I was painfully aware of the soreness of my backside for a week.

I went another long stint without seeing Draco at all; allowing him to do whatever it was he needed to with the Compendium of Toxins. A part of me regretted leaving it after that night; but I reasoned that my brain simply wasn't working properly thanks to the previous… rumpus.

I gave no indication to my friends that anything at all had occurred that night. Evelyn did notice, however, that one of my cloaks was much longer than the others. Thankfully, she was the only one who took note of this, and I was able to stow the robe from view in the very bottom of my trunk. As a result, it made the rest of my clothes smell reminiscent of Draco. It drove me mad, and only fueled the embarrassment and anger I felt from being discovered in my knickers by Crabbe and Goyle. I spent the following days fretting about what would come of it- if Draco would inform them of the emotional aspects, or simply play it off as a one night stand. I didn't know which I preferred, as both were embarrassing.

"More elderberry tea?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"Yes, please," I replied, absentmindedly scanning a medical encyclopedia by the window next to her desk. The medical wing was previously occupied by a first year Ravenclaw complaining of a jinxed nose, but we soon sent him on his way when we realized it was only an allergic reaction to his roommate's cat. It was just Madam Pomfrey and I in the medical wing now, waiting for new patients to come in.

Madam Pomfrey cast a spell to fold the clean linens and then came to refill my cup. "You know, elderberries have many medical uses. It's often been used by Muggles to absolve common colds," she informed me, "Some suspect it may have contraceptive properties as well."

"Is that so?" I replied innocently. I looked up from the book and saw Madam Pomfrey looking down at me with raised eyebrows, her lips pursed.

"What?" I asked.

"Is there something you would like to tell me?"

My fingers tensed around the mug's warmth. "No," I muttered, looking down into the dark water. "I just rather enjoy the taste of elderberries."

Madam Pomfrey tapped a finger lightly on the desk. "You've always been a chamomile drinker until this week when you asked to switch to elderberry. Seemed a bit odd."

"Madam Pomfrey, what are you suggesting?"

"Nothing," she turned around to send the folded linens into the cabinet. "It is none of my business, dear. But as a practitioner of medicine, it is in my nature to notice these sorts of things. And as your mentor," she slightly angled her head to me, "I take it as my responsibility to make note of your wellbeing. If there is something bothering you, or perhaps… distracting you from your studies, you may tell me if you wish."

I paused. Madam Pomfrey almost never took interest in the private affairs of students. The fact that she was now opening up to me as a confidant meant she must really care about me. I flattened my lips into a line.

"I must confess, I have been a bit distracted this year," I admitted quietly. "As I get older, things seem to get more complicated in the strangest ways." I sighed. "But I have been sticking to my studies. Professor Snape has noticed an improvement."

Madam Pomfrey smiled reassuringly. "That's good to hear. Erica, you are capable of succeeding and becoming a healer. I've seen how you interact with the patients; no prejudice, no judgment, only focusing on the task at hand." Her blue eyes squinted with kindness. "You remind me a bit of myself. But then, of course, I was much more interested in romances than medicine at your age. So please, don't make the mistakes that I did."

I smiled softly. "Madam Pomfrey."

She gestured innocently. "Forgive me if I am making assumptions. But whether it be a boy, girl, or giant, I won't judge."

"Thank you," I murmured, the melancholy of not seeing Draco since the intimate encounter seeping in. "But I'm not so sure if there is even a boy, girl or giant to worry about."

The doors of the medical wing opened, and a group of third year Gryffindor girls entered, all fussing over their friend, who was clutching her stomach. I went on alert, as did Madam Pomfrey.

"What's the matter?" she asked right away, guiding the girl to a cot. I closed my book and prepared to help.

"She ate something," one of her friends said. "Then she started clutching her stomach, like she had been poisoned, or something."

Poison. My blood ran cold. I hastily rose from my seat and gathered antidotes from the cabinet.

"Erica, would you fetch-" Madam Pomfrey began, but saw I was already bringing over three possible vials of medicine. "Right. Thank you."

"We didn't see what she ate," the other friend said. "And she doesn't have any allergies, or at least, we don't think so…"

The girl in the cot clutched her stomach and groaned, unable to speak for herself. Madam Pomfrey closed the curtain to provide privacy, and then performed an X-Ray spell on the girl's stomach. I stood nearby, ready to hand over the appropriate vial upon diagnosis.

The girl's friends side-eyed me. Quite cheekily, one of them muttered, "What are you here for?" I frowned, shocked that they were talking to me, especially when I very clearly held the medicine for their friend.

"She is my assistant," Madam Pomfrey said.

The girl rolled her eyes, and looked to Madam Pomfrey. "You'll be the one to administer the medicine, right?" she glanced at me again with distaste. "I don't want her messing it up."

"I'm quite capable," I snapped. "And unless this wasn't clear earlier, I'm only attempting to help."

The girls standing by the bed exchanged a look. "But you're a Slytherin," the other said.

I opened my mouth to speak, but was too incredulous to form the words.

"You're not really expecting to heal people, are you?" the girl said to me. Madam Pomfrey looked up from her patient to say something, but I had already set down the bottles. Anger boiling beneath my surface, I left the room in a huff. If I didn't remove myself from that situation I might have said something nasty to those girls, and I couldn't allow that to happen. Not in the Medical Wing.

Their misconception of Slytherins was unfair. I was well aware of the rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin, but never imagined it would find its way into my life in the medical wing. There, I put aside any house affiliations and just tried to do my duty. It was infuriating that others couldn't do the same.

But could I really blame them? I wondered as I stomped down the hall, no destination in mind. After all, if the girl really had been poisoned, I was the last one to check out the Compendium of Toxins, and I gave it to someone I knew had malicious intent… I wracked my mind, trying to come up with an explanation as to why I wasn't guilty.

But I came up with nothing.

I made a loop around an empty corridor on the fourth floor of the castle. I told myself that I would return to the Medical Wing to help as soon as I rounded the corner, but found myself chickening out. I ended up walking the same nonsensical loop about five times.

You're being childish, I told myself. Just go back to the Medical Wing already. Maybe by now the Gryffindor second years have cleared out- I began to set my path back to the Medical Tower, but stopped when I saw a black-clad figure at the end of the hall, just outside the door of the Medical Wing. Reflexively, I turned on my heels, thinking he perhaps didn't see me. I thought wrong.

"Erica," Draco called after me. I turned my brisk walk into a run, heading for a spiral staircase. I heard the patter of his shoes on the stone as he followed.

"Erica, stop-"

I increased the speed of my gait, passing the 5th floor. I allowed myself a glance over my shoulder, and saw the blonde head gaining on me up the spiral staircase.

"Stop, god damn it!" he ordered.

"Go away, Draco!" I passed the 6th floor. There was only one last floor beyond this one. Having no other choice, I exited the stairwell and ran down a corridor of the 7th floor. This floor contained the Headmaster's office, as well as Gryffindor common room. I made sure to avoid those portions of the floor as I searched for somewhere to hide.

I didn't make it very far past Flitwick's office before Draco caught up to me and gripped my arm, effectively stopping me. I turned, giving him an annoyed look. He looked upset as well, and was panting after I just made him run up three flights of stairs.

"You've got some nerve, making me chase after you," he spat.

I turned my nose up at him. "I don't wish to speak with you." I spotted a few Gryffindors in the corner of my eye. Not wanting to be spotted, I continued walking. Draco let loose a sigh of exasperation and followed me.

"Are you at least going to tell me why?" he hissed in a low voice.

I didn't turn around. "If you have to ask why, you must be daft." I couldn't even pick a reason why I was upset. There was the Gryffindor girl I suspected he poisoned, then the fact he didn't come see me for a whole week after he… did what he did inside of me.

Draco's patience ran out, and he gripped me by the wrist again, bringing himself around and forcing me between him and the wall. I scowled when I saw his arms had barricaded themselves on either side of me to prevent me from escape. Thankfully, there was no one around to see us.

"Don't play games with me," Draco said coldly. "Now, tell me why you ran from me."

I held his gaze with determination and said nothing. Draco's hand came up to my face and roughly gripped my chin, his fingers extending out to hold the entirety of my jaw. His cold gaze intensified. "Tell me."

I wrenched his grip from my face. "Did you poison a Gryffindor second year?" I demanded.

His face tangled into disgust. "What? No."

I cast a cursory glance around to make sure we were alone. "Well a girl came in with a stomach ache to the medical wing. Her friends claimed she was poisoned," I whispered angrily.

Draco gripped me by the arm, leading me further down the secluded corridor, stopping across from a tapestry. "Why would I poison a random Gryffindor girl?"

"Because Gryffindors hate Slytherins," my voice cracked. "They made that awfully clear when I was trying to help them."

Draco leaned in to me, his tone serious. "I don't care. They can hate us all they want, it's not going to change anything." His eyes flashed with curiosity. "Is that why you're so upset?"

"I've been angry all week." I pursed my lips. "That was just the cherry on top, I suppose."

Draco eyed me, trying to draw the real reason out. "Is this because we shagged? Because you should have just said so."

I wanted to punch Draco in the arm. So I did.

"Agh!" he hissed, clutching the spot on his bicep. "Bloody hell-"

"I'm not going to be one of those girls that demands your attention every waking moment," I growled, "But a conversation afterwards would have been nice."

Draco's brow furrowed as he straightened. Incredulously, and quite stupidly, he asked, "What is there to talk about?"

I narrowed my eyes. "It seems Wizard sex-ed has failed you," I hissed.

Draco rolled his eyes and seemed unbothered. "Relax about that. Copulation between two pureblood wizards hardly ever succeeds the first time."

"So you just thought it would be okay?" My voice raised to almost a yell. "And you didn't bother to give me my clothes back, when I was in my knickers in front of bloody Crabbe and bloody Goyle!"

Someone passed by in the conjoining corridor. Draco moved us further down the hall.

"I can't return your clothes," Draco said to me. "I really do need them for something."

"Maybe Crabbe will let you dress him up and you can fuck him instead."

I made to leave, but halted when Draco murmured, "What, so you'll never let me shag you again?"

"Again?" I turned, wide-eyed. "Draco, people are finding out about us- this- whatever you want to call it. Of course we can't do it again. If Professor Snape sees us together right now, it'll be both our heads."

"I'm not afraid of Snape. And Crabbe and Goyle won't tell anyone what they saw."

"Right," I huffed, "Like they would keep their mouths closed about a one-time shag with the fifth year with a great ass."

Draco suppressed a smile. "You do have a great ass."

I scoffed and began to walk away. Draco caught up to me again, the persistent bastard.

"And who said it was one-time?"

I glared at Draco. "Me. The person who is meant to be your matron, and your matron only." I said each word for emphasis to make sure Draco understood. It was hard to tell by the way he was furrowing his brow. "We can't have anyone thinking we're more than that."

Draco stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Well, that'll be right awkward to tell Crabbe and Goyle we're not dating. Because I already told them we are."

My breathing halted. I stepped back, wide-eyed. "You did what?" I croaked.

Draco coolly replied, "I figured I might as well, seeing as I assumed we would be shagging on the regular from now on. You were a good lay, after all." He lowered his voice, a smirk playing across his lips. "I didn't have to see you to tell you enjoyed yourself."

I was at a loss for words. I looked around open-mouthed for a moment before finally saying, "That's quite presumptuous of you."

"Is it?" He stepped towards me, gradually decreasing the space between us until he was practically whispering in my ear. I shivered, feeling his breath on my neck. "I saw the marks you left on my back. I would quite like it if you would make some more."

I flushed. My lower abdomen began to throb from remembering that night and how good it felt to have Draco nearly pulverize me. Fully aware of what he was doing to me, Draco slipped a hand around my back, lightly stroking me through my robes.

"If we were to do it again," I muttered, "It can't be in your bedroom."

Draco crooned reassuringly, "I know of a place."

"Where?" I certainly hoped he wasn't referring to my bedroom. That was definitely not a viable option.

"Here."

I scoffed. "You're delirious if you think I'm going to let you shag me in plain sight-"

Draco nodded to our left, where a mysterious pair of doors had appeared. They definitely hadn't been there before. "The Room of Requirement," Draco addressed my look of confusion. "It appears whenever someone has a need for it."

I marveled at this information; the fact that there was a hidden multipurpose room in the castle, and I had never stumbled upon it before now. And the need was…

"I need you," Draco whispered in my ear. His touch on my back lowered slightly. "Now."

I leaned into his touch, feeling the thrumming in my skirt becoming ever more intense. It was still daytime, and the sun had barely reached the tip of the snow capped mountains. But I couldn't say no when the opportunity to relive that night presented itself to me, clad in a black suit.

"Show it to me," I gulped. "But that doesn't mean I'm agreeing to anything."

Draco scanned the corridor. Placing one of his lily-white hands on the knob, he opened the door for me.

And like a fool, I entered.