New Beginnings

Challenge

Hermione was on edge, waiting for Draco's revenge. The days went by and he did...nothing. He went through his daily schedule as though she didn't exist.

Hermione found the silence disconcerting. Her sleep became unsettled. She was constantly alert.

Hermione tried insulting him to get a response, but he simply smiled blandly and continued on. She became so frustrated she wanted to shake him until his brain rattled and the answers popped out.

After two weeks, Hermione began to relax. It occurred to her that he could be juvenile enough to think that mooning then ignoring her was sufficient payback. She felt her cheeks burn at the memory.

Draco had lived in the apartment for a month when Hermione started noticing little things going wrong. She shrugged them off as bad luck, or sheer tiredness.

She would go for a shower and find Draco was already using his, leaving her with barely a trickle of water. The milk carton wouldn't have enough milk for her morning coffee. Her new jar of grounds turned out to be decaf. The book she was reading wouldn't be where she left it. She'd get to university and discover she had the wrong things.

It took a week before Hermione realised what Draco was doing.

'Two can play at this game, Malfoy,' she hissed as she sharpened her blunt quill for the third time that week.

The next morning Draco strolled out of his room, towelling his hair dry. He found Hermione curled up on the sofa reading a book. A pile of apple cores lay in a heap on the coffee table.

Draco's eyes narrowed, then he poured himself a giant bowl of Hermione's favourite cereal, using up the last of the milk.

Hermione smiled brightly and toasted him with her mug of coffee. He growled as he realised he couldn't have a cup of tea before work.

When Hermione got up to leave, double checking her bag had everything she needed, she realised she was missing a shoe.

'Give it back,' she demanded, glaring at Draco.

Draco shrugged innocently, holding her gaze as he ate her cereal.

'Please,' she snarled.

'Maybe if you'd had your own breakfast this morning, you'd know where it was.'

Draco dropped the bowl into the sink and wandered into his room. Hermione slammed the cupboards open, eventually finding her shoe in the empty drawer at the bottom of the fridge.

Cursing, she rushed out of the apartment, her shoe cold and damp.

*****

Hermione returned after dark, having stayed late in the library studying. Draco was sat on the sofa watching TV and munching an apple from the restocked bowl. He smiled pleasantly as she closed the door. Hermione's eyes narrowed.

'So, what is it you study at university?' Draco flicked the TV off and leaned forward, cocking his head at Hermione.

'You're talking to me now, eh?' Hermione slumped into a pink beanbag.

'Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer!' Draco quipped, smiling neutrally.

'Enemies? Surely we're past all that?'

'You tell me,' Draco casually tossed the apple core into the bin. 'You're the one who shoved a wand in my face the first time you saw me in four years.'