Harry Potter's ears burned with embarrassment as he read the perfectly ordinary Hermione letter to the Ferret. Who, of course, was addressed that way, because that was what they'd always called him since fourth year. "Harry, are you okay?" Hermione asked, and Harry's attention snapped to her again.

"Um, I think I'm better now." Harry stammered out, pretty reluctant to tell Hermione anything about what exactly Draco Malfoy had said to him. Taking a bit of a peek in her office, Harry said, "Blimey, that's a lot of flowers."

"SO Distracting!" Hermione said with her usual warm smile - and the bite of her ire on her face. "So he asked me out on a date - he doesn't need to make a big production about it!"

Harry was kind of belatedly realizing that everyone around was looking at them (well, everyone except for Luna, who was scribbling something on her writing tablet). "It's just the way he is, Hermione. Wouldn't have figured he'd be your type, truly." Harry buried his hands in his pockets, and looked down at the last, not really wanting to see Hermione's face if she really was in love with Draco.

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione said, smiling. "I suppose it's possible I could love Draco Malfoy." Harry thought his heart had stopped, or something - certainly he had stopped breathing. "In an alternate universe!" Hermione finished with a hearty laugh. Harry just... didn't think that Hermione and Malfoy fit together. Harry smiled a crooked smile, and let out a low chuckle.

"So, are you going?" Harry asked Hermione.

Hermione looked coquettish (it was only cute because she wasn't like that), and said "Mmmaybe yes, maybe not."

Harry smiled, a little relieved. It couldn't be going all that well if Hermione wasn't jumping in two feet forward. Harry, though, couldn't help but wonder what was going on. Malfoy loved to wind me up, sure - but, dating Herimione is pushing that a good deal past "too far."

[a/n: yeah we're switching to Harry's viewpoint for a while.]