It had taken quite a lot for him to come out tonight. It was his first night out in thirty days, and he would not have done it if it hadn't been for Theodore Nott's incessant whining. Draco's mousy friend had prodded and poked until the blond was irritated enough to agree to anything. Delighted, Theo had sent a quick owl to Astoria, insisting that the two of them meet in front of the elaborate fountain in the middle of Hogsmeade Village. Draco had immediately regretted his acquiescence; he had no desire to court other women, or to even look at other women. It may have been foolish, but he still held out hope that he could reconcile with Hermione. She was, after all, the only witch who had ever made him remotely happy. She was complex, and difficult, and stubborn, but all of those qualities only served to endear her to him even more. But once Theo got an idea, he clung to it like a vulture, so there had been no escaping this arrangement. The only good that had come out of it was seeing Hermione, getting to watch her face light up as she truly enjoyed herself, but even then his heart stung and his jaw clenched tight. She was capable of smiling without him, had the ability to live and function without having him at her side. Oh, what he wouldn't give to touch her just once more.