"I'm telling you guys, she's so easy," Ryan explained to his friends, clutching a tall glass of butterbeer in his hand.

"Easy, huh?" replied Jake, a seventh-year Gryffindor, with a glint in his eye.

"You have no idea. I'm in her head. I can get away with practically anything," Ryan smirked. "You guys have got to try it."

The boys around the table erupted in approving laughter and took swigs of their drinks.

The wind chimes hanging from the door clanged loudly as Grace entered The Three Broomsticks, and she instantly warmed up from the roaring fireplace across the room. Autumn was in full swing, and she couldn't pass up getting a butterbeer with ginger on the cozy, Fall afternoon. After grabbing her drink at the counter, she spotted Ryan in the corner with some of his friends, and headed over.

"Hey, baby," Ryan said, not hesitating to pull her down onto his lap. He pressed his lips to hers and she returned the kiss only for a moment. She felt uncomfortable doing it in front of the others. "How was shopping with the Weasel?"

Grace immediately stood up, pushing herself off his lap, scoffing, "If you don't call my friend by her proper name, I'm leaving." She narrowed her eyes slightly. A few weeks ago, she would've never spoken in such a way towards Ryan, especially in front of his friends. But he was different now. He treated her much better. He hadn't laid a hand on her in quite some time.

"Fine. The Weasley girl. Whatever," responded Ryan unenthusiastically.

"Ginny and I had a wonderful time," corrected Grace. She shifted uncomfortably in her place as she stood in front of the table. She could feel too many eyes on her, but her housemate's ones in particular were the most concerning. Jake O'Connor's gaze lingered much too long on Grace, or more specifically, her body. Most of the girls in Gryffindor referred to him as 'Jerk' behind his back. The boy was a complete asshole, but that made him fit right in with the rest of his friend group.

"That's good." Ryan brought his glass to his lips, finishing the remaining butterbeer. The legs of his chair made scratches on the wooden floor as he pushed away from the table to stand up. "We should get going. Later, guys."

Ryan took Grace's hand, leading her back onto the chilly main road of Hogsmeade. They stopped walking and he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, bringing his lips close to whisper, "You disrespected me back there, do you know that? I'm your boyfriend. You need to get that through your head. The way you talked to me in front of my friends was disgusting. That won't happen again, now, will it?"

Ryan pulled away, grabbing her hand again to continue walking down the street that was scattered with orange and red leaves. He didn't need a response from Grace. He knew she would do as she was told.

Maybe Grace was a little out of line. She simply shouldn't say such a thing in front of her boyfriend's mates. You can't humiliate him. You're his. You listen to him. You're his. You follow his rules. You're his. He's just doing what's best for you.

"What do you say we head back to the castle? I want to get out of here," Ryan said.

"It's still pretty early. I feel like we just got h-"

"Come on. We'll have some fun on our own. We don't need this place." It wasn't a suggestion. It was a command. She had quickly learned, or had been told by Ryan himself, that everything he did or said was in Grace's best interest. He had spoken those words so many times that she was starting to believe them.

They climbed into one of the many carriages that pulled themselves, and sat in silence on the way back to the castle. It wasn't until they were walking across the grounds did she speak again.

"I need to stop at the Owlery," Grace told him. "I want to write home to Mum and Dad. It'll be quick." The words left a sour taste in her mouth.

Ryan looked down at her with a nod. "Meet me in the dungeons when you're finished," he ordered, releasing her hand so they could go their separate ways.

Grace let out a sigh of relief when Ryan disappeared into the castle. She climbed the many stairs it took to get to the Owlery before grabbing one of the pieces of extra parchment that was stored there. She dipped the quill a few times in the ink that was starting to dry up, and wrote:

Ginny,

I had to go back to Hogsmeade immediately. I forgot I had told Ryan I would meet him somewhere in the afternoon. I'm sorry for ditching you. I'm safe. Give my thanks to Fred and George.

Grace

Would Ginny believe her reason for leaving? Probably not. But Grace hoped her friend's disgust from seeing Ryan's name in the letter would distract her enough from any real concern.

She rolled up the parchment and an eager owl came soaring down in front of her. She smiled, gently stroking the top of its head as she placed the letter between its beak. "Please take this to Ginny Weasley. She's at Diagon Alley."

The owl flew out of the window and continued until it was just a small dot in the sky. Grace stared at the owl, envying how free and happy it seemed to be. A large gust of wind sent goosebumps along her skin, making her pull her cloak tighter around her as she descended the staircase and began her trek down to the Slytherin common room.

After a few minutes, she reached the entrance and knocked twice, Ryan letting her in just seconds later. He smiled at her, or maybe at the fact that the common room was so empty because just about everyone was still at Hogsmeade. Grace knew that smile. She had seen it many times before.

Ryan led them into his dormitory, shutting the door. Grace glanced at the bed, her heart racing. "You're so beautiful," he said, immediately kissing her neck. She closed her eyes, tilting her head slightly. He pulled her cloak off her shoulders, backing her slowly toward his bed.

She felt him bite the sensitive skin on the side of her neck before he kissed it again, running his tongue along it gently as he continued to undress her. He repeated the motion a few times and then pushed Grace down onto the bed. Ryan towered over her, swiftly taking off his shirt with ease. He tossed it aside as she stared up at him.

Take a deep breath, Grace, she told herself. You can do this. It may be Ryan, but it's not the Ryan he used to be. He loves you. He told you so. It's what's best for you and him and your relationship.

Grace released a shaky breath, allowing Ryan to slide her pants down. She wondered if he could hear how quickly her heart was beating.

"Do you have protection?" she asked, her throat dry. Grace watched as Ryan's expression looked like she had told a funny joke.

"We don't need it," he replied, shaking his head as he took his belt off. "It feels better without it."

Grace felt like crying. You can do this. You have to do this. "I want to use protection," she said as firmly as she could manage.

"Well, it's not really up to you, is it?" shot back Ryan, who climbed on top of her. Before Grace could say anything, she felt him inside of her. She closed her eyes tightly, her forehead wrinkling. She clenched her teeth together. Breathe, Grace. Breathe.

"Ryan-" she started, not really certain what she was going to say. She was just so uncomfortable. Her chest was aching.

Ryan sighed, liking the sound of his name coming out of her mouth. "Say it again."

Grace mentally slapped herself. This was not what she was going for. When she kept quiet, Ryan's fingers made his way around her throat. "Say it again," he whispered sharply.

Grace bit her lip. Just do it to make him happy. "Ryan," she sighed. He kissed along her jawline, and a few minutes later, he pulled out of her once he was satisfied. He got off of her as she trembled slightly on the bed, focusing on slowing her heart rate down, her eyes glued shut.

"See? Easy. You always make a big deal out of everything."

But sex was a big deal. To Grace it was, at least. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

He pulled the blanket on his bed up over the both of them as he brushed a few strands of hair away from her face, whispering, "You don't know how good you have it."