Disclaimer : I do not own Harry Potter or the characters depicted in this story. Only the plot is mine.
A/N - Written for A Decade Later Challenge at Hawthorn & Vine. Thank you to Heart of Spellz for the beta job. The prompts given to me were...
20. Test
75. Accidental
82. Pepper Imp
41. "Nobody will ever win the battle of the sexes. There's too much fraternizing with the enemy." - Henry Kissinger
Competitive Games
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Draco once heard a saying which stated that it was never too late to get detention. Whoever said that hadn't been joking, he thought as he narrowed his eyes at his present company. The bushy haired witch didn't waste time before she huffed haughtily and narrowed her eyes back at him. They glared at each other steadily, both determined not to be the first one to blink.
And to think the week had started off relatively normal.
.
Exactly three days ago...
"You do realize that this is a grave injustice...?"
"I hate to agree with Mr Malfoy-" He snorted. She glared. "But I feel that I have to agree with him on this. This is a bad idea."
"And as much as I love disputing Granger-" She huffed. He smirked. "I will have to agree that we are simply not compatible."
Greg Dawson looked between the two co-workers tiredly. "You two done?" At their silence, he continued, "Good. Now these are your assignments."
He handed over two separate folders to both his employees, who took them somewhat reluctantly. "But-"
"And I expect you to complete it," Dawson finished sternly.
Hermione immediately flipped through the pages, her forehead marring in a frown. "I don't understand. How are we supposed to work together? Our approaches are so different."
"I never said you have to work together, Ms Granger," Dawson said tiredly as he leaned back against his chair. "I simply said you must complete it." At their absolutely confused expressions, he leaned forward and said expressly, "Hogwarts is looking for a new curriculum. I said I know of only two who would be able to put in the time and effort to figure out what might be best for the school in its new era. Can you guess who I'm talking about?" He looked at them expectantly, possibly waiting for another round of objections. When they stayed silent, he continued, "Think of this as a test. The best curriculum wins."
Hermione squinted at the folder again, unable to deny that the prospect of a competition was very much enticing, while Malfoy said dryly, "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
Dawson grinned. "Very much so. And do you know why I'm so happy to palm you off to the Headmistress? Starting tomorrow, you two will be her problem. I won't need to take that vacation I had planned just to get away from your bickering."
"Mr Dawson," Hermione began politely, trying her best to hide exactly how insulted she was by the prospect of her employer trying to get rid of her. "You have to admit that every time-"
"Very rarely," Malfoy piped in.
"-we bicker, it's completely his-"
"Hers," he said coolly, pointing at her.
"-fault. Surely you can't blame me for Mr Malfoy's childish attitude," she finished smugly, proud of herself for successfully ignoring the annoyance to her left.
Malfoy scoffed. "I seem to remember an incident not so long ago, when someone - a female who is currently in this office, but who will remain nameless for proprietary's sake - actually sabotaged the presentation I was preparing-"
"That was not your presentation, it was ours."
"Oh sorry," Malfoy deadpanned. "Our presentation."
"Which I did not sabotage."
Malfoy narrowed his eyes at her. "Do you want to tell the story?"
Before Hermione could answer, Dawson let out a loud sigh. "Starting tomorrow, for the next few days, you two will go to Hogwarts, attend the classes, interview the teachers, and decide on your individual proposals for improving the existing school curriculum. And maybe the Department of Education can have a bit of rest for those four days."
Malfoy leaned forward. "Again I must point out that Granger and I-"
"Are no longer my problem," Dawson said brightly, a large grin playing on his lips.
Hermione definitely couldn't help but take insult to his utter happiness by the idea of her absence. Turning to the person seated beside her, she glared at Malfoy, who didn't waste time by glaring right back.
They were both obviously thinking the same thing: it's so on.
.
Exactly two and a half days ago...
"Were you thinking of saying something, Malfoy, or were you planning on standing there and staring at me the whole day?" Hermione questioned in a bored tone as she kept her eyes on the document in front of her.
It was almost as if she could hear his responding smirk. "Come now, Granger, what makes you think I wanted to speak to you?"
Hermione raised her head, as well as a mocking eyebrow. "Let's see the facts, shall we? I'm currently in my office, working. And you're currently leaning against the open door of my office, not working. In fact, I think I could go so far as to claim that your very presence is annoying me."
He looked positively smug. "Then my good deed for the day is done. Honestly, Granger, do you never not work? Or is your hair now a permanent fixture in that hideous bun of yours?"
Self-consciously, she raised a hand to her hair. She had been proud of the nifty little spell that allowed her to have a neat hair bun. It saved her a lot of hassle from having her curls all over the place.
"Ah! I've hit a nerve, I see."
"It's no different from the issue you have with your nose," Hermione said as she harrumphed for effect.
Malfoy immediately stood straight and touched the tip of the body part she had just chosen to insult. "And what's wrong with my nose?"
"Many things. I'm just too nice to tell you about it." She grinned innocently.
Malfoy dropped his hand to go back to his usual lazy stance, a small smirk across his lips. "I was thinking of a deal."
Even though her interest was piqued, Hermione dropped her gaze to the document at hand and said a bored, "Oh?"
Strutting into her office liked he owned the place, Malfoy said languidly, "You and I are both trying for the promotion, yes?"
She simply raised an eyebrow at his question, which had an obvious answer.
With a cocky smirk, he sat down in the chair across the table from hers and looked on expectantly.
"Malfoy, if you're expecting me to read your mind, you should know that I'm not interested in finding out any sordid details of your life."
Her response to his silence merely made his smirk grow. "If you let me win this...test, I will let you have the promotion."
Hermione nearly guffawed in surprise. "Excuse me! Let me?"
"Yes," he said seriously, without blinking.
Hermione cleared her throat before leaning forward. "You do realize that whoever wins this test will probably be given the promotion."
"Which is why I'm graciously offering you the post."
"In exchange for letting you win this round?"
He grinned. "Exactly."
Hermione appraised him for a moment, mentally sizing up the Slytherin in him. "Do you take me for a fool? You really don't think I could've guessed that if I let you win, you'll just come right out and steal the promotion from under me?"
Surprisingly, insulting him had the opposite effect as compared to anyone else. Malfoy simply shrugged lightly. "I'm simply trying to be generous."
"I'm sure. Besides," Hermione continued, "even if you were making a legitimate offer, I wouldn't take it."
"Let me guess, because you're a bleeding heart Gryffindor."
"No," Hermione said slowly, aware that she was in fact going to say the same thing in a different manner. "Because I'm honest."
"Shocker," Malfoy mumbled dryly. "Never mind that, Granger, my offer still stands." Gracefully, he stood up, his hands straightening his already immaculately neat robes. "When you feel the need to...agree with me, simply leave three Pepper Imps on my desk." He smirked. "I'll get the hint."
Even though she really shouldn't bother asking, she couldn't help herself. "Why Pepper Imps?"
Malfoy looked at her in disappointment. "After all these months of working in the same building, I'm surprised you didn't know. Pepper Imps are my favourite candy and three is my lucky number. Consider it a...bribe to ensure your...future position." With a final wink, he turned on his heel and left.
Hermione smiled to herself as she continued her work. It was obvious that she was in the stronger position. Otherwise, why else would Malfoy even try to make such a deal with her? She was going to win this competition hands down.
.
Exactly two days ago...
"I want a group of students."
Hermione and Headmistress McGonagall both looked towards the third member of the company who had stayed relatively silent without offering any opinion during the past half hour of their conversation. McGonagall was the first to recover.
"What do you mean, Mr Malfoy?"
"It would be difficult for me to perfect the new curriculum I have in mind if I'm unsure as to how it could be utilized or how the students might respond to it."
Hermione simply stared at him in surprise. That did make sense. Unfortunately.
"Surely, Mr Malfoy, having been a student of Hogwarts yourself, you would be able to gage if students would respond well to your curriculum."
"Not really, Professor. Children of every generation respond to different things. And I would like to get to know them so that I would know what would...tick."
"Well," McGonagall said slowly, "be that as it may, I simply can't gather students for you to experiment your teaching methods on. All of them attend classes, and it won't be right to stop them from enjoying any free time they might have."
But Malfoy wasn't going to give up that easily. "What about detention students? They would anyway be asked to do different activities to teach them a lesson; this one activity will only serve the school in the long run."
Hermione noticed how the Professor frowned in thought. It was obvious that she was considering it. "Professor, if I may-"
"Granger, if you're going to say anything negative-"
"Actually, I was going to agree." Two sets of eyes looked at her in surprise, and she chose to look at McGonagall instead of the blond to her right. "It would be very enlightening if Malfoy and I are given a group of students to work with, particularly those who don't show any interest in academics."
McGonagall eyed the two of them warily. Hermione hated to admit that she had seen that look far too many times from far too many people.
"Very well," McGonagall said reluctantly. "I shall notify all teachers immediately."
"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said gratefully, quite aware that her companion just coughed 'brown noser' into his hand. Needless to say, she glared at him. The prat!
.
Exactly one and a half days ago...
"We need to talk."
Malfoy looked at her with a bored expression before he turned back to the group of detention students. "Like I said, follow me."
He barely made it a step before she grabbed onto the back of his robes and stalled him. The students who were standing looked at each other in confusion before Hermione hissed, "Sit down." They complied quickly.
Malfoy let out a tired sigh before he turned to face her. "What is it now?"
How could he act like what he'd just done wasn't anything serious? She looked at him incredulously. "What is it now? Don't you realize what you just did?"
He simply looked at her.
Forgetting that there was a classroom half-filled with detention students, Hermione placed her hands on her hips and huffed in frustration. "You can't just take all the male students!"
He raised an eyebrow at her. "Why not?"
That question nearly left her speechless. Nearly. "Because it's sexist!"
He continued to look at her as if she was spouting out nonsense.
"Being sexist is bad," she said slowly, like she would talk to someone who had difficulty understanding a concept.
"Really, Granger, I'm disappointed in you."
She did not expect such a reaction. "Wha-"
"I never thought of you as having a narrow mind. Did you even stop to consider that I might have a reason for choosing who I chose? Not everything is a cause." He turned swiftly towards the class and gestured to the boys. "Come on. We've got some work to do."
Leaving her completely in surprise, he led the confused group of boys out of the classroom that was designated for her. The girls all turned around and looked at her expectantly.
Hermione smiled in embarrassment, determined to get him back for that.
.
Exactly one day ago...
"What's going on here?"
Hermione looked incredulously at the two students who had been caught pulling at each other's robes. Detaching themselves immediately from each other, they started speaking at the same time, their actions wild in order to focus the attention on them.
"Wait." Hermione raised her hand, and was surprised when they actually became silent. "I would rather hear what happened one at a time." She turned to the girl who was part of her group, a promising student who never had the right motivation to succeed.
"He is being a prat, Ms Granger!"
Sadly, Hermione could relate. "What did he do?"
"I didn't do anything!" the boy protested.
"No," the girl said smugly, "but you said something."
The boy quickly threw a cautious look at Hermione before looking down.
Hermione's interest was piqued. "What did he say, Anya?"
Anya glared at the boy one final time before she said confidently, "He said that Mr Malfoy's teaching method was better than yours." Hermione had to fight the number of objections she had, instead choosing to focus on what the girl was saying. "He also said that what you were doing was poppycock, and couldn't even teach a goblin how to make armour, let alone teach valuable lessons to a group of students."
Hermione turned her gaze onto the boy, who was looking at her sheepishly. "And exactly why did you say those things to Ms Carey?"
The boy seemed to cower further from seeing two heated gazes aimed towards him. "Really, they weren't my words."
"Then who's were they?"
With a meek voice he said, "Mr Malfoy...?"
Hermione stared at him, completely flabbergasted. The nerve of that man! The absolute nerve of that rotten, rotten man! That was the last straw! Turning on her heel, Hermione marched to the classroom that had been designated for Malfoy's use, followed by one student excited by the outcome, and another panicked by what he had done.
"Ms Granger," the boy stammered as he fought to keep up with her, "when you do Crucio Mr Malfoy, could you maybe not tell him that I told you this?"
Hermione gave no indication as to what she was going to do. She just knew that her co-worker was going to get an earful.
.
Exactly half a day ago...
"She's overreacting."
"I'm not overreacting."
"This is the definition of overreacting."
"Oh. You know definitions, do you? Then tell me the definition of the word 'defamation'."
"Why, Granger, how you don't know what that word means at your age, astounds me."
"I know what that word means. I also know that that is exactly what you've been doing."
The sound of a throat clearing seemed to pierce through the fog and cause them both to realize that they were not alone; a fact that they had forgotten in the heat of the argument.
McGonagall eyed them both warily. "As much as this pains me to say it, from what I hear, you're both right." The silence was accompanied by two astonished glances. "Mr Malfoy, I think it would be in your best interest to not turn your students against Ms Granger's work...? And Ms Granger, I'm sorry to say that you do seem to be overreacting."
"But-"
"Now," McGonagall said sternly, over the sound of their objections. "It would also do well for you two to take this conversation away from the hall where anyone could hear you. And I hope you respect my judgement on this matter." With those as her final words, the Headmistress continued on to her office, the two of them staring in her wake.
Malfoy waited until McGonagall turned the corner before facing her. "Let's settle this, then."
"Settle what?"
"A quiz! Your students versus my students. Then we'll find out who has the better curriculum and better implementation."
It has never been in her nature to back down. "Fine."
Malfoy smirked. "Brilliant. Tomorrow then."
Hermione stopped him by placing a hand on his arm. "Tomorrow?" Malfoy looked down at her hand curiously, which made her let go of him so quickly it was almost as if he had burned her.
"Yes, Granger, tomorrow. Why? Aren't you ready?"
She wasn't ready. But surely neither was Malfoy. "Fine. Tomorrow."
Malfoy chose that moment to bend forward, bringing his face uncomfortably close to hers. "May the best man win." Straightening up, he winked at her and stalked off.
Hermione was too distracted to realize what he had said before a few moments had passed. "Or woman!" she cried out after him. But it was too late, he had already turned a corner by then.
Damn that Malfoy!
.
Exactly fifteen minutes ago...
McGonagall looked at the two adults with an extremely grim expression across her features. "Maybe you two could explain to me exactly how a riot occurred during your mock classes?"
Hermione opened her mouth to answer, only to be thwarted by the only person who could always irritate her without even trying. "Granger would know an answer to that." The prat was actually mocking her!
Hermione looked over her shoulder at the students who had all paused with their wands out and aimed right at each other. Just before McGonagall had entered, the classroom had become utter madness. If someone had asked her to pin point exactly where things started to go wrong, Hermione wouldn't have been able to. All she knew was that this competition that she and Malfoy had started had snow balled into an all-out war between the sexes; and they had somehow roped the students into it.
McGonagall pursed her lips before she snapped, "Go to your common rooms! All of you! I will be meeting all of your Head of Houses to let them know about your despicable behaviour." When the students still hadn't moved, she said a curt 'now' and witnessed them all clamour out of the classroom hastily. Then, she turned her disappointed gaze onto the pair of them.
"And you two, detention room, now!"
Immediately they started protesting, only to stop when she threw them one simple look. "I don't care if you two are technically adults. Unless you act like an adult, you won't be treated like one. Detention room. Now!" And with that as a parting shot, she turned on her heel and followed the students out.
Hermione glared at Malfoy, who glared back, before they both followed McGonagall out of that doomed classroom, shoving each other in the process.
.
They managed to stay silent for fifteen glorious minutes before Draco finally found the silence bothersome. Just to bring in a bit more interest into their predicament he accidentally knocked her leg with his. The woman's gaze rose quickly to his before she purposefully knocked his leg with hers. His eyes narrowed before he accidentally knocked his leg a bit harder on hers. She responded quickly by purposefully kicking his shin.
"Ow! Do you mind?"
"Yes! Yes, I mind."
"You do realize that that's the fifteenth time you struck me maliciously."
She batted her eyelashes innocently. "At least I didn't slap you."
Remembering third year, Draco scowled. "You're lucky I had a principle against slapping girls."
"So you no longer have that principle, then?"
"I do." He smirked humourlessly. "You're the exception."
"Oh, how special I feel."
"You should," he mumbled moodily. "You're one of the reasons I stayed in my job for as long as I did. My work would have been bloody boring otherwise."
She looked at him like she was seeing his twin; one who had invariably given her a compliment. "I must admit, you certainly kept my job interesting."
The smirk was immediately back on his face. "Why, Granger, if I didn't know any better, I would have thought that you would miss me."
She looked up at him in surprise. "You're leaving?"
"At the end of the month."
She seemed put out by that information. "Why?"
"I'm bored." She rolled her eyes. "Don't judge. I'm the owner of a successful company which means that I need not work. I'd rather find something else that I'm good at."
"Oh, yes," Granger said with a snort. "Because you're so talented in so many fields."
"Why, yes. Yes, I am." He grinned widely at her.
She chose to ignore his blatant ego. "So, you're leaving. Just like that."
He cocked his head to the side in order to regard her curiously. "You would miss me, wouldn't you?"
"What? That is completely...I am just..." she sputtered, a pretty blush colouring her cheeks. "I wouldn't miss you," she finally said in a matter of fact tone. But Draco could already see how exactly flustered she was, which gave him the perfect opening for what he wanted to do for quite some time.
Getting up from his seat, he moved purposefully towards her, taking great happiness from the way her eyes widened and her lips parted, almost as if she was crying out silently for help. Once he stopped in front of her, he held out his hand which surprisingly, she accepted reluctantly, allowing him to pull her to her feet.
"I guess I should give you something to miss about me," he said softly, his eyes boring into hers intensely. The closer his face got to hers, the lower her eyelids fell. His gaze fell onto her lips which looked so tempting. So very tempting.
But not today.
Reaching into the bag she had carelessly kept behind her on the desk, he pulled out the binder he knew she wrote all her ideas in and stepped back with a cocky grin across his face. "But I'd rather take something to make me miss you."
The surprise followed by the rage he could see in her eyes thrilled him. He could honestly say that he did not expect her to grab that same bag and hit him with it. Over and over again. Painfully, he might add.
"Ow! Granger! Stop that!"
"You. Are. The. Most. Annoying. Git. On. The. Planet."
He felt every blow against his shoulder before he worked his way around her, somehow managing to twist the strap around his arm and pull her against him so as to disarm her. The witch had hands that struck him everywhere, and he finally had to drop the bag and the binder so as to keep her arms from hitting him.
Needless to say, she was pushed against a desk with his entire body up against hers. Her chest rose distractingly quick against his, and her flushed face was entirely too close. There were always moments in Draco's life when he did things without thinking. This was one of those moments.
Almost without thought of the repercussions or the possibility of being hexed, he grabbed the back of her neck and slammed his lips against hers. She didn't do anything. Nothing. He found himself cursing his stupidity before he started detaching himself away from her, only to have her pull him back and respond gloriously to him.
She was soft, supple, and his hands roamed across her robes as their tongues fought to win the battle they were raging against each other. This was his fantasy finally realized. It was something he always wanted to do every time she opened that delicious mouth of hers and said something absolutely abhorring.
His hands had just managed to sneak themselves under her robes when they heard the collective gasp.
They parted anxiously in surprise before slowly turning towards the entrance where McGonagall stood with the same students she had dismissed not so long ago. Draco was very much aware that his robe was unbuttoned and his hands were shoved under Granger's skirt while McGonagall sported an expression of extreme displeasure.
"See that?" one of Granger's group whispered knowingly as she nudged her friend. "That's why the battle of the sexes can never be resolved. Too much fraternizing with the enemy."
They quickly disentangled themselves from each other before turning to face the group sheepishly. In Draco's mind, there was only one thing that could possibly salvage this situation.
"She started it."
"He started it."
They glared at each other.
Did she really have to steal his ideas?
.
The End.
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