A/N: hehe back again :D how are you guys today? Hope you're all good anyway here's chapter 12, I hope you guys like it! please R&R but more importantly ENJOY!

Disclaimer: I sadly do not own Harry Potter, I only own the plot of this story and the title of it and the title of the story chapters, the rest belongs to the awesome J.K. Rowling!

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One Unforgettable Year

Chapter 12: Harry's Idea

Info you need to know: "Talking". Thinking.

"What's going on between you two?" Blaise's words made Draco and Hermione freeze, like a deer caught in headlights. It was obvious Blaise was suspicious of them and they weren't sure how they could cover it up anymore. Blaise was a smart boy when it came to knowing his friends. In fact he was a freaking genius. A gift and a curse at the same time was how Hermione and Draco saw it. Right now it was a curse.

"What do you mean?" Draco said, sounding innocent and as if he didn't understand Blaise. Draco was going with the 'pretend-you-don't-know-anything-and-hopefully-he'll-believe-that' tactic. So far it looked as if it wasn't working.

"You know exactly what I mean Draco. Is there something going on between you and Hermione? Tell me the truth. I won't care if there is I'll just care if you lie to me." Draco sighed and looked at Hermione, she thought for a moment then thought about how Blaise would react later when they told the truth. She nodded to Draco giving him the approval. She didn't want to see if Blaise would react like she was thinking. It made her feel sad and guilty even though it hadn't happened.

"Alright, well Hermione and I are sorta of going out." Draco mumbled quickly. It wasn't like Draco was embarrassed of their relationship – far from it – it was just he wasn't sure how his best mate was going to react. Blaise crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes at Draco.

"Sorta going out? Well are you going out are aren't you?" Draco sighed and rolled his eyes at his best friend, sure he need clarity about their relationship of all things.

"We are going out." Hermione said to satisfy Blaise. He nodded and then he couldn't contain his smile anymore. A grin broke free and Blaise high-fived and man-hugged Draco. He then picked Hermione up and twirled her around causing her to squeal and giggle. Draco made a mental note to do that sometime to her. Pick her up and twirl her, I mean.

"About time too! How long?" Blaise exclaimed cheerfully when he put Hermione back down.

"Bout five days, when Dumbledore announced the Halloween Ball and asked us prefects' to go together." Blaise nodded, excepting that as an explanation. He wasn't one of those people who needed every detail of how a couple got together. It was Blaise after all; he was fine with the basic, minor details.

"You dick!" Blaise cried. "You kept this from me for five days? Asshole!" Draco just laughed at his friend, knowing that Blaise wasn't really upset. "More importantly you kept your relationship a secret to everyone for five days. If I had a girl like Hermione I'd be showing her off to the world!" Hermione blushed at his compliment and he winked at her, gaining an eye roll but she thanked him a few seconds later. He just grinned and nodded.

"Believe me I would love to show her off to the world but I can't. It's too dangerous. So we're keeping it a secret, we were going to tell you, Potter and Lil Weasley after the Halloween Ball." Draco said, Blaise frowned at that. Not sure why it was dangerous for them to be together. Hermione saw his confusion and explained to him the dangers.

"Draco's father is likely to not be very pleased, neither is Voldemort. We don't particularly want either of them finding out and therefore trying to either break us apart or kill us." Hermione said softly, Blaise nodded at that understanding completely now why they were being secretive.

"You got a point there. I won't tell anyone but you shouldn't keep it from Potter or Girl Weasley for too long, especially Weasley she'll get pissed for sure." Hermione giggled at that, agreeing and Draco nodded.

"Thanks and we'll tell them after Halloween." Draco said. Hermione sat back down on the sofa she had been previously occupying and picked up her book – which she had dropped during some point of her and Ron's argument – and started to read it again. Draco sat next to her and Hermione curled up so that she was leaning on the arm rest and her legs were curled up in Draco's lap. Draco kept one arm round the back of the sofa and the other hand went on Hermione's feet and he drew patterns on them.

Blaise smiled at that, seeing how close and comfortable they were and sat down in the armchair. He knew it was okay to stay because as far as Hermione was concerned it was just her and the book. So Blaise stayed and talked to Draco. Mainly about him and Hermione.

A little while later the common room door opened. Hermione didn't look up – she was too engrossed in her book – but Draco and Blaise did. Pansy walked in and turned her nose up at Hermione which was the first person she saw. Hermione didn't even know that Pansy was with them. She then saw Blaise and nodded at him and finally her eyes landed on Draco. Extremely close to Hermione, her legs still on his lap and he was still drawing patterns on her feet. She took no notice of that and smiled at Draco.

"Drakie! I've been looking for you everywhere." Pansy said and sat down in the other armchair.

"Why?" Draco sighed, not really interested but he decided that today he would humour Pansy. Pansy smiled happily and looked as if she was two seconds away from squealing.

"Dumbledore agreed to swapping prefect pairs at the Halloween Ball. You're now going with me! Isn't that great?" Pansy squealed delightedly. Hermione's head snapped up, she was now fully aware of Pansy and what she had just said. She no longer cared about Mr Darcy and Elizabeth (she had been reading Pride and Prejudice). Draco stopped drawing patterns on her foot instead his hand just laid on her foot.

"What? Why?" Hermione said her voice higher than usual because she wasn't thrilled about this.

"Well, filth, Weasley and I complained to Dumbledore about going with one another and some of my girlfriends complained with us so Dumbledore decided it was best to swap dates. I was adamant that I go with Draco and Ron was adamant that he go with you." Pansy snapped. Draco growled at her horrid nickname for his girlfriend.

"Don't call Hermione filth. Just call her Granger. I don't want to go with you Pansy, I was happy going with Hermione." Draco retorted. Pansy's eyes widened and got slightly teary.

"But Drakie why would you want to be seen with her and not me?" Draco sighed and rolled his eyes. Pansy was beginning to reach the end of Draco's patience.

"Because I actually like Hermione, whereas I don't like you." Draco then stood up and held his hand out to Hermione. "Come on, we need to see Dumbledore." She nodded and took his hand and he pulled her up. Draco looked at Blaise and he nodded. Together the three of them left the common room. Left Pansy feeling hurt and outraged. That bitch is not going with my Drakie. Pansy thought, then smirked. Not if I can help it.

~Outside Dumbledore's office~

Draco knocked two rapid knocks on the Headmaster's door and waited for a few seconds until he heard the familiar voice telling them to enter. He did so, Hermione and Blaise in tow. Dumbledore looked up from his desk and nodded to them. He pointed to the chairs in the middle of the room, indicating them to sit. They obliged.

"Ah, Mr Malfoy, Miss Granger I wondered if I would be seeing you tonight. Though you Mr Zabini, I had not anticipated." Dumbledore said and got up and sat in the other chair which was unoccupied where the three of them were sitting.

"I'm just here for moral support, sir." Blaise said, politely.

"That is good of you." Dumbledore commented and Blaise shrugged. Then Dumbledore turned to face Hermione and Draco. "Would I be right in assuming that you are not entirely pleased about the new pairings?" Hermione and Draco nodded and Hermione elaborated.

"Well it's just that Draco and I are best friends now, sir, which I'm sure you've noticed so we were quite happy going with one another. Ron and I aren't really in speaking terms, rather in argument terms and Draco isn't particularly fond of Pansy. Also you had said that you wanted us to go together to promote unity, well Ron and I and Pansy and Draco are in the same house so it isn't really promoting unity anymore is it, sir?" Hermione explained, politely. Dumbledore smiled at her.

"A simple 'We're not happy with the new arrangements' would have sufficed, dear child. I understand your argument and I would like nothing more than to allow you and Mr Malfoy to once again be able to accompany one another to the Ball to promote unity but I simply cannot. Miss Parkinson, Mr Weasley and a few of Miss Parkinson's friends complained that I was not giving them freedom to choose their dates. There was a majority of them so I had to agree to let them go with you. I'm sorry but it's out of my hands." Dumbledore explained and got up and walked back to his desk.

"I don't mean to disrespect you, sir, but I think that it isn't really out of your hands. After all you're the Headmaster, Pansy and Weasley should be listening and taking orders from you and not the other way round. It's not every day you get a Slytherin and Gryffindor willingly want to go with one another. If Draco and Hermione go together then it will really promote your unity, show that it's okay and good for the Gryffindor's and Slytherin's to be friends with one another." Blaise said, standing up for his best mates.

"A valid and well thought out point, Mr Zabini. I will take what you said into consideration. However do you not think that if Miss Parkinson and Mr Weasley get all of their friends to complain that the majority of this school will not be happy?" Dumbledore said reasonably.

"It shouldn't matter if the whole school complains. You're the Headmaster what you say goes. Besides no-one beside Weasley and Pansy really cares, they're just complaining to support their friends. They don't really care one way or another, I suppose most of them just want Pansy's whining to end." Draco said, this time he was the one reasoning with Dumbledore.

"Another valid point which will also be taken into consideration." Just then someone knocked on the door and Dumbledore told them to come in. The door opened and in came a few more students. Harry, Ginny, Cho, Cedric, Luna, Hannah Abbott and Michael Corner. Hermione was surprised to see them there and wondered what they were doing.

"Ah, Harry, Miss Weasley, Miss Chang, Mr Diggory, Miss Lovegood, Miss Abbott, Mr Corner, welcome. Is there something I can help you with? Or are you also not satisfied with the pairings?" Dumbledore greeted them, happily.

"We came up with a solution to the pairing problem, sir." Harry said, clearly the spokesmen of the group. Wasn't he always? Harry was just a natural leader. A good one too.

"Oh? Well please share it with me? It might just be the answer to all my problems." Dumbledore said, cheerfully.

"Well, everyone's complaining about the pairs so why not just let them go with who they want? You won't have to worry about unity because most of them had already been planning to go with someone in a different house. Malfoy and Hermione wanted to go with one another. Luna and Neville, Cho and Cedric. I'm not sure who Hannah and Michael were going to go with but I'm sure it's someone whose not in their own house. Also Blaise and Lavender are going together and they're not even prefects so it is possible for the students to 'unite' and go with each other. All the pairings are doing right now are causing arguments." Harry explained. Dumbledore smiled at the end, a twinkle in his eye and nodded.

"Another valid point, taken into consideration and it seems as if you all support Harry's suggestion?" he asked, indicating to Ginny and the others they all nodded. Dumbledore turned to Hermione, Draco and Blaise, questionably and they nodded. Happy with Harry's idea too. "Well then it seems that all of you want to go with whomever you choose. Very well, there are no more pairings, go with whoever you want. Though do take into consideration that going with someone in a different house would be more interesting." They all nodded and took that as a dismissal and left Dumbledore's office. They chatted excitedly on the way back about how Harry's idea had been so successful.

Before they reached the prefects' common room Draco pulled Hermione into an empty classroom, where the blinds were shut. Draco grinned at her and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss. She happily let him pull her and automatically her hands wound round his neck and her hands quickly found his hair and dug into it.

Draco ran his lips along her bottom lip, asking for entrance and she opened her mouth happily. Draco ventured his tongue into her mouth and their tongues collided and once again battled for dominance and of course Draco won. They continued to make out for a few more moments until their breathes were literally taken away from one another. Draco rested his forehead on hers but not before he gave her a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Guess this means we get to go to the Ball with one another after all, huh?" Draco said, grinning. Hermione smirked at him.

"I don't recall you asking me to the Ball." Hermione said teasingly, Draco grinned at her and gave her a peck on the lips. He then leaned down so his mouth was inches away from her ear.

"Would you go to the Halloween Ball with me, Hermione?" Draco whispered seductively in her ear, she shivered as chills cascaded down her spine. She smiled and moved so that she could lock her chocolate brown eyes with his icy blue ones.

"I would love to." Hermione stated and then went on her tip-toes as he leaned down. Once again they were sealing a fact with a kiss.

A/N: Guess this means Blaise now knows their secret! How is Pansy going to stop Hermione and Draco going together this time? Find out next chapter! Hope you liked this one! Please leave a review telling me what you thought! Thanks :)

Until next time – Tilda.