A/N: Hello and welcome to Amynoelle and Heaven's first collaborated fic. We both hope you'll enjoy what we have in store for you, and leave us a review when you're done reading. We can tell you right now we both absolutely thrive on feedback! :D
By the way, please remember this story is AU! Alternate Universe!
*** Dirty Dancing***
Local God by Everclear
You do that Romeo
Be what you wanna be
Look like you runnin' in place
Do that stupid dance for me
Do that Romeo
That go-go Romeo
I see you twist and turn
You look so stupid, happy, and numb
I never expected my life to change the way it would this summer. I expected that I would be going on a simple holiday with my parents and my cousin Lavender. It was to be an uncomplicated two month stay at Hillsdale, a place owned by a friend of my father's, Vernon Dursley.
It was the first vacation my father had taken since he changed professions from a dentist to a doctor. When he was a dentist his practise had bought drills from Grunnings, where Vernon Dursley worked. They had become friends, but we hadn't seen Vernon in years, not since before Lavender and I left for Beauxbatons School in France.
Lavender and I are both witches. My cousin came to live with us when we were both nine, her parents were killed in a car crash and we were her closest living relatives. We only get along about half the time- she's interested in boys, I'm interested in books.
Or at least… at that point I was only interested in books. That was before I met Harry Potter…
*** *** ***
"Uncle Robert!" Lavender Brown cried. "Be careful! I can hear my things bouncing around in the boot!"
"These mountain roads are a bit bumpy," Robert Granger replied.
"I can tell," Lavender replied sourly. She looked over at Hermione but as usual, found no sympathy from her. Her cousin's bushy brown head was buried in a thick tome called Arithmancy in Everyday Life, something Lavender found more boring than classes.
"We're almost there," Elinore Granger turned around in the front seat. "It's just a few miles away."
"Okay," Lavender replied, setting her mirror back in her bag. She fluffed out her long blonde hair, making sure each wave was set in place, hoping that there would be lots of gorgeous male bodies to look at.
Hermione, on the other hand, didn't care one bit about any male bodies. She had brought several books with her that she would need for her next term of college and she planned on using the time to read them thoroughly.
Robert pulled into the Hillsdale resort a quarter of an hour later. Lavender was the first one out of the car, stretching her long tanned legs. An enormously large man was approaching, twirling his moustache between his thick fingers.
"Robert," the man came forward. Hermione recognised him as Vernon Dursley. "Welcome!"
"Hello Vernon," Robert smiled. "This place looks fantastic, I had no idea it was this big."
Vernon puffed his chest out in pride. "Thank you," he beamed at the rest of the family. "Welcome everyone!"
Hermione, Lavender and Mrs. Granger greeted him politely. A young man appeared at Vernon's side.
"Go get their suitcases," Vernon hissed. "Take them to Cabin Nine." He smiled at them once again. "Cabin Nine is our biggest and best room."
Hermione followed the younger man to the boot. "Here I'll help," she said, pulling out several suitcases.
"Hey, thanks." He grinned at her. "I'm Neville, Neville Longbottom."
"Hermione," she shook his outstretched hand.
"Looking for a job?" he joked. Hermione laughed as her eyes travelled across the resort before stopping on something… someone… that made her heart jump into her throat and beat wildly.
He was somewhat tall, with messy black hair that stuck up wildly in every direction but it suited him. His body was lean but muscled under the white t shirt and jeans, and his eyes were a hypnotizing green.
Hermione had to remember to breathe as he and the redheaded guy he was with turned on the path and started heading their way.
Harry Potter waved at a set of buildings. "This is the main building here, and over there are the really nice guest houses." Ron Weasley, a new employee nodded.
"This is really a nice place," he said in a bit of awe.
"Yeah, it's all right." Harry shrugged and smirked as he and Ron came to a fork in the path and turned up towards the parking lot. "Vernon is my uncle… we basically can't stand one another but Cho and I are the best dancers around and he knows it."
Ron nodded. "I'll have to thank him for hiring me." He stopped short when Harry pulled on his arm.
"Just don't tell him we were friends in school. There are so many wizards and witches working here, and he doesn't know. He hates our kind." Harry said.
"Okay," Ron agreed. Harry nodded as they started walking again. He looked up as they passed through the parking lot and his eyes met a pair of brown ones.
Harry felt his heart skip a beat as he stared at the girl. She was by no means drop dead gorgeous, at least not from where he was at now… but her face was definitely pretty. He and Ron continued to walk past until Harry finally had to break their eye contact.
Hermione actually felt weak kneed as the black haired guy turned away with his friend. She was about to turn and ask Neville if he knew who he was but the rest of her family stepped over.
"Neville here will show you your way to the cabin," Vernon boomed, patting his large belly. "As far as activities, go, I expect to see you out there with our dancers Robert!" he laughed.
"Okay, here's your cabin," Harry held a cracked white door open as his redheaded friend stepped inside. "Small, yes… but everyone's is like this."
"Where's yours at?" Ron asked, dropping his bags on the floor and looking around.
"Up on the hill," Harry rolled his eyes. "My aunt and uncle forced me up there when I started working summers here."
"How did your uncle go from selling drills to owning a resort?" Ron asked, sitting on the bed.
"Well, Grunnings went under… and somehow, he's never told me, he got a huge settlement out of the company. And apparently my aunt saw this place for sale and it became her biggest desire to be the mistress of a popular mountain resort." Harry spread his arms. "So here we are…"
"How did you get them to hire you as a dancer?" Ron asked.
"Well, the first summer we had this place Vernon had a different dance instructor. I spent a lot of time with him and he taught me everything he knows… and then I showed Cho…." Harry shrugged.
"Speaking of Cho…" Ron flipped onto his back. "What's the girl situation around this place? Any lookers?"
"Not really," Harry shrugged again. "It's basically the same guests that come every summer, same girls… sometimes there's a new one or two but not often." His thoughts wandered to the brown haired girl he'd seen at the parking lot.
Ron seemed to read his mind. "Who was that girl in the lot you were staring at?"
"What girl?" Harry snapped his head up. "I wasn't staring at anyone." He started to pace the room. "Oh yeah, your sister asked me to give her a dance lesson tonight."
"Ginny did?" Ron asked. "I thought she was working at the lake?"
"She is, but she eventually wants to become one of the dancers. You'll find out your instructor to teach you our most common dances tomorrow." Harry replied, sitting on one of the chairs.
"Hello, anyone in there?" a female voice sounded at the door and a moment later a young woman stepped around the frame.
"Cho!" Harry grinned at his partner. "I didn't know you were here already!"
"Just a few hours ago," the black haired girl hugged Harry tightly. "Hey Ron!" Cho exclaimed.
"How are you," Ron smiled warmly at her, getting off the bed to haul her up into his arms. "It's been a few years since I've seen you and you haven't changed a bit!"
"Same goes for you." Cho pulled back as Harry put his arms around her waist. He was very glad summer was here.
"So are you planning on living out of a bloody suitcase the entire holiday?" Hermione asked as she placed her neatly folded clothes into the provided drawers. Lavender was sprawled on the bed, no doubt dreaming of the boys she had seen on their walk from the car to the cabin.
"Perhaps," Lavender replied. "Why, is it bothering you?" she turned a smirk in her cousin's direction.
Hermione didn't respond, only turned her back. "You know, that guy Neville that works here did say that there were a lot of male waiters here…" she was cut off by Lavender leaping off the bed. The blonde ran to her trunk and immediately began unpacking.
"Oh no, I left my beige sandals at home!" Lavender wailed. "They're the only shoes that match the dress I'm wearing tonight!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "You can wear mine," she had been about to slip her feet into them, but instead held them up.
Lavender took them, looking them over with a doubtful expression. "I don't know, they're an inch flatter than the heels I usually wear…"
"Well then I'll wear them and you can change your dress," Hermione snapped.
"No, they'll do." Lavender slid her feet into the sandals as Hermione put a pair of white shoes on instead. Lavender swept out of the room with her makeup case, her long blonde hair swishing behind her.
Hermione never wore makeup; she thought it was silly to paint her face to make herself attractive. She brushed her bushy hair out and pinned it up at the sides.
"Hermione, love, are you ready for dinner?" her mother's voice floated into the bedroom.
"Yes Mum, be out in a second!" Hermione called back. She took one last look at herself and then joined her parents in the living room. Ten minutes after that, Lavender was ready and the four headed up to the dining hall.
They were sitting down at their respective table when Vernon Dursley came up to their table, flanked by a bony, horse faced woman and what looked like a beach ball in a nice suit.
"Hello!" Vernon beamed at them. "Robert, Elinore, you remember my wife Petunia, yes? And our boy, Dudley?"
"Yes, yes… hello, lovely to see you again." Robert said as his wife turned a laugh into a cough at the sight of their son. The last time they had seen Vernon and Petunia Dudley had been a tyke.
"It's been quite awhile," Petunia said in a simpering tone. She smiled down at Hermione, but the corners of her mouth didn't quite reach her eyes. "You've grown so big dear, are you still in school?"
"Well, I just finished up at Beauxbatons," Hermione said politely. "And I plan on going to university this fall."
"Beauxbatons?" Petunia's eyebrows knit together.
"It's a boarding school in France," Hermione said quickly, remembering the woman was a Muggle.
"Ah," Petunia replied disinterestedly. "Well, I know that Dudley has been looking forward to seeing you again ever since we heard you were coming," she let out a peal of fake laughter, clamping her bony arm around her oversized son.
Hermione forced herself not to visibly flinch at this bit of news. She hoped that Petunia wasn't already picking out china patterns for her and Dudley. She shot a pleading look to her mother hoping for someone to change the subject.
"Yes, well Hermione hasn't had much time for boys; she's very interested in her schoolwork. She plans on working in the government someday." Elinore said proudly.
"See yourself as the next prime minister, do you?" Vernon asked with a laugh. "To tell you the truth, I think women should leave all that to the men."
Hermione felt anger rise in her at his comment. She was about to open her mouth to respond when she felt someone kick her leg hard under the table. Lavender glared at her cousin, telling her silently that it wasn't the right time to go into a witch's activist rights speech. Her eyes moved from Hermione to someone behind her who was striding up to their table.
Vernon got up from his chair and put an arm around a blonde-haired boy who was very good-looking, but who had very cold, piercing eyes. Hermione felt her skin crawl as the boy smiled at them, his eyes lingering on Lavender, who was trying to be coy, and failing miserably.
"This is one of the best waiters here at the resort. This is Draco Malfoy," Vernon said with a wink at Draco. "I'll be sure to have him serve you each meal. Nothing but the best for the Grangers, eh Draco?"
"This is Dr. Robert Granger," he said, motioning to Robert, who stood to shake hands with Draco. "And his wife, Elinore, their daughter, Hermione, and Robert's niece, Lavender."
"Delighted," Draco bowed in a dignified sort of manner, his eyes barely straying from Lavender. He took up her hand, kissing the back of it gently. "It's not so often I get to wait on such a beautiful lady... ladies." he finally looked at Hermione but flicked his eyes back on Lavender almost immediately.
Hermione rolled her eyes at Lavender, who was eating up the attention Draco was giving her. Although she'd just met this boy, she had a bad feeling about him. She and her cousin might not get along, but the last thing Hermione would ever want to see is Lavender get hurt. "So, what is it you do when you're not waiting tables?" Hermione asked pointedly. She saw a flash of anger in the boy's eyes as he turned his attention to Hermione.
"I'm studying to be a lawyer," Draco said smoothly. Hermione saw her cousin's delighted look out of the corner of her eye. "I'm going into my first term at Oxford this fall; and Vernon here is helping me pay for it." he stood up straight and smiled, all the while thinking about how he loved to fool Muggles.
He was actually in the process of becoming a Healer, at his father's insistence he did this, Draco actually wanted no part in helping people. He was strictly worried about himself and only himself. Unfortunately, he was stuck in this Muggle resort to make his father look good to the Ministry.
Vernon positively beamed at Draco as he sat back down in his chair. "Draco's one of England's best and brightest. I imagine you'll see him as Prime Minister before you, Hermione, with all due respect."
What century was this guy living in? Hermione thought to herself. Being polite was one thing, but if her parents truly expected her to sit here and take this sexist behaviour, they had another thing coming.
"I'm not quite sure about that Vernon, Hermione's quite bright, and she's very feisty as well. She'd make a wonderful addition to the British hierarchy." Robert said in pride. Hermione smiled brightly at her father.
"You call that feisty," Vernon said, trying to sound jovial, but his tone was quite cool. He apparently didn't like being shown up by anyone, especially females.
"My parents raised me to stand up for what I believe in," Hermione said testily. "If you call that feisty, well, I guess you can say that I'm feisty. And I happen to believe that if you want something bad enough and you work hard enough, you can accomplish anything you want."
Petunia let out another fake laugh as Dudley stared with wide eyes at Hermione. "Well, this is just a lovely discussion but I'm afraid we have other guests to greet. Draco shall take wonderful care of you." With a toss of her tight blonde curls, she flounced off with Dudley, while Vernon took one last look at Hermione before turning away as well.
"Hermione," Lavender hissed. "Why did you have to open your big mouth? You were incredibly rude to the Dursleys."
Hermione gave out a laugh. "You don't give one jot about the Dursleys. You just care about what that Draco thought about you."
Lavender blushed a bright red as Draco turned deaf ears on their discussion. He opened an order pad and smiled at Mr. and Mrs. Granger. "What shall it be?" he took each of their orders in turn, but as he came to Lavender he actually crouched down next to her, admiring her tanned legs that were crossed under the table and the way her long hair fell in perfect waves over her chest. "What can I get you?" he asked in such a low voice that Hermione rolled her eyes and looked at her parents, who only smiled mildly.
"What do you recommend?" Lavender said, with a giggle.
Draco raised himself slightly off the floor and whispered in her ear, making her turn even redder. "I prefer that, but you might like a Caesar salad." he said, a smug smile on his face.
Hermione shared a look with her mother as they watched Draco and Lavender flirt. "And I'll have grilled chicken, please," Hermione said to Draco. She may as well have placed her order in Chinese as Draco Malfoy hadn't heard a word she'd said.
Draco looked up with annoyance. "Right," he scribbled on his order pad, and with one last look and smile at Lavender, left for the kitchens.
*** *** ***
Robert, Elinore and Hermione walked across the peaceful resort grounds to the main ballroom. Vernon had approached them after dinner and told them that dancing would be going on, and the Grangers had decided to check it out. Lavender had told them to go on ahead; she would meet up with them in a bit.
"You know she's just staying there to talk with that prat of a waiter," Hermione blew a piece of her wild bushy hair out of her eyes. "I don't like him one bit."
"Yes, well we trust Lavender to look after herself, just like we trust you," Elinore said soothingly. "She'll be fine." Hermione shrugged as they passed under the arched entrance to the ballroom. The first thing she saw amidst all the waltzing couples was the enormous form of Dudley Dursley, who made a beeline for them.
"Hi Hermione," he smiled and she involuntarily shuddered. "Would you like to dance with me?"
She was about to say no when, to her horror, her father pushed her gently toward Dudley. "That's a fantastic idea," Robert said. "Hermione would love that, wouldn't you, sweetheart?"
Hermione scowled at her father. She'd make him pay for this later. "Sure," she said uncomfortably, smiling half-heartedly at Dudley as he led her to the dance floor.
Dudley smiled and Hermione's smile faltered as she got a whiff of his breath, which smelled like he'd had an extra large helping of fish for dinner. "Wow, Hermione, you've really grown up nice... I mean, I remember when we used to play together as little kids, and I never thought you'd be pretty."
One backhanded compliment deserved another, Hermione thought as she turned her face away from his mouth to avoid his bad breath. "Well, you've grown...up...too." She flinched as he stepped on her toes.
She looked around the dance floor at the assorted couples and couldn't help thinking that no one in this room looked as uncomfortable and unhappy as she was at this very moment. Thankfully, the music came to an end. She let go of Dudley and was about to walk off the floor when her eyes caught sight of the dark-haired boy from earlier this afternoon in the parking lot.
Neville smiled at Hermione as she rushed behind him. "Want me to hide you for the rest of the night?" he joked as she glared back at him. "Having fun out there with Dudley Do?"
Hermione smirked at him. "It wasn't my doing. My parents made me do it. I swear - the things parents do to their children. I think he may have fractured my toes."
Neville laughed, liking Hermione more and more. "Don't worry, I'll keep you occupied the rest of the night," he wagged his eyebrows up and down as he set another CD in the player.
Neville grinned at her as a new song started. He and Hermione both laughed at each other as they jokingly moved to the salsa, Latin-like beat. A cheer erupted from the centre of the room as two figures began dancing in time to the music. Hermione stopped and watched as the girl's long black hair flew around her head, and then she felt her stomach plummet when she saw who the girl's partner was.
She tried to place his face again, he looked so familiar and she racked her brain trying to remember where she had seen him before.
Harry grinned at Cho as he dipped her back, her body almost bent in half, before pulling her back up, putting one hand on her back and the other on her leg.
"You're such a show-off," Cho said in Harry's ear as he pulled her close.
The crowd parted and before long, Harry and Cho were the only couple dancing. Vernon Dursley stood off to the side and Cho caught his sour expression as Harry twirled her around the floor.
"That was too fast, we didn't practise that this afternoon," she whispered with a grimace at Harry.
"Just trying to keep up with you," he said with a laugh.
From her spot beside Neville, Hermione stared transfixed at the couple. They moved so well together.
She opened her mouth again to ask Neville who the guy was when Dudley appeared at her side. "Have you ever tried dancing to this?" he jerked his heavy body around, and Neville snorted and turned away. Hermione bit down hard on her lower lip as she wordlessly shook her head.
Vernon cut through the crowd of guests and tapped his nephew abruptly on the shoulder. "Very nice show, boy," Vernon hissed at him. "I'm not paying the two of you to show off to the guests. I'm paying you to show the guests how to dance. Now, mingle with the guests or your wages will be docked!"
With that, he turned on his heel and stalked away from them. Harry started for his uncle, but Cho pulled him back and shook her head at him.
"Let it go, Harry," Cho whispered to him. "We only have to put up with him this one last summer."
Harry visibly relaxed at the troubled look in her eyes. "All right, he relented, straightening his shoulders in the form fitting white shirt he wore. Cho smiled at him, then turned away to find a partner that was a guest.
He turned around, his eyes scanning the room as another Latin style song blared through the speakers. Harry caught the glance of many interested women, but his eyes fixated on a pair of large brown orbs... it was the same girl that had been looking at him in the parking lot. She was standing by Neville... and Dudley. Harry strode through the dancing crowd towards the girl, intent on finding out something about her. He was three feet away from her when she was yanked to the side, her body sailing along behind Dudley's.
Hermione could only look helplessly after the boy as Dudley nearly pulled her arm out of the socket leading her on to the dance floor. When he found an empty spot, he loosened his grip on her arm and tried to pull her close. Seizing her opportunity to break free, Hermione yanked her arm away.
"What do you think you're doing?" she asked angrily. Without waiting for his answer, she continued. "It's usually customary to ask someone to dance, not drag them on to the dance floor like some caveman!"
Dudley's jaw went slack and Hermione was hit again by his horrible breath. "Well I thought I was doing you a favour," he leaned closer to her. "You don't want to be caught with the likes of that guy, he's nothing but trouble. The only reason my dad keeps him on here is because he dances really well!"
"Well, it's none of your concern who I associate with, now is it," Hermione said coolly. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to head back to our cabin. I've had enough for one evening."
As she walked toward the exit, she turned to get one last look at the mystery guy. She scanned the room for him and found him dancing with an older woman, who was obviously enjoying their dance. He looked up at that moment straight at her, and Hermione was hit again by the intensity of his deep emerald green eyes.
A/N from Heaven: Well that's the first part of Dirty Dancing! I hope you enjoyed this chapter; there will be LOTS of H/Hr to come! Plus I'm working on the epilogue to my Return to Me series, which will feature what all my characters from those stories are up to about eight years after the events in Shadows.
P.S. to PerfectMisstake: Fatnastic baby!
A/N from Amynoelle: I hope you guys enjoy this first chapter as much as we had writing it. This is my first time collaborating with another author and I couldn't ask for a better writing partner! Please read and review.