This was the fiftieth time that I looked over at the Slytherin table, frowning once again as I saw Crabbe and Goyle- who were, surprisingly, not eating- but no signs of beautiful blonde hair. I hadn't seen Malfoy since the incident in Potions class. I knew what his schedule was like, and I was already dripping with concern after he didn't show up for Transfiguration. Now, he hadn't shown up for dinner, and my fingers were tapping restlessly against the wooden table.

"What's wrong, 'Mione?" Ginny muttered in my ear. I looked at her, smiling inwardly as Harry licked his lips behind her.

I shrugged and pushed my food around my plate. "Nothing, Ginny."

"You haven't eaten anything since dinner started, Hermione," Harry piped in, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes. It's not like I could just come out and say I was worried about Malfoy. To be honest, I didn't know why I was worried in the first place. There was nothing between us, except for phenomenal sex. There was no reason why I should care about the slithering git in the first place.

But there were those moments when I felt like it was something more between us. When he would casually lean down and kiss me sweetly as we made love. Every time he blew me an exaggerated kiss in Defense Against the Dark Arts when Snape would embarrass me again and again. There were times when we'd lay down and just talk about our day before making beautiful love together.

I frowned and glared down at my plate. Then there were the teasing times, like the incident in Potions. There was no talking after sex, even when I really wanted to tell him how great it was for me. There were caresses, kisses, touching, but then, he'd dress and leave me there.

But before he left, he'd lay my clothes out for me on the bed and give me a tender kiss on the forehead, the nose, or my lips. He would make unconscious comments about how much he loved my lips, my hair, my body. He showed me how much he appreciated me by giving me mind-blowing pleasure instead of thinking of his own pleasure.

I glanced up at the Slytherin table again, frowning after realizing that he wasn't going to show up. There was so much more to Malfoy than his evil persona; he was a caring person, a giving person, a good person. I saw in the way he treated me. I saw it in the way he treated Blaise Zabini. Sighing, I checked my watch and slowly gathered my bag together. It was ten o'clock, and I needed to start heading to the Room of Requirement. A knot of fear formed in my stomach. What if Malfoy was done with me already? I knew we wouldn't be able to take this relationship past Hogwarts, but what if he was finished now? It was too soon for me. There was so much more time I wanted to spend with him. He was my escape from the Gryffindors, from Harry and Ron, from the library. He gave me a distraction from schoolwork, and he relieved the stress that I harbored day after day.

"Hermione, where are you going?" Ron asked after swallowing a large bite of turkey. I smiled fondly at him, and he blushed. He knew how much I hated when he talked with his mouth full of food.

"Just the library," I answered him, and he nodded. "McGonagall's homework is due in two weeks, and I need to finish it by tomorrow." Ron furrowed his brow but said nothing. It may have been a lie, but on any other day, that would be true. I strived to be the best, to prove that muggleborns could be better at magic and magical knowledge than purebloods. Malfoy's racist comments were my sole motivation for being the best witch at Hogwarts.

"Hermione, can we talk for a bit?" Harry asked shyly, and I glanced at Ginny to see her hide her face behind her hair. Ron stared at us curiously, his eyes darkening before lighting up to that beautiful blue. I frowned but nodded, and the two of us headed off to the library. I glanced nervously at the staircase, hoping Malfoy wasn't on the fifth floor already. He hated when I was late.

"What's the matter, Harry?"

He sighed and pulled a brown piece of parchment, and I rolled my eyes at him. "Hear me out, Hermione," he started. "Something's just not adding up with Malfoy. I've been tracking him, and he always disappears right here, on this spot. Where do you suppose he goes? He's got to be up to something dangerous, I know it. He's a-"

"Harry James Potter," I whirled on him, and his eyes widened at the ferocity of my voice. "I know how horrible of a person Malfoy has been at Hogwarts, but you need to stop assuming that he is working for Voldemort. He's a child, Harry. What the hell would Voldemort want with a boy? Malfoy may be a bully, but he is no Death Eater. He doesn't have it in him to be that evil, to work for the cruelest wizard of all time!" And I knew that was true. Malfoy would never be a Death Eater. I've seen the way his eyes light up when his mother sends him something. I've felt the sweet kisses he presses into my hair when he thinks I'm sleep. I've seen him as a true friend to Blaise. Someone as sweet as him- no matter how much he hid it- could not be a Death Eater.

Harry stared at me, his mouth open and hanging widely. "Hermione, I didn't mean to offend you. I'm so sorry."

I bit my lip, and my eyes softened, guilt swirling in my chest. "No, you didn't offend me, Harry. It's just hard to imagine a student as a Death Eater, even if the student is Malfoy."

Harry nodded solemnly, but said, "Even if he's not a Death Eater, why does he disappear off of the map?"

I shrugged as we continued walking towards the library. "Maybe he leaves the castle," I offered as a suggestion, even though I knew it was false.

Harry shook his head slowly. "No, the wards are too strong for him to go in and out. Maybe he goes to the Room of Requirement!"

I chewed on my bottom lip, stuffing my hands into the pockets of my robes so Harry wouldn't see them shake. "Why do you think that?"

"Well, it's the room that's always hidden. I couldn't possibly be able to see it on the map when it hides itself until someone asks for it."

I shrugged, stopping at the library door and facing my best friend. His green eyes were shining with pride, and I would hate to diminish it. "That's a possibility, Harry. It's probably true."

He smiled brightly, and I returned the smile shakily. "Brilliant!" he announced, giving me a quick hug goodbye and running off. As soon as he turned the corner, and his footsteps faded, I sprinted to the staircase, focused on making it to Draco Malfoy.

I stopped from my jog to the fifth floor as Blaise Zabini stood outside the stone wall, where the door to the Room of Requirement would be. He glanced towards me with wide eyes, and his dark brow furrowed.

"What the hell are you doing here, Granger?" he questioned menacingly, his chocolate brown eyes hardening on my frame.

I crossed my arms over my chest, standing in front of him as I hastily glanced at the wall. "That's none of your business, Zabini."

"Shouldn't you be in the library? Or with your lot of lions?"

"Shouldn't you be slithering around on the ground in the dungeons?"

He smirked slowly and leaned back on the wall. "I did that before dinner started."

I pursed my lips and glanced at the wall again. This time, he caught me. He looked behind his shoulder, then back at me, then behind his shoulder again. Then, he looked at me with full-blown grin. "What do you want, Granger?"

I shook my head furiously. "Nothing at all, Zabini."

"Then what's a girl like you doing here on the fifth floor? You weren't looking for something, were you? Perhaps a door?" I glared hatefully at him, my lips thinning into a straight line, and he laughed loudly. "Please, Gryffindork, I wouldn't let you into the room even if you cursed me."

I tilted my head to the side. "Why not, Zabini? What are you hiding?"

His smirk fell, but quickly reappeared as his cool persona came back into place. "That's for me to know, and you to?" He looked at me expectantly and laughed when I rolled my eyes at him.

"Please, Zabini, get lost."

"I was here first, mudblood."

I didn't even flinch at the 'nickname'. "You're not even doing anything but leaning here and looking miserable."

He opened his mouth and put a hand on his heart in mock hurt. "I actually look very good, mind you Granger. Every girl in our year and above has said so."

I scoffed. "Every girl but me."

He smirked lazily. "If you could even be considered of that class."

I opened my mouth to retort, but the door suddenly appeared, and Blaise hopped away from it. He glanced at me nervously just before Draco came out, his eyes dark with anger. He looked up to see me, surprise filling him as he said my name. "Granger? What are you doing here?" He glanced at his watch and blanched.

He had forgot.

The killing curse would've been better than the apologetic look he gave me. My eyes closed, and I cleared my throat as a lump formed. I clasped my hands behind my back to stop them from shaking, and I inhaled slowly through my nose to keep the sobs from escaping. Draco Malfoy had forgot about our night together. It may not have been a big deal to the other girls he had been with, but it was a big deal to me. This was the only way that he showed me he had an inch of respect for me. This was the only time that he showed me he could care for another human being. This was the only time that he treated me like I was worth more than my 'mudblood' title. And he forgot that this was the time that I could be his and only his.

I opened my eyes and glared at both boys, and Draco let out a low sigh. "What am I doing here?" I mocked him in a high pitched voice, and his eyebrows rose in shock. "I was going to use the Room of Requirement as my escape since the library didn't do it for me anymore but looks like you were here first." I nodded my head at him and flashed him a fake smile of apology. "I'm sorry. I forgot Slytherins were entitled to the room. I forgot Slytherins even knew where it was, but it seems like you come here every night, Malfoy." Blaise stared at me in shock, his mouth agape, and I stomped off down the hall, my face red hot with anger. It wasn't like Malfoy to forget the nights we spent together. He cherished them just as much as I did, but now it felt like our nights weren't important anymore. And what the hell was he doing by himself anyway? I stopped in my tracks as the blood drained from my face. What if he hadn't been alone? I sunk to the floor and grasped my hair. No, I wasn't done with him yet. I wasn't done feeling special. I wasn't done feeling beautiful. If he left me, I'd be the frumpy and prudish Hermione Granger, not the enticing and sensual beauty that he craved after. I would be stuck with Harry and Ron, not with a boy who acknowledges that I am worth much more than homework and rules.

I was hauled to my feet and slammed into the wall, my throat letting out a painful groan as Draco's face appeared in front of mine. "What the bloody hell was that about, Granger?"

I glared at him and crossed my arms over my chest defensively. "How could you forget?"

His eyes softened to a light blue, and his hand ran angrily through his hair. "Shit, Granger, I lost track of time."

"What were you doing in there, Draco?"

"Nothing that concerns you."

"It concerns me if you weren't alone. Merlin, have I bored you already?"

He stared at me incredulously and shook his head frantically. "No, of course not Granger. I wasn't with anyone, I was alone. Why the hell would you think I didn't want you anymore?"

I stuttered and stared at Draco, his eyes full of blue life, and his full lips pursed in a pout. "Because," I said lamely, "you forgot."

He pressed me into the wall by pining me to it with his hips, and his lips pressed a small kiss to my temple. I breathed in his masculine scent, sighing as hints of lemon wafted around me. "I'm sorry, Granger." He apologized softly, one his hands resting on my hip and the other sliding smoothly into my hair. "I couldn't tire of you even if I tried." He hesitated with a gasp, then muttered, "You're my escape."

My hands slid into his hair, and I massaged his scalp. His eyes fluttered closed, and his nose pressed into mine. "Your escape from what, Draco?"

"Life. Pressure."

"Pressure of what?"

He sighed and slid away from me, grabbing my hand and pulling me back to the Room of Requirement. "It's nothing, Granger. Let's just enjoy this while we can."

While we can. The words were true, but they still pierced my heart. I knew there was no future with me and Draco. How long would this affair last between us, then? I knew, with sour disappointment, that he could never be with a mudblood like me. I knew, too, that my friends would never speak to me again if they knew I was with the enemy, Draco Malfoy. Sometimes I think Harry feels like Draco was worse than Voldemort.

But, as Draco paced in front of the wall and held the door open for me, I knew I wouldn't be able to stay away for now. Just as I was an escape for him, he was an escape for me. It was tiring trying to prove how much I could live in the magical world when prejudice was all around me. It was hard being Harry's and Ron's best friend when I was the one who had to make all the smart decisions in the group. I was tired of being used just for my brain.

Then, Draco comes along and stirs up some serious trouble. I was obsessed with the boy, not because he was gorgeous, but because he brought out the passionate side of me that no one ever could. He brought out my fire, and it was a way to let the stress leave my body. He treated as more than a walking encyclopedia; he treated me as if I was a princess. His princess.

"Hermione," he whispered huskily as he sat me down on the king-sized bed the room conjured up. He took of my shoes slowly and massaged my feet. I fell back onto the golden covers and let the pleasure take over me. "I hope you don't mind me apologizing for the whole night. I just have to make it up to you."

I propped myself up on my elbows to see him smirking at me. I smirked back, and he smiled brightly. "It may take me a while to get over this, Draco. It may take you a whole week to get back on my good side again."

He leisurely crawled up my body like a cat and leaned over me, smoothing my hair from my face. "Looks like I better get started then."