A/N

Just a quick thank you to all of you who have left me notes, as well as all the support you guys have given me so far. It's really lovely that people are enjoying the piece so thank you for being so encouraging.

Chapter 2

There are many tales in the muggle world about princesses trapped in castles awaiting rescue. They appear in almost every country and told in almost every language. The wizarding world has their own set of folk stories, yet this common theme does not feature. Perhaps this is due to their ability to use broomsticks? The Floo network? Their success to tame flying beasts? Could it be a people who can Apparate assume no one could ever be trapped anywhere?

If this is the case, the people of the wizarding world should have been paying more attention to Hermione Granger, a witch who felt very trapped in a castle. Perhaps if they had, they would realise not all prisons have bars and it is not so easy to escape your own mind...

1st December 1998

The wind played with Hermione's hair as it danced through the open window beside her. The castle battlements were utterly gorgeous in the moonlight, and while at first, she had been fearful of being up there after lights out, she was starting to feel pleased she had.

The view over the grounds towards the forest was breathtaking. She wished, as she sipped her whisky thoughtfully, that she could paint it, then she could enjoy it forever.

She smiled and relaxed into the stone wall behind her, cradling her drink in her hand. The warmth of the alcohol spread across her chest and allowed her to loosen the blanket she had wrapped around herself against the cold winter air. Silence all around.

"Perfect…" she mused, taking another swig.

Her mind started flitting to Ron and Harry. She wondered what they would make of the view, the silence, the half bottle of whisky she had consumed already…

Chuckling, she shifted her weight. It was quite fun being naughty and breaking the rules. She decided, after another swig from her glass, that she would do it more often.

"Hermione?"

Neville's voice caught her off guard and she spilt her drink down herself as she whipped around to see him standing in the doorway.

The witch wiped her face and neck with her hands and giggled out loud at her clumsiness.

"Neville! You made me jump!"

"Why are you in here, Hermione? You know it's after hours…?"

She scoffed at that.

The young man pulled himself up to his full height and walked over until he stood little more than two feet away.

"I-I'm sorry, Hermione, but I have to ask you to go to bed now, please."

Hermione found herself laughing. Neville shrank a little but seemed determined to stand his ground.

"Are you asking me to go to bed?"

"Yes."

"With you?"

"Sorry?"

"You asked me to come to bed!" Hermione tried to stand up but found herself embarrassingly tangled in the blanket and her robes. She laughed harder at the ridiculousness of the whole thing and drained what was left in her glass.

Neville stepped towards her and caught her by the arm before she toppled over.

"Firstly, no I didn't. I asked you to go to your bed and I meant alone. Secondly, how much have you drunk?"

Hermione did not like either his tone nor his line of questioning. She felt angry all of a sudden to be spoken to like a child.

She pulled her arm out of his grasp and tilted her glass to the mouth. She sighed when she realised it was empty.

"Hermione…?"

"Fuck off, Neville. I was just sitting minding my own business, maybe you should mind yours! Why do you think you can order me around?"

Neville grabbed her arm again and helped her to the door. He pushed her against the door frame and leant his back against the side opposite.

"Hermione, you know I have nothing but deepest respect for you-"

"You should fucking act like it then-"

"-But I am a trainee teacher at this school and you are a student for the rest of this year. There are rules that I have to follow!"

Hermione had forgotten Neville's reason for still being within the school. She had been so relieved to see her friend that she had not bothered talking to him about it. She started to feel a little foolish, then overwhelmingly guilty.

Her hand came to rest on her face as the uncontrollable urge to cry took over.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered through her sobs.

Neville's arms came to encircle her gently and she rested her head on his chest, wetting his shirt but not caring. She sniffed and allowed the misery to consume her. She was barely able to stand as she sobbed helplessly, overcome with emotion. The episode lasted several minutes but at last, she lifted her head and was able to wipe her cheeks and nose on her blanket.

Neville's expression was concerned yet kind. His eyes softened as she looked into them and suddenly she felt safe again.

"Hermione," he said quietly, "are you alright? You know if you ever need anything, I'm here for you?"

She held back more tears and nodded. She felt drained after her weep and had a desire to curl up in bed, preferably not alone.

The young woman reached out and held his hand before making her way down the corridor away from her friend.

~0o0~

The morning felt like it had arrived too early as the sunlight rudely smashed into the room and woke her.

Hermione was aware she was unbelievably thirsty, dizzy and felt a little sick. She stayed on her side in the fetal position and tried to will water to her mouth without moving. As her thirst increased, she opened her eyes and reached for the empty glass on her nightstand. She retrieved her wand and pointed it at the glass.

"Aguamenti."

The liquid poured from the tip of her wand and filled it. She drank deeply before repeating her actions.

"You're awake are you?" An annoyed sounding voice snapped from behind her.

Hermione dropped the glass in shock and untangled from the bed sheets before leaping out of bed. She spun round to find Draco Malfoy glaring at her from under her sheets.

Her mind started to race and tears pricked in her eyes. What had she done?

She realised, as her heart thumped, that she was still fully dressed, as was he-what she could see of him anyway.

Slowly, the memory of the night before started to come back.

Neville had found her, she had cried into his chest, then left him. She went to the Slytherin Common room and asked for -no- demanded to see Draco. They had talked a little, he had offered to walk her back to her room, she had invited him up but he had said no…

Hermione's mind clamped shut and would not let her know anymore. She stared at him, embarrassed and confused.

"You were pissed, Granger. I tried to leave you by the Fat Lady portrait but you were having none of it. I've never seen you so distraught!"

He climbed out of the bed as Hermione raked her nails through her scalp and whimpered in humiliation. She realised she had drunk more than she'd thought.

Draco stood before her in his shirt and black trousers, miraculously unruffled. His platinum hair was also as it always was. Hermione suspected he'd spelled it that way. He wore a superior, aristocratic look to accompany his semi-formal attire.

"You know, Granger," he mused, "anyone would think that perhaps you like me a little more than you'd admit. After all, you refused to move until I was in bed with you…"

Hermione let out a disgusted squeak and grabbed her hairbrush from her vanity unit. She ran it through her matted locks quickly in an effort to regain some dignity.

Draco moved a little forwards, clearly enjoying her distress. She held her hands up to stop him coming any closer.

"We didn't do anything last night, did we?" She asked. A look came over Draco like a mixture of repulsion and distress.

"Of course not-what do you take me for?" He snapped, much to the witch's relief. He stepped towards her again and grinned.

"But, now that you're sober, maybe you should have a bath and let me 'take care of you' for the day?" he suggested.

His meaning was barely disguised and Hermione could not help being a little excited and flattered by the way he was looking at her. Even so, she shook her head fiercely.

"I'm sorry, Draco, I really am. I don't know what keeps coming over me when I'm drunk around you! But as I told you yesterday, I'm with Ron." She thought about how guilty she felt for a moment before adding: "I think you'd better leave…."

For the second time within twenty-four hours, Draco Malfoy looked hurt and furious at her. He grabbed his jacket from the chair beside the bed and glared at her before starting towards the stairs.

"I'll have to admit spending the night here anyway to everyone in the Common Room," he reminded her over his shoulder, "goodness knows what they'll think of you!"

The nastiness of his words stung her as Hermione watched him leave the room. She sat down and held herself before continuing to tidy up.

"Fucking-Draco-fucking-Malfoy?" She asked her reflection in her new, ornate silver mirror. "What is wrong with me?!"

~0o0~

5th January 1999

Hermione went to her own home for Christmas and avoided Ron until the very last day of her holiday. She met him in a pub, they argued about how distant she was being before finally calling their relationship off.

As she walked home that evening she was consumed with a bitter sadness she could not explain. It was as if she had let go of the last piece of her childhood and had ended an era forever.

On arriving back to Hogwarts the next day, Hermione felt a renewed sense of things. She realised she had been living for others for far too long and wanted to enjoy herself at last. Hermione had helped save the wizarding world, she reasoned, so life owed her a little time to indulge.

Draco Malfoy served this purpose well. He hardly resisted her when she approached him on their first evening back and they kissed and fondled each other openly in the Three Broomsticks without a care.

The two held hands on their walk back up to the castle and arrived through the large wooden doors giggling and tipsy. They made their way past the Great Hall and found a corner cloaked in shadows just beyond it. Hermione allowed herself to be tucked into the corner and enjoyed Draco's mouth over her neck. His hands crept up her legs and suddenly, his fingers had found their way to the outside of her underwear. She let out as gasp as he boldly pulled her knickers to one side and started probing between her legs. She watched as he pulled his head away from her to watch her expression, a smirk as arrogant as ever on his face.

She felt uncomfortable at the look he was giving her, almost mocking her for enjoying the sensation of his long fingers, so she pushed his hand away and smiled.

"You're right, as always, Granger," he whispered, "it's too public here for this. Don't want to give old Filch a show, do we? Come with me!"

He pushed off her and tugged at her arm before setting off down a dark corridor towards the main part of the hesitated before following him, more out of curiosity than anything else.

x

Draco shoved open the door of the History of Magic classroom and swaggered around the empty chairs and desks with his hands in his pockets. He shot Hermione a wink as she closed the door nervously behind herself.

The young man then stepped towards her and pulled her into his arms. His hands ran down her back and sides as he kissed her and Hermione found herself breathlessly relenting to his will. She started to relax, kissing back and allowing his tongue access to her mouth.

They filled the room with shallow pants for air and held each other's bodies as tight as they could.

Hermione flushed with enjoyment until Draco broke the kiss and stared at her, eyes half closed in lust, lips puffy from pressing against hers.

"What do you say we finally do something interesting in this room?" He suggested.

Hermione held back a cry of surprise as she was lifted to sit on the desk behind her. Draco parted her legs and got between them in a single movement before pushing her back onto the desk with his body and worshipping her neck again.

Hermione felt him rubbing against her with his hardened manhood, though she struggled to relax into the sensation at all.

Her body still tense, she tried to push his weight off her top half a little more. Draco misread her action and reached down, undid his belt, freed himself, then reached under her dress to pull her underwear to the side to allow himself entry.

Hermione jerked as he touched her and pushed his body off herself slightly more firmly.

"Draco, this isn't really working for me," she said softly, "can you maybe give me a bit more of a warm up?"

The young man looked incensed and stared, dumbfounded, at her.

"I fingered you in the corridor!" He protested.

Perturbed but still determined to finish what they'd started, Hermione gave him a stern look as an answer. Her partner sighed and reached down to touch her more tenderly before slowly claiming her mouth again. She sighed through her nose as his fingers started their work and found herself finally relaxing into the act. A few minutes of movement and she was starting to really enjoy herself.

"You know…" Draco muttered into her ear as he swapped hands, "You'll be my first Mudblood…"

Hermione snapped out of her physical bliss and glared at him before noting the mischievous expression he was wearing. Her anger abated and she gripped his hips with her thighs. "That's funny…" she muttered back, "you'll be my third pureblood…"

His arm stopped moving for a moment while he chuckled. He positioned himself in his finger's place and pressed inside.

"Must be a kink then." he replied.

Hermione had no time to answer. She savoured the sensations as Draco began building a rhythm and tried to coordinate her body to match his movements. As her pleasure built, she ignored the sounds of the desk starting to bang or the scrape of the feet on the floor.

Her legs gripped him tighter and her hands came to rest on his clothed back and neck. She pulled him towards her face and kissed him deeply. He was an arrogant bastard but he felt good and right at that moment, that was all Hermione cared about.

"I'm close…" Draco whimpered. His words sent a desperate wave of panic through the young woman's body.

"Not yet!" She begged, "just a little longer!"

She cried out in annoyance as he came to a stuttering halt. He moaned and collapsed on top of her, gasping for breath.

Hermione let out an exasperated sigh and stroked his hair as he recovered. He was far too heavy and she was struggling to get air but she was too annoyed to move him. Eventually, when he did shift off her, she rolled sideways and straightened herself out as quickly as possible.

Draco tucked himself away again and had a slightly dazed look to him as he turned to face her.

She stared at him awkwardly, still slightly seething.

"That was great, Granger, if I do say so myself." He said, putting his hands back into his pockets and smirking at her triumphantly. Hermione was starting to regret the entire episode and desperately wanted some space to get her head straight. She smiled awkwardly and led him towards the door. He caught her wrist just before she turned the handle.

"Granger, listen…"

She looked at him. To her surprise, his swagger had dropped and he was looking a little vulnerable.

"After all we went through last year," he said, "I'm glad we've done this. It feels good to enjoy ourselves a bit, don't you think?"

Hermione's annoyance towards him softened significantly. She smiled at him and nodded. He took her hand and they opened the door, stepping out into the corridor together...

..straight into the path of Minerva McGonagall, the Headmistress of Hogwarts.

Her arms were crossed and a livid expression was fixed on her severe face. She glared at the pair with an intensity which would melt stone.

"Miss Granger, Mr Malfoy," she addressed them in an angry tone, "I have just received word that you were observed...coupling...in Professor Bins' classroom. I came down to investigate and now I find you leaving said classroom together looking dishevelled and flushed. Explain yourselves. Quickly!"

Hermione found herself lost for words under the Headmistress' glare. She was shocked, embarrassed and scared of what the consequences might be. Draco stepped forwards and nudged her to a position slightly behind him.

"Did you say observed? What little pervert was spying then?" he demanded.

"Never you mind who it was, Mr Malfoy, you were engaging in an intimate sexual act on school property! In a classroom no less! I have no choice at all but to write to your parents immediately, Miss Granger, and your guardians, Mr Malfoy. This is utterly unacceptable behaviour!"

Hermione shrank even lower. The thought of her parents finding out was unthinkable.

"I want to see you individually in my office to discuss this tomorrow. I will send you each of you when I wish to see you." She unfolded her arms and shooed them away.

"To bed with you both. Immediately!"

Hermione climbed into her bed that night and sobbed herself to sleep. Her dreams were filled with Draco Malfoy and the furious face of McGonagall..