The compliments did surprise him - not because Draco didn't believe them to be true, but because Pansy actually said it, after everything. He was well aware of her hostility, afterall; she'd made it clear enough. When she smiled at him like that, though, Draco momentarily forget about it. It was almost like old times.
He smirked and leaned over the table, his fingertips lacing together. "Hmm, yes. But that's hardly the best part." He took a particularly wilted hinalu plant and begin plucking the leaves, rubbing them between his fingers to stir the poison inside. "I like watching the way the ingredients react together... especially when it's never been tested before. It's always interesting to see if the results are explosive." Draco shrugged. The reddish poison made his fingertips tingle, but it wasn't toxic to humans - so it mattered little.