A conflict of Interests

“That is IT! I give up!” Katherine slammed the book shut, sending a cloud of dust about three feet high. “I have no idea what the social and political issues were that started the Great Troll Rebellion. This is ridiculous. How much more do we have to write?” She dropped her head onto her crossed arm giving a loud sigh. “I just can’t concentrate tonight. I don’t know what it is.”

“Oh, I think I have a very good idea what it is.” Katherine’s best friend Helena sat across from her with a knowing smile on her face. Helena was a pretty girl with olive skin and shiny black hair; she was also an incurable gossip.

Katherine merely raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? Why don’t you tell me? I’m dying to know.”

Helena smirked, obviously pleased with herself. “We share a closet, silly. You think I wouldn’t notice that new dress hanging up inre fre for the last week, making all my dresses look like garbage? Leave it to you to show off!” She added jokingly. She lowered her voice and brought her head to Katherine’s level. “Draco bought it for you, didn’t he?”

Katherine couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s enthusiasm. “In a matter of speaking.”

“Ooooh, I knew it. You’re so lucky. The only thing that Christopher bought me was a handful of Chocolate Frogs.” Helena finished with agh agh and Katherine joined in. The library was fairly empty this time of night, but their burst of laughter drew dirty looks from a nearby table. They hushed themselves to a light giggle.

“So, can I try it on later? I can pretend that I’m Cinderella.” Helena half-joked, striking her most dramatic glamour pose. Katherine knew there was nothing Helena would like better than to admire herself in that new dress.

“You have got to be kidding me, Helena. With your . . . umm . . . endowments, you’re going to stretch the damned thing out.” Smiling, she threw a crumpled piece of parchment at her friend, hitting her square in the shoulder.

“Hey, I can’t help being blessed.” She sighed facetiously, landing her own piece of crumpled parchment in Katherine’s hair. With a huff, she thrust her chest into the air. “Eat your heart out!”

Katherine fought the urge to glance down at her own chest, already inwardly aware of her shortcomings in that department. “Well on that note, I think I’m going to bed. I have had enough abuse for one night.” Katherine slid the huge text into her bag and threw it over her shoulder. “You coming?”

“No, that guy over there is giving be the eye. I might stay and chat.” A wicked grin crossed her lips.

Katherine rolled her eyes. “Be good…”

Helena tossed her raven hair over her shoulder, offering Katherine a haughty smile. “I’m the best.”


She hit the first staircase just as the rain began to fall outside. Distant thunder growled, and the wind made the old structure groan ever so slightly. Lightning flashed in slivers like broken glass in the hallways. Normally she loved thunderstorms, she found them soothing. But some relic of childhood nightmares prevented her from wanting to be anywhere but safely tucked in her bed. Walking alone, at night, in a dark castle made her quite wary. She knew she wasn’t in any real danger, but that didn’t stop her from nearly jumping out of her skin upon seeing the Bloody Baron move silently across her path.

“Stupid ghost.” She muttered as she collected herself. Hearing this, the spectral figure stopped in his path and glared at her. Were she in her first year, she would have fainted on the spot. After years of spontaneous apparitions, she was fairly used to his foreboding presence. Ignoring his gaze, she continued down another flight of stairs. When she finally reached the bottom floor, her heels began to click loudly on the stone floor. She was barely conscious of the sound, until she faintly heard a syncopated echo behind her. She hadn’t seen anyone leave the library before her; why would anyone else be down here? She held her breath and listened intently in the velvet silence. Nothing. Nothing but the low creaks of the castle walls. Straightening, she chided herself for being so anxious. As she righted herself, however, she felt not the cold stone of the walls, but the pliable mass of a human body. Before she could react, she felt a hand go over her mouth and pull her backward. The other hand wrapped around her waist as she tried to struggle. She was dragged with muffled screams into a dark room. She heard the door kicked closed behind her, felt her body being spun away from her captor. Her eyes adjusted to the dim candlelight, which took the form of a wildly grinning Gabriel.

“Gotcha! That, my dear, is what you get for teasing me. Now I can have my way with you!”

Katherine released all the adrenaline her fear had mustered, punching Gabriel repeatedly in his chest.

“You bastard. That – is – not -- funny!” Gabriel’s laughter made it difficult to shield himself from the blows Katherine was raining down on his chest. In one deft motion, he grabbed hold of her wrists.

“Well, I thought it was. Are you done yet?”

Katherine glared at him, trying in vain to conceal her smile. “Not even close.” Not breaking eye contact, she stomped down on his foot. Gabriel he let go of her wrist and she ran behind a desk giving him a coy daring look.

“You’re cute when you’re angry.” Gabriel lunged for Katherine grabbing a handful of her skirt pulling her against his chest. With that he bit her hard on the back of the neck.

Katherine took a sharp intake of breath and then cooed “And you’re cute when you try to be menacing. Honestly, what could a Gryffindor teach of Slytherin about the fine art of intimidation?”

He spun her around embracing her, his face inches from her. They were both breathing heavily “The most intimidating thing about you, love, is that little tabby cat of yours”

Without another word they began to kiss. Their skin was balmy from their little tussle and they swiftly began to remove each other’s robes. Gabriel began unbuttoning her blouse and she started unfastening his belt. They stumbled backward landing on the desk. In one swift motion her shirt was on the floor. She shimmied out of her panties and he unzipped his pants letting them fall to his knees. She lay down on the desk knocking some spare books and looked up at her lover with lust in her eyes. Lunging at her, he kissed her stomach hungrily moving upwards to her breasts. His gentle bites made her body squirm with anticipation. Then he pulled her by her legs so she was right on the edge of the desk and entered her in one smooth thrust. They both moaned at the sensation.

“Mmmm, yes.” She breathed.

He kept his steady rhythm looking at the way her body moved with each thrust. Her eyes were closed and she was biting at her lower lip to keep from crying out.

“God, you feel amazing Katherine.” He managed between trusts. She could feel his chest become tight and his hand gripped her sides hard. The thrusting became increasingly faster until with one last grunt he collapsed heavily on top of her. Katherine could feel his heart beating against her chest and his staggered breath slowly returning to normal. She ran her fingers threw his sweat-slicked hair and gently kissed him on the far head. In these moments there were never any words. They world around them didn’t exist. All that was there was the feeling of flesh touching flesh, heartbeats and the slow steady rhythmic breathing.

“OH MY GOD! Gabriel get up! Oh god. We must have fallen asleep. It is almost morning!” Katherine began moving frantically around the room looking for the clothing that had been carelessly tossed on the floor last night. After a few seconds of dazed blinking Gabriel jumped off the desk and began dressing.

“I can’t believe we fell asleep. Oh god, what if Draco came looking for me last night? What am I going to tell him? This is bad . . . really bad.” Gabriel always bristled when she mentioned Draco. He knew full well that she was officially Draco’s girlfriend. Somehow the though of him kissing her, touching her, was more than he could bear.
Katherine buttoned her shirt and began to attempt to smooth out her tangled hair. Giving up, she twisted it into a knot at the top of her head securing it with a pencil.

“You might want to wear you’re hair down today, love” He said with a chuckle.

“Why?” Katherine asked looking over her shoulder at him. Gabriel walked up behind her and traced his fingers along the back of her neck. A bruise was beginning to flower in the spot where he so savagely bit her last night. She felt it herself and gave him a withering stair.

“Hey, love, I don’t recall you complaining too much.” Katherine slipped on her shoes and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

“I’ll see you at breakfast.”