Tango * dramione

Chapter 12

Chapter 12: The Red Hat Society

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Center Stage: Draco and Hermione

Setting: Five Red Hat Ladies and a Community Center

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While she sat at the community table with her Great Aunt Bessie, Hermione couldn't help but giggle as she watched four postmenopausal women scrutinize everything from Malfoy's 'too rigid' posture to his 'unnatural' hair color. Poor Malfoy looked as if he was getting patted down for a random security check at an airport with the way the ladies had their hands on him, showing him how far to set his stance and criticize his now permanent sneer. It became obvious to Hermione from the get-go that Malfoy's idea of practicing did not involve a real life presentation from women who resembled the Golden Girls franchise (not that he would know what that was) - but she was impressed when, after ten minutes of relentless nitpicking, Malfoy began to listen. He loosened the imaginary bolts in his shoulders, even conceding to a smile or two as the ladies fawned over his straight teeth and immaculate grooming. Every thirty seconds or so, he would flash his eyes over in Hermione's direction, halfway between irritation and amusement.

Once the ladies had finished stripping him of his vest and expensive dragonhide shoes, they ushered him back up to the table and presented him to Aunt Bessie, who nodded in what seemed like approval.

"Now this I can work with," she said.

"They've ransacked me," Malfoy muttered, again turning his eyes on Hermione; this time, they twinkled in shy appreciation. He must have really enjoyed the pruning, she thought to herself. "Granger, may I have a word?"

Hermione wasn't used to the politeness from the man, so it took her a moment to register his words. When she did, she gave a gentle nod and followed him away from the tittering ladies and waited for him to continue.

"Are any of these ladies aware of our...abilities?" he asked, eyeing them out of the corner of his vision.

"No," she answered him, shaking her head.

"So, what do they think you do for a career?"

"Honestly?" Her cheeks warmed with blush. "A Barrister. It's not technically a lie - I just happen to work with house elves instead of-"

"-They might be under the impression we work together."

Suddenly, all of the blood drained from Hermione's face. She was astonished, to say the least. "Why would they think that?" she asked slowly.

"I panicked!" he admitted under his breath, "They kept asking me how I knew you, and I wasn't sure if you had mentioned me at all from our days back in school, and I didn't want them to think-"

"-Think what? What did you not want them to think?"

It was his turn to redden in the face, and he glanced over her shoulder at the ladies waiting for them. "I just didn't know if you told them anything about what went on between us or..."

A sudden gush of heat cracked over Hermione's head like a runny egg, oozing into the crevices of her psyche. She stared in bewilderment, caught somewhere between embarrassed and flattered. To counter her mixture of emotions, she said the first thing that came to mind: "Well, Malfoy, that would infer you were worth talking about back in our school days."

Catching her playful tone, he smirked and countered, "Trust me, Granger. I know I was rememberable."

"Well now, Barrister, do you actually know anything about the legal profession?"