Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, so there's no point in suing me.

Now: Draco's brain breaks

Chapter Eleven

The third years were just as unruly as they had been earlier. They had to break up two arguments and confiscate a few items of contraband. Draco grumbled and freely passed out detentions to anyone that didn't toe the line - well, his line. He was on a roll. He noticed that Granger didn't try to stop him, which was unusual. She seemed to be in a snit herself. Draco wondered if it was the annoying children that had got to her, or, more likely, what happened earlier.

Finally, they got back to the castle - all the younger students accounted for and only two to send to the Hospital Wing for Pomfrey to patch up. One had eaten joke candy that turned him blue and the other was trying to show off his new abilities with a levitation charm. Unfortunately, that boy's abilities were better in his head, and he needed his arm mended from falling on the stone floor. Granger hadn't even scolded Draco when he snickered at the kid's predicament, which was - again - unusual.

Draco walked with Granger back to their dorm in silence. He wondered exactly what part of the day had put her out of sorts. She said the password to let them through the portrait, and then went inside to flop down on the couch. She heaved a sigh and kicked off her shoes, getting comfortable. Draco felt exhausted, so assumed she must be as well.

"Next Hogsmeade weekend, we'll make the prefects patrol and chase after those little delinquents," Draco sighed, sitting next to Granger.

"What? Oh, yes. Definitely," Granger nodded, clearly not paying attention. Draco hated it when people didn't pay attention to him.

"What's got your knickers in a twist?" Draco huffed slightly. "Miffed about what I said to Krum?"

"Yes and no," Granger sighed, quite unhelpfully.

"Well, that clears it up," Draco rolled his eyes. Then Granger turned on the couch to look at him. She leaned against the armrest, and brought her legs up onto the cushions. If she straightened her legs out, they would be in Draco's lap - a prospect he did not mind at all.

"Viktor is my friend. I don't like lying to my friends," Granger huffed.

"You didn't lie and neither did I," Draco pointed out. As a Slytherin, he was quite skilled at both misdirection and outright lying. "I just made several statements and let him infer. You didn't correct his misperception."

"Regardless, it was helpful of you to mislead Viktor. That's part of what has my 'knickers in a twist' as you say," she sighed.

"You are angry that I was helpful?" Draco was getting exasperated. He didn't understand this odd witch. Draco was very irritated over the fact that he was actually trying to figure her out and hadn't yet. He rarely put in this much effort, certainly not for a witch he was trying to shag.

"No!" Granger defended. Draco just stared at her, unwilling to say anything more until she started making sense. He cocked his eyebrow, waiting. Finally, she did start speaking again. "It's hard to explain. I wish I didn't have to go to such lengths to dissuade Viktor. Why can't he just accept being friends now? Another part of me also wishes he were different, so I could take him up on his offer."

"Krum is a world famous, rich, professional Quidditch player that some people consider attractive - in a brooding idiot sort of way. I don't see it, personally. What more do you want?" Draco was hoping for some insight about what she wanted in a wizard that could help him when he finally got to Phase Four. He had just started Phase Three, so there was a ways to go. A good strategist, however, was always looking at the end game.

"Viktor isn't very bright sometimes and he never understood how much I value my privacy. I already get more publicity than I want, being friends with Harry and being one of the ones that helped defeat Voldemort. Is it too much to ask that my personal relationships not be splashed across tabloids?" Now Granger was getting worked up. "Since we are both famous in our own ways, Viktor and I could not be together without being hounded. The only way it would work was if we were very smart and discreet. Do you think showing up to Hogsmeade on the first weekend, which is always crammed full of people, is discreet?"

"No?" Draco guessed. He was a little distracted by the intensity in her eyes, the way her chest was heaving slightly, and the flush in her cheeks. Nevertheless, he was managing to get the gist of her argument. Krum was an idiot. He agreed, wholeheartedly.

"I should say not!" Granger went on. "What did he expect me to do? Run upstairs with him in the middle of the day, in front of everyone and their mother, for a quickie shag? It's ludicrous. Sometimes I think he never knew me at all."

"What a git." Draco was perfectly happy to contribute to her Krum bashing. If she wanted to talk about how pathetic Weasel was or how obnoxious those Weasley twins were, Draco would be more than happy to cheer her on in those conversations as well.

"Sadly, I find myself wishing he was better at this, so I could finally get some action." Granger let out a dramatic sigh and threw her head back. Draco's eyes widened and he froze. Was Granger talking about sex? More specifically, was she talking about being sexually frustrated? "I'm starting to go a bit mad. It's been well over two months! If Viktor was smarter, he could have owled me a rendezvous time at night and I could have snuck out of the castle. We could have had a bit of fun and then gone our separate ways, satisfied. But no! Viktor doesn't know the meaning of discreet."

Granger shrugged off the jumper she had worn that day. Her rant, along with the fire in the hearth made her look warm. She was talking about sex and taking off clothes. Draco found himself slack-jawed. Granger wanted 'a bit of fun'. He had fun! He could give her so much fun she wouldn't be able to walk!

Draco's inner-voice screamed at him to say something smooth, something suave. He had only prepared for Phase Three today, not Phase Four! He had a whole convincing speech about how they could be mutually beneficial for each other, scratch that itch so to speak. He hadn't even focused on making sure she felt that itch yet! He was going to ramp up his campaign to drive her wild, to increase the sexual tension, in Phase Three. He hadn't considered the fact that she already had tension, already had an itch that needed scratching.

"Why don't you shag someone else?" He blurted. Why couldn't his brain work quickly enough to process the situation? He was a smart bloke, Head Boy even! And he was a Slytherin. Taking advantage of situations that present themselves is what they do! That was not what he meant to say. Not shag someone else, him! Shag him!

"I've thought about it," Granger replied, turning on the couch to face him. She had worn a thin white shirt under that jumper. It was stretched tightly across her tits and he could see the outline of her bra. It was Gryffindor red. Draco felt himself harden. "I'm not interested in anyone younger, so that just leaves our year or a non-student. The only shaggable professor was Snape, and he is off on his sabbatical to travel. Maybe I'm being strange about it, but as Head Girl, I feel a responsibility to be a role model. I don't want to draw attention to my sex life. Also, I have a position of power. I don't want anyone to think they can get away with something or get preferential treatment because they're shagging the Head Girl."

Granger looked thoughtful and stared at the fire for a moment. Draco could not think of one good thing to say. It was as if his brain overloaded, so decided to go on holiday. He could only stare at those lovely tits, imagining what they looked like bare.

She turned her gaze on him, now staring at him thoughtfully. Draco could practically see the wheels turning in her head. His own head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. All the blood in his body seemed to have gone straight to his groin. He probably looked as vacant as Crabbe or Goyle. Draco tried to focus, instead of doing his best impression of a virginal fourth year who doesn't know what to do with a witch. Granger ran her tongue over her lips, wetting them. That did not help him focus. It took him a moment to realize that she was talking again.

"So what I need is someone in our year, who knows how to keep things to himself, and has the same authority as the Head Girl." Draco swallowed hard and nodded. She had sat up as she was talking, so she was kneeling next to him. Her warm whiskey colored eyes bore into him.

"He should also be smart and nice to look at. He should be fit, maybe an athlete - like a Quidditch player."

Draco nodded again. He could see down her shirt now. Her bright red bra was lacy as well. His mouth felt dry and his palms were sweaty.

"He should be someone I get along with, at least most of the time. And it would be nice if he knew his way around a witch."

Granger had leaned almost imperceptibly closer. Draco could feel the warmth coming off her body. He could smell the light perfume she wore. She ran a fingertip down his arm. Draco tried to suppress a shiver, but was completely unsuccessful. All his faculties seemed to have abandoned him. Draco's inner voice didn't even have the wherewithal to yell at him for being a pathetic tosser, who was seconds from coming in his pants, just from the lightest touch.

"It would be handy if he were close by, so there would be less chance of getting caught sneaking around the halls at night."

Draco was frozen. As she spoke, she leaned in to him even closer. It was as if he was under some combination of a Petrificus Totalus and a Confundus. Neither his brain nor his body was working properly. Her soft, lush tits were brushing lightly against his arm. That seemed to be all he could think about. When he felt her hot breath on his ear, then that was all he could think about.

"I wonder where I could find someone like that." Her mouth was just inches from his ear, her body brushing up against his. Her voice sounded low and throaty, dripping with sex. Draco's cock was straining in his trousers, moments away from exploding. "Do you have any ideas, Draco?"

Holy Merlin, her hand was on his thigh just above his knee. If she slid that hand upward, she could touch his rigid cock. He wanted to fuck her so badly, just bury himself deep inside her warm body.

Wait.

Granger asked him a question didn't she? Did he have any ideas, ideas of who she could shag? Fuck, yes! Him! Draco opened his mouth to say something. At this point, he just wanted to say anything - not even something smooth and suave - anything at all! He needed to regain control of the situation. Then her hand slid a little, only a very little, up his thigh. A strangled whimper came out of his open mouth.

Draco snapped his mouth shut. A whimper? He was Draco fucking Malfoy! What the hell was this witch doing to him?

"That's too bad," she sighed, sitting up. Where was she going? Her warmth, her smell, her hand, her tits - they were leaving. This was wrong! This was going in the wrong direction. She unfolded her legs from underneath her and stood up. She was walking away! "I thought a smart bloke, such as yourself, would have a suggestion for me."

Next: Draco is a man of action! ...right?