Warning: Once more, sexual content and other such blather.

Chapter 11: Sadness and Joy

The next day was a Tuesday, since Halloween had unfortunately fallen on a Monday that year, so Draco rose early. He saw no reason, however, why May should not be allowed to sleep late. So, with a light kiss, Draco had left his slumbering girlfriend and gone to class.

Oddly, Granger's door was still closed and it looked like the lights were out. Draco at first figured she had risen early, but when he didn't see her at breakfast he started to worry. He didn't care if Granger was too sick to go to class, what he cared about was her seeing May and saying something about it. Draco hadn't checked, but he was pretty sure there were school rules against having strange non-students spend the night, especially strange non-students of the opposite sex.

Either way, there was nothing he could do; it was already time for class. Granger was missing the entire day, and it seemed that Draco wasn't the only one who noticed her disappearance. Potter and Weasley looked slightly concerned, while Jule didn't seem to particularly care. The teachers were all rather surprised, except for Snape who cared even less than Jule did.

Eventually it was lunch time. Instead of eating Draco rushed back upstairs to the Head's Commons and straight to his own room, not bothering to check if Granger had seen anything in case she hadn't.

May was still sleeping when he arrived, a strange peacefulness about her face that Draco found endearing. Leaning over her and shaking her gently, Draco roused her. "Good morning," he said.

"Morning," May mumbled incoherently. "Where am I?"

"My room."

May sat bolt upright. "What time is it!" She demanded shrilly.

"Um, about noon," Draco replied hesitantly. "Does it matter?"

"You let me sleep in!" Even more shrilly. "Why would you do that?"

Draco was getting angry now too. "Oh, I don't know, I was just trying to be nice! What's your problem, where do you need to be so bad anyway?"

May seemed to be trying to calm herself down. "No where, don't worry about it," she breathed. He could tell she was still upset though, and that she was hiding something. "Could you just give me a little space, please Draco? I need to get dressed and go home."

Nodding sullenly Draco left, slamming the door behind him like a petulant child.

As soon as Draco was gone Hermione completely panicked. Grabbing May's clothing she ran to her own room and pulled on her uniform. Glancing in the mirror she realized that she still didn't look like herself. Almost screaming in frustration she quickly cast the spell to remove the appearance enhancers. She then raced out the door and down the stairs. That morning she had only missed three classes, Transfiguration, Herbology and Potions. Working it out in her mind she decided to play sick, even going so far as to cast a few spells to give her the semblance of a fever and a runny nose (these spells were of course not taught or even known at Hogwarts, but could be learned from a very convenient little book called The Weasley Cure from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.)

She quickly made her way to McGonagall's room, who reacted as Hermione had expected she would: forgiving and concerned about her star pupil's absence. Professor Sprout reacted similarly, but Snape deducted twenty house points and gave her three detentions. Hermione cursed under her breath over the detentions but, as Head Girl, merely awarded twenty points to a Gryffindor first year for opening the door for her to replace the points she had lost.

Hermione continued to pretend to be sick during the afternoon, and was even allowed to leave Charms, her last class of the day, early because she looked so ill. Jule had regarded her coolly and without any feeling when they had finally run into each other at the beginning of Charms. She listened without comment as Hermione told her what had happened and she didn't seem to have anything to offer after Hermione was done talking. She had merely shrugged in an irritatingly meaningless way and taken some notes. Hermione decided to be mad at her. After all, Hermione had only lost her virginity! And the sex had not been good.

Ron and Harry had been more concerned than Jule, which was surprising considering the way they had pretty much ignored her since meeting Jule. They had eagerly inquired after her health and asked if there was anything they could do to make her feel better. In spite of her anger at being ignored for so long Hermione was touched and felt herself forgiving them, just a little. Since she couldn't tell them what had happened Hermione had sent them scurrying to fetch her tea and dinner and then deliver the food to her room; just because she had forgiven them some didn't mean that they didn't owe her.

Once Hermione had been set up with food, tea, and a book in front of her fire-place she had dismissed the boys. After all the crazy happenings of late she just wanted to sit in a comfortable chair and relax. The reading material was, of course, Hogwarts: A History.

Hermione was actually in a good mood, having been distracted by her book, until Draco had stormed into the common room. He was clearly still angry over "May's" irrational behavior earlier. Hermione felt a little bad about it; he had been trying to be sweet to her and she had yelled at him for it. Granted, what he had done had been stupid, but it was the stupidity of ignorance, which was her fault, and could therefore be forgiven.

However Draco, spying Hermione by the fireside, only saw someone to vent his frustration and anger on. "Hey mudblood," he sneered. "Played sick 'cause no one asked you to the ball last night, did you?"

Hermione had started at his unfamiliar tone. She had barely spoken to him as herself lately and he never spoke that way to May. Now angry again Hermione sneered back, "Don't call me that, you stupid hypocrite, everyone knows that you went to the ball with some muggle-born girl claiming to be your girlfriend. Harry told me."

Draco seemed slightly taken aback by her logical response but he was quickly overcome with anger once more. "Well, she probably won't be my girlfriend for much longer, so mudblood, mudblood, MUDBLOOD!" He yelled, storming into his room. Hermione bit her lip in consternation. She had to fix this.

Later that night, around midnight, Hermione altered her appearance and borrowed a school broom from the broom shed. She made the ridiculously short trip from her room to Draco's on the broom and knocked on his window impatiently. Draco glanced up in surprise from where he lay on his bed, clearly not sleeping yet, with only a pair of boxers on. He hurried to open the window for her, a look of irritation on his face.

"If you're here to yell at me don't bother," he said sullenly. Hermione just smiled apologetically.

"Look, I'm sorry I freaked out on you earlier," she said, looking down. "You were trying to be sweet and I never told you I needed to be home early. My parents don't like me staying out all night so I had hoped to sneak in early in the morning, but you didn't know that." Hermione inwardly cringed at the lie but continued dutifully. "So, I'm sorry I ruined everything and I hope you can forgive me." By now Hermione was only a foot away from Draco and was looking into his eyes earnestly. Draco sighed before smiling and hugging her.

"It's okay," he muttered into her hair. "I'm sorry I let you oversleep."

Hermione smiled into his shoulder, glad to be so close again, to smell his clean skin and to be safe in his arms. "Last night…" he started but trailed off. "I'm sorry if it wasn't what you expected…"

"It was my first time," Hermione whispered. She could feel his body stiffen. "I'm glad it was with you," she continued, looking up into his eyes now. "And even if it wasn't what I expected, tonight could always be better…" she trailed off suggestively.

Draco grinned before kissing her gently and picking her up. Hermione gave a little shriek as she was swept off her feet and she smiled happily as he laid her on his bed. Slowly, sensuously, Draco removed her clothing, first pulling away her shirt and bra and then her pants and underwear, kissing every inch of skin as it was revealed to him. Hermione sighed in pleasure through this treatment, gasping and moaning in shocked pleasure as he took her right nipple in his mouth. He proceeded to nibble and lick at it until it was like a hard little pebble before turning to her other nipple, continuing to caress her right breast with his hand. Draco then moved down further, trailing kisses along Hermione's abdomen and moving down towards her crotch, kissing and licking her most secret place. Eventually, before Hermione came, Draco decided she had had enough and he abruptly stood to remove his own clothing. Then his mouth was back at Hermione's kissing her passionately, his hands everywhere, his taught body pressed against hers. Then he was inside of her again, but this time there was no pain, only pleasure and Hermione could feel it building steadily, with every thrust and every moan uttered by both of them. Eventually, after several minutes of heavy thrusting, they came together.

"Draco," Hermione gasped, laying back. "Oh, May," Draco murmured, nuzzling into her neck. Hermione felt her stomach grip, and she felt slightly nauseous. For the first time it bothered her to hear the fake name on Draco's lips. For the first time she cared whether he knew it was her or not. For the first time she wanted him to know that it was her, Hermione, and not some imaginary dream girl. But for now Hermione could say nothing, do nothing, but lie in his arms and run her fingers over his back, sighing in sadness and in joy.

A/N: A short chapter, but one with some better action to perhaps make up for that. Review!

Preview:

"Look," she ground out. "I know you hate me, but it's Christmas Eve and I'm bored silly, so can we just call a truce and play wizard's chess together or something, because if I can't talk to anyone I think I'll go crazy."