After the punch

6. Badges

"Take it back."

"I don't think I will." Hermione said, not turning around towards the voice. "Even if I did, it wouldn't change anything. I was right and you know it." She continued.

Draco breathed heavily, "You're such a stupid, ugly, know-it-all, mudblood."

"Oh and you're perfect, respectful, intelligent and considerate, right?" Hermione bit back.

Draco was a little bit taken aback, but still confident. "At least I'm not a mudblood." He scoffed.

"You're saying that as if your family has a good reputation." Hermione stated and turned around towards the Slytherin.

Draco's expression hardened, "Leave my family out of this." He spat.

"That's rich! Coming from the person whose only comeback seems to be my family." She snapped back.

"I have other comebacks." He retorted exasperatedly.

"Good for you. Now I have to go. So if you have anything interesting to say do it now, because I'm leaving."

Draco forced his smug smile onto his face. "Running away from an argument? Where's that Gryffindor bravery?" He asked.

Hermione's jaw clenched for a second. "I'm not afraid. I just think this is a waste of my time and I don't enjoy being in your presence." She stated.

Draco's eyes narrowed, "I don't exactly enjoy being in your presence either."

"Alright. In that case it seems like it would be a good thing if I just left right now. So we can both be without the other." She said, turning around, leaving behind an infuriated Malfoy.

---

"Always here."

"Shove off, Malfoy."

Hermione sat at a desk in the library, a book in front of her nose, a box full of S.P.E.W. badges occupying the chair next to hers.

Draco was looking through the books, searching for a potions book.

"I know you spend more time in this library than the rest of the school combined, but the entire school is allowed to come here and read these books." He said, his gaze still on the books.

Hermione sighed, "Just don't talk to me."

Draco ignored her request and came over to her, "What are those?" He pointed at the badges.

"Badges, for S.P.E.W. which is short for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare." She explained.

A sneer appeared on Draco's face. "Can I take one?"

"And why would you want that?" She asked, still staring at her book.

Draco shrugged, "I just want one, so can I take one? It doesn't seem like you're gonna run out."

"Two sickles." She noted.

"You charge people for those things? No wonder you can't get rid of them." He said, but after receiving a quick irritated glance from Hermione, he continued. "You're lucky I'm rich." He got two sickles from his pocket and dropped them in front of her on the desk. His hand reached into the box and grabbed one of the badges, putting it in his pocket.

Hermione quirked an eyebrow, "What's the point if you're not gonna wear it?"

"You'll see." Draco smirked and he walked back to the bookcase, took out one of the books and left the library.

"You're supposed to notify Madam Pince about the books you borrow!" She screamed after him, receiving a glance from the librarian. "He took Celtic potions and concoctions from an unknown writer." She reported. Madam Pince thanked her politely and they both got back to their prior pursuits.

---

The next day Hermione hadn't seen Draco do anything with badges, so she assumed he had forgotten about it, but the day after that she realised she had been wrong.

The Potter Stinks badges were shining on the chest of every Slytherin present. He had used her badge as an example on how they had to turn out, the same colour of green in the background.

"Really witty." Hermione remarked, aggravated by the use of her idea.

This clearly amused Draco. "Want one, Granger?" He held a badge out to her. "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see, don't want a Mudblood sliming it up." He smirked.

But Hermione didn't have time to pay attention to him. Harry had reached for his wand. "Harry!" She said warningly.

Before she knew it hexes were being cast and she was hit by one Malfoy had fired. As a result, her front teeth, which had already always been bucked, started growing. She felt them, they reached her chin by now and she let out a terrified cry.

A second later Snape had arrived and she had been forced to show him the aftereffect of the curse, only to be met with "I see no difference." as a response. Tears trailed down her face and she ran, no idea whereto, maybe the hospital wing? Yes, that seemed like the right option, Madam Pomfrey would help her. So she kept running.

---

That night Draco went to the library, hoping to find Hermione. He didn't feel bad, he was simply curious to see if her teeth had been restored to their former state. And even though she wasn't there, he stuck around, making his Potions homework. It had to be done sometime anyways, so why not do it now in a place where he could actually concentrate.

After working for over an hour he had finally finished the assignment, an essay of 6 inches on potions that influence your appearance. He got up, placing the books he had used back in the bookcases and moving towards the entrance, when suddenly he saw someone with very bushy hair sitting at a desk in a dark corner.

"Granger." He said, but he didn't receive a response, so he walked up to her. "Granger." He repeated. But once he was in a 2 meter range of her, he heard a slight sniffle. "Thanks for the idea for the badge. You can have this back if you want though, I don't really have a use for it anymore." He got the badge out of his pocket, but still no response. "You do realise that hex wasn't meant to hit you, right?" He asked in a cold tone.

"Yes. It was an accident that the hex that grows teeth landed on the girl with buckteeth." A brittle voice replied.

Draco shrugged. "Believe whatever you want. Do you want this badge back or not?" He asked, hiding any empathy that could possibly be found in his voice.

"Keep it. I have enough." She spoke again, her back still to him.

She heard Draco mutter something and the badge landed in front of her.

"I just said I have enough." She used her wand to float it back to him.

Draco shrugged, "You don't have any of these. Bye Granger." He quickly left, before she could give it back to him.

Hermione inspected the badge, a tear fell down onto it and with little pressure she brushed it off. As result of the pressure the text on the badge changed into 'Parkinson is a pug-faced wanker.' This made Hermione chuckle. She wiped away her last tears, replaced the badge she was wearing with Draco's (changing the text back into the normal one), packed her bag and went back to her dorm, where she fell asleep with no more tears trailing down her cheeks.