A/N: Hey there. This is going to be the last chapter for a while unless I start getting some reviews. No point in continuing a story I'm not sure anyone wants to read. I do appreciate those who have diligently followed the story and shared their thoughts, but I'm on chapter nine, have thirteen reviews and over three thousand people who have read the story. Hope you like this one.

KK

Chapter 9

Two weeks had passed since Draco had kissed her. Two agonizing weeks of keeping it a secret from her friends and avoiding said offender so as not to have the incident repeat itself. Draco seemed to be avoiding her as well, so that part was a little easier.

It was dinner time in the castle, but Bella wasn't hungry tonight, so she opted instead to sit up on the top of the astronomy tower, perching precariously on the ledge.

A shooting star whisked across the velvety darkness of night, landing among the other stars that shone like diamonds tonight. Bella closed her eyes and made a wish. The moon was a thumbnail in the sky, but bright, and lit up the ground below with a romantic, bewitching glow.

Time passed, though Bella barely noticed, until the moon was hovering just above the horizon. Deciding she'd best get to bed before someone caught her out of bed after hours, she spun around and hopped off the wall.

And nearly fell backwards off it when she realized Fred was standing right in front of her.

"Sweet Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Must you keep sneaking up on me like that? I swear I won't live 'till my nineteenth birthday at this rate. How long have you been standing there?"

"A while. I was watching you."

"Can you say creepy?"

Fred laughed, leaning against his broomstick. "Trust you to be so romantic. What were you wishing for?"

"Huh?"

"The shooting star, what was it you were after wishing for?"

Bella smiled a little, secrets filling her eyes. "That's for the wisher to know and no one else to find out." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "At least until the wish is granted."

She reached out to run a finger over the broomstick handle, gazing wistfully. "I wish I had one of these. When I saw the Quidditch players riding about on these, I wanted to know what it was like to fly."

Fred raised an eyebrow, mostly to hide the naughty thoughts that ran through his mind as Bella stroked the handle. "From what I hear, you all ready can, though in a different manner."

"I can, yes." Bella said, not noticing that she was picking up accents from her peers. "But it takes a lot of energy, and I can't maintain it for very long. A broom however, is a completely different matter all together. I could fly without another thought in my mind, without worrying whether or not I'll forget to maintain my wings. It's probably a lot steadier than wings when you hover and such."

As she was talking, Fred only got about half of what she was saying; her lips capturing his attention and imagination. Before he knew what he was about, he heard himself saying, "Take a flight with me. Right now."

Bella nibbled on her lower lip, the same action he had been contemplating doing only moments ago. After a moment, she replied, "All right, then. But we have to do this quickly. I really don't want another detention."

Fred mounted the broom, holding out his hand to Isabella. "Sit sideways, like people do on horses sometimes."

She followed his instructions, and suddenly they were shooting up vertical in the air. A small shriek escaped at the unexpected motion, and her arms quickly looped around Fred's neck for stability.

He laughed lightly at her varying reactions; first surprise and a little fear, then changing to awe and wonder as the ground zipped by below. Fred wasn't prepared when she turned her head to look at him and stun him with a dazzling smile.

"It's a fine view, way up here," she shouted over the sound of the wind.

"It is." Fred agreed. "But I guess I should be taking you back to the castle now." He grinned when she pouted slightly. "Don't worry, I'll take you for a longer ride later." Though it wasn't the only ride he was wanting to take her on.

They glided to a stop on the astronomy tower, Fred dismounting after Bella hopped off. And once again, before his brain could catch up with his actions, Fred pinned Bella to the wall and kissed her.

She responded as if she had been expecting– wanting, it. The desire swamped them both immediately and completely, neither having any inclination to resist.

His hands untucked her shirt from her skirt, and he thought that school uniforms had never been so appealing. As his hands slipped underneath to caress her skin, he heard the moan catch in her throat; daringly, he unlatched her bra to remove the last bit of resistance to his questing hands.

Bella, meanwhile was busily unbuttoning his jacket; the damn thing had too many buttons. Finally it fell open to reveal that he wasn't wearing a shirt underneath, and she tore her mouth from his to kiss a blazing trail down his neck and chest, unable to reach his abdomen (which she noted sported a glorious six pack) without his clever hands being removed from her breasts. And no way was she doing that.

Just as she started to work on Fred's buckle, a voice sliced through the air and into the haze of passion.

"Well, well. A little romantic interlude during the wee hours of the morning. How charming," Draco's voice drawled.

Fred stood in front of Bella while she hastily donned her shirt. "What business is it of yours, Malfoy? None from where I'm standing."

Before Draco could respond, Bella stood between the two and faced Fred. "I think you should go."

"But..."

"Don't worry. I can handle him. But I don't want you getting into trouble for being here without permission." He looked like he was going to argue further until Bella looked him directly in the eyes. "Please, Fred," she pleaded.

Swearing up a storm under his breath, he leaned and gave Bella a light kiss. "Send for me if you need me." And shot off into the night on his broom.

Glaring at Draco, she ignored him and walked back to the dungeon, only stopping once in the common room.

"Leave me alone," she growled. If she knew him at all, she knew he was going to be asking questions. Draco's interrogation could wait until morning. What business was it of his whom she had kissed and why? Three o'clock in the morning after hours of laboring over ancient parchments and then not eating dinner, then having a gorgeous man almost ravish her (albeit willingly) was not the time to corner her and force confessions. When she became too tired it became harder to kept her magic in check.

"I won't leave you alone until I have the answers I want," Draco replied coolly, in his haughty, high-handed manner. "What did you think you and Weasley were doing up there tonight? You're lucky it was me that caught you rather than someone else." He leaned against the doorway to the girl's dormitory, ensuring that she couldn't escape him.

Bella sneered in a manner that would have passed for one of his best. "Jealousy isn't becoming, Draco. Now move, because you won't like me when I lose control."

"Au contraire, I think I would absolutely love to see you lose control," he muttered, partially to himself, but the innuendo wasn't lost on Bella's part.

Her thoughts took a wild turn and images that were far too erotic jumped to the forefront. She could all too easily see the possibilities of such encounters, and once again found herself trying to eradicate her attraction to him that seemed to be ever increasing.

The forbidden fruit is much sweeter when just out of reach, she thought ruefully.

Draco watched her with a bemused expression. It was strange that one minute she would be totally placid and the next doing her best to behead him. When he uttered the double-meaning without thinking, the image of her naked made his heart stutter. Lust made his blood run hot and his breathing become more shallow.

He watched as Bella's thoughts showed on her ever-expressive face, and how her eyes started to glaze over with desire. Damn, he thought. All jealousy over Weasley was forgotten as the attraction sent arcs of electricity between them.

"I know about your bet with Zabini, Draco." He was so stunned that he didn't resist when she shoved him aside and marched up the dormitory stairs.

He groaned and scrubbed a hand over his face. Damn. Now he was never going to get her into bed. Not only that, but over the past month or so he had actually started to like the annoying wench.

Boy had his luck taken a turn for the worse.Never one to believe in luck, Draco stiffened his resolve and did what he did best.

He started plotting.