I do not own any of this it all belongs to the amazing J.K. Rowling and if anyone has any feed back please please please give me some and tell me if I should add more

Hermione had a Valentine's day masquerade ball to go to for work, one that she was terribly late to while still needing to put on her makeup, even though she was wearing a mask. As soon as she got her elegant red and gold gown on she ran out the door into the sunny streets of New York.

As she stood on the side of the street trying desperately to get a taxi her red and gold gown wrapped around her and pulled the eyes of everyone passing. Though for some reason she couldn't get a Taxi as she checked the time on her time piece that she bought just for this event it read 11:36. 'Oh no' she thought 'I'm already 6 minutes past the time I needed to be there to help set up. I hope Ginny can handle all of it.'

As she sat there worrying she didn't notice a Taxi had pulled up and without thinking that maybe there was someone else already occupying it or about to she picked up her dress and ran to it and jumped it not noticing the other person who got in at the same time. As she pulled on her dress to make sure it was all in and shut the door she yelled to the driver the address of the ball.

As soon as she said it someone to her left said the same address in a smooth silky deep voice scaring her and almost bending her mask in her hands and snapping it. After she finally got her breath calmed down she turned to the person next to her and was surprised at who she saw.

As he looked to her with the same shocked expression of getting in the cab at the same time she saw his unmistakable white hair, that looked smooth to the touch and his deep silver-gray stormy eyes filled with surprise. As she recognized him her eyes widen of horror. Sitting next to her was her old school bully/enemy, Draco Malfoy. It took everything she had not to scream in frustration, yell at the taxi driver to pull over and jump out of the cab to just walk to the ball even though it was over 2 miles away. Knowing it was so far away and that she couldn't walk that far in the 4 inch heels she was wearing she controlled her face and just stared at him hoping he wasn't actually there and it wasn't actually him.

As Draco jumped in the cab in a hurry already late to help with the ball, he didn't notice the girl next to him. It wasn't until after she yelled the same address as him that he noticed her. Filled with shock he turned to look at the girl who was on her way to the same ball as him and that's when he realised who was sitting right next to him in the taxi. He changed his features to show his infamous smirk as he looked her up and down. She was in a long gold and red satin dress that went down just past her ankles. The bottom was a bright gold with a pattern of little flowers and the bottom wrapped with red lace at the edge while the top was mostly gold with the front being red lace and frills at the edge of where the red meets gold. The sleeves were gold as the came down and stopped at her elbows with the same frilly red lace as the bottom of her dress. While her shoes were red heels with a strap around her ankle to secure them. Her usually curly hair was up in an elegant bun. While she wore not much make up for her mask in her hands made up enough and matched her dress perfectly with all red and gold frills around the edging making it perfect to match the dress and to bring out her chocolate brown eyes. As soon as he focused on her face and she spoke he was positive about who was sitting next to him. Hermione Granger.

"What the hell are you doing in my cab" She yelled her voice full of anger, shock and dismay

"Well considering I got to and in the taxi first I would say it was my taxi" He said with a calm voice that was dripping with a venomous edge to it.

"Um, no it's my cab actually I got to and in here first so it is actually my cab so get the hell out" She scoffed. "Mr. Taxi driver could you stop to let this man out please" she yelled to the driver.

"Considering we're going to the same place why are you kicking me out? Why not just wait until we get there then you won't have to see me and I'll be gone and we can split the taxi fare."

She thought about it for a moment arguing with herself, 'He has a point, as soon as we get there I can jump out of the cab and I won't have to see him at all, ever, and everything will be fine' 'Yes but it's Draco Malfoy, he's the reason you spent most of her nights after classes crying, he's the reason you're so insecure' 'But I won't have to pay as much' "Fine but we won't talk at all on the way there cause I have absolutely nothing to say to you." She said as she turned her head to look out the window. "God knows I have enough to say about you" She whispered to herself in such a harsh voice it made him flinch some.

"Okay, thank you." He said keeping his voice steady and looking out the opposite window of the cab.

He wanted to say so many things to her.

As the time went by the silents in the cab was screaming at them to speak, to get everything out in the open. He finally turned from the window to look at her and that's when he saw the sadness in her lost in thought eyes. Probably thinking of the painful memories of him teasing her and making her feel terrible all through their Hogwarts years. He couldn't handle the silence anymore so he finally spoke.

"Hermione, I'm sorry for everything I did and said in school. I was an ass who thought I was better than everyone around me and even treated my best friend like he was under me and when he was done I finally realised how bad I've been acting and I've changed since the war and graduation. I'm really really sorry. I know an apology won't make up for it all but I will do what I can to make it up to you"

She was so shocked by what he had just said to her that she didn't notice his glance towards the cab driver when he mentioned his best friend. Or the fact that they were only a few blocks away from the ball and in that moment she didn't want the cab to stop as she looked into his eyes and saw the sadness and the apology in them.

Before she could stop herself "I accept your apology, and I'm really sorry also. For speaking ill about you behind your back and I'm really sorry for-" she blurted out but he interrupted before she could finish the last of her thought.

"You have no reason to be sorry. I brought it all on myself."

When he was done and before he could think or respond the cab stopped and in that moment he wished the car was still moving. There was so much he wanted to say still but didn't have enough time to do it. So he did the one thing that could say it all.

When the car stopped she didn't want to get out, she wanted it to keep going. She wanted to say more. But then he kissed her, hard and passionately stopping all thoughts and she felt the emotions in it and the pain of his past. Before she could think about what else was in that kiss he pulled away and whispered "Happy Valentines day Hermione Granger, see you inside" then winked and got out.

She was so shocked she didn't notice that he thanked the Taxi driver without paying and left to go inside.