CHAPTER14

The next day Hermione woke up in a very good mood. Her owl had returned from the hunt. And she completely forgot about Malfoy, well, only for some time of course. She quickly took shower, dressed and went downstairs to get some breakfast. She took a plate, chose some food from the tables, poured some coffee and looked around for a place to sit. Every table was occupied by at least three people. But Hermione spotted a table in the back with only one person sitting there with his back to her. "Well, I don't have a choice…" she thought as she made her way through the crowd, trying not to spill anything.

"Excuse me, do you mind if I sit over there", she said in her sweetest and most polite voice.

The person turned with the sound of her voice and to her disgust Hermione realised that it was Malfoy.

"Granger…"

"Are you following me, or something?" she asked obviously angry.

Malfoy snored, "I think it's the other way around", he said calmly.

"Argh! Why should I be following YOU?" Hermione hissed.

"And why should I be following you?" Malfoy smirked back.

"You are unbelievable!" said Hermione in frustration and made her way to the other side of the table.

"What do you think your doing?" asked Draco. He didn't really like the idea of sitting with Granger.

"Duh! I am sitting down and after a moment I will be having breakfast", she said, "and I am not gonna ask your permission."

"Well, just to let you know, you are spoiling my appetite, mudblood", he said in a voice that was dripping with poison.

Hermione looked a little hurt but without looking up all she said was, "Bear with it, ferret", and she continued with her breakfast in silence. Malfoy had nothing to say in return so she felt like she won this 'breakfast battle'.

"Why is Malfoy had to be such a menace?" she wondered. Then she rolled her eyes but nobody noticed, "Duh, Hermione, he is Malfoy AND a Slytherin, that's why". She put her thoughts off him and thought what she'll do for the rest of the day. "Oh, I almost forgot! Harry's present!" And Hermione absorbed herself with thoughts, as she usually did, not noticing anything around her.

Meanwhile Draco was watching her out of the corner of his eye. "That mudblood", he thought, "Thinking too high of her self, she must know her place in the wizarding world". He took a strait glace at her and the thought about her looking good passed by his mind. "Urgh! What's up with me these days? Concerned about mudblood, thinking how she looks, and even thinking about her at all", thought Draco, "must be coming up with some sort of illness, I think I need to eat more often and spend my time on the fresh air". And as Hermione he began to make plans for the day.

Draco finished eating first and left Hermione to finish her food alone. Not that they were together! He took one last glance at her before leaving, thinking whether to say anything or leave in silence. She didn't notice anything of that, too absorbed in her own thoughts, and Draco decided on the last and just left.

He went to his room, got some money and changed into more suitable clothes. Draco was really bored and the thought that he will be staying here for a month with the mudblood for a company didn't make him jump with joy. He decided to wander around the Alley with hope of meeting someone he knew. He passed the Quality Quiddich Supplies with no interest, walked past the Weasley's joke shop with total indifference, as he passed many other shops, which would interest him any other day, the same way. Finally he came to halt by the café, in which he had seen the two Weasleys, Potter and Granger yesterday. Draco thought it was a place good enough so he decided to sit here and have some ice cream. As he sat down, he felt some one put their hands on his eyes.

"Guess who", said a bittersweet voice that Draco immediately recognized as Pansy's.

"Umm… let me think", he said with a fake thoughtfulness, "Claire, no? Leila, no again? Andrea? Lydia? Nadine?" He heard Pansy pout in displeasure and that amused him somehow. He laughed with his soft sexy laugh that made girls weak in their knees. Pansy wasn't an exception. Her grip on his eyes weakened a bit and she sighted feverishly.

"I knew that it was you from the beginning, Pansy", Draco said turning his head in her direction and smiling. "At least somebody to spend the day with", he thought and aloud he said, "So, care for a seat?"