Chapter Nine: The boy aint nice

Hermione and Draco just stared at each other for a long time, measuring each other up, looking for answers to their own questions. Hermione would be damned if she was going to be the one to break eye contact first, but she would equally be damned if she would allow him to make a spectacle in a somewhat fairly public place, no matter if it was low risk. So making it clear he was to follow her she proceeded to slam open her door and position herself in the centre of the room, putting enough space in between the door way and herself so Draco would take the hint to step inside as well as to keep his distance from her. She, as she could also imagine he was, was not in the mood to be reckoned with.

"Now what the hell do you want?" Hermione asked with enough venom to kill a small elephant as soon as he closed the door. Her head started to throb; he was giving her a headache.

"Oh apparently I want to force you to quit by screwing with you," Draco replied equally deadly.

"Well its true isn't it?"

"Yes," Draco admitted feeling somewhat unusual at that admittance. In truth he had started to forget his original intention and that had only been a day ago…

"I think it's because you are threatened because…" Hermione began but was interrupted by Draco when he drowned her out with his indignant cry.

"Stop!, Granger I have heard enough of what you think to last me a thousand years," he began, "maybe you should think about why I want you to quit hm? From what I have seen in the past day you are incompetent, self-serving, enforcing and an unfeeling ice queen!"

"And you are impossible," she finally found her voice wishing Draco and all his expensive suits and imposing stature out of her life, "I have never met someone more multi-faceted as you, how do you turn on such searing passion at times and yet remain a stand offish fuckwit towards me? It's infuriating," she said with a tone more despair than anger. She felt so lost.

"What you want me to be your friend or something? Granger I'm don't do the whole caring thing because quite frankly I don't care," Draco wanted to make her understand he wasn't going to change for her benefit. He was thankful though that they had stopped yelling…

"No I don't want you to be my friend," she cried with as much disgust as she could making it, he thought very painfully clear, that that idea sickened her. He winced a little inside; really she was just being nasty now.

"But I am stuck with you for partner til I can escape from you somehow and I want us to be atleast civil," Hermione said glaringly, "can you atleast do that Malfoy?"

"Oh but it doesn't change anything". He shrugged making it clear that he wasn't promising anything.

"God I hate you Malfoy," Hermione muttered following him out of her room.

"No you don't and that's where your problem lies," Draco remarked as they got in the elevator. Hermione just rolled her eyes and stabbed the button.

"I'm not a nice person," he kept on.

"I never said you were," she muttered hating being trapped with him. She should have taken the stairs, "And by the way I'm not incompetent" she added finally saying something out loud that was bugging her.

"Ah but you just demonstrated that you care what I think".

"That doesn't mean I think you're nice," the man was impossible. It's like he nearly stopped contradicting her for his own amusement.

"But respect…"

"What is it you want me to admit or say?" she cut in feeling very tired all of a sudden, "I mean did what I say hurt your supposedly non-existent feelings? Do you want me to make it better?" she cut in irritably.

"No I'm fine," he replied with a tone suggesting she was not.

"You know what? i don't really feel up to listening to this shit Malfoy, I thought you agreed to be civil?" she could feel a major headache coming on.

"Only in public, in private i will be whatever I please… or should I say whatever you please?," his reply was said with a smirk and a look of appraisal that had Hermione both blushing and disgusted, so he was still going ahead with this stupid game.

Just as she was about to call him a pig headed moron the elevator stopped and she was forced to put on a happy face as they joined the others.

After a day of mixing with the other teams, Hermione was exhausted. It wasn't enough that everyone kept on pointing them out, she would rather have been the lowliest rookie than have all that attention, but the organisers kept on making them demonstrate skills or whatnot. It was rather irritating, especially as during the sample cases they were given to solve they had to pretend like they had done millions of cases together and had excellent team work, whereas in reality they competed with each other on who would come up with the solution first.

"Malfoy can you just for one second, pretend like we are partners," Hermione had hissed.

"But we aren't," Malfoy had hissed back, "And anyway you're the one who went all competitive on me".

Most of their conversation was like that, however they did keep the happy front up. No one with the exception of possibly Anthony suspected that they had no idea how the other worked.

"I'm so glad its over," Hermione moaned to Tony afterwards.

"What are you talking about? You dazzled everyone".

"It was completely fake, we have no idea about each other seriously it's ridiculous," Hermione informed him, "I think I'm going to have a nice long shower and possibly a sleep before dinner".

"Alright… are you sure you don't want to check out all the guys in the bar here?"

"Tempting but no thanks," Hermione laughed, she had to hand it to Tony he was dedicated.

Stepping into the elevator, Hermione instantly regretted not taking the stairs. The reason was that it was full of women all talking excitedly amongst themselves, no doubt going to change into something more sensational for the dinner that was to be held that night. Now Hermione had lots of girl friends that wasn't the problem, the problem was that she herself knew how bitchy they could get especially towards unknown girls.

As the doors shut, trapping her inside she was rewarded with silence.

"So…," one red headed girl began awkwardly but inviting Hermione to say something, the type of invitation that decided whether or not Hermione was 'in' or not.

Hermione knew she should have said something charmingly back, but she had never really been good at making friends, they usually had to befriend her first… which was why boys were so easy to make friends with you didn't have to try as hard or feel like everything was being judged. Although it didn't help that the girl's right there had their own little group.

"You're Draco's partner aren't you?" the red headed girl went on when it was clear that Hermione wasn't going to say anything.

"Uh yeah that's right," Hermione mumbled.

"He is dreamy isn't he?" a brunette in a pastel pant suit gushed, "I bet he is great to work with".

"Oh I wish my partner had arms like him," a woman with a thick welsh sounding accent said.

"What about the butt?" Another woman threw in and they all cheered.

"He is built like a killing machine," the red head agreed, "You know I think he is number one in the world, he is like a James Bond, you know drop dead gorgeous but a genius at what he does".

"I would kill to be his bond girl!" the brunette wailed, "How do you focus to become the number one agent with someone as delicious working beside you?" she added seriously.

"Uh…," Hermione found herself not knowing how to respond. These girls sounded like a fan club it was making her sick. If only they knew his vices and how difficult he was to work with.

"Never mind dear," a woman with a haughty voice when she trailed off, "I don't think you appreciate him if you know what I mean," she winked.

"No I'm sorry I don't," Hermione said confused.

"Oh," the red head suddenly said and the elevator went quite again.

"Come on love, the boots, the leather pants, the singlet, you obviously bat for the other team," the haughty voiced woman said gently.

Hermione had never felt so indignant in her life, looking around at the sombre girls, all dressed in designer gear or pastels, she could tell they all thought she was a lesbian.

"I think it was those boots that gave it away, I mean of course your pants are really in season… you probably should include some pastels or something so you don't look so macho," the red head advised clearly stifling a smirk.

"There's nothing wrong with being a lesbian," the brunette added quickly as the elevator doors opened at their floor and they all flounced out.

Hermione only scowled at her seemingly polite reassurance as the doors closed, leaving her fuming alone with her sadistic thoughts for the rest of the journey up.

Draco was surprised from his push ups when she walked into his room via the adjoining door; he almost fell on his face. However recovering quickly, he was about to turn on his charm when her saw the scary look on her face. Boy did she look pissed, he mused before saying as much as she ripped open his mini bar.

"Can I have your gummi bears?" she just replied, "I've already eaten all of mine".

"Uh sure… I didn't even know we had gummi bears," he shrugged.

"Oh and I'm taking some of your alcohol," she informed him matter of factly, taking her hoard into her room before he could protest.

Shock left him immobile for a few minutes before he reacted. But the second he did, he practically flew into through the door.

"What on earth has gotten into you?," he cried heading to her bedroom where he found her lying on her stomach, boots kicked off, gummi bears, bowls of ice cream and alcohol all around her.

He observed that the bowls were nearly all empty as where the alcohol bottles.

"Did I upset you that much?" he asked rather surprised. He had no idea she was so sensitive.

"Oh now you think the whole world revolves around you don't you? You aren't James Bond" she snapped back with a glare.

"O-K, Granger you're starting to freak me out".

"We can't have that now can we?" she said sarcastically.

"I know that we had a bit of a fight this morning and we aren't really friends but I think we know each other enough for you to just tell me what is wrong" Draco said frustrated.

"How about I have some tequila and ignore you," Hermione replied knocking the bowls and some bottles of the bed as she fumbled for a full bottle. When she located one she raised the bottle up to Draco before putting it to her mouth.

"Oh no you don't!" Draco roared ripping the bottle out of her hands only to spill it all over himself and knock Hermione off the bed.

"What are you doing numbskull?" She hissed from the floor looking dishellevd, but Draco had to admit very sexy.

"Oh well you can't be that good looking and smart," she mumbled in that drunken way that that meant she didn't know Draco could hear her.

"I guess the only thing I can do now is to slip on something sexy and dazzle those bitches," she said louder with a hiccup, making Draco wonder how much she had had to drink, however he quickly concluded that it was a rather large number because she started to rip off her top and pants.

"Ah Granger what are you doing?" he was surprised at how hot it suddenly got in the room and how he couldn't take his eyes from her…some gentleman he was.

"Getting dressed for this stupid dinner, what do you have a problem with that oh mighty lord of all, or do you want me to ask you permission?" She cried as she ripped open her cupboard and pulled out a stunning green dress that screamed elegance as well as sexy.

Draco couldn't help drooling or staring after that; he could wait to see it on her.

"I bet you prefer this to my leather pants and singlets" she muttered distastefully reminding him that she was not in a happy state of mind.

"What is it Granger?" he sighed sitting down on her bed, knowing something was bothering her.

"What like you care? You aren't a nice guy Malfoy stop pretending to be"

It was the first time Draco felt stung by one of her put downs, he remembered well insisting he was not a good guy to her earlier… but he wanted her for some stupid reason to just give him a chance.

"Don't give me that look, you said it yourself and really its true isn't it, I mean you were a death eater," she babbled in her drunken state, "Oh and you double crossed your own father… I mean it was good for us but… I don't know nice guys don't screw every girl they meet either or pick fights".

Draco just stared at her as she struggled to take the dress off the hanger. She looked so tempting in her underwear and messy waves of hair…. Too bad she stung like a wasp. Well he knew she was a little drunk, but even when she was sober her fiery temper and bold honesty had him glowering.

"Whatever Granger you're not too perfect yourself".

"Oh what is my problem? Is it because I wear pants, boots and a singlet for my job? I mean it's a job, not like a bloody fashion parade I need practicality," she cried.

Bingo, Draco had found the problem.

"Those bitches have some nerve calling me a lesbian just because I didn't sing you're goddam praises or agree with them that you had nice arms or whatever… Not that it's wrong to be a lesbian it's just that I'm not," she insisted throwing her dress on the floor in annoyance, "I mean I could have sex with you if I wanted…"

"Oh so it had nothing to do with me?" Draco asked half amused half annoyed.

"What are you saying you wouldn't have sex with me? oh my god even you wouldn't have sex with me," she cried falling onto her bottom with a soft thud. Draco could have laughed she was so cute when she was drunk.

"And I remember against the car, it was you who stopped it… Geez…. I need more gummi bears," she hiccuped looking miserable.

Draco dutifully handed her the bag.

"Granger I would have… I mean you would be good to have sex with," his face flamed he could believe how stupid he sounded. He was turning into a sissy, luckily though she wouldn't remember it.

Suddenly her face went white.

"What is it? Did you choke on a gummi bear or something?" he asked alarmed.

"No I think I'm going to throw up," she cried running to the bathroom.

And that is how Draco spent the rest of the evening, holding Hermione's hair and taking a pack of gummi bears for dinner after putting her to bed.