Hermione was keyed up, in a way that she that had never been before, tangling with Dementors, Voldermort and the unsuitably named Fluffy was all well and good but for the first time she would be partaking in an activity that the millions of girls outside of Hogwarts and other wizardry schools could empathise with. She was going on a date to the Yule Ball and maybe, maybe she would experience her first kiss.
She would never admit to anybody, how hurtful it had been for both Harry and Ron to overlook her so easily. Really, it was embarrassing what simpering, drooling idiots they metamorphosed into in the presence of the exceedingly attractive Fleur and Ron had the nerve to criticise her for appreciating Cedric's aesthetics. At least he was nice, but then he hadn't asked her either. No one had, and she had had to tolerate Malfoy's cruel facetious remarks about everything from her hair to her teeth and finally to her heritage. She wished she knew a permanent silencing spell. Just yesterday, she and Draco had an altercation between lessons where once again he proved how malicious he was by stopping her in her tracks.
What do you want?" Hermione brushed her hair behind her ear self-consciously, careful to keep her lips closed even though the size of her teeth had been reduced helpfully by the fantastic school nurse.
Draco smoothed down his pristine dark robes importantly, "There's no need to sound so petulant, Granger, you should be gratified that I even deign to speak to you." He looked down his nose at her, there was no genuine spite in his shrewd grey eyes, merely uncertainty.
"Well, I'm not," she responded unapologetically, she attempted to side-step him but he stood in the way, clearly needing to get something off his chest.
"That's hardly surprising," he scoffed, a mean smile twisting his lips, "You Muggles, never did have any sense."
"Look, Draco," Hermione held up her hand, her voice was going horribly high pitched and quivery, "I really have to go, so if you don't mind: just get to the point," she enunciated each word perfectly, good elocution was essential for flawless spell casting.
"I was just wondering whether your boyfriend," he sneered obviously referring to the recent rumours concerning her and Harry. As if, the very idea was laughable. "Is accompanying you to the Yule Ball," he continued, looking stubbornly down at the floor, for the briefest moment he looked up gauging her expression.
A beatific smile spread across her face, transforming her into something other than plain, bushy haired know-it-all Hermione Granger. Draco's countenance turned sulky and he muttered harshly under his breath, inaudible to her but Hermione honestly didn't give a damn about what he was saying. "For your information Malfoy I will be going to the Yule Ball but as you well know Harry and I are completely platonic . . . thanks for asking." She grinned and waved before walking away in the opposite direction, she had gained the upper hand this time with him and she was very pleased to have done so. And after all she had Viktor Krum to thank for it, it had been very brave of him to approach her especially in his broken English, she found his accent endearing, although normally she couldn't stand bad grammar.
"Pahahaha!" Malfoy laughed heartily his cheeks turning a gleaming pink as he squeezed his knees to stable himself. Hermione's haughty exit had been cut short by her rather inelegant trip over an abandoned shoddy broomstick. Stumbling, she collapsed momentarily in an ungainly heap. Quickly she pulled herself, blushing furiously and blatantly angry with herself. She resisted looking at Draco's horribly self-satisfied expression, his laughter was enough to tell her that this was the funniest thing he had ever seen. "I wish I had brought my camcorder," he wheezed between chortles, for once his stone cold slate grey eyes were warm and brimming with mirth.
"Yes, yes, go ahead and laugh your stupid head off. Anyone would think that an important pure blood like you didn't have anything better to do," she spat, brushing down her uniform, her fingers rested loosely around her warm, the simple presence of it reassured her. Silence filled the dusty corridor, heavy and tense, he was still standing there, just watching her eerily intense. Thousands of thoughts must have flitted through his iniquitous brain, more ways to humiliate her no doubt. "Take a picture it lasts longer," she snapped this time leaving with a grace many pure bloods lacked. Pity, Draco thought.