Sorry about the break. Had uni stuff to sort out. I have now officially applied - scary stuff! I read the whole Twilight Saga last week - my god, it was amazing. Highly recommend it if you haven't read it already. I'm a Team Edward-er all the way. Anyway…

"Please say something." Draco was growing impatient, having been stood watching her expression change from curiosity to confusion at an appallingly slow rate. "I know it's wrong, and I don't expect you feel the same at all, but I thought it would just make things easier if this was out in the open."

Hermione face twisted into a grin that was not quite sincere. "You like me?" He could hear the disbelief far more plainly than he could the words.

"As hard as it is for us both to believe, I'm afraid it is the truth."

"So you meant it. What you said under the tree, about not wanting to be only friends?" Realization that there may be some truth behind his admittance seemed to be dawning.

"Every word." He leant towards her, struggling to not enjoy being so close to her. He'd never noticed her scent before, how enticing she was, and how electrical shocks shot through him when he came close to touching her.

She didn't back away, fully aware that any girl would kill to be in her shoes at that very moment. "I don't know how I feel about this." She whispered as he drew even closer to her till they were barely millimetres apart. Her head was spinning, and the close proximity wasn't helping to clear it. On the one hand, he was the enemy. Harry and Ron would be distraught and disgusted if anything happened, and she still had no guarantee this was not a trap. But on the other… "I think I like you too."

A wide, genuine grin spread over his face as he looked down at her. It never failed to shock her how different it was, how much more beautiful he suddenly looked. "I don't know if we should do anything about it though." She sighed, drawing back.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," She leant against the wall, staring pointedly down at her shoes to avoid his penetrating gaze. "No one would be happy about it if anything happened, you know that as well as I do."

"I'd be happy about it." He closed in on her again, but she slid out under his arms.

"That's not the point." She smirked at him in a manner he almost envied. "It would never work."

"Then we keep it secret." He suggested, shrugging. The bet that had pointed him in Hermione's direction suddenly seeming completely unimportant.

"You really think that would work?" She asked, unsure.

"Why not? People do it all the time, don't they?" He assured her, grinning. "You know you'll regret it later if you say no now." He pointed out. "When you see me with some girl and she's not you, you'll wish you had a time-turner…"

Draco's cocky expression was met by Hermione's stony glare. "I'm going off you more and more by the second." She muttered darkly.

He laughed. "I'm sorry. I know this is serious." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, more serious than I'm making it out to be."

"Emotions gone awry." She agreed.

"Damn those emotions."

"Indeed." She turned and headed down the corridor. He followed.

"So," He slung an arm casually around her shoulders, and fought the urge to laugh when he felt her stiffen beneath him. "Want to go to the Halloween celebrations with me tomorrow?"

She sighed. "Draco, what did we just agree?"

He laughed. "We don't have to be obvious about it. People know we're on speaking terms, don't they? That's all they need to be aware of."

"So we just go and pretend everything is normal?"

"Sure." He shrugged. "But we'll both know differently." She fitted so neatly under his arm as they walked together, aware the hour dictated they part soon. "So will you be my date?"

"Yes." She smiled. "I'll be your date."

Finding an outfit for her "date" that evening was turning out to be one of the most energy consuming tasks of Hermione's life. Harry and Ron watched in wonder as she paraded out in front of them in a wide series of outfits, demanding their opinion on each one. Oblivious to the purpose of this ordeal, they chose simply not to question it, but, typically, their opinions were less than helpful.

"It's nice." Harry mumbled, vaguely, his eyes wondering desperately around the room.

"Ron?" Hermione turned to him.

Ron shrugged. "I don't know. It's a dress, not exactly my specialist subject."

"You stare at enough girls wearing them!" Hermione rounded on him. "Would you stare at me if I was wearing this?"

"Of course not!"

"Why not?" She demanded, glaring at him, her eyes slightly wild. "What's wrong with me in this dress?"

"Nothing! I only mean…" Ron slumped down. "I'm so confused."

Thankfully for Ron, the portrait hole swung open to reveal Ginny clambering through. She caught sight of Hermione and rushed towards her. "Oh, Hermione, you look gorgeous!" She gushed. "What's the special occasion?"

Hermione readied herself with her prepared reasoning. "Well, I'm head girl this year. I feel I need to show I've put in some effort for the first school event of the year."

Ginny nodded, apparently being taken in by every word Hermione said. "Well, I think you look lovely." She told her. "Maybe I should put in some effort…" She wondered aloud.

"Maybe you should." Hermione agreed, pleased at having gotten away with her lie.

"You know, I think I will. I got a new dress over the summer and haven't had a chance to wear it yet. What a good idea." And she sped upstairs.

Ron sighed heavily. "This isn't going to turn into some sort of formal event now, is it?"

Harry elbowed him playfully. "Better get the dress robes out."

Ron groaned. "Mum got me some new ones. It won't be so bad." He looked up at Hermione, suspiciously. "I don't really have to wear my dress robes, do I?" He asked.

She grinned. "Why not? Spread the word. Let's make this a formal occasion. Spend our last year here in style."

"Fancy seeing you here." Draco breathed in Hermione's ear as he swept past her, brushing a hand across her back as headed towards his fellow Slytherins. "I'll come and find you later."

Ron tutted in disgust. "What's Malfoy hanging around for? You'd have thought he'd have some first year to taunt of something."

Hermione turned away, trying desperately to hide her flushed face. "Who knows." She answered dully.

She couldn't concentrate on conversation. Couldn't take in what people were saying to her, and spent much of the evening in a distracted daze. She only had eyes for Draco, and by the way their eyes kept meeting, she could only guess her was having the same problems.

What an odd situation it is, she mused. Infatuated by her worst enemy, one of the ones who had sought only to destroy her and her kind. And yet, somehow, it felt so natural, so perfectly ordinary, to be attracted to a man she saw as an equal.

The room was filled with beautiful looking people. The word of the usually casual Halloween celebrations becoming a particularly dressy occasion had spread like wild fire, even reaching the ears of the teachers by the looks of things, and Hermione sat in wonder at how, even with all these gorgeous girls around him, Draco only had eyes for her.

The dancing began. Though it was nothing on the Yule Ball of three years before, the Halloween celebrations were reminiscent of that evening, and all the students seemed to be enjoying it. Hermione allowed herself to be pulled to her feet by Dean Thomas, who finally seemed to be getting over his crush. They danced happily, until the music changed, and Hermione felt herself being swung around to face a new partner.

"Isn't this taking it a bit too far. People are going to realise something is going on." She murmured, hands on Draco's chest as they swayed together.

"Why should this be anything more than an obligatory dance? You are head girl and I am a prefect, it's practically our duty to engage in this." Draco justified, smirking at her worried expression. "Relax. They'd never believe the truth anyway."

She did relax, allowing a smile to pass over her face as she breathed him in like a drug, loving every second. "So what exactly is the truth, Malfoy?" She asked, curiously.

"That's you're my girlfriend." She stiffened. "You are my girlfriend now, aren't you. Granger?" He looked down at her, concern shooting through his silvery eyes.

"Yes." She replied. "Yes, I guess I am. Sorry. It just startled me to hear it."

"Well, get used to it." He breathed. "Because I think we may be onto something here, Granger."

Horray! God, I'm a romantic!

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