Author's Note: GUYS, I'm sorry for the looooong wait. I'll try to make it up to you :) Please read and review!

Warning: This chapter is extremely OOC for Draco. He's this feely guy now. Just…don't judge me.

The Phone Is Ringing

"Hey 'Mi," a voice from the other line greeted.

"Oh um...hey Luke," Hermione said, swallowing the know that formed in her throat.

It was two weeks from hers and Draco's last get together. Currently, she was at home cleaning her place since it became a tad messier than usual. She was scourgifying her bathroom, when her cell phone rang.

"Yeah so listen 'Mi, you want to hang with me later at our old hang out? Marquee?" Luke asked sounding anxious.

Hermione paused. Was this really a good idea? Her spending time with Luke again? Yeah, they didn't have much of a closure in their relationship, but...

"Um…Luke, is this a good idea? I mean-" Hermione stated fingering the ends of her hair.

"'Mi, I know we're no longer in a romantic relationship and I understand your decision...but I say we should still stay as friends. You can even invite that blond friend of yours if you want. Or Ginny. You know, to make it less awkward."

Hermione sighed and took a deep breath as she contemplated her options. She still really wanted to be friends with Luke.

"Alright. 7?" Hermione asked.

"Seven." Luke said goodbye and hung up. Hermione stood in her bathroom holding her wand in one hand and her cell phone in the other. She closed her eyes and counted to ten.

Why did I say yes?I don't want to lead him on…again. I have to tell him. I have to tell him that it would be best if we ignored each other for awhile. For his sake.

Suddenly, the phone rang a second time.

Hermione groaned and answered the phone.

"Hello?" she asked in a tired voice. She really wanted Luke to just move on.

"Hermione?" a deep voice answered from the other end.

"Oh! Uh..Draco! Hi," Hermione greeted and blushed. Why the hell am I blushing? It's just Malfoy. It's not like I like him or anything…right?

"Hi. Um..so I was wondering that um..maybe tonight you want to get together? Like maybe watch a movie like muggles do. Your pick," Draco suggested. Even though they were miles apart, Hermione heard the anxiousness in his voice causing her to blush red. She was now the envy of all tomatoes.

She wanted to go. So bad.

Damn shit. Luke.

"I want to go so bad actually-," Hermione was cut off by Draco's sigh of relief.

"Great! I'll pick you up at seven! See you then. Bye!" Draco quickly hung up and Hermione was crushed after hearing the glee he tried to conceal in his voice.

Hermione screamed at the top of her lungs and stomped to her bedroom. She threw her phone on her bed and collapsed on top of it.

"Draco Malfoy! WHY DO YOU MAKE MY LIFE SO FUCKING HARD?" Hermione screamed punching the pillows. She knew he wasn't in any fault, but it just felt good to blame it on someone.

She wanted to go to the movies with him rather than spend an awkward night with Luke. But she already promised him. And she didn't break promises. She wasn't just that kind of girl. It wasn't in her book of morals.

"Fuck you Draco Malfoy for assuming," she grumbled as she grabbed her phone and dialed his number.

RIIING

What do I say to him? Would he understand? It's his fault anyways. I never told him I would be able to go. He didn't even let me talk!

RIIING

But…what if he gets mad at me? Wait no. Why do I care?

Within the third ring, he picked up.

"Hermione? Is anything the matter?" Draco asked concern etched into his voice.

"Um..no. ActuallyIcan'tgotonight," Hermione spoke rapidly hoping she didn't have to say it again.

"Oh…okay. Is it too fast? This might not be the best thing to do over the phone but I'm not blind. I can see you like me and I like you too…but I understand if you think we're moving too fast," Draco said quietly seemingly disappointed.

Hermione blushed blood red. Okay, so she was kidding herself for awhile now. She knew she was crushing on the blond bad boy, and everything was just denial. But how did he know that?

"No...You're right. It's not too fast, no. But I do have previous engagements to attend to," Hermione said shyly.

"So I was right? You…like me to?" Draco nervously asked and Hermione could tell that his cheeks would finally color. She just regretted she's not able to see them.

"Yes Draco, I do. And I would like to see where this—where us—is going. But not tonight. I already have something planned and then you called-," Hermione responded but was again cut off.

"But you said—," Draco started.

"No, let me talk first. I never said yes. You just assumed my answer was a yes when I said I would like to go. You never picked up on my tone that there was a "but" coming," Hermione reasoned.

Draco was quiet after Hermione spoke.

"So would you like to do this tomorrow?" Draco asked.

Hermione smiled. "Yes, Draco, I would."

They both hang up minutes after, and Hermione was reduced to a series of giggles and squeals.

She surveyed herself in the mirror. Not bad.

Picking an outfit to meet Luke in was difficult. She didn't want him to get the wrong message, but she was a model; her appearance matters. She had to look good. So she settled on something safe. Something sweet, but totally club appropriate at the same time.

She was wearing a dark blue long sleeved dress that ended right above her knee. She paired it with three inch red heels and a red and a white waist belt.

She pulled her hair up in a pony tail, grabbed her purse then went out the door.

It was going to be a long night.

Hermione sat on her kitchen table and shoved eggs inside her mouth before opening the day's paper.

Re-elections.

More money problems.

Obesity rates.

Natural Disasters.

Page Seven.

It's not that Hermione only cares about page seven, the gossip column, but it was the section that affects her life.

Once she laid her eyes on it, she spit out the content of her mouth. There, on the center of the page was her and Luke.

He was clutching her waist and her elbow and she was tilting her head back with a huge grin on her face. To the ordinary person, they looked like a couple about to grind on each other.

The picture was really misleading. What really happened was that she almost tripped and Luke just helped her. That was all there was to it. They didn't even step on the dance floor the whole night. They stayed at their table, eating their potatoes and steaks and drinking the reduction of strong wines.

Nothing happened. At least to them.

But to some people, like Draco, it looked like something else.

Hermione groaned.

Draco.

There is absolutely a one hundred percent chance that he would see this. He always read the paper. Always. No matter if it has nothing to do with he's doing, he reads it.

Every. Single. Bloody. Day.

Hermione knew this through their conversations during their not-so-dates dates.

Without a moment's hesitation, Hermione summoned her phone and dialed the one person that she knew would always be there for her. And would always be honest with her. Ginny.

She could help him with what to say to Draco.

Author's Note: Okayy. Here it is. Sorry its not as long as you probably thought but I'm extremely busy every night. HELLO ALL NIGHTERS. And I know I could've at least put a chapter up before but I got affected by Irene and I only had power last Tuesday. So…yeah.