This chapter is dedicated to those devoted reviewers I certainly do not deserve, who have waited for over a year for an update. Thankyou so much for your supportive feedback.
-o-o-o-
Malfoy fell backwards onto his bed, frowning. The truth was, he was in shock. Who would have thought it?
Granger was female. Well, he supposed that that fact had been obvious to anybody with half a brain, but the way she acted most of the time, you'd think she was asexual or castrated like McGonagall, (the thought of McGonagall with sexual organs was just too horrific to be allowed).
Of course, he'd known the spell had repercussions as did any spell. This spell worked in a different way to the Imperious curse, it was by far easier to cast, but much harder to control. It took an exhausting effort of will power to maintain and had a reputation of turning on the caster in an unpredictable way.
What Granger didn't know, thank Christ, was that the telepathic commands could be passed on either way if the need behind the command was strong enough. And the commands didn't necessarily need to be voiced in words.
The (not so unpleasant) shock of falling onto a soft female body instead of an inferior quality mattress, (in his opinion Dumbledore was a cheapskate, they only had pure phoenix feather at Malfoy Mansion) combined with exhaustion from a truly horrific afternoon had caused him to unknowingly drop his defences.
Granger had been turned on by him, he could see the desire in her eyes amplified as he purposefully rubbed himself against her just for the heck of it, just because he could.
He wasn't surprised. After all, no female, with or without gender issues, on earth could resist his charms.
Not even Granger, the walking talking beaver with a permanent stick up her arse.
Malfoy smiled conceitedly and ran a casual hand through his loose blond hair. He'd given up on the gelled look the same night his first kiss had told him he looked like he had either had an egg cracked on his head or was wearing one of those muggle bike helmets.
Granger had ordered him to kiss her.
She hadn't even know herself she was doing it, and the order was so strong he had been helpless to disobey.
Her lips had been soft, warm. They tasted sweet and addictive, like sugar quills…like honeycomb…
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME!" Malfoy shouted in horror as he snatched one hand with the other from where it had been inching downwards in a scarily persistent manner.
-o-o-o-
Having skipped dinner in favour of some quality snogging time, they were on a no fat, no sugar, no meat, no dairy, no bread, no butter diet anyway, Lavender and Parvati strolled down the dungeon corridor chattering aimlessly while filing their three inch nails.
"…So I told him, I just wasn't interested and he should really get a life. Did you see those horrible moles on his face? Anyway, he kept on and on at badgering me as though I had nothing better to do, said he liked my hair…Actually I do rather like it myself, these new sunflower blonde highlights really bring out the colour in my eyes……PARVATI!"
"Huh?" Partavi jumped slightly, the glazed over look on her face replaced by one of cautious attention.
"You haven't been listening to a word I've been saying, have you?" snapped Lavender, annoyed.
"Of course I have!" Parvati's face was one of perfect innocence and indignation.
Lavender wasn't fooled.
"As I was saying, have you noticed the strange way Hermione's been acting lately? I mean, first of all she sings a duet with Malfoy in the Great Hall and then she starts a food fight. If that wasn't enough, she disappears and skips all her afternoon classes! This is Hermione we're talking about. It's just not normal."
Parvati perked up a bit at the interesting turn the conversation had taken.
"I totally agree. Not only that, but Draco Malfoy too! Now there's someone I would NOT expect to burst into song!"
Lavender smiled in a self satisfied way.
"Actually, I saw what really happened. Hermione hexed him when he wasn't looking. As if the Slytherin bad boy would be seen dead doing something like that."
She paused and gazed dreamily into the distance for a minute, undressing Malfoy in her mind.
"So it all comes back to Hermione then. I wonder..."
Parvati never finished her sentence because at that moment she saw Hermione storming around the corner with a black look on her face.
Once Hermione caught sight of the Gossip Queen and her accomplice she tried to escape, but it was no use. They had her pinned to the wall in an instant.
"Hermione! Where on earth have you been all day?"
"For that matter, what are you doing in Slytherin territory, " said Lavender slowly.
Hermione gulped and Parvati smirked gleefully.
"What are you doing in Slytherin Territory then?" Hermione snapped in a poor attempt to divert their attention.
Lavender and Parvati glanced at each other, rolling their eyes.
"Do you really want to know?" Parvati smirked.
Hermione wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"No!"
They snickered.
"Have you been seeing Malfoy?" Parvati asked suddenly and sharply, catching Hermione completely off guard.
Hermione blushed, remembering her previous encounter with the ferret. "Seeing that arrogant rat faced little ferret? No way!"
Parvati and Lavender looked at each other, shocked.
"You HAVE!" Parvarti cried triumphantly, "I never would have believed it, you and Malfoy? A couple!"
"No! It's not like THAT!" Cried Hermione hastily, but it was too late. Lavender and Parvati had already shoved her aside and hurried around the corner, conversing excitedly.
She was doomed.
This was officially the WORST day of her life.
-o-o-o-
After much discussion Harry and Ron had decided to skip dinner to wait for Hermione in the Gryffindor common room. After all, Hermione's well being was much more important than having a full stomach. At least, according to Harry it was. It had taken much longer to convince Ron who was still rubbing his stomach and moaning about his severe lack of nourishment.
"Shut up will you," Harry snapped, at the end of his tether. There had been no mention or news of Voldemort since the start of the year and Harry's nerves were already stretched to the breaking point. That plus this new situation with Hermione was more than enough to drive him over the edge.
Ron wisely chose not to comment.
A few minutes later Parvati and Lavender burst through the common room door, gasping for breath. A few Gryffindors glanced up, interested, but most ignored them and went on with their work, far too used to their dramatics to pay them any attention.
That changed the minute Parvati opened her mouth.
"Hermione," she gasped, "is going out with DRACO MALFOY!
"WHAT!"
The common room exploded.
"No WAY!" Ron shouted, shaking furiously, "Hermione would NEVER go out with that foul rat-faced bastard! NEVER!"
"Calm DOWN Ron!" Harry had to shout to make himself heard over the excitement. He grabbed the back of his robes and dragged him forcibly away from Parvati whom he had been shaking forcibly by the arms.
"Sorry," Ron mumbled, white faced. "It's just…It can't be true Harry."
"It's not true Ron," said Harry firmly. "It's just a rumour blown way out of proportion, probably helped along by Hermione's strange behaviour today."
"But that's just it, I'm worried about Hermione, she's not acting normally. And she's been missing all afternoon."
"That's it, I've had enough of this." Harry set off towards the portrait hole. "C'mon, let's find her ourselves."
-o-o-o-
Thanks again to everyone who has supported this story with their kind reviews and encouragement.
