Draco frowned as he contemplated what was taking Hermione so long. He began to wonder if he should start looking for her in case she got lost, but then smothered that sense of chivalry (that no doubt came from one of his ancestors, a knight that had died courageously and selflessly during the Crusades). Malfoys did not feel chivalrous towards mudbloods, even if they were female.

Nevertheless, he turned around and scanned the restaurant, stopping when he spotted her wild chestnut curls next to the window. What he saw next filled him with...some kind of feeling. Something that he definitely did not like.

Illuminated by the street lights, he saw none other than the famous Viktor Krum bend down to gallantly kiss Hermione's hand. The Head Girl was blushing and smiling in a way that made him nauseous.

In fact, scratch the whole part about his feelings. Draco was sure these were not feelings, they were more of an...itch. Yes, it was probably his stomach reacting from the lowly, common, horrible food the restaurant had to offer, some sort of indigestion problem. Draco conveniently forgot that he hadn't eaten anything yet.

Hermione smiled and tugged Viktor by the hand to their table. "Malfoy, you'll never believe it, but Viktor's here to play some games and even train with some of the teams at Hogwarts! He'll be staying here for quite a while."

Great. Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes and began to extend his hand to shake Viktor's when suddenly he shrank back.

"Vat is wrong?" Viktor asked, looking confused.

Draco didn't want to admit to Viktor's face that it was because of his fear that Viktor's hands weren't clean. You know...because of his little habit? So he just smiled stiffly and said, "My hand's sore from carrying so much today."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Yeah, he had really exerted himself carrying a few small jars of broom polish.

"Vell, I better get back," Viktor said reluctantly, turning as if to leave.

"Yes, you better," Draco muttered under his breath.

Hermione shot him a dirty glance before looking up pleadingly at the Quidditch star. "Please, won't you just stay for a few minutes, Vik?"

She was giving him the same look she had given to the wizard at the comic book store, Draco realized darkly. And she had even given him a pet name. Bloody hell.

Viktor smiled hesitantly. "Of course. Anything for my good friend, Her-my-own-ninny!" He accentuated the word 'good', leading Draco to believe there was more between them.

For Merlin's sake, how had she managed to catch his interest? He was a world-famous Quidditch star, with plenty of girls to choose from, and he decided to take a fancy to the bushy haired, muggle-born bookworm? Inconceivable.

Viktor dragged a chair from a nearby table and sat down on Hermione's side of the table. She grinned and nudged him playfully and he laughed. Draco clenched his hands in his lap and tried not to breathe loudly and noticeably like his father always did when he was angry. But oh no, he wasn't angry. Not even a little miffed.

"So, Vik, what have you been doing ever since your last letter to me?" Hermione asked as Viktor finished placing his order.

"Vell, mostly I study and in my free time, play Quidditch. Probably like ." Viktor said, casting Draco a questioning glance.

Draco didn't want to admit he had anything in common with the poor guy, so he remained rudely silent. Hermione shot him a look.

"Draco has a bruised throat, Vik. I don't think he can speak tonight." Damn if Granger hadn't just given him a mock pitying glance. "Unfortunately, a couple of rather large wizards set onto him today when they became annoyed with his prattling."

Viktor looked alarmed. "If this is happening in this area, we must alert the Ministry to settle this problem. These wizards could be dangerous!"

"What Granger didn't tell you was that I incapacitated the two of them," Draco said, sending a smirk to Hermione. "That's right, after they...bruised my throat, I managed to catch them both off guard and pound them unconscious. Without magic. And then, I left them at the Ministry's doorstep." He gave a small cough at the end and rubbed his throat. Not bad for an instantaneous prevarication, but of course Malfoys could lie well. It was in their genes.

Viktor looked impressed and surprised. "I voodn't have expected a little wizard like you be able to take on two big bruisers."

Draco choked on his salmon filet and it was Hermione's turn to smirk at him. "Yes, Vik. One really wonders how he was even able to land a finger on one of them, not to mention two."

Draco opened his mouth to defend himself but suddenly, a pair of small hands slid over his eyes. "Guess who it is," said a familiar and irritating voice from behind him.

He sighed. "Pansy." The word was spoken wearily.

Pansy leaned in to kiss his cheek and without asking, pulled a chair over and plopped next to him. "Waitress! Give me a Caesar salad, ok? Non-fat dressing, and no croutons!" Lowering her voice and glaring at Hermione, she said, "Some of us should be doing the same thing." She cast a disparaging glance at Hermione's risotto and then at Hermione's midsection.

Hermione felt her face heating up. She was perfectly slim and healthy! "Aren't you supposed to be with Blaise and your little Slytherin friends somewhere?"

"Nothing could keep me away from my darling Drakey-Wakey," crooned Pansy, leaning closer to him.

"Malfoy, why don't you tell her about what happened today with the two bruisers?" asked Hermione with a snort.

"Mr. Malfoy has a bruised neck due to them but luckily he managed to win the battle and deposit the two unconscious at the Ministry's doors," recounted Victor.

"You did that today?" Pansy turned to Draco, puzzled.

"Yup. Right before we got here, in fact." Hermione smiled at his increasingly panicked expression.

Pansy suddenly burst into giggles, the high pitched kind that can break glass and pierce eardrums. Everyone in the restaurant turned to glare at her as if to say SHUT UP ALREADY. "You did no such thing, Drakey," she said, happily oblivious to his plight. "I would know, since I was following you all day."

Hermione nearly spat out her drink. "You were following us?" She ended up choking and Viktor had to thump her back.

Pansy looked affronted. "He left without me, and I wasn't going to just let him go. But you guys kept on walking so fast that I never caught up."

Even Viktor looked taken aback. "So ven did the incident with the two men occur?"

Draco had to refrain from rolling his eyes at Viktor's vapidness. Seriously, the guy was a decent Quidditch player, but he had no brains whatsoever. Unlike Draco himself.

Once Pansy got her salad, they ate in silence for a while, but under the circumstances, there was no way silence would prevail for the whole time they were at the restaurant.

"Her-my-own-ninny, I don't know if it is too soon to ask, but vood you consider going to the winter ball with me at Hogwarts?" Viktor asked, taking hold of her hand. "I know they are planning on holding one, and I will be free during the holidays."

Pansy turned to Draco. "You are planning to take me, aren't you?" she demanded.

But Draco was oblivious to anything she was saying. He was too busy watching the Head Girl and the Quidditch star together.

Hermione smiled. "It's very kind of you to ask, Viktor. But I don't know if I will be going. I might just stay at the dorm and study."

"You can't," Draco injected. "As the Head Boy and Girl, we have to lead the first dance."

Hermione scrunched up her face. Viktor looked hopeful, so hopeful that after several moments of internal debate, she finally agreed. "Alright, Vik. Just send me a message before the ball so I know where to meet you." She smiled at him and leaned into him affectionately. Viktor happily put his arm around her and settled her against him.

Draco finally managed to tear his eyes from the scene. "Of course I'm taking you," he told Pansy uncomfortably. "You're my girlfriend, after all." He smirked at the other two and gave Pansy a long snog, disregarding any spectators, which included the crestfallen, redheaded waitress, Mia.

Pansy looked radiantly happy although it was hard to tell if it was because she had been confirmed as Draco Malfoy's girlfriend or the snog. Probably a bit of both. Now she cast a smug glance at Hermione as if to say "Too late, I've got him in the bag already."

Hermione returned her look with a disgusted one of her own. She didn't want Draco Malfoy, did Pansy think she was crazy?

Viktor was looking taken back again when Draco had proclaimed her as his girlfriend. Secretly, he had thought that Malfoy had better taste than that, but you could never tell with some guys. Look at the poor bloke on his team, who was going out with a fourth year merely because she had nice hair, even though she required him to buy a piece of jewellery for her every week.

"Oh Merlin, you have to take me dress shopping now, Draco!" squealed Pansy. "And I need some shoes, more mascara, a corsage, a necklace (preferably diamond), a tiara..."

Hermione was disgusted by Pansy's exuberance. Draco could see that, plain as daylight. This little plan of his was backfiring fast and there was no way out. He was stuck taking Pansy...although he could probably sneak out after the first dance and hide somewhere until it was all over...

Unable to take any more, Draco called out for some Firewhiskey. After a few glasses, he was happy again, his troubles gone in a blur of drunkenness.

"Vell, I should probably get going," Viktor said, giving Hermione a good-bye kiss she did not expect and could not avoid. "It was nice seeing you again, Her-my-own-ninny."

"Good-bye, Viktor," Hermione smiled at him.

"Well, I should probably get going too," Pansy said airily, flouncing out the door before Hermione could call out to her. What a great girlfriend, ditching her supposed boyfriend like that when he was drunk.

Hermione looked down at Draco and sighed. There was no way she was going to be able to get him back by herself. With the books to carry, his broom polish and the comic, Hermione was sure her back would break if she even attempted to lift or even drag Malfoy.

"Excuse me," she called out to Mia. "Is there any transportation back to Hogwarts near here?"

Mia had a vengeful look in her eyes. The blond, good-looking bloke had decided to play around with her, and nobodydid that without getting their just desserts. "I believe so, miss. If you would just follow me..."

!

"Where are we, Mummy," Draco slurred, lifting an arm and squinting at it, trying to make the three arms he saw solidify into one.

He felt wood splinters driving into his skin and clothing. He'd probably care in the morning, but not now.

"We're almost there, Malfoy. Just a couple more blocks to go."

"Ouch!" A hard, large object had fallen on his head.

Hermione chuckled as she lifted the log away from his eyes. The waitress must have been really angry, for her to put them in the wagon of the most erratic driver in Hogsmeade: the woodcutter. Hermione could dodge the logs with ease but Draco could unfortunately only roll from side to side.

When the wagon finally clattered up to the front gates of the school, Hermione thanked the driver and pulled Draco out of the wagon, wincing when she heard his head bang against the wagon wall. Oh well, the bloke probably deserved it anyways.

Somehow making into the dorm and up the stair to his room, Hermione gawked. She had expected his room to be lavishly decorated, with all the expensive furniture he could cram into it, as a way of showing off his pureblooded status. But the room was spartan and utilitarian. There was only a plain bed, desk, chair and wardrobe inside. Of course, the bed was made with silk sheets and the curtains were made of the most expensive Chantilly lace, but with Malfoy, you couldn't ask for too much.

She dragged him over to the bed, ignoring his exclamations of pain when his head bumped into the desk and then the wardrobe corner. Letting him flop drunkenly onto the bed, she stood back. She could just leave him there. He deserved it for being a prat and trying to nauseate her by making out with Pansy.

But she wouldn't stoop to his level. Sighing, she pulled the sheets over him and tucked him in like a little boy.

What she didn't expect was for Draco to open his eyes and stare at her. "Is Krum a good snogger?" he asked suddenly, his hand closing around her wrist in a tight grip.

"What?"

"I said, is he a good snogger?" He rose up on his elbows and looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

"I don't see how – " She was cut off when his lips suddenly fell on hers. To her surprise, he wasn't cold like she expected, due to the pallor of his skin. His lips were surprisingly warm and his grip strong when he pulled her closer towards him. And for a second, she allowed herself to fall against him.

Hermione gasped and pulled away when she realized what was happening. She had just been allowing Draco Malfoy to snog her, was she crazy? Draco had flopped down again and his eyes were closed. Was he actually asleep, or was he pretending again?

It seemed to be the latter, because just as soon as she turned to leave she heard a plaintive voice behind her say," Did I snog better than he did?"

Hermione stopped in her tracks. "No," she said, but couldn't stop a smile from surfacing on her face. Although she had no idea why she would be smiling after the events of the night.

"Well, I should," she heard Malfoy continue huffily. "At least I don't pick my nose in public."

And since she had no idea what he was talking about, she left promptly. It was probably best anyways. There was something dangerous lurking in the air when she was around him...probably a reminder of what his father had done during the war. But she didn't think it was that...

!

New developments taking place here! So, what do you think?