"So... you and Malfoy, it's official then, is it?"

"Oh Harry, I wish you would stop using that map to spy on us!" I sighed, reaching across the table for the pumpkin juice.

It was dinner time. Draco and I had agreed to go down to the Great Hall for some food before he would go to the Room of Requirement to continue on with his task. We hadn't got far on my research, instead choosing to just spend the rest of the day lying around in his bed, enjoying one another.

Clearly something Harry had noticed on his map.

"I'm not spying on you, but when your name is constantly on top of Malfoy's, it's a little difficult not to conclude what you're up to!"

I shuddered in horror, realising Harry had, in a way, witnessed me losing my virginity.

"You need to get a life, Harry!" I hissed, "or, at least, a girlfriend."

"I'm working on it," he said, glancing over at the doors where Ginny had just come through. "Rumour has it, she's getting fed up of Dean. Talks too much about football."

"Yeah, well I'm sure she'll much rather be with a guy who talks only about his obsession with a certain Slytherin." I muttered moodily as I popped in my mouth a brussels sprout.

"It is not an obsession!" Harry spluttered, adjusting his glasses. "I mean, you're hardly one to talk, always dropping your clothes whenever you're around him. Speaking of which, have you got a look at his arm yet?"

I went to yell at him to mind his own when Ginny slammed her butt down on the seat next to my other side.

"Who's dropping their clothes?" She glanced up at me, her eyes practically popping out of her head as she did a double take. "Merlin, Hermione, did you have some sort of spa treatment? You look... glowing."

I heard Harry snort and had the urge to stab him in the leg with my fork.

"Oh, just a day of relaxation," I said airily, not being able to resist glancing up at the Slytherin table where Draco was tucking heartily into his roast dinner. As though sensing my gaze, he looked up, a smile tugging at his lips as he threw me a discreet wink which caused my heart to flutter like crazy.

Face hot, I looked away.

"Well, it must have been just what you needed," Ginny said, helping herself to red cabbage. "I've never seen you smile so hard before."

"That would be all the sex," Harry muttered quietly enough so that Ginny wouldn't hear.

The fact that he only knew this because of the map made me feel furious and not to mention violated.

"Where's Ron?" Ginny asked, suddenly noticing that Harry was there. "I swear to Merlin, if I see that hypocrite ramming his tongue in Lavender's face again, I'm going to cut it off in his sleep. No one likes public displays, especially when it's your brother."

"Weren't you snogging Dean in the middle of the pub?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ugh, don't remind me," she muttered drolly, wrinkling her nose. "The less said about that prat, the better."

Harry excitedly swivelled round in his seat, giving his glasses a little lift off his nose as he peered round my shoulder. "Have you broken up with him, then?"

"Nah," she leant forwards, lowering her voice, "but between the three of us, I might soon. Last night he told me that he thought he was falling in love with me and it totally ruined the vibe. I'm just looking for a bit of fun, you know? I'm only fifteen, after all."

"Yeah, I hate it when girls want to talk about feelings." Harry said eagerly. "I'm all about the fun too... just so you know."

He gave his eyebrows a little wiggle and Ginny just frowned at him, clueless.

I shook my head and returned to my meal. All of a sudden, it seemed, the world was sex obsessed. Including myself.

I glanced back up at the Slytherin table, the disappointment weighing heavily in my chest when I realised Draco was gone.

I knew, of course, for me, it was more than just fun, though.

Because I was pretty sure I was falling in love.

*****

Draco had spent the majority of the dinner staring at her, not quite believing the day they had just shared.

He didn't want to go to the Room of Requirement, what he wanted to do was go back to his room with Hermione and just be with her. Preferably naked, but he would take anything as long as it was with her.

There had been this moment after they had had sex when they were laying in each other's arms and he had felt so calm, so happy, and he knew that he always wanted to be there and nowhere else.

But, alas, duty called, and he had to reluctantly suggest that they go and get some food before he had to go and work on that fucking cabinet. He would pull an all nighter to make up for the day he'd spent in bed.

He couldn't help but wonder if Hermione would be up for a repeat performance soon.

They had made no plans to see each other again but it was definitely implied that they would. He hated that he couldn't commit to her properly, couldn't tell her that no, he didn't usually do relationships, but that was before he fell in love with her and all he wanted was to call her his and for him to be hers.

At least, he told himself, that she knew. She knew who he was now, and what he had to do. And she still wanted to help him.

Sighing heavily, he got to his feet, and watched as she chatted away to Potter and the Weasley girl (at least it wasn't the weasel himself). He didn't want to go, didn't want to leave her.

But, of course, he had to.

*****

Ron was predictably in Lavender Brown's mouth when I returned to the Gryffindor common room later that night.

I began to march straight to the dormitory stairs, but, to my surprise, he unstuck himself and came racing over to me, leaving a disgruntled Lavender sprawled on the sofa.

"Hey-" he gasped, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "How- how are you?"

I stilled at the bottom step, blinking down at him in surprise.

"I'm good, thank you." I said stiffly.

"Look," he said, stepping closer to me and lowering his voice, "I just want you to hear this from me first."

"Hear what?"

He took a deep breath, glancing around before he turned to me with such a solemn expression. "Lav and I are thinking of taking things to the next level."

I inhaled slowly, trying my hardest not to laugh out loud. He really thought I still gave a shit, that I was bothered about what he and Lavender got up to.

It was pathetic.

"Well, good luck to you," I said, trying my hardest to sound not only civil, but in the least bit interested. "I hope you wear protection."

"The thing is," he said, turning a deep shade of red, "I just want you to know that I won't go ahead with it, if you don't want me to."

I stilled. And for the first time in my life, I found myself feeling sorry for Lavender.

I thought about Draco and about how it would feel if he had slept with me whilst still holding out for someone else, and let me tell you - just the idea hurt like hell.

"Don't sleep with her." I said before I could stop myself.

He blinked, his expression startled. "R-really?" He stammered as he moved closer to me, his cinnamon cologne making me recoil.

"Really," I said firmly, keeping my expression fierce. "Only sleep with her if you are one hundred percent certain you want to, otherwise you are going to hurt her."

"Oh- okay," he said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe I won't then. Not if there's a chance for you and me-"

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" I blurted out, wanting to hit him. "Are you seriously fucking saying this after everything?!"

His eyes widened in surprise. "But- but you just said-"

"I said don't sleep with her unless you mean it!" I hissed, anger firing in my stomach. "She deserves better! And FYI, there was no you and me the second you decided that you'd rather snog someone else! You knew how I felt about you and you still went ahead and did it, and right in front of me too. Do you know how that feels, Ronald? It feels like someone driving a steak knife through your heart and then waving it mockingly around for all to laugh at, and I will never, ever forgive you for that."

Without waiting for him to respond, I wheeled on the spot and stomped up the stairs, leaving Ron spluttering silently behind.

Merlin, I hated people sometimes.

*****