The Tragedy of Chemistry (DM/HG)

Plan B

"Brown is married."

Hermione stared at Draco Malfoy with wide eyes, unable to hide the horror in them. Had she truly almost gone home with a married man? Had she been in danger to become a woman to break another one's heart?

Did Ron pretend like she didn't exist when he had cheated on her?

She felt a rush of shame flood through her body until it left a bitter taste in her mouth. All the while Malfoy's eyes never left hers; he was watching her every move from the moment he had said it. As if he was waiting for her to break her silence with a whirlwind of appreciation for his heroic act.

The Leaky Cauldron was about to close, noises from chairs around them being lifted and shifted made them both aware of their surroundings again. Hermione hadn't forgotten that she had nowhere to go. Maybe she could find a free room here, or maybe she could floo somewhere close in London and find a hotel for the night.

Malfoy got up slowly, and she waited for him to leave and let her figure out her own misery. Instead, he stood tall next to her, waiting for her to follow him. Their eyes met again when she looked up at him from her chair.

Circe, were his shoulders always this wide? She snorted quietly and looked away. She clearly was drunk... and she hadn't forgotten Pansy's words from earlier tonight either.

"Will you manage to walk on your own or do you want me to carry you to the floo?" he mumbled now behind her, sounding irritated by her lack of movement. He sounded more like Malfoy again. She smiled in relief to herself before biting her tongue... hard. She could practically feel his eyes on her backside as she slid down the chair.

She made sure that her dress didn't reveal her buttocks as she tumbled on her weak knees to regain her balance. He didn't try to catch her, still lingering close but never touching.

Godric, that Fire Whiksy had been a bad idea.

"You're a lightweight," Malfoy stated matter of fact, leaning over to take her jacket from the counter. Hermione held her breath when his chest brushed her upper arm. The touch ended quickly, he made sure of it and she still blinked in confusion when he unfolded her jacket to offer his help for her to get dressed. In her misery she laughed and turned around to face him instead, completely taken aback by the way her arm still tingled where she had felt his hard muscles. Why in Godric's name was his chest hard like steel? This was the second time this evening she had felt it. Her cheeks blushed and the sensation made her oblivious to anything else around them.

He was seemingly unimpressed by her attempt to take her own jacket though. Not having it, his large hand grasped her shoulders gently to turn her around to his liking. She tried to ignore the shiver it caused to run down her spine. His warm hand on her naked skin felt – oddly calming.

He waited for her to let him help her into her jacket; so, she eventually gave in. Who knew where he would touch her next if she-... she immediately shut that thought down! Instead, it dawned on her that his behavior towards her caused her to find questions over questions inside of her. She just couldn't swallow down the most obvious one:

"What happened to you?!" She grabbed her purse and turned to face him.

He seemed surprised by the question, raising his brows as he watched her struggle to stand straight on her heels. "That's a very broad question. Would you care to elaborate?"

"I mean..." she exhaled, "You're saving me from going home with a married man...you're not making jokes about Ron cheating one... Now this..." her hands gestured between both their bodies "...this gentleman behavior."