The two of them spent the better part of the day together. To the girl's amusement, Draco had tried to keep up the story that he was bored and begrudgingly hanging out with her for lack of better options. Three hours later, the two were talking as if they were actually friends as he had finally let go of trying to retain his ass-like reputation.
"I can't believe you missed Hogsmeade for me." She laughed as the two entered the Great Hall for lunch.
"I have no idea what you're rambling about," he said, trying to give her a haughty look. Against his will, the corner of his lip quirked up ever so slightly. "…Besides, I've been there too many times to count. It's not all it's hyped up to be, though you should really see it at least once."
"I told you, my forms aren't signed." She sighed.
"There are ways around that." He pointed out. At the look she gave him, he snorted. "Oh please, don't act as if you're some good rule-abiding girl. You hang with Potter – you've got to have a disregard for rules."
"Harry's not some delinquent." She raised her eyebrows.
"You obviously don't know him that well, then." He answered. "Well, I'll have to show you Hogsmeade one day. I can take you there on Christmas break, maybe."
"That sounds awesome! You're not kidding, are you?" she said.
"If you want to, I don't see why we shouldn't. No I'm not kidding you twit." He smiled.
The two paused as they stood in front of the four house tables. "I'll see you later, I suppose." He said finally, taking a step towards his Slytherin table.
"What? Too ashamed to be seen with me?" she followed him.
"What are you going on about now?" Draco asked.
She plopped herself down at his table and looked at him pointedly. "I'm not going to eat alone at my table like a loner. I don't see why we can't eat together at your table, unless you don't want your friends to see us together."
"I just thought you wouldn't want to eat with the Slytherins, that's all." He shook his head. "God, you read too much into things."
"Maybe it's because I'm new but I still don't understand why Gryffindors aren't supposed to be friendly with Slytherins, I mean the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs get along well enough." Rachel said thoughtfully.
Draco reached for a chicken leg across the table as he answered, "The two Houses are just two opposites. Gryffindor represents many of the things Slytherin is against and vice versa."
"You're against bravery, are you?" she snorted, helping herself to mashed potatoes.
"I'm against stupidity that is mistaken for bravery." He clarified.
"You're not a coward, I know that." She protested. "And I think the two houses are more similar than any of the others."
"Look. If you're in Gryffindor, it's like you're branded with a stamp on your forehead that says you are automatically expected to be good and up righteous and you can't do anything wrong. You're teachers pets, a goody-two-shoes." He listed off.
"You just said that Harry breaks rules, and yet you also said that he's pretty much the poster boy for everything Gryffindor represents. But your definition of what it is to be a Gryffindor contradicts that statement." She pointed out.
"No, he breaks rules for the 'greater good'. He's got this innate need to be a hero." Draco explained. "It's the most annoying thing in this blasted school, he's hero worshipped."
"Well, so are you!" Rachel chuckled.
"Excuse me?" he questioned.
"Please. If Harry is the beacon for Gryffindors, then it's obvious you are the leader of Slytherin. And everyone in this house follows you feverishly, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs have a revered fear for you, everyone knows your name. You can't hate him for being hero worshipped because you are too." Rachel said.
"I don't hate him for being hero worshipped, I hate him because he's Potter." He stated flatly.
"You articulated that really well." She said sarcastically.
"Why are we even talking about Potter?" Draco snorted.
"You aren't jealous of him, are you?"
"Jealous of that ass kissing do-gooding loser?" Draco actually let out a full guffaw at that. "Please. All right, I'm done eating. What do you want to do?"
"Ask you again why you're being so nice?" she said.
"Just because I'm in Slytherin I can't be nice?" he smiled.
"I just haven't seen it from you." She shrugged.
"I've got a question for you, then. Why are you hanging out with me you're your closest friends here are the Gryffindor trio?" he asked, real curiosity in his voice. "You realize Potty, Weasel-bee, and Granger hate me, right?"
"And so that means I can only be friends with people they approve of? I'm not that pathetic, Malfoy." Rachel rolled her eyes.
"Is that what we are, then? I spend three hours with you and we're friends?" he said with a laugh.
"Why do you have to mock everything I say?" she said heatedly.
"It's in my nature," he sneered.
"Don't go and put that bastard cap back on, not after I've seen you without it." She said.
"Come on. We should get a start on Divination." Draco stood up and held out his hand to help her up.
"What are you? Jekyll and Hyde?" Rachel stared at the hand before finally taking it.
"Bastards can be gentlemen, too." He smirked.
"I don't get you." She shook her head.
"Not many people do." He gave her a sideways look before the two strode towards the library.
"Draco, are we friends, then?" Rachel asked him as the evening began to set in and the two had finally finished working on Divination.
"Don't read too much into it." He shrugged.
"Well, for what it's worth, I don't mind you."
"Thanks." He replied sarcastically. "Eh. You're fair at Divination."
"I wouldn't think you'd have a talent for it, but you're not bad yourself." She said thoughtfully.
"I'm not a dumb blonde you know." He snorted.
"Was this a one time thing?" Rachel said. "Like, are we never going to hang out after today?"
"We see each other everyday. I thought you didn't like me, anyways." He said, gesturing at his hair.
"You were a prat then." She said bluntly. "And I didn't like you. But maybe you're not so bad."
"Mhmm. Here, I'll walk you to the Hall but I think the others will be back soon." Draco said absentmindedly.
"Draco?" she said.
"What, Mallory?" he sighed in exasperation, turning to face her impatiently.
"I thought you hated Gryffindors?" she grinned.
"You're getting annoying." He said resentfully.
She patted his back condescendingly. "There there, you can't help it if you're attracted to me."
"Whatever puts you to sleep at night," he rolled his eyes. "And whatever deflects you from your sex fantasies of me."
"You do have a big head." She smirked.
"And you're so insecure." Draco retorted. They were just outside the Great Hall now.
"Listen. Thanks for gracing me with your presence today. I would have been bored stiff. I know it was such a sacrifice spending time with a lowly Gryffindor such as myself, but I appreciate it. And if you're enough of a prat to want to keep this between us, I won't tell." She said, sardonically though simultaneously sincerely.
"Tell whomever you want. No one's going to believe you." Draco smirked. The sad thing was, both of them knew that was true.
"It's a sad day when you realize that no one would believe you capable of being kind to a Gryffindor for once." She rolled her eyes. He looked down at that point, giving a shrug.
"Despite anything you might say, I think you're a good person. Underneath your layer upon layer upon layer of harshness." Rachel stated. "So, was I just some charity case, today?"
"Do I look like the type who would do charity cases? I wouldn't have kept you company all day if I didn't find you bearable, now would I?" Draco sniffed, giving her a look that conveyed how he thought she was being moronic. "I'll see you around, Mallory."
She grinned. "Okay, so I have little to no back bone at this moment but I think this moment calls for it, as long as you swear not to hit me-"
"Hit you? I don't hit girls." He interjected.
"Yes, I remember." She rolled her eyes. "I could take you, in case you were thinking that it would be a vastly unfair and unbalanced fight, you'd be right because I could hurt you. Ugh, you got me off track. As I was saying, I had a good time today and you can argue all you want, you did give up Hogsmeade for me." And as he opened his mouth to snark at her, she suddenly gave him a hug. He stiffened. "This is the part where you hug me back, dick face." Draco awkwardly gave her a short pat on her back.
"Okay, get off me now…" he roughly muttered. She gave him a tight squeeze just to make him uncomfortable and then pulled back.
"See you later, Malfoy." She cheerfully chirped before walking to dinner.