Constructive criticism and reviews would be a lot appreciated. English is not my first language!

A Non-Voldemort AU with an open-minded Malfoy family.

SLAM!

Draco Malfoy, the Head Boy, jumped from the loud bang of the Heads Common Room's door closing. He looked up from his book of 'How To Wo Your Witch in Two Minutes!' to see Hermione Granger, the Head Girl (surprise, surprise!), stomping towards him, looking furious than ever.

Uh-oh, he thought, trying to dissolve into the sofa by shrinking into it. Unfortunately, the sofa material didn't allow him to chummy in. Good. Even the furniture wants to see me die.

No, a voice like Blaise's spoke in his mind. Draco was sure he could hear the smile in the voice. It just wants to see it's free of cost, daily show of how Hermione Granger beats the shit out of Draco Malfoy.

Hermione slammed he fist on the table, making Draco jumo higher than before.

"What –" she took in a deep breath, trying to control the tremble (because of rage) in her voice, "what in the world were you thinking while sending me this –" she pulled out the crumpled letter from her fist, "this abhorant excuse of a letter?"

"A – a – abhorant?" Draco sputtered, all fear gone as he heard her words. "You find my feelings written on a very antique piece of parchment, abhorant?"

"Feelings?" Hermione shrieked. "Feelings, Malfoy? You're talking about feelings? What about my feelings? I told you I wasn't interested! Still, you didn't listen to me and continued asking me out for dates. It's the fifteenth letter in our seventh year and it's too much as it's the second day! Second day, Malfoy! Second day!"

"I can hear you perfectly fine the very first time, thank you very much," Draco said, raising his voice a bit, so that he can be heard over all the screeching that Hermione did . "And I won't stop pestering you until you tell me a reason why you won't go on a date with me. It's only one date that I ask, Granger. One date and it's okay if you don't like it. Either you give me a valid reason, or you agree for only one date." He went back to his book, counting down from five. He smirked as he heard her voice at three.

"And..." Hermione asked, "will you leave me alone after the first date if I don't like it?"

"Yes, Granger, I promise." Draco promised, smiling at his book. "But I want you to be wholly into it. No diversions. No assignments. No friends. Only us."

Draco bit his lip to refrain from smiling like a loon as he imagined her having that expression of critical thinking when she thinks about something very hard and deep. He was very proud (and slightly ashamed) to say that he knew Hermione Granger's habits more than he knew his own.

Draco knew she didn't like tea; he knew the way her nose would scrunch up when she thought of something deemed as disgusting in her books; he knew the way she would laugh at her best friends' jokes; he knew that she sometimes sneaked in some Sugar Quills in the library even if they were restricted; he was also the first one to know, thanks to his observational skills, that she loved the leadership roles. He knew her middle name was Jean instead of Jane.

But even after all of this, Draco couldn't claim he knew Hermione whole-heartedly. Because there were many things like her ambitions, her ideals, her dreams he didn't know about. Maybe his curiosity was the start of his crush on her. He fondly remembered the first time they met. Her hair, voice, way of speaking - everything about her had fascinated him. Not that he had admitted to himself and his (already aware) friends about his crush.

"About time," Theo had sighed when Draco had told him, Pansy and Blaise about his crush on Hermione Granger, the girl that hated his guts, his hair, his hands, his face - in short, the girl that hates him.

Draco, knowing his mother's cousin's best friend, James Potter, had asked him how to woo a witch who hated him, because from what Draco had heard, Lily Potter had hated the guts out of James Potter and he had managed to make her agree to go out on a date with him. Draco desperately needed the man's advice, even if it meant tolerating his childhood nemesis, Harry Potter. The only Potter child. The best friend of the girl Draco had a crush on.

Thankfully, James Potter had told him to be dedicated and respect the witch's wishes without much pleading. So, that's what Draco did; he kept being dedicated in asking Hermione out and also respected her wishes when she asked him to leave her alone.

"Okay," Hermione sighed, bringing Draco out of his thoughts. For a moment, Draco forgot what they were talking about, but when it all came crashing down on him, he couldn't believe her answer, thinking it to be one of his dreams. He tried asking her again. Just in case, you know.

"Are you sure you want to go out with me?" he asked cautiously.

"Yes, Malfoy," Granger replied in mild frustration. "I have finally decided to give you a chance."

Draco couldn't help it. He grinned. He knew he looked like a fool - but at this moment, maybe, he really was a fool. A fool, madly in love with a woman who hated him.

"This Saturday," Granger said, straightening up. "Three Broomsticks at ten."

"At night?" Draco asked. He regretted it instantly as Granger rolled her eyes. In the morning, you fool. A voice reminiscent to Pansy's, tutted inside his head.

"In the morning," Granger clarified, then, without looking back, marched towards her room, head held high as if she wasn't even a bit nervous about her upcoming date with Malfoy. Back in the common room, Draco went back to (trying to) read his book, still grinning like a fool, his mind far away, already fantasising about his upcoming date. The nervousness and anxiety would come late at night, while everyone was asleep.

He hopes he doesn't fuck it up because it was his only chance at impressing Granger. But what Draco seemed to forget was that hope was his greatest enemy.