A/N: Yea its been a while. I'm really sorry. I will do my best to work faster. Times just been flying by so quickly its unreal. Much love!

Disclaimer- Own nada, but the plot.

HAPPY READS!

Chapter 5

The Invitation

A very frustrated Draco sat at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall three days later. It was Monday morning, nearly every student in the Great Hall looked groggy.

Draco had had no further incidents with Granger since Friday night after the Prefects meeting. She hadn't been around their dormitory all weekend and Draco had thrown himself into his weekend homework from sun-up to lunch barely having to spare her any thought.

That however changed when she entered the Great Hall. Her hair was down, smooth, straight. She must've been doing something to that hair of hers because it had gone from six years of frizzy poofy mess, to sleek, shiny and smooth.

Draco growled under his breath. She looked different to him. The way she carried herself appeared to be more graceful... more feminie. He growled again and quickly looked away from her to Blaise.

"Why are you staring at Granger, Draco?" Blaise said not looking at Draco but at his plate in front of him.

Damn buggar, nothing ever slips past him, Draco thought.

"What are you talking about?" Draco replied before shoveling some scrambled egg into his mouth.

Blaise looked away from his sausage and at Draco with a sneer.

"I see right through you. Tell me."

Draco still hadn't spoken to Blaise about Granger spying on him and the brief kiss he'd layed on her in the bathroom a week ago. Nevertheless Draco decided to spill... a little.

"She looks different..." he said quietly.

Blaise nodded his head in apparent agreement.

"Her hair." He said as if it was a disgusting thing, though he meant the complete opposite.

"Yes that... and other things..."

Blaise stared at him. Silence enveloped them for a brief moment and Draco knew that Blaise was trying to work out in his mind if there was anymore to what Daco was saying. Finally he said:

"What did you do?"

Draco sneered at him.

"I don't know what you mean?"

Blaise rolled his eyes.

"You do too. You and Granger... what's going on? Are you shagging her?"

Draco glared at him quickly.

"No. And you want to learn to keep your voice down if you're going to go and accuse such outrageous things. People might get mad."

"What the bloody fuck do I care? And since when do you care who knows who you're shagging?"

True, Draco thought.

"Zabini," Draco began frustradetly.

"Granger is not a person to shag. She is... something else."

Blaise looked perplexed.

"Anything with Granger would not be simple," Draco simplifed for him.

"It could." Blaise contradicted.

"Or you could just fuck her and then dump her."

"Easier said than done." Draco grumbled.

"Aha! I knew it! You're trying to get into the mudbloods pants!"

Draco narrowed his eyes at him. No more was said between them for the rest of breakfast.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Charms was first period for Hermione today. She paced around the outside of the classroom, having arrived ten minutes early. Anything to get away from Ron and her jumbled mind with a million thoughts.

The weekend had been stressful if anything. Ron and Lavendar had broken up and Hermione and Harry had had to nurse Ron all weekend like a baby as he moped around dramatically claiming odd things at end that made no relevant sense.

As she continued to pace and try to clear her mind she saw the familiar figure of Blaise Zabini walking down the corridor towards her. He was watching her intently making her feel slightly uncomfortable.

As he neared Hermione turned her back and pretended to be reading a notice posted outside Professor Flitwitck's office. No such luck...

"Granger," his deep intimidating voice said.

He was very near the back of her and she spun around on the spot quickly to come face to face with him.

"Oi! Zabini you scared me," she said lamely.

He raised his eyebrows at her. They had both clearly seen one another as he had been walking down towards her so it was very unlikely that he had surprised her like she claimed.

"Sorry," he muttered then pulled back his cheeks into a charming grin.

"I was wondering Grang-Hermione."

Her heart skipped a beat in shock.

"Well would you like to go to the Quidditch banquet next week?"

"Well yea I have to go seeing as I'm Head Girl and all-"

"I mean with me. As my date." He said slowly interupting her.

Hermione's jaw fell.

"What?" She demanded rudely.

He looked crestfallen.

"I mean uhh... well honestly... why?" She carried on nervously.

He looked up at her and smiled.

"You mean because I'm a Slytherin and because you're a Gryffindor?"

She nodded, still utterly shocked.

"Well I've dated a Gryffindor before." He presented smiling.

"No one seemed to mind in Slytherin."

She pursed her lips.

"Yea," she began.

"But uh don't you think that Slytherin AND Gryffindor might mind because uh... well because I'm me..."

Blaise grinned and moved in closer to her until his face was merely inches from her own.

"Well lets defy them then." He suggested happily.

Hermione's eyes widened further.

"Um I'm not sure-"

"Tell you what. How about I give you until the end of the week to decide?" He went on cheefully.

Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"Uh I suppose-"

"Great! I'll even take you to Hogsmeade this Saturday. But anyhow I'll see you in third period today... Hermione."

With that he stalked off until:

"Blaise!"

He turned to look at her, still smiling.

"Can I ask why?"

His expression turned smug and he shrugged.

"I guess just cause you're gorgeous."

With that he turned and contiuned to walk down the corridor leaving Hermione rather breathless behind him.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Excellent, Blaise thought as he entered his first period class and took his seat next to Draco.

This will drive Draco bloody mad and jealous... I'll be able to prove that he wants her...

"What're you so cheerful about?" Draco demanded angrily as Blaise sat down with a grin plastered across his face.

"Oh nothing... just had a rather quickie."

Draco raised his brows then looked away.

- - - - - - - - - - -

At dinner that evening Hermione wondered if she should consolt Ginny about Blaise Zabini's invitaion to be his date to the Quidditch banquet next week and Hogsmeade on Saturday. Blaise was a very attractive guy. He was very tall, lean, ivory skin (yes he's white, not like in the books) and eyes so dark blue they almost looked indigo.

He also played Quidditch now for the Slytherin team, so it would be appropriate for him to have a date, since the banquet would be held in his and his teammates honor.

"How was your day?" Ginny asked Hermione middway through supper.

"Uhh rather bland I suppose... I did however," she dropped her voice to a whisper.

"Get any invitation from Blaise Zabini to be his date for the Quidditch banquet next week..."

Ginny looked like she'd just seen Hermione for the first time.

"Are-are you serious?" She half gasped.

"Yes. I think I might say yes." Hermione went on eyeing Harry and Ron to make sure they weren't eavesdropping.

"Oh yes! You definitely should!" Ginny encouraged.

"He's as gorgeous as any male model I've ever seen," she continued grinning.

Hermione nodded.

"You don't think he's up to something do you?" She asked Ginny quickly.

Ginny's forehead wrinkled and she pursed her lips.

"Zabini's never done anything to you, or Harry or Ron. He's just friends with jerks... I don't think he is one." She concluded.

Hermione felt satsified with then and nodded smiling.

"Does this mean that you two are an item?" Ginny asked leaning in closer.

Hermione looked up surprised, this thought hadn't crossed her mind.

"I-I don't know. I'll have to talk to him tomorrow."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The next day Hermione couldn't find an opportunity to talk to Blaise alone. Slytherins were always surrounding him and going up to a gang of Slytherins to tell one of them that she would be his date next week and possibly his girlfriend was the last thing on earth she planned to do.

It also occured to her that Malfoy was almost ALWAYS with Blaise. Figures, they're best mates, Harry and Ron are ALWAYS together too. Throughout the entire day she not once found a chance to talk to Blaise, alone. And he never initiated any eye contact, waving or anything of the sort.

The following day (Wednesday) played out mostly the same as the day before had. He never looked at her, never spoke to her or anything related. She saw him in the library later that evening, but Pansy Parkinson was with him.

Had this all been a joke?

Thursday she didn't even make any attempt to talk to him. Late Thursday evening she sat on the couch in the common room in front of the roaring fire fnishing an essay for Professor McGonagall.

There was suddenly a loud bang that made her snap her head up. Malfoy had just returned from his patrolling rounds and was walking in through the portrait hole. He took one glance at her and sneered. She glared back at him menacingly then returned back to her essay at hand.

Two and a half hours later Hermione had finished her essay and her potions homework and was putting her things back in her school bag when Malfoy came strolling down the banister staircase in naught but his boxers.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

She was absolutely EVERYWHERE in his head! Ever since the night of the Prefects meeting he'd been itching to get his hands back on her. She was soft and supple, you could tell just by looking. And touching it -even just her arms- was even better than it looked.

After trying to banish the intense week long thoughts of her being utterly submissive to him sexually and seeing her in the common room tonight in her little pajama shorts he couldn't handle it. He had to get someting out of her. Now.

He stripped all his clothes save his boxers and went downstairs to go tempt her, and himself. Granger was putting her books in her school bag when he came down. He idly walked over their small library in the corner of the common room then turned around to face her, thumbing through the books on the shelf.

Granger sensed his stare and looked over her shoulder at him.

"Evening Granger," he said darkly.

She began to pack her things more hastily. Draco smirked at her and leisurely walked over until his chest was flush against her back.

"Malfoy-"

"I got these for you." He muttered.

He circled his arms around her waist, incircling her in his arms and pressed the random books he'd selected against her chest tightly. She gasped and jerked forward trying to get away from him.

Then suddenly several things happened all at once: the books fell in a heap to the ground, Malfoy jerked her closer to him and spun her around quickly to face him, and Hermione slapped him hard across the face.

His hands dropped for a mere second than grabbed her back to him again.

"Malfoy stop it!"

"I told you that you'd be that girl pretty soon." He murmured pulling her tighter against him.

Is he about to force me to have sex with him!? She suddenly thought panic stricken. And with all her muslce power she violently began to fight against him. Malfoy groaned in pain as she kneed him in the stomach and jabbed him in the throat. Desperately she tried to knee him in the crotch.

He tightened his grip around her and with his knee spread her thighs apart. She screamed and punched him in the face. He fell to the floor and she ran for it. As she scrambled up the staircase he suddenly caught her ankle and she fell chest and face forward onto the steps.

She groaned, but still tried to escape. Malfoy grabbed one of her wrists in a iron grip and yanked her to him. She was nearly sitting in his lap she was so close against him.

Then he kissed her.

It was serene. Like suddenly all the anger, hatred and heat had died away and suddenly a sweet atmosphere had settled between them. They were both lost from the sanity of earth for five seconds. His arms wrapped around her, hers wrapped around him.

He groaned, she moaned and they both opened their mouths to one another. Then like lightning had struck between the pair of them they both jumped apart. Both with wide eyes and panting.

They stared at one another and sat in pure silence for a period of time that felt eternal.

"Malfoy," she finally said jaded.

He opened his eyes further in interest to her.

"You have to stop this... I'm not one for you to have and then be done with..."

Then she stood and walked away from him, rather shakily and closed her bedroom door near silently.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Draco stayed out on the steps for several minutes, possibly hours reflecting what he'd just done. That was the most surreal thing that he'd ever done and felt in his entire life. Granger's words resounded over and over again in his head.

She was right. She wasn't a play thing. Granger was a girl that someone loved. But when he'd kissed her, he was terrified to admit it though and almost laughed aloud, he could have said 'I love you' just then to her and he would have meant it one hundred percent.

Unevenly he stood from the stairs, climbed up to his bedroom and layed down for the worst night of sleep that he'd ever endured. A night full of dreams of him and Granger... doing loving things to one another.

He woke up the next morning with cold sweat and feeling like he was having an anxiety attack. He jumped from the bed and ran as fast as he could to the shower and put its temperature cold as ice.

Ok so did you like it? Please review!

I know I've been baddd taking forever to update. I'm so sorry!