A/N: After I posted the last chapter, I was a little disheartened to get a number of (apprently) negatively slnated reviews. But I've got over a dozen positive ones since, and I found something interesting... This story is on the most favourites lists of any of my stories, and is in more C2s and Alert lists than my others combined. I must be doing something right!

Now, a lot of reviews raised concerns abotu the 'rape' angle. All I can say is: Trust me. Once we get past the first few chapters (I'm aiming for monthly updates, to give me time to write) then things will turn into a more 'normal' AU-6th year. The curse will be explained in more detail... later. Once the characters have a chance to catch their breathes.

Harry won't become a rapist. Draco is, but don't worry, I have 'plans' for him... (those of you who have read my other stories should be shuddering now...XD)

Oh, and apologies to those of you who like Hermiones dorm-mates for the first scene... they will grow up, eventually...

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Next morning, Hermione got herself ready, and then sat on her bed, reading through the book again, while she waited for the other two to finish pampering themselves and leave.

"Oh Hermione, you are still studying?" Lavender cried as she looked over at her bookworm dorm-mate. "It's the end of the year! Exams are OVER. It's time for some fun!"

Hermione looked up slowly. "I know they're over. I'm looking over next year's text."

Parvati looked horrified. "You serious? You're revising for next year now?"

"You know what she needs?" Lavender cut in. "She needs a boyfriend."

"More than that, she needs to get laid." Parvati countered, at which both of them descended into giggles.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "There's more important things in life than sex, Parvati."

Lavender put on a serious look. "There is NOTHING more important than sex, Hermione. You'd know that, if you got some." She tutted. "And you never will if you don't get out, dress up and have some fun!"

"What, become like you?" Hermione countered sharply. "No thank you."

"Fine!" Lavender turned to regard herself in the mirror. With summer dawning, she had started wearing tighter, more revealing clothing. Hermione couldn't help but watch, out of the corner of her eye, as she looked at her side profile, then faced the mirror and leaned forwards. A disappointed look crossed her face. "I wish I had Susan's rack though."

Hermione suppressed a cough. One of the spells in the book in her lap could do just that, and then some!

Parvati looked across at Lavender, who was still posing. "Oh, stop that! We've got to get to breakfast and see whose eye we can catch today! Maybe you can get Harry to notice you..." She smiled.

Lavender snorted, in a very unladylike fashion. "Oh, he's still mopping over Cho Chang. The bitch! Storming out of Madam Puddlifoots like that!"

Parvati smirked. "Okay, so who are you aiming for then?"

Lavender cocked her head, considering. "Ronald."

Parvati gasped. "Mister 'thicker-than-two-gnomes' Ron Weasley? Why? He's a dork!"

Normally Hermione would have defended Ron, but after his actions yesterday, she didn't feel like it. Besides, she agreed with Parvati's assessment of Ron's mental capabilities.

"Oh, I agree he ain't got much up top..." Lavender tapped the side of her head. "...But he likes a show." She leaned forwards again, exposing her cleavage. "And he's likely packing a good hunk of meat in those pants."

"How you figure that?"

Lavender smirked at Parvati's question. "He's got six siblings, remember? Mom must have liked his dads' dick, if she allowed him to bang her enough to have seven kids! And from that..." She trailed off, grinning. Parvarti laughed as she got it.

"That is just disgusting Lavender!" Hermione snapped.

Lavender looked coolly at her. "Oh shut up miss straight-laced. You'd likely not know what to do with one without a guide book!"

Shocked, Hermione fell silent. Meanwhile, Lavender turned back to Parvati. "What about you? Who you eyeballing?"

Parvati played with a scarf. "I don't know. Maybe Dean..."

"Ahh..." Lavender cooed, tucking her arm through Parvati's as they moved towards the door. "You know what they say about black men..."

Hermione groaned as the door closed on their giggles. Closing the book, she slid out and stepped towards the bed to her left. Looking at the image, she smiled slightly. The shadows were not quite right, but it clearly had fooled the other two. If they had disturbed the drapes, the illusion would have broken.

"Finite Incantum." She said, pointing her wand at the bed. The illusion vanished to reveal the drape enclosed bed. Pocketing her wand, Hermione pulled back the closest drape slowly.

Daphne was lying in the bed, the sheets partly folded down. She looked up at her with her pale blue eyes. "They always like that?" She asked with sympathy.

Hermione shrugged. "Most of the time no. I guess it's just the end of term."

As Daphne stretched and sat up, Hermione noted that she had shed her clothes during the night. Her skirt, shoes, socks and robes were piled at the foot of the bed, Harry's cloak on the other side. Close to Hermione lay her bra.

Idly curious, Hermione found herself picking up the undergarment. It was simple, white and conservative, much as she'd expect from a purely wizarding family. Turning it over, she found the label. '32B'

Hermione nodded to herself when she saw that. She was a 34C herself, and as Daphne had a slimmer figure than her...

"Not that impressive, is it?" Hermione looked down to see Daphne smirking up at her. Flushing crimson, she handed the bra over.

"Sorry."

"It's okay. It's natural to check out the competition." Daphne said as she let the sheet fall as she took the bra. "I wouldn't bother with these things if I was any smaller, but I'm at that point where I need the support." She commented as she slipped it on.

Hermione frowned. "We're not competing for anything."

Daphne smiled sadly at her. "Hermione, if I had been placed into any other house, I'd have made a play for Harry myself." She let her arms fall onto the bed as she looked at Hermione seriously. "Be honest Hermione: you love him."

Hermione opened her mouth to deny it... but the words wouldn't come out, because she knew that she'd be lying. And from the look in her eyes, Daphne would too.

She sunk onto her own bed, hanging her head. "How obvious is it?"

Daphne's expression softened. "Only to me and Susan, really. And those skilled at reading people." She reached out and took Hermione's hand in her own. "Even I didn't see it until the first article by Rita last year. After that, I looked closer, and I realised what has been going on between you two for the last five years." She smiled. "You do make a lovely couple."

Hermione blushed again. "Thanks. But I'm not his type."

Daphne looked at her sharply. "How do you figure that?"

"He chased Cho for over a year..."

"Hermione, Cho is just a pretty face with a flair for display." Daphne cut her off. "As a person, she was totally wrong for him."

Hermione sighed. "Let's just get back to trying to find a way to cure him, before he breaks?" Daphne recognised the evasive tactic for what it was, but decided to let her go. For now.

Next time, she decided as she pulled her shirt back on, she'd have Susan to back her up.

Harry gasped for air as he all but ran out of the dining hall. He come down early and wolfed down some breakfast, hoping to be able to leave before any females came down too. Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall were sat at the professors table, but he was able to put their feminine status out of his mind due to their age.

His problems started when a crowd of Ravenclaws came in, mostly girls. He'd had stared at his plate to keep his mind off their young, nubile bodies.

He'd almost finished wolfing down his remaining eggs when Ginny had sauntered in and sat herself at his side. Try as he might, he couldn't ignore the fact that under her robes she was wearing a short skirt and a tight, V-necked top. He'd chanted to himself in his head 'She's Ron's little sister. She's Ron's little sister.' Over and over, but his body began to betray him. Mumbling his apologies, he'd rushed out as fast as he could without revealing his... condition.

'She can't know about the curse. That has to be why she's acting the way she is...' he thought as he tried to regain some control. He'd known about her infatuation of him ever since he'd first met her. It had been damn annoying for the first two years, and even last year he'd not really known her.

Her involvement in the DA this year had seemed to mark her pulling back, no longer so enamoured of him, and he'd welcomed that. At last he'd gotten to know the youngest Weasley.

But that little display... It looked like she hadn't given up her fantasy at all. Now Harry was worried, since even if - WHEN, he corrected himself – he was freed of this blasted curse, he knew he'd have to watch her carefully, not show any signs of responding.

He glanced down, scowling. Right now any passing being would know how his body felt! He closed his eyes and tried to picture something horrid. 'Umbridge... no, she's a woman!... Snape. Snape in drag... women's clothing... women's clothing on slinky girls... No, no no!' Harry groaned and banged his head against the wall.

"Harry! What's wrong?"

'Oh no, not here Hermione, not now!' Harry opened his eyes... and immediately shut them again, groaning. Hermione was coming down the stairs quickly, her worried filled eyes fixed on him. At the top of the stairs behind her had been Daphne Greengrass and Susan Bones. It looked like the three of them had been together when they'd caught sight of Harry.

He turned away as Hermione came close. "Hermione..." He groaned. "You should really keep away..."

"I know. Sorry." She winced. "I'm just... concerned, about you."

Harry sighed. "I'm hanging on. Barely." He looked up briefly. "You've got to keep everyone away from me."

Hermione's face fell, and Harry felt terribly guilty. He never, ever wanted to hurt her. Hermione's trust and friendship meant so much to him. He honestly didn't know what he would have done these last five years without her there by his side. And although he didn't like to admit it, he knew deep down that even though Ron had been his first friend, Hermione had replaced him in his heart. He could have survived losing Ron, but not her. Never her.

Hermione nodded after a moment. "I understand Harry. I'm not going to stop looking for a cure for this. Don't give up."

Despite everything, Harry found a smile forcing its way onto his lips. "Have I ever?"

Hermione gave one short bark of laughter. "No, you never have."

"I'm worried about her."

Daphne looked askew at her friend Susan. They were both sat at one end of 'their' table, Hermione at the other. It had been her who had driven them to continue looking for a cure for Harry. It had been two days since Harry had been cursed, and somehow he was still holding on, in control of his desires. It had been clear that the curse was getting to him; that he had to fight harder and harder to remain in control. He'd stopped coming to lessons this morning, instead holing up in his dormitory. And he hadn't been seen in the dining hall again, much to the clear disappointment of Ginny.

But nothing had come up, despite all their increasingly frantic research. There was nothing, no spell, potion or plant that could handle the raw power of this curse. Hermione had however determined why this curse had never been cured before: The curse enflamed natural desires. Most curses worked against a bodies natural instincts, or inflicted harm. Thus, they could be cured, as the cure worked with the body of the victim.

But this... it worked on the natural impulses, making them stronger, driving them harder. Any cure had to rein in those impulses. A much harder task.

"What do you mean?" Daphne asked quietly.

Susan nodded her head towards Hermione, whose face was buried in one book. The table space in front of her was covered in scraps of parchment, at least a dozen thick books and several muggle spiral notepads. "She's going to kill herself trying to find a way to cure Harry, you know. She's already obsessed with this. She's not eating as much as she did or should, and I know she's stayed up all night too." Susan sighed deeply, regretfully. "Harry's getting worse, isn't he?"

Daphne nodded glumly. "Yes. It's clear to everyone that he's got a problem, but nearly everyone is unsure what. He's not going to hold out much longer... not without going insane."

Susan looked at her in alarm, then back towards Hermione. "She really does love him, doesn't she? She knows what's wrong with him, how dangerous it is to be around him, and yet she still tries to reassure him, goes near him. That's love Daph', true, unconditional love." She sighed, her voiced filled with a range of emotions.

Daphne looked again at Hermione. She saw everything Susan had said in her. But in the back of her head she knew that time was not on their side.

The chime of the clock caused Susan to look at it, and she huffed in annoyance. "I've got to go. Professor Sprout 'asked' me to come by her office at seven."

Daphne smiled at her. "Good luck." But her smile faded as she looked back. Sighing in resignation, she stood up and walked over to Hermione. Reaching her side, she saw the one book was opened on one of the most potent potions: The Draught of the Living Dead.

"Hermione?" Daphne asked, concern colouring her tone.

"It may buy us some time." Hermione answered the unspoken question without looking up. "It would keep him asleep, immobile..." Her voice hitched at the end. There was desperation in her voice.

Daphne sank into the seat next to her friend. "Hermione... face it. There is no cure."

"No." Hermione stated with desperate conviction. "Every problem has a solution..."

"And how long will it take you to find the answer to this one?" Daphne countered, a little heat entering her words. "He can't hold out much longer Hermione. He's going to give in, within a day or two. Would you really keep him in a near death state for years, spending the rest of your life trying to cure something that's incurable?" Daphne paused before continuing. "Could you do it?"

Hermione was silent, a single tear running down her cheek. After a moment, she shook her head.

"Sometimes, even you have to yield." Daphne told her gently. "Some things can not be changed. This curse... it scares me partly because it is so powerful. You can't fight it; you can only give in before it gets too great. Best thing we can do now is come up with a way to contain him, to protect ourselves and everyone else in the school."

Hermione's head bowed forwards, and Daphne felt like a monster for saying what she did. She looped an arm around the other girl, drawing her close.

"I know how you feel about him. In some respects, I feel the same. But we have to put our personal feelings aside for the moment, because he's going to be a danger to everyone in the school."

Hermione was crying openly now, and Daphne felt terrible. Wrapping her in both arms, Daphne rested her head on top of Hermione's, her own eyes feeling damp. It tore at her heart to see Hermione, such a strong, determined young woman, break down and cry. And guilt tore at her guts since she had been the one to cause this.

Hermione tossed and turned later that night, unable to sleep. Daphne's words echoed in her head, mixing with her desperation to help Harry. And although her words had been brutal Hermione knew, deep down, that they were true. There was no way to cure Harry of his curse. Everything she thought of, every avenue, led nowhere.

She closed her eyes and sniffed, tears rolling down her cheeks slowly. She felt like a failure. Her greatest strength was her brain, her intellect. And yet it was all for nought now. She'd help Harry overcome every problem in the past, but this time she'd failed.

Rolling onto her side, she looked across to the next bed. Daphne was once more sleeping in the bunk, still avoiding the Slytherin Quarters like the plague. After seeing some of the looks directed her way by Malfoy's group, Hermione didn't blame her.

Sighing, she began to roll the other way. 'If only there was a way to ease his...'

Her mind came to a screeching halt, as did her body. The only thing that moved were her eyes, which widened rapidly as her mind turned over a new, sudden thought.

After a couple more seconds she threw off the covers, almost launching herself off the bed. Snatching up her wand, her hand darted into the space behind her dresser... where she had been keeping The Book.

"Lumos!" She whispered. Frantically she whipped through the book to the pages concerning the curse. Once there, she re-read the effects of the spell.

After a couple of minutes, she snorted and tossed the book back onto her bed. The information she needed was in the Library.

Steeling herself, she pulled on her dressing gown before padding down to the Common Room. She had almost reached the door when she paused. This would be dangerous and difficult, unless... She softly cursed herself for returning Harry's Cloak after getting Daphne settled.

With a shiver she turned and moved up the stairs that led to the boys Dormitories. She paused at the door to the Fifth Years, breathing rapidly.

"Okay, you can do this. Just walk in, get the map and cloak, then leave. Relax!" She whispered to herself before she took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

A chorus of snores almost stopped her dead, but she stepped onwards. As she neared Harry's bed, she found that she could tell how each boy snored. Neville was quiet, almost whimpering. Seamus and Dean were both regular, modest snores, though Dean's had a deeper note.

Ron, in contrast, was a loud, rumbling monster. Hermione couldn't help but glance at him as she passed. He'd left the drapes open, and was sprawled across the bed, one arm hanging out. She grimaced when she saw that his mouth was partly open and his tongue was lolling out.

It was then that she realised that no sound was coming from Harry's bed, which had the drapes closed.

"Harry?" She whispered as she stepped to the side. "Are you awake?" She reached for and pulled at the drapes.

Suddenly her hand was seized in a tight grip and dragged down the bed, pulled the drape open. Within was Harry, lying on top of the covers, looking at her intently. Hermione was startled at the intense look in his eyes, which she saw were filled with lust. His free hand came up and gently touched her collarbone before drifting to the front of her gown. Her breathing hitched when she felt his hand start gathering the material into a fist.

'Has he given in?' She wondered, looking into his eyes. Inside her head instincts and passion warred. Most of her instincts screamed at her to pull away, to retreat. And yet set against them were her own lust and passion, her love for Harry. Maybe, just maybe, if she let him take her now, he'd slack his lust for a time, giving her more time to find a cure...

Despite all the thoughts racing through her head, she knew that if he was to drag her into his bed and take her right now, she wouldn't resist. She loved him too much.

For a long moment Harry had a tight grip on the front of her robes, barely an inch from her breast. Her heart was beating so hard and fast she figured he could likely hear it...

His eyes closed slowly, and a low groan escaped his lips, the first sound he'd made. His tight grip on her clothing eased. "Damn it Hermione..." He spoke with frustration. "...You've got to stop coming near me. I can't control it much longer."

"I know Harry." She replied, dropped to her knees at his bedside, clasping his hand between her own. "You know there's nothing I wouldn't do for you, right?"

Although his eyes were still closed, Hermione could just see his mouth twitch as if to smile. "Yeah."

"Absolutely anything Harry." She squeezed his hand to reinforce her point. "If you wanted me to, I'd... I'd let you take me, right here, right now, if it helped you keep control..." She trailed off, seeing that he was shaking his head.

"You have no idea how appealing that sounds Hermione. But... I know that if I let go and... use you, like that..." Embarrassment coloured his voice. "... I'd never rein myself back in again. If I give in, I'll be unable to stop myself." At last he opened his eyes and looked at her. The lust from before was still there, but it was forced down, restrained. He looked at her pleadingly. "I... Hermione, you have to stay away. If I hurt you, I'd never forgive myself." He sighed, his eyes drifting closed again. "You'd best get as far away as you can. I can't hold on much longer..."

"I haven't given up yet Harry, so don't give up on me." Hermione cut him off, tightening her grip on his hand. "I'm still working on a way to cure you. You just keep fighting it." She paused, bowing her head a little. "That's... why I'm here. I need the cloak and map."

Harry nodded slightly, enough to let her know that he didn't need to know why she needed those items. "Bottom drawer, to your left."

Letting go with her left hand, she reached down and pulled the draw open. Reaching inside, her fingers touched silky cloth. Pulling it out, she draped the cloak across her knees before reaching in once more. It took a few moments for her to grasp the edge of the parchment. Harry looked at her again, a slight hint of panic in his eyes. "Don't let any of the teachers get hold of this, Snape especially."

"I won't Harry." Hermione promised before slowly standing upright again. She gripped his hand one last time. "Good night Harry."

"Good night, Hermione."

As he closed the drape again and she walked out, neither one of them noticed that one of the snorers had stopped snoring.

Next morning Susan and Daphne entered the Library almost in a rush. Hermione had not been in her bed that morning, her clothes untouched. Daphne had rushed to get dressed and slip out before any one else was awake: she'd borrowed one of Hermione's robes to cover the Slytherin colours on her jumper and tie. She had waited for Susan outside the Great Hall, after having checked that Hermione was not in there herself. Quickly the two of them figured out the most likely place their friend could be.

Moving through the Library, they rounded the corner to find what they feared; Hermione, sat at the table once more, books sprayed out on the table. She was dressed only in her night clothes and dressing gown, the cloak piled on the chair next to her.

"Hermione!" Susan hissed as they walked towards her. Startled, she glanced up before muttering something as she looked to the chair seat on her right. Then she looked up at them again.

"Hi. Er... what time is it?"

"Past breakfast!" Daphne told her as she settled down in a chair. "McGonagall's worried sick over you!"

Hermione looked taken aback, but then she looked down at what she had been working on. "Well... I guess it was worth it." She half whispered to herself.

"What do you mean?" Susan asked, concerned.

"I mean that I think found a way to cure Harry, maybe." Hermione added without a lot of conviction as she gathered her notes together. Yawning, she picked up the cloak. "Could you return the books? I would, but..." She gestured to herself.

"Sure." Daphne replied before Susan could. Susan looked at her friend, ready to argue... but then saw the narrowed eyes.

"Thanks. I owe you both one." Hermione said before yawning again. Then she vanished as she draped the cloak about her.

Susan waited almost a minute before speaking. "Well?"

Daphne picked up one of the books. "She may have taken her notes, but she didn't close the books. Let's take a look at what she was reading..."

A/N: We're almost there. Fair warning, there will be a bout of unpleasentness next chapter involving Draco, but those of you who know my style should know by now that I don't let things get too bad.