Absolute Gravity

Chapter Four: Madness

A/N: Heyy, so I told you I wouldn't be the most reliable! But I did have an excuse, rehearsals, an audition, parties and now I have a load of mock's coming up…

A few weeks had passed and there had been as close to no interaction between herself and Malfoy as they shook off the electricity that had been burning through them that night. It had only been the other day in which they fell back into the usual routine of cynical remarks and snappy responses Hermione had been horrified to find out she had actually missed him. She'd missed the way he pressed his lips together, the way his eyes flashed and even that god damn smirk. Honestly, life had been boring without him.

It had all been normal, perfectly, refreshingly normal. Then, one evening at dinner, she had just taken a sip of pumpkin juice and his grey eyes locked onto hers. He didn't look away. Usually, his eyes would flit away and that would be that, but this time he held her gaze. Heat was crawling up her neck as she struggled to swallow, her heart racing. It was when the world seemed to be imploding around her that Hermione started to wonder how long they'd been there and if anyone had noticed what was happening. Just as she thought the tension was about to suffocate her, a group of Ravenclaw girls crossed in front of him and when he was in sight again, a victorious smirk was slapped across his face.

Her stomach dropped like a rock. "Fuck you," she hissed and she saw Malfoy snigger as he read her lips. She felt the blush burning against her cheeks. The slimy little git had just gotten his own back. She couldn't help, even through her shame and fury, to admire him.

"What was that, Hermione?" Harry asked, leaning over Ron to grab a chicken wing.

She shook her head, "Just talking to myself."

His eyebrows furrowed, "You seemed pretty angry."

"I frustrate myself sometimes. Nothing to worry about," she assured him.

"Well you know what they say," Ginny interjected from beside Harry, "Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness."

'Oh I'm defiantly mad,' Hermione wanted to say, but instead she chose to laugh.

Draco suppressed the urge to break out into a victorious dance as Granger marched past him. He had been planning his revenge for weeks. It wasn't easy, there are so many factors, so many ways in which she'd win and so many times her buffoon friends would get in the way.

Also, they knew each other too damn well. They always knew what was coming to so it was hard to catch her off guard. For example, he knew from the way she would nibbles her lip if she was worried or just concentrating.

And that was another thing all together. Her lips. He'd become undeniable obsessed with them. There was just something about them that just transfixed him. Draco had never noticed them before, mostly you just know when someone has a kissable mouth. Granger's was very understated and he figured that added to the beauty of them. He couldn't quite say what about her lips made them so attractive. Was it the way her upper lip curved down to the bottom? The way there was a little gap, a little heart shaped hole in the middle of her mouth? So small you would only notice if you'd been up close and personal and Draco had fallen into that category thanks to that early September night. Ever since then he'd been wondering about her lips and how close he would have gotten to them if she hadn't walked away when she did. He was trying to figure out which scenario he preferred The one when she walks away or the one when his mouth presses up against-

"Malfoy!" Granger demanded urgently, now rushing through the archway in front of the stairs, "We're late for the prefect meeting!"

He smirked, "No I don't think so, Granger. I'm never late for anything."

"Well check your watch, you've just broken your record," she snapped, flinging the portrait door open, "Come on, Malfoy."

He sighed and pushed up his sleeve to look at his watch. Eight thirty-five. The meeting started at eight twenty. "Well fuck!"

They were hurtling through the corridors. Of course their meeting place had to be at the opposite side of the castle. They flew around a sharp turn and reached the Grand Staircase. All that could be heard was the pounding of their feet down the stairs and their ragged breathing. Finally they burst into the empty classroom where all of the prefects were. Hermione could see the relief wash across their face. It was now eight forty.

"This is madness," Malfoy panted next to her, "I'm never late to anything."

"Well not anymore."

"Shut up. I didn't ask for your opinion."

"It wasn't an opinion. It was a fact. Unless you wish to disprove it, then feel free."

"Merlin, Granger. I just ran down a flight of stairs, give me a break."

Hermione pushed the smile down as she turned to the prefects, "Right, we have no time to waste. Has anyone got any ideas about improving travel throughout the school?"

"Yeah I do," Malfoy walked in front of the prefects. She nodded and sat on a desk to let him speak. She wasn't quite sure why, maybe perhaps she didn't want to know why, but she loved listening to him speak. Not when he's being his everyday self but when he's commanding authority. He stands up straight and his grey eyes scan across everyone. His pale lips open and close to reveal a set of snow-white teeth. He folds his hands behind his back and when he really gets into it he paces. Unlike herself he doesn't use his hands to speak unless he's frustrated. When someone counter argues he stops pacing, looks them directly in the eye and calmly replies but sometimes they catch him off guard. He will stare up at the left and when he's come up with an answer a small smile washes across his face. Hermione could never take his eyes off him. He was just one of those people who just makes you want to listen to them.

"Granger?" It was dark, pitch black. But he knew she was there. He couldn't hear her, see her, smell her or touch her but he knew. "Where are you?" He took a hesitant step forward and he could now hear light breathing. Slowly but surely he kept moving until his body gently collided with hers.

"Malfoy," she breathed, her mouth, it seemed, was only centimeters away from his. He found his hand had made its way into her hair, playing with the mass of curls. Her breath was warm as it washed over his lips. "Malfoy," she repeated steadily. There was no tone to it, no emotion, he couldn't tell what it meant.

"Granger, where are we?" She dipped her head towards his, their lips brushing against each other with every breath.

"In your heart." And then she kissed him.

Draco jumped awake, he could still taste her mouth upon his. He felt a chill of terror wash through him. He was afraid this might happen because in his head it made no sense. He was still prejudiced, he still found her the most annoying person he'd ever had the misfortune to meet but yet he wanted her more than anything. It baffled him and distracted him and it needed to stop.

Hermione wasn't quite sure what she had done but Malfoy was avoiding her like the plague. It was him that had stared at her, him who had taken her off guard. What had she done to scare him? Day after day she awoke earlier and earlier to catch him, to get him alone. She craved to know what had pushed him away and she hungered for his voice. However no matter how early she got up the portrait clicked closed every time she entered their common room.

It was only on a bright Tuesday morning did she finally chase him. She raced forward, wrenching open the portrait. She saw a flash of blonde disappear down the stairs and lurched forward again. She could hear his footsteps get quicker but he had underestimated her speed. She crashed into him, throwing them onto the floor.

"What the actual fuck, Granger?" he snarled, pushing her off him.

She grabbed his wrist, "Needed-" pant "-to talk-" pant "to you."

"Why?" he demanded angrily but she could see in his eyes the real anger had melted.

"You've been avoiding me."

"Yes, I didn't think you'd have a problem with that…"

"Well I do," she snapped, "You can't just pull away from me after all this time."

"What do you mean?" he inquired.

"We've always been enemies but we've been inseparable. There is no Hermione without Malfoy being a git. I have no drive if you're not there pushing me to destroy you." She expected him to reply with a patronizingly sarcastic response but he just stared at her. "I don't really know what's happened this year but we've just stopped hating each other. Before I used to get excited when I saw you because I loved the fight. I loved the arguing and the competition. But now I look at you and I feel nervous."

"You know normally people just hate each other and they kinda like it when the other leaves them alone."

"Since have we been normal, Malfoy?" she replied and she swore for just a second he smiled. "So… back to hating each other like normal? Plain old competition?"

He licked his lips, "We can't."

"Why not?" she demanded incredulously.

He tapped his chest, where his badge should be, "We can't hate each other if I want my badge."

"Oh." He sighed and sat against a wall. Hermione stared at him for a moment or two before sliding up next to him. "This is really confusing."

Malfoy sighed, "You're telling me? I'm supposed to hate you unconditionally."

"I've never felt less like me," she murmured.

"But yet, this thing we're doing feels more normal than before."

"It's the same thing really, we're just competing, like always."

He turned to look at her, "It's changing things, Granger. Like really changing things." His eyes moved down her lips but then they met her eyes again. She felt electricity ripple across her skin.

"I know, I know."

"I mean look at us for fuck's sake! We're having a civilized conversation and it's all bloody madness " he cried and she couldn't help the bubble of laughter escape out of her lips. Then he chuckled and she giggled once again. Soon enough the corridor echoed with their laughter. She was on the floor, clutching her sides and tears were gathering in his eyes.

Malfoy moved down to look over her, "You-" gasp, "-have the weirdest-" but laughter over took him.

Hermione leaned on one elbow, "Weirdest what?"

He took a large breath, "Laugh, it's so weird. You squeak when you inhale."

"Oh and that's coming from you?" she teased, making a light-hearted attempt to push him over but he just grasped her wrists.

"I never said it was a bad thing- okay maybe I did. It's really weird." She glared at him. "I'm not saying sorry. You don't scare me, Granger."

"Well maybe if you let go of me you would be," she warned.

He smirked, "No I'm alright. I kinda like being a power position." She struggled up and tried to move away but he still had a firm grip on her wrists. "Aw don't run away from me, Granger." He gave a gentle tug and she slid across the floor towards him. She bumped into him, their mouths inches away from each other. "So why should I be scared of you again?"

Her heart was pounding as she struggled to come up with a response. "That's what I thought," he murmured, one hand let go of her wrist as it hooked around her back, pulling her even closer. His lips were dizzily close and she was painfully trying to remember why she shouldn't close the gap between them. She saw his lips move towards hers, her eyelids fluttered shut as his mouth brushed up against hers. She melted into him and he sighed as their lips latched together like puzzle pieces. She couldn't remember a moment that should have felt wrong but felt so undeniably good.

At that moment an owl swooped through the hallway and landed beside them. Malfoy let go of her other wrist to brush it away but with a hoot, it bit him. He lurched away from Hermione with a cry.

She clumsily grabbed the letter the owl held, her head still spinning. The envelope had her name on it in Viktor's swooping loops. Her stomach dropped. She felt sick. Viktor. Viktor. Viktor. How could she forget?

"That from Krum?" Malfoy asked grumpily, nursing his bleeding finger. She didn't reply as she, with shaking fingers, opened the envelope and read it.

Dear Hermione,

Seeing as next weekend is your Hogsmeade day, I've made plans to stay there for the weekend. Meet me Saturday in the Three Broomsticks at 2 o'clock.

- Vicktor

So much for making it stop...

Draco never intended to kiss her. He never intended on speaking to her until he got her out of his head but then she had chased him, made him laugh and when she was that close he couldn't resist pulling her that much closer. He thought he was a gentlemen. He knew he was a flirt but he had never chased a taken girl before, let alone kiss one. He always had respected if a woman was with another man so what made Granger different? It was as if when he was with her, he suddenly forgot the world and the consequences surrounding their situation and only saw her. Though it helped to know Granger was clearly in the same position. He knew Granger and Granger was not a cheater and he could tell from the way her face went white at the sight of that letter she had forgotten Krum's very existence.

He was more confused than ever. One minute he's with Pansy, thinking straight, saying to himself he'll stop whatever's happening with him and Granger and be civil. Then he's lying wide awake at night imaging all the ways he can trick her, seduce her and make a fool out of her. Next he's with her, far away he can still hold a steady-ish mind but as soon as he can smell her vanilla and honey he does without thinking. He's pretty damn sure he was out of his mind and he wonders if she was too.

However she was avoiding him. Not even subtly, she would very clearly rush down a different corridor or make a sudden turn that would make her late to her next lesson if she saw even a reflection of blonde hair. The only times he saw her was at meals in which she would be turned away from the Slytherin table or in lessons in which she would very purposefully ignore him. He awaited to see how she would manage the next Prefect meeting if they were in the same position in a months time. However, if he had his way, they wouldn't be. If Granger could catch him out, he most certainly could catch her out.

A/N: Yes, yes I know it's quite early in the fic for them to be already kissing. I tried writing this chapter another way but it just wasn't working. Like the summery says, they're drawn to each other like gravity.