Hermione had just reached her door when she heard Ginny's voice, calling for her to wait.

When Ginny did catch up, Hermione noted how eerily like Fred and/or George she looked at the moment.

"Why aren't you down there with Harry?" Hermione inquired idly.

"Apparently, he hasn't told Ron he's my boyfriend. I really don't think my presence is necessary down there right now. I'm sure Harry is perfectly able to handle it without my input," Ginny told her.

"Ah. And, coincidentally, you're out of firing range right now. So, what did you want?"

The Fred/George-ness in Ginny's expression manifested itself even more strongly. "You're going out with Draco, right?"

"Well-—not so much 'going out with' as—-"

"Right. Anyway, Harry and I are going to Hogsmeade next Hogsmeade weekend together, and I was thinking it would be fun to double date!"

"Does Harry know about this?"

"Not yet. Does it matter?"

"No." Hermione couldn't keep back a smile. "But you'll have to tell him eventually."

"I'll handle it. I don't think he'll object, anyway. So, what do you say?"

Hermione considered. She had actually been a bit worried about what she and Draco were going to do the whole day, and this way she could largely eliminate much of the awkwardness. And if, as Harry said, Draco was sort of kind of not really friends with him…

"Hermione? Are you still with me?" Ginny was looking up at her with a vaguely puzzled air. "You were spacing out, or something."

"Er, yes. Sure, I really don't see why not."

"That's settled, then. Just tell Draco about it some time."

There was the 'why not.' Hermione had absolutely no pleasant memories of conversing with the Slytherin. For the first six years, they'd traded insults, and the first and last actual talk they'd had, she had been completely humiliated. For which, of course, Harry and Ron were going to pay. But that wasn't the issue at hand.

"Um…all right, I'll do that."

"I can come along for emotional support," Ginny offered. "In fact, why don't we go do that now?"

And before Hermione knew it, she was trotting after Ginny in the direction of the Slytherin dungeons.

Damn…how'd that happen?

They found Draco quite easily; he was sitting in a corridor, leaning against a wall.

"He looks like he's asleep," Hermione whispered nervously. "Maybe we should just go away right now."

At the sound of her voice, however, he glanced up and brightened visibly. "Oh, hullo, Hermione."

"Draco," said Ginny, "you're grinning like an idiot. You've got it so bad. Hermione, see, that's how he looks at you when you're not watching him. Only more broodingly."

"I don't think 'more broodingly' is right," Hermione replied automatically. But she had to admit--Draco was grinning, as Ginny put it, like an idiot.

"So," the boy in question drawled, "what brings two Gryffindors like yourselves to the big bad Slytherin dungeons?"

Ginny poked Hermione hard. Hermione briefly wondered if poking innocent people in the side was a Weasley thing that Harry had picked up or a boy thing that Ginny had picked up, then realized that it didn't matter because Ginny was expecting her to say something about double dating right about now.

"Um," she said. "I--er--Hogsmeade--Harry."

Déjà vu, much?

Draco seemed to be trying very hard to piece the sentence together. "You've decided to go to Hogsmeade with Harry instead of me?" he hazarded, silver eyes clouding with apprehension.

"No! I mean--um--Ginny?" What was it about arrogant blond prats that made her lose coherency?

Draco tried again. "You decided you don't actually fancy guys and are going to Hogsmeade with Ginny? And are possibly trying to set me up with Harry?"

Hermione took a deep breath and organized her thoughts. "No. Look, Ginny and Harry are going to Hogsmeade together and Ginny thought it would be a good idea to double-date."

"Oh!" He brightened again. "So the date's still on? And you don't fancy either Ginny or Harry?"

"Yes and no, respectively." This coherency thing was getting easier.

"Great!" twinkled Ginny. "We'll just run along now. See you on Saturday, Draco!"

"See you, Hermione!" he called. As Ginny propelled Hermione back towards Gryffindor Tower, the latter caught a glimpse of Draco grinning cheerily...and rather idiotically.