Hi guys, I was finally bothered to write another one! Yaay! But schls been really tiring and I just want to collapse and die every time I get in! Here it goes (soz about any spelling mistakes – I am only human) x x x x

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The days passed with a mounting friendship with Malfoy, and I was not the only one who noticed it, Ron and Harry hadn't shut up about it for the last two days!

Can't they get on with their own life? Also Ginny had been increasingly irritating about everything all the time!

Why won't anyone just leave me alone?!

The only peace in the day I got was when I was with Malfoy – which was at breakfast, dinner and breaks. I spent lunch time with the girls (Cho, lavender, the Parvati twins, Ginny, Luna e.c.t) and the rest of the day with Harry and Ron.

The next Hogsmead trip was drawing nearer and I was hoping Malfoy was going to ask me to go with him, but nothing happened, I guess he had been doing most of the work in our new friendship so I have to ask him.

It didn't take me long to find him, he was on the 3rd floor with Crabbe and Goyle.

I went up to him and he smiled at me. (Something he does a lot these days and never used to) I was always nervous about this sort of thing, and I felt myself blush as I opened my mouth to ask him,

'Um… hey Malfoy...erm… I was wondering if you wanted to go to Hogsmead...with…..me?' what a stupid way of putting it. I could have said it in a better way, curse my shyness.

Malfoy looked at me with mild surprise and a hint of smugness.

'Sure Hermione, why didn't you ask me sooner?' he joked. Crabbe and Goyle started laughing behind his back, he shot them a furious glance and they were silent.

I blushed again, goodness I must look like an oversized tomato by now.

But he just smiled at me.

'So, it's a date then?' he asked me, breaking my train of tomato-ish thoughts

'Yeah, I mean…if that's okay with you?' I said. WHY WAS I ACTING SO STUPID?!!?

He nodded so I turned around to leave, but he spun me around and placed a delicate rose-like kiss on my jaw. Then he smirked like the original Malfoy and left with Crabbe and Goyle at his sides.

I hobbled back along the corridor, my mind whirling and my face as red as a now sunburnt tomato.

I wandered until I found Harry, Ron and Neville who were chatting on their way to herbology. I fell into step with them. No-one but sensitive old Neville seemed to realise that I hadn't talked or been even noticed for 10 minutes.

Harry and Ron realized I was there and exchanged nervous glances, they were probably talking about me or Malfoy or something stupid, I didn't hear them anyway.

My mind was a whirling tornado of thoughts being scattered everywhere.

The usual filing cabinets of my brain that remembered and did everything all the time had been looted and destroyed, and the employees had gone on strike, nothing was there anymore… no organisation.

Nothing but that kiss on the cheek, the most insignificant of romantic gestures had sent my heart onto jack-hammer settings.

All I could think about was him and the Hogsmead trip…Malfoy…Hogsmead…Malfoy…Hogsmead…which will come first?!

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Even though it was unlike me to do this, I felt I must.

I talked to the girls in my dorm about boys.

Ugh.

Why?! WHY?!

They gave me advice and I promised they could do my makeup and silly things like that, but I didn't really fell it equipped me with enough…knowledge on how to handle this…since I was fairly new to this game.

Hogsmead was tomorrow! Must prepare…must prepare… am I over reacting??!!

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Location: Hogsmead trip

Mission: don't make a fool of your self in front of Malfoy

Target: stated above…

I arose around average time in the morning when most people were getting up, I went to wash and dress, as it was snowing outside I chose a thick blue hoodie with jeans and boots, with a thick scarf, gloves and beanie.

I tied up my hair in a floppy ponytail and let Cho and Lavender loose with the cosmetics, I asked for a subtle neutral look and they gave just that. I hated to admit it but I looked quite nice for once.

I waited for Harry and Ron and headed down to breakfast with them today, although there wasn't really much point as most people skipped breakfast to replace it with honey dukes chocolate.

I waved goodbye to Harry and Ron who ambled off towards the usual mob (Seamus, Fred and George, Neville e.c.t)

I looked around for Malfoy desperately, I wanted to see him.

I pushed my way through the crowds of students to bump into him, he turned around angrily, but them, when he saw it was me, he beamed and grabbed my hand, he wheeled me out the crowd and next to him.

When everyone was lining up for registration of the trip, I stood next to Malfoy, people were looking at the holding-hands thing, I was shocked to, I made it this far without losing it…I must keep myself together! But alas with every stare I got from another make-up encrusted girl I began to realise that maybe I wasn't right for Malfoy, lets face it, he could do a lot better.

But whenever he smiled or looked at me I forgot about all that…it was just me and him, no matter how different we were.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I was staring off into space as my name was being called by professor Mcgonagall, she waited and then repeated it louder, Malfoy shook my arm and I stuttered a incoherent 'yes miss' she huffed and scribbled down a tick on the parchment. I was feeling tomato-ish again as the saying of attendances were heard fading down the line of exited looking students.

Everyone set off down the hill, towards the little town of Hogsmead, almost as soon as we had started walking Malfoy was talking to me, I tried my best to listen intently, but doing it with a teacher was different from doing it with a boy of which one showed interest. I then took over the conversation, talking about a range of topics from biology to birthdays, I was never much of a social person, but I did enjoy talking to him.

As we arrived in Hogsmead, I caught sight of Harry, Ron and Seamus heading off to honey dukes, Harry looked back and waved, I copied the gesture back to him. I think he was ensuring we still remained in touch, I mean him, Ron and I were best friends, and nothing is going to change that, even if I haven't been seeing them as much since the whole Malfoy-thing happened…