Another chapter that's just a bit longer than expected :) But I'm guessing you won't complain

October rolled around with a sharp wind and frozen ground. Possibly the coldest October Sam had ever seen. When she walked in her thin aquamarine rain boots, the chill from the earth beneath her made her toes curl. The feeling of Jack Frost nipping at her nose and ears was strong. It was all she could do not to bundle up and head back into the common room.

But as much as she enjoyed the company of attractive men in her warm bed as opposed to Hagrid knee-deep in Bowtruckles, she was an avid student and wasn't about to let her grades go out the window for comfort's sake. And that was why she was trekking down the hill to Hagrid's Hut with her scarf almost covering her eyes.

"Gather roun'! Everybo'y go' wha' they need ta study Harlots?" his loud voice boomed. Several students, including Sam, choked up.

"We're studying harlots?" Terry Boot cried. "What in Merlin's name possessed you –"

"Not them kind o' harlots!" Hagrid chastised, making Terry's cheeks turn even pinker. "Harlots, with a capi'al H! They're distantly rela'ed to the wood nymphs o' France, bein' a bit more brash and such than they're cousins. Here's one now."

All heads turned to the forest where a beautiful creature was moving out towards them. The jaws of every male Gryffindor and Ravenclaw alike fell to the floor. The eyes of every female narrowed. Hagrid beamed proudly.

"This is –"

"Oh, please, sugarlips, I can take it from here." The Harlot's voice was sensual, yet full of power and courage. Very different from the wood nymphs, who could barely finish a song without blushing at applause.

She stepped closer to the crowd of sixth years, eyeing the girls like they were competition and the guys like they were fresh meat ready to be taken. "My name is Lottie. And as dear old Hagrid said, I am a Harlot." She brushed her willowy fingers against Dean Thomas' cheek, making him shudder.

"I guess you'll be studying me, won't you, boys?" She chuckled in that lusty way that drove every guy mad. Even Hagrid's face became placid for a moment before he shook that away and cleared his throat.

"Now, wha' you'll be doin' today is studyin' up on Harlots while resistin' the temptations tha' Lo'ie will be givin' ya," he managed to squeak. His voice quivered at the end. "You'll be paired up with the opposite gender so as to make sure the girls keep the guys in check."

He listed off all of the students with their partners.

And, as luck would have it, Sam became paired with the one person she really didn't have much interest in at that moment.

The odd thing about Neville was that he wasn't flustered, not in the least, by the words and tone of the Harlot. Rather, he became slightly intrigued. And he wasted no time in opening up his book and beginning to read up. Sam plopped down as far as she could from him and did the same.

"Here, it's on page seventy-seven," he told her, not taking his eyes off the textbook. Sam tried to keep her own blue eyes down as well.

She found his place to be a picture of a very attractive yet scantily clad woman. She was shorter than the average girl, but her curvaceous chest and hips as well as her long flowing hair made up for that. Her skin was a light blue or aquamarine, and her curls were the color of chocolate. All in all, she was gorgeous.

"According to this excerpt," Neville cut in, scooching closer to her, and making Sam cringe a little, "Harlots are derived from the family of the wood nymph –"

"- yes, Hagrid said that –"

"- but were banned to be called as such when in their presence, for they are believed to be an outright disgrace to the virginal name they uphold." For the first time that day, Neville's cheeks filled with color at the word virginal. Sam rolled her eyes.

"Grow up, Longbottom," she snapped. He looked at her oddly.

"You called me Longbottom."

"I did."

"Why?"

Sam scoffed at him, looking into his deep russet eyes. "Maybe because the last time you spoke to me, it was a bloody insult that I'm not about to get over so damn quickly!"

Neville's face was confused for a moment before recognition, realization, and memories covered it instead. He sighed and bit and looked back down at his book.

"Nothing wrong with being honest, I think," he mumbled. Sam stared at him like he had a third eye.

"What the bloody hell does that mean?" she shrieked. "That I don't love my friends? That I wouldn't be able to commit to one guy? You bloody git, you're such a hypocrite!" Now Neville's eyes narrowed at bit.

"How am I to be compared to you?" he asked a bit louder than intended. People began to look at the pair bickering. "I am nothing like you, Sam. I don't go through blokes like they've got no emotions –"

"No, but you don't take risks! You haven't seen a girl starkers, haven't done the nasty." A sly smirk crossed Sam's fair face. "I bet you haven't been kissed yet either."

Neville's entire face – from his forehead to the base of his throat – turned crimson. His eyebrows lowered and his fiery glare was like nothing anyone had ever seen from him before. Sweet little Neville, the pansy of Gryffindor, was mad. And it scared the shit out of everyone.

"There! You see! I got you, pinned down little pussy Neville! I found something that will actually make you angry! Oh, bloody hell, this is rich!" Sam let out a cackle. By that time, everyone had stopped studying and was watching the fight. Even Lottie and Hagrid were staring at them. "Merlin, this is too good! Oh, I'm going to tell e–"

She didn't finish what she said, though, for a hand grabbed onto the back of her neck, and she was yanked forward. And before she could register anything, she felt a pair of cool chapped lips meet her own.

Her eyes were the size of Galleons. Her gaze couldn't leave Neville's head of charcoal hair. She noticed that his own orbs were shut tight. And she hated to admit it, but Neville bloody Longbottom was an amazing kisser.

Soon enough, her slender fingers entwined themselves in his strands of hair. She let her eyelids flutter closed. She felt his left hand wrap around her lower back, cling to the side of her waist. Her world was on fire, as the ground around them seemed to melt and the dismal gray clouds floated away to make room for a bright sun.

But that didn't last as long as she would've liked. Neville broke off the kiss after a minute to stare at her darkly. They were both panting as the class gawked. Sam grinned a bit, thinking about the challenge and how she was now one step closer to getting out of the punishment, and leaned in to continue and maybe deepen their antics.

Neville brushed her off with ease, pulled his bag and book from the frozen earth, stood up, and walked back up to the castle, though class wasn't due to finish for another forty-five minutes. Everyone stared at his back. Especially Sam.

"So let me get this straight: Thorne is in love?" Blaise said slowly. Draco nodded, a triumphant smirk on his thin pale lips.

"Uh-huh."

"And with…you?" The tone he said you with was contemptuous, unbelieving, and Draco immediately took offence. His gray eyes narrowed maliciously.

"Yes, with me. You got a problem with that?" he snapped. Blaise put both hands up in surrender.

"It's not that I don't believe you can't be loved. It's just the fact that…well, Thorne hates your guts with so much fiery passion that if she and the sun were compared, she would win." Draco held up a thin finger and shook it in his friend's dark face.

"Au contraire, my dim friend. That passion was only misconstrued as hatred when, in reality, she is bearing an emotion far beyond the reaches of loathing. An emotion known as love." Blaise snorted.

"Draco, what in the hell do you know of love? The only person you've actually dated instead of just screwing was Pansy – or should I say, is Pansy, as you've failed to dump her yet." Draco shrugged.

"I know enough. At least more than you, Zabini. How many girls have you shagged in your lifetime?" Blaise's cheeks turned slightly pink. "And I'm dealing with Pansy. We're having a rough patch –"

"- and by that, you mean she won't sleep with you unless you commit." Blaise laughed. "You are so pussywhipped!"

"Except I'm not committing! This is how I'll get out of this damned relationship without having to deal with a failed Bat Bogey Hex! I'll space us out more and more until she gives in to another guy. I can be the good innocent person who got cheated on, and we'll all live happily ever after. Except Pansy because she's a whore."

"Ain't that the truth," Blaise mumbled. As he did so, they heard the wall slide open and in walked – speak of the devil and Draco meant that literally – Kenzie Thorne. The only difference, however, was that two girls were linked on either of her arms.

"No non-Slytherin's allowed down here," Draco called out. The three stopped and looked at him. Kenzie rolled her eyes.

"Oh, don't get your knickers in a twist, Malfoy. We're just studying," she replied. Draco's ever-present smirk returned.

"Ah, thinking of getting in my pants already?" he chuckled. She immediately put on a sappy, lovesick look – the look that Lavender Brown had recently taken to giving Ron Weasley. One hand went over her forehead dramatically and she leaned back into Rose and Eryn.

"You know just how to talk to me, Dracy-Poo." Her friends and her snickered while Draco's high cheekbones flooded with color. She imitated his annoying smug smile. "I see how it is. When you're fucking Parkinson, she calls out the exact same words."

"And you will be too." Kenzie felt her own face turn a bit pink but attempted to hide it. She had no bloody idea why her body was doing such a thing to betray her mind. She didn't find anything appealing about that thought! Nothing!

"Excuse me while I puke my guts out, Draco."

"What did you call me?"

Kenzie, who had just been going up the stairs with Rose and Eryn, stopped in her tracks. Both the blonde girls looked at her curiously, and even Draco didn't look pretentious about it all. He was honestly curious, and…she could barely make out such a foreign expression on his delicate – shit, she meant nauseating – face. It looked like…innocence.

"I said Malfoy," she said quickly. Everyone eyed her warily, but only Eryn had the confidence to speak up.

"No, you said Dracko." Rose slapped a hand over Eryn's mouth.

"Draco," both Kenzie and the boy in question snapped, then felt their faces turn the color of strawberries. Kenzie took hold of Eryn and Rose's hands and dragged them up the stairs, leaving the two Slytherin boys in stunned silence.

In the girl's dormitories, where they were left alone, Kenzie dropped onto her bed and leaned forward so her head was between her legs. Rose sat beside her.

"Isn't that just for nausea?" she commented. Kenzie grumbled.

"I feel nauseous. I mean, I fucking called him Draco! It's messed!" she cried. Eryn shrugged and squished her bum between them, getting comfortable, leaning into Rose's shoulder. Kenzie glared at her. "If you hadn't pointed out that I had, in fact, said his first name instead of his last, I wouldn't be feeling this shitty!"

"But I think you have to come to realize something," Eryn prompted. Kenzie glared at her harder.

"And what is that, O Wise One?"

"Well…that you might not hate as much as you used."

And Kenzie knew, deep down, that she was right.

SAM AND NEVILLE KISSED! :D:D:D:D I was so psyched to write that! But why did he leave immediately after? I know, but you never will! ;) or at least not until I finish the fic!

And what's going on with Kenzie?

REVIEW! :D