Thunder and Lightning – part 2
He allowed the soft, sweet kiss to sweep him away. But only for a few short moments. In truth, his rational mind was losing an internal battle, one that was fought with the passion that flared within him. This was wrong. All wrong on many levels. But he couldn't control himself. All his gut wanted at that moment was her, to be lost in her kiss forever. But the inner workings of his pureblood brain won out and before the first beam of sunlight hit the floor of the great hall, he found himself pulling away from her - mind winning out over this forbidden passion…his lust for her.
"Someone or something is playing us Granger. And I'll have no more part in it." Before he could change his mind he purposefully walked out, leaving Hermione to stand in the dawn's light alone.
All throughout the day whenever they had lessons or meals together, she sent him knowing glances hoping that he'd acknowledge her…in any way. By the time dinner was over, she was even hoping that he'd insult her. Even Harry and Ron noticed how unusually silent Malfoy was during the day. There should have been at least a sneer thrown their way during one class or another, but there had been nothing. Very out of character for Malfoy.
The Great Hall cleared out and Harry and Ron returned to the common room. Hermione had remained, telling them she wanted to study in the Great Hall for a little while…it was Friday night and the common room was typically loud and a bit rowdy at the end of the week. They left her only after she promised to join them in an hour or two.
A few other students stayed behind as well. Some Hufflepuffs were studying quietly and two Ravenclaws were playing wizard's chess. But the real reason Hermione wanted to stay was because Malfoy hadn't left yet. He was still sitting at the Slytherin table with Blaise and Pansy.
"She's staring at you again," Pansy said. "What is going on with the Gryffindor princess? Doesn't she know she's just asking for trouble?"
"Yeah," Blaise chimed in. "And would you care to explain why she isn't actually on the receiving end of your kind of trouble? You must have had a dozen clear shots today to hex her to hell."
Malfoy looked up from his copy of the daily prophet. He had been doing his best to ignore Granger all day, but now his friends had forced him to acknowledge her. He took a quick glance toward her and she immediately turned her attention back to the book that lay open on the table in front of her.
He answered in what he hoped was his usual haughty tone. "I was hoping that if I ignored her, she would just disappear."
"But the staring…come on, it's been like this in every class…whenever you're in the same room together," Pansy whined. "Don't you find it tiresome?"
"Why don't you just have at her and be done with it. Come on. Now's a perfect time since her hero and sidekick have left."
Malfoy cleared his throat. 'Have at her. Lord, if they only knew.'
"Look I don't care what the staring is about. She's a speck to me, and an inconvenience to all. Her mere existence is an annoyance. Excuse me for having had my fill of her and her kind. I've decided to ignore the lot of them. She's not even worth a good hex. Now if you'll both excuse me, I'm going to turn in early. I didn't sleep very well last night." And with that, he rose and left them.
Hermione, of course, watched him leave. As not to be too conspicuous, she waited a few moments, yawned and stretched then collected her things and left the hall casually. Once in the foyer outside the Great Hall, she broke into a run and headed toward the dungeons. If she hurried she might be able to catch Draco before he entered the Slytherin common room.
Rounding the last corner before she got to the Slytherin portrait she saw him halfway down the hall. "Malfoy wait."
"Oh good Lord, here we go," he said under his breath. "Why am I not surprised?" He didn't turn, just continued on toward the portrait.
"Malfoy please…" she said a little out of breath. She was almost right behind him, "Draco," she called at last.
He stopped abruptly and spun on her. "Don't call me that…you don't get to call me that, understand?" The malice was back in his voice. So different from how softly he had spoken to her early this morning.
"I…uh…I'm sorry," she said catching her breath. "I just wanted to talk to you for a moment. You left so abruptly last night, I mean…this morning. You didn't give me a chance to…"
"There is no need for anymore talking or anymore anything for that matter. I don't want anything to do with you Granger. Now if you don't mind, take yourself back the way you came. You're not welcome down here."
"But Malfoy, I don't think that what you want or do not want is entirely up to you."
"Of course it is. I'm in complete control."
"Sure, now. But you weren't in control last night were you?"
"Well, I…"
"Don't even try to rationalize your actions last night. There was no control on either of our parts."
"Granger, last night when I…"
"Last night when you what? Last night when you got up out of a dead sleep and consciously got yourself to the Great Hall somehow knowing I'd show up. Just so we could have a passionate snog? You call that control? I call that delusional."
"No. Okay so maybe there wasn't any control last night…"
"Or this morning," she cut in.
"Fine. Or this morning, but I am in control now and it won't be happening again so…"
"How do you know that for sure? We don't know why we did what we did, do we? Was it a spell? Were we possessed? Please Malfoy, explain it to me because I don't have a clue."
"It doesn't matter, Granger. It will not be happening again. Not if I can help it."
"And just exactly how are you going to stop it? There was a force pulling us towards each other last night. There was no control, we willing accepted to do something's bidding…how can you even stop something like that?"
"I'll find a way," he stormed away from her and whispered the password before disappearing behind the portrait. There was no way she could follow.
Safely in the near empty common room, he leaned against the closed portrait and let out a long breath.
"Good night Granger," he said to himself, then pushed off the wall and headed to his room.