The Price Of Knowledge

The Price of Knowledge



Disclaimer: I really own nothing


Chapter Ten


I had no idea what time it was when I awoke. I guessed it had to be morning; I was habitually awake by 8 o’clock. My entire body throbbed with soreness and my skin was clammy and damp under the thin sheets, but I had never been more satisfied in my life.

It felt like last night had been a dream. Did I actually have sex with Draco Malfoy Last night? It didn’t feel real!

I reached down and my fingers found the wet, slippery mess between my aching thighs, thus dispelled any doubt I might have had. It had happened after all. I finally had experienced my fantasy – it was a pale comparison to what I had felt last night. I didn’t think my wildest dreams could have prepared me for it, and I was right. Reality was most definitely better.

I sighed contently and turned over to find…nothing. I was alone in the huge harem-bed, and obviously had been for a while.

That little ferret!

How dare he ditch me down in the shag-parlor! I was suddenly very glad to have the contract, still bewitched, nestled in my clothing on the side table. How dare that little bastard leave me here, alone? Didn’t he want a good-morning shag? I wouldn’t have minded one myself. Honestly, I really had expected one. I had expected a lot of things…perhaps more than I should have. After all, this was Draco Malfoy. He was an unpredictable as the wind. I believe he took a certain delight in this fact. It was, after all, how he had strung along so many girls in the past.

Not that I was like them. I had known it would only be for one night.

Didn’t I?

I pushed myself to get out of the harem-bed and get dressed, telling myself that it was just for one night. What else did I expect? One night of glorious, fantastic, mind blowing orgasms…. crikey, my body shivered at the memory, and suddenly he would be a part of my life? Did I think he was now mine? That I was entitled to something more than one night of pleasure? That I was different from all of the other girls he had shagged then dropped?

I tried to be rational, but it still stung. I refused to wallow about it though. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he hurt me in any way.

He had fulfilled his purpose, I told myself. That is all. He gave me what I had fantasized about, and now that I had it, I wouldn’t think of it ever again.

“Bullocks, Hermione, you are such a silly cow,” I chastened myself.

I hoped I would remember the way I came. I did not want to be forever lost in the underground cave. I could only imagine what people would think if I were late for class. “She must be dead!”, they would say. I sighed at the prospect of returning to my drab, uninteresting and tedious existence.

Thankfully, my memory was untainted by my haze of lust. Navigating the cave wasn’t difficult – but climbing the stairs was. I counted them as I went up and up, three hundred and four, three hundred and five…. by the time I hit solid castle wall, I was thoroughly aggravated. Not only had he abandoned me in the middle of the night, he had taken me to the ends of the earth with no other way back besides hundreds of stairs to climb! I was sweating through my clothing and panting heavily; I knew I looked a fright. I had to take a shower before I even dared do anything else. I was going to miss breakfast too – and I was ravenous.

Malfoy might be the object of my fantasies and the source for my current heartache, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t be furious at him for being a total prat.

I made it to my room just as breakfast started. The common room empty, so I managed to sneak in without trouble. The Fat Lady didn’t look impressed as I gave her my password, but I cut off her rant about appropriate Head Girl behavior by slamming the portrait shut. I could hear her squawking as I made my way to my dormitory, but I didn’t care. I was sore and sweaty and angry and hungry and in no mood at all to be disciplined by an inanimate object. I was doing a wonderful job by myself, thankyouverymuch.

When I approached the Great Hall after a very brief, but bloody terrific shower, I overheard my name, and stopped dead in my tracks.

“Hermione didn’t come to bed last night,” Lavender said.

“She probably fell asleep in the library, again.” Ron remarked. “Bet she’s got her head in a book as we speak.”

I rolled my eyes. He should try falling asleep with his head in a book; literature through osmosis couldn’t hurt his NEWTs.

“But I just came from the library,” Ginny spoke up. “I had to see Madam Pince. Hermione wasn’t there.”

“Where could she be then? I hope she’s all right.” Harry replied.

“Do you think she was with someone last night?” From a distance, I could see the evil gleam in Lavender’s eye.

“Hermione? Are you kidding? She couldn’t be bothered with blokes and snogging, let alone shagging!” Ron laughed. “Look at what happened to Krum. Sacked for the sake of her homework. She must have gone to one of her secret study places where no one would ever think of going in a million years.”

“If Hermione was seeing anyone, wouldn’t we know about it?” Ginny asked.

“Unless it was a secret,” Lavender added mysteriously. “Maybe she’s shagging someone we’re not supposed to know about. Maybe she’s shagging Draco Malfoy!”

They all shuddered…and to my utter dismay, started laughing. They were laughing at me! Was it so unbelievable to believe a bloke like Malfoy would look twice at me?

Well, actually, up until a few weeks ago I would have pointed out, yes, it was in fact highly unlikely.

“Please! Could you imagine Hermione doing something like that!? She’s such a prude!”

Ron had said it. It hurt. So did the chorus of “uh huh”s after.

Was that how they all saw me? A sexless bookworm? Was I not entitled to the same emotions as everyone else? Where was it written that Hermione Granger was in some way impervious to her teenage hormones and thus prohibited to act upon them? I knew I was not ugly, nor did I have a horrible figure, while yes, I did quote the rulebook and “Hogwarts, A History,” and on more than one occasion I asked for more homework, but that did not mean I wasn’t human. I had feelings and emotions and passions that were beyond the written word. Couldn’t the people closest to me see that?

“Well I hope she comes to breakfast soon. I want to copy her Transfiguration homework,” Ron said, and then belched.

As soon as I heard the words, I snapped. My fury over Draco and this morning’s events and my so-called friends and Ronald Weasley and life in general pulsated through my veins red-hot. My face felt like it was on fire! I stormed into the Great Hall and drew my wand, aimed it at Ron’s face, and then I shouted “Necto membrana oris!” Red sparks shot from my wand as his pathetic, half completed assignment attached itself to his face.

“Finish your own bloody work, Ronald Weasley!” I exclaimed, downing a small glass of orange juice before I stalked off.

They all must have been stunned.

Served the git right. I knew I would more than likely lose points for inappropriate conduct and I would probably get a detention, but at least Professor McGonagall would see for herself how lazy he could be. What the hell was the problem with the men in my life this morning? Bloody bastards, the whole lot of them!

There was not even fifteen minutes until class when I stormed back out of the Great Hall, presumably leaving a trail of steam. I was furious with everyone, especially myself. What was I thinking lately?!

I was suddenly pulled back into a small, dark alcove under the stairs by two very strong hands. One snaked its way around my waist, while other hand clamped over my mouth. I struggled to no avail – I couldn’t even reach my wand.

“That was quite a scene,” Draco whispered into my ear, and I could hear the smugness in his voice.

I wanted to bite him. I tried without success; his hand was cupping my face almost painfully. I tried to stomp down on his foot, but he stepped back – then pushed me against the cold, rough castle wall.

“Relax, Granger, I’m sure you gave them a the surprise of their lives when you walked into the Great Hall with that huge love bite on your neck. I suppose that ought to shut those Gryffindorks up for while.” I felt his lips graze my neck and I gasped – I hadn’t even looked at my reflection in my angry rush. I could only imagine the worst from the sensation of his lips upon my tender flesh. Bastard! How dare he mark me?

He must have read my mind. “It’s not that bad, Granger. My back looks much worse.”

I didn’t feel remorse. Why was he so close?

“I didn’t want to leave you alone this morning,” he whispered again, his breath warm and inviting on my ear. I shivered again, I just couldn’t help it. Damn him. “You looked so good I wanted to skive off first class and fuck you into the mattress all over again. You know what the best part of last night was? The way you moaned my name as you came.”

I was acutely aware of my surroundings as the arm around my waist descended and I felt his fingertips brush the exposed skin of my midriff.

I pushed against him again – this was too public. Anyone could turn the corner and see him pressing me against the wall, his hand ready to delve into my knickers…watch me press up against his hard on…oh shite.

“Yes, I want you again.” He thrusted his erection into my rear again and I moaned against his hand. It felt bloody wonderful. I could feel the soreness dissipate between my legs and be replaced with a vaguely familiar feeling of arousal.

How did he do it? How could he make my knees go weak?

His fingers were in my knickers now, touching me, but not where I wanted to be touched. “Would it excite you to get caught?” His whispers were getting more and more breathy against my ear as his own arousal grew. I could feel the heat from his body as he pressed me into the wall. He ground himself into me again. “Do you want someone to find you here with my hand between your legs?”

Bastard. He was right. How dare he exploit my developing sense of exhibitionism? I was Head Girl; I would most definitely lose my badge if I was caught like this, by a student, or even worse, a professor. It would be all over school in a matter of hours.

Was this his secret plan to destroy me? Take advantage of my naiveté in order to fuck me then ruin my reputation?

The contract, I remembered. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t. Not unless he wanted something painful to happen to his bits.

Then why was he torturing me like this?

He began to gently stroke my clit and I wanted to faint.

“Don’t fight it, you know you want me.” His lips gently nibbled my earlobe.

He was alternating between making circles over my clitoris and slipping his fingers into my vagina. It wasn’t enough to get me off – and I needed more. I needed the release, or he had to stop.

“Where is the contract, Granger? Where did you put it?” He whispered.

No. I would have almost immediately frozen if it had not been for the liquid fire between my thighs. He was planning on ruining me, destroying the contract and my reputation. I was going to be expelled…

“Where is it, Granger?” His tone was more insistent, as were the ministrations of his fingertips. “Where did you put the fucking contract?”

I was fighting my body, but the sensations were too strong and sharp and my arousal was peaking. I was losing, losing the battle between my body and my sense of logic.

One of my hands found the miniaturized piece of parchment that the rules had been so carefully scrawled out on. I barely recalled holding it out or the feel of it growing back to its original size.

His fingers were making frantic circles over my center as he dropped his hand from my mouth and with a flick of his wrist, unfurled the contract. He held it to the wall in front of me, so close I could make out the uneven texture of the parchment.

“Take out your quill,” he ordered.

I always kept one in my pocket. The same pocket that held the contract. That too materialized in my hand without my brain thinking, this might not be a very good idea.

“Let me come,” I whispered.

“When you make an addition,” he hissed, biting my earlobe again, harder this time, sinking his teeth into the tender flesh.

“What addition?” I didn’t like this. I didn’t. I was too far gone to care anymore.

“That I can fuck you whenever I want.”

“Oh god,” I moaned, my hand shook as I raised the quill and pressed it against the parchment.

The hand between my legs broke free and seized my shaking hand, manipulating it into doing his will. The words formed, however illegibly, and there it was, sealed. Merlin, what was I getting myself into?

The quill fell from my hand.

Draco brought our joined hands to my face, pressed his fingertips against my lips. “Do you know what that is?” he asked softly. “That is what you smell like when you are about to come. Now I’ll be able to smell you on my hands all day.”

He released me, completely, dropping the contract. I was panting, my entire body was shaking as I turned to face him, and I could see how affected he was too. His usually perfect appearance was in disarray, and he was breathing heavily as well. He smirked at me, and winked. “I’ll be seeing you later, Granger.” He was gone.

I slumped back against the cold stone, my body and my mind trying to come together and respond in unison.

What had I just agreed to?

Tbc.