"Professor!" Hermione yelled, scrambling to her feet. " How may I help you!" her voice slightly higher then usual.

McGonagall looked as if she were about to say something but then thought better of it. Instead she said, "You two are in charge of planning the Al Hallows Eve ball, you have two weeks, get to work." She turned as if leave, but then turned around again, " Oh, and by the way, it's custom for the Heads to attend the ball – together" then she was gone.

"You know I really wish they'd give us more notice on these things" Draco said turning towards Hermione, but she wasn't there. Turning completely around he saw her darting out of her room, a pile of papers and colored pencils in her arms.

Plopping herself in the middle of the common room, she dropped everything on the ground and began to color. Draco walked up to her, though she seemed not to notice and looked over her shoulder at the paper.
From the looks of it, she was drawing an outline for the great hall, a good one too.

"Umm, Granger, you do know they've invented tables, right?" she glanced back at him

"Yes, Dra-Malfoy" she said slightly blushing

"You almost called me by my first name.",

"yah, so?"

"why'd you stop yourself?"

"You call me Granger, I call you Malfoy, we've been sworn enemies since we were born"

"But what if I don't want to be your enemy anymore?"

"I'd ask if you'd drunken anything lately."

"and if I said no?"

"I'd ask, why you're doing this, who is paying you, what's in it for you - " but she stopped talking when she felt his hand gently on her arm; she shivered.

"Do you hate me that much?" he whispered in her ear,

"…I – I don't like being touched"

"So you don't hate me then?"

"…..I think we should work on planning the ball……what do you think of this sketch?" Draco sighed and taking his hand of her arm, took the sketch. It was a simple outline of the Great Hall but very detailed in decoration. Drapes hung from the wall, floating pumpkins stood in front of every drape, small round paper lanterns floated above every table ( AN: think china town ) the ceiling held the image of a starless night a full moon blazing down, casting shadows. Draco had to admit, he was impressed; not just by the ideas but of the sketch itself, Hermione was quite the artist.

" I really like it" he stated simply, handing the sketch back

"You can't think of more constructive criticism then that?" she said sarcastically

"oh, umm…I don't like the colors"

"Orange and black? But those have always been the colors."

"Yah I know, but I don't like them, don't you think we should do something a little different this year?"

" What did you have in mind?"

( AN: I know, my chapters keep getting shorter. Sorry! I am trying to update as soon as possible though but skool started and I have SOO much hw. I'm taking AP Euro, H. English, Spanish 2 and Photography::Dies: …..and each class is an hour and a half…..AHHH! )