A/N Thank you for the reviews. Once again I apologize for the obvious mistakes.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow he would brainstorm ways to beat Potter at Quidditch, to get in the pages of Witch Weekley as the most Shaggable Boy, to take over the wizarding world, but tonight, Draco Malfoy was content just to think about Hermione. She said yes. I knew she wouldn't be able to resist me for long. At this point Draco's thoughts turned to other things he hoped Hermione wouldn't be able to resist. As if that will ever happen. Draco thought grumpily.

I can see us now, making our appearance at the Yule Ball. Everyone is watching us, but Hermione is looking only at me. I'm definitely looking at her. She's wearing something similar to what she wore fourth year. Blue looks great on her. Her robe fits her like a second skin, sort of low cut, and I manage to surreptitiously peek at her cleavage. Wow. After a few dances,slow dances, with our bodies pressed together closer than that glaring McGonagall would like, we move over to the punch bowl. Hermione doesn't seem to notice or care that Crabbe and Goyle have improved the brew. I sort of stroll with her outside, behind some of the bushes. I'm looking into her eyes, and I lean forward and kiss her. Just another wonderful kiss like the two we've already shared. We're pressing against each other hungrily. I break away from her mouth, and press my lips first against her throat and then journeying down to bury my face between her breasts. And then she stops, moves away, and says – "Draco , how many times do I have to tell you, we're just friends."

Damn it. Even in my fantasies, Hermione gives me shit.

***

"Ron, I don't know if I can do this. It's not like I have a great track record here."

"Harry, there's only two days before the Yule Ball. You have to ask Pansy, or Millicent, or someone from Slytherin."

"I know. I wish I hadn't made this stupid bet in the first place."

"Harry, you would have had to ask someone."

"Oh, and who's your date going to be."

Ron gulped. "Well, Hermione did sort of say she would go with me if I hadn't found someone else."

"When did she say that?"

"Harry, you were right there it was right after you made the bet. If I hadn't lined up a date, I'd probably be fighting you for Pansy Parkinson. Yeah right."

"Ok. I'm going to ask her." Harry said.

"Hey Harry, you've got to see this picture we found of Professor Binns." Fred called out.

Harry headed towards the twins, who were laughing over an old yearbook.

"Harry, what about Pansy?"

"I'll ask her later." Harry promised.

He's deliberately jeopardizing his chance. I have to help him before Malfoy starts gloating.

****

After twenty minutes searching, Ron finally camped outside the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room, and waited. Half an hour later, irritated by the heckling of passing students, and defying Snape's order to get the hell out of there, Ron's persistence paid off, as Pansy exited the portrait.

Hearing more voices, Ron grabbed Pansy's wrist and started dragging her along the corridor.

"Get your hands off me , Weasley." She screeched. "I'll have to take another bath."

Ron's face turned red, but he didn't answer until they came to an empty classroom. He pushed Pansy inside and closed the door.

"Just listen to me, please." He said.

Pansy, shook out her robes, looked at him down the end of her nose, and said "Ok. Talk."

"Harry, really wants to go to the Yule Ball with you."

The change in Pansy was instantaneous. Her eyes widened. A goofy grin erased her previous haughty expression. "He does?" she squeaked. "I mean of course he does, why wouldn't he want to?" She paused. "Why isn't he asking me himself."

Ron tried not to look at Pansy. He didn't like her much, ok at all, but lying still didn't make him comfortable. He had a brief image of his mom yelling at him. Then he saw Draco's sneering face. This was all in a good cause. Harry needed his help. "Uh, Harry's a bit shy around girls, I mean one's he likes." Ron said, hoping Harry would forgive him.

"Oh," Pansy said. "Why didn't he owl me? Or send candy, flowers, jewelry?" Pansy asked. Not that she really cared. For the first time in her life, a guy was asking her out, instead of her inveigling an invitation. And for Harry Potter to want to go out with her, just when she had decided to pursue him, Pansy decided she believed in fate after all,

"Well, he doesn't really know you very well." Ron said hoping his explanation would work. "If you tell me what you like, I'm sure he'll send flowers and stuff."

"That's so sweet." Pansy said. "I have some parchment here, and a quill, if you wait a moment I can make a list."

Bugger. Ron thought Now I've got to send her stuff.

***

"I've done it." Ginny exclaimed triumphantly, pouring the potion into several flasks and carefully placing them in the pocket of her school robes. Now for the note. She thought. I don't think Harry has ever seen Pansy's writing, so if I owl him, he shouldn't suspect anything. Please don't let him hate me for this. I know he'd want to win the bet fairly, but I want to go to the ball with him so badly. I've never really done anything wrong before – the diary doesn't really count and turning Ron's sweater pink was an accident. Besides, it's not like Harry has never used Polyjuice Potion before.

***

Dear Mom and Dad,

School's wonderful as usual. Professor Vector assigned a really exciting project and I think I can work on some extra credit assignments over the Holidays.

Hermione paused. There was so much she wanted to tell them but…

Dear Mom and Dad,

I just thought you'd want to know that your little girl is obsessing over Draco Malfoy. Just the possibility of seeing him sets my pulse racing, and his kisses. No I don't think you want to hear about the effect his kisses have on me.

I've promised to go with him to the Yule Ball and now I feel like a traitor. I feel so clichéd, like I should be floating with the clouds, or singing in the bath, or some other silly and very un-Hermione like action.

But when I'm with him, I feel very much myself. Victor, treated me like some wonderful, precious object, and I loved it. He was so sweet – especially considering Ron's asinine behavior. And Ron, well I will always love Ron. I've liked him since the first year of Hogwarts. But Draco, when I see myself in Draco's eyes I'm terrified, and thrilled, and flattered, and… He has this ridiculous vision of me – this idea of using my morals, instead of developing his own. It's just that when I'm with him, I feel beautiful, sexy, powerful, brilliant. It's probably a reflection of his own ego. What the great Draco Malfoy finds appealing must be so. It's just that when I'm with him I'm always on my toes. And ok admit it, when I'm with him I'm always dreaming of mussing that too perfect hair, of unbuttoning those robes. I bet he has a great body.

Hermione grimaced. No she definitely would never write that to her parents. They were wonderful and extremely supportive. Certainly she'd confided in her mother before. Somehow though, Hermione felt she had to struggle with this muddle all on her own.