"Granger, you're not his type," Draco said softly, still a bit of amusement in his voice.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know you think he's gay. But clearly, your eyesight is failing you, because he was very intimate with his Carrow Girl last time. It's called being bisexual, Malfoy. Surely you must have heard of it?"

His eyes snapped to hers, and his scowl deepened. "Regardless, the answer is still no."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "And why not?"

"Because he'd see right through you. It would never work."

"I disagree. Theo's desperate to prove himself. He loves attention and praise. I think it would be easy if he was drunk enough—"

"I said no." Draco's eyes and mouth were hard. "Everyone would want to know why I'm suddenly Sharing you. It would open the floodgates."

The breath left Hermione's lungs. He had her there.

"That is a problem. But I still think we could find a way."

"What part about 'no' don't you understand, Granger?" And then she was pushed from his lap, and they both were standing upright as she blinked up at him, stunned. "This idea is beyond stupid," he hissed.

"How is it any stupider than Cho?" she snarled, her anger flaring.

"Theo is gay, which you refuse to let sink into that stubborn head of yours—"

"Then let me get alone with him and be the judge! I fail to understand why you care so much!"

She spun on her heel and stormed out of the room, relishing how good it felt to be the first one to leave for once.

~*~

Hermione was in a foul mood into the next day. She considered slipping back into Pansy's costume for that evening's practice session, just to prove a point — Remember the girl in the red dress? — but she refrained.

She met him down in the sitting room at seven o'clock, determined to set aside her simmering rage and embarrassment at the conversation the previous evening. Letting him finish his dinner in relative silence except for a few questions about Italy, she sat and drank her wine as he spoke.

When he was halfway through his meal, she leaned close to his body again, tucking herself into his side. Her lips moved to his jaw, and she trailed light kisses down to his shoulder as he swallowed his wine. Her hand reached for his opposite shoulder, fingers gripping the fabric of his shirt.

His throat bobbed.

One of her hands ran through the hair at the base of his neck, and she kissed just under his ear, letting her tongue gently glide along the skin.

His fork clattered to the plate, and then his hands were on her hips, pushing her away.

"That's enough, Granger—"

She scowled at him as she wobbled, bracing herself on his knees. "That was barely anything, Malfoy."

He glowered back, jaw tense. She finally broke their glaring contest with a belabored huff. "Just a few more minutes, and we'll call it a night, alright? Just think of — of something else."