6:33. 

It had been 6:33 for what seemed like an eternity.  Draco was sprawled on his bed in his fancy hotel room, lying on the silk sheets, surrounded by expensive vases and quality paintings hanging on the walls.  He was from one of the best families in the Wizarding world- he was a pureblood, for Merlin's sake!

And he was counting down the minutes until his date with the Mudblood.

It was pathetic, really.

So, what was he going to do for the remaining twenty-seven minutes? 

His options were few.  Go for a walk.  Organize his socks.  Make paper cranes and throw them out the window at unsuspecting folk walking below. 

Pathetic?  Downright heartbreaking, what he'd been reduced to.

"Merlin," he groaned, rolling over.  "How did I ever manage before I found her?"

That sounded distinctly like a line from some cruddy romance movie.  He curled his lip up in disgust.  It wasn't that he was in love with Granger.  But she was the only source of amusement (and a very good one at that) around for the next six days.

With a quick look at the clock (6:35, dangit) and a sigh of surrender, he reached for his stack of parchment paper.

He was in the middle of folding his first crane when something dark slammed into his window, little bits of feather floating around its round body as it bounced off the glass from the impact, then flapped its wings a few times, preparing to hurl itself into the window again.  Draco jumped up and opened the window, not wanting the death of a Post Owl to be on his hands. 

So instead of bird and window becoming one, the owl whizzed into his hand, feathers going up in a cloud around him.  Tied to the bird's leg was a scrap of paper.  Draco coaxed it off of the stunned owl's leg and unrolled it, reading the message written in a neat cursive.  He smirked.  What a girl.  He tossed her letter onto the floor and walked over to his desk.

Absently stroking the bird, Draco pondered on his reply.   When he finally decided what to say, he grabbed a quill and a sheet of parchment from his stack intended to become birds.  After writing his answer, he folded the paper into a crane and walked over to the window, still holding the owl.  Taking a gentle breath, he blew the bird away.  The tiny crane began to flap its wings and fluttered away into the sky.

"Sorry, old bird," Draco told the owl, releasing him out the window, "but I have my own way of doing things."  The still bewildered owl dropped two or three feet before remembering how to flap his wings and soaring into the sky.

Draco sat back down on his bed, sending a hopeful look at his timepiece.  "Only 6:40?" Draco sputtered.  "What am I supposed to do for twenty minutes?"  Groaning, he looked helplessly around his room that had now become his cage. 

His eyes fell on his bathroom. 

First thought: Do I have time to take a shower?

Second thought: I have enough time to call up elemental spirits and bring down friggin  rain.

So Draco went and took a shower.

And at 6:54 he dashed out of his room, still pulling on robes and shoes, spewing curses, and sprinting as best as he could towards The Cat's Paw.

At 6:55 he skidded back in, grabbing Granger's book and the bag from the pet store, and running back out.  As he left, he nearly slid across the floor on a slightly crumpled scrap of paper.  For once, Granger had been short and to the point.  The parchment bore the age old, most important question a girl going on a date can ask: What should I wear?

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Author's Notes:  yes, I know it was short.  Consider this chapter filler before we begin the date.  I know I said not to look for a chapter until later in April but… consider this an early Easter present for all my lovely reviewers.  Ooh, one last note- thanks to everyone that read Ten O'Clock.  I apologize for not posting this in the summary before, but that story was a one shot.  After people started going, "update soon!" I figured I should add that little bit into the summary.  Yeah.  To anyone that didn't get the ending… well, which part didn't you get?  no one told me, exactly.  I thought it was clear, but that could just be me…

Anyway, I'll do reviewer notes next chapter.  This is just a mini-update because I have a feeling writing this date will take me a while.  Hope you like it!  Happy Easter to everyone!  *dances off singing*  Amazing love, how can it be?  That you, my King, would die for me…Hallelujah, He is alive!