Disclaimer; I own nothing!
A/N Hello everyone! Here is the next chapter and you can see where it is going Winks. I hope you all enjoy. Happy reading and don't forget to review.
The double date
Hermione busied herself getting ready that Saturday morning. It was snowing lightly making the castle grounds look like a frosted cake. Draco, Blaise, Lavender and herself were planning on going into Hogsmeade for lunch at a book café that just opened. She was just pulling on her sweater when she heard knocking at the portrait hole.
"Draco, can you get that?" she yelled, but she got no answer. The knocking continued so Hermione scrambled down the stairs to open the door. Standing there in front of her clutching a bouquet of roses was Ron.
"Hi Hermione." he said shyly.
"What do you want Ronald? I have a date." she said tapping her foot impatiently.
"Can we talk for a second?" he asked pushing his way in anyway.
"Sure come in make yourself at home." she replied sarcastically.
"Thanks." he said handing her the roses.
"They are beautiful." she said half-heartedly. "So what's up?"
"I suspect you have heard." he said grimly.
"Heard what?" she asked.
"About me and Lavender and why she broke up with me."
"I have heard things, so what?" Hermione asked.
"Well I thought maybe we could talk about getting back together. I never really loved her. I was mad about our fight and she was there in the Gryffindor tower and she threw herself on me." he said. Hermione suppressed a cough.
"How long did you rehearse that story?" she asked.
"What do you mean?"
"I talked to Lavender after you got dragged to detention and she told me the true story."
"The true story?"
"Is there an echo in here?" she asked. "Anyway she told me how you came to her and claimed we broke up and told her you still loved her. It was a cruel thing to do Ronald Weasley. She cared for you deeply."
Ron looked at the floor sheepishly.
"I know, and I am sorry. But what she overheard the other night is true. I love you and I want you back. So cancel your so called 'date' with the ferret and let's go out for coffee or something." he grinned.
"You are so dense. I am dating Draco. I have a lunch date with him this afternoon. I don't want to get back together with you. And in case it hasn't got back to you yet, I fixed Lavender up with Blaise. We are double dating with them." she smirked in a very Malfoy like manor.
"What? Lavender and Zabini? You are just unbelievable!" he yelled. "Haven't you hurt me enough? Dating Malfoy? And now fixing Lavender up with another slimy Slytherin?"
"Ron, get a grip." she said coolly.
"NO. I WILL NOT GET A GRIP. YOU ARE SO SELFISH HERMIONE!" He screamed turning red as his hair.
"Just go." she said walking back up the stairs.
"I came back here, bringing you flowers just like that git you are supposedly dating, and you treat me like dirt. I am sick of it!" his voice was raspy from yelling.
"Ron, get out!" she yelled a little louder. He ran halfway up the stairs and grabbed Hermione by the wrists.
"You are going to listen to me! I love you! All I asked for that night was a little affection, a little something to show me you loved me and it seemed to me like you couldn't even bear to touch me. At first I thought you were a prude, but then I watched you kiss Malfoy in every corridor of this castle and it made me sick. SICK! Are you sleeping with him too?" he screamed shaking Hermione by the wrists.
"Let go Ron you are hurting me!" Hermione whimpered.
"No! Listen to me!" he yelled. "We can get back together and be happy. Right?"
"No Ron! I don't love you! Let me go!"
Just then Draco came out of the bathroom where he was showering.
"What the hell is going on here?" he screamed pulling out his wand and pointing it at Ron.
"None of your fucking business ferret. Leave me and Hermione alone!" he said pushing Hermione down the three steps where they were standing. She landed on the floor with a thump. Her brown eyes filled with tears and Draco's silver ones turned dark grey with rage. His wand hand steadied at Ron.
"Get out." he said. "Before I do something I regret."
"Fuck off Malfoy." Ron said reaching for his wand.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Draco screamed and Ron went instantly rigid, falling over like a stiff plank of wood.
"You okay Hermione?" Draco asked holding out his hand and helping her up off of the floor.
"I'm fine. Glad you came along though. He was seriously out of control." said Hermione.
"Just hold on. I am going to move him. Mobiliarbus!" he yelled and Ron floated towards the portrait hole door. Another swish of Draco's wand had it open and yet another flick threw Ron's stiffened body out.
"There." he said grinning. "Are you ready to go?" he asked.
"Not quite yet. Five minutes okay?" she smiled and ran up the steps to her room. She pulled on her boots and coat and polished her lips with gloss. She looked in the mirror one last time and ran down stairs to meet Draco.
"Now I am ready." she told him.
"Bout time." he joked taking her hand. "I take it we are meeting them in the entrance hall?"
"Yep." They left the common room and made their way down to the entrance hall where Hermione spotted Lavender waiting nervously.
"Hi." she said to the shaking girl.
"Hi. He's not going to show up." she said twirling her hair in a nervous fashion.
"Yes he is. Calm down." Hermione said soothingly.
Just then Harry came bounding at where she, Draco and Lavender were standing, wand pointed right at Draco.
"Harry, what in the hell are you doing?" Hermione said loudly.
"Ron just told me that Malfoy here; your 'golden boy' hexed him in the hallway. Luckily someone came by and un-petrified him. Now we are going to finish this you ferret faced git." Harry yelled.
"Harry have you lost your mind?" Hermione yelled.
"Just stay out of it Hermione. It has nothing to do with you." he said seething.
"No, you didn't hear what Ron did. He…" but Hermione didn't get to finish that sentence. A hex flew past her head and towards Draco. He easily dodged it.
"Is that all the-boy-who-lived has got?" Draco laughed. "Well how about this?" he pointed his wand at Harry and yelled "Tarantallegra!" Immediately Harry's legs began to dance. Draco doubled over in laughter.
"Enough!" yelled Hermione "Locomotor Mortis!" she yelled pointing her wand at Harry's tapping feet. "You need to listen Harry!"
He stopped and looked at her. Her smooth hair had gone wild and her eyes were full of what could only be described as a combination of annoyance and rage.
"Yes Potty. Listen to her. What your little weasely friend left out of his story was the fact that I walked in on him assaulting Hermione. He was grabbing her by the wrists and then pushed her down the steps in our common room." Draco said coolly. Harry's green eyes widened as he looked back at Hermione who had rolled up her sleeves to expose several large finger sized bruises. Her eyes looked into Harry's and it was if a light bulb went off inside of his head.
"True Hermione?" he asked. She nodded.
"He wanted me back. I refused. He was mad I fixed Lavender up with Blaise. He grabbed me and then pushed me down the steps. I don't know what would have happened if Draco hadn't show up." she said seriously.
"Wow I had no idea." he said lowering his wand and stowing it back in his pocket. Draco followed suit and did the same. "I can't believe Ron would do that. I guess I owe you an apology mate." Harry stuck his hand out for Draco. He hesitated but eventually shook it.
"This doesn't mean we are friends Potter." Draco said bemused.
"I didn't expect it Malfoy." he replied.
"Now that's better." Hermione sighed. "Oh, Blaise is coming." she said to Lavender. Lavender looked up the large staircase and caught sight of Blaise walking gracefully down the steps towards them. He wore a blue button up shirt, black pants and a smile that was almost as dazzling as Draco's.
"Ciao." he said to the group but looking oddly at Harry.
"Well I'd better go find Ginny and explain what happened. You don't want to be on the receiving end of any of her hexes." he said smiling. "Talk to you later Hermione. Have a good time."
Hermione was shocked. It was almost as if Harry approved.
The four of them walked through the snow to the tiny village. Hermione bundled up tightly as Draco's arm wrapped around her shoulders. Blaise, being raised a gentlemen just like Draco did the same. Lavender blushed deeply.
"Thank you." she said softly.
"You are welcome." Blaise said back. Soon they reached the road leading into Hogsmeade and within fifteen minutes they reached the café that they were eating lunch in. Draco and Blaise both pulled out chairs for their respective women. Hermione smiled at Lavender who clearly was used to Ron's distasteful manners.
"How are you today Hermione?" Blaise asked. She was startled. Hermione knew he had a clear problem with muggle borns. She smiled politely.
"Fine Blaise. And yourself?" The conversation was light and pleasant. They ate a very nice lunch and had coffee and tea afterwards taking time to read some books. Hermione was having such a good time she didn't notice how late it was getting.
"Its going to be getting dark soon guys. We should head back." she said looking out the window at the impending snow storm. The snow was so heavy it was hard to see. They bundled up tightly and headed out into the blizzard. The wind blew hard on their faces and walking was nearly impossible. Hermione felt frozen to the bone. Her cheeks were pink and chapped from the wind and blowing snow. She looked at Lavender who because of her short stature was having trouble even walking in the high snowy drifts.
"This isn't working." Hermione yelled. Lavender nodded.
"I can't walk back in this!" Lavender whined.
"I have an idea." Blaise said, "My family owns a cabin just on the other side of the main road towards the crystal lake. We could stay there tonight and go back in the morning."
Hermione looked at Draco.
"Won't we get in trouble?" she asked.
"I'll send an owl telling the school we got trapped her and not to worry. I have not passed my apperation test yet, have you Blaise?" Blaise nodded. "Lavender?" she shook her head no. "Hermione?" she said no as well.
"Well I guess we are staying at Blaise's cabin. Lead the way." Draco commanded grabbing a hold of Hermione's hand and pulling her down the snowy street. The short walk should have been easy but it took almost half an hour to reach the tiny cabin. It was on the edge of a vast lake just on the outskirts of town. Hermione felt great relief to see the tiny snow covered log cabin. She felt like running to it but her legs were just too tired. Draco pulled her the rest of the way and Blaise pointed his wand at the locked door.
"Alohamora!" he yelled. The door swung open and they entered the dark dusty room and shut the door behind them to keep the wind from entering.
"Lumos" Hermione whispered and her wand tip lit. She held it aloft and looked around the cabin. Though it looked small from the outside it was actually quite large.
"Make yourselves at home" Blaise announced before pointing his wand at the large fire place and said "Incendio!" immediately the cabin was filled with a warm glow and Blaise smiled at Draco.