Rising Temptations

Summary: This is a Hermione/Draco, Ron/Lavender, and Harry/Ginny fic but mainly

evolved around Hermione and Draco. They're in their 7th year at Hogwarts. The fic

won't seem like it in the beginning, but stick with me. I'm getting there.

Disclaimer: Same old thing

Oh my…it's been years since I started this story. I must say I don't exactly remember all the details that I originally had when I started it. But have no fear, after reading through my fic many times it's all coming back to me.

Hey Steelo, just an explanation about last chapter. I didn't mean to intend that Ron believed in Harry. He was just sitting beside him in the Great Hall. As for what WILL happen, read on )

Chapter 15 – The Jealousy:

Hermione trudged back to the common room in a daze. Ginny's big news stunned her to a point where all she could think about was the single name uttered from the red head's lips. True, Ginny was one of her best friends, and she really want to support her, but this task is just too hard on her. Out of all the boys at Hogwarts, not only did she not choose someone in her grade, or in her house, she just HAD to pick the one person she spent an amazing night with: Draco Malfoy. Hermione took a deep breath and stopped dead in front of the portrait. She opened her mouth to say the password, but the thought of seeing Draco sitting in front of the fire all innocent and oblivious just made her heart sink. 'Ok Mione, be reasonable. You can't spend the night out here.'

"Evanescence"

The portrait swung open and Hermione quickly scouted the room. No sign of Malfoy. None of the prefects seemed to be there either. 'That's strange. He's always here just lounging around after dinner'. Shrugging mentally, she grabbed a book from the coffee table and indulged in the story. An hour passed, then two. The fire started to die down, but Hermione was in the middle of the story and definitely not ready to put it down. Suddenly she heard the portrait swing open. 'Please don't let it be him.'

She turned around to face the incomer and was surprised to find another one of her close friends standing walking in. His hair was a mess and his clothes wrinkled and slept in. His usual bright and cheery green eyes lost their spark and lacked emotion.

"Harry! Oh my gosh, are you ok?"

Harry muttered a quick 'hello' and trudged in, staring at the ground. He shuffled to the Gryffindor sofa and plopped down. Hermione joined beside him.

"Harry, what in the world's going on? You look like you've been living out in the wild for months!"

"Mione, you gotta help me. Ron's not being very supportive at all. Apparently he believes Ginny's story. What am I supposed to do?"

"Well Harry I've heard Gin's story too, and one thing I can tell you is that it's pretty believable. I mean, she saw you two for heaven's sake! Do you have an explanation for that?" Her voice rose and increased in amplitude.

"Mione please don't yell. I need you on my side. Hear me out, please."

Harry gazed over at Hermione with the saddest look in his eyes. Hermione felt her heart tug at his sadness. She leaned over and pecked him lightly on the cheek before hugging him hard.

"Ok I'm sorry Harry, you know I love you, but I love Ginny too. It's hard for me too you know."

"I know Mione, but just hear me out. It was really late that night and I was just about to leave when that bitch of a Slytherin started walking towards me. I told her to shove off and find someone else to bother, but she just smiled in a really disgusting way and backed me into a corner. I don't know what was with her, but she seemed really out of it. Anyways, she got closer and closer and then she like pressed herself on me and stuck her tongue down my throat. That's basically when Ginny saw us. I was so stunned by her screams and the fact that Pansy Parkinson just kissed me; I didn't have time to react until after Pansy made some awful comment. When I came around Ginny was already running out crying."

Hermione processed the story in her head. It seemed perfectly logical. She hugged him again and smiled.

"I believe you. I knew that you wouldn't have actually wanted to kiss that slime. You gotta tell Ginny this. Before it's too late"

Hermione quickly shut her mouth, but the last sentence came out.

"Too late? What do you mean?"

"Well, um, ok I won't lie to you Harry. Ginny was really mad, and I mean REALLY really mad. She wasn't really think straight and basically she came up with a plan to make you really jealous and want her back."

"I already want her back! I've always wanted her back!"

"I know I know, but listen. Her plan was to get together with none other than Malfoy to make you jealous."

"MALFOY! As in the one she hates and loathes and can't stand?"

"The one and only I'm afraid."

Harry stood up quickly and started pacing around the room.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she hasn't done anything drastic yet. I'd say you still have some time," Hermione added quickly.

"Well if what you're saying is true, then I have to find her. Right now."

Hermione nodded. "Do you want me to come with you?"

Harry walked over to her and hugged her hard. "No Mione, you've done more than I can ask for. You stay and sleep, I'll be fine. Thanks again, you're the best."

With a strained smile and another hug, Harry turned and left the Common Room. Hermione sat back down on the couch with a sigh. She glanced at the old grandfather clock in the corner of the room. It was 15 minutes after one in the morning. She stifled a yawn and reached for her unfinished book. 'I should stay awake in case Harry comes back again.' Hermione started reading again. The words seemed clear at first, but as her eyelids drooped and fluttered, the fine print blurred in and out of vision. Soon, without realization, Hermione fell into deep slumber, the book slid out of her hands and landed quietly onto the thick carpet.

It wasn't the chime of the grandfather clock signaling nine o-clock that woke Hermione, but the creak of the portrait door as it swung open and shut. She snapped her eyes open just to find Draco paused at the door looking at her.

Hermione frowned, "Did you just get in?"

Draco crossed the room and smirked at her. "So sweet of you to notice, but yes I did."

Hermione scowled, "Well then, where were you all night."

"That, my dear, is my own business."

"Well I deserve to know, being your gir-, never mind." Hermione lowered her head and silently cursed herself for almost saying that word. Draco's smirk grew and he approached closer to her.

"My what, exactly? Did you mean my girlfriend?" He said the last word slowly, enunciating each letter. Hermione turned her head, hoping her messy hair would hide the deep red of her cheeks.

"Pshht, you wish. You're avoiding my question. Where were you?"

Draco ignored her and started to climb the stairs up to his room.

"I need to sleep; I was quite busy last night. Don't bother me, Granger."

Hermione winced at the use of her last name. 'Since when were we back to last name basis?' She decided to pay a visit to the library. After dressing quickly and brushing her teeth, Hermione, armed with her Potions homework, headed to her sanctuary. Upon arriving, the first thing she noticed was a certain fire-headed figure rushing towards her.

"Oh my gosh, Hermione! I finally found you! Imagine my surprise when I walk around the library and don't see you." Ginny gushed, an odd excitement in her voice.

Hermione laughed forcefully. "Well, here I am now!"

Ginny grabbed her elbow and dragged her out of the library, down the hall, up the staircase, through the Gryffindor portrait, up the girls' stairs, and into Ginny's dorm. They were alone.

"Whoa, slow down and let me catch my breath, Gin."

Ginny ignored her and started bouncing up and down on her bed. "Hermione, I had the best night of my life!" She stopped jumping and sprawled down on her blanket, a big smile on her face.

"Oh I'm so happy for you! You and Harry sorted things out didn't you!"

Much to her surprise, Ginny laughed at what she said. "Oh Mione, you're such a joker. Me and Harry are history. I've found a new love, and man, is he bee-u-ti-ful!"

Hermione was so stunned she couldn't get any words to come out. Ginny kept on gushing. "I can't believe that you LIVE with Draco and you haven't fallen in love with him. I mean, I'm glad you didn't, but he's just SO irresistible. Wow!"

With every word out of Ginny's mouth Hermione felt a stab at her heart. 'How untrue her words are.'

Hermione faked a huge smile. "I'm so happy for you. I hope that um, that, you two are happy?" She didn't mean for it to turn out as a question, but it was so hard to say something nice about it. "Listen Gin, I got to go, but before I do, I got to ask you something. Did Harry talk to you last night?"

"Oh he found me this morning and explained everything. I feel bad for shouting at him, but at least we're mutual now. I've forgiven him you know, and besides, I've moved on. Don't you think that fate broke me and Harry apart so that Draco and I will be together forever?"

Hermione couldn't help but notice how childish Ginny was sounding. With a nod and a smile, Hermione left her room. After hearing the door click close, Hermione broke out into a run all the way back into her Common Room. She waved briefly at Padma and Blaise. Ignoring Draco's previous request, she ran up his stairs, two at a time. Without hesitation, she turned the doorknob, surprised that it was unlocked, and barged in loudly.

"Malfoy! We need to talk. NOW."

Hermione tried to keep her stomach still as she watched Draco and all his gorgeousness groan and sit up. The silk blankets slid off his perfect chest, giving Hermione a good view of it.

"Granger, what in the world do you want? I'm sleeping."

"Look, it's Hermione ok, and you're not sleeping until I'm done." She crossed her arms and stared at him, a 'don't-mess-with-me' look in her brown eyes. When he didn't answer, she continued.

"Did you, or did you not, spend the night with Ginny?"

Draco, now knowing her intentions, smirked again. "What would you do if I said yes?"

"I would say that you're a two-timing, good for nothing, cold, cheating asshole."

Draco got up from his bed, revealing sexy silver boxers, the only thing he's wearing. He walked over to her and tilted her chin up to meet his face. Hermione's stomach flip-flopped at his touch. 'Why the hell did God give him everything physically, but he just has to be such a bastard on the inside?' She frowned at him and stepped away from him, breaking the contact.

"Well, my dear Hermione, you must think I'm all that because I screwed around with you one night, and did the same to female Weasley the night after, am I correct?"

Hearing the words out of his mouth so plainly and truthfully was so hurtful; Hermione felt hot angry tears well up in her eyes. She turned away from his mocking gaze before he could see, but not fast enough.

"You really thought we had something special Granger? Did you think I felt something for you? You were just like all the other girls I've messed around with, ok. Nothing different, nothing special."

Without saying a word, Hermione struck his pretty face with as much force as she had. Her hand print left a red mark where his smooth white skin used to be. She turned on her heels, slammed his door shut, and threw herself onto her own bed. With a wave of her wand, her own door slammed close as well. She stuttered a sound proofing spell before breaking down into huge sobs. 'How could I have even thought he felt the same way about me? He's a Malfoy, a player, easy on the eyes, that's all. God, I can't believe I loved him.' Hermione stopped sobbing for a minute as the words ran through her head. 'Did I really love him? Wait, no. The question is DO I love him?'

Across the hall, Draco was pacing back and forth. 'I'm used to girls crying when I tell them off, but why did this one feel like I ate crap? Granger's nothing special, get over her. You have a new interest now, that little red head Weasley. Just use her as comfort until all thoughts of that brunette disappear. Jesus Draco, you're acting like you love that Granger or something.'

So guys, what do you think? Have I lost my touch? Please, please R/R for my sake. I get my encouragement and my will to write more when you guys review. It's summer now, so I can get a lot more done, but I'll only start my next chapter if I see you're interested. Thanks for the support )

dragon tamer19