Disclaimer – I still don't own the HP universe or its characters! Darn!

A/N – Hello Readers! I AM SO SORRY! It has taken me over two months to update this story! I have been dealing with some family things! Hopefully now I can get back to some form of an updating schedule. I'm working hard to get ahead of myself on writing incase anything else pops up! This is the first date chapter part 1. It made sense to me to split it up into two chapters! Also, from now on, instead of labeling points of view, I'm going to be using Italics for Hermione's POV and Bold for Draco's POV! That way I can have the conversations between them flow easier. I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Please review! Happy Reading!

Chapter 7 – First Dates and 20 Questions!

She was a nervous wreck! Why did she agree to a date with Draco?! WHAT SHOULD DO WITH HER HAIR?! MAKEUP LIGHT OR HEAVY?! OH SHIT, WHAT SHOULD SHE WEAR?! DAMMIT FUCK! She had already been through more combinations than she could count, and her room looked like her closet had vomited all over it. Which I guess it did! Her speaker was blaring Taylor Swift as she was throwing clothes everywhere, only to be stopped by the whistle and laughter coming from her doorway. Hermione turned to find the source of the sounds, only to be faced with her two roommates with Cheshire Cat like smiles plastered on their faces.

"Damn, Mione!, you've got it bad huh? The Speak Now album, really, you haven't blasted those songs since finals week sophomore more over your organic chemistry final. How many times have you listened to The Story of Us on repeat?" Pansy laughed as she and Ginny started to pick up the clothes she had thrown across the spaces in her room.

Hermione scowled at the pair of them and angrily stuck her tongue. Ginny giggled, "I mean God Mione! That album is like your cry for help! What time is he picking you up?"

Hermione shot them both a glare, "seven o'clock, but as you both can CLEARLY see, I'm not fucking ready!" They both looked at each other and then back to her as they busted out laughing again.

Ginny looked at the clock. "Well sweetheart its only 4:45 so you have plenty of time! Do you know where he is taking you?"

Hermione remembered the conversation they had had yesterday when she asked the same question. "He is taking me to dinner and that's all I know. But I wanted to wear pants in case we go somewhere afterwards. I was thinking these jeans," she held up a pair of medium wash straight leg jeans with a few rips at the thighs and knees, "but I didn't know what shoes or top to wear!"

Pansy looked at her incredulously, "Hello! This is what I do! You go and take a shower, wash your hair, and we will pick something for you and help you get ready when you get back!" Hermione smiled her thanks and headed towards the door to the bathroom when she heard Ginny call after her.

"Make sure you shave everything; you never know WHAT he wants to do after dinner." She raised her eyebrows suggestively and winked deviously when Hermione went pale and threw up the finger over her should as her blush crept up and her thoughts went straight to the gutter.

…

His thoughts were jumbled. Why was he so nervous? He had worried himself almost sick at the thought of what tonight might be like. He stood outside the door to her apartment she shared with her two best friends. He checked the time and at about five till seven he knocked on the door and waited.

The door opened to reveal a very giddy Pansy and Ginny who both smiled warmly at him. "Good evening, umm," Ginny looked to her friend and back at him sheepishly, "what do we call you now?"

He chuckled, "Draco is fine, or just Malfoy. I go by both. I don't think Mr. Malfoy applies to you both anymore." Oh shit. He didn't think about that.Sometimes he forgot that he was their teacher at one point not too long ago.

They both smiled and stepped to the side. "Well do come on in then Draco, Mione will be down in just a minute." Pansy chuckled to herself and he followed the two women to the living room. He took in the area.

It was obviously that women lived in this apartment. The furniture was all creams and heather grey. The décor was full of pastel colors and there were pictures of various things on the walls. There were what he considered white Christmas lights but smaller hanging around the ceilings, and the mantel of the large fake fireplace had pictures of the best friends in different stages of life. He was focusing on one in particular with a laughing Hermione when he heard Ginny holler from what was guessing was the kitchen area. "So, what do you have planned for the evening?"

Well that was a loaded question, wasn't it? He smiled as she sauntered back into the room with a cup to her lips. "I plan to take Hermione to dinner and then I guess we will see where we end up. I had planned on letting her decide. What do you all recommend?" Draco watched in trepidation as the two women looked at each other with devious smirks on their pretty faces.

"Well…" Pansy drug out the word as she turned back to the man on the couch across from them, "she's wearing this amazing pair of jeans that hug her legs and ass really well. So, I would suggest something where she bends over a lot!"

FUCK!

Choking on air trying to catch his breath, Draco stared blankly at the two women who were now laughing so hard that Ginny had sneezed her drink out of her nose and Pansy was on the floor.

"OH MY GOD! YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN YOUR FACE!"

"HE HAS IT JUST AS BAD AS SHE DOES!"

Draco couldn't make out which one said what because of the sound of his heartbeat in his ears. Before he could say anything back to either one of them, a sweet, familiar, voice floated into the room, followed by the smell of ambrosia apples he had become accustom to in the past couple weeks. He looked towards where the sound had come from and felt the breath leave his lungs again. There standing at the bottom of the steps was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She had left her hair down, spiraling in loose curls around her face, and light makeup with a soft pink twinge to her lips.

As his eyes traveled down she was indeed wearing the 'amazing' jeans, which were a medium wash color with a few spots where you could see through the holes to her creamy tanned legs, a periwinkle blue sweater with a black leather jacket hanging over her left shoulder, and black leather ankle boots to match the jacket. He couldn't breathe. He had seen her in jeans when she was in high school and in a few pictures on social media, but good god those look like they were painted on her skin! They couldn't be comfortable right?

"Draco. Are you in there?" He snapped out of his thoughts to register she had asked him a question and her friends were snickering behind him.

He blushed and smiled at her, "I'm sorry what did you say?"

She chuckled softly at his embarrassment, trying to find his breath. "I asked if you were ready to go, you looked like you were day-dreaming or something." She smiled a sweet simple smile at him and slipped into her jacket. As she shucked the jacket on her breasts giggled a bit and he had to focus on answering her questions.

"Oh yeah I'm good. I was just thinking about where to take you to eat. Do you have any allergies?" Do you have any allergies? Really? Smooth dumbass, real smooth. Hermione chuckled as she shook her head no and stepped towards the coffee table to pick up her purse and place it on her shoulder.

Draco finally connected to his mind again and with his breathing normal again, he walked over to her door and opened it. "Well, shall we go?" He flashed her a mega-watt smile and watched as she nodded smiling sweetly before pocketing her phone into her purse and turned towards her devious roommates as they called out to her in very parental voices.

"Now young lady, we expect you home by a reasonable time!"

Hermione smirked, "oh, yes moms." She flipped them off, "oh and by the way, fuck off!"

Draco laughed into a cough as he followed her down the hallway and towards their front door. He flashed them a smile and a wink as he pulled the door shut, the laughter of her friends in his ears.

She was going to kill those harpies as soon as she got home! They had to have said something to him, she just didn't know what it could have been. When she was halfway down the stairs she could hear Pansy and Ginny laughing hysterically, followed by the sound of someone hitting the floor, which she noticed was pansy and the look of shock on Draco's face was adorable. She made a mental note to ask him what exactly was so shocking to him, yet funny to her friends.

When they made it to the parking area she looked around for his Volvo. When she heard him chuckle quietly she turned to ask where it was, only to see him smiling at her. "Where's your car? Don't tell me you expect me to walk on this date?" She grinned back at him as he pulled out his keys.

"Oh, no," he laughed hitting a button on the key ring, "I just figured since it is supposed to be colder tonight, I would drive my other car in case of ice."

She quickly turned around looking for the source of the sound, to find herself looking at a lifted blacked out Jeep Rubicon. Her eyes went wide as looked back to him. "You have two cars? Why?"

"Well, my Volvo won't go in the snow", he was giving her a look that said that should be obvious, "I learned that the hard way last year when I was sliding everywhere trying to the drive up that mountain going to work!"

Hermione tilted her head at him questioningly as he opened the passenger door open for her. Her perfectly shaped eyebrows furrowed, and even with the extra couple of inches from her ankle boots, she almost had to jump to get into his jeep. He helped her in, his hands reached up to steady her hips. Damn, I like his hands on me! Fuck! Please let him bring the jeep more often! Damn her ass looks good in these jeans!

He walked around to the driver's side and hopped in the seat. He started the jeep and pulled out into the traffic to head to the restaurant. "This jeep isn't made for short people, she huffed while smiling at him. He laughed out loud and narrowed his eyes on her as he grinned.

"Well I'm not short,"

cocky bastard,

"but I'll gladly help you in and out of it if you ask nicely."

Correction. Cocky bastard that makes me wet with just his words. Ughhhhhh. Dammit, girl keep him talking! She shifted in her seat. "So, you said you bought the Volvo when you turned 18, so when did you buy this?" She gestured with her hand around her side of the jeep.

"Last December, when the 2014 models came out. I did my research on a good car for the winter, and I knew I wanted a jeep. Theo bought a Sahara last year, and I liked it, but I really loved the Rubicon when I saw them on the lot. So, I called the local jeep dealership and asked them to call me when the 2014's came in so I could purchase one."

Her mouth was hanging open at that. "So, you just bought one, like in full? Because you liked your friend's car?"

Draco glanced at her, noticed her face, laughed, then made a face of childish disgust. "God no! I financed it just like everyone else! Also, his is a Sahara, mine is a Rubicon, and Theo's is orange!" He made a face like he ate something sour. "As you clearly realized mine is black!"

Hermione couldn't help but laugh at his explanation. He sounded like a petulant child and she thought it was adorable. She shook her head at him and decide to placate him, "right black is so much more manly, and orange is so gross!"

He shot her a triumphant smirk and nodded his head. "Glad you think that, I'll make sure to mention that to Theo next time I see him." They both continued to laugh and talk as he pulled into a parking spot at the restaurant.

"I hope you like steakhouses. A friend of mine from college owns this place and it has a really good food." Hermione looked up and smiled when she noticed the marquee showing the name of the steakhouse. Half-Blood. She recognized her friend Lee Jordan's restaurant and her smile widened when she thought about the fact that Draco probably didn't know that she and Lee knew each other. She nodded and agreed to this place and tried not to fall as he helped her out of the jeep.

They walked into the restaurant and were shown to a table by a pretty blonde. They were looking over the menu's when a deep voice broke into their vicinity. "Malfoy! What's up man, I thought I saw your blonde mop walk in here!"

Hermione chuckled quietly to herself and kept her face hidden behind her menu. This is gonna be hilarious when Lee realizes I'm here. Draco stood up and man hugged Lee. The two obviously knowing each other well and were good friends.

"Hey Jordan! I'm good! How've you been?"

"I've been good! It's been a while man! Oh, and who is this?"

Draco smiled and stuck his hand out for Hermione to take if she wanted to stand as well, "Yeah Lee, this is", Hermione placed her menu down and smiled at the dark-skinned man.

"MIONE!" Draco watched stunned as Hermione hugged Lee and he picked her up and spun her around while she giggled.

"Hey Lee! How are you!"

He put her down and looked between the her and the blonde. "OH SHIT! Are y'all on a date?!"

Hermione and Draco both smiled and nodded. "Well, I'll let y'all get back to your date. Have fun and Mione," He looked at the giggling brunette, "make sure you make him spend tons of money on you!" Draco smirked and raised an eyebrow at Lee and Lee smirked. "You better be good to this one Malfoy. Hurt her and I'll beat your ass, brotherhood or not."

"Dully noted Jordan."

Lee then smiled widely again waved to both of them. "Good to see you both. Don't worry about ordering dessert."

They both settled back into their sides of the booth. "So, you know Lee Jordan?" Draco could tell there was a back story to their excitement to see each other and he had been curious since that hug. He knew Lee was in his year in college and he had gone to Hogwarts. They had met at a rush event Draco's freshman year and bonded over their fondness of Severus Snape. But judging by the age gap, he would have been a senior when Hermione was an eighth grader. How did they know each other? Did they date? They were obviously close friends or had been?

The smile on her face was sweet. "Oh yeah! He has been a close friend for years! He grew up with the Weasleys. He is best friends with Ron's twin older brothers Fred and George. He was Ginny's fuck buddy for about six months about a year ago."

Well, that's an interesting bit of information to share with Blaise later. Or to tease him with.Draco inwardly smirked. He outwardly raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah, it was more like a stress relief thing for both of them. According to Ginny, they only went on a few dates to appease her parents and brothers. Lee has always been like a big brother to me." THANK GOD!

"How do you know him?"

He opened his mouth to answer her as the waitress came up to take their order. Draco had ordered the surf and turf medium well, Hermione a ribeye, raw. He quirked an eyebrow at her choice of cook on her steak but remained quiet when she just smiled at him. "He is one of my fraternity brothers. We met at a rush party freshman year and got to talking about football and Snape. Over the years, he became a close friend of mine. We fell out of touch a bit after graduation, but we were hanging out a homecoming thing for the frat last year and he was telling me about opening up this place. Apparently he has a brother who is a chef and they wanted to do business together. Mine and Theo's fathers actually helped invest in this place."

Wait What?!

He watched as Hermione's mouth dropped open again at his final statement. "Really," she finally choked out, "why would they do that?"

"Well, they are members of the frat too and I guess they just wanted to. From what my father tells me they are turning quite a profit here."

They continued to talk about mundane things until the waitress brought their food to the table. Hermione watched as Draco's eyes went big at the sight of the way her steak looked. When the waitress told Hermione, the chef asked her to make sure the steak was rare enough, she started to cut into it and blood looking juice started to flow out of it, he thought he was going to be sick. He had always had a slight issue with blood. Truth be told he was terrified of blood and anything to do with blood. Had been since a young age.

She must have approved of the steak because she smiled widely and asked the waitress to tell Chef Jordan and Mr. Jordan that it was "just the way she liked it".

God help me!

He stared at her as she put the piece of bleeding meat into her mouth, and then back down at her plate. She must have noticed his uncomfortableness because she sweetly wiped her mouth with her mouth and tilted her head slightly to the side. "Are you alright?"

How does she eat that?!

Draco finally met her gaze. "Yeah, I just umm no. How do you eat your steak like that? It's practically alive!" She began to laugh and cut another piece of the offending meat.

"I'm completely sure it's not alive Draco. I was brought up eating steak like this. My mother has always eaten hers rare. I used to eat mine dead as rubber like my father, but once when I was about ten I accidently grabbed her steak while dad was grilling and ate it. It has so much extra flavor from the juices still being in it. Have you always eaten yours so.." she struggled for the word, "dead? I mean it's a ruining of the meat in my opinion." Draco's eyebrows were in his hairline.

She started explaining how she had started watching cooking shows in college for background noise while she would study and ended up loving them and really got into cooking. "I mean I'm no Bobby Flay, not even close, but I haven't had any complaints."

He smiled at her cuteness and the way her eyes lit up when she was excited about something. He loved that look. "Well, maybe you can cook me something some time. I have a nice kitchen at my place." The words came out before he would think better of it. He watched her tilt her head while she smiled, considering his comment. Before she could respond he choked out, "I meant only if you want to and I don't make an even bigger ass of myself tonight and you might want to see me again, like this."

God he's cute!

She cut into and took another small bit of her slightly dead cow and wiped her mouth as she smiled again and chuckled. "I think that could be arranged." They both just grinned at each other like idiots.

After finishing their meal and saying bye to Lee, they left the restaurant. He helped her into his jeep again, his hands firmly grasping her hips as she jumped in. He chuckled to himself as he walked to his side and got in. "Where to now?" Hermione looked at him and smiled as he pulled onto the road.

"Honestly, I thought about asking if you wanted to go laser bowling tonight. Theo texted me about it earlier before I picked you up and I told him I would ask you. He and Daphne are going tonight, and they would love to meet you. If you would like to go?"

Hermione smiled and nodded her head sweetly. "I would love to go and meet your friends. My family used to go bowling all the time when I was younger. I was pretty good back then. I haven't been in a couple of years through." The gleeful smile that he had on his face warmed her heart. "Awesome! Let me let Theo know to add two the lane!" She watched in wonder as he pushed a button on his car's dashboard and spoke out a text to Theo through his Bluetooth letting him they were coming.

Once he got on the road, he made sure the music was at a soft level and asked playfully, "its gonna take us about twenty or twenty-five minutes to get there from here, wanna play 20 questions to get know each other a little better?" Hermione laughed and nodded her head. "Okay, Miss Granger, you go first."

GOD! "Okay, Professor," she purred the word, "question one. Why did you choose to teach Chemistry?"

Draco internally moaned when she said professor in that tone. "Short story, I chose Chemistry because I've always loved it. Spending time with my Godfather, he was the "cool uncle" that would show me how to mix things and make them blow up. As I got older and learned more about chemistry than just blowing up stuff, it really came easy to me. Why did you choose Biology and Anatomy?"

Hermione smiled fondly, "same reason with my parents. Growing up he would teach me about biology and my mom being a nurse, I learned about the anatomy parts. I have always loved science and the human body, and its functions are so interesting. Are you an only child?"

"Yep! Just me! Are you?"

"Yes I am. Tell me more about your fraternity."

"Well, I'm a brother of the Delta Epsilon fraternity. I am a third-generation legacy because of my father and grandfather; however, both of my fathers were business majors and I obviously was not." They both chuckled.

"Oh, so you are a death eater?!" she asked coyly.

"Ahh, so you heard the horrible nickname. Yes, I guess I am. Damn Phoenix Order. That nickname doesn't even make sense!"

Hermione laughed loudly, "you now my dad was a brother of that right?"

"Shit"

"Your question sir."

"Okay, do you have any tattoos or piercings?" Hermione bit her lip, "yes, I have ear lobes pierced, I have an industrial bar in my right ear", she moved the hair on that side of her head behind her ear and turned her head to show him the dainty rose gold bar going through her ear. "I have two tattoos, the one here," she held her right wrist up to show off the small tattoo there, "and the other is not visible with clothes on." She giggled and winked at him and his stare darkened again.

"Yeah I noticed the Virgo constellation there about a week ago, your zodiac sign I suppose?"

She smiled and nodded, "September 19th."

"Gemini, June 5th."

"So obviously I know you have the tattoo on your forearm," Hermione commented while staring at said arm. "But do you have any other tattoos?"

Draco laughed as he pointed to his side. "Yes, I have a dragon on my side. I got them both while I was in college."

I wonder if it's as hot as the other…

Before she could think to ask another question, she noticed he was turning into the parking lot of the local bowling alley, right next to an orange Jeep.

A/N – CLIFFHANGER! Well that's the first part of the first date! Next up we see how it goes meeting the friends, and possibly an old flame. *wink* Please read and review! Let me know how you all feel about the story so far! As always, beta love to my baby belledanielle!

Xoxo GreyHale! 3