Snakepit

Chapter 6 - Draco's POV

Draco made his way through the crowds of people meandering about in the Snakepit's main room. He pasted an annoyed scowl on his face that could have very well been natural as he quickly stalked through. It was a warning to those he passed to not engage with him. Unfortunately for him, drunk people tended to miss social cues and a number of them whose names he had forgotten, or perhaps never cared to know, tried to stop and talk to him. Even drunk, their faces lit up with greedy excitement when they noticed him, reaching out to stop him as if they couldn't help themselves. Anyone important in attendance tonight would know enough to not approach him with such nonchalance. Draco cursed his bright hair. It was a beacon that screamed Malfoy. Everyone seemed to want to get a piece of him and he hated it.

He finally reached the stairs, but instead of stopping at the second floor, he kept ascending until he reached a deserted third floor guarded by two men. Draco nodded at them.

"Mr. Malfoy," one greeted, his voice deep. The other scanned a keycard on the door. With a resounding click, the door unlocked and Draco stepped inside. This would have to be quick, he didn't like leaving Hermione alone, especially when she was drunk.

Draco hoped that no one would be stupid enough to mess with her. He hadn't been secretive about the fact that he was with her. In fact, he had slung his arm around her waist on purpose. Many people had seen the possessiveness in the gesture and the bartenders and bouncers wouldn't let harm come her way either. At least he hoped they wouldn't. He wasn't paying them to fuck with people in his life.

Draco sighed. He really did not want to have to spill any blood tonight.

"Hey, Draco," came a familiar voice further inside the small room.

"Theo," Draco nodded at his friend, who was lounging in a chair surrounded by monitors that showed security camera footage from different angles all throughout the club. Theo was snacking on a bag of chips, chewing distastefully loud. Draco frowned and walked around the room to where he set his coat earlier.

"Heading out? It looked like you were having a good night," Theo smirked, twisting in his chair to face Draco. Theodore Nott loved to meddle and gossip and ask way too many questions. They had met back at Hawthorn and all of the qualities that Draco had despised had also led him to hire Theo for his own security purposes. Theo might be annoying, but his eyes missed nothing and Draco trusted him enough for it. Or perhaps Draco trusted that Theo's hefty paycheck was enough to keep him loyal.

"Yes, I'm leaving," Draco ignored Theo's second comment. "Everything is running smoothly?"

"Oh yeah, no problems at all. The crowd is surprisingly well-behaved tonight. I'll text you if anything changes, but we should be fine here. You go enjoy the rest of your night." This time, Theo winked at him and Draco just knew he was trying to get some details about who he was going home with.

Giving him absolutely nothing instead, Draco nodded and pulled on his black wool coat, heading for the door. He thought Theo was going to say something else, but Draco shut the door before he could try.

"Fucking annoying," he muttered under his breath, heading down the stairs.

When he arrived back at the VIP room, his heart was thumping as he approached the curtain that he prayed Hermione was still behind. He didn't know why he was so anxious about her and he didn't like how uncomfortable the feeling was. It was like his turtleneck was suddenly too tight on his neck, almost choking him. He just needed to get her home safely. Then, this feeling would stop.

Draco pulled back the curtain a little more aggressively than necessary and let out a sigh of relief when he saw Hermione curled up on the couch, softly snoring. Her hair was splayed out everywhere, messy and wavy. He liked that she kept it natural tonight. He knew so many women who insisted on changing everything about themselves on a night out but Hermione still looked like...Hermione. She shifted, pulling one of her legs up, closer to her chest. Her pink dress rode up her leg, sliding so far that half of her ass was basically on display to him. To make matters worse, her breasts were spilling out of her dress as she lay on her side. It was so indecent that Draco felt like a criminal looking at her.