Chapter two
"Granger?"
"Yes?"
"How long do you plan to work for?"
Hermione turned to face Malfoy.
"As long as it takes for me to finish it all. At this rate, with you not shutting up, it's going to take me ages."
"What are you working on?"
"Potions essay."
"Ah, the extra one that Snape gave to all the Gryffindors," Malfoy smirked.
"Yes, that one," Hermione replied, measuring how much she'd done. "Three inches to go."
"Why don't you take a break?" Malfoy suggested.
"Why should I?"
"Why shouldn't you?"
"Fine, whatever, I'm going to be able to get anything done with you talking."
The two of them sat in silence for a while, pondering how long it would be before the suit or armor could open the door.
"So, you were going to have a party huh?" Hermione tried to start a conversation.
"Duh," Malfoy said, pointing at the drinks.
"You know, I could get you busted for that," she grinned slyly.
"You know that if you did that I could make your life (and Weasel and Potter's lives too) living hell," Malfoy returned a sly expression.
Hermione pulled out her wand and jinxed him. Malfoy returned the attack just as effectively, giving her a beaver tail. The two of them fired jinxes at each other, but Hermione was much smarter and managed to put him in a full body bind before undoing all the charms and jinxes Malfoy had put on herself.
"Why do you have to be so harsh Granger?"
"You're always harsh towards me," Hermione said reasonably.
"Yes, but usually I'm not stuck in a room alone with you for a few hours," Malfoy pointed out.
"So what do you suggest?"
"That you undo this," Malfoy said, struggling against invisible forces that kept him immobile.
"Fat chance," Hermione said, extending the body bind to his mouth so that her couldn't talk.
"Now I can get some work done." She sat down at the desk again and finished her potions essay.
She looked down at Malfoy on the ground. He'd stopped struggling and was lying resolutely still.
"See, it's not so bad, is it?" Hermione said, sitting next to him and releasing the mouth bind.
"Granger, we're going to be stuck in here for a while, so we should at least be slightly civil," Malfoy tried to persuade her.
"I have no problem staying in here for a few hours with you lying silently on the floor unable to move while I do all my homework," Hermione replied with a smile.
"Oh come on, we're seventh years, we can be more mature than this. Oh yeah, oops, I forgot, you're a mudblood. You probably don't know how to be civil," Malfoy spat.
"Now who's not being civil?" Hermione said, fully releasing the body bind.
Malfoy sat up and rubbed his arms, "Granger, you amaze me. I never thought you'd be mean enough to use your knowledge of curses on other people."
"Well, you don't exactly count as a person, do you?" Hermione retorted.
"Do we have to keep throwing insults at each other?"
"What are you bored of it?"
"Actually, yes, I am," Malfoy said, standing up.
"Wow," Hermione said incredulously as she stood up next to Malfoy.
They stood in silence and surveyed each other. Hermione observed that Malfoy had grown much taller and still stood with an arrogant air about him. He hadn't really changed that much. Hermione however was definitely different. Her hair had been successfully straightened and long dark lashes framed her once squinty eyes that were now large and bright. Previously she had looked just like the nerdy type, now she was a nice 17 year old girl, although Malfoy wasn't about to admit that.
"So…" Hermione shifted uncomfortably as Malfoy looked her up and down.
"You're just as ugly as ever," Malfoy said dryly.
"And you're just as arrogant as ever," Hermione replied, immune to his comments.
"What did we say about not throwing insults?" Malfoy said.
"You started it!"
"Did not! I was being honest about what I think."
"Malfoy, piss off."
"Fine."
Malfoy retreated to a corner and tried to sleep but couldn't because of the potion he'd taken.
"Granger, can you undo the effects of this potion?" he eventually asked.
"No."
"Can you at least hold some type of conversation with me?"
"Depends," Hermione grinned and sat opposite him on the floor.
"Let me ask you something, what do you see in Potter?"
"Well, if you want me to answer that, you'll have to start by using his first name," Hermione said.
"What do you see in… Harry," Malfoy managed to force himself to say.
"Well, he's faithful, loyal, honest, great fun to hang around, brave, and always gives his fullest in everything," Hermione replied.
"And ugly," Malfoy added.
"He's not ugly!"
"Well, I'm better looking than him," Malfoy rephrased.
"Hmn…"
"Just admit it Granger."
Hermione looked at Malfoy. He certainly wasn't bad looking. She put aside the fact that she absolutely despised him and saw a hot strong blonde sitting across from her.
"Well, you're certainly better than average looking," Hermione stated.
Ah yes, I've hit her weak point of giving in to good-looking guys, Malfoy thought to himself.