AUTHOR'S NOTE: You guys should know by now, that you are the pygmy puffs to my Ginny, the house elves to my Hermione, the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks to my Luna. *_* Moving on… no, Draco is no Veela (although he can be quite, er, persuasive, when he wants to be), haha. So in this chapter, we continue the idea that although devilishly handsome, Blaise is really just a prick. Okay, I'm sorry this chapter is a bit short, I just couldn't wait! I may write another one after work tonight, we'll see! Ahhhh, I hope this chapter has you clinging for more! :D

CHAPTER NINE: SURPRISE AFTER SURPRISE

Hermione and Harry left the Great Hall on Saturday morning, laughing, and Hermione felt like everything was as normal as it could get, besides for the fact that Harry had come in for breakfast without Ron. Upon entering the Entrance Hall, the two of them heard raised voices.

Ron and Malfoy were by the stairs, yelling rather poor insults at each other.

"You look like a ferret," Ron taunted. Harry put his hand to his forehead in embarrassment.

"Well, then I guess that makes us family, considering you look like a Weasel," Malfoy retorted.

"At least I don't smell like one," Ron rebounded. Hermione watched the back and forth pityingly.

"No yelling in the corridor," she said abruptly, with an air that reminded the boys of Percy Weasley, "that's five points each from Gryffindor and Slytherin, and you two should know better, a Prefect and Head Boy indeed."

The four of them parted; Harry ushering Ron inside the Great Hall as if he had been a great war veteran, while Malfoy hurried up the stairs behind Hermione.

"Granger! Aren't you even going to say hello?" He asked to her back, "Or did you not see me with your nose stuck so high up in the air-"

"Oh, I saw you," she said calmly, keeping her book to her chest, "I don't mind looking at you really, it's the sounds that come out of your mouth that bother me."

Malfoy grinned and caught up to her, walking beside her, "Granger, you are really cold, you know that?"

Hermione turned her head to look at him with a raised eyebrow, but he said, "I'm actually a bit proud. Do you think I could've had a bit of a hand in this?" Hermione said nothing but smirked in a very Malfoy-like way. They reached the portrait.

"Hermione Malfoy," Malfoy said, looking at Hermione. The Queen looked at Hermione and then back at Malfoy, and shook her head gracefully. Malfoy looked at Hermione questioningly, "Did you-"

"You know, I think I'm going to go to the library instead," Hermione said innocently, but Malfoy grabbed her by the arm before she walked away.

"Darling, surely you're not going to leave me here all by myself without the password?" Malfoy said sweetly.

The King in the portrait looked down at them, "Aho! And what do we have here? Head Boy and Girl together, if I'm not mistaken?" He said nodding, not waiting to be corrected, "Yes, yes, that's the way it should be," he boomed proudly.

"Well, if the password isn't Hermione Malfoy," Malfoy said thoughtfully, ignoring the King altogether, "then it must be Draco Granger!" The King and Queen beamed at him and swung open, allowing Hermione and Malfoy to get to their common room. Malfoy heard the Queen say, "How sweet!"

"How did you-"

"Please, Granger," Malfoy said, putting a hand up as if insulted, "I saw your doodles." Hermione put her book down on the table and sat down. "And?" she asked.

"A bloke taking on a girl's surname? What kind of sorcery is this?" he asked, causing Hermione to laugh. "Does that actually happen in the Muggle world?"

"Sometimes," Hermione said, "And besides, Draco Granger has a wonderful ring to it, don't you think?"

To Hermione's surprise, Malfoy did look as if he was mulling about it thoughtfully, "Yes, it…it does sound quite nice, doesn't it?" Malfoy said, bemused, and sat down as well.

IIIII

Hermione left the library that evening wishing she hadn't eaten so much dinner. Trying to discretely rub her stomach on her way to the common room, she bumped into Blaise Zabini-quite literally- on the fourth floor.

"Looking good, Granger," he said, nodding at her approvingly.

"Blaise, relax. I know some of the Slytherin boys have some bet going on, but do you actually think I'm going to shag you? For ten galleons of all things?" She looked at him like he was a sad little boy. Blaise laughed.

"Granger, I thought you had brains!" he said as her eyes widened a bit in surprise.

"Do you really think that's what happening here," he asked softly, "Have you noticed anyone other than Draco really trying to get into your brain?"

Hermione's mind whizzed around the last couple of weeks, "So, it's just him, then?" she asked slowly.

"Is it something serious? He seems to be acting quite-Blaise, you two didn't do something extremely stupid did you?" she said urgently.

Blaise shrugged. "It's just Malfoy really. I lost my part of the bet a while ago, but that doesn't mean I can't flirt-" he said, and edged himself a little closer to her.

Hermione watched him with apprehension. "Did-you-do-something-stupid," she said brokenly.

Blaise cocked an eyebrow. "If you call an Unbreakable Vow stupid," he said.

Hermione closed her eyes. "Are you really that idiotic?" She asked, opening them again. She shook her head. "Not even Malfoy-"

"Ah, but you forget how proud the Slytherin Prince truly is…"

Hermione snorted. "Shag me or die? He deserves to lose at that rate-"

"Oh, I think you'll find it's a little more complicated than that," Blaise said smoothly. Hermione looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"No, no," he said quietly, "shagging is not enough to break the vow." Hermione pondered over his words, before realizing he was leaning into her, as if waiting for a kiss.

"The Slytherin Prince and Gryffindor Princess, who would have thought?" he asked softly, and gently put his hand in Hermione's hair. "I'm afraid Draco wouldn't like you knowing any of this," he said, and before Hermione got to speak, Blaise took out his wand and breathed in her ear, "Imperio."