Tango * dramione

Chapter 2

Chapter 2: best foot forward

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Dance is the only art in which we ourselves are the stuff in which it is made.

-Ted Shawn.

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Stage Right: Hermione and Ginny

Setting: Hermione's flat, downtown London

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Hermione stood in her bathroom, staring at herself in the mirror. It wasn't the type of vanity looking over most women were known for; she simply wondered if her skirt was the correct length for dancing. She paid no attention to her frizzy hair or lack of makeup. Those type of things never did her much good academically, and she doubted they would prepare her to be a talented dancer now. She picked a speck of lint off of her white ruffled button up and smoothed down her pleated pencil skirt. Her shoes, a pair of flats, were quite in order. She'd read it would be best to take it easy on one's feet until growing used to the incline of heels.

As if to back her findings, piles upon piles of books greeted her as she stepped out of the hallway bathroom and into the den. They all held similar subjects, and could be guessed upon the titles: Dancing and YOU!, Learn to Dance!, Dance it, Do it!, So you want to learn to dance? Each book held an array of proper information on formation, body posture, and technique. Hermione spent most of the evening last night pouring over each one in gruesome detail, attempting to soak up every bit of knowledge she could.

The floo lit to life beside her on schedule, and Ginny Weasley stepped through, eyes widened in surprise at the hoards of tomes around the vicinity. She gave a loud whistle and said, "Hermione, don't you think this is going a bit overboard?"

"Overboard?" Hermione flashed her friend a bemused look."You're the one who wanted me to learn how to dance. I'm simply doing what research I can."

"Research? Hermione, you can't learn to dance from reading a book. Dance comes... from your soul." Ginny proceeded to wiggle her shoulders and attempt a pirouette, stumbling into the recliner.

Hermione laughed. "Ginerva, I'm quite sure that you could use these books a bit more than myself with that example."

Her friend stuck out her tongue, straightened the strap of her purse, which dangled from her shoulder, and wrapped an arm through Hermione's arm. "This will be fun for us. And who knows? Perhaps you can find yourself a handsome wizard to rub against in the process?"

"Don't make me laugh."

"Seriously, when was the last time you allowed yourself to go on a date with someone?"

"I've dated. I've dated plenty."

Ginny made a disapproving noise. "Ron doesn't count."

Hermione sighed. "Well, then I suppose I don't have a great track record, do I?"

The redhead smiled encouragingly, tugging her friend closer. "It was your idea to give you two a break to -how did you word it? Make sure that you two weren't jumping into a situation without," she did her best impression of the straight-laced-Granger, "exploring all of the variables and options the world had to offer?"

"Yes, well, getting married straight out of Hogwarts wasn't something I was interested in."

"And no one blames you for that, Hermione. But it's been three years, give or take, since Hogwarts. Maybe you could actually try living a little? Testing out some of those variables? You can't stay a cat lady forever."