Hermione spit her mouthwash into the sink and groaned at the ache at the base of her skull. The pressure had been growing since the talk with Malfoy. They'd started being civil to one another and things were looking up, but it wasn't working too well for her pains. He was right across the hall every night, dreaming and fantasizing about all kinds of things that made her succubus side salivate. It wanted a piece of that sweet heaven. But until Malfoy came around to the idea of renewing their agreement, those tempting thoughts would have to remain untouched. And it was killing her to keep that kind of control. She groaned again as her head pulsed again.

Hermione pushed herself away from the bathroom sink and went out into the common room. Maybe she should send Harry and Ron an owl and just curl up in an armchair with a good book.

She blinked at the envelope sitting on the center table, her name written on the front in large neat script. She flipped the tab open and pulled out the parchment, scanning the words. Her brow furrowed for a moment. Why did Dumbledore want her to come to his office?

Hermione took a deep calming breath and rapped her knuckles on the door.

"Come in, Miss Granger," Dumbledore called from the other side. He smiled as she closed the door and moved across his office to stand across from his large desk. "How are you, my dear?"

"Good, sir."

"Everything going well with Mr. Malfoy? Are you two settling in with your duties as Head Boy and Girl?"

Hermione linked her fingers. "Things have been a bit shaky, but nothing I'm sure we can't resolve."

"Good, good. And how has your hunger been?"

Hermione shifted as her head throbbed. "I've been dealing with it." The knowing look he sent her over the rim of his spectacles made her want to squirm. She knew that Dumbledore was concerned about all of his students, but it didn't make her feel less weird that her headmaster knew about her self pleasuring practices.

"Miss Granger, I have contacted St. Mungos about this issue and they have graciously sent over a few vials of a potion that may help." He gestured to a plain brown box on his desk. A plain piece of string was tied around it to keep it closed. "They tell me that it has had great success in curbing the hunger of incubi and succubi." He gave a comforting smile. "It might help you until the staff at St. Mungos can make preperations to change you back."

"Change me…back? What-" She licked her lips. "Are you saying that…I can be just a witch again?"

Dumbledore smiled. "That's exactly what I'm saying, Miss Granger."

Hermione reached out and sank into a nearby seat. "H-how?"

"As I understand it, the procedure calls for quite a few sessions where you would be given a series of potions. This will essentially clean your system of any incubus or succubus traces until only yourself remains. It is extensive but effective."

Hermione leaned back in her chair, trying to wrap her head around the news. She could change back. She'd no longer be in constant ache because she couldn't get a proper feeding. She could have control of herself again. Being a succubus had its perks, but required constant upkeep that was starting to wear her down. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to go back.

"Professor Dumbledore," she said, looking back up to him. "Why am I only hearing about it now? Why wasn't I told of this option when it first happened?"

His smile faded and he turned serious for a moment. "I'm afraid the answer is not pleasant. You see, Miss Granger, the procedure is very risky. Already, the succubus side of you has started to take root inside you. Removing it could take a while and, truthfully, may be very painful. No one has perished, thankfully, but it will feel as if your entire body has been attacked inside and out."

Hermione's mind flashed to when Bellatrix had tortured her with the Crucio curse. Her hand tightened as the phantom pain flared up in her chest. She pushed it away and dragged in a few deep breaths. She'd felt pain before. She could handle more.

"The choice is always yours, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said, breaking her out of her thoughts. "If you wish to continue being a succubus, I will make sure there is a steady supply of the suppression potion until you graduate Hogwarts. If you choose to return to your old self, I will make arrangements for your treatment." He smiled gently, reminding her of a grandfather. "I'll give you some time to think about it."

Hermione nodded and slowly stood. She picked up the box with the suppression potion and left. When she reached the Head Boy and Girl dorm, she dropped into an armchair, staring into the lit fireplace.

Normal. She could go back to normal. It was good news. But did she really want to go back? She had been a bookish nobody who happened to get her friends through a war. That was no easy feat, of course, but having the succubus inside her had made her feel free. She could be confident in her sexuality, something she'd never really thought much on. But since school had started, she'd been nothing but confident. Wearing her skirts shorter and flirting with the boys didn't make her anxious or doubt herself; it was natural and fun. That was because of the succubus.

But was that really her or the succubus? Who was she, really? She'd been the bookworm and the trusty pal who stood with her friends. She hadn't been the great seductress and now she was, but was she really? How did she know it wasn't just the succubus side taking over and making her think this was who she really was? Oh, but how she wished she could be that Hermione; the one who didn't think twice about exchanging innuendos with Malfoy or pulling him into a broom closet for a quickie. Someone who took risks, really. That was what she loved about being a succubus.

A gasp escaped her lips as the throbbing in her head intensified. She leaned forward, pressing her fingers into the soft tissue at the base of her skull. The pain wasn't something she would mind getting rid of. Trying to fill the endless pit of sexual hunger took up so much of her time that she would be failing all of her classes if she hadn't been such an overachiever in her younger years and studied all of the advanced lessons they were learning now. But that could only hold for so long. At some point, she would have to focus on school and life and feeding her hunger would be a struggle.

Another pain hit her head. Hermione reached for the box of suppression potion and pulled it open. A series of vials rested inside in their own little chambers. She picked one up, the green liquid inside swishing with the moment. She doubted it would taste anything but vile, but all it needed to do was stop the pain. Pulling the stopper out, she tipped her head back and swallowed the whole serving. Her throat burned as it slid down her throat and settled heavily in her stomach. Almost instantly, the pain in her head dulled.

Hermione leaned back in her chair, her eyes drifting closed as the other aches in her body started to fade. They were still there but rested more in the background of her joints. She should have gotten this a long time ago. It was fantastic. But, her thoughts pointed out, it doesn't solve your problems. You still have to feed at some point and it will be like this for the rest of your life. Hermione frowned but knew that it was true. Confidence and power were good, but was it worth it with all the drawbacks?

The door to the dorm opened and she cracked her eyes open as she rolled her head toward the opening. Malfoy walked in and paused when he saw her before the fireplace. They started at one another for a long time, no one moving or saying a word. Hermione could smell his desire but the potion was doing a good job of keeping her hunger in check. He'd done a lot for her, she realized. That made her smile slightly. Who would have thought her school bully would end up helping her in something so strange as her turning into a succubus? A thought briefly passed her mind. Maybe he would know what to do?

She straightened in her seat and faced him fully. "Draco," she asked, making him blink in surprise. The only time she called him by his first name was during their fooling around or teasing. "Can I ask your opinion on something?"

AN: I'm so sorry it's taken so long to update. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.