A/N: A long time ago, someone criticized my story "Ballade #3 Rewritten" as being written unrealistically. Truthfully, I kind of agreed. I have not and will not change it because of other constraints, but looking back on it, I did not capture the awkwardness of two strangers doing the horizontal tango as well as I could have. So I took some parts of the plot, and wrote this.

There is a pairing. I'm not telling you what it is until you encounter it in the story. It is a strong M, and does flirt with the line, but I don't quite think it's an MA. If it is, well, sorry, I guess we'll deal with it if it becomes a problem.

Please NOTE: this did not start as a Harry/Lavender/Hermione, but it will be one in the future. I decided that somewhere in the third chapter. I was criticized, and I think they had a point, that I wasn't clear about that. I didn't know myself, but it doesn't really matter. I do now, and so do you. So now you can't say you weren't warned. Don't like, don't read.

This story is AU. Voldemort is dead. There are no Horcruxes. Some characters will act a little OOC.

On with the story...

Harry slowly opened the door to the abandoned classroom, and fighting down his nerves, walked in. A girl was sitting in one of the chairs next to the wall, nervously playing with the hem of her robes. Her skin was bright red, and she looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there. He walked in further, and gently closed the door. The only sounds in the room were their breathing, and his shoes against the stone floor as he walked over to her. He sat down next to her, and they were quiet for a while.

Finally, he broke the silence. "How do you feel?"

She sighed and started fidgeting with the buttons of her robe. "What does it matter? Let's just do this and get it over with," the girl said with annoyance.

Harry grabbed her arm, and gently pulled it down to her lap. "Not yet," he said. "I asked you a question. How do you feel?"

She sighed. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

His green eyes pierced hers, and she looked away. "I didn't want this any more than you did," he said.

"You don't want me?", she asked, a glint of fire in her eyes.

"I'm a male," he said, quietly. "Of course I do. You are one of the most physically desirable girls in this school. But I don't want this. Not like this."

"I thought you boys would shag anything that moved," she said accusingly, and huffed.

He was quiet for a few seconds. "I'm not like that. I was hoping for love," he said, somewhat morosely. "But that's out the window now."

She turned her head up and met his eyes, searching for something. Finally she deflated. "You're not lying," she said with certainty.

He shook his head. "I'm not. I really hate magic right now."

"If I could -" she said, her voice rising, but he cut her off.

"What's done is done," he said quietly. "We have to do this. You know what will happen if we don't." He paused. "If it helps, I'll be gentle. We don't have to hate this."

"What about you?", she asked.

He shrugged, and grinned nervously. "I'm a guy. You… well.. I'm sure I'll manage." His cheeks flushed.

Her cheeks turned redder, and she looked down at her lap. Then she looked up at him. "I don't know what I'm doing," she said quietly. "Everyone thinks I'm a slag. But I'm all talk. I… read magazines. I know a few things. I hear this can feel really good. But I actually don't know anything. Not really. I've never even… even…," she blushed deeper. "I've never even touched myself. I really don't know."

"I've never… seen a girl," Harry said quietly. "I mean, I've done it in my head so many times, but… I don't know anything either. I'm going to be a disappointment," he said, with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"No more than me," she said embarrassedly. She sighed, and stood up. "Well, then," she said quietly. She reached over into her bag and pulled out a blanket, which she spread on the floor. "Let's learn together." She looked over at him, and straightened up. "How do we do this?"

He reached over and gently unbuttoned her robe. He helped her out of it, and carefully folded it. He then removed his and put both of their robes on a chair.

"You… look wonderful," he said, and he meant it. She was wearing tight blue jeans and a tight jumper, showing off all of the curves that were the object of lust for many boys, and a few girls. She was neither too thin nor too thick, and everything she had was perfectly proportioned, neither too big nor too small. A part of him couldn't believe his luck and a part of him was angry at himself for thinking that.

Her cheeks turned red. "You're not just… you're not. You really mean it," she said, as she looked in his eyes. Her breath hitched. "You really mean it."

"You know you do," he said. "I bet all the boys tell you that all the time," he said, a very slight touch of bitterness in his voice. "I… you really do have an amazing body," he said, his cheeks growing hot.

She looked down. "They do," she said. "But they're just trying to get into my fanny. You're not."

Harry chuckled darkly. "How ironic."

She laughed, a high pitched but melodic laugh. He smiled.

"What?", she asked, shyly.

"Your laugh."

"What about it?," she said a little defensively.

"I like it."

She closed the space between them and wrapped her arms around him. He responded awkwardly, but they held each other for a little while.

"What was that for?," he whispered in her ear.

She whispered back, "You're making this very easy. Thank you."

"What do you mean?", he asked.

She responded shyly, "Maybe we have to, but you're being a perfect gentleman. I… like that.", she said huskily. "It makes me feel… loved." She frowned. "Even though you don't."

He gently pushed her away and looked in her eyes. "I thought… I thought girls liked it when boys were a bit of a prick," he said quietly.

She looked away, embarrassed. "Maybe some do. Maybe us girls sometimes fantasize about being used a little bit. But not for our first time. Love us first. Then maybe we won't mind nearly so much being used, when we know we're loved." Her cheeks flared. "I… can't believe I said that."

Instead he just nodded. "I think I understand. Even if we didn't have any choice, this is a special time."

She nodded. "And you're making it special," she said. "That means a lot to me. I know you don't love me.."

He frowned. "Don't say that," he said.

"But you -"

"Just don't say it. I don't know you, but that doesn't mean that I couldn't love you. I just… think about how I would treat you if I did, and I treat you that way. Is treating you like I would if I loved you all that different from loving you, after all?"

She looked as if she wanted to protest, but deflated after a few seconds. "Maybe not," she said, defeated. "It's all I can ask for, given the circumstances." She lowered her eyes. "You're loving me the best that you can, because you know that will make this special for me. I can't ask for more than that. Thank you, Harry", she said quietly. "It's more than I deserve."

He sighed. "That's the thing. It's.. not. It's not more than you deserve. This is your first time. Every girl deserves a special first time. Even if…" he lowered his eyes. "Even if with a stranger."

She met his eyes. They were a little wet. They glimmered like little blue pearls. There was unspoken emotion in them, and he was a little taken aback.

"Are you okay?", he asked, wiping underneath her eye with his thumb.

She closed her eyes. "Better.. than I thought I would be," she said, her voice a little choked with emotion. "Your touching me… it's real now." She raised her arms. "Do you want to… take it off?", she asked, hesitantly.

He reached over and put his hands on the lower hem of her jumper. "May I?", he said quietly.

She nodded, and he pulled the jumper up and off. She was wearing only a white bra underneath her jumper. She folded her arms under her breasts, and shivered a little. "Do you… do you like what you see?"

"Your body is the envy of our year!", he said, surprised. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Sometimes a girl just likes to hear it," she said quietly. "When everyone tells you, it doesn't mean anything. But I know you don't say what you don't mean."

"You don't believe them," he said.

"I think they mean it," she said slowly. "I also think they'll say whatever they think will work."

"I love what I see," he said a little huskily. He found that her blushes were not just on her face.

She lowered her head. "Would you like to touch?"

He tentatively ran his fingers down her back. She jumped and shivered. "That… what are you…"

"I just thought it might feel good," he said.

"It does," she breathed. "Oh Merlin, it does. It's like… it's like… fire. It's such a simple touch," she said, her voice full of wonder. "And yet it feels better than anything." She shivered, and his breath hitched.

"What?", she asked.

"You… you are beautiful.", he said, softly.

Her hands shot out and slid behind his head, and pulled him towards her. Their lips met. She was more enthusiastic than skilled, but once they figured out where to put their noses, they spent a full two minutes just exploring each others' mouths. Finally she pulled back, slightly out of breath.

"It just… keeps feeling better," she said. "Everything we do… that was amazing," she said. "Harry, take off your shirt. Now." Her voice softened. "Please. I want to touch too."

He did as she requested, with a little hesitation. She repeated his gesture, then stopped. "Harry?", she said, softly. "What are -"

He cringed. "My relatives. I… they hated me."

"Turn around", she said, and he did so, a little jerkily. She inhaled sharply as she saw the scars, but then she traced them with her finger, one at a time. They were rough but not unpleasant to touch.

"How does that feel?," she whispered.

"Really good," he said, his breath slowing. "Really, really good."

"They're a part of you," she said. "Anyone who loves you will love those too."

"But -"

"Sssh," she said. "Anyone who loves you will love these too."

She removed her hands from his back and quickly removed her bra. She let it fall to the ground.

"Turn around," she said softly.

He did, and his eyes opened wide. They were beautiful.

She smiled. "Want to touch?," she asked quietly.

"I thought you didn't know what you were doing," he asked, as his hand reached for one of her pink nubs.

Her breath caught as he rubbed his finger against it.

"I don't," she said, as she involuntarily jumped. "But it… just…. Oooo…. Seems to come naturally."

"How does that feel?", he asked, wonderingly.

She grabbed his hand and put it flush against her breast. "Squeeze", she ordered, and then a sound came out of her mouth that Harry had never heard coming from a girl before, as he did. "It feels… like… you are touching my soul… and it is so good," she breathed. "So good," she breathed. "I've never felt… anything… like that. It's wonderful."

"It's really that good?," he asked quietly. She nodded. "That good," she said. She smiled. "Can I see you?", she said huskily. "I want to see you."

"You see me - ohh", he said, and embarassedly went to take off his trousers. She stopped him.

"Let me,' She said, and undid his belt. As she lowered his trousers and pants, "he" popped out. She looked up at him, amazed. "I've never seen one. May I touch?"

"Please", he said, and a similar sound came out of his mouth as had just come out of hers. "I… see what you mean now," he said, his breath a little ragged. "That feels… amazing."

She giggled. "It twitches!"

"It might do more than twitch if you keep that up", he said quietly. She smiled and stopped. A sound of disappointment and relief came out of his mouth, that he wasn't quite aware he was making. She undid her jeans, and as she lowered them and her knickers, his eyes filled with lust. "I've never seen…"

She smiled as she set her jeans to the side. "You have now," she said. "You can do whatever you want. Just be gentle."

He reached down, and touched. Her legs turned to jelly and she lost all ability to stand up. She sank to the ground, Harry's arms instinctively around her, and she sat on the blanket, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

"What did you do", she said, almost whining. "It felt like a shock just ran throughout my body! It was… amazing! Do it again!", she moaned. "I want more! Make me feel like that again!"

He reached down to her now spread legs and started to gently and methodically explore her fanny. She seemed to be in heaven. There was a certain spot, that if he touched it, she seemed to jerk her entire body and make her gasp involuntarily. But every time he stopped to ask her if she was okay, she almost screamed at him to not stop.

"Do you have… any idea… how good… that…. Ooooohhhhhh…. Feels, Harry? I had… no… idea…. oh, don't stop. Please don't stop. Make me feel like this forever!"

"Can I -", he started.

"You can do whatever, Harry. Anything you want. Just don't stop making me feel like this." Her voice was beyond lusty, and there was an intonation that was driving him wild.

So he listened to her.

"I have to stop for just a moment," he said, as she whined pitifully. But when she realized what he was about to do, she moaned her approval.

"If it felt like that when you just touched me, what would it feel like if you were… ohhh! Like that… OW!"

Harry stopped suddenly. "Am I…?"

Her eyes were squeezed closed. "It's okay, Harry. Just give me a moment. I hear it always hurts the first time."

"I didn't mean…", he said, sounding a little scared.

She forced a smile. "It really is okay Just give me a moment... Can you move just a little? Oh, that's sore… but so good. I think I'll be okay. Just go slow."

He did as she asked and started to move inside her. It felt so good for him, like he was encased in slippery velvet.

"I might…", he said, his breath ragged. "I don't think I can…"

She sighed. "It's okay, Harry. Do what you need to." And he did. Pushing very deep into her, he grunted and she felt his warmth penetrate deeply into her. She closed her eyes. She could feel him deep inside her, twitching as he spent his pleasure. It wasn't the same kind of good feeling, but it was a really good feeling after all. Finally, he pulled out and rolled off of her.

"Did that feel good?", she asked. He nodded. He really didn't have words.

After a moment, he got his breath back.

"Really, really good," he said. "It was brilliant, but also a relief. But, you look disappointed," he said, looking concerned.

"It was good", she said. "I loved the feeling of you twitching and splashing against my insides. It's just… It felt like there should be more."

"Let me try," he said.

"It was good," she said defensively. "You don't have to."

"No. It sounds like you weren't satisfied. I want you to be satisfied. Let me try."

"Are you always like this?," she asked, with equal parts annoyance and wonder in her voice.

"Like what?" he said, as he started to rub her pink nubs again. She sighed with newfound contentedness as the now familiar feelings started to rush through her body and the mild annoyance melted away under his attentions. Oh Merlin that felt good, she thought.

"Like.. this. I don't think you'd be happy if I left disappointed."

He frowned for a moment, but never stopped playing with her very sensitive nubs, which she was most appreciative of. Her breathing became a little ragged as she felt her insides grow warm.

"I… guess I wouldn't."

"Why not? I'm just a stranger to you."

He started tracing his fingers down her stomach, and her breath hitched as he left little trails of liquid fire where his fingers touched.

"You're a stranger I just shagged," he said, "and neither of us really wanted this after all. I think you should come out of this satisfied too."

"I don't know what being satisfied will feel like. I've never..."

Harry touched her in that wonderful place again, and she moaned softly. "I love this too, you know," he said. She looked like she was going to protest, but he gently pinched her and she groaned instead. "I do love this. You are beautiful. Everything about you is beautiful. You feel wonderful, you look beautiful, you smell perfect. Let me enjoy myself by giving you pleasure."

She gave up and nodded, moaning softly as his fingers explored her gently.

"Do what you want to me," she said softly. "Anything. For some reason I trust you. My body is yours tonight to do with as you please." She sighed as she felt her body responding to him. "What you're doing to me feels really good, Harry. Really, really good. Is that how it felt for you?"

"I don't know," he said truthfully. He decided to put a finger in her and rub that wonderful spot with his thumb, and was rewarded with a gasp.

"Like that," she said, softly. "Like that. Press with your thumb… like… OOOOOOOO", she groaned, and her hips started involuntarily rocking against his hand. "My body… is… I'm not in control anymore… and… it is so delicious", she said. "It feels… so wonderful… Harry… there's a fire in my belly…"

He smiled. "I feel that way too."

"No… really a fire in my belly… and it's spreading. Keep doing that… I… I…. Harry… What's happening to me? I've never… it's burning inside me… no… don't you DARE stop… press harder… RUB IT… Ohhhhhh! I'm going to.. To… I'm… Oh Merlin HARRY I.. IT'S SO GOOD! AAAAAAHHH", she screamed, and her hips started to jump of their own accord. Her breath was coming in ragged gasps and he was seriously wondering if she was alright. He continued pressing his thumb against her as she rode out whatever was happening to her.

Finally, she relaxed into the blanket, and with her last energy, gently pulled Harry's finger out of her. She looked at him with desire in her eyes as her chest heaved. She smiled.

"Harry?"

"Yes?"

"I'm satisfied," she said definitively. "Completely satisfied."

"That was -?", he asked.

She nodded. "It was. And it was wonderful. It was the best thing I've ever felt in my life. It was like the delicious fire grew inside me until I couldn't bear it anymore, and then it exploded! Ahh", she shivered, as her body was still coming down from her orgasm. She sighed happily. "It was perfect," she said wonderingly. "Absolutely perfect."

Harry coaxed her to him, and she went willingly. They cuddled together as the afterglow slowly receded, the sweat from their bodies mingling as their bare flesh radiated heat against each other.

"Harry?", she said, her voice soft.

"Hmm?"

"Can we… can we… do this again?"

"You want to? I thought you'd never want to speak to me again."

She sighed contentedly and snuggled deeper into his arms. "Maybe with some other boys. Maybe with any other boy. They would have jumped at the chance to get into my fanny. They would have used me and left me lying here, dripping and crying." Her chest hitched a little, but she got herself under control. "But you're different. You did what you had to, but you… you made it special. You did your best to make it wonderful for me. You wanted me to enjoy myself. Maybe… maybe I could love you, someday. I didn't want to do this, but it turned out so perfect, and it was as much because of you as what you did to me." She sighed, her bottom pressed against his hips. "You made it special. I will never forget that." She sighed, the glow from the sex being replaced with the warmth of his body. "Never."

Harry smiled, his hand cupping one of her breasts possessively. His breath on her neck was already exciting her a little again. "I think I would like that, Lavender."

She felt herself relax as his arms tightened around her. "Did you enjoy yourself?", she said. "I mean, was it perfect for you too?"

He thought for a little while. The room was quiet except for their breathing. He inhaled the scent of her hair, felt the heat of her body, remembered the delicious sounds she made as she rode out her unexpected pleasure.

"It was," he said. "It was perfect. You were perfect."

She smiled to herself. "And next time will be even better.", she whispered.

"I have a question, though."

"What's that, Harry?"

"You told me three times tonight to do whatever I want. Is that… what does… ", his voice trailed off.

She was quiet. "I trust you, Harry. I don't know why, but I trust you. I know you won't hurt me. I don't think you have it in you. So yes, I actually think I mean it." There was a note of wonder in her voice, as if she couldn't believe she was saying what she was saying. "Don't violate my trust, Harry, and you can do whatever you want to me when we shag."

"Is this like what you said earlier, about using you being okay if you're first loved?"

She thought for a moment. "I think so. A bit.. Crude, maybe. But yes, I think that's what I mean."

He smiled and gently pinched her bottom. She squealed, and play pouted. "Not fair!"

"Anything I want," he said, gently.

She giggled. "Touche," she said, her voice a little husky. "Anything you want."

She did not complain as his fingers slid down her stomach, and she did not complain as they found her wonderful spot again and started to work their magic. She most decidedly did not complain.

Harry entered the same abandoned classroom, and she was sitting in the same chair she was before. She did not look nervous, but she looked pensive. He sat down next to her.

"Is everything okay?", he asked.

She did not respond for a moment. He took her hand and squeezed it. She squeezed back, and they separated again. The silence was companionable, but the air was pensive.

"I'm worried, Harry."

"What about?"

She was quiet. Finally she turned to look at him.

"I know what people say about me," she said. "I know they think I'm a bubbly airhead who doesn't know anything about anything. I know people make fun of me because I like fashion and gossip. I know I'm not… deep. Nor smart."

Harry looked as if he were going to say something, but she held up a hand. "Let me finish, please.

You're the savior of the wizarding world," she said morosely. "Your friends are the 'Golden Trio'. Hermione is the smartest witch of her age, and Ron is… well, he's Ron. Loyal, lovable git. But me… we shagged last night. It was wonderful. It was life changing. We agreed we wanted to do it again. And… is that all it will ever be? Will we shag each other senseless until we get tired of each other and go off our separate ways? Because..." she sniffled. "I think that would hurt."

Harry looked at the beautiful girl next to him, with her long blonde curly hair, and her perfectly made up face. He sighed, and looked in front of him, and twiddled his fingers. She seemed content to let him think about his response. She drew her knees up to her chin and looked like a lost little girl.

"I… I hope not," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "That's all I can say. I hope not."

"But I -"

He turned to look at her. "Why do you think so little of yourself?," he asked.

"Are they wrong?", she almost spat. "Do I not like fashion and gossip? Do I not like divination? Am I not a pretty, shallow witch who is nothing more than a pleasure-seeker, bragging about that which she'd never experienced?" She drew her legs closer. "Am I not all of these things, Harry? How could it ever be anything other than sex?" Her voice grew quiet. "I said last night that maybe I could grow to love you. Could you.. Grow to love me?" She rocked a little. She really did look just like a lost little girl.

He just sat there, and finally spoke.

"Do you remember what you said to me when you saw my.. Scars?", he said.

She thought. "Anyone who loves you will love those too"

"Did you mean it?"

She nodded. "Of course I did."

He shrugged. "Then I could. I could grow to love you."

"What -"

"Your interests have nothing to do with your heart, Lavender. Do I like Divination? Not really. I think it's a crock of dragon dung. But that doesn't mean you're wrong for liking it. I saw how you looked into my eyes and saw the truth. Maybe you have a gift that I don't." He shrugged. "But that's not your heart. Your heart was seeing my scars, and turning them into something beautiful. You saw them, and did not react with disgust. You just accepted them as a part of me, and we moved on."

He thought some more. "You're not as smart as Hermione. I'm not as smart as Hermione. Oh, bugger it all, no one is as smart as Hermione." He chuckled darkly. "I love her dearly but that girl needs to get her nose out of a book once in a while and see the world with her heart rather than her brain. Maybe find some bloke who will shag her rotten and make her forget her own name."

"Why didn't you?", she interrupted.

"Why didn't I what?"

She turned her head away. "Shag her. Why didn't you? I bet she'd take you in a heartbeat."

Harry laughed. "Lavender, do you know what that would be like? She'd be measuring everything! I'd probably have to rate her performance on a scale of one to ten afterwards, and then at the end of the year, she'd have a graph! She's… attractive enough, I suppose. And I do love her. But she doesn't see with her heart, like you do. She'd never enjoy herself."

Lavender turned red in spite of herself. "That's important to you, isn't it?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"That's… that's why I could love you, Harry." She turned her head towards him and met his eyes. "It wouldn't be enjoyable for you, would it? If the girl didn't have a good time?"

He met her gaze levelly. "It wouldn't."

"Why not?"

He sighed. "I've had enough selfishness in my life."

"Your… relatives."

He nodded.

She hugged her knees close again. "I don't like them," she pronounced.

"Me neither," he said softly.

She looked at him defiantly. "I don't like them because they hurt you," she said. "You've been nothing but kind and generous to me," she said, her eyes growing wet, "and they were selfish, abusive…" A tear leaked from her eye.

He nodded. "They were. They are."

Her mouth dropped open. "You don't still.. Live…"

"Until my seventeenth birthday. Next year."

She jumped up, almost knocking her chair over. "No. No. Never. Not in a million years will you… No! I won't have it! I saw your scars", she shouted. "I saw them! Never! Never again! Harry, you will never live with them again! NEVER!" She ran out the door sobbing, the sound of her shoes clomping against the floor receding as she ran.

He sat in his chair, conflicted. He felt… confused. And warm. She obviously cared. About him. But he already missed her. Shrugging, he walked out the door. Lavender was nowhere to be seen.

A/N: I like the character Lavender is turning out to be. Beautiful, impulsive, a very open heart, and far more innocent than most people think. Sometimes characters write themselves, and Lavender has her own personality.

In case you're wondering why the story is taking on the arc that it is, well, sex kinda does that. It can cause emotional entanglements, even amongst strangers, that are not only difficult to untangle, but are difficult to develop. They're going to have to dance around each other to figure out where to go from here. I wanted to explore that, too.

I think… I will continue this story. But maybe not right away.