"Hey Hermione. Got a present here for you." Draco said at his most winsome.

Hermione merely glowered at him, refused to answer and returned to setting out the potion bottles in neat lines.

Ron sniggered. Draco shot him a look. He cottoned on and took the book Draco offered. "Hey, 'Mione look at this. Draco found another batch of work for us to do."

Hermione straightened up and snatched the book from Ron who backed away quickly with his arms raised in surrender. "Exactly how big is Malfoy library?" she asked Draco, more curious than cold.

"Pretty damn big. You should come by and see it. It's a paradise for you."

"Tempting but it didn't work at school and its not going to work now. Nice try." She smirked the copyrighted Malfoy smirk.

"You never give an inch, do you?" Draco pouted, privately pleased that she could copy his smirk so well.

"Someone has to keep you boys on your toes. Now shush." That said, she buried her head in the new book; an advanced potion book annotated by their late friend Professor Snape aka the Half-Blood Prince.

Ron sniggered again. Hermione: 1. Draco: 0. Hah!

Draco watched her for a while. "How's Potter?"

Ron paused, waiting to see if Hermione would answer, but she didn't. "Running rings round every other seeker in England."

"Shoe in for the world cup team do you think?"

"Possibly."

"I'm getting tickets to some of the better games, how many do you want?"

"Twins'll want to go. Any excuse to sell pranks to people. Oh and Ginny, though she might get them through the Prophet. Luna, Neville, and the others can get their own." Draco tried not to snigger as Ron painstakingly counted them out, and Draco was sure he saw the corners of Hermione's lips twitch though her eyes never left the book.

"Ron, if I can tear you away from your I-laughingly-use-the-phrase intellectual challenge, I want to try brewing this potion. Here is a list of the things we need minus those we already have in stock. Take what money you need from the till. Ten galleons should cover it." Hermione handed over the list and turned away immediately.

Ron exchanged a worried look with Draco which plainly questioned the wisdom of leaving the two alone together. Draco looked pleased and winked at him.

"Go Ron." Hermione ordered. Ron whipped off a textbook albeit mocking salute and left.

"You shouldn't be so hard on him. He works hard and he has the patience to deal with you all day which is something I probably wouldn't."

Hermione looked at Draco curiously. "Yes I noticed you don't turn up at the shop very often."

"Do you want me to turn up more often?"

She noticed the hopeful tone in his voice and smirked. "Well, I'd be lying if I said no."

"I knew it! You miss me when I'm not around."

"Not necessarily."

Draco frowned and Hermione hid her snigger.

"What potion are you going to try?" he asked curiously, trying to look over her shoulder at the book but she shied away from him smoothly.

"None of your nevermind."

Casually he leant against the counter. "Actually it is. I paid for this shop and got you started so I have a right to know what you're going to be selling."

Hermione giggled. "Well there's no need to get so annoyed about it. Here, I was going to try that one. Might be a corner market for it."

"For what market exactly? An Embarrassment Potion?"

"I thought we could strike a deal with the Weasley twins and they could stock it in their shop, having bought it from us of course. It'll make whoever takes it incredibly clumsy for a few hours and every mildly embarrassing situation more likely to happen and make them especially humiliating."

"I must say I'm impressed. An Embarrassment Potion is something a Slytherin would come up with."

"Just as you're not as black as you're painted, I think you'll find that I'm not nearly as good as you think."

"Good. I like that in a woman."

Hermione didn't seem to have noticed that they had drawn closer to each other. An inch or two and they'd be joined at the lips.

"Come on, come out on a date with me?" Draco asked gently, a hand caressing Hermione's cheek softly.

"You'll never give up will you?"

"I'm like you in that way; I never give up."

Hermione giggled in the back of her throat and Draco leant in. Hermione stepped back and Draco pouted at being thwarted. Hermione took pity on him.

"Fine. Yes I'll go out with you, on one condition."

"Name it."

"Know any guys for Ron?"

"I know plenty of homosexual men, but I'm afraid finding one who will suit your picky friend will be something of a challenge."

"I think it's my fault he's so picky. I have high standards and now not many men would suit either of us."

"Would I meet any of these standards of yours?"

"You and Harry are the only two men I know who meet most of them. I need hardly add that you are Ron's perfect man."

"Yes but I'm not trying to date him."

"Find Ron a date and I'll go out with you. Deal?"

"Let's not make this a business arrangement please." He smirked. Hermione felt her knees weaken a little, just as they had whenever he smirked at her like that at school.

"Whatever you say honey." Feeling daring she winked at him before turning back to the counter.