Getting out of Slytherin for good behaviour was a nice idea, but Hermione was starting to see that perhaps that wasn't a realistic goal. After all, what did she do? If she did anything too bold, her plan would be obvious, and she would be accused of faking the Gryffindor personality, and that would only make her appear to be a complete natural at the Slytherin lifestyle.
Ron was persistant, though, and even as Hermione began to sulk about the difficult circumstance, Ron was busying himself with plans. Harry helped, of course, but he was more eager to make Hermione understand that it didn't really matter if she was in a different house; she was still his best friend, and nothing would change that. What Harry, Hermione, and Ron had gone through together had bonded them for life, and the bloody Sorting Hat couldn't tear them apart.
Draco hadn't mentioned anything to Hermione about what she had overheard him saying to Pansy, and Hermione had been too scared to broach the subject. She was starting to feel irritated, though, because suddenly the mere mention of Draco Malfoy reduced to a blushing, giggling idiot. She was strong and independent, but in a way, Draco didn't make her feel that way. Draco had a unique way of making Hermione feel like a lovesick fool.
She told herself that she hadn't had romance on her mind until she had heard him talking with Pansy, but suddenly it was all she could think about. She had been avoiding him lately, because she was having difficulty talking to him like a normal human being. She snapped at herself to lose the act, but that was easier said than done.
Hermione entered the potions classroom, and she found her seat quickly. She had just set out her parchment and ink when Draco came into the room. He smiled at Hermione straight away, and tipped his head upwards in her direction; a way of hello, Hermione recognised. Draco sat in the chair next to hers, and started to unpack his things too.
"Hey, Hermione, I was wondering…" Draco started, and Hermione's eyes flickered to him, but she quickly looked away, blushed just slightly, because for some reason, she always blushed when she saw him lately. Draco was unfazed by this, but when the teacher entered the room, demanding attention, Draco nervously looked from the front of the class to Hermione.
The Potions teacher wasted no time; he was very quickly beginning an experiment, making everyone be quiet. Draco was determined, though, to speak with Hermione. He didn't know why, but she had been like fog all week; impossible to get a hold of.
"Yeah, so, I was wondering," Draco started again, but he stopped when the teacher sent him a sharp look. When the teacher looked away, Draco went on. "Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me?"
Hermione nodded absent-mindedly, "Eh, sure," She agreed distractedly, but Draco couldn't help but feel that she didn't really understand what he meant.
"Like, together?" He clarified, "Like, a date?" He looked down at the blank parchment on his desk, and at Hermione's parchment, which was already half-covered with black ink. He waited patiently for a reply, but she never did. He looked up at the girl, and saw that her face was red. His lips tilted up in a smirk. "Hermione—"
"Mr Malfoy, stop talking!" The teacher exclaimed, his voice shrill. Draco nodded to the teacher, still smiling. When the teacher stopped looking at him, Draco turned back to Hermione, who was still red. She was biting her bottom lip too.
"Hermione?" Draco whispered, leaning closer to her seat.
Hermione tried to move away, feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed.
"Hermione?" Draco asked, sounding almost nervous. "What do you say?" He asked.
She looked at him, becoming trapped in his ice blue gaze. "I—" She swallowed nervously, "I don't know." She admitted. She hated feeling so conflicted. She thought of her friends who would be outraged at her even considering it. She thought of her parents, who would not want her to be with a boy like Draco Malfoy. But then again, she was beginning to see Draco differently than how other people saw him. He really wasn't that bad, and she was dying to say yes.
Draco let out a breath on a laugh, shaking his head. He was not used to being the one with the crush, and while he tried to act cool and comfortable and nonchalant, he had had to really work up his nerve to actually ask Hermione to go on a date with him. Draco was sure that he had never actually asked anyone out before. He had been asked out, but that was it. Still, Hermione was different.
Hermione opened her mouth to speak, and Draco felt his mouth become dry, because this was her final answer. Her round brown eyes were fixed on his, her pink lips parted and her eyebrows just slightly raised.
"Miss Granger, wait in the hall!" The teacher screeched. Hermione looked up in surprise, her mouth gaping at the prospect of being in trouble. Draco looked up too, his eyes wide, because he actually felt kind of guilty for getting Hermione into trouble.
"But—" Hermione tried, but the teacher refused to sway his judgement. He pointed to the door, and Hermione sighed, gathering her things and putting them in her bag. She looked once at Draco before she got up, a half smile on her lips, but her eyes looked irritated and annoyed.
She passed Harry and Ron, who were sitting near the front of the classroom, as she left the room, and Draco saw her shrug her shoulders in reply to her friends' unspoken question.
Outside, Hermione leant against the wall and thought to herself that that was not going to help her get back into Gryffindor. That didn't count as good behaviour. She sighed, but actually she felt sort of relieved, because at least that had saved her from having to answer Draco's question.
She sadly wondered what she should tell him.