Absolute Gravity

Chapter One: Time of Change

A/N: So this isn't my first story, but it is on this account and the first I've written since early 2011/late 2010. Soo yeah. Don't be too harsh, please. And I do realise this chapter does not have a lot of dialogue but bear with, it isn't always like this. Promise.

PLEASE READ: The war never happened in this story, Peter was captured in their third year, Sirius set free and the Ministry found where the vulnerable Voldemort was hiding.

Disclaimer: My name isn't JK Rowling. 'Nuff said.

Draco remembered the first time he saw Hermione Granger. He'd walked behind her as they were marched up to the Sorting Hat and he he'd thought to himself, "Dear Merlin, you could suffocate someone in that hair." Then her name was called out and he saw her face. Now her face was a different matter altogether. She wasn't stunning or beautiful, she wasn't even pretty; she was cute but you could see the potential she had to be all of those things. When she was sorted into Gryffindor and him in Slytherin, a small part of him was sad to think he would not have a part in helping to achieve all of those things.

He watched her for the first few days of lessons, he was horrified to find she was muggle-born and even further so when he found she knew more than him. See, she wasn't smarter than him, she just knew more. He could easily answer all the questions she could if he'd also bothered to read all of his text books over the summer but he'd assumed he had no need to, that through his private tutoring he'd automatically be top of the year. But he didn't mind much, it gave him a challenge. He was already out-doing Potter, why not the Granger girl?

Yet as the weeks went by he found himself infuriated at how hard it was becoming to get the best of her. She seemed positively oblivious to his efforts, which angered him even more. A muggle-born girl shouldn't be this good at magic, it shouldn't look so effortless and natural because it wasn't. So when Halloween night came, Draco noticed, faster than anyone on the Gryffindor table, that she was missing. Then when it was revealed a troll was in the dungeons after his dissolved a had a weird feeling that he should do something. He knew she didn't know there was a troll and that she could be killed. Something in his gut was telling him he should go and find her or at least tell someone. But by the time he'd made his mind up to go and help, he was already in his common room. So he shrugged it off. "I'm sure she'll be fine," he had assured himself. Yet he couldn't sleep that night.

When he joined the Slytherin table the next morning fury bubbled in the pit of his stomach when he heard what had happened in his absence. Potter and his redheaded accomplice had gone and saved Granger. He had been angrily stabbing his sausage when Pansy told him the story. That had been his idea! He was meant to save Granger! His annoyance increased as the trio strode to the Gryffindor table, laughing and chatting. It seemed like taking down a troll together was a sort of bonding thing.

He scowled, mudblood or not, she deserved more worthy friends than those two buffoons. How did someone with that level intelligence and determination end up friends with them. Hadn't Weasley been the reason she was in those bathroom crying her eyes out?! Draco sighed and calmly assured himself this friendship couldn't possibly last longer than a week.

How wrong he was.

Granger, Potter and Weasley seemed to be inseparable, even if Granger and the Weasley bickered constantly. It absolutely boggled Draco but when December rolled around and nothing had changed he gave up on her. She wasn't even worth his wondering and respect. She'd been lucky to get ahead of him but he swore to himself he'd never let it happen again. He'd make her realise he was a force to be reckoned with.

The summer before her seventh year Hermione spent the beginning of her holidays with Viktor Krum. She wasted the days lying in the tall grasses under the blazing sun as he placed lazy kisses along her neck. It was beautiful there and she felt so at ease… She never wanted to leave his house (or should she say bloody castle) in Bulgaria for the crazy, unsettled life in the Burrow. She was lucky she supposed, that Viktor was also invited to Fleur and Bill's wedding so she didn't have to leave all of Bulgaria behind.

Who would have guessed bookworm Granger could have ever attracted the attention of attractive, famous Quidditch player? Certainly not her. In her fourth year she'd been unsure of dating Viktor because of how much older he was but by the end of sixth year the age gap seemed like almost nothing. Thus Hermione finally took Viktor up on his offer to visit him.

Three days after the school termed ended apparated to her house, briefly meeting her parents, who were quite impressed with him and then, so she wouldn't get lost, they apparated to his home in Bulgaria together. When they arrived she was rendered speechless by the beauty of his home and the sheer luxury. Her bedroom was three times the size of the one she used to think was roomy back home. He'd even filled the wardrobe with expensive clothes and on top of that, upon her bed sat a pile of rare books about ruins, spells and potions. She tried to return all of these items, babbling about how grateful she was but could not accept how much money he'd spent on her and how she'd never be able to repay him. He simply smiled and said, "You being here is payment enough." Then he dipped down and kissed her.

Hermione, being Hermione, never really thought about sex or when and to whom she'd lose her virginity. One night in late July, after a party, Viktor lead her up to his room. Her wrapped him arms around her waist and kissed her deeply, it wasn't long before he was unzipping her dress and running his fingers down her bare back. And that was that she supposed. She won't deny, it was amazing, the most pleasure she'd ever felt and it was special but she wasn't dissecting it any further. She had done what she'd felt like and it felt good. So why ask any more questions?

The heaven couldn't last forever though, soon enough she was packing her suitcase and bidding Bulgaria goodbye. She and Viktor apparated to the Burrow and before she'd even shook off the horrid feeling of being squeezed through a tube, Ginny and Harry slammed into her.

"Hermione!"

"We've missed you so much! You look so tanned!"

"How was Bulgaria then? Have fun?" Ron added bitterly but no one heard him over the shriek that came from Fleur. She was running, rather oddly as she was in some precarious heels, right towards Viktor and flung herself into his arms. He chuckled and old friends greeted each other fondly. Viktor had explained to Hermione prior to arriving that after the Tornament both Viktor and Fleur had become good friends and dedicated pen pals, much like Viktor and herself but without the romance.

Draco ran his fingers along the wedding invitation, "Mum, are you going?"

"Mhmm, I'm good friends with Monsieur and Apolline Delacour and I've practically watched Fleur grow up. I'd be awfully sad if I missed seeing her wed off. Even if it's to a Weasley but they do say we're in a time of change," Narcissa replied, laying out a suit across his bed. "And I would like it if you came too."

"Mum," he moaned, "You know I can't. Weasley would behead me if I turned up!"

She sighed, "Draco I'll be gone for two days for this wedding and I don't want to leave you alone in this house. Not after last time anyway." She shot him a look. Last time Pansy had turned up on his doorstep only an hour after Narcissa left and announced he was hosting a party. It wasn't his fault. He had tried to explain to his mother what had happened. Yet unfortunately his mother didn't believe him because 'Pansy is a sweet girl'.

"I can just go and stay at Father's place," he said reluctantly. Lucius had become a tiny bit terrifying after Narcissa had filed a divorce and kicked him out of the Manor two years ago. Whenever Draco has seen him since then he found he was just waiting for Lucius to snap.

She pulled a tie out from a drawer, "I think not. He'll probably behead you if you're not careful." Draco sighed. "They've said in the invitation there will be no hostility and we won't be staying at the Weasley house-"

He snorted and muttered, "House? Is that what they're calling it now?"

"-so you'll hardly be seeing any of them. You can easily avoid them during the reception too by staying with me and if not I'm sure there will be many Veela girls just dying to dance with a handsome boy like yourself."

"…Fine. I'll go. But if one of those idiots touch me I swear I'll-"

"Yes, yes, Draco. Now go and send a Owl to Mr and Mrs Delacour telling them we will be attending the wedding."

A/N: Sooo? You like? Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Though please avoid being too rude. I'm only human. Constructive criticism is always appreciated!