A/N: Hello! It's been a while. Sorry it took me much longer than I expected to update this story. I was really, really, really busy and by the time I got around to writing another chapter I had already forgotten what I'd written for the past ten chapters (and that delayed even more because I had read them over again). Anyway, I hope this didn't stray that far away from the other chapters story line and writing style wise. Enjoy!

Saturday Number Nineteen

"I'm beginning to think this is a date" Draco wiggled his eyebrows at his muggleborn companion.

Draco decided that today would be their day off and, considering the events that happened last night, he figured the two them deserved one day where they didn't have to care about other people's problems. Hermione took it upon herself to prepare the entire day for them.

They had started with a tour of London—muggle London to be exact and the Gryffindor enthusiastically shoved museum after museum down the Slytherin's throat. Draco would never admit it but he was quite impressed. It wasn't until 12 pm that they decided to stop by for lunch before they headed towards 'Hermione's big surprise'

"Wha-a-at?" Hermione stammered completely taken by surprise, "It's not…what are you…"

Draco laughed at the silly faces Hermione was making and he patted her as they sat down at their table, "Relax, I'm playing with you. You know what a joke is, right?"

Hermione huffed with annoyance, completely embarrassed, "Well it wasn't a very funny joke," she muttered to herself.

"What?" the Slytherin asked looking up from his menu

"Nothing," Hermione said as she raised her menu to cover her face. Peering from the top of her menu, she watched Draco smirk at her before turning back to look at his.

The truth was this was a date—well in her head at least and she had been secretly treating like so. It's not creepy at all. Is it? She just needed to see. She just needed to confirm it. That agonizingly odd feeling she gets when she's around him. Draco's eyes snapped up to her and she quickly hid back behind her menu. She could have sworn she heard him chuckle. That ferret.

It disturbed her the way heart would race when he looked at her, when he spoke to her. When did she stop hating him and started harboring these un-Hermione-like feelings for the Slytherin? Was this even possible? Hermione wished that Draco had just stayed like his usual asinine way to save her from the confusion she was feeling but no he just had to turn out to be kind and sensitive and funny. Damn him. How dare he.

Hermione was snapped out her thoughts when her companion spoke again. "So what's good here?"

xxx

"You said we could do anything"

"But—"

"And I repeated it two more times. I asked, anything? And you said, anything"

"But—"

"Draco—"

"But this is so muggle," Draco whined miserably like a four-year-old being denied of ice cream.

In hindsight, he should have known that giving the muggleborn free-reign in choosing where and how to spend their day would result in engaging in completely muggle activities.

"You've spent an entire day in muggle London and you're only complaining now?"

"That's because there are less ways to die in there than here," He whispered as if death was listening in on their conversation, "Why here of all places?"

"Why not? I love this place. I used to go here with my parents," Hermione regarded the place quite fondly

"I'm going to die, I'm going to die" Draco wailed miserably as he eyed the contraptions sticking out from the ground that seemed to grow bigger and bigger as the two of them walked nearer.

"No you won't," Hermione rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time and she offered her hand to him, "Come on!"

The Slytherin eyed the proffered hand with caution.

"What? Don't you trust me?"

Draco sighed. Yes he did and he placed his hand in hers. He quite liked how hers fit into his—like it belong there. He wondered if she felt the same way when she smiled—beamed at him if that was possible and squeezed his hand.

"Good," she said as she led him towards the gates, "You have nothing to worry about. This is Disneyland. It's literally the happiest place in the world"

Saturday Number Twenty

"Who the hell dies at Disneyland!" Hermione exclaimed with disbelief as she plopped herself on top of Draco's bed.

The Slytherin glared at the Gryffindor, still refusing to speak with the witch after yesterday's accident.

"Hey don't look at me like it's my fault," the witch put both her hands up, "You saw what happened. That was completely the rollercoaster's fault. Besides you had fun, I know you did"

Draco pressed his lips into a thin hard line. He did have fun but he didn't want to make a habit of letting the Gryffindor know that she was right—a difficult task because she seems to be right about most things almost all the time.

It had been going so well and he found himself laughing more than he ever did. He enjoyed how the wind felt against him as the rides pushed and pulled him in different directions at high speed. It was like being on a broom except that he had no control over anything. He even enjoyed that Hermione didn't let go of his hand for most of their time there. What he didn't enjoy was that midway through his rollercoaster ride, the bloody contraption decided to break apart sending him into a very final destination-like death.

"Are you going to not talk to me the entire day?" The muggleborn raised her eyebrow at the grumpy Slytherin

"Only until you've apologized to me," The Slytherin shot back looking away from her

"Apologize for what?" Hermione gaped

"For bringing me into your horrible muggle-land"

The witch smiled and shook her head. Draco was acting childish and she had to admit she liked it but only because it made him seem human—to be so carefree about something that bothered him. Usually she'd just see him with his hardened expression and clipped tones and his never failing refusal to talk about anything or even acknowledge in the least that something bothered him. Now here he was demanding an apology.

"I'm so sorry, oh great Draco Malfoy. I promise to never bring you to my muggle-land ever again. Can you please forgive me?"

Draco eyed her before drawling out, "Well since you asked so nicely…"

Hermione rolled her eyes and jumped down from his bed, "Great! Now if you're quite done, I think that you should take me to the ice cream store"

"Why the bloody hell would I do that?"

"Because I want ice cream"

"Then go get yourself one"

Hermione sent a death glare to the Slytherin who visibly shivered and he wonder when the witch's demands suddenly weighed something to him. (It was probably around the same time he found out that she was capable of ending his life should she choose to)

"You know, you're getting way too comfortable around me," Draco rolled his eyes before climbing out of bed, "I think I preferred it when you cowered before me instead"

Hermione scoffed, "I've never cowered before you. And besides were friends remember?"

Friends. There was that word again. Draco couldn't put his finger on it but he liked how it sounded in his head. He didn't have many of those and secretly, he did enjoy Granger's company. Maybe he even loved it.

"Do friends usually demand ice cream from each other?" The Slytherin drawled pretending as if it was the most derogatory thing in the world.

"No," Hermione said thoughtfully before grinning, "But you should get me one anyway"

xxx

"So are you two together now?"

Draco choked on his ice cream, "What?"

"You and Hermione. You're dating?"

"Me and…?"

Draco quickly glanced towards the front of the shop where Hermione was still choosing her preferred ice cream flavor. They had decided to go to Florean Fortescue's but not without meeting up with his daily appointment with Ginny Weasley at Rosa Lee's. Granger, true to her nature, invited the Weasley for some ice cream.

"What are you on, Weaslette?" Draco said trying to regain some composure.

Ginny shrugged, "It's just what I see"

"Which is…?"

"All the laughing and the smiling and the weird teasing and arguing—it's really creepy when you think about it," The red-head grinned at the pale faced Slytherin who sat there in shock.

It was true. There was an un-godly amount of laughing and smiling and weird teasing and arguing happening between him and Hermione. He noticed it too and while his head tried to convince him that he shouldn't like it, his heart screamed louder than his reason did. So what if he enjoyed the muggleborn's company, so what if he looked forward to spending more time with her everyday? It didn't mean anything. Did it?

"I don't know what you're talking about," He finally said, rather unconvincingly

Ginny giggled, "You like her don't you!" she accused him.

"Shut up!" the words tumbled out of him more defensively that he would have liked. It made him look guilty of something and he didn't like it.

The red-head smiled with glee, "I knew it! Who knew Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger, together? Oh it's just so romantic"

Draco felt his cheeks flush. As to why it did, he didn't know but something about this conversation was making him feel really uncomfortable. He was about to retort when someone beat him to it.

"Hey," Hermione plopped down on the third chair at the small table with her bowl of ice cream, "What did I miss?"

Draco groaned and Ginny giggled. The muggleborn furrowed her brow in confusion, "What—Draco are you okay? You're all flushed are you coming down with something?"

"I'm fine," he said as he determinedly ate his ice cream as if it was the most important thing to do in the world right now.

Hermione looked to the Weasley for some answered to Draco's odd behavior. Ginny only smiled and shrugged at her. Hermione's eyebrows furrowed even deeper.

"So anyway," Ginny started slowly trying to clear the air, "Hermione, I know I shouldn't ask but are you going to Ron's…well, you know"

The muggleborn hand froze midway as she lifted the spoon to her mouth and Draco's eyes snapped up to her.

"I mean, I was just asking because…" Ginny said quickly after noticing the horror on Hermione's face, "I wouldn't have asked if…I…"

Hermione laid her hand on Ginny's and gave her small smile, "You want to go, don't you? And you were hoping to drag me down there to suffer with you, didn't you?"

Ginny chuckled, "You know me too well Hermione. I'm sorry, I had no one else to ask. Look you don't have to, Hermione. If you're not ready, I understand—"

Hermione shook her head, "I'll go. We'll all go," she looked at Draco for confirmation, "It's fine"

The witch met the Slytherin's gaze and his silver eyes seemed to be asking her, "are you sure?"

"It's fine," she repeated even though she didn't believe it herself.

xxx

The night was going better than Hermione had expected. It started out horrendously of course with all her nerves and constant fidgeting. She had refrained from alcohol tonight lest she subject herself to another session of embarrassment. It was around the time of the newlywed couple's parade did she feel panic wreak havoc in her body. By the time Ron and Lavender reached their table she was a mess.

"Ron, Lavender! Congratulations," Ginny greeted brightly at the sight of her brother

"Yes, the wedding is beautiful," Hermione forced a smile

Lavender, formerly Brown, laughed emptily and replied with the same forced tone, "Well, thank you. Won-won always makes sure I'd get the best"

Hermione laughed weakly as thoughts of self-doubt and self-pity crept up on her. Suddenly she felt fingers brush against her cheek and she looked up in surprise to see Draco's silver eyes boring into her chocolate brown ones. He spoke with so much sincerity, "Are you alright, dear? You look kind of pale. I told you not to work so late last night, didn't I?"

Hermione looked back at Draco in confusion but between the amused look on the Slytherin and the shocked expression on the newlyweds she quickly figured out what Draco was playing at. Dear? Slytherins, Hermione mentally chuckled in her head.

"I know, I'm sorry Darling," the muggleborn replied, playing along, making sure her voice sounded sickeningly sweet, "But you know how I am. I hope I didn't keep you up last night"

"It's nothing to worry about," The Slytherin made a move to kiss her hand. Hermione blushed as she fought hard to keep down whatever real feelings she had from Draco from spewing out.

Ron had gone pale at the sight of his former best friend and archenemy being more than friendly with each other. Lavender only scoffed and gripped her husband's arm, "Well, Hermione, I hope you feel better. Ron and I have more guests to attend to"

The couple walked away before anyone could say anything more. It wasn't until a few moments of awkward silence did Ginny start laughing uncontrollably, "Dear? Darling? You guys are too much. Malfoy that was genius!"

"Well…" Draco grinned and shrugged

"Yeah," Hermione softly agreed while stealing glances at Draco from under her eyelashes.

She didn't have enough time to get over the sensation of Draco's kiss on her hand when the Slytherin grabbed it, "Come on, let's dance"

xxx

"Have I told you that you looked beautiful tonight?," Draco grinned at her as they were dancing another fast song.

Hermione threw her head back and laughed, "Yes about fifty times"

The Slytherin looked amused, "Do you not like compliments?"

"No, I do," Hermione giggled, "I just can't seem to get used to them with you. I don't know with you sometimes if you're being serious or not."

"Would you rather I insult you?" Draco smirked

Hermione laughed once again and shook her head.

"Oh merlin, please no. I could live without the bushy haired insults"

"But I like your bushy hair"

"Oh, really?," Hermione said dryly as Draco spun her around.

"Yes really," she felt Draco's breath against her face as she turned to face him again. They both burst out in laughter as they remembered their petty arguments about her hair.

"May I cut in?" a voice broke through the moment

"Damn it, Longbottom," Draco groaned

"Draco, be nice!" Hermione hissed at her Slytherin companion who only rolled his eyes at her.

"Fine," He absently-mindedly kissed Hermione's forehead completely missing the way her cheeks flushed and her body stiffened in shock at the contact as he looked through the crowd for a certain Weasley, "I have to deal with the 'Ginny Weasley' problem anyway. Don't do anything stupid." and with that he was off and Neville stepped in.

"Did he just kiss—"

"Don't say it," Hermione said sternly

"You do know you know that you're sporting an unnatural shade of red right now, don't you?"

"Shut up, Neville," Hermione smiled against his shoulder, "Oh, Neville This is horrible. What do I do?"

"What do you do with what exactly?" The Herbology professor inquired

"Draco Malfoy," Hermione whispered as if it was the biggest secret

"I'm sorry but I'm not quite sure I follow..."

Hermione jerked her head back to look at her old friend with shock, "I'm supposed to hate him Neville and here I am acting like a lovesick teenage girl if he so much as looks at me," The Gryffindor wailed, launching off to tell him about the circumstances of the development of her feelings for the Malfoy heir.

"What is wrong with me?" Hermione whispered with defeat.

Neville smiled kindly, "Nothing. You're perfectly normal"

"I don't feel that way. I feel like I'm going crazy"

"Maybe you should stop thinking about it and just let things happen. You can't go about this like how you'd go about it at potions class—with meticulous calculation. You're just scared because logically, you shouldn't have feelings for Malfoy. I mean, it's Malfoy," Neville shook his head as he remembered all those times he had to suffer the Slytherin's tyranny, "But there's always a point in life that you can't logic your way out. That's what your heart is for. It's hard to trust it sometimes but it's rarely wrong."

Hermione shook her head, "I trusted my heart last time, remember? And look where that got me"

"You mean with Ron?" Neville furrowed his eyebrows, "Are you sure it was your heart you listened to or your mind? Did you really love Ron or did your brain decide that it was logical to be with him just because everyone had always pinned you two together?"

"Are you saying that I didn't love Ron?" the witch felt a little fury inside of her and Neville sensed it.

"No," Neville tried to calm her, "I think you did love him but not in the way that you think"

Hermione remained silent as she let Neville's words sink in. She didn't say another word until their dance was over and Neville had hugged her goodbye. Her head was spinning with thoughts, her mind working through her memories at a frantic pace trying to find logic behind them.

Did she love Ron? Not in the way you think.

Not in the way I think?

"Granger!"

Hermione snapped out of her thoughts and found herself back in Draco's arms. She quickly looked around her and she realized that the music had changed into a slower pace and everyone around her was slow dancing. Still not moving from her current state, Draco gently motioned her to slow dance with him.

"What's wrong?" his silver eyes were full of concern.

"Nothing," Hermione said softly laid her head on the crook of his neck, letting him take control of their dance. She let a breath out she didn't know she was holding as she relaxed into him. She didn't even care if he could feel her heart beating furiously against him.

Hermione looked towards the crowd until she spotted the newlywed couple dancing just a few feet away. She met the gaze of Ron's piercing blue eyes and she was suddenly overcome with new resolute. She knew what to do now. She pulled away from Draco.

"Granger?"

"There's something I have to do," the muggleborn said determinedly as she made her way towards Ronald Weasley.

xxx

Draco stepped outside into the cold chilly night. He put his hands in his pocket in attempt to keep himself warm. He could always go back in to get his coat but he didn't think he could muster his courage to go back in there. Not after that.

The Slytherin didn't know why but a pang crept into his heart when he watched the muggle born break away from him to head towards the Weasley. He had hoped she was going there to give him a piece of her mind but instead he was surprised to see quite the opposite.

Hermione had cut in for a dance with the groom and they appeared to be talking quite calmly. It was at the point that they hugged did Draco decide he'd seen enough. It hurt too much.

Hurt? Draco Malfoy you are a fool. He berated himself. He shouldn't get hurt over this. He had no right to feel that way about her. He was delusional when he thought that maybe, there would be a glimmer of hope that Hermione could care about him. But what did he expect? He had to have seen this coming. Why would Hermione choose someone who made her life hell over someone who was always there for her?

"Maybe this was how it was supposed to be. Maybe this was my mission. That she gets to have her happily ever after with Weasley and I go back to my solitary life. I deserved that I guess. Why did I have to be so horrible? Oh, merlin and what was up with that un-godly amount of flirting. Did I tell you that you look beautiful? What was that. Draco you stupid—"

"There you are" a small voice said behind him. His body stiffened and he didn't have to look back to know that it was Hermione, "Ginny said she saw you leave"

Draco watched her from the corner of his eye as she stood beside him. He didn't dare speak in case he says something he'd regret.

"So I spoke to Ron," she started, staring out to the skyline with him.

I saw. Draco seethed inside.

"We talked about everything," she continued when he didn't say anything, "He told me that he was sorry and I told him how hurt I was. Then he told me everything about Lavender. He came clean to me and everything made sense to me all of a sudden"

Draco glanced at Hermione momentarily, suddenly intrigued by what she had to say.

"I realized how much he really did love Lavender and that she wasn't lying when she said that he'd give the world to her."

This time Draco was staring at Hermione. How can she be so calm about this?

"But more importantly I realized that I didn't love him. Not in that way," Hermione smiled as she remembered Neville's words, "I think that finally realizing the truth gave us both peace. I know he felt it too. He seemed much happier after we talked and I know we both felt that we got each other back—as friends I mean."

Draco's body was tingling from the information. He didn't know what to make of this. What did this mean?

"Draco?"

The Slytherin locked his gaze onto the Gryffindor's. Hermione took this as a 'yes?'

"If I tell you something, do you promise not to laugh at me?" she whispered nervously, "Or hate me"

Draco cocked one eyebrow up, "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything," Hermione said defensively, "It's what I'm about to do that's worrying me"

"Okay, I promise. What is it?"

"Okay, before I tell you, you should know that I'm only saying this because Neville was talking to me and he really got me tonight. I mean, when did that guy get so smart. If it hadn't been for him I would've taken what I'm about to say to the grave and—"

"Spit it out, Granger"

"IthinkIhavefeelingsforyou!" Hermione blurted out in a panic. She gasped as her hands flew to cover her mouth as if trying to swallow her words back down.

"You what?" Draco couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"It's just that," Hermione threw her head down in embarrassment, staring at the floor, "These past few days…you just…it's just…you don't know how confusing this was for me and it's all your fault!"

Is it wrong if I kiss her?

She was getting visibly frustrated now and Draco still hasn't snapped out from his trance.

I'm going to kiss her.

"Draco please say something!" She threw her head up to look at him only to be met with Draco cupping her face with both his hands and his lips brushing against her. Her body froze with shock at what was happening but it didn't take her long to melt into his kiss.

"Hermione Granger," he murmured against her lips, "I think I have feelings for you too"

A/N: I hope I got this first kiss right. I've rewritten this so many times because I didn't know how it was going to happen. I've written two versions that features this big confrontational drama but I didn't like how it played out. I wanted them to be mature adults about it this time around. Anyway, let me know what you think about how this played out :)

*I don't know how they got to disneyland. They're wizards so I don't think we should worry about it too much.

**I cut the death scene for this one because it will kill the mood (no pun intended). It's implied that he died.