A/N- This was written as a challenge set by a friend. All apologies as this remains unedited.

A Fulfilling Gift
***

Hermione let the parchment drop from her fingers onto the olive colored carpet, but she was still faced with the box. Long, thin, covered in white paper, her mind told her that it could be anything. It was the right size for a book, frankly those were the only packages she received so she had no other things for comparison. The weight definitely wasn't right for a book, it was much too light.

Then there was the letter.

Picking the offending sheet of paper up from the floor she studied it objectively. Standard parchment, impeccable handwriting, scented of sandalwood and pine, suggestive message- that ruled out any of her colleagues, and basically everyone she corresponded with. Despite all that, the nagging in the pit of her stomach told her that she knew exactly who it was from. With shaking hands the put the letter aside and tore the paper from the box. Maybe the contents would give her a clue or prove her instincts blessedly wrong.

How very wrong she was. Abruptly the box, and its contents, joined the wrapping on the floor. Wide eyed, she looked down at the mess she had created. The rational part of her brain insisted that it was all a sick joke. Bright, tight-laced women did not receive mysterious packages, especially ones that contained highly erotic undergarments in precisely the right size. Especially when the erotic undergarments were in the most conspicuous, Slytherin, shade of green.

It was just another power play in a game she'd thought was over, yet she'd taken the gambit. That is how she had ended up in the blind date cliché of leaning against the bar in the appointed location, waiting in the company of a very potent Green Demon. As if her situation wasn't pathetic enough, the slightly familiar looking man to her right had actually succeeded in picking up a giggling, very Lavender, blonde with the line, "Get yer coat luv, you've pulled."

The décor of the bar was hideous- all exposed chrome and low green lights. The sounds, smell and press of human bodies were maddening. The scholarly part of her brain was screaming at her to walk out, seductive letter be damned. By her second drink she had a more pressing matter to attend to and she wound her way through the club in search of the ladies room. Three cheap feels, a grope and she found the right door.

Inside the lavatory it was blessedly empty, save for two pairs of feet in the second stall, and so much cooler than the press outside the door. Moving to the fourth stall, she was about to turn and shut the door when strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind. Levelly she fixed her eyes on the rough emerald tile before her and didn't flinch when the door was locked closed behind them. There was nothing to fear.

A sudden rush of noise saved what should have been a tense moment. The couple two stalls down were apparently having a problem with hitting the toilet lever as the toilet flushed, not once, but twice followed by the girl, most definitely Lavender Hermiones’ mind concluded, laughed out what could only have been, "Ten points to Gryffindor."

She smirked as her captor whispered into her ear, "Smart girl, saving yourself for a Slytherin if that's all that your house has to offer."

"Has anyone ever told you that you are amoral?" Her voice sounded rough to her own ears, how disgustingly wanton. True that her speaking was only a ploy to get him to respond, his voice turned her on like nothing else did.

His deep laughter was almost as orgasmic. ""I'm not amoral, I'm immoral. There's a difference."

Warm breath was on her neck, the nagging feeling that had been in her stomach all evening was replaced by a warm, heavy, desire. As if encouraged by her internal response, the hands at her waist moved, trailing soft fingers from her hips over to the inside of her thighs. Then even more slowly they dipped under her skirt. Soft fingers on her bare skin, feathery touch tracing the silky edge of the flimsy excuse for a thong. "I see that you wore my present."

Swallowing, hoping to jolt her heart back to where it belonged, she dared to look up at him over her shoulder. His black gaze was unreadable, but she smiled a lazy kitten smile at him. "Well, you made me a bargain now didn't you?"

"That I did," he drawled, removing his hands from exactly where she wanted them and turning her to face him. She had always been so much shorter, even in the heels she wore she had to look up at him. She wouldn't be deterred though, this was his game after all.

Slipping her fingers into the waistband of his suede black trousers, she smiled her sauciest smile and looked on him with adoring eyes. "After all, I had to wear your gift if you were going to be wearing the matching one."

***