AN: I was really surprised by the positive response this fic has recieved. Thank you for the support.

Hermione still couldn't believe what she had done the previous day. Not only did she join a BDSM group, no, she had sexted with one of it's members!

Hermione shook her head, earning herself a jab into her back from Malfoy who was sitting behind her in the lecture.

"Are you trying to suffocate me with that hair of yours?" he hissed.

"I would do the world a huge favour if it worked."

Jenny, who was sitting next to her, laughed at the answer and even Theodore Nott, one of Malfoy's friends snickered, earning himself a glare from him.

Pleased with the outcome, Hermione turned back to the class, only to have a strand of her hair pulled by Malfoy several minutes later.

She tried to ignore him, but he pulled again and Hermione turned around. "Leave me alone!"
"Your hair is distracting me. Do something about it!"

The professor glared at Malfoy from the front of the classroom, but he ignored him. "Seriously Granger, I can't concentrate."
"Then move your seat," Hermione hissed back and turned around with a last angry look over her shoulder.

She managed to take notes for the majority of the lecture until Malfoy pulled her hair again shortly before the end. With a sigh, Hermione turned around once again, looking at him expectantly.

Malfoy grinned and leaned forward so she would be the only one to hear him. "You are in an awfully good mood today. Haven't yelled at me yet. Have you finally found somebody who has standard lows enough to shag you?"

Hermione felt her cheeks heat up, but she wasn't going to let him win easily. "Are you jealous?" she purred. "Are you having trouble pickong up girls so you settle on picking on them? Or is this your way of flirting?"
Malfoy snorted. "You wish. I was just worried that there would be more of you sometime soon. The world doesn't need that."
Hermione rolled her eyes and turned around just in time to catch the day's homework. She made a quick note and packed her things, ignoring Malfoy deliberately.

Luckily, break was next and she had therefore enough time to cool down. There was only so much of Malfoy's idiocy she could stomach at once and he was paying way too much attention to her today.

It used to be worse during school where he and Harry constantly fought, but since university started, he had calmed considerably, even though he still enjoyed the occasional jabs.

It was only the fourth time in three years though, that he had annoyed her through a complete lecture, not that she was counting.

When she reached the cafeteria, Hermione pulled out her lunch and the book she was currently reading, Machiavelli's The Prince, and her phone.

She opened the book before reaching for her phone. She didn't expect any messages as Harry and Ron didn't text much, except when they needed something or wanted to meet up, Ginny knew better than to text her during school hours as she wouldn't get an answer for long periods of time and Luna didn't have a phone.

But of course she didn't take the group into account, where over 100 messages were waiting for her. Hermione sighed and decided to ignore them for the moment in favour of the message she had gotten from the Prince.

THEPrinceCharming: Hey there. Everything alright? I hope you aren't feeling uncomfortable because of yesterday.

Not sure what to answer, Hermione put the phone away again. She wasn't exactly uncomfortable with him – after all he had done it too and they didn't know much about each other. Practically nothing.

But she was trying to come in terms with what she had done yesterday: sending sexually loaded texts to a complete stranger and getting off to it.

Hermione's attention turned to her lunch and her book. She was already halfway through it and would finish it before the break was over.

She decided to give herself the time she needed to finish the book before she answered. That way, she wouldn't write anything rash.

Halfway through, Hermione finally gave up and reached for her phone again. She reread the message and set to type.

Persephone: I am fine. Just a bit busy. Life and all that.

She didn't even manage to put her phone away before it buzzed, indicating that she had gotten a response.

THEPrinceCharming: Glad to hear that. I get that – trust me. School's keeping me occupied.

Hermione bit her lip, thinking about the Prince's words. He was a student as well - his age indicating that he would be in her grade or maybe even one below, depending on his birthday. Did she know him? Sure, there were thousands of students on campus, but still...

Persephone: Please let's not share any more personal info if you want to keep texting.

THEPrinceCharming: Do you think we know each other?

Persephone: I don't know and I don't want to find out.

THEPrinceCharming: As you wish. Gives the whole thing a slightly mysterious flair.

Hermione smiled at that. Mysterious indeed.

Persephone: Thank you.

THEPrinceCharming: Of course. Relax. This is supposed to be fun and I won't do anything you don't want. Safe & Consensual are the basics of BDSM. I know that there are people who ignore them and try to misuse the power they gain, but fuck them. They are predators.

Draco pressed send and glared at Blaise, who was watching him with amusement. "What?"

"Nothing," Blaise drawled and Draco plucked one of his grapes and threw it at him.

"What are you, twelve?" Theo asked with annoyance, not even looking up from his book at his friends' antics.

Neither of them replied and Draco reached for his phone again, to check if he had gotten any messaged from Persephone. He was delighted to see that he indeed had one.

Persephone: I am glad you see it like this. Anyway, do you mind if I ask you something? You don't have to answer, of course. When exactly did you figure out you are into this?

Draco chuckled, barely managing to save his phone from Blaise who wanted to use the distraction to get hold of it.

"Seriously, mate, you are constantly checking that thing. What exactly is more interesting than us?"

"Bet the reason is that stupid group of yours," Theo muttered. "He could go and pick up girls like any normal human being, but no, he has to chat with shady people on anonymous messengers. Maybe Granger was right."

Draco put his phone into the safety of his pocket before taking the last slice of tuna pizza from the carton on the table. "It's been one day and I am bored. If you provided more entertainment, my attention would be all yours. And I don't want to pick up girls. I am still not really over Astoria."
"And you don't do one-night stands. I know, I know," Blaise rolled his eyes. "We've been over this a thousand times. But you seriously need to find a way to take your mind of things or you'll get completely bonkers with all the pressure you put yourself under."
Draco grimaced, thinking back to what he had texted Persephone just minutes earlier. "I can't exactly relax if I want to be the best."
"You won't best Granger. And why do you stress yourself so much anyway? You'll inherit your dad's law firm," Blaise drawled, his eyes wandering to the still untouched piece of pizza in Draco's hand. "Will you eat that or can I have it?"

"Ever heard of personal ambition and goals?" Draco dumped the pizza back into the carton with a sour expression and Blaise reached for it eagerly.

He cleaned his hand on his jeans, earning himself a disgusted look from Theo, and pulled out his phone again, ignoring Blaise's taunts and Theo's reminders to not speak with a full mouth. For someone with Blaise's upbringing it was amazing to see how quickly he could forget his manners when around friends and with no person of interest to be seen. Not that Draco was any better at times. But then again, they were young men who would have to be stiff and proper the remainder of their lives.

Draco sighed and set to type.

THEPrinceCharming: I was 15. My first girlfriend and I fooled around a lot and one day she suggested that I tie her up. We tried it out and from there it kind of escalated. We dated only for about a year, but she left a mark on me. Still are pretty good friends and the stories she tells about her escapades are a bit hardcore.

Draco looked up from his phone when a grape hit him square between the eyes.

"Come on, Criminal Law is starting in ten minutes and we want to get the good seats, don't you?"

Draco glared at Theo but put his things back into his bag. They cleared the table in the remote part of the school grounds and started their walk to the classroom.

It was early spring, the weather barely warm enough to spend the breaks outside, but it was better than spending the whole day indoors. Or at least, that's what Blaise and Draco thought, dragging Theo who would have been happy to stay inside with them.

When they arrived in class, Granger was already sitting in her usual spot and Draco moved to sit behind her once again. He needed a distraction so he wouldn't check his phone every three seconds and annoying Granger seemed like a good choice.

"I swear you choose your classes based on if she is in them or not," Blaise hissed into his ear and Draco rolled his eyes.

"I don't have to, considering she is in every damn class."
Blaise patted him on the back. "You know you don't have to take all of them too, right? They are called Electives for a reason."

Draco decided to not dignify that with a response, partly out of fear that Granger would overhear and partly because they had had this discussion several times already. His friends didn't understand that he had to be the best if he wanted to satisfy his father and himself, even though Theo's situation wasn't too different.

As soon as the lecture started, Draco pulled out his phone.

Persephone: That's pretty young. But as long as she was your age I don't see a problem with it. I imagine you had many partners since then?

THEPrinceCharming: No, not really. I am really picky and settle for relationships or friends with benefits. One night stands are a pain in the arse and mostly too vanilla for me. Even though I have had a few before. How about you? Just your ex?

Draco put the phone into his bag to put it as far away from him as possible so he would actually listen to the lecture. It was interesting after all.

He managed to concentrate on the subject at hand, second degree murder, for most of the lesson. Only when the professor started summing up and repeating the definitions again, did his concentration waver.

Instead of reaching for his phone Draco tugged at Granger's curls again, watching her turn around, anger radiating from her in almost physical waves, with amusement.

"Would it kill you to leave me alone?" she hissed.

"We don't want to test it, do we? I am sure you wouldn't want to explain to the world that it is your fault that the great Draco Malfoy died."

"Grow up, Malfoy." With that, she turned around and Draco rolled his eyes and Theo snickered next to him.

"Stop it or it will look like you have a crush on her."

Draco elbowed him slightly into the ribs, but didn't look at her for the remainder of the class, taking notes with renewed fervour, even though he had noted most of it down already.

Hermione let herself fall into her favourite chair in the little café near the campus, dropping the bag with her books on the floor.

"You look like hell," Ginny said as she put down their usual drinks. "I took the liberty to get your drink since you were late."
Hermione mumbled a quiet thanks and took a huge gulp from her hot chocolate. "Malfoy's been bugging me a lot recently."
Ginny rose an eyebrow at that, having witnessed a lot of his taunts during their time at school, even though she was a year their junior.

"Mostly it's just his usual nasty personality and stupid quips, hair-pulling and all that. The same things he has pulled since we were eleven. But just the number of times he does it is unsettling. I mean, he went months without even looking at me since we started university and now it's like every other day."
Ginny put her cup down. "Has he called you-"
"No, he has not called me any racial slurs. I think he understands now that racism is bullshit and it might bite him in the ass. And Zabini has somehow become one of his friends. You can't be a racist and best friends with a black man."

Ginny laughed a mirthless laugh at that. "Oh, Hermione. Sometimes, I really admire your idealism. The things the boys studying with me have said… You would be surprised."
Hermione sighed. Ginny was studying journalism with a bunch of other people who got into university on sport scholarships and it showed. Not that all of them weren't intelligent, but there was certainly a meat-head quota. "I am sure. But he is smart, Ginny. An arse, but a smart arse."

"And a pretty arse," Ginny added. "A smart, racist, pretty arse. Stuff politicians are made of."

Hermione grimaced at the last bit and both girls erupted into laughter.

"Sometimes you manage to make it sound like there is something good about him." Hermione wasn't looking at Ginny when she said it, but she felt her gaze on her. Luckily, Ginny decided not to comment.

"But enough about me and the magnificent ferret. How are things with you and Harry?"

It was Ginny's turn to grimace. "Now you made it sound like you and the ferret are a thing. Gross."
Hermione laughed again, almost spilling her hot chocolate as she bumped against the table. "We are kind of a thing, Ginny. Just less in the romantic sense and more in the childhood rivalry sense. But don't change the topic. What's up with you and Harry? He didn't sound too enthusiastic the last time I saw him."

Ginny didn't answer and Hermione sighed. "Are you making a break? Again?"

The ginger pushed her empty coffee mug away. "We are. And I don't know what I am doing anymore. I feel stuck, he feels stuck and there's nothing left we have in common except sports. And you can't build a relationship on the love to sports."

Hermione hummed, understanding completely what the other woman was talking about. The second of the major reasons why Ron had ended things with her had been that they didn't have anything in common anymore. Looking back, Hermione could tell that they never had had that much in common except saving Harry from various trouble he seemed to attract. Without him there as a buffer, it simply didn't work.

"You know, I have pined on him my whole teenage life and when I have finally gotten what I wanted all the excitement was gone. But that was fine. After what had happened," she stopped, taking a deep breath as if forcing herself to continue, "I needed calm and nice and so did Harry. But now, I don't think that's what either of us wants."
"Are you going to break up with him?" Hermione asked bluntly. She knew exactly what had happened and how Ginny had lost one of her brothers, Fred, during a terrorist attack on their school by a white supremacist.

Neither she nor most of the other survivors could wrap their minds about it, all of them carrying various degrees of mental scars even years later. The whole affair was the main reason why she was sure that Malfoy had shed his former beliefs. He had been horrified, probably even more than she had been, and had not uttered a single slur since.

"I am thinking about it. I had the resolve several times already, but when I face him I simply can't do it. He is my friend after all, but there's no passion left," Ginny sighed. "Do you know how he feels about it?"
Hermione ran a hand through her hair. "You know that I have promised both of you to not play mediator."
Ginny leaned forward, grasping the other's hands."Hermione, please! I have told you what Ron had said."

"You should know that that won't work on me. You told me what Ron wanted because he asked you to."

A pout appeared on Ginny's face. "How can you be so cold?"
Hermione chuckled. "Being friends with you lot since forever does the trick."

Ginny rolled her eyes, laughing as well. "That's mean."
At Hermione' shrug she stood up. "I'll get some cake. Do you want any as well?"
Hermione declined politely, fishing out her phone from her bag while Ginny was waiting in the line. She hadn't had time to respond to the Prince's newest message yet.

Persephone: I have two ex-boyfriends. But other than that, not much. A few kisses here and there. I don't have time or really that much interest in men at the moment.

Hermione put her phone away again and smiled at Ginny. "What did you get?"

Draco was lounging on one of the sofas with Blaise while they watched some action film and read the newest messages in the group chat. The current topic were fetish parties as one was going to take place in about two months.

Batmaaaaaan: We've met at such a fetish party. Sure, we went to school together, but started looking at each other that way only after the party.

Datassismine007: We hated each other in school.

Batmaaaaaan: You were are jerk.

justaWitch: Take your foreplay elsewhere. I would really want to know more about the party as it is my first time going to one.

Casssanova: You were too young before, right?

JustaWitch: You don't have to be a jerk about it. I know that I am the youngest here.

Blaise snorted at that. "She seems to be a feisty one."
"I thought it was pathetic to pick up girls on anonymous messengers?" Draco caught the pillow Blaise threw at him mid-air, but almost jumped up when his phone vibrated, indicating he got a message, making Blaise laugh.

He read Persephone's message quickly and set to type, not seeing the second pillow Blaise threw at him before it was too late.

"Arse," he muttered.

THEPrinceCharming: You seem to be a career woman. But that fits the initial characterization. :)

"You know you are awfully interested in this girl." Blaise was laying on a hoard of pillows, studying him. "I think it is weird – obsessive even. I understand why she talks to you. But why are you more interested in her than let's say Red?"

Draco put his phone away and turned on his back so he could watch Blaise as well. "I've already told you."
"That teaching her something in this context gets you off is not a good reason, Draco."

Draco ran a hand over his face. "She said that she won't meet me under any circumstances. I can open up to her without the actual danger that she will track me down because she values her own privacy way too much for that. Is that a good enough reason?"

"So you pour your heart out to a stranger you know about 24h?" Blaise turned off the TV, not that either of them was paying it any attention.

"I haven't yet. But I might. And it's a really tempting prospect."

Blaise shook his head at that. "You seriously need help."

Draco rolled his eyes and took his phone again, opening the group chat.

JustaWitch: Do you guys want to meet up during the party?

Datasssismine007: I am not even sure if we can go. The curse of the working man.

ThePrinceCharming: No

He threw his phone away in annoyance, ignoring Blaise's knowing look and turned on the TV again. If Draco was the best at anything, it would be ignoring his problems.