Sleeping with Malfoy once was stupid. Sleeping with Malfoy twice was really stupid. But going back every other week when she couldn't help herself, yet knew that she was better off without him?

That's called idiocy. And Hermione kept making herself into one big idiot each time she returned to Malfoy's bed.

Why did she keep doing that again? Oh, right- he was intoxicating to sleep with. The best lay of her life, he kicked Theo to the sideline without trying. Although she wouldn't use the word gentle when describing Draco Malfoy's idea of sex, she wouldn't call it the beastly overpowering act Nott put on either. And at least when she left with love-bites she didn't feel like she was being marked. Why the hell would he want to mark her when he probably didn't want people knowing they were even associating?

Yeah, she was pretty sure that he wasn't trying to mark her in any way, shape, or form. He was just having fun, and damnit, so was she. Fucking Malfoy was actually one of the more enjoyable things she'd done since returning to Britain.

How messed up was that?

However, all good things must come to an end, and Hermione knew that eventually her friends would pick up on her strange behavior. And she was right. One night when she was getting ready to go visit Draco- dressed in a very tight dress with some lovely, alluring undergarments hiding underneath – she was finishing getting dressed when the floo in her living room roared to life, and she incorrectly thought that he had come to pick her up early. This would be only the second time that he had come by her apartment. Dressed up to look like eye-candy she was way too caught up in the allure of Draco's relaxers and sex play to consider that someone else might stop by. She was slightly mortified when her two best friends caught sight of her in such a skintight dress, with matching stilettos.

She actually thought Harry might just faint. He still thought of her as being innocent after all, despite everything. Ron, having once been in a relationship with her, knew better but still looked startled to see her dressed up in such a way nonetheless.

"Going somewhere?" Ron asked, when the trio finally snapped back into reality. She was still clasping her bag, trying to come up with the best solution to get them out of her house before her date arrived, a date they would surely throw a fit over.

"Oh, out," she said vaguely, waving her hand. The two men exchanged a glance, looking over her outfit with critical eyes. Obviously, they were coming up with plenty of scenarios as to what out indicated towards.

"Have a date or something?" Harry asked hesitantly, afraid of her response. "Please tell me you're going to meet someone like that and you're not going to work-"

"Harry!"

He stopped there, shrugging innocently. "Well, we haven't seen you a ton recently Hermione, and you're usually busy on the same nights-"

"Just stop there," she warned, crossing her arms. "Just because I'm dressed up like this doesn't mean that I have a job of this… status! Yes, I'm going out tonight, but I didn't realize that I owed you an explanation to my whereabouts! We aren't in school anymore guys; we don't spend every moment together."

They exchanged a glance. "We know," Ron replied with a shrug, "But you've been acting weird lately. I heard from some of the people in your department that you've been lost in wonderland a lot recently, and you even turned in a few things late-"

"And that's a crime?" She pulled at the neckline of her dress, now wishing it was higher. It wasn't anything gruesomely low, but in the company of her friends she felt naked. She considered them to be brothers, and whether or not they led mundane lives she still cared about them. This wasn't something she would normally wear in their company.

"It's not you," the ginger replied. "I don't know what's gotten into you recently, but for the past month or so you've been acting completely unlike yourself. Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," she snapped, glancing at the clock. Malfoy would be there in a few minutes, and she really hoped to avoid confrontation between the three. "Look, I'm just going out to meet someone. Nothing important, but-"

"A date?" Harry asked, looking both happy and concerned. "You've been seeing this guy for a while?"

She quirked an eyebrow. "It doesn't matter Harry. Point is I'm actually getting out and about and doing something. So please, can I go on my way? I don't want to keep him waiting."

"Do we get to meet him?" Ron asked, looking curious.

"Yes, sometime." No, never. Now hurry up!

"How about now?" Harry inquired, prying into her life. She desperately wanted to kick them out just then for being so annoyingly nosy, but decided that she would hold her tongue- and her irritation- until she actually had a reason to snap out.

"I don't think so. But we'll set up a date sometime. I really have to get going though…"

Giving up, the pair bid her goodbye, deciding that it wouldn't do any good to linger around when she obviously didn't intend to hold much of a conversation. Relieved, Hermione composed herself a moment, smoothing out the tight little dress. A few moments of peace would be absolute bliss.

The floo roared to life moments later and out stepped her elegantly dressed date, barely missing crossing paths with her two best friends. He stepped from the floo, raising an eyebrow when he noticed the twinge of distress on her face.

"Don't you look excited."

She smiled, but it looked forced. "I am excited," she replied easily, stepping in front of him. Her arms laced around his neck, her body pulling itself flush against his. "Are you ready?"

"Are you?" he countered, watching the smile on her face give a little. "You're covering something, obviously. We might be acquaintances based on sex but you're never so forward the moment I step in."

"It's not important," she replied airily, waving a hand. "So, where are we going tonight?"

He dropped the topic for the moment, knowing he might get an answer later when she was drunk. "Well, my favourite club is open tonight."

"Really, you want to go back there? Why return to such a shady establishment? We can do things at your house, or mine even. We don't need to return."

"Maybe you don't, but I return very often. It's been habit for over a year now."

"I really don't feel like bedding up with Nott again," she said, crossing her arms. "That's an adventure I do not want to repeat."

He waggled his eyebrows. "That's why you're showing up with me this time."

"You want to have sex on one of those dingy little beds? Merlin Malfoy, they looked Aid-infested last time."

The blond cringed. "Obviously you didn't use a disinfectant spell last. Poor choice. We don't have to stay long Granger, just long enough for me to stop in and see my friends. They will get curious if I don't show up tonight."

"Can't Blaise just make something up?"

"He could," Draco agreed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they stepped closer together. "But where is the fun in that? We'll leave quickly okay? Less than an hour."

She didn't believe a word of that, but nodded nonetheless. "Less than an hour Malfoy."

Two hours later Hermione wasn't feeling well. She was back in the circle of Slytherin's, Draco talking amongst his friends while she continued to sip on one drink after another. It wasn't a grand idea considering how little she had eaten that day, but she didn't rightly care. He wouldn't budge yet, despite being quite over his time limit.

She was half on top of him, half sprawled across the loveseat. He wasn't touching her inappropriately, something she made him swear not to do before they even stepped into the establishment. That was a one-time thing with Nott, and a mistake at that. She couldn't believe she let him do those things to her with other people around. She should have at least waited until they were in private.

The man in question had been eyeing her since their arrival. Draco continued to keep her close, kissing her roughly on occasion whenever it looked like Theo was about to stand up. She was beginning to not enjoy the contact. His actions were feeling more controlling and possessive than anything. It was like he was trying to mark her.

When she excused herself to go to the bathroom she wasn't too surprised to find someone waiting for her when she stepped out. Nott was lingering by the door, waiting for the moment when she stepped out.

"Granger," he said happily, stepping up to her. She raised an eyebrow, knowing even in her buzzed state that he wanted something. "About time you ditched Malfoy."

"I came here with Malfoy."

"That doesn't mean you have to stay at Draco's side all night," Nott replied, slipping an arm around her shoulders. "He must be a right drag. Come, how about I show you a good time?"

She smirked, surprisingly doing a good impression of Malfoy's trademark look. "I think I'll look elsewhere if I want sex. Someplace more… satisfying."

His expression turned to a frown as Hermione moved out of his hold, headed back to the room. He caught her arm before she could go far, dragging the girl back to him.

"Obviously Draco has laced you with something if you're talking such nonsense. Women want to bed up with me Granger, not the other way around. I'm the one people are dying to sleep with. You should consider yourself lucky that I've given you so much attention so far."

Hermione shoved him back then, placing her hands on her hips. "Lucky? I don't know if you're blind or just plain stupid Nott, but I've gotten more suggestive looks here tonight than you have. Don't even begin to try to tell me that it's some sort of blessing that you're paying me any mind. You've had your eyes on me since I walked through the door, and everyone knows it. The problem is I haven't spared you a second thought. And it's not because I'm trying to play hard to get! You see, I've moved onto bigger and better things, it wouldn't make sense to backtrack. So I recommend you stop acting like a bigoted moron and start searching for some other fresh meat to corrupt."

She turned on her heel and walked away, satisfied with her speech. Maybe she could go the rest of the night without him eyeing her, and Malfoy would cool down. Wouldn't that be a relief! It didn't seem like he had any intention of leaving anytime soon as it was.

Behind the brunette Nott stood fuming. He was never one to take rejection well, and to be rejected by his favourite bedmate for Draco Malfoy was an insult above all else. She would not get away with that.

But he wouldn't do anything just then. She was high strung, a bit drunk, and very close to Malfoy tonight. He knew better than to take the chance of grabbing her with the blond around, especially after he'd been drinking. It wouldn't end well.

No, all good things come in time. And Theo was willing to wait for her for a little while.

"We should apparate," she muttered as he pulled her along. "It's terrible out here. I can hardly see a foot in front of me."

"It's peaceful," he countered, smirking through the fog. "There aren't a million lovebirds out in the park tonight."

"It's quiet," Hermione agreed, actually enjoying the solitude. This might as well be make-out lane, where all the couples came to get down. It was like a spinoff of the club they had just vacated. "I wish I could see the moon."

"You really can't see anything out here," the blond agreed, nearly running into a bench. "It's grand until something like that happens."

She smiled then, a thought popping up in her head. He'd been sour when she wouldn't bed down with him at the terrible establishment, and she demanded that they return to one of their homes before doing anything naughty. He didn't want to apparate, and decided a peaceful walk would be better. Maybe she would have to get back at him for making her walk through the dense fog.

"Let's sit," Hermione mused, sitting down on the very bench he almost ran into. Curious he sat beside her, wondering what would make her sit on the cold bench at midnight. The weather wasn't exactly peachy by this time.

"And what would make you want to sit out here in the cold Miss Granger, hmm?"

She shrugged, leaning herself against his body. "Maybe we can take our time getting home," she whispered into his ear, nipping at the skin there. He moaned lowly in response.

"Really, out here in the middle of a park? We could be caught."

"It's foggy," she said, toying with the blond locks of hair. Draco never expected her to come up with a suggestion like that. "No one would see us."

"They might hear you," he replied with a smirk. "Silence is not understood by you."

Hermione wiggled her eyebrows, knowing the alcohol had a minor effect on her spontaneous mood. "I never said you had to keep me quiet," she purred, climbing up on his lap.

It didn't take long for her dress to come up and for his trousers to end up unzipped. When he first shoved inside of her, working her hips over him, she moaned louder than expected.

"Shh darling, not quite so loud. You don't want someone to come out and investigate, now do you?"

She smiled against his lips, rocking her hips up and down his length. It wasn't the rough, demanding sex she was used to associating with Draco Malfoy. This was more sensual.

He kissed down her neck to her breasts, the nipples hard and erect from the chilled air. Instead of leaving the feverish bites like he usually did he trailed soft kisses down her body, gently biting instead of leaving marks. It was a completely new side to him that Hermione had never seen.

They were too focused on their moment of bliss, her full, loud moans taking over as he worked his length in and out of her body. They were far too lost in the moment to notice the eyes of the nearby peeping tom, watching with jealously boiling under the surface.

He just couldn't believe she would let Malfoy of all people fuck her like that.

By the time Hermione awoke the following morning she was stiff and sore. After their risky adventure in the park last night they returned to his flat and had another go before passing out. She woke him up once more that night for round three, and now her body was questioning her choices the next morning.

Her joints were sore and stiff as she crawled from his lavish bed, making her way to the bathroom. She desperately needed a shower after all the sweaty sex and her visit to the club.

The water smoothed out the wrinkles in her brow, relaxing her achy body. Even when he was being more sensual than dominating he still managed to leave her pleasantly sore. She had never had a lover quite like him before. He kept her on her toes.

The bathroom door opened and shut, and she knew she had a morning visitor even before he spoke. "You slept in today."

"Oh Merlin, I was afraid of that. I didn't even check before I came in here. Do you happen to know the time?"

"Granger, I won't even bother telling you. It's far too late for you to go running into work now. Call off for the day- tell your boss you're majorly sick or something."

"What time is it?"

"About one. When you drink it seems you like to sleep heavily afterwards."

She rolled her eyes, but bit her lip nonetheless. Her friends would notice her absence from work, and Harry and Ron would know she was lying if she called into work after seeing her scandalous outfit from the night before. And her boss wouldn't approve of her calling off so late. No matter what choice she made at that point she was going to be harassed with questions.

"I wish you had just poked me awake. Now I'm going to be in trouble."

"With your boss? You're a grown women Granger- tell him to fuck off if you must. Tell him you need a day to yourself."

"It's not that easy Malfoy," she replied, stepping from the shower. "My friends work with me. They stopped by last night and saw my outfit. If I call off it's just going to peek their curiosity that much more."

"I hate to break it to you," he drawled, watching her hide her body with the towel, "But you can tell them to bugger off. From what I've understood you don't seem very interested in being truthful to them these days as it is."

"Are you saying I'm lying to my friends?"

He shrugged. "Well, you certainly haven't told them the truth. I seriously doubt you told Scarhead and Weasel that you've been out boning me for the past few weeks."

Hermione blushed, knowing he was right on that front. Maybe one extra lie wouldn't hurt. "I guess you're right, I should call off work at least."

"And then you're going to ignore your friends and avoid answering questions?"

She cringed, nodding as she magically dried her hair. "For right now. They won't be very accepting of the lifestyle I've chosen."

"If you say so Granger. Just remember, the longer you lead a double life, the worse it's going to come back and bite you in the arse later."

"I know- I know Malfoy. But right now I can't handle the terrible pep-talks they will give me if I do talk to them. I want some time to myself first."

Draco shrugged, following the nearly-naked woman from his bathroom back to his bed, where he sat down and watched her.

"If you just wear a top you can call into work that way."

A bright blush split across her red cheeks and she spun on him. "I don't have any intentions to call into work half naked Malfoy! I should still respect myself a little, even if I am sleeping around with you."

He ignored the low blow, relaxing on his bed. "I just think it's a waste to spend the time to get dressed. You have to know what I'm going to do as soon as you finish calling in."

Hermione smirked, ignoring his sexual innuendo as she got dressed, his eyes never leaving her body. Maybe it wouldn't be such a terrible thing to call into work after all.