He watched her. Every day he saw her long hair, swinging free against her back or clinking lightly, bound up in a multitude of beautiful braids. He heard her laughter and loud voice in the corridors and saw her chewing her lip as she read in a quiet corner of the library. He had the pleasure of knocking her off her broom several times. And she gave back as good as she got. He smirked, knowing it was his influence that allowed her to become a great Chaser and Captain. He took great pride in her maturity as a Quidditch player. And she never knew she owed it all to him.

She hated his arrogance, his conceited air and his snobbery. She wished he would stop picking on her and her friends. She often thought of the day she would graduate with a fervent longing, if only because then she wouldn't have to see his ugly sneer anymore! She tried to ignore him and shrug him off. She knew she was no match for him physically - he was half a foot taller and a great deal stronger and heavier. But she didn't know her attention to other boys bothered him the most.

He loathed the other boys who would look after her like a bunch of lovesick pups, following her every move. He scowled every time he saw her flirting with someone else - he thought she was intentionally trying to get a rise out of him. She succeeded every time, much to his chagrin. He didn't know she wasn't trying to make him envious on purpose.

Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell, the self-proclaimed Diabolical Duo, enjoyed the attention their best friend had been receiving ever since third year. The two had many a laugh over the fact that Angelina Johnson being Angelina Johnson undoubtedly hadn't a clue about the boy's real motives. Angelina was as dense as they make them, as the saying goes, and would often look confusedly at the numerous boys who gave her gifts for seemingly no reason at all.

The Christmas of their third year, Angelina received several anonymous gifts. They were expensive things - the newest fashionable coat, a top-of-the-line pair of leather Quidditch gloves, and several pieces of jewelry. Angelina was baffled at who would buy anything that expensive, but they were unmistakably meant for her. Her name, Angelina J. Johnson, was inscribed on each of the packages. Only one, the package containing a heart-shaped necklace, had her full name: Angelina Juliette Johnson. She blushed and tried to cover up the packaging, but both Alicia and Katie noticed. They mercilessly teased Angelina, and somehow, (rumor had it the boy's loo became the new gossip mill), Angelina's name became common knowledge at Hogwarts.

Once news got around about her anonymous admirers, (either spread by the Diabolical Duo or, again, the boy's loo), Angelina found more and more people sending her gifts. She didn't care about the gifts. In fact, they mostly annoyed her. She tried not to show it, but, most confusing of all, no one expected anything of her. She tried to come up with a reason, but nothing fit. After a few months, Angelina just gave up. She expected the gifts to stop as well, and was bitterly surprised when they didn't, no matter how much she protested. Eventually, she caved in and decided the best way to deal with it all was to re-gift the items and send them to people who would actually use them. Angelina never understood how girls could like those things - the makeup, the perfume and the frilly clothes. A few of the items were, well, embarrassing, so Angelina destroyed them with a very good Incendio spell.

Angelina often scowled at Alicia and Katie because they laughed at her whenever she rolled her eyes at yet another gift. Even though the girls were best friends, Angelina didn't see what was so funny. Finally, one night in her fifth year, she decided to confront her friends about it.

"It's you," Alicia had tried to say, in between fits of giggles. "I mean, can't you see?" Gesturing wildly, she broke into peals of laughter.

"Are you really that dense?" Katie had tried to explain, before she, too, collapsed in laughter.

A furious Angelina, deciding to go for a walk to cool down, threw up her hands and left the Common Room.

Alicia's chuckles grew louder as her best friend retreated from Gryffindor Tower.

"Oh, Angelina," Alicia sighed as Katie stood up to stretch.

"She'll figure it out someday," Katie said, smirking. "At least, we hope."

Alicia laughed. "Yeah, we'll see. This is Angelina we're talking about here."

"Anyway, I'm sure Ange will sort herself out," Katie snickered, sarcasm evident in her voice. "But what about you? Got a hot date tonight?" Katie smiled and winked playfully, eyeing Alicia in a teasingly sexy manner.

Alicia was shocked she had almost forgotten. "Oh no! I do! George asked me out tonight," she explained, hurriedly using her wand to change into date-appropriate clothing.

Katie smirked and cooed, "Ooh! Alicia and George, sittin' in a tree..."

"Hey!" Alicia turned around quickly, pointing at Katie. "Don't you have somewhere to be, Miss Katie Bell-I-Get-Around?"

Katie looked indignantly at Alicia. "I resent that!" she shouted. "I do NOT get around. And excuse you, but that is none of your business." The brunette tried to look prim and proper, utterly failing to do so when she grinned wolfishly at her best friend.

Alicia smirked. "I should say it is my business if Oliver Wood is involved. We still need our Keeper!" Alicia winked to indicate she was joking. Oliver, the seventh year Quidditch Captain, was more than capable of taking care of himself.

Katie's face had turned completely red - either with anger or embarrassment, Alicia wasn't sure.

"And what are you, Miss Alicia Spinnet-Can't-Hold-A-Man?" Katie retorted tartly.

Alicia yelled back, "Oh yeah? Well, at least I've got a date!"

"So do I!" Katie screamed. "I'm going out with Lee tonight!"

"Oh, Kates!" Alicia said, fight forgotten instantly. "That's great!"

"I know right?" Katie said, squealing a little as she ran to get changed, too. Being a year younger, she couldn't perform magic as Alicia and Angelina did.

"Girls," Lee said, sighing.

"Yeah. They sure are strange," George agreed.

The two pranksters had used Extendable Ears to eavesdrop on their three favorite Chasers' conversation. Now, they both almost wished they hadn't. Almost. While it was nice to test prototypes, the girls' screams were so loud they could be heard from Ravenclaw Tower, rendering the use of the Ears as extremely excessive.

Grinning from ear to ear, George and Lee nodded at each other, slipping the Ears into their convenient pockets. Although it was a girly confrontation, this conversation told them several things that could potentially be used against the girls later. The boys snickered, looking forward to seeing the girls more than ever. George's only regret was that Fred was not with them. His better half, as they jokingly referred to each other, was currently serving detention with McGonagall, who, ironically, was one of the few people who could tell the twins apart.

Angelina had taken her walk outside by the lake. Now that she had cooled off, she decided she was better able to handle her friends. However, just as she was going into the castle, she saw Alicia, George, Lee and Katie sneaking out to the Whomping Willow. Shaking her head, Angelina entered the castle and quietly shut the doors.

Alone without her friends, Angelina decided to head to the dungeons. Timidly entering the Slytherin Common Room, making sure no one followed her, Angelina breathed a sigh of relief when she was safely inside. Standing by the enchanted window, which allowed the watcher to see out onto the grounds, Angelina saw her friends safely make their way into the Shrieking Shack's entrance.

"Bell and Spinnet still on your case?" a deep voice carried across the drafty room.

"It appears so," Angelina replied without turning around.

The man walked up to stand behind her and placed his arms protectively around her waist. "You know they just want the best for you."

"Mmhmm," Angelina purred, turning her head to smell his cologne. "Well, I think I already have it."

He smiled down at her as her cheeks grew warm. She was glad her dark skin visibly concealed her blush.

"I should hope so," he teased, his breath tickling her ear.

"At least they have my best interest at heart," Angelina defended her friends and teammates.

"Yes, it would seem their overtly Gryffindor-esque brains are working overtime for you," he whispered, his lips trailing down her skin. Angelina shivered under his touch.

"You don't give them enough credit," she whispered back.

"You give them too much." His silky voice was barely audible, although neither were sure why they were whispering in the first place.

Before Angelina could respond, his lips met hers in a fierce, demanding kiss that took her breath away.

"I -" Angelina tried to speak.

A growl emanated from his throat as he covered her lips completely so she couldn't speak. As the tension between them increased, she drew her arms around his neck, fingers running through his hair. His hands wandered all over her body - her chest, her waist, her hips, her thighs. He breathed in her scent and loved how perfect she was. How well they fit each other.

She moaned against his mouth as his arms reached up under her clothes, bare skin against bare skin.

"You okay?" he managed, in between kisses.

"Feels good, mhhhm," she replied, eyes closed. It always surprised her how he could be gentle at times like these.

His arms rested on her back, pulling her closer to him. She in turn pressed herself up against him, wanting to feel every centimetre of his body. He smirked and she could feel his lips curl up pleasantly against her own.

Suddenly, he hooked his arms under her legs and she obligingly lifted them around his waist. It was as though she knew what he wanted. Her body's perception had always amazed him. Without breaking contact, he silently carried her to his bed and laid her down gently on top of his sheets.

She didn't protest, which was unusual for her nature. He was her prince who had come to rescue her. With him, she didn't have to pretend to appreciate his efforts. She didn't have to fake a smile. She was just Angelina. But somehow, he managed to make her feel special.

With her, everything felt so right. He gave his heart and soul to her freely. It scared him how much control she had, but when he gazed into her eyes, he often wondered if she even knew the extent to which she affected him. But then her body would touch his and he would give in once again to his princess of the night. This torment - the time away from her, the piercing gazes and snide comments due to House rivalry - it all meant nothing. Until then, he would continue their daily coldness. But underneath, he knew she saw the lust reflected within him as he saw it in her.

This was what they lived for. This was what they concealed under their seemingly mutual hatred that really was love disguised in its purest form.

He woke up in his bed and saw she was gone. Typical Angelina Johnson. He smirked and sat up, getting ready to start his day. Even though it was a Saturday, he was an early riser. Old habits die hard, he thought as memories of his family and Quidditch practice flickered through his mind. Stretching, he tried and failed to push all thoughts of the delectable Chaser out of his mind.

She woke up with a yawn and remembered all that she had done with a contented sigh. Looking at the sleeping form of her dormmates, Angelina smiled. She was also an early riser out of habit, despite, or rather, in spite of, her late nights in the dungeons. Rising like a dog doing yoga, she moved about as content as the cat who got the cream.

Her friends didn't know about her escapades with the Slytherin Chaser, but that's the way Angelina Johnson liked it. She wasn't technically involved - it was just a fling. A typical Slytherin, no-strings attached deal. They both got mutual enjoyment from their tryst, although neither was exclusively attached to the other. At least, that's what she told herself.

Every day, she thought of his dark, mysterious eyes and his short, soft hair. His strong, powerful muscles and his tall, fit physique often captured her attention when he was in the room. She imagined him hugging her and kissing her and making love to her all over the castle. She often caught herself fantasizing about him in class. She scolded herself on multiple occasions, but she just couldn't get him out of her mind, no matter how much she dove into her studies.

He knew this thing with Johnson was just that - a fling. Something he could easily stop. Something he should stop. She wouldn't expect anything less, so he should be a true Slytherin and break it off now before it went too far.

Except he couldn't. He didn't want to. He wouldn't. And he knew he was in way too deep now to even try. He pictured her all the time - her smile, the way her hips moved as she walked, the glint of determination in her chocolate brown eyes when she flew. So he told himself this flame would die out soon and he stopped worrying about it so much. She, being the honourable Gryff, would sort it all out. He, being the slimy Slytherin, should honour his House reputation and take as much as she was willing to give.

She pushed all thoughts of that lovely, sexy green-and-silver-robed man out of her mind and focused on her school work, her friends and Quidditch. She believed that he would eventually get bored of her and they would go their separate ways. It was inevitable that would happen. So, it shouldn't matter. Everything was settled. The question wasn't what but when. She was content to wait. In the meantime, she looked forward to each meeting as desperately as he did.

And every time they told themselves it wasn't really a big deal, their need to see each other grew and grew until they had to find a deserted classroom to deal with their burning urges that would not let them rest. The kisses would be hungry and deep, as if they'd never tasted each other before. Their frenzied limbs felt as though they'd never touched before. And their sex was rough and hard and fast because they didn't know how much time they had before someone came by to take over the room once more.

At night, they would meet and take things slowly. They explored each others bodies and enjoyed every kiss. They never said goodbye when they parted. This bubble of happiness could not exist forever. But, as they lay together, they both thought the same thing: the idiomatic dragon in the room could wait.

Until then.

Okay, not quite sure what to do with this. But, it came to me randomly. So yeah...*shrugs* Maybe this will be more than a one-shot if my brain comes up with a second bunny plot to continue this...Until then, the mysterious Slytherin can be almost anyone :) hehehe.

Review or flame if you like xD Comments much appreciated, as always. And yeah, I know it's impossible for me to write a true M-rated fic. Partly I'm scared to and partly I just don't know how. o.o I know, pathetic. *sigh*