"Alright. Why don't we just agree to meet every Wednesday night at eight in the Transfiguration classroom?"

"Malfoy, if someone caught us in there we'd both be screwed..."

"No, we're prefects, remember? We're allowed to go where ever. Well, unless it's to-"

"I KNOW Malfoy!" She knew what Draco meant by the mischievous grin on his face.

"And if we're caught, we just tell the truth. You're tutoring me in Transfiguration." Hermione couldn't argue with that.

"Fine. I'm going to dinner." She huffed out of the room, obviously agitated with the situation she couldn't get herself out of.

"See you tomorrow love," he shouted after her.

That night in the common room, Ron was livid. "Why don't you just tell me what's going on? Where did you go after Potions? Why did Draco look at you like that?"

"I told you, I was at the library. And who knows why Draco does what he does. He's a moron." Ron seemed to think this was a fairly acceptable answer, though he was still in a huffy mood. Hermione stood up to leave, but Ron grasped her wrist.

"'Mione, where are you going?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm going to bed, or do you think Draco is waiting in my dorm to harass me?"

"Well I wouldn't put it past him, but that's not why I stopped you. I thought we were going back to... you know..." He gave her a meaningful look.

"Sorry, Ron, but there's just no way that after last night I would try that again. Getting caught is not an option. And besides, I'm tired." Ron watched her walk up the stairs longingly. Hermione could feel his eyes following her, but she refused to turn and meet them.

The next morning Hermione didn't wait for Ron or Harry to go down to breakfast. She didn't think she could come up with a lie quick enough if she met with Draco somehow, and she hadn't yet explained to Draco that she didn't want her boyfriend or best friend to know about the deal. Luckily the corridors were devoid of any sign of the blonde Slytherin, but before she was home free, there he stood outside the entrance to the Great Hall. She walked past him at a brisk pace, hoping he wouldn't notice her.

"Morning, Granger. Looking forward to tonight, I'm sure." He grinned at her retreating back after hearing her snort at his comment.

Hermione sat down at the Gryffindor table and attempted breakfast. She couldn't bring herself to eat, though, because there were too many thoughts running through her head. Why had she made that promise to Draco? Why did she want to keep it secret from Ron and Harry? Well, that was easy enough, neither boy would support this decision and try to fight or intimidate Draco into backing off. She was sure that he would head straight to the nearest Professor to share his tale of the previous evening. That was another thing; she thought she wanted the same thing as Ron did that night, but what was there another reason she didn't want to go through with it beyond Head Girl? Hermione brushed that off, reasoning that she wanted her first time to be special, and screwing around in a dusty old classroom was hardly romantic.

A hand flashed in front of her face.

"HERMIONE!" She was jerked out of her thoughts and she stared at Harry.

"Yea?" Harry didn't think it was anything more than daydreaming, and repeated what he had said to her before. Then he and Ron just continued to talk about the upcoming Quidditch match against Slytherin and Hermione was left alone again.

The day went by entirely too fast, and when the clock chimed at 7:45, Hermione crept out of the common room and down to the Transfiguration room. Draco was already in there looking bored out of his mind, staring out of a window and tapping his fingers. She shut the door behind her and put a locking charm on it.

"Let's get this over with, shall we?" Draco turned around to find Hermione looking at him with an annoyed expression. They started out alright, Hermione doing the spell first and Draco attempting to follow suit. Unfortunately, Draco was failing miserably at transfiguring the desk into a broomstick. This happened several times before Hermione was fed up.

"Malfoy, you need to put some energy into it instead of listlessly waving your wand about like some sort of fairy."

"Well I'm sorry that not everyone can be as perfect as you, Granger."

"I'm not asking you to be perfect, I'm asking you to do the damn spell right."

"Well maybe I could if you would teach me without getting so freaking annoyed when I ask you a question."

"If you read the text, you wouldn't have any questions."

"I'm sorry I don't study all day, some of us have social lives."

That struck a nerve.

"I have a social life too, at least some of us have friends based on our brains and personality rather than our fathers money and threats."

Draco became unruffled.

"My friends are not paid or threatened to be friends with me, and I'll thank you to stay out of my business, mudblood. If you didn't help Potter figure out all his little mysteries and if Ron didn't get off because of you, they wouldn't hang 'round you much, would they?"

Hermione was beyond pissed. She slapped Draco across his cheek, leaving a red print in the shape of her hand.

"You do not know ANYTHING about the nature of my relationships with EITHER OF THEM so SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"

She stormed over to pick up her things, stomped towards the door and pulled on the door handle hard, only to stumble backwards a few feet. Draco let out a snort, and before even he knew what he was doing, he was nearly doubled over with laughter.

"You... forgot... about... the... locking charm!" He was howling with laughter. She told him to do something very un-Hermione like, which only made him laugh harder. Hermione unlocked the door and rushed out in a rage, but not before Draco could see her blazingly red face and let out one last bout of chuckles.