Warning: If sex and smoking offend you, it's probably best to move along. Otherwise, enjoy a little Dramione scene.

Disclaimer: I'm not as cool as JKR.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't think anyone would be up here this late." Hermione could've hit herself for forgetting to snag the Marauder's Map tonight. She'd nearly run into Filch on her trek up to the Astronomy Tower. Luckily she was able to duck into a broom closet until he'd passed her by.

Hermione moved to leave when the figure by the railing called over to her, making her pause.

"No. You can stay. As long as you don't say anything about this, you won't bother me." The boy lifted a cigarette to his lips, the burning tip lighting the way to his face.

As Head Girl, Hermione should be outraged that a student was smoking on Hogwarts property. Should be. But she had her own pack of cigs in her robe pocket as well, and she had been craving one all day. No need to play the hypocrite tonight.

"I won't if you won't." She dug a cigarette out of the pack and reached into her pocket for her lighter. Fuck all. She'd forgotten it. So that nagging forgetful feeling hadn't been about her Potions essay after all.

"Here. Catch." A lighter flew at her face and she barely managed to catch it on the tips of her fingers. A Seeker she was not.

"Thanks. I've been craving a cig all day. Especially after a nasty Potions lesson." Hermione lit the end and took a long drag. Pure bliss. She moved to give the lighter back to the boy but he stuck out his hand.

"No, it's fine. I have another. You can keep that one." His voice sounded strained. As if he'd remembered something uncomfortable and didn't want anyone to know.

"Thanks. Again." Hermione looked at the figure standing in the shadow curiously for a moment, before turning to fling herself up to sit on the railing. She pulled her body back and her knees up, sitting sideways against a post. Her fingers found the small carving she had made with her initials in First Year as she took another long drag.

Her spot. Hermione had been coming up to sit in this little alcove for seven years now, as often as she could manage to get away. Whenever she was feeling sad or homesick, this is where she could be found. Or not found as was usually the case. She'd never been up here with anyone else before. It was oddly comforting. Even if the figure in the shadows wasn't saying much.

She wanted to talk, but any words she might say were caught on the tip of her tongue, her lips opening and closing silently in hesitation.

"I know you want to say something. Just spit it out." The voice was louder now, the whispered tone gone. She could just barely recognize it, but the speaker's identity was just out of her grasp.

"It's just. I come up here all the time. I've never seen another person in this particular spot. Is everything alright?" Hermione wiggled a little and swung a leg on either side of the railing. By her position, you'd never know she had once been afraid of heights. In fact, at the moment, she looked pretty fearless. She took another drag.

"Actually, I'm up here often as well. I've never seen you here either." If the sky hadn't been covered in clouds hiding the moon and stars, Hermione might have been able to see his face. As it was, his identity was still a complete mystery.

"Hm. Well. I'm sorry to intrude. I've just had a rotten day and this is my favorite spot in the whole of Hogwarts. I try to get away to smoke and think as much as I'm able to." Hermione finished her cigarette and set it on the railing between her knees. She pulled out her wand and vanished it silently.

The figure chuckled at her actions. "Why don't you just toss it over?" He demonstrated his suggestion and they both watched the faint light of the burning butt fall to the ground. "No one will care."

Hermione couldn't quite work up indignation, but she knew that was how she should be feeling at his comment. "I care. I care about the environment and what the remnants of my guilty pleasure could do to harm it. Or what my trash could do to harm animals. At the very least, someone has to pick them up. I've never seen trash on the grounds, so someone must pick it up. I'd hate to contribute to that bothersome job." She wasn't upset. Her voice wasn't raised. She was just stating her opinion, calmly.

She dug out another cigarette and lit it with the boy's lighter.

"May I bum a light?" His voice sounded light and joking. It was his lighter after all.

"Here. Catch." Hermione repeated his words from earlier before carefully tossing the lighter at what she thought might have been where his chest was. She couldn't be sure, though, it was very dark.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you'd be a crap Chaser." His arm had shot out and he'd caught the lighter right before it had flown over the railing and fallen to the ground below.

Hermione laughed at his dry tone. "But you'd make a remarkable Seeker. Quick move there. Good catch."

He laughed to himself and lit the cigarette between his lips. The faint glow of the lighter brought her attention to his face. It almost looked like… but it couldn't be. After all, he was the reason she was up here. He's been the cause of her disastrous Potions lesson this afternoon. And her week of unreasonable detentions starting tomorrow.

She wasn't sure, but she decided to hazard a guess. "Malfoy?"

He sighed as if he had known he'd be caught out eventually. "In the flesh, Granger."

"You knew it was me?" That was surprising. The difference in his behavior from this afternoon and tonight were polar opposite. She took another drag on her cigarette. The nicotine must have been keeping her calm. She didn't feel as annoyed as she thought she should.

"Of course, I recognized you immediately. For as much as you speak in class, I'd be a fool not to recognize your voice anywhere." Draco Malfoy finally stepped out of the alcove he had been shielding himself in. He sighed again and leaned against the railing near where her feet could've been if they'd been stretched out. "It's been a long, rotten day. This is just what I needed." He held the cig up as a small salute before sticking it between his lips again.

Well. This was an interesting turn of events. "It's just. You seemed to — that is to say, this afternoon you were… happy. Cheerful even after you'd demolished my potion and turned my uniform invisible. Thank you for that by the way. I'm just glad I wore my nice knickers or it could've really been embarrassing."

She was deflecting her embarrassment at the moment. She didn't want him to know how upset she really had been over the incident. It had been horrifying. She'd had no control over her nearly naked body. Everyone in the dungeon had seen it without her consent. Mortifying.

She suppressed a shiver. She suppressed a lot of things actually. Hermione tamped down the feeling of mortification again. It couldn't be helped. She shouldn't feel upset about it anymore.

After all, Ron had told her it didn't matter anyway because she was so fit. What was there to be embarrassed about? If anything she should be proud.

Hermione tried to believe that. She really did. She tried to stuff down the feeling of being out-of-control and helpless.

A sigh came out of Malfoy. Or maybe it was just the exhalation of smoke. It had been very quiet. "I'm sorry." He spoke roughly. "I really hadn't intended for your invisibility potion to be knocked into you. Crabb was a clumsy oaf and when he nearly elbowed me in the side, I jumped out of the way and bumped into your cauldron. And well, I really am sorry it all happened." He said that quietly. Almost sounding ashamed with maybe a tinge of empathy on the edge of the words.

He turned towards her quickly, making her jump a little in surprise. "But if you ever tell anyone I apologized, or that it was an accident, I'll lie." He smirked, he was closer now so she could make out his facial features a bit better in the darkness. "I've got a nasty reputation to keep up, don't you know." He turned back towards the railing and planted his elbows, leaning his chin into a hand and ruffling his hair with the other, his head cocked toward her. "The last thing I would ever want to do is take away someone's power over their body. I'm sorry, Granger."

He looked out over the Hogwarts ground again and inhaled deeply, smoking the last of his cigarette. His brow was furrowed and he looked lost in an unpleasant memory.

"I accept your apology." She was almost hesitant to accept, it seemed like it was a joke, something more to further her mortification. The look on his face, however, seemed to belie that feeling. She pushed away any reservations and leaned forward to barely graze his shoulder with her fingertips. "I'm sorry, too. I said some nasty things in retaliation. I was embarrassed and even if it was your fault, I shouldn't have let some of the things I said pass my lips. I suppose I might deserve my detentions." She leaned back and took out her wand to vanish her cigarette again.

"I deserved all you said and more. But thank you." Draco flicked the butt over the railing and turned toward her again. Almost smiling. "Who would've thought the Head Girl was a closet nicotine addict?"

Hermione was glad for the sudden change of subject and shot back, "Who would've thought that the Pureblood Prince secretly enjoyed Muggle cigarettes?"

"Once again, Granger, I'm going to have to ask that you keep this bit of information close to the chest. My reputation, you know." He grinned suddenly, white teeth flashing in the darkness. How odd. Hermione didn't think she'd ever seen him smile before. Smirk. Constantly, the arrogant ferret. But smile? Not even around his friends. It looked nice.

"We'll just have to keep each other's secrets then. No need for my golden reputation to be tarnished as well!" Hermione nearly commented on his smile but hoped that by keeping quiet he'd continue. She was right. If anything, his smile grew as he stepped closer.

In the back of her mind, Hermione thought she should be feeling scared or at the least apprehensive. Here she was sitting on the edge of the railing at the top of the Astronomy Tower, and Draco Malfoy was nearly within arms length.

But she wasn't scared. In fact, she almost felt like he should be closer. That didn't make sense, though. Nothing that had occurred up here tonight made sense at all. Not Draco Malfoy smoking a cigarette. Not that apology. Not the comment about taking power away and that look that had accompanied the words. Not even his playful comments and charming smile. Nothing made sense.

Hermione swung her leg back over the railing so she was facing the inside. Facing the approaching Slytherin. He stepped up to her. Not quite between her open knees. But nearly. She sighed. Really? She was making this so easy for him. She was going to take back that feeling of helplessness she'd had this afternoon. She was going to share herself with someone because she chose it.

He had stopped just inches away. And stayed motionless there. A strange wave of uncertainty rolling off him. She smirked. She'd have to do all the work then. Hermione flung off her robe quickly and threw it onto the floor.

Draco stayed still.

She unbuttoned her blouse and loosened her tie before pulling both off and flinging them to join her robe.

If it was possible, Draco was even more still. He hadn't even blinked.

She hopped down and shimmied out of her skirt. It was tossed onto the growing pile of clothes. "You were right. Having the power over my body taken away was wretched. Now I'm taking it back. Shall I stop? Or do you want to help with this last bit?" Hermione stepped out of her loafers and leaned down to roll her stockings down her legs. She stood up and looked Malfoy square in the face. "Well?"

"I'm not sure what's going on, to be honest." He sounded very hesitant. Very unlike his usual cocksure tone.

"I'm stripping,"

"Well, that much is evident."

"As long as something is clear. So what seems to be the problem? Do you want to help with my lingerie? Or shall I do it myself?" She plucked at the blue bra strap lightly with one hand, the other creeping down to edge around the lace knickers strung low on her hips.

They were the same undergarments she'd had on this afternoon. He'd only gotten a quick peek before he'd looked away, but they were definitely not something most 17-year-old girls wore to school. At least none that he'd ever had the pleasure to know.

"I'm still not sure what's going on." As he said it, though, he stepped closer, reaching for her. His hand stopped a hairsbreadth from her skin.

"I want to have sex with you. At this moment. With that smile on your face, your apology, your sincerity… well. I've never been more attracted to you. I thought, if you were willing, I'd take advantage of that. Don't you want to?" Hermione stepped back a little, as if her actions and his confusion were causing her to reconsider, or at least hesitate.

"I didn't want to assume. But if that's what you want, I'd like nothing more, to be perfectly honest." Draco went quiet, his hand still reaching towards Hermione.

She supposed his answer would work. Who knew Draco Malfoy could be a gentleman? She stepped into his grasp and tugged at his already loosened tie. "You are way overdressed for this party, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco got into the mood quickly, divesting Hermione of her beautiful bra and knickers quickly and efficiently before smoothing his hands down her body and pulling her closer.

"I'm going to be honest. And I'm only going to say this once. I'm still very confused. This seems to go against everything I've ever observed about you." His voice had gone rough again.

Hermione didn't answer but finished unbuttoning his shirt and pulling it off his shoulders. the cuffs got trapped around his wrists and it hung awkwardly behind him as he refused to separate his hands from her silky skin. "Leave it."

Her fingers moved to his trousers button. She glanced up at him. "I know I'm fully starkers, but it would be remiss of me to go any further before finding out if this is something you really want. Power over your own body and all that."

"Please don't stop." He smiled down at her, almost painfully. It was a strange look. But when her fingers grazed the tip of his erection and it twitched into her palm she understood. He was very, very turned on.

Hermione pushed his trousers down his legs and he stepped out of them, pushing her back against the railing. And taking her face in his hands. "Granger. This has got to be the craziest thing that's ever happened to me."

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment. Grey and brown searching for something. Understanding, maybe.

She bit her lip before answering softly. "You've never shagged a girl against the railing of the Astronomy Tower? Or you never thought that girl would be a Mudblood?" She cocked an eyebrow as if daring him to choose the latter.

Draco scoffed, "As if blood status matters when it comes down it. A shag is a shag." His light tone prevented her from pushing him away. The words may have been cruel, but the intention behind them was not. "I'm more shocked that I'm up here with the brightest witch in school and she doesn't seem to care that her arse is being bared to the whole of the night." He grinned down at the girl in his arms.

She smiled. "I'm quite a bit more adventurous than I generally let on. Good reputations are a terrible thing to lose, don't you know."

He did not know, as he did not have a good reputation in the slightest. He stayed quiet for a moment.

"Are you willing to take me up on that comment? Or just stare down at me?" Hermione reached up and put her arms around his neck. He was a good seven or eight inches taller than her, but she was willing to stretch.

That snapped him out of his quiet thoughts. "Just how adventurous are we talking?"

She grinned back up at him before answering. "I see two neck ties and a nice strong railing. Have you ever tied a girl up before, Malfoy?" She moved down his body and kneeled by his feet as he shivered. She really was full of surprises tonight.

Hermione looked up at Malfoy through her eyelashes before taking hold of his cock and bringing him into her mouth. Now this was pleasure. One of her favorite things to do was make a man lose control with just her mouth.

Draco hissed a fuck through his teeth. That was all the encouragement she needed. Hermione took him all the way down her throat and used her tongue to massage his balls. It was a technique that had gotten her rave reviews from a certain Quidditch star the previous summer.

"Granger. It's going to be over before it begins if you keep doing that." HIs voice was so rough and low she could barely make out his words, but she continued her administrations regardless.

"Granger. Hermione. Fuck." He yanked her up by her wrists and pulled her up to eye level, slamming his cock into her at the same time as his lips met hers.

"Oh. Yes. Yes." She loved being fucked up against the wall. Or in this case, a post. Her back would be torn up tomorrow, but she couldn't give a fuck at the moment.

Draco made to move her up and down but she put her hands on his shoulders to stop his movement. "Let me." She wrapped her legs around him and twisted slightly side to side. The grinding motion pushing her clit into his pubic bone and the motion made his head spin with pleasure.

She knew what she was doing. "Granger. I'm not going to last long."

She wasn't going to either if the contractions he was feeling around him were any indication. "I'm — coming — now!" She buried her face in his shoulder and bit the skin near his collarbone to muffle the scream that accompanied her orgasm.

That little bitch. That would leave a bruise. But the pain only seemed to accelerate his pleasure. He swiftly followed her into bliss, twisting a fist into her hair and pulling her lips up to meet his.

"Mmm." She pulled away a little to look him in the eyes. Even in the darkness he could see the pleasure emanating from her. Flushed cheeks. Dilated pupils. Merlin. At that moment, he was quite sure he'd never seen anyone so beautiful.

"Thank you for that. You know I'd always wondered how you'd be." She grinned cheekily at him, taking him aback. She'd wondered about him? That was nothing if not a little ego-boosting.

She unwrapped her legs and slipped herself off him. He immediately missed the warmth of her wrapped around him.

"I should be thanking you, I think, Granger." Malfoy leaned over to pull his pack of cigarettes out of his trouser pocket. He took one out and silently offered her one as well.

"Thanks."

He lit them both as they leaned shoulder to shoulder over the railing, looking out into the dark grounds of Hogwarts.

"What a strange, strange night," Draco's comment was soft and he glanced over at her to see if she caught it.

She was grinning into the night. "That's one way to put it."

Neither of them expected this to happen. Certainly never to happen again. But they were both pleased with the events of the evening. They smoked their cigarettes in silence and parted amicably with quiet goodbyes.

Hermione had never been so happy to have her special spot intruded upon.

—-

A/N: Why is it that whenever I need to be studying I end up writing instead? Oh well. I hope you enjoyed this little peek into my VERY AU Dramione dream-verse. :) Please let me know with a quick comment below! xoxo Court