Last Chapter –

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked concernedly, looking into his eyes.

"Nothing," he said quickly, No! You mustn't put your heart at risk!

"Are you sure?" she persisted, wrinkling her brow.

"I'm fine," he snapped, "I just need to get out of here." And before Hermione could do anything, Draco was gone.

Chapter 5 – Challenging Each Other

Draco was sitting in the second living room, away from all the noise of Mrs. Granger cluttering and clacking about, trying to make everything look perfect for the engagement party at their house. He needed to also get away from Hermione.

He wasn't sure why, but he had a feeling if he was near her again, he might have done something he'd regret. Now, regret for different people means different things. For Draco, it meant to wear his heart on his sleeve, and to risk feeling the hurt he once felt – again.

He wasn't sure about the kiss. Did he really feel anything? Draco had kissed quite a few girls in his lifetime and it didn't really feel any different. Except this time, he was sober and knew what he was doing 100 percent. And, he did for the smallest of seconds want it. The only other time he had wanted to do that, was with the girl who had left him. Parvati Patil.

When Draco was told by Mrs. Granger about the whole issue with Cedric in Hermione's bed, he could admit to himself that he did feel a hint of jealousy. However, he brushed that aside, as a feeling of normality from his male hormones.

In the end, Draco decided to get up and go to the kitchen and risk meeting Hermione, as his stomach was clearly telling him he was in need for food.

As he entered, he breathed a sigh of relief. No one was in there, it was empty. And there was a fridge, a fridge full of food! When Draco had finally settled down with almost every food imaginable, he was interrupted as he tried to take a bite of his hamburger.

"Hey."

Draco looked up in surprise, it was Hermione. But he decided a way to get around not mentioning the kiss. Yes, he admitted to himself, it was cowardly but alas he did not want to bring up feelings that he felt a while ago.

"Hi." He said shortly, ignoring her afterwards and biting into his hamburger. Some of the dressing inside dribbled down his chin which he ignored.

He heard a sniff of disgust and smirked to himself. She didn't like pigs did she? Gobbling up the food as quick and as gross as he could, he finally finished with a satisfied burp.

"That was delicious." He said, smacking his lips together. "Anymore?"

Hermione gave him a look of disgust. Well if he was going to pretend it didn't happen, two could play the game. "Nope." She said, "I think you ate the whole content of the fridge."

Draco met her gaze. "Well in that case, when we're married, I guess you're going to have to shop every day."

"I don't have time for that," Hermione said, gritting her teeth. "I have a business to run."

"Well so do I." Draco sneered, "And who do you think your family is going to say we give up, mine, or yours?"

Hermione stood there, unflinching determined not to show her annoyance. Draco smirked in triumph, "That's what I thought."

Hermione sighed, "Is this what we're going to be like our whole life? Challenging each other till one breaks? Because I assure you, I won't ever break willingly."

"Well then I guess I'm going to have to force you to break aren't I?" Draco said, "Unwillingly," he finished, emphasising the word.

Hermione shot him filthy look, "I could back out of this stupid marriage anytime I want."

Draco smirked, "So could I."

However, though both could, there were two problems. One, their parents would never allow it and two, they were both too stubborn. This may have proven to be a good thing, or a bad thing.

"I shouldn't have agreed to this." Hermione spat, "Marriage for money!" she let out a noise of frustration, "Why did I have to agree? Marriage is for love! Not money!"

Draco smirked yet again, "Well then, I guess you might never marry for love. Unless you want to marry that idiot, Diggory."

Hermione blushed, "Cedric is not an idiot, and I do not want to marry him."

Draco raised his hands in the air, "Which is why you were sleeping with him."

"We've been through this." She said, sounding annoyed.

"I know we have." He said, irritating her more than anyone else in the world had before.

"Why can't you be a normal human being?" Hermione said exasperatedly, "I mean, one second your all nice and the next, you're the biggest jerk on the planet."

"Maybe I'm not like others?" Draco said, looking her in the eye. His piercing sapphires testing her own dark amber eyes.

"That's a bad thing." Hermione spat, "Why do I have to marry you? I have no feelings for you except for loathing."

"The feeling's mutual." Draco spat, glaring at her.

Hermione met Draco's gaze for a few minutes, before turning on her heel and storming out of the room.

This was the first ever fight between the two when they were aggravated. Neither wanted to back down, but Draco was triumphant. It was one to him, and zero to Hermione. It was all about winning, and money.

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Mrs Victoria Granger was frantic. She couldn't find her daughter anywhere! Draco was probably lounging around the house, checking out all the displays, but where was Hermione! She wasn't ready, and the guests were to arrive in less than two hours!

She ran through the house distressing, convincing herself to not hyperventilate when she saw her daughter sitting on the tyre in the backyard, based on a muggle invention. She was swinging above the dam, obviously deep in thought.

Victoria ran outside, screaming her daughter's name.

"Hermione! Hermione!" she yelled, "HERMIONE!"

Finally, Hermione was snapped out of her stupor. Turning around in surprise, almost falling into the water, "What mother?"

"You have to get ready! There are only two more hours before all the families come, and you know that -"

Hermione groaned, "Yes, that all the families are wealthy important clients and partners of father and Mr. Malfoy."

"Don't you take that tone with me young lady!" reproved Mrs Granger, "Come, we must also tell Draco to get ready."

Hermione felt herself being magically swept off the swing, and onto the ground. Huffing in annoyance, she followed her mother who was running around like a madwoman.

She could hear her mother muttering, "Still haven't polished the table, china…" Hermione rolled her eyes, it wasn't as if this whole stupid engagement party would affect her and Malfoy's father's businesses, would it?

They found Malfoy easily enough, and he was perusing all the pictures of Hermione as a baby, of her and Amanda, of her and Harry, and her family. Hermione sighed when she thought of Harry, she hadn't heard of him in such a long time.

Hopefully he had managed to get an invite to the party. He had gone away on a scholarship to learn quidditch professionally before he played with Oliver at Puddlemere. It wasn't that Hermione was irritated with him leaving, but she really did miss him. He was like Amanda, but was a boy and knew things from a male perspective. Thankfully, Draco didn't know him. But she had a feeling their personalities wouldn't mix very well.

Hermione was ushered upstairs by her maid, Gizelle. Amanda had left earlier. Hermione was feeling a little guilty by the way she had huffed out of the room earlier. She hadn't even said goodbye. She was too busy fighting with Draco.

At the thought of Draco, Hermione's eyes clouded up in anger and confusion. She didn't know what was wrong with him! One second he was decent, the next he was some kind of imbecile.

"Guys these days," sighed Hermione, "stupid retards."

"What was that dear?" asked Gizelle. She was nice enough, sort of like a motherly figure to Hermione, but wasn't close enough to her to tempt Hermione to spill her guts.

"Nothing," Hermione said, plastering a smile on her face. "So, what are we going to do to me tonight?"

"I was thinking of your hair half up and down, and just some earthly makeup." Gizelle said, before adding, "Not like those nasty girls who wear tremendous amounts of makeup. Don't you think it makes them look horrible?"

Hermione nodded in agreement, "It does make them look bad doesn't it?"

As Gizelle got to work on Hermione's face and hair, she buried her nose in the latest edition of Witch Weekly. Turning the page, Hermione let out a gasp of astonishment.

"What is it?" Gizelle had been distracted by Hermione.

"Nothing," she said hurriedly, "Just looking at something." Soon after, Gizelle went back to work, letting Hermione read the article.

On the page, was a picture of Harry, her Harry Potter, flying in Puddlemere robes.

The latest addition to Puddlemere Uniting's squad is Harry Potter. Harry is known for his wonderful triumphs at his school, Magical Med East, winning his team four cups in a row, never failing to lose a match. The captain of the team, Oliver Wood it seems went to school with him. Rumours encircling have said that Harry was chosen biasedly, but the coach John Worsock firmly denies this.

"Potter is a magnificent player. At Puddlemere we cannot afford, like many other teams, to just choose players for friendship or family. We are a team of champions, which makes us a champion team." Stated the coach, when we interviewed him after a game that Puddlemere won.

Potter had just finished his course at Quidditch Mania, studying tactics and many other strengths for quidditch. He may be the one person to either help Puddlemere win the cup for the first time in 24 years, or he may be the one to make the drought last longer.

Hermione let out a noise of shock. How could they say he could be the one to make them lose! He was the only one that could help them! The only thing that had been holding back that team was a seeker. And now they had one!

Before Hermione could think too much about the article, Gizelle was informing her that she was ready.

"Come miss, you must put on your clothes now."

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It was exactly twenty minutes after everyone had arrived. Hermione was standing in her room in robes of turquoise, putting on a silver necklace her father had given her when he came back from a business trip in Paris. Her mother said it was always good to make an entrance late if you were the honoured party.

Taking in a deep breath, she looked herself in the mirror. She almost started, as she saw Draco behind her. Expecting him to make a nasty comment, she turned around bracing herself but was disappointed.

He walked out, to the top of the stairs and politely waited for her. He was wearing dress robes of dark green and black, making his eyes look even more piercing.

He held out his hand in a gentleman like manner. "Are you ready?" he asked, his eyes boring into hers.

"As ready as I'll ever be." She answered, taking in a deep breath before walking down to the guests who were now silent, watching the betrothed couple walk down the stairs, step by step.

I keep wanting to write about the engagement party, but things just keep popping up! And I swore to myself the chapters for this story wouldn't be too long.

Hope you like it. REVIEW!

softlove