A loud gasp and many cheers: that was all Hermione heard before the stage was darkened.

When Draco pulled away they went backstage, where they were to be called in front of the crowd to be formally introduced.

“Elizabeth, played by Lavender Brown!” shouted Colin.

Lavender walked onto the stage, grinning like a madwoman to the applause. Next, ‘Sergeant Greene,’ also known as Professor Flitwick was called out. And so it went: from the minor to the major characters. Finally, Colin yelled what everyone had been anticipating.

“And now … for our two main characters. Though they seem like the most unlikely couple in real life, in Fate they pulled it off without a stitch! Introducing Charlotte Smith and Charlie Johnson- Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy!”

Draco helped Hermione up the stairs and they walked onto stage, holding hands. After taking a large bow, Hermione searched the crowd. Harry was on his feet cheering, but Ron was sitting down, arms folded. Ignoring him, Hermione smiled at the wave of students.

“Kiss her… kiss her!” A loud chant suddenly arose. “Kiss her! KISS HER! KISS HER!”

“What can I say? I'm a people pleaser.” Draco smiled then leaned down to kiss Hermione once again.

….

“She just wanted her fifteen minutes of fame,” a girl whispered loudly in Hermione’s Potions class Monday.

The weekend flew by after the play was over. It should’ve been a break time, but Hermione needed the time to catch up on all of her schoolwork she’d been dragging in since the constant practices. Hopefully, now that she’d worked so hard, she wouldn’t have to cram everything in at one time.

Harry turned and glared at the girl. He then leaned in to Hermione and whispered, “It was just an act, right?”

“Of course,” Hermione hissed.

Ron snorted. He hadn’t spoken to her since the day of the play, and all he said then was, “Wow.”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “You’re so lame, Ron. You need to grow up.”

“As least I don’t go snogging someone in front of the whole school.”

“Then explain Lavender,” Hermione shot back, glaring.

“Ouch,” Harry laughed. His face fell at Ron’s stern glare. “I swear, it’s like you’ve traded personalities or something…”

A ball of paper smacked Hermione in the back of the head. She was instantly reminded of the note Draco had previously written her which was delivered in the same crude fashion.

Hermione quickly picked it up off of the ground and unfolded it. It read:

Today. Same place. Six o’clock? Miss you.

Hermione quickly tucked it in her robes then turned to Draco, nodding. The note clearly meant one place: the Room of Requirement.

The bell rang, and Hermione quickly skipped out, eager to rush through her day.

….

The snapping of the door awoke Draco from the doze he had been in. He sat up happily from his seat, looking to find Hermione standing in front of him.

“Hey,” she smiled, letting herself be dragged down. “How long have you been here?”

“About half an hour.”

“I thought the note said six?”

“It did,” he replied. “I get last period off … so I just came here.”

“Oh. Did you hear the girl in Potions?”

“How could I miss her? She was really rude.”

“So… you’re not embarrassed, then?” she asked carefully, not wanting anything to come out wrong.

“No, why should I be? I like you, and … I think you like me.”

“I do. It’s complicated, though.”

“Isn’t everything?” he laughed. He turned his body to face hers and sighed. “Hermione, I want you to be mine, and I think I’ve made it really obvious by now. I don’t know what has happened to me, and I don’t know what’s happened to you, but I feel something here… something so much more that what I’ve ever had with another girl before. I don’t care if we have to keep things secret, but I want to know if you’ll be my girlfriend.”

Her eyes grew wide as he inhaled deeply. She bit her lip, and then nodded. “Yes. I will.”

“It means no Ron.”

“All right. No Ron. Just you, and me – a secret, though. We’d be dead.”

Draco smirked. “Romeo and Juliet.” He kissed her on the cheek and then stood up. “Want to go walking?”

“We’re supposed to be a secret!”

“And we will be,” he promised, leading the way out of the door.

They managed to slip through the school and out the doors without being noticed.

“So, what’d your dad think of the play?” Hermione asked casually.

“He didn’t come.”

“What? Why not?”

“I told you. He thinks it’s a waste of time and frankly not a way to succeed in passing school.”

Hermione sighed. “Oh … so when do you want to meet my parents?”

He stopped and looked at her, shocked. “Er … Meet your parents?”

“Well, yeah. The Christmas holidays will be here soon and I’d like you to meet them.”

“What would I tell my dad?”

“I don’t know … that you’re going to your girlfriend’s house?” she suggested casually.

“Hermione … you want me to keep this a secret from the school … well, I need to keep it a secret from my father.”

“For how long?”

“Not long,” he assured her. “Just until I figure out what to say, all right? Come on, we need to go back in before the doors lock. Good night, Hermione.”

“Night,” she whispered, and watched as he walked away.