A/N: This is my first fic! It came to me after binge reading Dramione for nearly two weeks after I found out this site existed.

DISCLAIMER: "Harry Potter" is the property of J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. This fanfiction was written entirely for fun, not for profit, and no copyright infringement is intended.

MAIN CHARACTERS: Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom, Theodore Nott, Luna Lovegood

SUMMARY: Hermione hasn't been the same since the War. In fact, if the Sorting Hat were to sit upon her head, she might've been sorted into Slytherin. Draco can't help but be intrigued by the exciting new Granger. How far could he bend her morals before she breaks?

RATING: MA (NC-17)

WARNINGS: Drug/alcohol abuse, explicit sexual situations, violence, torture, self mutilation, strong profanity, implied rape, disturbing situations

A CURIOUS THING

Hermione laid on her familiar bed, in her familiar room, sweaty and tangled up with the familiar man she had been shagging her for years. She didn't feel guilty about their arrangement, it had been going on for so long and no one had seemed to notice. So what was there to be guilty about?

Hermione rolled away from the sticky skin of the now snoring man and numbly wondered how she should be feeling.

Good? She just had an orgasm. Tired? Definitely. But there was nothing substantial about how she was feeling. She thought back to the first time she shagged this man.

There was utter blackness and crippling silence aside from the crackle of a distant fire. Hermione laid in the too stiff cot and felt the rage burning in her chest.

How could Ron be so bloody obtuse? She thought to herself, she was worried about the Weasley family too but that doesn't excuse leaving their mission because of some tussle with Harry.

She could feel her frustration leak out of the corner of her eyes again. She angrily brushed her tears away and sniffed loudly.

"Hermione?"

"I'm fine Harry, do you need to switch off and take a rest?" Harry had been out keeping watch over the camp for at least three hours. Sleep evaded her but she couldn't keep laying here hoping Ron would somehow find them.

"No that's alright, I wanted to check on you. I… I'm worried about him too." The voice sat next to her on her cot.

"I'm just so angry that he would actually leave. I know he won't be able to find us and leaving a trail would be too dangerous. I just can't believe him." Hermione sat up to face the direction Harry's voice came from.

"I shouldn't have provoked him. I know how much more he's affected by the Horcrux but I let my temper get the best of me. Now it's just us and it's my fault. I'm so sorry, 'Mione, I made this impossible task that much harder." Harry's voice dripped with self pity and guilt. Hermione reached out into the darkness and pulled him into a hug to console him knowing he was right but blowing up at him wouldn't fix the situation.

In the midst of pulling Harry in Hermione's nose bumped against his lower lip. He paused to gently kiss it before settling into her embrace. Maybe it was the fact that their best friend just walked out on them, maybe it was the crushing pressure that was now on their shoulders alone or maybe it was because they were teenagers and it was dark. Harry's mouth moved against Hermione's neck in languid kisses.

The feeling sent jolts of electricity down Hermione's spine. This behaviour was new for Harry even though they were an affectionate bunch. She hadn't had any private time to feel any sort of release in months. It wasn't as if Harry was an unattractive boy but she hadn't thought about him in that way before.

"Harry… wait…" she hesitated. She had lost her virginity to Viktor last summer but she wasn't sure if Harry had been with anyone before, "I've already… with Viktor… But - "

Harry cut her off, "It's fine Hermione, I just… we don't have to. I feel so much more alone than I ever have. I don't want to make you uncomfortable, I just need... " It was an open ended statement waiting for Hermione to decide.

She pulled back, quickly contemplated the ramifications but the thrill of a release was too good to pass up and gently kissed his lips for the first time. Harry pushed her back onto the cot and positioned himself over her without taking his mouth from hers. It was an awkward fumble of getting clothes off in the dark without separating at the mouth. Once down to their knickers, Harry's mouth moved down her throat to her shoulder to bite gently and suck. Hermione gasped and moved her hand her down body to prepare herself. The combined sensation of a mouth moving across her body and her hand working in its usual motion made her audibly moan. Under all the stress she didn't realise how badly she needed this. Needed someone to show her she wasn't alone. She wasn't expecting the best from Harry, it being what she assumed was his first time, but something is better than nothing at this point.

Her moan sent Harry into high gear. He tore at their knickers and felt if she was ready for him. She grabbed her wand, pointed it at her belly and whispered the contraception charm. "You'll have to teach me that later," Harry roughly whispered before he deeply kissed her.

As he entered her they both let out loud moans. Thank Merlin for those wards, Hermione thought. His pace wasn't entirely smooth but soon she could feel the beginnings of an orgasm creep up on her. She took one of her hands from Harry's back and started rubbing little circles over her clit. She worked herself with vigour as Harry continued to erratically thrust into her. She was soon sent over the edge and saw stars as she came down. Shortly after Harry followed suit.

He kissed her temple, still on top of her. "Thank you. I know that's weird to say right after shagging but I just needed…" He was lost for words.

"A release. Me too," Hermione finished for him. A worrying thought entered her mind, "Harry, what does this mean for us? I'm not sure I... "

"I don't want to sound harsh but I don't think dating would be a very good idea seeing as how the world might end," he replied gently.

"I entirely agree. That was a lot of fun and I still love you but I don't think in that way," she said, nervously waiting his response.

He huffed a relieved sigh, "Yeah. You're brilliant, and that was brilliant! But maybe we could just do this whenever we feel like another release."

Hermione smiled into the darkness, "Alright, I think that's a great idea. I would prefer if we didn't tell anyone about it though. You have Ginny waiting for you and Ron…" It didn't matter, it was just sex, she reassured herself. No one would get hurt if they didn't talk about it.

"Yeah, should we agree when things are less," she felt him wave his hand in circles in the air, "with them that we stop?"

"That works for me. Now will you get off of me? You're not exactly light."

What was a tumble in a tent became a tradition for the two. Hermione and Ron didn't work out as a couple after their quick snog in the Chamber of Secrets. She didn't feel any passion or excitement. Harry and Ginny picked up right away and it didn't bother Hermione. It was right around the time that nothing seemed to bother her anymore.

Harry became an Auror after they won the war. When he was 22 years old, Ginny moved out of Grimmauld Place because of his reckless behaviour while he hunted Dark Wizards. He would take on the most dangerous cases and make a point of getting into duels or fist fights with whoever he was hunting. When he refused to stop or slow down after Ginny's many attempts to reason with him, she left.

Whenever he came back into town, maybe once or twice a month, he would go over to Hermione's flat for tea, discuss the scenery of his latest trip and shag in her room. They'd continued their arrangement for the last five years now. Much to Hermione's pleasure, Harry's technique had improved dramatically since their rumpus in the tent.

Even after five years of sharing her bed with him, she had never felt romantic inclinations towards Harry and she assumed the same from him. It was easier to have someone she already knew when her hand wasn't enough and who didn't require constant emotional support.

While Harry was with Ginny, Hermione started dating Hannah Abbott. Or rather, Hannah sought Hermione out after the war had ended. It seemed as if everyone was shocked by Hermione's choice in partner. It made perfect sense to her. After seven years of picking up after two boys, why not give Hannah a shot? She hadn't thought about Hannah that way before, but she hadn't thought of Harry that way either and had ended up with a decent fuck buddy. She dated Hannah for about six months before Hannah blew her lid.

"I can't take this anymore, 'Mione! I know the war took its toll on all of us but you won't even bloody talk to me! I know expanding S.P.E.W takes time but you're literally never home anymore! I'm here now, and I want to help you heal but you won't give it or me the time of day. Gods, will you even look at me?"

When Hermione didn't look at her girlfriend she knew they were over. Hannah stormed out of Hermione's flat and never returned for her things. Even in hindsight, Hermione knew Hannah was just trying to "help her", but it was unnecessary, she was fine. Better, even. She didn't feel lonely or sad anymore, she didn't worry about how others were feeling, she just focused on her work. Thanks to that mindset, she was able to buy her flat and the coffee and bookshop underneath it. She had renamed the shop, "Wotcher", which she recalled afterwards was Tonks' favourite greeting. The sentiment made Harry teary eyed but Hermione thought it was simply a catchy name that would stand out from other shops on Diagon Alley.

Since then, Hermione's life had taken on a wonderful routine. Ten hours or so of work at the Ministry managing the S.P.E.W Unit, home for dinner around six in the evening then to the shop for some tea and reading until bedtime at ten. If she was feeling particularly restless, she would take a trip to Greece for some short term companionship from a local or two. All in all, Hermione was quite content with the little life she had built for herself.

Harry woke suddenly from his postcoitus nap with a snort to see Hermione at the far edge of the bed, "Hey. Alright, 'Mione?"

Hermione got off the bed and pulled her silk dressing gown on, "Yeah, I was just thinking. How was your nap?"

Harry moaned and yawned as he stretched his cracking joints, "Good. Thanks for letting me rest. Do you want to Floo call Ron and see if he wants to grab dinner tonight?'

"Sure, but get out of my bed. You smell absolutely minging," she wrinkled her nose, "Did you even bother to shower before you came over here?"

Harry frowned, "No, sorry, I came straight here from Cairo and I leave for Bosnia tomorrow morning so I didn't want to waste any time before I saw you and Ron."

Harry made for the shower when she left the room without a response. He was a little worried about Hermione. He hadn't noticed anything was different about her while he was with Ginny, but now, he could see that she was either irate or indifferent when he did see her. Hermione was always a workaholic and ambitious but as far as he knew her only social interactions were with himself and Ron when Harry was in town. He knew better than to confront her about something she didn't want to talk about, especially since her temper had become more volatile as the years went on. Besides, what could he possibly do? He wasn't even in the country enough to watch her any closer. Ron was out of the question, he had a two year old and Romilda was pregnant again, so needless to say, he had his hands full.

"Ron will meet us at Launceston Place in thirty minutes, so hurry up," Hermione called through the shower door, yanking Harry from his troubled thoughts.

Harry quickly dried off and Scourgified his clothing to see Hermione smoothing her hair with Sleekeazy's Hair Potion. She really was beautiful and had grown into her looks, Harry observed. Her hair was long, wavy and was always smoothed aside from when they shagged. Does age cause hair to straighten out?, he offhandedly wondered. She wore mascara often but tonight she lined her upper lid. She was wearing a charcoal grey knee length wool dress that hugged her entire body cinched with a thin belt at her waist. Harry shifted his pants to obscure the view of growing desire. He didn't know how she stayed in shape but, Merlin, what a body.

"Do you need something? I'm almost done," Hermione smiled at Harry's reflection in her vanity mirror.

Harry coughed and began fruitlessly fiddling with his untameable hair in the mirror, "No, you just look really nice and I look like I just got in from the desert." He huffed and gave up on his hair.

Hermione snickered as she put on her cloak, "Well that'll teach you to not show up unshowered next time." She held her elbow out to Harry to Side Along Apparate.

Harry gaped as he took her arm, "Is that why we're going to such a nice restaurant?"

Hermione gave him a devilish smile and wink before Apparating to their meeting spot with Ron.