A Wonderful Fortuitous Love

26. Everything Changes

Hermione was the first to break the contact. She hastily grabbed the nearest bottle she could find, ripped off the lid and gulped it down, jumping on the table beside Pansy as she did so.

Pansy clapped her hand on Hermione's back as if she'd made some great achievement. "That a girl."

When a quarter of the bottle's content was gone, Hermione felt the burning in her throat. She pulled it away from her mouth, coughing, and stared for the first time at the label.

Firewhiskey.

"Fuck," she swore.

"Ooh Granger!" said Pansy delightedly. "I don't think I've ever heard such a naughty word leave your mouth."

Hermione stuck out her tongue in disgust. "I hate firewhiskey."

Just then, a shout sounded somewhere off in the distance; the chatting paused.

"What was that?" she asked, looking over in the direction the sound had come from. There was a crowd beginning to form at the opposite end of the room.

"Haven't the foggiest," said Pansy, glancing up briefly before looking through the alcohol around her. She picked one up and frowned thoughtfully at it. "Granger, do I like wine?"

Hermione didn't answer, she was still sitting up as straight as she could manage, trying to see over the heads of the crowd.

There was another shout, this time followed by a scream.

"Pansy..." she trailed off unsurely. "I think something's happening."

The music stopped completely now.

"Hmm. Hermione, I tell you what, you pass me that bottle of firewhiskey and I'll hand over the wine, deal?"

Hermione absently handed it over, not responding when another bottle was thrust into her hands.

More screams. Some yells.

"Pansy..."

"Oh, thank Merlin. Firewhiskey is the best."

The crowd suddenly parted and into view came a ruffled Draco, shoving aside anybody who did not move away in time. Anyone brave enough to speak with him was shouted at.

"Oh hey, it's Draco," Pansy said casually, still drinking.

By this time, everybody was in the ballroom: the men had emerged from the dining room and were closing into the centre of the room along with everybody else, even the 'designated Apparaters', to get a better look at what was going on without being too close to the rampaging Draco, who was thundering across the room very quickly now.

Hermione jumped off from the table and went towards him. A glance around revealed Narcissa and Blaise were doing the same thing.

Blaise got there first as more people began to crowd, staring and whispering.

"Draco, mate," he started calmly, "what's –"

It happened in the blink of an eye. One minute Blaise was courageously approaching his furious best friend, the next he was on the floor, clutching his bleeding jaw.

People screamed. Some retreated entirely. A few men bent over to help Blaise.

"Draco!" Narcissa exclaimed, shocked. She stood rooted on the spot. "What on earth do you think you're doing? Stop this instant!"

But Draco merely stormed past her in a blaze of fury.

He was getting closer to Hermione. Other guests almost ran away when he came their way, though she stayed where she was.