Disclaimer; I don't own Harry Potter.
A/N; Okay, I lied. I said I wouldnt be updating this story till next week but I decided to update this story on Wednesdays, and 'Reunion' on Mondays. So, here is chapter 2, but chapter 3 won't post until next Wednesday. I hope you like it. Happy reading and don't foget to review!
The Deal
A few minutes later Draco stirred to the feeling of a cool rag being pressed to his forehead. When he finally opened his eyes, Granger was standing over him fussing over his limp body. The last thing he remembered was this Mudblood asking him to date her.
"What the…" he said suddenly sitting up and bumping his head again on the counter. "Bloody hell." he said standing up holding his head where a lump was now forming. "What happened?"
"You kind of passed out." she said as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
"I know that," he replied dully. "I mean did you really ask me what I think you did before I…"
"Yes." she said. "I asked if you would be my boyfriend, not for real. Just to make Ron mad." she smiled a charming smile at him.
"You are mental." he said walking over and sitting on the couch.
"So is that a no?" she asked.
"That is a hell no." he replied annoyed.
She looked into the fire and began to cry. He hated being around crying females. It made him uncomfortable.
"It would never work anyway." he said. "No one in their right mind would think that I, I mean us…it is just too unbelievable."
"There must be something I can do for you." she said desperately. "After all, what better way to get back at Ron than being with you? He hates you."
"The feeling is mutual." his mind thought of Ron seeing him with Granger and choking to death on his breakfast. He laughed. "Still, it wouldn't work. It would be too big of a blow to my spotless reputation, considering you are who you are." and in his mind no matter how appealing this was to infuriate the weasel, she was a Mudblood.
"But, just think of how Harry would be too. Wouldn't that be worth it?" she asked. She didn't want to hurt Harry, so more than likely she would tell him it was a ruse. Draco's flawless face seemed to consider it for a moment before replying.
"No. It just can't be done." but then his mind thought of his father's dying wish. The thing he hadn't been able to do on his own in his six years at Hogwarts. And that was doing better in homework, exams and finally N.E.W.T.s. "Wait, maybe we can work something out." he said smiling evilly. He then told her of what she would have to do.
"You will come in second to me in every exam, term paper, essay and N.E.W.T. for the entire year." Her face fell.
"I can't do that!" she yelled. "I have worked so hard to be on top." her face screwed up and thought for a moment. She wanted revenge on Ron so badly. Would she be willing to ruin her perfect record for revenge? She decided she would.
"Okay, deal. But you have to make it realistic. You have to do everything you would do if you were normally courting a girl. And I mean everything. That means walking me to classes, holding hands, eating together occasionally, and the physical stuff, at least in public. And you can't tell anyone of our plan." she said.
"That goes for you too. No giving Potty a heads up on this."
She scowled. She had not wanted to hurt Harry.
"Okay deal." she said again holding out her hand for him to shake. He looked at her oddly and took it. She had made a deal with the devil.
The rest of the weekend was spent in their common room planning out their upcoming 'relationship'. He was planning on approaching her at breakfast and asking for a date, not much, just a cup of coffee or something like that. It would progress from there in a normal fashion. By the time they went to bed on Sunday night she was nervous and excited about the next morning.
Hermione took extra care that morning. She put on her school things as usual, but she tamed her wild hair so that it hung in loose waves. She even put on some lip gloss. Hermione walked down the steps to the great hall and sat across from Ron and Harry. Not letting on how mad she was. Harry pulled her away from the table quickly so he could speak to her in private.
"Hey, I didn't see you all weekend, how are you?" he said hugging her tightly.
"How do you think I am? My boyfriend slept with someone else and I caught them. It made my bloody weekend. I wanted our first time together to be special. Both of us giving ourselves to each other for our first time." she replied sadly.
"Uh…first time? Didn't you know about Ron and Lavender last year?" he said, green eyes wide behind those glasses.
"NO. WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" she yelled loud enough for everyone to hear her.
"Uh…maybe I shouldn't be telling you this while you are irrational." he turned from her face and tried to make his way back to his seat. Hermione grabbed his arm and spun him around.
"I am not irrational. You mean he and Lavender did that? Last year? And no one told me?" she said red in the face.
"I thought everyone knew. But he is really sorry Hermione." Harry said meekly.
"No, not everyone obviously." she said holding back tears. "I don't want to look at either of you right now." she said before moving her things down the table and next to Ginny.
"What happened?" Ginny asked quietly.
"Ron slept with Lavender that's what happened. As if you didn't know." she said bitterly.
"What?" she said angrily. "Ron and Lavender? Are you serious?" her brown eyes were wide with surprise.
"You didn't know?" Hermione asked her feeling sorry for snapping at her.
"No, I try not to think about my brother and women. So what happened?"
"He apparently got sick of waiting for me to be ready so he found Lavender and well…you know. I guess it wasn't the first time either. Harry just told me something about last year. Anyway I don't want to talk about it." she said picking at her oatmeal. Five or so minutes had passed when Draco Malfoy strutted into the great hall. Instead of making his way to the Slytherin table he walked slow but determined to the Gryffindor table. Ginny's eyes grew to the size of saucers. He sat down next to Hermione and she looked up from her oatmeal.
"Hi." he said smiling, Hermione had never really seen him smile. It was quite dazzling.
"Hey." she said back.
"You look nice today." he said looking deep into her brown eyes with his azure silver ones and then smiling.
"Thank you." she said blushing. He reached over and touched her hand. She smiled back at him.
"So I was wondering what you are doing later. Want to grab a cup of coffee or something?" he asked hopefully.
"Uh…sure. See you after classes then?" he smiled at her and stood up.
"Yeah, good-bye Hermione." he leaned over and kissed her lightly on the forehead. Her face turned beet red as he walked back over to his own table. She touched the spot on her forehead where he had kissed her. That had not been in the plan. She smiled to herself and went back to her oatmeal. The great hall had fallen so silent that you could hear a pin drop. Ginny was staring at her like she was a foreign mutant and Ron's face was so red you couldn't tell where his skin began and his hair ended. Harry's mouth just hung open.
Harry got up and walked to where Hermione was sitting.
"What was that all about?" he demanded.
"What?" she asked innocently.
"Let me think…uh Malfoy!" he spat.
"What about it? He just wanted to have coffee or something. Not that it's any of your business."
"You are my girlfriend." Ron piped up. Hermione looked at him with daggers in her eyes.
"You have got to be kidding me Ronald!" she yelled. "After what happened this weekend?"
"I said I was sorry. And it was partially your fault." he said face still red.
"MY FAULT?" she yelled. "IT WAS MY FAULT? YOU ARE INCREDIBLE RONALD WEASELY." she turned back to Harry.
"So this is about revenge or what? Malfoy could not possibly be interested in you." Harry said calmly.
"Why not? Am I that repulsive? Yeah no one would be interested in little bookworm Granger right? Well I have got news for you Harry James Potter. Draco has liked me for a little while, but I was with Ron. He came into our common room Saturday and found me upset about Ron. He confessed that he had wanted to talk to me for a while. Now if you don't mind, I am going to be late for Potions." she stormed out of the hall.
At the Slytherin table Draco was enjoying his breakfast more than he had in a long while. The golden trio was no more. Most of his housemates had questioned his motives concerning the Mudblood,
"I have a plan, let's leave it at that." he said watching the fireworks between Granger and Potty.
Crabbe and Goyle just shrugged and went back to their food. Draco rolled his eyes. They sure were dim. His eyes followed her out of the hall, and a second later he was in pursuit. He caught up with her on the steps leading down to the dungeon.
"Hey, how did I do?" he asked catching his breath.
"Great, perfect. I gotta go. See you in potions." she said as she hurried down the steps and out of sight. He went back to the hall and grabbed his things before heading down to the potions lab. During double potions Draco walked past Hermione and winked causing her to add to much powdered newt eggs to her potion as she followed his entrancing eyes back to his seat. She giggled and blushed, not caring that she had just ruined her potion. The looks on everyone's faces was priceless. He was a good actor, and she was not used to this kind of attention. When Snape finally dismissed them he hung back and waited for her, watching the looks on Potty and the weasels face as they passed him.
"Walk with me to ancient runes?" he said holding out his arm.
"Sure." she said as she took it and they walked up the stone steps from the dungeon.
The two heads had classes together the rest of the day and did not part company until dinnertime. They walked into the great hall together and it fell silent. He walked towards the Slytherin table and her towards the Gryffindor, seating herself next to Ginny who was clearly waiting to hear details.
"So." said Ginny.
"So what?" said Hermione knowing she was teasing.
"What is going on between you and Malfoy?" she asked.
"Just friends." Hermione said reaching for the plate of chops.
"Friends?" Ginny asked, one eyebrow raised.
"Yeah, friends."
"Since when?" Ginny replied.
"Uh…this weekend? Look, Mal…Draco found me crying over your stupid prat of a brother and asked me what was wrong. He also admitted he had a slight crush on me for a while. And I said that we could try to be friends first." she said taking a bite of her dinner.
"Malfoy has a crush on you? And this isn't some trick? Because he was always calling you those awful names." said Ginny.
"He's okay once you get to know him a little." said Hermione.
"So what are you and Ron now, just friends? Ginny asked.
"Right now Ronald and I are nothing. He betrayed me in the worst way. And the same goes for Harry. He knew about Ron and Lavender and didn't tell me. I just don't want to talk to either one of them right now." she said glancing down the table at Ron and Harry. Harry looked at her in a bewildered way and Hermione looked away quickly. Then Hermione looked to the Slytherin table and caught Draco's eye. He smiled at her and she smiled back. She blushed and turned back to Ginny.
"You are not mad at me are you Hermione?" Ginny asked meekly.
"Of course not. You are like my little sister." she reached over and hugged Ginny, who teary eyed hugged her back.
"Good. Because my git of a brother is not worth crying over." she said wiping her eyes. Hermione smiled genuinely at her. Just then Lavender Brown made a beeline for Ron. She sat down next to him and hugged and kissed him brazenly. She shot Hermione several nasty looks. Hermione just rolled her eyes and muttered something that sounded an awful lot like 'slut' before returning to her dinner.
Over at the Slytherin table Draco was paying close attention to the interaction between Granger and the Weasel. The plan was if she looked to be in distress, or if that awful Brown girl was hanging on that red-headed moron, he was to go over to her and lead her away from the table. He finished his steak and kidney pie, wiped his mouth and stood up. His fellow house mates were looking at him oddly. He straightened out his robes and walked over to where Hermione was sitting.
"Hi Hermione. Did you have a nice dinner?" he said smiling.
"Yes thank you." she said shyly.
"Can I walk you back to our common room?" he said holding out his hand.
"Sure, just let me get my books." she started to gather her things.
"No, let me carry them." he said smiling as he pulled her books and parchment into her bag and slung it over his shoulder. He then took her hand and kissed it. She blushed like a little girl and took his hand in hers. She glanced back at Ron who had gone so red it was hard to tell where his hair stopped and his face began. Lavender continued fawning over him but he paid her no attention.
"Night Ginny." Hermione said dreamily.
"Yes, goodnight Ginny." Draco said casually, as if they had been old friends.
"Night 'Mione." Ginny said, "Oh, and goodnight Malfoy." still confused by his perfect manners.
They walked out of the hall hand in hand much to the consternation of Harry and Ron.