All of Harry Potter and anything related to it are the sole property of J.K. Rowling.

(Each title is derived from a song that, I believe, complements the overall narrative, if not the individual chapter.)

* This Chapter contains snippets of the original chapter from Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince.

Hogwarts December 1996

Hermione had tried to be the bigger person with Ron, and some days she even succeeded, but mostly she just found him insufferable these days. They seemed to spend more time arguing than talking as friends were supposed to. She also didn't miss the satisfaction on Lavender's pretty face to see she and Ron were not so close. She was furious with the stupid, vain, gossipy girl, and couldn't imagine what Ron possibly saw in the dim-witted twit. Still, she kept in mind that she was owed nothing from him in that regard, and so tried her best daily just to be kinder in her reactions to the jealousy she felt.

But Hermione was not one to wallow in self-pity or despair. She was a strong and independent young woman who had many talents and ambitions. She focused on her studies, her friends, and her hobbies and tried to make the best of her situation. She knew that life was full of surprises and that things could change in an instant. She also knew that she deserved someone who would appreciate her for who she was and who would respect her as an equal.

That was one of the reasons she was seriously annoyed with herself for inviting Cormac McLaggen to Professor Slughorn's Christmas party in an attempt to make Ron jealous. Not only did it not work, but the guy had more tentacles' than an octopus, and his very touch revolted her. She just knew to her very soul that she couldn't let this wizard touch her. She thought it was because of Ron that she felt that way, but something inside of her said he wasn't the only one she felt she was betraying by being at this party with this hateful boy.

Harry did his best to help hide her from the vile boy, but he always managed to find her. It was during one of these times that Filch came in, wheezing as he did so, dragging Draco Malfoy with him. Draco looked a little ill; he had dark circles under his eyes and had a distinctly greyish tinge to his skin, his grey eyes meeting mine for a second before looking down and away.

"I discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claims to have been invited to your party and to have been delayed in setting out. Did you issue him with an invitation?" Draco pulled himself free of Filch's grip, looking furious.

"All right, I wasn't invited!" He said angrily. "I was attempting to gatecrash, happy?"

"I wonder what he was really up to," Harry growled with suspicion from beside me.

"Come off it, Potter," McLaggen said, putting his large arm around my waist and pulling me close. "Malfoy hasn't got it in him to be a Death Eater," he said conceitedly. I twisted out of his embrace with disgust.

Harry pulled me closer to him, giving McLaggen a hard look, and whispered in my ear, "Go back to the common room or even your study room. I am going to follow Malfoy. Oh, and I better tell Luna that I will be out for a bit," he added, looking towards his date for the night, who was in deep conversation with a Vampire of Professor Slughorn's acquaintance.

"See you later," I agreed. Unfortunately, I couldn't leave without talking to the host first, and once that was done, I found McLaggen following me again.

"Where are we going, Granger?" He asked with a cocky grin on his handsome face that left me cold.

"I don't know where you are going, but I am going to study," I told him, rather sick of him.

"I could help you study," he offered, taking a step towards me and putting a large hand on my waist again. I stepped back again.

"Studying is a solitary process," I told him.

"It doesn't have to be," he told me with meaning, trying to reach for my waist again.

"Please understand me, McLaggen. I am not interested in you and would never willingly study anything with you," I said, taking another step back.

"Don't be like that, Granger," he said, trying and failing to look hurt. A laugh broke the moment, and we both turned to see Malfoy walking this way.

"I see your reputation is well deserved, McLaggen, a real ladies' man indeed," Malfoy sneered at him. I couldn't believe I was being saved by Draco Malfoy.

"If you'll excuse me," I said to the two of them and turned away.

"I'll see you in the common room," McLaggen called from behind me. That decided me; I was going to that other room, despite the warning my journal had. Anything seemed better now than being around McLaggen.

A few minutes earlier

"Who suspects me?" said Malfoy angrily. "For the last time, I didn't do it, okay? That Bell girl must've had an enemy no one knows about—don't look at me like that! I know what you are doing, I'm not stupid, but it won't work – I can stop you!"

There was a pause and then Snape said quietly, "Ah... Aunt Bellatrix has been teaching you Occlumency, I see. What thoughts are you trying to conceal from your master, Draco?"

"I'm not attempting to conceal anything from him, I simply don't want you butting in!" And it was true, but it wasn't from Bella he was learning. His father had been giving him lessons and mediation exercises for years, and now he really had something to hide, he worked at it daily.

A few minutes later

Hermione took a deep breath as she prepared to enter a room she knew she hadn't been in for weeks, the message in her journal enough to keep it that way. She opened the door and frowned to see nothing but a desk and chair and lots of runes on the walls. She took a step in cautiously, wondering what the danger was that she had warned herself about. The door closed, and the memories poured back in. When the door opened again behind her, she turned, and her hand was covering her mouth as confusion assaulted her.

"What the hell are you doing here, Granger?" He asked, but he just sounded tired and defeated.

"Hiding from McLaggen," I replied, dropping the hand. He nodded and shut the door behind him. "Where is everything?" I asked, gesturing at the floor.

"I didn't particularly care to see it all in the few times I have been here," he said with a shrug and walked over to sit at the table. I watched him for a minute, and although I had noticed how bad he looked at Slughorn's party, now I was actually concerned for him.

"Are you alright?" I asked carefully.

He cocked his head at me and said, "How so?"

"You look as though you haven't slept in a while and could use a good meal," I told him.

"Yes," he said, but didn't elaborate. A part of me wanted to apologise for what had been said the last time I was here, but I couldn't; it would have been a lie.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" I asked without meaning to and once again winced at the room playing games.

"No," he answered at once. "Not unless you want to kiss me," he blurted, and looked just as annoyed with the room as I already was. He surged to his feet angrily and started to pace. "Hell, I shouldn't even be desiring this. You insulted me very thoroughly the last time we were trapped here together. And now, all I can think is that you had to have been correct, because all I want to do is pull you close, kiss you, and confess how much I've missed you."

"I missed you too," I confessed, even though I wanted to say that about as much as he had wanted to say all that. And it was true, though I hadn't realised that until I was here.

"Enough to let me kiss you?" he asked, sounding no less angry.

I looked at his angry face for less than a second before, "Yes," came out of my mouth, and I met him even as he came at me. We were kissing as though our very lives depended on it, as though we couldn't breathe if we didn't breathe for the other.

He took my face in his hands and asked, "Will you remain with me tonight? You can't possibly comprehend how exhausted I am, but I haven't been able to sleep. I believe I could sleep if you were here with me."

"Yes," I repeated and tried to kiss him again, but he took a step back from me, running his hands tiredly over his face again.

"I do sound pathetic, don't I? Needy," he sneered the word.

"Draco, please don't take my words—words spoken when I was incredibly hurt and frightened—and let them undermine your confidence," I told him.

"You couldn't have spoken them if they weren't true," he said with disgust.

"It was my truth in that moment. It does not make it the truth," I told him, truly believing what I was saying now. He nodded but didn't respond to it. Seeing him stand there in indecision, I decided it was my turn to take charge and went to bar the door with the chair. He had been there for me when I had needed him, and so I was going to do the same for him.

"You don't have to remain, Granger," he said dejectedly.

"Yes, I do, and I hope you have the bedding in your bag because, as you can see, I have nothing hidden in this dress," I said, holding my arms out wide as proof. He smiled as he looked me over.

"I disagree with that statement; you have plenty hidden."

"You know what I meant," I said, but grinned back at him, pleased despite myself.

"You appear quite stunning, by the way," he said, looking me up and down again. The dress was a light pink colour with three tiers of ruffles and a metallic sheen. It had thin straps and a fitted bodice, and it reached just above my knees. I felt very elegant and feminine in it.

"Thank you," I said softly, but with no less pleasure. He went back to the table, where he had placed his bag, and started removing blankets and pillows. I went over to the table, so I had somewhere to place the silver necklace and matching earrings. I then slipped off my silver heels and started on my dress, knowing it would be uncomfortable to sleep in. He looked up after he had placed all the bedding on the floor and watched me with unsure eyes, but he couldn't help the grin that graced his face when it was revealed that my wand was strapped to my leg with a baby pink garter. I removed it and the wand and placed them down on my dress, but left my light pink lace bra and matching knickers on.

I settled down, pulled one of the blankets over me, and got comfortable on the pillows. Only then did I look at him. He studied me for a minute, then gave a nod, and stripped down to his own underwear, and slipped under the covers. I held my arms open to him before he lay down, and he settled down contentedly with his head resting on my chest as I started to stroke his hair.

"Are you going home tomorrow?" He asked tentatively.

"I'm going to the Burrow. My parents are on a cruise," I replied and leaned up a little so I could smell his hair; it smelt like sandalwood, and I had always loved that smell and had missed it.

"Oh," he said weakly.

"And you?" I asked.

"Yes," he said, and he sounded incredibly bitter about the prospect.

"No chance of staying here?" I asked even as I continued to sift my fingers through his hair, and he held me a bit tighter.

His voice was soft, almost a whisper, "I've been commanded to return home to deliver a progress report," he shared quietly.

"Oh," I said just as weakly as he had. We were silent for a time, and then I said, "We should try sleep."

"Yes, okay, yeah," he said, reluctantly removing his head from me. I rolled to my side and didn't protest at all when he pulled me tightly against him.

I was pulled from sleep by the sound of crying and rolled over to see Draco curled into the fetal position. He was obviously still asleep, and I reached out to touch him.

"Please, no!" he cried out loud and surged up in fright, pulling my arm roughly at the same time. He looked around frantically to see where he was, and then realised he was holding my arm in a tight grip. He let it go, rubbed his face tiredly and then sat there with his face in his hands, his knees to his chest.

"It was just a nightmare," I said softly.

"For now," he agreed. I knew I couldn't touch that, so I reached out to touch him instead.

"Come here," I said, and he gladly turned into me again, laying his head on my chest.

"Anything you are able to share?" I asked.

"I would Oblivate myself of these things if I could. I have no desire to share my horrors with you," he stated in a whisper, shaking a little.

"Pity this room isn't a giant dreamcatcher. The bad dreams would never come back then," I said, smoothing my fingers through his hair again.

"Dreamcatcher?" he asked.

"Hmmm, a dreamcatcher is a traditional Native American Muggle craft that is believed to have the power to filter out bad dreams and let only good ones through. A dreamcatcher consists of a circular frame, usually made of willow, which is woven with a web-like pattern of threads, cords, or sinews. The web is decorated with beads, feathers, shells, or other items that have meaning for the maker or the receiver. The dreamcatcher is hung above the bed or sleeping area, where it can catch any harmful or negative influences in the air."

"The origin of the dreamcatcher is traced back to the Ojibwe people, who have a legend about a Spider Woman who protected the children and the people of the land. As the Ojibwe nation expanded, it became difficult for her to reach everyone, so she taught the mothers and grandmothers how to make the spider web charms to protect their families. The dreamcatcher symbolises the spider's web and the wisdom and care of the Spider Woman." Suddenly I became aware of him laughing silently against me, and I snorted a laugh myself as I realised I was giving him a lecture on dreamcatchers in the middle of the night while we were in bed together. It was nonsensical.

"There is the know-it-all; I know and love," he said and then fell silent.

"Yes, well," I said with a slight put-on huff. "I find that if I don't let out bits of information every so often, I feel like my brain may explode." He laughed loudly at that and leaned up to see that I was smiling back at him.

"Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome," I said in return. He stared at me for a moment and then moved slowly towards my mouth, as though giving me a chance to push him away. I wanted to kiss him just as much as he wanted to kiss me, however, and so leaned up to meet him. He moved so he was lying on top of me, and I spread my legs automatically to allow him to settle his lower half against me. A sigh escaped my lips to feel his hardness there. His bare, cool skin felt perfect under my fingers, and I held him tight as he rocked against me.

"Is this enough?" he asked. "It is okay if it is," he told me.

"No, it's not enough," I confessed, and that made him smile again.

"Wands?" he asked, and I nodded. He leaned over to one side to reach his as I reached to the other for my own. He knelt up so I had a clear sight of his almost completely naked body, and I aimed my wand at my stomach as I whispered the incantation for the Contraceptive Charm. He aimed his wand between his legs and cast his own. I put my wand back down and then reached around to remove my bra. He sucked in a breath at the sight of my bare breasts and I gave a little satisfied smirk. He had to move back so we could both remove our underwear, but he was back in just a moment, laying right back where he had been only a minute ago.

"Hello," he said, and he looked a bit nervous, like the first time.

"Hello," I replied with a small smile, but put my hand to the back of his neck and pulled him down for another kiss. Soon he was rocking against me, and the sensation had me tilting my hips up in search of what he was offering. As it happened, it seemed like it was an accident when he entered me all on one thrust, making me gasp in shock and him look down at me, mirroring my expression.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes," and it seemed I couldn't stop smiling at him now.

He rocked forward slowly but said, "Salazar, but I have needed this; needed you." He then looked angry and said, "Sorry, I'm aware you hate that."

"No," I said, shaking my head. "Not like this. Like this, I need you too." He gave me another smile and then set to work, rocking his hips, thrusting and repeating, and kissing me all the while. It was perfect and felt like we were making up. Like we were both apologising with our bodies for the things we couldn't change. It was bittersweet and perfect. Even our orgasms were slow in arriving and gentle when they did.

"Do you think you could sleep now?" I asked when it was over.

"Yes," he replied, and much like earlier, he spooned against my back. I could feel the wetness dripping out of me, but it wasn't as uncomfortable as I thought it would be, and I was soon asleep again.

When I woke, it was to the familiar feeling of his finger rubbing gently between my legs and his hardness poking at my behind.

"Did you sleep at all?" I whispered.

"A little, yes, and so much better than I have in ages. Thank you," he said, leaning forward to kiss my cheek and then down to my neck. "Can I have you one more time? Before we have to go."

"Yes," I sighed and reached over for my wand. He wasted no time situating himself, but this time he wrapped his arms around me so he could hold my beasts and twist the nipples as he pumped carefully in and out of me. I sighed, but it wasn't enough. As if sensing it, he dropped one of his hands back down and started rubbing the nub that held so much sensation. As my panting and sighing increased, he pumped harder. "Oh Merlin!" I cried when it was becoming too much to hold back.

"Draco," he breathed in my ear. "Say Draco." It took my brain a second to realise he wanted me to change the gears of my cries, but once I did, it was no problem, and it felt more appropriate to be calling his name than an unseen deity.

"Oh, Draco, oh, oh, oh Draco, oh Draco, Draco!" I called as I came. Waves of pleasure coursing through me as he said "Hermione" in one long breathy sound that made me glad I had done as he asked. He was still jerkily moving against me when I was done, and I marvelled at the feeling of his orgasm.

"Now that I liked," he said, pulling me back against his chest, still buried deep inside me. "Never say anything else," he ordered, making me roll my eyes.

"There is the little arrogant prince; I know and love," I said, using his words from last night and then realised we had both used the term love.

"Can you truly refer to me as 'little' now?" He asked after a brief pause and then gave a little wriggle to prove the part of him that was still inside of me was not little, and I gave a laugh. I opened my mouth to respond when there was a knock on the door, and we both froze and looked at it in alarm.

"Mione? Are you in there?" Harry called out, and I actually felt Draco shrink inside of me. He rolled over onto his back even as I called out.

"Yes, Harry," I said, but I rolled onto my back, and my eyes were looking at Draco, who was staring at the ceiling.

"Breakfast is nearly over," he told me.

"Alright. Thank you. Please don't wait for me; I'll be there in about ten minutes," I called.

"Are you sure?" he said through the door, and Draco gave a small growl of irritation.

"I'm sure. If you wouldn't mind, you could make sure I get some fruit and toast?" I asked, hoping giving him something to do would distract him.

"Yeah, okay, I can do that," he agreed. We stayed quite as we listened for his footsteps to move away.

"Damned Potter, he always managed to ruin things for me," Draco said, sounding very much like his old self. I wondered if I was fooling myself, thinking that I was seeing the real him in here, but thankfully, just a look at the runes reminded me that only truth could be spoken in this room.

"It was hardly his fault this morning," I said, sitting up to start dressing.

"No, it never is," he said just as bitterly, and sat up to do the same. That is when I realised I didn't have my journal, and so had no way of reminding myself that I was now wanting to come back again.

"Do you have a piece of parchment? I don't have my journal," I told him. He studied me for a moment and then smiled. He pulled a piece of parchment and a quill out of his bag and gave them to me.

"You're going to come back?" He asked, but it sounded more like a statement of fact.

"Yes," I said with a returning smirk, but then it wilted. "Perhaps I have more in common with Juliet than I ever imagined." I shook my head and started my note.

"No," he said, and kissed my shoulder. "You possess far too much intelligence to bear any resemblance to her, and I will not be convincing you to commit suicide."

"That is a relief," I said as I stood to strap my wand to my leg again and slipped the note into the same place. "How do I look?" I asked once I was fully dressed with my hair tamed. He looked me over seriously.

"Like I should be taking your clothes off again so I can ravish you, but otherwise just as stunning as last night."

"You say the sweetest things." I laughed, leaned over for a kiss, and then rushed out the door.

Hogwarts January 1997

"Please tell me you didn't know all of that was going to happen? That the attacks on the Muggle world were going to increase? That you didn't know that the Weasley's house was going to be attacked," I asked angrily when we were both back in the room the day after we got back from Christmas break.

"I am not a trusted member of the inner circle by any stretch of the imagination, Granger. Believe me when I say that the Dark Lord and I do not sit around having pleasant conversations over tea and torture of Muggles," he said, clearly hurt and annoyed at my question.

"I'm sorry, I know that was unfair, but it was just so terrifying. Bellatrix and that Werewolf were there, and others, I think," I said, rubbing my arms in remembered fear. He came closer and rubbed my arms too, his eyes just as wide with fear as mine.

"I didn't know," he said softly, but the fear was there in his voice.

"Can I ask how your holiday was?"

He pulled away and said, "I wish it were a holiday. I can assure you that I spent the entirety of my break just as scared as you were that night." I swallowed at that implication and went to hug him. He lifted his arm so he could spin around and hold on to me, chest to chest.

"Is your mother still alright?" I whispered.

"Yes," he whispered, but didn't elaborate until he added, "thank you for your inquiry. I'm aware you have no reason to care about her."

"I care about anyone who is in a dangerous situation they can't get out of," I told him.

"And there you go, making me love you again," he said, and then froze as though caught in a hunters snare.

"Is it alright if I love you too, even just a little?" I whispered, just as scared at the prospect.

"Is it only a little bit?" he asked, standing like a statue still.

"It feels at times as though my feelings for you are like a candle that is struggling against a breeze," I confessed.

It was a moment before he said, "Yes, you can love me a little," answering my previous question, still hugging me.

"Draco, I think you need to breathe. We can't keep standing here like this," I said, still holding him myself but with less rigidity. He took a breath and stepped back from me with a wry smile.

"Sorry. I've never told anyone I loved them before. Even my parents don't say that; it's simply a given," he told me.

"Really?" I asked. "My parents and I always say it. I think sometimes they are worried I will forget," I said with a chuckle and sat down on the blanket, smoothing my skirt down in a very prim manner. He sat beside me on his knees with his head cocked.

"If they miss you so much, why did they opt not to spend Christmas with you?" he asked, and I blushed furiously, making him sit back from me in surprise. "Out with it, Granger. I can tell this is going to be good."

"Well," I said, playing with the hem of my skirt, and then I looked up so I could see his reaction. "I kind of convinced them." He blinked at me repeatedly, looking a bit comical.

"Are you telling me that the darling of Gryffindor used an unforgivable curse?" he asked with a smirk.

"Of course not," I said indignantly. "I only considered that as a backup if the Confundus didn't work." He laughed loudly at that.

"Oh, Granger, you truly are priceless," he was practically rolling on the blanket, his white-blonde hair catching the light. "Do you have any idea, any idea at all," he continued, his voice laced with amusement, "that people have been sent to Azkaban for merely entertaining such thoughts?"

"Well, lucky I am that you will not tell anyone," I said facetiously, with a nod of certainty.

"Oh no," he drawled, sitting upright with a smirk playing on his lips. "It's been ages since I've come across blackmail material this good." His grey eyes sparkled with mischief as he continued. "And I fully intend to exploit it," he declared, his voice dripping with smug satisfaction.

"Are you saying you are going to blackmail me?" I asked indignantly.

"Absolutely," he said, and then started to tap his chin in thought. "Now let's see. What can you do for me in exchange for this dangerous secret of yours?" he inquired, still highly amused.

"This is ridiculous," I huffed, but I was glad he was happy. The dark circles under his eyes were worse, and he looked as if he had lost more weight.

"I've got it!" he said in triumph, looking at me with a cheeky grin. "Take off your top."

"That's it. Just my top?" I asked with raised eyebrows.

"You do know negations usually go the other way, but I like the way you think, Granger. You're right. Take it all off," he said, jumping to his feet and pulling me to mine.

"That is not what I said at all, and you know it," I said with a laugh.

"Do I? Does this room allow lying now?" he asked.

"You know it doesn't," I said, rolling my eyes.

"So why are you arguing with me? Your suggestion was accepted, and now you get to strip," he said with satisfaction. I shook my head but knew there was no point arguing. Obviously, the room was happy with exaggerated truths as long as they didn't become lies.

He happily went to get the chair, pushed it up under the door latch, and then sat so he could watch me. I felt surprisingly self-conscious even though he had seen me naked before. Somehow this felt more exposed, and it was only the knowledge that he had done it for me before that had me gather my Gryffindor courage and take every last thing off, as his eyes watched the process as if he were memorising my body.

Once I was done, I said, "So now you will keep my secret?"

"Don't be silly," he chuckled, getting up from the chair. "This wasn't the blackmail. This was simply because I wanted to view your naked breasts, but then you had the delightful suggestion that I see everything. Speaking of which, would you mind turning around for me? I would love a gander at that arse."

"You're an arse!" I said, truly indignant at all that.

"Guilty," he said, sounding way too pleased with himself, but he came over and kissed me until my head spun. "Now can I see your arse?" He asked, brushing his fingers along the skin back there. I looked at him seriously for a moment, took a bracing breath and turned around. His hands cupped me, squeezing firmly, and then he moved into my back and breathed, "Beautiful," against the skin of my shoulder, making me shiver.

"Are we getting to the blackmail yet?" I muttered, trying not to be amused or turned on by his actions, but I was losing on both fronts.

"Impatient, are we?" he asked smugly.

"Yes," I snapped, and then blushed as I realised what he meant.

"Me too," and he grazed his teeth along my shoulder, making me gasp and pulling me against his back with a hand splayed across my belly. "The blackmail is you kneeling on this blanket with this pretty arse in the air. I am then going to spend some time eating you before I bury my cock in your tight pussy." I couldn't help it; I had an orgasm just from hearing the vulgar words. He knew it too, from the ripples in my stomach, the moan that came from my mouth, my weak knees, and the wetness drenching the insides of my thighs.

He laughed in delight and said, "That was great. I wasn't aware I could make you cum just by talking dirty." I was so embarrassed that I covered my heated cheeks with both hands. He slapped my arse then, making me spin to look at him in outrage, until I saw the cheeky and expectant look on his face, as if just daring me to yell at him.

"I will get you back for that somehow!" I said, pointing a finger at him.

"Please do," he smirked. "Now as to the blackmail, are you complying, or am I making myself a note and taking the information to the next Auror I see?"

"Fine!" I said, and though it felt wrong and utterly undignified, I did as he asked. He said nothing; just followed me and proceeded to do everything he had promised to do. By the end, I was panting like I had just run a marathon and incredibly satisfied. "Is the debt paid?" I asked with interest, still sounding breathy.

"Absolutely. Your felonious thoughts are safe with me," he chuckled.

"Good. Now I am free to say that I got the better part of the bargain," I told him happily, and he laughed all the louder, pulling me over to lie in his arms.

"Draco?" I said softly, feeling sleepy and content but worried about him. "Can I ask you to do something for me?" He was silent for a time but I knew he was just thinking.

"You can inquire anything of me, but I can't make any promises," he replied.

"Can you go to Madam Pomphrey and get some rejuvenation potions and any others you might need? You really are looking unwell, and it worries me," I told him.

He was silent again for a little while and finally said, "I'll see what I can do." I wasn't sure if it was an agreement, but I knew it was the best I was going to get.

The rest of the month passed easily enough. Draco told me nothing of his project, or mission, or whatever it was, and the only disruption to our routine was when the entire school came down with the flu that I got repeatedly. The only person sicker than me that I knew of was Draco, who got admitted to the hospital wing for exhaustion. Madam Pomphrey started him on the potions I had previously suggested while there.