And people said that he was arrogant, Draco thought rather grimly to himself, as he ascended the stairs to Nott's eyrie. Granger was rather taken with ordering around anyone that so happened to set foot near her - Draco idly supposed that had something to do with being the only one in Gryffindor with a brain and motivation to use it, save Neville Longbottom - of all people.

Now, normally, it would be easy enough to convince Nott to do something barmy like cards. Theo tended towards the morose, and was never the life of a party, so cards were normally much more of his forte. When all else failed, one hid behind the hand one was dealt, no? Theo could be quite charming - over cards. Never a flirt, never a word to a woman's beauty. Ah! But he did know a half dozen ways to compliment a girl's mind, her intuition, her wit. Draco Malfoy was half nonplussed that Nott hadn't managed to wed a Ravenclaw - before.

As it was, Theo Nott was quite cross with Malfoy - he had made that quite plain, and thus it wasn't just an ordinary lock that Draco Malfoy had to deal with. No, this was a Muggle lock. Well, Draco Malfoy still had access to quite a few skills he had picked up in the Dark Lord's Service, and he had a feeling that one of them was about to come in handy. (At least it wasn't torture. Draco hated when that one came in handy. It generally meant a bad day for all involved. **)

Kneeling, Draco fished out his three lockpicks (he had a bigger set at home, but hadn't expected to be needing it on a first date.***), and began to fiddle with the door. He had two tumblers turned just so, before he heard the lock itself turning. Quickly, he scrambled to his feet, tucking the tools behind his back.

"Really, Draco? Think you can hide what I've been listening to you work on for the last five minutes?"

"Give me credit for trying..." Draco gave his 'friend' a wide, toothy grin.

"Trying?! You didn't even knock!"

"You'd have answered?" Draco said, with a raised eyebrow, his mouth quirking into a smirk as Nott's mouth began to form - Draco cut him off, "No, don't bother. You just wanted an excuse to tell me to go away."

"What of it, you pillock?"

"You, my dear friend, are invited to a soiree. I hear tell there are cards." Draco said with a hopefully winning smile.

Nott eyed him in return like ... well, any sane person would eye a smiling Slytherin. Which is to say, suspiciously. Leaning back against a chair, Nott said smoothly, "Let's not do this. Who what where when why, and, most importantly - how?"

"My date of the evening feels that you don't know her well enough to justify your mistaken impression of her earlier tonight. I believe she would like to correct that misapprehension. I also believe that she's enough of the sporting type, that she'd take you winning as a reason not to go running to the Ministry." Draco said smoothly, pausing for a breath as Nott looked rather coldly enraged, "At any rate, you're coming. My lady won't be taking no for an answer. I'm just the welcoming party."

"What do you mean-?" Nott squawked, his eyes wide as they had gotten when, as children, Snape had been on the prowl for them (hiding behind a suit of armor, of all stupendously stupid things).

"Are you two done arguing yet? Hearts, Clubs, or Dragon Poker?" Hermione Granger called up to them. Draco Malfoy fought to keep himself from starting. He had sworn the door had closed behind him - and, beyond that, he didn't think Hermione Granger would have stood quietly while he was picking his 'friend''s front door.

Perhaps she wasn't quite as sanctimonious as he had thought.

[a/n: I swear, I meant to get farther. Write a review, dudes and dudettes!]

**Professional torturers do their jobs without leaving a mark on someone. it's only amateurs that cause blood and gore.

***Breaking and entering is for third dates, at least.