Draco Malfoy hadn't been near enough to catch the argument, but he'd seen Potter pretty clearly stalking after Weasley. With any luck, Weasel would be dead by morning. Draco Malfoy wasn't lucky, however, so he doubted it. Hermione, of course, had darted out of the room, Krum sparing only long enough to glare at Weasley. That would be enough, Draco knew, to give her a substantial lead, however.

Draco Malfoy, instead, looked out the window. There was Granger, fleeing past the walled gardens and out into the night, headed in some way towards the Black Lake. No, probably that large rock nearby.

Draco started chanting a spell as he left the room, confident that Pansy was so busy talking with Daphne and Tori that she wouldn't notice he'd gone until later. The spell was a fogger, coaxing up wisps of fog from the ground, and coaxing them cloudier and cloudier, until the entire grounds was wrapped in it.

Ha. Let Krum find his way through that.

As Draco went out the postern gate of the gardens, he clearly heard Krum being accosted by some Hufflepuffs. Well and good, if he insulted them, they'd cry a river, with him looking awkward the entire time.

Draco didn't go to the boulder, instead finding some flat stones nearby, starting to chuck them into the water.

"Hey, you might hurt the Giant Squid!" Hermione said crossly.

"Unlikely," Draco drawled, "Only if I manage to hit its eye."

"Just stop it already!" Hermione said, "And leave me alone!"

"I hear there are werewolves and other dangers around here..." Draco Malfoy said in a singsong manner, "You might have reason to want me to stay."

"You are one of the dangers, Malfoy!" Hermione hissed.

"I know." Draco Malfoy smirked. "So was it Potter or Weasley who set you off?" Draco mentally gave himself a point for not using crude nicknames.

"Why would I tell you?" Hermione Granger said.

"I've never figured out how to turn my curiosity off, did you know?" Draco Malfoy said, choosing to speak obliquely, "Suppose I won't be leaving until it's satisfied."

"Ronald, if you must know," Hermione growled out through gritted teeth. Draco far preferred her angry to upset. Angry seemed... natural.

"The nincompoop isn't worth your time." Draco Malfoy said, smirking.

Hermione Granger had stood on the boulder, making her quite significantly taller than Draco Malfoy, "If you're for one moment making a crack about his family's monetary situation..." she thundered.

"Not at all," Draco Malfoy cut in smoothly. "As a Malfoy and a Slytherin, I recognize that there are many methods to worthiness, if we do tend to discount Gryffindor bravery."

Hermione Granger was looking at him, half her brow furrowed.

"If he hasn't realized he's in the wrong, and come out to apologize - even with Potter about ready to wring his neck until his eyes turn purple..." Draco Malfoy shrugged, "Emotional range of a thimble, I think you said?"

"Teaspoon." Hermione Granger said, not giving an inch. Not that Draco'd expected her to.

"I like thimble better." Draco Malfoy said snottily.

Hermione Granger snorted at him. It was positively unladylike.

[a/n: Hey, I finally got around to writing a song for Nobody Ever Asked My Birthday. Read the fic, you'll like it. And write reviews!]