• 1-Get Ready to Rumble
• 2-Round One
• 3-Not Much Rest for the Weary
• 4-Round Two
• 5-Revenge
• 6-Lovers' Knot
• 7-House Points
• 8-Holiday
• 9-A Quick Study of the Slytherin Heart
• 10-Phobia
• 11-Oh That's Right, I Hate You
• 12-Transparency
• 13-News

Draco cast a water repelling charm before stepping out of the Greenhouse. It was the middle of April, and the snow had turned into a driving rain that never seemed to stop. It was time for their weekly Prefect meeting and Draco would have to hurry if he wanted to be on time, which he decided he didn’t.

During the warmer months, older prefects had to patrol the grounds for students as well as the interior of the castle. Draco used to hate outdoor patrol and would avoid it at all costs; but this spring Draco was looking forward to the increased privacy the outdoors would offer. There was something very exciting about having a romp with Hermione in the great outdoors again.

Draco was late for the meeting. The Head Boy gave him a dirty look as he took a seat in the back of the room. Hermione was sitting up front, and of course next to Weasley. How that dolt had even become a prefect in the first place made no sense to Draco. His grades were mediocre and he and Potter were notorious for breaking school rules.

Draco returned his attention to Hermione; he was making an effort not obsess over Weasley lately. Unlike some girls, Granger did not find jealously endearing. He couldn’t see her well because she was bent over her lap, taking notes no doubt. Since he really couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to the Head Prat, Draco’s mind drifted back to his last encounter with Hermione.

They had slipped into the same shower in the Prefect’s bathroom early yesterday morning. Since he was so much taller than she was it had been tricky, but worth it. His eyes glazed over, recalling how his soapy hands felt slipping over her smooth skin. He shook his head and pulled his robe over his lap, Merlin forbid anyone think he was enjoying the meeting that much.

He tapped his foot a little, honestly how long could they go on about when it was and wasn’t appropriate to take away house points? Mentally he went over Granger’s schedule. She shouldn’t have anything planned between now and dinner… except maybe schoolwork but he could probably talk her into something more interesting.

Finally, the Head Girl started handing out the schedules for the month’s patrols. Draco made a show of carefully tucking the schedule in a specific place in his bag as the room started to clear. He managed to catch Hermione’s eye briefly.

“Actually Ron, I think I’m going to finish that Transfiguration essay before dinner. See you later?” Hermione said, carefully stopping her inkpot as the last couple of students left the room. As soon as the door clicked, they both swept their wands toward the door, placing their usual locking and noise concealing spells.

Hermione leapt on him, meeting his mouth eagerly. His erection pressed against her belly, and she tugged her mouth slowly away from his.

“Already?” she said with a smile.

Draco opened her robe and started to unbutton her blouse.

“Not all of us pay attention at meetings,” he said breathily, “I was busy thinking about this witch I know who is a fantastic lay.” He grinned as he removed her shirt and started to kiss her neck. She moaned, un-tucking his shirt.

“Where?” she said eagerly, unfastening his belt.

Draco looked around the room, his eyes coming to rest on the large chair behind the desk. He pulled her by the waist over to it and sat, pulling her onto his lap. He unhooked her bra, one hand teasing her hard nipple while the other went under her skirt to wrestle her knickers down her thighs. His fingers found the hard nub at the top of her slit and his thumb pressed on it.

Hermione rocked her body against him with a happy sigh. Her hands gripped his shoulders and she shifted herself forward so that her breasts were level with his mouth.

Draco drew her nipple into his mouth and she sighed happily, cradling the back of his head with her palm. He continued to caress her damp center, letting his fingers glide down to her entrance and press inside.

She whimpered as he removed his mouth from her breast, letting his arm drape around her waist as he fingered her. She bent her face down to kiss him, her tongue tangling with his. Her hand ran down his body and into his trousers. Her hand closed around him and he groaned in gratitude. She quickly freed him and began caressing him.

Hermione ran her hand over him and lifted herself off his fingers. Holding him steady, she sank down onto him. She adored the feeling of him inside of her; the blissful feeling was becoming quite addictive. She moaned happily as she sank down onto his shaft. Draco’s hands gripped her backside as she slowly began to ride him, taking the time to enjoy herself.

Draco did not seem to appreciate the pace she was setting. He growled and tried to thrust up into her quickly. Hermione briefly poked a fingernail into his thigh.

“No moving,” she said sternly. Draco closed his eyes and leaned his head back with a pained expression on his face. He released her bottom and dug his fingers into the arms of the chair.

For Draco, it was barely tolerable. It was pleasurable, but there was no way he was going to be able to finish at this pace. Hermione on the other hand seemed to be in heaven. She held onto the back of the chair, rocking back and forth with him inside of her. Her moans became louder as she pressed forward against him. She gave a breathy little cry and shivered as she climaxed, collapsing against him.

However, Hermione’s little moment of quiet bliss didn’t last long. With a frustrated groan Draco stood, lifting her off his lap and turning her around. Her body tipped forward over the desk and she felt Draco stand up behind her. He placed his feet directly inside of hers to keep her legs apart. Gripping her hips, he pressed against her wet opening and quickly thrust himself inside. Hermione gasped; she was sensitive after her orgasm and Draco wasn’t exactly being gentle.

Growling like an animal, he forcibly thrust in and out of her, slow and hard at first but moving increasingly quickly. She gripped the edge of the desk, her whole body jostling with the force of his thrusts. Her toes were barely touching the floor so she didn’t really have any way to brace herself. She whimpered with every thrust, it was a fine line between too much and… ohhh.

Her nipples were gliding against the cool wood, and her clit was rubbing against the edge of the desk. One of Draco’s hands slid up her back to her shoulder so he could penetrate her better and she groaned as he went in more deeply.

He picked up the pace and she buried her face in her arms. It was completely overwhelming, all she would do was wordlessly cry out in pleasure. All of a sudden, it was too much and she went over the edge again.

Draco groaned, roughly bucking his hips into her as he climaxed. He fell forward, his chest resting on her back. Hermione lay breathless for a few minutes. He nibbled the back of her neck panting with satisfaction.

As the euphoria dissipated, she wriggled; bent over a desk with another person on top of you was not the most comfortable position to be in. Taking the hint, Draco lifted himself off and helped her to her feet. She sucked in a breath as she straitened up. She was going to be very sore.

“Merlin Draco, I think you just about broke me.”

A grin spread across his face as he wearily pulled his trousers up.

“Smug bastard,” she grumbled, “You aren’t the one who’s going to walk funny for the rest of the day.” She was trying to be stern with him but since she couldn’t get her own silly grin off her face, it wasn’t working.

***

That evening, Draco sat in the Great Hall digging into his dinner with gusto. He was always positively starving after a shag it seemed. There was a murmur from the students as an owl swooped into the Hall. It was unusual to have an owl arrive at dinner, since that meant the bird had flown all day in order to get there.

To Draco’s surprise, the bird swooped down towards his end of Slytherin table. Exhausted, it nearly crash-landed on the table in front of him. Wearily it held out a leg.

Recognizing the handwriting on the envelope, Draco immediately snatched up the letter and tucked it into his robe.

“Is everything alright Draco?” Pansy questioned, her dark eyes narrowed in curiosity.

Draco opened his mouth to say something but thought better of it. Instead, he ignored her question and immediately rose and left the hall. He ducked into the nearest bathroom and once in the privacy of a stall he took the letter back out of his robe. His chest tightened as he read the brief note.

No matter what happens you MUST remain at Hogwarts. Do not leave under any circumstances. Ignore any temptation our former friends might use to try to lure you out. If you put yourself in danger, all of this will have been for nothing. Do not fail me.

Draco crumpled the piece of paper and placed his head in his hands. He had immediately recognized his mother’s handwriting and after reading her brief letter, he felt ill. The situation must be dire if she would risk sending an owl to him.

Either the Death Eaters had already caught her, or she believed they would do so very soon. Just to be sure, he smoothed the letter back out and cast a charm to detect forgery but it was genuine.

Gathering his composure he left the stall and set the ball of paper in the sink. He prodded it with his wand to set it aflame. It wouldn’t do for someone to take the letter and use a spell to trace it back where it had come from. After it turned to ash, he turned on the water, sending the ashes down the pipe and into the lake.

Draco rubbed a hand across his eyes. He might not be of age for another few months but he was hardly a child. What right did she have to make the decision that his life was more important?

He tried to calm himself and think rationally. If his mother were captured, she wouldn’t be harmed. If she were killed then the Dark Lord wouldn’t have any leverage. It didn’t profit anyone to do her harm. He had to remember that. He was shaken from his thoughts as the door to the bathroom opened and closed.

“What’s the matter Malfoy? Did you get an urgent letter from Voldemort?”

Draco glanced up at the mirror to see who was there and clenched his teeth; he really didn’t need this right now.

“Sod off Potter; my affairs don’t concern you.”

He turned to see that the annoying Gryffindor was eyeing him suspiciously.

“You’ve been awful quiet this term. You’re up to something Malfoy and I want to know what it is.”

Draco snorted. “Potter, there’s no need to be miffed because I’ve grown weary of taunting your inferiority.”

The other boy’s green eyes narrowed. “I don’t think you got tired of it. I think you were given more important things to do.”

Draco gave a short bark of laughter at that.

Potter continued, “I think that you’re spying for the Death Eaters, trying to make up for your father’s screw up.”

Draco’s fists clenched. He was flooded with anger and couldn’t fathom one of his usual cool-headed insults.

“Don’t talk about my father.”

“I’ll say what I like about your murdering scumbag family Malfoy,” Harry barked.

It was then that Draco pulled out his wand and shot the first curse across the bathroom.

***

Hermione was in the infirmary getting her weekly sleeping draught. She didn’t really need the potion anymore but since she used the excuse of her studies to get it, it would be suspicious to stop taking it as her schoolwork intensified. She was turning to leave when the door suddenly banged open.

The glass phial shattered on the floor and Hermione’s hands flew up to cover her mouth.

“My Goodness!” Madam Pomfrey cried, hustling over the infirmary bed where Professor Snape was carefully placing a student. Hermione stifled a scream.

It was Draco and he was covered in blood. His face was ashen and he looked… oh Merlin he looked dead.

Snape remained calm as he opened Draco’s shirt; Hermione had to clutch the doorframe to keep from falling at the sight of the horrible gash that ran from Draco’s navel all the way up to his collarbone.

“I used a coagulation charm, but it’s not sticking.” Snape said.

Madam Pomfrey ran to her cabinet, “He needs a blood replenishing potion immediately. Why won’t the charm work?”

Snape’s eyes gleamed with fury, “Dark magic,” he hissed. For the first time he noticed Hermione and he scowled at her.

“You can thank your friend Potter for this,” he snapped.

Severus’ scowl turned abruptly to confusion. Granger looked… distraught. In fact if he didn’t know better-

Immediately several things clicked into place. No, it couldn’t be- but the look on her face said everything. That look of terror that crossed a person’s face when they thought they were going to lose someone they cared for. He had seen it often enough to recognize it for what it was.

In the next instant, Miss Granger had fled and Severus’ attention immediately reverted to caring for Draco. It was lucky that he had invented the particular spell Potter had used. If he hadn’t been nearby Draco likely would have bled to death.

***

Harry stood miserably in the hall near the infirmary. He hadn’t known; how could he have known the spell would do that? He was so stupid! He thought he was going to be sick. He absolutely detested Malfoy but he never intended to do any serious damage. He hadn’t wanted to kill him.

A quick pair of footsteps was coming down the hall. Harry looked up anxiously. It was Hermione, and he could tell by the look on her face that she already knew what he had done. She was going to be furious with him over this. She had warned him not to use spells without knowing what they did.

“Oh Hermione, I didn’t-“

Harry’s words cut off abruptly as Hermione struck him across the face. Her eyes were bright with fury and she lunged at him with a shriek. Harry gripped her wrists to keep her nails away from his face. She shoved forward knocking both of them through a doorway and into a classroom that was thankfully empty.

“Hermione! Hermione stop it!” Harry cried, shocked at her behavior.

“How could you! How could you Harry!” she screamed, still trying to attack him.

Harry thought himself quite lucky that when Hermione was very angry, she often forgot she had a wand; otherwise, he wouldn’t have stood a chance.

“I swear I didn’t know! I didn’t know it would be like that!” He protested.

“You could have killed him!” she sobbed.

Wait, was she crying?

Harry was incredibly confused; why was she so upset?

Suddenly all the fight seemed to go out of her and she slumped forward. Harry had to let go of her wrists and grab her elbows to keep her from falling.

“He’s hurt and I can’t even go to him!” She wailed.

“Hermione why would you- I don’t understand,” Harry replied, completely befuddled.

Hermione opened her mouth but no sound came out even though she was clearly trying to speak. She suddenly clapped her hand over her mouth and looked up at Harry in a panic.

Harry suddenly had an awful thought.

“Hermione, why would you want-“he couldn’t even finish the sentence. Harry’s eyes widened and he started sputtering in distress.

“You… no he can’t be…”

Hermione groaned and covered her face with her hands. Harry sat heavily on the floor inadvertently pulling her down with him. It wasn’t possible. It just wasn’t possible that all this time Hermione had been sneaking around with-

Harry was reminded suddenly of the nights he spent looking at the Marauder’s Map.

All she ever did was go to class, study, and go on patrol with Malfoy

“Oh shit ‘Mione,” he said grabbing a fistful of his own hair. Hermione looked miserable and ashamed slumped beside him. Harry couldn’t stand to see his friend so unhappy. He instinctively put an arm around her shoulder and she immediately started crying into his robe.

Harry was in shock. First the curse and now this? It made no sense, how on earth had it even happened in the first place? Well he obviously wasn’t going to get any answers any time soon. Hermione was too distraught to talk and… Harry was still trying to absorb everything.

Hermione and Malfoy? No wonder he hadn’t been able to figure it out. He wouldn’t have suspected this in a million years.

***

Snape sat in the infirmary waiting for Draco to regain consciousness. It would have been unwise to use a spell to bring him around. He didn’t want to do anything to disrupt the healing spell they had finally gotten to latch on to the wound. It seemed they were past the point of danger; Draco would live. He would have to remain in the infirmary for several weeks however until he was completely healed.

Potter was an imbecile. Severus was resolved to have him expelled over this; but no doubt, Dumbledore would allow him to stay on the grounds that he didn’t intend to nearly kill a fellow student.

Snape couldn’t shake the feeling that he was partly responsible. He was after all the inventor of the spell Potter had used. He wasn’t completely sure how Potter had come across the spell, but he had an idea. He would deal with him later.

Draco suddenly stirred drawing Snape out of his thoughts. The boy’s eyes opened slowly and he grimaced in pain.

“Do you know where you are?” Snape asked.

“Hospital wing,” Malfoy mumbled groggily.

“Do you remember how you got here?”

Draco concentrated for a few moments, “I got in a fight with Potter… he…” Draco grimaced again, “Fuck, what the fuck did he do to me?”

Severus sighed, “Mr. Potter cast Sectumsempra, a spell of dark magic that causes a wound that is extremely difficult to heal. Potter claims he had no idea what the spell would do. Due to his lack of intelligence on nearly every subject I am inclined to believe him, although it doesn’t excuse the seriousness of what occurred.”

A smile briefly flickered over Draco’s face, “Potter used dark magic? He must be horrified.”

“He was,” Snape, commented, “You were quite a sight, even I momentarily thought there was no saving you.” His dark eyes locked with Draco’s.

He felt Draco’s mind firmly and immediately close as the boy sucked in a fearful breath. Well, he was impressed with Draco’s control over his mind; he was able to block legilimency even in his weakened state. But, in this case, his block was as good as a confession. Draco definitely knew about Miss Granger’s feelings for him.

“I hope,” Snape said slowly, “That you are intelligent enough not to do anything to complicate the delicate situation your family is in.”

Draco’s eyes blazed in anger. “Sir, I don’t see how anything I could possibly do would make my family’s situation worse.”

Snape closed his eyes in frustration. Whatever was going on with Granger, he was now had confirmation it was mutual. This was unbelievable. The boy was a complete fool.

“Believe me, anything can be made worse Draco and you’re a fool if you think it can’t be.” He looked at him seriously for a long moment. “As long as you have something to lose, things can get worse.”

Snape was seized with sudden melancholy. He stood and went to the cupboard, pouring a deep blue potion into a glass and handing it to Draco.

“This will ease the pain and help you sleep. I’m going to alert Madam Pomfrey that you’ve regained consciousness.”

Draco sat up slightly and drank the strong tasting potion. His eyes immediately fluttered closed as he sank back onto his pillow. He would have to speak with his student when he was in better condition to do so. Severus also had to get his own emotions under control before he spoke any further with Draco. The situation was dragging up memories that Snape preferred not to dwell on.

AN: Just another quick thanks to everyone who has read, rated, and/or reviewed.