No One in the World Ever Gets What They Want...

Draco glanced at the clock. "Twenty minutes till lunch," he informed Jess.

"Excellent," Jess said, while drumming his fingers together.

Just then a familiar face walked into the store.

"Granger?" Draco gulped.

Jess' eyes widened. THIS was the girl?

"Hey Draco," Hermione sighed. "Listen, I'm not really in the mood to be all, 'I hate you', 'the feeling's mutual,' etc, can you just tell me where the text books are? I know you have them here."

Draco was silent, looking for something witty to say. After a moment, Jess spoke up. "They're at the end of the seventh aisle," he pointed.

"Thank you," Hermione said and quickly strode down to the seventh aisle.

Jess smirked at Draco.

"What?" Draco asked, blushing.

"That was the girl." Jess smiled teasingly.

"Shut up."

"So? Are you gonna make your move? Snatch her up?"

"I told you, I can't."

"Aw, sure you can. Who care's who she's friends with, or if she's a mug--," Jess stumbled, forgetting what Draco had called her. Ignoring the word, and moving on like he had never said it, he continued, "If you really like her, none of that matters, and you should go for it."

"Maybe you're right," Draco sighed.

Suddenly they heard a loud bang, and looked in the direction where it came from. Hermione had taken too many books than she could carry, and she dropped them all onto the floor. Draco glanced at Jess, who nodded slightly, and quickly walked over to Hermione.

"Need help," he asked.

"No," Hermione said, stubbornly, and tried to pick up all of her books, failing miserably.

Draco hesitated a moment, and then kneeled down and picked up most of Hermione's books.

Hermione looked at him with annoyance in her eyes. "Give them back!"

"I'll just carry them to the check out counter, and then you can have them back," Draco smiled sweetly. "After you paid for them of course," he added quickly.

Hermione looked at him with confusion, wondering what evil plan he was planning. "Okay..." she said, unsure.

The two quietly walked back to the check out counter and Draco began scanning her books. "So how was your summer?" he asked nicely.

Hermione squinted at him. "What are you planning?"

"Nothing. What do you mean?"

"Why are you being so...nice?"

"Why shouldn't I be?"

"You're Draco Malfoy."

Draco was silent.

"Whatever, see you at school Draco." Hermione grabbed her bag and walked out of the store.

"I suck," Draco said sadly.

"Well, personally I think 'How was your summer?' is a super opening line. Really, top-notch," Jess said sarcastically.

"I told you we could never be."

"No, you can. You guys just seem to have had a lot of history. It'll just take time."

Draco looked up Jess and smiled. You really are a great friend, he thought, The best friend I've ever had. I love you. Draco shook his head. I mean love as a friend, of course, or do I? No, I do, of course I do, that's silly. Why would I even think of such a thing? That's insane. I've just never had a friend I could really talk to before, that's all. So I do love him, but just as a friend, that's all.

"Are you okay?" Jess asked Draco, who looked as if there was a boxing match going on in his head.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, I'm fine."

"Ok...well it's time for lunch."

"Finally!" Draco smiled, and the two closed there check out counter and went into the back room to eat.