A/N: Oh my god, loves. I'm so sorry! But, see, here is what happened. I went to England! I am in England, the very land of our lads! I'm doing my first year of university here, so, you see it's all v. v. busy! I'm just having so much fun. Okay so, please do not think I've given up on this story; I haven't. I just, probably won't update for a very long time. This chapter isn't even finished, to be honest, but I found part of it on my computer and wrote another little bit to add on... I just didn't want you to think I was dead. I'm quite alive. I love you!

Chapter Ten

Harry jerked awake, immediately recalling that he was on a table in the library, but panicking for a moment, thinking the library could be open. When he took in his dark silent surroundings, though, he relaxed again. Draco, lying over him, was stirring. The boy raised his head and opened his eyes to large green ones. They stared for a few seconds. It felt like more. Then Draco roused himself and hopped gracefully to the floor. Harry stretched, and then followed. They each looked for their clothing.

"What time is it?" asked Harry.

"No idea," came the reply. "Just be glad we woke up before Madame Pince came in."

Harry couldn't help but snicker at the image, and he saw a real (if very, very tiny) smile curve over Draco's lips. They finished dressing, and Harry collected his very unfinished Transfigurations essay. They walked toward the door.

"Oh! Shite, wait," said Harry, who hurried back to the desk, and spotting the used condom on the floor, picked it up gingerly with two fingers. Draco laughed out loud, and Harry glanced up and grinned at him as he dumped it into the trash and covered it with some paper. He mused that he'd never appreciated Draco's laugh before. Probably because before, the laugh was always at him. It was light and airy, very aristocratic. It was nice.

"Yeah, just leave your puddle on the table," Draco smirked. Harry glared at him.

"There is nothing there," he said, but looked, just to be sure. They left the library and walked the length of a corridor before they had to separate.

"Erm. Bye, then," said Harry, running his fingers through his messy hair.

"See you, Potter," said Malfoy, putting his hand on Harry's neck before turning away, smirking, as usual.

Harry continued down the desolate nighttime halls, wishing that he didn't feel so happy.

When he reached his dormitory, he glanced at the alarm clock next to Neville's bed. 4:08am, it read. He wanted to shower, but felt too tired to do anything. So he tried to be as quiet as possible and tucked himself into bed, ready for a few more hours of sleep.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

When Harry walked into the Great Hall for breakfast, he felt very aware of two people. The first was Draco, sitting at the Slytherin table. Their eyes met for a brief second and it almost gave Harry a heart attack, thus was the way Draco was looking at him. His eyes were dark, sultry.

The second person was Ginny. Remember her? She was sitting at their table, chatting animatedly with Hermione.

He forced himself to look away and rush over to Ginny.

"Hey Ginny," he said. "Hermione," he nodded to her.

Hermione greeted him warmly but Ginny pursed her lips, obviously still upset about being brushed off last night. Harry wondered what would happen if she actually knew how much worse it got.

"Ginny, I'm sorry, really. I just had to finish that essay, okay?"

She looked away but Harry could tell that she wasn't very upset. Until what happened next.

Hermione gasped and pointed at Harry's neck.

"Harry!" she cried. "What is that?"

"What?" he asked, trying to see. Ginny turned to them, interested.

Hermione began to giggle madly.

"You've got a hickey, that's disgusting!"

Harry knew, right then, that everything, everything was going to fall apart.

There was a silent moment when Harry looked at Ginny, terrified, and Ginny stared at the base of Harry's throat with wide eyes, trying trying trying to remember, and Hermione looked from one to the other, her smile slowly fading.

After a very long pause in which Harry felt as though he were melting right into the bench seat and would forever be a fixture there, Ginny raised her eyes to his.

"Harry," she began calmly. "Where did you go last night?"

He coughed.

"To the...library."

"And who did you see there?"

"Nobody!"

The girl's eyes flashed.

"Nobody?"

He shook his head.

"It's not a...hickey..."

"Nobody gave you that hickey? Because I am definitely certain that I would know, if it were me. Unless I was possessed at the time, which I'm starting to think I would have to be."

Harry cowered. He didn't know what to say! He'd had no idea that there was such visible evidence of his encounter the previous night; he'd not seen himself at all this morning. He could feel Ginny's anger pounding up to the surface faster and faster, and knew that she would blow up in a matter of seconds. He had to get her out of here.

"Ginny, please, can we go for a walk and talk about this? I don't think--"

"YOU DON'T THINK THAT IT'S A GOOD IDEA FOR ME TO START YELLING AT YOU IN THE GREAT HALL BECAUSE IT WOULD EMBARRASS YOU? YOU DON'T THINK THAT I SHOULD BREAK UP WITH YOU FOR BEING A SLEAZY CHEATER?"

Harry gulped. Ginny had stood up and was standing over him, with the entire hall watching. They were certainly waking up now.

"YOU DIDN'T THINK I'D SEE THAT DISGUSTING THING AND NOT REALISE THAT I HADN'T PUT IT THERE? YOU DIDN'T THINK I'D FIND OUT?"

"No, I-- N-- Ginny..."

"You didn't think, Harry. You don't think. And-- you're an ass!" she said, just as her voice broke, and she ran out of the hall. Hermione glared at Harry and went after her.

A ringing silence followed this dramatic display. Everyone was staring at Harry. All the girls were glaring at him and whispering to each other. The boys had raised eyebrows.

He looked to Draco almost automatically. The boy stared blankly for a moment. Then, slowly, a smile began to form, and then he started to snicker. Harry scowled at him.

Harry caught up with Hermione in the corridor.

"Hermione!"

She turned and looked tiredly at him.

"Harry...how could you do that?" He stared at the ground and said nothing. She shook her head. "I'm not going to ask, I don't care who it was. But you'd better go apologise to her."

"Fuck. I'm such a sod!"

Hermione did not disagree.

"Oh, erm, Ron's found out."

Harry looked up in alarm.

"He's not very pleased with you."

"I didn't think he would be, no."

"Harry, we've got class."

So they went to Transfiguration, Harry dreading very much seeing Ron, but knowing that he would have to face him, and deal with him, and get on his good side again, and what a lot of work it all was.

When they arrived, Ron was already there. The redhead looked up and when he saw Harry, his brows furrowed and his eyes widened.

Harry backed the few steps out of the classroom so that it would be a little less public.

Ron walked straight after him.