Experience

TITLE: Experience 9

RATING: R

PAIRING: DM/HG, HP/HG

SUMMARY: Love triangle between Harry/Draco/ Hermione. Virginal Hermione
decides to let Malfoy seduce her and enlists Harry\'s help!

DISCLAIMER: Only the plot is mine. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Draco and the rest all
belong to JKR. *sniffle*

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

Ron found Ginny sitting on Harry\'s bed. She was staring at the wall, seemingly
oblivious to everything around her. She was clutching a handful of tissues in her right
hand and her eyes were red-rimmed.

\"Gin?\" Ron asked tentatively. \"Are you okay?\"

Ginny dazedly turned her head at the sound of his voice. It took a moment for
her eyes to focus on him. \"No, I\'m definitely not okay,\" she said hoarsely.

She was starting to scare him. He\'d never seen her act this way. \"What is it?
What\'s wrong?\" Ron asked, sitting down beside her.

\"Harry. He-\"

\"You heard he was hurt, didn\'t you?\" Ron interjected. \"It\'s not that bad. He just
has some bumps and bruises. It\'s nothing to wor-\"

\"I saw him,\" Ginny got out. \"I went to the hospital wing when I heard.\"

\"Then what?\" Ron asked, mystified by her behavior.

\"He\'s sleeping with Hermione,\" she spat.

\"Ginny, we\'ve talked about this before,\" Ron said with a sigh. \"They\'re close but
they\'re only friends. Just like Harry and I are friends.\"

\"Oh really?\" Ginny said sarcastically, throwing his arm off of her shoulders. \"So
he\'s had sex with you in the green house too?\" Her pain was rapidly being replaced
with anger.

\"Harry and I. . .what?\" Ron said, frowning. \"Er, no. We\'ve never had. . .are you
telling me you saw the two of them?\"

\"Oh, I saw it all right.\" She reached behind him and plucked the dream bead from
Harry\'s dream catcher. \"Lie down and take a nap, Ron. You can see it too,\" Ginny said
furiously.

\"No, thanks,\" Ron said, staring at the bead with disgusted curiosity. He shook
his head. \"Ginny, is this all over a dream? I hate to say it, but that\'s natural. Most guys
have sex dreams about other girls. It doesn\'t *mean* anything.\"

\"You didn\'t see them in the infirmary, Ron!\" Ginny cried. \"He couldn\'t take his
eyes off of her. Harry was more interested in her than me. Not to mention the way he
acted around Malfoy.\"

\"Now, I *know* Harry doesn\'t have a thing for Malfoy,\" Ron said seriously. \"I
mean. . . sure, they scowl at each other and fight a lot. Some people say its unresolved
sexual tension, but I think-\"

\"Ron!\" Ginny screeched, exasperated with him. \"I wasn\'t implying that they had
some sort of homosexual. . .thing. The point is, that he was jealous of Malfoy!\"

\"Oh, you mean, because Hermione. . .ugh. . .has a crush on Malfoy.\" Ron
screwed up his face.

\"Yes!\" Ginny said, rolling her eyes.

\"That still doesn\'t mean that there\'s anything going on between Harry and
Hermione. Harry\'s probably just worried about her. Maybe-\" Ron broke off as
snippets of his two best friends\' *very* friendly conversation at breakfast and the fight
Harry\'d had with Malfoy came into sharp focus. Throw in their unusual behavior
lately. . .and there was only one possible explanation. \"He\'s cheating on you,\" he
whispered.

\"Exactly,\" Ginny said, the fight going out of her. She buried her head in her
hands.\"What am I going to do, Ron?\"

\"You\'re going to let me handle it,\" Ron said fiercely.

Ginny gave a half-hearted smile at his brotherly tone. \"Ron, I\'m an adult. I don\'t
need my big brother swooping in to save me.\"

\"This time, you do need my help because I\'m involved too. Harry\'s my best
friend.\" Ron could barely get the words out.

Ginny, nodded. Suddenly, she was very tired. Ironically, all she wanted to do
was sleep because she simply couldn\'t think about this anymore tonight. \"Fine, talk to
him, then. . .*just* talk to him,\" Ginny emphasized. She could see the fury in his eyes
and she knew from experience that her brothers took exception with anyone who hurt
her. They considered it their personal responsibility to right the wrong. . . and that
usually included using their fists.

\"Don\'t you dare worry about him, Ginny. Harry doesn\'t deserve it right now.\"
He sighed, running a hand through his flaming hair. \"Come on. . .let\'s get you back to
your room.\" Ron helped Ginny to her feet and escorted her down the hall.

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


Harry couldn\'t find Ginny anywhere. He\'d gone to her room, the library, the
Common Room, the Hall, and even the girl\'s bathroom. In desperation, he\'d actually
checked the Chamber of Secrets. Logically, he knew Ginny couldn\'t get in without
speaking parseltongue but. . .stranger things had happened at Hogwarts. All he\'d
found were some basilisk bones and broken statues. Harry finally decided to go to his
room and regroup.

When he opened the door to his dorm room, he was greeted by a fist. Ron\'s fist
to be exact. Harry blearily looked up from the floor to find Ron standing over him with
a grim expression on his familiar face.

\"How *could* you?\" Ron said, his voice dripping with contempt.

Harry had never been so ashamed. His eyes slid from Ron\'s so he wouldn\'t have
to see the disappointment in them. \"Whatever you want to say, say it. I deserve every
word.\" He staggered to his feet and faced his best friend.

\"Ginny trusted you, Harry! She loved you!\"

\"I know,\" Harry whispered.

\"And how do you repay her? By fooling around with Hermione behind her
back. . .that\'s how!\"

\"Leave Hermione out of this, it\'s all my fault,\" Harry insisted. And it was the
truth. Hermione had responded to his physical advances but he\'d been the one who
pressed the issue.

\"You\'re right about that!\" Ron flung himself down his desk chair. He knew
Harry\'s reputation with the girls in this school. Ron knew she was inexperienced and
probably flattered by his attention.

\"You ruined it all, Harry,\" Ron said bitterly. \"It wasn\'t supposed to be like this.
You were going to be with Ginny. I thought you might end up marrying her someday,\"
he added wistfully. Then, you\'d be my brother.\"

Harry\'s had to blink away tears. That had been his dream to. He could have had
it all. . . Ron would have been his brother-in-law. Percy would have been his older
brother. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would have been like his parents. And Ginny would
have been loving wife.

\"I know this sounds stupid, \" Ron said, rubbing at his eyes furiously. \"I thought
Hermione and I might get back together one of these days. In the future, after we both
did some growing up. I\'m with Parvati now but neither of us are serious.\" Ron sighed.
\"We could have all been related. . .been together for the rest of our lives.\" Frankly, Ron
was jealous that Hermione had returned Harry\'s interest in her. He\'d begun to think
that she was the one girl at Hogwarts immune to Harry\'s charm. It made his dream
even more impossible. How could he possibly measure up to Harry in Hermione\'s
eyes?

\"Ron, I\'m sorry. I didn\'t-\"

\"Don\'t apologize, Harry. You couldn\'t possibly make up for it,\" Ron gritted out.

\"What do you want me to do?\" Harry whispered brokenly.

\"For now, I want you to leave.\" Ron refused to look at him.

Harry took in a shuddering breath. \"Alright.\" He slowly walked to the door,
reluctance in every step. He desperately wanted to fix this. Harry needed to make it
right. . . but he wasn\'t sure everything between Ron and himself would ever be right
again. Harry paused at the door. \"You must hate me.\"

Ron looked him in the eye. \"No, Harry, I don\'t hate you. But, for the very first
time, I don\'t you like you.\"

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


Hermione found herself on Malfoy\'s decadent bed once more. Draco was busily
looking over the refrigerator contents. \"We could have some fresh fruit.\" He pulled
open the freezer (cooled by charms) to find a couple of frozen chicken breasts. \"Some
chicken and I think there\'s some rice in the cupboard.\" He pulled a packet of long grain
rice fthe the shelves and a tin of mushrooms as well. \"This isn\'t much but I suppose
it\'ll do.\"

\"You cook?\" Hermione asked incredulously.

\"No, but *we* do,\" Draco corrected. \"There\'s no such thing as a free lunch.\"

\"Or dinner, apparently,\" Hermione said, standing up. She joined Draco at the
counter. He was staring at the stove with a perplexed expression. \"You don\'t know
how to work the stove, do you?\"

\"Of course I have!\" he said defensively. Then, he shrugged. \"Well, I\'ve seen the
house elves use one.\"

With an exaggerated movement, Hermione tapped her wand on a burner, and
the Wizard stove ignited. She dusted off her hands and looked at him expectantly. \"I\'ll
help with the rest but I want some champagne.\"

\"Only one glass,\" Draco said, wagging his finger. \"Or you\'re going to turn into a
lush,\" he teased.

\"I didn\'t have *that* much,\" Hermione denied, grabbing up the package of rice.

Draco retrieved the chicken from the freezer and murmured a thawing charm.
He then retrieved a bottle of champagne and two glasses. \"I seem to recall carrying you
out of here because you couldn\'t walk.\"

Hermione enjoyed their easy banter. When he wasn\'t being a total prat, he was
actually fun to talk to. \"I think you wanted to carry me so you could touch me
inappropriately,\" she teased, using a prim voice.

Draco rose one eyebrow. \"If I remember right, you were the one who felt me
up.\" Draco popped the lid off of the champagne.

\"Your hair. . .not the other parts!\"

He handed her a glass of the bubbly liquid. \"If I hadn\'t stopped you that night,
who knows what else you would have touched?\" Draco said with mock dismay. \"You
girls are all the same,\" he said, shaking his head. \"You only want *one* thing from me.\"

She bit her lips to keep from laughing. \"You\'re right about that,\" Hermione shot
back. \"But in my case, its champagne.\" She toasted him before she took a sip.

Draco began chopping up the chicken. \"And you\'re in denial.\" Draco looked at
her speculatively, hoping to catch her off guard. \"So, what *is* going on between you
and Potter?\"

\"I don\'t want to talk about it,\" Hermione said, setting a kettle of water on the
stove.

\"Too bad. I do.\" He quirked an eyebrow at her. \"I already now that he\'s been
hitting on you with all the subtlety of Gilderoy Lockhart, but what about you? Are you
interested in him?\" Draco asked, with a deceptively calm inflection to his voice. Not
that he was in love with Granger but he didn\'t like to share especially with Boy Who
Lived to Piss Him Off.

Hermione bit her lip. \"I don\'t know.\"

Draco relaxed a bit. It seemed as if her emotions were muddled when it came to
Scarhead. Well, he\'d just make sure to confuse her even more. \"Fair enough.\"

\"Harry\'s going to be really angry with you,\" Hermione said uncomfortably. She
wasn\'t sure she could handle the two of them. She didn\'t want a repeat of today\'s fist
fight.

Draco\'s lips curved into a smile. \"I know.\"

\"Promise me you\'ll steer clear of him until he cools down,\" Hermione pleaded.
\"There\'s no reason to-\"

\"Oh, there\'s every reason to,\" Draco contradicted. \"But, I wouldn\'t worry too
much about Scarhead. He\'s probably having some very mediocre make-up sex with
She Weasel as we speak.\"

Hermione knew for a fact that they hadn\'t slept together and she hadn\'t missed
the sparks shooting from Ginny\'s eyes either. And she very much doubted that sex with
Harry would be mediocre if his kisses were anyt to to go on.

A half an hour later, Draco and Hermione sat on transfigured chairs at the
counter. Preparing a meal with him had been frighteningly domestic but also
enjoyable. They\'d both cleaned their plates with gusto. Malfoy kept commenting on
the food, especially the chicken he had prepared. It was the first meal he\'d ever made
for himself and he was very proud. Hermione had assured him several times that it
was the best chicken she\'d ever eaten. So what if it was a little white lie (she preferred
the roasted chicken her grandmother made)? The smile he\'d given her after she\'d said
that had been truly worth it.

Draco stood up and lazily stretched, resembling a large predatory cat. \"I think
we should lie down, don\'t you?\" He didn\'t wait for an answer though. Instead, he
sauntered over to the bed. He threw off his robes and laid down on his side, tucking an
elbow beneath his head.

Hermione\'s breath caught. Whenever he looked at her like that, her stomach did
these little flip flops. \"I guess,\" she murmured.

\"Well, last time we did it standing up. I thought we could do with a change,\"
Draco said, openly leering at her.

\"But we didn\'t. Do \'it\', I mean.\" Hermione said as she meandered over to the
bed. She sat down on the edge of the bed and folded her hands on her lap.

\"See? You\'re just interested in one thing. . or my thing to be more accurate,\"
Draco teased, coaxing a smile from her. \"Why are you still so far away?\"

The champagne had relaxed her a bit but she was still nervous. Maybe it was
because he looked like he was going to leap on her. \"I can move closer, I guess,\" she
said, scooting towards him. Now, she was seated next to his knees.

Draco laid a hand on the small of her back. \"So tense,\" he whispered. \"I\'ll have
to loosen you up a bit.\" Draco grinned as he moved behind her.

Hermione gasped as sat down t bet behind her, his legs around hers - only his
feet touched the floor. Her bottom was nestled between his thighs and his warm breath
teased her cheek. \"And you thought that would relax me?\" she asked incredulously.

\"No, but this will,\" Draco said as he brought his hands to her shoulders and
began rubbing the stiff muscles. \"Ever had a massage?\"

\"Mmmm . . .no,\" Hermione muttered, closing her eyes.

Draco chuckled at her reaction even as his body tightened. \"To do this properly,
you\'d have to be nude.\"

Hermione laughed as she remembered a similar comment he\'d made about the
mind-blowing five-fold kiss they\'d performed on each other. \"You\'re always trying to
get me to take my clothes off.\"

\"No, Hermione, I\'m always offering to take them off *for* you. Speaking of. . .\"
Draco pd, bd, bringing his hands to the top button on her robes. \"Can I undo this?\"

Hermione bit her lip in indecision before she nodded.

Draco deftly unbuttoned the robe, even though she was facing away from him. It
was on the tip of her tongue to ask him how he\'d acquired this unusual talent when it
occurred to her that he\'d probably gained a great deal of experience removing robes.
He finally unfastened in and pulled it from her body, holding it so she could remove
her arms from the sleeves. \"There, isn\'t that better?\"

Hermione grinned. \"For you or for me?\"

\"Both, actu.\" .\" She could literally hear the smile in his voice.

\"Now, how about that annoying little vest?\" Draco prompted.

She thought about the way his hands had felt on her skin last night and the
reverent expression in his eyes when looked at her. \"Okay,\" Hermione agreed.

Draco skillfully undid the buttons on her verst and helped her slide it off ell.ell.
\"And the tie?\"

\"I can undo that,\" Hermione offered, bringing her hands to he throat but his
hands captured hers.

\"I said, *I* would be the one to undress you,\" Draco said softly. He wanted to
relish the experience of baring her beautiful body to his eyes alone. Hermione dropped
her hands and he loosened and slipped the tie over her head. Draco cleared his throat.
\"Can you stand up?\"

Hermione stood on shaky knees and turned to face him.

Draco slowly put each button through it\'s hole. Slowly, the pale line of her
throat, the creamy swell of her breasts, and the flat plane of her stomach was revealed.
He pushed the sides of the shirt from her shoulders and it sailed to the floor.
\"Beautiful,\" Draco pronounced, laying his hand possessively on her stomach. His
bedazzled eyes slid to her mouth. \"Kiss me?\"

Hermione ducked her head slightly and pressed her lips to his. His lips were
soft and supple and parted to encourage her to explore within. Hermione touched her
tongue to his and he entreated it to dance with his.

Draco groaned and his arms snaked around her midriff to pull her closer. \"I
can\'t get enough of you,\" he muttered against her mouth. He flicked open the catches
on her bras and it sprang open. Draco pressed a lingering kiss to her mouth before he
bent to lavish a pert nipple with an adoring kiss.

Hermione\'s breath hissed out as he sucked a nipple into his heated mouth. He
drew it on expertly, knowing exactly the right amount of pressure that would be
pleasurable. She threaded her hands into the silky strands of his hair as he suckled her.
Hermione\'s knees were threatening to buckle and he gently eased her to the bed
beneath him, not breaking contact with her breast. When he\'d finally paid adequate
homage to the left breast, he worshiped the right. Hermione moaned beneath him and
her legs parted to wrap around his hips but Draco seized the opportunity.

He tugged her skirt down her legs and tossed it over his shoulder. Then, he
turned his attention to the pale pink panties she wore. They were damp and clung to
her sex like a second skin. Hermione shivered at the raw hunger in his eyes. He
brought his hands to the waistband and relentlessly pulled them down her legs. Draco
smiled as they came off in his hands. She watched him deliberately stuff them in his
pocket. . . a souvenir perhaps? It should have made her furious. She should have given
him a lecture. Instead she smiled, absurdly pleased that he wanted a reminder of her.
And then he situated himself between her thighs.

\"Easy,\" Draco murmured as he bent his mouth to the secret heart of her. He\'d
been dying to do this. She quaked under his ministrations but he patiently guided her
with his ardent lips and his talented fingers. A part of her wondered at how eagerly he
drank from her but she unable to think clearly anymore when he lapped at just the right
spot. Hermione shouted his name and she moved against his face more urgently.
Then, Draco blew against that exact spot . . . and that\'s how Hermione Granger
experienced the first orgasm of her life.

Draco was lost in her. He\'d never experienced anything so intimate with another
girl. Of course, he performed this act before but it had never *moved* hiforefore. She
was ineffably beautiful as she quivered in his arms and gasped his name. Draco was
completely undone by her. Under normal circumstances, he would expect reciprocity.
But what if he lost interest in her as soon as he orgasmed as he\'d done so many times
before? For some reason, Draco wasn\'t ready to risk it. As unbelievable as it sounded,
he was having too much fun with her. . .and not just the physical aspect of their
relationship. He never knew a girl cobe ibe interesting to talk to. Draco loved teasing
Hermione. He even enjoyed debating with her, mainly because she was so firm in her
opinions and defended them so fiercely. Draco pressed a kiss to her belly and got up to
go to the bathroom. Hopefully, he could coax his erection down after he cleansed his
face.

Hermione felt as if she\'d just been blown apart but in the most pleasant way. She
had no idea that oral sex was so incredible or that she was capable of feeling that much
pleasure. Hermione thought she might have even passed out for a moment or two. She
smiled as she saw Draco come back to bed. \"Draco I. . .that was. . .incredible.\"

Draco chuckled and kissed the top of her head. \"Glad you liked it.\" He slipped
into bed beside her and pulled her against his chest.

Hermione placed her hand on his belt buckle. \"Well, I hope you like it too.\"

\"I\'d love it but,\" Draco said, intercepting her hand and bringing it to his mouth
for a kiss. \"Not right now. This night is about you.\"

Hermione glanced up at him and her lips curved into a smile. \"Thank you.\"

Draco waggled his eyebrows. \"Anytime.\"

She giggled.

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


An hour later, Draco paused before Hermione\'s door. They\'d walked from the
third floor together, holding hands and whispering to each other. Draco leaned down.
\"One more kiss and I\'d better go.\"

\"Can we meet tomorrow?\"

\"Eager little thing, aren\'t you?\" Draco teased.

\"No more than you,\" Hermione countered, standing up on tiptoe to kiss his
mouth.

The girl in the portrait hmmphed. \"You\'re both out past curfew! And its
improper for students to kiss in the hallways!\"

Draco reluctantly pulled his mouth from Hermione\'s. \"Didn\'t I give you enough
a death threat last time?\" he said with exasperation.

Her eyes widened as she took a good look at him. \"Oh, it\'s you. . .er, carry on
then.\" She quickly rushed behind the tree.

Hermione laughed. \"Goodnight, Draco.\"

\"Goodnight, Hermione,\" he said softly. Draco didn\'t take his eyes off of her until
she disappeared behind the portrait. He walked back to the dorm whistling.

***********


Hermione found Harry Potter sprawled on her bed. His glasses were slightly
askew and he was clutching her pillow. He must have fallen asleep while waiting for
her to make an appearance. His long legs went over the end of the bed and she paused
by his feet, nudging them with her knee. \"Harry!\" she said halfheartedly. She knew
she should be angry to find him here in her bed but she was chock full of good will and
a bit tired.

He continued to sleep.

\"Harry?\" Hermione tried again. \"Get up, I want to go to bed.\"

Evidently, Harry was dead to the world.

She flopped down on the mattress beside him and shook him.

Harry mumbled something unintelligible and rolled over on his side.

Hermione touched a finger to his nose and tickled it. \"Harry? Haaaarrrryyyy. .
.wake up!\"

Unbeknownst to Hermione, Harry had been awake since she walked in the room
but he hoping she\'d give up and let him stay the night here. He couldn\'t face Ron and
he was afraid Hermione would be furious with him too.

Hermione gave up. She laid down beside, with her back to his front and shut her
eyes.

Harry waited until she fell asleep and then gathered her up in his arms, burying
his face in her fragrant hair. She may have fooled around with Malfoy earlier in the
evening but she was sleeping with him tonight.

Behind them, on the wall, hung Hermione\'s dream catcher and one pearly bead
began to glow as it filled with a dream\'s essence.

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


The next morning, Ginny Weasley stood outside Hermione\'s door. She\'d made
up her mind that she and Harry\'s real problem was named Hermione Granger. Their
relationship had been find until that bushy-haired know-it-all had ruined it all. Ginny
was going to confront the other girl and warn her off Harry. \"Let me in!\" Ginny
snapped.

\"Password?\" the portrait girl asked.

Ginny\'s face contorted. \"Just let me in. She\'s trying to steal my boyfriend!\"

\"Really?\" the girl said craftily, thinking she\'d teach Miss Granger a lesson.
\"Come on in.\" The door swung open.

Taking a deep breath, Ginny entered the room to find Harry and Hermione
laying on her bed in an intimate embrace. They were spooning each other and Harry
had his arm wrapped around the other girl\'s waist. Hermione\'s clothes were rumpled
and it looked like some of the buttons were fastened wrong on her shirt.

\"I knew it!\" Ginny screeched. \"I knew you two were sneaking around behind
my back!\"

Harry came awake instantly and bolted out of the bed. With dawning horror, he
quickly glanced back and forth from the bed where Hermione was rubbing her eyes to
Ginny who watched them with an incensed expression. \"Ginny, I know this looks bad
but it isn\'t what you think!\" As soon as the words left his mouth, he wished he could
take them back. It was exactly what a guilty person would say.

\"How thick do you think I am?! I found you *in bed* together and you\'re trying
to deny it?\" she said incredulously .

Harry opened his mouth to speak.

\"Don\'t!\" She managed to grit out, backing away from him. \"I don\'t want to hear
any more excuses or lies from you.\"

Hermione observed the scene with wide eyes. She felt like an intruder even
though they were all in her room. \"Ginny?\" she said as gently as possible. \"I know this
looks really bad but I promise that nothing happened between Harry and I last night.\"
She tucked a piece of hair behind her hair, and wrapped her arms around herself self-consciously. \"I actually spent most of the night with Draco. Harry and I just slept in the
same bed. Nothing happened.\"

Ginny narrowed her eyes at Hermione. \"I don\'t remember asking for your
version of events you. . .you. . .slut!\"

Hermione gasped.

Harry gaped at his girlfriend. \"Ginny! I know your upset with me and you have
every right to be, but you shouldn\'t-\"

\"Don\'t you *dare* tell me what I should and shouldn\'t do,\" Ginny said coldly.
She turned her attention to Hermione. \"What else would I call a girl who seduces her
best friend while she\'s sleeping with another guy?\"

Hermione\'s eyes filled with tears. Although, she certainly wasn\'t promiscuous,
there was a small grain of truth in Ginny\'s statement. She *had* been flirting with
Harry while she was with Draco. Hermione hastily swiped at her eyes. \"I know you\'re
angry but there\'s no need to resort to name calling,\" she said as judiciously as possible.

Seeing the fury in Ginny\'s eyes, Harry intervened. \"Can we go somewhere and
talk?\"

Ginny glared at Hermione for a moment before nodding stiffly and exiting the
room.

Harry turned to Hermione. \"I\'m sorry about that. The person she\'s really mad
at is me.\"

\"I got the distinct impression that she blames me,\" Hermione disagreed. \"But,
we can talk about that later. You\'d better go.\"

\"Hermione, about what she said. . .you\'re not a-\"

She sighed. \"*I* know that but you need to convince her of it. Good luck - you\'ll
need it.\"

\"Thanks, Hermione.\" He crossed to the door and paused to look back at her.
\"Are you and I okay now?\"

Hermione smiled and crooked a finger at him. Harry obediently walked over to
her and she kicked him in the shin. \"Now we are. Don\'t ever reveal one of my secrets
again.\"

Yes, Malfoy was definitely a bad influence on her. Harry hopped to the door,
grimacing in pain. \"Right then.\"

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


Harry found Ginny seated in an empty classroom. She was at the professor\'s
desk which was on a platform. \"You\'re late,\" she said without preamble. \"Had to give
your *friend* a \'good morning\' kiss, eh?\"

\"No, she wished me good luck,\" Harry said honestly as he limped to a student
desk student desks.

She didn\'t allow herself to ask about his injury. \"I\'m touched,\" Ginny said
sarcastically as she touched a hand to her chest. \"What did you want to say to me?\" she
prompted. \"I don\'t have all day.\"

\"Right,\" Harry said and took a deep breath. \"I want to clear the air between us,
Ginny. I owe you the truth.\"

She crossed her arms over her chest. \"Fine, tell me what happened.\"

\"You were right about Hermione and I being more than friends.\"

\"Yeah, I figured that part out, Potter,\" Ginny snapped.

\"But we haven\'t slept together. Ever,\"Harry continued, ignoring the sarcasm.

\"You expect me to believe that you and that slut have never shag-\"

\"*Hermione* is not a slut,\" Harry stressed. \"Please don\'t call her that.\"

\"I\'ll call her whatever I damn well please!\" Ginny stood up and rounded the
desk. \"It\'s still all about her, isn\'t? Harry, do you have any idea how badly you hurt
me? Do you know what its like to put your trust in someone and have them betray
you?\"

\"I\'m sorry I hurt you,\" Harry said, his eyes filled with compassion and guilt. \"I
never meant to.\"

Ginny softened the slightest bit. \"I know that, Harry.\" He wasn\'t capable of
deliberately hurting someone. \"But why her and why now? That\'s what I don\'t
understand.\"

\"I don\'t know,\" Harry answered. \"I\'ve never thought of her that way before.
The first night we were back, she told me that she was interested in Malfoy and then
she started talking about. . .things.\"

\"What things?\" Ginny said carefully.

\"You know,\" Harry shrugged, a blush creeping up his neck. \"About sex.\"

Ginny rolled her eyes. \"Figures. Harry, she tried to seduce you!\"

\"No, it wasn\'t like that,\" Harry denied, standing up. \"I just started noticing that
she was a girl and then I kissed her a few times.\"

\"A few,\" Ginny parroted, clenching her jaw.

\"Yes, but its over now,\" Harry said softly. It was obvious that Hermione was
with Malfoy now. Harry was sure that Ginny wasn\'t \"the one\" anymore but she was a
good girlfriend and he certainly didn\'t want to be alone. Especially when Hermione
was running around with that prat.

\"You bet its over,\" Ginny declared hotly. \"You\'re never going to see her again.\"

\"What?\" Harry cried.

\"You heard me. I don\'t want you around her ever again!\"

\"Ginny, I can\'t do that. She\'s one of my best friends! I\'ve known her for years.\"

\"Its her or me!\" Ginny blustered.

\"Don\'t do this,\" Harry pleaded. \"I promise that nothing will happen with
Hermione while I\'m with you but I *won\'t*-\"

Ginny gasped. \"I-I can\'t believe you\'re doing this to me. Harry, I love you. I\'ve
been in love with you since I was eleven years old.\" She clutched at his shirt
desperately. \"You\'re all I\'ve ever known. You\'re my hero,\" she choked back a sob. \"My
knight in shining armor. Remember the Chamber of Secrets? I thought Riddle was
going to kill me but you saved me. You came charging in there with only your wits and
your wand. When I woke up and saw you standing over me, I knew we were meant
for each other.\" She took in a shuddering breath. \"Harry, I want to spend the rest of my
life with you.\"

Tears openly ran down Harry\'s face. He realized that it was wrong to string her
along when he didn\'t completely return her feelings. \"I had no idea that you were so
serious about me. Oh, Ginny,\" he broke off to pull her against his chest. \"I\'m sorry for
hurting you so deeply. \" He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. \"It makes this much
harder. I hope you can forgive me someday.\"

\"What?\" Ginny asked dazedly.

Harry pulled back and took her hands in his own. \"I don\'t feel the same way
about you Ginny. You\'re an amazing person.\" Harry gave her a bittersweet smile.
\"You\'re smart and funny - not to mention beautiful. And you deserve a guy who can
appreciate you. . .but its not me.\"

\"What. . what are you saying to me?\" Ginny said, backing away from him.

\"I can\'t be with you anymore, Ginny. I can\'t lead you on when I don\'t return
your feelings.\"

\"No,\" Ginny breathed, wrapping her arms tightly around her body. \"This can\'t
be happening. I--\"

\"I\'m sorry, Ginny. Let me get Parvati for you,\" Harry said compassionately. \"I
never meant to do this to you.\" He quit the room and went down the hall in search of
her friend.

Ginny got a hold of herself and scrubbed her tears away with the back of her
hand. She was through with tears and being helpless. \"You didn\'t, Harry. This is all
*her* fault and she\'s going to pay,\" she vowed.


A/N: Hermione\'s dream catcher picked up only her dream b/c she made it and imbued
it with magic. Shush now, I\'m the author and I may manipulate as I please. *wicked
evil grin*. Ginny will begin a campaign against Hermione that\'s going to get ugly.
Harry will get a dream bead that will rock his socks and Malfoy and Hermione are
going to get closer. :)


Thanks:


*** A special thank you to the Sleeping with the Enemy Yahoo Group. I love you guys!
Thanks for the support. ***


Karena Elizabeth- See? I updated sooner. :) Why thank you. Yes, *I* am evil. Draco
has been giving me evil lessons. Bwahhaaa!!! Ahem. . .see? Not so much of a
cliffhanger this time. Expect the next part in seven days, I think. Thank you for
reviewing! I really appreciate it.

Solid Fire-- Thanks for the input! There seems to be a lot of people in the Draco camp.
I had no idea he had such a fan base. I feel bad that not that many people like Harry.
I\'m seriously considering doing two endings. :) Thanks!

Deedee- *solemn tone* Violence is never the answer. *Grin* Be prepared for more
fighting over next time. :) Thanks!

Dem- Thanks! Here\'s more.

Petra- Thank you so much. I\'m glad you like Draco. He\'s a joy to write! And I hope
you got some sleep. :)

Jamie- Thanks for the input.

Sunnyday- Yes, he\'ll get a dream bead from Hermione. Just give me time . :) It\'ll be a
juicy one. IndiIndir- Was he sufficiently contrite? Basically, this was the chapter where everyone
smacked Harry around. :)

Shadow- LOL! I hope your over the urge to throttle me. :) My vote is for Manger!
Woah! I\'m sensing a Misery type vibe here. :) But, that\'s Draco love for you. . .he\'s
more addictive than chocolate-covered crack.

SnapeLover- Here\'s another heapin\' helpin. . .okay, I was watching Steel Magnolias
today. By the way, I love my Snape too. Look for an appearance by him in the next
couple of chapters.

Ruth- I\'m with you on that point! I like my Draco tie-her-to-the-train-tracks-bad. The
more evil he is the more attractive he is. :)

Water Demon- I hope you like Gin\'s reaction. She\'s angry!

Fierydragn- I know! I really do envy her. I\'d like both with a side of Snape please. :)
Ginny wasn\'t really developed so I took some liberties. :)

Vega- I love him too. He\'s a doll. :)

maggie- It\'s going to be a bit more of a wait now. Expect one every week or two weeks.
Hopefully, it was worth the wait. Thanks!

Luthien- Sorry! I love my cliff hangers. :)

BasiliskQueen- Kill. . .kill . .. die. . .die. You are a bit like the basilisk, huh? :) I hope this
made you less homicidal. I\'ll update soon. Thanks.

sweetthang-37- I\'m glad you like the fic. Thanks for reading. :)

Stellar- Are you English? From your word choices, I got that impression. And if you
are, than I\'m pleased you didn\'t find this fic too Americanized. Thank you so much for
the wonderful review. I had a big smile on my face after reading it. I\'m glad you could
swallow my characterization of Ginny. JKR has more less left us hanging as to what
she\'s like. . . except for basic Weasely qualities. And don\'t worry I\'m not making Harry
or Draco friends. They\'re more likely to hex each other than hang out. :) And I\'m glad
you like the extra courses I added. I needed some ways to get hidden emotions and
agendas out into the open. Thanks! I really appreciate your kind words and opinions.
Reviews like these help authors grow. :)

Felicia- I love Harry too! And, she was just a bit angry with him. She\'ll get over it
soon.

orchid- I wouldneitheither! Bring on the corruption! LOL!

Taurus- Soon enough? :)

gryffindorgirl- Thanks!

SAKURA- yep. The cat is out of the bag. LOL.

Leona- Thank you so much. I\'m glad stilstill enjoy it.

littledoll- I\'m a big fan of Draco. I wish JKR would put him into the books more. And
ship him w/ someone for the love of God! Preferably Hermione. :)

Goddess- Thanks!

RoseAquafire- Thanks!

Draco\'sgurl- Thanks for reading. She saw the same thing Herm did. Uh oh.

PsychoJo-No one\'s that stupid. :)

Wobbl- Thanks!

Snapegirl- You betcha. It was pick on Harry time this chapter. :)

Dreamer- I hope this update was soon enough. I\lad lad you\'re still liking the story. :)

maggie (from ff.net)-- I think she should end up with both. I couldn\'t choose. And
Harry doesn\'t have Gin anymore. Thanks! And, yes, it is good for my writing. I love
Draco too. He\'s a doll.

FlexiLexi- You should be about done, righGo sGo summer. . .if it would ever friggin
warm up. I\'m glad you like Draco. He\'s fun to write. Thanks for reading!

SailorMoonRose- I hope you got some sleep! Thanks for reviewing.

areader- Thanks!

Lizziestar- Thanks!

SuperKK- I didn\'t go anywhere. Excuse my lateness. :) Expect more regular updates.
Thanks!

Klutzyputzy- I don\'t like Ginny/Draco so don\'t expect that to happen. . .sorry. But I
will promise you some Harry/Hermione. It\'s going to heat up between them. And
Harry needs a place to sleep, right? :)

FeAngel- Thanks!

Meemo- Yep, Harry was in for some pain. Bad boy! Thanks! Have you seen Neemo?
LOL.

Serpentu-I\u-I\'m gettin\' there! I had to have a chapter of plot development last time. :)

gryffspopgurl- True, true. . .we\'ll see what happens.

Kasumi- Yep, Harry has to pay for his \'evil\' ways. And Draco\'s ready to swoop it at
any time. :)

LOTRjunkie- Yeah, it was wildness all around this time. Poor Harry and look forward
to Vindictive!Ginny next time. :)

Brittney- It *is* Hard to choose. I\'d have a hard time.

me- I was headed that way! I hope I don\'t disappoint with vindictive!Ginny.

Shelly- It is anyone\'s game right now. Thanks!

Kim- I\'m glad you\'re getting the inside jokes and you like the humor. I like a lot of
comedy in my romantic comedies. :) Thanks!

C Lily- I like their clashiness too. These two are destined to squabble but I love their
arguments. :) I\'m glad you like Harry too. Not many do.

SarahSmarter- Bad English! Perish the thought. . .and it was also an 80\'s group, I
believe. I don\'t like Ginny either. She annoys me. LOL.

Mp- Thanks!

Becca- thanks!

Chrissy- Choices, choices. I think she should take both. I\'m a d/h, h/h, and ss/hg
shipper. I\'m always torn.

Alex- thanks!

NingNing- I like them together myself. thanks!

Lily- Thanks! I\'m glad you like it.

MysticDragon- I\'m trying to update sooner but my other story is weighing me down.
LOL.

FoxyChic4U- I\'m in your boat. I like both couples. :)

blue- Thanks!

MusikLover- Whoops! Thanks for catching the slip and it wasn\'t Freudian! :) And,
most things about Malfoy are weird and twisted.

Frost- Whoops! Sorry about the Malfoy mistake. Thanks for reading.