Disclaimer - We own nothing, in this chapter or previous. Thank you for reading. Lemon warning ahead please do not read if you will be offended or underage (though I know it won't stop anyone -.-)

Chapter 11

To say that Hermione's world had slowly come to a stop would be a gross understatement. She could practically feel the bits of peeling walls of her world falling away around her. It was that bloody Malfoy's fault…no; no she supposed she couldn't blame him entirely on this one. There was Ron, the greatest idiot who ever was. It wasn't as though she wasn't ready to go further in her relationship with her former boyfriend, but there was something holding her back. Probably the same niggling feeling that had always been present, she supposed.

So now here she was in her own self imposed reclusion in the head dormitories, and it had been days since finding out the entire truth of what had been going on behind her back. And she couldn't help but feel rather stupid about the whole thing. She had practically turned a blind eye to it all deep down knowing what was going on, but completely and utterly unwilling to see it for what it was. Well no more self-delusion for her. Oh no, it was all very clear, and glaringly obvious at this point.

Something, Hermione did not want to deal with. She mussed silently to herself if she had ever really wanted a real relationship to begin with. Was it something she just accepted to get a sense of normalcy back into her life?

More then likely

Snorting, Hermione carefully picked up a cashew from the assorted nuts and dates in the small bowl in front of her and chewed on it thoughtfully. She had no idea if people were wondering on her odd behavior for the past couple of days, but she didn't care. She had started to skip meals instead she had taken to going down to the kitchens early in the morning for breakfast, and later in the evening after curfew for a quick dinner. Or even times like now when her nights had gotten longer, and time for sleeping shorter, were she nipped down for a late snack.

Humming to herself in thought she studied the pale smooth contours of the cashew in her hand before popping into her mouth and crushing it violently between her teeth. To make things a lot worse, not only had she been contemplating on her own woes, but also she noticed that a certain pale blond head boy was beginning to have a change in schedule. He seemed distracted and more irritable then usual. Stopping every once in a while when they passed each other in the common room and giving her a unreadable look before going on. Not two words were spared between them since that day he had kissed her into a fitful hazy lust filled cloud on the common room floor.

And god how she did not want to admit that

Oh but it was so gloriously obvious in her mind. Why wasn't she more surprised or concerned over the situation that happened with Ron? Oh yes that's right she wasn't astounded because she had known this was going to happen. Or maybe she didn't and she just was accepting it, because she never had those kinds of feelings for the red head anyways. Either way, the real issue here was Draco Malfoy…

Draco…Malfoy…

The ice prince, the Slytherin sex god, the one boy that actually did make a tingle of pleasure run down to her toes when he sent one single cold look her way. But she did not find him attractive in that way.

Absolutely…not…

Closing her eyes she fell onto her back into the couch and closed her eyes heaving a small sigh. Just then she heard the common room door open and knew that is was Malfoy making his way in. It was well passed midnight and so the only light source here was came from the fireplace. Barely providing enough glow from its low embers to let anyone see. But it didn't stop her eyes from catching his lean silhouette as he walked silently in distracted by the looks of it.

His head and eyes down cast as he made his way to the armchair and sat down with out even blinking. She watched him run a hand through his hair disheveling it, quite charmingly. Hermione had to keep herself from snorting at that line of thought

She not find Draco Malfoy anything close to charming…right. She found him rather slimy, pompous, arrogant…and…sexy. Oh yes, those were better words to describe him. But not charming. Certainly not, and by the looks of him he looked rather tired while he was still deep in thought. She saw him bring a hand to his tie and loosen it as he unbuttoned the top buttons, and then shrug off his school robes limply.

Why was it that he, instead of Ron, made her insides flop nervously? Who knew, but Hermione was only human after all, and on one side of human nature was basic instinct. And that instinct was yelling at her to get up and pounce.

Pounce…. now that idea did make her laugh out loud. Hermione Granger, Gryffindor Princess did not pounce. (Ah, yes she knew people called her, among other things.) The sound of her amused chuckle finally alerted him to her presence and he raised an eyebrow. Slowly she rolled over and came to a startling realization – it was that she didn't care what people thought or expected out of her at this point.

And she was about to test some highly dangerous waters.

Hermione let her legs slide off the side of the couch, as she stood slowly very aware of his eyes on her the entire time. Was this a good thing? She wondered, oh well time for more testing then.

Turning to face him, she caught his wondering eyes stop on her bare legs. She was still in her school skirt, the one that was dangerously to short for regulations (one from third year if she recalled correctly.) She wore no kind of stockings or shoes, and her collared white button up shirt was undone rather low, dangerously peeping cleavage for anyone's eyes to see.

Hermione reached up to her hair and pulled out the wand that held her hair in a loose bun and proceeded to re – do it, all the while letting him get his eye full.

"What are you doing up so late, Malfoy?" She asked in a low even tone taking him by surprise. His gaze snapped up to her impassive face and she couldn't help that little tingle that squirmed its way down her stomach. She kept from biting her lip and instead opted to title her head to the side curiously.

"Why would you care, Granger?" He growled out with a snarl on his delicate features. How was it even fair he was prettier then her? Hermione wondered but shrugged nonchalantly anyways to answer his question.

"I don't…Draco," she all but purred out as she took a slow calculating step towards her. She saw the flit of shock cross his face as she continued leisurely towards him. 'Okay that's it, Hermione, one step at a time; you can do this, don't look foolish now, all you gotta do is initiate,' she preached to herself as she continued her short journey.

She was almost forty five percent sure that he would take over if she ever made to him, judging from all the times he had, had her pinned against a wall, or straddled her waist in this very room. But Merlin did her insides feel like they were having a fiesta with her organs.

Hermione noticed he had shifted to sit up straighter and a frown of suspicion was marring his cool mask. He didn't say or move anymore then that as she finally came to stop in front of him. Lifting her right leg she slowly brushed the flesh against his knee and let it slide into the space between the chair and do the same with her other leg, planting her hands on the back of the headrest on either side of his head, as she sank into his lap with antagonizing slow precision, that even she didn't know she possessed.

"What are you doing, Granger?" he rumbled warningly his eyes narrowed.

"I'll ask you one better, Draco," she whispered when she dipped her head down close to his ear. "Why is that I don't care about what I found out about Ron, and all I've been able to think about is…you."

His hands flew to her hips, catching her completely off guard, and when he squeezed the flesh there she pushed down on him in rebellion. She was going to get this infatuation with the boy out of her head if it killed her. Hermione didn't like that he has been on her mind since arriving at school, she didn't like that this situation was thrilling and her stomach felt like it was slowly melting from the small contact already.

" I have no idea what you're talking about…Hermione."

Merlin, why was he growling like that, she wondered briefly before she felt his hand wonder from its place on her hip to the nap of her neck and roughly pulling her in to his mouth. Her mouth opened immediately for his waiting tongue, no even giving him a chance to ask for entrance, just giving it to him.

With a sigh she let her place on his lap slip somewhat so her bottom rested just below his groin, and the hands that had been clutching the back of the chair fell to his shoulders and down his chest, sliding a path to his stomach. Of course she didn't miss the way the muscles there rippled under her hand.

Arching her back she pushed her chest onto his and broke the kiss to tilt her head back exposing the expansion of willing flesh for his mouth. Being the sort of guy he was he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth and instantly attached his hungry lips to the hot skin. His menstruations earned him a quiet moan from her throat, and even as things started to slowly become hazy yet again at the mercy of this tongue and lips, Hermione still couldn't help but wonder, why him, why not someone else. Someone who wouldn't call her names or thinks of her as being lower then himself. Sure there was the physical attraction there. The Greek body, the money, the status, but more over she knew he was intelligent.

His grades were very close to hers in almost every academic stand point, and Hermione knew then that this was something that Ron would never be able to stand up against her. He was all brawns and no brains.

And as if he was reading her thoughts, breaking through the miasma that had settled on her coherent thinking process, he murmured against her skin, not willing to break the contact, "so tell me…why…are you so…willing to do this."

He grunted the last part as Hermione rolled her hips against his.

"Recent studies have shown that certain physical characteristics stimulate…a part of..the brain…c-called the…hypothalamus," she panted out slowly trying desperately to snatch at facts in her clogged brain. Hermione pushed away from his mouth and ducked her head kissing his chin and then the juncture where his neck and shoulder met, right on the pulse. She grinned to find it slightly erratic.

"Which of course is followed by sensations such as a accelerated heart beat, perspiration, and in general…sexual arousal." Her tongue wound a path from that frantic beating vain up the long column of his neck to his ear where it traced the path of the outside of his ear, earning a shudder on his part for her efforts.

"Know it all," he muttered under his breath as it hitched despite himself. Growling yet again when he felt her smirk against his flesh. His dominating hands quickly found her hips again and turned her roughly in his lap. His legs prying in between her thighs and widening them for him, "I bet you've never even been this far with a man. Don't get smug on me, Granger."

Her head fell back to his shoulder and she could have sworn she was going to spontaneous combust, by the feeling of the heat that licked over every inch of her body. Hermione grunted in attempts to stay quite but the hot lusty little things he was whispering in her ear, not really comprehending at this point, made it hard to keep herself together.

No she can honestly say that this was far more then she had ever felt for Ron. Her eyes practically rolled to the back of her head when his fingers ghosted over her chest the other hand making its way lower down her stomach. She made a conscious effort not to appear to eager though that was probably pointless at this moment.

Hermione's hips jerked suddenly when his warm fingers slid over her panty covered mound and tugged them to the side with no preamble, sliding their way over the already slick folds of her lips. She couldn't stop the heady whimper that spilled from her lips and the low fire in the hearth in front of them seemed to have come to life engulfing her in a heated trap she couldn't escape, even if she wanted. This was all metaphorical of course, this heat she felt was consuming her from the inside out causing her to tremble and strain in silent pleading want to feel more pressure from his fingers as they lazily made circles against the aching bundle of nerves.

Hermione's breath tore ragged from her chest as she panted stiffly against him. It was if her body moved on its own violation, picking up on the natural impulse to grind against him and his hand. There was no logically negotiation on why she was acting this way, it was purely instinctual, and she had no right to deny it. And from the feeling of his own arousal pressing hard against her rubbing in between her ass, he wasn't thinking to much on the coherent side of things either.

The boiling tight string she felt growing taut in her lower stomach was deliciously close to snapping; her thighs shook from unbridled strain and she just wanted it to break, wanted to feel that euphoric bliss that she would into fall afterwards. Hermione gasped however when he removed his fingers, somewhat reluctantly and pushed her so he could stand.

Draco's hand instantly went around her waist to steady her when he saw her legs shake, threatening to give way at any moment.

"Not here, Granger," he whispered in her ear, nipping at the lobe and picking her up making her wrap her legs around him. With purposefully long strides he made his way to his door and kicked it open easily and deposited her on his bed. From the small break in their contact, the warnings flagged in her mind. 'Are you really going to let this happen? Could you?'

But those obtuse thoughts were pushed away hastily when he stood up at the end of his bed and unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off. Her lips twitched at the site of tightly wound cords of muscles places just right…everywhere.

'Oh hell of course I can let this happen…'

Letting out a slow breath she didn't even bothering hiding her lust from the boy in front of her, okay not really a boy, they were both eighteen, adolescent adult then. So this was perfectly fine…

Perfectly…fine…

There went her coherent thoughts again when he put a knee against the mattress edge and crawled towards her on his hands and knees in a way that could only be described as predatorily. Hermione's heart thudded harshly in her eyes.

'Oh Merlin,' she thought to herself as he continued his advance on her already trembling figure. That fire that had died down with the loss of contact was back once again with that smoldering, yet cold glance from him, and she couldn't help but clench her thighs together, earning an amused, smug smirk from him.

--

Draco rolled over to his side; his sleep-clogged mind subconsciously reaching for the body it knew should have been there. But when his fingers met nothing but silk fabric his eyes sprang open with sudden realization, blissful morning sleep forgotten in that instant an instead traded for irritation.

Women did not leave Draco Malfoy's bed. Grunting in aggravation he sat up his satin sheets sliding down to bunch in his lap as he looked around. By the looks of the still dark sky it couldn't have been more then four or five in the morning. The place next to him was cold, but it held that unmistakable scent that was Hermione. Snarling slightly he looked around again and saw that any indication she had been there was gone.

Except for the smell and the memory. Closing his eyes in silent contemplation he remembered easily what had happened only a few scant hours ago. He never would have thought that the Gryffindor's prized Princess would be such a little hellcat in bed. From the way her heels had dug into his ass cheeks, amusingly enough, to the still stinging reminder or her nails scraping down his back and even the timid dirty talk he coaxed out of her.

Draco liked to think of himself a…considerate lover, even if it was with a person he saw so ardently as his enemy, he had made sure the little goody to-shoes had been adequately sated before taking his own needs. But the ungrateful little wench wasn't even in his bed when he woke. Probably somewhere crying for the loss of her virginity. Yes, he knew she was a virgin, how could she not be? From the slightly pained look on her face and the silent tears that bubbled up in her eyes, it was utterly obvious.

But that injured reaction had quickly gone away, with a few well-learned tricks on his part, and soon she was once again arching and panting underneath him, begging for more, and harder. Smirking to himself he stood and grabbed a pair of his favorite silk pajama bottoms to pull them on and pushed his way out his door to the common room. What he saw there made his confident strides falter and his eyes widen in slight disbelief.

There reading quite comfortably sipping tea, curled up to one side of the large sofa, was none other then Granger herself. Looking every bit content and relaxed. Draco could have sworn she would have been sobbing madly, calling him names, and swearing her undying hatred for him. But no she sat peacefully…reading.

Reading for Merlin's sake!

There was no signs of distress from her or inner conflict. He arched an eyebrow when she looked up and met his stony gaze evenly, and he scowled even deeper when she smirked slightly. Not smiled, not grinned, but smirked.

"Good morning," she said lightly and closed the book in her lap after marking the place with a slip of paper. Leaning forward she picked up the pot of what smelled like Earl Gray Tea and posed it over a empty cup as so poor it. "Tea?"

She was acting much to nonchalant over the whole thing, and Draco wondered briefly if he had been used. The idea sent a smirk of his own to his lips and he shook his head to clear his head. He did not get used.

"Indeed," was all he said and walked up to the low coffee table in front of the couch. He waited for her to finish pouring and took it steadily into his own hands when she passed it to him.

"And what may I ask are you doing up at this most dreadful hour?" He asked after a moment and sipped on the steaming liquid.

"Well," she paused to reach for an apple in the assortment of fruits beside the tray of tea. "I thought I would do us both a favor and remove myself from your bed before you woke."

She then raised an eyebrow at him giving him an appraising look before taking a bit into the pliant flesh of the fruit with a satisfying crunch. "I didn't take you to be one that would cuddle."

Draco snorted in amusement and nodded. "You would be correct. I would have more then likely kicked you out upon waking up."

Granger merely went on eating her fruit after giving him and nod but looked back up when he placed his cup down on the table and started to speak.

"Not that I particularly care, but why did you let happen, what happen?"

She looked off for a moment, the space between her brow furrowing slightly in thought. "I suppose, I wanted to see what it was like. I know you know, that people hold me in a certain light as being perfect and so on, but I'm rather tired of the stereotype everyone holds on me."

"Ah, so I was used." He muttered darkly.

She laughed flippantly and shook her head. "Yes and no. Terrible sorry about that Malfoy, but it couldn't have been anyone but you."

He threw her a questioning look then and she went on.

"You see, I only ever agreed to date Ron, I admit now, to bring back some sort of stability in my life. I don't like him that way, as much as I conveniently made myself believe, and I didn't allow myself to see that really until you so…graciously…pointed it out to me. Then I got to thinking, why? What can I do about it? And that answer came to me after thinking about you. Why did I get this fluttering in my stomach when you looked at me, however cold your stares could be? Why not when Ron, even when he looked at me with much warmer eyes?"

Draco slowly smirked at the delicate rise of pink on her cheeks as she spoke. It was embarrassing to hear much less say aloud. It was a good thing to see her discomfiture, amusing at it was.

"So, I decided to throw caution to the wind. I'm glad I did, it was a very eye opening experience, if not enjoyable. Of course I have no prior knowledge to go on, but nonetheless judging by the reactions I gave you, it was pleasurable."

Her tone was just a little to detached and calculating, much like it would sound while giving an well rounded theory in the classroom.

"Well that's all fine and good, Granger, but why me?" he hissed out in slight irritation.

"Ah, yes, sorry, why you? Well I suppose you are the only person that has made me feel the way I felt enough to go that far. Nothing emotionally attached to it, however, it was more for my personal wonderment."

"As superb as it is to hear you've worked out something completely personal I wouldn't have pegged you for someone that saw sex as a purely unemotional act," he said flatly.

"Why would I? You and I are in no sort of expressively bound relationship," she said with mild confusion. "And the loss of my…virginity," she paused to beat down the blush of the usage of the word before going on, "can be looked at from a different view point as well. The hymen is nothing but a thin membrane that would have no doubt been easily torn, say in some sort of physical sport. If I were opt to do that sort of thing."

"I see, so you are linking your virginity to emotion, so to speak," Draco said thoughtfully. "Say you did lose your virginity to someone you actually had a deeply bonded relationship too, you would see it as a metaphorical meaning."

He mulled the idea over in his head as she nodded in agreement.

"Is that odd?" She wondered out loud.

Was it odd? He supposed that it wasn't; in way it was much better then dealing with a distraught muggleborn Gryffindor on his hands, which no doubt would have brought the wrath of heaven and hell down on his head.

"It has peeked my curiosity, however," Granger said with a very un – Granger – like smirk.

"Oh?"

"Yes, I quite enjoyed myself last night," she suggested heavily and Draco arched an eyebrow before copying her smirk once again.

"I see," he said and stood. "Then this should be interesting Granger…very much so indeed."

As he left he heard her hum her assent and grinned at the feeling of her eyes, almost literally burning a whole in his back.

--

A/N – There you have it, the beginning of the real story plot. I know I know kind of dragged it out there, BUT here it will only get more interesting, with the melodramatic specialist (that would be the other person writing this story) half of the evil ducks army and the smut specialist half (that would be me people) this story line is about to take a few sharp twist and turns, and quickly. Oh and do look forward to some more lemons on my behalf. The ten chapters before this does play into the story line and will support what is to come, thank you all for reading and I do hope you come back to read more!