Deb Death

Chapter One

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Harry Potter!

NOTE: As per my other stories, not series compliant! I don't follow timelines. As far as I'm concerned, there's no time like the present.

"Hermione dear! Come on down for breakfast, you have a letter from Hogwarts," Mrs. Granger called out.

Great, the letter from Hogwarts, Hermione thought glumly. After the war ended, she was so unsure of what direction she was going to take in her life. She naively believed that life was going to return to the way it was before the war. She thought that once she restored her parents' memories it was going to be normal again, but it wasn't. There was no way she could tell them the atrocities she experienced. Hermione was scarred; she was no longer the determined and confident girl she was before the war.

Harry and Ron handled the press coverage and paparazzi, but Hermione hated it. Everyone wanted to know about The Golden Trio. The guys were lucky, they wanted to become Aurors. They had gained early acceptance to the training program. She only wished she had it figured out like they did. Before the war, she was sure she wanted to work for the Ministry, but now she realized she didn't give a flying fuck.

Hermione made her way downstairs to have breakfast with her parents. They looked at her expectantly as her mother placed the letter from Hogwarts in front of her. Hermione forced herself to smile and opened it. She hated the way she felt inside. She and her parents had always looked forward to her receiving her letter from Hogwarts. It had become a tradition for Hermione to open it during breakfast. Hermione didn't care to read the contents; she didn't even want to return to Hogwarts. She scanned the contents of the letter and looked at her parents.

"Well they decided to let me complete the year I skipped and looks like I've been chosen to be Head Girl," Hermione said quietly.

Her parents rushed up to her and gave their congratulations.

"Hermione, that is wonderful. You've always wanted to be Head Girl! What an honor!" Mrs. Granger gushed.

"Look at you, being so nonchalant about such a prestigious title! Your mother and I are so proud of you," Mr. Granger exclaimed.

Hermione managed to make it through breakfast. When she was done pushing the food around her plate, she excused herself and went to her room. She shut the door and plopped down onto her bed. She pulled her pillow to her face and screamed into it. She didn't want to go back to Hogwarts and didn't want to be Head Girl. She was not Hermione Granger, Golden Girl, and Gryffindor Princess from the years before. Everyone expected her to be that girl. That girl was gone.

The Weasleys and Harry had urged her to come spend time with them at The Burrow for the summer. Hermione spent a few days with them at the beginning of the summer, but left. The Burrow, the Weasley's home, had always been a place of refuge and comfort. Now it only brought back sad memories and Hermione wishing for things to be like they were before. Why couldn't she move forward like Harry and Ron? She knew they battled their own demons, but were handling it. The guys and Ginny, Ron's sister and Hermione's best friend, were upset when she left. They knew that she needed to heal and hoped she would stay with them so they could help her. They worried about their friend; Hermione was so withdrawn and barely spoke. They watched her leave, but made sure that she promised to come back if she needed anything.

"I mean it 'Mione, it doesn't matter if it is in the middle of the night, you find me!" Harry said fervently and hugged her tightly. He hated the way he could feel the bones on Hermione's slight frame. She wasn't eating. Harry was so worried about his friend.

"I know Harry; I just need to work this out on my own. I'll be okay," Hermione hugged him back and gave a slight smile.

Ginny and Ron hugged her tightly too and let her know they were there if she needed them. Hermione hated the looks of pity and empathy on their faces. She understood they only wanted to help her, but this was something she was going to have to work out on her own. She had always been independent and able to solve any problem. This was one problem that was becoming a bitch to overcome, but damn it to hell, she was not going to let it get the best of her.

They watched Hermione apparate away. Ginny buried her face in Harry's shoulder and cried.

"Harry, I hated seeing 'Mione like this. She won't let us help her! I feel so useless," Ginny sobbed.

"Gin, we just have to keep in mind 'Mione is strong. She's going through a really bad time. The war did a number on all of us," Harry said as he stroked her back.

"I don't know Harry. You don't think she would do anything drastic? It kills me to see how thin she is," Ron said.

"No 'Mione is stronger than that. I remember the brilliant girl we grew up with. That girl is still inside of her, I have no doubt about that," Harry replied.

They went back inside and sat down to lunch with the rest of the Weasleys, but they still were thinking of Hermione. Ginny and Ron knew Harry was right, but they still worried about their friend. They sighed and held on to the thought she knew where to find them if she needed help.

Hermione's life started to make a turn for the better when she became friends with twin witches, Sondra and Sylvia Graham. The twins were a few years older than her and had graduated from Hogwarts. The young women were fraternal twins. Sondra had shoulder-length straight brunette hair with short bangs across her forehead and brown eyes. Sylvia had close-cropped platinum blond spiky hair and bright blue eyes. They couldn't have been more different, but each one was attractive in her own way. They had been members of The Order. They had seen their own fair share of brutalities during the war. They witnessed their parents being killed by Death Eaters. The young women got their revenge and killed the Death Eaters responsible for the demise of their parents. It didn't bring their parents back, but they felt they did the right thing by killing them before they went on to kill other innocent people.

Sondra and Sylvia would see Hermione at The Order's headquarters but never approached her. She was always with Harry and Ron; the older girls were in awe of her. That's why they were a little shocked to see her alone at one of the sleaziest bars in Knockturn Alley. The twins were only there because their friend Sebastian had dared them to enter the bar and order a drink. Hermione was sitting at the bar with a bottle of Firewhiskey and a shot glass. She was sitting still and staring stoically into the distance.

"Isn't that Hermione Granger?" Sylvia asked.

"Yeah it's her. What the hell is she doing in this dump?" Sondra said.

The twins went up to Hermione and said her name. She turned to them and gave them a half-smile and laughed.

"I know you! Wanna drink?" Hermione slurred.

The twins looked at each other and motioned for Sebastian to come over. Sebastian Hightower was their best friend. He was a gay hairdresser with his own salon in muggle London. They had attended Hogwarts together and had always looked out for each other. They continued their friendship when they graduated from Hogwarts. Sebastian helped them out immensely when their parents were killed. They had no other family to turn to and he was the only one there for them. Sebastian was about 6'4 with a slim build. He was completely bald and had piercing green eyes. He wore a small dark goatee that was always neatly trimmed. He was cursed with thinning hair when he was a teenager, so he just shaved it all off. He actually liked the way he looked; he was able to pull off the bald look.

He looked at Sondra and Sylvia. What the hell were those crazy bitches getting into now? He rolled his eyes and walked over to them in the dank and gloomy barroom.

"What? I thought we were just going to walk in and walk out! This place is giving me the creeps. I bet we catch a disease just from breathing the air in here! Whoa, wait a second. Is that who I think it is?" Sebastian whispered.

"Yes you stupid arse. We need to get her outta here," Sondra said.

"Why? She looks content," Sebastian said as he observed Hermione weaving to and fro on her barstool.

"She's just a kid. I can't believe she's in here alone. Help us, I won't be able to sleep tonight knowing we left her here," Sylvia replied.

Sebastian sighed and helped the twins get Hermione off the barstool and out of the bar. When they were out, Hermione pushed them away.

"I got it! I don't need any help," Hermione slurred as she was trying to walk back into the bar.

"Oh no girlie, you are coming with us," Sebastian said as he steered her away from the bar.

The twins and Sebastian brought Hermione back to Sebastian's house since it was close to Diagon Alley. Sondra and Sylvia kept a lookout for any paparazzi. They would have had a field day getting photos of an inebriated member of The Golden Trio. They were able to make it without anyone seeing them.

Sondra held Hermione's hair back as she threw up in the toilet. There was hangover potion available but she was too drunk for it to help. Sondra cleaned her up and brought her to Sebastian's guest bedroom. She placed Hermione on the bed. Hermione fell asleep immediately and was snoring loudly. Sondra gently closed the door and shook her head. She wondered what compelled Hermione to go to such a dangerous place alone.

Hermione woke up the next morning with a throbbing head. She winced as she focused and looked around the room. Where was she and how did she get here? As she was trying to remember what happened the night before, there was a knock at the door and it opened slightly.

"Oh good you're up. How did you sleep?" Sondra asked.

"How did I get here? I know you, you have a twin right?" Hermione rasped. Her mouth was dry; she needed water.

"My name is Sondra and yes I have a twin, Sylvia. We found you last night in Knockturn Alley. What were you doing there?" Sondra asked.

Hermione shrugged and smiled weakly. "I have no idea, it was something to do I guess."

"Come on, let's get you some breakfast. We can talk more," Sondra said as she led Hermione downstairs.

Hermione was deeply embarrassed at first, but the twins and Sebastian made her feel welcome. She couldn't believe she had gotten so drunk the night before. She apologized for throwing up and passing out, but they assured her they had all been there at some time or another. She went to Knockturn Alley because the barkeeps didn't care if one wasn't old enough to drink; if you had the right amount of money that was good enough. No one seemed to recognize her. The other patrons were probably battling demons of their own. It felt good to fade into obscurity.

For some reason, Hermione felt secure with the twins and Sebastian. She could immediately tell that they shared a close friendship. She almost envied their bond and wished she could be a part of it. Hermione was shocked to find that she was starting to open up to them. When she started talking and crying, it was like a dam had burst. The twins and Sebastian listened, offered their advice, and gave her tissues to wipe away the tears. When Hermione was done, she felt like a huge burden had been lifted. She was a long way from being healed, but she was finally starting to feel like she would be able to get through this.

Sebastian smiled at her. "I think you need friends Hermione. You're welcome to hang out with us anytime. You need to stay out of Knockturn Alley. I wouldn't send my worst enemy there!"

Sondra and Sylvia nodded. "Yeah, you were lucky we were even there. If it wasn't for Sebastian's stupid dare we would've never set foot in that place," Sylvia said.

"I don't know how to thank you. Shit, I just thought of something. My parents must be worried sick! They have no idea where I am!" Hermione shrieked.

Sondra smiled. "I took care of it. I told your mum I was your friend and you were spending the night at my house. It took a little finagling to get her to believe me. Hermione, have you been sneaking out? Your mum had no idea you had even left."

"Yes, but I've always managed to sneak back in. My parents have never noticed until now," Hermione said sheepishly.

"I know we're only a few years older than you, but maybe you need some older people for mentors. Why don't you start coming out with us? You'll have fun and won't pass out, I promise," Sebastian said and chuckled.

Hermione laughed. "That's the best offer I've had in a long time. I'm surprised you want to hang out with me. I'm a lousy drunk."

Sebastian smiled and patted her hand. "No one's a good drunk honey. Stick with us, we'll show you how to drink responsibly."

Hermione decided she had better head on home. She figured her parents were waiting for her and wanted an explanation as to why she never told them she was going out. Hermione exchanged numbers with her new friends and they promised to get in touch with her. Even though she knew her parents were probably pissed, she was in a happy mood. Maybe things were starting to turn around.

"Hermione Jean Granger, what has gotten into you?" Mrs. Granger exclaimed as soon Hermione walked through the door.

"Your mother and I were worried sick! Who's this Sondra person?" Mr. Granger shouted.

Hermione winced and grimaced at her parents' shrieking. "I don't know what else to say other than I'm sorry I didn't let you know I was going out. Sondra is a new friend I made this summer. Mum, dad I've just been having a rough time lately."

Mr. and Mrs. Granger looked at each other. They sensed that Hermione was withdrawn and didn't seem to be very excited about being Head Girl at Hogwarts. She never talked to them about the war and they didn't want to pry. They were shocked when Hermione sat with them and began to tell them everything she witnessed and did during the war.

Hermione found that the more she spoke about her experiences, the better she felt. Her parents had tears in their eyes as they listened quietly. It all made sense to them as to the way Hermione had been behaving. After hearing all what she had been through, it spoke volumes as to how strong a person Hermione was and was still able to try to function normally. They had wondered if the daughter they knew and loved would ever come back and as Hermione spoke, they started to see traces of the girl from before the war.

"Hermione, your mum and I knew it had to have been horrible, but we had no idea," Mr. Granger said.

"Are you going to be okay with going back to school Hermione? Maybe you need to take a break from the wizarding world. You were always interested in attending one of the local universities, maybe you can do that," Mrs. Granger said.

"You know mum, I was dreading going back to Hogwarts, but since I'm starting to talk about the war, I think I'm going to finish my last year. I'm not a quitter and I need to start living my life again," Hermione replied.

"Well just so you know that you have options. I don't know what to say Hermione. This is a lot to process. Now that you've opened up to your father and me, let's think of this as a fresh start. If you're going to go out, please let us know. We realize you're 18 years old, but we still worry. Dad and I would like to meet any new friends too," Mrs. Granger said.

"Fair enough, you can't imagine how good it felt to get this off my chest. I guess I didn't want to upset you," Hermione told her parents.

"Don't ever feel that you can't talk to us, Hermione! We love you and only want what's best for you," Mr. Granger said.

Her parents embraced her and Hermione felt like she did as a small child. It felt good to feel warm and safe in her parents' arms again.

As the weeks went by, Hermione stopped hanging out in Knockturn Alley and more with her new friends. They went out to muggle nightclubs, had dinner at different restaurants, or hung out at the twins' house or Sebastian's. One night while at Sebastian's house, he started to examine Hermione's hair.

"Hermione when was the last time you did something with your hair? I mean, I hate to be rude, but your hair looks like it went to the war and lost! It looks like a bunch of tarantulas fighting!" Sebastian said.

"Gee Sebastian, why don't you tell me how you really feel?" Hermione said and chuckled.

"If you haven't figured out by now I'm a bitchy queen and tell it like it is, you never will. I've just been looking at your hair and I'm itching to get some scissors and conditioner in there!" Sebastian exclaimed.

"I guess I could use a trim," Hermione said as she pulled a curly strand and examined it.

"It's going to take a little more than that sweetie. Come on, get off your cute butt and we'll go next door to my salon," Sebastian said.

"Ooh makeover time with Sebastian. You won't regret this Hermione!" Sondra said.

"Consider yourself lucky girl. Sebastian doesn't go into his shop after hours for just anybody," Sylvia said.

When Sebastian finished with Hermione, she couldn't get over the difference. She had always fought with her frizzy hair. She was a little apprehensive when she saw all of the hair on the floor, but when she looked in the mirror, that feeling disappeared. Sebastian had cut off quite a few inches and added layers. Her hair was still long and curly, but it now had a bouncy and healthy look to it. Sebastian handed her a bag with shampoo, conditioner, and styling products. They were his own products; he had created them for his salon. Potions class at Hogwarts was actually good for something!

"Use these products religiously! No more of that muggle store bought crap unless you like your hair looking like a big lint ball," Sebastian said.

Hermione only laughed and thanked him. Sebastian took a good look at her; she really was a gorgeous girl he thought. He was glad to help her get out of that protective shell she had around her when they first met her.

One night Sondra and Sylvia were having a small dinner party at their house. Along with Hermione and Sebastian, they had invited their friend Michelle Sanford and her boyfriend, Denis Woods. Michelle had been their classmate at Hogwarts. Denis was about 10 years older and was also a graduate of Hogwarts. He owned wizard nightclubs in London and Hogsmeade. Although there was a significant age difference between him and Michelle, they got along fabulously. Hermione immediately liked the couple.

Hermione noticed that Sondra and Sylvia had musical instruments lying around. She picked up an acoustic guitar and started strumming a few bars. Before the war, she had taken guitar lessons and enjoyed it. It had been a long time since she had picked up a guitar, but as she played, it all started to come back.

Denis noticed her playing and sat down to listen. He turned to the twins.

"Hey what ever happened to the band you were trying to start?" Denis asked.

"We were trying to start one and it kind of got put on the backburner once the war started. Oh wow Hermione, I didn't know you could play," Sondra said.

"Yeah, whatever did happen to our band? Michelle was supposed to be our drummer," Sylvia said.

"I still like to bang on the drums now and then, how about we play now," Michelle suggested.

The young women gathered around Hermione. Michelle sat at the drums, Sondra plugged in her bass guitar, and Sylvia grabbed her electric guitar. Hermione looked around and was surprised.

"Hey what's this all about?" Hermione asked.

"We're just going to have a little impromptu jam session. I wonder if we can still play," Sylvia replied and laughed.

"Is there anything you want to play Hermione?" Sondra asked.

Hermione blushed a little and started to laugh. "I know how to play a few Guns N' Roses songs. I had an older cousin who was really into the band and showed me the different chords. I know the lyrics too. It's cheesy, but I love "Sweet Child O'Mine."

"Not cheesy at all, it's one of my favorites," Sondra replied and smiled.

"Let's see how we sound, just for shits and giggles," Michelle said.

The young women started to play, it was rusty sounding at first, but as they warmed up, it wasn't bad. Hermione was a little shy at first, but after being egged on by Sebastian she started to sing. She almost lost it when Sebastian started to dance like Axel Rose did in the Guns N'Roses videos, but she kept singing.

When the song ended, Denis began to clap very slowly. They looked at each other with questions in their eyes. Michelle spoke first.

"Was it really that bad?" she asked.

"Actually you gals might be on to something," Denis replied.

"What do you mean, on to something? I'm not sure I like that little glint in your eye," Sondra said.

"I'm always looking for new acts for my club. I'm so sick of wizard bands with men only. An all-girl group might be just the thing! Who knew Hermione had that big bad voice in that little body?" Denis gushed.

"Denis, I don't know. We just did this for fun. I couldn't see doing this in front of a crowd. Especially a crowd expecting a band like the Weird Sisters," Michelle said.

"I'm curious to see what else you can play. I really enjoyed it and you know I would tell you bitches the truth if you sucked," Sebastian added.

"Sebastian, world's greatest critic," Sylvia laughed.

"Mm hm that's me, I'll tell you like it is," Sebastian said as he nodded and pursed his lips.

"Just hear me out. I think the wizarding world is ready for something fresh. People are more open to new things since the war ended. Think about it, member of The Golden Trio is in a band. Everyone would want to see you," Denis said.

"Whoa hold on a minute. There's no way I could do this in front of a crowd. It's fun playing in someone's living room amongst friends, but doing this in an actual nightclub? No way," Hermione piped up.

Denis thought for a moment. "What if the crowd didn't know it was you? Do any of you know the muggle band KISS? They wore makeup for years and no one knew what they looked like without it. It was a gimmick that paid off big time for that band."

"My dad has a few of their albums and I like the music. But come on Denis. There's no way we could pull something like that off. Someone would recognize us," Hermione said.

"Not if I was doing the hair and makeup. Your own mother wouldn't recognize you once I work my magic," Sebastian said.

"I don't know, this is so over the top. The crowd will probably boo us off the stage," Sondra said.

"You know sis, this kind of sounds fun. We won't know unless we try," Sylvia said.

"I agree with Sylvia. I'm in," Michelle said.

"I guess we're really going to do this. Hermione, how about you?" Sondra asked.

Hermione hesitated than shrugged. "Why not. It'll probably only be a one-time thing. I'll do it, but I don't want anyone know who I am!"

Denis rubbed his hands together. "Something tells me it won't be one-time thing Hermione. I have a good feeling about this."

Hermione looked at the other young women and raised her eyebrows. She would've never imagined playing around on a guitar would have led to this! They started to practice every week. They had been practicing for about a month before they let Denis set a date for them to appear at his club in London. Hermione had to admit that the more they practiced, the better they were. They started doing covers of different muggle rock groups. Denis said if this would turn out to be a regular gig, they could start writing their own songs.

It was a few nights before they were scheduled to perform and they realized that they had never picked a name for the band! Various names were being tossed around and rejected.

"How about the Foxy Ladies?" Denis suggested.

"Eww, that sounds so seventies!" Michelle replied.

"Kit and the Kats? The Bodacious Bombshells?" Sylvia said and laughed.

"Wait! I've got it. Dangerous Eye Candy," Sebastian said.

"Dangerous Eye Candy? How did you come up with that?" Sondra asked.

"When I finish with your hair and makeup that is what you girls will look like. Dangerous Eye Candy screams "you can look, but don't touch!" Sebastian exclaimed.

Hermione nodded. "I totally get it Sebastian. I like it. I vote yes."

Michelle, Sondra, and Sylvia nodded. They all agreed that it was a good name.

"Since no one is supposed to know who we are, I guess we can have made-up names too," Sondra suggested.

"I got mine. I always liked the names from Greek mythology. I want to be Aphrodite," Michelle said.

"That's cool. I think I'll be Radical Randi," Sylvia said and laughed.

"Okay, I've always liked the name Tamara, so that's mine. What about you Hermione?" Sondra asked.

"Don't laugh, but I've been thinking about this one for a while. What do you think of Deb Death?" Hermione asked and looked around.

"Kind of dark, but I like it," Sylvia said.

"Where did you come up with that?" Sebastian asked.

"It will probably sound weird, but Deb Death was kind of my alter ego during the war. She would come out when we had to do something really dangerous. I never told anyone about her until now," Hermione said.

"I totally respect that Hermione. Deb Death it is!" Sondra said.

As Dangerous Eye Candy's opening night approached, Sebastian experimented with different looks on the girls. Michelle who looked very similar to the muggle actress Ashley Greene, was transformed into the Greek goddess Aphrodite. Sebastian was able to transform her chin-length brunette bob into long, flowing blond locks. He thought it would look cool if Sylvia's hair was transformed into a neon green bob. Sebastian liked the way it brought out her big blue eyes. When it came to Sondra, Sebastian made her brunette hair a flaming bright red. To him the name Tamara shouted Titian goddess. He decided to transform Hermione's ordinary brown hair into a bright pink color. When he was done, her hair looked like pink cotton candy.

As they young women examined their hair, Hermione got a worried look.

"I like it Sebastian, but how long does this color last? I don't think I can go back to Hogwarts with pink hair!" she exclaimed.

"Ah, the beauty of magic. Take a shower and it'll wash right out," Sebastian answered.

Everyone was pleased with the result. When Sebastian finished with the makeup, the girls barely recognized themselves! He had totally transformed them. Hermione really felt that no one would recognize her. Hermione suddenly had an idea. She decided to invite Ginny, Harry, and Ron to the show. She was curious to see if her good friends would know it was her up on the stage. They had been so worried about her; maybe this would reassure them that she was coping.

The big night finally arrived. Hermione peeked out and saw that the club was packed. She spotted her friends and her heart jumped a little. She was no nervous but there was no turning back now. Deb Death was going to take over and Deb was fearless. Hermione looked in the mirror and had to admit she and the rest of the band looked good. They had all decided to wear black leather pants and tight tank tops in different colors. Hermione had started to gain back some of the weight she had lost and the tight clothes accentuated her curves. She took a deep breath as they made their way to the stage. It was time.

Dangerous Eye Candy opened up with The Donnas "Take It Off." Denis was right; the crowd was ready for a change and they went wild seeing the young women perform. They looked at each other when they finished the first song and couldn't believe the great response. This spurred them on and they went on to do a 10 song set, then were called back for 2 more encores. Even more surprising was the fact that the crowd liked the muggle songs and some were even singing along! Hermione had to admit it was an incredible rush. She had noticed a few familiar faces besides her friends. Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, and super dickhead Draco Malfoy. She had attended Hogwarts with the trio, but they were anything but friends. Their parents had all been Death Eaters, but then began to help out The Order towards the end of the war. Hermione wondered if it was all a last minute ploy to save their asses and avoid serving time in Azkaban. She decided she had a "live and let live" attitude, since they did make the switch to the light side, but she still didn't trust them. It was funny to see Draco Malfoy dancing around while the "mudblood" the derogatory name he always called her, was singing. He and his friends had no clue it was Hermione Granger up on the stage.

"Can you believe this shit? They loved us!" Michelle shouted.

"I can't wait to do it again, this was fun," Sylvia said.

"You did well out there Deb Death," Sondra told Hermione.

"I couldn't have done it without all of you," Hermione said to the rest of the band.

Sebastian rushed in with a bottle of champagne and glasses. "You bitches nailed it! They're still screaming for more!"

As they celebrated with Sebastian, Denis brought Ginny, Harry, and Ron backstage. They were confused as to why Hermione had invited them to the club. They enjoyed seeing Dangerous Eye Candy perform but wondered where Hermione was. When Hermione saw them, she ran up to her friends and hugged them.

"I'm so glad you came, how did you like the show?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione? Oi, that was you up there?" Ron asked incredulously.

"Oh my goodness, you looked spectacular up there! When did all this happen?" Ginny asked.

"Wow, you look great 'Mione. I want to know how this happened too," Harry said.

Hermione thanked her friends and introduced them to the band and Sebastian. She explained how it all started out with them just fooling around with the instruments. They were not expecting the awesome reaction from the crowd. Denis booked them for Friday and Saturday night for the following weekend.

"Wait 'til I tell everyone I know the lead singer of Dangerous Eye Candy," Ron said.

"Ron, here's the thing. I don't want anyone to know it's me up there," Hermione said.

"Why not? You were great!" Ron exclaimed.

"Because it's not me up there, it's Deb Death," Hermione replied.

"I get it. Hermione Granger would never do something like that, but Deb Death would. Your secret is safe with me," Ginny said and smiled.

"Thanks Gin. I don't want the paparazzi finding this out. They'll just make up some stupid story about how I turned to sex, drugs, and rock and roll because of the war or something just as crazy," Hermione answered.

"You can trust me not to reveal anything, Hermione. Merlin knows those vultures don't need much to have a story. Ron, how about you?" Harry said.

"Sure, I won't say anything. I guess we'll just start calling you Deb," Ron said and chuckled.

"Thanks guys, I knew I could trust you," Hermione said.

After the first night which took place in the middle of July, Dangerous Eye Candy was booked every weekend at Denis' club in London. Hermione was set to start at Hogwarts again in September, so Denis was going to work out something for Dangerous Eye Candy to play at his club in Hogsmeade on the weekends. It would be easier for Hermione to make it there rather than London. Hermione figured she was going to have to sneak out of Hogwarts to perform with the band, but she didn't care. The band was getting extremely popular. The young women were starting to compose their own songs and gearing up to start performing them.

Hermione noticed that Draco Malfoy and his friends would show up at all of their performances. She had an intense dislike for him but had to grudgingly admit that he looked good. Draco had grown about 5 inches and was well over 6 ft. tall. He had filled out and had broad shoulders and a muscular chest that tapered down to narrow hips and well-toned legs. He may be easy on the eyes, but he was still a prick as far as Hermione was concerned. It was a bit disconcerting as Draco would move to the stage and try to catch her eye with his sharp mesmerizing gray eyes. She would move away and do her best not to look directly at him. That would be all Hermione needed; Draco Malfoy recognizing her!

Draco sat at a table with Blaise and Pansy. He watched every move Deb Death made. The girl was gorgeous; she exuded sex. Blaise enjoyed the band, but he was wondering if Draco was becoming a little obsessed with the lead singer. Pansy went along with whatever Draco wanted, but she was getting aggravated. She didn't see what was so great about a bunch of stupid bitches prancing around on a stage.

"I wonder who she is. I've asked around but no one seems to know anything," Draco said over the music.

"I don't know mate. She doesn't look familiar," Blaise replied.

"They all look like skanks to me. I'm ready to go home!" Pansy pouted.

"So go. I don't see anyone pointing a gun at your head to make you stay," Draco said as his eyes stayed on Deb Death.

"Fine! See if I ever go anywhere with you again Draco Malfoy!" Pansy shrieked.

Draco rolled his eyes at her and waved her away. He and Blaise watched her stomp away.

"Dray, you really are a heartless bastard. I'll make sure she gets home okay," Blaise said and laughed as he stood up from the table.

"Thanks man, I owe you one. Pansy needs to find new friends or something. I don't know how else to let her know we're no longer an item," Draco replied.

"Yeah you're really subtle about it. I'll see you later," Blaise said as he walked away.

"Yeah later," Draco said. He couldn't explain why he was so enchanted by this Deb Death person. Who the hell was she? Draco was used to girls falling at his feet but when he tried to flirt with Deb Death, she ignored him. This made him want her even more.

When Dangerous Eye Candy finished their set, Draco made his way to Hermione as she was about to go backstage.

"Hello my name is Draco Malfoy. I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed the show," Draco said.

"Um thanks, well I got to get backstage," Hermione said quickly. Oh Merlin, please don't let that arrogant git recognize her.

"Look I'd love to take you out sometime, can I get your number," Draco asked.

Hermione thought quickly. She spotted Sebastian and grabbed him. "I'm sorry Mr. Malfoy, I'll have to decline. I'm dating someone. This is my boyfriend," Hermione said as she put her arm around Sebastian.

Draco was disappointed, of course someone as spectacular as she was would have a boyfriend. He apologized and walked away.

Sebastian looked pointedly at Hermione. "What was that about? I can't believe you turned him down! That guy is hot!"

Hermione shook her head. "You don't understand. I know him! He is one of the most arrogant pricks at Hogwarts!" Hermione went on to explain to Sebastian about the way Draco and his friends treated her and others at Hogwarts because of their twisted beliefs about purebloods being superior to half-bloods and muggleborns.

"I understand now sweetie, but I'd fuck with his head if I were you. I'm sure revenge would be very sweet for someone as vile as you say he is! I was in the audience and he couldn't stop staring at you. The boy has it bad," Sebastian said and laughed.

"Perish the thought, I want nothing to do with Draco Malfoy," Hermione replied.

As Draco left the club he thought about Deb Death. She was even more gorgeous up close and had smelled heavenly; some sort of blend of roses, apples, and jasmine. She was also covered with a light sheen of sweat on her exposed skin and was wearing body glitter. Draco wondered what it would've felt like to lick it off. He really had to stop having these thoughts.

Let's hope Hermione can keep Deb Death under wraps! Draco got it bad!