A/N: Ok, this chapter was originally meant to have a little (pretty big) hint about the love potion wearing off, but I really wanted to publish it now so I'm just putting it in like this and I should have the next chapter up in a few hours...oh, and Ginny's part in this chapter was going to be Hagrid's but I decided to add him in later. ^_^ It would have been pretty funny for him to abuse Draco though!(I see him being flung out a window...) Also, this could be classified as a spoiler, I guess but, check out the part about love potions in Chapter Six: Draco's Detour in the sixth book. It may give you an idea about where I'm trying to go with this. Of course, if you'd prefer absolute surprise, don't look. Either way - enjoy!
The train ride to Hogsmeade was surprisingly long for Draco while Hermione clung tightly onto his hand, looking everywhere but his face. She wasn't sure she was completely comfortable with the amount of weird stares they were getting but she wasn't about to complain. They had every reason to stare – to her knowledge there hadn't been a comfortable Gryffindor/Slytherin relationship for over forty years, and never one that had ended well, not to mention her and Malfoy were supposedly bitter enemies. Besides, she had a feeling that even if she tried speaking her voice would desert her. All she could do was sit and wait for the chugging to slow down and finally, for the train to grind to a stop. After what seemed like an age, she had to wait no longer.
As they got off the train, Hermione's heart throbbed wildly to some rhythm she couldn't distinguish, made worse by Draco's offer to help her onto the platform. She blushed terribly, causing Draco to chuckle softly at her innocence. She blushed deeper, feeling a fever spread through her body. She found herself quite attracted to that chuckle. It was far warmer than any she had heard from him thus far and the fact that it was directed at her made her unreasonably happy.
Get a grip on yourself Hermione, she thought to herself, It's not like he kissed you.
But for quite a moment after that it was, as her mind skipped down a well downtrodden path. Of course, since she now had a reason to go walking down it, she didn't feel quite as bad as the other times she had. Snapping back to reality, she realised Draco was now asking her something.
"-want to go?"
"Huh?"
"I said, 'Where do you want to go?'"
He smiled gently after asking this.
"Well," Hermione said, "how about the Three Broomsticks? Or Honeydukes?"
"The Three Broomsticks it is."
Draco then linked his arm through hers and pulled her along to the place in question.
The Three Broomsticks was, as always, crowded. Being the most popular bar in town with the prettiest barmaid, the lovely Madam Rosmerta, helped with that. Still they managed to find a comfortable spot at the back to be alone, even though it looked as though half the wizarding population was bent on carving holes into the pair's skin with their eyes.
"Geez. You'd think they'd get over it," Hermione muttered darkly, causing her date to look at her in shock. The stood there for a moment, looking into each others eyes, until they noticed what they were doing and quickly looked away.
"I-I guess I'll go get us some Butterbeers then," Draco stuttered, "You sit down"
She nodded and sat as he made his way to the cluttered counter, still looking slightly uneasy, and, not for the first time that day, wondering what the hell she was doing.
After a full ten minutes Draco came back, handing her a drink. She took a gulp and sighed. For a Spring day she sure felt cold. Sitting there in silence she felt oddly comfortable, and yet her mind did not wander. Her eyes felt stuck to the storm cloud grey ones across from her and she felt herself memorising his features; the snow white pureness of his complexion, the similar colour of his silky hair, only containing the exact right amount of golden blonde strands that glittered brightly in the sun. But most captivating of all was the slight smile playing across his perfect lips. It was so alluring she couldn't help but want to feel it against her own, trace it with her tongue, hold his strong hands to her waist as their saliva mingled into one…
Before truly knowing what she was doing, she was suddenly entwined in his arms, the rest of the world gone as her lips embraced his and vice versa. It seemed for one moment as if nothing could possibly come between them, like they were one entity, and shared one soul. That was, until the clearing of an unimpressed throat tore them apart. For a moment Hermione was worried it was a professor, or worse, one of the boys, but as it turned out, it was a disgruntled looking Ginny staring them both down.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you," she spat, eying Draco with enough malice to send most begging, "but just what exactly are you doing Hermione?"
It was now Hermione's turn face her wrath. She had to admit – that girl could have quite the temper when she wanted, and she looked as if she wanted to have it now.
"Well," she started, not for the first time that day, "I was kind of in the middle of something, actually."
"Yes I can tell that!" Ginny's voice was thick with venom, her eyes ablaze, "Thankyou very much, but I can tell you were busy," she said the word with sarcasm, "but just what in bloody Merlin's name do you think you're doing?!"
Hermione continued, "I was just saying I – "
"NO STUPID EXCUSES!" Hermione was thoroughly taken aback, and Ginny kept yelling, "I GO OUT LOOKING FOR YOU BECAUSE HARRY AND RON WERE WORRIED AND I FIND YOU HERE WITH THIS GIT," she stared pointedly at Malfoy, "EATING EACH OTHERS' FACES!"
By this point in time the whole pub had stopped to watch the little flame haired girl on her rampage. Embarrassed, Hermione tried once more to calm her down.
"Look, Ginny, I'll explain if you just promise not to yell anymore. I don't want the whole world knowing!"
"I WILL NOT CALM DOWN! AND DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT YOUR FRIENDS WON'T FIND OUT ABOUT THIS?! BECAUSE I HAVE AND DON'T EXPECT ME TO KEEP THIS A SECRET FROM HARRY OR RON! I'LL MAKE SURE THEY-"
"So tell them."
The voice came from inside the booth, from the long-forgotten cause of the argument. Both girls were shocked into silence. Neither of them had suspected this. Finally, after much swallowing, Hermione questioned in a small voice, "Draco?"
He looked straight at her, "You heard me – let them know. They're bound to find out sooner or later, and the earlier they know, the easier it will be later on."
Both Ginny and Hermione were silent. They looked at each other. Ginny was the first to break the quiet, her anger evidently evaporated, "I hate to admit it but he does have a point. If they don't find out from you now, they'll hear about it from someone else soon…"
"Only because you yelled it out all over town!" Hermione countered.
Ginny blushed a pale shade of scarlet, "Sorry, but," she added, "you weren't exactly being discrete about it."
Hermione had to admit, she was right. Somehow snogging in the middle of a crowded room just didn't make it into her 'discrete' category.
"What are we going to do?" she wondered aloud, not really paying attention to anything anymore.
"Well, I suppose first of all we should hurry back to the train station. Our ride should be here in another few minutes."
Hermione looked questioningly at Ginny, "But what if one of the boys sees us?"
Ginny rolled her eyes, "First, you should have though about that earlier, and second, they have Quidditch practice today. They wouldn't dare leave before it's over."
The older witch raised an eyebrow, "Then why are you here?"
Ginny shrugged, "I have no such compulsion."
"Ah."
Draco stayed silent throughout this entire conversation, wrapped up in gleeful thoughts of how close he was to victory, and how much he wanted to smash his face back up against the brunette witch's mouth, just to hear her panting again. As the trio left the building and headed toward the station he felt the urge to shake his head in the hope it would become less cluttered.
...I'm not really sure how well I wrote this... I was in media and had absolute inspiration to write, so I did, but I only got halfway through the original chapter when the bell rang and everyone started talking to me...and the word phallus was scrawled across the whiteboard. Very distracting that was^_^ Anywho, please review/critique.
