Disclaimer: Not mine. You know this! STOP RUBBING IT IN MY FACE! *is sleep deprived*

A/N: Because I have a lot of time on my hands right now, I give you yet another installment. Read and Review and maybe you'll get another chapter out of me in the next couple days.

"Long time," Tina's perfect mouth curved into a half smile.

I knew that smile; knew it all too well and knew it wouldn't bode well for me if I went with that it meant. That smile meant one thing and one thing alone: sex.

She crawled on to my bed, moving with a grace that always hypnotized me and made me almost forget, but nothing could ever fully make me forget that I couldn't do that.

"Tina, I can't," I said, wincing in pain as I tried to sit up.

"I know you're weak," she simpered. "I'll feed you; don't worry about it."

"No, you don't understand," I pressed myself against my headboard as she moved in closer still, straddling my lap and cupping my face in her hands. "We can't do this anymore."

"Of course we can," her voice was low as she leaned into my ear and placed a kiss just behind it. She knew that spot, knew what it did but I couldn't let her. "You've never objected before. Just because you're hurt doesn't mean anything, you'll feel better after I feed you." Her fangs grazed over my neck and I shuddered.

"No," I pushed against her chest, trying to move her off of me. "You don't get it. I'm dating someone."

Tina sighed and sat back on my legs. "The thought of Draco never stopped you before," she raised an eyebrow at me. "Why are you ruining a good thing we have?"

"I'm not dating Draco anymore," I said, struggling to get out from under her and falling off of my bed in the process.

"Then who are you dating that is so important you want to stop sleeping with me? I know how much you love my body; the things you love to do to me." She moved down on to the floor with me and hovered over me. "Besides, I'm sure we could come to some arrangement with your new lover."

"I really don't think that's going to happen, Tina," I swallowed. I wanted to fight back against her, but I was so weak from being thrown with the strength of twenty trolls. She was eight hundred years old and I was still considered a fledgling.

"And why not?" her mouth hovered just above mine, moving closer slowly.

I mustered all the strength left in my body and shoved her off of me before standing up.

"For the first time," I said, shaking with anger as I tried to stand without falling from the pain it caused, "I have someone that I want a real relationship with. You know that I never liked Draco, but I do like Hermione. I like her a lot and you can't even respect me enough to let me have this chance at being happy with someone."

Tina sat there against the wall, looking at me with her blue orbs, a confused expression gracing her face.

Of course it didn't make sense to her, and I should have known it wouldn't. I had been dating Draco for two years and been sleeping with her whenever we were together. She wasn't a monogamous person; never had been and never would be. Not unless she found one person who could keep her appetite for sex satisfied. That was asking a lot.

"I'm asking you, Tina," I stood above her, looking down. "Please, respect this one wish of mine. Hermione and I are a couple, and I don't want anything to spoil the first good thing to come my way in ages."

Tina stood, then, a smile curving at her lips, but it was an understanding smile. When she spoke, she wasn't looking at me, but somewhere behind me toward the door. "You must be the one who finally tamed Pansy, then."

I turned and saw Hermione standing in the door with Betsy. Hermione's face was a mixture of confusion and something else that I couldn't quite place.

"Hermione," I said, taking a step forward but gasping from the pain that shot through me so I stopped trying to move. "This isn't what it looks like; I-" but she cut me off.

She was suddenly next to me, touching my face gently and smiling at me, kissing my cheek. "I heard what you said to her; I know nothing was going to happen. I may not be able to read your mind, but I know that what I see here is nothing but you being a loyal girlfriend." Hermione pushed her lips to my own and I smiled into the kiss before pulling away.

Tina had gone but Betsy was still standing in the doorway. "You'll need to still be careful of her, you two," she warned. "Tina is not one to take rejection well. Just, keep your guard up, I guess." With that, she left the two of us alone in my room and I sat down on the bed, looking at Hermione as she wondered around.

I'd decorated my room by myself; it was mostly done in red and black. My bed was made of black wood and the mattress was covered in red silk sheets and pillows. The flooring was hard wood, with a few strategically placed large rugs. The bed was placed on the largest of them and between my black leather couch and fireplace was a thick rug that was very comfortable to lay on, despite the wood floors.

She turned back to me and smiled. "You have good taste in decoration," she commented, moving forward and sitting on the bed with me, running her hand over my sheets. "Real silk?"

"Nothing but the best," I gave a weak smile. "I have to feed, Hermione," I sighed, touching her hand and looking at her.

She leaned in and kissed me; she didn't understand. I kissed back for a moment before pulling away and shaking my head slightly. "No, not off of you," I said. "You fed me once today, so I have to feed from a human. Especially after being tossed like a rag doll by the king."

"How are you supposed to feed from a human?" she frowned, confused.

"We have a few humans here who allow us to feed from them when we need to," I explained. "I take the blood I need and I'm on my way. Simple as that."

"They just let you bite them?" she seemed surprised.

"They're very well taken care of and they get paid, Hermione," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "And, in some cases, they get sex, but never with me," I added hastily. "I've never slept with one of the donors. But you can see why they don't mind letting us take blood from them."

I knew the idea weirded her out and she didn't like it, but she'd have to live with it. This was the way things were and there was nothing to be done about it.

"You can come with me to the donor's room, if you'd like," I said. "You're not allowed to feed on a human yet, but to show you that you can trust me."

"How can you doubt my trust after what I just saw you turn away?" she smiled, running her hand down my cheek and to my chin, kissing my lips lightly for a moment. "Tina seems like she's not one easily turned away; I'd probably have had problems doing it, too."

"That was the first time I've refused to sleep with her," I nodded. "And I'll do it a million times over and then some. You're the first person I want to be loyal to."

Not thinking, Hermione threw her arms around me and squeezed, eliciting a small scream of pain from me as she squeezes too hard.

"We should get you fed," she said after five minutes of apologizing. "Come on."

I took her hand and lead her out of my room and in the direction of the donor's quarters, in the underground. The stairs were a killer, but I got down them without cursing after each step.

"Are you ok?" she asked, fussing over me but I waved her off and kept on my way toward the door that lead to the "basement".

I kept Hermione's hand in mine as we moved into the underground and to the feeding quarters. I picked the first room I saw with the "available" sign flipped and went in.

A young woman was laying on a chaise lounge reading a book when we walked in. She looked up when she realized we were standing there and closed the book quickly, sitting up on the lounge. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice quiet. "I didn't realize someone was there."

I shrugged. "It's ok, you didn't keep us waiting, and we don't have anywhere to be," I said, walking over to her, leaving Hermione by the door.

The girl had to be new, because I'd certainly never seen her before. Another sign that she was new was how very timid she seemed to be. Most of the feeders pretty much threw themselves at us when we walked in.

She was small, with tanned skin, and black hair pulled back into a loose pony-tail to keep it off of her neck.

As I limped toward her, she frowned at me. "Are you all right?"

"Just a run in with the king," I said, kneeling in front of the lounge and looking up at her. "How old are you?"

"Sixteen," she said, embarrassed.

I looked back at Hermione and could see she had a problem with what I was planning to do.

She needs the money, Hermione, I allowed my voice to slide through her mind. Otherwise she would not be here; she is well taken care of and we will be kind to her. The king does not allow young ones to stay long, only until they have enough money for whatever it is they need.

Hermione gave me a sharp, slight nod and turned away.

I looked back to the girl, bringing her face to look at me and looked into her eyes. "May I feed on you?"

It was always polite to ask, right?

"Yes," she nodded, baring neck to me.

I rose to my knees and brought her to me, biting into her neck as gently as I could. She gasped at first but then went limp in my arms, wrapping her own around my neck as her sweet, young blood fell into my mouth and I fed. She moaned and her grip tightened as she leaned in to press against me.

I cast my senses out and knew Hermione was feeling angry, jealous, and horrified all at the same time. Doing my best to sooth her as I fed, I knew I'd catch hell from her in a while.

"Please," the girl whimpered, moving down into my lap and straddling me. "Take me."

Panicking, I threw my voice into Hermione's mind before her anger could grow any more than it already had. She does not realize what she's saying, Hermione! Don't do anything!

I heard the door open and slam closed and knew she'd left the room.

Shit!

I continued to feed, keeping her hands at bay with my own, until I was finished. Pulling away from her, feeling much better, I picked the girl up as she continued to try to rub against me and lay her down on the chase again, holding her still. Making her look into my eyes, I calmed her mind until her eyes slid closed and she was asleep.

I nearly barreled over the king as I raced to find Hermione. She was nearly a mile down the road by the time I was able to tackle her and held her down.

"Get off of me!" she beat against my chest as I straddled her waist and held her torso down on the ground. "I can't believe you did that!"

"Hermione," I snapped, grabbing her arms and pinning them above her head. "You don't understand! It was either I make it enjoyable or I put the girl in excruciating pain, which, in our house, is forbidden! Do not get jealous over a feeder, Hermione. They are a necessity."

By now, she'd turned her face from me and was looking determinedly the other way, blood tears leaking from her eyes. She couldn't get out of my grasp, I was stronger than she was.

Leaning down, I licked away those tears and kissed her cheek lightly. "Come back to the house, Hermione," I said. "I have a lot to explain to you and privacy would be best for it." I nodded over at the house we were in front of.

She sighed, still not looking at me as I got up and helped her to her feet. At least she allowed me to hold her hand as we walked back at a very human pace.

I had to explain to her what being a vampire was, what it included and what the consequences were.

And what was necessary.