Draco was wearing a satisfied smirk. Hermione was watching the teenage forms anxiously.

"So..." started Malfoy. Granger rolled her eyes.

"You can never be in silence! Let me register in my head what I just saw!" said Granger irritably.

"He's still the same," Hermione to Granger. Granger grinned.

"Yeah, it was the kiss that did it," reminisced Draco. "When I kissed her in front of Pansy."

Granger's jaw dropped open. "What?"

Malfoy paled. "That is so not true!"

Draco looked surprised. "Oops, did that happen yet?"

Malfoy glared at Draco.

He was angry at himself.

Granger was watching Malfoy with a funny expression on her face. Draco and Hermione noticed it, but Malfoy didn't.

Just then Hermione decided to leave the situation.

"I'm going to get dinner ready," said Hermione, without a backward glance.

"I'm coming with you!" exclaimed Draco.

Granger giggled. It was like Draco couldn't stand being in a room without Hermione.

Malfoy stared at Hermione.

"I don't know what that Draco was talking about..." he said, with an odd flush on his face.

Granger waved her hand irritably. "Whatever."

After a silence Granger decided to at least attempt conversation with him.

"Isn't it funny?" said Granger, looking amused.

"What's funny?" said Malfoy, picking his fingernails. Another one of his habits.

"That Draco can't stand being in a room without Hermione!" said Granger, laughing.

"Yeah, I look pathetic," agreed Malfoy.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. He referred himself as an "I" as if that was really him doing it.

But that was.

And that was the weird part.

Granger interrupted the somehow weird silence. "I guess we should be going," said Granger timidly, watching his expression. He was acting a little weird.

"Yeah," said Malfoy, walking in front and sort of leading her into the dining table.

The food was already there, and everyone was waiting for them. Jasmine was chatting about some boy that dumped her for a Quidditch game and Amber was reading a book from under the table.

Draco was talking to Hermione animatedly about his problems at work.

"...and did you believe the nerve of Scrimgeour! He wouldn't even let us Aurors take a look at the poor chap!" he said while Hermione was listening intently and nodding her head.

Granger interrupted on the conversation.

"You're an auror?" she said, bewildered. Out of all the people, Malfoy?

"yeah," said Draco casually.

Granger glanced at Malfoy, who was eating very slowly, with a haughty expression.

Granger rolled her eyes and hissed to Malfoy, "must you always be like this in other people's houses?"

Then Granger realized what she just said. She was in her own house!

Malfoy seemed to realize what she was thinking and smirked.

"See what I mean, Granger?" said Malfoy.

Draco was chattering with Hermione about work a little more. And then the topic was switched back to his parents.

They seemed to forget that they were supposed to be talking with Malfoy and Granger.

They were in their own world.

Not like Granger minded. She was interested in listening to them talk.

"You like me Granger, don't you?" said a deep voice behind her ear.

"In what sense?" she said dully, not bothering to turn around.

Malfoy rolled his eyes at Granger. She did this on purpose, he knew it.

"Meaning you like the older me," he said, somehow quickly.

Granger whirled around in her seat to face Malfoy.

"what are you talking, Malfoy? I like the older you ... just not as much as the older me does," she replied.

Malfoy looked confused for a minute. And we're talking about the Malfoy. The smooth one who seemed to comprehend everything. She always messed up what he known for. He somehow admired her for that.

"Well, either way, do you like real me?" he said.