Disclaimer: Many thanks to JK Rowling for her wonderful works. They are hers and hers alone. I have only borrowed her characters for a while and built my own little fantasy around them. There is no pay involved for me in doing it.

Chapter 4

"And, then at noon we meet at the spa and get our hair and nails done. And, no one is allowed to be late. We only have 3 hours and no offense, but muggles are slow!" Ginny said to the five women at their table. "And, Frank is picking up the flowers, right Margie?"

Margie nodded and sipped her coffee, "Yep, he's picking them up at two and taking them straight to Ron's dad to charm."

"So, we should get to the church by six and be ready to go by seven!" Snoop smiled. "Mrs. Georgina Weasley. I can't wait!"

Hermione smiled with everyone else, but her thoughts were definitely more on the conversation being had by the women at the table behind them. They were keeping their voices low, so as to not be heard by Ginny again, but they didn't seem to realize Hermione could hear them loud and clear.

"Blaise, what a name." (sigh)

"But, did you see those dimples? A girl could swim in them." (another sigh)

Way to go Blaise, you're still wracking 'em up. Ha ha ha

"And, that Draco guy, yum! Did you see that tight little tush?"

"Yeah, and those lips, like a perfect little bow!"

"A perfect gift, wrapped in a great package. Heh heh heh."

Hmmm, yeah. I think that was at least a bit of a six pack I was feeling while we were dancing. And, it felt really goo…STOP! No. Bad girl! It's Draco, for crying out…Malfoy, Malfoy Malfoy.

"Why do you think Hermione and that Ginny hate him so much?"

"Well, I don't know the whole story, but apparently, he went to their school and was not on the right side during The Fall."

He was a blazing git! And, a mean, horrible, jerk of a person who lived to torment Harry, Ron and me!

"You mean he followed Vold...Vold…ya'll know who I mean!"

"Yeah. And, he tried to kill their school principle on Voldemort's orders. He failed and ran though from what Hermione said. But, maybe he was under some spell or something. I know she said he didn't actually fight on their side, just he didn't so much fight on our side. But, I heard his parents were Death Eaters, so maybe he was worse than I heard."

"No, he wouldn't have been able to walk around freely after that. And, The Ministry over there wouldn't have let him out of Europe."

"Man, we missed so much of it all being over here."

Good for you!

"Well, thank goodness!"

Yeah.

"Yeah."

"What about Blaise? What side was he on?"

"I never heard anything about him either way. And, I have no idea about his parents. It's like they all just disappeared when the fighting started and reappeared the day it ended. I think Ginny would probably know. I'm sure she and Harry keep tabs on all of them."

"She sure seems to hate them more than Hermione does."

"Well, I don't think Hermione really hates them all that much. She sure didn't wig out like Ginny did." (giggle) "And, did anyone else notice the way she looked at Draco?"

I did not! Did I? Oh man. Did Ginny see? She is going to kill me. Heck, Harry and Ron would kill me.

"I did! I don't think I've seen her blush that badly since the day she mistakenly blew up the science storage lab when she got overly excited about getting an A." (giggles)

"Maybe that's why she never dates any of the guys we try to set her up with. I mean, I sure as hell couldn't date anyone if I had him on the brain!" (more giggle and some sighs)

He is not on my brain! Well, he is now, but he wasn't. I would never think of dating that…what is he now? He's…he's…I don't know. But, he does seem different. But, what if he hasn't really changed? Well, he has to have changed at least a little; he was in a club with loads of muggles, and seemed plenty comfortable. But, what if he was just in shock tonight and…what if I stop obsessing over him? Yeah!

"No. I'm pretty sure she was as shocked as Ginny to see them tonight. And, plus, the few times we talked about the people she went to school with, he was always one she still got angry about. No, she hates him for sure."

"Well, you know what they say about hate. It's the other side of love, right?" (out right laughter)

Love?! Eep!

"She could sure do a lot worse." (sighs)

"Think Blaise will call me?"

Maybe he'll call…me, that is. And, I mean Blaise, of course, not Drac…Malfoy. I need a good, fun date that means nothing and will go nowhere. And, he would be perfect. He's fun, funny, rich, thinks I look good, would make Draco jealous as hell, and…Oh, I did NOT just think that!

Draco and Blaise had flooed to their loft apartment. Both were still in a bit of shock at the evening's turn of events. And, neither felt up to going out to another bar or club.

Blaise had started as soon as they stepped out of the fireplace.

"Okay, first, no matter what I say you can't hit me."

Draco walked over to their bar and tiredly grabbed a glass, "Why would I hit you, B?"

Blaise leaned into the fridge and came out with a muggle beer. He liked the taste and wasn't in the mood for Draco's drink of choice, firewhiskey.

"Well, two reasons. One, I think Hermione is looking great and I plan to ask her out."

"So? Go ahead."

"Well, two, I think she will say no because you two were so hot for each other you were shooting off sparks tonight."

Draco fell back onto the sofa and closed his eyes, "B, first, I would never hit you over a girl, much less Know-It-All Granger, and second, well…the best I can come up with right now is yeah right."

"Wow!"

"What?"

"D." Blaise's mouth dropped open. Draco had never not taken the opportunity to rip into her in the past. And, for him to not call her the M word was unthinkable.

As the silence stretched out Draco sat up and looked at his friend, "What?!"

"You like her."

"I do not! She's…she's…and I'm…well, I'm…Dammit!" He tossed his drink back and got up to get another.

"Okay, so you don't like her and won't care if I take her out. And, if I was to call her a mudbl…" Blaise's mouth dropped open for the second time, as Draco had whipped around and looked ready to strangle him.

"Don't call her that!" Then he seemed to stop himself and finished lamely, "I mean, um, you shouldn't call anyone that. It's uh, rude."

"Okay. So. Okay. I'll let it drop for now. Um, what about Ginny? Think she's talking to Potter about us right now?"

Draco seemed to relax as soon as Hermione was no longer the focus of their conversation, "Who the hell cares? It's not like it's against the law to be in the same bar as someone else. We haven't done anything since The Fall. Besides, after all the information I gave Potty Brain about stuff, he should just call off his she-dog!"

"Yeah, well. Hermione seemed to calm her down. And, the other girls could have cared less about ancient history. Did you see that one chick, Tala? Those legs just didn't stop! And, it's too bad that Margie is married, because I would…"

Draco nodded and smiled as he listened to Blaise extol the virtues of each of the women. But, by leaving Hermione off the list, he had made Draco think about her all that much more.

So what if she looks like a naughty school teacher? And, anyone can learn to control their hair. It's not like she isn't a witch. And, why was I so enthralled with her eyes? They're just brown eyes. With little gold flecks. And, the way they, what's the word, get extra shiny or something when she smiles. That smile, it just makes me feel…Whoa! What I am doing? I can't be thinking about her that way. She's…she's…there I go again! Why can't I think of her like that? I'm a wizard and she's a witch. Boy, girl, easy. Yeah, right. I'm Malfoy, git of the century to her. But, she didn't act like that tonight, did she? Maybe I could show her that I have grown up and then she'd…she'd what, idiot? Just fall into my arms and we live happily ever after? As if! More like laugh her cute little ass off and then slap me so hard my grandchildren would be born dizzy! But, she didn't do anything tonight. Well, she blushed and looked at me funny. Kinda like she was into me…so maybe…give it up man!

"So, then I plan to boil her in oil and serve her at our next bash."

Draco finally tuned back in, "What? Who? What?!"

"Just checking to see if you were listening," Blaise laughed. "Look, I know you probably don't want to talk about her any more tonight, but I need to ask. Are you going to be okay with it when I work my way around to Hermione? I mean, I have a couple others I want to check out first, but then, I seriously may give her a call. That's if you really don't care."

No! Hands off, B! She's mine. She's…she hates me. "All yours, man. Enjoy. Look, I'm headed to bed, it's been a long, interesting evening. Night."

"Night," Blaise called after him.

When the door closed behind Draco, Blaise tossed back his beer and went to look out over the city both men had grown to love and call home. Talking to himself, he mumbled, "Yeah right. I ask her out and you rip out my throat. You've wanted her since we were what, 15 years old? What do you think I'm stupid? Like I didn't know. I can read you like a book, man. I may not believe in all that fate crap, but seriously what are the odds we run into her all the way over here in the US? It's not like it's a small place. And, there are only about 200 wizarding universities she could have attended. But, no, you two end up going to schools in the same small city and partying at the same place. So, what to do, what to do? Maybe I should feel her out for you. I mean what more could a friend do? Ha ha ha That way, if she still hates you, you don't get hurt, right? And, I finally get to take my shot at her. Win win, I say."

Going back over to the kitchen he reached in to the fridge and got out another beer. He popped the tab and raised the can into the air, "Good luck, man!"

Draco lay on his bed and wondered what to do about all that had happened. He leaned toward forgetting the whole night and pretending it didn't happen. But, the 'what ifs' were keeping him awake and wondering.

Without really knowing what was going on in Hermione's head, he didn't know how to proceed. Or, if he should. Then, there was the fact that he had just told the one man in the world no girl had ever said no to, to go after her. What was I thinking?! Well, too late now. He fell asleep hoping it would all make more sense in the morning.

When Hermione woke the next morning, it was to a splitting headache. Not due to a hangover, but instead due to stress and a lack of sleep. She and Ginny had stayed up talking long after all the other girls had left, and Snoop had gone to get her beauty sleep. Ginny hadn't taken the idea of Hermione possibly, maybe, kind of, in a way, thinking the Draco could have changed very well. She vehemently denied that maybe he had grown up from the prat they had known. Ginny had agreed, begrudgingly, that he looked incredible, and that she had overreacted, a little, maybe to his and Blaise's reappearance in their lives. But she stuck to her guns on him still being a jerk. And, she didn't even pretend to understand how Hermione could possibly be interested.

Hermione had let herself be convinced by Ginny's arguments when they switched to how Harry and Ron would take it. She knew she didn't have the strength, that night, or in general, to fight those she loved over something as stupid as Draco Malfoy. And, she had gone to bed resolute in her belief that her strange feelings were a fluke born of shock and that she would have forgotten it by the morning. Besides, it wasn't like she was really going to see either him, or Blaise, any time soon.

How wrong she was.