After the punch

10. Servant

The day after, Draco had spent most of the afternoon holed up in the Slytherin common room to work on his arithmancy homework. He had grown tired and hungry from his work and made his way up the stairs to the Great Hall for dinner. 

He was up one of the stairs and had one more to go when he saw Hermione clawing at a painting of a bowl of fruit. He admired the scene for a while before he spoke up. "If you're that hungry you can just go to the Great Hall" 

Hermione twirled around to face him. "Piss off, Malfoy, I'm trying to figure this out." 

"And what is this supposed to be?" 

"None of your business." She turned back to the painting and tried to touch it in several places. 

"It seems like you're assaulting that painting. Is this just be a weird muggle dinner tradition or are you trying to figure something out?" He asked as he walked towards the painting.

Hermione sighed, "According to my book this painting is the door to the kitchens, however I haven't figured out how to open it yet. Happy?" 

"Oh very, but why would you want to enter the kitchens when the food appears in the Great Hall anyways?" He said. As a response she shoved her S.P.E.W. badge in his face. "Should have known. Lucky for you I've heard some rumours about this painting." 

"If only you would share those rumours." Hermione said as she rolled her eyes. 

"Happily, first I have some questions about some different rumours though." He said with a smirk. 

"I'm not Harry's girlfriend." She said. 

"No that's not it. It's about Krum, everyone's convinced he only talks to you to get information about Potter for the tournament."

"That could very well be true, now how do I get in here." She asked impatiently.

Draco raised an eyebrow, "So you don't care that one of the guys almost every girl in this school is after is only using you for information? I find that hard to believe." 

"If you must know, we don't really talk about the tournament, he would get a lot more out of Ron if that was his purpose. Now where do I touch this painting?" She seemed very unbothered by his questions.

"Then what did he want to ask you yesterday?" He continued.

"Are you gonna tell me what to do with this painting or not?" 

"Patience." 

"Not that it's any of your business but he was wondering if I had a date for the yule ball yet. Now spit it out." She started getting irritated. 

Draco tickled the pear, making it giggle as it turned into a green door handle. "So he fell for your little tooth trick and asked you? You should be thanking me." 

She opened the door to the kitchens, "I haven't even given him an answer yet, but thanks for the help with the door, bye." She tried to close the door after her, but he pulled it back. 

"Now I want to know what they're hiding from us down here." He said as he followed her into the kitchen. 

The room looked like an uglier version of the Great Hall. It had the same five long tables, however it didn't look nearly as magical. Hundreds of house-elves were running around, however one of the house-elves caught his particular attention. It was wearing a weird colourful assortment of clothing, while the other house-elves were dressed in tea-towels. He immediately regretted his decision to enter this room with Hermione Granger, the founder of S.P.E.W. 

It didn't last long before he had been seen by his former servant. "Master Malfoy!" Dobby's big green eyes grew even bigger with fear as he bowed for Draco. The other house-elves all stopped to look at the scene and Hermione just shot Draco a disgusted glance. Draco felt like he wanted to disappear into the walls. 

"Malfoy, do something." Hermione whispered harshly. 

Draco took a step towards the elf, "I'm not your master anymore, remember?" He tried to explain, but Dobby was already rushing to get him some apple tarts, one of his favourite sweets. 

Within a few seconds Dobby was on his knees, offering Draco everything he remembered he had liked as a child and Draco gladly took one of them. Even though Hermione shot him a disapproving glance. 

While Draco ate his food, Hermione tried to start a conversation with Dobby, who was still running around thinking of all the things Draco might want. After a few minutes she gave up and pulled Draco along with her back through the door. 

"What was that?!" She yelled at him. "So little house-elves get to be free and you still exploit one who happens to be that lucky." 

"In my defence, he started getting me things before I even asked. It's not my fault, it's his nature." He tried to argue, with his mouth full with a Cornish pastie. 

"Just leave." She said with a face of stone. 

"But I saw some apple coffee cake, can't I just-"

"Leave." She repeated and she slammed the door in his face. 

He saw the door handle turn back into a pear and decided to make his way up to the Great Hall, maybe Dobby would realise he would go there and place some of his favourites on his table. 

---

A few days later Draco and Theodore Nott were going over their charms homework in the library.  Draco and Hermione hadn't spoken since the day in the kitchen. 

Hermione was in the library too, however she and Draco hadn't even had a second of eye-contact and she was determined to keep it that way. 

"Excuse me, Madam Pince, I was wondering if you still had a copy of Mondelwyn's Encyclopedia of Enchantments somewhere." She whispered.

Madam Pince muttered a quick spell, "I'm afraid the only copy is being used by those boys at the moment." She pointed at Draco and Theo. 

Hermione sighed as she saw the copy in a pile of books that the boys seemed to already have tossed aside. So, she went up to them, Krum following behind her.

She cleared her throat while looking at Theo, who looked up at her as if she was something he had found on the bottom of his shoes. "Hey, I was wondering if you were still using that book." She asked. 

"Actually we very much are." Draco chimed in, but Hermione ignored him (which was easily done because Viktor created a wall between them) and kept staring at Theo. 

"Apparently we're still using it." Theo said, looking back down at his book.

Hermione sighed, "I'll be over there. Could you bring it or tell me when you're done with it." 

Draco slid onto the desk past Viktor. "I don't know, I'm not your servant you know." Hermione didn't pay him any attention.

"Sure, we'll tell you when we're done." Theo said, preoccupied with his book. 

"Thank you." Hermione said and she and Viktor sat down at a different desk. 

After a while Draco came over, "Here's your book." 

"Thank you." Viktor said.

"Let me give you some advice, Granger. Go with him, even if it's just a pity invite, it's better than to go on your own." Draco said, before he walked away. After a few meters he turned back around, "Oh and make sure to bring me some of the apple coffee cake if they have some again in the kitchen" He stalked off with his friend.