AN: Hi! I know this is late, and I am not going to recount my list of excuses for why I didn't update earlier this week, but hopefully some things will blow over and I will be more motivated. Love you all!

With the TV turned off to avoid Rocko's whistled cat calls, Hermione shrugged off her tee-shirt and shorts in exchange for a strapless bra with heels to match. She plundered around the penthouse, searching for her even dress with the pink silk flowers selected specifically for banquets such as this. She had been saving it for an awards dinner at the Ministry (that is, when she got an award) but that date had not been decided upon and in case it never came, she wanted to get at least one wear out of the dress.

Draco must have done some reorganizing after he left for the day because all that remained in Hermione's suitcase was a sun hat and bottle of sun screen. Her fingers tempted her to press the ON button of the TV to ask Rocko if he had been spying on Draco at all, but she was still only wearing her underthings.

And that is how Draco found her. She dove under the covers with a squeal as his hands sprung to his eyes to protect her modesty. "Merlin's beard," they both shouted.

Hermione poked her head out to sheepishly grin at him. Draco apologized with his eyes still closed, "I am sorry. I should have knocked, but I did not think that, well, yeah."

"You can open your eyes now, Draco."

He did but only looked in her direction long enough to grab his suit from a hook on the wall and disappear in the bathroom.

"Draco, where did you put my pink dress?"

Merlin! She reprimanded herself for sounding like a bored housewife whose only joy in life was going to dinners where she would know virtually no one.

"It's in the closet by the kitchenette with your other clothes. I had some extra time today. I hope you don't mind."

It wasn't that she minded, per se. It's just that she thought Draco should have waited for an invitation before he went pawing through her underwear and other clothing. She took a mental poll of what bras and panties she had brought, and hoped that none of them were to offensively gross or slutty.

"Thank you."

"What did you do today?"

Hermione opened the closet door that had a pine tree handle on it and rummaged around through all her tee-shirts hung on bright yellow hangers the color of pineapples before she found the chosen dress in the back corner.

"I was planning to tell you over dinner," she murmured, hoping that he could hear her well enough to detect in her voice that she wanted this conversation to wait until she was at least fully clothed.

"Alright," he replied while turning on the tap to slick his hair back and wash his face.

Hermione stepped into her dress and zipped up the back as much as she could on her own before grabbing her wand to finish the job and then slide it into her Mary Poppin's clutch. "I'm decent now," she giggled, already having gotten over the fact that Draco had seen her half-naked. They had slept together last night, right? And sure, it wasn't in the way that other people may have thought, but she felt like he was the brother she never had.

Draco emerged from the bathroom with his arm extended, clothed in a shiny black suit that was just a tad less formal than a tuxedo. "Miss Granger, might you allow me to escort you to dinner?"

She rolled her eyes at his exorbitant chivalry but took his arm and went to wait with him for a bellhop to bring the elevator. Once there, the boy raised his eyebrows and lowered his jaw, but the couple just rolled their eyes to each other and stepped to the back where he could not ogle them anymore.

Without asking, he knew from their dress exactly what floor they were going to: the second, the one with the best access for dinner guests not staying at the hotel. A waiter greeted them at the elevator and initiated the small talk en route to their table.

"How are you today? Enjoying your stay? If there is anything you need at any time during your vacation, do not hesitate to ask. I hear there is a great couple's massage place just down the road."

This time, Draco had the good grace to point out that they were not a couple in a polite tone once they were sitting down, allowing the poor waiter the perfect opportunity to take his leave.

"Hermione, I think we ought to get married before this trip is over if we want to avoid all these awkward moments of people thinking we are a couple."

She blushed but rolled her eyes before selecting an entree under the Vegetarian section. Beyond her menu, a dazzling spectacle danced in every corner of her vision with glowing lamps and bejeweled counters next to ivory table cloths on tables that sat all varieties of people: naive tourists in sandals, businessman nursing martinis, and many other well-dressed couples such as Draco and Hermione.

A waitress in a pink sundress flounced over to them with a purple note pad in her hand along with a flower pen that she pressed to her temple as she introduced herself, "I am Kyana. I will be your server tonight. If you need anything ,don't hesitate to ask. Can I get you guys started?"

Draco nodded, keeping his eyes downcast to stop from staring at this petit girl in that dress that was designed to fit her form. "I'll have a glass of chardonnay and the prime rib. Oh wait, is that okay with you, Hermione?" His eyes shot up to look at his dinner partner and gauge her reaction to his order.

"Yes," she replied, confused. "I'll have Chateau Saint-Michel with the Tofu Pasta."

"Okay, great choices. I will be right back with your drinks."

Kyana skipped away on the balls of her feet, and Hermione turned her eyes towards Draco. "Why does it matter what I think of your dinner choices?"

"Well, I didn't know..Because you're vegetarian.."

"Oh, please," she pleaded, "don't think like that. Just because I don't eat meat doesn't mean you have to follow suite. I just hope that I set a good example for someone, somewhere. Don't worry, I'm not the Vegetarian police."

"Well, I just wanted to make sure that you were okay with it."

"Why does it matter?"

"I just want to like what you like."

"Okay..."

Kyana returned with the drinks and a reassuring message about the status of their dinners, ending their first awkward conversation.

"The turtles!" Hermione exclaimed after a minute spent staring at the opposite wall that was made out of a fish tank. "I went to see turtles today. They were beautiful! Maybe you could come back with me sometime. THey are just so magnificent. Some people believe that they were the source of all magic."

Draco rolled his eyes while sliding his fingers around the stem of his glass. "Those people are the nut cases of the wizarding world."

"Well, sure, but I can see what they mean! These creatures are so wonderful! I am so glad I got the chance to see them."

"Can't you see them at that aquarium outside London?"

"Well, yeah," Hermione admitted, flustered, "but I was walking right by them and there were no other tourists to interrupt my enjoyment. Why the sudden change of tune? I thought you were interested in what I liked?"

He shrugged, the alcohol already taking effect, "You got mad at me for that, so now I am taking the opposite route."

"Can't you find a middle road? This is something I am excited about! These animals are becoming extinct and can be very rare to spot. I am glad I got to see them before they disappeared. It really is a testament to all the great work environmental organizations have been doing."

Draco sighed, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt and exposing chest hair Hermione was sure had not developed until after their Seventh Year. "I'm sorry. I didn't understand just how invested you were in animal rights."

She shrugged, the shoulders of her dress threatening to fall off before she replied, "That's part of the reason I got the job at the travel agency. Ecotourism is really interesting to me and I love helping people plan those trips. Besides, my extra money goes to conservation efforts."

"You really are astonishing, Granger." Draco laughed good-naturedly as he finished his champagne flute. "Especially in that dress."

Hermione blushed for the second time that night and muttered a thank you before looking over herself. The dress was a sort of fake silk that did not exploit silk worms, and it had flowers made of the same material spiraling up from her waist to her shoulder. She absentmindedly played with the ruffles on the sleeves, waiting for her cheeks to return to normal color.

Kyana spiraled back onto the scene with two trays destined for them and grabbed Draco's glass to refill it before wishing them, "Bon Appetit."

As most dinners usually start, they both dived straight into their food and made no attempts to revive the remnants of their conversation.

"I didn't realize how hungry I was until I ate this steak," Draco moaned in ecstasy as he cut off his third piece in one minute.

Hermione giggled, her few sips of wine finally starting to settle in and whispered something about this being the best tofu pasta she had ever eaten.

Draco polished off half his steak before starting up small talk again. "So, you and Weasley? When did that break off?"

Kyana returned with his refilled glass, but this time her appearance did nothing to make the conversation any better.

"Um, well, we were never really together."

"What? We were all sure you two were sneaking out together when you were prefects!"

"No, I mean we patrolled together, but nothing like that."

"But you still love him?"

The lights above them dimmed to set the mood as the night entered into the late evening and the most fancy and respected guests started arriving to take the place of the tourists.

"Of course I do. I love both him and Harry."

"But he doesn't love you."

A waiter wheeled out an ice sculpture to the middle of the floor where a myriad of lights bombarded it to create rainbows around the already beautiful restaurant.

Hermione took one last bite of pasta before responding.

"I do not know."

"At least, he doesn't love you like you love him." Draco downed half of his remaining champagne.

"Well because love is so complicated, it would be impossible for two people to love each other in the exact same capacity."

"No, no, no. I'm talking about friend love. You're a friend to him, but you love him more than that."

"Could we please not have this conversation? I do not appreciate you digging into my personal life, and you've had a bit too much to drink.

Kyana sauntered past and greeted them with an airy, "Would you like anything else tonight?"

"No, we're finished, thank you," Hermione managed to say without bolting from this overly personal conversation.

"Well, your bill is taken care of, so have a good night!"

"Thank you, you too!" Hermione called after her, not wasting a second before standing up and turning to leave.

Draco fumbled in his pockets to find a ten dollar bill to leave as a tip instead of the numerous galleons that had collected in his pockets and then ran after Hermione. "Granger, wait! Don't leave without me!"

She huffed at him, but the elevator boy waited until the blond was positioned comfortably against the wall before operating the lift. Draco mock-panted and put his hands together in a plea for forgiveness. His lips stuck out and with his every breath, Hermione could smell the alcohol. "It's time to call it a night, Draco," she muttered as they exited the elevator together and turned off Rocko on the TV as soon as it turned on by itself. "I've had enough of you for one day, I guess."

She looked at the bed. Great. She had almost forgotten that she had to share a bed with this jerk.