I don't care that I only updated this morning! Big thank you to Pure Girl who seemed to review chapter 6 the minute I posted it up, that was brilliant, thank you so much. Seriously guys, review me, I know I can't make you, but it makes me want to write so much more!


Hermione almost floated down Diagon Alley the next morning on her way to Flourish and Blott's. The walk back to her flat the evening before had gone by in a complete daze. All she could remember was the soft kiss he had laid upon her cheek as he turned to leave her.

"Good morning, Mr Flourish." She sang as she pushed open the door to the bookshop.

"Good morning, Hermione." Replied the old man, taking in the girls dreamy expression and chuckling. "Good evening?" She nodded happily, pouring herself coffee and stirring in her milk and sugar. "So the irritating boy is not quite so irritating after all."

Hermione didn't reply. She was just lazily replaying the evening before in her mind. It had been really quite magical, simple, she knew, but magical. Never in a million years would she have guessed she would be feeling so happy over Draco Malfoy.

The day flew by. Hermione barely registered the difficult customers or the strenuous tasks Mr Flourish laid upon her. She knew he was laughing at her as she floated around the shop in a dream, but she didn't care.

"It's time to go, Hermione." Mr Flourish told her at five forty five. She looked up at the clock.

"My god, it is." She smiled at her employer. "I'm sorry I've been a little useless today."

"No, you've been brilliant. You should have wonderful evenings more often. Not saying that you're usually anything less than perfect." She thanked him and left.

Autumn was coming and the street was darker now as she walked down it towards her flat than it used to be. She drew her light summers cloak around her shoulder in the slight wind.

She reached her flat and was a little annoyed to see that Felix had already locked up. She drew out her keys for the first time ever and unlocked the door.

The lights were off in the shop, and the rustling of the owls in their cages made her a little nervous as she crossed the shop. Eventually she reached the stairs leading to her apartment and climbed them.

The lights were all on in her apartment. Hermione was sure she had not left them like that. She drew out her wand as she cautiously pushed open the door. She stood in the doorway.

"Who's there?" She called out. There was no reply.

Then she heard the sound of a toilet flushing, and seconds later the door to her bedroom started to open. Hermione directed her wand to the door.

The door opened all the way, and Hermione lowered her wand.

"What are you doing in my flat?" She asked, trying to keep the smile off her face. Draco shrugged.

"I missed you. Thought I'd come and visit." He slumped down onto her couch, wriggling around a little, trying to get comfortable. "I prefer the beanbag."

"You missed -"

"You can't tell me you weren't missing me too." Draco interrupted her, smirking.

"I didn't miss that face." She told him, and his face fell. He patted the space beside him and Hermione sat down, suddenly very aware of how little effort she'd put into her appearance that morning. Her hands immediately flew to her hair, and she tried to subtly tease it into submission with her fingers.

Draco caught her fingers in his hands bought them down. "Don't go to the trouble for me." He sat and pretended to think. "Even though I am worth it." Hermione dug her elbows into his stomach, realising how close they were. "Ow. Not fair. You have far pointier elbows than me." Draco said calmly.

"So what did you want, Malfoy?" She asked.

"Well, I was on my way out for a dinner and I was just wondering if you cared to join me." Hermione felt her butterflies again.

"Not looking like this." She leapt to her feet and ran into her bedroom. "Do I have time to shower?" She called to him.

"Not really."

"Bloody hell." She muttered. She performed the straightening spell on her hair for the second time ever. It always surprised her how different she looked. Make up was applied quickly but she was satisfied with her appearance.

She changed into an outfit not dissimilar from the one she'd worn round to Draco's the night before and walked back into the living room.

Her satisfaction rose as Draco stood up in surprise. "That took you only five minutes?" She grinned.

"Impressed." She asked, sidling up next to him.

"Very." he took her arm and they vanished from the apartment.

They appeared milliseconds later in a very dark alley between two skips, full of rubbish. "Lovely." Hermione commented sarcastically.

"We're in muggle London. It's hard finding anywhere we wouldn't be seen." Hermione was surprised.

"Muggle London?"

"I thought the skips would have given it away." He helped her out from between them, and walked with her on his arm around to the front of the restaurant.

"Wow." Hermione sighed. Draco had to admit the place did look amazing. A tall red brick building with ivy growing up the walls. There were at least three floors to it, with three balconies to each floor. They could see couples sat talking and laughing at the tables.

"You sure I'm in London?" Hermione asked, not taking her eyes off the restaurant. Draco nodded. "It's certainly not the London I'm used to."

He led her through the front doors and they were hit by delicious smells and the sound of laughter and happy people talking merrily. Draco moved to the desk leaving Hermione to take in the atmosphere. "I have a table booked for two."

"Ah, Mr Malfoy. A pleasure as always." The man said. Draco called Hermione over and they followed the waiter up three flights of stairs to the top floor. It was quieter up here, ad there was a more romantic feel about the place, helped by the dim lighting and soft music. "We have given you a balcony table, but you're welcome to inside, it's rather chilly tonight."

Draco turned to Hermione. "Inside or outside?"

"Outside." she said at once. "I bet the views spectacular."

It was. Hermione could see right across to the Thames. There were lights glittering all around below her. It made her think back to watching Peter Pan for the first time when she was a little girl. She felt like Wendy.

"This is amazing, Malfoy." She thanked him.

"Isn't it."

"I still can't quite believe this is real, I mean look at me." She spread her arms out wide. "I've left home, broken up with my boyfriend of over a year, got a job, and now I'm having dinner, for the second time, with the one person I'd never have believed it possible I'd like."

"Was it really so hard to believe?" He asked her, accepting the bottle of wine the waiter had just bought over.

"Yes, yes it was." He poured them each a glass. "I mean, I'm best friends with Harry Potter, and your father's a deatheater. It's really quite an unlikely pairing."

"But I'm gorgeous, you're gorgeous, we're both intelligent, we're both very opinionated. Not to mention we're both stubborn as hell, and we both tend to be able to get exactly what we want."

"Well, when you put it like that." They ordered from the exquisite menu and their meals arrived only minutes later.

Hermione didn't know where to look. At the beautiful human being before her, or the beautiful view beside her, so she kept her eyes on her plate.

It was different to the night before. They ate practically in silence, but again it wasn't difficult. Their food was so good, and they were so comfortable together they didn't need to speak.

"Dessert?" Draco asked her as the waiter took away their empty plates. She nodded.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can."

"Why me? I mean you know it as well as I do. You could have any girl you liked. So why me?"

"Because you're the one I fell for." Hermione felt her cheeks reddening but she did not look away. They sat there, staring into each others eyes, both such different colours, but strong and stunning in their own ways. Draco leant across the table and took hold of Hermione hands.

"Be mine?" He asked her softly. She smiled, such a real and happy smile and Draco knew what she would say.

"Yes, yes ok."

Their desserts arrived and the comfortable tension that had been around them was broken. They talked about school. The teacher's and lessons they missed, the friends they'd not yet seen, and even the things they'd done and said about one another at school. Though it had been a little painful at the time Hermione now saw how pathetic the rift between Griffindor and Slytherin had been and how laughable it was.

"God, I miss Hogwarts." Draco sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"Hmm. Hermione nodded in agreement. "Can you imagine what everybody would say if they about… us?" Hermione asked him, more than a little tentatively.

"Huh, good thing they'll never find out."

The smile on Hermione's face vanished. "I'm thrilled to know I mean that much to you." She said quietly.

"Oh, come on, I didn't mean it like that." He snapped at her. Hermione huffed at him and turned to look again over at London, but it had lost some it's beauty somehow.

"I want to go home."

"No, Hermione, come on." She looked up.

"What did you say?" He looked at her, confused. "You called me Hermione."

"Am I not allowed to?"

"Yes, of course you can, it's just the first time."

"Well I think of you as Hermione now, so it just sort of slipped out. I can go back to Granger if you'd prefer?"

"No, Hermione's good, Draco." He smiled.

"So you'll stay."

"Yes." His smile widened. "But I do need to be getting back soon. I told myself I'd go and see Harry tonight."

"Ah, Potty himself." Hermione frowned, but chose to ignore him.

"We had a bit of a disagreement, that day you came to my flat when you were actually invited." She grinned. "But I need to sort it out."

"Must you?"

"Yes, he's my friend, Draco."

"Ok, well we'd better forget dessert then."

Draco offered her his hand and she took it, and together they walked down stairs and across floors to the restaurant foyer, where Draco paid. "Back to the bins?" Hermione asked.

"'Fraid so."


"Harry!" Hermione called through the seemingly deserted house. She was sure she'd shaken a few cobwebs from the ceiling. Then she heard a thudding from upstairs and Harry Potter appeared at the top of the stairs.

He beamed down at her. "I'm so pleased to see you." He ran over and embraced her. "I've been worried about you."

They went through to the kitchen, and a wave of memories of Mrs Weasley and Sirius cooking filled Hermione's mind. "I just came to say I'm sorry about our argument. It was stupid."

"You've seen sense about Malfoy then." Harry said, it wasn't a question.

"No, actually." Harry looked at her.

"You're not still seeing him?" Hermione shrugged.

"I've just come from having dinner with him." Harry face darkened and he moved away from her.

"I don't believe this, Hermione." Harry ran his hand through his hair in slight distress. "Have you thought about why he might be trying to get close to you?"

Hermione didn't bother to reply. She had no answer. "Why couldn't you have just done what Ron has done. Found someone on our side, who doesn't have such screwed up ideas." She glared at him.

"Please elaborate."

"He's engaged, Hermione. To that girl, Vicky. They're getting married at Christmas."

"What does Molly think about all this?"

"Oh she's thrilled. She says Vicky's a lovely girl. She was obviously a little upset after Ron dumped you, but she soon got over it." Hermione flinched.

"I don't have to listen to this."

"You're right, you don't." Harry said, gesturing to the door. "I'll talk to you again when you've seen sense."


Those of you who read my last story, which I can not for the life of me remember the name of, but anyway, you will remember I killed off Ron and Harry very early on. This is why. When I write about them they tend to go a little bit evil. Oh well, I hope you're all enjoying. I love writing this. Writing this chapter is actually my reward for doing some revision this morning.

Please review (Please, please, please)

xxx