As Draco walked into the Great Hall he looked around and observed all the nearly empty tables. It always got this way at Christmas time, so depressing and lonely. At this point he wished he had someone to talk to. Anyone would do. Since Pansy and Blaise had both gone home to their families after the Yule ball to celebrate the holidays at home, he was friendless and stuck at the school. With his father out on business and his mother tending to a sick friend or some such nonsense he was left once again to his own devices. Looking around at the tables he spotted Granger sitting by herself reading a book same as she always seemed to be doing. In desperate need of some social interaction, any interaction really, Draco popped his neck to one side and then the other preparing himself for what he was about to do in desperation. He checked around the Great Hall to make sure there was no one around who knew either one them. After determining they were surrounded by nothing but a bunch on first years he walked over behind her and looking over her shoulder he said, "Another book Granger? Don't you ever give it a break?"

"I HAVE to pass my O.W.L.S next year," Hermione answers, looking up from the over-sized book she was reading. "And exams are going to be here before we know it, especially with the Tri-Wizard Tournament. I am trying to squeeze in any extra studying I can, thank you very much." She said before returning to her book, her eyes focused.

"You should learn to take it easy once in a while is what you should do. I mean even muggles must have things they do in their free time right? What did you do before you came to Hogwarts?" He asked skeptical that he didn't really want to know the answer, but boredom of being alone weighing out his skepticism.

"I studied." Hermione answers matter-of-factly not looking back at him. "And when I wasn't studying, I was doing recreational reading. Why...why are you talking to me?" She asked, looking at him confused.

Looking around the room he checked to make sure no one was within ear shot he said, "It's Christmas and almost everyone has gone home for the holidays since the excitement of the Tournament and Yule ball have died down. I don't know anyone who's stayed behind this year...except you Granger. The way I see it Christmas can get awful lonely with no one to talk to. Even if we hate each other we can still talk to one another, if for no other reason than to keep us from becoming hermits. Unless of course you would rather be a hermit?" Draco asks as he makes like he's going to get up and leave.

"No," Hermione answers thinking about it. Draco was right, Christmas didn't have to be lonely, why make it any worse. "Ron and Harry are gone too." She says, a little bit softer.

"Figures Weasel-bee and Potter would run off and leave you here alone." He said as he sat back down and grabbed a pastry. "So you never had any fun doing anything on the outside of reading before Hogwarts? Have you done anything outside of reading since you became a witch?" He asked honestly curious as to how she could have missed out on all the possible types of wizarding entertainment.

"I've done some things." Hermione answered, not wanting to give away what she had done with Harry and Ron, in case he was trying to drag information out of her. "Not Quidditch or anything but I went to the World Cup."

"Quidditch is a sport. Have you seen anything else? Music? Plays? Dinner entertainment?" He asked surprised by her lack of an answer.

"Mum and dad took me to a few muggle plays." Hermione answered, thinking about it. She couldn't help but wonder why Draco was digging so hard. She tried to think about what else she did in her free time, besides talk with Harry and Ron. "I try to free house elves. I started an organization for it. S.P.E.W."

"Free them? Why?" He asked incredulously. "Nevermind, I don't want to know. So you've never seen a wizarding play then?" He asked suddenly excited for some unknown reason. The fact that he was excited about Hermione Granger never seeing a wizarding play confused him but he brushed it off as nothing more than he was excited to have something to do.

Hermione shook her head softly. "No, do they Shakespeare?" She asked hopeful that they did.

"Shakespeare? Who the hell is that?" Draco asked.

"Nevermind," Hermione answered, shaking her head. "What kind of plays are they then? Who wrote them?"

"Oh, old wizards with beards longer than their coc-… well really old wizards. The plays themselves are kind of boring if you ask me but the magic they do is pretty fun to watch. Want to go see one? Hogsmeade theater has a group in from London if you want to go..." Draco asked looking down at the pastry in his hands. Did he just ask Hermione bloody Granger out on a date? No that wasn't the right word for it, they were just talking from a lack of other people to do so with. Just because he asked her to see a play didn't mean he liked her. She was a mudblood after all. A pretty one in a plain sort of way, as far as mudbloods went.

"You...you want me to go to a play with you?" She asked confused. This had to be a joke, a prank of some sort. One that Harry and Ron were pulling and it was secretly one of them with some polyjuice potion only acting like Draco Malfoy, waiting for her to give in so they could never let her live it down that she agreed. "What's the catch?!"

"Only that you promise not to tell anyone that were on speaking terms once break ends. I've got a reputation to maintain. Agreed?" He raised an eyebrow, while holding his hand out to her across the table.

"Agreed," Hermione answered reaching out and taking his hand, slightly comforted by the thought that no one would know they had gone out on a date. "My lips are sealed."

Standing up from the table Draco looked down at Hermione with a slight grin. "Very well then . The show starts at seven so I'll meet you outside the Three Broomsticks at six thirty?"

Hermione nodded her head softly, already trying to figure out what she was going to wear. She had never officially been on a date before.

Nodding Draco turned and headed toward the entrance of the great hall. Stopping short he turned around and said, "and Granger. Wear something nice." Smiling he turned and walked out of the great hall with no idea as to why.

Hermione stared at the doorway. Draco just told her to wear something nice. He...he was taking her out on a date. Hermione smiled, nearly jumping for joy, although she had no idea as to why.