Next chapter up! I managed to work in a few direct book and movie references, hope you can find/like them.

I wanted to thank those of you who reviewed with comments on the storyline, they proved very inspirational, and helped me set the story straight. Thank you also to those who reviewed in general—please continue doing so, it means the world to me!

~Creds to JK Rowling

Previously: When he [Draco] finally leveled with her, he blurted out his question before he lost his nerve.

"Granger, what would you say to going on a date?"

xxxxx

"A-a date?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

"Yes." Smirking, he continued, "Whether or not we like it, we're engaged, so we might as well form a truce and try to get along."

"That quote rings a bell," Hermione chuckled. "Tell me, what wise person are you quoting?"

Draco laughed as well. Deciding to really lay it on thick in desperation, he replied, "Not sure, but as I recall, an egotistical ass replied that he didn't care, something which he now regrets deeply." As the finishing touch, he arranged his face into what he hoped was a bashful smile. He wasn't quite sure, never having given one before.

Hermione abruptly looked concerned. "Are you alright? You're grimacing."

"Oh! Uhh…just thinking about what a loser I've been."

"Really!?" Hermione beamed. "Well, you can pick me up at 7 then!"

"Alright." Draco smiled.

"Merlin! I'm late for class!" Hermione cried. Just like that, she was gone.

xxxxx

"Uh…Granger…I have to get ready for our date too you know…" It was 6:30, and Draco was standing outside their bedroom, which Hermione was currently hogging as she got ready for their rendez-vous. To his relief, the door opened a crack as Hermione stuck her head out.

"Shh!" she urged. "If Ginny or Parvati get wind that we're going out they'll want to play dress-up and we'll never get out of here!"

"Fine. But can I PLEASE come in!" Draco begged.

Hermione sighed but stepped aside. "So much for getting picked up or being surprised by each other's outfits or anything."

"Welcome to married life, Granger." Draco smirked.

Hermione threw a pillow at him which surprised him, but which he nevertheless caught, laughing as he did. To an observer, they would have appeared like good friends.

"So, I'll get ready in the bathroom shall I?" Draco offered awkwardly.

"Works for me," Hermione replied with a seemingly great effort to avoid eye contact.

Draco finished applying cologne and was just about to slick back his hair from where it fell casually in his face when he was interrupted by a soft knock at the door.

"Could you give me a hand?" Hermione's slightly muffled voice came from the other side of the door.

Opening the door, Draco gasped and turned away quickly, thinking that Hermione was naked.

"Could you zip me up?" she asked, turning around.

Taking a peek, Draco realize that she was only in fact bare backed due to her unzipped dress. Hermione turned beet red when she realized the misunderstanding.

"Sure, sure." Draco hurried to say in an attempt to glaze over the awkwardness.

Hermione turned around for a second time, exposing her back once more to a very nervous Draco. He didn't know what had come over him. He was usually incredibly suave with the ladies and had seen more than one naked female. It felt different this time, maybe because there was more than just physical connection here. It was all foreign territory to the supposed ladies' man.

Draco shakily reached out and grasped the delicate zipper. Working hard to keep his hands steady, he began to zip the dress. Without meaning to, his finger traced her spine as he zipped, and he heard Hermione suck in a breath. Finishing quickly, he stepped back and tried desperately to find something to say. As usual, Hermione beat him to it, though this time, Draco was grateful.

"Shall we go?"

"Sure. Just give me a minute to fix my hair."

"You should leave it the way it is," Hermione offered shyly. "I like it down, it suits you."

"Al-alright."

xxxxx

As they walked through the halls, Hermione had to ask:

"Where are we going for dinner?"

"Well, that's up to you. We can have whatever." Draco replied as they stopped in front of a familiar blank wall.

"The room of requirement!"

"I was going to plan a picnic, but something told me that you might object to having the house elves prepare a meal."

Hermione seemed at a loss for words. "Thank you!" she said fervently.

"Don't take that as a sign of me joining S.P.E.W. though!" Draco added emphatically, to which Hermione giggled. Draco smiled to himself. Her bubbly laugh was truly charming.

"I could go for some Italian," Hermione declared.

"Italian it is!" Draco said as he marched back and forth three times to make the room appear. Opening the door, they were greeted by a candlelit table laden with bread, pasta, and wine.

"I thought a touch of French would be equally appropriate," Draco said, indicating the décor.

Hermione considered their date a success. Upon Draco's suggestion, they played twenty questions and discovered that they had things in common and could in fact carry both a civilized as well as pleasant conversation. One on one, Draco really did let his guard down and was sincere and charming. Hermione only wished that he could be that way with her in public.

xxxxx

The news of Draco and Hermione's date spread like wildfire through the school. While it was old news that the two were getting married, the fact that they were getting along and were cooperating so much with the program was a shock to many, and a hot conversation topic in the days that ensued. A few days after their date, Hermione had just arrived at their pod to drop off her school bag before dinner when she heard a fateful argument taking place.

"How dare you blame it all on me when you did nothing!" Hermione heard a female voice screech. "How is their date my fault? If you hadn't snuck away when she entered the bedroom then maybe this wouldn't have happened! All you did was take her for a walk around the freaking lake! At least I tried!"

Hermione froze. "As soon as she entered the bedroom….a walk around the freaking lake." Images of her excursion with Ron flashed before her eyes. The events of that day took on a whole new, calculated meaning. The way that he had behaved with her in the Great Hall where Draco would have been sure to see them. In her mind, she saw him tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, edging closer to her on the bench—it would have been the perfect decoy for Astoria to seduce Draco, when he was feeling angry and betrayed.

At that moment, Ron stormed out of his and Astoria's bedroom. He didn't see Hermione, didn't notice her point her wand at him or murmur a familiar incantation. Luckily for him, he did hear the squawk of one of the birds and managed to dodge out of the war path of the flock of yellow canaries torpedoing toward him.

"What the bloody Hell was that!?" He gasped indignantly.

"RONALD BILLIUS WEASLEY!"

"Bloody Hell woman! Are you mad?"

"HOW DARE YOU! OH THE NERVE!" Hermione brandished her wand in his face and Ron flinched.

"Who do you think you are, trying to jeopardize my engagement!?" Hermione screeched.

"Don't you get it?!" Ron roared, his own temper flaring up. "I was trying to help you! Wizard marriages are binding—once you say I do, you're stuck with him forever, and I'll be stuck with that witch! I was trying to save us!"

"And just how exactly is plotting with Astoria helping me?" Hermione asked scathingly.

"Well we know that the Ministry will never just let us not get married, but we thought that maybe if the four of us agreed to switch it would work…" Ron trailed off, sounding decidedly embarrassed.

"Trade off." Hermione laughed mirthlessly. "Please do enlighten us on the details of your genius plan."

"Well, Astoria would marry Draco and you and I would…" he dwindled off at the fury etched on her face, looking as though he wished the floor would open and swallow him whole. "Everyone would be happy with that scenario you see?"

"No I don't." A drawling voice joined the conversation. "I would certainly not be happy marrying that pathetic excuse for a witch."

"You would take Hermione over Astoria!?" Ron asked in disbelief.

"Any day." Draco said simply.

Harry and Ginny, who had been observing the whole exchange in open-mouthed disbelief, shot each other a glance, both having seen the blush that coloured Hermione's cheeks at Draco's last statement.

Ron didn't say anything, as though waiting for a punch line, but none came. Instead, he was left standing there, mouth opening and closing like a fish. Hermione decided to intervene…though biasedly.

"And I would take Draco over you any day of the week. You don't own me Ronald. I make decisions for myself, not you! So thanks but no thanks!" Nose up in the air, she walked off to her room and slammed the door. Draco smirked at Ron before following her.

Harry whispered to Ginny, "Sorry hun…your brother..."

"I'm not!" Ginny exclaimed. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but Malfoy is so much better for her than Ron!

xxxxx

As Draco entered their bedroom, he joked, "In the interest of further demonstrating just how superior I am to the Weasel, I'm not even going to make fun of him…" he trailed off when he realized that Hermione was curled up in the fetal position on her bed, sobbing.

Draco was terrified. He could deal with monsters and dark wizards, but crying women were a whole other brand of magic that he really couldn't handle. This was his fiancée however, whether he liked it or not (and the jury was out on that one,) so he gathered up the little amount of courage that he had and walked over to the bed. Conjuring some tissue, he practically shoved it in her face and awkwardly patted her shoulder saying, "There there." To his surprise, Hermione actually emitted a watery laugh and said "Is that the best you can do?"

Draco's guard immediately went up and he snapped, "You ungrateful witch! I'm doing the best that I can okay?"

"No no, you misunderstand! I was just teasing. I really do appreciate the effort, after all, I, well I, really didn't expect so much from you, so it's twice as meaningful."

"Oh. Well, you're welcome."

Sniffling, Hermione still managed to get in the last word of their latest verbal sparring match. "Who said anything about a thank you?"

Draco laughed, before asking seriously, "Why are you crying though Granger?"

"Ron."

Wrinkling his nose, Draco couldn't help but demand, "Is he really worth crying over?"

Tears springing to her eyes, Hermione replied softly, "I'm beginning to think that he isn't, which is precisely what is so terrible about all of this! It's always horrid losing a friend, know what I mean?"

"No, I wouldn't," Draco replied softly.

Hermione frowned. "But…you were always so popular…"

"Because of followers, not friends."

"Blaise—?"

"Is a relatively new addition."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Don't be…you get used to it, trust me."

"Well, I guess this does explain the utter lack of people skills!"

"Hey!"

"Sorry, couldn't resist."

"Of course not. You never could keep your mouth shut could you?"

"Touché."

"Malfoy?"

"Yes Granger?"

"Two things actually. First—"

"—Nothing's ever simple with you is it?"

"Are you finished?"

"No, but go ahead. I'm sure I'll make up for it later."

"First, shouldn't we call each other by our first names? We are getting married after all…."

"I've never heard of a vow that you had to take saying that you'll operate under a first name basis when you get married, but if you insist then fine."

"Well then Draco, the other thing that I wanted to say is that I consider you a friend now."

"Thank you Gr-Hermione."

As he considered the witch before him, Draco had mixed feelings about their budding friendship. Inwardly, he was thrilled at the prospect of not only having a friend, but of having Hermione as a friend. He was discovering that she was in fact a fantastic companion. But he was also saddened, and frightened, because as he looked at her with her wide-eyed kindness and sincerity, not to mention her brilliant mind and strength that allowed her to hold her own against his pessimistic attitude toward life, he was beginning to feel that friendship wasn't enough for him.