"Oof!" Hermione felt pain shoot through her body as she landed with a loud thump. Glancing around, she saw Malfoy land much more gracefully, sneering deeply.
"You obviously don't travel much, do you?" he remarked unnecessarily, folding his arms and smirking.
Hermione felt a heating blush rise to her cheeks, and tried in vain to order her excess blood vessels back down. She tried distraughtedly to think up a retort, but failed miserably. Instead, she quickly and shamefully turned her back on him and began to help herself up. Why did she always feel so uncomfortable around Malfoy? Why couldn't she come up with her usual snappy comebacks? Why, why, why?
Thinking those savage thoughts made Hermione's head drop, and she felt on the verge of sobbing. She had no idea why a small insult made her feel so humiliated, so self-conscious.
Hermione finally looked up, knowing that she would have to get up sooner or later. She was startled to see a hand in front of her face. Tilting her head higher, she sighted Malfoy, an unreadable expression plastered all over his face.
"Do you want help or not?" he said, apparently struggling heavily to decide whether to draw his hand back or not.
Hermione hesitated. It was not like Malfoy to behave like this, but it was a pleasant change. She took his hand gratefully and he pulled her to his feet.
"Er...um...thanks, I guess," Hermione said in a small voice, but loud enough for Malfoy to catch it.
Malfoy grunted, and Hermione took that as a reply. They stood in a awkward silence for a long time. Finally, Hermione broke the aching, unfamiliar tension.
"Look," she began, gathering up all her nerve and years of sense. "Look, if we're going to live together for a year, I really think it's pointless for us to argue all the time." She paused breathlessly, not sure what Malfoy's reaction would be. But he was staring, determined, at the opposite wall, seemingly very interested in the wallpaper. Hermione took this as permission to continue. "So, um, I call a truce." Hermione put out her hand gingerly, cringing at how lame she sounded.
Malfoy did nothing for a minute. Hermione sighed and made to withdraw her hand. She had just turned a few inches when a voice rang out hastily.
"Did I say I wasn't going to agree, was I?" Malfoy scowled reluctantly. "I don't want to have a rotten year, either, and it's absolutely nothing else. Like I would actually even consider hanging around with a Mudblood." He smirked, acting as if that proved his point.
Hermione scowled indignantly and folded her arms across her chest. "That's one thing I don't like; you calling me Mudblood and Muggle. I'm a witch! I don't like being refered to with my last name, either. My name is Hermione."
Malfoy snorted and said, "Fine then...Her-Herm-Hermione." Malfoy flinched, as though that had been a terribly difficult and revolting task.
Hermione continued with her speech. "In return, I won't insult you for the whole year. That is, if I can help it," she added.
"Fine, fine," Malfoy grumbled irritably. "But then what do you call me?"
"Draco?" Hermione suggested.
Malfoy opened his mouth to protest, but then decided against it. He didn't want people to call him 'Malfoy' all year! It would tarnish his reputation. He would just have to put up with filthy Muggles yelling his pureblood name on their filthy lips. He winced, the thought sounding worse and worse by the second. Draco opened his mouth to change his mind but Hermione slapped a hand over his lips.
"You can't back out now! You gave your word! Don't tell me purebloods don't keep their word..." she added wisely. Malfoy, or now Draco, pulled out of her grasp, cringing. "Damn irritating, smart Gryffindors," muttered Draco harshly under his breath. "I just know I'm going to regret this, Mudb-Gran-Her-Hermione." *flinch*
*
"Okay then!" Hermione was quivering in excitement. They hadn't really had any time to look around yet. Now that she had a chance, she saw that this house was probably a small mansion. At least, it looked like it. "Let's explore!"
Draco shrugged. "This place is tiny compared to my home," he boasted. "I don't know what you're so excited about."
Hermione ignored him and opened the door nearest to her. Judging by the number of rooms she could see, this was likely to be the hall. Glancing back, she saw she was right; she looked right back into the entrance of the house.
Peeking into the room she had just chosen, Hermione gasped in awe. She could here a half muffled cry of surprise behind her, despite Draco's boasts.
And they had a good reason to be astonished. The whole length of the room was about three metres, the width, four. And guess what? It was a bathroom.
Hermione examined the sink. It was more like a bath tub! In fact, she wouldn't have even known it was a sink if it didn't have a half a metre long mirror hanging above it. And the taps! Hermione estimated that there were probably about a dozen. Leaning closer, she saw that they were made of crystal.
Eager to see more, Hermione walked to the bath tub, which was the size of a small swimming pool. There were even more numerous taps on this one, and the floor was made out of shimmery glass, reflecting the water above it. And even more spectacular, Hermione could see live fish swimming in it! But, she realised that it was actually a trick of the light. The fish were actually in an outer rim inside the tub, seperated from everything else.
"Whoa," Hermione breathed disbelievingly. The Ministry had really outdone themselves this time! Though she wasn't really sure she was ready to forgive Cornelius Fudge yet...
Draco, in the meantime, had given a fake snort of indifference and had left the room, smirking irratitingly all the way. Hermione ignored his ingratitude, as always, and continued examining the bathroom. Just as she was about to leave, Hermione heard a huge CRASH! from the room right above her. What she heard next mystified and terrified her more.
"Granger! It's-h-him!"
"You obviously don't travel much, do you?" he remarked unnecessarily, folding his arms and smirking.
Hermione felt a heating blush rise to her cheeks, and tried in vain to order her excess blood vessels back down. She tried distraughtedly to think up a retort, but failed miserably. Instead, she quickly and shamefully turned her back on him and began to help herself up. Why did she always feel so uncomfortable around Malfoy? Why couldn't she come up with her usual snappy comebacks? Why, why, why?
Thinking those savage thoughts made Hermione's head drop, and she felt on the verge of sobbing. She had no idea why a small insult made her feel so humiliated, so self-conscious.
Hermione finally looked up, knowing that she would have to get up sooner or later. She was startled to see a hand in front of her face. Tilting her head higher, she sighted Malfoy, an unreadable expression plastered all over his face.
"Do you want help or not?" he said, apparently struggling heavily to decide whether to draw his hand back or not.
Hermione hesitated. It was not like Malfoy to behave like this, but it was a pleasant change. She took his hand gratefully and he pulled her to his feet.
"Er...um...thanks, I guess," Hermione said in a small voice, but loud enough for Malfoy to catch it.
Malfoy grunted, and Hermione took that as a reply. They stood in a awkward silence for a long time. Finally, Hermione broke the aching, unfamiliar tension.
"Look," she began, gathering up all her nerve and years of sense. "Look, if we're going to live together for a year, I really think it's pointless for us to argue all the time." She paused breathlessly, not sure what Malfoy's reaction would be. But he was staring, determined, at the opposite wall, seemingly very interested in the wallpaper. Hermione took this as permission to continue. "So, um, I call a truce." Hermione put out her hand gingerly, cringing at how lame she sounded.
Malfoy did nothing for a minute. Hermione sighed and made to withdraw her hand. She had just turned a few inches when a voice rang out hastily.
"Did I say I wasn't going to agree, was I?" Malfoy scowled reluctantly. "I don't want to have a rotten year, either, and it's absolutely nothing else. Like I would actually even consider hanging around with a Mudblood." He smirked, acting as if that proved his point.
Hermione scowled indignantly and folded her arms across her chest. "That's one thing I don't like; you calling me Mudblood and Muggle. I'm a witch! I don't like being refered to with my last name, either. My name is Hermione."
Malfoy snorted and said, "Fine then...Her-Herm-Hermione." Malfoy flinched, as though that had been a terribly difficult and revolting task.
Hermione continued with her speech. "In return, I won't insult you for the whole year. That is, if I can help it," she added.
"Fine, fine," Malfoy grumbled irritably. "But then what do you call me?"
"Draco?" Hermione suggested.
Malfoy opened his mouth to protest, but then decided against it. He didn't want people to call him 'Malfoy' all year! It would tarnish his reputation. He would just have to put up with filthy Muggles yelling his pureblood name on their filthy lips. He winced, the thought sounding worse and worse by the second. Draco opened his mouth to change his mind but Hermione slapped a hand over his lips.
"You can't back out now! You gave your word! Don't tell me purebloods don't keep their word..." she added wisely. Malfoy, or now Draco, pulled out of her grasp, cringing. "Damn irritating, smart Gryffindors," muttered Draco harshly under his breath. "I just know I'm going to regret this, Mudb-Gran-Her-Hermione." *flinch*
*
"Okay then!" Hermione was quivering in excitement. They hadn't really had any time to look around yet. Now that she had a chance, she saw that this house was probably a small mansion. At least, it looked like it. "Let's explore!"
Draco shrugged. "This place is tiny compared to my home," he boasted. "I don't know what you're so excited about."
Hermione ignored him and opened the door nearest to her. Judging by the number of rooms she could see, this was likely to be the hall. Glancing back, she saw she was right; she looked right back into the entrance of the house.
Peeking into the room she had just chosen, Hermione gasped in awe. She could here a half muffled cry of surprise behind her, despite Draco's boasts.
And they had a good reason to be astonished. The whole length of the room was about three metres, the width, four. And guess what? It was a bathroom.
Hermione examined the sink. It was more like a bath tub! In fact, she wouldn't have even known it was a sink if it didn't have a half a metre long mirror hanging above it. And the taps! Hermione estimated that there were probably about a dozen. Leaning closer, she saw that they were made of crystal.
Eager to see more, Hermione walked to the bath tub, which was the size of a small swimming pool. There were even more numerous taps on this one, and the floor was made out of shimmery glass, reflecting the water above it. And even more spectacular, Hermione could see live fish swimming in it! But, she realised that it was actually a trick of the light. The fish were actually in an outer rim inside the tub, seperated from everything else.
"Whoa," Hermione breathed disbelievingly. The Ministry had really outdone themselves this time! Though she wasn't really sure she was ready to forgive Cornelius Fudge yet...
Draco, in the meantime, had given a fake snort of indifference and had left the room, smirking irratitingly all the way. Hermione ignored his ingratitude, as always, and continued examining the bathroom. Just as she was about to leave, Hermione heard a huge CRASH! from the room right above her. What she heard next mystified and terrified her more.
"Granger! It's-h-him!"