Recap:

"Well, I'm not, so stop worrying," she grumbled. He eyed her and then reached for pen and parchment. She watched him. "What are you doing?"

"Owling Pansy," he told her. "I want her to send over some potions for you."

"Potions for what?"

"Birth control, mudblood," he snapped. "Have you not been paying attention? I'm not going to have you getting pregnant while we're in school." She watched him finish the letter and whistle. A large eagle owl flew in a moment later. Draco tied the note to the owl's leg and it flew out through the balcony door, which they had left open last night becaue if was too hot. Draco turned back to Hermione. "Now, about that book-" She hit him with the pillow.

"Shut up, Draco," she growled, turning onto her back. He kissed her shoulders and felt her shudder. "Why are you doing this?" she murmured. He shrugged, pulling her closer to him.

"Because I can. Because you're letting me."

"Draco!! DRACO WAKE UP!!" Draco groaned and sat up.

"Damn it woman!! What the hell do you want!"

"Get up, we're late for school! We overslept."

"That's for damn sure," he mumbled, swinging out of bed. Hermoine was already dressed and was now shoving books into her bag. He quickly showered and dressed, glancing at the clock. They were twenty minutes late for whatever class they had now.

"What class to we have?"

"Potions!!" He swore and, grabbing her arm and his bag, dragged her out of the Head Commons and down the hall.

They skidded to a halt in front of the closed door. Draco smoothed down his school robes and pushed open the door. The entire class looked up from their potions and Snape stood, eyebrow raised.

"Draco whe...Ms. Granger?" Hermione came in behind Draco and now stopped, looking absolutely terrified. "What are you two late for?" Draco glanced at Hermione.

"We overslept, sir," he said, eyebrow raised. Snape looked between the two. The class was murmuring to each other and Snape fixed them with a glare.

"Both of you?" he inquired, disbelief playing over his features. Nobody else caught the underlying tone implied except for the two. Hermione intantly reddened and Draco frowned. What did the man know? Snape sat down again. "Don't let it happen again," he snapped. "Get to your seats and start the potion." Hermione hurried to a seat next to Harry while Draco took place next to Blaise. Harry leaned over.

"Where were you and Malfoy?" he asked, stiring his potion. "Why were you both late?" Hermione glanced at him.

"We overslept," she told him again, not really wanting to go into detail about this. Somehow, she didn't want to tell her friends about what had happened to her over the summer. She didn't think Draco wanted her to.

"Oi! Granger!" Hermione turned around to see Pansy Parkinson sitting behind her. She handed Hermione a note and went back to her potion. Ron and Harry, who had witnessed this, gave Hermione a confused look. Hermione shrugged, just as confused as them and opened the letter.

You're hair's really cute from behind, Granger. Who did it for you, a monkey? Hermione frowned. What was this? Harry and Ron rolled their eyes.

"She really needs to come up with better put downs then that," Harry muttered. Hermione nodded. She glanced back at Pansy, frowning. Pansy rolled her eyes and picked up her wand. She made a tapping motion and rolled her eyes again. Hermione's eyes widened in comprehension and Pansy nodded. Turning back around and making sure Ron and Harry were focusing on their potions, she took out her wand and tapped the note. The words melted away, others forming in their place.

Come find me after class, I've got a case of potions for you. Hermione nodded and tapped the paper again. The original note reappeared and Hermione pocketed it.

Class ended and Hermione followed Harry and Ron out. Before they could question her on her tardiness, she told them she forgot something back in the room and told them to go ahead without her. Frowning, the moved off and as soon as they were out of sight, she turned back to the classroom. Pansy was waiting for her. She handed her a box the size of a regular shoe box. Pansy opened it and there were about thirty tiny vials inside it.

"Take one the morning after you've done it," she explained. "Take two if you've done it more than once. There are only thirty in here, so make sure Draco knows that. I'll have to give you the address of the guy who owls them to me, ok? I can't keep giving you mine. There aren't anyside affects, so the only thing you should be feeling is a funny sensation near your stomach. And whatever you do, don't let Madam Pomfrey catch you with these. She'll go absolutely crazy." Hermione took the box and put it into her bag, making sure that it wouldn't come out. Pansy held up vials. "Take these now. They're stronger and you take them if you've had sex for a while but haven't used the birth control. There are four of them in the box, ok?" Hermione nodded, feeling slightly uncomfortable. Pansy noticed and laughed, tossing her black hair over her shoulder. "Don't worry. Draco understands a woman's personal needs. He doesn't want you pregnant during school." With that, she strutted off, leaving Hermione with the two vials. Sighing, she opened one and poured it into her mouth. Just like Pansy said, a sensation went around her stomach her area. Shuddering, she took the next one.

Putting the vials into her bag, she hurried off to her next class.

"Ron said you were late for Potions this morning," Ginny commented, putting down her fork to watch Hermione carefully. "You're never late for a class." Hermione shot a glare at Ron, who was studying his food closely.

"I overslept! How many times to I have to say it before you believe me!!" Harry tilted his head to the side.

"Hermione, did something happen this summer that you're not telling us?" he asked. "You've been acting really weirdly ever since you got back. Hermione again felt the weight of ring around her neck and picked up a biscuit.

"I...Look, I don't want to talk about it, ok? Could we just change the subject?" The other three exchanged concerned looks but nevertheless changed the subject. Ginny turned to Ron and Harry.

"Did you guys hear about the Christman Ball?" Both boys shook his head. "They're scheduling one in December and there's even a rumor for a Masquerade Ball in October!" Hermione bit into her biscuit, nodding.

"Heads and Prefects are organizing a Masquerade Ball, but nobody's really supposed to know. I got a whole letter about it this morning." Ginny smiled.

"I can't wait! A Masquerade Ball is so romantic!!" Ron rolled his eyes.

"If you don't know who your date is, how's it romantic?"

"It's supposed to promote House unity." Harry laughed.

"Yeah, sure it is. Imagine Gryffindor and Slytherin ever getting along? That would be the day." Hermoine choked on her juice. Ron gave her an odd look.

"You ok, 'Mione?"

"Is that her new nickname, Weasel? What does she call you, Wonald?" Ron and Harry stood, wands in their hands. Draco was by himself this time. Ginny glared at him.

"Can't you just leave us alone, ferret?" she spat and Draco smirked.

"What would be the fun in that?" he asked and then eyed her. "The smallest Weasley is growing up nicely." Harry dug his wand into Draco's neck as Hermione found herself growing hot in the face. Before Harry could do anything, she had stood and slapped Draco across the face. She stared up into his eyes and for a moment rage passed through the grey eyes before he smirked. "Now now, Granger," he said, leaning into so that only she could hear. "Getting jealous? Now that's a turn on, mudblood." She flushed and shoved him away.

"Why are you here, Malfoy?" she snapped. Draco shrugged.

"We need to talk," he said. "Head stuff." Hermione frowned, but followed him out of the Great Hall nevertheless. He then grabbed her arm and pulled her into a small, hidden corridor. His lips were on her neck as she was pushed into the wall, his body pressing against hers. She gasped as he nipped her neck.

"I thought we needed to talk?" she muttered, but her arms were around his neck. His hands slipped into her robes, lifting up her shirt to feel her stomach.

"We are talking, mudblood," he growled. "Shut up."

"But head stuff..."

"This is Head stuff, muggle, now shut up!" She groaned as his hands found their way to her bra.

"Draco, we have class in five minutes..."

"So?"

"We need more than five minutes..." He pulled up, staring into her eyes. She blushed, pulling her hands out of his hair. He raised an eyebrow.

"We do, don't we?" His lips crashed onto hers and she moaned as her bra clasp came undone.

"Hermione?" Draco swore into her mouth. "Hermione, where are you? We've got class soon!"

"Get rid of them, Hermione," he snarled into her neck.

"We have class," she hissed. He pushed against her harder, causing her to gasp.

"Get rid of them," he told her again. She managed to shove him off of her. She put back her bra clasp and, picking up her things, hurried out.

"Come on," she said to her friends upon finding them. "Lets go." She glanced behind her, feeling his gaze on her. And for some reason, she desperately wished that she could go back.

They were sitting around next to Hagrid's cabin, sketching and writing notes on a nymph Hagrid had. Hermione was leaning against a tree, eagerly scribbling down notes. Ron was next to her and Harry on the other side of him. She was just jotting down a note about the nymph's eyes when she noticed Ron staring at her. She turned to him and blushed.

"Ron, what is it?" He snapped out of his reviere and grew red. He turned to his notes.

"Nothing, just thinking," he muttered. She smiled, turning back to her notes.

Across from them, Draco and Blaise sat. Blaise could tell that Draco was in a foul mood, because kept scratching out whatever he wrote with such anger that a hole would appear in the parchment. He eyed the young man curiously.

"Something the matter?" he asked. Draco glared at him and shrugged.

"Damn wife," he muttered, turning back to the nymph, who was doing cartwheels.

"What about?"

"Can't get two minutes..."

"Potter and Weasley?" Draco glanced at him.

"They need to jump off bridges, the whole lot of them." Blaise nodded and then smiled.

"When's the next Hogsmeade trip?" Draco shrugged.

"In a couple weeks, I think. Why?"

"You know where Lucius took Narcissa last week?" Draco nodded and then turned to stare at his friend.

"You're not serious?"

"Dead serious."

"You're going to be dead. Why the hell would you even suggest that?" Blaise shrugged, looking back to the nymph.

"It was only a suggestion. After all, you can't seem to get the muggle away from her bodyguards. I was just offering you a way..." Draco continued to stare at him and Blaise laughed. "I'll make the arrangements." Draco began muttering something, glaring at the nymph. "Yeah, I love you too, Malfoy."

Hermione was watching the two from where she sat, frowning. Something was up. Blaise was laughing and Draco was muttering.

"Somethings definitely up," she mused aloud.

"What's up?" Ron asked and she started, realizing she had spoken too loudly.

"Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself." He nodded.

"So, what do you think about this whole Masquerade thing? It's pretty wierd, huh?" She glanced at him.

"I don't think so. Ginny's right, it's romantic! Not knowing who you might meet. It's a good way to make new friends." Ron stared at her.

"What would you do if you found out that the person you're dancing with is a Slytherin?" Hermione froze and turned to look at him.

"I don't know..."

"What do you mean you don't know?! Slytherin's the enemy!!" She nodded, turning back to the nymph. Her eyes met with Draco's and she shuddered.

"You're right. It is wierd."