"Why don't you go and find Vicky, he'll be wondering where you are," said Ron.
"Don't call him Vicky!"
Hermione stormed off, pushing through the crowd. She could already feel the tears threatening to overflow. She left the Great Hall, sitting on the steps just off the entrance hall. Her tears started falling and she sniffed. Ron had no right to yell at her like that. This is exactly why she hadn't told him who she was going to the ball with. Hermione started to fiddle with the hem of her dress, contemplating whether she should just go to her room for the rest of the night.
"Someone reminded the Mudblood that she's inferior, did they?" a voice sneered.
Hermione jolted her head up. There stood Draco Malfoy, his arms loosely crossing his chest and a callous smirk on his face. Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head a little bit before looking back down at her hands.
"Go away, Malfoy. Don't think I won't hex you." She said, mustering up all the venom she could send towards him. It wasn't much. Apparently, it didn't sway him because he continued on after a few moments of silence.
"If I had to venture a guess, I'd say the Weasel did something immensely stupid." His tone had lost its usual harsh bite. Hermione was taken aback when she thought she heard a twinge of sympathy from him. "Then again, maybe he's finally wised up a bit, to have gotten rid of dirt like you."
Ahh, there it is, Hermione thought as she looked up at him once more, the Malfoy I know and hate.
Hermione glared at him. "I'm not in the mood to spar with you at this moment, Malfoy. Just- Just go back to your date." she finished lamely, wiping the back of her hand across her face.
Hermione stood up in a defensive stance, with her fists clenched at her sides. She held his gaze, finding that some of her courage was returning. She could feel her cheeks heating slightly as she realized that Draco Malfoy had seen her crying. He would never let her be after this. Her jaw tightened in anger. As she stared at him, she noticed that he was not wearing his usual smirk or sneer. His face was quite impassive. It wasn't to last though, as he suddenly smirked at her after their staring match had seemed to go on for ages.
"Took you long enough, Granger." Malfoy said, beginning to turn away from her.
Wait, what? Hermione thought.
"What are you on about now?" Hermione asked, her eyebrows scrunched together in uncertainty. Her stance was relaxed now, and she resisted stretching her head in confusion.
"Even for a Mudblood, you're quite dense. That's saying something, since you typically manage to get higher marks than even me." Malfoy responded, glancing over his shoulder at her. He paused. "That dress isn't half bad." Then he quickly added, "For a Mudblood."
Draco Malfoy quickly walked back into the Great Hall without another word, leaving Hermione Granger to contemplate the strange event that had just occurred. Had Malfoy just complimented her, albeit a backhanded compliment? Had he just gotten her angry so that she would stop crying?
"Herm-own-ninny! I haff drinks!" Viktor Krum said, handing her a drink and leading her back into the Great Hall. He seemed oblivious to the fact that Hermione was hardly paying attention.
Hermione shook her head slightly, freeing these strange thoughts about Malfoy from her head for the time being.