Magnetic Attraction

Chapter 2: A Tad less Evil

They decided to skip dinner and just dine in their common room, neither being up to face the gossip mill that would start when they walked into the Great Hall touching. Plus, there was the whole "Slytherin table vs. Gryffindor" table issue.

"I'm not sitting at the Slytherin table for meals, Malfoy, get over it!" Hermione growled as they sat across from each other at the small kitchen table. In one hand she clutched a hamburger, while the other rested above his on the wooden surface.

"Well I'm so not dining with your bunch, and I'm not avoiding the hall completely, so you'll just have to sit with us!" His fork slipped from his grip and clattered onto his plate. "Bugger, I can't even eat!"

"Take off your shoe," she ordered quietly, abandoning her hamburger to slide off her own trainers. He stared at her, an eyebrow quirked.

"Is this some weird muggle fetish or something?" She scoffed and kicked him in the shin.

"Just do it, socks too." Rolling his eyes, he kicked off his boots and looked at her for further instruction. "Now don't move." Malfoy sighed dramatically, then yelped as she gently placed her bare foot over his, before pulling her hand away.

"You've got cold feet. These better be clean, by the way." She stuck her tongue out at him and returned to eating. "I can't believe I have to touch a mudblood," he added, trying to provoke her. It didn't work. The insult was over used and had lost most of its kick. Never one to give up, he changed his tactic and said, "So how is this going to work?" She blinked at him, licking ketchup off her fingers.

"How do you mean? Like, rules?"

"I guess you could call it that. We could be stuck like this for a while, and I would like to get out of this alive." His face was blank, and for once she realized he was vulnerable. Malfoy was just as scared as she was. It was almost cute. Almost.

"Well, let's start with the most pressing concern: bathroom issues. I suppose a simple scorgify charm should take the place of showering," she grimaced, "but I don't know what we can do about actually going to the bathroom." Something about her business like tone struck him as amusing. He cracked a smirk. "I suppose we should go to the library after classes to do research, and until then we'll just have to deal with it." She slid her goblet away from her, as did Malfoy. "It's a good thing tomorrow's Friday."

"Tomorrow's Friday? I have quidditch practice!" He scowled at his plate. "I'm assuming you don't like to fly, Granger?" She blushed.

"You'll just have to have someone replace you. I'm sure anyone could do it, Harry doesn't mind who he beats." Malfoy tried to steal a fry from her plate, but she swatted his hand away.

"I'm not that easy to replace, Granger, I'm quidditch captain. And that leads me to another thing anyway; you'll have to hold of on snogging Weasely until this is over. I would rather not come out of this mentally scarred."

"Nothing's going on between Ron and me." Her eyes became glassy at the mention of the red head. Malfoy's smirk grew, revealing perfect white teeth.

"Because he's with that Brown slut. Interesting, I think I've found your weakness." Oh I hate you, thought Hermione as she blinked back tears. She had feelings for Ron, it was true. How could she not? He was nice, strong, and protected her, or at least used to. She's known him for years. But since he's begun dating Lavender, she'd realized that she was just a sister to him, that he didn't see her as beautiful, or fascinating, or amazing like she wanted him to. That was when she'd begun hiding in the library.

"What ever ferret," she mumbled, wondering how she could escape into her room without him being pulled along with her.

"Aw, Granger's been rejected! I bet you haven't even had your first kiss, have you?" Stupid fucker!