Venom and Velvet

Dedicated to Slytherclaw_queen21 because there's nothing I love more than when people take the time to vote and comment.

23. Venom and Velvet

"Hermione?"

Hermione cringed as she reached the corridor that held the picture of the Fat Lady. She'd been so close.

"Neville, I-"

"It's past midnight. You know I have to take house points for this, right?"

Hermione hung her head. "Yes, I know."

Neville gave her the same look of disapproval she remembered giving Fred and George all through her fifth year. "Fifteen points from Gryffindor," he sighed. "Now into the common room with you. Sorry, 'Mione."

"It's okay. I am breaking school rules," she gave him a curt smile. "You're doing a really great job, by the way. I'm glad they made you Head Boy. You deserve it."

Hermione crept through the portrait hole, hoping to avoid notice by anyone who may have still been awake in the common room. Just when she thought she was in the clear, she was attacked by a flurry of red.

"Hermione Jean Granger, you little minx!" Ginny exclaimed, walking in a circle around her and looking her friend up and down. "Tsk tsk. You don't even know how to put yourself back together properly afterwards."

Hermione flushed furiously and looked in a nearby mirror to see what Ginny was on about. Her hair was a mess, the lipstick she'd borrowed from Ginny earlier that day was smudged around her lips, and her school shirt was buttoned up wrong. Behind her, Ginny let out a delighted squeal.

"I officially love you two more than I've ever loved anyone else together."

"Now, Ginny, we didn't-"

"Yes, I know, I know. But you let him touch your boobs, didn't you?" She gave Hermione a knowing grin.

Hermione pulled her hair to one side, trying to comb through it with her fingers.

Ginny squealed again. "You have a hickey! This is amazing."

Hermione doubled back towards the mirror and grew even warmer in the face.

"Oh, stop acting so ashamed, would you? It's about time you got a little action," Ginny said. "We can cover it for class."

Hermione took a deep breath and nodded. "You're right."

Finding that she wasn't very tired, Hermione waved her wand over herself, watching her school clothes morph into pyjamas. This was a little trick she'd learned while living in a tent with two boys. She pulled her hair back into a low ponytail and secured it with the hairtie she kept on her wrist and wiped the rest of the lipstick on her sleeve.

Ginny sat on a chair beside the fireplace and pulled her sweater tighter around herself, giving Hermione a look that said are you going to tell me or not? Hermione sat beside her and grinned.

"So where did you manage to hide away until 12:30?" She asked.

Hermione was about to answer when she decided that she didn't really want Ginny to know that the Room of Requirement was still there. She didn't want anyone to know, actually. It would be nice to have a spot that belonged exclusively to her and Draco.

"You know that empty classroom on the sixth floor with the lounge at the back?"

Ginny nodded, smirking. "Yes, I know the one. Tell me, does he really have a tattoo of the giant squid on his chest?"