Friends,

This is my second update today, so I am surprised it's so long. Let me know what you think and what you would like to see! Thanks for reading, I hope you all had a great weekend!

Love,

SweetSlytherinPrincess

Locomotive

Chapter XI

A cold wind dancing though his hair, causing him to shove his hands deeper in his pockets and bury his chin beneath his green and silver scarf. He stood, tall and daunting in front of the road sign that directed towards Hogsmeade. As usual, he wore mostly black, his thick jacket seeming to be professionally tailored, his shoes perfectly shined.

He stood there, brooding. Scowling at all the smiling faces that passed him. She was late. He had sent her an owl with specific instructions and yet here he was, waiting. Would she show? He began to feel a nervous tick start up in his eye. Draco Malfoy does not wait around. And he sure as hell would not be made a fool of.

Just as he had made the decision to go on without her, he saw her small from appear in the distance. She wore boots and odd looking muggle pants. Jeans. A soft white button up and a matching cap and scarf that was a deep magenta.

As she neared, he noticed the flush on her face. Most likely from the harsh wind as she hurried towards him. As she closed the space between them, he began to notice that something was different about her.

"I'm sorry I'm late." She said, the leaves crunching beneath her feet as she met him. He immediately began down the path, giving her a sideways glace. She walked beside him, but not too close. Her eyes fixed on her boots as they walked.

"What have you don't differently?" He inquired, his forehead scrunching. She blushed, looking away.

"I don't know what you mean." She said flatly.

"Your hair…." He leaned towards her, inspecting it. "You've styled it? Your curls aren't quite as frizzy. And you've applied makeup?" His eyebrows raised as realization washed over him. She still looked quite natural. Perhaps a bit of lengthener on her lashes. A soft pink tint on her lips. It was simple, but more than she would ever wear on a normal day. It must have been quite the task to tame her hair.

"No wonder you were late." He straightened again with a wide smile on his face. "All this for me, Granger?" He teased. She crossed her arms over her chest, her lips pursed in a tight, annoyed line.

"Oh don't get that way." He leaned his mouth towards her ear then and whispered, "I like it." She jumped, shifting away from him. With a smirk, he shoved his hand sin his pockets once more.

"Now that you've got that out of your system," she breathed, "What exactly are we planning on doing?"

He grinned then.

"Well. I figured we have a lot to talk about. And Hogsmeade is the one place were nearly everyone will see us together. I figured it was a good way to get you used to the idea.

"You mean used to the stares?"

"Whatever you want to call it, I guess."

"So we are basically going on a publicized date?"

"Well," he began. "I assume you knew it all along. Being that you got yourself all dolled up."

"Oh get off it Malfoy." She grumbled.

"Why are you so embarrassed? I told you I liked it. It's a good feeling. The woman you desire taking the time to impress you."

His words replayed in her head a few times, and the color of her scarf seemed to bleed with the blush that played across her cheeks. It put a knot in his stomach, seeing her react to him this way. How desperately he wanted to feel her skin. To have her naked body splayed across his own. And even so, he wanted to see her smile. He wanted her to accept him.

"Malfoy…. This is damned near the craziest thing I have ever done." He laughed at this."

"That's a bit of an exaggeration don't you think?" He elbowed her softly and she giggled. Her demeanor slowly becoming more comfortable.

"No… no I swear. After all this time…" she shook her head with a smile as she gazed at the ground. "All these years, and I would have laughed… no…. vomited at the idea of all this."

He slowed his pace suddenly, surprising her. He turned to gaze at him with a confused smile.

"Granger…" he began with a darkness in his tone.

"Not Hermione?"

"Hermione… I… Since we were kids, we have never gotten along. But as an eleven year old, I had no idea of what my future held. I hadn't the slightest clue of how our fates would intertwine. When we were young, my words were not backed by hatred. I was a pompous young git with a schoolboy crush." He laughed suddenly, pushing a hand through his hair as he caught up to her.

"Granted, I disliked you all the same. A mudblood that I was raised to believe was below me in every way, and yet you excelled in ways I never could. I had idiots for friends… and there you were, the Gryffindor Princess, constantly surround by people who loved you. While I always felt alone. Especially as I grew older, and my destiny and family affiliation with the Dark Lord became more clear. It scared me. All my life I had wanted to end up different. But all I could ever do was sink deeper into a life of solitude and… and I hated you for it." It was his turn to stare at his shoes, and Hermione took the role of staring at his face. Studying his emotions.

"My point is, Hermione, that while there was bad blood between us, and I have never been in favor… I have always just been an idiot who didn't know how to be given a chance. I let jealousy and hatred take over my life. Instead of letting myself be a normal person, I became obsessed, usually with no other option, with appeasing my family. And my life was ruined because of it."

"You're wrong." She said quickly. "You didn't stay that way. You're here now. Your mark has faded… you've separated from those you controlled you and now… now you're here… with me…" Her voice trailed off at the end, and she suddenly felt childish.

"I suppose you're right." He sighed, his breath forming a foggy cloud. They had reached the entrance now, and suddenly a wave of fear crossed over them both. Hogsmeade a bustling and alive with people everywhere. Halloween decorations lining the streets, students' excitedly bustling from place to place. They slowed to a crawl, and the tension was obvious.

"You're the one who invited me." Hermione whispered. "Why are you all choked up?" He cursed under his breath.

"Look… I have a reputation. Aside from the one that classifies me as evil… I have never been seen doing something like this."

"Something like what?"

"Dating." He scoffed. And she laughed quietly. "Since year one, It's not been a secret that we were not fond of each other. It's a strange feeling, erasing all that in a matter of seconds. Don't deny that you don't feel it."

"We could turn back." She suggested, half seriously. He turned to face her, a cocky smirk on his face.

"You wish." He laced his arm through hers, and started forward – Hermione doing her best not to faint he she bowed her head low. Malfoy however maintained his usual formal posture. His shoulders squared as he walked. His face an even slate that was read to shoot evil stares at any who were deserving.

"What shall we do first?" He asked her. "I can't say I've ever had to entertain a young lady."

"Oh, please. We all know your other reputation." She spat.

"Do tell."

"Everyone knows that the Slytherin Prince has no trouble with women." He smiled at this.

"Granger, having women in my bed does not mean I treated them beforehand. It's not my style." She shook her head at him, doing her best to avoid eye contact with passersby. But she could feel all the stares upon them.

"I'd say a few butterbeers are in order then." She grinned up at him, and his heart wrenched. His hearts immediate reaction was to try and deny it all. His brain listed off horribly rude things to say to her in order to guard himself. But he fought it off.

"Sounds like a plan." He said, leading her off in another direction. "The Three Broomsticks or Hog's Head?" She tilted her head.

"Broomsticks has a better tap I'd say." She said, and he nodded as they headed towards the small pub. Soon they found themselves within the walls of the student-friendly pub they had grown up knowing. Headed turned as the entered together, but Malfoy quickly stole off to a table in the corner. It was warm, and the two of them found themselves removing their scarfs and unbuttoning their coats.

"What can I get for you?" A waitress called to them. Hermione grinned widely.

"Two butterbeers." She exclaimed.

"Make one a bit strong, eh?" Malfoy added, and Hermione quirked a brow. The waitress nodded and was off, returning not long after with the warm frothy drinks. She set them on the table and was off again. Almost immediately Hermione had the mug to her lips, drinking it down as though her life depended on it. When the mug was nearly half gone, she set the mug down with a please sigh, licking the foam from her lips with a smile.

"Well then…" He laughed, sipping his drink slowly. She laughed, and soon they were talking back and forth as if it had been a normal thing for them. Time chugged along, and soon there were a few emptied mugs on the table from the both of them. Malfoy's face warm from the extra firewhiskey. But for the first time ever, they held an ongoing conversation that didn't include spiteful remarks. They were laughing. Their knees often touched innocently from underneath the table, and the both of them failed to notice the glaring eyes from across the room that had been eavesdropping the entire time.

"I'm going to excuse myself for a moment if you don't mind." Malfoy stood politely, and she nodded as he made his way over to the loo.

She sighed, resting her face in her hand with disbelief in it all. Her heart fluttered, and she felt closer to Malfoy than ever. He all of a sudden seemed so much more reachable. So much more human…

There was a tap on her shoulder, and she turned with bright eyes and a smile, only to meet the harsh strike of a hand across her face. She gasped and stood angrily, facing her attacker that was none other than Pansy Parkinson.

"So you're the reason Draco refuses me now?" She shouted, pushed Hermione back by her shoulders. Hermione's memory flashed back to the night that Parkinson had retreated from the common room, her eyes filled with tears. Realization washed over her, and for a moment she felt pity. But she didn't have much time because Pansy had taken another leap at her. Hermione moved, pushed herself away and towards the door to retreat. The last thing she needed was to cause a scene. Especially as Head-Girl

"Get back her you filthy mudblood!" Pansy cried as she chased her like a raging bull outside onto the pathway. Hermione breathed heavy, her wand pointed forward.

"Back off Parkinson!" She warned, but Parkinson only laughed and drew her wand in return.

"Draco is mine! And always will be! I will not have him stolen away but some scheming mudblood whore!" She waved her arms and a fierce blue light shot forward, but Hermione defended with ease. A crowd began to form, and Hermione was dismayed.

"Steal? Don't flatter yourself Parkinson. He left!" She shouted back, on her guard. Pansy was red with rage and soon flashed exploded from her wand one after another. Hermione blocked and blocked but as Pansy neared her, the power behind her attacks was overwhelming and she was caught in the stomach, sending her flying backward into the groaned.

"Bloody hell!" Malfoy broke through the crowd, immediately understanding the situation. He rushed forward, grabbing Pansy around the middle and tossing her off Hermione. As she fell backward Malfoy shouted Stupefy and she was unarmed.

"Get the hell out of here Parkinson. I don't want to see you around Hermione again." His tone was dark and threatening, and Pansy stared up at him with wide eyes before picking herself off the ground and escaping through the crowd.

Malfoy turned to Hermione, cautiously lifting her up off the ground. She groaned, her pretty white coat scuffed with dirt.

"Are you alright?" He said to her softly. And she nodded weakly as Malfoy supported her weight on their trek back home.