Reverse Psychology

Disclaimer: These characters are still not mine.


Hermione winced as Ginny pulled at her hair. "Ow! Could you try to be gentle?" she whined.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you that you can't look good without suffering from some pain?" was Ginny's unsympathetic response. "In fact, I think that your old dorm mates Lavender and Parvati would say that how good you look is directly proportional to how much pain you put yourself through to get that way."

"If that's true, then I will happily resemble a hag for the rest of my life. Besides, Lav and Pav would never say that. They don't know what proportional means, much less the difference between being directly and indirectly proportional."

"Point taken. There! I'm finished. What do you think?"

Hermione looked at her image in the mirror. She raised a hand to touch her hair, not believing that it could look that good before stopping as she didn't want to mess it up Ginny's handiwork. It was amazing. Ginny was a genius when it came to arranging hair.

"It's perfect," Hermione said in awe.

"Thank you. I thought so myself. Now that your hair is out of your face, I can start on your make-up."

"What would I do without you?" Hermione asked rhetorically.

"Merlin only knows. Resign yourself to looking like a hag for the rest of your life, perhaps?" The two friends laughed.

"I still can't believe that you convinced Malfoy to go to dinner with you tonight. Tell me again how that happened," said Ginny as she spun Hermione around so she could work on the other witch's face.

"I think it was shock, really. He had been bothering me for an appointment as of late, saying that he wanted to bring to my attention an something he thought should be looked into. Our meeting was over for all intents and purposes when I popped the question. We had both been on our best behavior the entire time, so I think he said yes before he realized what he was agreeing to," Hermione explained.

"Or maybe he's been secretly fancying you all these years." Ginny's eyes had a wicked gleam to them.

Hermione openly scoffed at the suggestion. "I think you're forgetting you who're talking about here."

"I am not. You know what they say—little boys always tease the girls they fancy the most. And don't make faces like that unless you want to look as though you've been a test subject for my brother's shop."

Hermione rolled her eyes and then complied with Ginny's order. "Yes, ma'am," she answered sarcastically. "And trust me. It's not like that. Remember the reason why I invited him in the first place." She rubbed her hands together out of glee. "Once the alliance to put an end to my love life deals with Malfoy for an entire evening, all my future boyfriends will look like saints. I should have thought of this a long time ago."

"Close your eyes and stop talking. I'm about to spell your eyes and lips," Ginny commanded. Hermione did so and listened to Ginny murmur a series of spells under her breath. Hermione knew all the spells that Ginny was using, but somehow they turned out better for the redheaded witch than they did for her. She supposed Ginny had a natural affinity for those sorts of spells, while Hermione's talents were for more practical spells.

"And that should do it," said Ginny. "I'm done now. What do you think?"

Hermione looked at her reflection. The witch staring back at her looked lovely and composed. It was a spectacular transformation from how she looked in the morning. "Very nice," she said as she got out of her seat.

"You're damning your looks and my hard work with your faint praise again." Ginny sighed dramatically. "I'm used to it though. I do wonder what Malfoy's reaction will be once he sees you."

Hermione shrugged. "That doesn't really matter. What matters is how everyone else will react once they see him."

"Hermione, did you even tell him what was going to happen tonight? Is he in on what you hope he will do or is the poor bloke an innocent lamb to be led to the slaughter?" Ginny asked with a frown.

"No," Hermione admitted. "I thought that his reactions would be more uninhibited and visceral if it were a surprise to him. I just told him to pick me up at my place and then we would go to the restaurant. And you're comparing Malfoy to a lamb? I can't imagine anyone ever doing that before."

"Oh dear," said Ginny. "That can't be good. Is it too late to call it off? I don't think he'll appreciate—" She was interrupted by the sound of someone knocking at their door.

"Merlin! Don't tell me the damn fool is early again!" Hermione swore as she rushed to the living room followed closely by her flat mate.

"Again? Is there something that you want to tell me?" asked Ginny.

"Not really. I need help finding my handbag and my shoes. Where did I put them?" Hermione bit her lip as she scoured about the living room for the missing items. "I thought I had left them both by the sofa."

Ginny sighed. "Yes, that was before someone decided that it would be a good idea to leave them by the door instead, so you could rush out the door in the faint hope that you might be the first ones at the restaurant. I know my brother and my boyfriend. They have probably been there all day planning what to do just in case Seamus decided to show up with you."

"Oh. Right. Thanks." Hermione was about to rush over to the door to answer it but stopped when her brain got around to processing the rest of what Ginny said. "Wait. Do you really think that…"

"They have spent the whole day planning for this just in case? Of course. Feeling sorry for poor Malfoy yet?"

Hermione suddenly felt uneasy under Ginny's scrutiny. She brushed that feeling aside, assuring herself that everything would work out for her in the end. "No," Hermione replied. "I'm just thinking that this couldn't go any better if I had planned it. If you'll excuse me."

"Good luck," Ginny called as she waved good-bye. "You're going to need it."

Hermione rolled her eyes as she approached the door. Clearly Ginny didn't know what she was talking about. Hermione didn't need any luck tonight; after dinner was over, the alliance would be falling over themselves to convince her to return to one of her old boyfriends. She slipped into her shoes and picked up her bag, then opened the door.

"Hello," said Malfoy. He blinked. "Suddenly all my complaints about how long it took you to answer the door have been rendered silent." He blinked again.

Much to her surprise, Hermione found herself flushing. "I'm sorry about that. I had misplaced my bag," she explained. "Shall we get going? I don't want to be late."

"Late?" he repeated. "What is that supposed to mean?" His forehead creased as though he was trying to figure out what she hadn't told him.

"For our reservation, of course," she said, laughing nervously. She stepped outside and tugged at his hand. "Come on. I'll Apparate us there." Hermione locked the door and then looked around. Seeing that there was no one to notice, she Apparated them to a private spot near the Italian restaurant where she was to meet her family and friends. She dragged him inside before he could think to question her further about what she had planned for the evening. She gave her name to the head waiter, who showed them to her usual table. Hermione held her breath the entire way. She simply just had to get Malfoy to her family's table. Once her friends saw him with her, all she would have to do was sit back and let nature take its course.

"Hello all," she said as they arrived. "Sorry we're late." She was mildly disappointed that neither Harry nor Ron had to be restrained from attacking Malfoy. Oh well. She supposed all boys had to grow up some time.

"Hello Hermione," her mother replied warmly. "And you must be the young man Hermione has told me so much about—"

"Oh yes, introductions. Mum, Dad, this is Draco Malfoy," said Hermione quickly before her mother mentioned Seamus.

"Oh," her mum said shortly. The look her mum shot Hermione told her that she would have a lot of explaining to do later. "Yes…well, Hermione has gone on at length about you over the years as well. It's nice to finally be able to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine," Malfoy said. He pulled out Hermione's chair, letting her sit down first, before taking his own seat. "Might I add that it is obvious from whom Hermione gets her beauty?"

Hermione's mother flushed and giggled at the compliment but a low growl emanated from the man sitting by her side. Her father never liked it when any of the wizards she brought home flattered her mother like that. It was rather disconcerting how both her parents could act so silly and juvenile at times, with her mum acting like a blushing young schoolgirl while her father acted like a jealous teenaged boy.

"There, there," said Ron, patting her dad on the shoulder. "You don't have to worry about this one, Mr. Granger. Hermione's not serious about him." Ron sneered at Malfoy. "He's just a charity case that Hermione picked up along the way, perhaps hoping to scare us all after last night."

Two things happened just then. Hermione's mum shot her dad an icy glare, which had the effect of making him break out in a cold sweat. The second was that Malfoy turned around in his seat, so he faced her as he grabbed both of her hands.

"Darling!" he cried. "I thought you said they would play nice." His lower lip jutted out adorably, tempting Hermione to lean forward to kiss him.

So she did. Malfoy smirked when she finished, letting her hands go, while across the table her friends reached for wands that were no longer there. Little did they know that she had disarmed them before earlier when she was taking her seat, not wanting to risk a wizard's duel in the middle of the crowded restaurant in case things got out of hand. Her father merely shook with fury but his mouth was wired shut. Hermione was going to chalk that up to a small miracle when she noticed the stern look on her mother's face. She grasped that was the reason why the alliance had showed up last night to spoil her dinner with Seamus; her mum must have finally found a threat dire enough to force her father to behave.

Malfoy was prattling on while Hermione was in the midst of her little epiphany. She jumped when he prodded her and then looked expectantly at her. Hermione realized that he must have asked her a question.

"I'm sorry?" she said, hoping he would repeat what he had said.

"No, dearest, there is nothing to be sorry about. It is rare for you to admit that I was right while you were wrong, so I shall savor this rare victory, Pyrrhic though it may be." He shook his head at her. "I told you that you couldn't expect a Weasley to know how to behave properly. There were too many of them running about for their poor mother to have any hope of instilling manners in them."

Ron growled. "At least I wasn't raised to be a murderer," he spat out.

"Neither was I," replied Malfoy, a hint of steel in his voice. "I was a spoiled child, this is true, and given everything I wanted and made to believe that I was better than everyone else. But I was never trained to kill, a fact which led to many sleepless nights for my mother."

"You foul-mouthed, stinking ferret," growled Ron.

"You're lucky that you're not rotting in Azkaban," added Harry.

"For what? Not being a murderer?" Malfoy elegantly lifted one eyebrow as he spoke.

"To save the rest of society from having to deal with filth like you."

That was taking it too far. Hermione wasn't overly fond of Malfoy herself—though his going along with her unspoken plans instead of storming out of there had definitely softened her heart towards him—but he deserved better than that. He didn't spend any time in Azkaban because he had been a minor under duress when he had led the Death Eaters in an attack on Hogwarts. Hermione thought that was the correct decision. Though Malfoy had not receive any formal punishment, his actions after the war implied that he felt some need to make amends. Both Harry and Ron, as Aurors, should know that.

"Having been the target of such comments myself," she grimly told her best friends, "I would appreciate it if you would not echo them against anyone. Particularly not against someone who is responsible for helping many people after the war. You should be better than that." Unexpectedly, Malfoy squeezed her hand as though thanking her for saying that.

Hermione's mum nodded her head and spoke up, "George dear, I believe you promised tonight would be a pleasant evening without any strife." She tilted her head as she regarded Hermione's friends. "And I know both you boys have been taught better than that. What would your mothers say?"

Hermione winced. That was a bit harsh of her mum, who knew perfectly well that Ron thought the world of his mother, and as for Harry, his mum was long dead. But as she watched as her boys flushed and then settled down, she thought that perhaps her mum was right to lace her words with a bit of cruelty. Hermione supposed she had a bad habit of coddling her friends too much, and that she should push them to their limits more, to dare them to become better men.

"Good," said her mum brightly. "Let's skip the wine tonight. I don't think that would be prudent." Everyone complied with that request, and no outbursts occurred while the waiter took their orders. With her mother's help, Hermione was able to get a conversation going with hardly any traces of acrimony. It was astonishing. Between Malfoy being able to give as good as he got and her mum stepping in to rein her father in, Hermione was actually enjoying dinner out with her parents for once. Eating was so much more pleasant when she wasn't sick with worry that her current beau would flee at any moment. She didn't think that her boys would have given up so easily, especially when confronted with Malfoy.

She was right.

After their plates had arrived, a grin spread across Ron's face, and it was not from the food in front of him, as Hermione initially thought. "So Malfoy…I heard that you've been loitering around the Daily Prophet's offices lately? Going to see Nott, have you? I've heard that you two have long enjoyed an especially close relationship." With that, he started winking broadly at Hermione. She was struck with the urge to throw her plate of pasta at him; she knew damn well what he was trying to imply and he looked like a damned fool with something stuck in his eye.

"And how is Seamus?" Harry added, not to be outdone. "He's a good bloke, and I wouldn't mind catching up with him. Haven't heard from him in ages." Hermione could only gawk at her friend's boldfaced lie.

"If that's the case, Potter, you should go ask Nott. He and Finnegan have always had much in common, and they have been spotted together. And Weasley, you should get better sources as it's a well-known fact that I only drop by the Daily Prophet to see Hermione," Malfoy said without missing a beat. Harry coughed awkwardly as Ron sputtered. Hermione felt like cheering Malfoy on.

"Oh that's right!" Harry smacked his hands together as a thought occurred to him. "I forgot to tell you. Oliver Wood is back in town. I thought it might be nice to arrange a re-union of sorts, and I know he would love to see you again."

"No thanks Potter."

"I wasn't speaking to you," Harry stated.

"Obviously, he was talking about Hermione. Oliver's thought the world of her ever since third year."

"Oh that's charming. He was seventeen, and my poor darling was only fourteen. No wonder you were in such a foul mood the entire year, dearest." Malfoy shook his head sadly. "Forgive me, my love, but I hope our daughters are in Slytherin. The wizards there know better."

That remark drew the attention of Hermione's dad. "Daughters?" he screeched. He ignored the elbow his wife shoved into his side. "What makes you think that—"

"That you'll ever let me that close to your daughter?" Malfoy straightened his back as he stared her father down. "With all due respect, sir," he spat out, making the word sound like an epithet, "that's not your decision to make. You should get accustomed to that fact."

"Well put," said Hermione's mum, clapping her hands.

"Thank you Mrs. Granger," replied Malfoy.

"Oh dear, there's no need to be so formal. You can call me Emma, like these boys here." Her mum flapped a hand in Harry and Ron's direction.

The rest of the evening continued in a similar fashion. Hermione and her mum would keep the conversation flowing, with Malfoy throwing in an opinion from time to time, while the rest of their table stewed. Every so often, one of the boys would come up with a new way to either attack Malfoy or try to pry Hermione away from his clutches. Each time, Malfoy would put them in their place without batting an eye. On one hand, Hermione didn't want Malfoy to think that she couldn't control her best friends; if he wasn't there, she would certainly be snapping back at them. On the other hand, it was nice to have someone else deal with the alliance and their towering paranoia. She could get used to this.

And if she really wanted to be honest with herself, she found it rather appealing that Malfoy was able to take care of himself. Seeing a wizard act like a damsel in distress—that wasn't attractive to say the least. Seeing a wizard able to defend himself on his own was an entirely different matter.

Sooner than she thought, dinner was over. Her mum fussed over Malfoy, saying that she hoped to see him again soon, while Harry and Ron stood in the background making gagging noises. Hermione rolled her eyes at their childish antics. Her father hung behind her mother. He shook Malfoy's hand as the two men were saying their good byes, and for a moment, it looked as though he was trying to crush Malfoy's hand in his. Unfortunately for her father, he was not as strong as he thought and Malfoy did not even flinch at his efforts.

Hermione helped Malfoy out when Harry and Ron came up to make their parting comments. She absently twirled a lock of her hair while giving both of them her best try-anything-and-I'll-snap-your-wands-in-two glare. It seemed to work as the two of them did not make any trouble.

Things got awkward after that. Malfoy insisted on accompanying Hermione home in front of everyone, mainly to annoy the hell out of her father and friends, she thought. She silently Apparated them back an empty street near her flat, after tossing Harry and Ron's wands to them at the last possible minute. She did not know what to say to them once they were alone, and an oppressive silence stretched between them. He followed her up the stairs to her flat, the sound of his footsteps behind her making Hermione dreadfully nervous.

"Well here we are," she said anxiously when they reached her front door. She turned around to face him. "I had a lovely time tonight," she said, one hand behind her back groping for the doorknob. She smiled when she found it. "Good night."

With that, she turned the doorknob, planning to rush in and slam the door shut before Malfoy knew what was happening. Unfortunately for her, she had not taken into account that she had locked the door before leaving like she always did. A smug smile appeared on Malfoy's face.

"Looking for this?" he asked, tossing a small key in the air. Her jaw dropped as he hid it away in his robes. "What?" he asked. "Did you think that only Gryffindors knew how to pickpocket?"

"It's not pickpocketing if you use a disarming spell," she replied automatically. It was an excuse she had used countless times before when taking the boys' wands away from them before they could get themselves into trouble.

"I'll have to remember that one," he said. "And no, I won't give it back to you. Not yet anyway. Not until we've had the chance to talk."

"We've been talking all evening," she dissembled. "What's left to talk about?"

"Oh I don't know…I was thinking about talking about how I've never felt this used in my life." He narrowed his eyes, and Hermione gulped. "And I was sorted into Slytherin, love. That's saying a lot."

Embarrassed she looked down at her feet. She started mindlessly twirling her index fingers together as she cleared her throat several times, trying to gather up her courage to speak.

"What's wrong? Cat's got your tongue? Like it did earlier when you forgot to mention who else would be joining us this evening?"

She laughed weakly. "Did I forget to mention that my parents would be there?"

"Ha ha," he replied flatly. "Full marks for effort there, but only a troll for the actual execution. Granger, you shouldn't bother lying. You haven't the first clue how."

She bit her lip, knowing he was right. She was an awful liar. He was also right about her having used him this evening. He deserved an apology for that. She closed her eyes and sighed. She hated having to swallow her pride.

"I'm sorry," she finally said. She remained staring at her shoes, finding that she was unable to stomach the thought of having to look him in the eye and apologize. "It's just that…you see, my father along with Harry and Ron…they're a tad difficult whenever I take any wizard to meet my family. So I thought…I thought it was a brilliant idea, you know? That if I took you, they would go spare and it would work out the way it did. With them almost begging me to go back to one of my old boyfriends."

The sound of mocking applause filled the hallway, startling her into looking up at him. She could tell his jaw was clenched, though the dwindling light that inhabited the corridor softened the lines of his face and the only feature she could make out clearly was the glinting, molten silver of his eyes. His lips twisted upwards when he saw that he now had her full attention. "Brava," he said quietly. "That was an excellent performance. That doesn't address the question, however, that I'm just burning to know the answer to."

She swallowed nervously. "Which is?"

"Are you ready to pay the price for the assistance I provided tonight?"

A shiver ran down her spine as she regarded the wizard standing before her. She should have known that was what he was getting at; he was a Slytherin after all. She stood tall and crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't owe you anything," she bit out.

"I beg to differ. Most wizards would expect a witch to comfort them after first meeting her parents. Did you think me any different? Or did you think I'm the sort who got my rocks off torturing small animals?"

She gave him a long look, remembering all the times he had enjoyed taunting her friends.

"Well, I must admit it was fun putting Potter and Weasley in their place," he said after a moment. "But hardly satisfying, if you know what I mean and I am certain you do." He shot a lascivious glance at her through narrowed eyes.

"I'm sorry. You must have been seeing witches of ill repute for far too long. I'm not that sort of witch." She lifted her chin firmly, inwardly cursing the fact that she was so much shorter than him. That did put her at a disadvantage.

"And I'm not that sort of wizard." He shifted his weight from foot to foot as his hands curled into fists at his side. "No, I'm not the sort of wizard who placidly agrees to be trotted out to be inspected by a witch's parents. Before I endure that particular sort of aggravation, I make good and certain to sample the goods first." Reflexively, Hermione uncrossed her arms and raised her right hand to slap the bastard but he caught her arm before she could get even close. He held it for a long moment before letting it go. It dropped down, and she instinctively clutched her right elbow with her left hand.

"I've not hurt you," he said, his words hanging somewhere between being a statement and a question.

"I don't see how that is any of your business," she replied. She summoned up an air of icy indifference. "You have done more than enough this evening. I'll thank you to leave."

He laughed then, a short ugly barking thing. Hermione thought he must have lost it then. That was not the reaction she was anticipating.

Finally, he regained enough control over his laughter to speak once more. "You're no ice queen," he told her. "You pretend very well, and I admit that when I was a boy, I thought you were very much one. But now…" He looked her up and down suggestively. "You breathe too hard to be truly detached, causing your chest to heave in a most pleasant fashion. Keep doing that. I like it. Your eyes flash with heat, and your blood runs hot, not cold. Looking at you like this…it makes me wonder how I was ever fooled."

Before she could formulate a response, he leaned forward and kissed her.

It was a breathtaking kiss; it literally stole her breath away and she pressed forward and kissed him back with all her might, reveling in how marvelous it all felt to be consumed like this. She was a horrible, horrible liar and there was no way she could fool herself into denying this fire raging between them, one that they had gathered the kindling for all throughout their Hogwarts years. She could not lie to herself and pretend that she had never spent any time wondering how things would have been between them if they hadn't always been on opposite sides. All she could do was sigh as his arms came to encircle her waist, coming to rest on her back, and brush her hands throw that lovely hair of his, relishing how much it resembled silk, not bothering to memorize him as it felt as though he was being burned into her. She could barely hear her inner nag hammering away with objections inside her way as they all melted away in the inferno.

It was he who wound up pulling away.

"That was a good start," he whispered in between taking large gasps of air. Their kiss had left him breathless too.

Hermione felt her anger return as she slowly came back to her senses. This time she wasn't upset with him however; she was disappointed in herself for giving in so easily. She could hear her inner nag loud and clear now, and she didn't like what it was saying. She didn't like being a weak and foolish witch prone to giving in to her passions. She would not make that mistake again.

"It was a good end too," she told him.

"No." Though he appeared to have collected himself, his eyes still smoldered as they bore into hers, and she could feel herself rising to his unspoken challenge.

"You took the words out of my mouth," she said mockingly. "No, I am not that sort of witch. That is all you're going to get. I've not seen you in years, Malfoy. I don't know what makes you think—"

"What makes me think that you would give me a chance? Only the words you spoke and the actions you took earlier today," he answered. "I was prepared for it to take longer. Merlin knows that it took me forever to get you to agree to meet with me for a potential story. But I persisted even though it would have been quicker and easier to have gone to Nott. And after our initial tiff, you were so excited and adorable and downright warm to me. Then you asked me out."

He paused for breath, then the words continued to spill out from his lips. "I was shocked, elated. Just as it had taken months for you to agree to meet with me, I thought it would have taken months for you to agree to see me outside of your work. And once we were there, I found that you thought me strong enough to survive meeting your parents and your friends the first night out. Yes you did use me, but it was only because you couldn't find anyone more worthy. It was you, Hermione, who set this fast pace, not I. I would have waited, but you led me on, teasing me into thinking that I had already convinced you to give me a chance with your words and with your deeds." He reached out to cradle her cheek with his hand, his fingers brushing away the tears that had appeared in her eyes. "And I now know that you're not so cold that you would use me then throw me away. These prove that."

She shut her eyes as she enjoyed the warmth of his hand against her face. "I'm sorry," she said again. "But I don't think I owe you anything beyond my thanks."

"I disagree," he said softly. "I think you owe me another chance. But putting that aside… you also owe it to yourself. When are you ever going to find another wizard willing to stand up to those tyrants you call friends? And if you do…what are your chances that he'll make you feel what I can make you feel, what I've already made you feel. Little to none, I would venture."

He was right. There was no getting around that fact. It was highly unlikely she would ever find another wizard as attractive as he who could so handily fend off her friends. So she decided to do the only sensible thing.

She kissed him again.

She knew at once that she had made the right decision. It was better than the first time, and she didn't know how she had gone so long without ever tasting him before. As she ardently explored his mouth with her tongue, she knew that his taste would linger in her mouth for years to come. She wouldn't let it fade. And she didn't think that he would let her go, not with the way he was crushing her to him, holding her so tight that she could hardly breathe, but not nearly tight enough. Her hands fumbled with his robes, wanting to feel him, when her fingertips brushed against cool metal, reminding her of where they stood. She pushed him away.

"I'm sorry," she said, a grin forming on her face. She flashed her key at him, letting him know that she had got it back. "But I'm not that sort of girl." She turned around to open her door and then stepped inside.

Hermione keenly felt the absence of his presence behind her, so she spun on her heels and faced him. The look on his face almost broke her heart. He looked like a little lost boy, as though his favorite dream had been snatched away from him.

She would have to put an end to that.

"Malfoy," she said, letting a bit of exasperation work its way into her voice, "don't tell me you expected me to let you shag me against my front door? What would the neighbors say?" Malfoy now looked confused as he tried to figure out what she was trying to say. "Not to mention, my bedroom is only a few feet away and it's loads more comfortable, not to mention private."

By now he was grinning like a fool, and Hermione was beginning to feel rather impatient with the way he remained standing outside. She stamped her foot. "Well? Are you coming or not?"

That was all the encouragement he needed to leap across the threshold, but it still took a fair amount of time before Hermione received an answer to her last question.


It was far too early to be up on a Saturday morning but there was no help for it. Ginny and her brothers had promised Molly Weasley ages ago that they would all be present for a family picnic. Harry and Hermione were included as well. Ginny knew that after last night, she would need to console Hermione before the other witch would be up to appearing in public. Even then, depending on how poorly things went, she might have to take Hermione's wand away to make certain she wouldn't throw any hexes around. Ginny supposed she could have got a head start on it all if she had stayed up to wait for Hermione, but past experience had taught her that was a good way—no make that, a very bad way—to stay up the entire night. At least this way she was well rested before having to deal with her flat mate and her frustrations.

She followed her nose to the kitchen, where someone had evidently already made a pot of tea. Ginny nodded to herself happily; that meant Hermione felt well enough to go about her normal routine at least. She wasn't going to pry the other witch out of bed this time around. She took a breath to ready herself to deal with anything, and then marched into the kitchen.

Where she promptly saw her flat mate Hermione Granger, calmly sharing a plate of toast with Draco Malfoy. Twin smiles lit up their faces as they spoke to one another, not appearing to notice her. She knew that aura of smug contentment that surrounded them and she couldn't believe her eyes.

Ginny fainted dead away.

The crash she made when she fell drew both of their attentions. Hermione quickly got to her feet to make sure that her friend hadn't suffered any serious damage from her fall.

"So Hermione, if she's not going does that mean we get to skip out as well?" asked Draco.

"You're not getting out of accompanying me to the picnic that easily, Malfoy," she told him.

"Blast!" He took a sip of tea. "And here I thought that you made me to suffer enough last night. You're more sadistic than I would have pegged you."

"Don't worry. I'll make it up to you," she promised.

"I'm sure you will."


Author's note: Well, that's that. I hoped you liked it. Please leave me a review to let me know what you thought of it, good and bad. Also I would like to thank hotkat144, panchat, pinkie101, and 0xsammie for reviewing the first chapter. Thanks so much.