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Draco in wasting his time in Flourish and Blotts, upstairs in the back section where the texts on experimental hexes has always caught his eye. He runs his finger along the spine of one text, a perpetually bored expression on his face.
Hermione has been searching for a particular text for the last half hour. Luckily her parents are busy in muggle London and aren't going to meet her until later this afternoon. All afternoon to spend in the bookstore, does it get any better than this?? Smiling to herself, she decides to check upstairs in the hopes that the book of defensive spells she's after might be up there. Noticing you down one aisle, she grimaces and moves in the opposite direction, hoping you'll leave soon.
Draco sighs, glaring at the shelf of books before his eyes settle on one that looks passably interesting. He runs his finger across it, Malédictions Romantiques by Vindictus Viridian. "Hrm." The sound both bored and resigned, he takes the book from the shelf and glances over the cover, aware that someone has come up the stairs, but not particularly interested.
Glancing at the signs above the shelves, it quickly becomes clear to Hermione that she's in the wrong section. She'd be willing to bet anything that the book she wants is near him. Damn. She bites her lip, wavering for a moment about what to do. I'm not going to let him control what I can and can't do, she thinks indignantly, straightening her spine. With a nod to herself, she heads over towards the section you're in, looking at the signs for the appropriate section. She was determined not to look at you, but can't help the wary little glances she's sending your way every so often. Her heart sinks as she realises that you are in fact in the section she needs to look in.
For his part, Draco is completely unaware of her milling about, glancing thru the book he's holding quickly and scanning thru the French. Why would they title a book about defensive curses that way? He makes a rather disgusted face thinking about it, flipping thru to the only chapter which sounds interesting and begging to read. There are also many dark magicks which prey upon the romantic notions of the victim.... He smirks. That, at least, sounds promising.
With a little sigh, Hermione walks over to stand beside you, ignoring you, or at least, doing a damn good impression of ignoring you, as she scans the shelves looking for the book she wants. It's not there. She suddenly knows exactly where the book is and briefly closes her eyes, wondering what on earth she did to deserve this and then glances across at the title at the top of the page you're reading. Yep. That's it alright. I'm not going to ask for it, I'm not going to ask for it, she chants silently and scans the shelves for another book that might compare to the one you're holding.
You've finally moved a bit too close for Draco to continue ignoring you, but he is by no means startled by your presence. He finishes the page, closing the book and looking up. Seeing your familiar, if not welcome, profile at his side, he turns. "Granger. What a surprise." Distaste practically dripping from the words.
Hermione glances up at you, inwardly cursing your height advantage. "Malfoy," she greets cordially, if a little coldly and returns to her perusal of the shelves. She is determined not to ask you for anything, even just a book. Her fingers trail along the spines of several books and she eventually pulls out one that is a pale imitation of the book you're still holding. Put the book down and go, she commands silently, hoping that on some level you'll hear her plea and leave.
Draco smirks, raising an eyebrow at the book you take from the shelf and noting it's similarity to the one in his hand. I wonder. He snorts softly and takes a step away from the shelf, seemingly to let you continue searching them if you need to, idly opening the book in his hand to a random page and glancing down at it. "The Gryffindor church mouse... I suppose I should have been expecting you if I was around the bookstore long enough." His cultured voice like ice cold water - smooth but bitter. "Have you read Vindictus?"
Hermione flicks through the book she's holding, annoyed to no end that it's not anywhere near as good as the one she was really after. Perhaps they can order it for me, she considers, snapping the book shut. Rolling her eyes at the church mouse remark, she turns to you. "No, not yet. Is it any good?" Why am I asking him that? Who cares what he thinks? Just go downstairs and order the book and go do something else. Anything else. "What are you doing here anyway? I would have thought you'd have better things to do with your time."
Amused, Draco looks up from the page and over at you, watching you put the book back onto the shelf. "It could be passable..." His tone mocking. "And my mother's being fitted for a new robe, I thought I would enrich myself." Why the bloody hell is she asking? She should have scampered away by now. "And yourself? I suppose your parents are... Oh, no. I suppose they're on the other side, aren't they?"
"So what if they are?" Hermione challenges, her eyes narrowed as she fixes her gaze on you. "You know, if you don't want to be tarnished by spending time with a muggleborn, then you could always leave..." She's not going to back down, not now that you've brought her muggle heritage into it.
"Always so quick to anger, Granger? Honestly, you usually seem so level-headed." He chuckles and shrugs, drawing himself to his full height and closing the book. He looks relaxed, comfortable in his skin - and he's smirking right down at you, catching your eyes. "I don't think my reputation could be tarnished by chatting with you in a bookshop."
Hermione is just as comfortable in her own skin. Usually. But you seem to have a way of getting under her skin and making her decidedly uncomfortable. And she just hates that you've grown so much that you can literally look down on her now. "I'm not angry," she replies, deliberately keeping her tone light as she gazes up at you. "I'm merely wondering why you persist in thinking that blood matters. I would have thought you'd grown out of that by now."
He snorts softly, still smirking. "Tsk, tsk. People 'grow out of' things of which they should be ashamed. Pulling hair, carving their names into desks... My family and the pride we have in our blood is nothing to grow out of." He shrugs again, dismissively, then chuckles. "Always wonderful to hear that you've been wondering about me, of course."
"I haven't given you a thought until I saw you today," Hermione replies, her eyes flashing indignantly. "Unlike those Slytherin girls you have following you about, some of us have standards."
"Following me about? Pansy, you mean? Honestly..." He sighs dramatically, then returns to his natural smirk, amused at your expression - the venom you're trying to lace it with. "Standards? Spending all your time with Potter and Weasley? Tell me, have they noticed you exist yet? Aside from asking your help with homework?" His voice dropping lower. Standards, please!
Your obvious amusement is getting to Hermione and she takes the tiniest step back, beginning to feel a bit crowded by your presence. "I should have known you'd bring Harry and Ron into it. They know I exist, and for a lot more than homework. We're friends. I'm sure you've heard of the concept before. Perhaps you read about it somewhere." She's getting defensive and she knows it, but you appear to have that effect on her.
Draco watches you step back and chuckles, raising an eyebrow slightly at you. "What's wrong, Granger? I hit a nerve? Potter and the Weasel a sore spot for you? Upset that you'll never make it into their duo any closer than the fringe? That they're like brothers and you're the outsider watching them?" His lips curl into what could be a smile. "Oh yes, I know what friends are."
Hermione's frown deepens with every question you ask, each one something she's wondered over the years but always dismissed as ridiculous. "You don't know what you're talking about," she replies firmly. "If you knew what friends are, then you'd know that the three of us are friends and that's all there is to it." She's just itching to wipe that smirk off your face as she stares up at you, biting her lip distractedly
Draco snorts softly. "Friends are liabilities, Granger. That's all." He takes a step forward, standing nearly toe to toe with you and looking down threateningly, then he chuckles and holds up the book. "You wanted this?" Pressing it into your hand and the turning - heading down the stairs without looking back.
Hermione swallows, her defiant gaze locked on yours as your look turns threatening. She is too startled to speak as you thrust the book into her hand, blinking as you turn to leave. What just happened here? she wonders as she watches you leave the bookstore. Frowning a little, she wanders downstairs to pay for the book, still turning over the conversation in her mind.
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