Draco Malfoy

11th December 1999

Hermione could almost see her mouth falling in his cool grey eyes. She composed herself, slightly glad he hadn’t heard Ginny’s adjective for him and muttered under her breath, “I should have guessed.”

Hermione was going to explain what it was she had to do when she was interrupted by the commentators on their loudspeaker announcing the arrival of each player and their position, she just decided to remain silent, hoping that he would guess as they were heading towards the centre of the pitch. The captains appeared from their respective changing rooms to a jubilant crowd.

From Hermione’s experience, they would shake hands and then zoom up into the air. From the corner of her eye, she could see Ginny, who looked so surprised she may have fallen off her broom without warning. Maybe she was not so cynical of Hermione’s usage of the word, ‘friend’ now.

The referee strode on, and spoke with the captains who nodded. Hermione turned back to Draco who was staring at something transfixed in the air. Hermione turned back to the captains who shook hands briefly and then took to their brooms. Just as they were to take off, Hermione noticed the referee say something else and looked over in her direction. The captains looked at her, turned back to the referee and nodded. The captain for the Ballycastle Bats winked at her before taking his place in the air. One of the coaches (who she assumed was the opposing teams') looked at the Bludgers and released them. Hermione shuddered. She had seen what an aimed Bludger could do. Then the Golden Snitch was released. She watched it glimmer, hoping to see watch it for the entirety of the game, but it was gone and out of sight as soon as it could be.

“… and levitating the Quaffle into play is Miss Hermione Granger, famous for her…”

Hermione forced herself not to listen. Famous for her involvement in the Second Wizarding War. Had she not been on the ‘winning’ side, would she be worshipped like a deity? She hated her ‘accolades’. So she had been involved with the Second Wizarding War, she’d rather it have never happened. In fact, her accolades would be more worthy if she had saved a life or prevented people dying. Being the ‘nation’s sweetheart’ wasn’t going to bring Fred back.

Hermione shook her head to get away from her thoughts, and walked over towards the coaches, and hoping Malfoy would be following her or something. Her shoes sank a little into the ground as she did so. She smiled as she pointed her wand at the Quaffle and said clearly, “Wingardium Leviosa”

It rose into the air, slowly, and perfectly, like the feather in that first-year Charms class. It stopped at chest-height for the Chasers, ready for the referee’s whistle. Hermione kept her wand pointed at the Quaffle. A whistle rang out. A fumble. A grab.

The game had started.

Draco smiled with the exuberance of a child and watched the dangling feet and billowing robes of Finbar Quigley from the field of the pitch. He wasright there, flying almost directly above him. If Draco had shouted, Quigley would still be able to hear him over the din of the crowded stadium.

And then in really sank in. He was standing on the field of B. H. Griffiths Stadium in front of thousands of people. He suddenly felt as though a million eyes were boring into his skin, digging into his pores like parasites, burrowing deep. He stared up into the stands, and a thousand thousand faces glared back down at him, their cheeks red with cold or else painted with the colors of their team.

He was on trial here, in the chair with hulking chains rattling against stone as they wrapped tight around his arms, holding him there in the presence of so many glaring enemies.

All of these people hated him. They all wanted him to go to Azkaban for the rest of his life. Every cheer became a shout of anger. Every laugh became a taunt.

What had he been thinking?

Draco's eyes found the back of Granger's head. He took stock of the referee and the captains speaking a little ways off.

He backed away a few paces then turned and ran back through the portal that had lead them to the field. Down the dim passage Draco went. He stepped over the velvet rope, and started toward the box seats.

Though he'd only been in B. H. Griffiths Stadium once before, Draco's feet seemed to know their way up staircases and down deserted halls full of the echoed noise of so many excited voices. As if from everywhere at once, Draco heard the speech praising "Miss Hermione Granger", heroine, national darling, etc. etc.. Then there was the whistle and roar of the crowd that signaled the beginning of the game. He kept walking.

The top box, which held over fifty prime seats, was deserted went he entered. He crossed to the very front row, to the seat farthest from the door, and sat down with his arms on the railing. He leaned his head against the partition on his right and tried to focus on the gameplay happening directly in front of him, but he couldn't.

"...Quaffle into play is Miss Hermione Granger, famous for her involvement in the Second Wizarding War..."

Of course that was true. "Miss Hermione Granger" was famous for her role alongside Weaseldee and Potterdum in the Second Wizarding War. That's why he'd wanted her help in the first place, wanted to stand in her shadow and let the press take pictures of them smiling together, wanted to restore some good will to the name of Malfoy in the days before his trial. That was the whole point of being at the Quidditch game where he now sat staring blindly at the players as they zoomed left and right through the air before his eyes.

And he'd been an idiot and run away because the ideas of so many people looking down on him and thinking thoughts about him at once was just... unbearable. He couldn't let himself feel that vulnerable. He wasn't ready to be a willing spectacle of the Wizarding world.

Besides, for Draco, trying to make nice to theProphetwas like watching a troll do ballet. It wasn't going to be graceful, and more than likely someone was going to get seriously injured. Draco Malfoy didn't "make nice". It wasn't his style.

It was like the commentator said, "Miss Granger is a valiant victor of several key battles during the War and played a decisive role in the defeat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his Death Eaters."

Granger was a "victor", one who preside over Draco's "defeat". Using her fame to buy the favor of the public was hypocrisy on a grand scale. It was a wonder she'd agreed to do it in the first place.

There had to be some other way.

Someone scored, and the deafening boos and cheers filled the stadium, rousing Draco from his thoughts. He glanced at the scoreboard. Already twenty to naught with the Harpies in the lead.

Griffiths, the Chaser for the Harpies who'd just scored, was smiling as her teammates raced around her. As soon as someone threw her the Quaffle, however, and almost too fast for Draco to see, she'd been knocked clean off her broom by a Buldger. Griffiths plummeted down toward the field to the screams and gasps from the crowd, and she was only just caught by Gwenog Jones before they toppled together off of Jones' broom and into the cold, hard earth.

Draco had forgotten Jones would be playing. She had to be the sexiest woman on the planet, standing up a little shakily even as Griffiths lay in a huddled heap behind her, mud and grass stains streaking her uniform. She wiped blood from her nose with the back of her hand and made a beeline for the referee who'd just landed a few yards away. It couldn't have been hotter if it'd been in slow motion.

He tore his gaze away from Jones and looked around for the Bats player he knew to be the culprit. He found Quigley hovering on his broom near the Bats goalposts, knocking bats with Joey Jenkins, a new transfer from the Chudley Cannons. Jenkins had severely injured the Bats' Chaser Ebberhoff during a playoff game back in 1999, and though Draco had often heard it reported that no one on the team got on with Jenkins, he and Quigley seemed like brothers in arms. They both had that manic gleam in their eyes and a penchant for ruthlessly creative destruction. Draco hadn't seen them play together before, but it was clear that they were a terrifying combination.

They were only minutes in. This was going to be a good game.

Draco smiled in spite of himself and watched as a replacement Chaser for Griffiths took her place in the air. Gameplay resumed, and he was completely absorbed, pushing aside any thoughts that didn't involve the Quidditch game in front of him.

#IC asks #Draco Malfoy #things I like

What is something you like about yourself that doesn't have anything to do with your looks or wealth?

11th December 1999

Hermione stammered her way through her words, trying to form a coherent sentence. Finally, something compelled her to show the tickets in her hand.

“We-er… my friend almost couldn’t get these tickets,” Hermione said, “Some arrogant millionaire bought out all the seats in the box.”

She couldn’t read his expression as she carried on steadily directing them to the security guard who was checking the tickets. Unfortunately, the man was gawping at her as if she was a zoo animal. She couldn’t wait to have their tickets scrutinised and hurry along.

“Oh, and er… Malfoy, I owe my friend a favour, and I hope you don’t mind considering it’s rather… erm, public.”

"Public is good," Draco said as Granger steered him past the stairs to the box seats and along a narrow corridor marked:

TO FIELD AUTHORIZED WIZARDS ONLY BEYOND THIS POINT

The security wizard at the entrance of the corridor unclipped a velvet rope to let them by, both smiling at Granger and scowling at Draco as they passed, which was, to Draco's mind, pretty impressive.

It was true that Draco had endeavored to stay out of the limelight for a year and a half. It was natural for him to be a little nervous. He stuffed his hands into his trousers pockets and tried to stare straight forward to the arch at the other end of the passageway, a bright spot of green fast approaching.

Their strategy hadn't even been tested yet. Draco didn't know if it would even work. What if they got out onto the field and everyone saw him with Granger and they booed?

Calm down. Everything is going to go smoothly. This is a good plan. Draco nearly cringed at admitting yet again that Granger's plan might be a good one. But he was here, wasn't he? That was confession enough.

And he was glad to see that Granger was taking this whole publicity thing seriously, even if they appeared to be heading straight for the Quidditch field. He decided not to ask what business Granger could possibly have where they were going. Whatever she was doing for her "friend" had nothing to do with him. He was here for the photo op and Finbar Quigley.

Quigley.

Maybe he would be on the pitch already!

No, that's ridiculous. He'd be in the changing rooms with the rest of the team. Still, the prospect of seeing Quigley up close, maybe even speaking to him, lifted Draco's spirits considerably. He almost forgave Granger for making him wait so long.

Almost.

Draco leaned toward her as they passed through the portal at the other side, their feet sinking pleasantly into the grass. "And that 'arrogant millionaire' you were on about? That was me."

#ic paras #dramione

11th December 1999

Hermione felt rather odd standing in the middle of a small corridor, dodging out of people’s way, answering questions as to why she was there and just the general question of whether or not she was Hermione Granger.

“No, I’m not,” she said firmly to the startled witch, “Sorry.”

She disliked it when people recognised her out of the street, stopped to say hello, and get an autograph with. She wasn’t Gilderoy Lockhart, obsessively hunting for fame and publicity shots, despite what everyone, up to and including Malfoy, thought. The woman scurried away, off to do some important job for the game. Hermione looked around and saw the odd curtain open slightly and a head pop out. Every time it happened, she lurched a little in that direction in vain hope that it was Ginny who was coming out of the room.

She didn’t know what was taking her friend so long, either, Ginny had told her to wait in the corridor after meeting her by the entrance for the players and taking her inside and she was taking her merry time retrieving the tickets. She fidgeted, biting her thumbnail. She could only imagine the wrath she was going to face for keeping a Malfoy waiting.

Finally, her friend was jogging down the corridor and stopped just in front of her. Her face was flushed, and she ran a shaky hand through her hair. With her other hand she was holding onto two tickets.

“Sorry about that, some tosser went and bought every seat in the box, near enough,” Ginny said, slightly out of breath. “I could barely get my hands on these two, and Harry and Ron are fuming that they’re missing the game.”

“Who would buy every seat in the box?” Hermione asked incredulously.

“I don’t know who it was, but I bet they’re some bellend millionaire that substitutes handing out misery for… -” Ginny stopped mid-sentence at the sight of Hermione’s expression. “Anyway, any clues for this male companion you’re bringing?”

Ginny’s eyes were lit up, in anticipation for the gossip that she had been expecting the moment Hermione asked for the tickets.

“We’re friends, so none of that,” Hermione said sharply, but then felt guilty at the harshness of her tone. After all, Ginny didn’t have to give her the tickets. “But, thank you. For the tickets.”

She made to turn away but then Ginny called for her.

“Yes?”

“There’s another thing…” Ginny looked at the floor, “Our coach wants you to release a Ball into the game.”

“As in… Bludgers?”

“Oh no,” Ginny answered immediately, “No. Bludgers are for the opposing coach to release - it’s a ‘making sure we’ve not tampered with anything’ procedure - you’d only be levitating the Quaffle into play.”

“Oh,” Hermione said, “I-er…”

She did owe Ginny a favour, even if she didn’t want to draw attention to herself.

“Fine.” Good luck explaining that to Malfoy. “Look, I have to go… can’t keep my friend, waiting.”

Ginny grinned, an unbelieving smile, then she stopped. “Oh! There’s going to be an after party right here with all the players. You should come. With your friend.” Ginny was now mocking her of her labelling.

‘Friend’ was being kind to Malfoy. If anything, he was… a client for whom she was trying to win a case. After that, it was a simple going back to ignoring the other existed. Realising she was keeping Malfoy waiting for a rather long time, she offered her good luck to Ginny and ran out of the tent to meet Malfoy right next to the ticket office.

Draco stood off to the side of the steady stream of people flowing through the entrance to B. H. Griffiths Stadium, home of the Holyhead Harpies. He tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible, leaning against a pillar, staring off away from the crowd toward the shiny white peak of Snowdon mountain, which reflected the crisp sunlight still shining from the horizon. Evening had just begun to fall, and the day was turning colder. Draco rolled his shoulders forward and crossed his arms, huddling in for warmth.

He could cast a warming charm, of course, but he didn't want to call any attention to himself. He'd been all but ignored for the thirty minutes he'd been impatiently waiting for Granger to show up with the tickets. Only one very plain girl had approached him to try and get a look at his sour face.

"You're Draco Malfoy," she'd said. Her bright purple robes annoyed him. He glowered at her. "Hello? I'm talking to you!"

Draco had continued to stare in the opposite direction. Eventually she'd left, muttering insults under her breath.

It was always a singularly disappointing occurrence for the girls who so inexplicably admired him to actually meet him. He tried not to encourage their enthusiasm which was, after all, totally misplaced. Most of the time, whether in fan mail or in person, Draco did not take advantage of his unusual notoriety. It felt wrong, somehow, though Draco wasn't sure where he got that idea. Support was support, and he shouldn't alienate those sympathetic to his cause.

It's just that they were so creepy.

"'Scuse me," said a gravelly voice. Draco blinked and turned to face a man in security robes. "May I help you find your— Blimey! You're Draco Malfoy!"

"Yes," said Draco. "I know." The hand folded closest to his body groped as subtly as it could for his wand. If this guard decided to take out his dislike of the Malfoy name of Draco—and it wouldn't be the first time if he did—Draco want to be able to at least defend himself.

But the security wizard seemed calm enough, though perhaps a bit off-put by Draco's reply. "You'll be wanting to find your seat the, Mr. Malfoy," said the wizard with a sniff. His bright red nose clashed with his orange hair, reminding Draco of the Weasleys.

He sneered. "'Sir' will do, if you please, and I can't 'find my seat' at present. I am waiting for someone."

"Well, sir," said the guard, the pitch of his voice rising as his patience plummeted, "You'll have to wait somewhere else. We can't have people loiterin' about the ticket booth. Safety precautions and all that."

"I see." Draco uncrossed his arms, his wand hidden up his sleeve. He didn't want to fight and he didn't want to move. He played the highest card he could think of, feeling sick at what he'd been reduced to. "That is unfortunate," he said with an air of resignation, "because I'm meeting Hermione Granger to watch the match, and we agreed we'd find each other here in front of the ticket booth."

The man looked as thought Draco had struck him with a tire iron. "Hermione Granger?!"

"That is correct."

"I—you—but—"

Draco sighed. "Yes, my thoughts exactly, but there you are."

"Well," the security wizard stuttered. "Well—"

"Would you consent, then, to allow me to wait here for her?"

"You—I—Oh, alright! But I'll be right over there," said the guard, jabbing his gloved finger across the entrance way to the security kiosk.

"I feel safer already," said Draco flatly.

"Right," said the man, eying Draco as though he didn't believe a word of it, but he walked away just the same. Draco folded his arms again, but he didn't slip his wand back into his robes.

A little while later, giggles erupted nearby Draco and he turned, startled, to see three school age girls, fourth-years maybe, stealing glances at him from under the watchful eye of a very disapproving-looking woman.

Don't worry, lady, Draco thought. Your girls are totally safe from me. It's the other way 'round that is usually the problem.

He didn't speak; he just looked away again.

The sun was setting through the mountains and the line of spectators had thinned to a mere trickle of stragglers before Granger deigned to show up.

Draco couldn't help himself. He looked over at the security kiosk and raised his eyebrows ever-so-slightly at the guard now ogling them in utter disbelief.

Maybe having Granger around wouldn't be such a pain in the arse after all, he thought, then he remembered that he'd been standing outside of the stadium for so long that his joints felt numb with cold.

"Where have you been?" he said, his expression stiff with the effort of not shouting at her. "I've been waiting out here for nearly an hour!"

6th December 1999

Hermione watched as the Galleons hit the surface of the table. It took Hermione a while to realise he was inadvertently paying for her drink. Hermione didn’t like that, although it seemed ridiculous on her part, but she didn’t need Malfoy the millionaire to pay for a cup of five Sickle coffee. She went into her purse and adamantly went into her purse to retrieve the money and placed it next to her cup with a tip. Although less generous than Malfoy’s tip, it meant more to her to stand her own group.

She stood up and met Malfoy’s expression which was unreadable, but she suspected that he was probably thinking she was ungrateful. Or far too stubborn.

Far be it from Princess Granger to let someone pay for her drink when good manners were very clear on the point that, as he invited her to get the coffee, he should be the one to pay for it. Not that he expected her to know anything about good manners. Those, as far as he was aware, did not exist in Granger's world.

At least she'd had the sense to stand up. Small mercies.

Draco stuck out his hand in the space between them, preparing to once again feel her skin on his. A most unwelcome prospect, but one which had to be endured in order to make their deal official. When she didn't move, he glanced down at his waiting hand and said, "You shake it, Granger."

OOC: New Theme

omg you don't like it oh I know new things are so confusing!

If you can't find something or if you see that something isn't working, message me.

#ooc posts

6th December 1999

Hermione gulped. She couldn’t exactly say it was because Ginny was giving her the tickets… and Merlin forbid if Ginny thought Malfoy was a suitable male companion… Hermione bit her lip.

“Er…well, I know a person… and well, you know how much I hate not knowing things so I thought I might start to understand Quidditch.”

She just hoped that her explanation was good enough.

"Right, right," Draco said with no small measure of distraction. She was hiding something, but as this was a Quidditch game and not some state secret, etc., he didn't pry. Whatever it was, he would... deal with it when the time came. For now, he was going to see Quigley with Granger. That was the plan.

And it would continue to be the plan barring being asked to hula on the pitch or snog Granger for a press photographer or something equally ridiculous.

Draco stuck his hand into his robes and withdrew a few Galleons. He stood up, tossing them on the table, and waited for her to stand as well.

Decorum dictated that a deal struck must end in a handshake or an Unbreakable Vow. He wasn't about to bind himself to Granger via magic, so his word would have to do for the present. And one didn't shake hands on a deal while sitting across a table in a coffee shop. The least he could do was stand.

6th December 1999

Considering that she was only able to secure Quidditch tickets from one team, she had to think back to the last time she spoke to Ginny. The getting them was easy, she was always offering her tickets to games - in vain hope that Hermione would ask along a male friend to accompany her - and she often talked in detail about what position she was playing (apparently the team had her on rotation depending on the other team, about if she would be playing Seeker or Chaser).

“Holyhead Harpies…” Hermione started, as she knew that much, now she had to remember what Ginny had said within moaning about Harry.

“They have me playing Seeker because I’m rather nimble, the Ballycastle Bats have a good Beater that they think I could outfly.”

“… and the Ballycastle Bats.”

Draco felt a jolt of excitement charge through him at the mention of the Ballycastle Bats and thought that maybe this wouldn't be a completely bollocksed up social experiment after all.

The Ballycastle Bats weren't his favourite team—that honour went to the Appleby Arrows—but the Bats had something no other team had: Finbar Quigley, Draco's favourite player. As far as Draco was concerned, ever since he was seven years old and had been introduced to Quigley at one of his parents' parties, he was hands-down the best Beater in the world. Draco had idolised him for over a decade, watching with rapt attention when he'd played for the Irish National Quidditch Team back in the 1994 Quidditch World Cup, cheering louder than anyone else when he'd broken Krum's nose during the match with a well aimed Bludger. He'd followed Quigley's career obsessively. He went to every Ballycastle Bats match that he had time to attend.

Quigley was a bolt of lightning on the Quidditch pitch. He was ruthless. He dove straight through thick of gameplay, taking out the competition like pawns in a game of Wizard's Chess. He took the daring shots, flying like a madman. He had a gift for the impossible. He always got his man. It was poetry in flight.

The best Beater in the world.

There was no way Draco was going to turn down a chance to see Quigley in action again, even if it was with Granger. Maybe he'd even get to meet him again.

Draco's stomach churned with anticipation at the thought.

He could get tickets himself. He could just go without her, say no, divest himself of Granger's presence and enjoy the game. But that would defeat the purpose of being seen together somewhere public, and when would such an agreeable opportunity present itself again? A Quidditch game was pretty perfect.

And he'd been going to Quidditch matches alone for a year now. It was Granger, but it was another human being. Maybe if she got too annoying he could just focus on Quigley and the game and all would be well.

Now, how was he going to make her think he was agreeing reluctantly?

"I—" Draco hid his mounting glee under a mask of glowering indecision. "Um—Oh, alright. Alright. I'll go to the Quidditch game. But... why are you going in the first place? You know nothing at all about Quidditch."

6th December 1999

Shit! was her first thought, which was followed by the less crude, oh, brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

Anything, anything, she suggested would be shot down, just like anything that Malfoy suggested she’d most likely grimace at. There had to be some common ground… somewhere.

She stared at him long and hard, trying to deduce what he liked… Well, he liked tormenting her but there was probably more to him than name-calling… “Er… Probably a Quidditch match?” Her voice trailed off to a squeak, and still in a sort-of squeaky tone, “I know someone who can probably get us tickets.”

Draco cheered up the slightest little bit. If her first attempt at choosing an activity was a Quidditch game despite her incredibly abbreviated understanding of the sport, then perhaps there was hope for her yet.

A Quidditch game was public; it was safe. He knew Quidditch. He would, at least, be comfortable in a stadium surrounded by fans, even if he was with her.

But, of course, the game had to be right. Draco wasn't going to go to just any old Quidditch match. And the game this weekend was...

"Tickets to which match?"

6th December 1999

Hermione was surprised by how Malfoy had considered it and have given an amber light on her idea. It was better than how Bliswick had treated her ideas.

Of course, he looked completely uncomfortable with the idea, and was probably seconds away from rejecting it completely. He looked defeated, almost frustrated that this was his only option.

“Look,” Hermione countered, trying to… sort of, empathise with his feelings considering he was probably foraging for a way to keep his dignity, “Let’s say we try this idea for a week and if the media decide they still hate you, maybe we can think of something… that would suit your tastes.”

A week? That was a long time.

Well, considering he had just told her he might do it for months, a one-week trial period didn't sound like a bad idea.

He still hadn't agreed. He still wasn't ready to put a yes to anything quite yet.

Draco didn't relish the idea of giving his free evenings and weekends over to the hands of the most boring, twatty person in the world, but what other choice was there? This was the best plan anyone had come up with. The fact that it was Granger's idea both irked him because he hadn't thought of it and absolved him of all responsibility should things not go well.

And why should things not go well?

They were both responsible adults, or at least he was and she might be. They could handle being civil in the public eye.

Draco thought of the scene they'd made in Quality Quidditch Supplies. Well, the scene that he'd made. And further back to their encounter at the 1994 Quidditch World Cup and even further to Flourish and Blotts on the day that Lockhart had been signing copies of his new (and last) book.

He didn't behave well around her. He'd never had a reason to.

Now he did. Maybe.

If he agreed. Which he hadn't.

Not yet.

But, if he did agree, then he would have to make an effort to play the gracious friend.

If such a thing was possible in regards to Granger. And he wasn't sure it was.

Draco unfolded his hands and lay them flat on the table in front of him, and a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes spread across his face. "But what are you and I going to do? Where will you take me to show me off to the public?"

6th December 1999

“I’m suggesting… more or less, being friends… in front of the media. Behind closed doors you can tell me how disgusting I am, and whatnot,” Hermione said slowly, “Nothing romantic, because Pansy would love that.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

“As you say, I am the current media darling, surely in the eyes of the media, I can’t be too bad, even if my blood status be…rather, unfavourable.”

"That is impossible," Draco said at once, finally managing to look away from her, recoiling from the very idea. How could she think it? How could she actually say it out loud?

It was ridiculous.

It was ridiculous... right?

Right. Effing stupid idea. It would never work. He couldn't be seen in public with her, at least not anywhere he cared about. The Leaky Cauldron or Borrengee’s were one thing, but somewhere where society might see him? Somewhere where the media would be encouraged to catch them hanging out together?

It could not be permitted.

Could it?

No.

Well. Wait.

Maybe he was letting his pride get the better of him.

Maybe Granger had a point. If Witch Weekly was idiotic enough to believe Pansy's blatant lies about him, then maybe they were idiotic enough to believe that he and Granger could be friends. Out of nowhere.

Stranger things had happened. Right?

Wrong.

This was stupid. It was stupid to entertain the idea that he and Granger might pretend to be friends from the sake of his public image. He would rather eat dragon dung that spit on eighteen years of living his core beliefs, on hundreds of years of family history, on common decency!

Look where those things have got you, said a little voice in his head. Look what all of your high-minded idealism has gotten you.

He could make an exception. Just until the trial was over. He could pretend for that long, couldn't he? For the sake of his freedom, for his honour?

Even though she was repugnant. Even though he could hardly be in the same room with her. Even though her very presence frayed his last nerve. Even though she was nothing to him.

He could slum it for a few months.

He needed her help. Anything was worth a shot. If this was the best plan Granger could devise, it was still better than anything he'd come up with so far.

"Wait," he said, and even as he spoke he couldn't believe that he could actually be entertaining Granger's suggestion. The next word took so much effort to say aloud that Draco felt the strain of it in the muscles of his stomach, in the tenseness of his shoulders. He stared down at the table with a grimace on his face.

"Maybe."