CONTEST WINNER THIS CHAPTER: "Ms. Louis Cordice Zabini" recommended the song, "Terrified" by Katharine McPhee & Zachary Levi for this go around (originally, she chose it for Ron & Pansy, but I felt it fit everyone nicely). So, this chapter is dedicated to Ms. Louis Cordice Zabini - congratulations! Lyrics for that song appear at the bottom of this chapter. Hope you'll find this song somehow and give it a listen.

Remember, I'll accept song suggestions for each couple, as well as digitally manipulated images of live people and your original hand-drawn or digitally drawn fanart for this story up until the end of this fic is published. SEND ME YOUR LISTS OR ARTWORK! I'll pick my favorites, and reward you, as promised!

P.S. Unseenlibrarian – You come through once more. THANK YOU!

PLEASE REVIEW, FOLKS! What did you think of this chapter?

CHAPTER SEVEN: THE 6th QUESTION

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, Scotland

Room of Requirement

Sunday, June 14, 1998 (2:22 am)

The final warning chime sounded, signaling the end of the action period and the beginning of a new question round.

"Don't tell me we have two more couples out?" Brown groaned, looking towards the row of private suites at the Weasel and Pans' door, as well as Theo and Daph's. "Not that I would mind, as that would mean we were up by another one, if not two – depending on if Parkinson forfeits or not. But, well, that would bring us down to half the players, and this game was just getting good!"

Potter stood, pulling down the hem of his shirt. "I'll check on Ron," he offered. "Malfoy, you can get your friends."

Saving Draco a trip, just then Theo's door opened, and he and Greengrass walked out hand-in-hand, both very rumpled, lips puffy and red, and from their body postures and facial expressions it was clear that his best friend had shagged the witch at his side. They stopped just on this side of the doorway and turned to speak very quietly to each other.

The distance was too great to eavesdrop or to read lips, so Draco turned back around in his seat and waited, his gaze automatically seeking out Hermione. She was strangely engrossed with the quiet display going on behind him, and as a result, didn't once look in his direction. As she waited along with the rest of them for the verdict regarding Theo and Daphne's continued participation, he noted that her hands anxiously rubbed over the tops of her thighs, and she nervously nibbled upon her bottom lip.

Draco found that behavior somewhat odd. Why would she care one way or the other?

Well, she had championed Greengrass last Interrogations round. Perhaps the 'girl talk' she'd had with his fellow Slytherin teammates had somehow shifted the dynamics of those relationships about, and now she actually cared about the blonde witch's safety or something. Granger was the Pit bull feminist of Hogwarts, after all.

Maybe it has something to do with Theo, a little voice in the back of his head wondered.

Movement stirred the air and then Greengrass was excusing herself to move past his legs and to take her place back on the sofa. Tucking her satiny dress under her knees properly, smelling slightly of wet, lush sex, she fiddled with her glasses and kept her eyes on the stack of cards lying on the coffee table between the two teams.

"Granger, can I talk to you?" Theo's voice rang out, and Draco watched as his partner slightly jumped in surprise at being addressed. Her dark brandy-colored orbs swung towards the blonde opposite her, who didn't so much as twitch in response to her partner addressing his ex-fling. Pushing to her feet, Hermione moved clear of Finnigan and Brown, and around the sofa, heading determinedly towards Nott.

Her attention focused on Nott, she didn't once look at Draco on her way past.

Unable to stop his own curiosity now, he again swung around in his seat to check out the proceedings. Potter had already moved over to the Weasel's room and was talking to him through a crack in the door. Draco ignored them for now, focusing on what his best friend had to say to Granger.

They seemed to be in a rather serious conversation, but once again, it was done in such low tones that it was impossible for Draco to really comprehend anything. When Theo's hand unthinkingly came up and touched her left arm, running up and down in a very familiar, rather sensual caress, however, Draco saw red.

Fuck that, he saw brilliant scarlet flares before his eyes – the kind of crimson a really strong Stupefy sparks off as the spell hits its intended target.

He balled his hands and tried to rein in the irrational jealousy. It was only a touch. No big deal. Hermione had made it clear that she felt nothing for Nott any longer…

Not true, that inner voice reminded him. Just a little over three hours ago she'd outright admitted that, when the fancy struck her in the past, she'd occasionally considered another 'go around' with Theo, but that only the belief that they wouldn't work long-term kept her from taking up the challenge. And she'd also confessed that she still masturbated to the fantasy of being with Theo. What if she decided in the near future that a one-off with Nott would be just what the medi-witch ordered?

Son of a bitch, he would notthink like that! He would not sabotage his chances for a good relationship with Granger, or his solid friendship with Theo because of some ridiculous, imaginary doubts bred into him from a few bad, past experiences, his father's 'nurturing' childhood lessons on trusting no one, and his Slytherin legacy, which preached 'suspect everybody' as its main tenant.

Fidgeting, feeling irrationally hot under the collar, Draco stood and quickly made his way to the loo. He needed to get away from the moment and be alone so he could chill the fuck out and regain some bloody perspective.

Slamming the door to the men's behind him, he hurried to the sink, turned it on, cupped some cold water in his hands and splashed it over his face once, twice, taking deep breaths in between. The icy liquid hitting his face worked to turn his inner temperature way down, and to shock his system into sensibility.

Much better.

That done he turned off the faucet and reached for a hand towel to dry his skin. A pressing need to whizz pushed at his bladder, and he figured he might as well take care of business, since he was here.

At the urinal, he drained his snake, flushed and returned to the sink to thoroughly wash his hands. Bringing his cleaned fingers to his nose, he inhaled; Granger's scent was now gone, replaced by the generic, almond-scent hand soap found in every Hogwarts bathrooms. That bothered him, because it was almost like he'd never intimately touched her at all. Shite, not just touched - he'd fingered her and made her come!

Closing his eyes, Draco leaned his weight on the vanity, and relived the memory of last round in his mind.

Her soft pussy had clenched around his two fingers, all tight and wet. She'd felt like warm, liquid satin. Her beautiful, taut nipples had been so responsive to his licks and nips. Her moans had been loud and true. He felt himself harden to steel in his slacks, and groaning, stroked his hand over himself once, unable to resist.

Maybe he should sneak into a stall and take care of this ache? No one would be the wiser.

But what if he got a great action card this next round – like her sucking him off, or even one of his shagging requirements? If he took care of his arousal now, he'd last longer, sure, but he wouldn't be as hard and the orgasm wouldn't be as satisfying. That's why he'd held off wanking last night, despite Blaise and Theo both suggesting he do so before they'd prepared to leave their dorm room in the Dungeons to meet up here on the seventh floor.

Bloody hell, he wanted relief, but he reminded himself again of his reasons for denying his own self-induced gratification then - the same as now: he wanted the first time he orgasmed during this game to be a result of something she did to him with either her hands or her mouth or… shite, her anything. He'd just have to wait, employing some of his snake's patience to get him through until such a time.

Decision made, he assured that his 'little friend' in his pants calmed down, adjusted himself over his clothing to make sure the bulge didn't show, and then exited the loo for the main room.

Back at the sofa, everyone was in place, minus Blaise, the She-Weasel, and now it looked like his ex- and her ginger boy-toy had forfeited as well. Taking his customary seat, he waved off Potter as the man opened his mouth to explain the obvious to his counterpart. "I got it. Pans and the Weasel are out, too. Qué será, será."

Without further ado, he reached for the next Interrogations card, reading it aloud: "Name someone of the opposite team who you'd like to whip, paddle, and/or spank you in a sexual manner. You can't choose not to answer this question."

At that last part, he frowned. He'd been sure that you couldn't write a question that wasn't open-ended; that the cards would force you to do so to allow players the option of answering or not. "Whose card is this?" he asked, looking about. Shaking of heads and shrugs greeted him. "Has to be one of the dropouts then," he concluded when no one fessed up.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Potter's hand move to the bridge of his nose as if to push up invisible glasses. Once again, the man caught himself at the last minute and halted the motion, dropping his hand again. "Why does it matter?" he asked.

Draco looked across the aisle at Granger, frowning. "I was under the impression that the cards didn't allow questions that forced players to answer." He held up the card. "The way this one is written, you can't opt-out. You're going to be compelled to tell the truth, whether you want to or not."

"That can't be right. What would be the purpose of the Forfeits deck, then?" Hermione argued. She turned to Finnigan, the first to have to answer in order. "Give it a try, Sea. See if you can ignore it and pick up a blue card instead."

The Irish kept his mouth closed as he reached forward for the Forfeits set. His hand paused right over it, however, and it was clear from his narrowed eyes and, eventually, trembling hand that he was fighting a compulsion to answer. He shook his head. "Parkinson," he grit the answer out between his teeth, and his hand moved towards the red cards instead. Letting out an explosive breath, he swore and pulled an action card. "Sorry, ya canna do it." He turned to the girl sitting at his left. "I don't want her – swear ta ya, angel. The cards forced me fer a name."

Brown absently nodded as play moved on to her. From the start, clearly, she was fighting the coercion to tell the truth. After two solid minutes of silence, however, sweat beaded above her upper lip, her breath came in hard pants, and she looked to be in serious pain. Finally, she shut her eyes, and with a sob said the name of her Slytherin Dom of choice: "Blaise Zabini." Mortification stamped across her facial features, she scowled and reached for a red card.

Leaning back into the cushions, she glanced nervously at her beau. "I'm sorry," she whispered to him. "It was the same as you. I had to pick someone."

Next to her, Finnigan - who had gone utterly still at the revelation of the name of his would-be competition, a definite jealous gleam in his eye - shook his head and reached for the chit's hand, taking it in his with a firm grasp. He gave her a half-hearted, reassuring smile, obviously trying not to let this new knowledge bother him. "Not yer fault, angel. 'Sides, would be hypocritical o' me, yeah?"

Draco thought the Irish a much better man than him just then, as he'd have flown into a rage if his girl had named…

His eyes were unwittingly drawn to Hermione again. It was her turn now. He was gratified to see her peeking at him through that fringe of dark, painted lash. She didn't even try to avoid the question, her grin playfully wicked and all for him. "No whipping or paddling allowed, mister, but I might let you spank me… if you're nice."

Instantly, all of the earlier negative feelings he'd harbored melted away, and he felt his smirk teased back into life, his heart warming in the rousing glow of their habitual verbal sparring. "I'm always nice, Granger – especially to you."

"Ha!" she countered, her tone dripping with teasing sarcasm. "Sure you are, Malfoy, because you know I'd hex your dangly bits."

He grinned outrageously. "You can do anything you'd like to my dangly bits, princess, just so long as you-"

"And, moving right along," Harry interrupted, loudly clearing his throat and indicating with a polite nod of his chin that his teammate was to take a card. Once she had, simultaneously throwing Draco a very naughty smirk, Gryffindor's captain turned to his partner across the way and down the other end of the couch. "You, Honey," he indicated Davis, "but only if you'd want to do that kind of thing, that is." He paused as he reached for the appropriate-colored card. "Would you want to-?"

"If I couldn't finish my degenerate sexual innuendo, Potter, you can't either," Draco drawled, leering.

Scarhead chuckled, shook his head and took une carte rouge.

Play moved on to Theo.

His best friend seemed to be struggling similarly to how Brown had, clearly not wanting to speak his truth. Straight away, Draco understood why, and once more the green-eyed Devil cropped in to spoil his positive mood and turn his insides out. He attuned his whole focus to Granger once again, wanting to see her exact expression as Nott spit his desires out for everyone to know.

The wait seemed interminable, but was really no more than one or two minutes. "Granger," Theo finally hissed.

Hermione's eyes widened and her cheeks bloomed red. Her guilt-ridden, concerned gaze immediately flew to Draco. With a small shake of her head, she tried to assure him that the feelings were clearly not reciprocated.

Knowing he couldn't blame her for someone else's lascivious desires - something entirely out of her control - didn't do a bloody thing to soothe his ruffled feathers. Just then, he wanted to drag her from the room and seduce the shite out of her, driving all thoughts - except those where he was concerned - from her head. But they had an audience, and his House training kicked in by default to protect him from the possibility of personally embarrassing himself with an irrational outburst. Carefully blanking his face, he pushed his tumultuous feelings on the matter to the back of his soul and kept his lips firmly shut.

"Fuck, that's an idiotic question!" Nott stated, irate. "It forcesyou to name a chick on the other team, even if you don't really want any of them that way."

Finnigan nodded. "That's what I said. It doesn't allow ya ta pick the person ya most want in th' world – just someone on th' other side who most appeals. Not a fair question at all, as it puts ya in a pickle if yer not paired with an opposite team member."

The Irish's words rolled around in Draco's head, unintentionally inflaming his resentment. Had Hermione picked him as her choice for this question round simply because she'd considered him the most attractive of his teammates, and not because she wanted him over all other wizards?

And what if she did, that annoying voice of doubt rose once more from the confines of his darker mind.

He chewed on that for a bit, as play moved to Greengrass.

"Miss Brown," the blonde spoke her answer with an icy calm, her gaze rising from the center table to look across at her choice.

The Gryffindor in question blushed in response and blinked in shock, her jaw literally dropping open with her surprise. Everyone else in the room groaned or tsk'd as they realized that, with one word, Daphne had revealed the obvious solution to the problem of this specific card's requirements.

"The cards were ambiguous on gender preference," Daphne explained.

"So, you have bi-sexual tendencies, then?" Granger had the audacity to ask, further shocking them all with such a bluntly-phrased personal question. She shrugged when everyone turned and gave her incredulous expressions. "I'm curious about how much influence the deck actually has on an answer. Did Daphne pick Lavender because she's truly attracted to her, or was Lavender the 'safe' option because choosing a woman would prevent Teddy from blowing his top? Which criteria influenced her truth?"

Greengrass appeared to seriously consider her answer. "Although I suppose that I would not be disinclined to enjoy the type of pleasure that the card described from the likes of Miss Brown, in this specific instance, the answer is the latter, not the former. As you have correctly assumed, Miss Granger, had I picked a man from the opposite team, my choice would have made my partner quite incensed. Preventing such a misunderstanding was my primary concern when deciding upon a woman for my final answer. Choosing Miss Brown from the three female options available then, was an issue of compatibility of temperaments. Miss Weasley is too easy to inflame, and you, Miss Granger, too easy to offend. Miss Brown seems more comfortable with her sexuality, from my observations."

Hermione seemed to mull over that for a second or two. "So, in this case, instead of fighting the compulsion brought on by the cards, like Sea, Lav, and Theo, and being forced to give an answer you knew would create conflict, you manipulated the card by finding and exploiting a loophole. Your answer was true, but also false at the same time. Interesting." His partner bit her bottom lip as her eyes strayed to the card decks again, and Draco knew that massive brain of hers had begun turning over the information, considering every angle.

Theo gave a sigh of appreciation and lay across the space on the couch, putting his cheek on his partner's thigh. "You are so perfectly Slytherin, love."

"I know," she said with an utterly self-assured, yet completely unpretentious straight face, her fingers threading through her lover's hair with gentle tenderness. Leaning forward slightly, careful not to tump Nott onto the floor, she reached out and grabbed a red card.

Davis was next. "Well, of course, I'd pick Harry," she admitted, a shy blush staining her cheeks. "Although, I really don't like pain, so I don't think I'd like to try any of those things – except if you did them, well, gently. Wait, is that even possible?"

Across the way, Potter laughed. "Honey, just about anything's possible with magic."

Tracey laughed, and the sound was musical, innocent – sweet.

Draco rolled his eyes and tried not to make a face.

Honestly, he tried not to look at the blonde at all. She reminded him too much of his first lover, Leila Zabini; same colored and styled hair, same body type, same smile. The eyes were a different color, but the facial structure was also very similar. Quite truthfully, it made him uncomfortable sitting next to her as he didn't want to make any kind of sexual connection with Potter's woman. At the start of the game, he'd specifically picked this corner of the sofa because it had allowed him a power spot in which to see all of the other players, and he'd thought Zabini would sit next to him so they could snark with silent eye, lip, and hand signals as usual. However, by the time everyone had sat down, there hadn't been anywhere else for Davis to park her bum except next to him, as Zabini had scooted in to make room. Now he was stuck trying hard not to notice her perfume.

Intentionally, he directed his gaze across to his partner, completely ignoring his teammate. The brunette with the enticing curls, the golden-brown, sparkling eyes, and the wicked, sexy grin became his whole world with an easy glance.

Sensing his stare, his witch met his gaze and threw him a genuine smile, lighting up the room. He returned it, quickly morphing it into a more evocatively heated glance to let her know his desire for her was unprecedented. Lazily roaming down her body, following the soft, sexy curves, he licked his lips in an open display of longing, recalling how every inch of her naked skin had gleamed under the lights in their private room not half an hour before. Merlin, he wished they were alone just then!

Davis reached forward for a red card, and that was the cue he'd been waiting for all round. It was now his turn.

"I'd love anything you'd do to me, Granger," he restated the theme of the night, his attention solely fixated on her, trying to pour into his eyes all of the heat he felt for her. "If you wanted to try the whole bondage S&M thing, just let me know. Sub or Dom, I'm your man." He winked at her, and her laughter was a joyful sound that warmed him, chasing away the darker thoughts for the moment.

"And another round comes to an end!" Potter announced as Draco reached forward and took a Deeds card. "You know the drill, folks."

Draco flipped his card over – and couldn't prevent the evil snicker from leaving his lips. This one was quite inventive. He wondered who'd written it.

It took him a second to calm down his rising cock before he felt it safe to stand. By then, Hermione was getting to her feet as well, and her cheeks were blooming amaranth, which made him excited to find out what her action card was this round. "C&DC," she spoke up to remind Brown, Davis, and Greengrass, and picked up her wand to cast the anti-conception spell upon her body. The other witches did likewise, he absently noted. Putting her wand back on the table, she made her way over to him, curling herself into his body for a hug.

Now this was odd behavior. Surprised by the uncharacteristic display of emotional need while in public, Draco wrapped his arms about her and lowered his mouth to her ear, placing a small kiss on the shell. "You all right?" he asked, hoping she wasn't planning to forfeit now.

She nodded, her hair tickling his nose. "I was just thinking about the cards and their influence. I still don't like how the deck manipulates us. And that last question…"

Wanting to change her distressed disposition, he rubbed his nose into her neck and possessively bit down over a spot he knew she enjoyed the attention. She gave a small moan in response, her fingers tightening their grip on his shirt front. "I like the cards this round," he countered. "And I think you will, too, Beautiful. Just wait until you see what you get to do to me."

Raising her mouth to his ear, she playfully nipped his lobe, getting back into the proper mood to satisfy his tastes. "My card says you've got to perform for my pleasure this round, too," she giggled. "So, I get two rewards to placate my moodiness, it seems. I suppose it'll have to be enough - for now."

"Err, one thing: I don't have to sing, do I?" he groaned. "Really, you wouldn't want to hear that, Granger."

She faked a gasp and pulled away to look him in the eye, teasing him mercilessly. "Do mine ears deceive me? Are you suggesting that a Malfoy has humanly limitations, too? Be still my beating heart!"

He shut her up with a growling, searing kiss. "I can more than make up for such an insignificant deficiency in other arenas, I assure you, princess." He started dragging her backwards towards the general area of their private suite. "Shall we get started then so I can prove it to you?"

He broke them apart, and, smoothly turning on a knut, took her hand to lead her on, his excitement levels rising by the second as he tried to imagine exactly what sort of performance he would have to give. Would it be licking every bit of her body like an ice cream cone? Would he have to give her an all-over massage with oils? Anything but singing would be fine by him.

"Time's 2:45am. You have until 3:35am," Potter called out before the door shut behind him and Davis.

Growling with impatience now, Draco opened the door to the room he shared with Hermione and pulled her in, her sultry laugh echoing behind them.

TO BE CONTINUED…

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Qué será, sera = Spanish for "what will be, will be." In other words, you can't change the situation, so let it be.

Again, 'Dom' is short for 'dominant' and 'sub' for 'submissive,' referring to positions of sexual power in the S&M and bondage lifestyles.

Une carte rouge = French for "a red card."

.

Musical Selection for this Chapter: "Terrified" by Katharine McPhee & Zachary Levi. Lyrics are as follows...

(Woman singing)

You, by the light, is the greatest find.
In the world full of wrong, you're the thing that's right.

Finally made it
through the lonely,
to the other side…

You said it again!
My heart's in motion.
Every word feels like a shooting star.

I'm at the edge of my emotions,
watching the shadows burning in the dark.

And I'm in love!
And I am terrified!
For the first time,
and the last time
in my only life.

(Man singing)

And this could be good; it's already better than that.
And nothing's worse than knowing you're holding back.

I could be all
that you're needing,
if you let me try.

You said it again!
My heart's in motion.
Every word feels like a shooting star.

I'm at the edge of my emotions,
watching the shadows burning in the dark.

And I'm in love!
And I am terrified!
For the first time,
and the last time
in my only…

(Both together singing)

I only said it 'cause I need it…
I only need it 'cause it's true!
So, don't you doubt what I've been dreaming -
'cause it fills me up,
and holds me close,
whenever I'm without you.

You said it again!
My heart's in motion.
Every word feels like a shooting star.
watching the shadows burning in the dark.

And I'm in love!
And I am terrified!
For the first time,
and the last time
in my only life.
Life…
Life…
In my only life.