Chapter 10: Unseemly Proposal
"Hey, Malfoy!" Hermione called out after Herbology. "I want to talk to you about that project."
'What the hell happened to that I'm-not-talking-to-you-ever Granger? Am I supposed to take evasive action now?!' Draco thought anxiously.
"I have ideas about that spell," Hermione started boldly, but secretly, her knees were shaking a bit. Draco showed no sign of recognition, but nodded curtly.
Hermione recited at top speed all the way to Arithmancy class. She told him about all the research she's made and if he has any more addition to her theory.
"Look, if you want this to work out you have to cooperate and help me make this spell," Hermione babbled on.
"Alright!" Draco ran out of patience and shouted loudly, that half the class was looking at him with bewilderment. Hermione frowned at him and continued writing notes on her parchment. After class, Hermione cornered him again.
"Okay," Hermione exclaimed as she struggled in keeping up with Draco. "I know that night in the dance was a bit awkward for you, but there's no use pretending it didn't happen-,"
"What do I have to do then!?" Draco yelled cutting off Hermione's words. "Act as if everything's fine and dandy and continue on with my life?"
"Exactly!" Hermione blurted out. "We didn't realize who we are, okay! It is less your fault than it is mine!" Draco looked at her with loathing etched in every visible corner of his face.
"My sister did this partner thing because she thought I fancied you, okay! That's why I didn't want to participate, how could she think of such a thing? Why would I fancy a filthy mudblood like you?" Draco declaimed with an air of arrogance in his voice. Hermione looked very hurt and livid. Her fists were clenched and a vein in her temple was pulsing. She slapped Malfoy so hard on the face that he tumbled on the floor.
"I loathe you, Malfoy! Hmpf!" Draco clamped a hand to his throbbing face and looked up at Hermione who had her nose up in the air.
"Oh yeah!?" he said, standing on his feet. "Well, I loathe you!"
"I loathe you more!" Hermione yelled out, pushing Malfoy against the wall.
"I loathe you more than more!" Malfoy retorted shoving Hermione to the floor. Hermione stood up, red with anger.
"How dare you push a girl?!" Hermione cried out.
"You're a girl, Granger? Why, I haven't noticed!" Malfoy feigned a shocked voice. He was really shocked when Hermione suddenly smirked smugly.
"Well, you seemed to notice perfectly well during the Halloween dance!" Hermione told him, still wearing that smirk on her face. Two pink blushes grew on each of Draco's cheeks as he turned around form Hermione.
"That," Draco muttered, still blushing. "Was different, Granger."
Hermione cackled, almost the same way as Professor Vivien did, at Draco's little predicament.
"So, you admit that you thought I looked like a girl during the dance?" Hermione's smirk widened.
"No, I do not! I'm not admitting anything Granger!" Draco ejaculated, spit coming out of his mouth.
"Okay, okay I get it, just please don't spit at me! Mind your manners Malfoy!" Hermione paced towards the stone steps and looked at Draco. "Aren't you going to class?"
"Oh, CENSORED!! I'm going to be CENSORED late for class! This is all you CENSORED fault, Granger." He ran towards the step and toppled over Hermione, who look oddly flustered.
"Get off of me Malfoy!!" she cried out furiously while pushing Draco away. "If I haven't known that you're such a dim-witted idiot, I would've considered that as sexual harassment!"
"Me? Dim-witted?" Draco scoffed conceitedly. "Just because you're so clever, doesn't mean you know everything! And why would I sexually harass you? Honestly, you're not much of a prize, Granger!"
As Hermione listened to Draco's harsh words, her eyes began to water, and her head began to throb. Why did she feel this way? She always ignored Malfoy's usual insults, why cry now?
"…I don't even get what that Viktor Krum saw in you, if you ask me, he needs a look in the head-." Draco was surprised to see Hermione turn her back and run towards the girls' comfort room, before she turned away; he noticed tears welling up in her eyes. He felt a tang of guilt for making Hermione Granger cry, only, he didn't know why. He persistently insulted her the same way, why did he feel sympathy for her at that very moment.
He was left speechless in the empty corridor for a second and immediately, he turned to leave.
Hermione cried relentlessly the whole afternoon. She did not know why she felt so offended by Malfoy's words, he was just being his normal, annoying self, why did she have to cry all over him like that. She's proven that she's weak, and in front of Malfoy, too. She realized it was nothing to be upset of and decided to let it go.
The next morning she cornered Malfoy again and decided to keep their conversations brief and prim, so they would not get into an argument that might repeat what happened the day before.
"Malfoy," she said stiffly after Transfiguration. "Have you any more ideas to add to my theories on the project?"
"I don't." he said simply, though he noticed Hermione's muffled voice and indifference towards him. She nodded curtly and proceeded to Ancient Runes without looking back at Draco.
During lunch, Draco saw Hermione reading a heavy heap of books while her friends were talking animatedly beside her. She was wearing a pair of wire-rimmed glasses nowadays when she was reading. Because of her enthusiasm for books, she developed faulty eyesight. Malfoy noticed what she was reading, it was a book called 'Overcoming the Dark Arts'. The other books beside her were 'How to make a Spell, 1-2-3' 'Defense and You' 'Spells made throughout the Ages' and 'Revenge Spells for your enemies.' Wait, that wasn't right.
"She's really working hard for that project." Draco told himself. "Maybe I should help, somehow."
A/n: Cliffhanger!! hehehe