Love Me Do

Love Me Do

Draco Malfoy was a very happy boy, for he had just succeeded in proposing the best and most humiliating challenge ever, and he proposed this challenge to the number one person on his 'To Kill When Evil Ruler of World' list, Harry Potter. Sitting in the Slytherin common room with a smile, well, a smirk really, Malfoy's simply don't smile, plastered on his face, Draco could only imagine the reaction of the Boy Who Lived and Company when they finally figured out that the challenge, and the prize, was real. Oh yes indeed, it was a happy day for the evil little boy with an evil twisted mind who just happened to be named Draco Malfoy.

- - - - - - - - - -

Harry Potter and Ron Weasley sat in their red and gold shrine, which was more popularly called the Gryffindor common room, looking into the corner of the common room in a bid to avoid meeting Hermione Granger's murderous looks. Needless to say the common room was filled with a tense atmosphere littered with tense people, for Hermione was upset, Ron Weasley was not smiling and Harry Potter was not sullenly staring into the fire. The scene in the Gryffindor commons was pretty much thought to be that of the equivalent of the end of the world, for if the Boy Who Lived to Annoy the Pants off Voldemort was upset, then the end of the wizarding world as they knew it might just be about to end.

"Oh could you bloody well stop it," said Hermione, breaking the tension. "If the world were about to end we'd give you a bit of a warning wouldn't we?" Hermione's vicious looks and venomous voice shattered the foreboding feeling in the room and scattered the gathering doom sayers to various parts of somewhere else. Hermione sighed. "Now that they're gone, you two can talk to me about the mess that you have gotten not only yourself, but me into as well. So, what've you got to say for yourselves?"

Harry and Ron looked at each other. They finally met Hermione's eyes and winced simultaneously at the expression on the brunette's face. "Well, Hermione, you see..." Harry trailed off as he tried to think of a way to put it that wouldn't end in him dying.

"Hermione what Harry's trying to say is..." Ron gulped as Hermione turned her gaze on him.

"Well? I'm waiting."

Hermione looked from Harry to Ron then back to Harry. She began to pace in front of them as she worked up to a lecture. "You know what? You to accepted Malfoy's stupid challenge and that's fine. But why did you involve me? Why the HELL did you make me the prize. I'm a human being not a bloody trophy!"

Harry and Ron looked at their hands. "We're sorry Hermione," Harry said softly, "but we can't back out now."

"ARGH!" Hermione stomped out of the common room, ranting under her breath.

Harry looked at Ron, worried. "Do you think we should've done it?"

"Well, yeah, we had to defend our reputation and our-our manliness," said Ron. "But I do wonder where she went to."

"She probably went to find someone to tell off, she's gonna turn into Police Constable Granger before we know it."

Ron frowned. "What's a police constable?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about it."

- - - - - - - - - -

Hermione stalked down the darkened halls of Hogwarts with two things on her mind: killing Draco Malfoy and killing Harry Potter. Why? Well, Hermione was the prize of a challenge which was really quite ridiculous. Harry had to recite a love poem to Snape, which would be followed by Broadway style tap dancing upon the Hufflepuff table during the middle of dinner. But that was not the ridiculous thing. Harry's challenge for Draco was to be nice to all of Hufflepuff and all muggle-borns. If Harry didn't complete his challenges, Draco would get a kiss; if Draco failed Hermione would escape scott-free whilst Draco received some wonderful boils.

Hermione ignored everyone as she stormed towards the library. She was so busy being angry that she didn't notice the blonde Slytherin talking to Blaise Zabini.

Draco smirked as Hermione walked past him. "Excuse me for a moment Blaise," he said to the youth next to him. He already knew where she was headed. When you're Hermione Granger and you're mad at pretty the only friends you have, there's no where else to go except the library.

Hermione had finally calmed down enough to realise someone was following her. She spun around and came face to face with the evil git himself. "You!" she shouted. "What the hell do you want?"

"Good afternoon to you too Hermione," Draco said almost pleasantly.

Hermione stared at him. "Why did you call me Hermione? What happened to Granger? Or Mudblood?"

"I believe part of Potter's challenge was that I have to be nice to muggle-borns." Draco stepped closer to her and whispered in her ear, "I can't wait until Potter loses."

He moved away and headed down another hallway. Hermione came back to her senses, did an about turn and began sprinting back to Gryffindor tower.

- - - - - - - - - -

After a night of murderous thoughts, death glares and general accusations flying everywhere Hermione had clamed down and accepted her situation. She looked at it like this. Either she could be angry at Harry and Ron and run the risk of Harry not doing the challenge because of his lack of support. Or, she could be Harry's personal motivator, if she got Harry to complete his challenge she could then rub Draco's defeat in his face.

So this rather logical train of thought led to Hermione sitting in the Great Hall at breakfast exchanging idle chatter with both Harry and Ron. Hermione decided to cut straight to that chase. "So, Harry, when do you have to complete your challenge?"

Harry swallowed nervously and replied, "Well, a week, so until Tuesday."

Hermione nodded thoughtfully and then stared off into space, mumbling under her breath about timetables and numbers of people.

"Are you really gonna do it Harry?" asked Ron doubtfully. "Because, I mean, I can't think of anything worse than trying to romance Snape."

Harry opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by a gasp that was elicited from Hermione.

"What's wrong?" asked Harry.

Hermione had turned red and began stuttering, completely flabbergasted.

"Are you choking on something?" asked Ron.

After taking a couple of deep breaths Hermione replied, "I just need to... uh... cool off."

Harry and Ron nodded, watching her quickly walk shakily out of the Great Hall.

Hermione was so flushed because Draco Malfoy was disgusting, temptingly disgusting. Hermione ran to the girl's bathroom and splashed water onto her face, willing the blush on her features to go away. Draco had begun being, for lack of better words, too nice to her. In fact, he had just spent the last five minutes alternatively licking his lips suggestively, winking and smirking at her. Just thinking about his blatant and very public innuendo caused a blush to once again invade her features. Either Draco Malfoy was trying to turn her off her breakfast or he was suggesting something entirely different.

Hearing the bell for the first class of the day, Herbology, Hermione gathered her bag, took a few deep breaths and walked calmly out of the bathroom, only to come face to face with her antagoniser, the one and only Draco.

"Well," he said to her with mock sincerity, "you have finally so kindly decided to join me and the rest of your classmates."

Hermione glared at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Professor Sprout asked me to come get you."

Hermione scowled and then walked off without him. Draco smirked to himself. "Don't worry Granger," he murmured, "you'll come around soon enough." Draco hurried to Herbology, so that he wouldn't have to suffer the wrath of Snape if points were deducted from Slytherin.

When Professor Sprout had assigned the class their work of trimming the Venus fly traps, Draco strolled over to the Golden Trio. "Good morning Hermione," he said jovially. Draco nodded to Harry and Ron. "Potter. Weasley."

"What do you want now Malfoy?" growled Hermione.

"I just came to talk to Potter about our little challenges."

"We don't have anything to talk about," Harry said.

"Oh I believe we do. What happens if we both complete the challenges? Do we both win?"

Harry thought about it and the only thing processing in his mind was Draco with boils. "Yes. That's the deal."

Draco smirked but Hermione looked aghast. "What? No! No deal!" Hermione yelled.

Draco stuck out his hand and Harry shook it. "Deal."

"Harry, you bloody idiot! What the hell did you do that for?"

Harry blinked stupidly. "I really don't know why I did that."

Hermione sighed, annoyed, picked up her Venus fly trap, dumped it on a table, gathered her belongings and stalked out of the greenhouse just as the bell rang.

Draco watched as Hermione angrily walked across the grounds of Hogwarts and into the Entrance Hall. His plan was working better than he ever could have imagined, not only was he going to win a kiss from Hermione, he was also going to see Potter make a complete and utter fool of himself. And now, Hermione was obviously pissed off with Harry and Ron, hence she would be alone for at least the rest of the day.

After dinner that night, at which Hermione made scathing comments about Harry's lack of intelligence at every chance she got, Hermione retreated to the library, inconsolable in her anger. She slammed down her books and heavily plopped into her seat, thereby earning herself stares and a vehement "shhh!" from Madam Pince. But Hermione ignored them all and opened her books, and commenced to furiously read her book titled: 'Potions: How Not to Stuff Them Up Completely'.

Hermione stiffened as she heard someone sit down in the seat beside her, but continued to read, intent on ignoring whoever it was. Unfortunately though, that person had other plans.

Draco leaned over her shoulder and asked, "So, what book are you reading now?"

Hermione jumped in her seat and moved away from the table when she realised who was sitting next to her. "What on earth are you doing here?" asked Hermione accusingly.

Draco gestured to his homework, which was sitting on the table in front of him.

"Oh, well then," said Hermione, somewhat surprised. But then she lapsed back into her anger. "Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"You bloody well know what," said Hermione. "Why did you make the bet? And why did you make it so that you kiss me no matter what?!" the last question was punctuated by a death glare and a bang on the table with her fist.

Draco sat back in his chair and smirked. "Why would anyone want to make a deal like that for? Unless..." said Draco, trailing off and leaning towards Hermione with a smirk still on his face, "I want to kiss you."

Hermione's eyes widened and she jumped up from the table. "What? But why?"

Draco let out a frustrated grunt. "Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"Just stay away from me Draco Malfoy." Hermione grabbed her books and before Draco had a chance to stop her she left the library.

"Bollocks." Draco began banging his head loudly on the table. Madam Pince glared at him but he merely continued his vain attempts at knocking himself out. When he finally stopped he sneered at his own behaviour.

"Look at what she's doing to me," he said to himself. "She's got me acting like one of the bloody common house-elves she's so damn supportive of."

Draco's face took on a dark expression. "You want me to stay away from you Hermione Granger?" he asked Hermione although she was no longer there. "I plan on doing anything but staying away from you."

- - - - - - - - - -

Hermione had arrived in the Gryffindor common room. Ignoring Harry and Ron she went straight to the seventh-year girl's dorm. When Hermione stepped into the dorm, she was very glad to find that Parvati and Lavender weren't there. She needed the silence.

Hermione seriously needed to think. The pas two days had been completely warped. She had no idea what to believe anymore. Was Draco Malfoy genuinely interested in her? Or was he just trying to get something to put over her head? Either way, the fact that it was Draco Malfoy she was thinking about made the whole subject obsolete, she didn't like him at all and that was that. Or did she?

The problem was simply that the whole thing was forced upon her and no matter what anyone did, Malfoy would kiss her and in a twisted sort of way she wanted him to. It wasn't because he was terribly nice or anything, it more had to do with how obviously good-looking he was. Hermione then had an epiphany; it was hormones, all these clashing thoughts and feelings were a product of her raging teenage hormones. As Hermione drifted off to sleep, she suddenly remembered that there was one less day for Harry to complete his task and until Draco would kiss her.

- - - - - - - - - -

The next day Hermione slowly rolled out of bed, cursing her overactive mind, Harry making the stupid bet and Draco for actually wanting to kiss her. The fact of the matter was that she was tired and, as she discovered as she checked her clock, she was late. Hermione's eyes widened as she saw the time and swore to herself. "Bugger! Jesus bloody Christ, no one can bloody well wake someone up in the morning can they?"

Hermione dragged on her clothes haphazardly, slung her bag over her shoulder and continued to get dressed as she ran out of the common room and down the hallway to Transfiguration. The doors of the classroom burst open to reveal a frazzled Hermione who was buckling up her left shoe and still had her tie loose around her neck. Everyone turned to stare at Hermione as she breathlessly apologised to Professor McGonagall for her lateness and sat down next to Millicent Bulstrode.

Of course, Draco coolly turned around in his seat and raised one eyebrow at her. Being annoyed at everyone and everything, Hermione childishly stuck her tongue out at him and went on to tie up her tie and settle into class. Although halfway through class a neatly folded note landed in front of her on her desk. Looking around and seeing no one looking her way, Hermione suspiciously opened the bulky note and was surprised to see a Hershey's Kiss sitting in it.

Looking up at McGonagall, and checking that she wasn't looking her way, Hermione slipped the chocolate into her mouth and smiled; the cure for hungriness and peevishness was acquired. Looking up again Hermione saw Draco turning around and giving her a wink, she opened her mouth in surprise as if to say something, but stopped and looked down at the empty note and began to write.

Draco smirked when the note dropped onto the desk in front of him. He opened it surreptitiously so he wouldn't alert McGonagall's attention. Draco looked around and found Hermione glaring at him. He frowned and read the note.

I thought I told you to stay away from me. Go screw yourself.

Draco scowled at the note and then thought of something. He smirked then wrote underneath Hermione's handwriting: I'd rather screw you.

He threw the note back to Hermione to watch her expression. She opened it and screamed in frustration. The class and McGonagall all looked at her. "Ms Granger," said McGonagall, "is there a problem?"

Hermione was tempted to start shouting out all the problems she had but thought better of it and mumbled, "No Professor."

Draco smirked at Hermione's reaction and couldn't help but send her another note that would rile her up even further.

- - - - - - - - - -

After two periods of lewd notes, Hermione was coiled as tightly as a spring. Not only was Draco being somewhat nice, he was now being far too nice. So nice in fact that he'd come the full circle and was again hated with all of Hermione's frustrated soul. Well, he wasn't so much hated, as he was just being extremely vexing on a day that had been far from good for Hermione.

Which leads us to Hermione's solitary walk down to Potions. When Harry and Ron had approached her after Transfiguration, Hermione growled at them, which had made them both scatter pretty quickly. When Hermione had reached the moving stairs Draco caught up with her and began to walk by her side. Hermione, who quickly grew annoyed with his presence, turned to him, her eyes ablaze. "What in God's name do you want now?"

Draco smiled unnervingly. "Oh, just the pleasure of your company."

Hermione just sighed frustratedly and continued to stomp to Potions. Beside her, Draco began humming to himself. Hermione frowned, recognising the tune. "Are you humming the Supremes?"

Draco asked absentmindedly, "What?"

"Are you humming 'I'm Gonna Make You Love Me' by the Supremes?"

"And what if I am?" asked Draco defensively.

Hermione shook her head in disbelief and then questioned Draco again, "Why would you be humming a muggle song, and one so... girly as that?"

Draco smirked at her. "Have you not heard the words to the song my dearest Hermione?"

Hermione looked at him suspiciously and nodded her head.

"But you haven't really, have you? Because then you'd understand why I'd be humming it to you. Do you need to hear it to remind you?"

"No, I don't, I really don't," protested Hermione as Draco began singing a part of the song to her in the middle of the hallway leading down to the dungeons.

"Every minute, every hour.
I'm gonna shower you with love and affection.
Look out it's coming in your direction.
And I'm...

I'm gonna make you love me.
Oh, yes I will.
Yes I will.
I'm gonna make you love me."

Hermione stared at him, stunned for a moment, before realizing they'd reached Potions. "I... uh... I... you really can't sing you know." She ran inside the classroom and sat down with Harry and Ron. They looked at her in surprise but didn't say anything. Hermione heard Draco walk in behind her. She wasn't going to turn around. She would not look at him.

She turned and watched him sit down and send a glance her way. Hermione blushed as Draco caught her staring at him. Draco raised his eyebrow and she averted her eyes. 'Get it together, Hermione,' she thought. 'What the hell are you doing? Just ignore the stupid git.'

Hermione looked back at him again and caught him watching her with a sad expression gracing his features. She frowned thoughtfully and tried to concentrate on what Snape was talking about. They were having a theory lesson and normally Hermione would have been taking extensive notes. But today she was having a lot of trouble focusing.

Hermione began doodling on a scrap piece of parchment and she filled the page before she realized that the only thing she had drawn were many, many hearts. 'What the bleeding hell is going on?' Hermione thought as she stared at her heart-filled page.

- - - - - - - - - -

Draco sighed as he continued to tap his quill on his desk. 'Great going Malfoy,' he mentally sneered at himself. 'Bloody marvellous plan you had. Well now what are you gonna do? Well, maybe not annoying the hell out of her might be a start.'

He looked around the classroom, bored, and looking to either raise havoc or get into Hermione's good graces. Draco snapped to attention as he noticed that Hermione didn't seem to be taking notes; she more or less looked like she was writing for the appearance of it. He felt his lips curl involuntarily as he realised that just one more instance of kindness, one more action to instil more doubt in Hermione and he would have her completely off guard. Draco sat back in his seat and gave up all hope of even trying to look like he was doing something and sat back to think of a good deed that he could do for Hermione, which was actually quite hard to do, being an evil son of a Death Eater and all...

- - - - - - - - - -

After Potions Hermione slowly packed up and finally noticed that she had unconsciously sat in her usual seat next to Harry and Ron. Hermione smiled at them and said endearingly, "It's okay, you can talk to me, I don't bite anymore."

Ron let out the breath he was holding. "I was wondering how long you could stay angry for, after all, I didn't really do anything. It was all little Jack Horner over there, who unwisely put his thumb into the wrong pie."

Harry looked pained, expecting Hermione to have another go at him. Instead she just smiled and walked out of the classroom with the two boys behind her. "Don't worry about it, I've calmed down. Although," said Hermione, pausing to look at Harry, with a look of mock indignation, "you will never hear the end of this."

"I won't hear the end of this from anyone ever," said Harry mournfully.

"So you shouldn't," replied Hermione tartly, smirking playfully at him. "Have you decided when you're going to do your tasks?"

Harry shook his head while Ron snorted. "What's that for?" asked Harry defensively.

"It's just that you're going to actually do something that no sane human being, wait no human being, insane or not, would do: try to romance Snape."

Harry went red, just thinking about it. Trying to direct the conversation away from him, Harry asked Hermione, "Speaking of romance, why'd you draw hearts all over your parchment in Potions?"

Hermione paused in front of the doors to the Great Hall and quickly lied, "Oh, I have this absolutely intense craving for cinnamon hearts."

"Oh," said Harry, opening the door and entering the Great Hall.

"You know what," said Ron, "I have a massive craving for-"

Draco blocked out Ron's banter as he emerged from a hallway leading to the Great Hall and called out, "Hermione!"

"You have a massive craving for Hermione?" Harry snickered.

Ron went red. "No I didn't say that. I was going to say-"

"Hermione," Draco called again.

Hermione turned around to see who was calling her name as Harry continued to tease Ron. She saw Draco looking at her hopefully. Hermione frowned in confusion but walked over to him anyway. Draco pulled something out of his bag and held it out to Hermione. "Here," he said, "it's for you."

Hermione opened the package and looked at the three cinnamon hearts sitting in her hand. "Thanks," she said as she looked up at Draco. "How did you know?"

He shrugged. "I have my ways," Draco said cryptically, before smiling at her then walking into the Great Hall.

Hermione watched Draco walk away in shock. She looked down at the cinnamon hearts and then followed him into the Great Hall. Hermione sat down at the Gryffindor table, across from Harry and Ron, in a trance, still staring at the cinnamon hearts in her hand. Ron saw what she was holding and asked, "Where did you get those?"

"From Draco."

"Draco?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Huh? Oh, I meant Malfoy."

Harry and Ron exchanged a look but shrugged at each other and continued to eat their lunches.

- - - - - - - - - -

Later that very day Hermione was, surprise of all surprises, in the library, reading a rather thick, heavy and musty book which looked none too exciting, which was the reason why she was not reading so much as staring at the pages. Draco must have thought that she was unbelievably dense. As soon as the challenge with Harry began, and Draco's obligation to be nice to muggle-borns, he had been laying on the niceness thick and fast; and she had finally come out of her stupor and realised what he was doing. But what on earth could she do about it? Hermione sighed, she didn't really want to be brisk with him or anything, it was against all she stood for to be mean to someone in return for kindness. Hermione frowned at the book in her lap, trying in vain to sort through the problem in her head.

"Now what are you worrying your pretty little head about?" asked a voice next to her ear.

Hermione jumped and turned to see Draco Malfoy leaning over her. Hermione blushed slightly and quickly said, "Oh, nothing."

Draco raised his eyebrows. "Really, then why are you looking so damn serious?"

"Not everything involves pointless frivolity and brainlessness."

"So I only partake in activities that are frivolous and brainless?"

Hermione rolled her eyes impatiently. "I wasn't referring to you specifically, I was making a generalisation."

"But you were making references to me."

"Yeah I guess I was." Hermione looked over at Draco, who was now sitting next to her. Seeing his dubious look Hermione added, "But it's true."

Draco sat forward and said to her, "Did it ever occur to you that maybe you take things too seriously; that instead of others lacking seriousness, it's you lacking a more joking side?"

Hermione looked at him scandalised. "I do know how to have fun, and I'm such a jokey person too." Draco simply looked at her. "Really, I do."

Draco smirked at her. "Then let's do something tonight; you can prove to me that you can crack a smile or a joke or simply let your hair down, metaphorically speaking of course. Unless you're too straight laced..."

Hermione scowled at him. "Meet me in the Entrance Hall at 9. We're going to the Three Broomsticks."

Draco raised his eyebrows at her. "Sneaking out of school at night? Never thought I'd see you suggesting that."

"There's a lot you don't know about me Draco," Hermione replied as she stood up, "See you tonight."

Draco looked at her in surprise as she left. "Did you just call me..."

Hermione turned back around and smiled at him. "I did."

Draco continued to watch Hermione's retreating back, stunned, and then a slow grin spread across his face. 'It's working,' he thought. He stood up, still grinning, and practically skipped to the Slytherin common room.

- - - - - - - - - -

Draco walked into the Entrance Hall that night to find Hermione already waiting for him. He stopped as he took in what she was wearing. Sure it was only a pair of jeans and a plain singlet top, but it wasn't the school uniform and he wasn't expecting Hermione to break even more rules. Draco smirked as he walked up to her. "What no uniform tonight?" he asked, still smirking.

"You may think so, but I'm not that stupid enough to wear a uniform when sneaking into Hogsmeade," she replied playfully.

Draco held out his arm. "Shall we?"

"We shall," replied Hermione as she slipped her arm through his. Draco looked down at her in surprise but she merely smiled and walked out the door.

- - - - - - - - - -

Hermione took a seat at the bar of the Three Broomsticks next to Draco, and turned around on her stool to look at the dancing couples in the cleared area in the middle of the pub. "What do you want to drink?" asked Draco.

"Whatever you're gonna have," replied Hermione, not taking her eyes off the laughing, dancing and drinking people.

"Hey." Hermione was broken from her reverie by Draco, holding out a shot glass of something to her.

Hermione looked at her drink and then at Draco. "What is this?"

Draco smirked at her. "Nothing that's gonna harm you." Draco then tossed back his drink in one go.

Hermione followed suit and coughed as the drink burned its way down her throat. "What the hell was that?"

Draco smiled. "That, my dear, was Firewhiskey. Another?" Hermione nodded and drank another along with Draco. He looked at her as she watched the dancers, the bright lights dancing in her eyes. "Do you wanna dance?"

"What? Oh, uh, I don't know..."

He smiled at her hesitation and goaded her. "Unless you're too prudish..."

Hermione stood up with conviction, turned to him, grabbed his hand and dragged him into the cleared dance floor.

As Hermione and Draco moved together, in what they called dancing, Hermione asked, "How did you manage to get Madam Rosmerta to give you alcohol?"

"I'm 18 darling," drawled Draco, "Quite easy to purchase alcohol."

"You're 18." Hermione was feeling light-headed. "Uh Draco?" Hermione managed to say before she passed out.

Draco felt Hermione slump in his arms. "Oh no," he said. Draco tapped Hermione on the cheek. "Come on Hermione. Wake up."

He lifted Hermione into his arms and carried her outside. Draco laid her down on the ground a few feet away from the Three Broomsticks. "Okay, Draco, think," he muttered to himself. "What would Hermione do?"

Draco checked Hermione's pulse and found that it was still strong. He looked back at Hermione's face and saw her eyelashes fluttering. "Hermione," said Draco. "Come on, wake up Hermione."

Hermione opened her eyes and looked up into the grey eyes staring down at her. "What happened?" she asked. "The last thing I remember is that we were dancing in the pub."

"You fainted."

"I did? Oh."

"We'd better get you back to the castle. Can you walk?"

"I think so." Draco helped Hermione up but as she took her first steps she collapsed. Draco caught her before she hit the ground.

"Do you want me to carry you?"

"I do not need to be carried."

Draco shrugged, picked her up and said to her, "Don't be daft, you're going to fall on your face. You, my girl, cannot hold your liquor."

Hermione, who had been looking at him, outraged ever since he picked her up, finally got her say. "Firstly, bloody well put me down, secondly, I can bloody well hold my alcohol and thirdly, why the hell do you care whether I, as you so eloquently put it 'fall on my face'?"

"I won't put you down, you might hurt yourself; no, you can't hold your alcohol, this being a testament to the fact; and I care because I goaded you into coming tonight and I gave you alcohol, and I want to make sure you get back alright." Hermione just blinked at him and relaxed into his arms, lulled by the steady pace of his walking. Soon enough, what was once soothing had become dizzying and Hermione felt herself becoming quite nauseous.

"Draco, put me down," she said quickly.

Draco sighed. "I thought-"

"No, really, put me down, I'm gonna chuck."

Draco put her down and led her to the side of the road and held her hair back as she threw up.

After Hermione had straightened herself up Draco softly asked her, "Are you alright?"

Hermione nodded looking rather childish, her hair messy and a self-pitying pout on her face.

"C'mere," said Draco. "I'll piggy back you to school." Hermione, not up for arguing, jumped onto Draco's back and buried her head into his neck, closing her eyes, letting herself be carried all the way up to the entrance to the Gryffindor common room.

Draco reluctantly put Hermione down. "Well, goodnight then. You'll be alright?"

"Yeah," replied Hermione softly. "Thanks for helping me get back. I really appreciate it."

"That's alright." Draco watched Hermione as she whispered the password to the Fat Lady. As she was stepping through the portrait, Hermione turned back to Draco and gave him a warm smile, waving goodbye.

Draco smirked as he walked down to the Slytherin common room, she was beginning to like him, and he was becoming excited at discovering Hermione's wilder side. Finding out that the studious Gryffindor wasn't averse to having a bit of a drink and a dance made the appeal of Hermione all the better to him; she now had everything he could desire, a brain, some looks and a sense of fun.

Draco went to bed that night with a smile on his face and the memory of Hermione's warm arms wrapped around his neck and her face buried in his shoulder in his mind.

- - - - - - - - - -

The next morning, a Friday, was greeted like any other day, with moans, groans and curses all round. Well, except Hermione that is. She woke with a smile that only grew bigger as breakfast approached. Firstly, she had a somewhat good night out, after all, Draco was so kind to her. Secondly, she didn't feel any worse for wear. And thirdly, she was just plain happy.

Hermione met Ron in the common room, ready to walk down to breakfast with her. "Where's Harry?" she asked before they left.

Ron looked around shiftily before stage whispering to her, "He's getting ready for you-know-what."

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "But didn't he have to do it during dinner or something?"

"Nah, he just has to do it," said Ron, leading the charge to breakfast.

Rolling her eyes Hermione said to him, "But he doesn't even have to do it anymore."

"It's the principle of the thing Hermione," said Ron as they sat across from each other in the Great Hall. "If Harry doesn't do it, it shows how less a man he is."

"But it's just plain masochistic-" Hermione's biting reply was cut off as she spied Draco across the hall and smiled at him, a slight blush tainting her features.

"Who're you looking at it?" asked Ron, turning around in his seat to have a look.

"No one," said Hermione, turning redder. "Oh look!" she cried, distracting Ron from his perusal of the occupants of the Great Hall. "Here comes Harry."

They both turned in their seats in silence to watch Harry as he stood at the end of the Hufflepuff table, taking deep breaths. Suddenly, he stood up on a bench and onto the table, again pausing to take a few breaths. A few people in the hall fell silent as they watched Harry standing atop the Hufflepuff table.

Then he began to tap dance as food went flying off the table whilst Hufflepuff students leapt from their seats. A shocked silence had descended over the hall as everyone watched as the Boy Who Lived tap danced his way up a table during the middle of breakfast. When Harry had kicked the last plate of food off the end of the Hufflepuff table in front of the teacher's table, Harry tap danced back up the table, sweat visibly dripping down his face. At around halfway Harry stopped, took a few running steps and slid the rest of the length of the table on his knees, his arms outstretched to the teacher's who were watching him gob smacked.

Harry wiped the sweat off his forehead and took a few deep breaths as he prepared himself for his recital. He looked at Snape and opened his mouth to say the first line of the love poem. Harry sat there on his knees, with his mouth open, staring at Snape. "No!" he yelled. "I can't do it!" Harry jumped off the Hufflepuff table and ran out of the Great Hall.

Hermione and Ron looked at each other and got up to follow Harry. Hermione glanced over at Draco as she left the hall and saw that he was chuckling as he watched her intently. She hid a small smile and walked into the Entrance Hall. Harry and Ron were standing in the hall talking and Hermione walked over to them.

"Are you okay Harry?" she asked.

"I'm sorry Hermione but I just couldn't do it," said Harry. "I couldn't bring myself to romance Snape."

"It's alright Harry. You know you didn't actually have to do it."

"But it's the principle of the thing Hermione."

"Yeah, yeah so I've heard," she said as she rolled her eyes.

At this point the doors of the Great Hall opened and student and teachers alike flooded into the Entrance Hall. "Oh Hermione," Draco said playfully as he walked over to Harry, Ron and Hermione. "I believe I win Potter."

Harry scowled at him. "I know you've been nice to muggle-borns but how do I know you've been nice to Hufflepuffs?"

Draco smiled and turned around. "Hey McMillian!" he yelled to the Hufflepuff.

"Yeah?"

"Have I been nice to Hufflepuffs?"

Ernie paused for a moment, obviously caught between telling the truth and lying, before nodding reluctantly. Draco turned back to the trio, a triumphant smile on his features. "Fine you win," said Harry, grumpily.

Draco grinned and watched Hermione as she stepped in front of him. He slowly leaned towards her and smirked when he saw her close her eyes and tilt her head up slightly. Draco put his lips softly on Hermione's and gently kissed her. As he continued to kiss her, Hermione brought her arms up and wrapped them around Draco's neck and began to kiss him back.

When they stopped and slowly pulled away from each other both Hermione and Draco were smiling. But everyone around them were staring at the two in stunned silence.

Noticing the surrounding silence and staring people Hermione said uneasily, "Um, how about going to class now?"

"If I didn't agree to this," said Harry, "I would do something about it."

Eventually everyone shuffled off to class, talking about what had just happened.

Harry and Ron were still quite gob smacked by the order of events and did not notice the secretive glances, smiles and winks that were being exchanged during Transfiguration between Draco and Hermione. They also failed to notice how Draco and Hermione raced out of Transfiguration in an awful hurry. But they did notice the muffled noise from behind a classroom door. They both looked at each other, curious as to what was going on and in desperate need to distract themselves.

Harry stepped forward and swung open the door to reveal Hermione in Draco's arms, in the middle of a snogging session. Ron opened his mouth to let out a strangled yell, "ARGH!"

Draco and Hermione broke apart and swung around to face Harry and Ron. Hermione gave them a half-hearted smile as Ron turned to Harry with a look of horror on his face and said, "You did this to her! You did it!"

Harry sighed and said wearily, "They're not really..." He trailed as he saw Hermione lean into Draco for another kiss. The two shocked boys looked at each other and then stumbled out of the room. "I've just had enough this morning," said Harry as he made his escape, to leave Hermione and Draco alone in blissful unawareness in the middle of a deserted classroom.

The End