After the punch

8. "You have a problem."

"I said ow!" Draco exclaimed, receiving a snort from Hermione. "What's so funny?"

Hermione put down her book again and turned to Draco. "You're just so desperate for attention."  She chuckled at his offended look.

"I am not desperate, my father will hear about this, Granger!" He screamed defensively.

"You always say that, I'm starting to get a little worried about your father. How does he get any work done? With all those stories of yours he must always be listening or reading." Hermione shot his a fake sympathetic look.

Draco came closer to her, bowed down a bit and looked at her eyes, which were only a few inches from his. "You're lucky if I don't tell my father about this. I don't think his response would be very positive or harmless towards you." He whispered.

But his threat wasn't received as he had hoped, she wasn't intimidated at all, she just teased him again, "So would you include the fact that your face came very close to that of a muggle born? Isn't that considered 'disgusting' or 'filthy' or something?" She said.

"I would think it's a little early to tell my family about any romantic pursuits." Draco said.

Hermione shot him a disgusted look, "If you call this a romantic pursuit, I advice you to adjust your methods. Besides, I'll have to disappoint you, I'm not interested. You may have forgotten about this, but I despise you and I'm not in need of a relationship, with anyone." She explained. 

Draco took a small step back, "I'm not interested in you either, Granger. But with the 'hanging out' with Krum, I doubt that you're not looking for a relationship." 

Her eyes rolled slightly, "Or maybe Krum just likes hanging out with someone who isn't gawking at him the entire time, just because he's famous." 

"You keep telling yourself that, you really are just a naive little bookworm." He chuckled smugly. 

"And you're just a self-absorbed prick." Hermione smiled. 

Draco reminded himself of his plan with Pansy and stepped closer to Hermione again, trying to think of something to at least leave her thinking of him. Then he got an idea. "Sure I am, Granger. He walked past her letting his hand brush past hers. He knew that it didn't matter how someone feels about someone, whenever there's a light touch like that, a tingling feeling would shoot through her arm and that was enough to make her wonder. Well that's what he thought. 

"Wingardium Leviosa." Suddenly a book hit the back of his head. 

"You should really stop hurting people, Granger." He groaned, rubbing the back of his head and turning towards her again. 

Hermione shot him a death stare, "And you have to learn to keep your hands to yourself." 

"I didn't fucking touch you woman." He mumbled under his breath. But another book hit him this time a lot harder right on his nose, making it bleed. "Would you stop that?!" 

"Suck it up. Evanesco." And with a flick of her wand, the blood had disappeared. "And don't call me 'woman' in the future." She said.

"Why? Would you rather have me call you mine?" Draco smirked. 

Hermione pointed her wand at Draco, "Don't even dare." 

"If I ever need help devastating Parkinson I won't ask for your help. Even though you still owe me, I warned you remember?" Draco smirked. 

Hermione chuckled, "I would be more than happy to help you devastate Parkinson, but I don't think you'd come to me for help." 

"True, but seeing that I would rather be with a Gryffindor, mudblood and bookworm, than her would have more effect than any other girl. And no more hitting me with books!" Draco exclaimed. 

Hermione sighed, "That wouldn't only devastate her, I think the entire school, including me, would be pretty devastated and I make no promises." 

"You're acting like it would be worse for you than it would be for me?" Draco said, making his way towards her again, seeing as he wasn't going anywhere. 

"Because it would be, people would understand that you were just having fun, that's not the case for me." Hermione explained. 

Draco shot her a flirty smile, "What if I wasn't just having fun?" He slowly raised his hand and reached out to Hermione's hair. She shot him a stern look, but his look convinced her and he put a strand of hair behind her ear. "You could use some sleekeazy's though." 

"Okay get your hand out of there." Hermione said, after which her mouth stayed slightly open, but Draco didn't spot her signature buckteeth shining between her lips. 

"Show me your teeth." He said, receiving a confused and disgusted look of Hermione's. "Oh just show me." 

"Why?" She asked, receiving a sigh from Draco, he lifted her upper lip slightly with his thumb, revealing an even set of teeth, no more long teeth in the front. "What are you doing?!" Hermione screamed.

"Your teeth." He stated. 

"Oh shut up, yes I let Madam Pomfrey stop with the shrinking a bit later so my teeth wouldn't be bucked anymore. It's not a big deal, why are you even paying that much attention to my teeth?" She asked. 

He looked back up at her eyes and took a step back. "It looks better." For a second he forgot who he was standing there with and took a step closer again, bowing down slightly. 

"What do you think you're doing, Malfoy?" Hermione asked suspiciously. 

Draco shot her a somewhat loving look, making her even more confused but less obstinate. He braided his fingers into her hair and pulled her slightly upwards. He could feel her breath on his skin and couldn't help but pull her into a soft kiss. 

"Mate, wake up."  

Draco opened his eyes, with a slight smile on his face. But groaned at the sight of Blaise's face. He replayed the events of last night in his head, remembering that he had simply left after Hermione had told him to never call her woman again. 

"Good dreams?" Blaise asked at the sight of Draco's smile. 

"Mhm." Draco replied sleepily. 

"Who's the girl?" Blaise chuckled, leaving Draco's bedside to fix his hair. 

Draco groaned again and pulled himself up, leaving him to sit in his bed. Finally a bit more awake he frowned, "There's no girl, what the hell gave you that idea?" He asked, offendedly. 

"You don't get that smile from anything else. So tell me." Blaise said, still focused on his hair. 

"Can you hand me those trousers?" Draco asked, trying to change the topic. 

"If you tell me who's got you swooning over them?" Blaise tried.

"Parkinson, now hand em to me." He lied, but he saw on Blaise's face that he didn't believe it at all. "Just some Ravenclaw." He lied again. 

"Try again, or those trousers get ripped apart." Blaise said. 

Draco groaned again, "Okay, okay, but this doesn't mean anything. I dreamed of..." He stopped. 

"Spit it out!" Blaise pressured. 

"I dreamed of Granger, okay?" Draco said, burying his face in his hands in frustration. 

Blaise laughed, "You have a problem." 

"I know!" Draco sighed, "And I have a stupid plan with Pansy because of that article about Potter." 

"You're doomed, here are all your clothes, you deserve it." 

"Wow thanks."