First and Foremost: Thank you to my wonderful beta, Flo, who helped pull me out of my writer's block again, and, of course, edited the chapter along with much criticism. Lol, love ya Flo.

The Moonlight Glares

Liza Lew

Disclaimer: I don't own any of JK Rowling's wonderful world or characters.

Chapter 11

Draco was pacing up and down his room. It looked in the carpet as if he had been at it for awhile. There was a large indent. He looked as if he was concentrating on something very hard. There was a letter lying open on his desk which he kept glancing at. Well, worst case I get hurt or humiliated by her, I suppose. Draco thought, and even if she humiliates me I can turn it on her. . . and she wouldn't have the guts to hurt me. Besides, I do want to show up Blaise, considering the way he's been flaunting his French girlfriend. Bet she's an airhead. Even if she's hot. . . Draco shook his head and sat down at his desk. He pulled out a quill and some parchment.

Blaise,

Hermione and I will meet you and Miss Grenier at the Tsitned Restaurant at noon on Friday. I'm sure the double date will be quite enjoyable.

Draco

Draco rolled up the letter and headed for the owlrey.

"WHAT!" Hermione screamed.

"You're coming with me Friday to meet Blaise Zabini and his girlfriend for a double date." Draco repeated calmly, as he had expected this reaction.

Hermione's eyes narrowed and her voice filled with a dangerously quiet intensity, "I heard that part. What I don't comprehend is why you are forcing me to act like we're dating even before the social season starts when I don't even want to be with you during it."

"Tough luck," said Draco, heading for the door, but he paused as he was going out, "Oh, and your mother said your designer has your first dress robes ready. You should wear them, don't want you looking muggle."

Hermione's eyes went wide and she yelled "Stupefy!" letting a large beam of red light go in Draco's direction, who jumped out of the way and walked casually down the stairs. This was going to be a long season.

Hermione definitely felt like destroying something. She was standing up in the middle of the room Friday morning being dressed by Mel as Mena watched. Mel fastened a few ribbons, but Mena said, "No, no, not there!" and got to her feet, coming to adjust the robes herself.

Actually when Hermione though about it, they were not as much robes as they were a simple dress. Sure, there was still a set of underrobes, but they were closer to a one-piece swimsuit, and the normal two more layers had been replaced by a simple dress. Or at least what she would call a dress. Mena still insisted the fabric was "for robes only"

Hermione felt the soft blue material and once again inspected it. It felt paper-thin, something she would definitely be worried about. The dress did, however, at least go longer than most of the mini-skirts you saw muggle girls wear. In the front the skirt came up a bit above her knees, but in the back it went down past her feet, curving in an oval-ish fashion to make up the difference. The top part was sleeveless, and Hermione knew she'd have to put up with this a lot, it was the fashion, but that didn't mean she liked it.

"That better," said Mena thickly, looking at the back to the dress, which was laced tightly all the way up Hermione's back.

"How am I supposed to breath?" Hermione asked. Mena and Mel both glanced at Hermione as if she was crazy. There was a knock on the door and Elizabeth's voice came from outside.

"Hermione, you should come down now."

Hermione cringed, "I'll be right out." She took a deep breath, and walked out to her doom.

Draco was standing near the front door when he heard footsteps. He glanced up to see Hermione descending the grand staircase. At the sight of her his guard slipped for a second as he looked in awe, but he caught himself and had his trademark smirk back on as she came down to the bottom step. Hermione couldn't help letting a small smile escape her lips from the way she looked.

"Guess you are more pure than mud after you clean up." Draco smirked, intending it to sound as an insult.

Hermione cocked her head for a second before shaking it and saying, "Whatever Malfoy, let's just get this over with." She headed for the door but was stopped by someone grabbing her arm.

"Granger—er—Hermione—if we're supposed to be dating, you should call me Draco." Draco said, looking at her.

Hermione swear she almost saw a slight pleading in his eyes, "Fine—Draco."

The arrived on the beautiful, expensive wizarding Licorpãnte Street at noon precisely. In fact, the great clock tower started ringing just as Draco brought Hermione up to the entrance of the pretty little Italian Restaurant Il Tsitned. Draco gave their names to the gentleman standing outside, and he obligingly opened the doors for them.

"Hermione, you have to take my arm," Draco whispered at her through gritted teeth. Hermione looked startled but took Draco's arm as they went through the double doors. They went around a wall to find themselves at the top of a sweeping staircase leading down into the main room.

Draco and Hermione descended slowly and Hermione felt several heads turn their way. She unknowingly clutched harder on Draco's arm as they made their way to the little table where a host was standing.

The wizard bowed to them as they came up and promptly turned to lead them out two glass doors to a balcony looking out over the unknowing muggles below. Blaise Zabini, dark and tall was sitting at the table next to a very tall, very skinny lady with straight black hair down her back, wearing a set of robes that was cut far to low and far too high. Zabini got up as he saw Draco approach.

There was a wide smile across the wizard's face, "Draco, you made it." He shook his friend's hand, "Then again you were always fashionably late."

Hermione saw the girl from the table stand up behind Zabini and clear her throat. Zabini stepped back and pushed his girlfriend forward, "Oh yes, Draco Malfoy, this is Giselle Grenier, my girlfriend. Giselle, Draco."

"Ohhh it izz a plezzure to meet you," the girl said with a very nasely French accent, "I have heerd so much about you." The girl offered her hand to Draco, who placed a light kiss upon it. Draco then turned towards Hermione and took her hand as her brought her forward.

"Mr. Zabini, Miss Grenier, this is Hermione Granger, my. . . ah. . . girlfriend." Draco announced.

Hermione squeezed Draco's hand rather hard, and whispered to Draco, "I'm going to kill you for this, Malfoy" before turning on a perfect smile and shaking hands with both Zabini and Giselle. The french's eyes twinkled when Hermione shook her hand.

"Her-my-o-nin-ee, what a wondeerfol name." Giselle said as they were sitting down, "Where does it originate? Pas wizarding London?"

"Actually," said Hermione crisply, "It comes from muggle London."

Giselle looked quite confused, "Oh, well that is… speciale indeed."

Blaise leaned over to his girlfriend, and Hermione distinctly heard him say, "Elle a habité avec des muggles, après sa mere l'a perdu il y a dix ans."

Giselle's eyes went wide, "Oh…"

A waiter came up at this point, however, and Blaise and Draco politely ordered the meals for the four, so Hermione had no time to retort to this comment.

"So, Her-my-o-nin-ee, you are a student with Draco and Blaise?"

"Yes, I go to Hogwarts," Hermione said with a sugar coat, "And you attend. . .?"

"Oh, Beauxbatons, bien sur," Giselle said with a laugh, " 'Ohere else would you think I'd go? Durmstrang, no, no, I of course attend the best magical school of Europe."

Hermione almost narrowed her eyes, but caught herself, "Oh, It really is that great? Even the programs such as, say, sports?"

Giselle gave a bright smile, "Why, of course. We have three quidditch teams, each as good as the next, they hold a school tournament each year. My bruzzer is on the top team."

Hermione felt like shaking her head to get through the jumble the girl had just said… each as good as the next, the A team? Bah… "Oh, your brother attends Beauxbatons as well? Fleur Delacour noted it was not a co-ed school."

Giselle gave Hermione a strange look, trying to work out what she had said, before responding slowly, "Yes, my bruzzer is at Beuxbatons, though he is on the east campus, some call it Beauxacadémie-magie."

"Oh yes, the second campus."

"But come, Her-my-o-nin-nee, school can be boring. In fact, I was finishing my summer devoirs the ozzer day when I felt I must go. I came to Madame Refroidir's here on Licorpãnte Street, and what do you know, she suggested I try and orange robe! Can you believe it?"

Hermione inwardly groan and put on a fakey-girly accent, "Oh, I can believe it. Didn't you hear? Orange is becoming the new pink! It shall be the hottest coloeur this Season, all the great girls are wearing it, plus there are so many shades to work with, auburn, peach. . ."

Giselle's eyes were wide, "Oh iz it really? I must go back and try that robe on again, perhaps I didn't look at it carefully enough…"

Hermione felt as if she was going to laugh aloud.

On the other side of the table, Draco had only half been listening to his friend talk. Mostly he had been listening to Hermione cream Giselle in a hidden battle of wits. He wouldn't be surprised if all the girls now came wearing orange to the Season opener. Oh Merlin to think of Pansy and Millicent in orange… they'd be like Jack-o-Lantern's. Draco's attention, however, was snapped back to Blaise as his friend made a certain comment.

"Looks like you cleaned her up very nicely, Draco," Blaise was saying, "If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have seen the mudblood underneath all that fancy."

Draco felt his grip on his fork tighten.

"Honestly, she looks like the perfect pureblood fiancé! She's even talking about clothes instead of potions." Blaise grinned, "The mudblood influence must've finally rubbed off her."

"Shut up," said Draco bluntly. Blaise's head snapped back to his friend.

"What the ---"

"I said shut up," said Draco, "She's not a muggleborn anymore than you or I or Giselle. Her parents are purebloods."

Blaise raised an eyebrow, "Mr. and Mrs. Lane? They look nothing like her…"

"Not Mr. Lane," said Draco, "Mrs. And . . . "

"Not. . .?" Blaise's eyes went wide.

Draco nodded, and went back to looking at his food, "So don't mess with her. She's got more Slytherin in her than you or I. She may look frilly, but she's still Granger."

Blaise started to chuckle, but Draco looked up and stared his friend down.

"I mean it. You'll have to go through me too."

After they had finished the last course and Blaise and Giselle had excused themselves off to do something else (presumably buy that orange dress), Draco and Hermione found themselves wandering leisurely down Licorpãnte Street on a Friday afternoon.

Hermione let herself relax for the first time in several hours, letting a sigh out. Draco looked at her while she inspected their surroundings. She looked tired, but alert, scanning everything around them. Then again, that was Granger. Suddenly she caught his eye.

She gave a half-smirk, "What're you looking at Malfoy?"

Malfoy regained his composure quickly, "Your messy muggle hair."

Hermione's eyes gave a frown away, but she said, "Get used to it. It get wavier and bigger in humidity." Hermione looked ahead, and her eyes grew wide at the store she saw.

Draco was a good two feet ahead of her before he realized she'd stopped to admire the giant-sized Flourish and Blotts'. He smirked, and said, "Well, Granger, we've got a few hours before Elizabeth informed us to be back. If you. . . " he stopped mid-sentence as Hermione was already gone, racing inside of the giant building.

After looking around quickly to make sure no one nearby knew who they were, Draco ran to catch up.

In the dusty entryway, Draco realized he had already lost her. The massive building had once been a mansion, and had, over a hundred years back, been transformed into the center for Flourish and Blotts', with over four stories of book-filled rooms. Draco went over to a cushy armchair to stop and think. What section would Granger go to first?

Hermione was in heaven. Book heaven. She had found the place where she belonged and wanted to stay for a very long time. She had already collected at least a dozen books from the first five sections she had visited. Of course, half of them were her school books for the upcoming year, but the other were for her own enjoyment.

She was now looking through several books on human transfigurations. She had found an old arm chair and was leafing through one by one.

Draco had looked through all the basics. He'd covered Charms, Potions, History (Even the special section on Magical Schools, which had a display of the newest edition of Hogwarts, A History.), Arithemancy, Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures, and even Diviniations and Muggle Studies, though he knew Hermione didn't take those classes. His thoughts were interrupted suddenly by someone calling his name.

"Mr. Malfoy,"

Draco turned around to see Professor McGonagall standing there, with a stack of parchments and books in hand.

"Pro-Professor," said Draco, "What are you doing here?"

The old professor gave a rare smile, "Well, it is summer, so I can be out of Hogwarts, can't I? I came to catch up on a bit of reading before next term starts. I take it you are here to find your school books?"

"Er… yes," said Draco, "Just got here,"

"Well, today seems to be the day for it. I saw the Miss Patels in the Charms section not long ago, and Miss Granger up in the Transfiguration room," McGonagall's eyes twinkled at the thought, "Though I suppose your first stop will be the Potions section, if I'm correct?"

"Er.. yes," said Draco, "I'm heading there right now. . . nice to see you professor." Draco left the room feeling like an idiot. How could he have forgotten Transfiguration?

Hermione closed the book on Animagus and set in back on the shelf. It hadn't been quite what she was looking for. She looked around a minute and saw a very small sign that read "Muggle Books" Hanging over a small, faded doorway, tucked into a corner. Curious, Hermione went towards it.

Draco sat down in a chair in the transfiguration area and hung his head in his hands. He may as well give up now. The season hadn't started had he'd already managed to lose her, because he'd passed by one bookshop. Sighing, he looked up and around the room.

The was a wall of spell books, a wall on human transfiguration, and one of what seemed to be novels centered around transfiguration. He walked up to the last wall and began flipping through. My Life as a Bat. The Shark-head in Action. As Friendly as a Needle. Well, at the least the books had interesting titles. As he picked up the last one, his hand bumped a sign, which started to swing. He steadied it and then looked at the book before doing a double take.

The sign read "Muggle Books" and in fact was over a small doorway. Draco slammed the book shut. How could he have been so stupid? He quietly opened the door to find Hermione sitting curled up in a red armchair in the center of a very small, very faded and very dusty room. Weak afternoon light was making its way through the windows so that it hit Hermione in a certain way. Draco cocked his head a moment before shaking his head, putting a smirk back on and walking up next to Granger's chair. He looked down to see the book was open to a page titled Ashen Puttel. He started reading over Hermione's shoulder without meaning to.

His eyes flew over page after page as she read through the story. When the story finally came to a close with the words "Happily Ever After" on the last page, Hermione sighed and snapped the book shut, and got up to find herself about an inch away from Draco. He did the first thing that came to mind.

Thanks to all my reviewers, chapter ten was one of the most-reviewed chapters yet. Also thanks to those of you who put me on your alert and/or favorite lists. Lastly, props to all of you (you know who you are) who got last chapter's question right. Sadly there is no question this chapter.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I am sad to say that I am putting my pen to rest for awhile. I will not be on fan fiction for close to a month coming up due to the increased hectic-ness of my life. Hopefully I'll come back to this fic by mid-May. If you need any suggestions of Draco-Hermione fics to read, both fluffy and serious, I'd suggest any that are on my favorites list. If you want to read any more of my writing, use the link in my profile page to my homepage. Thank you all for reading, hope to see you in a month!