Holding hands with you, and we're out at night,
Got a girlfriend, you say it isn't right,
And I've got someone waiting too.

"I'll be back soon Gin; I've just got to get some fresh air." Hermione called out to her best friend and roommate, Ginny Weasley.

"Alright, see you in a bit then." She called back from somewhere in the house.

Hermione smiled as she pulled her thick jacket tight around her and flicked her scarf around her shoulders. Her smile faltered a bit when her thoughts drifted off to Draco Malfoy. Ever since she had 'met' him last week she couldn't seem to get him off of her mind. His smile, it was haunting her. When he smiled, his whole face seemed to light up and it was infectious, she smiled herself just thinking about it and remembering it now.

But what followed her most were his parting words, it was great to meet you… Hermione. He left with a soft kiss on her cheek, and that most of all was what haunted her.

He had changed a lot since Hogwarts, but he was exactly the same. He had grown a bit taller, and had a nice toned body not that Hermione would ever admit to looking. His blonde hair was still the same although he no longer wore it gelled back but rather let it hang loosely around his face. It looks much better that way. She thought to herself. He still had those piercing silver eyes, but his features were less sharp, he looked more mature now, and acted it too. Yes, how strangely had he acted towards her, almost as if they were… friends? Hermione gulped at the thought. For the past week she had taken to going on walks around muggle London in the hopes of seeing him again, she didn't know why. Every time she saw that pale blonde hair her heart would leap into her throat, but it was never him, and Hermione had wondered if he had just 'disappeared' and for some strange reason unknown to her she felt saddened by the thought that she may never see him again.

"Granger?" she heard a voice ask.

She quickly turned around, hoping against hope that it was him.

It was.

She smiled at him. "Hey Malfoy." She said as she walked over towards him.

"I was wondering if I would see you around again." He told her.

Hermione's heart skipped a beat. She knew she shouldn't be feeling like this, but she was, and she loved it. "Really?" she asked raising an eyebrow, not letting on that she had secretly been hoping for the same thing.

"Yeah." He replied, slightly embarrassed.

"So, how have you been?" she asked, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen upon them.

"Yeah good, I've been pretty busy though, trying to get Father's affairs all in order."

Hermione nodded. "How's your mother doing?"

"As well as can be expected. I know my Father was a bastard, but she really loved him, you know."

"Yeah." She replied, not really knowing what to say.

"And what about you? I saw that article you wrote for the Daily Prophet, very impressive."

Now it was Hermione's turn to be embarrassed and she blushed a bit. "Thanks." She herself was very proud of that article, written about the aftermath of the war, who had lived, who had died, and what was being done to help fix all the devastation it had caused. It had been difficult for her to write, she had lost so many during the fight against Lord Voldermort, but she had finished it none the less.

Draco, noticing her change in mood asked, "Hey, are you okay?" and he gently rested his hand on her shoulder and looked down at her, trying to read the expression on her face.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Yeah, just… remembering…" she replied with shaky breath.

Draco decided that it was indeed time for a change of subject, as the previous was obviously making them both uncomfortable.

"So what brings you outside at this time on a cold London evening Miss Granger?" he asked her, smiling slightly to himself.

She smiled at his language also. "Needed some fresh air. Why? What time is it?" she asked alarmed, she had told Ginny she wouldn't be long, and she might be worried about her. But then again, she was going over to Seamus's for dinner and probably hadn't even noticed her missing.

"It's 9 o'clock." He replied.

"I didn't realise it had gotten so late!" she exclaimed.

He laughed.

"So what are you doing out so late?"

"Just… needed some fresh air." He told her, mimicking the answer she had just given him.

She gave a slight chuckle. "Touché Mr. Malfoy."

He looked at her a moment, as if trying to decide something.

"What?" she asked consciously, wondering what he was staring at.

"Can you keep a secret?" he asked her.

She nodded her head in reply.

"Good. Come on then, I wanna show you something." And with that he grabbed her hand and began to lead her someplace.

Hermione, although initially confused, caved in to her curiosity and followed him. He didn't let go of her hand and she didn't mind one bit, it felt warm in hers. What would Harry and Ron think if they saw me now? She wondered, smiling to herself at the thought of her two best friends. I bet Ron's face would go about as red as his hair, and Harry, sweet, sweet Harry would act calm on the outside, but he would just be itching to grab Malfoy around the throat and throttle him. She let a laugh out at the scene playing in her head.

Draco, startled at her noise turned around to look at her, finding her smiling. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

"Yeah, just-"

"Remembering?" he teased her.

She blushed a bit. "Yeah, something like that." She admitted.

He laughed. "Well come on, we're almost there." And with that he kept walking. He still hadn't let go of her hand, she caught up with him so they were now walking side by side, like a couple. Hermione jumped at this, a couple? What was she even thinking? Did she want her and Draco Malfoy to be a couple? She barely knew him. Her heart was screaming yes, but her mind, the more sensible of the two, was telling her to be logical. She and Draco Malfoy would and could never be a couple. What would Harry, Ron and Ginny say? They were all she had now, and she would not lose them for anything. Ginny wasn't really a problem, Hermione had told her all about her initial encounter with Draco.

"Aww, come on Hermione, you have to admit, he is very good looking." Ginny had said to her.

"I suppose." Hermione had agreed.

"Well, are you going to see him again?"

"I don't know. Probably not, why would I?"

"I don't know."

Harry and Ron though… well it was best not to think about their reaction, and really, was there even anything to react to? No, nothing was going on here, just two classmates catching up. But he was so very good looking…

"We're here." Draco whispered in her ear.

She looked up and smiled at him before looking around. She sucked in her breath. They were in a beautiful garden, and weaved through the trees and other plants were golden fairy lights, giving the entire place a soft glow. "Wow." She whispered.

"I thought you would like it."

She looked up at him, mildly surprised and he looked embarrassed slightly. "Yeah, yeah, I know. How would I, of all people know what you would like?" he said with minor bitterness in his voice.

"No. That's not what I was thinking at all, although surprised, I'm not. You can't know someone for seven years, friends or not, and not pick up on small things about them."

Draco nodded. "I guess you are right."

"Of course I am, I'm know-it-all-Granger, what do you take me for?" she joked.

He chuckled, "Well, in that case…"

She let out a small laugh. "Who would have ever thought that you and me, a Slytherin and a Gryffindor, would ever be standing out her together, laughing and, for my part, enjoying the others company."

"For my part too." He told her, with an honestly in his voice that touched her somehow.

They stood in comfortable silence for a few moments, hands still intertwined. Suddenly the quiet was broken by Draco laughing. It was something that Hermione had only heard him do once before, and it made her smile, because before, while they were at Hogwarts she had only ever seen him with a snarl or that infamous smirk that he liked to carry around. Never even the hint of a smile, let alone a laugh.

"Anything you would like to share?" she asked him.

His laughter subsided. "No… just, remembering."

"We tend to do that a lot don't we? Remember."

"Yeah, I guess we do." He turned to her and smiled down at her.

"You know, I've never really heard you laugh before." She told him.

"I was laughing just then was I not?"

"Well, I mean, that was really the first time I had ever seen you do it… you should laugh more often, and smile, you look good." She told him boldly.

He blushed a bit. "Uhh… Thanks?"

She smiled at him. "Sure."

"But you know," he went on pompously, "I look good whatever I do, so I really don't see what bigger difference it makes."

"Ahh, the ever present Malfoy ego. Sorry, but if I had known this would have increased the size of your head, I never would have mentioned anything."

"Now, now Granger, play nice."

She was about to respond when a rustling from one of the bushes startled them. Hermione subtly inched closer to Draco, unsure what exactly was behind those bushes. He too moved a little closer to Hermione, but both breathed out an audible sigh of relief when a little squirrel popped out. They both chuckled slightly at their foolishness.

"How embarrassing." Draco said good humouredly.

Hermione giggled. "I'll say." She said as she turned to face him. "It's so beautiful here Draco, how on earth did you find it?"

Draco shuddered when she said his name, it sounded so different coming from her lips, a far cry from the spiteful way he was used to hearing 'Malfoy' spat out.

"What?" she asked him. "Why are you staring at me as though I am a three headed hippogriff?"

Draco shook his head.

"You called me Draco." He stated, dumbfounded.

She looked uncomfortable for a moment. "Well, that's your name isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"I just think it is so stupid to keep calling you Malfoy."

"So we're on a first name basis are we now, Hermione." He said emphasizing her name which caused shivers to run up and down her spine.

She smiled up at him, and when he smiled back she began to feel her heart beat becoming faster and faster.

It was only then that the two realised how close they were standing to each other. His hands were both resting on her waist and her hands gently sat on his arms. But neither moved away. They continued standing there, staring into each other's eyes. Their smiles both fading as they realised the close proximity they were in to each other.

Hermione could see Draco's eyes looking at her lips, and she sub-consciously licked them nervously. Is he going to kiss me? She wondered to herself. Wait! Do I want him to kiss me? Yes! Her heart screamed. I can't, what about Shane? Shane was her muggle boyfriend. Strange I haven't thought of him in a while, not since… not since I met Draco last week. There was a raging war inside her head, but still she leaned into him, ready to accept his kiss if he offered it. Their lips were only millimetres away from each other and her eyes were slipping closed when Draco whispered softly. "Hermione, what are we doing?"

"I don't know." she whispered back, her eyes still closed.

His grip tightened on her waist. When he spoke again, his voice was very deep and husky. "I have a girlfriend."

Something sank in the pit of Hermione's stomach and so she replied, "So do I."

Draco pulled back and looked at her disbelievingly, one eyebrow raised.

At first Hermione was initially confused as to just why he was looking at her like that, but then she realised just what she had said. Her cheeks flamed such a bright red, it would have put Ron to shame. "No! I meant I have a boyfriend."

Draco chortled a bit, "Of course you did." He leaned in close again.

"Oh shut-up, you know what I meant."

He continued to lean in; Hermione could almost feel his lips on hers when he spoke again. "It's not right."

Hermione pulled back suddenly, but he kept a firm hold on her waist preventing her from moving away entirely. "What's not right?" she asked confused.

"This. I have a girlfriend, you have a… boyfriend." He teased.

Hermione could barely stand it anymore. How could she resist when he was standing so close to her, his arms around her, his lips only millimetres away, and he smelt so god damn good! "Since when has doing what's right affected your actions?" she asked as she began to lean in closer to him, wanting to feel his lips on hers more than anything.

Draco's voice was low when he replied. "Maybe your right."

Hermione's eyes were closed and she felt Draco gently press his lips onto hers. The kiss was so soft Hermione wasn't sure if it was actually happening or not. They both pulled away and looked at each other, both unsure. But all the other could see was the want and desire they each felt, reflected on the others eyes.

Draco tightened his grip on her and pulled her to him; she stumbled slightly and fell against his chest.

She looked up at him, a slight nervousness in her eyes.

"You always were a bit of a klutz Granger." He whispered before he brought his head down for another sweet kiss. "But I don't mind." He breathed before leaning in again.

Hermione let out a gasp as she felt Draco's tongue lick across her lower lip, and she opened her mouth to him. Draco pulled his mouth away and began to kiss her cheek and then down along her neck. Hermione could hear a moan coming from the back of her throat. Draco began to follow his trail of kisses back up her neck and back up to capture her lips once more. She slid her hands up his well-toned chest and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in closer. Hermione felt her knees weaken, and was glad that Draco had his arms around her; otherwise she just might not have been able to hold herself up.

---::---