Tango * dramione

Chapter 19

Chater 19: where is draco malfoy?

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"A woman knows when she looks into a man's eyes and sees someone else."

~Unknown.

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Stage Right: Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley
Setting: Dance Studio Uno

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Three days passed and no one, especially not Hermione, had seen hide nor hair of Draco Lucius Malfoy. He didn't show up to dance lessons, he hadn't returned home to retrieve his things - at least, not according to Astoria, who had shown up to try to talk to him, but to no avail. According to Señor Diggle, the lessons were still fully paid for, but he couldn't force a student to show up, 'no matter how enticing of a teacher' he was. Astoria had left the dance studio in a fit of tears as Hermione and Ginny exchanged knowing glances. Ron had confessed in record time, though he claimed he hadn't initiated any of it.

"D'you think Malfoy's alright?" asked Ginny quietly as the girls gathered their things.

Hermione recalled the blazing fury in his eyes when he'd left Madam Puddifoot's without so much as a word to her. It was then she found Ron hurling up slugs in the bathroom, Astoria coaxing him and patting him on the back all the while.

"I have a sneaking suspicion he hasn't gone completely ghost," Hermione grumbled as she watched Blaise Zabini exchange adoring kisses with his wife. "If I don't show up for next lesson, assume I've been murdered and my body has been disposed of."

"Huh?" asked Ginny, only half-listening. Hermione straightened her shoulders, threw the bag she carried with her over her shoulder, and trudged over to Zabini, thoroughly determined.

"Ahem," she cleared her throat when he didn't so much as glance her way.

"Miss Granger," said Daphne, trying her best to sound approachable, though it was tense.

"Oh, let's just skip the formalities, shall we? I flubbed up. I'm adult enough to admit it." She tried to catch eyes with Blaise, but he stared off in the distance as if she were an ugly, dead mole he'd rather not have to stare at. "I have a sneaking suspicion, however, that you two know exactly where Draco is hiding out."

Blaise snorted. "Is that so?" He still refused to look at her, instead holding his eyesight over her head. "Daph, do you hear something?"

"Blaise, act like an adult," Daphne scolded, swatting him on the arm with her delicate hand. She brought her attention back to Hermione. "Don't you think if we knew where Draco was, we would have told Astoria?"

"No, actually, I don't." Hermione crossed her arms. "Considering the three of you have no problems withholding secrets from her, I certainly don'tthink you would bestow that sort of information without Draco's permission."

"And even if we did know, which we don't, what makes you think we would tell you?" asked Blaise, now observing the immaculate cuticles of his fingernails.

"Because someone has to talk to him."

"And you don't think we've tried?" asked Daphne with frustration. "Draco has the temper of a bull, and he's twice as hard headed. He won't listen to reason."

"Exactly," said Hermione. "Which is why I never planned on approaching him with such notions."

Daphne and Blaise carefully looked to one another as if to ask each other what they thought. To Hermione's surprise, it was Blaise to say, "Jot this down."