Something Golden

40.

December 4 1996

My morning tea, the only time I'm able to relax and have a moment of peace. A peace that is interrupted by the slamming of a book down on the table followed by a fiery redhead stealing the seat directly across from me.

"Charity cases sit over there, Weaslette." I scornfully remark, pointing over at the Gryffindor table.

"What are your intentions with Hermione?" Her blunt question catching me off guard.

"My intentions with Hermione?" I reiterate as I slowly bring my cup to my mouth.

"Yes. What is the true nature of your relationship together?"

"The true nature of our relationship?"

"Stop repeating my questions back to me Malfoy!"

"Then stop asking stupid questions, Weaslette."

She gives up on her prying but doesn't leave me be entirely. Instead, she grabs a scone from the dish sat between us and bites into it as she stares me down. I think I preferred it better when her friends still believed we hated each other. They're like cockroaches, no matter how many times you stomp on them they just keep coming back and more annoying each time.

10 minutes have passed and the youngest Weasley is still eyeing me down and she's eaten the last scone. Invasive and has no manners. "Don't you have some first years to round up?" I ask. "Don't you have some second years to bully?" She challenges. "No, that's not scheduled until later this afternoon." I smirk. Weaslette rolls her eyes as her greedy fingers now snatch up the last slice of toast.

"You truly are your brother's sister." I mock.

"I know you and Hermione are dating." She admits casually. "Or at least shagging."

I blink at her. The only part of my body that I allow to react to her statement. Perhaps I misheard her.

"It was quite obvious, to me at least. She never sleeps in our dorm anymore and then all of a sudden she's forcing you, Harry and Ron to be friends? Hermione is extremely talented at many things but subtlety is not one of them. I also don't know why she thought forcing the three of you to be friends would work."

Finally, someone who has their head on straight but wait - why isn't she more upset about this? Not even a hint of opposition to Granger and I being together. Yeah, I don't trust this shit for one second. Focusing my eyes on her I break just past the surface, enough to garner me access to her thoughts but not deep enough to where she would be aware of it.

I immediately break the connection when fantasies of her and scarhead play out before me. Revolting.

"Surely you can do better than Potter." I say.

Her eyes practically pop out of her head as she chokes on the toast. "How did you-"

"Why aren't you upset?"

"About what?" She asks through a cough.

"Granger and I. You haven't even attempted to hex me which, I must admit, is unsettling."

"Because."

"Because?"

"Because," She exaggerates. "For a month or so she was miserable to be around, constantly sulking about the dorm and then one day she quite literally skipped her way in, I'm assuming that's when you two got together." The mere thought of Granger skipping out of happiness makes me smile. "Stop smiling." She demands. "It's unnerving to see you display any emotion other than anger or disgust."