"This whole tournament's supposed to be about getting to know foreign wizards and making friends with them!" said Hermione hotly.

"No it isn't!" shouted Ron. "It's about winning!"

People were starting to stare at them.

"Ron," said Harry quietly, "I haven't got a problem with Hermione coming with Krum -"

But Ron ignored Harry too.

"Why don't you go and find Vicky, he'll be wondering where you are," said Ron.

"Don't call him Vicky!"

Hermione jumped to her feet and stormed off across the dance floor, disappearing into the crowed. Ron watched her go with a mixture of anger and satisfaction on his face.

Now out in the Great Hall, Hermione turned left then right and finally marched up the marble staircase to the landing. With any luck Harry and Ron will assume that she went to bed and tell Victor for her. Ditching the two of them was hard enough; she really didn't need another boy in the mix, not tonight.

Directly to the left of the landing was a small alcove that housed a tapestry. Most students thought there was just stone behind it, like most tapestries in the castle. But behind this particular one was an old wooden door that was only about four feet high. Quickly looking over her shoulder in case anyone was watching, Hermione ducked through the ancient door and hit something soft.

"Finally got away did you?" he asked in that drawling voice she once thought she hated.

"Yeah, Ron seemed ready to have a fully fledged row in front of the whole school. And that was just about Krum, someone he admirers, or at least used to, imagine what the two of them would do if they found out about us?"

"Don't think about that now; we're here…they're not….we are all alone…"

Hermione turned and looked at Draco Malfoy, for so long just the school bully, a sneer firmly planted on a sallow face. But now, well now Hermione didn't know.

His arms were outstretched and she fell into them gratefully. She felt so warm and protected in his strong arms. Draco squeezed her slightly and a groan escaped his lips and he kissed her forehead.

"When I saw you in there with Krum," he groaned again, "it was as if someone had had punched me in the gut. There you were so achingly beautiful and I had that complete cow Pansy Parkinson on my arm!"

Hermione go him to shut up with a small kiss on the temple. With which he responded with a kiss on the lips, his hand cupping her cheek while the other reached around her and pulled her as close as possible.

Hermione for her part, as if not to be outdone, threw her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through the short hair at the nape of his neck. Pulling both his hands up to either side of her face, Draco opened his mouth to deepen the kiss.

After a long time the two broke away from the kiss, and Draco put his forehead on hers. "You are so beautiful tonight love." He kissed her check and wrapped her more securely in his arms. Hermione liked his arms, they made her feel so safe and protected.

"Draco?"

"Hum?"

"I was wondering…no, never mind. It was stupid."

Draco lifted her chin up so he could look her in the eyes. "Tell me," he said, "nothing you can say will ever be stupid. You are the brightest witch of our age."

Hermione laughed out loud rubbing her hands on her face as if she trying to wipe something off. "Well, I was wondering what was going to happen to us when people fine out." Draco looked as if he was going to interrupt, so she rushed on. "Because people are going to find out, eventually."

"Well," he said with mock severity, "I will be stripped of all my wealth and probably be hexed to an inch of my life by potty and the weasel."

They were sitting on the floor now, and she was on his lap. "You know I hate it when you call them that."

"But those are their names, aren't they?" he responded cheekily, putting his arms around her and pulling her close.

She gently pushed his shoulder, "you're a dork Malfoy."

"And you're a book worm know-it-all Granger."

She rolled her eyes and made to get off him, to which he held her closer.

"Oh Draco, let me up. Come on"

He did. And stood as well.

"I feel awful that your missing the ball, I wish I could have taken you there myself." Draco said guiltily.

"Oh, I don't care about those things at all, they seem quite silly and unnecessary. All the fun was to be had in the weeks preceding the ball, when all you boys were looking at the girls trying to pluck up the courage to ask one of us."

Draco looked up at this, "I'll have you know, that it took all myself restraint to not ask you. And I am not a boy, but a man!"

Hermione, however, was going on appearing to not have heard him," I think that perhaps the most ridiculous was Ron suggesting to Harry that they lasso a girl to talk to her. Then Ron asking Fleur to the ball was just an added bonus, and then—"

"Hermione," Draco interrupted, "did you hear me at all?"

She looked at him, "of course I did. I heard every word. And after that I liked how Fred asked Angelina to the ball, straight up and bold—"

Hermione stopped talking abruptly, and no not because someone had come near, but because, Draco, tired of her rambling had kissed her in order to shut her up.

"Draco!" Hermione admonished, "why do you always get control over things?" But instead of answering, he just kissed her again. A slow, loving, sensuous kiss. His lips left hers, but only to kiss almost every other part of her face. He then moved to her neck and slowly to her left shoulder, which he made bare by tugging her dress robes down a bit.

He didn't go farther than that even though he wanted to so much for he knew that she did not want to. Instead he started dancing with her.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked confused.

"Dancing with you. I'm sure you've done it before."

"Ha ha, I just meant that there was no music…"

"Last night I said these words to my girl," he started singing but stopped when she cut him off.

"What are you doing now?" she asked, just as confused as before.

"Singing. You said there was no music so I thought I would make some"

"Yes, but that was a Muggle song, by a Muggle group!"

"Hermione, I might not like Muggles, but those are the Beatles, they are exempt."

"Oh"

He continued singing, "I know you never even try girl, C'mon (C'mon) C'mon (C'mon) C'mon (C'mon) C'mon (C'mon) Please please me, whoa yeah, like I please you. You don't need me to show the way, love. Why do I always have to say 'love?'''

"You have a great voice you know."

"Thanks. Everyone else hates it when I sing."

"Why?"

"I don't know, but it doesn't stop me."

"I knew it wouldn't!" Hermione said between her laughter.

Draco chuckled deeply and sighed. "You're probably going to be missed soon. I wish our meeting would have to be so short."

"I know, what do you say we meet here tomorrow, it's boxing day and most everyone will sleep 'till noon or later."

"8 o'clock sound good," he asked.

"Perfect." And with that she strolled out of the room and back to Gryffindor Tower.