Tutoring A Dragon

Seven

Hermione decided not to go back to the quarters, but to the Great Hall. Conjuring a clipboard and portable quill-and-inkpot set, she sat down at her table and started an Arithmancy equation.

*********

She came into their common room, ran over to Draco's staircase and rapped on tapestry.

"Draco!" she yelled excitedly. "I found a theme!!! Can I come up?"

"Sure," came his voice.

Instantly the wall-hard tapestry became soft cloth. She pulled it to one side and ran up the steps to find Draco drying his hair. He was wearing a pair of black pants, but no shirt. Hermione blushed.

"So, what's your idea?" he asked, rubbing the top of his head, which was tilted to one side.

"Uh...Ah..." she said, dazed by the sight of him. She gulped. Hard. "I was thinking a Sadie Hawkins dance."

"A what now?" he asked, head now tilted to the other side. "Oh, could you scratch my back? It really itches."

She nodded, and walked to behind him. "Right in the center of my lower back," he said. "Down a bit. Yeah, to the right a smidge. Ah....that feels good." He turned around and grinned at her. "If I was a dog, I'd wag my tail. But, as I'm not, maybe this will be enough thanks." As he leaned down to kiss her, he put his hands around her waist and pulled her to him. Deepening the kiss, Draco felt Hermione's hands snake up around his neck.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now, Professor Dumbledore had neglected to mention that Housemates were allowed into rooms. So, at the very moment Draco pulled Hermione over to a chair, Ginny's voice rang out from the other room.

"Hermione! Hermione? Hermione where are you?" came Ginny's voice, a bit frantic.

Hermione pryed herself away from Draco, and went through his bathroom door to access her room.

"It's OK, Gin. I was just in Draco's room," she said. Ginny's eyebrow went up.

"Then far be it for me to interrupt," she said coyly.

"You got that right, Weasley," drawled Draco from the door. "Smartest thing I've ever heard you say."

"Draco!" said Hermione, whacking his shoulder.

Ginny grinned. 'Ha! Wait till Ron finds out that she likes Draco!' she thought.

"So," said Ginny non-chalantly, leaning against a bed-post. "What's the theme for the dance?"

"Sadie Hawkins," said Hermione, smugly.

"What the hell is a Sadie Hawkins dance?" said Draco irritably.

"It's when the girl asks the boy. And," here, Hermione grinned, "the boy can't refuse."

Draco paled. "Oh, God. Hermione, you're going to have to ask me before Pansy does."

Hermione laughed. "It's OK, Draco. The "partners" have to go with one another. So, you are my date."

Draco sighed, relieved.

*************

Three weeks from that Wednesday...

"So," said Anthony Goldstien, "How are your projects going? Ron and Padma?"

"Um...." said Ron.

"We," said Padma, gushing, "have created a beautiful Babylon's "Hanging Gardens" motif. The terrace has been split into several levels, naturally four. The fourth years will be seated on the lowest level, and the seventh years on the top level. All of the tables will be separated by lattices with Tropicana roses growing on them. Fairies will be flying around the booths to create a romantic lighting. If your fairies somehow..." here Padma shifted in her seat, "...disappear, then there is a glow-ball that floats above the table. Has anyone seen the Disney movie "Robin Hood"?"

"Yes!" chorused all the Muggleborns.

"No," said the purebloods.

"Well," said Padma. "In 'Robin Hood' they float this crystal ball above a table. The ball is filled with fireflies, so it glows. But, the ball that we will use is enchanted to give out a soft, candle-like light. What do you think?" She glanced around the table to be met with approving glances.

"In the middle of the top level," she went on. "There will a round table, with a hole in the center. That's where the teachers will sit. In the center of the table, I mean." Everyone gave Ron a look that plainly said 'I'll bet none of this was you idea.'

Ron turned red.

Padma, seeing this, put her hand on top of his, and smiled at everyone. "The glow-ball idea was Ron's," she said. "As was the teachers' seating arrangement." The expressions disappeared.

Hannah, smiling, turned to Ernie and Pansy. "Ernie, Pansy, what have you chosen for the menu?"

"Pansy and I have worked very hard to create what is, we hope, is an original menu," said Ernie firmly. "For the appetizer, we have asparagus and brie wrapped in a prosciutto. And, for those who don't like asparagus, we have a sausage in brioche. For the soup course, Pansy recommended an Italian wedding soup that she obtained from her great-grandmother's niece's daughter-in-law.

"The entrée is up to each attendee. You could have salmon fillet sautéed on its skin, roast chicken with lemon and herbs, or one of the several beef selections available. We have chosen Steak au Poivre and Chateaubriand. There is also rack of lamb, and Veal Roast en Cocotte." He stopped for a breath and looked around. Some people were gazing at him with a hungrily. Ernie smiled widely.

"For the dessert," said Pansy. "We have a Creme Caramel, Creme Brulee, Chocolate Pots de Creme, Poached Pears in a Chocolate Sauce, Chocolate Roulade, and any kind of Crepe you desire."

"The dessert course is accompanied by coffee," said Ernie. "As I have been informed by a Muggleborn classmate of mine, coffee now comes in flavors such as mocha, caramel, and peppermint. After three weeks of experiments, we have finally been able to concoct our own flavored coffee."

All of the Senior Prefects mouths dropped open.

Anthony, who had maintained his taste buds, turned to Draco and Hermione. "So, how have you decided to decorate the Great Hall?"

Draco shifted in his seat. "We didn't agree on a color until three weeks ago, and we only worked out how to decorate it last week. But the theme, we've had the theme since the day after we agreed on a color." Draco stopped to conjure up a pitcher of water and glass. Pouring himself a glass, he took a couple of gulps before he started to talk again. "I'll let Hermione talk about the theme in a bit, but I'll tell you about how the Hall is decorated. The ceiling we'll leave alone, except for a white-silver gauze sheet hanging above the dance floor, as if we're in an Elvish tent. The lighting will be more glow-globes, but these will be of varying shades of light. Some will be meant to be as bright as the sun, some to throw shadows on the dancers."

"The walls will be hidden by white tapestries, with silver embroidery depicting various constellations. The far half of the Hall will be the dancing section. The near half will have white and silver furniture, many different variations of sofas, chairs, and chez lounges. Now, Hermione will explain the theme of the dance and the costume theme."

"The costume theme is constellations and Elves. If you can't find a constellation to go as, just go as an Elf. Now, the dance theme is a Sadie Hawkins dance." She raised her hand at the people who about the question her. "A Sadie Hawkins dance is when the girls ask the guys, and the guys can't refuse. Now, I know that this is the least impressive of all the preparations, but I didn't want to have to do something someone else has done, like 'Famous Couples Throughout History,' which is a great theme, but not something original. This is the first Sadie Hawkins Dance Hogwarts has ever had. I know that because I checked. What do you think?" She looked around to see what people's expressions were.

"I think that's a brilliant idea," said Ernie Macmillian.

Everyone else murmured their assent.

"Well, I think that's it for this meeting," said Anthony. "We'll meet again the night before the ball and go over the plans again and make sure they're flawless."

**********

That Saturday was a Hogsmeade day. Hermione hadn't felt like going down to the Great Hall for breakfast, so she ordered up. Finding out what Draco wanted she flooed the kitchen and ordered their breakfast.

Three House-Elves appeared ten minutes later, and set down the platters on a small table on the main balcony. Hermione and Draco sat in silence as they ate their breakfast.

"So..." Hermione said, as she finished her breakfast.

"So...." said Draco, through his last bite of poached egg, drenched in Worcestershire sauce.

"Um..." continued Hermione.

"So, I'm going into Hogsmeade to pick out some robes today, would you like to come? I'll buy you some really nice robes," he said, in a bribe-drenched voice.

"I can't let you buy me robes!" she said. They both heard the 'again' that was hanging in the air.

"Of course you can. You've saved me from having to go with Pansy, Mi."

"'Mi'?" she asked.

"Hermione is too damn hard to say in the morning. So I shortened it." He shrugged her off. "So, what do you say?"

She smiled. "Sure."

"Great," he said, getting up from the table. He leaned over her and gave her a soft, lingering kiss. "I'm off to get dressed."

*************

Draco met her in their common room half an hour later. He was wearing a dark green long-sleeved t-shirt. It said 'Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes' on the front in silver. His pants were black jeans.

'Probably Seven jeans,' thought Hermione, dryly.

She was wearing a pair of jeans, but they were a dark blue. Her shirt was a off-the-shoulder thin white top. Since her top was a bit thin, she was wearing a maroon spaghetti-strapped top underneath that had a built-in bra. On her shoulder was a black leather messenger bag.

He had a checkbook and his wand sticking of his back pocket.

**************

As they walked down to the Entrance Hall hand in hand, Harry and Ron appeared from an adjacent corridor.

"Malfoy," they said.

"Potter. Weasley. Hermione, I suggest that we take another route to the carriages," said Draco, icily to Ron and Harry, but warm as lava to Hermione.

"Of course, Draco dear." And they turned down a corridor, exited the building, and ran to their right so they could go 'round the shorter way.