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The Dating Game	By : saritat9 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 10150 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and I make no money out of this. No copyright infrigment intended.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
The Dating Game

Chapter 5: From Zero to Hero?
"You look...better."

That was all Draco could muster. For being a rather spineless weasel, Weasel cleaned up well. He was standing before him, looking at himself carefully in the mirror. He was dressed in tight black trousers, a dark blue shirt, a black robe and black shiny boots. His look was complete with combed and trimmed hair. And, as Draco could see and smell, he had just washed his hair. Weasel was making an effort!

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, mother." Weasley grimaced.

Draco had a quick image of a plump Molly Weasley herding her many children. To his surprise, the thought was more comforting than off-putting.

"Do not act like an arrogant bastard or she'll slap you again and this all will be for nothing. Don't kiss her unless she looks like she wants you to...even if you really wanted to. I could understand that."

"Whatever. I've known Hermione for twelve years, I think I can manage."

"Whatever." Draco echoed.

A tiny, yet a very loud-sounding voice tried to ask him what the hell did he think he was doing. He silenced the voice mercilessly.

= = =

"Hi, Hermione."

"Ron." Hermione replied, trying to sound as discouraging as possible. Ron looked different. Clean. Very handsome. How...suspicious.

"I wanted to apologize for my behaviour yesterday. I was acting very immaturely."

"You shouldn't have kissed me like that." Hermione was sure Ron had no idea in how many different ways she meant this, but she went for the obvious one. "I'm seeing someone."

"I know. I kind of saw you two together the other night."

"What is this then, some sort of territorial thing?! It has been months and months- -"

"It isn't territorial." he replied quietly. "Look, could we talk about this over coffee?"

Hermione tensed. Not now. Please not now, when she had just gotten over losing one of her two best friends because of a silly adolescent crush and after realizing she had feelings for one of her other friends.

"I really can't, I have to finish this project and Charlie's taking me to lunch."

"Maybe tomorrow we could have lunch?"

"Perhaps."

"I'll come and ask you then."

"Okay. Bye, Ron."

= = =

"I'm losing my mind and I'm not kidding!"

"Come on, Hermione! You'll adjust."

"I just can't take this. I can't. Ron looked different. He acted so nice, like he actually cared."

"I'm sure he does care."

Hermione sighed.

"I care for Ron so much, but he's not the one. If he wants to open up things again, it will just make everything so much worse."

"I see."

"And Draco, he doesn't care! He just thinks of me as an asexual friend, or a sister."

"Maybe." Charlie replied enigmatically.

"What am I supposed to do, Charlie?"

"Let Ron take you to lunch tomorrow. "

"Then what?"

"Who knows? One minute and one day at a time, remember?"

"Right."

"Don't worry, Hermione, everything will turn out fine. I promise. I'll make sure of it."

= = =

Ron came to ask her for lunch again the next day and like Charlie had suggested, she agreed to go with him. To her surprise, Ron took her to the Three Cats. He ordered himself a pizza and a butterbeer and Hermione ordered the same.

"Are you still mad?"

Hermione knew right away what he was referring to. The Incident.

"A bit, I guess. It was hard to take from an old friend like you. Someone I trusted."

"I can't even imagine. I want you to know that I really am sorry. I never should've said anything like that, especially out in the open, in front of a crowd."

"No, you shouldn't have. Especially as it's not true!"

Ron sighed. She wasn't going to forgive him easily.

"I'm sorry. I handled it badly. Maybe...maybe I just didn't realize that we were only friends. I tried to make you feel something for me that wasn't there. And, having to have Malfoy point out to me that you're an attractive witch...blimey, Hermione! That's something I ought to have figured out by now!"

Hermione went dangerously pale.

"Malfoy?"

"Yes, I never considered you pretty. I mean you are, but I just never saw it in you. But he did."

"What are you talking about? When did this happen? What did happen?"

"Malfoy gave me an advice, that's all. I only now realized I wasn't being fair to you. Look, we are friends, at least we once were. I hope we can be again. Just friends."

"Oh, Ron...of course we can. We are! You idiot!"

Ron blushed, but seemed happy with being called an idiot. Hermione felt relieved. Ron wasn't interested in her. He never really had been. Part of her wanted to deck Ron for being so thick and making them go through all this for nothing. It wasn't all Ron's fault though. Neither of them had admitted it to themselves what it was that was missing. For the first time in months she was able to relax around him, and she was able to let go of the resentment she had felt towards him. He was Ron again. Ron Weasley, her best fiend.

= = =

It was teatime and Harry Potter was sitting on his small comfortable velvet sofa with a cup of tea and his beautiful witch of a wife, when suddenly said wife's brother stormed in through the fireplace.

"Oh, Harry, Gin! I've made a mess of things now!" he exclaimed, falling on the floor.

The other two just stared at the redhead and his sudden appearance and declaration. Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about, Ron?"

"I never should've listened to Malfoy. I must've been crazy!"

"Malfoy? What does Draco have to do with this?"

"Everything. I was supposed to kiss Hermione."

"What?" yelped Harry.

"She's seeing someone else now!" Ginny said.

"I know, I know - -"

"You know? Explain yourself, Ronald Bilius Weasley!"

Harry could hear the Molly-esque tone of Ginny's voice. Uh oh.

"Malfoy said they're getting married - -"

"Married?"

"- - and that he's not the right guy for our Hermione."

"Our Hermione?"

"He's not? It was Draco who set her up with Charlie in the first place!"

The very second the words left his mouth, Harry realized his mistake. Crap!

"What?"

"Harry!?"

There it was, that Molly-voice again, this time directed at him.

"Harry? What is the meaning of this?" Ginny demanded.

"Nothing, dear." Harry tried. "Just a slight misunderstanding."

"What kind of misunderstanding?" Ron chimed on.

Great. Now the two Weasleys were ganging up on him.

"I, uh, wanted to set Hermione up for a date. The only way to get her to agree with it was to have a guy in mind already. Except that there was no guy yet and I panicked. So, I needed Draco's help."

"So this playboy he wanted me to get rid of was actually his own bright idea in the first place?"

"Yes. I don't know why he's not happier about it working out."

"Men!" Ginny thought. Her husband and brother were as slow as Draco was obvious.

"How could you lie to her, Harry? She trusts you to be truthful!"

"I know, Ginny, I messed up. I just wanted her to find someone like I found you. Besides she already knows."

"She knows?"

"Yes, she has since their first date. What does it matter, they're together, aren't they!"

"Are they?" Ginny pressed.

"Of course they are! I can't see what's Draco's problem, though. He really wanted to get rid of that guy. He was even hell bent on giving me kissing instructions."

Ron was suddenly aware of two sets of eyes on himself.

"Theoretical instructions, mind you!" he added indignantly. Harry snorted and Ginny burst into laughter.

"But why would he go through such lengths to get rid of the guy he hand picked out for her? I just don't understand!" Harry stated.

"Why indeed. I guess he has someone else in mind for her after all. Someone better."

"Who?" Both men asked in unison.

"Honestly, don't you two have any idea?"

Ginny felt extremely irritated by the blank looks on both of their faces.

"If you're too dumb to work it out, I'm not telling you!"

"Fine. But what do we do with this new information?"

"Nothing. Besides, Hermione already knows. We'll just sit tight and watch the show."

"Show?"

"Oh, there will be a show alright, trust me on that much boys. And we've got the ringside seats. Actually, Ron, you could delay telling Draco that you and Hermione made up and decided to be just friends..."

= = =

Draco was pacing through his apartment. Weasel had just flooed him, telling him his lunch with Hermione had gone well. This was what he wanted. This had to happen to get Hermione away from the clutches of Charles Whitmore and the "best sex ever". But why did the idea of Weasel's paws on Hermione make him feel sick? Weasel kissing her, with his newly established technique? Hermione would sense something wasn't right. You can teach a weasel to perform a new trick but it's still just a trick. Surely Ron couldn't master the art of kissing just by his instructions, as good as they were? Whitmore seemed to still have the upper hand here.

Someone should show her how it was done right. How sensual, how erotic, how perfect one single kiss could be. Someone should just grab her and shut her pretty mouth with his lips and kiss her until they'd have to come for air. Someone should.

Really.

= = =

Hermione had to admit that just for once she was excited about the Ministry's upcoming Halloween Ball. Usually she didn't have a date and she tried to avoid going at all. That often failed (due to her boss and co-workers pressing her to come and "have fun for a change") and she ended up in the corner all night, talking about her work or about things like hinkypunks with someone else who was sad enough to be dateless.

This year however, Miss Hermione Granger was going with, ahem, Mr Charles Whitmore. She could just see the look on the other women's faces when they would see who she was with. Plain old average Hermione Granger. Squee!

Charlie had told her days ago not to plan an outfit, as he would be taking care of everything. Normally this should've annoyed Hermione, but Charlie was too sweet and considerate to get mad at. Besides, letting someone else take charge was kind of relaxing for a change; she hated clothes shopping. How exciting!

She found herself wondering if Draco would be there. And so what if he was? She was another man's date, and Draco probably got his date set as well with some tall, leggy redhead that would stare at him longingly with her huge sparkly blue eyes until he would finally lean down and- -

I hate you I hate you I hate you Draco Malfoy!

Why was he always kissing everybody else?

= = =

Charles Whitmore was very self satisfied. He had a plan that would finally open his young friend's eyes. It was cunning, it was sadistic, it was so simple. It was so Slytherin that Draco would have enjoyed it immensely if it was done to someone else.

A make over. Like in those muggle reality shows his mother liked so much (the ones she tried to watch in secrecy, but of course everybody knew). He would turn Hermione into a total knock-out. Soulless. Perfect. Boring. All of the things Draco wanted in the women he "went out" with. He'd have to come to his senses then. He had to.

Charlie had gotten the perfect dress for her and he had found a few excellent charms for make up and hair. He had it all figured out.

He knew Hermione might get a bit suspicious, but he believed he could talk her into it, saying it was Halloween. Every woman wanted to be a princess for a day or for one single night. She'd take it as a masquerade. And that it was, just in a different way than she realized.

= = =

"Charlie, isn't this a bit too much, don't you think..?"

"No, it's just enough. The exact right amount. I'm sure it will look perfect on you."

"But I really don't know if I should..."

"Hermione, dear. Relax. This is Halloween. You're supposed to look different. And don't you want to show the gossip mongers of the ministry that you can be a lady?"

"This isn't exactly what I would call ladylike."

"Don't you trust my taste? I'm hurt!" Charlie held a hand above his heart, looking wounded.

Hermione just glared at him, but gave up. This was the dress then. She was already in awe by whatever magic Charlie had done to her hair. Had she known these spells when she was a teenager she could've died a happy girl. Her hair was now sleek and went all the way down her back like silk. Silk! She was so used to looking like a sheep! She had never had a choice before.

This was her night. She felt like Cinderella. Few hours, and her hair would go back to sheepy and her carriage would turn into a pumpkin. She didn't care. She would enjoy it while it lasted.

"I'm ready now, Charlie."
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The Dating Game