'Draco,' Ginny reprimanded him. 'Don?t be unpleasant.'
Draco's eyebrows shot up. 'And don't tell me what to do, Weasley.'
Harry looked over, his attention caught at last. 'I think it sounds relaxing,' he said, with a slow half-smile. 'An all-Seekers game, I mean.'
Draco said nothing.
Hermione bit her lip. Ginny looked tense and annoyed. Draco looked tense and annoyed. Some small part of her was pleased about this, and this made her feel terrible. She looked over at Harry, who smiled at her, and that made her feel worse.
It was Aidan who broke the silence, with a rather astonishing request. He held out a hand to Ginny, and with a smile that lit his blue eyes, asked, 'Would you like to dance?'
Ginny stared at him, then at Draco. He looked at her with the blank expression that Hermione knew meant that he was very angry, and shrugged. Ginny turned back to Aidan with flaming cheeks.
'I'd love to,' she said.
Aidan took her hand and whirled her away into the mass of dancers.
They nearly bumped into Ron and the French girl, who were snogging in a manner that Hermione felt should not be legal in England. Aidan was an excellent dancer, Hermione had time to note, before the pair disappeared from sight among the crowd.
Harry looked over at Draco, and raised an eyebrow.
'Shut up, Potter,' said Draco, without moving. He was standing with his arms crossed and looking very annoyed indeed.
Harry grinned. 'What're you going to do, then, Malfoy?'
Draco slowly uncrossed his arms. 'I promised Ginny I'd dance,' he said. 'I'm going to dance.' He turned around and looked at Angelina, who was standing close by.
She shook her head. 'I am NOT dancing with you,' she said. 'I'd rather eat a Bludger.'
'Fine, then,' said Draco, and held out a hand to Jana. She looked blank for a moment, emitted a small stunned squeak — then, without a moment's further hesitation, seized Draco's hand and followed him out onto the floor.
'Jana!' protested George, looking aghast as his girlfriend and Draco vanished into the crowd.
Harry grinned. 'Better buy yourself a pair of leather trousers, George,' he said. 'You've got competition.'
George looked irritable. 'She's just annoyed about the penguin thing.'
'Or maybe all those Teen Witch Weekly articles turned her head,' said Fred. 'She does have a subscription, you know.'
'Bugger,' said George.
Harry took Hermione's hand. He was no longer smiling, but his green eyes were dancing brightly. 'Let's dance.'
'But you hate dancing, Harry.'
'True, but I want to see what happens. Don't you?'
Hermione let herself grin. 'You know I do,' she said, and threw her arms around his neck as they waltzed out onto the floor.
And as he had promised Ginny he would, Draco danced. He danced with Jana, holding her lightly around the waist, until George showed up and cut in with a murderous glare, he danced with Pansy Parkinson, whose hair was done up in enormous curls that threatened to put out his eye every time she turned; he danced with Blaise Zabini, who with her long sloe-green eyes was probably the prettiest girl in Slytherin; he did not, however, dance with Ginny.
She seemed completely wrapped up in Aidan Lynch, and danced every dance with him. Draco was conscious of a growing sense of irritation that it was becoming harder to fight down. To distract himself, he danced with Fleur, who looked stunning in almost-sheer white robes. The Dark Mark had disappeared from her arm as it had from his own, and the color was back in her face.
'You back together with Bill?' he asked, as she executed a slow turn.
Fleur chose not to answer this. 'You know, you still owe me a favor,' she said, her tone as airy as her dress robes.
Draco shook his head. Fleur was impossible. 'I suppose you want me to make mad, passionate love to you right here on the dance floor?'
She widened her indigo eyes. 'Not at all. I was 'oping you might buy me a 'ouse.'
'A 'ouse — a house?'
'In the south of France, I think.'
'Fleur! Get over this! It was not that big of a favor!'
'It doesn't 'ave to be that big of a 'ouse,' she said reasonably.
Conversations with Fleur always made Draco feel as if he were running very fast in a very small circle and getting nowhere. As soon as the song ended, he excused himself and went over to the drinks table, where a green-skinned dryad maid in a white apron was mixing up some interesting-looking cocktails that smoked and steamed. He'd just selected a Mai Tai and was taking a long drink of it when he heard a voice behind him, 'No green umbrella this time?'
It was Hermione. He raised an eyebrow. 'Who told you about that?'
