A/N: Draco's words are in italics and he's talking with Blaise.
"I heard about you and that girl."
"Uh…."
"Yeah. Got anything to say about it?"
"Should I?"
"I don't know. She's a freak. You hate her."
"You hate her."
"So we both hate her."
"No."
"No?"
"You heard me. I don't hate her. You can."
"I hate her. You're supposed to. You do."
"I don't."
"What did she do to you?"
"Nothing. She didn't do anything."
"Right. I'll believe that."
"She doesn't want to love me anymore than I want to love her."
"So there's love now?"
"What did you think?"
"I think you're just telling her that. Toying with her mind cause of that body."
"Do you really? Or are you just trying to make yourself believe that?"
"Don't make this hard."
"You're the one who cares too much."
"So she loves you, huh?"
"Something like that."
"You've got her wrapped round your little finger, don't you?"
"If that's what you want to believe."
"It's what I know."
"It's what you think you know."
"I'm telling you you've gotta stop looking at her like that."
"Like what?"
"Like some love-sick puppy. It's disgusting, and I'm trying to eat."
"Live with it. I love her, remember?"
"You're sick."
"You hate her for nothing."
"You used to. What happened?"
"I just stopped caring. Because I love her."
"You're killing me with that word."
"I know. I used to be like you too, remember? It used to kill me too."
"It's like a dagger, driving into my heart."
"You don't have a heart."
"Good point."
"Why do you bother talking to me if you hate me?"
"I don't hate you. I hate her. And the idea of her and you. Together."
"Jealous?"
"Of who?"
"Her."
"Don't be more disgusting than you already are. You know I don't go for that."
"Whatever. I talk to you because I'm supposed to. Why do I do that?"
"Why don't you rebel?"
"Don't mock me. I have my own forms of rebellion. Remember those?"
"Why are we always asking if we remember things now?"
"Because we've changed."
"You changed. You are in the past. At least the you who I was friends with."
"We don't have friends."
"Clearly we have lovers though."
"You noticed?"
"It's hard not to."
"She's going to sit with us. At dinner."
"You're insane. They'll eat her alive."
"'They'll' ?"
"Them."
"Aren't you included in this anymore?"
"In the hate? No, I'm all about the love."
"You're so witty."
"You're so sarcastic."
"You'll talk to her, right?"
"What are friends for?"
"How many times do I have to tell you….?"
At Dinner: Draco, Hermione, Blaise, Pansy.
D-So….
H-Aren't awkward silences fun?
D-Sarcasm will not go over well.
B-Oh contraire, we Slytherins appreciate sarcasm to the highest degree.
D- What are you doing Zabini?
B-What you asked me to do.
D- Did I ask you to charm my girlfriend?
H-I am right here.
P- Draco….
D-Pansy….
P-Blaise….
B-Pansy, dearest, you finally learned my name! To H: See, I told you we had a thing for sarcasm.
P-Blaise…
D-Zabini! Shut up!
H- Stud muffin, don't get too riled up.
All Slytherins within earshot drop their utensils. Hermione holds back laughter. Draco looks livid and amused all at once. Blaise is most definitely amused. Pansy is confused.
D- Whatever.
H-You promised me….
D- Sorry.
B-As cute as that was….
D- It was disturbing?
B-Exactly the word I was looking for!
H- Draco…
D- Well, it was disturbing the first time you used it. It's disturbing now.
H-I told you we needed pet names.
B-Is that a girl thing, or is it just me?
D- Major girl thing.
P-Well, I've always called Blaise Cuddle Bug.
Hermione and Draco looked shocked, and then stifle laughter. Blaise continues to looked shocked.
B- When did you start calling me that!
P-When we started dating, cuddle bug.
B-Hon, half the time you can't remember my name!
P-Which is why we use pet names
B-I'm not dating you!
P-Really? Oh. Must have been someone else then….
H-Are they always like that?
D-Well, actually, it's usually worse. You see, Blaise is actually madly in love with and attracted to Pansy, but he won't admit his feelings for the sake of this particular daily ritual.
H-I see.
B-Shut up, Malfoy. And your little slut too.
D-Someone's in a bad mood.
H- This is the part where you defend me.
D- Oh, really?
H-Sarcasm isn't one of your finer points….
D-I always thought it was.
H-No, stud muffin, your finer points include those abs, and that nose, and that adorable smirk, not to mention-
B-I lost my appetite.
H-Easiest way of getting revenge.
D-I knew you weren't serious.
H-I'm not that sickening
B-I beg to differ.
H- Don't bother
D- We could go on and on about each other-
H-For hours and hours
D- Do you want us to, Blaise?
B-Spare me, Drakie dearest.
H-That's my pet name for him!
B-I thought it was stud muffin. Lengthy pause. Yeah, it does sound pretty weird when I say it.
Energetic nods from around the table.
D-Do not ever use that name again.
H-Ever ever. Ever. It was….
D-Highly disturbing?
H-The way I see it, you think everything is highly disturbing
D-Only when it's coming out of your mouth
B-I know you don't want me to interfere, but that probably wasn't the best thing to say
H-He's smarter than you look, Draco
D-Hey!
B-This is where you apologize….
H-Any moment now…
D-Sorry. That's not how I meant it.
This time, the entire Great Hall falls silent. Draco Malfoy SO did not just apologize, did he?
D-You've ruined my reputation
B-Ah, the price of young love
H-Don't get me started on you and Pansy…
B-I take it back! I take it back!
H-Much better