Harry couldn't ignore it anymore. He peaked awkwardly over the tip of his parchment at Hermione, whose face looked exactly as he'd expected. Her nose was all wrinkled up in the grimacing position and she was scribbling on her homework furiously. That is, until her quill point snapped from the combination of pressure and friction, and Draco Malfoy looked over with a satisfied smirk, his eyebrows doing wholly opposite things. Ew.
"Mudbloods don't even deserve to be here. You agree, Pansy?" Draco continued loudly.
Looking murderous, Hermione slammed her palms onto the dinner table, preparing to make her way upstairs for a new writing utensil.
"Hermione," said Harry gingerly, pushing his own quill across to her with a finger. "Don't listen to that git."
Hermione just glared at her plate.
"Yeah," Ron tried grossly around a mouthful of mashed potatoes and onion. Obviously he didn't care much about high grading on his O.W.L.s judging by the book-less, parchment-less space surrounding him. There were probably three other fifth-years not doing their homework. "You'll do well whatever he thinks about muggleborns."
"Right. And I heard his been getting Dreadfuls on all his tests." Harry added. The magic words.
This encouragement worked well on Hermione. She settled down and was actually smiling at him. Then it hit Harry like a bludger to the gut.
For the first time- yes, the first time –Hermione's eyes sparkled, hair bounced, earrings swayed, and a pleasant whiff of her sweet perfume struck Harry's senses at the same moment in the most thrilling way. First something like an electric bolt, then warm rush of the unexplainable thing attraction is spread down his back. He felt the numb, coldness in his extremities and his face suddenly heat up. (Harry wouldn't have told anybody, but at that moment he really thought he saw little opaque-pink bubble hearts pop about the edges of his vision. Only kidding, you nasty.)
All concentration was lost, and Ron was starting to look at him, puzzled, when the goblet Harry had been about to drink from tilted a bit in his hand and he was wearing it.
"Harry?" Hermione tried her best to look concerned and not at all amused, but failed utterly. And across the table Ron choked on his food loudly and snorted a couple of times. And the moment was gone.
Feeling quite the fool, Harry blotted his robes and shook his head, uncomfortable with his own thoughts.
Yep… OHH, and Malfoy drawled on. His friends nodded agreement, but behind his back shared looks of exasperation for his sorry cover up; he obviously had a crush on "Granger".
There is too much wrong with this...