Coffee and Spearmint Toothpaste - Dramione

24-The Dark Mark

As they moved across the room Hermione felt herself getting lost in the music. The whole thing, the clue, dancing, becoming friends with Draco Malfoy of all people, it felt like a fever dream. She couldn't believe it and now she was dancing the tango with him.

Suddenly the music stopped so they stopped too. "I've got to say Granger, you are better at dancing than I thought, you did step on my shoes once or twice but is nothing we can't work on."

He stepped back and walked over to the table where he conjured two glasses of water and two smaller shot glasses filled with an amber liquid.

"What is that?" She asked pointing to the smaller glass.

"Fire whiskey, I needed on after the last week I have had, I thought maybe you would like one too."

She picked up the small glass and downed the shot. "Mmm tastes just how I remembered."

"Really Granger I didn't think of you as the kinda person to drink Fire Whiskey." He said as he drank his.

"I actually quite enjoy a glass, I first had some right after the war, I thought I deserved something a bit stronger than butter beer." With that she conjured herself another glass and drank that as well.

"Hmm that's probably the first thing I would have done too."

"If you don't mind me asking, how is it you know how to dance, Draco?"

"Well growing up in Malfoy Manor had its down sides. My parents paid for tutors to teach me mathematics, literature, art, science and basic magic, and they picked out hobbies for me as well, dancing was one of those hobbies." He shrugged. "I suppose they probably expected me to dance at balls they would host as I got older but that never happened because of Voldemort."

"I'm sorry that happened, I don't think anything went the way we thought it would."

"Don't be sorry, I'm actually quite glad I never had to dance at their balls." He joked.

"So what other hobbies did you do?"

"Umm, so there was dancing, chess, piano and fencing."

"Merlin, that's a lot."

"Yeah."

"You know, I have always wanted to learn fencing."

"Well maybe I should teach you that as well." He smirked.

"Okay then. Teach me now."

"Seriously you want to know now." At that he conjured two wooden swords and handed in to her. "It's not that hard really once you know the basics, then you can just keep practicing."

"So what do I do?"

"Hold it like this." He stood closer and adjusted the sword in her hand. "Now try and strike me with it." She swung at him with the sword, her wooden blade hitting against his. He then dodged before taking a swing at her. She blocked it but before she knew it he had his sword pressed against the nape of her neck. "You know granger, you aren't bad for a beginner." He lowered his blade.

"Any way you could teach me fencing instead of dancing?" She joked.

"You are actually better at it than I thought you would be, I'd say you would be able to hold your own against most people with a sword." He smirked at her. "I'll tell you what. Seeing as you hate dancing so much, and it is because of me you have to do this in the first place, when we meet up to dance I will also teach you to fence."

"Deal." She smirked back. "Why is it that you do fencing in the first place, surely using a wand is a far better weapon than a sword."

"Always searching for the logical aren't you, I have absolutely no idea why I do fencing." He joked.