"So, if my mother asks, you're favorite thing about me aside from chronic attractiveness is my charismatic personality."

Draco said looking over at Hermione who had her eyebrow raised in amusement.

"For sure."

She said laughing cynically.

"and don't let me forget to mention that you're humble to a fault."

She finished laughing at her own joke. Draco found himself smiling at her as glared at her playfully. He had taken her to a secluded area in the park and they were now planning out the story of how they fell in love. Along with other details.

"ok, so back to the love story. You were being bullied at school and I stood up for you."

Draco said looking at Hermione who was sitting facing him on a bench. She looked unimpressed with his story and waved her hands in the air in protest.

"No bloody way!

She exclaimed swatting at him. He moved out the way causing only the tips of her fingers to lightly brush his chest.

"Well what do you propose?"

He asked trying to distract her from the shudder than ran through his body. She looked out at the lake in front of them and thought for a second. Draco openly stared at her now. Her features were fairly like, but not cartoonishly so. Her nose was small with freckles dashed across it. She had long eyelashes full pink lips that he assumed to be soft with the amount of Chapstick he had seen her appl that day. Her hair was brown with natural highlights and it stopped just below the waist. It was curly and just as unruly as it had been in grade school, but now instead of seeing it as bushy and unattractive he thought it to be rather beautiful.

"How about we got paired for a project and then the rest was history?"

She shrugged looking back at him. He blinked and looked past her not wanting her to catch him staring.

"That could work, but my mother likes details. We'll need to fill in the gaps at dinner. What do you think?"

He asked looking Hermione. Who was staring at the other side of the lake.

"Earth to Granger."

He said waiving a hand in front of her face after she still hadn't answered or moved.

"Sorry… but is that Ron and Lavender over there, or am I just going crazy."

She asked. Draco looked over to where she was staring and within seconds he had spotted the horrid mop of blonde waves.

"That's definitely them."

He replied frowning looking over to see if she was okay. Hermione finally looked away from the couple and faced him.

"Should we leave?"

She asked him looking panicked. Draco tried not to jump as she reached out and gripped his hand without thinking as she looked over her shoulder again.

"We can if you want..."

He said trailing off fighting the urge to close his hand around hers fully.

"What?"

She said looking back at him not liking the way he hadn't finished his sentence.

"It's just that. I've been coming to this part of the park for years when I need to think, and I've only ever seen one other person."

He said trying to make her understand what he was implying. When she still looked confused, He began to speak again.

"You don't think it's odd that he's coming to the very spot you're at with the girl he cheated on you with?"

Hermione's eyes widened as she finally understood.

"He's doing it on purpose!"

She gasped releasing his hand as she slapped hers over her mouth.

"Oh my god, I didn't even think about it, but he tracks my location all the time when I don't answer the phone."

Draco winced at the shrill edge crawling into her voice.

"He could've been tracking us all day."

She cried as she looked over her shoulder now looking more scared than upset.

"Granger just relax."

He said grabbing her shoulders so that she'd look at him.

"We can leave, or we can stay, either way they're going to have to pass us."

She nodded slowly biting her bottom lip.

"He's obviously doing this to try and get under your skin, so you just need to show him that you don't care about him anymore."

He continued dropping his arms into his lap. Hermione looked over her shoulder at the couple who was going to be where they were in a few minutes. Turning back to face Draco with a determined look on her face she nodded.

"How?"

She asked looking at Draco. He smirked held his arms out to the side.

"Elementary Dear Watson."

He said grabbing her hand and standing up pulling her along with him.

"He brought someone you hate, so let him see you with someone he hates."

He said smiling mischievously. The corners of Hermione's mouth turned up as her own devious smile etched itself onto her face.

"You're a genius!"

She said pulling his hand which she was still holding over her shoulder.

"So what?"

She asked sounding giddy and excited.

"Do we just walk by them?"

Draco couldn't help but to smile at her as he shook his head.

"We can't just walk by them Granger. We have to walk by them."

He said stressing the word walk. Without waiting for her response, he pulled her close to him and grabbed her other hand and placed it on his arm of the hand she was holding. He took note of the blush that settled onto her cheeks and smirked down at her grabbing her face by the chin.

"This is how we walk by."

He said staring at her for a moment before releasing her face and rolling his shoulders back. Hermione cleared her throat and tightened her hold on his arm. He didn't mind though; he liked the feeling. It assured him that she was really there.

"Ready?"

He asked looking down at her. She looked straight forward and nodded.

"Ready."

She repeated as they began to walk toward the pair. What probably was a one-minute walk felt like it took ten. When they finally were almost face to face with the other couple, he heard Hermione's breathing deepen.

"Don't look at them, just look at me."

He whispered into her as he leant down to reach it. She looked up at him and nodded. Their faces were only a few inches apart and Hermione suddenly laughed. Draco looked at her confused.

"What's so funny?"

He asked her infectious laughter already spreading to him.

"It's weird isn't it, I've only ever seen this in books and movies."

She whispered as they continued walking. Draco chuckled and shook his head.

"Mione!"

A voice cried from beside him. Draco wanted to keep walking, but she stopped and looked confused. Almost as if she had forgotten what they were doing in the first place.

"Ron! Why are we stopping!?"

Lavender whined trying to pull him forward like a disobedient dog on a leash. Draco winced at her high pitch voice and he look down and widened his eyes at Hermione trying to bite back a laugh at her desperate mannerism. Hermione snorted and buried her face in his arms shoulders shaking for a moment before finally pulling herself together and peaking around him to look at Ron.

"Ron?!"
She said astonished, as if she was greeting an old friend. His face went from the usual pale color to a deep red in a matter of seconds.

"I called you."

He said looking up at Draco who was a good bit taller than him. Draco sneered down at the ginger before responding to the statement that was not meant for him.

"Well she obviously busy."

He said scoffing and looking down at her.

"You clearly have your hands full as well."

Hermione chimed in smiling rudely at Lavender. Ron stood red faced opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water.

"If you're going to say something then just say it. It's quite hot and we have dinner reservations to make."

Draco said examining his shirt sounding bored.

"Mione what are you doing?"

Ron asked sounding like a disappointed father.

"Just come back with me now and I won't, even be mad about… this"

He said motioning to them. Lavender stomped her foot like an insolent child and spun to face Ron.

"This is what you dragged me out here for?"

She asked sounding like she was about to cry. She turned on her heel her thin blonde hair bouncing in her wake as she scuttled away. Draco again looked down at Hermione who was also trying to stifle a laugh.

"Like I said before, you clearly have your hand full."

Hermione said to Ron before tugging on Draco's arm signaling that she was ready to leave. They began walking not saying anything when they heard Ron calling after Lavender. The two lost it falling apart and clutching their stomachs.

"Granger, you deserve an academy award! That was Brilliant, Brilliant!"

He exclaimed between burst of laughter as the staggered towards his car.

"Me! What about you?! Did you see his face when you mentioned dinner reservations?!"

Hermione cried grabbing her side as a fresh wave of laughter began. They reached the car both gasping for air.

"I would pay money to see that on film."

Draco said as he climbed into the car. Hermione swiped under her eyes from where she had cried from laughter as she put on her seat belt.

"I know! I wonder what face he made when he heard us laughing at him."

She said giggling. Draco ran a hand through his hair. As a happy quietness settled around him.

"Are your parents' home?"

He asked looking at her. She shook her head.

"No, they're out at a dinner theater they won't be back until later I think."

She said a small smile still resting on her lips. Draco ignored the excitement that rushed through him as he spoke.

"I can't very well leave you home alone with that crazy bloke tracking your location."

He said motioning in the direction that Ron had run in.

She frowned a little as she realized that he was right.

"Okay. So, what now?"

She asked looking at him wide eyed.

"What do you usually do?"

He asked tilting his head to the side.

"Well…usually I would go to the library to study- when I don't have work of course.'

Draco scrunched his nose at the mention of schoolwork.

"I completely forgot about that physics assignment for Snapes class, when is that due anyway."

Hermione's eyes widened as she stifled a gasp.

"I was supposed to do that today. We have to present in class Monday…"

She said staring out the window in disbelief. Suddenly shifting to face him she began speaking

"Okay, here's the game plan, we can swing by my house get supplies go to the library and do the project together. My parents will definitely be home by the time we finish."

She said anxiously twisting a curl around her finger nodding her head as if she were trying to convince herself that she could pull it off.

"Yes ma'am"

He said throwing his car into drive and peeling out of the parking lot.