A/N : hey! Here's the new chap and me thinks I deserve loads of reviews for my prompt updating, don't you think? Anyhoo..i've tried to reply to everyone of the reviews, and am really sorry if I left someone out. Again thnx for reading guyz!

Disclaimer : One day,

jkr was travelling in a train

looking at all the mundane,

when lo behold harry blossomed in her brain

and pottermania made the world go insane,

but we're too joyful to complain

and people resisted it in vain.

i would love to nab harry,draco etal and lay a claim,

that'd be outrageous and i'm not prone to such disdain.

da- dum da da da ,dum dum.

xxxx

"Yeah, well," Hermione shrugged. "I need to go now, just tell Ron, ok?" she headed out the portrait hole as Ginny nodded and called out Good Night.

­Chapter Twelve :

Saturday : Hogwarts : Morning

They almost snarled at each other, heading out of their dorm. Animosity reaching a new high between them.

And then, there they were, standing in line for Filch's inspection, to go to Hogsmeade - for a date. No, not with each other. Their respective partners stood ignored beside them, as they were busy glaring at each other. But they had atleast one thing in common between them – they were on a date just to spite each other. Well, they say Love works in mysterious ways.

Saturday : Hogsmeade : The Three Broomsticks

Hermione tapped the table restlessly with her fingers. Ron had gone to get their drinks. The pub was crowded more than usual with Hogwarts students, sitting in large groups all over the room, it was noisy and rowdy. Hermione was sitting at a small table at the back, which was somewhat less crowded and quiet. She looked around her, nobody was paying much attention to her – good, she thought. She didn't spot Harry and Ginny anywhere around. Ofcourse, she thought dully, Harry wouldn't be so thick headed as to bring his date to a noisy pub. She imagined them sitting somewhere cosy and maybe a bit less crowded. She sighed. Just then, the redhead re-emerged, carrying their drinks carefully through the crowd.

"Thanks," she said taking up her drink.

Ron sat down, watching her take a sip. "So,um what do you want to do next?" he asked sipping his drink and sounding a bit nervous.

She shrugged, swirling the glass in her hands.

"If you want we could stay here, or- or go to some shop or something," he added hastily, and took a large sip, his face felt hot.

"I don't feel much like shopping today. Lets just stay here," she said taking another sip.

"Ok, that's – that's … OK," he said, then fell silent staring at the table cloth. Hermione didn't feel like breaking the uncomfortable silence, what could she talk about anyway. She went back to drumming her fingers on the table. Neither of them noticed a pair of eyes staring at them, two tables away from their own. The 'snoopers' were hidden partly from view by a large pot plant.

"Look Draco! Those pathetic losers finally found each other! How nauseating!" Pansy was saying and gave one of her shrill giggles.

Draco wrinkled his nose at the sound.

"Shut up, Pansy!" he spat a bit loudly.

A couple of tables away, Hermione's eyes widened. She thought she heard that irritating giggle, but then her doubts were confirmed when she heard that familiar drawl. She was enraged, was he now spying on her?

She got up abruptly, Ron looking up in surprise at her.

"C'mon Ron, lets go outside. I have to buy something," she added in a rush.

"But I thought you said you wanted to stay here," he said putting down his drink.

"Well, now I have to shop, so c'mon," she said dragging him out with his arm and didn't notice him blushing as red as his hair.

Draco narrowed his eyes, as the two headed out of the pub.

"C'mon Pansy – shopping!" he said standing, still staring at the just closed doors.

Pansy's eyes shone and she hurried to follow him outside.

Outside the The Three Broomsticks, Draco was looking to the right and left, he spotted a red head bobbing up down the crowded street and hastened to follow, Pansy running along after him. He saw them disappear into a clothing store and paused.

"Wait up, Draco!" Pansy said breathlessly arriving and clutching at a stitch in her side.

"Oh, wow!" she exclaimed looking excitedly at the shop before them. "The new store! New robes for me! I'll pick out something for you too, Draco!" she squealed, hopping onto the threshold. Draco groaned and headed inside.

Pansy promptly dragged him to the party robes' section, while he scanned the area for his quarry. Well, they certainly didn't seem to be in this part of the store, he groaned again.

Pansy busied herself by pulling out outfit after outfit. She was holding up silver coloured, sequined robes and preening, waiting for his opinion. He rolled his eyes at the gaudy thing.

"Pansy I need some air," he announced and turned on his heel on her slightly put out expression, and walked over to another part of the store. This one was filled with baby clothes and accessories. Wrong section. He headed up the stairs to the first floor of the shop.

Hermione was crouching behind a frilly pink crib, watching him climb the stairs. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"er… Hermione? What are you doing?" Ron was looking at her strangely.

"um.. thought it was cute.." she said patting the crib, and stood up feeling absolutely ridiculous.

"Okaay.." Ron said slowly. " And why are we in the Baby section again?" he asked looking around at more cribs and bassinets, the walls lined with squishy soft toys.

"er..", Hermione thought fast, "I wanted to buy something for – for Tonks and Remus."

"Oh, right – I hadn't thought about that", Ron said looking around again. "So what are you going to buy?" he asked inspecting a stuffed unicorn, poking it with his finger.

"I don't know…may be a crib? We could have it delivered it to them," she said slowly, thinking.

"Yeah… but how do you know which colour to pick?" he was now testing a miniature broomstick, it hovered around his ankles, rising up occasionally till his knees.

"That can be taken care of, Sir", a sales witch had Apparated next to them, "just order it now, list the parents' names and we'll have it delivered accordingly!"

"That'd be great!" Hermione said looking at her. "It can be a gift from all of us," she said to Ron.

"Yeah that'd be cool."

"Very well Ma'am", the sales witch said smiling, "If you will kindly step up to the counter, I'll place an order for you."

Hermione went along with her, as Ron hung back, his interest piqued on seeing a miniature Quidditch play set, complete with a replica of the Quidditch pitch, two teams of miniature players and even a tiny snitch.

"There, all done," Hermione announced returning, she saw him immersed in reading the instructions on the box.

"Shopping for the future? I don't think the world's prepared for another red haired nuisance."

Why? Hermione thought desperately, looking Heavenwards, why me?

"Malfoy!" Ron snarled.

"Weaselby," Malfoy said calmly. "Don't you think it's a bit too early to shop for little Weaselbies and only on your first date?" he was smirking.

"Sod off, Malfoy!"

"Ooh, great comeback, I cant wait to see that wonderful wit of yours passed onto the next generation, that'd be a hoot!" Malfoy said sarcastically.

"Ron, c'mon, lets just go," Hermione said and managed to physically drag the irate redhead out of the store, away from the sneering blond.

Hermione spent the next few hours accompanying Ron, silently, walking down Hogsmeade streets, window shopping. It would have been quite pleasant, if Ron hadn't kept muttering angrily to himself and seemed to completely ignore her.

"Perfect", she thought dully, "a perfect end to a perfect day."

Saturday : Hogwarts : Dinner

"Hermione!"

"Hi Harry, so how was your date?" Hermione asked turning to look at him.

"Surprisingly- good!" he sounded happy and Hermione couldn't help but smile.

"So how did it go with you and Ron?"

"You know, I really don't want to talk about it right now," Hermione said quietly glancing over at Ron, whose mood hadn't improved much.

"Oh," Harry said looking at him and nodded.

"So where did you go? We didn't find you in any of the stores, not to Madam Puddifoots' again, I hope?" she asked him teasingly.

"No….just this quiet place a little out of the village…" he was blushing and fidgeted in his seat.

"How romantic!" Hermione sighed, and burst out laughing seeing him so uncomfortable.

She felt her mood marginally uplifted, but that quickly disappeared as she headed to the dorm, her anger rising gradually. She stopped as she reached the dorm door. She didn't want another confrontation. She took a deep breath and turned back around. All she needed now was some time to get away from everything – stress, anger and Maloy – mainly Malfoy.

Her feet carried her of their own accord. And soon she was standing infront of the classroom door. She stepped inside and breathed in the cool breeze. She pulled aside leafy branches, smiling to herself, feeling relaxed already. Then she stopped dead in her tracks.

"You!" she screeched at the blond figure lying on the ground. "What are you doing here?" she spat accusingly.

"Granger", he said from the ground not looking up at her, "you don't own this place and I can be where ever I want."

She just stared at him, breathing hoarsely.

"Ok, I give up!" she said atlast, bursting into tears. "You win! I'm tired – tired of fighting with you everyday. So you know, that's it, I give up!"

Draco sat up looking shocked at the girl standing before him. Hermione buried her face in her hands. He got up and moved forward uncertainly. He paused before her and looked around desperately, then gritted his teeth and patted her on the head – what he assumed would be soothingly.

She sobbed even harder and he withdrew his hand in alarm. He stood there, uncertain to what to do next.

"er..Granger," he tried as she gave a shuddering sob.

"Hermione?" he said slowly.

He froze as she suddenly flung her arms around him and sobbed heartily into his robes. Recovering after what seemed like hours, he tried patting her again.

"I thought Ron would never like me", she was saying shakily into his shoulder, "after he spent the whole of last year snogging Lavender, I was – I was crushed", her sobs renewed. Draco remembered her Boggart and understood.

"But – but now, he wants to be with me, and – and I –" she paused. Draco slowly lifted her chin up, she stared at him with her tear stained face. "- and I don't want- to – to be with him, anymore. And I just feel so terrible!" she buried her face once again into his robes and cried. Draco rubbed her back comfortingly.

"And you!", she called out suddenly, her voice sounded muffled, "you keep acting like a jerk and make it more difficult for me! Why? Why do you always – ", she was sobbing again.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly as she hiccoughed. "I'm sorry for being a jerk".

She sniffed.

"You called me a 'big haired Bookworm'," she said in a small shaky voice.

"Well you are," he protested, she looked up finally from his robes and seemed to glare at him with watery eyes.

"Ok, ok", he said rolling his eyes, "I'm sorry for that too!"

"And a 'walking library'!"

"Alright! I'm sorry for everything that I ever said to you! I was just being a jealous bastard!"

"You were jealous?" Hermione asked frowning.

"Yes", he said exasperated, "wasn't I being obvious enough?"

Hermione fixed him with a glare.

"You're such a prat, you know that?"

"Granger, that's a carefully cultivated personality trait. It has been passed onto generations of Malfoys," he said with a straight face.

Hermione gave him a big watery smile and rested her head on his shoulder again, snuggling closer to him.

"Granger," he said after a while. "You're not going to date Weasley again, are you?" he sounded nervous.

"No."

"Ever?"

She paused to think for a moment. " No, I don't like him that way anymore – but we'll always be friends," she said slowly.

Hermione closed her eyes and sighed, the breeze blew a few tendrils of her hair across her face. She could feel the gentle rhythm of their hearts. She then opened her eyes smirking -

"And you called Harry a –"

"Granger, don't push it!"

There was silence once again. The stars were blinking down at them and Malfoy – Draco was smiling like he had never smiled before in his life.

Sunday : Outside the Great Hall : After Dinner

"Malfoy! What are you doing?" Hermione gasped after having been pulled suddenly into a dark hallway on her way to the library. "The patrol doesn't start until an hour!"

"Who said anything about patrolling?" he breathed.

Monday : Great Hall : Breakfast

"Good Morning," Hermione sang out.

"Hermione!", Harry looked up at her surprised, "You look cheerful today."

"When have I never been?" she asked giving him a big smile, and hummed while buttering her toast.

Monday : Dungeons : Double Potions

"Mr.Malfoy, would you kindly concentrate on you potion? It seems to be leaking from your cauldron!" Snape hissed after accidentally stepping into a pool of Freezing Potion, and needless to say his foot was frozen to the spot. The class watched, barely controlling their mirth, as Snape had to thaw his foot out.

"So sorry, Professor," Draco drawled.

Hermione fought to keep her face straight, even as Harry and Ron sniggered behind their hands.

Monday : Great Hall : Dinner

"So, Hermione can we talk- later?" Ron was asking.

"Sorry, Ron", Hermione said, as Draco passed by behind her, "I have to work on that Potions' homework, I'm going to the dorm after dinner."

Monday : The Dorm : After Dinner

"Draco! What're you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing?"

"I've to work – on Snape's essay!"

"What? Really? I thought you were just saying that to get rid of Weasley."

"Well, I have to, it's a four foot essay! No thanks to you!"

"Hey, I resent that. Its not my fault if Snape doesn't watch where he's walking!"

"Hmmph! Don't you have to work on it too?"

"Granger, its due the next Monday!"

"Exactly! No time for dilly-dallying! And you better get started on it too."

groan. "Hermione we can do it on Sunday!"

glare. "Malfoy – Now!"

graon. sigh. mutter, mutter. " – starting – like – Pansy – better – "

narrowed eyes. glare. "What? What were you saying?"

gulp. nervous chuckle. "um, nothing?"

OoOoOoO

A/N : hmm, so what do you think of this chap?

Review and lemme know!

PS: I wanted to share something with you guyz- the funniest thing in the story for me was when Hermione accidentally sees Draco – ahem, in his boxers , I always imagine him in that scene with toothbrush hanging out and toothpaste foam around his mouth and I find it hilarious that Hermione would find that 'attractive'! well, anyhoo, that was my secret joke ..er..that's it.