Hope you like this one...

Madam Puddifoot lead Hermione to the back of the restaurant and round a corner where Hermione had never been. The tables here were in little alcoves and the lighting was more secluded. Hermione immediately recognized Draco sitting at the table in the corner. Madam Puddifoot settled Hermione into the seat opposite him and handed her a menu.

"There you go. I'll be back very soon for your order." She nodded her head. "It's lovely to see you both, especially together!" She glanced over at Draco and tapped the edge of her nose with her fat finger. "No need to worry, you're secret it safe with me," she said and she shuffled off.

"What secret?" Hermione asked, without bothering with hello.

"I told her we were having a secret rendezvous because your friends wouldn't approve of you seeing me," Draco explained and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Great!" she said. "Now I look one of those women who hang off your arm with a vacant expression." Draco's only reaction to this was to raise one eyebrow at her. Hermione decided to change the subject "Why the ridiculous riddle to ask for the reservation?"

"You worked it out, didn't you?"

"Yes but couldn't you have just used Smith or Jones or Weasley or something! And why this place?" she lowered her voice "I hate this place!"

Draco grinned again. "Something else we agree on then," he said. He leant forward and lowered his voice "If you were suspecting me of meeting someone to exchange information where is the last place you can imagine the meeting taking place?"

Hermione twisted her lips - he was right, of course. She nodded, reluctantly. "Here."

"Exactly."

"Let's get this over with then," Hermione said. "Do you have anything else to tell me?"

"Woah! Slow down!" Draco said. "We have to make this date look real or Puddifoot might start asking awkward questions. She's not as stupid as she appears. If we pull it off convincingly she'll just be happy we've found love so we have to order and eat." Hermione groaned but before she could reply, Madam Puddifoot arrived to take their orders. When she had gone again Hermione stood up to take her jacket off because it was hot in the alcove. She hung it over the back of her chair and sat back down when she felt Draco's eyes on her. She looked up and found she was right; he was staring at her, his startling eyes boring into her. She immediately felt totally self conscious but she didn't give into it and instead she stared back at him.

"Why are you staring at me?" she asked.

"You wear expensive clothes," Draco said, as if this was a good enough explanation.

"I don't buy them based on cost," Hermione said. "I buy them based on quality. It's important how I look if I'm representing people."

"And now?"

"Sorry?"

"You're not at work now?"

Hermione leant closer. "Actually, I am. But why are we even having this conversation?"

Draco leant back in his chair, his eyes still locked on her. "I'm not allowed to compliment you then?"

Hermione shook her head. "It's probably best if you don't."

"Why not?"

"The less conversation we have, the less likely we are to end up screaming at each other. Let's stick strictly to business," Hermione said.

"Okay - when can I expect you to have got my impending prosecution dropped because I think I'm about to be let into the big secret?" Draco swiftly did as she suggested and now she wished she hadn't because she really hadn't been able to make much progress. His notes were already in the file and it was almost impossible to make them disappear.

"I'm still working on it," she answered, vaguely.

"Seriously, if you can't make it go away then we could be in big trouble. If they let me into their group and then find out what I'm really doing..."

"I know," Hermione interrupted him. "There will be a way - I just haven't found it yet."

"Not exactly what I wanted to hear," Draco said.

Madam Puddifoot appeared with their meal and despite the unusual circumstances Hermione suddenly felt hungry. The meal looked delicious and for several minutes they both ate in silence.

"You worked out that part of my note easily then? The place that is all about love?" Draco asked, taking a sip of his drink.

"Your note was ridiculous," Hermione said, cruelly. She wasn't going to tell him she'd found it vaguely amusing. "And what do SB and WMEB mean?"

Draco glared at her. "My note wasn't ridiculous. It was necessary - if it got intercepted it had to look like a genuine love letter. When are you going to get all this?" He didn't wait for her to answer. "So, you've not idea what the letters mean?"

"No idea - please enlighten me," Hermione said.

Draco nodded. "WMEB - Wizardry's Most Eligible Bachelor." He spoke as if it was completely obvious and Hermione made a gagging sound.

"For Merlin's sake!"

Draco continued. "SB - come on! Your must be able to guess the second word. It's very relevant to you."

Hermione didn't want to play guessing games so she shrugged. "After hearing what WMEB stands for, I'm not so sure I still want to know now!"

"Bookworm. B is for bookworm," Draco explained.

"Great. Thanks." Hermione's voice was laced with sarcasm. "And the 'S'?"

Draco paused for just a second before answering. "Sexy." He continued to eat as if it was perfectly normal for him to call her sexy.

Hermione, who had her last fork full of food half was to her mouth, froze and stared at him. "Sexy?" she repeated, incredulously. "That isn't what it stands for!"

Draco looked her up and down again, as much as he could over the table. "Why not? Don't you think you could be described as a sexy bookworm?"

Hermione put the food back on her plate and pushed it away. "I have no idea! But don't expect me to believe that you think that!"

"I can think a women's sexy without actually liking her," Draco said and Hermione grimaced.

"Are you proud to be that shallow then?" Hermione bit back at him, in part to disguise her embarrassment.

"Most women would be happy to be called sexy!" Draco said, indignantly. "Not bloody Hermione Granger though! No! She takes it as a bloody insult!"

"Because I don't believe you," Hermione said. "The joke is always at my expense."

"For the record - I'm not shallow," Draco was speaking quietly but Hermione could tell that he wanted to shout the words at her.

"I beg to differ."

"You don't know me at all," Draco said, his voice a whisper but still forceful. "But somehow you still think you have the supreme right to judge me."

"I'm not judging you - you can be as shallow as you like," Hermione answered him back. "Doesn't mean I'm not allowed opinion on it."

"You seem to think you're allowed an opinion on everything!" Draco leant forward. "It's funny how you're so critical of the smallest little thing but not once have you praised me about risking my life to pass information over!"

"Oh! You're back on that then? Draco Malfoy - hero and saviour of the wizarding world! I must remember to bow down to your greatness!" Hermione's whisper was equally as forceful as Draco's.

Draco opened his mouth to answer but before he could speak, Madam Puddifoot arrived around the corner with another couple. Obviously, the alcoves were fairly private, that was the point of them. but for a few moments Draco and Hermione were in full view. Hermione watched as the colour drained from Draco's face and he suddenly leant across the table, grabbing both of her hands.

"Lean across to me, block their view," his voice was an urgent whisper in her ear. Hermione was about to protest when she realised that Draco must know these new arrivals and he obviously did not want them to see him. So she pushed down her anger and frustration that she had been feeling just moments earlier, and leant into him as he instructed. "It's a member of the group. I don't know him very well but we can't let him see me," Draco said.

"Once he's in the alcove he won't see you and we can leave," she whispered back, reassuringly.

"He'll see us when we leave!"

The couple were being showed to their table, right behind Draco and Hermione. Hermione shuffled around more so that she was blocking Draco. Draco had bent low, still holding Hermione's hands and now he pressed his cheek against hers so that his face was hidden. Hermione knew it would look like they were just having a romantic moment but it felt excruciatingly embarrassing. His cheek felt hot against hers and she could smell his cologne. She tried to focus on what was going on behind her.

It seemed to be taking forever for Madam Puddifoot to settle her customers at their table and there was a lively chat taking place - it was obvious that Madam Puddifoot knew him. This made Hermione very nervous because how easy would it be for Madam Puddifoot to point Draco out to the new arrival if she thought they knew each other. She could feel the tension spilling from Draco and she knew he must be thinking the same thing. As if he could read her mind he whispered in her ear again.

"What if Puddifoot realizes we know each other? She could tell him I'm here!"

Hermione could feel her heart thumping because now she was really scared. This could be disastrous because even if Draco and she were supposedly just here for a romantic dinner that would be enough to cause suspicion and it would definitely mean that Draco wouldn't be invited into their group. Madam Puddifoot's next words struck horror into her.

"I'm pleased to say we have a very prestigious clientele here tonight." Madam Puddifoot gushed and Hermione felt Draco lean closer still and grasp her hands tightly. Hermione could already hear Madam Puddifoot's next words before she started to speak them – she was going to tell them that Draco Malfoy was here with Hermione Granger, no less!

In sheer panic, Hermione did the only thing she could possibly think of that might stop Madam Puddifoot from interrupting her and Draco. She put her hand on Draco's neck and turned his head so that their lips met. There was a split second when Hermione thought that Draco was going to jump to his feet and demand to know what she was doing but thankfully he didn't. Instead, after just a moment's hesitation, he pressed his lips against hers and moved one hand up her arm to pull her closer.

It was a completely surreal feeling to be sitting in Madam Puddifoot's, her lips pressed against Draco Malfoy's but Hermione told herself to try and relax so that it looked real. Neither of them was moving their lips which strangely made the situation even more awkward than if they had actually been kissing. No-one ever sat for this length of time just pressing lips with another person! It felt strange and unnatural. Again, as if he could read her thoughts, she felt Draco move his lips just very slightly against hers and despite herself, Hermione's every sense leapt in response. His lips were soft, smooth and hot against hers and his hand had moved again up to the top of her arm where she could feel it against her skin. His lips moved a second time, the smallest of movements but this time Hermione couldn't help but respond, partly because of the totally alien feeling of keeping her lips still for so long and partly because she couldn't help it.

Having, seconds earlier, being straining for to hear Madam Puddifoot's next words, when she did hear her speak it felt like an interruption.

"Of course, everyone here would like some privacy so I'll leave you to select from the menu."

Hermione felt a rush of relief that they seemed to have escaped the terrifying introduction to their fellow diners and she felt Draco pull away.

"We need to get out of here, fast!" he whispered. His face was pale, his eyes glancing anxiously around. He reached into his jacket and pulled out some money which he flung on the table. "How are we going to leave without them or Puddifoot seeing us?"

Hermione took a small glance behind her and the couple seemed to be engrossed in conversation. They were paying no interest at all to her and Draco and there was a chance they could just walk past unnoticed. Hermione bent to get her bag, ready to make a quick exit and as she did so, she noticed that under the table, the woman had her one leg wrapped around the man's. This was obviously a real romantic dinner. She heard the woman giggle and noticed that the man had now slipped his shoe off and was rubbing her leg seductively.

Not wanting to see anymore, Hermione sat up abruptly. "Any moment now we'll be able to leave," she whispered to Draco who looked puzzled.

"How do you know?"

"They're getting friendly, if you know what I mean," Hermione explained. Draco's eyes widened in his face as he discreetly watched the couple over Hermione's shoulder.

"You're right, they're kissing," he said. He shook his head. "How did you know?"

"Never mind – come on before they come up for breath!"

They got past the table easily and Hermione, who was in front, scanned the restaurant for Madam Puddifoot. If she saw them leaving, she was bound to make a scene and insist on them staying for desert. She was over in the corner, at a table by the window so Hermione unthinkingly grabbed Draco's hand and pulled him across the restaurant as swiftly as she could without drawing attention to them.

Once outside she took off at a sprint. She could feel Draco behind her and she rounded a corner before stopping. Draco came to a halt behind her and they stopped and looked at one another.

"That was bloody close!" he said. "I can't believe he's a customer there!"

Hermione was about to reply when the ridiculousness of the whole situation hit her. She felt a wave of amusement wash over her and she bit her lip, trying not to laugh. Her and Draco pretending to be on a romantic date, having to kiss and then sneaking out of the restaurant as if they couldn't afford to pay the bill! She gave a chuckle and put her hand to her mouth.

Draco was watching her closely and she saw his expression change as he realized she was trying not to laugh. His own lips curved into a tentative smile which grew and Hermione giggled.

"I'm sorry!" she said. "I know it was serious but did we really just do all that? It was ludicrous!" She gave another chuckle, still trying to not dissolve into complete hysterics. Hermione took a breath and managed to get hold of herself. She looked over at Draco, thinking he would be annoyed at her but he was smiling properly now, his eyes dancing.

"Maybe you are the right person for this," he said. He leant back against the wall and pushed his hands through his hair. Hermione tried her very best not to admire him but he somehow managed to pull off a perfectly simple gesture with such ease and grace that it was difficult not to stare. She realized he'd just complimented her and he was now speaking again. "That was quick thinking deciding to kiss me."

"I couldn't think how else to stop her making an introduction," Hermione said. She tried her very best not to blush because it was a very strange conversation.

"We need to find somewhere else to meet next time," Draco said. He looked around and sighed. "It might have to be a dark alleyway at midnight." His eyes told her he was joking so she gave him a small smile.

"I'll wait for your note," she said.

Draco nodded curtly before apparrating on the spot.

Hope you liked it - it was fun to write. I luv em in situations like this. x