Hermione opened her eyes and gave a small groan of pain. Her head was throbbing and everything else ached. Squinting at the bright light pouring through the window but currently unable to move because of the thumping in her head, she tried to work out where the hell she was and how she had got there. She definitely wasn't in her hotel room. Feeling a slight pressure on her body, she realised she wasn't alone, either. With dawning horror, she turned her head to find Draco lying next to her. He was smiling.

'Good morning,' he said lazily, sounding far too cheerful for someone who had spent the previous night downing shots like there was no tomorrow.

Hermione's heart sank. At the moment she couldn't remember very much about last night but somehow she had ended up in bed with Draco Malfoy. She squirmed out of his arms and sat up, grabbing her head as a sharp slice of pain shot through it. She closed her eyes, gave a loud groan followed by several deep breaths, then re-opened them. She looked down.

Well, at least she was still fully dressed, and so was Draco as far as she could see.

Remembrance of the night before began to seep back into her memory as she closed her eyes once again, her head still pounding and making her feel dizzy and sick: her leaving the nightclub in anger; the men who had tried to attack her; Draco saving her; him bringing her back to the hotel; and the empty room . . . the empty room they were obviously still in.

For a moment a vision of her and Draco engaged in something they definitely shouldn't have been doing flashed into her mind but she forced it out. She didn't want to think about that. She released her head as her eyes opened once more, her brain finally catching up and realising it was morning.

'Oh my god, what's the time?' she asked in a sudden panic, forcing herself off the bed although her body wasn't at all ready for the movement. She sat back down on the edge of the bed trying to steady herself as nausea rose within her.

Draco looked at his watch. 'Five thirty. It's far too early to get up. Come back to bed.'

'You've got to be joking,' Hermione said her voice tense. She shook her head miserably. 'Oh god, what's Ginny going to say? How the hell am I going to explain where I've been?'

Draco, who had sat up too, looked at Hermione with amusement. 'You don't go clubbing much, do you, Hermione?'

She frowned. 'Very rarely. It's not really my idea of a good evening out. But what's that got to do with anything?'

Draco swung his legs round so he was sitting next to her. He took hold of her hand. Hermione tried to pull away but he was holding it too tightly.

'The club we were at last night doesn't close until six. Ginny won't even be back yet.'

Hermione looked astonished. 'Six? Why on earth would anyone want to stay there that long?' She thought for a moment, then added, 'Anyway, just because it's open until then it doesn't mean she stayed.'

Draco laughed. 'Of course she stayed. She's not a lightweight like you.' He grinned wickedly. 'And I know Blaise was intending to stay until closing time.'

'I need to go back to my room,' Hermione said. She stood up, trying to pull her hand from Draco's once again.

Draco sighed and he stood, too. 'Are you sure I can't get you to come back to bed?' he asked silkily. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him.

'No . . . let go of me, Draco.'

'But we had such a good time,' he said. 'I shall have to rescue you more often if that's how you're going to repay me.'

Hermione pulled away from him, looking unhappy. 'I'm grateful to you for rescuing me from those men, but I was drunk last night and anything we did . . . .' She broke off for a moment, not wanting to go down that route. She bent down and picked up her shoes, trying to ignore the wave of dizziness that the movement caused. 'Look, I really am grateful but I need to get back to my room.'

'Shall I come with you?' Draco asked.

Hermione shook her head, looking panicked. 'God, no!'

He moved towards her but Hermione backed away, not wanting him to touch her.

'Aren't you at least going to give me a kiss?' Draco asked, sounding disappointed. 'I'd have thought that after—'

'I was drunk,' Hermione repeated coldly. 'I'm sorry, Draco, but I was drunk and I let things get out of hand because I was overwhelmed by . . . circumstances. Nothing should have happened between us and we have to forget it . . . have to pretend it never happened.'

'But it did, though,' Draco said simply. 'And whatever you say now, you wanted it as much as I did. It wasn't all one-way, you know.'

'As I said, I was drunk,' Hermione retorted, and before Draco could do or say anything else she made a dash for the door, slamming it behind her.

Draco sighed and looked at the rumpled bed. It was time for him to go back to his hotel and get some sleep. He too was suffering from a hangover; he was just better at hiding it than Hermione, although maybe that was because he was more used to getting drunk than she was.

After putting his shoes on he picked up his wand from the bedside table and waved it, turning the room back to the way it had been when they arrived. Smiling, he turned and headed for the door. He didn't care what Hermione said. After the things they had done he knew she fancied him as much as he fancied her, and he was determined they would be getting intimate again as soon as he could possibly arrange it.

Hermione walked as nonchalantly as she could manage through the door to her room, trying to ignore the hangover that was crucifying her. The room was empty. As Draco had speculated, Ginny had not yet returned from the club nor was there any sign that she had been back and gone out again. She let out a huge sigh of relief. It was just possible she was going to get away with what she had done. She walked over to the window and pulled the curtains shut, cutting out the bright light. That was a little better.

As rapidly as possible, considering the hangover, she changed into her pyjamas; then, taking her wash bag, she headed for the bathroom. Once inside and sitting on the toilet to stop the never-ending dizziness, she rummaged in the bag for ibuprofen tablets, which she took with some water using the glass she found on the counter.

The sip of cool water made her aware of a raging thirst so she downed another three glasses, realising that she was seriously dehydrated and desperately needed the fluid. She looked at herself in the mirror. God, she looked dreadful. Her face was pale and her skin looked clammy, her eyes dark and ringed like piss-holes in the snow. She just wished her head would stop hurting.

She hadn't long returned to the bedroom when the door opened and Ginny entered. She was bustling and happy and far too loud for Hermione's liking and she couldn't help but wince when her friend greeted her enthusiastically.

'Merlin, you look dreadful,' Ginny said with a big grin.

'I feel worse,' Hermione croaked as she sat down on her bed. 'I can't decide if I've died and gone to hell or whether I want to die. Where have you been?'

Ginny continued to grin. 'Out having fun . . . like you should have been. I know you said you were a lightweight, but really!'

Hermione shuddered. 'I thought I did bloody well considering you made me start drinking at the crack of dawn and we carried on going until stupid o'clock at night. How the hell did you manage to keep going all night?'

'Stamina,' Ginny replied blithely. 'Well, that and the totally snoggalicious Blaise Zabini.' She winked lewdly. 'Talking of snoggalicious, did Draco catch up with you? He was so angry when he found out you'd left, especially on your own.'

For a moment a vision of her and Draco in bed flashed into Hermione's brain but she hurriedly pushed it away. She didn't want to think of him . . . of what they had done . . . .

Deflecting the question about Draco, she said accusingly, 'What about Harry? How can you carry on like that with Blaise when you're going out with him?'

Ginny laughed. 'I told you, it's just a bit of fun — and what happens in Blackpool stays in Blackpool.' She dumped herself down on her bed. 'Anyway, what do you think Harry's up to? The same as me, I'll bet.'

Hermione looked at her friend unhappily. 'I'm sure they're not. Ron wouldn't—'

Ginny snorted loudly in derision. 'Listen to yourself. What do you think they're doing this weekend? They're not sitting in the Fat Hen drinking pints of beer and playing darts, Hermione. They've gone somewhere in Eastern Europe with Charlie and they're playing with strippers and prostitutes. I'm sorry if that shocks you, but Ron's not taking a back seat on this one. He might not actually end up shagging a hooker, but he's sure as hell getting into the rest of it, you can bet your life on that. What we're doing here is tame compared to what they're getting up to.'

'You don't know that,' Hermione said bullishly, but she could feel the tears in her eyes as she thought about Ron and how secretive he had been about his stag do and how enthusiastic he had been about her going to Blackpool. Did he expect her to act the way all her friends suggested she should? Was it his way of assuaging his own guilt for the things he knew he would be doing? For a moment a vision of her and Draco reappeared. She clamped down tight on that memory. That had been a drunken accident and nothing more, and if Draco was any sort of gentleman he would allow her to forget it had ever happened.

'Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you,' Ginny said more gently as she looked at her distraught friend, 'especially with that hangover. I expect you're right. Ron's as big a lightweight as you are. He probably passed out before the strippers even got going.' She grinned at Hermione. 'Are you going to come and get some breakfast?'

The mention of food made Hermione's stomach flip and she could feel the bile rising. She shook her head, although gingerly because it still hurt so much.

'How can you even think about food? Don't you need to sleep?'

'We're going to have a few hours after breakfast,' Ginny told her. 'To be honest, I think I'm still drunk so I'm absolutely ruddy starving and so are the twins.' She got up from her bed and moved towards Hermione's. 'Are you sure you don't want to come? You might feel better after you've eaten.'

Hermione groaned miserably. 'I can guarantee eating definitely won't make me feel better. I'm trying not to be sick as it is. I think I just need to sleep it off.'

'I'll try not to wake you when I come back,' Ginny said. 'Oh, we're going to the Pleasure Beach later. We're meeting the guys in that big pub on the corner at two o'clock and then we're going to go and have a laugh.'

Hermione's heart sank at the thought of having to spend yet more time with Draco and his friends, but of course, now her friends had paired up with his she was going to have no choice. But that would leave her with Draco and she most definitely did not want to end up anywhere alone with him again. Nor could she face the idea of more alcohol. She had drunk more in one day than she had probably ever done in her entire life before. The fun fair didn't exactly appeal at the moment, either.

'I need to sleep,' she repeated and slid under the covers, pulling them over her head as she curled herself up into a ball.

'See you later,' Ginny said as she left the room, closing the door gently behind her.

'. . . and did you see Greg Goyle? Hasn't he improved immeasurably since school? Parvati said he's a great kisser.'

Ginny was chatting away, not seeming to notice or care that Hermione was still suffering. Even five hours of sleep hadn't made her feel that much better. She was seriously dehydrated, her head was still banging, not helped by Ginny and her yammering, and now she was feeling hungry and her stomach hurt.

'Are you going to get up today?' Ginny asked. She was drying her hair with a towel. 'We've got to be at the pub in just over forty-five minutes so you'd better look sharp.'

Hermione groaned and fell face-forward on the bed. 'I'm not going,' she said, her voice muffled in the sheets. Ginny looked at her sharply. Hermione shook her head, then managed to sit up enough to look at her friend. 'Honestly, I really can't, Gin. I've still got the hangover from hell and I think I'll throw up if I even smell alcohol at the moment, let alone drink any. I'm sorry, but I just can't go near a pub . . . and you really don't want me on a roller coaster with you when I'm feeling like this.'

Ginny looked at her for a moment, then her face softened. 'I'm sorry, Hermione. I forgot you weren't really into the nightlife and the drinking. You did cane it a bit last night. Maybe we should have gone a bit easier on the shots.'

She disappeared into the bathroom for a few minutes. When she came back out her hair was dry and she was holding a small mirror while she put on lip gloss.

'I assume Draco caught up with you, did he?' she asked. 'I can't believe you'd have made it back here on your own. You were all over the place.' Ginny dropped the lip gloss and mirror into a small handbag on her bed, then turned to look at Hermione, who was back under the covers.

Ginny put her hands on her hips and glared fiercely at her. 'Why the hell did you leave? I can't believe you went off on your own, especially when you were that drunk. Anything could have happened to you.'

'I was fine,' Hermione replied shortly, but as she said it she remembered the men who had tried to assault her. Now sober, she realised what a dangerous situation she had been in and was able to appreciate just how lucky she had been that Draco had found her when he had, even if things had got badly out of hand afterwards.

'So, did you snog Draco, then?' Ginny asked, her voice salacious. 'Come on, you can tell me. I won't tell a soul, I promise. I won't even tell the others.'

Hermione didn't want to think about Draco as that reminded her of the hours they had spent alone together, but now she remembered the men, delayed shock hit her and she wasn't in the mood for joking around with Ginny.

'It wasn't like that,' she said, her voice tense and low.

Ginny's face was suddenly a mask of worry and she moved to sit on Hermione's bed, having caught the tone of her voice. 'What happened?' she asked quietly, a wave of guilt washing over her as she felt a ball of dread form in her stomach.

She knew she should have taken better care of Hermione, knowing she wasn't used to drinking and wasn't happy about being at the club or the way they had made her dress. Instead, she had left her to fend for herself in order to spend time with Blaise, who wasn't even her boyfriend, just a bit of fluff she was having some fun with.

Ginny suddenly realised that Hermione's hangover, whilst obviously all too real, was also a good excuse for her friend to not have to face the embarrassment or shame of seeing Draco. Her heart hardened. If Draco had done anything to hurt or embarrass Hermione, she was going to kill him.

'So what happened, Hermione? You can tell me,' she repeated, more seriously this time. 'Did he do something to you?'

Hermione rapidly shook her head, her eyes wide, and Ginny stopped talking. She took hold of Hermione's hand and stroked it gently.

'You were right. I was stupid to leave the club on my own,' Hermione admitted, her voice monotone, her face pale and drawn. Her eyes glistened with tears, 'Especially in that awful outfit.' She stopped for a second, then made a small, bitter noise. 'I was so drunk I could hardly walk, and those bloody shoes didn't help. But I'd just had enough and was pissed off with you all because you wouldn't leave . . . because you were all having too much fun. 'I just wanted to get back to the hotel and go to bed. But I got lost, couldn't find my way back, and then there was this group of men.'

She broke off for a moment and frowned, not wanting to remember but knowing she had to explain to Ginny now she had started talking about it. 'There were four or five of them, I can't remember how many exactly. They started following me and then they were around me — touching me, calling me names, telling me I was begging for it because of the way I was dressed. It was awful.

'They kept trying to touch my breasts and sticking their hands up my skirt, and I was so drunk I couldn't do anything to stop them. I was having enough trouble trying to stay standing upright. They were trying to take me off somewhere . . . I don't know where, but I don't think it would have been good. But then Draco turned up.'

Ginny, who had been looking horrified at Hermione's story, asked quietly, 'What did he do?'

'He told them to leave me alone. They laughed at him, of course — one bloke on his own against all of them. But he had his wand with him and so he Stupefied them and then brought me back to the hotel. I was really lucky he turned up, Gin.' Hermione wiped away a tear that had begun to trickle down her cheek.

'Oh, sweet Circe, you poor thing,' Ginny said sympathetically. 'I am so sorry. It's all my fault.'

Hermione shook her head and sighed. 'No, it wasn't. It was mine for being stupid enough to think I could walk home alone dressed like a tart . . . and for not saying no to the shots when I knew I'd had more than enough.'

'Yeah, but we were all forcing you to drink the shots. You said you'd had enough several times and we ignored you,' Ginny pointed out.

'But you didn't realise just how much of a lightweight I really am. Anyway, it was all right. Draco turned up in time and saved me.'

'Well, I hope you at least said thank you to him,' Ginny said.

Hermione squashed down a thought of Draco that was trying to force its way into her mind.

'I did give him a kiss,' she admitted. Under the covers, she crossed her fingers. 'Just one, though. I was completely shaken up by what had happened, to be honest. But I was really grateful to him for what he did, so I kissed him. I doubt it was the sort of kiss you were talking about, though.'

'But you kissed him,' Ginny said, trying to keep her excitement reined in. 'And?'

'And what? It was a kiss, to say thank you for stopping me from being assaulted or . . . whatever. That's all it was.'

'I just thought that after the way the two of you were at school . . . .'

Hermione looked exasperated. 'Draco and I do not have some deep, dark unrequited love that needs to be got out of the way before we get married, Gin . . . except in your fevered imagination. We never got on at school and that's all there was to it. And I'd rather you didn't keep going on about it, if you don't mind.'

'Are you sure you don't want to come with us?' Ginny asked, understanding that she needed to change the subject. 'I'll wait for you to get ready, if you like. I feel really bad leaving you here on your own when we're supposed to be celebrating your wedding.'

Hermione shook her head. 'Honestly, I'll feel much better for another few hours' sleep. I might go for a walk later to get some fresh air if I start to feel better, but at the moment I really can't face getting out of bed and walking to the bathroom, let alone anything else. Go and have fun and don't worry about me. I'll be fine.'

'Well, if you're sure,' Ginny said uncertainly, picking up her handbag. 'I really hope you feel better by the time we get back.'

'You and me both,' Hermione said honestly, as she gave her friend a small smile and shooed her out the door.

'So what happened with Hermione last night?' Blaise asked as he buttoned up his shirt.

Draco shrugged. 'Not much to tell, really. The bloody idiot thought that walking back to her hotel alone, completely pissed and dressed like every bloke's masturbation fantasy would be a sensible thing to do. By the time I caught up with her she'd picked up a bunch of unwanted admirers who were pretty much one step away from abducting and raping her. Fortunately, I had my wand on me otherwise the outcome would have been somewhat different . . . but I hexed the bastards and got her out of there as quickly as possible and took her back to her hotel. There was no funny business involved.'

Blaise looked at him sceptically. 'Are you telling me you didn't use her gratitude for saving her to get your leg over? Come on, Draco, this is you we're talking about.'

'She was so drunk she could hardly stand up,' Draco pointed out. 'And she'd been fairly well manhandled by that time. She just wanted to get back to the hotel and go to bed.'

'You didn't offer to stay and keep her company, didn't comfort her after her ordeal?' Blaise asked slyly.

Draco sighed. 'She wasn't exactly in the mood for company.'

'Do you honestly expect me to believe that you did nothing?' Blaise said.

'A kiss,' Draco admitted, sounding grudging. 'I got a kiss from her but even that was hard-won. I couldn't even get her to reveal her room number; just getting the floor number was hard enough.'

'I'm actually surprised,' Blaise revealed. 'All these years you've fancied her, and you finally had the perfect chance and you didn't take it. Not at all like you, my friend.'

Draco frowned. 'I told you, she was slaughtered. Anyway, I haven't fancied her for years.'

Blaise laughed. 'Yeah, all right, mate, if you say so. Funny how she was the only Muggle-born you ever used to fight with at Hogwarts, the only one you ever had any interest in.'

'That was only because she was Potter's friend. I hated them all, as you well know,' Draco said stiffly.

Blaise grinned. 'Yep, but we both know there was always something there between the two of you, that little frisson that was a bit more than just rivalry or hatred.'

Draco disappeared into the bathroom ignoring the comment. When he came back out a couple of minutes later he said, 'It'll be interesting to see what state Hermione's in today. I think she's going to have a massive hangover. I wonder if she'll be up for the fun fair.'

He rummaged in his holdall and pulled out a phial. He examined it for a moment, then gave it a good shake before removing the stopper. He swallowed the potion and a small moue of disgust crossed his face.

'She's not the only one, eh?' Blaise said in amusement.

'I'll admit I have felt better,' Draco told him honestly. 'I'm hoping some food will do the trick. I definitely can't even think about alcohol until I've eaten something.'

'I know what you mean,' Blaise agreed. 'We definitely did a good job on the shots last night.'

'Yeah, might have to lay off them a bit today,' Draco admitted with a frown as he looked at himself in the mirror. 'Are you ready? I really need to eat. I can hear a massive fry-up calling out my name.'

Blaise paled a little at Draco's words. 'Not sure I can face greasy food,' he admitted. 'I was thinking more like a slice of toast.'

'Nope, kill or cure, mate,' Draco said with a chuckle. 'Either way, you'll feel better after a good fry-up.'

'We'll see,' Blaise said uncertainly as he followed his friend out the door.

'I really can't believe Hermione didn't come with us,' Hannah said as she and the rest of the hen party walked down the road towards the pub. 'She really is pathetic, isn't she?'

Ginny shrugged. 'She looks really ill, poor love. She doesn't drink much and she pretty much kept pace with us last night. It's a wonder she hasn't got alcohol poisoning, actually.'

'I'm going to take a break from alcohol for a few hours today,' Luna said, wincing a little. 'I overdid it last night, too.'

'Didn't stop you coming out, though,' Hannah pointed out tartly.

'Only because I promised Theo I would, otherwise I might not have bothered, either,' Luna admitted.

'Perhaps if she'd got off with Draco last night she'd feel a bit more like coming out. Mind you, she's not exactly the life and soul of the party, is she?' Hannah grumbled.

'Nightclubs aren't really Hermione's thing,' Ginny said, sticking up for her absent friend. 'Draco said we pushed her too far last night with the outfit, the alcohol and all the flirting and stuff. She was beginning to rebel against it at the end. She went back to the hotel on her own even though she was completely slaughtered. It was lucky he went after her or Merlin only knows what would have happened.'

'So they did have a bit of time alone together, then,' Parvati said with a smile. 'Did nothing happen between them?'

Ginny shook her head, her face grim. 'From what I understand Hermione was pretty lucky that Draco came along when he did. She was getting some trouble off a group of guys because of the way she was dressed and because she was so drunk. He sorted them out and got her back to the hotel before she passed out. No funny stuff, though.'

'Wow, was it really that serious?' Padma asked worriedly.

Ginny nodded. 'She was pretty upset when she told me about it. I think it scared her a bit.'

'I'm not surprised,' Parvati said. 'I'd have been terrified. But what on earth possessed her to leave on her own, especially in that state?'

'Because she'd had enough and none of us were ready to go,' Ginny replied sounding ashamed. 'I felt dreadful when she told me what had happened to her because I'd promised her that after another couple of drinks we would leave, but then I kept dragging it out because I was having too much fun with Blaise. I didn't even think about what she was going through. By the time I realised she had left it was too late, and to be honest I still didn't want to leave. I was happy to let Draco go after her.'

'You didn't know what was going to happen to her, so it wasn't your fault — and it sounds like it was lucky it was Draco that went after her,' Luna told her soothingly. She stroked Ginny's arm. 'Anyway, she was all right so nothing to get upset about. No point in thinking about what might have happened, although I think that combined with her hangover gives her a good enough excuse not to join us.'

'I think she'd throw up if she went on a roller coaster in the state she's in,' Ginny said with a small grin. 'Perhaps staying in now will give her a chance to recover enough to come out with us tonight.'

They entered the busy pub and looked around, searching for Draco and his friends. After a few minutes they spotted them and, waving, made their way over to the table the men were sitting at.

'Hermione told me what you did last night,' Ginny said quietly to Draco after greeting him.

Draco looked surprised. 'Did she? What did she say?'

Ginny smiled. 'That you were her knight in shining armour and saved her from a group of men who were causing her a problem. She said you Stupefied them. Did you?'

Draco's heart had started beating faster at Ginny's first words. He was unable to believe that Hermione had actually shared what they had done last night with her friends. But then Ginny talked about his dealing with the group of animals that had come so close to assaulting Hermione and he realised that she hadn't divulged that most intimate of secrets.

'I did Stupefy them,' Draco admitted. 'I didn't really have any choice. There were too many of them for me to deal with them any other way, and they weren't inclined to be civilised.'

'Was she really in trouble?' Ginny asked.

Draco looked intently at Ginny for a moment, seeing the worry on her face. 'Nothing happened, Ginny. I stopped any potential problems,' he said gently.

'But something could have happened if you hadn't found her in time or if you hadn't had your wand on you,' she insisted.

'But I did, so there's nothing to get upset about,' Draco assured her. 'Hermione was fine, apart from the amount she'd had to drink. I expect she had quite the hangover this morning, didn't she?'

'She's still in bed,' Ginny told him. 'She looks really ill, poor thing. Mind you, I think she drank more yesterday than she's ever drunk in her life. Maybe you were right and we did overdo it a bit.'

Draco smiled. 'She survived, albeit a bit hung over, so it's all good in the end.'

'I'm going to get drinks,' Ginny said. 'Do you want anything?'

Draco waved his hand and indicated the half-full glass of orange juice in front of him. 'No, I had too much as well and am suffering more than I want to let on. No alcohol for me this afternoon, at least not at the moment.'

He watched as Ginny walked towards the bar, then he grabbed Blaise's arm and pulled him aside for a chat.

'I don't think I'm going to bother with the Pleasure Beach this afternoon,' he said casually.

Blaise looked surprised. 'Really? Not your sort of thing?'

Draco shrugged. 'I'm not really fussed about fun fairs either way, to be honest, but with this hangover taking longer to shift than I expected the idea of being jolted around all over the place doesn't really appeal much.'

'You'd have more interest if Hermione was here,' Blaise said sagely.

'I will admit that playing gooseberry with all you lot isn't exactly my idea of a fun-filled afternoon, either. Of course, I don't blame you all for pairing off — after all, that's obviously what we came here for — but it would certainly be easier if Hermione were here to make up the numbers,' Draco replied dismissively. 'To be honest, with the prospect of another heavy night ahead I could do with trying to shift the hangover that's still rattling around in my brain. I'm going to take a nice long walk along the beach, which should hopefully sort it out.'

'We could ditch the girls and have a lads-only afternoon if you want,' Blaise suggested, trying to be loyal.

Draco laughed. 'Don't be ridiculous, Blaise. Spending a bit of quality time with some lovely women is what we came here for, isn't it? And I know you've had a thing for Ginny for years, so I've no idea why would you want to ditch her when she's actually keen to spend time with you. I'll be fine on my own. You never know, I might even find someone interesting to play with while I'm out and about. Anyway, the walk will do me good.'

'Are you sure?' Blaise asked.

'Of course I am. Go and have fun with Ginny before she runs back to Potter.'

He turned to listen to Greg, who was telling Parvati about a particular roller coaster he was looking forward to going on, describing in exquisite detail the whole course of the ride. Draco felt his stomach roil at the thought of being on a roller coaster. In truth, he was feeling quite rough and his head was banging. Going on that sort of ride was the last thing he needed; he would probably throw up and completely embarrass himself. A nice, quiet walk with some vibrant, salty sea air would be just the thing to shift the blasted hangover and give him a chance to work out what he was going to do about Hermione.

He looked around at the group. All of them were looking a little worse for wear — mainly due to the lack of sleep, he supposed — but they all seemed to be handling it well enough and most of them were already back on the alcohol. He had to respect them for that; he certainly wasn't yet up to imbibing. He stood, and not bothering to say goodbye he followed Hannah and Alex as they made their way to the bar but diverted towards the door and opened it.

But before he could leave he felt a hand on his arm, stopping him. He turned to see Blaise grinning at him like the Cheshire cat.

'Room 210,' Blaise said conspiratorially.

Draco just stared at him.

'Ginny and Hermione's room,' Blaise added.

Still, Draco said nothing.

'Perhaps you should go and see how the invalid is,' Blaise continued helpfully.

Draco shook his head and frowned. 'I don't think so. Ginny said she's feeling pretty rough.'

'As are you,' Blaise pointed out. 'But perhaps you can make each other feel better.' He winked lewdly at his friend.

Draco thought about it for a few seconds. 'How long are you going to be at the fun fair?'

Blaise shrugged. 'I don't know, a couple of hours or so, I expect.' He looked at his watch. 'I suppose we'll be back at the hotel by five thirty, maybe six.'

'Can you make sure you keep the girls away from their hotel until at least six?' Draco asked.

Blaise grinned again. 'I'm sure we can manage that.' He looked interestedly at Draco. 'Are you going visiting, then?'

It was Draco's turn to shrug. 'I'm not sure . . . maybe. I'm definitely going for a walk along the beach first as I still need to clear my head and the walk will do me good, but I might drop in and see how Hermione is on the way back. It would just be easier — for her especially, knowing how uptight she is — if I wasn't seen at the hotel by her friends. If I know they won't be back until after six I can make sure I'm long gone by then.'

'After six it is, then,' Blaise agreed. He released Draco's arm. 'Do me a favour, though.' Draco looked at him curiously. 'Make sure you at least have a damn good snog with her, won't you? Don't completely waste the afternoon. You're running out of time.'

'I'll see how it goes,' Draco replied non-committally.

'I don't know why you're stalling,' Blaise said.

'It's not just me involved,' Draco pointed out. 'There's Hermione, too.'

'Well, I think you should just take charge of the situation. Don't give her the option.'

Draco looked amused. 'This is Hermione Granger we're talking about, Blaise, not Pansy. I'd like to keep my balls, if it's all the same to you.'

'You might be surprised,' Blaise said. 'Perhaps that's what she wants . . . or needs.'

Draco laughed. 'What Hermione thinks she wants and what she actually needs are quite likely to be two completely different things. Anyway, I don't know yet if I'm even going to bother going to see her.'

'You'll go,' Blaise said confidently, the Cheshire cat grin back on his face. 'Now you know her room number you won't be able to keep away.'

Hermione was laying on her bed reading. She had slept for an hour or so after Ginny had left, but knowing she couldn't spend all day asleep she had pulled one of the several books she had brought with her from her bag, and after getting another glass of water from the bathroom she settled back on the bed.

She was rather glad she had chosen not to go with the others. She wasn't keen on fun fairs anyway and was still feeling a bit too dodgy for riding on roller coasters, although she was actually nowhere near as bad as she had felt earlier. But it was nice to just relax and read for a few hours and this book wasn't anything heavy going so it wouldn't cause her headache to worsen.

Hermione could imagine her friends rolling their eyes in exasperation if they could see what she was doing rather than being out with them drinking and "enjoying" her hen weekend, but Hermione was truly content for the first time since they had arrived in Blackpool. She had always been the quiet and sensible one, maybe too sensible sometimes, but this quiet time spent alone with a book was far more her idea of the perfect weekend than drinking herself stupid in loud, smelly nightclubs.

There was a knock on the door. Hermione looked up from her book but she didn't move. A few seconds later the knocking resumed and the door rattled. Hermione replaced her bookmark and closed the book, then rose from the bed. Thinking it was likely to be the cleaner, she walked towards the door, intending to stick her head out to tell them not to bother as the room was still occupied. Instead, she was astonished when she opened the door to discover Draco standing there.

'How are you feeling now?' he asked with a smile.

Hermione didn't know what to say, but inside she was panicking. How on earth had Draco found out her room number? Had Ginny given it to him? Was she aware that he had come to see her? She frowned in annoyance. Just because Ginny thought it was all right to play around behind her boyfriend's back didn't mean Hermione felt the same way. She had already been stupid enough to get caught alone with Draco — and look at what had happened. She pushed the thought of her and Draco in bed together out of her mind before it had a chance to take root.

'Are you going to let me in?' Draco asked mildly.

Hermione gave a brisk shake of her head. 'What are you doing here, Draco?'

'I came to see if you were okay. Ginny told me you were feeling really rough.'

'I am, so please go away,' Hermione said, aware she was being rude but unable to help herself.

'I can help you with that if you let me in,' Draco told her.

Hermione looked at him suspiciously. 'Why, what are you going to do?'

'Nothing you don't want me to,' Draco said smugly. 'But I can help you get rid of your hangover. Let me in and I'll show you.'

Hermione shook her head. 'I'm fine as I am, thank you. I was quite happy reading. Anyway, why aren't you with the others?'

'I had a hangover, too. I really couldn't face going on the roller coasters so I decided to go for a walk along the beach instead. It was quite pleasant, actually; rather bracing and windy but it definitely cleared away the cobwebs. I thought I'd pop in on my way back and see how you were doing. Are you really going to make me stand out here? I'd have thought you wouldn't want anyone seeing me.'

'I don't. That's why you should leave; before anyone does see you,' Hermione told him curtly.

'No, I don't think so. I'm just going to sit out here until the others get back,' Draco warned.

Hermione knew he was perfectly capable of doing exactly as he said and he was right, she didn't want anyone seeing him, even if it was only sitting outside her door. That would be more than enough to start the tongues wagging. She sighed and opened the door wider, moving back to allow him entrance.

'I knew you'd let me in eventually,' he said, still sounding smug. He closed the door behind him.

'Only because I had no choice,' Hermione muttered.

Draco laughed. 'Of course you had a choice. Admit it, Hermione, you let me in because you wanted me in here with you.' He moved towards her, reaching his hand out to stroke her face gently. 'You look a bit pale. Was your hangover really bad?'

Hermione took a step backwards but she nodded. 'I thought I'd died and gone to hell. Actually, I'm still not sure I haven't.'

Draco walked over to her bed and picked up the book she was reading. He glanced at the cover. 'Night Watch. What's that about, then?'

Hermione shrugged. 'It's a fantasy book, part of a series. They're quite amusing and a light enough read when you can't concentrate properly.' She pulled the book from his hands and placed it on the bedside table, then added pointedly, 'Muggle, obviously, so probably not your sort of thing.'

'Oh, I don't know. I've read quite a lot of Muggle literature over the last few years. Some of the books have been very good.' Hermione raised her eyebrows in surprise. 'My views have changed considerably since leaving school, you know, Hermione. I realised all that stuff about Muggle-borns stealing magic was complete crap. One only had to look at you to know that. That got me thinking about all the other rubbish my father had drilled into me and what do you know, that was all complete bollocks as well. I realised there was a whole world out there that I was missing out on, so I went out to learn as much about it as I could. It's a fascinating place, the Muggle world, and it's taught me so much.'

Before she realised what he was doing Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione, pulling her to him and kissing her. She tried to push him away but wasn't very successful.

'Stop it, Draco,' she said tartly once the kiss had finished. 'Let go of me, please.'

'You don't really want me to,' Draco said, his voice more sensual now. 'Let's face it, darling, after last night you want it just as much as I do.'

'I told you, I was drunk last night. There's no way I would have—' Hermione tried to pull away but Draco kept tight hold of her.

'You're right you were drunk . . . and extremely enthusiastic,' Draco pointed out. 'So don't try to give me that old bull about not being interested. I know you think you should say that because of Weasley, but we both know it's not true so let's cut the crap, eh? No one knows I'm here and we both know you enjoyed it last night, so don't pretend you didn't. If it makes you feel better, think of it as a final—'

'Oh for god's sake, don't you dare mention bloody final flings or that crap about what happens in Blackpool staying in Blackpool,' Hermione spat in annoyance.

Draco smiled. 'But it's true. Okay, we won't call it a final fling. Let's just call it a damn good shag.'

'I am not having sex with you again, Draco,' Hermione said. She writhed in his arms, trying to escape. 'So just let me go.'

'Of course you will,' Draco told her pleasantly. 'We both want it and we know it's going to happen, so stop fighting it.' He leant close to her ear and whispered, 'You know how good it feels.'

'I'm not interested and I've got a headache, so please, Draco, just go away.'

'That's all right, the sex will cure that,' Draco said smugly. 'It's clinically proven that sex gets rid of headaches and sorts out hangovers. So we'll be doing each other a favour.'

'You are incorrigible,' Hermione told him waspishly. 'But I still have absolutely no intention—'

'You know I'm right,' Draco whispered, and before she could finish the sentence he kissed her again.

And then Hermione was kissing him back, her willpower as nonexistent and her desire just as strong as it had been the previous night. Kiss after intoxicating kiss followed as Draco pushed her back onto the bed beneath him.

'Nice pyjamas,' he said cheekily during a break between kisses. 'Not quite as sexy as the corset and stockings, but at least I can remove these.'

Hermione lay in Draco's arms enjoying the feeling of him holding her. He was right, the sex had managed to shift her hangover completely. In fact, she felt wonderful. She turned to look at the clock on the bedside table. It was almost five o'clock. She wondered what time her friends would be back. She didn't want to risk any of them seeing Draco. What they were doing was bad enough without the extra guilt that anyone else finding out about it would bring. Also, she had a feeling that her friends' idea of a final fling probably didn't include full sexual intercourse, especially more than once.

'What's the matter?' Draco asked gently, picking up on her unease.

'Ginny,' Hermione said worriedly. 'If she comes back . . . .'

'She won't be back until six o'clock,' Draco told her confidently.

'You don't know . . . .' She trailed off when she saw Draco's look. 'Blaise?' she asked.

Draco nodded. 'How do you think I knew the room number?'

'I assumed Ginny had mentioned it to you,' Hermione said with a frown.

'No. I told you, no one knows I'm here . . . except for Blaise, and even he doesn't know for sure.'

'Does he know about last night?' Hermione asked worriedly.

'No, he doesn't. I told him you granted me one hard-won kiss to thank me for saving you from those animals. I mentioned nothing about the rest of it. That's purely between you and me . . . as is this. Don't worry, darling, I'll be gone before they get back. I promise.' He kissed the end of her nose.

'This weekend's turning out to be even better than I thought it was going to be,' Draco said some time later, after another rather frenzied bout of sexual activity. 'It's almost going to be a shame to go home.' He looked at her seriously. 'If your friends are anything like you I imagine the others won't want to leave, either.'

Hermione thought about her friends and how they had all paired up with friends of Draco's. It had all worked out perfectly . . . almost too perfectly, if she thought about it properly.

'Did you know we were coming here?' she asked quietly. 'Was this all planned in advance?'

Draco looked at her curiously for a moment, then shook his head. 'If you're asking did I know in advance that you were going to be in that nightclub dressed like something out of a wet dream, the answer is no. If I had I'd have made damn sure I was better prepared. I still can't believe just how sexy you looked in that outfit. It was immoral.' He grinned at her and winked.

Hermione felt herself blush and said, 'Yes, I got the impression it was quite popular. It certainly got a lot of comments . . . although not all of them were nice.' She stopped, frowning as she thought about the men who had tried to attack her.

'Well I thought you looked spectacular,' Draco said sincerely a moment before he kissed her again. 'However, you won't be going out dressed like that again, at least not unless I'm there to look after you. Then you can dress as wantonly as you want.' His hand trailed down her back, caressing her bottom with gentle, teasing strokes.

'Don't worry, I'll never be dressing that way again,' Hermione assured him primly.

'It seems a shame to keep such a gorgeous body hidden under wraps, though,' Draco said wistfully.

'Well, I can't imagine Ron being very happy about me dressing like that, so it's unlikely to happen,' Hermione said. Her heart thumped harder at the thought of Ron and for a moment she felt guilty at what she was doing with Draco, but strangely not anywhere near as guilty as she had expected to feel . . . as she knew she should feel.

'I always thought there was something wrong with him,' Draco said lazily. 'Are you sure he's not gay?'

'Of course he's not,' Hermione said indignantly. 'Anyway, I understand he's spending the weekend shagging prostitutes and strippers, or so Ginny tells me.' She tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice but wasn't sure she succeeded.

'If he can get it up,' Draco said with a smug grin. 'Not everyone has my talent for getting and sustaining an erection whenever it's required.'

'He doesn't have problems in that department, either,' Hermione said tersely.

'And yet I'm still a better shag than him,' Draco said immodestly as he pulled Hermione towards him once more. 'And I do love making you cum,' he whispered.

'So what are you going to wear tonight if you're not going to give me and the rest of Blackpool a thrill?' Draco asked.

He knew he ought to be making a move to ensure Hermione's friends didn't see him, as he had no desire to upset her by giving away their secret, but at the same time he was enjoying being with her so much that he didn't want to leave.

'Tonight? What's happening tonight?' Hermione looked confused.

Draco shrugged. 'I should imagine that you and your friends will be heading out to get pissed again, probably with my friends in tow . . . and me, too. I'll definitely want to be there if you are.'

Hermione looked faintly sick. 'More drinking . . . oh god, no, I can't do that. I'm going to stay in tonight. I'm sure it will piss everyone off, but I'm really not the hen party type.'

'Do you think they'll let you stay in on Saturday night after coming all this way to celebrate?' Draco asked, grinning with amusement.

Hermione shrugged. 'Eventually. They'll have no choice. Anyway, I'll only make their evening miserable if I go out with them. I honestly can't face any more alcohol and I'm not really into nightclubs, as you know. I'll be ready to come back here after an hour and no one's going to want to come back with me, are they . . . apart from you of course, but that's not possible.'

'Why not?' Draco asked.

'Because then I'll get all the comments again, all the stuff about us having a good snogging session. I'm keen to avoid that.'

'I don't mind having a snogging session with you if it will make your friends happy,' Draco said, smiling wickedly. He kissed her shoulder. 'Is that all they want us to do?'

'Yes,' Hermione said quickly. 'That's all, and that's why I don't want them knowing . . . especially after this afternoon.' She looked at the clock. 'You need to go. It's almost six o'clock.' Draco gave a groan of disappointment. 'You promised,' Hermione said, panic rising in her voice.

Draco squeezed her. 'I know and I will go, although I don't want to.' He kissed her briefly on the lips then slid out of bed and began to put his clothes on. 'So if you're not going out tonight can I come back after everyone's gone out?'

Hermione left the bed, too, pulling on her pyjamas. 'You want to come back? Haven't you had enough?'

Draco wrapped his arms around her. 'I want to make the most of it. We don't have much more time.' He kissed her neck. 'I really enjoy making love with you, Hermione, and I don't want to miss a single opportunity in the short time we have left together.'

Hermione pulled from his arms. 'I should say no, you know.'

'You're not going to, though, are you?' Draco said knowingly. He finished dressing, then sat on Hermione's bed to put on his socks and shoes. He looked at her appealingly. 'Please don't say no.'

Hermione sighed heavily. 'Okay, you can come back if you want.'

'Oh, I definitely want.' Draco looked ecstatic as he stood up. 'I'll see you later, darling,' he whispered happily as he gave her one last hug and kiss.

After Draco left Hermione spent a few minutes in the bathroom making sure there was nothing that could give away what she had been up to all afternoon. It was now more vital than ever that no one discovered her secret. She looked at herself in the mirror. She was actually looking quite healthy now; in fact, she was rather flushed after all that sex.

She put some cold water on her face to try to remove some of the redness. She didn't want to look too healthy otherwise she would find it impossible to argue against going out and she really didn't want to go out. Whilst it was true that she didn't want any alcohol nor did she relish the idea of any more horrid smoky pubs and clubs, the main reason she now wanted to stay in was to spend more time alone with Draco.

Hermione tried to tell herself that the reason she wanted to be with Draco, the reason she didn't feel anywhere near as guilty about what she was doing with him as she should, was because she was angry with Ron for deceiving her over what he was doing on his stag weekend and she was sure that he was probably acting just as badly as she was, as Ginny had said.

But the truth was that it was purely desire for the blond man, desire that, if she was honest, she had kept hidden away deep inside her like a dirty secret for almost as long as she had known him. And however she wanted to justify it, that desire really was what was driving her to creep around with him behind her friends' backs, although she still wasn't sure why she didn't feel guilty about it.