Disclaimer: Nothing that came from the books is mine.

I had trouble focusing on my assignments that night. I couldn't stop thinking about what Hermione had done to me in class earlier, and couldn't help but dread spending time with Dean later. I almost wanted to break up with him that night, but I wasn't sure how she would have reacted. I felt bad about not wanting him the way he wanted me, and ending the relationship seemed pointless when it was blatantly obvious that whatever was happening with Hermione wasn't going anywhere at the time. The bottom line was that I was lonely. Sure, Luna and Neville were always happy to spend time with me, but when I was with both of them I inevitably felt like a third wheel, and Dean wasn't so bad when he wasn't trying to get me to make out with him.

He came bursting in a little while after it got dark outside, flushed and sweaty, talking and laughing with his friends. After pausing to give me a decidedly suggestive look, he followed them upstairs to shower off. I shuddered involuntarily, thinking of his expectations for the evening, and the inevitability of his attempts to push things much farther than I cared to take them. By the time he fell onto the sofa beside me, I'd given up on getting any homework done and was just staring into the fire, only half aware of my own thoughts. I nearly jumped when he started talking, and my stomach did a little flip when I looked around and realized that most of our housemates had already gone to bed. His cheap cologne hit me like a ton of bricks, and I eyed him suspiciously when I noticed that his hair was slicked back and his clothes looked a lot nicer than usual.

"Ginny? You in there?" He waved his hand in front of my face.

"Yeah, just thinking."

"I was thinking, too." I was glad he didn't bother asking what I was thinking about, since I really didn't care to talk about it with him.

"Careful, you wouldn't want to strain yourself."

"Huh?"

"Never mind."

"Anyway, it's a really pretty night, and I was thinking… Seamus told me about this old Astronomy tower. Even Filch doesn't bother checking it anymore, and he goes up there all the time to… um, think and stuff." I rolled my eyes. He could have at least tried to pretend he wasn't taking me to his best friend's make-out spot. He didn't notice, and went on excitedly. "I was thinking maybe we could take some blankets up with us, and you know, stargaze or whatever."

I raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You want to take me stargazing, Dean?"

He blushed. "I thought it would be, well, romantic."

"Right. I didn't finish my work, so I have to be up early tomorrow, so I don't know if that's the best idea."

"Oh. That's too bad. I got some Firewhiskey from my cousin last weekend and I thought we could share it under the stars."

Firewhiskey, huh? That certainly did change things. I wouldn't normally drink on a school night, of course, but it sounded unusually tempting. I was, however, a bit worried he would start getting handsy with me if I followed him up there all alone. "I have to admit, that does sound nice." It would probably at least be a better way to spend my time than waiting around with him and hoping Hermione would walk in on us.

"Come on, we'll have a good time."

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "You're not just trying to get in my pants or something, are you?"

"What? Me?" He tried to look innocent, and I swatted at him playfully.

"You know I want to wait until I'm married." Or longer, if he was my best option.

"That's fine. We can just talk if you want."

I sighed. "Fine. Let's get up there before curfew, at least."

He raced up the stairs to his dorm and was rushing back down moments later with his school bag, carrying a couple of blankets. I followed him through a labyrinth of seldom used hallways and up a stone staircase carpeted in dust. He was right. The view from up there was amazing. We could see over the green velvet of the grounds and out across the lake. It was an exceptionally clear night and the brisk wind moving through my hair felt nice.

Dean opened the bottle, took a hearty swig, then passed it to me. The burn as I swallowed felt good, reassuring, as it washed away some of the tension the day had left. A part of me still kept nagging about what he likely wanted from tonight, but I couldn't think about that now. Time passed, and we drank, and we talked. The more personal his questions grew, the more lies I told him. I just couldn't bear the thought of sharing the truth with someone I barely even trusted. As the air grew cooler and my head started to swim, he leaned in and his hot lips captured mine.

I let him kissed me, closed my eyes and pretended I couldn't feel the stubble on his face or the thickness of his tongue as our mouths moved together. I let my hands rest tentatively on his lower back, trying to ignore the sensations that made me aware of how very male he was, of how his touch was nothing like Hermione's.

His fingers slid over my cheek, then down my neck. I pulled away as he cupped my breast. I had allowed him to do so a million times before, but this time felt different. This time felt wrong. Suddenly, I saw with full clarity where he hoped tonight would end.

"Dean, I'm serious about the virgin thing."

"That's fine," he panted, hot breath thick against my ear, "but there are other things we can do." His mouth latched onto my neck and his tongue fluttered against my skin for a long time. He pulled away and grinned suggestively as his hand crept up my thigh, and now I knew with utter certainty that he planned on our bodies becoming one by the end of the night, that leaving me technically intact was only a small detail to him.

The summer rushed through my head, every glance, every kiss I had shared with Hermione, and even that morning in the woods with Jen. I shivered, cold sweat making my skin prickle, and pulled back.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Dean, I can't."

He kissed me again, this time harder, sucking on my neck until I winced and squirmed away. I was shocked by the stinging on my palm as the slap rang out, and by the redness I saw blossoming on his cheek before I turned and ran down the winding staircase, away from the tower and through seemingly endless passages until I was thoroughly and completely lost in the castle's depths.