Chapter 4: Ghastly Scarves & Toupee's

D r a c o M a l f o y

This probably had to be the most awkward date Draco has ever been on. He felt like an idiot taking his dare to public on a day out to Madam Puddifoot's Teashop. 37 minutes in the shop and not a single word or eye contact being exchanged between the two Hogwarts students. Why was Zabini's sister so alluring and seductive? He should have known that taking Hermione to a private place like the library or the forbidden forest would have suited her needs better. That way she'd be reading or learning something. A few days ago when he asked her to go out for tea, Hermione couldn't stop stuttering and choking on her words. Taking her to a place she truly desired would have scored him some extra points.

Terrence Higgs also suggested Draco to lay off of the ridicule comments and to stop calling her a mudblood. Well his exact words were "Be more like a Ron… or maybe a Harry… so stop mocking her blood and family, and start acting sweet." Draco would never stoop low as to trying to act like Weasley or Potter, although acting sweet couldn't be too hard.

He stared at the bushy haired girl sitting across from him as she fiddled around with her spoon avoiding making eye contact with him whatsoever. He had no clue what to say as he realized during those past two weeks of agony that his "brash" pick-up-lines and "discourteous" comments would send him three steps backwards. A short sigh left his mouth as he leaned back against his seat stirring his cup of tea in a synchronized motion with Hermione. He glanced around the room looking for something more entertaining too look at to pass the time. He stared at the darkest corner of the teashop recognizing something he's been seeing back at Hogwarts. It was Blaine's ghastly green scarf. There would never be a replica of such a monstrous scarf anywhere in the wizarding world. It looked like it was made out of weeds from an abandoned garden. Draco squinted his eyes finding Blaine Zabini and Terrence Higgs attempting to hide behind "The Daily Prophet." He knew that it couldn't be anyone but him.

"So…" Hermione finally said, "Looking for someone?" She attempted to turn around to see who Draco was looking at. He reached his arm out touching her shoulder giving her the "Don't look" expression.

"Another girl?" she asked.

He wished it was another girl. He never had to think so hard in his entire life to find the right words without being mauled in the head. He was used to being slapped, but Hermione was way more vicious than any of the other girls. Any choice of words he'd say would usually have girls falling all over him in an instant. He had to win this bet or face being teased by Zabini for the rest of his life. A mudblood was part of this bloody dare too. He couldn't let Zabini get the best of him. He was just a few steps away from actually getting what he most anticipated. The fact that his date wasn't going as well as he hoped it too be, Zabini would certainly still have the time to mock Draco about it.

Draco started to fiddle with the napkin in front of him attempting to remove any deranged comments from his vocabulary. He decided to tell the truth instead of trying to create a lie to make him look so cool.

"No," he answered. "It appears that Blaine and Terrence have decided to follow us out here to see how well our date would go."

"Oh… I know what you mean." Hermione paused. "Ginny can't pull off a toupee." She slightly lifted her index finger pointing to her right while using her other hand to mask away the giggles leaving her mouth.

Draco turned to his right seeing Ginny three tables over sitting with Lavender whose disguise was just a top hat being matched off with a monocle. It was like they were a few weeks early for Halloween. He looked at Hermione attempting to give her a smile while letting out a short chuckle. Ginny did look pretty horrendous trying to pull off the look of a male. She looked like Ron which was pretty awkward. "Want to ditch this place and go somewhere else?"

"What do you have in mind?" Hermione asked putting her hands down.

"Maybe… the library…" he offered.

Hermione let out a laugh. "I'm not sure if that's the kind of place you'd like to go too." She continued laughing.

"It was worth a shot…" That way they'd be in a private place and no one from their school would be there to see them. Draco looked back at Blaine who seemed to be writing something on a piece of parchment paper. He started to wonder if Zabini had an idea to judge and mark him along the way. That would be unfair.

Hermione stood up from her seat offering her hand to Draco "Let's go." She said managing to give him a wink.

Draco was stunned for a moment staring at the girl in front of him. He never knew Hermione would be the type to give anyone a wink. He didn't even know that she was the type to take the lead. Maybe their date wouldn't be such a dud after all.

Hermione grabbed his hand gripping it quite hard and ran for the door. Draco shook his head following her footsteps trying to keep up with her pace. For a girl, she ran pretty fast. He turned around to see Terrence and Zabini trying to catch up to them. He knew that they were up to no good. They made it so obvious that they wanted to spy on him during his date. Hermione looking back ran faster squeezing Draco's hand taking a few twist and turns around the neighbourhood hoping that his friends would get lost in the process. She ran pass a choir taking her wand out from her pocket.

"Aguamenti!" Hermione yelled out, allowing a fountain of water to be shot out of her wand, aiming it at the two Slytherin boys chasing after them.

Terrence eyes that seemed to catch water in them slipped causing Zabini to trip over him. Hermione let out a laugh leading Draco into Honeydukes to catch her breath.

"We finally lost them." She said trying to keep up with her breathing. "At least… I hope we did."

Draco leaned down against the counter staring at Hermione. He was pretty impressed too see that Hermione could manage to get then away from them. She was Hermione after all. He slightly started to understand why Dumbledore would give her recognition for their first three years at Hogwarts.

Draco stood up, his stomach letting out a loud growl. He now wished that he didn't skip lunch to finish writing his overdue essay assignment on the lifespan of a werewolf. He felt his pockets trying to find his wallet and realized that he left it in his other jacket back at Hogwarts.

"Hungry?" Hermione asked picking up a few pieces of Salt Water Taffy. "I only have enough for a few pieces of candy… but it's better than nothing right?"

"Uhm… Thanks. I'll pay you back when we get back to the school…" He gave her a smile.

The two wandered around picking up some Chocolate Wands and Acid Pops along the way. They laughed watching first years being intrigued by the Chocolate Frogs hopping around the store. Hermione took some Liquorice Wands before deciding to pay at the counter.

Draco stared at Hermione chewing on a Liquorice Wand as they walked about the neighbourhood aimlessly, no words being exchanged between them. The silence between them didn't feel awkward at all for him, but at the same time it was something that he wasn't used too. Girls would usually talk nonstop about something trivial or praise him with flattering comments.

Hermione started to walk a little faster, leading Draco a few steps out of Hogsmeade. She took a seat under the nearest tree staring at the fallen leaves around her. The sun was shining across the horizon and the clouds were starting to change into that lovely dull purple like color. Draco stared a little satisfied and amazed by the actions she has taken earlier.

He walked over to the tree taking a seat beside her. "Wow Granger… I never knew you were the type to make such a bold move." He said smirking; obviously referring to the wink she's given him in the Teashop, and the little chase that went around Hogsmeade.

"There's a lot you don't know about me." She replied playing with the grass on the ground.

He turned to look at Hermione "I guess another date would allow me to right?"

She turned to look back at him, their faces only two inches apart from each other. "You'd like that wouldn't you?"

Draco stared into her eyes never noticing how brown they really were. For a short moment you can say that he was slightly hypnotized. He felt as if this little dare was starting to become a little more interesting. He was looking forward to having another encounter with her.