She found him in the library, again. It was unspoken but the way they were hidden between the bookshelves made a perfect place to talk and do what they wanted. He sat there, reading his small book like always. This time he sat on the couch, not on the single chair. There was no reason to sit on the single chair anymore.

"Granger." He greeted her. He looked up to find her guilty face, "How is Ron faring?" He asked, quietly.

"He's a little disappointed." She carefully sat down on the couch, next to Neil. "I think he might start to resent me."

Neil wrapped an arm around her shoulder and rubbed her arm. "That's normal, if you'd break things off with me I'd be a little resentful towards you too." He was being nice to her, he wasn't seducing her like she expected him to, he was showing what he was like as a person. She thought that Neil's affection towards her was quite attractive.

Hesitantly, she leaned closer to him. "I can already tell that he'll hate me for it." She let out a slightly frustrated sigh, "If he found out about us, he'd never talk to me again."

"Good thing that there isn't an us yet," Neil hummed, "I'm taking you out to dinner first." The American was smooth with his words, yet, even though they weren't anything there was a chance.

"When?" She asked.

"Tonight?" Neil offered, "Gryffindor is playing against Ravenclaw tonight, so you won't see Ron anywhere in Hogsmeade, stopping you from going to dinner with me." His lips grazed her temple. Despite their sexual tension, Neil was still trying to be someone to her, just like he was raised to do by his nanny, be a gentleman, regardless of what happened.

"Tonight." Hermione repeated, blushing at the touch of Neil's lips to her forehead. The Slytherin boy is smooth, sweet and a gentleman. Hermione's guilt was simmering away. "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere private, I know a place."

"You've been here for three weeks." Hermione said humorously. "How do you already know a place?"

"Magic." He joked.

Hermione rolled her eyes and softly smacked his chest, "Smart ass." She muttered playfully. Neil caught her hand as she pulled away and put it up to his lips, pressing a kiss against it.

"Sorry dear." He hummed. "It's in my nature to be a smartass." The tingly sensation in her hand didn't disappear even after he let go of it. She knew that Neil teasing her had an effect on her.

Hermione let out a soft laugh, as she saw Neil's gentle side. "I might like that side of you," she hummed and leant up to press a kiss against his cheek.

Neil had a small smile on his face when Hermione pressed a kiss against it. She was blushing and it was a sight to adore. The energy that surged through his body was something like he had never felt before, his eyes happily watched her walk away from him, knowing that he'll see her soon.

– – – – –

He was leaning against the carriage when she walked out of the gates and towards him with a smile on her face. "You look gorgeous, love." It was a dress, a red one, just as red as her lips. "Reminds me of a femme fatale." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Hermione rolled her eyes and let out an amused breath, and looked stunned when Neil pulled a rose out behind his back. "For you." He said, gently. She slowly reached out and smiled as she smelled it.

"Thank you, Neil." The Slytherin helped her into the carriage and the two were smiling at one another, looking out of the window. They were comfortable with each other but the tension between them was electric.

"You do that thing, when you're nervous." Neil said, breaking the silence. "You tuck your hair behind your ear." He hummed and smiled. Hermione looked at him in surprise.

"Really?"

"You also hold onto someone if you're cold, with your lady friends, you hold their hand and put it in their pocket. With Harry, you link arms and hug his arm closer to you."

"You noticed that?"

"I can't help but notice you." The carriage came to a halt and Neil opened the carriage door, he held up a hand, letting her exit like a princess. "I've got us a private spot." He whispered to her as he kissed her hand before letting go.

The secret place was empty but filled with the smell of fine cuisine, the sound of soft music playing on whatever channel the radio is on at the moment. They sat down by the window, it showed Hogwarts and from the faint bright lights, they could see the quidditch field.

Neil saw her glance outside, craning her neck to get a glance of the quidditch field. "Drinks?" His smile was strained.

"A water."

Neil wrote it down and threw it in the air, the letter burning up and disappearing along with its ashes. The girl looked at it in wonder. They talked, ate and laughed. It was wonderful and Neil's hands were twitching, everytime she looked out the window at the quidditch fields.

At the end of the dinner, he helped her in the carriage again. This time it was a bit tense and Hermione didn't notice, or didn't care. In his mind, Hermione never noticed anything bad or off about Neil. Maybe then someone could love him.

Like the gentleman he was, he helped her out and cleared his throat, "I'll just walk you up to your dorm." He was hopeful about that, maybe they'll talk some more on the way there. The cold wind blew through her hair and she shivered.

At an instant, Neil had taken off his jacket and scarf before wrapping it around her, packing her in warm and tightly. He smiled when routinely, she grabbed onto his hand and put it in the pocket of the jacket over her shoulders. "Thank you for tonight." When Neil didn't say anything, she looked up at him, "Are you okay?" She asked quietly.

He snapped out of it, the warmth of her body against his and the mesmerizing patterns she was drawing on his hand. "Sorry," He smiled, "I'm feeling a bit smug that you prove my observations right." He motioned over to their linked arms. "Like I said, you hold onto someone's arm when you're cold." He chuckled.

Her face turned red from embarrassment, adding onto the faint red of the cold. "You were," She admitted, "You get smug when you're right?" She asked. He was teasing her a bit and she knew.

"You don't?" He chuckled and Hermione rolled her eyes, shaking her head fondly. "How about I escort you back to the Gryffindor tower." He said quietly.

"I think I would like that." Hermione replied quietly to Neil. Hermione held onto his arm more tightly as they were walking towards the Gryffindor common room. The sound of booming music sounded, Gryffindor must've won.

"We are almost there." Hermione said quietly as she continued to hold onto Neil's arm. He just gave her a small smile, his frustration was long over and he had been childish, he realized. She was there with him, on a date with him.

Eventually they stood in front of the painting and Neil smiled at her, "End of the first date, you giving me five stars, love?" He joked.

Hermione laughed, "Hmm, how about I would say four and a half stars?" Hermione said with a grin. "But we only started to date today, we'll see at the next one. Then I might change my mind." She said, as she kept smiling back up at Neil.

"Where'd the last half go?" He asked, curiously.

Hermione felt herself blush a bit more now, as she thought about what Neil was asking her. "Well, I don't give out full five stars on the first date. Unless it was absolutely perfect." She admitted with a grin. "Maybe you'll earn you that other half star in the future?" Hermione asked Neil, as she continued to hold onto his arm.

"Well, I am a firm believer that a first date should triumph over the others. So, where did the last half go?"

"The last half star is reserved for something a bit special." Hermione finally said, and Neil raised his eyebrows at her before chuckling lowly, he leant down and grazed his lips against her ear.

"I'll give you something special soon, dear. Trust me." He whispered and pressed a kiss against her cheek before grabbing her hips and kissing her deeply. Hermione softly moaned as their bodies were flushed against one another.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her, her kisses were getting more desperate, needy and Neil loved that version of her, he loved all those versions of her. His hands were wandering down her curves and rested on her hips.

He gave her hips a soft squeeze before pulling away from her, watching her crazed look, swollen lips and messy hair look at him with wide eyes, quietly asking why he pulled away. He just grinned at her and pressed a kiss against her cheek, "Good night, lover." He whispered.

Hermione looked at Neil for a second longer before whispering back, "Good night, Neil."