Chapter 3:

Hermione took a deep breath and walked over to the Griffindor table, grabbing a seat beside Ron and Lavender. Harry and Ginny were nowhere to be found, Hermione laughed to herself. They were probably trying to get some time to themselves.

It was such a relief to see Ron, Hermione was feeling unbelievably stressed and even though they had fought earlier, she always felt a degree of comfort being around Ron, no matter the circumstances.

"Hi," Ron said between mouthfuls, swallowing quickly before leaning over to peak Hermione on the cheek. "You look pretty."

And it was true. Hermione looked simply radiant in a rosy pink sweater, brown cardigan, and slim fitting jeans. It was the simplest outfit, yet Hermione made it look like something that cost a million dollars.

Yet Hermione blushed, after all this time, she still could not get used to being called pretty- even by Ron.

"I'm really sorry," Hermione started, "I shouldn't have gone off on you like that this morning. It wasn't even your fault I just-"

"It's ok," Ron interrupted, wearing a goofy grin on his face he always had on when a fight between the two of them was resolved. Truthfully, most of their arguments ended this way- with Hermione apologizing for blowing up on him for something that really wasn't his fault (much like this morning), and Ron eagerly accepting her apology. Ron wasn't really the type of guy to really tune into a girl's feelings and know what to say, how to act when they were upset, and most of all, he did not know how to handle tears. Growing up in a family with only 2 girls, both of whom were exceptionally strong emotionally, he's never had much experience handling a teary crisis before. Thankfully, Hermione wasn't much of a crier. "Are you ok, though?"

"Yeah.." Hermione muttered as Ron leaned in for a kiss. "I am now," she smiled. "It's just this whole...slavery thing." Hermione scowled, "It's driving me insane."

Ron imitated her scowl, "well if that git does anything, and I mean anything Hermione just tell me and I will curse him like there's no tomorrow."

Hermione giggled, "Oh, really? Well that's a lot of talk..." Reaching over to lightly hold Ron's hand. "Are you sure you'll be able to follow through?" Hermione asked playfully.

"Well we'll just have to wait and see then, won't we?" Ron leaned in for another kiss. "Besides, if I can't curse him like there's no tomorrow then I'll beat him with my own hands."

Hermione giggled against his lips again.

"What?" Ron whined, "I'm strong enough...strong enough to pick you up and throw you over my shoulder and-"

"Guys, get a room will you? Some of us want to keep down our dinner!" A familiar voice said above their heads.

Ron and Hermione quickly straightened up. Ron grabbed his fork hastily and began shoving food into his mouth again, his hair almost a red as his hair. Hermione smoothed out her shirt and flattened her hair, smiling embarrassingly. "Hi, Harry, Ginny."

Ginny and Harry sat down across from Hermione and Ron, locked at the hips, both smiling from ear to ear. Even a blind person would be able to see how happy these individuals made each other and how in love they were.

"You two have really got to cool it down in there!" Ginny joked, "At this rate everyone will become malnourished for not being to keep down their dinner."

"Yeah well," Ron retorted between bites, "that goes for the two of you too."

Ginny stuck her tongue out at Ron and leaned over to kiss Harry, then turning to grin cheekily at her brother again.

Rolling his eyes, Ron returned his attention to Hermione.

"I missed you after class today; you just ran off, I went looking for you. Where were you?" Ron questioned, reaching over to play with Hermione's hair.

Swallowing quick, Hermione replied, "I had to do some things for that scum. He made me recopy all of his notes just because some ink spilled on it! It's absolutely ridiculous, he has hands too you know, and there is such a simple spell for cleaning up ink and stuff from parchment, it's just –"

"I'll do it Hermione, I'll curse him till there's no more curses left!" Ron growled angrily, "then I'll just use my hands and-"

"And what, Weasel?" A voice drawled behind Ron and Hermione.

Groaning inwardly, Hermione and Ron turned around to face Draco Malfoy. Standing there, looming over the two of them, with white blonde hair falling over steel gray eyes, he struck both fear and awe in Hermione and Ron.

However, Ron snapped out of it quicker than Hermione and stood up, glaring at up at Draco Malfoy, who stood almost half a head taller, and spat out, "if you try anything funny, ferret, I swear I'll make you pay."

As Ron finished his sentence, that traditional, annoying, smirk with a hint of cruelty crawled upon Draco's face and with only a demeaning look towards Ron, turned to Hermione, and said with even more venom dripping from his voice than earlier.

"Get up."

Hermione looked taken back. "Excuse me?"

"Do you understand simple, English words, Mudblood?"

"Alright-" Ron moved forward and shoved Draco. "Stop. Calling. Her. That!"

Once again, Draco simply ignored Ron and beckoned Hermione again.

"Do you know something called manners? You could certainly inquire some!" Hermione shot back, standing up angrily and grabbing her book bag.

Draco's eyes narrowed. "Yes," he hissed. "I know exactly what manners are, I just don't see the point in wasting them on someone like you."

Once again, Ron growled angrily, pushing up his sleeves and started towards Draco.

"Oh, please." Draco said. "Spare me the dramatics."

Sighing, Hermione went on her tip toes and kissed Ron on the cheek. "It's ok. I'll be back later."

With a heated glare at Draco, Hermione reluctantly followed him as he walked out of the Great Hall without looking back.

Having to run to keep up with Draco's long strides, Hermione's already overstuffed bookbag slipped constantly off her shoulder with some of Draco's notes falling on the ground ever so often.

"Can you slow down a bit? Not all of us are giants." Hermione cried breathlessly as she bent down to grab the pieces of parchment on the floor.

"We're here anyways."

"Is...is this the Slytherin Common Room?" Hermione stuttered. Her legs felt numb and her feet felt like they were nailed to the ground.

"Yes," Draco snapped, "Where else would I keep my collection of dirtied shirts?"

"I don't... I don't want to go in there." Hermione gulped, "I can't go in there." Fragment of last night's dream sprang into motion in her mind. "I can't."

"Oh relax," Draco muttered, tapping randomly on the stone bricks beside the portrait. "Everyone's still eating."

Those words did nothing to calm Hermione's inner storm; in fact, it only fed the flame. The portrait flung open and Draco stuffed his wand back into his pocket.

"Either stay here and wait for the others to come back or get in here. This is the center of a labyrinth; you'll never find your way out without guidance. No spells can help you."

At those words, Hermione abruptly took a step into the Slytherin Common Room. Taking a look around, Hermione was pleasantly surprised. She had always pictured it to be an awfully sinister place and hearing the descriptions from Harry and Ron in second year only solidified her imaginations. However now that she was seeing it with her own eyes, Hermione could see that the emerald green carpeting complimented the black leather couches and the golden snake statues situated here and there added a hint of sophistication.

"Look, Mudblood." Draco's temper rising, "I don't have all day."

With one last good look at the common room, Hermione rushed up the stairs after Draco.

Draco sat down on his bed and kicked off his shoes, eyeing Hermione from the corner of his eyes. She was standing awkwardly at the foot of his bed, her overloaded bookbag sliding down her arm.

"Give me my notes." Draco reached out his hand and hastily grabbed his notes from Hermione as she reached into her bag. Scanning over it quickly, Draco nodded satisfactorily, "Good enough I suppose, though I would have thought Hogwart's smartest witch would have neater writing."

Hermione's eyes narrowed at the insult but she bit her tongue to avoid saying anything back. She had had a long day and wanted nothing more than to go cuddle with Ron and fall asleep in his arms.

Tossing the notes on the night table, Draco stood up and took off his cashmere sweater and began unbuttoning his shirt.

Hermione's eyes went wide. "What are you doing," Hermione hissed, "You can just ask me to leave you know."

Draco chuckled, deep and mischievously, a glint of danger behind his unsmiling eyes, "Why would I do that?" Draco watched Hermione turn red at the sight of him with his shirt hanging open. It was something he was used to what with his 6"2 frame, platinum blonde hair, gray eyes, strong jaw and a grin that could melt any girl's heart if he so choose to do so. On top of that, Draco's chiselled body from Quidditch glistened from the moonlight streaming in from the dorm window and its beam on his well-defined six pack left Hermione heated, and slightly speechless.

"Pansy was supposed to come here tonight, but I think she's busy with Zabini," Draco tossed his shirt onto the bed and Hermione's breath caught in her throat. Even though she hated him more than anything, she could not help but admire his strong muscular arms and well-toned chest. How could someone look so perfect but be so evil? Hermione wondered to herself.

Once again, Draco sat down on the bed, but his time he patted the spot next to him. "Come here" He said huskily, sounding completely different from his usual arrogant, condescending self.

Hermione felt as if she was in a dream like trance, without even realizing what she was doing, Hermione shuffled over to the bed and sat down clumsily beside Draco. She sat there; breath caught in her throat, not exactly sure what she was waiting for. As repulsed as she was by Malfoy, she couldn't help but feel attracted to him while sitting here on his bed.

Hermione felt the weight on the bed shift and then she felt him leaning in towards her. Eyes fluttering to a close, Hermione could feel her heart hammering in her chest. She did not understand what was going on. She was so utterly in love with Ron, yet she wanted Draco, her most hated enemy, the person who makes her miserable everyday to touch her. She felt Draco come closer, but all of a sudden a shirt flew into Hermione's face, waking her up from her trance. Draco, who had tossed the shirt at Hermione stood up and slipped on a t-shirt. Smirking, he spoke, with venom back in his voice, "like I would ever touch you, mudblood. I don't touch dirty people, so keep your fantasies to yourself. That's the shirt you ruined this afternoon. I want it clean for tomorrow."

Flustered, red, humiliated and angry, Hermione shoved the shirt into her bookbag and stormed out of the boys' dormitory and down the stairs.

"Turn left and go up the stairs, that leads to the Great Hall. I'm sure you can find your way from there." Draco called from the dormitory.

"So much for a labyrinth," Hermione muttered to herself. "Stupid lying ferret."

Hermione continued to storm angrily from the Great Hall to the Griffindor Common Room.

"Are you ok?" Ron rushed to her side as soon as she stepped through the portrait. "What did that git do now? I swear one day I'm gonna-"

Hermione closed her eyes and tuned Ron out, redirecting all her energy to pushing the image of Draco under the moonlight out of her mind.

"Come on, 'Mione," Ron gently tugged at her hand and they headed towards the boys' dormitory. As soon as they were out of public eye, Ron leaned down to kiss Hermione. Placing one hand in her hair and one hand on the small of her back, Ron pulled Hermione closer and stumbled backwards until they both fell over the bed.

Laughing quietly, Hermione pulled free from Ron's grasp. Ron however rolled over Hermione and continued to kiss her forehead, cheek, and neck as his hand slid over her shirt to caress her smooth stomach. The other hand tugged at the buttons on Hermione's shirt until they popped open and Hermione withered out. Clad in her bra, Hermione kissed Ron back passionately; pulling on the edge of Ron's shirt until Ron hastily broke the kiss and tore it off. Hermione smiled and ran her hands over Ron's toned abs and pecks and suddenly thought of Draco's stone hard six-pack. She quickly shook the image out of her head and kissed Ron again in frenzy, desperately trying to drive her thoughts of an unwanted person out. Ron, who took this sudden burst of energy as Hermione wanting him, began to pull off her pants. As Hermione kicked off the constricting fabric, she fumbled with Ron's belt, and finally, with Ron's assistance, both belt and pants were both off.

"You are so beautiful, Hermione." Ron whispered, running a finger from her cheek to her collarbone, and then kissing her deeply. "I love you."

"I love you too, Ron". Hermione whispered back with her eyes closed, feeling Ron's lips explore her stomach. Unexpectedly, once again, Hermione saw Draco's strong hands exploring her body, touching her in her most intimate areas, and when Ron's hand slipped inside her underwear, Hermione thought of Draco's fingers entering her, Draco moaning and kissing her neck.

Ashamed at her thoughts, Hermione pushed Ron backwards so he was lying on the bed and sat herself between his legs. She would force Draco out of her mind no matter what. Hermione's soft mouth enveloped Ron's erection and her hands roamed around his body. I love Ron; Ron is the one I want. Hermione thought to herself as she kissed, licked and sucked, listening blissfully to Ron's moans of pleasure, and it finally worked. Hermione's mind was soon too occupied with Ron to think of anything else.

"Come here." Ron muttered lustily, pulling Hermione back up. With those two words, everything Hermione had built up to push Draco out of her mind crashed down. As she crawled over Ron to position herself on top of him, she thought of Draco patting the bed beside him.

"Oh Hermione.." Ron muttered, grabbing her hips as she buckled back and forth, but all Hermione could think of was Draco, imagining Draco under her instead of Ron. The more she thought the guiltier she felt, and the guiltier she felt the faster she went. It wasn't long before Ron lay panting with Hermione beside him.

After Hermione recited a contraceptive spell, Ron rolling on his side to look at Hermione. "I love you, you know that?" He smiled happily, but all Hermione could do was smile and pretend to be falling asleep.

Sorry for the late update, I'll try to be a lot faster. Thanks for all the reviews, they really help a lot :).