I finally got the next part up. Hope you like it!

xXx

I heard a knock at my door.

When I answered I could barely conceal the surprised look that streamed across my face.

She. Looked. Amazing.

She was gorgeous in a dark green dress.

Wow.

"Let's go! I found the perfect place!"

I snapped out of my shock to find her dragging me out of my apartment.

"Where are you taking me?"

"It's a good thing you dressed nice."

I looked down at my clothes.

"You didn't answer my question."

"Here we are. Hold on to my arm."

I quickly grabbed her arm and felt a pull in my lower abdomen.

We appeared in an alley and she pulled me into the street.

"Try not to look like you don't belong, although with that hair it will be hard."

"Ha. Ha, very funny Granger. Now where are you taking me?"

She stopped in front of a small restaurant.

"Here."

"This place?"

"Don't say it like you're disgusted. This is my favorite restaurant, and the cook is the best."

"Alright, but only because I lost the bet."

"Come on."

Again, she grabbed my arm and pulled me into the restaurant.

"Miss Granger, welcome back! We have your regular table set up for you."

"Thank you Will, and please, call me Hermione."

"You know I can't Miss Granger."

"Five years and it still won't work, will it?"

"Probably not, miss. Right this way."

I felt stupid standing and watching this interaction and was jolted out of my thoughts when she spoke.

"Come on, Draco."

We followed the host towards the back.

He stopped by a table that was close to the windows but not too close.

The host pulled out a chair.

"Here you are, miss."

"Thank you, Will."

I sat down across from her as the host gave us our menus.

"Your waiter will be right with you."

"Okay! Thanks."

The host walked away.

"So, what's good here?"

"Basically everything, but I would definitely try the lasagna."

"That sounds good, I think I will. What are you having?"

"I think, maybe, the meatloaf…I'm not sure."

"Well, you better hurry up and decide, because here comes a waitress."

"Hi, folks. My name is Mindy and I will be your waitress this evening. Our soup of the day is New England clam chowder, and our special is steak and potatoes with green beans. What can I get you to drink?"

"I'll have a water please."

The waitress turned to me.

"I'll have the same."

"Okay, and are you ready to order, or do you need more time?"

"I think we're ready. Are you ready?"

"I think so."

"Okay, what will it be?"

"I'll have the lasagna."

"And I'll have the meatloaf."

"Alright, I'll put your orders in, and your drinks will be right out."

She walked away to leave us to our own devices.

"I always love sitting near this window. I love to discreetly watch people. Sometimes I make up stories to go along with how they look and the way they move."

The waitress came back with our water and walked away again.

"That sounds interesting. I've never heard of such a thing."

"I guess it's a Muggle thing."

"We should do it sometime. I like this little park that gets just enough foot traffic to do that."

She snorted.

"What?"

"We haven't even finished this date and you are already planning a second."

"I was just saying maybe we should—"

"It was a joke, Draco."

"Oh."

"Take that couple for example," she gestured to the window. "I think her father doesn't know that she is dating anyone because he would scare the guy off. She really likes him, maybe even loves, but the guy is having a hard time committing to a relationship, so he is likely to break her heart before he realizes what she means to him."

"That's quite a story. What about that older man?"

"I think he is going to meet a long lost love somewhere and they will fall in love and get married."

"It sounds plausible."

"It's not about sounding plausible, it's just a game. I used to play with my father before I left for Hogwarts. I suppose it was just something we both liked to do, one of the only things we ever did together."

"Why?"

"He was always working so I barely saw him; my family isn't as fortunate as yours in the financial department. My mum had a casual position as a substitute teacher while I was in Muggle school, so it didn't bring in a lot of money, and with even with my dad's job, it was always just enough to scrape by. I suppose that it's why I was such a goodie two shoes in school; I didn't want to let down my parents."

"Well, I'm sorry I was such a pompous ass in school."

"I wasn't going to say that but thanks, that means a lot, even now."

The waitress approached our table with our food and we started to eat in a comfortable silence.

"So, how is work going?"

Wow.

Stupid. Stupid question.

You work with her idiot!

"It's going well, although this moron didn't listen to the brightest witch of our age, and ended up getting his hair turned pink."

"Oh ha ha."

She ignored me, "I've actually been offered a promotion, but I don't know if I will take it."

"What position is it for?"

"Department chair."

Hmmm…

Oh.

"That's interesting, because I was offered that position too."

"I know."

"What do you mean, you know?"

"I said I would only do it if I had a co-chair. I was also asked who I would like the co-chair to be."

"So, just to be clear, you want me as your co-chair."

"Only if you want. If you don't do it, I won't. I refuse to be stuck in an office doing paperwork by myself, and you are good, if not as good as me."

"I am good, aren't I?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Well, I suppose it would be more fun with another person. So, I'll do it if you do it."

"Cool. Unfortunately, then I have to see your face more often."

"You make me laugh so hard sometimes."

"I do, don't I?"

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes.

The waitress came over again.

"Are you ready for dessert?"

"I don't think I can eat anymore. How about you, Draco?"

"I think I'm good."

"Okay, here is your check, and I'll take it whenever you're ready."

"Thank you."

When the waitress had left us, Hermione took the check and started to pull out her money.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Paying. What does it look like?"

"It looks like you're paying, but I don't know why you are. I lost the bet."

"The terms didn't say who was paying, and since this is my place, I will pay."

"I'm never going to convince you to let me pay, am I?"

"Probably not."

"Fine. But next time I'm paying."

"There you go, assuming that we are going on another date."

"Well, we are going to be co-chairs so we have other dinners or lunches we are going to be going on. But I would like to go on another date."

"What if I said no?"

"What if you didn't?"

"You got me there."

"Are you set with the check?"

"Yes thank you. You can keep the change, Mindy."

"Thank you, Miss Granger. Have a good night."

"You too. See you next time."

Mindy walked away as we both stood to leave.

"Ready to get back home?"

"I suppose we have work tomorrow, don't we?"

"Yup. By the end of tomorrow we will be co-chairs."

As we left the restaurant, the host and Hermione exchanged pleasantries.

We began walking back to our apparition point.

She broke the silence.

"We've grown up."

"I suppose we have."

"Can you imagine what we would have done if someone told us we would be going on a date in the future?"

"I probably would've had Crabbe and Goyle pummel them."

"Draco!"

"What? We already agreed I was a pompous idiot!"

"True."

We reached the apparition point as I grabbed her arm and apparated us to her door.

"Draco! You need to warn me when you do that!" She whisper-yelled at me.

"Sorry! I thought you were ready!" I whisper-yelled back at her. "Why are you whispering?"

"Because I have neighbors!"

"Can we talk normal now?"

"Yes. You were just leaving anyway."

"Oh, I was, was I?"

"Yes."

"But I forgot something."

"And what was that?"

"This."

I grabbed her and kissed her.

I had never felt anything like that before.

There were no fireworks like in the movies.

Just the raw passion that seemed to be in the air.

We finally pulled apart and Hermione fumbled to get her keys in the lock.

"See you at work, Draco."

"Definitely."

She went inside and shut the door, as I apparated away.

When I appeared outside my own apartment, I could only think of two things.

I am so glad that I made this bet.

It was worth getting my hair turned pink.

xXx

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