Hermione woke up on her sixteenth birthday expecting no pop and circumstance, no fanfare, and nothing much to be said about it.

She never made a fuss about it, and even her birthdays at home were rather reserved. They were always just getting right into the year to appreciate it, so Hermione had simply stopped thinking it would be.

Besides, it was simply a day. Nothing more.

To her knowledge, she hadn't told Seamus when her birthday was. It had never come up in conversation and she wasn't offended he couldn't read her mind and somehow just know. She may offhandedly bring it up, but she wouldn't want him to feel guilty he didn't get her anything, so perhaps it would be better to say nothing at all.

Yet, when she woke up, Lavender and Parvati were nearly dressed and there was a small parcel sitting at the foot of her bed.

"What's this?"

Perhaps her parents had sent an owl with something.

"It is your birthday today, isn't it?" Lavender asked, "Or did I get the date wrong…" She flipped through some parchment gathered in a corner of her bed, scratching her head.

"No…it is…" Hermione reached for it.

"Oh, goodie!" Parvati patted her chest in relief, "We thought it proper to get you a sixteenth birthday gift, then! It's a big deal," She added with a wink, "Not as big as seventeen, but we've seen muggle movies and all."

"You know that I'm a year older than everyone else?" She asked, confused. It wasn't a secret, but Ron had been nearly flabbergasted when she turned thirteen in their second year.

"Course we do. It's what we told ourselves in year one as to why you were so advanced. Now we know you're just bright as hell, but this sort of thing doesn't escape my notice," Lavender said, "Open it, please!"

Hermione untraveled the ribbon and found a book and a few items that were mostly unfamiliar to her. The book was about how to style one's hair and do makeup for different occasions and the items were makeup.

"Don't take it the wrong way, of course," Lavender rushed to say, "But any sixteen-year-old with a boyfriend should have a few essentials. We made sure to match your skin tone!"

"And the book; I figured you'd like reading about the concepts," Parvati added in.

Once, perhaps Hermione would have been offended. But it was actually…a very thoughtful gift. She did want to read about makeup and fashion more and would prefer to do it from a book. And she wouldn't know where to start with any of this, so Lavender's seal of approval was as good as gold.

"Can you help me apply it? Show me how to?" Hermione asked, upending the contents, "I'd love to learn," She said earnestly. Her mother always said that sixteen was just about the age one ought to wear a bit of tasteful makeup, so it had already been on her mind.

Lavender beamed, "I'd love to!"

Hermione had been gifted a bottle of mascara, a light blush, a glossy tinted lipgloss, a three-tone neutral palette, and a brown kohl eyeliner. Lavender applied it with a masterful hand, talking non-stop about how to get it perfect each time.

By the time she was done, Hermione felt like a new person.

None of it was garish or overwhelming. It was very subtle, just rather an enhancement of Hermione's natural features, as Parvati had said. It wasn't too difficult either, something Hermione was confident she could mimic tomorrow.

And she felt good wearing it.

Her mood brightened, she went to breakfast.

Seamus was already there, waving her over with a wide grin.

He nudged Dean, who slipped something to him under the table.

"Happy birthday, Hermione!" Seamus said as she approached, proudly sliding an elaborately decorated cupcake across the table.

"I did the designs!" Dean rushed to say, "Do you like 'em?"

Ron looked up, blinking hard, as though the thought hadn't even hit him, despite that he'd been her friend for three birthdays so far.

"Oh, Happy birthday-woah!" Ron looked up, almost falling off his chair, "What the hell is on your face, Hermione?" He gasped.

Hermione felt self-conscious. Maybe the makeup wasn't as quiet as she'd thought.

"Shut up, Ron!" Lavender said, sitting across from him, "She looks nice, doesn't she? It's just makeup; it won't bite."

"I just…wow…" Ron said, blinking at her, "You're like a whole different person."

"I think it's really pretty," Ginny said, "Ron can stop talking at any time!"

"It's not bad, it just…" Ron knew he'd dug himself into a hole, "Unexpected." He mumbled, "Sorry, Hermione."

Hermione gave him a pressed smile. An apology was...something, at the very least. She caught a whiff of vanilla and turned back to the gift that had been presented to her.

"Wait, Seamus, how did you know my birthday?" Hermione asked, "And thank you, Dean, it's amazing."

"Dunno, guess I just…picked up on it?" Seamus shrugged, "I sorta know everyone's birthday, at least the general idea. I did have to confirm the actual date with Ginny." He added.

"But I don't know yours!" Hermione said, aghast, "Have I missed it?"

"No, but don't worry, it's easy to remember."

"Oh, don't tell me it's St. Patrick's day," Hermione groaned.

"No," Seamus chuckled, "It's January 1st. New Year's baby. You didn't miss it." He assured.

As the day progressed, Neville gave her a tiny plant to keep by her bedside that took limited watering (knowing how devoted she was to her studying, so often she forgot), Ginny gave her a new jumper, and her parents- ever practical- sent her 25 pounds for a new book or two and told her they had put another 100 in a saving account for her.

Ron sort of gave her a gift; he made a large deal most of the day about not asking for her help, and she supposed that was his way of giving her something. It left her free to focus on other things, so actually, it wasn't a completely terrible idea.

After class, Seamus fell into step with her.

"You finished your homework for the day?"

"Yes, but I think I want to revise my Transfiguration essay. I'm not happy with the third paragraph. And I could certainly look over my Astronomy notes once more; I'm still a bit fuzzy with-,"

"It's a simple yes or no question. Are you finished with your homework?"

Hermione blinked, looking up, trying to figure out what Seamus really meant by that, but came up blank. He, however, looked like he was nearly bursting with excitement.

"Yes." She said, "However, I disagree that it's simple! It's a multi-faceted answer, and asking me to boil it down to such simple terms is quite vexing."

"Will you likely fail anything if you don't spend the night revising," Seamus asked.

Hermione thought very hard about it, "No. I guess not."

"Perfect. Go up, grab your jacket, and meet me at the entrance to the Black Lake path in half an hour."

"Seamus, what in the world do you have planned?" She asked, "I'm not a fan of surprises…" She warned uneasily.

"Just go with it," Seamus rubbed her arm, "And trust me. You do, don't you?"

The answer came startlingly fast.

"Of course."

She parked herself at the entrance exactly twenty-four minutes later, never late to anything, and certainly not her birthday surprise.

"What is it we're doing?" Hermione asked.

Seamus looked around, spying a few people, "Just a leisurely walk around the lake," He said, a bit too loud and annunciated to make Hermione think that everything was 'just a walk'.

"Seamus!" She said, but he took her hand in his own. Her palms were warm and dwarfed her hand, and she felt her nerves ease.

"You can't go without knowing absolutely everything, can you?" He teased.

"I like to be in on the jokes," Hermione said.

"This isn't a joke. It's a birthday present." Seamus insisted.

They walked until they were out of most eyesight, not many students taking the brisk day for an after-class stroll, especially since it was midweek. From the corner of Seamus' bag, Hermione caught a familiar glimmer.

"Why do you have Harry's invisibility cloak?" She asked, eyes bugging.

"Harry says 'Happy Birthday'." Seamus said, "A fucking invisibility cloak. I'm shocked, you know!" He said, almost bouncing on his feet, "Anyway, now that I'm 'in' on all the secrets, one that came to mind was the realization that the Shrieking Shack is indeed not haunted by a banshee or a ghoul, just tall tales and formally a very stubborn group of Gryffindors. And, now that's been established, it's a place out of the way and undisturbed."

"You want us…to sneak off campus…on a Tuesday?" Hermione sputtered, "You're crazy to think I'll agree."

"Why is Tuesday the most compelling argument you're using?"

"Because it's a school night!" Hermione said, eyes wide.

"But that just makes it more fun. We're Gryffindors; we're hardwired to break rules!" Seamus encouraged a glint of mischievousness in his eyes. As Hermione stared at him like he'd lost his mind, he took both her hands, "You know that I know that you're not always as rule-following as you present yourself to be, and that's a good thing."

"But-," She sputtered.

"I think you'll enjoy yourself if you let us," He said, "But if it's that big of a deal, we can go back."

Hermione felt guilt overtake her, "Did you set something up, though?" Seamus gave a casual shrug, pulling Hermione close to him, pausing to look out over the lake.

"Doesn't matter."

She stared at Seamus. He was so earnest, so genuine. He'd been the only one to really take her birthday and go above and beyond, further than a quick morning welcome and small gifts.

And, didn't she sneak all sorts of places with Ron or Harry? Usually, not by her choice, granted, but why couldn't she go with her boyfriend when he obviously had gone through all this trouble?

"Harry also told me how to get there via the Whomping Willow," Seamus continued, "So we don't have to walk to Hogsmeade."

"Fine," Hermione said, trying not to feel uneasy, "Yeah, okay. Sure."

Seamus' face broke into a wide, overjoyed smile, "Really?"

"Yeah."

He tugged out the cloak, "I think we're gunna have to get cozy." He teased. Hermione let him pull it over both of their heads. She snuggled into his side.

"I prefer it."

Seamus insisted on having her close her eyes as they reached the entrance to the Shack through the tunnel.

"Wait…wait for it!"

She could hear him clunking around, cursing to himself mildly as something hissed and puffed. Finally, he was finding her hands, helping her up.

"Here we are," He said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she blinked, getting used to her surroundings.

The shack itself was dilapidated, no changing that. But Seamus had done his very best to make it feel cozy; a blanket and array of pillows on the ground, candles lit at every inch he could find, and a basket of food with two plates and a glass of Firewhisky waiting for them.

Hermione spun around, her heart thudding fast. She'd never felt so seen- like someone had taken so much effort…for her!

"Seamus, how long have you been working on this?" She asked breathlessly.

"About a week. Harry's been helping loads, same with Ginny. And Fred and George got us this bottle. Of course, they were instantly in on it once I explained that we'd be breaking some rules. In fact, they almost fell over themselves to get you this."

"I'm sure they'd just love to see me drunk," Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Only if you want. But, I do have some pumpkin juice to cut the taste of it. We do have class tomorrow, as you said, and education is vital to our futures," he said, mimicking Flitwick almost perfectly.

Hermione snorted, trying to hold it in, but failing.

"This is really…" Hermione sank to her knees on one of the cushions, "Thoughtful. I do love it."

Seamus lounged next to her.

"Honest?"

She nodded, biting her lip as she leaned in, pressing her lips to his. Seamus let it linger like that, just for a moment, before he brought one hand up to cup her cheek, pulling her down deeper into it, but still keeping it chaste. Or, perhaps not chaste, but to Hermione's comfort.

She pulled back and he didn't fight her, but remained in her personal space, nose brushing against her cheek.

"Can we eat?" Hermione whispered, terrified to break the spell, "I'm rather starved."

Seamus grinned, "Thank Merlin, I feel the same. I was waiting for you to ask."

Hermione had one semi-full glass consisting of approximately 75% Firewhisky and 25% pumpkin juice.

"I'm guessing you've never gotten drunk before," Seamus said as he poured, knowing her all too well, "But this isn't your first alcoholic drink, is it?"

"No, of course not," Hermione said, watching the fiery red liquid glimmer in her glass, "I had two glasses of champagne at my cousin's wedding over Christmas hols two years ago. I think I may have gone for a third had my parents not stopped me," She admitted, "And I have a little bit of wine here or there for family holidays. Usually about…a quarter of this." She measured, "You?"

"I'm the baby of three siblings, of course, I've gotten drunk," Seamus barked out with laughter, "It's like a game... like I'm a doll. Whose gunna goad Little Seamus into having his first shot, you know?"

"How old and what was it…and how was it?" Hermione asked, nibbling on a piece of toasted bread, ever curious. The dinner wasn't the dinner that maybe Hogwarts would have on its table, much more ambulatory in nature. Very picnicish; loaves of bread, cheese, fruits, and hand-held items. But it was glorious and different and felt picturesque to be sitting surrounded by a thousand candles, with your boyfriend, on a secret sneaky date where you weren't meant to be. The very idea of it made Hermione's heart thud fast, faster than it ever had.

"Thirteen. Right before I came back for Fourth Year," Seamus said, tilting his head and squinting as he thought, "It was…rum. I think they just kept handing me glasses…I was at Finn's apartment, staying over to get my Hogwarts supplies. Of course, Mam has no idea this happened so…" He tapped his nose. Hermione nodded, waving her glass a bit.

"Mum's the word," She agreed.

"Right. They just kept handing me drinks and I kept drinking it. Dilan was there too. I trust them both, so I didn't worry. I did hate the hangover the next day. I think I spent most of my time barfing in Finn's toilet and barfed again after we Floo'd. I honestly am shocked I got all my Hogwarts supplies because I don't remember any of it."

Hermione sipped her drink, "And would you say you…enjoyed this experience?"

Seamus snorted, "You doing market research or something?"

She shrugged, "Perhaps."

"I can't say I'm running to rum again," Seamus said, shuddering at the idea, "Maybe a different drink would be better. I guess it made me feel different. Not sure if it's better or worse, but different." He shrugged, "You have to try it to know it, I suppose."

Seamus ended up putting an embargo on any topic related to classes, OWLs, Umbridge, or her research, and Hermione found it not as difficult as she thought to talk about other things. There was so much she wanted to know about Seamus, and he was happy to tell her. Likewise, he seemed interested in her, something she was still very much coming to terms with, and they spent the night swapping childhood stories.

They inched closer together, it seemed, like they were being pulled together like two puppets on a string until they were lying on their sides, heads propped by their palms, facing each other.

Hermione tilted her head, examining Seamus.

"What?" He asked, "Do I have something in my teeth?"

"This just makes me feel normal. So…thank you."

Seamus frowned, "I'm not sure I understand."

"You know, I'd read stories about it…about having a boyfriend and going on all these dates and that…fluttering in my chest," She tried to explain carefully, "But I never thought I'd get to experience it. Not like this."

"You deserve everything, Hermione," Seamus said, his voice rough, "And you deserve to just be Hermione sometimes. Not Harry's smart-as-a-whip friend, not the brightest witch of the year, and not a prefect. Just Hermione."

"It's because of you," Hermione insisted, "I wouldn't know what I'm doing otherwise."

"You make it easy," Seamus whispered, his knuckles dragging down her cheek, as he watched her with an equal sense of awe. His cheeks were flushed from the Firewhisky, and Hermione was bowled over with such a sense of compassion and affection for him that it startled her completely. Never would she think that accepting his offer to go to the Yule Ball with him hardly a year ago would grow such feelings with such fervor.

"Seamus Cinnad Finnegan," She whispered, overcome with some emotion she wasn't quite sure how to properly begin to explain, "You are the definition of the best of Gryffindor. Brave, kind, fair, daring…"

"No, no, none of that," He teased, "That wasn't part of the agreement, Luv." He teased gently, pulling Hermione so close that their noses brushed against each other.

"What?"

"Giving you my middle name. I think I specified it's only to be used when you're yelling at me," He said, his fingers digging into her shirt, pulling it up just enough to glide his fingers over a sliver of exposed skin above her muggle denim.

"You'd rather I be yelling at you?" She asked with a bark of laughter, "You like that?"

"I'd be lying to say I didn't think it was a bit sexy-,"

"Now I know you're lying," Hermione huffed, rolling her eyes.

"Why's that?" His hands paused their ministrations entirely. Hermione was at a loss for words, shrugging.

"Because…" She began, licking her lips uneasily, "Because I'm…me. I'm not…sexy…" She stuttered out, stumbling over the word, "Not like…Fleur…or even Lavender…or-,"

Plenty of women who had mastered that feeling of allure. But nothing about Hermione screamed such things and it was laughable that Seamus would associate such a phrase with her.

Once, perhaps, she would be offended. She was a woman who wanted to be seen for her intelligence over trivial things like her appearance. But there was a curl of disappointment somewhere deep inside of her as she realized that she wanted to be seen as someone enchanting enough to feel like she could own such a modifier.

But who was she kidding?

Seamus pulled away, almost furious.

"What in Godric's name are you bleedin' talking about?" He demanded hotly, "Do you think that me, a hot-blooded teenage boy, would be with yeh if I thought you were ugly?" He paused, groaning, "Wait, no, that came out wrong."

"I'd say."

"Hermione, you are sexy. To me. And I'm sure plenty of others would agree. Do you want me to start askin' around because you better bloody believe I will! I'll take a poll at lunch tomorrow and you'll see how desirable you are."

"I'm not so sure about that," Hermione shrugged, rubbing her arms, "Nor do I want you to have to...dig up everyone with a crush on me. I don't know if I even want to know that." The idea made her uncomfortable, in more than just modesty.

"Okay, true, maybe that's a bad idea." Seamus agreed, settling down his anger a bit.

"I feel like you're just saying what you're supposed to say," Hermione admitted quietly, "Or that we get along as...friends, I guess. And I want you as more than a friend, but the idea you feel the same is...improbable, at best."

"Believe me then when I say that…you make me feel and want things." Seamus whispered, a low groan escaping his lips, "And I think you're stunning. Do you have any idea how you make my blood run? When you chew on your lip when you're deep in though? Or when you stretch and roll your shoulders out after a long day of studying? Or that gleam you get in your eye after you've proven yourself right…" His palms grasped the small of her back, but didn't move either of them, not yet, "Merlin, you have no idea, do you?"

"I just find it very hard to believe," She admitted quietly, "So no, I suppose I don't."

Seamus tugged her against his form, and she let out a sharp gasp as she felt him, hard against her thigh.

"That change your mind?" He whispered in her ear, lightly taking it in his ear, tugging enough to make her whimper, "If you knew how many times a day I was having naughty thoughts about you…you'd blush all day long. The things I want to do you...make you feel..."

"Seamus-," Hermione groaned, a red flush up her neck and turning the apples of her cheeks a deep shade, "I…"

"We can stop," Seamus offered quietly, "It's all up to you. I just wanted to prove my point. And I think it's been made."

Tentatively, though, Hermione leaned down to kiss him. She took all her bravery and pushed herself into this unfamiliar situation, but not an unwelcome one. Of course, she knew very well what two people did, and how it happened when the moment struck. But, like the idea of having a boyfriend, she thought she'd be far out of Hogwarts before the hint of it ever dared to show itself.

And while she knew that she was not ready to take any drastic steps, it did feel nice to be desired, in any way. And, the knowledge of Seamus' own need, fueled by herself, gave her a boost of self-assuredness she'd never felt.

Seamus was respectful, hand like a statue on her back, warm and present, but unmoving. His hips bucked once, an automatic reaction, as she slid her tongue to trace his lips, and she could tell that he was trying very hard not to take it more than Hermione wanted to do.

But she had to wonder…

"You can move your hand," She whispered against his lips.

"Where?" His question was strained.

"Where do you want it?" She asked.

She wondered, at first, if Seamus hadn't heard her. Then, at a glacial pace, as though he was afraid to scare her off, his hand slipped farther and farther down until it was at the rise of her tailbone, quivering as it stopped itself.

"Can I-,"

Hermione responded with a hurried nod and a deep kiss, and she felt his hands grasp her arse, pulling her impossibly further against him.

She shivered as a bolt of friction zipped through her as Seamus rowed his body into hers. It lit a need at the bottom of her stomach she was very unfamiliar with.

She wished he would talk. She was dying to know his thoughts, even an unedited stream of consciousness; about what he wanted to do, how he wanted to make her feel, and how he would reach that peak for himself.

The question burned on her tongue, edging toward being released into the world, but she swallowed it back.

That would be a trial for another day.

As it was, Hermione (prior) had never been able to phantom how two people could just be 'carried away' by their emotions, leading to sticky situations, but she understood perfectly as of now. Even though she knew that she was crossing many lines for herself, she wanted to push farther, and see how much they could really do...she felt only the feeling of euphoria, nothing else. Not even her good sense could break these moments stretched out, and it was only when she shifted and felt the rough wood of the shack beneath her did she take note of the situation.

Stopping herself was a task more difficult than she imagined it would be.

When she pulled away, Seamus released her easily. He was breathing hard, his hair askew and his lips puffy. She was sure she looked similar.

"Time to be getting back?" He asked.

Hermione gave a quiet nod.

They packed up in silence, unable to voice what had just happened. But that was okay. The stillness, like everything else about this night, was absolutely perfect.

Hermione almost told Seamus how grateful she was that they were comfortable in the empty spaces with each other, but that would have ruined it.

Somewhere, she was pretty sure that Seamus already knew.

XXX

When Hermione arrived back to her dorm, it was obvious that Lavender and Parvati were dying to ask her about her night, but were trying very hard not to be obvious about it, sitting in the corner, sharing a box of Bertie's Beans.

Hermione came to sit on her bed, tugging a pillow to her chest, and chewing on her lip.

As she did, her mind rolled back what Seamus had said, about how he reacted to her lip chewing, and she was flushed all over again.

She opened her mouth, focusing on these new and uncharted feelings, running her fingers through her hair.

"Lav, Parv…if I ask you something, can it stay in complete confidence?" She asked slowly, "And neither of you will…make fun of me for…being naive?" She mumbled.

Lavender straightened her back, tilting her head, "Of course not, silly! You're our friend now; anything you say will be locked away. I know the worst things about Parvati, and I would never tell a soul."

"And I might tell Lavender 'I told you so' on occasion, but we'd never be cruel if you're genuinely confused." Parvati agreed with a sharp nod of her head.

"Okay…" Hermione said, crawling to the end of her bed, so she could dangle her feet off, leaning against her post, "I guess I just wanted to know about…" She closed her eyes, trying to find a way to pose her question properly, "Sex…erm, intimacy. Well, I guess neither of those were questions, but, well, I think you know." She played with the fringes on her pillow, snapping off a thread.

"Maybe you should ask Parvati, since she's dating an older boy now," Lavender teased, winking at Parvati. Hermione blinked in surprise as Parvati covered her face with her hands.

"Stop it, Lav!" She cackled, "Lee and I are hardly dating! We're just…talking is all."

Lavender threw a jellybean at her, "Is that what the kids are calling it these days?" She teased, "How kinky!"

"You and Lee?" Hermioen echoed, "Lee Jordan?"

"It's nothing," Parvati insisted, though she was sprouting a full-on blush, "We've just exchanged a few owls, and talk a bit between classes. We haven't even gone on a proper date or held hands or even kissed and just because he's older I don't know if it means he has that much more experience and-,"

"Paravti, I think you should take a breath, or you'll make yourself pass out," Hermione suggested.

"-And!" Parvati gulped in a huge breath, "And I think that question is better to be answered by you, Lavender. You know that I know that you lost your virginity already."

Hermione wondered if Lavender would feel embarrassed that Hermione knew, but she just shrugged coyly.

"Guilty as charged."

"Wait…" Hermione scowled, a horrible thought hitting her, "It wasn't…not with Seamus-,"

"Oh!" Lavender's eyes widened, and she frantically shook her head, "No, no! I should have specified. As far as I know, Seamus is still a virgin. Full transparency, we've fooled around in other ways, but not like that." She said, reaching out to soothe Hermione.

"I don't care as long as it's in the past," Hermione mumbled, which was true. For some reason, it would just bother her if it had been Lavender.

"Rest assured, it was with Louis, this summer. I went to visit him in Aix-en-Provence and, well," She giggled into her hand, "One thing just led to another."

Hermione leaned in, curious, "How was it?"

"It's true what they say about the French…" Lavender said, eyes glimmering, "Tres magnifique." She said, kissing her fingers, "It's like they're all taught there how to be perfect lovers…the boys here have a lot to learn!"

"Wait?" Parvati gasped, "Did something happen tonight, Hermione? A little birthday present?" She asked, wiggling her shoulders.

"Nothing," Hermione said instinctively, wanting to keep it private. But the other two girls were baring themselves, so why shouldn't she, "Not…nothing," She amended, "A small… something. And I just feel so dreadfully unprepared! I mean, I've never wanted to before, so I didn't think about it. And I know I could read books, but I fear any book I would find would be…" She breathed out, "Clinical. And sex…from what I know…is anything but."

"That's true," Lavender said, tapping her chin, "Wait! I know, I know!"

She dove into her trunk, coming back up with a few paperback books.

"Ooh! Those were basically my education," Parvati agreed, already knowing what she was searching for, "The pirate one had me really hot and bothered." She said, fanning her face.

Hermione was unprepared for Lavender to deposit a stack of fiction books at her crossed legs, all with women in various states of undress on the cover, with titles like 'His Magical Moment' or 'The Captured Witch'.

"I can't read these!"

"Of course you can. I mean, they're not works of literary greatness," Lavender said dryly, "But they're better than any encyclopedia, trust me."

"I mean…if I read these in public…I'll…" Hermione sputtered, red in the face.

"Right!" Lavender hit her forehead, "Forgot you wouldn't know." She picked up a book, running a fingernail down the spine. Immediately, the book's cover shimmered to show something dull and average, like a History of Magical Teaspoons for the Adventous Collector.

"Ta-da!" Parvati threw up her hands.

Hermione picked up a book, "It'll…really…teach me?"

"Sure," Lavender nodded, "And if you have any questions, you can always ask me. Or Parvati if she and Lee 'just talk' more in the future."

"I do have one…did it hurt?" Hermione whispered, "I've heard…that sometimes…"

"If the boy does it right, it shouldn't. Not searing pain, at least. Boys who won't know what they're doing will just shove it in, with no foreplay at all. You'll want a good bit of that before you try anything, trust me. And a good partner will find it equally as enjoyable as the act itself." Lavender said, and Hermione hung on her words, soaking it all in.

"Will I need to…for him?" Hermione waved her hand.

"Depends. Likely not," Lavender said after a pause, "Because you hope he'll be nearly there at the thought of having sex with you. It won't last long, the first time, especially if it's his too."

"So it was more than just once?" Parvati asked, equally as curious.

"I was there for two weeks," Lavender said, totally unphased or offended at their questions, "There's only so much to do otherwise. And, once you start and it feels really good…well, there's a reason teenagers are assumed to be always horney. Merlin knows I miss how it feels."

"So are you and Louis dating still?"

"No, not really," Lavender shrugged, "I'm not into long-distance. If we're still single next summer, we agreed to pick it back up. But I'll have to find someone during the year, or maybe I'll have to invest in a really good toy."

"Lavender!" Hermione whispered, scandalized.

"Every girl should own one," Lavender said, firm and still unbothered, "For those nights it's just easier to do it yourself. Actually, both of you should practice before. Know what you like, and what you don't. Ease into it before you try with a partner." She said, and Parvati was red in the face too.

"Where do we even get one?" Parvati asked.

"Next Hogsmeade, let me handle that," Lavender said, "It can sit in your drawer collecting dust, Hermione, but you're getting one!" She said, already seeing Hermione starting to protest, "Consider it homework."

"You're not going to let this go, huh?"

"Every girl deserves a good orgasm, and if that's what my role in this friend group is," Lavender said with a sense of direction, "So be it. Besides, it's nice to have a leg-up on something compared to you, Hermione. But rest assured…everything we talked about tonight stays here. Cross my heart and hope to die."

Hermione settled back with the books, "This has been very…insightful," She said honestly, "Thank you."

"Enjoy that book. It's a good one," Parvati said, crawling into her bunk. There was a teasing tone behind her words, "And sweet dreams, Hermione. I know I had some."

Hermione pulled the curtains around herself, snuggled down, and flipped to the first page.

In the first scene, the main hero's shirt is torn off, and his chest is described as dripping wet. The image filled Hermione's brain, causing her to shiver in bed.

Surprisingly, off to a promising start.