A/N: Alright, this chapter took longer for me to finish but I slaved over it and hopefully it'll be worth the wait. It is a bit longer than my normal chapters so that should be a plus.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything I didn't make up.

Chapter 10: Hogsmeade Date

I know my rights, I've been here all day and it's time
For me to go, so let me know if it's alright
I just can't take this, I swear I told you the truth

(Jenny Was A Friend of Mine by The Killers)

Draco Malfoy cared about me. I let that thought sink in but it still didn't make any sense. My brain was telling me that it simply wasn't possible. My intuition was telling me that it very much was possible and that it was even the case.

I was forced to wrestle with this conundrum over another blind date, brought to me by the none other than the Weasley twins of course. No one else would have inflicted such torture on me as a means of being helpful. I really didn't want to go through with the whole ordeal but I had run out of reasons to say no. I had no detention and it was a Saturday which meant that I couldn't use homework as an excuse. Not that I had any. And if I didn't accept the date I was just going to end up listening to the two of them annoy me about it. It was a tossup but I chose the date; at least he wouldn't whine at me like they would. Hopefully, at least.

They'd set me up with a Hufflepuff boy that I recognized from Herbology but whose name I could not place. Owen Pratt, the twins informed me. The date was a trip to Hogsmeade; the Weasley brothers had picked out "just the perfect place" for us to sip tea and learn more about each other. I was quite fond of tea but frankly I didn't much care to learn anything about this Owen character. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm sure he was a wonderful person. If the twins had chosen he was probably nothing short of a right stand up guy.

But I wasn't interested in meeting new guys through the antics of the devilish fiends I called my friends. What I was interested in was figuring out this Draco situation. That's what I was calling it for lack of better terminology. I really had no idea what was going on between us so "situation" was really the only word I could tag to it.

However, my feelings were not added into the equation and the afternoon following my rescue I found myself on the arm of this Owen Pratt of Hufflepuff. And to make matters worse we ended up at the most dreadful little café.

"Madam Puddifoot's," I said in disbelief as we stopped just outside the doors. It didn't look very big but it was definitely radiating with "cutsie" vibes. I hated cutsie.

"Are you sure this is the place?" I asked, turning my attention to the Hufflepuff boy by my side. Owen pulled out a piece of paper, looking from that to the café.

"Yeah, this is it. Fred and George said they had a table reserved for us.

I barely managed to stifle a groan.

Owen opened the door for me (a true gentleman, naturally) and we made our entrance, much to my dismay. And to make matters worse the table that the twins reserved had a sign on it that read 'Mercedes and Owen' with a little heart decoration. We grudgingly took our seats. Well, I did, Owen didn't seem to be all that bothered by the situation.

We ordered some tea and sat in silence across from each other. My mind wandered back to the Slytherin Prince. His blond hair, high cheek bones and lean frame…

"It's not so bad I suppose, kind of cute actually."

I jolted out of my increasingly more risqué thoughts at the sound of Owen's voice. I'd been sitting with my tea cup at my lips for who knows how long. I quickly took a sip and set the cup back down.

"What is?" I asked stupidly.

"The café," he said cheerfully with a smile. I stared at him for a moment, hoping to gods that he was joking. He wasn't. This time I really had to fight back a groan. He had just lost some serious points in my eyes.

He looked as if he expected me to agree with him.

"Erm… yeah," I said, struggling to put a smile on my face. I had a feeling it looked more like I was grimacing with my teeth bared at him so I quickly took another swig of tea. The beverage was really too sweet. It was just another reason to dislike the place even more, as if the hearts and bows everywhere had not been enough.

"Ah, excuse me," I said, abruptly standing up. "I have to use the ladies room."

I hurried away from the table and into the girl's restroom before he had a chance to say anything. I looked at myself in the mirror hanging over the porcelain sink. My green eyes were rimmed in black eyeliner and my hair flowed freely down my back, framing my face. I sighed and let the water run for a minute, running wet fingers through my hair. I really didn't want to go back out there and continue to drink over-sweetened tea with a guy who found the whole place "cute."

What I wanted to do was hunt down Draco. I don't really know what I'd do or say once I found him but that was irrelevant at the moment. But I knew I wouldn't have the heart to ditch Owen. He was innocent in all of this. So I'd just have to grit my teeth and bare the rest of the afternoon, resolving to remind myself that once we got back to the castle to thoroughly maim Fred and George.

The least I had to do, however, was get us out of the revolting little tea shop. I could put up with Owen for the rest of the day, but doing so inside of Madam Puddifoot's was more than I could take.

I composed myself and went back out to the table. Owen seemed to have finished his tea and was waiting patiently for me. I sat down, stared at my still half-full cup and then looked up at my date.

"Do you want to get out of here?" I asked, pushing the cup away from me.

"Ah, sure, where do you want to go?"

I shrugged. "Oh I don't know, why don't we just walk around."

He nodded, pulled out a few sickles which he left on the table for the tea, and we took our leave. I inhaled deeply as we stepped into the fresh air. I was glad to be out of that place.

We went into Honeydukes where I picked up some chocolate frogs to send to my parents but after that we just wandered around Hogsmeade aimlessly. Owen wasn't much of a conversationalist, not that I was really in the mood to make small talk. I was pretty sure that by this time we had both come to the conclusion that this date was a disaster and that we were in no way a good match.

Before I knew it we were standing at the edge of Hogsmeade, the Shrieking Shack just up ahead of us.

"That place is so creepy looking," Owen said, indicating the run down building.

"Let's go in," I said suddenly. The look the Hufflepuff boy gave me said that he clearly thought I had gone mad.

I bit my lip. "I mean, I'm sure it's nicer inside."

He looked doubtful. I sighed.

"Look," I said, my arms folded across my chest. "I know this whole date thing hasn't gone over so well but I'd really like to be able to enjoy some semblance of this trip, so let's go inside."

The look he gave me indicated that there was a very slim chance we were going to be keeping in touch once we got back to the castle. Honestly, I didn't much care. I rolled my eyes, grabbed him by the hand and pulled him toward the Shrieking Shack.

"Come on," I said. "I really want to go in and I don't want to go by myself."

I don't really know why I had this spontaneous and compelling urge to go in the old building, I just knew I didn't want to completely waste my Hogsmeade trip and I'd never been in the Shrieking Shack before. Not that we were suppose to go in it, but tons of people had.

The place was boarded up and there was no way to get in through the door.

"How are we supposed to get in?" Owen asked, looking thoroughly uncomfortable with the whole idea.

I thought a moment before circling around to the back of the dilapidated structure. There was an open window back there that looked as if the boards had been ripped off. A rock had even been placed under it. Owen came around the corner of the shack as I was hoisting myself up.

"Geez," he said, "do we seriously have to do this?"

"Yes," I replied as I got my footing on the windowsill. I hopped down into a very dusty dark room that looked like it was supposed to be a kitchen. I popped my head back out the window.

"Come on!"

I finally got him to follow me in but he was definitely not happy.

"This place is a dump."

I shrugged and pulled out my wand. "Lumos!"

The room lit up and we were able to find the door to get out of the kitchen. It was then that we heard the creak of the floorboards above us. We froze in our footsteps.

"Is there someone there?" Owen asked, staring at the ceiling.

"How the bloody hell should I know?" I whispered. He scowled at me, the first unfriendly look he'd given me all day. And it was about time, too.

I walked towards the door, my wand illuminating the way. I saw a set of stairs in the next room and I made my way towards them.

"Where are you going?" Owen hissed from where he was standing in the kitchen doorway.

"I'm going to investigate," I said, waiting for him to follow. We heard another creak from above us and I saw Owen's eyes widen.

Sure I was slightly frightened as to what we might find, but that didn't stop me from wanting to go see. The line between brave and stupid was thin for me –I was put into Gryffindor for a reason after all.

We tip-toed up the stairs as quietly as was possible. The creaking hadn't stopped; it sounded as if someone or something was walking back and forth. I felt Owen hesitate but I pulled him along.

The top of the stairs led into a hallway with a few doors. There was light coming from one of them, the door slightly cracked. Naturally, I made my way towards it.

I imagined a small voice in my head, the kind that characters in books always have, telling me 'don't go towards the light' in a comical tone and laughed inwardly. I was never one to listen to the smart little voice in my head.

Owen grabbed my hand as if he was going to pull me back but I shook him off. I peeked through the crack, scanning the dimly lit room. At first I didn't see anything but then a dark figure paced into my view. After a moment I realized it was the shape of a person, a student by the general size.

They turned so that there face was visible and my eyes widened. It was none other than Draco Malfoy. I felt my heart beat speed up against my will. He looked particularly striking in the dim light and I felt the growingly familiar urge to kiss him. I was jolted t my senses as Owen came up behind me, glancing through the door opening.

"Malfoy?" he said out loud, pushing open the door on the pacing Slytherin boy.

Draco spun around at the sound of his name, his eyes narrowing on Owen in contempt and then growing in surprise as his gaze settled on me.

"Mercy," he said, shock clearly in his voice. "What are you doing here?"

I shrugged. "Exploring, what are you doing here?"

"I don't have to tell you that," he snapped, glaring more at Owen than at me. I quirked a brow at him.

He ran his fingers through his white blond hair, still glaring. "You're with this guy then?" he asked, venom in his voice.

"And what's that suppose to mean?" Owen growled.

"It means she can do bloody better than a prat like you," Draco retorted hotly.

There was so much tension in the air that I could practically feel it. I cut Owen off before he could give a nasty reply.

"What do you care who I date Malfoy?"

"I don't," he said, resuming his pacing. "I just thought you had more brains that's all."

I had to admit, I was rather impressed with Owen's restraint. I saw his hand twitch as if he was just itching to punch Draco square in the jaw, but he didn't. If I had been in his situation I probably would have by now.

"Well nobody asked what you thought," I replied. Of course that wasn't true, I realized. As I said the words I knew they were a lie. I cared very what Draco Malfoy thought.

Draco scowled before pushing past us and storming from the room.

"Bloody prat," Owen spat as we heard him rushing from the Shrieking Shack.

I sighed, a sound of confusion and annoyance. "Come on, let's get out of here."

I turned and left, not really caring if he followed.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review and tell me your thoughts.