Draco Malfoy was early. Actually, he was earlier than early, because he wanted to play with the room. 7pm, that gave him over half an hour to finish this.

The room was going to be perfect.

Draco's mother had taught him well. He knew precisely how to conceal and disguise traps and other dissuasions, should they become necessary. To all appearances, the room he'd built was beautiful, elegant, and sparse. He knew better than the Great Albus Dumbledore, whose rooms were perpetually cluttered with clickety-clackety trinkets. Or so his father and mother had always said. He didn't know personally, but why would they lie about something so trite?

Pansy breezed in the door, waving to someone outside, saying, "I've got some reading to do..."

Draco smirked at the sight, "Figure he'll believe you?"

Pansy snorted in a most unladylike fashion, "Of course not! He's not supposed to believe me."

"Oh, you're doing that I Can Be Smart, Let Me Show You act again, aren't you?" Draco Malfoy purred.

"Of course!" Pansy tittered. "What he doesn't know will hurt him... eventually."

They sat quietly, both reviewing contingency plans - Draco had already told Pansy what this was about, so it wasn't going to be a surprise.

Harry Potter stumbled in the door at quarter to eight, looking rumpled and disheveled as ever. "Evening, Potter," Malfoy said casually.

Harry Potter made a face, eye bulging out, eyebrow raising, pursed lips, "Nice accent, Malfoy." Draco could tell that Potter was trying to avoid saying most of the things on his mind.

"Appearances generally deceive." Draco Malfoy said smoothly - and, more importantly, mildly.

"Just so long as you remember that runs both ways," Harry Potter responded.

Draco Malfoy snorted indelicately, "What could a Gryffindor possibly be hiding?"

Harry Potter shrugged, and said, "You'd be surprised."

At this point, Hermione Granger bustled through the door, with enough books that it looked like she was hiding behind them. As the door closed, Draco Malfoy seemed to visibly brighten, "Granger!" he said, "Did you check out the whole library?"

"Just the information on goblins!" Hermione said brightly. Everyone laughed.

Draco drawled, "Then set it down and prepare for storytime!" Draco made a grande gesture, and Pansy started giggling.

Harry's cold eyes glinted green. Before Hermione could even start to look for a table (there were several), Harry's wand was at Malfoy's throat. "Apologize, bastard."

Draco Malfoy spoke in that drawl that Harry hated, "What? For what?"

"You know what," Harry growled, "everything."

Draco Malfoy started spouting, "Where I come from, a gentleman apologizes with..."

"Just apologize, now," Harry said, and Draco was rather alarmed to feel his skin start to burn.

"Alright!" Draco said, stepping away from Harry, "I'll apologize. You don't need to summon Hermes." Draco rubbed at his throat, turning to find Hermione. Harry's wand followed him, as Draco strode over to Hermione, who was setting books gently down on the table.

"Since your tosser of a friend insists," Draco Malfoy drawled, and then stopped. The rest of the people in the room waited, as Draco Malfoy abruptly got serious. "I apologize, Hermione, love of my life, Granger, for insulting you with words both mean and low. They were unworthy of you, as were my thoughts. I no longer believe a one of them, and I hope you can forgive me for hurting you so."

Hermione stared at him, and Draco wryly continued, "Now, where I come from, an apology is delivered with an equitable amount of flowers and chocolates. I'd have delivered it before now, but..."

Hermione cut him off, saying, "Boys! I don't require an apology. I require an explanation." Hermione's attention was briefly caught by Pansy, whose eyes flicked back and forth between Malfoy and Granger. Hermione heard Draco Malfoy audibly gulp, and turned her brown eyes towards him.

[a/n: Harry believes in apologies. Draco's tutelage on the subject may have been skewed by the fact that it was Lucius teaching him.

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