The Mudblood and the Dragon

Chapter Three

"Where did my bloody owl go?" Draco roared. Hermione immediately turned away from him and blushed.

She sat on the sofa and yelled, "Accio Book!"

"Is that all you do? Read?" Draco said.

"No, usually I go to classes, talk to my friends, or snog Harry," Hermione said. She immediately blushed. "You didn't hear that."

"Oh yes I did. So, you and Potter? Very unpredictable. I would have guessed it would have been you and Weasley," Draco said.

"As you can see, none of those activities are accessible," Hermione said, ignoring his snide remarks.

Knock, Knock, Knock!

"Come in!" Hermione called sweetly.

Dumbledore walked through the door and greeted them, "Good Morning, Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy."

"Good Morning" they both muttered.

"I just came to see how you two were getting along," Dumbledore said as he glanced at each of them, sitting on opposite sides of the room. "Obviously, it could be better."

"You could say that," Draco complained.

"Well, if you want out of her, you'll have to get along," Dumbledore informed them before he left.

"THIS SUCKS!" Draco yelled. "I'm going to have to spend the rest of my life in this stupid room with a Mudblood."

"This is no picnic for me either, Malfoy!" Hermione screamed at him. "I'm tired of your complaining. I don't want any more crap from you. You are a horrible, reeking pile of dragon dung."

Hermione walked towards her trunk and opened it.

"You know, you're really quite attractive when you're angry," Draco commented.

Hermione slammed her trunk closed. "You know, you're really quite annoying when you compliment me when I'm trying to treat you like dirt."

"You're not doing a very good job at treating me like dirt," Draco informed her. "I think it's quite funny."

Hermione giggled. Draco then chuckled.

"We just laughed at the same thing. That's a big first," Hermione commented.

"We've done that loads of times."

"Name one."

"When- er, When- no, When-" Draco said, trying to name a moment. "Okay, never mind. It was just me laughing at you."

"Exactly," Hermione agreed.

Hermione pulled a novel out of her handbag.

"What are you reading?" Draco asked.

"A Walk to Remember," Hermione answered without looking up from her book.

"Muggle book?"

"Yes. It's about a preacher's daughter who has cancer; she falls in love with a guy who is the exact opposite of what her father approves of. She doesn't tell him that she has cancer though. In the end, she tells him and they get married. The summer after they get married, she dies."

"Cancer?"

"It's a Muggle disease. It can be fatal, but nowadays they can cure it. People who have had it and are cured are at risk of having a relapse. That's when the cancer comes back."

"I know what a relapse is," Draco told her. "There are wizard diseases that have relapses."

"Sorry," Hermione apologized. "Anyway, it's a great book. You really should read it."

"Well, now you've ruined it. I can't read it," Draco joked.

"Did Draco Malfoy just make a joke that didn't involve anyone's feelings getting hurt?" Hermione teased him.

"I think I did." Draco answered. "I don't think I liked it."