SHOUT OUTS:
Tears in my Heart: I know how you feel with the whole not being able to get online thing. That's exactly my problem… but now I'm back! Glad you loved the last chappie, and hope you enjoy this one equally as much.
LJ924: NEW READER! Haha. Sorry, I just love those. Glad you like the story!
Vick: I am also NOW FREE! I'm happy you're still reading! YOU ROCK!
Jibs: Yeah, school has been really hard for me in the past few weeks too. I had to study for finals and all that crap, so I'm just happy to be out! And what better way to celebrate it than with a new chapter! Hope you enjoy it!
Amycharys: Glad you like it! Yeah, I don't think Hermione would jump in head first with a guy either.
Raisa: Yes, I am in highschool. I'm a freshman… actually, technically, I guess I'm a sophomore now! And you are probably a senior now? It must be nice to be done with junior year, it's supposed to be the hardest! And that whole fetal pig thing… I pity you. Teachers think up the weirdest things, don't they? Keep reading and reviewing!
Randomsmirf13: Here's that update!
Big Salmon: New sn, eh? Well I love it, and I love you! YOU NEED TO WRITE ANOTHER STORY, BIATCH! And yes, I do enjoy being a tease. And so does Hermione. :D
Maddudewalking: I'm glad to head that you would never stop reading! You have been around since the first few chapters, and I LOVE YA for it! And you will find out why she was so nervous in the chapters to come… I won't say anymore ;)
Lilmismusical: I'm glad your hooked! Keep on reading and reviewing!
JustYourAverageReviewer: Sorry about the mislabeling… I was told that angst was sort of exaggerated drama. Anyway, I changed it now :)
Chaotickittieilovedraco: Glad your hooked! I hope you are right about me not loosing readers! Hope this chapter was worth the wit also!
The REAL Cheese Monkey: I know, it was short! I'm sorry, I'm having a bit of writers block! Thanks for sticking with the story though, you rock!
Tommy16: Sorry that it was short! Hope you are still reading!
Jessica: Glad you like it!
Wickedx3: Wow! I'm so happy you found the story and liked it enough to read for two hours! Hope you keep reading!
Thescottishcat: Unfortunately… I didn't post quick. SORRY! Three weeks is FAR too long. But no matter how long it takes, I will NOT give up on this story. And now I'm out for summer, so I'll update much faster!
Onewhoisweird324: NEW READER! I'm glad I wowed you! Hope you will keep reading!
Kirei kimochi: I'm happy you enjoyed it and found it funny!
Preshia Marie Halliwell: I continued! Even if it did take me forever… hope you are still reading!
Maria Casey Weasley: Noo… Hermione isn't the suicidal type. Lol, sorry if I disappointed you… keep reading!
Dakota: I wrote more! Hope you are still reading!
Jessica: Is this the same Jessica who already reviewed? LOL
Kavina: YAYYY! You are still reading! And I must say, you are one of my favorite reviewers. Yeah, I just finished finals too… and got out of school yesterday. Hope your summer is going well!
Frunkyfresh: Glad you liked it once again! Yes, she is cute. Haha
Thescottishcat: IM SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG! Lol, when I saw that some of my readers were starting to write SECOND reviews, I knew it had been too long. HERES THE UPDATE!
Semper Simul: Yes, the suspense! Keep reading!
AmErIcAnCoWgIrL: Aww, you re-read the whole thing? Cool! I'm glad you like it enough to read it twice! I read your story, and I must say, really good job! You are talented at writing. Steamy sex scene too ;) Keep it up!
A Sinner Has A Prayer: I know! It took forever! Sorry! Hope you are still reading!
xXpunkkcoRXx: Sorry I kept you wondering so long! Hopefully SOME of your questions will be answered in this chapter… ;)
rachybaby: Sorry it took so long! Here it is!
Jenny: Hmm… well that may or may not happy, you will just have to keep reading to find out!
Slg: I SHALL NOT QUIT!
Jessica: Yes I am, and here it is :)
Righteye0604: Glad you like it! But I don't know any Judiths…
A/N: (June 22nd) Once again, I am endlessly sorry! The last couple weeks have been hell for me, with all the studying for finals and then actually TAKING the finals, plus all my after school activities… luckily, yesterday was my LAST DAY OF SCHOOL! That's right, no more school for me, it's summer! And that also means, I have more time than I know what to do with. So now I can hopefully update WAY more than I have in the past couple weeks. Again, I am so sorry that it took me so long! On another note, thank you guys so much for the support! It makes me incredibly happy to see that you are all still reading and that I've even gained a few more readers! I love you all, and hope you like this update! AND I'D LIKE TO MENTION THAT I GOT 30 REVIEWS FOR THE LAST CHAPTER! THAT'S THE MOST I'VE EVER GOTTEN! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! KEEP IT UP!
UPDATE: (July 18th) Okay, okay, I know, I lied! I did begin writing this the day after I got out for summer break, but then I had no idea how I wanted to finish it and I never ended updating. But I read HBP, and now I have new found inspiration. SOOOO SORRY! Hope you are all still reading… I will try my hardest to update sooner next time, although my past promises of this have fell through… I have many brand new ideas for this story, and I read over all the other chapters (realizing just how terrible the first few were, writing wise) and so hopefully from now on the story will only get better! So read on, enjoy, and perhaps… leave a review?
Chapter 38 – Should I?
"Hermione? Hermione!" Jessica said in annoyance, clapping her hands in front of her friends dazed face. "I swear, what has gotten into you? You have been all… distant all day! I never thought I'd say this, but I miss your old, uptight self!"
"Oh…" Hermione said closing her eyes tightly then opening them. "Sorry… I've just got… things on my mind. I didn't get much sleep last night."
Jessica placed her hands on her hips and pursed her lips. "Mhmm. Well what things? What things could possibly have caused you to FORGET to do your Arithmancy homework and pass up a trip to the library? What – Ohhhh! I know what things! It's that boy, isn't it? Malloy."
"For the last time, it's DRACO MALFOY, not Drayo Malloy! For gods sake, is it really THAT hard to remember? And no, of course it isn't him!"
Jessica smiled triumphantly. "Well THERES the old Herms I know and love! I knew I could get it out of you!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Listen just because I share a room with him doesn't mean I like him! I don't!"
"Oh give it UP already!" Jessica said, throwing her hands up in the air. "I know you like him, I can see straight through you." She pointed to herself. "Psychic, remember?"
"Oh. Right."
"Plus, you totally admitted it to me a while ago."
"Oh yeah."
"Aren't you going to say something other than 'oh right' or 'oh yeah'?"
"No."
Jessica let out a sigh. "Well then I'll just have to force it out of you, wont I. How long have you been dating this guy?"
"I'm not dating him! Well not really…" Hermione said uncertainly. "We are just… I don't even know."
"Ah," Jessica said knowingly. "The old friends with benefits thing. Except you two were never really friends…"
"Enemies with benefits." Hermione said with a laugh. "But we aren't really that either. It's confusing."
"Damn straight it is, you're giving me a headache!"
Hermione laughed.
"Well if it's more of a physical thing, I've got to know. How's the sex? With a boy that good looking, I bet it's pretty good!"
"No! I mean… we haven't… I haven't…"
Jessica's eyes widened. "You're lying. You're not… no! There no freaking way. You are 17 years old, there's no way you are a virgin."
Hermione shrugged.
"But… WHY?"
Hermione shrugged again.
"I knew you were innocent… but… wow! What have you done?"
"Not much..." She trailed off uncomfortably. "I don't really want to talk about it."
"Have you had an orgasm?" Jessica asked, as if completely comfortable with the topic.
"Yes!" Hermione responded confidently, and then added "Well I think so…"
"That means no."
"Well then no I guess! Can we please stop talking about this? It's making me uncomfortable…"
"Not even… by yourself?"
"Jessica! Shhh!"
"Oh come on, Herms, we are outside by the lake, there's no one around. So have you?"
"I'm not even going to answer this." Hermione said getting up from the sand and brushing herself off.
"Fine." Jessica said crossing her arms. "Have it your way. But you're the one missing out."
Hermione rolled here eyes. "Okay fine, have YOU ever… you know… had sex?"
"Uh… yeah!" Jessica said in a sort of 'duh' way. "I mean I AM with Harry…" Her face turned sort of glazy and she smiled. "He is one freak in the sheets!"
"Ew! Gross! He is like… a brother to me!" Hermione yelled, clamping her hands over her ears.
"My bad." Jessica said, picking at her nails and not looking very sorry at all. "Yes. I have had sex."
Hermione sat back down, looking a bit more interested. "Well… doesn't it hurt?"
Jessica shrugged. "I can barely remember, I lost my virginity AGES ago." She smiled. "Yes, it does hurt the first time… but then you do it again and a couple more times after that and it starts to feel really, really good."
Hermione paused then nodded. "I don't know… sometimes I want to, but I just don't know if I'm ready."
"You are ready."
"How can you be sure of that?"
"Because I can tell that you want to." She pointed to herself again and smiled. "Psychic, remember?"
XXX
Hermione sat and stared at her potions book, forcing herself to read over the words, but not really taking any of them in. She was tired and worried and had millions of things mulling around in her head. Should she have sex with him? She was afraid, but that was for good reason. Maybe deep down it was less her fear of pain than her fear of being used. After all, Malfoy was the "Slytherin sex god". He had had more one night stands than she could count on her fingers and toes, and she… well… she hadn't. She had told herself from the beginning that he just wanted her for the sex, which was why she hadn't "seen" him sooner, but now it seemed that this had changed. But what if it was all a front? What if the old Malfoy, the horrible, mean spirited Malfoy, was just hiding behind this mask, waiting to pop out? What if she did have sex with him and the old Malfoy came back? She would be setting herself up to get hurt. But she wanted to. She wanted to so badly…
POP
Hermione snapped out of her thoughts and looked up. It was him. He was back, but his lip was swollen and red, a trickle of dried blood leaking from it.
"Draco!" She cried, hopping up. "What happened?"
His brow furrowed, as if wondering what he meant, then at seeing her staring at his lip, his hand drifted up to it. He grimaced at his own touch, as if he had not realized that he had been injured. "Oh, this? It's nothing, really."
Her voice was raspy and laced with concern. "W-What did he do to you?" She whispered. "What did he want?"
Draco sighed. "I'm tired. I haven't gotten much sleep… if you don't mind I think I'll turn in." He said, turning and disappearing into his room with one last look.
XXX
The next morning when Draco woke up and wandered out into their common room, Hermione had decided not to push the matter. Instead she filled him in on the happenings while he was gone, without bringing up the subject of his arrival back, or even acknowledging it had happened. Even Draco had seemed to forget their encounter, and was back to his normal self in no time.
Although Hermione was relieved not to be in a fight with Draco, she still longed to know the cause of his bloody lip although she knew better than to bring up the subject again. Instead, Hermione focused her efforts back to her schoolwork, as they were getting a particularly large load before they would be released for Holliday's. In fact, Hermione was pouring over the very work in her common room, the fire blazing and snow pouring down from the sky, when Draco entered the room and sat down across from her, starring at her unblinkingly.
"I have a question." He said.
"I swear Draco, if it has to do with letting you copy my homework I already told you I refuse to do that anymo-"
He cut her off. "No, Granger, it has nothing to do with homework. I was actually wondering what you would think if I was to ask you to come with me for winter break?" He tried to sound casual and as if her answer didn't matter to him, but he was squinting at Hermione so anxiously that she knew this wasn't the case.
She stopped what she was doing, put down her pen, and looked up at him. "I would think," she said quite slowly. "That you were mental. Your parents would never let me near your house, much less let me STAY in your house."
"Actually, they are going to be gone." He said coyly with a smirk that meant business. "Off on a Christmas vacation to Switzerland (don't ask, they do this yearly), and they think that I am going to be staying at Hogwarts."
"Well then." Hermione said. "In that case I would wonder if the all mighty and powerful Draco Malfoy was actually sinking low enough to invite a MUGGLE BORN to his house for Christmas." She said teasingly.
"Yeah, I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel." He said in a pleased tone.
"Oh you!" She said, smacking his arm hard.
"So that's a yes then?" He asked returning to his seriousness.
"It appears to be so."
"Right. Okay that… well that's… fine." He said, suppressing a smile. "I'm off to potions now."
"Okay." Hermione said, waiting for him to leave the dormitory before she aloud herself to burst into a smile. Draco had just asked her to go on vacation with him. That was serious… although she wondered, if he was actually beginning to think of her as his girlfriend, then why was it all still a secret, and why was he still calling her Granger?
XXX
A/N: Hope you liked the chapter! I know it was a VERY long wait but I already have an idea for the next couple chapters and I am going to start on them TOMARROW! So this time once I get some reviews (at least 7!) I SHALL update.