A/N: I didn't want the story to end with chapter 2, even though that's all I originally wrote. But that ending was quite depressing.

I don't know if I'll write more, probably will, but this is more upbeat, for now.

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Hermione sat in her armchair, her legs drawn up, her chin on her knees. A hot cup of cocoa sat steaming beside her on a lacey coaster, but drinking it made Hermione remember all too vividly how Draco Malfoy had tricked her with a cup of tea.

And that memory led to what immediately followed. Hermione rocked in her chair, distressed beyond measure.

"All Slytherin are scum!" she whispered out loud. "The scum of the planet! And Draco Malfoy is the king of scum!" If he hadn't….if she hadn't….Unable to sit still any longer, she got up from the chair and began to pace. Anger ran through her, but so did Malfoy's parting words.

"If you hadn't desired me, the faunsfoot would not have made you say 'yes'. You know that as well as I do, Gryffindor."

Was that really true? She was forced to admit that it was. She knew the properties of the plant as well as anyone. That in itself shocked her. She couldn't REALLY desire Malfoy, could she? Well, he was handsome, but so were many other boys in Hogwarts. And her two best friends were among that crowd.

Sure, Malfoy had that dark, dangerous air about him that many of her classmates found immensely appealing.

Hermione mentally shrugged. If you liked that sort of thing.

She shook her head. Whether some primitive cave-woman that lived in the back of her brain desired Malfoy or not, the point was that he'd taken his knowledge of her most intimate secret, something even Ron and Harry weren't privy to, and used it in the most calculated way possible against her.

Rage washed through her again. Just who did Malfoy think he was? Seeing red, Hermione left her room and walked down the hall, heading for the Slytherin tower. She knew where it was, and apparently Hogwarts decided not to play any games with her, because she found her way to Malfoy's room with relative ease.

"Password, madam?" The spindly butler in the Slytherin painting looked down at her Gryffindor colours with disapproval.

"I invoke my right as Headgirl to enter," she said.

The butler sniffed. "Very well," he said, and the door swung open. Hermione stepped through somewhat apprehensively, preparing a defensive spell in case any Slytherins happened to be around. But none were. It was a Saturday morning and most of the lazy Slytherins were still in bed, after a tired hike through the forest the evening before. Those that weren't in bed were not lounging about the common room, as they were only awake if they had someplace to be.

Hermione rapped sharply on Malfoy's door. No answer. Her fury began to mount. She rapped again.

Nothing.

"Right, that's it!" Hermione whipped out her wand, ready to blast the door open with sheer will if necessary, when the door suddenly swung open and a tousle-headed Draco in a white t-shirt and green pajama bottoms peered out with sleepy eyes.

"Who the hell…? What do you….?" Draco paused when he realized who was standing in his doorway, and what she was about to do.

"Granger, wait…" he said hastily, warding her off. "Hang on, now…"

Hermione advanced, her fury building to boiling point.

"You!" She pointed with her wand. "You smarmy, self-righteous, egomaniacal evil-loving git!"

"Whoa," Drao backed up further, still keeping a wary eye on Hermione's wand. Without breaking eye contact, he spotted his wand in his peripheral vision. Quickly he nabbed it.

"Incarcerous!"

Hermione gaped as ropes shot out of the tip of Draco's wand and wrapped themselves tightly around her. It happened so suddenly she couldn't help dropping her wand, and she fell like a lassoed calf next to it.

"Malfoy! What are you doing, you jackass? If you think I'll let you…"

"Hush!" Draco shut the door so she wouldn't wake the other Slytherins with all her racket, then crouched beside her fallen form.

"I'm sorry, Granger, but when you walk in waving your wand and threatening me, what did you expect me to do but defend myself?"

Did he just apologise? Hermione asked herself. And I wasn't threatening him. Much.

"You didn't open your door for the longest time," she muttered.

Draco's eyebrows shot up. "So you were going to blast a hole in my door, were you?"

Hermione refused to answer that. She would have been well within her rights, anyway. "Untie me!" she demanded.

Draco thought about it. "No," he said. "First I want to know what you're doing here. Then I'll decide if it's safe to let you loose."

Hermione struggled with the ropes, but they were bound tight. Her cheek was digging into the carpet, and she had to crane her neck to see Malfoy from this angle.

She gasped when she felt herself being lifted. Malfoy had picked her up (remarkably easily!) and was carrying her somewhere in his arms. For a moment, Hermione entertained a horrid vision of being dumped on his bed, and then Draco Malfoy having his wicked way with her. Again.

Instead, Draco dropped her on one end of his sofa, knocking the breath from her.

"Oof!" Hermione landed on the cushions.

"Wait here," Draco said, walking off.

"Where are you going?" Hermione shouted.

"For glory's sake!" Draco muttered a quick silencing charm on his room. The way Hermione was screeching, she'd definitely wake his dorm mates up otherwise. And it wouldn't do for the Slytherins to find their head prefect entertaining the Gryffindor Head Girl in his room.

"I'm going to brush my teeth," he replied. "You woke me up, you realize. If you don't remember, we had quite an active evening. I simply don't know how you can be up so early!"

Hermione stared speechlessly at his back, but the bathroom door shut behind him, and she had to swallow her words. For now.

When Draco exited the bathroom, feeling a lot fresher after washing his face, he was hit by a string of swear words from the delectable tied-up girl on his sofa.

"Admirable," he said, when she ran out of words. "But I don't think that's what you're really here for."

"I came to say that you're a prick of the absolute first order!" Hermione shouted. "You took advantage of me in that cave. You…you probably planned everything, you bastard!"

"I did," Draco assented. "But if you're asking me to be sorry, you've come for the wrong reason. I'd do it again…" he snapped his fingers. "..like that!"

He came forward, and leaned down to smile at Hermione. "It was worth it." His eyes warmed with remembered pleasure.

Hermione was abruptly reminded that his face had been this close last night, when she'd climbed all over him, when she'd kissed him.

She turned her face away, flushing. "You took something I held precious, and ruined it," she said quietly.

Draco frowned. Sex with Hermione had somehow deepened a connection between them he'd never suspected existed. Her pain shouldn't have affected him, but it did. He wanted to soothe her, but didn't know how. He waved his wand and let the ropes loosen, so that Hermione was free.

"What do you want me to say?" he asked. "Do you want to turn the cruciatus curse on me? Will that help?"

"No." Hermione got to her feet, unsure what to do. She felt suddenly tired.

"I'm in your debt," Draco said slowly.

"What?" she said absently , turning around, looking on the floor for her wand.

"We both agree last night wasn't rape," Draco began and raised his palms when Hermione flashed a glare at him. "But, I tricked you. It's the Slytherin thing to do." He couldn't bring himself to mention the Hades story. It was close to his heart.

"So, I owe you a Debt," he made himself say. She didn't know what he was promising. It sounded mundane enough when he said it out loud. But he'd underestimated Hermione. She looked suddenly interested.

"A Debt?"she said. "Like the life Debt?" That was strong magic, they both knew.

"No, but binding nonetheless. I owe you a favour." Not any old help-me-with-laundry-I'll-do-your-dishes kind of favour, but the kind of favour that had to be granted no matter what.

"I don't see myself needing that sort of thing very often," Hermione said consideringly.

Draco laughed. "With Potter as your best friend? You'll be needing me tomorrow, if not sooner."

Hermione thought about it. She didn't really think she could depend on Draco for anything, but you just never knew. And anyway, what else could she do? He'd proposed an honourable reparation, she knew, something that might soothe her wounded pride a bit, if not wholly. It surprised her, coming from a Malfoy and a Slytherin.

"Very well, I accept," she said. "But this doesn't mean I like you any better." True, but she did respect him just a little more.

"Then you won't allow me to walk you into breakfast" Draco asked politely, and hid a smile when she glared at him.

He couldn't have planned it any better himself. He certainly hadn't expected Granger to show up snarling on his doorstep like that, though he'd dreamt about her for the remainder of the night.

When he'd seen her sitting tied up on his cushions, spitting like an angry cat, unexpected desire had slammed into him, surprising him with its intensity. He'd expected her to be his doorway into the world of sex, but now for some reason, his body craved hers. Well, it would wear off, he expected. After all, no one he knew stopped with just one conquest.

All those Slytherin girls were waiting out there for Draco Malfoy to love them and leave them. But for now, his interest was captured solely by Hermione.

He glanced at his clock, which had a hand at "Time for a call from Professor Snape". There was a knock at his door.

Hermione glanced around desperately, then seated herself at the sofa with a defiant air.

Draco opened the door to see Snape standing there, closing his sleeve buttons.

"Malfoy," Snape began, then looked past Draco and spotted a horrified Hermione. "Isn't it a bit early for you to visiting with your fellow prefects, Ms. Granger?"

"Um, well…" Hermione stuttered.

"Granger and I have a breakfast study date," Draco interjected smoothly. "Don't we?" He turned inquiringly to her. She shot him a glance filled with darts.

"Then we can all walk in together," Snape said, entering Draco's room. "Hurry up and get dressed, Malfoy. We might as well talk on the way. I've got some questions to ask about the arrangements for the next Hogsmeade weekend."

Hermione seethed in discomfort as Snape and Draco chatted. Now she was stuck till they got to breakfast. Damn Malfoy and his sneaky ways. Apparently he was not going to stop tricking her. Best she kept an eye out.

When Draco disappeared to get dressed, Snape turned to her.

"Getting chummy with the Slytherins, Ms Granger?" he asked.

"Malfoy just asked for some help with er…Geomancy," Hermione hurriedly made up.

"Well, then I'll see you after breakfast as well. I'm the library monitor this weekend."

Hermione silently groaned.

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