The Fallout by EveryThursday (reposted)

Eleven

Day: 1216; Hour: 4

"Thanks for the food."

He looks looked up, startled by her voice, from whatever it was he's writing. "What food?"

"That you left on the porch."

He stares blankly back at her. "I haven't the faintest idea what you're on about, Granger. I think you may have really done some damage when you hit that wall the other day."

She smiled at him, which seems to disturb him, but she let him play dumb. No one else had known she would have need of any, and if it was one of the spontaneous food drop-offs the Ministry made, they would have brought it inside. She knew it could have been no one else, but Malfoy walks too close to the side of the good to not want to seem as if he strays a bit from it as well. It isn't in his character to be the nice guy, or want to be the nice guy, so she let him think he's as horrible as he wants to believe -- at least about this. Though she's still smiling at him, which is likely grinding that whole plan to a halt.

"Don't give me that smile."

"What?"

"That..." He waves his pen at her. "That slightly deranged grin you give people to let them know you're pleased, when you really look as if you're about to murder them."

"I do not!"

"You do. I shuddered every time I saw you aiming it at Potter or the rest of your friends across the Great Hall."

"Who knew a smile could scare the big, bad Draco Malfoy."

He glowers. "I didn't say it scares me, I said it looks like you're mad."

"Which scares you."

"Trust me, Granger, it'll take a whole lot more from you then that."

Someone snorts behind her, and she finds it's Neville when he throws himself down onto the couch. "Wait until you see her excited dance."

"I do not have an excited dance." She glares.

"She does. She waves her arms about, hops around on her feet, and--"

Hermione is blushing madly. "Shut up, Neville. I do no such thing."

Malfoy looks incredibly amused. "Go on then, Granger. Show us your little dance."

"Little dance?" Lavender asks from the doorway. "Oh, Hermione, remember Fifth year, when we tried to get you to learn that striptease, like in that book Parvati bought?"

"Oh, God," Hermione whispers, looking toward the two men thoroughly interested in the new development. "Which I didn't."

"No. But you--"

"Alright, I'm hungry. Is anyone hungry? I've got to eat something. I'm feeling quite hungry." Hermione mutters rapidly, making a break for the kitchen.

"No, no, no. Let's hear about this--" Malfoy moves to grab her and she takes off at full speed from the living room, laughter echoing behind her.

Malfoy follows her down the hall, Lavender's explanation to Neville fading under the sound of their footfalls, and he grabs her before she can reach one of the open bedroom doors. She squeaks as he grips her waist, pulling her out of the doorway and turning her around. She expects more teasing, but all she gets is a quirk of a smile as he pins her to the doorframe.

"What," she breathes as he leans forward, "are you doing?"

"Stripping in the girls dorm with your roommates, Granger? Color me surprised."