A/N: If you'd like I could write an entire scene in terrible slow motion, if the beginning of the before seemed a little rushed. I'll try it now (but will not pull away from the story itself) so be prepared to witness the most excrutiatingly drawn-out class in Potions ever. Well, it might not actually be that bad, it depends if it actually ends up going anywhere or not.

Potions class began with the usual dramatic entrance of Professor Snape, and somehow Hermione found herself paired with Crabbe, of all people. She leant her hand on her upturned palm and tried not to cry any tears of frustration for he was scratching at the underside of his desk (not even paying attention to Professor Snape) and was tasting whatever he'd found down there.

"Now, by the end of this lesson I want you to all have completed a Hair Lengthening Potion. This potion extends one's hair length by approximately seven feet so do not, and I repeat do not overestimate the amount of ingredients needed. You may begin." Professor Snape flicked his hair back over his shoulder as he leant over his desk to commence marking on some second-years' work, and Hermione took a deep breath and turned to address Crabbe.

"So, do you want to use your cauldron or mine?"

"Eh?" He turned to her as he scratched at a pimple on his chin and she tried not to shudder at the sight of his speckled face. All around them the rest of the class were beginning to make their potions.

"I'm going to go get the ingredients. Can you get the cauldron?" Hermione asked him. He blinked at her.

"Get the cauldron Crabbe!" A voice to her left interjected. Hermione jumped as she turned face to face with Malfoy and fixed him with a dirty look.

"Thanks terribly much for repeating what I said." She managed sarcastically as Crabbe went off to follow out his orders. Malfoy smirked and cocked his head as he studied her.

"Awful bad luck there, getting paired with Crabbe. I wouldn't want to do potion work with him." His tone was almost but not quite civil. Hermione doubted he'd ever addressed anyone as an equal.

"Well you're with Pansy." Hermione spat back. His upper lip curled but after a moment she realised it was Pansy causing this and not her.

"Draco! I thought you were getting ingredients!" The girl in question hollered from across the room. Malfoy scowled and wandered off, not noticing Hermione had followed until she spoke up.

"Why did you send me those flowers?" She asked mistrustfully, waiting until he'd got half a pound of lacewings before she began to collect hers. "It's not like you'll get to Harry through me."

"Potter! What would I want to know about old scar-face?" He seemed genuinely horrified.

"Oh come on, why else would you try and, ugh, get me to like you?" She demanded.

"So you admit it!" He cried triumphantly.

"I didn't admit anything!"

"So you're keeping it 'secret'. Sure, okay, it's totally working Granger." Draco mocked her.

"Is Ferret irritating you Hermione?" Harry piped up as he came up with a little silver tray, ready to load lacewings onto. The white-haired boy scowled at him and moved forward to pick up a bat wing, but before he could, Hermione turned to address him.

"Thanks for sorting Crabbe out Draco." She smiled brightly. It had the intended effect and Harry's mouth almost hit the floor (and so did Malfoy's but he didn't let it show).

"What?" Malfoy demanded, rather stupidly, instead.

"Thanks." Hermione repeated, and then she quickly grabbed the rest of ingredients needed and walked back to her and Crabbe's desk, where the boy was kicking his charred cauldron.

-

Potter and Draco exchanged a look of surprise as Hermione walked off, only to come to their senses and glare at each other before Draco grabbed his ingredients and walked off stiffly.

Granger was across the room, oblivious, as he began to chuck ingredients randomly into the cauldron between shrieks of "Draco we're meant to put them in order" and "Draco is it meant to be that colour?" from Pansy. It was all Granger's fault of course; for smiling at him in that inane fashion only to elicit a bizarre response like this… he stopped when he realised he'd run out of ingredients.

"Oh shit." He muttered as Professor Snape wandered over to see the origin of this smoking cauldron.

"What's this?" The domineering man inquired coolly as he prodded at the mess with his wand, "did you even follow the instructions I set out for you to follow?" He demanded.

"Uh… yes." Draco conceded. He immediately regretted lying afterwards when he was forced to drink a portion of the potion under supervision from Snape.

-

Hermione was mildly worried when she noticed the smoky pink haze rising from Malfoy's cauldron, but that worry increased tenfold when she realised he was about to drink it.

"Professor don't you agree that drinking that is incredibly dangerous?" She called out as she shoved her way through her classmates to the front of the small crowd. Not only was she finding it strange that he was punishing a fellow Slytherin this way, but that this Slytherin was Draco Malfoy, the son of Snape's friend Lucius Malfoy. Snape gave her a look that could kill and rolled his eyes Malfoy's way.

"I think we can all agree that I am the Professor of this class and therefore know better. Ten points from Gryffindor. Now drink up Malfoy." He narrowed his eyes the blonde boy's way and watched him gulp down the potion. Draco remained unchanged for a moment and then suddenly went green and clapped both hands over his mouth before bolting out the room. "This should be a lesson for you all to follow instructions." Professor Snape informed the class, and then hissed for them to resume their own work. Meanwhile, a worried Hermione lingered by her desk as Crabbe chopped up dragon liver.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" She wondered aloud to the indifferent Crabbe, who had managed to squirt himself in the eye with some blood. "I mean, he looked really sick and no one went with him to the infirmary…"

"If you are so worried I suggest you do that task yourself." A voice informed her coldly to her side. She turned to see a certain Professor fixing her with a steely glare and murmured something and grabbed her satchel to follow Malfoy.

-

Draco threw up into the basin in the boy's lavatory and almost retched again at the sight of purple butterflies picking themselves up and fluttering about his head. He had no idea how this had happened, but drinking that potion seemed to have made him into a human cocoon for caterpillars. He saw another one on the windowsill and was unable to control the sudden urge to swallow it. He heard someone calling his name.

"Malfoy!" Granger tried again, and he tried to sneak up on her but then another butterfly sprung forth from his mouth and the resulting gasp alerted her to his presence.

"Granger," he greeted, and then spotted another caterpillar. She followed this action with wide eyes and then latched onto his sleeve; dragging him towards the infirmary.

"Don't even try and explain." She muttered matter-of-factly as another butterfly sprung from his lips. He managed to let her drag him about two hundred meters before spotting the next meal, and before she knew she was upon the floor as he dashed off. "Malfoy! Get back here!" Granger yelled after him. It was no use.

-

Later that night after Malfoy had received an antidote, Hermione sat with her diary open once more; quill poised to write.

after seeing someone vomit butterflies it is normally enough to quell any crush one has on them. However, this is not the case with me. I found myself worried, actually worried about Ferret, and even left Potions to make sure he was okay! I don't know why I even bothered; he was so much trouble to deal with…

Meanwhile, Draco was also writing an entry.

Granger came after me today when I had my little episode in Potions caused entirely by her anyway! So fair enough that she should worry about me, and come after me, and spend half an hour getting me to the infirmary… I got the impression she was thoroughly fed up with me afterwards, so I didn't chase it up, but the yearly Ball is approaching and I was thinking of inviting her. How could she resist me?

-

The next day at breakfast, Hermione found herself confronted by a very smug, blonde Slytherin proffering a single rose and an elaborate card. She was afraid to accept it.

"Well don't look at me as though I'm going to murder you. It's not like I'd want to do it in public." Malfoy joked as soon as he saw her face; unfortunately she took him seriously.

"What… is this?" She managed. He acted out a dramatic double take and dropped everything in his hands, staring at the arrangement it made at his feet.

"What's what?" He demanded, kicking it behind him not-so-subtly. Hermione raised an eyebrow at him.

"You were about to give me a rose and a card." She accused. Malfoy glared at her in mock-outrage.

"I was doing nothing of the sort!" He noticed they had gathered a crowd; among it, Harry and Ron. "I told you! Stop throwing yourself at me, I'm not so inclined!" And with this, he stormed off; scooping up the rose and card as he went.

"What was Ferret talking about?" Ron demanded as soon as everyone else dissipated. Hermione spun to face him with her hair going in every direction and fought the urge to tear it out.

"Boys are morons!" She informed him brusquely. "Never, ever become one!" With which, she also stormed off. Harry took one look at his best friend and sighed, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

"You're going about this the wrong way Ron. You have to let her know you're interested in a way other than friendship." He said helpfully. Ron gave him a bewildered look,

"What in bloody blazes did she mean by 'never become a boy'?"

-

Draco paused outside the doors of the Great Hall to contemplate his situation. He wasn't too upset about the blatant refusal by Hermione to even accept the rose and card, but now he had to find out a different way to invite her to the Ball. He got this second chance a mere minute later as she stormed out the hall as well.

"Granger!" He called out, smugness returned at the sight of her appearing so soon. She spun around and fixed him with a steely glare.

"Don't even try and talk to me Malfoy, I'm annoyed enough already."

"Why's that?" He asked candidly. She gaped at him.

"You! You and the fact you're such a bloody git!"

"Oh that is rich coming from you."

"Pardon? What do you mean by that?"

"I thought you were smart." He mocked openly. Granger swatted him angrily and he clutched at his chest, pretending to be wounded. "You're the one who followed me." He added.

"No I didn't!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I must not have just walked out the Great Hall." With which he kicked the elaborately carved door. She scowled at him.

"I left also because I was not in the mood for people being stupid! You are driving me insane! Why are you so interested in me?"

"Why not?" He shot back. She bit back the reply she'd had prepared and blinked at him.

"What?"

"Why not? Why can't I be interested in you?" Draco demanded, fingering the rose and card in his hand. He subtly tucked the card in his pocket (it was, after all, sarcastic as hell) and proffered the flower; she accepted it. "Do you have a date to the upcoming Ball?" He asked her.

"No." Granger seemed confused, perhaps totally missing the fact that he was about to invite her himself.

"Would you like to go as my date?" He spelt out simply. She blinked at him and before she could stop them, the words spilled out.

"I'd love to."

-

"I'd love to? I'd love to?" Hermione ranted furiously under her breath that night as she paced across the floor in her dorm and squeezed her eyes shut. Accepting an offer like that was fine, well, not really but she'd deal with that later, but to say I'd love to? That was patriotic suicide in Gryffindor!

Draco Malfoy was not 'I'd love to' material. He was a poncy, sarcastic, rich git.

Hermione sat down on her bed and sighed. She'd done all her homework half an hour earlier, but she couldn't go down into the common room because she'd been avoiding Harry and Ron like the plague the entire day. What would they say when she told them that she was going to the Ball with Malfoy?

She could always cancel.

No. No she couldn't cancel because she wanted to go. Hermione tugged unconsciously at her hair and stared into space; getting a huge fright when Ginny burst into the room.

"What on earth are you doing up here Hermione?" The young girl demanded as she caught sight of the strewn out (closed) textbooks and lack of quill in sight. Hermione bit her lip and found the carpet incredibly interesting.

"I didn't feel like going downstairs." She came up with. Ginny snorted.

"I know, it's embarrassing how obvious he's being isn't it?"

Hermione started and looked at Ginny sharply. Surely no one else knew how Malfoy had been pursuing her? "Who?" Was all she said though.

"Ron of course. He goes red each time you come near- oh no, you didn't realise! Oh god I've put my foot in it now!" Ginny clasped her hand over her mouth but soon broke down into laughter at the sight of Hermione's face. "You have to admit it's funny though, right?"

"Ron likes me? Oh god, what is wrong with the world!" Hermione complained; burying her face in her pillowcase.

-

"So how's little Weasley?" Draco asked conversationally as he jumped in a seat next to Blaise. The dark-haired boy sighed.

"I think I might be gay." He announced, openly to the entire room. Thankfully no one noticed but Draco made sure he shifted a bit further away.

"How do you gather this Blaise?" He asked, fighting to keep a straight face.

"I don't know. These are the years of experimentation though, aren't they? How do I know if I don't try it?" And with that he turned to smile hopefully at Draco.

"No! I am not going to kiss you Blaise!" Draco cried adamantly. He made a huge show of shifting one seat away and his friend sighed again.

"You're right, I'm not really gay. Maybe I just have no luck with women."

Draco stared at the love-bite on the boy's neck and sighed; at least Blaise never changed. "So how's the pursuing of little Weasley going?"

"Ginny? I never said I liked her." Blaise waved the question aside. "But I was watching Hermione in class the other day and she's still quite pretty. I think I haven't gotten over her yet."

"No." Draco headed him off. "I'm going to the Ball with her. You can't have her."

"You stole her from me?" Blaise exploded, leaping theatrically from his sofa. "What kind of friend are you?"

"You said you were over her!"

"I could have been putting on a brave face!"

"You said you liked little Weasley!"

"Who is- oh, no I didn't!"

"You thought you were gay!"

"Oh, so we're playing that card are we?"

"You have a love-bite on your neck from some total random!"

"It's allergies!"

Draco let the matter drop and watched Blaise regain his poise in a matter of seconds, then drop into a chair. "So, you're fine with me taking her to the Ball?"

"Who?" Blaise demanded.

"Granger."

"Since when did you have to ask my permission?" Blaise shot back. Draco gave up.

-

Granger,

Tell me, what colour dress robe are you planning to wear to the Ball? I can only imagine you telling me they're orange, and then when I show up to escort you in my beautiful matching robes, you're wearing pink.

Do not make me wear pink Granger.

In fact, don't wear orange, pink, red, purple, brown…

Actually the only colour I suit is black, or perhaps blue.

Why don't you wear blue?

There's a trip to Hogsmede soon so would you like to go dress robe shopping with me? There is a very talented tailor in the North end of town.

D.M

Malfoy,

I was actually planning on wearing blue to begin with, but now I have an inexplicable urge to wear a multi coloured robe with perhaps, the colours: orange, pink, red, purple, brown and black.

You don't mind matching, do you?

I bought dress robes in the holidays.

H.G

Granger,

You don't seriously think that I am going to even consider matching that absurd costume, do you? And what are these dress robes like? Are they blue?

D.M

Malfoy,

They are blue, and they are fine, and would you like to order me how to wear my hair and what kind of jewellery to put on?

H.G

Granger,

I'm glad you asked that. I think you'd suit it up in a coiffed style, with pearl-drop earrings.

D.M

Malfoy,

You arrogant git! I was being sarcastic! My robes are pink and I'm wearing my hair in a bun. Stop fussing so much about a Ball that is a month away!

H.G

-

The next day was Care of Magical Creatures class with Gryffindors and Slytherins. Hermione waited out in the chilly morning air with Harry and Ron, trying to ignore the fact the latter's face was bright red and he seemed unable to look in her general direction.

"How are you today Ron?" Hermione asked him, rolling her eyes at Harry when their best friend visibly panicked.

"Me? Oh, oh I'm, uh, bloody brilliant." He managed, throwing a look of torment Harry's direction. "Harry! Remember that thing I had to talk to you about? Now's a great time." And with that he dragged Harry aside.

A certain blonde Slytherin wandered over at this opportunity and gazed after the pair of friends as Ron began an animated conversation. "What are they up to?" He muttered to Hermione, scowling. She tried to summon up some retort, but failed and realised she didn't mind his coming over to talk to her at all.

"Oh, I found out yesterday that Ron likes me." She answered in a blasé tone. Malfoy flushed pink (but with his pale colouring, this merely meant he achieved an everyday skin tone) and Hermione stifled a laugh. "What? Are you upset over finding this out?"

"Not at all." He disagreed. "You're not interested in him too are you?" He hurriedly followed up with.

"What? Of course not!" Hermione burst out, regretting it when a grin spread across the boy's face. "And that doesn't mean I'm interested in you."

"Yes it does. Everyone loves me."

"Harry and Ron hate you."

"Females! Females I'm talking about!" Malfoy ranted. Hermione's best friends wandered back over and looked Malfoy up and down.

"What do you want Malfoy?" Harry demanded, narrowing his eyes. Draco rolled his eyes and spun to face Hermione.

"So you already have your dress robes for the Ball? That's fantastic; I'll make sure we match when we both go in together." And then he dashed off. Hermione inwardly wished to disappear but no hole in the ground opened up; she opened her eyes to see two boyish faces gaping at her.

"He was just being a git, wasn't he?" Ron whimpered. Hermione bit her lip and shook her head.

"We're going to the Ball together. It's a long story… we've been getting on a bit better lately."

"You're just being a git, you know that!" Ron exploded, and stalked off. Harry stayed behind a moment and shook his head at her,

"What are you doing Hermione? He's probably just using you." Then also left. Hermione watched him go,

"I'm not dating him! I'm only going to the Ball with him!"

-

Draco joined a group of huddled Slytherins as they waited for Hagrid to bring out the new beast they were to study and threw a glance back at Granger to see her standing alone; the two idiots she was friends with by another group of people. She seemed a bit forlorn but he dismissed it as something near him emitted a piercing shriek.

"This 'er is a Hackney." Hagrid announced, proffering a bundle of fluff on his hand about the size of a basketball, to the entire class. Seamus was stupid enough to reach out to it, and almost got his fingers bitten off as it erupted into a mass of teeth, claws and reptilian scales. "Who 'ere can tell me 'nything about it?" Hagrid called out. Sure enough, Draco saw a familiar bushy mane of hair move to the front of the group and stick up a hand.

"A Hackney is a creature normally found in marshes which thrives on the blood of goats and sheep. It's young resemble kittens but if you pick one up… it'll bite your head off, or your hand, it depends how fast your reflexes are." Granger recited as if she was holding the textbook in her hand. Draco rolled his eyes as Hagrid rewarded her with house points and shoved through the people in front of him to study the creature a bit better. It had reverted into the ball of fluff and the oaf Hagrid held it out to him.

"If ye sing ter it, it slows down a bit an' yer can see what it's really like." He explained helpfully. Draco eyed the little monster mistrustfully and eventually accepted it to be dropped into his outstretched palms.

"What song should I sing?" He asked stupidly as he looked down at the Hackney. Granger materialised beside him and narrowed her eyes as she stared at the creature,

"I'll sing something," she thought for a moment, "first I was afraid, I was petrified…" there was a collective groan from the class as the song was recognised by the Muggle population, but those such as Draco simply gaped at the sound coming out of her mouth as the Hackney unfolded.

The fluff turned out to be yellowish wings and within them was a snake-like creature with a ridiculously large set of teeth and claws. It blinked its large purple eyes at him and with a sigh, Draco fainted.

-

Hermione quickly grabbed the Hackney before it toppled out of Malfoy's hands and swore loudly as it bit her on the finger.

"Whoops! Forgot ter warn ye about the hypnotic, er, gaze that the little bugger has." Hagrid apologised to the class before grabbing Malfoy by the scruff of the neck and hauling his limp body out of the way into his little hut. Hermione followed him along with Ron and Harry, and the three watched the blonde Slytherin for a few moments until he drowsily awoke.

"Wha-what on earth just happened?" He began shouting as soon as he came to, and Hagrid was forced to pin him down with his index finger until he woke up properly and calmed down. Hermione raised an eyebrow at him and he flushed that odd blush of his again. "That little monster put me to sleep!" He exploded at her.

"It has a hypnotic gaze." Hermione explained, fighting the urge to laugh. Malfoy looked as though he'd eaten a sour grape and gave Harry and Ron a filthy look.

"How long was I out for?" He demanded.

"Only about, er, five or so minutes." Hagrid informed him, and then hauled him upright again before propelling them towards the door. "Yer wouldn't want to be late for your next class now, would yer?" He muttered, and they left with a quick goodbye; well, Malfoy didn't but that could be excused.

Hermione found herself walking next to him as they headed back up to the castle, for Harry and Ron were being silly and muttering something amongst themselves. She tugged at her hair and sighed, immediately drawing his attention to her.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Oh, Ron and Harry are being a bit stupid about the me going to the Ball with you." She complained, casting a look towards the two in question. Malfoy snorted and ran his hand through his hair.

"That's because they're gits. Now, what's your next class?"

"Muggle Studies."

"Oh, well watch out for Blaise." Malfoy informed her, and as they paused at the front doors with Harry and Ron behind them, he cast them an unreadable look and when the moment was perfect, pulled her close to him for a kiss.

It was safe to say she was caught completely off-guard, and when it was over he'd walked off without a word, leaving her to stare after him with a very pink face; Harry and Ron frozen in their footsteps behind her.

A/N: If you say it's moving slowly, remember there are people who are sticklers for keeping characters how they're meant to be etc. Thanks for reviews, I think you guys are awesome!