In the morning they were woken early and showered. Hermione pulled on jeans and blouse and curled into a couch as she felt the odd pulling sensation she'd felt upon the statues first coming. A moment later and they were back at Hogwarts standing before the four statues and their two professors who led the still sleepy girls inside to breakfast.
Ginny was full of news about the wedding plans and excitement for the next weekend when they'd have the masquerade feast and the Hogwarts fair. The next day would be the first Quidditch game of the year and all the family gossip including that Ron had met a witch over the weekend and was now happily gushing about her at every spare moment.
Hermione listened to her friends talk but excused herself as soon as the meal was done and went up to her room far a nap, her mind and heart with Kiril.
She stayed in her room reading over A History of Durmstang until lunch when Ginny dragged her down to eat by the pond with Daphne and the other Slytherins, surprisingly the boys were getting along… really well. Theo and Ron were playing a very competitive and challenging game of chess, Harry, Blaise, Draco, Goyle and Neville were playing snap.
Daphne wanted all the details, as did Ginny but neither Astoria nor Hermione felt like talking. Finally Neville asked Astoria to go for a walk and they left. Hermione pulled out a book and began reading while Ginny and Daphne discussed wedding dresses and the afternoon was passing in a relaxed and easy manner, letting Hermione relax as well. Returning home had been a sad shock but she was happy to be surrounded by her friends with her nose in her book like old times… even if those old times had new faces added now.
That was when she heard them talking. She looked up from her book and saw Draco's jaw clenched so tight she thought it might snap. Instead Hermione did shooting a nasty hex at Rebecca and storming over to hiss at her, "You are just pissy because Malfoy would rather consider Azkaban than marriage to you. Lucky you aren't his only option because witches with eyes and half a brain cell can see how much he's changed and what a good husband he'd make." Hermione stomped away but turned back, "And for your information I haven't been seen with him again because he hasn't asked me but it wouldn't take me a millisecond to say yes if he did."
She stormed away and went to the library letting the soothing comfort of the place she felt most at home in the castle fill her.
She was surprised when a little later Draco sat down next to her. "Thanks for saying all that Hermione."
"I only said what was true." She told him not looking up from her book.
Draco snorted, "Right, ok, go on a date with me then, a real one."
Hermione looked up at him, saw he was serious despite his disbelief and nodded, "When?"
Draco looked like she'd told him she wore slytherin green lace to bed, he certainly couldn't have been more surprised. "Uh, tonight?"
Hermione smiled at him, "That would be perfect."
Draco nodded and then glared at her, "Is this a prank?"
Hermione rolled her eyes, "I would never do something like that, it's more your style, or used to be."
Draco titled his head in thought and then nodded, "Fair enough. Meet me at the Great Hall at five?"
Hermione nodded, "I'll be there." Ten minutes later she was standing in her wardrobe debating what to wear on a date with Draco Malfoy.
She sighed and chose a deep green long sleeved wrap dress with gold accessories including her gold heals.
At five o'clock sharp she was standing at the doors to the Great Hall in front of what seemed to be half the school.
Draco arrived in a black slacks and a black dress shirt.
His eyes roaming her body blatantly, "I like the dress." Her told her stopping in front of her.
"Thanks. Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise." He told her holding out his arm. Hermione took it and let him lead her outside. "You can't tell anyone about this, not even Blaise and Theo know." He told her just before he appararted them.
Hermione frowned when she looked around from a darkened alley beside a muggle parking lot.
"Where are we?"
Draco led her out of the alley, into the lot and pointed. Hermione laughed. "You brought me to the zoo?"
He nodded and walked her up to the booth to buy them both a ticket, carefully counting the muggle money.
He led her into the park and sighed, "When I was little, mum would bring me here. It was our secret. She always made it seem like our lives depended on no one, especially dad or Grandma Black finding out." Draco explained. "They were the best days though." He bought a snack for them at the vendor and they wandered around talking, Draco would make up stories about the animals or tell about trips he'd been here with his mother on. Like the time a giant snake got loose and all the muggles were screaming. Hermione had never seen him smile so wide as he chuckled and then gave a full belly laugh when she explained it had been Harry's doing. They bickered and teased and Hermione was sorry when it was time for the zoo to close.
"We have a reservation to get to anyways." Draco told her leading her away, "and remember, if anyone asks, all I did was take you to dinner."
"I promise Drake but… well why?"
He shrugged, "Before, because of the way my mother made me promise, now because its… special." Hermione smiled at him, her eyes softening at the knowledge he'd shared this with her.
Draco offer his arm and when she took it he apparated them away.
He brought her to Premier and she made a face. "Have you ever even eaten here Granger?"
"No Malfoy I haven't."
"Then quit with the face and come on. I promise the food is worth the expense and snobbery." He tugged her inside and cursed.
"What?"
"My mother is here."
"Oh." Hermione went pale.
"Relax, I'll get us out of eating with her just stay quiet."
She had the urge to stick her tongue out at him and stifled a giggle as his mother moved over to them.
"Draco." She smiled as he kissed her cheek. "Miss Granger, what a surprise, how are you?"
"Well thank you." Hermione nodded, "And you?"
"As well as can be thank you." She nodded graciously at Hermione, "I'll have the waiter add room for you."
"No. Thank you. Hermione and I reserved the roof top."
"The roof?"
"Yes mother and please."
She shook her head, "I haven't said anything."
"I know your mind."
"As I know yours."
The two of them seemed to have a silent battle of wills before Narcissa sighed, "All right." She lifted her hands and turned to Hermione, "I've been helping to plan Mr. Potter's wedding, Molly has mentioned that she will being planning yours as well and I humbly offer my help in anyway."
"Thank you."
"I'm sure she will be very sorry not to have seen you, and you are very close with all of her children aren't you? I'm sure Bill and Fleur also send their regrets but please, I'm keeping you from your meal." She smiled at them and Draco groaned.
"You're here with the Weasley's?" Hermione asked shocked.
"Yes, we're just sitting over the way. Why don't you just come and say a quick hello, I'm sure the reservation will keep a few minutes, wont it Draco?"
"Of course mother." He nodded defeat and Hermione sent him a questioning look. She understood when ten minutes later they were seated with glasses of wine next to Narcissa.
Dinner conversation was pleasant and Narcissa was skilled at asking simple and meaningless seeming questions to get Hermione and Draco both to reveal more than they intended on any given topic.
Draco excused them before desert as they had early classes and both sighed in relief when they left.
"The food was delicious." Hermione tried to say something about the interesting previous two hours.
Draco laughed, "The chef is why I wanted to bring you, trust me I'd have thought of something else if I knew about that." He jerked his hand in the direction they'd just left. "She's a complete Slytherin and will have it in the papers we're on the verge of engagement."
"That would be a bad thing?"
Draco snorted and rolled his eyes, "I like you Granger, even Potty and Weasel, ok more Potty than Weasel but they're ok. You're beautiful, brilliant and since you broke my nose third year I've had a disturbing reaction to seeing you angry, which would probably result in a lot of hexes between us at some point in a marriage if I ever let myself think of things going so far left in your world. Truthfully though I'm not brain damaged enough to think you could ever completely get past the things my family or I did to you because while you clearly forgive me, a fact that both stuns and amazes me, we both know you could never forget. The idea of being friends with you intrigues me and I am highly attracted to you, not only when you look like you do tonight but especially when your hair is a nightmare of frizz and cackling with electricity and fire in your eyes right before you say something witty and scathing or throw a rather nasty hex."
"You're disturbed."
"When it comes to being attracted to the idea of you belonging to me? Yes." He nodded "And what's disturbing is I think if I did or said the right things you might be disturbed enough to fall for me too."
"You aren't a bad guy Drake."
He shook his head, "I'm trying not to be but I did used to be, maybe not truly evil as father and the evil git would have had me but I was a bad guy. I want to start over again and build up fresh. Neither of us would have that together."
"What are you going to do about a wife then?"
"Don't suppose you have muggle friends? I was really kind of hoping you and Blaise or you and Theo, then we could get you to help us out."
"I do like them both… a lot." She blushed. "I'd help you anyways though Drake. It's what friends do."
He quirked an eye brow at her, "How about dessert before we go back?" He took them to Fortescues Ice Cream shop and they sat and talked and bickered.
Hermione hugged him when they returned, "Thank you Drake, tonight was really fun."
"Of course it was you were with me."
"There's the old Malfoy prat I never missed."
"Go stick your nose in a book."
Hermione laughed, "I like you Drake. I'm not sure why but I do."
"Eh," he shrugged, "Maybe this is the start of a beautiful friendship."
Hermione laughed and explained to him it was a muggle saying. He rolled his eyes at her and she stuck her tongue out at him.
All the way up to the tower she thought about what a good time she'd had with him, they weren't romantically compatible but he was right, she could see this as a real start to a beautiful friendship.
