The Tango is for Two

a/n: oh, my back hurts! i dunno why, it just reeeally does. okiday, well, ive been soo busy lately, im sorry - im working on this comic, Harem Pants (dont ask), for my friend allan in texas... its coming along great - volume one has a cover, a prologue page, and the entire prologue pages line drawings done, and a chapter one page. as ive said before, my homework is grueling and annoying - drama crap and writing, mainly. and awana is a lot of memorization and section stuff.

and yet i still give you chapters. what is wrong with me?

this chapter is a fairly important chapter, i suppose - some major things happen that effect the outcome of things. dont worry, i wont screw things up too much... yet. ;)

the tango is for two :: chapter four - a moment like this

...

Hermione Granger had her leg between Harry Potter's legs.

It would appear to the untrained eye that he was straddling one of her legs.

They were dancing the tango - and this part always made them blush.

Suddenly, they froze, in this position. They'd both tensed, forgotten the next steps and froze. Not helpful with trying to remember steps, of course.

He looked away, trying to look anywhere but at her.

She screwed her eyes shut, her breaths coming out in warm puffs on his arm.

There was a sharp tapping at the door and they broke apart, like one or the other was poison.

McGonagall opened the door, and stepped inside the room, a light smile on her face. There was no window in the door, so they knew she hadn't seen their moment, but her smile made them feel like she had witnessed it. Like she knew something they didn't.

"Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger," She greeted them. "Working on your dance for the competition?" She asked.

They nodded from their spots far apart from each other.

"May I see how you're doing thus far?" She asked, and Hermione and Harry exchanged worried glances. They knew the whole dance - but they what a horror to freeze in that spot in front of McGonagall!

"I understand completely if you would wish to keep a secret -" She began, but Hermione interrupted her.

"No, it's fine. Harry?"

He took her in his arms again, and they performed.

McGonagall breathed in, as they whirled around the room, their movements sychronized, their steps perfect...

"You've mastered it." She observed, and they stopped.

"Well, I wouldn't say that..." Hermione said modestly.

McGonagall laughed.

"I wish you much luck in the competition this next Saturday... but from what I've seen, I'm sure you won't be dancing on pure luck." She left the two in an awkward silence.

"Harry..." Hermione said quietly.

"What?"

"We really should work on that one part..."

"Yes."

He took her hands again, and they danced until it... and froze, again.

Hermione made a face. "What's stopping us?" She asked.

Harry stared into her eyes. "What's stopping us from what?"

"You know... from continuing the dance."

"Oh? Is that what we're afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid of the dance..."

She was silent for a moment. "Are you?" She asked.

"No. That's not what I'm afraid of."

"What do you fear?" She whispered, looking straight at him, their eyes locked.

"It's silly." He said.

"No it's not."

He licked his lips. "You really want to know?"

"Please."

"I fear... this."

He kissed her.

...

Ron Weasley woke up, in a very comfortable bed. A very Ravenclaw bed. He snuck a peek at his right to see if he was maybe dreaming. Naked, sleeping Cho Chang met his eyes.

He shifted himself around to look at her. He wasn't sure what he was thinking when he posed such a daring thing to her... and he wasn't sure what she was thinking when she accepted.

She awoke, yawning and stretching her arms. She looked at him strangely.

"You're still here?" She said.

"Good evening to you too." He said, smiling bitterly.

"Is it really evening?" She wondered.

"No, actually it's near midnight. Why?"

"No reason." She said. "Up for another go?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Again? Three isn't enough?"

"Shut up and make love to me, Gryffindor."

He kissed her.

... Ginny Weasley bundled up in her robes. Actually, they weren't all her own robes, the heavy, high-quality, warm, woolen one was Draco's. Draco Malfoy's robe. What was she doing wearing it?

What have I gotten myself into? She asked herself, as she trudged across the grounds, the cold midnight wind stinging at her eyes more than even that morning's air.

I've made a deal with the devil, She thought, laughing bitterly to herself.

"What's so funny, little one?"

His voice reached her ears, and a pleasant shiver raced down her spine. Looking about carefully, she tried to pick him out of the darkness. His platinum blonde hair caught her eyes, as it reflected the moonlight and stayed in place even though the winds berated it. His face was solemn, pale and expressionless, but it was the most welcome sight Ginny had seen in a long while.

She glided over to him and whispered a greeting.

"How are you?" He asked, gently. The question was a seemingly normal one, but Ginny was not accustomed to people caring about how she was feeling - especially not Draco Malfoy.

"I'm fine." She whispered.

He smiled lightly, not the smirk everyone else always saw, but a warm and gentle one that was rarely bestowed upon those he deemed worthy.

"You don't need to whisper. Nobody can hear us, anyways."

"I know. I just feel like whispering." She explained.

"I see. Shall we begin?"

"I suppose." She whispered.

They began.

...

Harry pulled away from the kiss, his eyes sprang open, the green orbs stormy and unreadable.

"I'm sorry," He said.

"Why are you sorry?" Hermione asked, carefully, biting her lip.

"For.. for kissing you."

"You're trying to say that you... regret kissing me?" She asked.

"What? No! I don't... I don't regret it, I just... I'm sorry if I surprised you -"

"I like surprises." She said quietly.

He looked at her awkwardly.

"Are you saying that you liked kissing me?"

"Does it really matter?" Hermione asked, blushing.

"Well... yes, I mean..."

"No. It's late. I think we've practiced enough for tonight, don't you?" She said, changing the subject and turning away from him, pushing up her sweater sleeves and staring at the wall.

"Well the competition is in just one week... we should rehearse more strenuously... right?"

"We have a whole week." She said, gathering her books and papers.

"Hermione Granger turning down a chance to study?" He joked, and she looked at him intensely.

"This is dancing, not schoolwork."

"That was a kiss, not a meaningless event." He countered her, and she flushed deeply, her ears turning red.

"Don't change the subject." She said, her brown eyes trembling.

"You changed it first." He said, sounding like an eight year old.

She inhaled, picking up her stack of books.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning, Harry." She said.

She headed for the door. He sprinted towards it and opened it for her, as she stepped into the doorway, he stepped in as well, and caught her by the shoulders and turned her towards him.

"I'm sorry." He said, again.

She smiled a very small and shaky smile.

"It's fine." She said, her voice hoarse.

He leaned in towards her, and she drew forward as well. Their lips barely touched, an extremely hesitant and gentle brush of their mouths. She pulled back, hit her head on the door frame, yelped and pushed her head forward from the impact. It hit her head against his chin, and he whipped his own head backwards and knocked it against the frame.

Hermione trembled, looking as though she was about to either cry or burst out laughing.

He grinned lopsidedly. "Ow." He whispered.

She smiled, very embarrassed. "Good night, Harry." She said.

"Good night."

She left, walking slowly but steadily to Gryffindor Tower. Harry was left in the doorway, watching her wistfully.

...

As Hermione walked through the portrait hole, her body trembling, her veins racing with a nervous feeling, Seamus bounded down the boy's dormitory stairs.

"You're up late!" He observed, a jovial smile on his face.

"Hello, Seamus, good night Seamus." She said, very quickly, and made for the girl's dorm stairs.

"What, no cheerful conversation?" He asked, blocking her way.

"Umm. No."

"Where have you been all this time?" He asked, curiously, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

She opened her mouth to answer, but closed it as the portrait swung closed sharply; Harry had come.

She turned and smiled at him shyly. "Hello, Harry." She said.

Harry turned pink and smiled back. "Hello."

Seamus raised an eyebrow. "You two been doing some hanky panky?" He asked.

"What?" They simultaneously yelped.

"It's written all over your faces... you glow the words 'We snogged', honestly." Seamus said, his face very serious.

He chuckled evilly and left the two alone.

"Hanky panky..." Harry snorted, and Hermione laughed very quietly. "Nobody says that anymore..." He muttered, and she stopped laughing. "Yes." She whispered.

"Good night... again." She said.

They both stepped towards each other, and then stopped awkwardly. "Umm..." He whispered, and clumsily hugged her, which entailed wrapping his arms around her shoulders, as she clutched her books to her chest, making it uncomfortable indeed.

They pulled away from the strange embrace blushing.

"Good night, then." He said.

She nodded. "Right."

She turned, and hesitated.

He watched her carefully.

She turned back to him, and set her books down very carefully on the couch. Then she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, taking his face in her hands and doing it with such passion that his eyes nearly crossed when she finished. She smiled shyly and then picked up her books gingerly and walked up to her dorms.

He exhaled slowly, and then bounded up to his room with a very silly smile on his face.

...

Ginny wrapped her scarf around her neck, after they had finished their lesson.

He tossed his robe around her shoulders from behind her, his arms encircling her to fasten the Slytherin pin.

She watched his slim fingers clasp it in place and then was turned around, to face him. She looked at him, and then plunged herself at his chest, and he had nothing to do but hold her close.

"Virginia," He said quietly.

"Yes?" She whispered.

"I think my plan needs to go into action right away... beginning tomorrow."

She nodded against his chest, her hands around his waist.

"That means... that we have to keep this even more of a secret... even neglect it sometimes." He added.

She pulled away. "I see."

He nodded. "I'm sorry, but it must be done."

She nodded. "I know." She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him on the chin, making him bend slightly and kiss her properly. They snogged harshly, Ginny pawing at him wildly.

"You certainly need some good kissing." He said, amused.

She pulled him by his collar back to her again, kissing him more.

He pulled back. "You should be getting back to the tower."

She started attacking his neck. "Make love to me," She said. "Please."

He pushed her back gently but firmly. "No, Ginny."

Tears welled up in her eyes. "Why?" She protested.

"You're not ready, and neither am I. Besides, it will only bring us closer and we need to be able to appear as though we are still unaquainted." He explained. "Women I've made love to a long time ago still blush around me. We can't have that."

She laughed quietly, brushing away a stray tear.

"I'm sorry. You're right..."

He nodded. "Go to bed, little one."

She nodded, and turned towards the castle, he going the other way.

She turned back towards him. "How many women have you made love to?" She asked, frowning.

Draco laughed. "Good night, Virginia!" He shouted over his shoulder.

...

Sunday morning came, along with a warm spell, and the sun broke through the clouds and the birds sang and everyone was in a good mood.

Except Hermione.

"What's your problem?" Ron asked her, as they headed down the stairs for breakfast; Harry and Ron on either side of an ill looking Hermione.

"Nothing," She hissed. "It's nothing important."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked, concerned. Hermione glanced at him sideways, and her tone softened. "I'm positive. Don't worry about me."

Ron shrugged and took a seat immediately at the Gryffindor table. Hermione put a hand on Harry's arm and pulled him aside.

"Umm... can we talk about something?" She whispered, looking at him shyly, her cheeks pink.

"Anything." He affirmed.

"The, uh, kiss... that I gave you last night..."

His stomach gave an uneasy lurch.

"What about it?" He asked, his eyes full of worry. She didn't like it? He thought to himself. Am I a bad kisser? Did I have bad breath? Oh, that must be it - stupid houseelves serving onions with everything...

"I wanted to apologize."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"I was acting out of line... I'm sorry, I hope you can forgive me. I'm in a rather moody phase right now - feminine problems..."

"You don't have to apologize for anything, Hermione, I won't forgive you because you didn't do anything wrong." He said, quickly.

Her brown eyes watched him beneath thick eyelashes.

"I rather... I rather liked it, Hermione. There's nothing wrong with what we did." He said, firmly.

"But Harry... I wasn't thinking straight. I don't think straight at this time of mon-"

"It doesn't matter if you weren't thinking straight! There's nothing to be sorry about!"

"Harry." She said hoarsely. "You don't understand. I didn't want to kiss you. I wasn't thinking correctly and did something I didn't want to do. That entire ordeal should be forgotten - because it wasn't what I wanted to do. I had no control over myself at the moment - and I don't want you thinking I did."

His heart felt obliterated. "You didn't want to?" He repeated, so quietly that Hermione barely heard it over the din of the Grand Hall.

"I'm sorry, Harry. You must forgive me now."

"Ye-yeah. Of course. No problem. No problem at all..." He said, absentmindedly, and then, putting a hand to his throbbing head, looked around the Hall puzzledly.

"Harry... I don't want you hurting.. Harry?"

But Harry had already left, stumbling out the door.

She watched him go, and a stabbing feeling shot through her body.

...

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