Chapter Five
Two Years Later
I visited the news periodically even though it still wasn't a weekly event. The music still played, the bodies still bumped, and the liquor still intoxicated when I was not there. Mike said the place lost its usual air of adventure when I was not there, but I knew he was just saying it to boost my ego. A bar is still a bar no matter who enters of leaves its threshold and this bar was no different.
"Hermione this probably isn't a good idea." Draco warned me as I put on my coat about to brave the cool winter air. I simply rolled my eyes and continued to ignore his obvious fears. "I mean with the baby…"
"I'm five weeks pregnant Draco nothing is going to harm me at the bar." I saw him open his mouth to retort but I quickly cut him off. "Of course I'm not going to drink. I'm not an idiot you know." He still continued to look worried.
"But I won't be there and what if something happens?" This time his eyes were softer with worry and they seemed to melt my heart.
"Look" I said softly positioning my hands on his stomach "I won't stay long I just want to go and dance before I'm to big to see my feet." I pecked a soft kiss on his lips before turning around and heading out the door.
I got to the bar about five minutes after that. The typical Friday night crowd greeted me with happy greetings and welcomes. A few faces were unfamiliar, but they still greeted me with simple smiles or a short wave as I looked their direction.
"I thought the air in this old place felt particularly good tonight." I heard a yell from across the room. I turned to see Mike leaning against the bar casually wiping a glass muggle style. "If it isn't the lovely Mrs. Malfoy"
"And hello to you to Mike." I smiled as I sat in my old bar stool and still recognized every swizzle and bump.
"What's your poison tonight, love?" He said in his New York accent which still seemed to amaze bar patrons. No one knows how a New York man ended up running a bar in downtown London, but we still enjoy the accent that hasn't gone down with time.
"Ginger Ale" He stopped smearing his glass for a moment to give me an absolutely shocked look before continuing.
"Trying to go cold turkey?" He gave me a stern look even though he was trying to be subtle about it. As a bartender Mike sees a lot of people with drinking problems, but he has always disapproved. I knew he meant good, but he always worried.
"Yeah, I don't think the baby would appreciate me drinking." His face immediately relived it's self and a grin spread across it.
"So the Malfoy boy finally got you knocked up?" He laughed as I gave him a scowl. Mike was never one to try to jazz words up.
"Well, I would have put it more eloquently, but yeah I'm pregnant." He smiled as another customer motioned for his service.
"Congratulations kid you deserve it." He motioned for the man to wait. "I'll be back in a minute." I surveyed the room as he took the man's order. The dance floor looked the same as the last time I was here. The wood still squeaked, but the speakers were new and they thumped a little harder than the old ones. The crowd was bumping and grinding as they always had, but one couple stood out. There was a girl in the middle who was dirty tangoing with a tall muscular man. She didn't seem very into him, but I can see how he would make a good dance partner.
"Hey Mike!" I called down the bar where he was talking to the man.
"Yes sweets?" he got a grin on his face as I could she the hooded man visibly scowls. I ignored him and continued.
"Who's the girl?" I motioned my head towards the dance floor and he seemed to understand who I was talking about without even looking.
"She's the new queen; rolled in here a couple of weeks ago and hasn't left since." He gave me a raised eyebrow. "Some are saying that she's just as good as you were in your glory days." I gave a fake look of disgust.
"Oh, really? Well I'm just gonna have to prove her wrong then won't I?" I raised my eyebrows at Mike and motioned my head towards the man. He gave me a small nod and a hidden smile. "Well I can't show him up on my own. Who am I gonna get to dance with me?" I said in the most sarcastic voice I could muster. At that point Mike busted out into laughter drawing more than a few strange looks.
The man whipped the hood off of his head to reveal Draco. He gave me a dirty look before turning red-faced to Mike.
"Did you tell her it was me?" He was genuinely angry, but Mike shrugged him off as if he'd said nothing. I moved over two seats until I occupied the seat next to his.
"No, for your information he didn't." I scooted a little closer to him "Sorry love but I've known ever since you followed me in here."
"Can you just give me and inch, please?" He sounded defeated and my heart sank a little. Maybe I had been hard on him.
"Well you can give me many inches on the dance floor!" I hopped up from my stool and handed my jacket over to Mike with a quick "Hold this"
"Hermione I don't know if you should be dancing with the b…" But I pulled a finger over her lips and pulled him up from his stool.
"If you say the word baby I swear I'm divorcing you." He gave me a terrified look and I chuckled. "But… I'll consider not divorcing you if you dance with me right now." I leaned in "Are you ready to show up these youngins?"
"Always." He whispered playfully in my ear. Our hands intertwined as he led me out to the dance floor. The crowds parted in reverence and we began to sway to the rhythm. Our skin seemed to be white hot as it burned with just as much desire as it had during that first dance here in the club.
"Are they jealous?" I whispered in his ear giving a mischievous smile.
"Love, everyone from this side of Cancun is jealous." And that's how we spent the rest of our night intertwined on the dance floor getting lost in the love we had for each other. Eyes looked upon us with a combination of envy and respect. But our eyes were only on each other, and that's how they stayed the rest of our lives.