Partners

Part Four: Passing Weeks

He had grown accustomed to eating very little. If it wasn't able to be stuffed in his front pocket with one swipe from the end of the nearest table- it didn't enter his stomach.

So for the passed four weeks, Draco had been strictly living on green apples and water he produced from the tip of his wand.

It wasn't that he was starving himself.

He honestly just dreaded the thought of going into that damn Great Hall to be gossiped over and pointed at and slung horrible comments while he dreamt of enjoying a quiet meal. So all he had to do was manage to levitate one apple from the table a day and run like Hell to the nearest hallway to consume it. He felt like a rat in the kitchen.

Trying to avoid being seen so that he could simply survive another day.

He had no fight left in him. Doing his duties as Head Boy was hard enough. No one listened to him. He had no authority over anyone and at the end of everyday, he was too tired and too frustrated to even stand up, let alone go to each prefect and ask if there were any issues he should report.

Besides, he knew the school was under great watch- with Hermione being Head Girl.

She never missed a beat and even still after a month of classes- she still has  the nerve to ask to be his partner and every time, he turns her away the nicest he can.

Which lately hasn't been very nice considering he's hungry and that makes him absolutely angry.

What makes him even more angry is the fact that she still does so with that stupid smile on her face and that twinkle in her eye. It infuriates him when she strides right up to him and offers to be his partner.

Why can't she take a hint?!

And everyday in Runes class, she has to sit by him, which only causes more eyes to fall on them and more comments to be slung.

And no matter how many times he tries to convince the daft Professor Babbling- she never budges in letting him move seats.

Yesterday, was the last straw as they bumped into each other in the hallway after leaving the prefects lounge to discuss the Halloween Dance.

"Malfoy- wait up!" Hermione calls to him as he continues towards his room. She's been trying. Trying so hard to just be a friend to him and he just keeps pushing her aside.

"What Granger? What could you possibly want now?!" He bites- his stomach painfully growling.

"I just...I wanted to ask you why you're never in the Great Hall for meals." It's become concerning to her. She knows that one grows immensely weak the more they starve themselves and Draco seems to have already lost at least ten pounds since he arrived at school. He nearly appears to be a skeleton. Normally she would mind her own business, but lately, the pang of worry has only grown.

"Just leave me be, Granger."

"Why are you being such a prat?! I'm just trying to be nice."

"Well don't!" He takes off and then turns sharply back towards her- reminding himself to nip the problem in the butt before it gets even more out of hand. "And another thing- you need to stop asking to be my partner in classes."

Determining it's because of who she is, she gets in his face.

"Excuse me for just trying to be nice. One would think you'd be more appreciative considering you have no friends left in this school. Then again- no friends is better than one filthy Mudblood, I guess." She starts taking off and Draco goes to her.

"I didn't say that, Granger!" He growls loudly and she scoffs and keeps going. The anger growing even larger inside her.

"And you didn't have too. I know you Malfoy. It must really kill you inside having to not only work with me as Head Boy, but reside in the same classes and school as an ugly, annoying, know it all — filthy little Mudblood!" She uses his words against him and he feels worse. "And don't feel you have to go out of your way to remind me of this either."