Anyone But Me

Chapter Six

"Oh come on now Blaise. We all know Gryffindors like to bite. Bet she is a lioness through and through." Wayne snickered as Hestia leaned into him and started to nibble on his neck.

"I don't know. She is so demure and saintly she might not make any noise at all." Pansy supplied, her lips lifted into her trademark sneer as she continued to study her black talons.

Hermione's blush was unrelenting and grew even darker as she squirmed under their scrutiny. Was Blaise hazing her? This had to be a test to show how she would take such an outrageous and vulgar question... Why couldn't this kind of banter come easily to her? Like it did for Ginny who had grown up around so many brothers.

"Well... You could always take me somewhere and find out, Zabini." She challenged him using a jibe she had overheard in a similar exchange once. She felt a twinge of pride at sounding much more confident than she felt, but it was hard to hold on to when the sweat that broke out across her palms was a testament to the jittery mess she had become on the inside. So was the violent tug that twisted her stomach into a hard knot, making it hard to take a full breath.

Malfoy leaned back against the couch. An entertained grin rested on his face as his eyes followed around with the conversation, moving along each person when they spoke. He missed nothing... Not Blaise's snort of approval. Nor Sue's huff of jealousy. He didn't miss Hermione brushing the palms of her hands against the tops of her thighs as she tried to wipe the perspiration from them discreetly.

Sue pushed herself up against Blaise and whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Don't even think about it. Tonight you are mine."

"I would never think to abandon you in your time of need... Even if a Gryffindor Kitten is offering herself up to me." Blaise responded, an insincere look of hurt displayed across his features. He slyly offered a wink in Hermione's direction before giving Sue his full attention. He whispered softly in her ear, by the way her shoulders started to loosen it was apparent he was offering her reassurance.

Out of nowhere, Theodore Nott strolled up into the group. He gave a nod in Blaise and Malfoy's direction before he stepped up to Pansy and cleared his throat. "You look bored out of your mind, Pans. Want to dance with me?"

"Thank Salazar you came to save me, Theo! I thought my brain would turn to mush having to listen to these losers prattle on and on." She placed her hand on Nott's offered arm and quickly stood up. They headed over to the dance floor where a more upbeat song now played. Hermione watched as he placed his hands on Pansy's hips and they started gyrating to the music.

A soft moan behind her pulled Hermione's gaze back to the remaining gathering. She peeked over and saw that Wayne and Hestia had decided to progress from teasing one another to a rather messy makeout session. Blaise was still distracted with whispering into Sue's ear, his fingers now running a slow line up and down her arm. Hermione sighed softly, watching couples go at it wasn't really her idea of fun. If she wanted to do that she could have stayed back and waited for the nightly slobberfest between Ron and Lavender.

She wondered if this was the culmination of her big night out... Three shots and a healthy helping of espionage to sedate her sudden voyeuristic appetites? All wrapped up in forty minutes max? How anticlimactic! Maybe she could find somebody she actually knew around here, considering everyone was now preoccupied. Everyone... but Malfoy, she discerned. Quickly she sought him out and found him as relaxed as ever while he openly watched her think. How embarrassing! And dangerous! Alastor Moody's shouts of "Constant Vigilance" echoed in her brain.

There was no other word than awkward to try and describe the situation she found herself in. Malfoy showed no signs of registering how uncomfortable she was. He continued to sit back and watch. His head was tilted slightly in Blaise and Sue's direction so he could easily eavesdrop on their hushed conversation while his fingers played with a frayed blue string on the armrest of the couch. She watched as he pinched and tugged on the offensive blight.