Sam heard a knock on the door at seven sharp. He opened the door, and found a handsome fellow standing on the other side. Damn, he thought, had to be good looking didn't he? "Come on in, Hermione's just finishing up."

Draco half-smiled and stepped inside the suite. Hermione was no where to be seen, though her touches were scattered throughout the small living space. There was a picture on the wall of the entire Weasley clan, gathered around a small fire, along with Harry, all of which were scowling at him, with the exception of Potter who was looking rather confused. On the cot tack, a Gryffindor scarf hung lazily, the very tips swishing in the air, blown by the heating vent a foot away from it on the floor. A few books that had to have been Granger's were laid out on the table with a notebook. He set back on his heels, digging into the thick carpet under his feet, feeling the eyes of the other roommates on him.

The girl wasn't really paying him much attention, just an occasional glance, in which she seemed to be trying to determine something about him, but what he could only guess. The two boys were sitting on the couch- well, one was sprawled across it, sleeping, and the other was sitting on the small amount of left over space, keeping an eye on him. Finally the boy spoke up. "I'll check on her." He stood up and headed down the left corridor, coming back a minute later, with Hermione standing next to him.

"Hey. Did you meet everyone?" she asked, her hands clutching her purse, white knuckled, clearly rather nervous.

"Ah, no actually, but uhm, this one is sleeping, and uhm-"

She shook her head. "He's a dork. Sam, this is Draco, Draco, this is Sam, the sleeping bloke is Christian, and that," she said, pointing to the laptop computer with a half-visible girl behind it, "is Misha. Guys, this is Draco."

There was some nodding from Misha, and a handshake before he turned back to Hermione. "Ready?"

She smiled, and grabbed her heavy black cloak, and scarf from the peg. Suddenly Draco wished that he had thought to wear his Slytherin scarf- just to annoy her a bit. She waved, and he followed her out the door.

"So," she said, turning, "where are we going?"

"Well, I thought, we could get something to eat- I imagine muggle food must taste all right, and then, I don't know, one of those moving picture things, if you wanted."

"A movie," she said, hiding her grin behind her hand.

"Right, a movie." He frowned. "The only real way off campus is uhm, the bus. I'll pay. You don't mind though, right?"

"No, that's fine." Draco Malfoy took a public transport! She couldn't wait to write home. They made it onto the bus fine, and they got off and she looked around. They were in Boston. He walked with her down the street, and around the corner until they stood outside a fancy restaurant. Hermione frowned. She didn't want to eat small portions of 'delicacy' food. She wasn't on campus- she wanted to eat!

"Hey, uhm Draco?"

He turned. "Yes?"

"Ever had Vietnamese?"

"What?"

"Vietnamese food? Ever had?"

Draco shook his head. "no."

"Want to try it?" She really had been craving it for quite a while. There was this great Vietnamese place in London that had the best curry chicken….

"Uhm- if you know where-"

She smiled. Misha and she had taken Sam a week before. She smiled, and hailed a taxi. They sped across town, and before long they were inside the small restaurant. She hung her cloak over the back of her chair and Draco got a good look at her dress. She looked stunning. It was a long sapphire blue dress with silver dragons on it- Chinese fireballs, actually, a high neck and short sleeves. Her hair was up, but wind had mussed it a bit and some was falling around her neck. "You look nice."

She smiled. "Thanks. You look good too." And he did. He had on a white oxford type shirt, with a touch of renaissance to it. A little too "modern" for Wizarding England, but too old to be contemporary. But the real cincher was that he hadn't slicked his hair back, it fell around his face, drawing away from the severe lines. He opened the menu that the waitress had brought them and sighed. Uhm- this wasn't English, that was sure.

"I can't read this."

She smiled. "I got it covered. Chicken is okay?"

"Yeah."

The waitress came back. "Are you ready to order?"

"Yes. Could we get some oolong tea, please, to drink, and also I'll have the curry chicken, and Draco is going to have Com Tay Cam."

"That's all?"

Hermione smiled. "Yes, thanks." The waitress took their menus and left.

"Com tay what?"

"It's chicken with veggies and rice."

"Ah."

Hermione grinned. "You know, I'm not as miserable as I thought I'd be. Why aren't you like this all the time?"

"Like what?" he asked, immediately on edge once again.

"Like- this. Angry all the time. You've been so normal all day. Sort of friendly."

Draco scoffed. "Self preservation, only."

Hermione shook her head. He really had been very nice since they'd left, and even left behind reservations at a fancy restaurant to sit and eat with chopsticks here. "All right. If you say so."

"So, heard from Potter?"

"Yeah. I got a letter last week. Things are good at Hogwarts, if a little worrisome."

Draco say up immediately straighter. "Worrisome?"

Hermione nodded. "I can't talk about it."

"What? You think that I'm gonna tell me dad?"

Hermione shrugged. "You might. It'd be a perfectly normal assumption, all past behavior considered."

Draco scowled. "I-"

"No- you might. I can't discuss it."

"Fine."

"Harry has a boyfriend though. I thought that was uninflammatory enough to tell you."

"A- A boyfriend? Potter's a pouf?"

Hermione bit her lip. "I dunno. He might just be bisexual."

"What?"

"Both, you know?"

"Can you do that?"

She frowned. "Yeah, Draco."

"Interesting."

She shook her head. "It might be a muggle concept, but I think it's entirely possible. Especially in Harry's case, since last year he had a terrible crush on Cho."

Draco grinned. "That Ravenclaw seeker?"

"Yeah."

"Interesting. So, what's this bloke like?"

"My roommates seemed to think he was a nice guy. I've never met him."

Draco was about to make a joke about it when the waitress delivered their meals. Draco stared at it- it looked okay, if a little different, and looked around. "Where's the forks?"

Hermione grinned, and picked up the sticks, and snapped them apart. "Here."

He stared. "And what?"

She shook her head, and went to work, eating with her own. "Like that."

"I don't know-"

She grinned, and set her sticks down, and wiggled her fingers. The waitress, having watched the exchange walked over with a fork, but Hermione shooed her back with a hand, enjoying this ever so very much.

After they ate, they went back to the street, walking slowly through the streets. "You know, its lovely here, isn't it?" The few trees around them were changing in colors that they never quite got back in Britain.

"It's nice."

She smiled. "You do know that no matter what, tomorrow you will be a ferret. I can't- not take this opportunity."

He sighed. "No."

She grinned. "Yes. Come on, let's get something," she said, pulling him into the little Italian bakery they'd just come up on.

***

Remus sat back and let Poppy do her exam, poking him in the stomach, as well as scanning him with her wand. Magical doctors could examine by measuring magical fluxuations, as a measure. "How's it look?"

"Good- it seems small, you know, but they are pups. Definitely four, though."

"Healthy?"

"Seems so. One of the four is smaller, but that's natural- there's usually a  runt in any multiple birth. But otherwise they all seem very good. Your weight is good, as well, I'm very happy with that. I can do a spell to find out their gender. Want to, or do you want a surprise?"

"I'd like to know."

She smiled and chanted an incantation, before giving him a big grin. "Three girls, and a boy. Not bad."

"Three girls? Merlin help us."

Poppy burst out laughing, "Indeed."

"We done?"

"Yep. I'd like to see you again in two weeks if that's okay?"

Remus nodded. "Sure."

"I know you've been a little stressed- what with Harry, and Severus. Make sure to stay as calm and you can and eat healthy, right?"

"I've been pretty good."

"If you start feeling bad, come immediately."

"I will. How's Sev doing, really?"

Poppy sat on a stool, and sighed. "He's a strong man, Remus, but he can't take too much more of this.  He'll be back on his feet in a few hours. He's already grumpy about being cared for."

Remus grinned. "That he is."

She smiled. "Go sit with him, I'll get some lunch from the elves."

He smiled. "Thanks, Poppy."

***

Draco wasn't enjoying being a ferret. He hadn't enjoyed it when Moody had done it, though, this time was much better. At least this time he had someone taking care of him, and not smacking him into the very hard stone walls, and bouncing him around. But really, being stared at wasn't too much fun, either.

"Hermione, he's so cute! Where'd you find him? He's pure white!"

"Oh- I brought him from home. He is good looking though, I suppose."

"And very well behaved."

Hermione smiled and pet his back, with a finger. "Yeah. Not usually though. Ferrets are pretty smell, and can bite."

Draco turned and looked at her, with a growl and a hiss.

"This one is particularly smelly, sometimes."

"Ew."

"I know." She watched as Draco moved to bite her and she flicked the furry little bottom.

Draco hissed at her again, and then squealed as she tried for a new grip and was holdng him firmly on the more important bits of his anatomy. He wiggled, hoping to get out of her hands, but she moved again and he looked up to see her grinning.

He gave her a look, and spoke aloud, an it came out in ferretish- you gryffidor bitch.

She grinned, and scratch ed behind his furry little ears and he melted. It just wasn't fair….

He had to remember to not be so very hasty when it came to asking girls on dates as terms of a bet..

Yeah.