I'm so happy, I got my first burnable flame! {don't worry though, I have already used it to cook marshmallows} Here's another chapter, since I'm in a good mood. Wanna put me in a better mood? There's a purple rectangular button at the bottom of this screen.. Please????

Chapter # 21

Wednesday, September 12th, 8:30

"Did you hear that?" Hermione asked her tousle-haired lover. James shook his head.

"I don't know why you're so nervous." He murmured gently.

"Because we're breaking the law. This is illegal!" she hissed back, running her hand through his thick, silk-soft hair.

"Is there a law against loving someone?" James asked gently.

"There's an age of consent."

"Fuck the age of consent." Hermione grinned at James. He was so daring.

"Ah, that wouldn't be a good idea. I have to be sixteen years old before I can give you a legal blowjob." She murmured into his chest.

"So give me an illegal one."

"I don't like breaking rules." James stared at her, then burst out laughing. "What's so funny?" she demanded angrily.

"I have a strange feeling that we're being watched." He murmured, his face straightening.

"By what kind of person?"

"You're busted, Granger." Hermione spun around and her eyes widened in shock.

"Malfoy!" she spat.

"Shit!" James hissed under his breath.

"Whoa, you look just like Potter! Are you like, his father or something? That's pretty damn low Granger, shagging your best friends father!" Draco drawled. James glared at him.

"No need to tell me who you are." He replied. "Everyone knows a Malfoy is just a ball of slime wrapped in expensive black robes and too much hair gel on their heads." Hermione then giggled and started to snicker.

"Say that again, I dare you." Draco hissed angrily.

"Oh, you want me to summarize it? You're nothing but slime, Malfoy." James answered bitterly. "If you're anything like your father, that is."

"My father is one of the most respected wizards in Britain." Draco said angrily. Hermione reached up and clamped her hand across James' mouth before he could retaliate.

"Mmm, mmmph!" James glared at Hermione.

"James is just a bit on the impaired side, Malfoy." She said quickly. Draco snorted.

"No, you're just being nice to me in the hopes that I don't tell Potter. The younger Potter." He said snidely.

"Asshole." James muttered angrily.

"So? It would hurt Harry if he knew." Hermione said with a shrug.

"I'll make a deal with you two." Draco said eagerly. "I won't tell anyone about your rendezvous under one condition."

"What?" James asked suspiciously.

"You let me in on anything you know about Voldemort." Hermione opened her mouth to say no, but James butted in.

"Sure thing, rich-bitch." He said coolly. Draco nodded, then turned around and started back to the school, leaving Hermione and James alone, pondering their relationship.

Of course, Draco had other plans. He had those two idiotic Gryffindors right where he wanted them. So he could use them a bit, then throw them away. Draco smiled. Sometimes life was just so nice and simple.

10:00 P.M.

"Hmm." Severus grumbled to himself. He was having trouble thinking right now, being that he had a headache. He hissed softly as a deep passionate red color filled his head. Wherever his brother was, he was sure was having a grand time with someone. A soft knock on the door made him look up, startled. Harry Potter stuck his head in the office uncertainly.

"Sir? Have you seen Hermione?" he asked nervously.

"Is she not in the common room? And Potter, I believe it's past curfew. Why are you, and Granger, out of your common room?" Severus asked, surprised.

"Hermione's always out like this, and I was just wondering if she might be working on some kind of potion, as it seems to be a very Hermione thing to do." Harry admitted with a sheepish grin.

"I have not seen her since dinner." Severus replied, but his mind was churning with the possibility of where the girl might be.

"Sorry to bother you, Sir. I'll go now." Harry was just about to leave when Snape said the most unusual thing in the world.

"I'll watch for her if she's down here. Goodnight, and tell Filch if he finds you that you have permission to be out of you common room." Harry nodded, then left the room, feeling odd. Snape was actually being nice to him for a change. It hit Harry when he got back to his common room. The map. The marauders map! Yes, he could use it to find Hermione. Racing up the stairs, he flipped open his trunk and pulled the map out, scanning the blank paper.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." He whispered, his heart thumping eagerly. He stopped upon the sudden realization. She wasn't on here! No, she had to be. But she wasn't! That meant she wasn't on the Hogwarts grounds. "Ron! Ron, get up!" He hissed.

"What?" Ron snapped angrily. "You better have a good reason for waking me up, you idiot."

"I do. Hermione isn't in the school grounds."

"What? Well, she has your cloak." Ron replied.

""Yeah, but the map should show, even with an invisibility cloak on." Harry said swiftly. Rons' face paled.

"She must be just outside of the border in the forbidden forest." He answered in bewilderment.

"Should we go check?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, I think so." Ron whispered back, careful not to wake the others. The two got up and Ron slid his robes on. But when they got to the common room Harry stopped.

"We'll never find her. And without the cloak, we'll get caught." He whispered in dismay. Ron shook his head.

"You're right. We should go to Dumbledore."

"Ron, wait. What if she isn't lost? What if the person she is seeing is with her, outside the grounds? I bet Hermione knew we would try to find her on the map, to see who she was with!" Ron stared at Harry, then sighed.

"I guess you're right, there's nothing to worry about. But what if she's with a slytherin?"

"It's not our decision. Let's go back to bed." The two scrambled back up the stairs, feeling just a little bit better about things.