Forgive me Draco fans for I have sinned…

I have this whole Fic pre written. It will be turned to an M rating shortly.

There will be language - graphic sexual scenes - references to non-con - plenty of suspense and a good helping of borderline psychotic power struggles. Dramione are as 'in character' as I can let them be whilst making the storyline possible.

Harry-Ginny-Ron-Daphne-Blaise-Theo-Pansy-lavender- Luna-Neville all running as background characters throughout.

I love feedback and I WILL update faster with reviews. I am writing this without a beta so if you can't forgive the odd wrong letter or small grammatical error then don't read.

I do not own Harry potter, I am simply playing with the characters.

The night of the Yule Ball-

"Pansy I swear to Merlin if you try that again I'll hex you!" Draco fought to detangle the intoxicated witch's arms from their strong hold around his neck.

She was trying to whisper seductively in his ear that they should go back to the dungeons and end this night with a bang! – literally. Her words came out too loud though, Theo and Blaise heard them and snorted with laughter. Pumpkin juice, laced with fire whisky, erupted from Theo's mouth and splatted Draco's robes. Disgusting.

"You're embarrassing both of us"

"You used to be fun!" She whined and stamped her foot "We used to sneak off all the time at your mother's parties."

Daphne, the brilliant pureblood witch she was, tried to soothe Pansy but it didn't work. It never worked.

"Stop it" He hissed. Ugly tears streamed down Pansy cheeks - a Parkinson tantrum of destructive proportion was pending.

"It's like you don't even want me!" She shrieked, drawing the attention of the enture hall to them. He needed to leave; now.

While Pansy was distracted, letting Daphne use her wand to correct the mascara smudges, he turned to Blaise. "Make sure she gets back safe."

"You sure you want her back mate? A long walk off the black lakes short pier…? Nobody would blame you." Blaise grinned. He was kidding of course but Draco wasn't in the mood. Begrudgingly Blaise nodded - Draco turned on his Italian leather heels and fled the great hall. This ball was dead anyway, only Hufflepuff freaks and drunk Slytherins remained now.

The castle was surprisingly quiet. He walked the covered path to the dungeons at a brisk pace eager to escape the frosty night. His footsteps thundered on the stone floor and his cloak flared as he strode. The sooner this night was over the better!

"Hiccup…sniffl…"

Frozen to the spot his hand grasps his wand inside the sleeve of his robe.

"Who's there?" he snarled, in the most intimidating voice he could muster. He sounded like his father.

No reply, only a sniffing sound again but the walkway was empty.

"I said whose there?"

…no response. Cautiously he reached the edge of the wall and that's when he saw her, well the silhouette of her at least. Sat on the bottom of the stone steps, in the dark, her bare shoulders jerked with every sniffling sound. His stomach twisted…this night had suddenly become more interesting.

"Granger? What the hell are you doing out here?" His leather shoes tapped every step until he was stood directly behind her.

"Oh push off Malfoy!" Her face was almost covered by her hands. Silver moonlight flickered on her wet cheeks and a scowl adorned her face. He tried to turn around and walk away, he willed himself and reasoned with himself but it was no use she pulled him in like a magnet, Granger always had.

The entire situation made him uncomfortable. He was almost sure that Potter or Weasley would jump out of the shadows any second with their wands raised accusing him of attacking her.

They didn't.

"Go away Malfoy. I can't take you tonight." She sniffed. Shivering in a particularly cold gust of wind she heard the heavy puddle of material land beside her. When she reluctantly looked up he was stood beside her, cloakless.

"It's freezing out here and I've got house elves with warmer dresses than that thing you're wearing." He frowned.

She didn't pick it up, she just looked at it suspiciously. He told himself that once she picked it up he'd turn around and walk away…

"Do you practise being a total dick Malfoy or is it just an unfortunate gift?" Fire burnt behind her sad eyes "…because let me assure you, it's impossible for you to make me feel any worse tonight so just…" she gasped for breath and let out another heat wrenching sob "…Go away!"

"Well I wouldn't say practise" he muttered.

A hundred thoughts flooded his mind. Sometimes, more than he liked to admit, he indulged in picturing scenarios where he and Granger might find themselves alone. He never thought it would actually happen though and certainly not like this.

Her face was in her hands again when she felt the warm, heavy, material fall over her shoulders. Followed by a deflated groan. Peeking through her fingers she saw him sitting beside her; closer than she'd expected. His crisp shirt was tucked neatly into his black trousers and his angular jaw was taught with intrigue.

"If I'd asked you to stay would you have left?" She whispered and he smiled – Draco Malfoy smiled in her presence and it was almost enough to distract her from her misery…but not quiet.

The black lake was still and the full moon reflected in the water. There was a long silence – until

"So…what happened?" He asked.

"Why do you care?"

"Well…it's just…I've never seen you cry Granger so I assume it's something terrible."

She shook her head, curls dropping down from their pins and onto her neck.

"You're Malfoy and I'm granger. We don't talk and we certainly don't care."

His voice was barely more than a whisper. "How about…just for tonight. You be Hermione and I'll be Draco and you'll tell me what's wrong and I'll care." He leant back on the step behind him and gritted his teeth.

"Why would you do that? Don't play with me Draco if you're going to hex me just do and it and get it over with. I don't have my wand. There isn't really anywhere to put it in this." She lifted her arms to show her dress beneath his cloak.

"I'm not going to Hex you."

Silence. They sat listening to the water for what felt like forever until…

"Ron said…he…it's just that." She tried to get her words out and Draco rolled his eyes, he should have known the Weasel was behind this. His stomach twisted. "He doesn't even know I'm a girl!" she sighed.

Draco smirked before he could stop himself. She saw him and blushed bright red. "Don't you dare laugh at me, I knew this was a mistake!" She moved to stand up, and no doubt storm off, but he grasped the material of his cloak and pulled her back down with a thud.

"I'm sorry" he said, the words tasted foreign. "Weasley doesn't know his arse from his elbow but I'd bet my wand that he's fully aware you're a girl."

Of all the people in Hogwarts of course Draco Malfoy had found her. That was just her luck.

"He doesn't act like it."

"He's an idiot" Draco rubbed his hands awkwardly on the knees of his trousers. The Weasel really was a wanker.

"Harry's the same. All the boys here are. I know I'm not beautiful like Daphne or Cho but it's like they forget about me completely unless they need help with their homework. I'm invisible!"

Draco held out a handkerchief from his pocket, for years his mother insisted he carried one, for the first time ever he was glad he had it. "You're far from invisible."

"Oh what do you know?" she scoffed, rubbing her eyes. There were no mascara smudges like Pansy, Granger didn't need make up to be beautiful. "You have no idea how it feels, haven't you slept with every slytherin girl in our year?"

"No" Draco answered honestly- he hadn't slept with Daphne.

Her brown eyes finally met his for the first time that night. "I'm sorry" she said, "You're trying to make me feel better, aren't you?"

"I'm trying to make you see sense."

"You know It took me an hour to make my hair look like this, I can hardly breathe in this dress and it was all for nothing." She sighed.

Draco's eyes fixed on her shoulder where his cloak fell away and exposed her skin. There was a slight shimmer, a slick layer of sweat from the ball.

"Not for nothing, you're beautiful." He whispered, before he could filter his words.

"What did you just say?" her face contorted and she sat up straight. "You're mocking me?"

"…no" He cleared his throat. "…no I'm really not."

"You think I'm beautiful?"

"I do"

"Since when?" she asked. It was her voice barely more than a whisper now.

Draco locked his eyes with hers "Always."

"You don't mean that!"

He touched the exposed shoulder. Ran his finger gently over her warm skin. He inched forward fully expecting her to push him back at any second or scream but she didn't.

"Yes I do." When his face resided merely an inch from her own and her lavender scent overwhelmed him, he watched her blush again.

"Why?"

He might as well tell her now. "You really want to know?"

She didn't speak – simply nodded her head, eyes never leaving his own.

"Because you're beautiful, your mind is exceptional and you're the only girl who's ever bested me at anything."

"Everything!"

He smiled, she smiled – for a moment it felt, right. Tucking a stray curl behind her ear Draco pressed his lips to hers. She tasted sweet and strong, pumpkin juice and fire whisky. He groaned when he felt her tongue meet his. He pulled her close to him and nipped her bottom lip between his teeth.

"Merlin Granger you have no idea how much I want you."

He could hear his own heart beat when he felt her hand moving down his chest, coming to stop at his tightly fastened belt.

"Show me then" – she was going to kill him, this wasn't happening.

Draco pulled back and looked at her "You want me…"

"Yes" Hermione nodded, her lips touched his neck and Draco almost lost it but a persistent voice of reason in the back of his mind pulled him back.

"Why?" he asked

"What?"

"Why?" he pushed her back gently.

Hermione looked confused and he couldn't stop himself from blurting out "Do you like me Granger?"

"Well you're being considerably nicer tonight than you usually are!" she snapped, beginning to lose patience.

"That's not what I meant"

"Then what do you mean? You're an arrogant git most of the time what do you want me to say?"

Draco felt his stomach sink, he put inches of distance between them before he muttered "It's not enough" and stood up to leave. "You've been drinking. Go to bed!"

"So have you."

"…But I can handle my liquor whereas you clearly cannot."

She shook her head. "You're crazy. You just told me that you fancy me and now you're angry."

Draco crouched back down in front of her, for a second Hermione thought he might kiss her again but she was wrong. His eyes were dark with anger.

"I don't fancy you Granger" he said "I'm in love with you."

Her mouth hung open, "That's not…you can't…no!"

"It is, I can and yes I do. I'm in love with you Granger and one day I will have you. That day, unfortunately, is not today." He took his wand in his hand and Hermione recoiled in fear.

"What are you doing?" she gasped.

"I'm sorry Granger" Draco said "Obliviate."