A/N: Of course, I do not own anything involving with Harry Potter.
acelili: I'm sorry for leaving the last chapter where I did. Hopefully this makes up for it?
Chapter five: A dinner kiss
"You really think I look okay?" asked Hermione when Ginny finishing with her last touch to Hermione's hair.
"No, I think you are beautiful." she said, smiling. "You look great, go look at yourself in the mirror." Hermione stood up from the chair that she had been sitting in and walked over to the wall with the mirror. Looking at it, she looked at herself.
"Ginny, you are brilliant!" she said, running her fingers through her hair. It was in the perfect curls down past her shoulders. The little blush and mascara did the trick to bring out the features in her face.
"I know!" she beamed. "Well lets head down. Dinner already started. The walked down the stairs to the common room. Hermione turned heads around as she walked with Ginny down the corridor. Hermione had neve felt so comfortable with her appearance until now."Are you nervous?" Ginny asked.
"What? Me nervous? Of course not." she said, not looking over to Ginny, who watched her.
"You so are! It's okay Hermione. You can admit it to me."
"Okay, I'm a little bit nervous. I'm not sure what's going to happen."said Hermione as they made it to the Great Hall doors.
"It will be alright. I'll meet you in the common room later so you can fill me in with everything that happened. Good luck!" she said, walking through the doors. Hermione breathed in heavily, before turning around and walking out the doors to the grounds. She walked slower then normal. Thoughts of what could happen running through her mind. What if it were a trick? Or some sort of trap? She could be walking into something that could change her life.
She knew that wasn't close to answering her questions when she made it closer to the tree. She saw Malfoy sitting there, reading a book. Surrounding him, was a large blanket on the ground, with candles floating around him and a picnic basket at the other end of the blanket. He read his book quietly, his brows close together as he was concentrating. The moon light reflected off the Black Lake in the most perfect way possible and hitting his pale face, making Hermione be in awe by his beauty.
"Hermione." he said in a shy tone. He put his book down beside him and looked at her in surprise. He studied her closely. "Do you normally always look like this out of school uniform?"
"Why?"
"Because you look even more beautiful." she smiled. Noting to thank Ginny for her briliant work again.
"You didn't have to do all of this." she said, looking around her.
"I know I didn't. But Malfoy's always go out of our ways to impress people." he smirked. "I wanted to do this anyway. I've never had a romantic date."
"Oh, well in that case. It's completely acceptable." she said down beside him. "It looks great by the way."
"Great! Let's eat.. I'm already hungry." he opened the basket and pulled out two goblets, spelled them to fill up with pumpkin juice and gave one to Hermione. Then he pulled out two plates filled with food and gave her one too. Placed with, potatoes, corn and a some sort of noodles, the smell of the delicious food came to her nose and her stomach growled. "I also have dessert if you would like some. Chocolate cake." he smiled. Chocolate was the way to get to most girls.
"What kind of noodles are these? its delicious." asked Hermione when they began to eat.
"They are Alfredo noodles. I actually had some when I went to America once when my dad had to travel there. I've been obsessed with them since."
"I love it." they continued to eat in silence and it didn't bother either one of them. They were already comfortable with one another. Hermione felt as if she were going to explode when she finished her plate of food.
"Would you like dessert?" he asked when taking her plate.
"I think I'm okay without it. I'm so full."
"At least try a bit of it, it's amazing." he took the plate out and pulled a fork from the picnic basket. Using it to take a peice of the cake he held it up for Hermione to eat it. "It taste amazing doesn't it?" he asked when she swallowed. She nodded.
"Draco, can I ask you a question?" she asked after a moment of silence.
"Sure."
"What really made you come out that day I ran out of the Great Hall?"
"I knew you were upset. I had known that Weasel was dating that annoying girl.. I was only concerned about you, I felt the need to come make sure you were okay. I've always noticed Hermione, when you are upset you always came here to this spot or up at the astronomy tower; because I too, do the same thing."
"Why haven't you ever said anything to me before when you've seen me?"
"My father... Word gets around to him. No matter what it is. If I had spoken to you before he would have tortured me or worse, came to you and done the same. I do love my father, because he hasnt always been the way he has acted the past couple of years. When I was growing up, he was a normal father, showed that he loved me and my mother. Once I started coming to Hogwarts and Voldemort was trying to find ways to return, things changed and he was never the same."
"I'm sorry, Draco."
"I did what my father told me too because I would have suffered the coincidences if not. Then when he was sent to Azkaban, I was angry for a long while.. I had been so used to attempting to making others miserable so I felt better about myself."
"Which is why you still call me mudblood." she said quietly.
"I haven't done that since last year!" said Draco, defending himself.
"You did the other morning when we knocked each other down."
"I didn't mean too! I wasn't thinking clearly. You after all did knock me over and land on top of me. " Hermione blushed and rolled her eyes. I do apologize."
"It is alright. I guess I can forgive you this one time."
"Well thank you, I suppose I can feel honored this once.. We probably should head back to the castle though. It's getting late." Hermione frowned, she didn't want to depart from Draco just yet. "We should do this more." he said quietly, when they stood up.
"Have dinner with each other?" she tried not to smile, to show that she would have enjoyed that more then eating at the Great Hall with her friends.
"That too. But being able to talk to each other. I've never had anyone actually listen to me about something important. I like the feeling. Plus, you need to tell me more about yourself." he took the blanket and basket and held it in his one hand. "Come on. I'll walk you up."
They walked in comfortable silence, Hermione glancing over to him when she knew he wasn't paying attention. Every second spent with him, she felt she was growing to like him more. Draco caught her once looking up to him and with that, he took his free hand and laced his fingers with hers.
