"Support the real champion of Hogwarts!" Malfoy called, handing out 'Potter Sucks' buttons. He'd never really liked Cedric, but anyone was better than Potter. Honestly, those two losers were going to embarrass the whole school. He was surprised Diggory didn't turn and run from the dragon, Hufflepuffs weren't really known for being tough.
"Care for a button?" Malfoy asked with a smirk, stepping into Granger's path and holding out a button. She glanced down at it curiously, and when it changed from Cedric's face to 'Potter Sucks' she snatched the pin out of Draco's hand and threw it out the open window. Draco couldn't help but smile as she stormed off.
"I could tell you stories about your father that would curl even your greasy hair boy! It doesn't end here!" Mad-eye screamed after Draco as he ran.
Draco cursed, how dare he? A fucking professor, using transfiguration on a student! And who was he to tell Draco about his own father? He didn't have a clue. Not a fucking clue! As if Draco didn't know the shit Lucius has done, half of it to his own son! Lucius Malfoy would have set Potter on fire, Draco was only going to throw him in the air with an Alarte Ascendare.
Draco tried to remember if Granger was in the crowd that watched him get turned into a ferret and jerked around. She always acted so poised and perfect, he hated looking stupid in front of her. He replayed her falling off her broom in his head again, and it made him feel a little better.
Draco picked up a newspaper, and saw Rita Skeeter's newest bullshit. "Miss Granger a plain but ambitious girl seems to be developing a taste for famous wizards. Her latest prey sources report is none other than the Bulgarian bon-bon Viktor Krum. No word yet on how Harry Potter's taking this latest emotional blow."
Please, Granger and Krum? About as likely as her and Potter. She may be dumb enough to be friends with the idiot, but Malfoy was sure she'd never date Potter. He was far too stupid. She needed someone who could challenge her.
And Krum could go out with any girl in the three schools, a bitchy bookworm with bad hair? Not bloody likely.
"Viktor's gone to get drinks. Care to join us?" Hermione asked Ron and Padma.
"No, we'd not care to join you and Viktor," Ron huffed.
"What's got your wand in a knot?"
"You're fraternising with the enemy."
"The enemy? Who was it wanting his autograph?" Hermione retorted. Ron shifted uncomfortably, "Besides, the whole point of the tournament is international magical cooperation."
"He's obviously just using you," Ron grumbled.
"That's what you think?" Hermione asked angrily, cursing herself silently when her voice broke.
"Yeah that is what I think."
"Because there's no way he could genuinely like me, right? Right Ron? Why would anyone ever like the obnoxious, crazy, prudish know-it-all?" Hermione yelled, using only some of the awful things Ron had said to her in the past. She never stood up for herself, because she wanted so badly to have friends, but if this was how friendship felt she wanted no part in it. She turned her back on Ron, and ran out of the ballroom.
Malfoy clenched his fists and glared at the red-headed half-wit, and turned back to Pansy. She was babbling on about Lavender Brown's scowl deepened, and despite himself, he glanced at the door Granger had run out of. He looked back at Pansy, and decided he'd rather hang out with a fucking muggleborn than with her.
He found Hermione sitting on a bench by a window, her knees tucked up to her chest and her face buried in her hands. Quiet sobs shook her body. Draco immediately regretted his decision, and was about to turn around and get away from this pathetic scene, but Hermione must have heard him, and she looked up.
"Leave me alone Malfoy," she sobbed.
Draco didn't move. He bit his lip, his brain warring with itself about how to respond. In the end, instead of telling her how pathetic she looked, he said, "Ron Weasley is a fucking twat."
"Leave me alone Malfoy!" Hermione yelled again, burying her face back in her hands.
Draco just got angrier, "Merlin, I thought you were meant to be smart! Why do you let that weasel affect you like this? He is the dumbest fucking tosser to ever walk these halls, nothing he says fucking matters! Pull yourself together and go fucking dance."
"I'll just look like a fool," Hermione cried into her hands, "the loser who actually thought someone like Viktor Krum would want to go out with me."
"Are you bloody kidding me?" Draco asked. He looked around to make sure they were alone, and silently cursed himself for what he was about to say, "the moment you walked into the hall, every eye was on you. Not because you looked like a fool, because you looked…" Hermione looked up hesitantly. Draco noticed the way the tears made her puffy brown eyes glisten, and the soft trails they left on her dark skin. "Agh! Fuck Granger, you're clever and brave and when you finally pulled that bush you call hair back so that people could see your face they realized you're pretty too. So go back to the fucking dance and show Weasley how bloody wrong he was."
Malfoy turned and stormed away. He didn't want to look at Granger's face another second. The way her eyes widened when he was speaking, the way her big, soft lips parted slightly in surprise, it was too much. She made him so bloody angry. How could such a clever girl be so stupid? And why did she hang out with such idiots? She may be a fucking muggle-born, but she was still better than Potter and the weasel. She made his blood fucking boil.
Still better than dancing with Pansy though.