Last time:

"Not at all Draco, as long as one of them female?" Draco rolled his eyes at yet another hint his mother made on a female companion.

"Of course, I wouldn't dream of not inviting a girl."

"Very well, shall we have our meal, I have to wake up quite early to prepare for tomorrow night."

"Hermione wake up!" Ginny screamed for the thirteenth time. She had been arrived to Hermione's very impressive flat at exactly 8 and was surprised to see she was still in bed. The clock now read 8:10 with one last scream Ginny just pushed Hermione straight out of the bed.

Thump

"OW! Oh my god! What time is it?" Hermione yelped.

"8:10, know get your fat ass off the floor and go take a shower. I'll be waiting for you in the kitchen and then we can head out to Diagon Alley. You look like you'll need some coffee, we can stop at Starknuts (a/n: wizard's Starbucks perhaps?) and get our usuals."

"Thanks Gin," Hermione blindly made her way to the bathroom as she heard Ginny Potter shut her bedroom door. Hermione groaned when she realized she had to go shopping for tonight's function. After a quick shower, she pulled on a pair of capri pants and a cream-colored babydoll top. She cast a quick drying spell on her hair allowing it to now fall in soft ringlets, falling two inches above her waist. "Alright Gin let's go" Hermione grabbed her purse and they both apparated to Starknuts with a 'pop'

"Hey Luna, can me and Hermione get our favorites? Thanks!"

"Ginny, you mean Hermione and I."

"Yeah whatever, Thanks Luna." Luna Lovegood creator of the famed Starknuts passed Ginny and Hermione their coffee. She spent one week each at her 13 Starknuts to ensure the best customer service from her employees. Currently she was at the Diagon Alley branch.

"I need to get a dress for the Malfoy's ball tonight, so you're going to have to help me pick one out."

"What about that one you wore to last years Wizard of the Year Award?"

"Oh, well ummm you see I think that ones a bit outdated?" Hermione secretly wanted to find some male companionship soon, she was only human and female after all.

"Well Hermione I didn't know you wanted to look so good for Malfoy, you should have just said so!" Ginny was grinning wildly.

"Shut up Ginny, can we start looking before I decide to tell Harry about that little incident at your bachelorette party?"

"You never seemed like the blackmail type. Let's head over to Madam Malkin's and see what we can find." The duo weaved their way through the crowded streets of the busy wizarding shopping area.

Meanwhile at the Malfoy Manor…

"Master Malfoy, Mis..Mistress re..re..requests your attendance in the informal dining area a..aa…as soon as possible, sir," Mipsy stammered. There was only one thing she hated about servicing the Malfoys and that was waking up Master Malfoy. He had a surly temper when he was woken involuntarily.

"Tell mother I'll be down in a few minutes, Mipsy," Draco groaned as the sunlight streamed through the windows. The only downfall of Draco having the entire East Wing of the manor to himself was that was the side the sun rose in the morning. He swung the covers back and padded across the lush carpet to his bathroom. An hour later he found himself walking towards his mother's voice screeching at the elves who must have inaccurately set up the table cloths or something.

"Good morning, Draco. It's about time you decided to grace us with your presence. An hour is NOT a few minutes," Narcissa Malfoy fumed.

"No Happy Birthday? How indecent of you mother, and here I thought you actually loved me."

"I'm sorry Draco. I just want tonight to be perfect. We can not have a incident like the one the Parkinson's had last month."

"Of course, we don't need little transfigured caterpillars inching around the flower arrangements."

"Would you like your gift now? It's taken me ages to find, but I'm sure once I see your reaction it'll be worth it," Narcissa smiled warmly at her son. Without waiting for a reply she casted a quick 'accio Draco's present' and handed it to him. He looked expectantly at the lavishly wrapped gift in his hand and began to peel off the wrapping. His eyes grew wide as he saw the gold engravement on the cover of the dragon hide bound book.

"That's not just any Hogwarts: A History it's the first copy ever made and is also signed by the author." Narcissa gleefully said. Draco opened the book and turned to the first page. There enough was the scrawling signature of the famed author.

"Mother! I don't know how to thank you!" Draco was very happy with her choice of gift. He was not very materialistic much to everyone's beliefs. It was probably the effects of being very spoiled as a child that Draco didn't care much for money, although if he lost all of his he probably would.

"You could thank my by finding a wife and settling down." Draco just grunted a thanks again and walked out to the broom shed to go fly for a while. "Draco I want you ready for tonight at 6 and nothing later," Narcissa screamed before Draco was well out of ear-shot.

"Ginny, you have go to be kidding me. This dress is worth one-month of my paycheck!" Hermione was furious, she should have known dress shopping with Ginny would involve her having to spend so much money. She enjoyed saving her money not splurging on dresses for a party she didn't even want to go to in the first place.

"Hermione you look like amazing in the dress. You have to buy it!" Hermione took one last look in the mirror. She had to agree with Ginny on that. The dress, a pale yellow number with lace and sequins number, was very flattering.

"Alright, I guess I can let go once in a while right?"

"Right, now go pay and then we can head over for lunch somewhere." After stopping of at the cash register and eating at a small Italian bistro in Diagon Alley, the two girls made there way back to Hermione's Chelsea flat to grab of her few needed accessories and flooed to the Potter residence where they were going to get ready.

Around 6 o'clock Hermione made her way down to Harry and Ginny's living room. When she arrived Ginny and Harry were already there kissing on the couch.

"Guys I know this is your own house but I don't want to have to see Harry practically eating your face Ginny, on the couch I often sit on." Ginny was blushing and Harry grinning when they heard a pop signaling Ron's arrival.

"Hey guys, eww Harry you've got Ginny's lipstick all over your face." Ginny grabbed her wand quickly and cast a quick charm removing it form Harry's blushing face and reapplied some to her lips. The four of them then apparated to the Malfoy Manor's apparation point.

Draco was nervous. Hermione would be coming to his house for the first time and HIS birthday party. He had already threatened all male invitees from making any physical contact or sexual advances. His best friend Blaise Zambini found this hilarious and already planned on asking Hermione for a dance to spite Draco.

Draco looked around the ballroom in search for a certain former Gryffindor. At the exact moment he saw Hermione Granger walk in with her usual cronies. His jaw immediately dropped. Draco Lucius Black Malfoy had never seen anything more beautiful in his life.

"Draco, close your mouth before you drool over your Armani dress robes," Blaise said after he noticed his friend's expression. Draco turned to glare at Blaise not bothering to deny his staring walked away from him and towards the newly arrived guests.

"Oh no, here comes Malfoy," Hermione groaned when she saw Draco's advancement towards her and his friends. Ginny snickered, earning her a questioning look from her husband and brother.

"Granger, Weasley, Potter and Potter, Thank you for coming." Draco said to his guests although the entire time he looked at Hermione, which didn't go unnoticed by the others. "Granger, you look lovely tonight" Draco smiled at her which made Hermione very nervous.

"Happy Birthday Malfoy," Ginny, Harry and Ron said together. Then Ginny nudged Hermione who had remained silent.

"Happy Birthday Drac..Malfoy," Hermione quickly said. Malfoy smirked, he had definitely heard the slip.

"Oh, Thank you. I hope you all enjoy yourselves. Oh, Potter a word with you? I would like to discuss some business matters with you."

"Of course Malfoy." Harry was a top auror for the ministry. He had a feeling Malfoy probably wanted him to do a background check on a future employee for Malfoy Enterprises.

"Way to go Hermione, you just embarrassed yourself in front of the richest wizard in the world at his birthday party," Ron mocked.

"Ronald go find some airhead to mate with like rabbits," Hermione WAS embarrassed and humiliated. She had almost called Malfoy, Draco and him being so civil with compliments rather than the usual insults over her appearance was unnerving.

"Hermione, why don't we get something to drink?" Ginny asked as she saw Ron wander off.

"Yea sure, I'm going to need something strong to make it through the night." Ginny grinned.

"Two Firewhiskies please, wait make that three," Ginny told the bartender. She took one of the shots and handed two to Hermione who didn't even protest and downed both within seconds.

Draco meanwhile had just talked to Potter about an employee he was thinking of hiring. He saw Blaise making his way towards Hermione. Draco narrowed his eyes and saw that Zambini was in fact about to ask her to dance even after he told him not to.

"Miss Granger, would you care to share a dance with me?" Blaise Zambini, a attractive Italian with olive skin asked Hermione.

"Of course she would." Ginny replied for her and pushed Hermione into Blaise's arm. Blaise took this time to look over at Draco who was glaring daggers at him. Blaise merely smirked and walked with Hermione to the dance floor. Hermione was too speechless to say anything.

Draco was furious. Blaise Zambini was going to pay for this. Fifteen minutes later, Zambini had his arm snuggly around Hermione's waist, too snug in Draco's opinion. He downed his entire glass of firewhisky and swiftly made his way onto the dance floor.

"Blaise, your girlfriend over there is about to kill you if you don't go and tend to her," Draco drawled. Blaise merely smirked at Draco's pathetic lie which proved to Blaise that his assumptions were right about Draco's feelings for Granger.

"Oh dear, must go to her quickly, Sorry Hermione," Blaise apologized.

"Ummm that's ok," Hermione replied.

"I'm sure Draco wouldn't mind taking over," Blaise said.

"Of course not, thank you Zambini. I WILL take over from here." Hermione was blushing like crazy. Malfoy was practically begging for a dance with her and she was surprised she wasn't refusing or making up an excuse. Blaise walked away and the next thing she new Malfoy had an arm wrapped around her waist pulling her to him intimately and had his hand in hers. Hermione realized her other arm was limp and hanging from her side. She quickly placed it on his shoulder.

"Ginny, why is Hermione dancing with Malfoy?" Harry asked as he glided passed the surprising couple.

"Come on Harry, she's just being a nice guest." Ginny smiled. The night moved on and all that Hermione knew was that Draco Malfoy danced with her and only her. That's all either of them were thinking about, strange how enemies can change so much.

The current predicament of Draco and Hermione did not go unnoticed by Narcissa Malfoy, who was mingling with guest sporting a knowing smile. The next morning however, the entire wizarding world will be given a surprise that may change the outcome of everything.

A/N: the next chapter will be the introduction of the marriage-law and so on. I hope this chapter was long enough. The first two were quite short.