"Hurry up Ronald Bilius Weasley. You could always be fast enough when chasing around Lav-Lav in sixth," Hermione chuckled

"Where are we even ? Literally, it's Valentine's Day, and you drag me away. And don't bring up Lav. I only have eyes for Pansy, but she doesn't like me. Herms, we are besties but if you're takin me for a date, you and I broke up such a long time ago, like 4 years ago after dating like 2 da-"

"OUR RELATIONSHIP," Hermione yelled for the whole street (which was deserted) to know, "NEVER EXISTED. WE WERE FLIPPING BEST FRIENDS AND THEN YOU KISSED ME."

Ron could've sworn he heard a laugh, but saw no one around.
"Ermm... Uh.."

Hermione just kept walking.

"We're in Muggle Paris!" Ron panted trying to keep up with Hermione.

"Excellent observation. You would make an excellent understudy to Sherlock Holmes."

"Who now?"

"It's at times like this I miss having Harry around. He must be having a great time with Ginny today. I hear the bed in their new house is -" Hermione grinned.

"SHE'S MY BLOODY SISTER."

"I know."

Hermione dragged her best friend along.

"Here's where I drop you off. Bye Ron. And don't mess anything up."

"Where are you taki-"

Just then Pansy Parkinson apparated with a pop, wearing a magenta dress. It had a rather high neck, but that was the only thing modest about it. It was backless, and the skirt flared out and ended about two inches below it started. She wore 6 inch silver strappy heels and was still an inch shorter than Ron.

"Hey Pans! Found your new house yet? Stupid tenants, setting Fiendfyre to it when you were in Italy. Might I say, GORGEOUS tan" Hermione hugged her.

Ron barely saw the dress, just gazing at Pansy's face, for once, without much make-up. 'she's gorgeous,' he thought.

"Unfortunately, not yet," Pansy said, gazing at Ron, but replying to Hermione.

"Aw that sucks, you can stay at my house if you need."

"Thanks but, well, you told me to apparate here, Herms and I have no idea why I'm here. And why are you here with Ronald?"

"Hermione, what are we doing? And that dress she's wearing is killing me." Ron whispered, loud enough for the other girl to hear. She looked rather disappointed.

"For goodness's sake, you two," Hermione sighed, "both of you keep telling me how much you love the other and Pans when he says you're killing him, he means you're gorgeous. Now go in that restaurant, and Pans, if you don't end up with Ronald tonight, you can Apparate over and stay in my guest room."

"Um, Hermione, Pansy and I have never talked," Ron groaned

"Well looks like tonight will be fun! So remember to tell me what happens, but not everything. A girl doesn't need some details." Hermione winked at her best friends.

The girl, who had previously hated Hermione because of her closeness to Ron, and Ron were crimson and they linked hands and waved bye to Hermione.

Pansy's friendship with her was strange. It blossomed when Hermione was in a phase of PTSD after the war, and Pansy came to stay to take care of her. Hermione was always curious as to why and how she knew to come that fateful night she was in severe pain to help her, when they had barely talked before. She always giggled and said "Just you wait to see." And Hermione never saw. But they became close and three years from then, Pansy knew all her little secrets.

Hermione stepped back, surveying the unlikely couple. Ron had liked Pans after he came to meet Hermione one day and seen Pansy making her breakfast and taking care of her. Pansy had crushed over him since school.

Unknown to Hermione, there was someone else on the road, as she sighed and started to walk back.

"Hi Granger."

Draco Malfoy sauntered up to her and grinned, "You don't have a date, Granger? It's Valentine's Day. Everyone HAS to have a date."

"I don't Draco. I spent my time setting two of my best friends up. I've had a crazy evening. And looks like you don't have a date either."

"I took my Ma out to tea; I had other plans for dinner."

Hermione just stood there as he held out his arm towards her.

Things had changed since the war ended. After the first half of the war, the Malfoys chose to pick the light side, seeing the destruction; too late though. Lucius had been murdered by Voldemort. Hermione had protected Draco in the war; when Rodolphus Lestrange leaped on Draco, who was battling against Amycus Carrow. Hermione spun in and she let out her first Unforgivable - Crucio, but only after Bellatrix's insane husband silently cursed her. Her strength immediately was depleted, and her knees buckled. Draco wordlessly placed a Protego bubble around her and continued to battle Amycus until Voldemort and Harry were facing off. Then the opposing sides stood behind their leader. At the same time Hermione fell unconscious, and Draco kept trying to revive her in vain. Madame Pomfrey rushed up, as the Elder Wand spun towards Harry and she performed a series of complicated spells. Hermione opened her eyes just as Voldemort died.

After that, she had developed a tiny- okay fine, a mammoth- crush on the boy (no, man, she corrected herself) who saved her. She really didn't know who would ever care for her when the Chosen One and You-know-who were battling for the last time! He had even given her a necklace thanking her for saving him. It turned hot when she was sad, to remind her that Draco would be there for her. Thinking about it now, hermione realized that it had been burning her the day Pansy came to get her. The hottest it had EVER been.

Draco was always teasing her, but always nice. When she was with Harry and Ron, he acted oddly, though. She couldn't pinpoint it, but she felt it was still schoolboy competitiveness.

She had enough restraint to not grab his hand, but she slowly put her hand into his.

"Come on, Granger. Let's go for dinner."

Hermione's heart hammered under her shirt, and the necklace, which she always wore, turned cold from happiness. "I look a mess from waking Ron u-"

"Oh." Draco rolled his eyes. "I see how it is. You set your best friend up with my best friend and yet you still l-o-v-e Ron."

"Shut up, Draco. Pansy is my best friend. She knows everything about me and knows that who I like is definitely not Ron. I was going to ask if I could go change into something nice, but then I realized, why would Draco Malfoy even care about taking me for Valentine's D-"

Draco walked in front of her and surveyed her during her rant. 'I'm definitely going to regret this,' Draco thought, but said anyway, "Gran-" he stopped.

"Hermione," he restarted. "I'm too much of a pompous prat to apologize, but I'll tell you this. I don't want to never say this. But, whoever you do like, and I know it isn't Ron is a lucky man to have the affection of someone who looks so gorgeous."

Hermione squeaked and turned beet red.

"So I know he must be a fool not to like you back, so let's go to dinner as best friends. C'mon Gra-" he stopped again. "Hermione." The name sounded so foreign coming from him.

Her redness turned into paleness as he uttered the words best friends.

She ran back into the restaurant she had dropped Pansy and Ron in, leaving a very infatuated and confused young man outside.

To be continued XD