Although his feelings for Hermione had drastically changed from first year, one thing remained the same. He loved to antagonize her. Now, sitting in her bath towel on her sofa,watching as her face turned fifty shades of scarlet, Draco was quite pleased with himself. "What are you doing?" she muttered, her voice dangerously low.
"I believe I'm waiting for you to begin this meeting."
Granger took a deep breath, pushed her shoulders back and marched into the little room from the kitchen. Hermione sat down and handed him his tea, bringing out a notebook with the upcoming week's agenda on it. As she began talking, Draco surveyed the room around him.
The prefects dorms were organized like little posh flats, something Hermione adored and Draco merely put up with. Hermione's dorm was drastically different from his, with framed pictures of her friends on the walls, magical and muggle. There were minor things that hinted at her house, like the moving lions head in one frame and the scarlet and gold scarf hanging by the door. Many things had yet to be unpacked, as Draco noticed the boxes in the kitchen. However, Hermione's dorm, with blue and white prints and well-loved books on the shelves, looked positively homey to Draco, a comfort he was not used to having even in his own home.
"Draco?" she asked, pulling him out of his own head. "Any thoughts?"
Draco shook his head. "Sorry?"
Hermione looked puzzled by his sudden politeness, and took a moment to answer.
"The start of term dance? On friday? We need a theme."
Draco pretended to ponder, all the while just studying Hermione's face. She seemed confused by him. He decided to carry on his joke a little farther, and with a decisive nod of his head, said, "masquerade."
To his shock and dismay, Hermione's eyes lit up. He could practically see her mind's wheels turning. "That's perfect! She exclaimed, he groaned. "No no no really! It's the start of term and so many people look different, and the first years would hardly know anyone, it's wonderful!" Groaning even louder, Draco slid lower into his seat. "Granger, that's a bloody ridiculous idea. In fact, every idea you've said tonight has been bloody ridiculous." Draco didn't know why he decided to become nasty again. He was wary of how quickly her walls crumbled before him, as if he were someone to trust, or genuinely like. He was used to keeping safe, playing girls cooly as if it were all a game of chess. However, Hermione had been too open, too trusting, and it scared him. Suddenly emboldened by his previous drink, he thought, I ought to teach her a lesson.
"Hermione, I don't know how you believe this year is going to work. But we are not friends."
She reddened. "I-"
"Not only are we not friends, but I wouldn't even consider us acquaintances. I have been forced to spend time with you because of fucking prefects work, the most boring job in the universe. So pardon me, I thought I could make things interesting with a little shag here and a song there, but I've come to the conclusion that not even a shag would be worth putting up with your incessant babbling a moment longer."
At this point, Hermione was enraged, yet, Draco thought, she strangely looked as though she were about to cry.
"I hate you," she murmured. "I thought you had changed, being pleasant to me and all. But you're the same cruel, vile little boy I slapped in third year. Now get out."
Draco stood, angrily staring down at her before pushing past her and back into his dorm. He only let his shame show as the door closed behind him.