THE SEVEN SINS
CHAPTER 11: LUST: LUXURIA II

A bit of lusting after someone does wonders for the skin -Elizabeth Hurley.

The day that Hermione had been 'weirdified' as the twins had called it, Harry had spent much of his time on his bed that night tossing and turning. Hermione's words were flip flopping over and over in his mind, swirling in his conscious thoughts and appearing vividly in his subconscious ones.

"You don't realize, do you?"

"Realize what?"

"Realize that you both feel the same way, of course,"

Was he falling for Draco? If he was…would the blonde accept it?

All those questions, that invaded his each and every private thought, circled around those two, paraphrasing, summarizing, and translating it into different forms. But the meaning was the same.

Draco couldn't sleep either.

He had had no idea either about why Hermione –the new Hermione, that is– was looking at him in such a queer manner. The way that her eyes circled around his form, as if following something… he shivered.

And her words…her words that she had said to Harry…

The Harry that he had once thought he could call his own…

Was it still possible? Was it still possible that he could still have Harry, even after what had been said and done that very day?

Draco rolled over in his bed.

Harry had said very clearly that he hadn't known what Hermione was talking about –and Harry was very dense sometimes. Perhaps he really hadn't known?

Yet his tone had given him away –it felt as if Harry had known. Surely, then, Draco thought miserably, that it meant he had no chance?

But what if Harry had known…and he had been hiding his true feelings? Scared that Draco would not reciprocate? Just like Draco was scared of Harry not reciprocating his feelings for him?

Draco groaned aloud. At this rate, he'd never sleep.

He imagined in his head, wrapping all his problems in emerald green ribbon and silver paper and throwing it all away, into a large dark hole. Then he went to sleep.

Ignoring how the colours of the ribbon had matched Harry's eyes.

-

When the sun shone in just the right way, the roses would look almost transparent.

Ever since Harry had told him that they would be able to change the landscape whenever they wanted to –as long as, of course, it fitted the season –and fallen asleep, Draco had been doing just that. He'd been experimenting with the scenery as the brunette in his lap slept.

So far, the entire landscape looked completely frosty, although both he and Harry were wrapped in scarves and warming spells. Ice roses wound their way up different tress and branches, curving their way like vines and decorating everything.

Both he and Harry hadn't slept well and they had known as soon as they had seen each other at breakfast. Harry had insisted on dragging Draco back to the rock pools to rest...and so they had done so...but Draco hadn't slept.

Draco sighed, cradling the dark head belonging to no other than Harry Potter, his nemesis-turned friend. It was strange how events had turned out; he had never expected the sudden change of status between him and Harry. He had never even contemplated growing as close to Harry as he was now, never contemplated the fact that Harry could possibly trust him one day. Trust him enough that he would lie, sleeping in his arms without any scruples in doing so.

In his arms…

Unconsciously Draco held Harry closer.

Somehow, he wished that Harry wasn't just his friend. That he would somehow, someday, be something more. He ran his hands through the raven tufts of hair –Harry had once told him that he slept well when his hair was in strands, and not lumped together in tufts. When they were in tufts it often meant that he hadn't slept well at all, not matter how he combed, brushed, or gelled.

He thought some more, just as the sun started rising to the middle of the sky. It was a Saturday, but not a Hogsmeade one, and the students, therefore, stayed at the school wandering about. He contemplated, before a stirring in his lap let him know that Harry was waking.

"You haven't slept," Harry said, reproachfully. Sleepily, he reached up with his arms, with his hands, and rubbing the dark circles under grey, silverish eyes. Groggily, he pushed himself up, Draco helping him, then reversed their positions. Draco, who had been about to protest, found his tired, aching head lying on Harry's lap. Breathing in Harry's scent, he found himself loosening his shoulders, and closing his eyes…

Harry leant down, smiling at the adorable sight of Draco snuggling into the warmth of his body. Brotherly, he kissed Draco's forehead…then, hesitatingly, he kissed Draco….this time on his lips.

Draco had been on the brink of sleep when he had felt Harry kiss his forehead. He had smiled, inwardly, painfully, wishing it had meant more…then, he had felt Harry kiss him on the lips, softly…lovingly, like he cared. He had been startled awake for a few seconds…then, after fluttering his eyes open and having grey look at green and green look at grey…he fell asleep, still in Harry's arms, still in Harry's arms…

"Love you too," Draco murmured drowsily, softly, before falling back into slumber. And Harry, whose eyes glowed a light, sunlit-moss green, smiled, and leaned down saying: "Sleep well, my love."

In the Room of Requirement, brown eyes snapped open.

-

When Ron had returned from a detention from one Professor Snape, he had expected to be greeted by a warm, roaring fire, red and gold walls, and a sadness that accompanied a common room without Hermione. He had not quite bargained for a greeting by a warm, roaring fire, red and gold walls, and a common room with one smirking Hermione Granger.

For a moment, his heart sang as only lovers' could, and his mouth started turning into a smile. Until he remembered what had happened, and wondered if this Hermione was his. His Hermione.

And then she was walking towards him, swaying towards him, and sitting herself on his lap. And he had allowed her, hypnotised by her eyes.

Hermione's eyes were dark, chocolate brown, seductive, but not warm. Only cool, like metal.

She was running her leg along his, brushing her fingertips down the slope of his neck, and along his shoulders and…

He sat up, pushing her from his lap.

What was she doing? She had been normal just yesterday! Why was she doing this?

Frantically, he tried pushing her off his lap, and failed. She was stronger than the day before, and her eyes had contained nothing. Contained nothing of the slight return of warmth that they had had just one day before. Something had happened, and it had sucked her down into that thing…Anger rose in his chest as he remembered, and pain. For this was not Hermione…

He tried again and succeeded. Holding her wrists together, he quickly dragged her up, towards the Room of Requirement.

I wish for something that can hold Hermione in here, I wish for something that can hold Hermione in here.

He held her in place, knowing that, even if he didn't want to see this, didn't want to do this to her, he had to. As the walls somehow contorted, throwing strings around her body, Ron watched as Hermione seemed to scream.

"Don't hurt her!" he said, suddenly, frightened that they would; no matter what form Hermione took, no matter what kind of things she did, he still cared for her. He still loved her.

As the walls finally settled, binding a furious Hermione to the wall, he grinned sadly, like a clown whose very face behind the make-up, behind the act, was crying.

Then, he went forwards and kissed her on the forehead, as a friend would. As he would have done when he had been younger.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear, before he left, and then he was gone, out of the Room. He knew Hermione would have been humiliated if he had stayed; although he took his station outside the door.

He owed Hermione that much.


A/N: I am sorry that this is so late. These days all I seem to do it apolgise to my poor reviewers. However, there is one thing that I will definitely not do whenever I put up a fanfic, and that is abandon it...unless of course, I am in a coma, or anything as bad, I will not do such a thing.

If one must look for excuses/reasons, I suppose you must blame the fact that I did have bronchitus, and that I had it for 2 months, that it got more serious during Christmas, and that because of this my parents' overprotective streak concerning my health was aroused. I had to sleep at 8 pm/7 pm every night. I tried what I think was every single antibiotic adn every single Chinese herbal medicine on the planet. After this, you would think that I had had a break...apparently not, as I was then forced to relent to a computer that broke down the total of 3 times during the last month. With which in every time it broke down, my chapters were lost. The 4th time it broke down was yesterday, but fortunately common sense told me to save it on the following: all 5 emails, my ipod, the computer, the school's computer, and my broken down laptop.

I used the ipod one: the school computer decided to delete my file.

I sincerely hope that you all enjoyed 'Santa Baby', which was my Christmas present to you, as well as accepting my apolgies for everything. I will be updating a one-shot soon just for you guys as well...it happens to make me cry.

Thanks. Every 2 week schedule will continue from now on...updates on Thursdays.

P.S, if the ending seems wonky, i'm sorry...I had to writ it twice...and I promise that after tis chapter I will try nto to say so many sorrys!

Replies to Reviewers: Megalicious Moony: Well, the surprise was 'Santa Baby' as I said...I hope you all had a better Christmas than I did...at least health-wise. I've finished my novel, and though not my best quality, I am very proud of it!

Intangible Lollipop: Thank you. I hope you keep reviewing.

JJCJ: I'm actually an agnostic, so I wouldn't have been able to decide between any of those. I am personalyl leaning towards Christianity though. I find it quite weird and terrifying that there are no flames for my fics yet...it's actually quite remarkable. I can only say that you are all very nice!

Aseret Kitsune: I wondered if anyone would guess Hermione...I'm pretty sure no one did! However, I'm glad I gave you a surprise!

Evil Faerie Queen: I'm glad that you even like it! I find it rather amusing though, that you tell em you liek ti right after commenting that it's getting even more complicated...rigth now I'm wishing for more sins, because I'm going to have to do a lot in the next 'fic-time 2 weeks'.

clayscarface: Long time no read! At least, me reading the reviews anyway. As you can see...they took the advice alright, but I bet that it was an unconventional way to get together! I have even worse humor, so no problem...I'm afraid that the next one won't be Ron though...I wonder if any of you can guess who it is? It's someone rather important... I didn't quite realise you were counting down!

JadeLilyMalfoy: Really? I always thought it was just in the fanfic world that she was so seductive..I was thinking that when she'd grow older she'd become a real knockout...both academically and ..well, in the real context.

Dark Angel's Blue Fire: Thank you! I hope your opinion extends to this one as well!

SwordMasterk14: I am sorry your had to wait so long for this one! But it's here!

ImpishyNymph: Don't worry too much about Ron. I put him in angst only to show a different side to him that everyone else sees in the HPDM fics -which is either the super negative, or the I am gay too!. I've rarely seen a mature Ron well written. Having said that, it's been increasing nowadays, so maybe I will take back that comment in the future.

Persephone-Butterfly: Yes, this chapter's dedicated to you. I hope you liked it! I'll give you a clue about their..er..situation. They aren't possessed. But thank you for the well wishes with the holiday.

Julia: Well, I couldn't leave HPDM out of the summary. I was rather worried that a bunch of flamers would attack my fic, and say that it was complete rubbish, then attack my house. I'm afraid we don't have fire insurance over here. But yes, apart from that I hoped you loved this chapter, because it had HPDM action!

The one and only ZARIA: I'm updating! I shall apologise profusely again! This whole thnig will end in about two months by the way.

Katsy15: Again, thank you very much for your comment!