Trading Places

TITLE: Trading Spaces 16

RATING: R (slash warning m/m)

PAIRING: HG/SS, HP/DM, HP/HG (friendship), RW/HG/HP (friendship)

A/N: We will be updating every two weeks, possibly with more than one installment, depending on fate and
life. Any constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.

SUMMARY: What do you call a cross between a Gryffindor and a Slytherin? A prefect! Don't worry, it's not
"what would happen if he had been sorted into . . ." Dumbledore works in mysterious ways as Voldemort
grows in power and daring. Other than that? Shippyness, Snogging, Shagging, Snippy and Snarky! Trust us,
it'll all make sense in a little while.

GRATUITIES:


Chikheart- Ooh! Cream puffs! Gimme Gimmee Gimmee! You gotta lovel!hel!hermione. She's hardly ever that way. :)

Blackcat- Thanks! Glad you like it.

Ophelia- Sorry for the long break b/t parts. See the a/n for more. And thanks for the praise even though we've been naughty.

Lunadeath- Thanks! We had a lot of fun writing that last part. We were even thinking of having the snakes visit. :)

Katria- You bet your bum she is. She's taking it all to the next level.

Aahz- Like Oz? Sorry for the few errors. We beta each other's work and its hard to separate things out. Plus, we love to write but despise
grammar laws. :)

Lori- I'm glad you approve! There's a small snake part in this one. The other mascots will appear next time.

Medea- Love the name and thank you so much for the thoughtful review. And you printed us out? Awww. . .we're so happy. It's like
we're published and damn this fic is long. LOL. We'd love to get an illustrator to do some pictures, especially of non-cannon characters
like our snakes. Thank you so much for continuing to read and your patience with us. And you quote us? Whohoo! That gives me a
happy.

Meara and Kylea- We did! We did! We did! We did. . .etc. Sorry it has been so long. See the a/n for more details.

Phoenixfeather- Thanks!

Mayhem's Journalist- So sorry! See the a/n for more details. We've been bad girls. :) And, sorry we shocked you with the Ron kiss. We just
wanted to show how affectionate they were. Glad you are enjoying the humor. We love to weave humor and shippyness together. Snape
will rescind the rule about sex on desks. ;>

DarkAngel- Now?

Niki- So sorry! See the a/n for details. Please forgive us.

kickedoutofthegoblet- LOL! Thanks.

Morticiastargirl- Thanks! And sorry it has been awhile.

lori- Thanks for the recommendation. Haven't seen that. Don't bother seeing the new Matrix.

Chaos-Rose- LOL. *hugs and kisses* . When it comes from you, we love the stalking. Thanks for being patient! And we took you up on
your idea. . .behold the floating snakes! Glad you liked the breakfast scene, that was probably our favorite part. :)

Diosa-Behold the power of Snape and Hermione. Those two are just adorable. Have you seen When I Kissed the Teacher yahoo group?
They have tons of fic archived and recs on the best ones. There's a lot that's interesting. This part is a bit more lemony. :) Thanks for
reading!

Kittylove- Your wish is our command. :)

kimira- Sorry it was drifting for you for a while. We had some directional impairments. Expect things to happen at a much more rapid
now. The Death Eaters are a coming! And, I'm so glad you find this last part funny. We had a ball. We were looking for new pranks for
the snakes to pull. Look out for some truth potion next. . .not in this installment though.

AndromedaSnape- Here's a new, new one! Thanks!

Diartemis- All hail the goddess! I'm glad you are enjoying H/D. Thinks are going to get more heated and Draco *is* yummy. Let me know
if they have those at Walmart. And Lucius is such a depraved aristocrat. . .cue the *superfreak theme* LOL.

Lmic- thanks! That's why we added them so that it doesn't seem so bleak.

TheExcutitioner- Glad you are on our side! Thanks!

TheManEatingDustBunny- So glad you like Troy and Wood. They're almost my favorite couple. And. . .I took your advice on the bad
pick-up lines. Thanks!!

Kara- Thanks! We will.

Katiexoxo- Thank you so much. And don't worry Sevvie will end up with Hiney.It'll just take them a bit of time to get there. :)

ShiveringAngel- So glad we made you laugh. Thanks!

MistressSilver- You are so sweet! Thank you and I'm glad you like the fic. We try to balance romance w/ the humor. And we say "kiss her!
kiss her!" Too.

Snapegirl- Thank you! Glad you liked the smoochies. You have my vote on more Snape. I just want Alan Rickman. BTW, have you seen
him in Robin Hood? He was a *wonderful* bad guy. . .Sheriff of Nottingham. I actually rooted for him to win b/c he's yummy.

Natzlin- *giggle* We couldn't resist. . .but snake porn...ewww

grrrbaby- LOL! Very funny. Thanks for reading.

rita- Snippy is in charge of the D/H but yes, thinks are heating up. Hope you can stand the SS/HG. :)

Katie of Gryffindor- Awww.. ..thanks! We love you too. And, the snakes do too. They probably want to steal some of your food. Glad you
like them and their pursuit of the candy.

MadAboutHarry- We had a great time writing the last chapter. Look for more Aggressive!Hermione. She's asking her fairy godfather for
support. :) Glad you like the humor. Thanks!

Madampyro- *takes bow* Thank you! And, yes his clothes are tight. Nummy. I just can't get enough of him, I love his sneers and glares.
He really mugs for the camera. Look for more Troy in this part. He's helping Hermione get herself some Snape. I love Law & Order. . .I
have a thing for Sam (on the original show). Do you watch SVU?

Bad-ass-Cinderella- Thank you for sending me the email! We appreciate it. And, thanks for putting up with our lack of updates lately.
Won't happen for a while again. Thanks! We put in some HP/DM smut just for you.

Uberscully- Nope, we're Americans (gasp!) but we watch a lot of the BBC. And Buffy who has great English characters. Maybe it rubbed
off on us? Thank you! We're glad you like it. Glad you like Snape/ Hermione. They're my favorite.

Harmoni- Thanks! Here's more.

Gwtz- tz- Thank you so much. We're glad you are enjoying it. It is a pleasure to write.

PhoenixMalfoy- Thank you so much. Glad you like it.

Elbereth- We did have a lot of fun with that chapter. We love the snakes and Snape as a meanie. :) This one is less funny and more shippy.
:)

Cjazz- But wouldn't they eat you out of house and home? :) Thanks! Glad you like it.

KeetaMaxwell- I'm not sure it says so in the books. I've seen Blaise as both a girl and a guy in fiction. We just thought Blaise sounded too
girly for a guy. And thanks! We couldn't resist a LOTR reference.

Bre- LOL. Although I don't know how often "Syrup" comes up in conversation, unless at you're at the IHOP. :) Thanks! We're glad you
still enjoy the fic and we appreciate your reviews. And, yes, I would dearly love to lick Snape too. Whoohoo! Here's hoping there's lots of
him in the OOP.

Lottalitta- Sorry. I was getting a kick out of the thesaurus. :) I love to use my $5 words. :) Look for more Naughty!Draco in this one. He's
gonna rock Hary's socks.

Kittygirl- Thanks! And there's more of them this time. Look for more snogging.

LonelySlytherin- Thanks!

CanadianWeirdo- It was a *bit* more than that. Sorry!

Jem- Thanks! Here's an update. And Clinton is a perv, yes. Can you think of a better role model for Draco?

Vmorticia- Thank you reading and reviewing. We had a good time writing this Chappie. It almost seemed to write itself. And, the snake
twins are our faves. We might have them make an appearance.

Rowena- You gotta respect the Sevvie time. LOL I'm sorry there wasn't enough. . .not my deparment. . .complaints to Snippy. LOL.
There's a bit more this time.

Nadeshiko- Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. And we worked for a couple of hours on snake names/pairings/quirks. :)

Kijia-Thanks for the critique. We appreciate it. We're trying to keep a better track on the snake banter so we're glad it was better this time.
Thanks for reading!

Star55- Wow. This review is a writer's dream! Thank you so much for wonderful praise and specificness (specificity?) of your comments.
We love having feedback on what is working and what is not. Reviewers like you help us hone our craft! And I'm glad you like the
snakes. They're so much fun to write b/c they can say anything they darn well please. We'll tell Sheldon you really think he's evil. LOL.
*hugs* And thanks!!!!!

Bluevanilla- I know! Bestiality or Wild Kingdom? You be the judge. LOL.

Lynntownsed- Sorry you were embarrassed in public. LOL. But we're glad you are still liking the fic. And, yes, this is in a R story. Look
for some serious shagging. And some serious snogging. You printed us out. .. awww!

Arysta- Glad you like the long chapters. We average around 25 pages at least. This one is about 30. We knew it was going to be long when
the first scene was 10 pages. LoL, thanks for reading! Glad you like Ron. . .not many people do.

SorceresscalledDeath- Thanks! Here's more Draco for you to love. :)

Ursula- We're making Harry slightly bad, he's going to be tempted by his darker half and Draco! But who wouldn't be tempted by Draco?
Look for more Ron in the upcoming chapters, so glad you like angry!Ron. He's so much fun to write. :)

SinisterPapayaFondue- the plague? Yikes! We do try to weave humor and romance together. That's my favorite genre. Look for more
Death Eater interference in the next few parts. There are more pop culture references coming up too.

fireyjazz- Nope, this more like the middle! It's definitely not the end. More soon!

Amythest-Glad you liked the 409. We just had to put that in there. We love LOTR. And more Wood/Troy in this part!

Menecarkawan- We couldn't resist the idea of Hermione doing that. We decided to give her a bit more backbone. Look for more of that in
this part. And thank you for reading and reviewing!

Bthatcher- Thanks!

Meemo- Oh, Draco's diary! And, believe me, it's going to start messing up Draco's life. :) Thanks! So glad you liked it.

frizzy-- Thanks! We love romance and humor!

RedStrawberry900- Wow! Thanks for the wonderful review. We really appreciate the time and effort it took to do that. But we love it b/c
it helps us hone our writing style. And the comparison to JKR. . . .we're not worthy! We're not worthy! And, yes D/H need to buy
themselves a clue! Glad we have Cannon!Ron. He sometimes seems too mean or too clueless. Oh, the book is Draco's diary. You aren't the
only one who said that so we might need to make it more clear. Sowwwy! And Hermione and Draco will have their own showdown,
don't worry. And more S/H in this part. I just love those too together. Again, we really appreciate it. Thank you so much and please
continue to read. :) Oh... and yes there are two of us. . .I wasn't using the royal 'we'. LOL. I'll leave that to Griffy.





****************************************************************************************************

Hermione was seated on a marble bench in the Belle Garden. Professor Sprout had planted several gardens
for the rest and relaxation of the student body. Hermione often went to the garden to collect her thoughts or
read on her days off. The early autumn air was cool and sweet, infused with the earthy scent of leaves and
apples. It was twilight and the sky was a deep purple. She could hear crickets singing to one another in the
thick grass. The last fireflies of the season danced in the wind, giving the illusion of a thousand small candle
flames.

"Hermione," someone said above her.

Hermione grasped her wand, instantly on guard. "Who's there?"

"Calm down, it's only me." Harry materialized from the darkness as he removed his invisibility cloak. He was
hovering mid-air, slightly above her head, on some object that was also invisible. His Firebolt.

Relieved, she tucked her wand away once more. "What are you doing out here? And how did you make your
broom invisible?"

Harry grinned. "Fred and George gave me a spell for it. And I'm out here looking for you."

"Is something wrong?" Hermione asked, concerned.

"No, I just wanted to spend some time with my best friend." He offered his hand to her. "Come on, let's go for
a ride."

"Uh," she hesitated. "Harry, broomsticks and I are like oil and water. . .we shouldn't be mixed. No good will
come of it."

"Then I won't let you drive," Harry said patiently, still offering his hand. "Come on, then. What are you
waiting for?"

"Nothing, I guess." She gingerly took his hand and he pulled her on board. She situated herself behind him
and he pulled the cloak over both of them. They were completely invisible."So, you fly around like a great big
ghost a lot?"

Harry chuckled as he allowed the Firebolt to climb higher in the air. "Even the 'famous Harry Potter' needs a
break from things. And I imagine that's why you were 'communing with nature'."

"You make me sound like Haze." Hermione held onto his waist tighter as he sped up. Harry always did like to
go fast.

"I've never known you to turn to herbal refreshments. But. . .speaking of the munchies. . .how do you feel
about ice cream?"

"I come down on the side of ice cream. Go dairy!"

"I think you've spending too much time around the professor," Harry teased. "You're starting to sound like
him."

Hermione grinned. "He's less perky but just as sarcastic. So, why the craving?"

"I just felt the need."

"There's some Bertie Botts flavor in the kitchens."

"Real ice cream, Hermione. No snaps, crackles, or pops. Just honest to chocolatey goodness."

"Oooh . .Muggle ice cream. I haven't had that in so long. Where do we get it?" She asked.

"Around the block." Harry directed his broom skyward. "Hold on."

*********

A half an hour later, Hermione and Harry were ensconced in a back corner booth at Sweet Henry's, a local ice
cream shop. The restaurant actually looked like an ice cream confection. The booths were in pastel shades of
pink, blue, yellow, and purple. The floors were rainbow colored and the chandeliers were made to look like
cherries. In the middle of their table sat a banana split on a large platter. The sundae had four bananas, four
scoops of vanilla, four scoops of chocolate, hot fudge, caramel, sprinkles, whipped cream, and eight cherries.
They also had steaming cups of hot coffee and glasses of ice water.

"We'll never be able to eat all this," Hermione said disbelievingly. She had a slender ice cream spoon in her
hand.

"Speak for yourself," Harry mumbled around a bite of ice cream.

Hermione rolled her eyes before scooping a cherry onto her spoon. "So what *really* prompted this little field
trip?"

Harry looked over at her innocently. "Ice cream?"

"Nice try, Harry." She ate another bite of chocolate ice cream slathered in hot fudge sauce.

"I don't know." Harry shrugged. "I thought we could talk, like we used to." He smiled wistfully. "Remember
this summer? That little café in Rome?"

She smiled. "We'd drink a pot of coffee each and talk until they made us go home."

"When you weren't dragging me around those moldering ruins, of course," Harry teased.

"The Parthenon, you mean?" Hermione reproved. "You have no appreciation for history."

"In the form ofmblimbling dusty stuff? No thanks. And there's only so many statues of gods you can look at,"
Harry pointed out.

Her eyes danced wickedly. "If I remember right, you liked seeing the, er, *large* ones."

Harry blushed. "Hermione!" he objected. "And even if I did, I wasn't the only one!"

"Whatever you say, Harry," she singsonged.

"Besides, ogling a statue is much better than ogling a Snape."

"How would you know?" she said archly.

Harry put his spoon down. "What's *really* going on with you and Snape?"

She sighed. "I honestly don't know. It seems to change all the time."

"And you've kissed him?" Harry asked, curiously. She nodded and Harry tried not to grimace at the mental
image. "Have you slept with him?"

"That's none of your business, Harry Potter!" she said primly.

Harry scooped up another bite of ice cream. "Oh, yes it is. Hermione, I'm your gay best friend. That's what we
do."

She gave him a considering look. "And, as your female best friend, I get the same privileges."

"What are you talking about?"

"Quid pro quo, Harry. I spill it about Severus and you tell me about Malfoy. Deal?"

"What makes you think there's *anything* for me to talk about?" Harry asked.

"Oh, please!" Hermione rolled her eyes. "I could cut the sexual tension with a knife."

Harry considered it for a moment before nodding. "You first."

She took a deep breath."I kissed him and there may have been some touching too," Hermione asserted. She
took a spoonful of whipped cream.

"Naughty touching?" Harry teased.

"Harry!"

"Above or below the waist?"

Hermione flung the whipped cream at him, splattering his glasses with it.

"Hey!" he complained.

She laughed at his disgruntled expression. "Serves you right."

"I was just being thorough." Harry plucked the glasses from his nose and wiped them off with his napkin and
a bit of the ice water from his glass. "Seriously though, how was it?" Harry couldn't help but be intrigued. Why
would anyone willingly get that close to Snape?

Hermione gave him a goofy sort of smile. "It was very nice. And he seemed to know exactly what he was
doing." She bit her bottom lip. "There's something to be said for experience. When he put his hand on my-"

"Too much information!" Harry halted her with his hand. "I'm glad that you're happy and, er, fulfilled but-"

"That's just it! He's kissed me and we've established the touching part, but he won'mit mit that he likes me.
Severus told me that I was too young for him."

"He rejected you?" Harry asked, appalled at the very idea. "But you're pretty and he's ug-"

She glared.

"Old," Harry finished lamely. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. Severus had a point, Harry. I'm much younger than he is. Not to mention the whole spy issue."

"Does he make you happy?"

Hermione's smile was absolutely beautiful. Harry couldn't remember her ever looking so lovely. "Very," she
said simply.

"Would you regret not doing anything about your feelings?" Harry asked curiously. "Later on down the road,
I mean."

She thought about this a moment. "I think I might. I don't know him that well but I feel close to him. We have
a very powerful connection."

"Are you sure that's not the life or death situation you two are in?" Harry pointed out.

Hermione reached out and took his hand. She could see the concern in his eyes. "I'm a spy but I'm being very
careful. And Severus is right there with me, " she assured him.

"Promise me you won't do something stupid, like getting yourself killed." Harry squeezed her hand.

"That's a promise, I'll be only too happy to keep," Hermione said.

"It's all coming down this year, isn't it? With Voldemort, the Death Eaters. . .all of it."

"I think so," Hermione agreed. "This is a scary time."

'Then, maybe we should gather any happiness we can find," Harry said softly. He wasn't just speaking about
Hermione. He cleared his throat and pulled his hand away from hers. "So, maybe you should give Snape a run
for his money."

"What do you mean?"

Harry smiled at her. "Put on a dress and some make-up and then make him sorry he ever turned you down."

Hermione thought about that for moment. "You might be right."

"Of course I'm right," Harry said smugly.

"Are you okay with it though? Do you mind if I date Snape?"

Harry tried not to turn green at the thought. Then, he sighed. Harry had a thing for Malfoy, who was he to
throw stones? "Of course, whatever makes you happy is fine with me. Although, they're plenty of other guys
in this school. When you finally come to your senses, you could date one of them," he quipped.

"Not going to happen," she said firmly. Hermione looked at him speculatively. "Come on, tell me about
Malfoy."

"Hermione, I don't know if I should-"

"I told you!" She couldn't keep the devilish grin on her face. "Besides, I already know he's a good kisser." She
frowned. "Hmm. . .is he the first guy we've both kissed?"

"I never said I kissed him," Harry prevaricated.

"Cut it with a knife!" she retorted. "And if Severus and I hadn't walked into the hospital wing that one time
you two would have been rolling around on the floor."

"Hermione!"

"What? You can talk about north and south of my waistband and I can't tease you about the floor?"

"Fine, I've kissed him." he shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant. "I guess it was okay."

"Just okay?" she questioned.

Harry thought back to their last kiss. He could feel Malfoy's lips on his own, the warm breath on his cheek,
and his strong arms around him. "Better than fine, I guess," he admitted. Harry took a long drink of the cool
water.

"You didn't think there was too much tongue?" Hermione asked, a contemplative look on her face.

"Malfoy *french* kissed you?!" Harry's shoulders slumped. "No, I can't even pretend to be surprised."

Hermione flushed. "Well, he is, er, rather, um, experienced."

"I think you mean promiscuous. And he's been with both girls and guys. Lots of them." Harry had to admit
that he was little intimidated by this. Compared to Malfoy, he was practically a virgin.

"Harry, about me kissing Malfoy. . .its strictly to protect myself." She grimaced. "As strange as that sounds.
Severus and I have to appear to be involved but we needed a cover. I don't actually like kissing Malfoy."

"And here I thought you were going to shag him on the breakfast table," Harry taunted.

Hermione flushed. "I'm sorry about that. I was angry and I wasn't thinking."

"No, you were trying to make Snape jealous. Right?"

She nodded.

"I think it worked." Harry chuckled. "I thought he was going to kill Malfoy."

"Or me," Hermione said.

"And, there's no need to apologize. I'm not sure what's going on between us. It's not like I have some claim on
him."

"But you want to," Hermione said shrewdly.

"Maybe." Harry took another sip of his coffee. Yes, he wanted to have a claim on Malfoy. Lately, every time he
saw Draco, something deep inside Harry called out "mine!" and Harry had to take a breath to keep it inside.
"Ever since the ball, I can't think of him the same way."

"That makes sense." She nodded.

"Does it? Maybe you can explain it to me then." Harry set his cup down, pushing his hands through his hair
with an air of distraction. "I've hated him for nearly seven years now. He's insufferable, arrogant, and a
bastard at times. He cheats and lies, and his hobbies include making my life a living hell and having parties
with Death Eaters. So why is it that I could have killed his father for the way he treated him that night? Why is
it that every time we get into a fight now all I can think about is whether or not he's going to kiss me? Why
don't I hate him like I used to?" Harry put his head down on the table beside the ice cream with a groan.

"Because, Harry," Hermione slid her fingers through his hair, soothing him. "He's not just the villain in our
little story anymore. He's a person." Her expression hardened. "And for the record, I could have killed his
father before he even saw Draco that night."

Harry looked up at her, a small smile playing about his lips. "Really?"

"Or at least flippendoed him into a champagne fountain."

************

The next afternoon, Hermione knocked on the door to Professor Tatterton's apartment. "Dr. Troy? Are you in
there?"

"Hermione? Is that you?" A voice called from behind the door just before it was flung open. "Hello, sweet
tart." Troy backed out of the doorway and bowed in a very courtly manner. "Do come on in," Troy intoned,
doing a horrible British accent. "We're actually having tea and crumpets! Throw in a little Masterpiece Theatre
and I'd be a true Englishman."

Hermione stepped over the threshold and was taken aback by Troy's apartment. It had the customary stone
walls and floors, the enormous fire place, and leather furniture favored by other professors. . . but the rest of
the room was quite different. For one thing, there was an enormous sound system on the far wall. Four C.D.
towers were crammed in beside it. In place of the usual paintings on the walls, were movie posters.
Apparently, Dr. Troy was a film buff. She recognized some of them: The Matrix, When Harry Met Sally, The
Crying Game, and others.

"So, what's the verdict, crumb cake?"

"I like it," Hermione said decisively. And she did. The place suited him. She walked further into the room and
found Oliver sitting on Troy's couch with a cup of tea in hand. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't meant to interrupt,"
Hermione said.

"Nonsense." Troy waved a dismissive hand in her general direction. "You're always welcome here. Sit your
sweet self down and let's dish."

Hermione sat down on the loveseat, opposite Troy and Oliver who were seated on the couch. Wood offered
her a cup of tea and she took it politely. She was itching to talk to Troy alone but she didn't want to be rude.

"You look tense. What's the sitch?" Troy asked.

She sighed and shot a look at Wood. "Er, maybe this is a bad time. I should probably-"

Wood stood up, a smile tugging at his mouth. "That's all right, Hermione. You look like you need some
advice from Dr. Love over here. Besides, I need to go to the Pitch and work on a few of my moves."

Troy smirked.

Hermione blushed. "Thank you, Oliver."

Wood leaned down and kissed her cheek, before whispering in her ear. "It's about Snape, isn't it?"

"Do you *really* want to know?"

Oliver was wearing a faintly disgusted look as he straightened up. "Er, no." He was about to turn around and
walk to the door when Troy's voice forestalled him.

"Don't I get a kiss too?"

Hermione smiled at the two men.

Wood leaned down and planted a kiss on Troy's mouth. "See you later on tonight." Then, he sauntered to the
door.

"Maybe you can show me a few of your moves!" Troy called as he exited the room.

"You and Oliver are a couple?" Hermione asked, beaming.

"Yes, he's quite a honey, huh?" Troy sat back, a smile curving his mouth. "But you didn't come here to discuss
*my* love life, did you?"

"No," Hermione admitted. "I came here to talk about Severus."

"What did Sevvie do this time?" He frowned.

"It's actually what he *didn't* do that's the problem." She took a deep breath. "You said I could come to you if
I needed to talk or some advice."

Dr. Troy's eyes lit up. "Why yes. . .yes, I did." He raised an eyebrow. " So, spill it, sweetness, your Fairy
Godfather is here for you. And I want to know all the juicy details." Just because he and the professor weren't
compatible, didn't mean he could relish Hermione's situation.

"Well. . .you see. . .um," she mumbled, blushing furiously. "We ended up going to this ball together."

"A date!" Troy crowed, pleased for her. "What did you wear?"

"A ball gown," Hermione answered. "But it was an evil date," Hermione corrected. "There were these very bad
men there and--"

"Odor Eaters," Troy said, nodding sagely.

She giggled. "Um, no. . .Death Eaters, but I'll remember that one for later. Harry will get a kick out of it.
Anyway, Severus and I are pretending to be. . .involved."

"Right. . .*pretending* to be involved." Troy winked "And I assume there was some 'pretend' smooching and a
little over the clothes action?"

"Dr. Troy!" she cried, embarrassed and amused at the same time.

"What? I'm a professor, I'm not dead. Let me guess, dear ol' Sevvie flipped out afterwards?"

"How did you know?" she asked in wonderment.

Troy sighed, leaning against the back of the couch. "I've seen it a million times, usually with the closet cases. I
bet he's feeling a bit guilty. You know, 'I'm gettin' freaky with Lolitta', etc."

Hermione wasn't sure she knew what 'gettin' freaky' was but she had understood part about guilt. "So, how
do I get him past it? He says I'm too young and he's older and more experienced and--."

"Blah, blah, blah," Troy nodded. "All excuses, sweet thing. You need to make him see you as an adult. An
equal."

"But he said we weren't! He said that he was still my teacher and I was still his student. "

"Nonsense! You are a brilliant young woman, not a child. You just have to make him see that."

"How?"

"You *really* want my advice?"

Hermione sighed. "Yes, I really do."

"I must be cruel to be kind." Troy regarded her with an appraising eye. He noted the school uniform and
frowned. "First of all, let's leave the naughty school girl look to Britney Spears, okay? It's not helping your
case." He turned his head to the side. "When I look at you I see Winona Ryder. . . before the shoplifting. I see
intelligence, charm, and some quirkyness. You're Winona in Heathers, I think. Less black than in Beatlejuice
and more sane than in Mermaids. How does that sound?"

"I'm not sure. What are you talking about?"

Troy smiled in delight. "Why, a make-over, peach pie!"

************

Draco peered into the mirror, attempting to straighten his hair, but was distracted by a hissing object flying
by in the background. "Will you two get out of here, already?"

"We're trying!" Snarky burst into a fit of giggles as he turned upside dond bnd bared his fangs at Malfoy.
"Where are the brakes?"

"I told you not to eat so many fizzing whizbees at once!" Draco reached up and untangled Snippy from a
chandelier. "You're going to be floating for a week!"

"Imagine . . . a Malfoy . . . lecturing us on excesssss." Snarky did another mid-air somersault. "If I wasn't about
to blow chunks, I'd be laughing myself senseless."

"Blow what?" Malfoy asked.

"Puke, dude," Snippy translated.

"If you're going to vomit, kindly do it in Potter's room." He tried to toss Snippy on the bed, but he floated past
it, laughing wickedly. "What are you doing in here, anyway?"

"Why, we came to see you!" Snarky declared. "We can't come hang with a Slytherin homey when we want to?"

Draco glared at them. "I'm not certain what a 'homey' is, but I assure you, I am not one." A look of horror
crossed his features. "Hold up, that's not some kind of slur against - "

"Of course not!" Snippy looked disappointed in him, as he attempted to hang onto his bedpost. "Geez, pop
culture lost on you much?"

"Apparently." Draco batted Snarky away from his head. "Get the hell away from me!"

"I was just admiring your hair!" Snarky snickered. "If you were Snape, I would have been stuck!"

"Are you trying to give me nightmares?" Snippy shuddered.

"Do you two ever stop talking?" Draco cried in desperation. He had thought it would be more fun to be a
parselmouth. Unfortunately, he just found himself saddled with two occasionally witty but annoying
sidekicks.

"Mmm . . .nah, not really. No," they replied in unison.

Draco plopped down in a chair, head in his hands. "I can't believe this."

"Oh, come on. Would you rather be talking to the basilisk?" Snarky asked slithering through the air above
him.

"Yeah, there was a real sophisticated conversationalist." Snippy crossed his eyes. "Kill . . . kill . . .kill . . . die. .
.die. . .die."

"Downright creepy." Snarky shuddered again. "I mean, you'd run into him in the pipes - "

"And try to be polite. Y'know, give 'em the whole 's'up, great big snake guy? How's it hanging?', and he
wouldn't even look at you - "

"Course, we'd have been petrified if he had," Snarky pointed out. "Although, that would have been better
than talking to him."

"Then he'd slither by, whispering 'Let me rip you. . .let me tear you. . .I smell blood . . ." Snippy floated in front
of Draco's face. "Crazy, weird ass, cross eyed freak."

"No wonder Riddle made *special* friends with him." Snarky spun in circles, attempting to reach his half
empty candy bag. "Two of a kind. Heard they even look alike now."

"Don't know which of them should be more ashamed about that," Snippy quipped.

"Please, please go away!" Draco begged. This was his fourth straight hour of snake chat time, and he needed
to be alone for awhile. "Why don't you go check on Harry? I bet he misses you."

"Sssspeaking of Harry. Have you been getting any lately?" Snippy hung upside down in front of his face.

"Huh?"

"Shagging, Malfoy. Geez, Snippy, you have to use smaller words with him," Snarky admonished.

Draco scowled at both of them. "Not that it's any of your business, but no." He was starting to wish
Griff-Gruff would show up and kick these two out. He had scooped them up and tossed them outside the
door a few times, but they would inevitably float back in the windows.

"Losing your touch?" Snarky frowned. "Well, red and gold really don't do a lot for your complexion."

Snippy reached out with his tail and swiped it against Malfoy's cheek. "Yeah, it makes you look kinda sallow."

"What is your obsession with my sex life?" Draco asked, exasperated.

Snarky attempted to tether himself by snagging a bit of Malfoy's hair with his tail. "We were just trying to be
polite. You know, chat you up on your activities"

"Ow!" Draco fought the urge to smack the snake across the room. Knowing his luck, it would come springing
back and bite him. "I do much more than shag people, you know!"

Snippy nodded. "That's right, Snarky, we forgot about harassing Harry and the sneering." The little snake
peered down at him. " By the way, how's that going for you?"

Draco balled his hands into fists. "Get. Out. Now."

"No, thanks," Snarky shrugged. "We're cool here."

"Besides, we haven't had more than one person to talk to since God and Sal. And we don't want to show any
favoritism," Snippy added.

"Well, if you won't leave. I will." Malfoy scooped up his Quidditch gear.

"You want us to come fly with you?"

The door slammed behind Draco. He didn't look back.

"Finally! Harry usually breaks down after an hour." Snippy turned to his compatriot.

"I know! We were even trying to be extra annoying." Snarky breathed a sigh of relief. "Why didn't he take the
hint?"

"No one ever said he was the smart one. Let's get the candy."

"Where do we search?"

"Not the bed." He hissed a laugh. "Gets too much use."

"Should we feel bad?" Snarky asked. "Considering he gave us a pound each?"

The both smiled at each other. "Nah!"

**************

Hermione and Dr. Troy were seated on her bed. Every article of clothing she possessed was lying on the bed
and he was sifting through them. "Hmm. . .no. Too black. Too old. Too. . .strange," he said as he examined
various pieces. Finally, he settled on a pair of well-worn jeans and a wine-colored sweater. "Perfect. It's sexy
but casual. The sweater brings out your eyes and hair. And the jeans are older. . .like him!"

She rolled her eyes. "You think this will work?" Hermione asked, doubtfully.

"On its own? Of course not, peach pie. You have to be able to pull it off. By the time I'm done with you, you'll
have the 'tude to match. But first, I think you should begin by flirting."

"You mentioned that before but I don't know how to."

"I beg to differ," Dr. Troy contradicted. "I saw you do a fine job of it the other day," he teased "By the way,
what *was* that blond muffin's name?"

"Draco Malfoy." She colored slightly. "I can't believe I-"

"Don't worry about it, apple dumpling!" Troy assured her. "Believe me, I've seen much worse."

Hermione's eyes widened. She probably didn't want to know.

"Besides, I knew you weren't really going to get busy with him in the middle of the cafeteria."

"Get busy? Oh. . .you mean. . .oh," Hermione put her head in her hands. "You heard?"

"You were loud," Troy said, shrugging. "Can't say that I blame you, either. He's a nummy treat. How was the
kiss?"

"Too much tongue," Hermione answered with a shrug.

Troy looked at her craftily. "Was this an attempt to make Sevvie jealous?"

"It didn't start out that way. Draco and I are pretending. . .never mind about that. The point is, I never meant
for it to get so out of hand. But, yes, I did most of it to make him jealous."

"Congratulations, sweetie, it worked." Troy chuckled. "I thought he was going to lose it. I mean, with the
glaring and the swooping."

"Yeah, I think *I'm* losing it too."

"Nonsense. People do crazy things in the name of love. You're no different."

"Thanks, Dr. Troy." She reached over and hugged him impulsively. If he hadn't done anything else, he'd
shorn up her confidence. "So, I just need to flirt with him?" she asked.

Troy patted her back. "I'll teach you some lines and then you can try them out on Sevvie." They both
straightened up. "You ready?" He looked very serious.

She nodded as she pulled away from him.

"Repeat after me. I forgot my phone number, can I have yours?"

"Umm . . .he doesn't have a phone. Maybe I could ask to borrow his owl but that makes me sound like some
kind of bird fancier or something."

Troy frowned. "I know another one about a mirror and pants, but I don't think that's appropriate."

"Why would anyone put a mirror in their pants?"

"Never mind. . .it's a thing." His eyes lit with a new idea. "Perfect! I should have thought of it sooner! Listen
up, peach pie, here's what you're going to do. . ."

***********

Oliver Wood circled the Pitch on his broom, smiling idly as he thought about Troy. However, his pleasant
reverie was disturbed when he spotted someone stalking towards him, broom clutched in hand. Draco
Malfoy. Grinning, he swept down and over to the young man.

"Alright there, Malfoy?" Oliver called.

"Fine." Then Draco looked up, realizing just who was there. For a moment, he had thought it was Harry, but
had quickly dismissed the idea. He knew Harry's flying style by heart, and this didn't match. "What are you
doing out here, Wood?"

"Why, I appear to be riding on a broom. Imagine that," Oliver shot back. "A Quidditch coach who flies
around on a broomstick."

"Since when did you get all sarcastic?" Draco glowered at him, before leaning sideways on his broom, rising
into the air and deftly straddling it. "Leave me alone."

"Well, that's quite a different tune than the last time we flew together. "The new flying instructor smiled,
warmth shooting through his eyes.

Draco smiled slightly, before clucking his tongue. "My, my, what ever would your new boyfriend say?"

"Merlin only knows. You can never tell what's going to come out of his mouth. He'd probably just
congratulate me on my taste." Oliver shook his head. "But I wasn't suggesting another little snog session
between us. I just thought you might like to talk."

"We did a little more than snog."Draco raised a brow. "And I think I've had enough idle chit-chat for the
time being." He shuddered, hoping the flying snakes would be gone from his room by the time he returned.

"Oh, look!" Oliver pointed behind Draco. "Isn't that Harry?"

Draco spun around, but the sky and ground were clear. He turned back to Oliver with a deepened scowl.

"Sure you don't want to talk?"Wood smirked at him. Draco remained silent, so Oliver headed over to the
Professors' tower and took a seat. Draco followed, hovering on his broom. "Well?"

"There's nothing to talk about," Draco insisted.

"I'm not falling for that, *Draco*," Oliver said softly. "Don't forget who you're talking to. I know you better
than that."

Draco hung his head. It was true. In Oliver's last year, he had been walking out of the showers and accidently
witnessed Lucius and Draco having a little 'father-to-son' talk. Lucius had berated him about Granger's
superior academic standing, then reminded him of Potter's Quidditch prowess. He had then rapped him
sharply on the temple with his cane and walked away with a swirl of his cape and a disgusted expression.

Draco had fought the tears that sprang involuntarily to his eyes from the pain in his head, and sank down
onto the ground, pulling his knees to his chest. He had been startled when Oliver had placed a comforting
hand on his shoulder. "What do you want, Gryffindor?" he had spat.

"You're father's a prat, Malfoy," Wood had returned. "You shouldn't listen to him."

Oliver had helped him up off the ground and sent him to the showers. When he had returned, they went for a
walk around the lake, and Wood had produced a bottle of gin, which they finished off. In a moment of
drunken weakness, Draco had accepted the older boy's comfort, telling him about life at Malfoy Manor, and
his father's disapproval, even confessing his affinity for the male sex and Lucius' distaste for the preference.
Like a man who enjoyed the company of young girls had the right to cast stones! Oliver had convinced him
that he should tell his father to piss off and do whatever he damned well pleased. They had been ready to
head back to the castle, when Draco stopped Oliver, buried a hand in his hair and kissed him full out. After
that, they had a brief affair, mostly based on pure physicality, but sometimes, late at night, Draco would lay
exhausted next to Oliver, letting him run his fingers through Draco's silvery locks, and whisper the fears and
pain his father caused. Oliver never said anything, he just listened, and waited for him to fall asleep. Draco
would always awake the next morning alone, but in a better mood. He told himself it was just the shagging.

Now, Draco looked at Oliver, wondering how much he could say. "What are you getting at, Wood?"

"You and Harry. There's something going on between you two," Wood returned simply.

"Why does everyone think I'm sleeping with Harry?" Draco ran a hand through his hair. "I'm dating
Granger." "Right. . .that's why you call her Granger, instead of 'Hermione' or 'honey'."

"Actually I call her 'schnookums'. She's a great girlfriend."

"And Troy and I are just *good* friends." Wood replied.

"You're insane." Draco crossed his arms over his chest.

"Tell the truth now. Have you kissed him?"

Draco's eyes darkened. "That doesn't mean anything. You'd have a hard time finding people I haven't
snogged." Oliver merely looked at him. "Alright, so I'm not really sure what's going on. At first, I was just
teasing him and then . . ."

"Go ahead."

"Well, it got a little more intense than I intended." Draco confessed. "He thinks I'm a Jr. Death Eater. He hates
me. And I hate him, but . . . "

"But what?" Oliver encouraged him.

"There's a pull, whenever I'm around him. . ." Draco broke off, his voice a mere whisper. "He just dominates
the room."

Oliver nodded. "Harry tends to do that anyway."

"No, it's stronger than that. I can't even ignore him anymore. If he's there, I have to be involved in some way,
fighting or - "

"Kissing?"

"Usually both." Draco admitted. "I can't even sleep anymore. I bloody well *dream* about him! I think I know
why, though. Ever since we cast that spell together -" Draco cut himself off.

"There's something else, isn't there? This is more than you getting flustered over an affair." Oliver's face
narrowed in thought. "It's not like you to get flustered at all. Whatever it is, Draco, you can tell me."

"Alright. Oliver "I'm going to tell you something that you can't repeat." Draco took a deep breath. He had
never confided in anyone but Oliver, but he had to talk about this with someone.

"You know you can trust me," Oliver said solemnly.

Draco studied him, his mind replaying the time he had tried to show Harry his arm and he had stopped him.
"Gryffindor trust," Harry had said, his eyes as serious as Oliver=s. Draco nodded. "Have you ever heard of
Symmetrius?"

Oliver's eyes sparkled, and his breath caught. He leaned back, studying Draco with an awed expression.

"Wood? You still with me?" Draco waved his hand in front of Oliver's face. "Say something!"

"F*ck me."

Malfoy grinned. "Nah, been there. . . done that."


************

The next evening, Hermione was seated on a stool in the Potions classroom. She hadn't seen Severus since the
night she'd had detention. Professor Snape was no where to be seen but he'd left an open decanter of ink on
his desk and his notes for the next day were at his desk. He would probably be back soon. She stirred the
protection potion for Professor Dumbledore and added some monk root to it. It was a very complicated
mixture that wouldn't be ready for quite a while. She replaced the lid on the bubbling potion. Although, she
really didn't need to be here babying this potion.

She was hoping to kick off her newly formed plan. If Troy was right, she'd have him right where she wanted
him by the time she was through. She was dressed in the outfit that Troy had picked out for her and she was
wearing perfume and a bit of make-up. Hermione took in a deep breath and told herself that she could do this.
She was a brand new person - this Hermione went to Death Eater soirees and spied on their activities. And. .
.now she seduced Potions professors too. Hermione took in another calming breath. This place smelled of him.
The herbal scents of the various potions ingredients, the warm smells of the braziers, the thick candles that
burned on almost all the desks, and the unmistakable scent of the good professor himself- slightly musky and
unabashedly male. It was so intense it was almost like he was right. . .

"You should be more careful, you know. Anyone could sneak up on you."

Hermione nearly jumped off her chair. "Holy cricket!" She turned in her seat to find Severus standing right
behind her. His hand was outstretched, as if he'd been going to stroke her hair. It fell to his side.

"Miss Granger," Severus greeted. It was warm but polite and professional. That was how their interactions
had to be from now on. . .except when they were in the company of Death Eaters. Suddenly, Severus was
looking forward to the next meeting. "What can I do for you?"

Hermione took a deep breath and pasted on a vague smile. She *really* hoped this worked. "Nothing. I just
came by to check on the potion."

"I assure you that it is quite safe in my hands," Severus said, amusement in his expression. "I have quite a bit of
experience with potions." He allowed himself the pleasure of looking her over. Surely, there was no harm in
just looking. Except that she was a different person out of her robes. Hermione seemed older, a bit more
sophisticated. Or maybe he was just trying to justify his own wayward longings.

"Yes, I bet your hands are *very*. . .experienced," Hermione said, lowering her lashes flirtatiously.

Severus blinked. "Yes, er, well. . ." he trailed off as he swiftly stepped away from her. He cleared his throat.
"How are you studies progressing, Miss Granger?"

"I'm doing quite well. Thank you for asking, professor." She made his title seem like an endearment. Hermione
placed her hand on his forearm, idly playing with the buttons. "And how are your classes going?"

Severus was mesmerized by her nimble fingers. "What?" He shook his head as if to clear it. "Excuse me, what
did you ask?"

"Your classes?" she prompted, a smile teasing the edges of her lips. This was a rare treat. She hardly ever saw
him flustered.

"Yes, right. Students!" He hastily pulled his arm away as he remembered that's exactly what she was his
*student*. "They are, " he paused as his lips twisted into their familiar sneer, "barely adequate."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Hermione returned. She resisted the impulse to smile. Severus was responding to her
exactly as Dr. Troy told her he would. Troy had called this the "don't stand too close to me" plan of attack. It
was taken from some Muggle singer's song whose name was a verb.

"It's to be expected," Severus said, retreating further from her. He placed himself safely behind his large desk
and sat down. "If you'll excuse me, I-"

"Oh, I didn't mean to disturb you," Hermione said disingenuously. She drifted over to his desk, rolling her
hips as she walked.

Severus gulped.

"Is something wrong?" she asked innocently, coming around the side of his desk.

"Miss Granger," Severus said. He forced himself to use the cold tone he reserved for Neville Longbottom. "I
insist that you keep your distance."

Hermione totally disregarded his directive and seated herself on top of the desk. "And if I don't?"

"I'll give you another detention," Severus threatened. "And this time, I'll put it on your record!" He realized
that he sounded desperate but he needed to get her out of here while he could still think.

"That sounds like an excuse to get me all alone for two or three hours," Hermione teased. "I thought you
wanted me to keep my distance." She leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "But I don't see you backing away
from me."

Severus shuddered as she kissed her way from his earlobe to his jaw line. "What's gotten into you?" he
breathed.

Hermione smiled against his skin. "I'm an adult, Severus. I'm just acting like one."

"Merlin, help me, " Severus groaned.

"You want me too," Hermione said as she looked him in the eye. "We're two adults who have. . .feelings for
each other. And, yes, we don't know quite what they are but that's okay. There's nothing wrong with it. . .or
us, Severus. "

His will was starting to crumble. "You should leave and I should *definitely* leave."

Hermione leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his temple. "You don't seem to be going anywhere."

"The only other place I could get away from you would be my rooms and I know you would follow me there."
Know or hope? He turned his head slightly until their lips were a hair's-breadth apart. "I don't think we
should be alone together near a bed." His eyes belied that statement.

She still didn't kiss him, merely ghosted her lips over his. Hermione eyes danced mischievously. "Well, if you
hadn't made that desk rule the other day, I'd suggest we clear off yours and--"

"Hermione!" Severus gasped. He wasn't sure if it was because of what she'd said or the rush of erotic images
that produced in his overactive imagination.

She leaned away from him again and he was instantly bereft. "Do you really want me to stop?" she asked
hesitantly.

Severus' control broke and he reached for her, pulling her onto his lap. "That would be even worse, " he said
against her lips before his mouth came down on hers.

*************

Draco stared at the clock. It was nearly time for rounds and he wasn't sure he was ready to face Harry. It was
one thing to see him in classes but it was quite another to be alone with him. Somehow, talking to Oliver made
him feel more vulnerable. Draco hardly ever shared his feelings with other people. It simply wasn't the Malfoy
way. Although, Wood had a way of getting him to give it up in more ways than one. And Potter. . .well, Harry
seemed to blow past any of his defenses. He took a deep breath and shook himself. It was time that he stopped
mooning around. He was Draco Malfoy, Prince of Slytherin, and the reigning Sex God of Hogwarts. "Pull it
together, Malfoy." He walked toward the door, grabbing his broom as he went. Smirk in place, he headed
towards the dungeons.

"Symmetrius," he whispered as he stood outside Harry's door. He stepped into the darkened room. "Ha -
Potter?"

There was no answer.

Scanning the room, he spotted two floating objects. The snakes were fast asleep above Harry's bed, snoring.
Stepping closer, he realized that Harry was stretched across his mattress, sleeping as well. He must have
dozed off after dinner. Both of his arms were stretched above his head, bent at the elbows, hands under his
skull. His face was turned towards the opposite wall, and his mouth was curved in a sinful smile. He was
murmuring in his sleep but there were no intelligible words. There was this little hitch in his voice as he
mumbled. . .he clearly wasn't picturing a Quidditch match.

"Must be one helluva dream, Hero," Malfoy whispered. Quietly he moved forward - eyes fixated on the
sleeping form. Harry did not wake however. Draco shot a glance up at the snakes. They were still asleep,
probably in a food-induced comatose state. Slowly, he sat on the edge of Harry's bed, debating methods of
waking him up. Briefly, Draco thought about dousing him with cold water but decided against it when he
realized how far away the bathroom was. Where's a servant when you need one? He wondered if he should
make a loud noise but he knew that would wake the snakes too and he didn't want to risk another chat with
the two reptiles. Suddenly Harry shifted until he was facing Malfoy. Draco drew in a breath but Harry didn't
awaken.

"Mmm . . . Draco . . . " Harry whispered.

Draco's lips curved into a smile laced with satisfaction. "Like I should be surprised." He smirked. "Well, I
should give you something bloody well worth dreaming about, eh?" Deftly, he straddled Harry's hips, careful
not to put any weight on him yet. Then he carefully gathered Harry's wrists in his hands. The boy beneath him
muttered something but he didn't stir. Draco pinned his wrists to the bed. Slowly, he leaned down and
brushed his lips over Harry's -- once, twice, three times. Then he licked Harry's lower lip and bit into it, just a
little too hard. Harry came awake with a gasp and Draco dropped his full weight down, effectively pinioning
Harry to the bed. "G'morning, Hero," Draco purred. "It's the man of your dreams."

"Drac-- Malfoy! What do you think. . .," Harry was cut off as Draco's mouth descended over his once more. He
tried to prevent a moan from escaping the back of his throat, but was powerless under the sensual onslaught
of the other boy's talented mouth. Harry tried to struggle out from underneath him and only persisted in
sliding his body against Draco's in all the right places.

Draco groaned at the friction. "I never knew you were such a tease, Hero."

Harry moved his hips, ostensibly trying to buck Draco off but that only increased their contact. "Me? You're
the one who started it," Harry hissed out.

"Bloody hell, Hero. If you want me to stop, that's not the way to go about it". Draco caught Harry's wrists
together in his right hand, and with his left, turned his head to the side, slowly kissing across his jaw and
down his neck. He bit down on where the blue of his jugular was pulsing for a second, before finally releasing
Harry and sitting up. "As fun as this is, Hero, it's not why I came."

"Wha-?"Harry said, trying to clear away the sensual fog he'd been under. "Then why did you - I mean, why are
you here?"

"It's time for rounds." Malfoy grinned at him, jumping off his bed. He walked to the door way, calling over his
shoulder. "I'll let you pull yourself together. Meet me in the Common Room when you're ready to go."

"Right." Harry lay back down with a groan. "Ready to go."

"Ssssex god strikes again . . ." came a hiss from over head. "Thee, thee, thee . . . "

Harry shot a look up at the ceiling. "Shut up."

"Zzzzzz . . . thee, thee, thee . . . zzzzz."

Harry hoisted himself up out of the bed, grabbed his broom, ran a hand through his hair and headed for the
Common Room.

Draco stood in the center, staring at the green serpentine flames crackling in the fireplace. He seemed to be
deep in unpleasant thoughts.

"So, now that we have the molestation part of the evening out of the way, ready for rounds?" Harry said
tightly, acutely embarrassed.

Draco turned slowly, a decadent grin spreading over his face. "No."

"No?" Harry looked confused. Draco started to walk towards him.

"No." Draco came to a stop just a little too close to Harry for comfort. "I know you're Harry Potter and a
Gryffindor to boot, but what do you say to a little misbehavior?"

"Like what?" Harry's eyes lit up with intrigue.

"Oh, no. No telling, that would be cheating." Draco leaned down towards Harry, glancing at his mouth.
"C'mon, Potter. You'll like this. Trust me."

"Asking quite a lot aren't you?" Harry raised an eyebrow, restraining himself from leaning up to Draco.

"What do you say, Hero?" Draco stepped back, flashing him a smirk. "Wanna be bad?"

**************

Hermione and Severus swiftly strode down the corridor together. They didn't speak to each other and kept a
socially acceptable amount of distance between them. They had to be very careful to not arouse suspicions.
But they glanced at one another - each one more heated than the last.

Hermione knew exactly where they were going and what would happen once they were there. And although
she was a bit nervous, she was also terribly excited. She couldn't imagine anything more wonderful or right.
She wanted to be with Severus in every sense of the word and she knew she'd remember this evening for the
rest of her life.

Severus silenced the small voice within himself that whispered that this wrong for a multitude of reasons. He
only knew that he needed her - wanted her more than any woman he'd ever known. He'd regret it for the rest
of his life if he never touched her, held her. She was granting him the astounding privilege of being the first
man she made love with and he was going to glory in her and their union. . .conscience be damned.

They finally made it to his front door. Severus pushed it open and was dimly surprised to see his usual
barriers weren't up but he didn't have time to think about it. Especially when Hermione was by his side, her
hand clutching at his sleeve. He swung her up in his arms, like a groom bringing his bride home and carried
her over the threshold.

His mouth fastened on hers and he kissed her hungrily. She responded in kind, her fingers clutching his
shoulders as her mouth moved against his. He was about to continue down the hallway to his big beautiful
bed when someone cleared his throat. Severus pulled away from Hermione, looking about the room.

He found Lucius Malfoy seated in a wing char, his ridiculous cane in hand. "Oh, don't mind me, Severus,"
Lucius said, with a wave of his hand. "You know I *love* to watch."



A/N1: So sorry for taking such a long time to update. Life has been crazy, crazy around here. Snippy finished
up finals at school and I started a new job. Snippy was also working on Bounty Hunter and I started a
Draco/Hermione fic called "Experience" under my other nom de plume (angeldevotee).

A/N2: Special thanks to Chaos Rose for the floating snakes idea. Special thanks to TheManEatingDustBunny
for Troy's bad pick-up lines idea. We appreciate it, guys!

A/N 3: Oh. . .and Hermione's line about the Muggle singer whose name is a verb? It's Sting! "Don't Stand So
Close To Me" is a song he wrote about a teacher and a student who were having an affair. We figured it was
perfect for Snape and Hermione.