CONTEST WINNER THIS CHAPTER: Adele_Morgan recommended the song, "Words" by Anthony David & India Arie for this go around. So, this chapter is dedicated to Adele_Morgan—congratulations! Lyrics for that song appear at the bottom of this chapter. Hope you'll find this song somehow and give it a listen.

Remember, I'll accept song suggestions for each couple, as well as digitally manipulated images of live people and your original hand-drawn or digitally drawn fanart for this story up until the end of this fic is published. SEND ME YOUR LISTS OR ARTWORK to: rzzmg at yahoo dot com.

P.S. Unseenlibrarian – A HUGE THANK YOU. This chapter would not have been half as funny without your suggestions and your excellent beta work!

Folks, some of this chapter was co-written with Unseenlibrarian, so please remembered to thank her in your reviews! Without her, I think this chappy would have seriously flopped.

PLEASE REVIEW!

CHAPTER EIGHT: THE 7th QUESTION

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, Scotland

Room of Requirement

Sunday, June 14, 1998 (3:45 am)

When they were all seated in their proper places on the couches, Draco signaled Seamus to take the next Interrogations card from the stack. The sofa dipped a bit as he leaned forward, jostling Lavender and causing Hermione to lean a tad in his direction. He pulled the next card, sat back and read it:

"If you had to pick one person that you would have to get drunk off your arse to sleep with, who would that person be?"

With his accent being thicker than usual, Theo asked him to repeat the question slowly, and he did, not taking offense. Everyone got it on the second go.

Play turned to Lavender first.

"Are we talking only staff and students at Hogwarts, or others?" she asked.

"Well, since it's me card," Sea grinned, nonchalantly tossing the card onto the table and watching as it magically moved itself to the bottom of the pile. "I was thinkin' Hogwarts when I wrote it, but I'll leave the options open-ended. Ya can answer anyone."

Hermione's roommate's lips twisted and her face drew into some serious contemplation. "Snape," she finally decided. "He's so… scary… and gross. I've come across decomposed bodies that were less offensive."

Heads bobbed in agreement all around. Yes, their foul-tempered, greasy Potions Master could easily have been bottled up and sold as a popular sex repellent at market. However, Hermione could certainly come up with a few others who topped even him for the number one reason to take birth control.

When play moved to her, she made a 'weighing the balance' motion with her hands to either side as she tried to determine in her head which fellow was the worse of the two she'd felt were tied for top slot in the 'do not shag under pain of utter humiliation' category.

"Hmmm…I can't decide between Crabbe or Goyle."

Across the way, Draco snorted. "Not much difference there. Either's a rot choice."

Hermione gaped at him. "Fine, I'd pick Crabbe—but they're supposed to be your good mates!"

Her partner coolly shrugged and looked down at his nails, picking at them. "I haven't hung around with them much since sixth year, as I don't care for their abiding and misguided loyalty to all of that blood status nonsense."

No one said a word, and it seemed as if the very air had just been sucked out of the room. Hermione's heart pounded a mile a minute under her ribs. Malfoy had just openly declared himself no longer a follower of pure-blood devotion.

Harry turned to her. "What is this, Invasion of the Body Snatchers?" he snickered. "Or are you just rubbing off on him in the right way?"

Aware that her partner most likely wouldn't take the comment in the joking spirit it had been given, Hermione decided to play it off. Fluffing her hair in an exaggerated vanity, she threw a red-faced Draco a sultry wink to try to calm his temper. "It's all me, Harry. I'm just that fantastic at the rubbing thing." She grinned at her partner and let her eyes roam him from top to bottom, diverting his attention with a seductive smile as she reached for a red action card. "I'm enjoying every minute of it, too."

Beside her, Lavender laughed. "Why, Hermione Granger, I do believe you've finally gotten in touch with your inner slag!"

"It's about time!" Ginny replied from the open door of her room as she stepped out. She appeared in a long, secured robe, and waved to everyone. "Loo break," she announced with a giggle. "Don't mind me." She crossed the room and headed into the girl's.

A moment later, Blaise appeared in a masculine version of Gin's robe and headed into the men's. He smirked and nodded his head in 'hello' to Malfoy on his way through the room, but didn't utter a word otherwise.

The heady scent of sex trailed after both of them.

"Holy shit, did you see his neck‒?" Lavender began, but Sea clapped a hand over her mouth and pulled her against him.

"Gossipin' ain't good fer the soul, angel," he chastised, but ruined the effect by turning her into him and planting a kiss on her nose. "'Sides, I don't think I like ya lookin' at any part o' Zabini."

She frowned at him, her pride clearly stung. Firmly, she removed her partner's hands from her person. "I don't recall having to ask permission from you for anything, Finnigan."

His downturned mouth matched hers now. "And I don't like me woman staring at an ex o' hers like he's some tasty piece o' meat," he growled.

Godric's bane, was jealousy an infectious disease all of the sudden? For the past few rounds, everyone—especially the men—seemed to be catching…

Her gaze flew to the cards on the table before her, her suspicions reigniting. They weren't glowing, sparking, sputtering or otherwise changing colour as many magical objects, like wands or enchanted jewellery, tended to do when they were used, however. Yet, she also knew from the rules that the game's magical contract, made in advance by all of them when they'd written their names on the Partners cards, had significant influence over the truthfulness of their answers when any of the players chose to reply to an Interrogations question, rather than dodge it. They also knew that without express permission in advance, players couldn't touch or harm each other outside of a Deeds or Forfeits card's allowance. So, clearly the game had some powerful sway over the group's physical and mental processes.

But how far did that reach extend exactly?

Specifically, were the cards intentionally inciting emotional responses from the players and if so, for what purpose? Or were the odd outbursts she'd been noticing from the other contestants over the last few hours—everything from fast-burning sexual attraction to green-eyed anger to immense sorrow—simply a by-product of the game forcing couples to interact, of painful or scary truths being revealed, and of guards dropping as people's exhaustion slowly began to take its toll?

A part of her itched to pick up her wand and try a few spells upon the deck to reveal a table of contents of its magical attributes, but the voice of reason in the back of her head chastised such paranoia. After all, would Madam Aset have really been foolish enough to give a client of hers a dangerous magical game—especially given the Malfoy family's financial and political backing? That would be simply folly.

As Hermione contemplated that question, Captain Harry put an end to their teammates' bickering. "So, it's my turn right?" he asked and clapped his hands together, rubbing them and gave a lopsided grin. "Right, I've given it some serious thought: I don't care how drunk you got me, you couldn't pay me to shag Percy Weasley. He's always been and always will be a totalprat."

Just like the, the mood in the room lightened.

Lavender and Sea glowered at each other, but backed down, and everyone else thought Harry's comment just too amusing. Malfoy snorted, Theo nodded his head with a smirk, and Daphne cleared her throat, too polite to outwardly comment (but her look said it all).

They'd all had some exposure to Ron's older brother when he'd served as Prefect during their first and second years at school, and then as Head Boy during their third year. He'd made enough of a bad impression over that time, handing out more detentions and docking more House points than any Prefect or Head Boy in modern history, to cause people to still wonder how that fat head of his fit through doorways.

Drawn out of her gloomy deliberation, Hermione laughed at her friend's cleverness. Like Greengrass had last round, Harry had found a way around the cards' gender ambiguity for the sake of a joke while remaining truthful at the same time.

Harry indicated that he was passing the torch onto Theo for his turn by reaching for a red card.

"Right, so where do I start the list?" her ex teased, leaning back in the cushions of the sofa, crossing his legs and smirking. "Shite, there are loads of people I'd never want to shag unless I was too wasted to know better. I mean, who'd willingly fuck Moody? Gods, I'd be creeped out to have that eye of his zeroed-in on my pecker. And Pince is probably as dried up and crusty as an ancient scroll of parchment. And shit, could you see anyone seriously wanting to fuck Dumbledore, old 'Twinkly Eyes'? Gives a whole new meaning to the idea of 'penetrating stare'."

Daphne slapped her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle, but quickly regained her composure. She sniffed, adopting her normally disinterested air. "An intriguing list, but I believe the card required you to name your top choice. Compelled thusly, whom would you choose? I am curious to know what one individual in the whole of the galaxy holds no sexual interest for you, Theo."

Leaning across the space between them, Nott pressed a quick kiss to his partner's cheek while goosing her side. "It turns me on when you're cheeky, you know," he grinned, reaching for a Deeds card. "Alright, then Pince it is. Thatis one kitty I wouldn't slap for all the Firewhisky in Scotland."

Adjusting her glasses on her nose, Daphne shook her head. "I would choose Mr. Hagrid," she stated with a small shudder.

Everyone left in the room simultaneously groaned with revulsion at the thought of having sex with the half-giant.

"I'm officially vomiting on my shoes," Lavender stated, looking green around the gills.

Harry looked ready to purge his guts, too. "You and me both."

"What, Potter?" Draco slyly grinned at his long-time rival. "The winner of the Bigfoot Look-Alike Contest not on your 'to do' list this year?"

Harry stared evenly at him for a millisecond. "Nope, this season I'm into tall, pale and overly-obsessed, wanna-be Veela. Hook me up?"

Malfoy chuckled and conceded the round to Gryffindor's Captain with a slight bow of his head.

"You're next Davis," he verbally nudged his teammate.

Play moved to Tracey as Daphne took her action card. The Slyther-Puff, as Hermione was now wont to consider her, was biting her lip. "Um, I'm going to pick Filch. I just can't see‒" She stopped her mouth by pursing her lips together. Blushing bright red, she reached for a matching-coloured card on the table before her. "Yeah, him. Yuck!"

Harry seriously gagged, putting a hand over his mouth. Lavender mimicked him. Even Hermione had trouble keeping it down at the thought of shagging the nasty caretaker.

Theo snorted, making a face, and wondered aloud, "You know, I've heard rumors about Filch and Pince having a thing for each other. Can you imagine the two of them getting it on in the library stacks after-hours?" Hermione winced at the mental image that conjured, shaking her head, hoping to clear that unwanted vision. "Oh, wait, Pince probably has to share Filch with Mrs. Norris, doesn't she?" Nott went on, his face lighting up with inspiration. "But, hey, talk about your ménage a trois! Now he'll have two pussies sinking their claws into him!"

Tracey passed a throw pillow to Daphne. "Do you mind?"

Daphne smirked. "Not at all."

She wacked a laughing Teddy over the head with the cushion for good measure then handed it back to Davis.

"Thank you," Harry's girlfriend grinned, placing the small, square pillow upon her lap.

Greengrass adjusted her glasses, acting as if she hadn't just playfully assaulted her beau. "You're quite welcome."

Just then, Blaise and Ginny walked past the couches to head back to their private room, walking comfortably hand-in-hand. The two had a weird inner-glow about them, as if they were contented and truly happy. "There's someone out there for everyone," Ginny snarked, having overheard the conversation. "Besides, the animal mating instinct is where it's at! Don't knock it 'til you've tried it!"

As they got to their door, Hermione watched with some interest as the dark-skinned Slytherin easily lifted the redheaded witch into his arms bridal-style to carry her across the threshold. Gin squealed with joy, flinging her arms around her partner and rested her head on his shoulder as the door closed behind them, kicked shut by Blaise's foot.

"Yep, it's official: Zabini's pussy-whipped," Teddy wolfishly grinned. He turned in his seat from catching the show and sunk back into the cushions. "Not like it's a secret or anything. He's only been sniffing after the She-Weasel for two years."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at that, under the assumption until a few hours ago that the Italian had some sort of odd vendetta against Ginny, not a romantic interest. She glanced over at Draco for confirmation.

He coolly met her stare, but said nothing, his face carefully blank.

Once again, she wondered just how much her partner really knew about the true, hidden motivations of his fellow Housemates. After all, he hadn't seemed too astounded by Tracey's revelation that she'd tricked herself right into Slytherin, rather than being sent where she'd really belonged. In fact, he'd been more astounded by the revelation that Harry had been meant for the serpent's nest, rather than the lion's den…

She was determined to get the truth of that story from her best friend before the night was over.

But seriously, just how much did Malfoy know about the people playing this game, and was what he'd said about not being able to manipulate the deck in his favour true or not? It seemed almost too coincidental that each player had ended up with exactly the perfect partner – that was to say, someone who fulfilled a need that coincided with a Slytherin's wishes. Blaise had gotten Ginny. Theo had obviously wanted Daphne, as his declaration of love for Greengrass could only lead one to assume that he'd felt strongly towards the witch before the game. Tracey had clearly wanted Harry; the girl had been openly ogling him for this whole last year, from what Hermione had noticed. Pansy… she'd initially claimed not to want Ron, but by the end of the first round, there had been a one-hundred and eighty degree switch in that attitude, so there must have been something there all along. And Malfoy had made no bones about his intentions for this game. Seamus and Lavender were the only odd-couple out, but they could be explained as 'leftovers' paired together…and yet, even the two of them had seemed fated to be together for this game, if for no other reason than to clear-up their past.

Draco sniffed, attracting her interest. "I believe it's my turn." He roll-tapped his fingers over his left thigh and his lip twitched upward in a dry smirk as he pinned Hermione with his gaze. "Well, I'd say everyone is off-limits but you, beautiful, but as Greengrass reminded us, we have to pick a single individual, so I suppose my answer would have to be Umbridge."

Hermione couldn't help but grimace. Several other people moaned in agreement.

The Senior Undersecretary had visited the school during their fifth year to evaluate the teaching curriculum and determine Hogwarts' continuing accreditations, and like Percy Weasley, she'd left her mark.

The Minister, Cornelius Fudge, under pressure because an election year was coming, had campaigned that year on the platform of reforming the educational system of wizarding Britain, and had sent Dolores Umbridge to the school under grand pomp and circumstance with the mandate that she find him something broken that needed fixing so he could point to a success.

From day one, absolutelyno one, except maybe Filch, had liked the witch who always wore pink. Dubbed the 'Cat Lady' because of her rather queer obsession with cute, fuzzy kittens, the students rallied behind Fred and George's scheme to take turns watching out for her and to give a heads-up to their favourite teachers when they saw her coming. Behavior was at its best whenever she was around, and tutoring sessions were doubled at Hermione's suggestion to help those who'd struggled in their classes in an effort to thwart the Minister's plans. It was the first and only time all four Houses at Hogwarts worked in relative accord towards a common goal—that's how much they'd despised Dolores Umbridge.

Frustrated at finding the school running at optimum levels and the classes showing success, Umbridge left in a huff that May with nothing negative to report.

Fudge was summarily beaten out of his office the following November by Rufus Scrimgeour, who'd campaigned that the then-Minister misappropriated too much public funding with his 'pet projects', such as the one he'd launched upon Hogwarts, a school with the finest traditions and values. No one had forgotten Umbridge and her year-long reign of terror, though. She'd intimidated everyone, tried to manipulate students into turning each other in for misconduct, and been a downright rotten scag, as Ron would say.

"Screwing the Cat Lady? That's one image I dinna want ta have runnin' through me brain," Seamus commented, shaking his head and adjusting in his seat with discomfort. "Can I claim tha' as my answer, too?"

Malfoy shrugged. "By all means," he smirked, taking a red card.

Finnigan nodded. "Then, yeah, what he said," he jutted his chin in Slytherin's Captain's direction. "Tha's gotta be the worst sixes and sevens ta get yer oats I've ever heard. I'd even do Hagrid and Filch a'fore Umbridge."

Draco sniffed. "Which just goes to prove that there's no accounting for taste," he snarked and flipped his card over and read it, signalling the end of the question round. Everyone followed the lead's suit.

Well, Hermione didn't think that her action card this round was terrible by any means. She'd get five chances to ask her partner anything in the world she wanted to know about him. Her mind started turning over ideas immediately. What to ask? How far to delve? Should it concern his past or their future? Or did she want to know something about him that was truly forbidden to speak of? Why not? The naughty side of her personality urged her on even as the idea for one of her questions popped into her head.

"Scarhead, the time, if you please?" her partner requested as he stood up and headed her way to offer her assistance off the sofa, his gaze falling to her previously hurt ankle.

Harry moved past his rival, rolling his eyes at the unoriginality of the insult and checked his timepiece. "It's exactly four a.m." He brushed past and rushed to Tracey's side without further ado.

"You have until 4:50 to be back here," Draco called out the reminder to the other couples. "And don't forget the C&DC, ladies."

Helped to her feet by Malfoy's warm hand, Hermione found them in very close proximity to each other, nearly brushing chests together. She tilted her head back and met her boyfriend's gaze.

Wow… boyfriend. Was he really? That thought shocked her more than it should, especially since she was the one who'd agreed to the idea of them dating not more than half an hour ago.

"Thanks for the prompt," she murmured to him, as she took a step to the side and bent down for her wand lying on the table. After using it to cast the charm upon her belly, she placed it back where it had been resting, and turned her full attention to her wizard.

Draco shrugged sleek shoulders, and she found her eyes transfixed upon the smooth motion of all that muscle under his sculpted, pale skin. "Will you reward my diligence?" he wheedled, raising the back of her hand to his lips and kissing the knuckles with small nipping presses of his lips. Mercurial eyes stared into her soul with blatant, unapologetic heat.

Closing the space between them, she went up on tiptoes and tilted her head, her lips pausing a mere inch away from his. "You're such a good boy, Malfoy," she teased in a low, husky tone. "There's hope yet that I'll get you properly trained by the end of this game."

His lips twitched with barely contained amusement. "You are so getting spanked."

Turning on his heel, he led them to their private room without further delay or discussion.

Hermione intentionally lagged several steps behind her boyfriend to watch his arse as he walked, taking full advantage of being led about. He confidently glided with a rolling step over the floor and she let her eyes roam the length of his entire form as he moved. Founders forgive her naughty thoughts, but her would-be lover was a positively sexy specimen! Why had it taken her this long to notice?

"Enjoying the view?" he knowingly smirked as he turned to her, opening the door of their private suite and stepping aside for her to go first.

Feeling wicked, Hermione pretended to tuck her Deeds card into the back pocket of his trousers for safe keeping, surreptitiously copping a feel on his tush at the same time. "Don't know what you're talking about," she smiled, perfecting her features into the façade of a wide-eyed innocent.

Malfoy stepped into her, gripping her arse back with all of the wily stealth of an old geezer in a room full of plump female bottoms. "You don't?" he asked and deviously grinned. "So you weren't checking out my bum for the whole eight seconds it took us to get across the room to this door? I just need to clarify that point for my own edification."

Arching an eyebrow, she gave him a bright smile. "Oh? Are you doing a research project on the subject of 'penetrating stares,' too? If so, perhaps you and Professor Dumbledore could collaborate‒"

His unexpected smack landed squarely on her back right cheek, cutting her off.

"Did you know that I get to spank you as I wish this round, Granger?" With his free hand, he raised his Deeds card and waved it back and forth before her eyes. "My card says so, beautiful."

He slapped her again, but it was more a rousing tap than an actual punishment and he sighed with longing, his silvery gaze shimmering with anticipation.

"Your arse is going to positively blush for me, Princess…and you're going to come again for me this round. I promise."

To her great astonishment, Hermione's knickers dampened with sudden need as her pussy heated in response to the fantasies he was putting into her head. No one, not even her parents, had ever paddled her before. She wondered if she'd like it as much as he was bragging.

Unable to stop her reaction, she licked her lips, feeling her blood rush through her face, down her neck, pooling in her womb.

"Ah, I see that you're intrigued…and turned-on by the idea of being dominated," he snickered, rubbing his palm over her backside even as he swiped his tongue very lightly across her bottom lip. Pressed into her belly, Draco's erection was as hard as a steel bar. "Well, then, perhaps it will be me who will properly train you by the end of this game, Granger."

With that, he wrapped his arms about her waist, lifting her, even as her arms came about his neck, and he carried her into their room. As his mouth came down on hers and his foot shut the door behind him, all of her earlier concern about the possible negative influences coming from the cards was entirely forgotten.

TO BE CONTINUED…

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Sixes and Sevens = British slang for "crazy idea."

Ta get yet oats = Seamus' way of saying, "to get your oats," which is British slang for "to have sex."

.

Musical Selection for this Chapter: "Words" by Anthony David & India Arie. Lyrics are as follows...

(man)
I believe that heaven must be like this…
Ray of sunshine kissed upon your skin.
Just say you love me,
make my day go good;
pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Can't tell you nothing you ain't already heard.
No matter what I say it's nothing but words.
Just let me prove to you what I know is real.
Let me express to you the way that I feel.

(woman)
I believe that love is synonymous
with heaven… such a sensual bliss.
The way you touch me
makes this life so good;
a reward at the end of the long road.

Can't tell you nothing you ain't already heard.
No matter what I say it's nothing but words.
Just let me prove to you what I know is real.
Let me express to you the way that I feel.

(man)
Fairytales can be real if you just believe.
Got my mind made, I don't plan to leave.
'Cause you were meant for me,
simple that may be.
Why be complex?
Loving you is so easy.

Can't tell you nothing you ain't already heard.
No matter what I say it's nothing but words.
Just let me prove to you what I know is real.
Let me express to you the way that I feel.

(Both together)
Can't tell you nothing you ain't already heard.
No matter what I say it's nothing but words.
Just let me prove to you what I know is real.
Let me express to you the way that I feel.