Revenge

by BDShadothe

Hermione Granger has gleefully exacted her revenge on Draco Malfoy. What she hadn't considered was the possibility that the one flaw in her chosen method could backfire so spectacularly. Draco has no qualms about repeatedly exploiting her one weakness, recklessly flirting with that which threatens to consume them both. Rated M for good reason! Sequel to Regret.

A/N: I don't have a beta to tell me if this can stand alone or if you need to read Regret first, so sorry I can't warn you beforehand. I've revised these so many times that I can't tell one way or the other because I already know the backstory and such. Feel free to review and let me know, though! Enjoy!

~~~\~~~

Revenge

A sudden, piercing scream sounded from the classroom he had just passed.

The Ravenclaw third year turned around and stared, half in fear and half in curiosity. He stood stock still, wondering if he dared go inside or if he ought to run and find a professor.

Before he could make up his mind, a half-dressed blonde with mussed hair flung the door open and flat out ran as fast as she could down the corridor, white button-up shirt and robes with a Hufflepuff crest flapping around her arms.

He stared after her, only partially able to appreciate her curvaceous chest and flowing hair as his curiosity only increased, as well as his fear.

He watched her disappear around the corner and then turned his head to stare at the open classroom door. What could be in there to make an older student escape in terror?

A second person, this time with short, white-blond locks, stepped out of the room, scowling and zipping up his trousers. He looked ready to murder someone, and the third year suddenly thought he understood why the girl had run away.

Draco Malfoy, pissed off and ready to kill, could scare away even the bravest of Gryffindors.

Malfoy turned his glare onto the third year, as if daring him to comment on what had just happened, and threatening various harms on him if he did. Then he stalked off down the corridor, the same way the Hufflepuff had gone.

The third year swore to himself he would never tell a soul about what he had seen and immediately continued his stroll, though he was careful to avoid as many older students as possible.

***/***

He was going to kill her.

That was the third time this had happened, so it was most certainly not a coincidence that three separate potential shags had turned into horror stories.

The first time, he hadn't been able to stay erect long enough to do anything, which he thought must have been a fluke, because that had never happened to him before. The Slytherin witch had been rather disappointed and threw him an understanding look before leaving.

The second time, he had been perfectly able going into it, so he thought the first problem really had been a fluke. But then the Gryffindor witch had encountered more of the same a couple minutes later when she finally touched him. She had given him a disgusted look and left, which still bothered him when he remembered it.

The Hufflepuff witch just now confirmed it. Any time a witch touched him there, it deflated. But it was also different this time. Not only had he deflated, but the girl had hallucinated something terrifying, screamed, and scarpered.

Despite the fact that he was absolutely enraged at her insolence, he couldn't help but also be impressed with her logic. The easiest way to ruin his reputation would be to sabotage his liaisons and start new rumors about him without getting involved in said rumors. He had to admit the message was as serrated as it was obvious:

Never mess with Hermione Granger.

What he really wanted to know was how she had hexed him without alerting him to it. Was it a spell or a potion? A spell would be easiest to catch him unaware, as it had been a month since he had humiliated her. She would have known he'd have expected immediate retribution. But what sort of spell was so effective? How long was it supposed to last? After only three days of being intimately reacquainted with his hand, he was already going mad with lust. He felt like he was willing to shag almost anything, yet he was frustratingly unable to do so.

What sort of spell enhanced the libido yet controlled the manner of release? It must be one bloody hell of a spell, and even he had never come across anything like it in the Malfoy libraries. There were five major Malfoy libraries and none of the books on sex magic he had read had any sort of spell like this. It was almost as if she had created it herself, specifically for this situation. She was brilliant, sure, but could she create her own spell in only three weeks?

That thought disturbed him greatly. Perhaps he had finally pushed her too far. He was actually considering apologizing just so he could return to normal. There was no way for him to know if this was permanent unless he asked, or found the spell himself. But if she had created it, then it was not likely going to be in a book.

~~~\~~~

She was sitting at the same table, in the same exact spot where he had seduced her. She didn't look bothered in the least, and that made him scowl. He was supposed to leave an indelible impression on every witch he encountered. Then again, he had probably left so many impressions on her over the years that perhaps she was immune to them now.

It only occurred to him then that she was the one witch who had consistently seen him at his worst, when he was intentionally being his worst, and she was still there. She was still fighting, still found a way to have the upper hand when anyone else would have been crushed underneath his polished heel. She did not shrink in his presence, but grew taller. She kept surprising him by standing right back up and slapping him across the face no matter what he did. He could no longer deny that she was the most fascinatingly unfathomable witch he had ever met. It seemed as if her sole purpose of existence was to counter everything he did, to be yin to his yang, as he had heard someone say once.

"Remove the curse, Granger," he demanded.

She looked up immediately, as if she had been expecting him.

"Well, since you asked so nicely…no," she replied primly, returning to her book in dismissal.

He nearly growled. He hated being dismissed, and he was willing to bet the entire family fortune that she knew that. After so many years of rivalry, it would be difficult to not learn a few things about the other.

"I'm not going to ask again," he threatened.

"Good, because you'll only be rejected yet again," came her snarky retort. "I'm rather surprised you're taking it so well."

He stiffened. "You know very well I'm not a rapist."

She rolled her eyes, finally setting down her book. "That's not what I meant. I was referring to your overly large ego. I was so sure it would have toppled over as soon as your conquests were no longer supporting it."

"Why did it take you so long?"

He sat down in the chair across from her. Thanks to the rumor mill, most witches were cautiously avoiding him at the moment, so he was bordering on desperate for entertainment and answers.

She smirked, and it was startlingly similar to the triumphant one he had seen in the mirror right after humiliating her.

"I had to modify a few things."

"You didn't create a whole new spell." He said it like he was denying her insinuation, but he was actually looking for her own denial to comfort him. There had to be a cure for this.

She raised her eyebrows. "You can't very well modify something if there's nothing to build off of, can you?" she asked rhetorically. "No, I didn't create a new spell. I modified an outdated one."

"And what does it do?"

She scoffed. "You already know what it does." She paused, smiling, "First-hand, if I'm not mistaken."

He glared at her, which only made her glow with pride that her spell had worked.

He was probably going mad from frustration, but she looked like she was enjoying her victory far too much.

"If I didn't know any better," he said slowly, "I'd say you were jealous."

"Jealous?" she repeated in shock. "Why would I be jealous? What is there to be jealous of? You don't belong to anyone except your own ego, and I would never envy that."

He waved a hand dismissively. "Semantics. You're jealous that I pay more attention to other witches than to you."

She laughed. "Oh, if only you did! You have it reverse, Malfoy. I want you to pay as much attention as possible to those other witches. I want you to ignore me for the rest of our lives. I want to forget all contact of any sort that we've ever had! And above all, I want to pretend that you don't even exist!"

Her rant didn't disprove his sudden hypothesis, even though she meant it to. She was being far too defensive. He recalled the times when they had argued before the war had openly started, the times when their words had cut each other as deeply as Sectumsempra. He recalled her flushed face and heavy breathing, her eyes narrowed and brow furrowed, her jaw clenched. She had always become more passionate in her retorts when he had hit a particularly sensitive spot, a particularly poignant truth about her life. Those were the times when her hatred had noticeably intensified. Unlike him, the intensity of her anger did not proportionately increase the brutal truths that spilled from her lips. Instead, she tended to stick to logic. She chose to say not what hurt the most, but whatever was the surest denial of whatever he had said, true or not.

Therefore, the extent of her vehement denials could only mean one thing.

She was lying.

He smirked. "That would have been a much more convincing performance if you hadn't added that last part. You overdid it just a tad."

"I don't want you!" she fumed.

The petulance in her voice only convinced him further of the opposite.

"But, Granger, you just said you want me to do all sorts of things."

"Yes, like leaving. Go away, Malfoy."

"No."

She made a frustrated growl in the back of her throat and started packing up.

"Fine. I'll leave, then."

He mentally pouted. Now who was he going to play with?

"Don't be a spoilsport, Granger. Let's kiss and make up."

He had only said it to tempt her into another argument, but the flash of full-on panic in her eyes intrigued him.

"No," she denied firmly. "But you'll be happy to know the joke is now on me. I hadn't realized taking you away from your extracurricular activities would make you annoy me even more. You win. I'll find a way to remove the spell tonight and you can go on your merry way. Deal?"

"Find a way? You don't know how?"

She huffed. "I already told you I had modified the original spell. I know how to counter the original, but I'll have to research whether it'll still work with my modifications."

"Why not try it right now?"

She gaped. "I'm not just going to cast a spell on you, having no idea what will happen!"

"Worst case, it won't do anything," he shrugged.

She sighed exasperatedly and rolled her eyes. "Malfoy, it's not Finite Incantatem. The counter to the original spell literally creates an effect to counter what was done in the first place. If I cast it on someone who hasn't had the original spell cast on them, bad things could happen."

He smirked. "Worried about my health, are you? Shucks, Granger. I didn't know you cared."

"I wasn't referring to your health," she snapped. "I was referring to the havoc you could cause while under the influence of the counter."

"Havoc? Do tell."

"Shut up. Do we have a deal?"

"Deal." He held out his hand to shake, but she ignored it, grabbing her bag and giving him a wide berth as she passed.

He had never seen her act so strangely. Normally, she would have avoided losing to him at all costs, as they were both proud people. But she had just given the win to him with nary a grudging glare. Clearly, she was afraid of something even worse than him winning. What would hurt her pride worse than that? The only clue he had was the panic he had seen in her eyes. It was one thing to shy away from him because he had seduced her before, but this was something else. She was acting like something catastrophic would happen if he got too close.

Well, that only served to make him want to find out what could make Know-It-All Granger so afraid.

He turned around and leaned forward, closing his fingers around her arm from behind.

She froze upon contact, and for the first few moments, he thought maybe he had been imagining it all. Maybe nothing was going to happen.

But seconds passed and neither of them moved. They both sensed that this was the peak of equilibrium, and whoever made the first move, even something so simple as breathing too loudly, would tip them over one way or the other.

"Let go," she breathed, still facing away from him. He only barely heard her, and that was because he was hyperaware of the silence, waiting for her to break it.

He considered her request, but quickly rejected the idea. His fingers held her arm tighter, and the memory of seducing her played out in his mind. He remembered the softness of her skin, the way her velvety inner walls had clenched around him, the breathy tone that had urged him on, that had demanded he take her innocence right then and there in her pristine sanctuary.

His insides warmed at the reminder, and he wanted it to happen again. He needed it. He needed her writhing underneath his powerful thrusts, moaning his name.

He was the only bloke ever to have seen her in such an unrestrained, wild state, and he felt inclined to keep it that way. If she let every sort of bloke have her, then his conquering her meant nothing. But the longer she remained her prissy, prudish self, the sweeter his victory tasted and the more his legendary status grew. Everyone knew that Hermione Granger could not be tempted by pleasures of the flesh...except Draco had managed it, and he was all the more revered for it. He was more than willing to conquer her again, to fortify his claim on her, to show her that she could pretend to be unaffected by him as much as she liked, but he would always be her first, and that gave him power over her.

He was so hard and randy it almost hurt, and every ounce of his magic told him that she was the key to breaking the spell on him. He could figure out the why and how later. Right now he was going to seduce her again, although the same sense told him she was going to be just as eager as he.

He swiftly lurched forward and pressed himself against her back, making sure she felt everything.

She gasped in surprise, but it melted into a moan as she pressed back against him, tilting her head back as far as it could go and dropping her bag to the floor.

He bent his head to attack her now exposed neck, and the moment his hungry lips touched her taut skin, he knew they both were lost. Not that he particularly cared about that at the moment, with the heat from her body maintaining his erection.

He detached his lips and flipped her around, diving in for a proper kiss.

He hadn't even reached her lips before she flung her arms around his neck, fingers digging into his hair like grappling hooks, and pressed her open mouth against his. He wasted no time devouring her with his lips while his hands groped every angle of her figure he could reach. Judging by her whimpers and the way she kept pressing against him harder, she wasn't complaining that he was being rather forward.

In fact, by the time his fingers had crawled under her shirt to grip her bare waist, her fingers had released his hair and were working to get his trousers undone as quickly as possible. Deciding to follow her lead, he yanked her shirt up and she paused for a moment to raise her arms, allowing him to yank it off completely before working on her skirt. Their lips immediately met again and resumed their tango even while blindly divesting the other.

They didn't even consider walking the two steps to the nearest bookshelf or table. Granger lowered herself to her knees, pulling him down with her. The next thing he knew she was on the floor, lying on her back with him in between her legs, which were wrapped around his waist. She gripped his erection, almost yanking it closer to her, and Draco nearly blacked out from the sudden pleasure that caused.

He used all the self-restraint he had left to tear her hand off of him and keep it off long enough to cast a wandless Sterility Charm on himself and a limited range Silencing Charm around them so they wouldn't be interrupted. After that, he was gone, thrusting into her so quickly and forcefully that her body recoiled from the impact. Her fingers latched onto his limbs and her loud moaning told him she didn't mind one jot. He attacked her breasts with a fervor he was certain he had never felt before, as her inner walls were already intermittently fluttering around him. It felt so bloody good that he didn't notice anything else except the moans and softness that made him feel like he would sink into an irreversible depression if he couldn't make her orgasm in the next sixty seconds. He needed to feel her insides clenching him like her last grip on sanity, so he thrust harder and faster, hitting the spot he had discovered their first time together over and over. He completely ignored their loud pants and the fact he was probably grinding her back raw against the carpet. None of that mattered.

All he cared about were the silky legs tightening around him, the soft, taut skin against his lips, and the velvet heat he was plunging into like his life depended on it.

As if Merlin himself had heard his pleas and felt his desperation, Granger suddenly gasped and arched her back, moaning just as he remembered. Her inner walls pulsed, and he lost himself in the bliss of riding out his own orgasm.

He collapsed on top of her and they stayed like that for a while, neither of them moving.

Only when he felt himself drifting off to sleep did he shake himself awake and roll off of her. She made a faint disappointed sound at the loss of warmth, but did nothing else. He took it as a blessing that she wasn't going to hex or nag him, dressed himself, and packed up his things as quickly as possible before leaving.

It had happened again, he thought in disbelief. The first time had been intentional, as it had been the most challenging bet from Blaise yet. Even though he had won the ten galleons and undeniable bragging rights, he felt like he had lost. He had lost control all because of her. Granted, she had cast a spell on him, but it wasn't an excuse. He had still had control over his actions, despite that he had wanted her more desperately than he could remember wanting anything. He never lost control of himself, but she had made him do just that. She had gotten her revenge.

Was it worth escalating into a war? Hundreds of potentially useful spells ran through his mind, but he didn't want to start something he couldn't finish. Out of all the female students in Hogwarts, she was the most dangerous to him. He had next to zero blackmail material on her, seeing as the little he had gotten had been used immediately after. The only leverage he had now was their unique connection, but that could inconvenience him, too, just as easily. On the positive side, his body was thrilled with the lack of tension now.

He didn't actually have to retaliate. He had gotten what he wanted, too, making her regret casting that spell on him in the first place.

Speaking of which, he still had to get his reputation back…

Well, there was no time like the present.

~~~\~~~

By the end of the following day, Draco was exhausted. He had tracked down the Slytherin, Gryffindor, and Hufflepuff witches, explained that he had been hexed, and immediately shown them that he was all better now. He had even run into a Ravenclaw witch giving him an examining look, which he proceeded to wipe off her face rather quickly in the nearest broom closet.

It felt good to be back to normal. In his contented mood, he decided he didn't need to continue the war with Granger. They had both learned their lesson, so there was no sense in exacerbating their rivalry when there were so many other pleasurable activities he could spend his time partaking in.

That is, until he heard Steven Harper harassing her as she passed him in a second floor corridor.

"Oi! Mudblood! Since you like Slytherins so much, I'll entertain you tonight!"

To her credit, Granger didn't even acknowledge the idiot's existence, instead choosing to continue reading while walking down the corridor to her next class.

Harper didn't like being ignored, though. He lunged forward to grab her arm, then suddenly stopped when Granger moved. The next moment her wand was pressing into his throat with one hand while she balanced her book in the other.

She looked up slowly, glaring at him. "No, thank you, Harper. I don't particularly fancy little boys who don't possess an ounce of self-control."

Draco smirked as several emotions swirled through him. The first was malicious glee, as he always appreciated a well-crafted insult. The second was amusement, as Harper's eyes bugged out of his head in anger from her insinuation. The third was relief, as his body had immediately tensed when he saw Harper go for her. The fourth, but strongest of them all, was pride. He was proud of her for so easily defending herself, but also proud of the fact that she wouldn't let another bloke touch her. It reminded him of the second time they had shagged, when he had decided that he liked being the only bloke allowed in her knickers. It seemed she rather preferred it that way, too.

He decided the impasse was a fitting time to interrupt, so he pushed off the corner of the wall and strolled toward them.

"Harboring illusions of aptitude, Harper?" he drawled.

Granger stepped back and pocketed her wand, recognizing that the threat had been eliminated. He smirked wider at the thought that she considered him an ally as opposed to an enemy.

Harper glared at him. "Gone soft, Malfoy? Defending Mudbloods with Saint Potter?"

Draco felt irritation well up in him. It seemed Harper had fancied himself Draco's replacement, mocking Granger and using his signature nicknames for the Golden Trio.

He glared back. "No, though I dare say you've gone mad if you think you can mimic me so pathetically and gain status. I haven't left yet, Harper, and it would benefit you to remember that very important fact. Granger Taunting requires a sharp mind and an even sharper wit, neither of which reside in your small repertoire of capabilities. As a fellow housemate, I suggest you avoid a second go as she'll just wipe the floor with you again."

Granger's lips twitched as she watched and he filed that little tidbit away for later examination.

Harper's jaw clenched so tightly, Draco was amazed it didn't crack.

"I'm sure the others will be very interested in your opinion of her."

Draco nearly laughed at the feeble blackmail attempt.

"Indeed, they will be very interested in my progress with her. Let Zabini know that if his double or nothing offer is still open, I accept."

Harper scowled and stalked off. Draco watched with amusement until he disappeared around the corner.

"So that's what it was. A bet?" Granger said disapprovingly.

Draco turned around and nodded once.

"How much?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you want to know?"

She pursed her lips. "Yes, I want to know how much my humiliation was worth."

"More than any other student's."

"How much, Malfoy?"

He strolled past her. "If we dawdle any longer, we're going to be late for Ancient Runes, Granger."

She glared and rushed after him, grabbing his arm and yanking it back.

He stopped and looked pointedly at her fingers grasping his arm.

"I hadn't pegged you for the insatiable type, but there is a broom closet at the other end of the hall..."

She rolled her eyes but didn't move her hand. "Tell me."

He chuckled. "A gentleman never bets and tells."

"You just made that up!" she fumed, squeezing his arm harder. "Why won't you just tell me?"

"Because it's far too amusing to watch you get so upset over a simple question."

She actually stomped her foot and let out a frustrated huff, dropping his arm.

"You're absolutely insufferable!"

"And yet here you are, suffering my presence," he noted.

"Fine! I'll ask Zabini."

Draco barked out a laugh. "You think Blaise will be more inclined to tell you?"

She stared at him indignantly. "If I ask the right way, yes."

"I'd pay to see that," he sniggered.

"Then get ready to cough it up, because I will find out."

With that she stalked off down the corridor and Draco followed, enjoying the view of her uniform skirt angrily swishing from side to side.

~~~\~~~

Even with Harper's distraction, the two of them arrived to class ten minutes early. Draco automatically sat down in his usual seat, and Blaise entered a few seconds later.

As Blaise sat down next to him, Draco glanced at Granger, who narrowed her eyes at the black boy determinedly, flicked her wand at the doorway, and strode over to them.

Blaise set about getting out his textbook, but muttered to Draco, "What did you do this time?"

Draco smirked, whispering back, "You'll see."

"How much was it, Zabini?" she asked bluntly, standing directly in front of their desk with her arms crossed over her chest.

Blaise stared back blankly. "I haven't an inkling of what you're on about, Granger."

"The bet with Malfoy. How many galleons did you lose?"

Blaise raised an eyebrow at said blond, wordlessly wondering why the bloody hell he had told her.

Draco shrugged with a mysterious grin.

"My financial state is none of your business," Blaise answered eventually.

"It is when Malfoy wants to go again," she argued. "Double or nothing."

Blaise and Draco both perked up for different reasons.

"He does?"

"No, I don't!"

Granger smirked rather smugly as she turned to Draco.

"That's what you told Steven Harper, remember? 'Let Zabini know that if his double or nothing offer is still open, I accept," she quoted verbatim. "You wouldn't have said it if you weren't prepared for it to be true."

He glared. "I knew he wouldn't tell Blaise, and that's the only reason I said it!"

"But you did say it, in the presence of two unrelated witnesses," Blaise pointed out with a gigantic grin. "By our contract, it is a valid offer."

Draco scowled as Blaise gave Granger an impressed once-over.

"Granger, I do believe I have underestimated you," Blaise admitted.

Granger blushed and smiled brightly.

The spontaneous irritation returned, and Draco felt a strong urge to block Granger from Blaise's view.

"But the subject of the bet knows about it!" Draco countered.

Blaise laughed. "Funny how you start complaining about that the second it stops working in your favor. We had agreed to allow it then, so in all fairness, that is not a disqualifier."

"But we did say there can be no conspiring. You two are currently conspiring, so that is a disqualifier."

"Agreeing that you officially proposed a new bet is common sense, not a conspiracy," Granger denied.

"Agreement on an issue is how a conspiracy starts," Draco said darkly.

Blaise rolled his eyes and Granger scoffed.

"Face it, Draco. You don't even have a technicality to stand on. If you prefer to gracefully bow out, I'll take the twenty galleons now and we can pretend this all never happened," Blaise replied with a smarmy grin.

Draco mentally swore. It had taken ages for Granger to warm up to him the first time. Now that she was on her guard, it would be next to impossible to ambush her the same way.

It was almost time for class to start, so Granger removed her Repelling Charm from the door and sat down in her seat on the other side of the room with the largest self-satisfied grin he had ever seen on her.

That was when he realized that Blaise had let slip the answer to her original question.

He swore again. Hermione Granger was far more devious than he had ever given her credit for.

~~~\~~~

And so it began again. Draco spent the next week in deep thought every spare moment, planning out different approaches that had a lesser chance than most of her rebuffing or outright slapping him. He still winced every time he remembered either of the two slaps she had bestowed upon him in the past, but he felt a burst of pride, too. He had never heard of anyone else consistently affecting her to the point of physical violence.

It was just one more way he left an impression on her, he supposed.

He had a sudden stroke of luck when he overheard a conversation the following week that formed the plan of attack for him.

"Oh, Hermione, I'm so glad we're best friends now!" Lavender Brown squealed happily as they walked side by side.

Draco smirked at the twitch of annoyance on Granger's face. He sympathized. He kept his head down behind a book as an extra precaution; it wouldn't do to have Granger notice him on the bench as they passed.

"You know, Neville's had a crush on you for the longest time," Brown continued in a loud whisper. "Wouldn't it be lovely if we could double date? Me and Ron, you and Neville, just enjoying our boyfriends…"

Granger's hand slowly drifted to her robe pocket, hesitated, and then passed over it. Her fingers curled into a fist and then released just as slowly.

Draco glanced at her face, and was impressed with the blank stare she had adopted.

He couldn't stop watching, so he rose from the bench and followed them as closely as he dared. He had lost his perfect visual as they had moved onward, but he could still hear Brown prattling on, and he knew Granger's temper would not be cooling off.

He couldn't wait to see her explode.

"…and then he told me how much he loved me! It was soooo romantic! He swore he's never loved anyone as much as he loves me, and he never will as long as he lives! No offence, of course. You're just too high maintenance for him, as I'm sure you've realized…"

Draco sniggered silently. Granger, high maintenance? He couldn't think of a witch who was lower maintenance. She was more high maintenance about her essays than about her personal appearance, but maybe Brown was talking about her tendency to nag about homework. In any case, Granger's body was stiffening more every second.

"I mean, you're decent, but not terribly attractive. Really, Hermione, you should pay more attention to your appearance, so you won't have to resort to someone like Neville, though I have to admit even he's grown up a bit. You just haven't changed at all and boys notice those things. You have to look like a woman in order to attract a man, you know? Your clothing is so large it really isn't necessary, and don't get me started on how long your skirts are. I mean, they're actually at your knee! You're never going to make a bloke wonder what's under there with that much wool—"

Draco was torn. Granger's hand had made it into her pocket, and he just knew she was moments away from hexing the insipid bint into next week.

While that would be hilarious to watch, he saw a way to make her indebted to him (surely not even McGonagall would find a way to excuse her for hexing a student) and make headway on the bet at the same time.

As Granger slowly removed her wand from her pocket, the moment to decide had come and he knew which option he preferred.

"Actually, I don't have to wonder what's under her skirt, and I rather prefer knowing to imagining. Still, the mystery of what could be hidden under there was rather entertaining. For all we knew, Granger, here, could have been sporting all sorts of tattoos and such, the naughty vixen."

He had approached Granger from behind and slid an arm around her waist.

Both girls stared at him, but Granger flushed immediately, while Brown's eyes bugged out of her vapid little head.

Granger was so shocked, she didn't even fight when he pulled her closer to him, so he smirked at Brown.

"Really, Brown, you don't need to give Granger advice," he drawled. "She doesn't need to attract attention the way you do, like a mating dance. Her beauty is all her own, whether or not she wears tight clothes or paints her face with outrageous colors."

He eyed Brown's violently purple eyelids and red lips that matched her outfit. He thought she looked rather like the clowns they had talked about in Muggle Studies. He truly did appreciate that Granger had an unconventional but natural beauty.

"But as much as I'd love to stay and chat," he inwardly chuckled that he had been the only one talking, "I do have matters that require my attention."

He bent down to lightly kiss Granger's temple. "Later, Granger."

As he casually strode away, he glowed with pride that he had broken a personal record, the longest period of time Granger had been willingly silent in his presence without glaring at him.

~~~\~~~

It was all over the school in a matter of hours, just as he had predicted.

By dinnertime, everyone knew that Draco Malfoy had defended Hermione Granger, and there was no shortage of possible explanations.

His personal favorite was that they had forgotten to cast a Contraception Charm when he had taken her virginity, and he had just found out that Granger was pregnant, so now he was trying to convince her to drop out of school to raise their child at the Manor with his parents.

That one had made him and Blaise laugh for an entire three minutes.

"No, no," Blaise laughed. "My personal favorite is the one where you've fallen so deeply in love with Granger that you're willing to be disinherited and give up magic altogether just so you can elope and live like the poorest muggles across the pond."

That set them off for another three minutes.

The boys clutched their stomachs and laughed until they couldn't breathe, eventually slowing to a chuckle, and ending with a sigh while wiping the tears from their eyes.

"Blimey, they're all idiots," Draco sighed.

"I almost pity Granger," Blaise mused. "She never gets a break, does she? Between the messes that she gets dragged into because of Potter and Weasley, the normal gossip about her plain looks, and everything you do to her, I'm surprised she hasn't offed herself."

"She's not plain," Draco disagreed automatically.

Blaise raised a dark eyebrow. "Since when?"

"Since always. Don't you remember her at the Yule Ball Fourth Year? As I recall, you couldn't keep your eyes to yourself," Draco drawled.

"Well, yes, for that one night she looked alright, but even now she's nothing special," Blaise qualified.

Draco shrugged. "We agree to disagree, then."

Blaise examined his best friend. "What makes her so special?"

Draco barked a laugh. "How isn't she special? She's a muggle-born that has bested every pureblood in this school. Hell, she's a better witch than most wizards I've met. She's scary when she's angry and beautiful when she's furious. She's sharp as a dagger, but her heart bleeds all over the bloody floor. She's stubborn beyond all reason and can't contain her own ambition. But she hates being the center of attention far more than she hates me, and that's saying something. She's an enigma," he finished simply, staring at a crystal glass on the table in front of him as he talked.

Blaise blinked. "Don't tell me you actually are in love with her?"

Draco chucked a throw pillow at him. "Of course I'm not bloody in love with her, you pouf."

Blaise grinned. "Are you positive? Would you like some pancakes with that sap dripping from your mouth?"

"Stuff it," Draco said, rolling his eyes, "or I'll tell Daphne exactly what you were dreaming about last night."

"Like you've never dreamed about having two sisters at once," Blaise snorted. "Though I suppose now if you did, you'd feel like you were cheating on Granger."

"Blaise," Draco warned.

He was ignored.

"What will your children look like? Will they have your white, silky locks and her melted chocolate brown eyes? Or her untamable mocha hair and your dark and broody grey eyes?"

Draco decided that Blaise was having far too much fun with this.

He got up. "I'll be sure to ask Daph and let you know what she thinks," he said, walking over to the girls' staircase.

Blaise raised an eyebrow, calling his bluff.

Draco smirked. He leaned down. "Oi! Daphne!" he called down the stairwell as loudly as he could.

Her footsteps echoed on the stone below until she stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What do you want, Draco?"

"It isn't so much what I want, as it is what Blaise wants to do with—"

Blaise whipped out his wand and Silenced the blond. He stepped up next to his friend and smiled politely.

"Forgive him, Daph. Draco's been drinking to forget his forbidden passion for Granger and has been hallucinating all day as a result. He's gotten some mad idea in his head that you and your sister would look good together."

Draco waved his wand, dispelling himself nonverbally and readied to defend himself from any hexes she might throw.

Instead she looked up at them both curiously. "Oh, you think so, too?"

The boys blinked at her before she scowled. "I'd rather do Slughorn, you tossers. And Blaise, if you ever dream about me and Astoria again, I will curse you."

"I can't control what I dream," Blaise called after her as she turned around and strode back to her room.

"I suggest you try," came her sharp response.

Blaise chuckled. "Doesn't miss a thing, that witch."

~~~\~~~

Granger cornered Draco the next day after Charms in a rage.

"Why did you do that?" she snapped.

"Do what?" he asked innocently.

She glared, and he only barely suppressed a pleased smirk.

"Start up the rumors again! Now half the school is convinced we're in love!"

"But, Granger, I knew we couldn't be together until you had the school's acceptance. I thought this was what you wanted," he continued with the same naïveté.

She almost growled. "Stop it!"

"Stop what, love? I would stop the world if you so desired."

She stomped her foot. "I hate you!" she hissed.

Then she stormed off, drawing all sorts of attention to them.

The group of Hufflepuff witches passing by shot him glances of longing and sympathy.

He could hardly contain his glee. At this point, he'd hand over the twenty galleons to Granger just so he could continue annoying her like this. It would only be a bonus that she'd get even more enraged, thinking he was trying to buy her. Gods, she was so easy to rile up. He felt almost giddy with success. His plan was moving along perfectly.

~~~\~~~

He hadn't thought it would work this well. Pretending to be in love with someone else was apparently one way to make every young female in his vicinity fall in love with him. Well, except Granger, of course. It seemed that every show of affection toward him made her even angrier, which only fueled the idea that they were together. She looked as jealous as any ex-girlfriend he had ever had, though only he and Blaise knew it wasn't jealousy.

The only reason he didn't take advantage of the school's newfound fondness for him was that he knew it was solely based off his 'relationship' with Granger. If he 'cheated' on her, then he would be right back into slimy, manipulative git territory. But that didn't mean he couldn't flirt a little. While it was rather inconvenient that he was back to celibacy, the intensity of Granger's loathing (of both him and their gullible classmates) made it all worthwhile.

"You're going through an awful amount of trouble just to make her hate you," Blaise noted thoughtfully. "How, exactly, is that supposed to lead to her shagging you?"

Draco smirked. "Don't worry, mate. You'll see soon enough. I doubt she'll be able to hold out much longer."

"From what?" the dark boy asked skeptically.

"My irresistibility, of course."

Blaise rolled his eyes. "Only you, mate. Only you would have an ego big enough to truly believe that."

"And she's about to prove me right."

~~~\~~~

"Malfoy," Potter said, stopping him in the corridor. Weasley stood next to him, glaring.

"Potter, Weasel King," Draco acknowledged with a smirk. "Have you come to give Granger and me your blessing? She's been terribly worried about your reactions."

Weasley looked ready to punch him but was held back by Potter's hand on his shoulder.

"Why bother, Malfoy?" Potter asked suspiciously. "We know you aren't actually in a relationship with her. Why pretend you're being a good boyfriend when you're not getting anything out of it?"

"I'm getting plenty out of it, Potter. You just aren't complicated enough to understand. She thinks so, too, if she hasn't told you."

He was rather surprised, truthfully, that Granger hadn't told her two best friends about the second bet. Any dolt could have realized he was preventing her from getting an actual boyfriend by making everyone else think they were together. Then he wondered if she had told them about the first bet. He had left the bet part out when he had told the school about taking her virginity, but assumed she would have told her friends as soon as she had found out. Based on their current reactions, though, he didn't think she had told them anything, which was strange.

He'd have to ask her about that.

"She doesn't think we aren't smart enough; she thinks we're going to beat you to a bloody pulp like Ron did the last time you pulled a stunt. And that's only because she doesn't want us to get in trouble just because of you. Keeps telling us you're not worth the effort and aggravation."

"Is there a conclusion to this essay?" Draco drawled.

"Yeah, the conclusion is that I won't even try to stop Ron the next time you hurt her, detention or not. It's only a matter of time before you mess with her again, and we'll be waiting to rip you apart until the bits won't be big enough for anyone to recognize as human."

The blond snorted. "You're awfully silent, Weasel. Care to have a go at failing to intimidate me, too?"

"Just watch yourself, Malfoy." Ron said menacingly. "I'm not the only Weasley who will be after you if you don't."

Potter nudged Weasel as a cue to leave, and they both did.

Draco tried to take them seriously, but he just couldn't. Not when he knew that Granger would succumb again eventually. He scoffed and continued on his way.

~~~\~~~

Although his current plan was working, it was slow going. Granger was never one to give into peer pressure unless it involved saving someone's life, and he didn't care to risk her wrath by placing someone in danger just for the sake of shagging her. As he pondered his impatience, staring at nothing in particular on one of his walks around the castle, a luscious Ravenclaw gave him bedroom eyes, strolling provocatively past him with a coy smile. He sighed, wishing he could take her up on her offer.

He walked a few more steps before stopping completely.

He had forgotten about the hex Granger had placed on him. He never had figured out what it had been. He should visit the Malfoy libraries again this weekend. His lips curled into a devious smirk. Perhaps he could give Granger a taste of her own potion, as they say.

~~~\~~~

After gaining McGonagall's permission to spend the weekend at the Manor, he left as soon as he could Friday after his last class.

~~~\~~~

Saturday came and went in a sea of musty, yellowed pages.

~~~\~~~

On Sunday, Draco was growling in frustration.

Nothing. There was absolutely nothing in every bleeding library he had checked.

He really didn't fancy checking the smaller ones because he shouldn't have had to. They mostly held the copies of books already in the larger libraries, anyway.

He kneaded his forehead, trying to understand. He'd have to start from the beginning and go step by step, not assuming anything. The spell had to exist in a book somewhere or Granger wouldn't have found it.

What did he know about the spell?

He knew that it had affected both him and Granger. He hadn't been able to shag anyone except her, and the spell had seemed to make her especially susceptible to him.

He tilted his head thoughtfully. When put that way, it didn't seem much like a punishment. If it were a punishment, why would it make her so susceptible to his touch?

He blinked. That was it. That was the problem. He had been researching based on the presumption that the spell was mainly used as a punishment for infidelity. But what if it weren't a punishment at all? What if it were a preventative measure instead?

He dashed back over to the stacks and weaved his way through to the appropriate section. He didn't have much time before he'd have to be back at Hogwarts, and he didn't plan on leaving without the name of that spell.

~~~\~~~

"Liminem Sine Dracone Inhibio," Draco whispered with a delighted smirk, his wand pointed at her under the table.

Granger didn't even twitch.

She was in for quite a surprise when she discovered his own modifications to the original spell.

~~~\~~~

She only lasted about a week.

"Malfoy, you slimy, perverted snake!" she hissed at him, ambushing him in the library. For once, he had gotten there before her.

He smirked suggestively. "How can I be of service, Granger?"

She turned even more red, half in shame and half in rage. "This is absolutely ridiculous! Isn't there a rule about this in the bet contract?"

It was incredibly amusing, watching her try to shriek as lowly as possible so that she wouldn't get kicked out of the library by Madame Pince for making a racket.

He shrugged. "Not really."

Her jaw clenched, her eyes narrowed, and her body went rigid, even as her hair seemed to puff out a little.

"What do you mean, 'not really'?" she asked through clenched teeth. She was only barely hanging onto her composure.

Gods, she was so easy. It never failed to amuse him.

"We can't directly induce lust or love, but it's perfectly legal to exacerbate a lust or love that's already there," he explained casually.

She took a rage-suppressing breath. "I will not give you the satisfaction of asking for the counter," then she pointed a finger at him, "but you are so going to regret this."

He merely smirked. "We'll see. Sweet dreams, Granger."

She scowled, turned on her heel, and left. He thought he saw her hair crackle with raw magic for a moment before shaking his head. It wasn't wise to antagonize her so deliberately, but he was enjoying this far too much to stop. He wondered if he ought to be worried about that, then shrugged and continued reveling in his victory.

Unlike her, he could take however she chose to annoy him, and the only way to end the spell was to shag him again, so he was confident he'd win the bet before the month was out. He gleefully wondered how many fantasies of him she'd allow herself to imagine before surrendering.

Then he remembered that he had forgotten to ask her why she hadn't told Potter and Weaselbee about the second bet.

On second thought, it didn't matter. He was going to win and there was nothing Blaise could do to stop it.

~~~\~~~

"So, do I get some sort of bonus if she shags me instead of you?" Blaise asked off-handedly as they lounged in their dormitory.

Draco shot him a glare. "No," he responded coldly. The sudden image in his head bothered him more than it should have, but he blamed that on the abruptness of the question.

The dark boy sighed. "Pity. Then again, shagging her is a victory in itself, is it not?"

"You'll never know, will you?" Draco retorted.

"Maybe I already do," Blaise smirked.

Draco stared at his best friend blankly. Logically, there was nothing wrong with the insinuation. Blaise was perfectly in his rights to shag her, as Draco had no official claim on her other than he was trying to win the bet, which said nothing about affection or any other sort of attachment.

Then why the bloody hell did he want to punch Blaise?

He mentally shrugged, chalking it up to that fact he never enjoyed sharing his toys.

For a moment, he considered showing interest in the topic to learn more, but decided he didn't actually want to know, lest he actually punch the boy.

Draco forced a smirk onto his face. "Well, well, it seems I've turned Prude Queen Granger into a tart. I amaze even myself sometimes."

Blaise rolled his eyes. "How do you figure that?"

"I took her virginity. I was her introduction into the world of shagging, and she apparently liked it so much that she let you have her," the pale boy boasted.

Blaise gave him a bored stare, but Draco knew him well enough to see the intense searching look in the other boy's eyes.

Draco was suddenly suspicious that Blaise had lied to him just to see his reaction. Normally, that thought alone would have made him furious, as he did not appreciate being tested by anyone. But the idea that Blaise hadn't actually shagged Granger calmed his rage before it even began.

He ignored the peculiarity of his recent mood swings.

"So how do you rate her?" Draco asked casually.

Blaise shrugged. "Decent. A little inexperienced, but not terrible."

"I hope you put up a Silencing charm beforehand," Draco smirked.

The other boy chuckled. "I always do, just in case. And it was a good thing I did."

"How loud did she scream?"

Blaise winced, as if remembering. "Nearly burst my eardrums. That witch can screech."

Well, that confirmed it.

Draco laughed maliciously, and Blaise narrowed his eyes, catching on.

"You're a prat, Draco."

"You're a bigger prat, Blaise. You should know better than to lie to me."

"Is that why you aren't punching me right now?" the other boy asked, smirking again.

Draco raised a pale eyebrow. "What are you on about?"

"You're good at hiding your emotions from people who don't know you, but I do know you. You're acting strangely protective of Granger."

Draco shrugged off the accusation. "I don't like other people touching my things."

Blaise smiled. "I doubt she'd be happy to hear that."

"Indeed."

"Speaking of which, how is that coming?"

Draco smirked arrogantly. "As planned. I expect she won't resist much longer."

Blaise stared at the opposite wall thoughtfully. "We'll see."

~~~\~~~

Draco spent his break strolling down the corridor adjacent to his next class. He didn't have much to do these days, as he was now waiting for Granger to crack. He had to admit, she was exceptionally spirited to have lasted this long against his hex. Most witches would have been begging him to take them mere days later.

A grinding sound to his left startled him. The statue moved aside and his wand was only in his hand for a moment before the ambusher silently disarmed him. A small, pale hand latched onto his arm from the shadows of the revealed alcove and yanked him in with surprising strength.

He began to swing his bag at his attacker as the statue resumed its place behind him, but the person ducked and bodily shoved him against the wall inside the pitch black alcove.

The person slammed his wrist against the wall, making him drop his bag, and jabbed a wand into his throat.

For the first time since the end of the war, Draco was afraid. The movements were not only quick, but vicious…this person was mad at him personally.

"Remove the curse, Malfoy," Granger's voice demanded.

Draco's body immediately relaxed at the first note of her familiar voice. She would slap him around a bit, but never truly hurt him. He waved his hand in a tight circle and concentrated.

A small ball of light erupted from his pointer finger and floated upward, halting only when it was hovering above them. The white light illuminated their faces and parts of the stone walls. It was a sinisterly innocent spell, meant to divert even Merlin's attention and trick exceptionally dumb people into walking off cliffs in the dark.

Granger watched the ball's progress, completely distracted.

Draco watched her face, contemplating all the things he could do to her when she let her guard down like this, but decided to let it be. He could still have more fun with her before she stormed off again. Besides, it pleased him to know that she was so agitated that she had echoed his demand from when she had hexed him.

"Alright, but I need my wand back. The spell is too advanced for me to perform wandless," he replied, drawing her attention back to him.

Her body tensed, as if she had forgotten he was right in front of her. She turned back to him and scrutinized his expression, deciding if she could get what she wanted without doing so. Evidently, she couldn't think of an alternative, because she handed it back to him with her other hand, not removing her wand from his neck. Draco assumed she was also surprised that he had agreed so easily, especially since she hadn't done so when she had been in his place.

"This is going to be very uncomfortable with that digging into my throat," he commented.

"You're lucky I'm giving you your wand back," came her odd-sounding retort.

While her voice was familiar, the tone she used was not. It was simultaneously forceful yet breathy, like she was awed but trying to sound menacing despite that. He smirked wider at the thought that she probably had waited until she literally couldn't ignore the fantasies anymore, so now that she was physically next to him, she almost couldn't believe he was real. It didn't hurt that he impressed her with his ability to silently and wandlessly cast spells, whereas he was positive none of her friends could do so with any ease. He wondered if she had the presence of mind to slap him if he tried to seduce her right then and there.

He waved his wand in the same circular motion, and more balls of light floated out of his wand's tip. Granger held his gaze for a couple moments before her eyes drifted back to the lights.

Draco's free hand ripped her wand out of her grip and tossed it to the side. The hand that still held his wand worked with his body to push her up against the opposite wall, reversing their positions. Her attention snapped back to him and she managed to wrestle his wand away, chucking it through the space between his arm and side to land somewhere behind him.

He cocked an eyebrow at her, wondering why she hadn't hexed him when she had grabbed it from him.

She smiled back cheekily, seeming much more like her normal self.

"You didn't think I was going to give you a chance to block and take it back from me, did you?" she asked.

He smirked. "Touché."

If she had tried to hex him, that's exactly what he would have done. Wandless and nonverbal magic was very useful in that way, because others expected that a wandless wizard was a defenseless one. For a moment, he regretted showing her what he could do, but decided that impressing her and earning her grudging respect were more beneficial to him.

Besides, he now had her pressed up against a wall with his body, their faces too close to be considered anything but intimate. It wasn't such a bad position to be in, especially when he felt the tension in her muscles and saw the heat in her eyes.

"Don't even think about it, Malfoy," she commanded in that same breathy tone from before.

He let his eyes leisurely look her over in a very obvious way before meeting her eyes again.

"Now I'm definitely thinking about it."

"No," she denied firmly. "You're not going to win the bet again."

"Granger, you sound like you're looking for excuses not to. You know I can make you feel good," he persuaded, inching closer to her lips.

She shook her head dazedly. "No," she repeated, grasping onto the word as if she had forgotten the meaning of it, but knew it was important.

"You've been thinking about it, haven't you? The feel of me being inside you again. The intensity of the pleasure I can give you at your slightest whim. Why else would you drag me into this tiny, private alcove? It would be so easy to charm it so that nobody will hear us, hear you as you gasp in ecstasy..."

She had closed her eyes and turned her head away as if to deter him from speaking, but her heavy breathing told him all he needed to know. She was incredibly aroused from the fantasies he was forcing her to remember.

She had let him get close enough to whisper into her ear.

"Do you remember the feel of my lips? My tongue on you? Inside you?" She actually shivered, making him smirk. He was only guessing she had fantasized about it, but it pleased him that he was right. "I'll do it, Granger, just for you. I'll make you cum on my tongue."

That dragged a whimper from her throat, and he couldn't remember a time when talking dirty had been so much fun.

He pressed himself fully against her and lightly thrust, teasing. "Don't you want to feel that again?"

She bit her lip hard, trying not to make any more sounds. Then he realized he might have pushed himself too far. The blood was quickly draining out of his head and with it, his patience. He wanted to fuck her. Now. But he had to be patient. He wanted her to surrender to him. Completely.

He pressed against her harder, making sure she felt how hard he was.

"I want to fuck you so hard, right up against this wall, that you won't be able to walk out of here without everyone knowing you've had the best fucking orgasms of your entire life, and you won't even bloody care."

His hand dove under her skirt and he nearly sighed as he found her kickers more than damp. His fingers nimbly pushed them aside and thrust inside. Her back automatically arched, accompanied by a gasp, as he set to work. Her hands flung out to steady herself, one clutching his shoulder and the other bracing against the wall beside her. He invaded her mouth, attempting to stroke her tongue into submission with the same rhythm his fingers used to stroke her sensitive spots. She fought back with her tongue, feigning resistance, but her hips thrust back against his fingers, giving her away completely.

She was nearing the edge and he felt a surprisingly strong urge to make good on his first promise. It was always a nice bonus to hear a witch moaning his name unimpeded by his own lips. His tongue and fingers pulled out of her at the same time and she moaned in disappointment.

He smirked. "Patience, Princess. I promise you're going to enjoy this."

He silently cast a Cushioning Charm on the stone floor and kneeled down, dragging her knickers down her legs and then stroking her thighs so they would open wider.

She leaned back against the wall and did as he asked, stepping out of her knickers and moving her feet further apart.

Without further ado, his head dove under the wool barrier. One hand held onto her thigh for balance while the other opened her up for his exploration.

And explore her he did.

He had her writhing and gripping his hair in almost no time at all, but the discomfort was entirely worth it when she went rigid and cried out his name.

The feeling of a vagina contracting around his tongue was like nothing else in the world.

But it also made him randy as hell.

He pulled back and licked his lips, enjoying the proof of her pleasure.

He stood up and watched her for a few moments, taking in her flushed cheeks, disheveled hair (though it was only slightly bushier than usual), and slouched posture, illuminated by the hovering balls of light. Her eyes were half-lidded, but watching him watch her.

He slowly disrobed in front of her, holding his desire at bay to increase hers. He was able to hold on to his self-control long enough to tease her one last time before taking her, but he knew that if she surprised him at all, he'd lose it and shag her rotten.

He had gotten down to his tented boxers when her eyes darted downward and didn't rise back up. She was staring at his erection very intently.

He pulled down his boxers and stepped out of them.

She licked her lips, which parted slightly as she inhaled deeply.

Her fascination with staring at it was one thing, but making her lips look so inviting, as if she were eager to return the favor? It was too much.

He reached out and tore her blouse open, buttons popping off every which way. He pulled the sides toward him so she was yanked off the wall into his chest with a small 'Oof!'. His fingers weaved under the fabric around to the back. One quick flick of the wrist and her bra was open. Another tugged it out of the way, baring her breasts.

He pushed her back against the wall, grabbed her arse to lift her up, thrust into her, and latched onto a breast, suckling it as he moaned. She immediately clamped her arms and legs around him.

Granger gasped, squirmed, and writhed as he pounded into her like a wizard possessed, having no other objective than making his own orgasm the best ever. Normally, he ensured a witch managed two, three, or sometimes four orgasms before succumbing to his own; he had a reputation to uphold, after all. But there was something about Hermione Granger that made him think he had it all under control, only to realize too late that he was as just far gone as she was.

Their moans bounced off the walls, which amplified them to an embarrassing magnitude. Or it would have embarrassed them, had either of them been consumed by anything but overwhelming lust.

Draco lost all track of time, relishing the volcanic haven he was worshipping, and too soon he felt himself nearing the finish. He pushed himself even harder, ignoring the sweat on their bodies and their echoes, determined to enjoy every second as much as possible.

It was a fantastic bonus when Granger actually screamed her second release, just as he started his, and they rode it out separately together. When the initial burst of pleasure had subsided, his legs buckled underneath him. Granger fell with him and they collapsed into a sated heap on the cold stone floor. His arse became cold rather quickly, but Granger's body kept his front warm, so he decided to stay a while until his energy returned.

He almost fell asleep, again, but shook her awake.

"C'mon, Granger. Get up," he mumbled.

She hadn't the energy to snort properly, so she faintly grunted.

"You'll catch a cold if you don't," he warned tiredly. It wouldn't occur to him until much later that he had actually been worried about her getting sick because of him.

"As opposed to the icy cavity inside your chest?" she muttered.

That woke him up a bit. "What?"

She sighed. "Nevermind."

"Granger,-"

"Just shut up for once in your life, Malfoy."

"Says the Know-It-All who can't keep her own mouth shut unless she's being fucked," he spat, suddenly feeling unreasonably spiteful.

Granger immediately turned her head to glare at him and stood up, collecting her clothing.

"Congratulations," she spat back acidly. "You've fucked The Mudblood thrice now. Daddy will be so proud you've won yet another bet. Why don't you do us both a favor and refrain from making me the center of any more of them?"

Draco frowned. "You were the one who started the second one!"

But he didn't receive a response as she had found her wand and left the alcove.

"Bloody witches are mental," he muttered to himself, getting dressed.

~~~\~~~

Draco strode into the Slytherin Commons with a self-satisfied smirk and aimed straight for Blaise, who was sprawled out on the black leather sofa, chatting with Daphne.

Blaise's head turned as he approached and Daphne trailed off.

Draco held out his hand.

Blaise's eyebrow rose. He sighed, reached into his pouch and dropped a fistful of galleons into Draco's waiting palm, shaking his head.

"I don't know how you do it, mate."

"Like I said, I'm irresistible," the pale boy boasted.

"Who was it this time?" Daphne asked curiously.

"Granger," Draco responded.

The blonde girl frowned. "Again?" She shot Blaise a confused look.

Blaise sighed. "You had to be there. It was Granger's idea."

Draco raised an eyebrow at Blaise. "You told her?"

The dark boy shrugged. "Daph and I talk."

"Wait, Granger wanted to redo the bet?" Daphne asked incredulously. "I thought she was supposed to be bright."

Draco smirked. "She underestimated my ambition, or perhaps overestimated her own willpower. To be fair, though, she did hold out longer than any other witch."

Daphne shook her head. "Gryffindors are mad," she muttered.

The boys laughed.

"By the way, Draco, Pansy wants to know if you can help her with her Charms essay later," she continued.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Where is she then?"

Daphne smirked. "Permanently attached to Theo with a Sticking Charm, as far as we can guess. They've been rather inseparable since you first shagged Granger."

The pale boy scoffed. "I don't know why she thinks I'll be jealous of Theo. I'm never jealous, no matter whom she preys upon."

"Actually, at this point I think she really likes him. She hasn't mentioned you a single time this past week, which is startling for her. Maybe Theo is actually doing something better than you."

Draco tensed. "I doubt it," he replied haughtily.

Daphne chuckled. "You can't be the best at everything, Draco."

"Watch me," he shot back.

"Ladies, calm yourselves," Blaise drawled.

Daphne laughed when Draco glared at the dark boy.

"Watch whom you're calling a pouf, Zabini," Draco growled.

The stone entrance slid open.

"Draco, there you are!" Pansy admonished. "I've been looking all over for you!"

Theo strolled in behind her with a post-shag grin on his face.

"Where have you been looking, Pans? Inside Theo's throat? You should have known I wouldn't be in there."

Blaise and Daphne chuckled.

Pansy rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter now that I've found you," she dismissed easily. "I need your help with my Charms essay, and I do believe you have a Transfiguration one due soon as well."

He nodded to confirm.

She smiled. "Lovely. Will later tonight work? Theo and I need to do some more studying. Come, Theo." She grabbed her boyfriend's hand and led him down the Boys' Staircase without waiting for an answer.

"Blaise, remind me to thoroughly Scourgify my bed before I sleep in it tonight," Draco said.

Blaise slightly frowned. "Only if you remind me to do mine, too."

"Deal."

~~~\~~~

Draco lounged in his bed the next morning, mentally organizing his essays by due date and difficulty. He supposed today would be a good day to finish a couple of them as he no longer had any extracurricular plans to occupy him. He frowned in disappointment, wondering if he should bother to continue playing up the role of Granger's boyfriend just to annoy her further, or break it off and go back to how it was before.

Weighing the pros and cons of each, he automatically went through his morning ritual and traveled down to breakfast. He still hadn't chosen one way or the other by the time he was done eating, so instead he decided to do nothing for now until he could think of a way to break the tie.

Little did he know that Granger would make the decision for him.

Arithmancy started out normally. Granger was already seated in the front with her textbook and note-taking paraphernalia out by the time he entered.

As he sat down in his usual seat, diagonally behind her but on the other side of the room, and started arranging his own desk, his brain nagged at him that something was different. He turned and looked Granger over again.

She was intensely focused on reading something, which was normal. Her bushy hair was pulled back into a messy bun to keep it off her face, which was nothing new. Her robe was hanging over the back of her chair, which many students did. She was wearing the usual red-bordered sweater given to every Gryffindor. Her skirt cloaked her thighs all the way down to just above her knee.

He blinked. Her chair wasn't completely pushed in, as usual. It was behind the desk so that only the tips of her knees were underneath the tabletop. Moreover, her skirt usually covered her kneecaps when she was sitting.

She had shortened her skirt.

It was only noticeable when one paid special attention to it, but it was plain as day when one did. What was she up to?

He tore his eyes away from her legs as students were starting to file in, but it stayed just outside his focus the entire lesson as he contemplated her motives. Could it be that she was intentionally enticing him? It wasn't a very Granger-like tactic. She was normally bold and confrontational, as proved by the last time they had spoken. Then again, she had taken advantage of his taunt to Harper in a very Slytherin way by starting up the second bet.

His mind couldn't wander as much during Potions because they were dealing with very complicated concoctions that required a brewer's full attention, but he was able to steal glances of Granger here and there. It was especially difficult to subtly watch her because she was predictably sitting in between Potter and the Weasel. He didn't observe anything strange that class, but decided he was going to pay more attention in every class they had together in the next week, to see if she would change anything else about her clothing.

She didn't. It was only the bloody skirt, which didn't tell him much, and it seemed nobody else had noticed. If Potter or Weasel had noticed, they hadn't talked about it within earshot of him.

Ancient Runes was spent convincing Blaise he wasn't just imagining it.

"Draco," Blaise whispered as they got an early start on their translations, "she probably shifted a certain way, which made the skirt ride up a bit. It's not uncommon."

"Normally, I would agree with you, but this is Granger we're speaking of. She'd never let her skirt rise up above her knee if she could help it, unless it were intentional."

Now Blaise just looked amused, instead of concerned. "And I suppose the only reason she shortened her skirt was to tease you, was it?"

Draco shrugged. "Why not?"

Blaise sniggered. "Maybe she's teasing Weasley in their classes together. They usually sit rather close."

The spontaneous irritation struck again, making Draco clench his fingers into fists, before he intentionally loosened them. What was wrong with him lately? His temper was more volatile than usual.

The dark boy sighed. "I know you're not going to admit this, but I feel a compulsion to state the obvious. You're bewitched, mate."

"What are you on about?" the pale boy snapped, his eyes drifting more and more often to that peek of knee Granger was still exposing to the world.

"You've shagged her three times now, and you're practically begging for another go. I've never seen you so interested in a single witch. Moreover, the barest mention of her potentially being interested in any other bloke instantly sets you on high alert. I've seen you possessive, and you left that far behind at shag number two. You're obsessed."

"You're barmy," came Draco's automatic retort.

"You're staring at her knee like it's a particularly difficult rune translation," Blaise said pointedly, "and you're calling me barmy?"

Draco finally tore his eyes away to glare.

~~~\~~~

Draco left Transfiguration before anyone else, quickly making his way to the alcove and waiting. He pressed his ear up against the wall, listening intently for the first sign of the Golden Trio. He wasn't exactly sure how she had managed to catch him unawares in this same spot, but figured that if she could do it, then he could, too.

He heard footsteps approaching, but many students passed this way, so he had to hear one of them to be sure.

"Hermione?" he heard Potter ask faintly. The footsteps halted.

"Yes?" she responded after a moment. Her voice sounded closer, so he hoped she was right next to the wall as he had been during her ambush.

"What's over there?" Weasel asked curiously.

He was so loud Draco had no trouble hearing him through the wall, but it wasn't because he was the closest. Draco breathed a sigh of relief. He had been lucky so far, and he was anxious to see if the streak would hold out long enough for him to pull this off.

"Nothing," Granger responded quickly. Draco could just imagine the blush spreading across her face as she recalled their last encounter in here.

"Why's your face so red?" Weasel continued obliviously.

Draco grinned.

"Honestly, Ronald!" Granger admonished. "Is it strange to be a little warm standing next to a torch?"

Draco suppressed the urge to laugh. She was being ridiculously defensive, which most assuredly meant Weasel had caught her thinking indecent thoughts.

"I'm just going to go straight to the library, anyway, so you two can go ahead," she added.

There was some mumbling Draco couldn't distinguish, but he assumed they were leaving. When he thought it was safe, he whispered the password and readied his wand. As soon as he saw her hand go for her wand, he ducked and a stunner went right over his head. Meanwhile, he disarmed her, grabbed her wand, and yanked her inside so the statue could move back in place, plunging them into darkness. He pocketed both wands and used his other hand to shove her up against the stone wall.

"Miss me, Granger?" he whispered against her neck.

She shivered. "Of course not," she whispered back.

"Sounded like you did, blushing like that."

"Does nobody notice the gigantic braziers that are everywhere?" she snapped.

"We notice; we just know you're lying when you blame it on the fire. It's quite a coincidence for you to be blushing in the same area as our last clandestine liaison."

"It's quite a coincidence that you ambushed me in the exact same spot as our last clandestine liaison. You've definitely missed me," she retorted.

"It's true; I have missed your fit body writhing under mine."

"We are not doing this again," she stated.

"This compromising position says otherwise."

Her breath left in a rush when his hand slid its way up her skirt.

"I hate skirts," she breathed.

"How fitting for us. I love them," he commented. They'd argued about far sillier things than the merits of easy-access clothing.

She pushed his hand away when it got too far up her thigh. He only replaced it, which made her grab hold of it and grip it tightly, keeping it away from her leg.

"I don't understand!" she whispered, frustrated. "I don't even like you!"

"But you respect me," he replied, recognizing that she was more angry with herself than with him. "That's enough."

In the ensuing silence he could actually hear her quizzical look, though he couldn't see it in the darkness.

"I'm attractive, strong, and powerful. I'm a true intellectual rival, and unafraid to test your boundaries. Even though you loathe my personality, you respect my capabilities. I'm a prat, but I'm not stupid. That's what you hate most of all, isn't it? Stupid people?"

It was more of a confirmation than a question. It perfectly explained why she could love the Weasel but still be unable to maintain a romantic relationship with him. And why she had trouble maintaining a romantic relationship with anyone, really. Everyone knew she was smarter than most of the world, so it logically followed that she'd only respect those whom she deemed intelligent as well. It was such a shame that her friends were rather stupid.

"Bloody hell," she breathed so softly he had almost missed it. It sounded more like a defeated sigh than an angry exclamation. She had realized the truth of his words.

There was something so incredibly sexy about Hermione Granger swearing, knowing only he could hear her. It made him feel like he was possessing another piece of her, slowly corrupting her purity and solidifying his position as her rival, her equal. He was enthralled by the idea of tearing down her lily-white pedestal right from underneath her pristine feet to bring her down to his level. Nobody else could make immature bickering with him entertaining like she could.

"It's always been you and me, Granger. Even you must've realized it long ago."

She still hadn't let go of his hand, and was in fact squeezing it tighter.

"It was supposed to be Ron and me," she stated.

"The Dark Lord was supposed to be well and truly dead the first time," he countered.

"He is now," she pointed out.

"Weasel is never going to be bright enough for you. I can't see you willingly spending your life condescending to him and being happy about it. You'll be forever disappointed."

He used the hand she wasn't clutching to slide up her body until he found her cheek. He cupped it and leaned in, lightly pressing his lips against hers.

She sighed and loosened her grip on his hand, but took a tiny step forward to connect their bodies. She let him in and they kissed slowly, but somehow he felt that this kiss had been their most passionate yet.

This kiss wasn't out of simple lust or the need to dominate. This one was of reassurance that even though they both wished their lives were different, less complicated, they could make the best of it by enjoying each other as they should have been enjoying those they were 'meant to be' with. He'd never marry Pansy and she'd never marry Weasel, but perhaps they could see how far they could go as companions, substitutions for loneliness.

That's what he told himself, anyway.

Blaise's accusation still hovered in the back of his mind, but he was obstinately ignoring it, in favor of wrapping himself up in the pleasure of her soft lips, warm body, and acceptance of their situation. She wouldn't be avoiding him again.

A thrill of triumph flowed through him at the thought. He had finally caught her.

He stepped forward, pressing her against the wall again. She dropped his hand and slid her arms around his shoulders, clinging to his neck and pressing back. He groaned and swiftly lifted her up so he didn't have to bend down so far. She instantly wrapped her legs around his waist, tilting her pelvis just the right way so it matched up with his.

He wished he could see her face and the provocative pose of her body wrapped around his, but decided it wasn't worth stopping. There would be other times he could watch her in a well-lit room.

They eventually broke the kiss so they could get their breath back, but that didn't stop her from alternately stroking and gripping the silky strands of his hair while his lips and tongue slid down to her neck.

"We have…to stop," she panted, arching as his tongue swiped a sensitive spot.

Draco grunted noncommittally, the same way he reassured Pansy he was listening to her rants even though he wasn't. He bit down lightly and she squirmed.

"Malfoy," she moaned in an equal blend of exasperation and pleasure.

By the way she fisted his hair, it was quite obvious she didn't want to stop.

"No, we don't," he countered. "Nobody knows we're in here."

Her whole body tensed for several moments as she clung to him, resting her head on his shoulder. It made him pause, recognizing the shift in her mood. He couldn't even remember the last time anyone had hugged him so fully like this. Had anyone ever hugged him like this? The closest he could come up with would be during the end of the war when his parents had gripped his shoulders so tightly as if they were afraid he'd disapparate any second. Or the times Pansy had smothered him, before she had learned he wasn't above hexing her when it went too far.

Then she relaxed and her legs slid down to the floor, out of his lax grip.

"I refuse to be late to my next class simply because you fancy another go," she said resolutely, if a bit breathless.

His body suddenly felt cold, and he had a strange inkling that the intensity of it wasn't just because he was lacking physical contact. He couldn't understand how the mood had shifted so drastically from passionate embraces to see-you-later without any sort of transition or completion.

He felt awkward and uncertain, and he absolutely loathed feeling that way.

He scoffed. "Of course. Prude Queen strikes again. I suppose that's what I get for leaving your mouth unoccupied."

A sudden light burst from her wand's tip before it was being jabbed into his throat. It was starting to become a signature for her, he thought amusedly. If you ever find a wand jabbed into your neck, you must have pissed off Hermione Granger.

"If you can't accept the fact that I'm actually responsible when it comes to my education, then find someone else to entertain you," she growled. "Merlin knows you have a plethora of options to keep you busy. I am not going to spend the little free time I have looking to be insulted by you. So listen up, Malfoy, because I am only going to warn you once. I am not like those other girls who don't care how badly you treat them. I'm not going to keep seeing you like this if all I get for my trouble is your sharp tongue."

He smirked. "You're forgetting the incredible orgasms my sharp tongue can give you."

She blushed, but her expression turned darker. "I know you like to believe that you're some sort of 'Sex God' and all that tripe, but honestly, you aren't that special. Clearly those girls have never experienced a meaningful relationship if they're willing to put up with you. So here's some truth for you, because it's about time you've faced it. My experiences with Ron have meant far more to me than my trysts with you. You were a way for me to relieve stress. In the short time I was with Ron, he loved me and showed it. I wouldn't trade that for anything. But I suppose this is what I get for showing you anything less than disdain, because that's what you Malfoys thrive in, isn't it? You hate the world and strive to be hated by it, too."

Draco sneered. "I thought you self-righteous Gryffindors were above unjust stereotyping based off a surname."

Granger stared back haughtily. "It isn't unjust if it's true. You have no right to be offended when I insult you back after everything you've said to me. Yes, it always was you and me, but do you remember why we hadn't kissed until just recently? Because you couldn't stop insulting me long enough! It's bloody hilarious that you've thought yourself so high above me, when in reality, your personality is so revolting that you aren't even worth the mud beneath my heel. If I'm a Mudblood, then what, exactly, does that make you? If you don't have a word for something lower than a Mudblood, then I suggest you create one, because I'm sure your ego wouldn't allow not having a name at all!"

With that, she snapped the password at the entrance and stepped out of the alcove, stalking away as quickly as she could.

Draco blinked, trying figure out exactly how they had gotten from point A to point B. Sure, his snarky attitude hadn't really helped the situation, but this witch had a ridiculously enormous reserve of self-control when she wasn't being influenced by magic.

He stayed behind in the dark a while longer, resting his head against the cold stone. It was insanity, chasing after Granger. She had a short romantic history for a reason. She put schoolwork above everything else, people included. Hardly anyone had the patience to be her friend, let alone the desire to spend all their time with her. She was a relentless harpy and an oversensitive prude.

But he couldn't stay away. Now that he knew he could make her lose control, even for just a few moments in the dark, he craved it. He needed to conquer her. For most witches, one shag was all it took to have them following him around like lap dogs. But not Granger. No, even three shags hadn't been enough.

So Blaise was wrong. It wasn't that he was obsessed with her. He was trying to conquer her completely. She was making a fool out of him by maintaining her resistance, and what better revenge was there than to have Hermione Prude Queen Granger begging for him?

The pale boy smirked in the blackness, putting Blaise's bothersome words to rest. He wouldn't relent until she was just like the others, a quivering pile of obsequious desire only for him. She would be his grandest accomplishment, his masterpiece, his trophy. If he could wrap her up in his web, he would be a legend known across the entire Wizarding world, not just Hogwarts.

He would be admired, respected, and desired more than any single other person on the planet. He would not be anyone's pawn ever again.

But first, he had to drive Granger mad with lust. Again.

~~~\~~~

Draco used every trick he knew to entice her.

He caught her gaze during mealtimes and licked his spoon obscenely. She blushed and looked away.

He smirked at her knowingly whenever he caught her looking at him. Her curious or scrutinizing expression turned to a glare and she whipped her head around to ignore him.

He slowly wet his lips with his tongue whenever she was close enough to notice. She pretended she didn't see it at all.

He brushed her arms or her arse whenever he passed by, but made sure it was lightly enough to be a plausible accident. She shivered.

He found excuses to stand or sit behind her in the corridors and in classes, whispering suggestively innocent remarks. She squirmed and pressed her legs together, staring determinedly ahead.

On one occasion, he remarked loudly to Blaise that after class, he was going to take a long, relaxing bath in the Prefect's Bathroom. He also noted that he'd have to ward the door to prevent cunning witches from cornering him and having their wicked way with his naked body.

Granger stiffened in front of him, and Blaise just barely suppressed a laugh.

Then Blaise made an ostentatiously disgusted sound.

"More like you don't want anyone to know that you wank to thoughts of being seduced in a communal lavatory. I don't want to hear any more about it, mate."

Draco had to physically look away to keep his expression in check. But he watched Granger shift in her seat in his peripheral vision and smirked triumphantly.

He was disappointed when Granger didn't seduce him in the Prefect's Bathroom, though he was less disappointed than he would have been had the exotic Padma Patil not taken her place in fulfilling that particular fantasy. Fortunately, Patil had eagerly agreed to keep their tryst a secret, as she had her own boyfriend to keep in the dark.

He was rather put out when two whole weeks passed by and Granger still hadn't spoken a single word to him. He couldn't fathom how she could possibly hold a grudge this long. It was bloody obvious as the sun that she wanted to shag him again, but all he received from her were glares and scandalized huffs whenever he said something really naughty.

"Maybe," Blaise eventually suggested, "the next time she puts school before you, you shouldn't insult her."

"If there is a next time," Draco sighed.

Blaise uncharacteristically gaped at his best friend. "I don't believe it. She actually succeeded!"

Draco threw him a glare. "What are you on about?"

"She's been trying to tear down your ego for years and she finally succeeded! Draco Lucius Malfoy has actually accepted defeat!"

"I haven't accepted defeat," Draco scowled. "I'm merely entertaining the idea."

Blaise scoffed. "That's farther than any other witch has gotten with you. You're almost acting humble!"

"Shut it," the pale boy retorted. "I'm not giving up. There must be a way to break her resistance."

"Why don't you ask her what it is?" the dark boy asked cheekily. "She never can resist answering a question."

There was a long pause as Blaise watched his friend stare off distantly.

"That's it!" Draco suddenly exclaimed. He hauled himself off the sofa and dashed out of the common room, leaving behind an equally confused and amused best friend.

~~~\~~~

Draco sauntered into Granger's study spot in the library, fully prepared to give his speech, but nobody was there to hear it.

He frowned. Where the bloody hell was she?

Textbooks and pages of notes were spread out across the entire table, but her quill was neatly lying next to her closed inkpot. Hermione Granger would not just get up and leave her things like this, so where did she go?

A door to the right suddenly opened and he relaxed. Of course she was in the loo. She'd spend all bloody week in the library if she could, so it stood to reason she would have to empty her bladder at some point. Hence why the tiny lavatory was there.

Hmm...it was rather tiny, if he recalled correctly, but there was definitely enough room for two people...

"What do you want, Malfoy?" she asked, sitting down into her chair.

He smirked reflexively at her irritated tone. "I know why you're avoiding me."

She rolled her eyes. "Do you? Please enlighten me, Oh Great One."

"Nice to see you remember one of my many titles," he couldn't help but remark.

She ignored it, so he continued. "You've realized that you actually want me, even without magic. Why is that, Granger? What do I do that makes you completely lose your head?" he taunted.

She sent him a particularly hateful glare. "Why is it that you insist on haunting me? I am not your toy to play with whenever you feel like it, and I refuse to be used in such a manner. Go find one of your vapid sycophants to satisfy your insatiable addiction. I want no part of it or you."

"Stop lying to yourself, Granger. You want every part of me. What I can't figure out is, we're so far into it that denial is just idiotic, yet you keep denying it. You don't shag a bloke three times and then claim you don't want him. Why can't we just resolve this the easy way?"

"And that is?" she prompted stiffly.

He smirked. "We use each other. You said it yourself, that you use me as a stress reliever. What is so wrong with shagging when we both feel like it? You're not dating anyone, so your honor won't be besmirched in the least. We're already secretly shagging. The only difference is that you won't have to beat yourself up about it afterward."

"Oh, because I can absolutely trust you to keep a secret like that, can I?" she retorted scathingly. "Besides, I was under the impression we weren't a secret at all with the way you've been manipulating the rumors."

He shrugged. "I can quell the rumors if you wish, make them forget all about it. Then we'll be a secret again, which I will have no intention of revealing again, since you won't shag me if I do."

"Your one-track mind is despicable."

"My one-track mind is your insurance that I won't go blabbing again."

"That didn't stop you last time."

Draco sighed. "What do you want, Granger? An Unbreakable Vow?"

She actually seemed to be considering the idea, so he scowled.

"Listen, we'll make a contract, do whatever you want. I promise you that whatever happens between us from now on will stay a secret. Jinx the bloody parchment for all I care, with as many curses as you can think of. I won't break your trust this time."

"Careful, Malfoy, you're sounding desperate," she commented, almost amused.

He strode over to her, gently gripped her chin, and tilted it up so she faced him fully.

"Granger, I am completely serious when I say that I get a thrill from being with you that I've never experienced with anyone else. I am a selfish creature and I want it. I want you. I can't get enough and I never want to stop tasting you. Maybe I'm mad. Maybe I'm just addicted. I don't care. I know I make you feel the same way, so out of control, or else you wouldn't have let me touch you like you have."

Her pupils dilated slightly and she licked her lips as she stared at him.

He leaned down to breathe against her lips. "Go on. Deny that I affect you like nobody else. Tell me you don't feel an addictive thrill with me that makes you wish I were at your beck and call, pleasuring you at your slightest whim."

She stared at him for a long time, breathing heavily, before her hand lifted. He expected her to slap him and steeled himself for pain even as he held her gaze, but instead, she gripped his hair and pushed her lips onto his.

"This doesn't change anything," she breathed after a frenzied kiss they had only broken to tear at each other's clothing. "You're still a despicable arse."

He chuckled, guiding her over to the loo she had exited earlier, intent on making his latest fantasy a reality. He pushed her up against the door hard, making her gasp as he attacked her neck and turned the doorknob. They stumbled inside and he closed the door with his foot, trying to be relatively quiet. It would be just his luck for Madame Pince to almost catch them again.