Hermione mock shuddered. "I had no idea I looked like that!"

Connor scoffed inside. "You have the worst evil smile of us all, Hermy!"

Her face darkened then. "Don't call me that," she grumbled.

"Can't hear you~!" He sing-songed. 

Then someone else took an interest in them. That wasn't too unexpected, seeing as how they were peeking into their own cabin from the outside. But it just had to be Clarisse, didn't it? The slightly older girl was not at all nice. It was common sense not to get on her bad side. So when she spoke to them, Hermione tensed. She turned with Paul to face her. Then Clarisse stepped closer and Hermione stiffened against the impulse to shrink down. She forced her expression to stay blank. However, she was not the target today.

When Paul glanced at her, Hermione frowned deeply. Then she watched, slack-mouthed, as the situation imploded. She actually [b]gasped[/b] when Paul told her he wasn't interested. Clarisse's face turned PURPLE. Then she challenged him and stormed off. Hermione and Connor stared. 

Connor recovered first, standing up and moving to the window. He looked after the Ares girl and glared. "What a jerk!" He gripped the project and shook it in her direction. "I outta use this on her first!" 

Hermione's head jerked toward him and she hit the window, making the glass rattle. "Don't make it worse for him!" She scowled. Then she turned her angry face on Paul and put her hands on her hips. She continued looking at him for a moment. Then she stepped up to him--much as Clarisse had done--and jabbed a finger into his chest. She looked up into his face sternly. "You," she said harshly, "Are going to [i]destroy[/i] her." Then she raised an eyebrow and cocked her head. Yes?