Reverse Psychology Doesn't Always Work

Draco was in love. He may not have any idea what that emotion might feel like, but he was pretty sure he was feeling it now.

It all started when she came down and saw him laughing at that stupid animal's fate. He was confused for the barest trace of a second, thinking he'd just seen a goddess, before seeing Potter and Weasel and realizing who it was.

It was his own mistake to disregard the previous thought, but after she'd punched him, he'd been forced to admit that he'd both met his match and didn't much mind the fact that it was in the form of a female mudblood.

He beat a hasty retreat (Malfoys don't "run away", after all) and came to the conclusion, after replaying the incident in his mind over and over again, that he'd never seen anything so beautiful as an enraged Hermione Granger.

He kind of wished he could see it again.