It had all started at the start of the year. For some reason, starting their seventh year had brought about even more tension between the two, Draco provoking Hermione and vice versa. It gave the rest of the student body, and quite often the teachers (though they wouldn't admit it), great pleasure to watch the two sparring. It was guaranteed entertainment that caused more damage to the school than throughout the whole duration of Fred and George's stay at Hogwarts.

"Get the heck out of my way, Malfoy."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you owned this doorway."

The crowds gathered. No one ever wanted to miss a Malfoy-Granger showdown these days, not after the last one ended up with the pair in the hospital wing for a week.

Where were Harry and Ron, you might be wondering? Currently serving detention with Snape after Neville blew up the dungeons during Potions. Such a fair world... Yes, and it turned out Snape ended up still alive. It didn't get any better.

"It's either that or you end up in the fountain.. Suitable to wash all the gel out of your hair."

"I'm trembling."

"So you should be. Do you remember what happened last time?"

Slight fear, quickly morphing into well-controlled disgust flickered over Draco's face as he answered. "Mudbloods don't deserve rights."

"Neither does a deatheater, now move your overcompensating ego out of the way of the door.. Or else."

He covered up his genuine laugh with a cough then one of his trademark smirks. He had to admit, Granger got him there. Even though he'd proven his loyalty in the war eventually, quite a few still hadn't forgiven him.

"Getting angry, Granger? Calm down; you don't want your hair to get any more out of control. I doubt even all my money would be able to solve that disaster." It was a low blow, he knew, but she was getting on his nerves. He couldn't allow people to get inside his skin, it was too dangerous.

As her eyes narrowed, he knew he had better get out of there, and quickly. Granger had quite a comprehensive repertoire of offensive spells up her sleeve, and he wasn't willing to wait around to be the test subject.

"Scared, ferret?" She queried as he turned around to leave.

"No, I just don't believe in wasting my valuable time." He retorted, turning his back and beginning to walk off.

It was only later as he was reviewing his day that he decided it was one of the worst decisions he'd ever made.

Seconds after he'd started walking off and one non-verbal spell later, he was in the fountain.

"Damn you, Granger." He spat, wiping his platinum blond hair out of his face as he gave her his best glare, pulling his wand out from inside his soggy robes.

"I wondered when you would remember you have a wand..."

"It's your fault we're in here again, you insufferable know-it-all."

"So it's my fault you threw me at the greenhouses, you git?" She raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

The two were on separate beds up in the hospital wing, being tended to by a bad-tempered Madam Pomfrey. It was empty, discounting the pair, although the racket outside was just getting louder and louder as students waited for another fight to break out.

"Well it's your fault you broke the glass."

"You really are an arrogant prat, Malfoy... and fairly thick as well. Anyone would break glass when they're dropped off a broom over it, 20 feet up."

"You shouldn't have gotten on the broom then..."

"A sticking charm isn't voluntary, Malfoy."

"Neither is being thrown off the astronomy tower in your pyjamas!"

"You shouldn't hang my underwear across the great hall then!"

"You should protect it from a summoning spell!"

"It's not like I expected you to be that mentally unstable as to want my underwear."

"Wow, was that a compliment? No? I'm taking it as one anyway. Unlucky."

"Do you often have conversations with yourself? Maybe that's why you find it appropriate to turn people into beavers."

"That was only justice, considering you'd turned me into a ferret not ten minutes before."

The verbal fight continued, the physical aspect only being held back by the number of broken bones being tended to. Madam Pomfrey had long discovered it was much safer if you let them argue in peace, though only after confiscating their wands...

"It's not humane to drop someone into the Great Lake for the octopus' dinner."

"Well I'm calling my lawyer. It can't be legal to hang someone on a Quidditch goal post by their ankles."

"You're not meant to antagonise your fellow student by charming their body green and silver stripes."

"Red and gold teddy bears aren't the most masculine, I'll have you know."

"Your mum isn't the most masculine."

Draco burst out laughing before transforming it into a sneer. "The great Hermione Granger just did a 'your mum' joke? That was unexpected..."

"Just because you're far too up your own arse to realise a joke when it slaps you in the face..."

"I'm pretty sure I realised that was a slap you gave me earlier. I sure as hell noticed the nail marks."

"You're incorrigible."

"You're a bloody Gryffindor."

"Well I can't believe you had the audacity to try and kiss me."

For once, Draco Malfoy was lost for words.

It was only at the end that the two realised they had gone the majority of an argument without calling each other names. There's a first time for everything, it seems...

AN: I don't know whether to keep this as a one-shot or make it a longer story if it's any good? If it ends up a longer story, it will be changed to 'Romance and Humor', but it'll be an eventual thing because it just isn't possible to get rid of that many years of hate that quickly.. Let me know what you think, please. :3 :)

P.S. I just realised I'll have been creeping on FF for a year tomorrow! Even though I've deleted a ton of my stories, I'm still hanging around :p