Fine Line

I blew out a sigh of frustration. There were many words that could be used to describe Malfoy, but the one for this fateful day I would've used was 'eternal'. As in 'eternally a pain in my arse'. I could hear the idiot arguing with Harry and Ron from fifteen metres away, which meant that Snape would be swooping down soon to gift the boys with detentions. Of course Malfoy would remain unscathed.

With one roll of my eyes, my harried pace to the library stalled. I knew the smart thing to do was to back away quietly, but I was fed up of all the comments and murderous glances Malfoy and his bang of merry tossers had been shooting my way all week. I marched down the corridor, shoving through the crowd of ogling onlookers out of my way. Eventually I reached the warring boys.

'Take that back Malfoy!' Ron bleated out furiously. Summarising, I concluded that Ron was seething and Harry was no better. Meanwhile Malfoy, backed up by Zabini and Kott, was looking smug, as he was want to do when he had made a smartass comment. Ron and Harry were hopeless when it came to controlling their anger when Malfoy fixed them with this expression and were probably 0.0009 seconds away from snapping. This snapping covered but wasn't restricted to: hexes, fist sandwiches, charms, comments about mothers and broken noses.

All the boys turned to face me, as I broke through the ranks of the gossipers. My boys looked at me with concern– like they weren't the ones fighting a losing battle– while Malfoy's bored, effortlessly aristocratic posture straightened, conveying his interest. My throat tightened when his eyes became a menacing glimmer. It was only when I took in Zabini's not quite concealed lustful gaze at Ginny, who stood nearby fiddling with her hair, did I realise what a shitstorm I had waltzed into.

Placing my hands on my hips, I replicated the look Malfoy was giving me. 'I thought snakes hissed– not whined in their prepubescent squeal. Still waiting on puberty are we?'

Malfoy slunk closer, rising his heckles to my challenge. 'If we want to go down that route Granger, we can find out just how very mature I am.' His eyes traversed my body worryingly slowly and deliberately. A blush spread like a forest fire across my cheeks. 'I like that skirt on you Granger. But do you know where it would look better?' He growled softly, yet sadly I was confident that everyone could hear him. 'On the floor of my dormitory.'

My mouth pulled apart in shock at his bloody cheek! My fingers itched for my wand, as the corridor shuddered in laughter. Of course the thought of the school swot having sexual relations was hilarious. Pity that I didn't find it funny.

Malfoy maintained his advance, hoping to punch a hole in my line. He halted a mere inch away. Ron's grunt of pain told me how very bad it looked. 'Dumbledore's always banging on about inter-house relations. I think I know what could really bring us, Gryffindor and Slytherin, that is, together.'

My face flushed even further as my blood boiled to about a million degrees. However my humiliation was ignored in favour of spitting flames at the ignorant prick in front of me. 'Say that again.'

'Why would I waste my breath on you?'

I stamped on his foot with all my might, which I must say is quite a lot. I heard a few clicks, as I ground it down into the floor.

'I'm not making any promises drakiepoo,' I cooed sarcastically, as he winced. 'But maybe if you and your house weren't such infuriating, idiotic, inbred bunch of absolute bastards, then maybe someone would eventually sleep with you.'

Malfoy's smug look had been completely wiped off his face much to my happiness. 'Maybe you should take your own advice Granger.'

We glowered at each other. We were too evenly-matched: I was stubborn, he was obstinate, I was intelligent and he was sharp too. Thankfully he lacked that cruel streak that his father did, so rarely dealt the killing blow and I was more than happy to remain on the defensive.

Ron yanked me back away from him, resulting in me grimacing as I hadn't realised how close we'd been.

'Sod off Malfoy.' Harry barked, struggling to repress his rage.

'Gladly.' Malfoy snapped.

His eyes revealed a quizzical, softer emotion that I didn't understand, before he whipped around and exited. A young Hufflepuff almost shat herself as he barged through her. I was still pondering the meaning of his look, when he ambushed the next night on my way back from the library.

'You don't think I was joking about that skirt Granger, did you?' He chuckled, before pressing his lips to mine.

'How many times do I have to tell you not to kiss me in the corridors?' I tried to lecture him, but from him mimicking my stern posture, I gathered that he wasn't listening.

'And how many times have I told you that spontaneity is the way to keep a relationship fresh?'

I smiled so widely I thought my lips would split in their ecstasy, as he pressed me into him, folding me into his smooth torso.

'Oh and how many times have I told you that one day you will break my foot if you insist on stamping on it like you're a two hundred pound buffalo?'

My laughter was quickly swallowed by his mouth.