Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy are problems. To Dolores Umbridge, Harry Potter is so outright and Draco Malfoy is so subtle. Potter is almost unabashed in his disrespect, in his hatred and his beliefs. He is a Gryffindor for a reason.

Draco Malfoy is a lot of things-- an ever so subtle problem, a child she wishes not to harm, a valuable connection-- but all it really means is that he's a Slytherin, through and through. He does not like her. He is never open, outspoken, loud about it. It is never voiced; only ever expressed through the slight narrowing of his eyes and clenched fist. One might argue his distaste for her is expressed through his taste for him.

Dolores Umbridge is content to ignore it, the attitude toward her and her beliefs that are undoubtedly true. She doesn't want to piss off the Malfoy's and she won't have any reason to as long as Draco's subtle protests stay subtle and his friendship with Harry Potter remind just that.

But she walks around a corridor almost three weeks after the untimely demise of Arthur Weasley, and it becomes blatant that subtlety has been thrown out the window. She sees red and she sees Harry Potter "trip" (is there anyway at all that something so preemptive could not be staged?) into the arms of Draco Malfoy. He mumbles a, "I'm sorry, if I could just," as if he will move to seperate them but Umbridge sees, for how could she not, the move of Harry's thigh in between Draco's legs--

"Seperate," she bellows followed up by a much more collected, "Seperate at once."

They stumble apart and play a good act of confusion in the face of her anger.

"Detention," Umbridge says. "For both of you. I warned you, Draco Malfoy, against disrespect and breaking rules but you found it nessecary to dismiss that--"

Draco scrunches up his eyebrows, playing the part Umbridge can see right through, "I don't get why we're getting detention, ma'am, Potter just fell--"

Anger has a beautiful way of clouding one's mind. It wiggles into every little decision and refuses to be ignored, dismissed. Perhaps it is why Dolores Umbridge recognizes the act the two are playing but does not recognize why they would have an act in the first place.

(She sees red and it blinds her from the truth. There's a carefully woven scandal here. It is not a wonder she cannot see it-- it's a blessing.)

"I have been blessed by Lady Magic," she announces. "I am a God and you will treat me as such. To question my judgement is disappointing and blasphemous. Two weeks of detention, both of you, after supper. I am not a foe to be messed with."

She turns away, a grand display, thinking about yes, that showed them. That demanded respect that she deserved. She is so, so articulate, as always.

By turning away, she missed Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy share smiles and become a not so subtle problem.