but he didn’t have to let him know it.
“Draco! Devil take it, we were just talking about you.” Hermione gave him an elbow to the ribs. Krum merely sidestepped her and smiled down at her with genuine fondness.
Draco saw the whole thing, but came to an entirely different conclusion.
“Granger, can I talk to you for a moment?” Draco asked without quite looking at her. “In private?” He added when she didn’t answer.

Whatever games these two adolescent boys were playing, she refused to be apart of it. Irritated by the assumption of intimacy where there was none, she stepped away from his hand. “It will have to wait. Dinner is about to be announced.”

Not amused, Draco took her elbow in a pretense as guiding her and all but dragged her away from their present company. “It will just take a moment.” She found herself ushered through a door and onto a balcony surrounded by shrubbery.

“Draco, let go of me. What in the devil has gotten into you?” She wrenched her arm away and faced him. She got to finally got a chance to appraise his attire, and damn it all if her mouth didn’t water.

“ Gotten into me? What in the hell are you doing fraternizing with the enemy?” He snapped at her, bringing her back from a mind full of fantasies to the present rather rudely.

Confused at just what was going on she heard herself ask, “Enemy? Why in the hell would Viktor be an enemy? He is a great friend.”

“Do you or do you not have some disgusting mad man stalking you?” Draco ground out.

It all came rushing back to Hermione. It wasn’t like she had forgotten about the situation, far from it. She just didn’t remember telling Draco about it last night. “How in the hell did you know that? I never told you.”

Draco looked at her like she was asking a question she already knew the answer to. “Ginny told me, but for the life of me I can’t figure out why it wasn’t you explaining it.”

Ok, so maybe she should have known that Ginny would ignore her wishes. Ginny did what she thought was right regardless of threats. “You know exactly why I didn’t tell you. It’s complicated; things were complicated between us. We weren’t even talking when the situation started to escalate. But that’s neither here or there. You had no right treating Viktor like that. He’s-”

“-a great friend? Yeah, sure. A great friend who was looking to slither his way into your dress,” Draco snarled at her. “Not that it would be hard. That dress is utterly indecent.” Draco was aware he was now picking a fight. He, who prided himself on being levelheaded, was just about to snap. A great friend? Hell, his great friends didn’t look at him like that. His great friends didn’t stalk his movements! But hell, if she was going to prance around exposing herself to harm, and just plain exposing herself, he was going to do his best to limit her prancing.

Or, something like that.
Shit. It made so much more sense on his walk across the ballroom.


“Indecent? Have you gone mad? This dress is perfectly acceptable for any young, UNATTACHED woman my age. Good heavens, your mother picked it out! If anyone knows what is proper it would be her!” She yelled at him.

Draco looked momentarily sidetracked. “You go dress shopping with my mother?”

Hermione chest heaved with suppressed anger. The man she had THOUGHT she wanted basically just called her dress whorish and then tried to change the subject. “ That is so not the point!” she glared at him.

Draco forced his eyes away from the heaving bodice of her gown. “Then what is?”

Hermione gestured between the both of them. “THIS! You- Me! You can’t control the relationship with every person in my life. Don’t think I haven’t seen what Harry, and, now I realize, you have been doing all night. I understand you are trying to protect me. I do. And I love that you are doing that. But Krum isn’t dangerous. I trust him. You can’t accuse him because you’re jealous. Jealousy is a different motive to accuse suspects than evidence, Draco.” Hermione took a couple steps forward and grabbed his hand.

“Jealousy? Who said I’m jealous? Of Krum? Oh- that’s a good one.” Draco chuckled. He was trying to keep her safe and she thought he was jealous of that poor excuse of a wizard? That was rich. He laughed again.

“Oh no? Let’s test that, shall we?” Giving one last scathing look, Hermione gave the train of her dress a furious kick and headed back into the hall.

Draco followed her out just as the dinner bell chimed. It was worth letting her walk in front of him. He watched appreciatively as her dress swayed back and forth, hinting at the shape of her bottom, the generous curve of her hip.

But then he realized the direction of where she was walking. Tucking her arm into Viktor’s, she threw a challenging glance over her shoulder as she walked in to be seated for dinner.


Blast it all to hell.