"Can I help you, Potter?"

Trials, Challenges, and Kisses

"Draco, you're out of your mind! You can't refuse to go to the trial!" Hermione exclaimed. Harry expected a negative reaction from the moment Draco began to explain why he was still present at Hogwarts that morning. He'd known in advance about Draco's reluctancy to go, since Draco had explained the entire reason he didn't want to and how his father had gone about getting him out of it.
Apparently it was possible to get people out of that sort of thing when you're stupid rich, even if you're as particularly 'disliked' as Lucius Malfoy.

"Well, I have. So that's that." Draco replied airily, pulling out his Potions text book from his satchel. "Besides, it's completely obvious how it'll go. The prosecution will simply state the facts of the curse and incident, defence will make the individuals clear - explain the circumstance, prosecution will deny relevance of circumstance etcetera, etcetera, Tansy will have a minors sentence in Azkaban for who-cares-how-long." He explained, not sounding interested. All the while, his eyes were fixed on the book on the table in front of him.

Hermione closed her own book in annoyance.
"Draco! The cruciatus curse is an unforgivable curse for a reason! She deserves a proper trial, a proper victim present at the trial and a proper sentence!" Hermione stated. Every time the incident was brought up: she'd get very frustrated about the whole thing.

Harry and Draco had shared multiple conversations over what'd happened, but Draco was fairly reserved about the matter. Especially the 'vengeance for her parents' aspect.
Even so, Harry had come to understand that Draco had it in his head that in some way he deserved it. Harry always argued otherwise, saying no one deserved it, to which Draco would respond: 'Precisely my point'.
To Harry, that didn't make the slightest bit of sense - but Draco wouldn't allow the conversation to go any further.

"Hermione, for Merlin's sake, just let it be! I do not wish to go and that is that!" Draco snapped. Quietening, Hermione folded her arms, scowling and murmuring to herself about how 'unfair' the whole thing was. "Women... Honestly..." Draco muttered with a roll of his eyes.

Whilst, Harry couldn't help but smirk a little at his comment, and Ron snigger a bit: Hermione didn't appreciate it at all.
"Women? What is that supposed to mean?" She questioned, her eyes burning and her mouth tight in a frown. Upon seeing that Hermione wasn't happy, Ron's smile dropped, and he instead looked concerned.

"Honestly?" He questioned, arching one brow. "Whatever you want it to mean."
After having to defend his unwillingness to go to court, Draco was clearly in a testy  mood...

"Whatever I-... Apologise. Right now." Hermione ordered. Similarly, the discussion of the court hearing had gotten Hermione equally ready for a disagreement...

"No." Draco scoffed. Harry could sense he was going to turn it into something it wasn't... Draco was fantastic, truly he was, but he loved to be challenged - which wasn't great for Hermione, who loved to challenge. Harry reckoned it was at least the fourth time they'd butted heads that week, and it was rarely over anything really important.

"I deserve an apology, Draco." Hermione emphasised, crossing her arms once more.

"Well," Draco started, his voice dripping with self-righteousness and arrogance, "You're not getting one. At least, not from me."

"That is it! I am sick and tired of you constantly being so uppity and downright disagreeable!" Hermione exclaimed, standing up suddenly.
Draco calmly placed both of his hands on the table. He was smiling softly, but it had a sort of cruel or mocking edge to it. Looking up at her, he encouraged her to go on.
"I know why you're doing it, too. You're prickly about the court hearing, because you know I'm right. You know you should be there, giving a proper statement." She added.