Title: Watching Malfoy
Author: kbk
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters are owned by JK Rowling, Bloomsbury Publishing and various other people and companies. None of whom are me. I make no money from this.
Rating: G
Summary: A discussion between Harry, Ron and Hermione - mentioned in Malfoy's Pride

The dinner hall was slowly emptying as Hermione reached it from the Library. She had become engrossed in a historical account of the land dispute between Boric the Bloody and Moric the Mild from 892 to 913, and as a result, had missed almost all of dinner.

She approached the Gryffindor table to see her two best friends discreetly staring across the Great Hall to where Draco Malfoy was moving in on a pretty Ravenclaw. "He's just... ice," muttered Harry.

"Well, yeah, but..." Ron tipped his head slightly, "he's hot."

Hermione's small gasp was covered by Harry's "mmm" of agreement.

Ron's ears, she was glad to see, were turning pink. "I didn't mean..." he faltered.

"I know," Harry interrupted. "He just has that whole... seductive evil thing going for him."

Hermione gaped at the two boys for a second before once more following their gaze across the hall. Malfoy was languidly poised, head slightly lowered with his pale eyes fixed on the girl as he talked to her... Realising that staring from her standing position was somewhat conspicuous Hermione quickly sat down next to Harry.

The boys turned and greeted her. "We were just..." Harry started to say.

"Watching Malfoy, I heard," she informed them. "You were right, Ron. He is hot." In a way, it was almost worth taking her eyes off the ice prince to watch the blush spreading across Ron's freckled features. In a way...

A tugging at her sleeve caught her attention. "Hermione, it's Draco. He's..." Harry grasped ineffectually for words.

"A fascist bully?" she questioned.

"A Malfoy," Ron intoned.

Hermione sighed in exasperation. "It's not like I have a crush on him or anything, guys. But academically speaking... definitely hot while working the seductive evil."

Ron nodded at her. "Well, academically speaking... I'd have to agree."

Harry gave another small "mmm" of approval, and settled back in his seat as the trio kept right on watching Malfoy.