Disclaimer: for the last time, I DON'T OWN ANYTHING except the story line

A/N: Oh my goodness gracious me! Two chapters in one day! Well…actually it was going to be one long chapter, but when I started getting to seven pages I decided to split it into two chapters. Hope you like.

Chapter 9

Pulling back slightly to get some air, Draco leaned his forehead against Hermione's and opened his eyes. He watched as she opened hers as well, and saw the confusion there.

"Draco… we shouldn't… I mean, we don't even like each other."

Draco tipped Hermione's head back up to him as she started to look down. "I like you."

Hermione looked up at him uncertainly. "You do?"

"Yep." Draco watched as a smile grew slowly on Hermione's face, and then felt an uneasiness pass through him as the smile turned back into a look of confusion.

"But…we still can't. I mean, how do I know if I can trust you? I don't even know you. Not properly."

"Relax Hermione," Draco reassured her, "I'm not asking you to marry me. I just want to be friends."

And that's all I want. Even then it's only so that I can seduce you. That's the only reason. It has to be. She's a muggle- it can't be anything else. Draco's thoughts though were unheard by Hermione, and slowly the smile returned to her face.

"Okay friend, I was bored as all hell before I came down here, and I have a feeling that if I leave I will be again. So…do you know how to play cards?"

"Exploding snap? Come on Hermione, you're seventeen and you still play snap?"

"As a matter of fact I do. It does wonders to de-stress me. Okay, I admit…a hot bath and a full body massa-," Hermione caught the look of interest on Draco's face and quickly halted her train of speech. "But you really didn't need to know that. Anyway, I wasn't talking about playing Exploding Snap, I was talking about playing with normal cards –the muggle way."

"I don't know how to play muggle cards though. Hell, I can only just play snap."

"That's okay. I'll teach you, it's easy. And with these cards they won't jump up at you, so you can take as long as you want to play. Come on…pretty please with sugar on top?" Hermione battered her eyelashes crazily and looked up at Draco beguilingly.

"Oh alright. If you insist. But you better let me win at least once or my poor male ego won't be able to take it anymore and I'll have an emotional breakdown."

Hermione laughed and threw her arms around Draco, surprising him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. Okay, you sit here, I'll go & get the cards and m & m's." she got up and crossed the room to one of the cupboard along the wall and pulled out a deck of cards with a plain white cardboard case.

"m & m's?"

"Yup. This is gonna be serious. We're playing for m & m's." Hermione grinned and tossed him the cards. "Start shuffling while I get the m & m's" She then walked out of the room and headed for the kitchen.

But Draco didn't get further than pulling the cards out of their box before an overwhelming surge of something he desperately hoped wasn't jealousy overthrew him. On the back of the cards, instead of the usual designs such as pictures of tropical islands or swirly blue or red lines, there was a photograph of Hermione laughing. But not just Hermione. Standing next to her with his arm around her and laughing along with her was a guy. But not just any guy… it was Weasley.

They were all dressed up, not in dress robes, but in muggle clothes. Hermione had on a baby pink dress with tiny spaghetti straps and a v-shaped neckline that showed a considerable –but decent- amount of cleavage. The dress curved closely over her breasts, stomach and waist, and then flared out slightly over her hips and down to the middle of her calves and had some see-through material the same colour as the dress sticking out the bottom. What was it called? Tulle. She had delicate black high heeled sandals on her feet, and her hair was pulled back up to her crown and was all curly. Not frizzy curly like it used to be, but beautiful sleek, shiny curls. She looked stunning.

And even Weasley had managed to scrub up pretty good –he didn't even have any dirt on his face. His hair was all spiky, and he had on a tux. And a pretty decent looking one at that. Wonder which kid they sold to get him that?

It wasn't the fact that Hermione was with another guy that rankled. It wasn't even the fact that it was Weasley, who wouldn't ever be good enough for her. What really pissed him off was the fact that Weasley had his arm around Hermione's shoulders, her hand was holding onto the one of his that was over her shoulder, and her head was tilted to look up at him as they laughed. And they looked happy. Very happy. And to cap it all off, there was love shining out of Weasley's eyes like a beacon that even Draco could pick up on.

Hermione walked back into the room with the m & m's on a tray and found Draco giving the cards death glares. "Draco? What's the matter?" Then she caught sight of the deck of cards she'd handed him. "Oh."

"When was this taken?"

"Last holidays…remember how Harry, Ron, Ginny and I went home? Yeah…well… It was Ginny's sixteenth birthday last holidays and Molly wanted her go in a debutante ball. So Harry agreed to escort Ginny, and so they figured Ron and I could go together. There's a deck in the cupboard somewhere with Harry and Ginny on them." Hermione sat down next to him and placed the tray between them, then started to divide up the m & m's into two little bowls.

"I though you said the thing with Ron ended ages ago?" Draco turned the statement into a question.

"It did." Hermione started to deal out the cards.

"But… the picture. You both look so…happy."

"We were laughing. Harry was in the next photo booth along complaining. He said that he'd rather spend five hours cleaning the trophy room for Filch than wear a tux again in this lifetime. Then Ginny said that if he didn't smile for the camera and look like he was having a good time, his exit from this life could be arranged soon. So yes, we were laughing. But it didn't mean anything. I told you, we're just friends."

"Okay…if you say so…now," Draco looked confusedly at the cards in front of him, "what are we playing, and how do we play?"

"Okay, well…the game's called Red Tulip, and this is how you play… " Hermione started to explain the game to Draco, and in ten minutes time they were ready to start playing properly. "Just let me put some music on so I can think, and then we'll get started for real."

"You're putting on music to help you think?"

"Yeah. Do you mind The Panel?"

"Who?"

"It's the soundtrack for an Aussie TV show."

"Okay…but how did you get it if it's an Australian thing?"

"I used to live there, and one of my friends sent it to me for my last birthday."

"Oh."

"Okay," said Hermione, sitting back down in front of Draco and starting to deal out the cards. "Let's play. Each game is worth 5 m & m's."

As they played, Draco watched Hermione, and noticed that when it was her turn, she'd sing along to the CD while she was deciding which card to place down. Weird, I suppose she really does concentrate better with music on. But when they were nearly finished the second game, Hermione started to sing along to a song that gave him the creeps.

'Cos when it comes to dying / I'm not frightened

I've been to hell and I've seen the truth

So when it comes to dying / I'm not lying

I only know that this much is true

I'm gonna miss you'

"Okay, I'm glad that you'll miss me when you die, but still, that's seriously morbid Hermione."

Hermione looked up from her cards at Draco and blushed. "Oh, sorry. Can't help it. I just sing what they sing."

Fifty minutes later Draco realised that Hermione was once again singing along to a depressing song. And since it was still raining, he didn't really feel like listening to depressing music.

'I don't listen to the radio / last time it made me cry

Two boys went crazy / fifteen kids died

And I don't know their families / I don't ask them how they're goin'

They're on the other side of the world / but it's way to close to home

Got something to say / I thought it might be worth a mention

If you're not pissed off at the world /then you're just not payin' attention

You can turn off the TV / go about your day

Just because you don't see it / doesn't mean it's gone away'

"Okay, that's it. This is entirely too depressing. Pick another CD Hermione, or I will."

"Fine then," Hermione answered back, "be my guest."

"I will." Draco walked over to where the Grangers' kept their CDs, and picked out one that was the soundtrack to a movie he remembered muggles being absolutely crazy about a couple of years ago.

"Moulin Rouge! Oh I love that soundtrack, it's fantastic."

"Is it depressing?"

Hermione laughed. "Not by a long shot. Put it on."

Ten minutes later, a quarter of the m & m's had been "secretly" eaten, and Hermione had most of the ones left, leaving Draco with about a dozen. They spent most of the time laughing, as Draco had continuously had to pick up the pack, and at one stage had lost eight games in a row. Draco had just had to pick up the pack for the fifth time that game, and Hermione was down to her last two cards when Draco decided he'd had enough.

"I give up! I forfeit! Whatever you want to call it! I refuse to submit to this humiliation anymore…it's humiliating!"

Hermione looked up at him and burst out laughing at the mutinous look on his face.

"Ohhh, poor baby. Can't handle the heat, eh? Oh well," Hermione said as a new track started on the CD, "I suppose that's okay. I'm getting tired of this anyway. Here, have my m & m's, I certainly don't need them." Hermione patted her hips and then tipped her chocolates into Draco's bowl.

Draco looked at Hermione in consternation. "You're not dieting are you? Because you don't need to, and I hear it can be really bad for you. My cousin did once and she got really sick and was in hospital for ages…anorexia I think. So…you're not are you?"

"Don't worry, I'm not about to keel over from not eating. I'm not dieting either. I'm just… not eating tonnes and tonnes more than I need to anymore."

"Well okay…if you're sure…"

"I am. Come on, it's a Sunday, so Mum'll be making a roast for dinner, so we don't need to help with that, but we can probably make something to have for desert."

"I can't cook Hermione, you know that."

"Yes, but I can, so if you don't do anything I don't tell you too, we should be fine."

Draco looked at her doubtfully.

"I promise! I've never had any disasters in the kitchen yet, and I don't expect to ruin my reputation… especially with a Slytherin," she added, deliberately provoking him so that he would agree to help her.

"Hey! Just because I'm a Slytherin doesn't mean I can't cook!"

"Sure it doesn't…by the way," she said, moving quickly to the door, "last one there's a Blast-Ended Skrewt!" Hermione then took off, sprinting through the house towards the kitchen, and only just making it there before Malfoy did. She quickly scanned her favourite recipes, and then decided what they were going to make.

"Apple crumble? Are you sure we can do that? Look at the picture, it looks pretty complicated."

"Nonsense. It's easy really. Now put an apron on-

"An apron!"

"- and wash your hands, then go to the fridge and get me five green apples…" Hermione took charge, and soon they were measuring and pouring and mixing and having a lot of laughs at the same time as Draco somehow managed to screw up every task Hermione set him. But the incident that sent Hermione rolling on the floor in laughter was when he dropped the cup holding the flour onto the bench and it spilt all over him, making him look like someone's bad attempt at a ghost. Hermione tried to placate him when he scowled at her antics.

"I'm…sorry...it's just …you look… so funny…" laughing uncontrollably, Hermione rolled about on the floor, but stopped in surprise when she felt a light powder come to rest on her head.

"Hey! That's my hair!"

"Well, well, well," said Draco with a smug smile, "look who's not laughing anymore. Not so funny when it happens to you, is it?"

"Why you…" Hermione leapt up from the floor and dug her hand into the flour bag and then threw some across the room at Draco.

"That was not very nice, Miss Granger."

Hermione grinned at him. "I know." She then started to back away as Draco advanced towards her.

"Which means you'll pay for that…So, Miss Hermione," he said conversationally, "would you happen to be ticklish?"

Hermione froze as she realised what that question meant. He was going to try and tickle her. "No," she said backing away quicker and quicker. "Oh no. No you don't." She turned to run, but wasn't fast enough as Draco nearly flew across the room and captured her around her waist.

"You're not? Now, why don't I believe you? We might have to just see if you're ticklish. I think that would be best, don't you?" As Hermione struggled, Draco tightened one arm around her waist –years of Quidditch giving him strength with which Hermione couldn't compete- and then rested the other one on her stomach, lightly tickling it. Within a minute he had Hermione wriggling and laughing hysterically in his arms. "Do you promise not to throw any more flour on me?"

"I promise…I promise…just…stop… tick.ling… me."

Draco stopped tickling her and slowly turned her around to face him, still holding her in his arms. "Well at least I know how to make you do what I want now." Hermione looked at him in alarm.

"No fair. You can't use that against me. And you especially can't tell anyone."

"Hmm…we'll see. Now, I think we should clean up this mess and finish making desert."

"Good idea."

* * * * *

Later that night Hermione lay in bed and contemplated the day. What exactly had happened between her and Draco? And why hadn't she pulled back when he'd kissed her and told him not to do it again? Sometimes I think that I'm the only person in the world who's gone through this. I wish someone would just tell me what to do. And while they're at it, perhaps they could tell me why I want Draco to kiss me again.

A/N: Phew! It's taken me all weekend to write these last two chapters. Hope they were okay. The songs in this chapter were:

paulmac featuring Abby Dobson Gonna Miss You and Kasey Chambers Ignorance