Smells Like Teen Spirit

Sugar High

November 12, 1997

"It's not a date," Hermione explained to Harry for what felt like the 50th time. She was pulling on her red scarf and preparing to leave the Common Room when Harry had approached and made the snide comment that she 'looked good for her date with Mafoy' .

Harry gave her a disapproving look. "You're going with him to Hogsmeade. Just the two of you."

She couldn't stop the huff that escaped her lips, "We're going to the record shop. That's all. We'll be back in time for movie night."

"Which I assume you'll watch together?" Harry raised his eyebrows.

"We'll all be together Harry! Including you! What's with the interrogation?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

This wasn't their first debate over her evolving friendship with Draco Malfoy and she assumed it wouldn't be the last. Harry seemed wary of their friendship, for some reason believing it was inevitable that either she or Draco would get hurt. It had become incredibly irritating and she found his need to continue to bring it up quite patronising.

"And honestly," she continued when he simply stood, mouth gaping, "even if it were more - what would be your problem with it?"

Harry's face grew red. "I care about you both, alright? I just - you're both in a tough place. I don't want either of you getting hurt."

"Look Harry-" Hermione felt the tension building in her muscles begin to subside, "Draco's become - a good friend to me - alright? And I know I'm a bit of a mess but you're my best friend - so can't you trust me?"

He gave her one of his signature half-smiles, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. Not for the first time that year, she felt a growing chasm between them, but couldn't find the words to breach it.

"Are you going to Hogsmeade?" she asked after a particularly awkward silence.

He fixed his gaze on a particularly exotic portrait to her right. "Er, not sure."

She would have preferred the awkward silence to whatever it was that was happening. But she didn't exactly have time to psychoanalyze Harry's drama and instead bade her friend goodbye and left, promising to make it to the Room of Requirement in time for movie night.

Draco was waiting for her in a small cranny outside of the Hogwarts main entrance, smoking a cigarette as discreetly as possible in spite of the mass of students coming and going. He smirked when he saw her in a way that made Hermione's neck warm.

"Ready?" he asked, putting out his cigarette.

She nodded and they joined the throngs of students making their way to Hogsmeade. She kept repeating to herself that it wasn't a date - but still couldn't stop the tips of her fingers from grazing against his, or bumping her shoulder against him when he made an asinine comment about her music choice.

Hermione had never been to Musicorum , and from the outside the place didn't look like much - magical band posters obscured the windows and the sign looked like it was about to fall off of the store front. But when she walked in, the tiny dilapidated store transformed.

It was huge ; there were records, CDs and cassettes as far as her eye could see. Signs pointed to Magical versus Muggle music and then by genre.

"How did I not know about this place?" Hermione mumbled, realizing she had gripped Draco's hand.

He gave her an indulgent smile. "Hogsmeade's best kept secret."

He squeezed her hand but didn't let go and started dragging her around the store, pointing out his favorite albums, ones that were disappointing, ones Theo and Pansy had made him suffer through and ones he had to literally destroy after he listened to.