Absolute Gravity

Chapter Five: Hogsmeade

A/N: Heyy! So I was about to start writing a dull History essay when a hurricane of ideas hit me. I really like this chapter as things are finally moving. I don't think this fic will be very long. But don't worry we're not near the end.

The day of the Hogsmeade trip had arrived Draco hastily slung a Slytherin scarf around his neck as he clumsily fought his way through the crowd towards the carriages and after the brown curls ahead of him. He pushed a fourth year out of his way and leapt onto the carriage Granger had just climbed inside. He swung the door open as she shrieked and slipped inside. He smirked, "Impressed?"

She scowled, "No. Can't you take a hint, Malfoy? I don't want to see you."

"I just wanted to talk, Granger before you go apeshit on me." Her expression darkened.

"I have no intention of talking to you. Especially right before I'm meeting my boyfriend," she snapped.

He raised an eyebrow, "Is that so? Because the Granger I know would have cursed me into next week if she really wanted me to go. So unless you're Longbottom under the Pollyjuice potion I think you do want to talk to me." She fell silent and his smirked grew. In the silence he watched her, she was in a jumper and tight jeans and she had an unusual amount of makeup on. A frown pulled down on her lips. "Why are you all dressed up?"

"I haven't seen Viktor in a month. Can't I want to look nice?" she replied but she didn't sound very convinced. "Why do you care?"

He shrugged, "You just don't need to do all this to look good." Her eyes widened. Draco sighed,"I can be nice, you know. Just because you always insist on being an annoying bitch." She gave him a pointed look but he could see the smile fighting it's way through.

"I'm not going to tell him," she admitted, "If that's what you're worried about."

He scoffed, "I don't give a crap about you, your superficial boyfriend and the problems you may have."

"Yet you insulted him," she observed.

Draco's jaw clenched, "It's only the truth." She raised her eyebrows but said nothing. A curl had fallen from behind her ear and he itched to fix it for her, to get closer to her. He breathed in deeply and met her gaze. His heart clenched as he noted her expression, she knew exactly what he was thinking.

"That kiss meant nothing," she blurted suddenly.

He resisted the urge to recoil away from her, "Keep telling yourself that, Granger."

"You don't know anything," she growled.

He licked his lips, "Well that's not true. I know that you're shaking right now, not because it's cool outside but because you're terrified he'll find out and also you don't want to embarrass yourself around him or make him think he's with the wrong girl. Which he is because you two don't belong together." A look of outrage crossed her face but he continued, "I also know our kiss is tearing you apart because it makes you a cheater and a cheater is a bad person. Which makes you a bad person? I know that thought scares you because you've always been the good girl. Part of the good crowd. Now if you're not a good person, who are you? You don't know how to define yourself. But I know. I know exactly who you are."

"Who am I?" she asked, more weakly than he expected.

He hesitated, "You're Hermione Granger. You're intelligent, you're perceptive, you're selfless and brave. But you're also a pain in the arse and even though you're more open minded than some, you're eyes are still clouded with hate. You pretend you're so sure of your future but you're not." She opened her mouth but he held up a hand. "How do I know this? How the fuck does Draco Malfoy know you inside out? Because I never labeled you as a good person, in the first place. You never had to pretend to be that perfectly good person around me and you let me see your darker side. You knew you never had to pretend around me because you know I don't give a fuck who you are pretending to be because I know who you are. And we're just two sides of the same coin."

She was shaking even more now, "I'm nothing like you. You hate because of blood and-"

"You hate Slytherins just because of their house," he interjected.

"That's different!" she screeched, "Your house says something about you! Your blood says nothing about you! You are a heartless, ignorant fool and you know nothing about me!"

His blood boiled, "The more you yell and deny it, the more I know I'm right. You hate the thought you could be like a dirty, evil Slytherin! Well you'd be surprised who we really are, Granger. We don't sit around slitting each other's throats, we care, we love. By definition, in our house we are the most passionate lovers because we care with all our heart which leads us to make rash and sometimes wrong decisions but it's for those we love. I'm learning to stop my blood prejudice because of you. Because you prove the whole idea wrong. So how about you try and learn something from me?"

The carriage came to an unsteady stop. "Get out," she ordered.

"I know exactly who you are, Granger."

"Get out!"

"And I know that kiss meant something."

"GET OUT!" she hollered, tears had made her eyes glassy, like a pretty china doll. His mouth pressed closed, forming a thin line and then giving her one last scathing look, he left.

Viktor was waiting for her in the Three Broomsticks with two warm mugs of butterbeer. A nervous smile tugged on her mouth as she made her way to him. She tugged on her jumper before slipping next to him in the booth. He greeted her with a kiss, his mouth was rough, cold and tasted of booze. She couldn't help but think of Malfoy's mint breath, musky smell and warm mouth. He ticked the stray curl behind her ear, "Anything wrong?"

She shook her head, "Nope, just happy to see you." She plastered a smile onto her face and he returned the gesture. "How have you been?" she asked, grabbing her butterbeer as he started talking about the new season. She was happy at the excuse to stay silent, afraid her words would betray her.

After half an hour or so, she saw him. Platinum hair slipping through the door and setting down at an empty table not to far away. He never looked at her but his presence burned through her, causing her to stutter on her words and spill her drink. "Are you sick?" Viktor asked, slipped his coat around her and pulling her closer to him. "Hermione?"

"I- uh, think I am," she answered, "I'm so sorry, I think I have to go and rest…"

"Don't worry about it," he answered, sending her a warm smile. "I'll see you soon." He placed a kiss on her forehead. She sent him a shaky smile and got up.

"Here," Hermione started to shake the coat off but he shook his head.

"Keep it."

She nodded and tugged her arms through it. She breathed in deeply before started weaving her way in between the tables, very determinedly avoiding his gaze but as she opened the door, she went to look back at Viktor but found her gaze had latched onto Malfoy. He was looking pointedly down at the table, playing with the ends of his scarf. It was weakest he'd ever let anyone see him and Malfoy didn't let people see him weak at all.

She ran all the way back to Hogwarts.

Draco walked up the stairs towards her room and knocked on the door, "Granger?" No reply. "Granger, I know you're in there."

"Stop saying that. You don't know anything," came the muffled reply. She had been crying.

"Did you tell him?" he asked.

"No."

"Then what the hell happened? Why did you leave? Did you just freak out or something?"

"Yes."

"Why? You were acting well."

"I don't want to have to act!"

"Well, maybe you should have thought about that before you kissed me."

"I KISSED YOU?!" she screeched. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself laughing, it was too easy.

"Well, you didn't throw yourself at me but you didn't really push me away either."

"Wanker," she muttered from inside.

"Sorry what was that, love? Didn't quite hear you?" the smirk could be heard through his voice. There was a moment of silence as she processed the endearment he's slipped in there. Then the door flew open. Her face was flushed and her brown eyes watery, making them even more prominent than usual. Her lips were curled into a growl and her hair flew in all directions. Draco wasn't even going to deny he was turned on. That was until her hand flew across his face with a loud smack. He yelled and flinched so much he nearly fell backwards down the stairs.

"What the fuck, Granger?!" he cried indignantly, "That fucking hurt!"

She stood there, panting, "That was the point."

"Look, you lunatic," he seethed, his face red with rage, "I don't know what kind of bloody world you live in in which you think I'm just going to stand here and let you take out all of you guilt and anger at yourself on me. But I'm not standing for it!"

"You think I'm angry at myself?!"

"Isn't that what I just said?" Draco snapped, nursing his stinging cheek. "Jesus- fuck. That's one hell of a hand you've got on you."

"I'm angry at you as well."

"Yes, I know. If the slap wasn't indication enough. I'm bloody furious with you too, if that makes you feel better. But that does not give you the excuse to throw all of your pain at me. I'm not some sort of pain sponge that just soaks up all of your hate and then it's gone. I fucking throw it back at you."

"Pain sponge?" she questioned, a small smile relaxing on her face, "Nice metaphor."

"Fuck off, I can't think straight after that slap," but he was only half-serious.

She nibbled her lip, "Let me see it."

He scoffed, "With your mood swings? I think not, Granger."

"I'm training in healing," she sighed, "I can make it feel better." He gave her a suspicious glance before lowering his hand and stepping towards her. "Ouch, that must have hurt," she teased, pulling her wand out of her pocket.

"Ha ha, funny," he drawled sarcastically.

She ran her wand down the side of his face, placing her other hand on the other side, "Now I don't think being rude to me is going to get me heal you."

"No, but being nice and giving you a sweet endearment only gets me slapped so…" Her jaw tightened but she said nothing. She finished, lowered her wand. There was a pregnant pause in which both of them realised she still had one hand on his face. She didn't drop it. "Why did you heal me?"

"I felt bad."

"You should doing that," he suggested, "it's only hurting you."

"Why were you in the Three Broomsticks?" she asked quietly.

He hesitated, "I'm not quite sure. I didn't mean to... Well maybe I did and I just don't want to say why." She frowned as he took a breath to steady his voice, "I already told you the answer earlier today." Then he pulled away from her and walked back down the stairs.

Cold air swept around her and her head spun as she watched him disappear out of her line of sight. He'd told her earlier today? She wracked her brains, scanning through their conversations. And then it hit her like a speeding train. Her heart clenched and she stumbled back into her room, collapsing onto her bed. Her lungs tightened but at the same time it was like she had just been freed, like a door somewhere had opened.

His words still tore through her, 'By definition, in our house we are the most passionate lovers because we care with all our heart which leads us to make rash and sometimes wrong decisions but it's for those we love.'

A/N: How'd you like that? If you did, let me know! If not, tell me why! All you need to do is click that review button ;)