Draco Malfoy cocked his head, as if he was thinking about something ... unusual. "Do you still have blackmail on the Daily Prophet's most prized reporter?"

Hermione's jaw dropped, and she said nothing.

Draco Malfoy grinned brightly, "Ha! I win! Speechless, she is!"

His grin played to a crowd that... wasn't there. Hermione knew because she looked around, half convinced that he was about to pull a Candid Camera, except with disillusioned Slytherins. "How... how did you know? We didn't tell anyone!"

Draco Malfoy's eyes sparkled - sharp like diamonds, not a warm twinkle like Dumbledore's, "Now, that," He said, eating another bite of pizza, "Was something I didn't know." With a warm smile, he continued, "You were too personal in your dictums."

"Personal?" Hermione bristled.

"Potter, Weasley, Yourself," Malfoy said complacently, and Hermione subsided. "If I were you, I'd have put more people on the list - at least Dumbledore." Malfoy eyed her with a knowing look, "You know Potter would have added Dumbledore."

Hermione, still quite bristly, asked, "How did you know?"

"As you suspected, I had been feeding scurrilous lies to her." Malfoy said calmly.

"You admit it!" Hermione said, grinning. "You actually admit it!"

Malfoy yawned, "Slytherins tend to be quite proud of their plots, and this one's been over for simply ages."

Hermione smiled, lacing her fingers together as she watched him.

"I tried to pay her fifty galleons to publish something... moderately offensive." Draco Malfoy said. "When she didn't bite, I knew she'd been bought."

"Bought?" Hermione said, "I'd never -"

"I know," Draco said, "I know. And I eventually realized that."

"As it so happens, I do still have the same information, and it has the same usefulness."

Draco Malfoy smiled like a fox, "Then I suggest we begin our charm offensive with Rita Skeeter."

"What? Why?" Hermione asked, too intrigued to sound properly cross.

"She's the best writer in the business, even more so when she's not embroidering everything with false controversy." Draco said, "We need her on our side. Willingly, this time."

"She hates me," Hermione said. "How is this going to work?"

"I'll handle it." Draco Malfoy said complacently, "Those lessons in negotiating have to have some benefit you know."

Hermione looked at him, and Draco Malfoy had the creeping feeling that she'd be taking notes.

[a/n: Thank you so much for the reviews! Draco's definitely of the opinion that Hermione drinks white vinegar without wincing. He's more about honey, himself.]