The Price of Knowledge

The Price of Knowledge




Disclaimer: Ugh, I own nothing.




Chapter Eight


Before I could speak, Draco had pulled me out of the classroom and started leading me down the corridor. His hand was warm around mine, oddly welcome.

“Where are we going?”

“I didn’t sign anything for shits and giggles, Granger. Let’s go somewhere private,” Draco said, darting past the library doors.

“The Room of Requirement?” I wondered aloud. Did he know about it?

“You Gryffindors are so thick. I said private. The Room of Requirement is as well known as the Founders themselves, and is so reeking of red and gold that it makes me sick. If we are going to fuck, I’d rather do it away from where we can easily be caught.” He turned to me, his eyes darting down the hall and then back to mine. “Or isn’t confidentiality rule number three?”

He was right, it was too well known. Maybe I underestimated how much. “So where are we going then?” I asked again.

We stopped suddenly in front of the portrait of Abigail Firestone Meriweather, The Screaming Banshee. Draco whisked out his wand and tapped the portrait twice. Suddenly the shrieking red-haired beauty was gone, replaced with a doorway to a flight of stone steps.

I was about to ask again when he hushed me, leading me down the spiraling staircase. I didn’t dare speak lest I trigger some sort of alarm. I felt a pang of dread run through my stomach – I had no idea where we were going. There were references to secret passages at Hogwarts in “Hogwarts, A History” but I knew most had been destroyed over time or had been discovered and were used with regular frequency, like the passage to the Shrieking Shack. I had no idea where I was or where I was being taken. I was completely mystified and had to place all my trust in Draco of all people. Common sense dictated my fear, but arousal dictated my obedience. I felt torn.

But it was too late to turn back now.

The staircase seemed to be endless; we just seemed to descend even deeper into darkness. I could barely see but Draco led me with confidence. Finally I could make out a pale, almost green glow in the darkness and I knew we had arrived.

He had led me into a cave. The ceiling was low and covered with stalactites, with very little room to navigate except for a narrow path in the rocks. The cave was flooded on one side of the path – the water glowed almost as if it were enchanted, and was surprisingly clear. It was warm, I noticed, probably because of the humidity. We had to be well below the castle now, but Draco still led me forward. I couldn’t help but feel like Alice, following the white rabbit into oblivion. I wasn’t afraid though – apprehensive, curious, anxious definitely, but not scared. I wanted to go on.

Further down the well-worn path we came upon a pair of heavy wooden doors. They appeared ancient, rusted and I swore they wouldn’t open, but Draco tapped his wand upon them three times and they opened with a loud creak. We stepped through and immediately the room lit up with the glow of a hundred candles.

It was a bedroom. A very lavish, tastefully decorated bedroom that took my breath away. The walls were stone, much like the rest of the castle, decorated with rich tapestries – no paintings, I noted. A harem-sized canopy bed dominated the center of the room, right by the oversized hearth. There were no chairs – only three tables, two on opposite walls, covered with candles, the other small, by the bed, vacant.

The bed was massive. My parents had a king-sized bed – and this would have put it to shame. The linens were rich green silk; the bed curtains a sheer, silvery organza. It looked like something out of a romance novel, completely opulent. I had never seen anything so…seductive in my life.

It was private, I would give him that. I never knew there were caves under Hogwarts save for the Chamber of Secrets. The synapses in my mind began to work slowly as I began to realize where we were. “Is this Salazar Slytherin’s chamber?”

Draco nodded. “Very good. This is in fact Salazar’s own personal bedchamber. He liked his privacy, which is why he claimed the dungeons. No one could see his…experiments.”

I looked around again. “It’s quite lavish. Was this where he kept his harem?”

Draco laughed. “He could have. Rumor has it he found himself lusting over Rowena Ravenclaw, who happened to be sort of married to good ol’ Godric Gryffindor. He lured her down here and seduced her. Despite all her intellect and common sense, she fell for his cunning, and they became lovers. When Godric found out, he killed them and then himself in this very room.”

I shivered then straightened. “That is such a load of crap. Godric and Rowena were never married, Salazar died in France and Rowena died in India. Your story is romantic but untrue.”

Draco feigned hurt. “Don’t shoot the messenger. I did say ‘rumor.’” He set his wand down on the small table and began to loosen his tie. He looked up at me, his gaze searing, despite his being ten feet away. “So, are you going to take your clothes off or do you want me to assist you?”

I was slightly taken back. Here I was, in a completely gorgeous bedroom that could have been better described as shag parlor, Draco Malfoy slowly undressing before me. Had I not fantasized about this earlier?

Despite my lack of fear, I wasn’t immune to anxiety. I was so brave before, finalizing the terms of our affair, proud of my sexual awareness, nonchalant when faced with his confrontation – but when faced with the prospect of actually practicing said theory…I felt uncertain. I hardly imagined I would be wearing my school uniform for my first time, or that my knees would be shaking so much.

Draco had discarded his tie on the table and was now loosening his shirt cuffs. He was still wearing that smug expression.

I hated that he was so arrogant. I hated that I still found it sexy.

“Stop,” I said finally.

He cocked an eyebrow. “Too late to back out now, Granger. Especially after making me sign a fucking contact. Where’s your fabled Gryffindor courage now?”

Where had it gone, I wondered. I shook my head, licked my suddenly very dry lips. “I meant stop what you are doing. Let me do it.” I took one step forward, then another and another. I stood before him now, my heart thundering away in my chest as I reached forward and wrapped my hands around his wrist.

Under almost closed lids, he watched me unbutton his cuffs, one and then the other. I moved my hand back up to his chest and undid the first button of his shirt, then the next. I was holding my breath as I unbuttoned each one, and then gently tugged the material from his pants. His shirt had to be expensive; it felt so smooth and soft under my fingertips. I slid my hands under the fabric and stroked the skin underneath. His skin was flawless alabaster under my hands. I was jealous. I brought my hands to his shoulders, taking his shirt with me. I slid it over his broad shoulders, but not completely off his arms.

He didn’t move as I leaned forward and brushed my lips against his. I took more initiative and kissed his jaw, then his neck, descending down to his chest. I kissed each pectoral, moving down to his stomach. I wasn’t surprised to find his body was all lean, hard muscle. I stopped my light onslaught of kisses when he moved his fingers into my hair and tugged me back upright. His eyes burned into mine and for the first time, I could see lust in someone’s eyes…and knowing it was for me.

He mashed my lips into his own, kissing me greedily. I kissed him back with equal ardor, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing my still clothed chest against his. His hips jerked against mine and, Merlin, how I loved it. He kissed as if he were possessing me, as if I were being branded by his heat and seared through to my soul, as if I were being set aflame. The blood was boiling under my skin, throbbing between my legs. His tongue fought mine; it battled mine triumphantly and claimed its victory. I couldn’t stop him even if I wanted to; I was powerless to resist the fire of the embrace.

His first kiss could be considered gentle in comparison. This kiss implied the truth. He really wanted me, as much as I wanted him.

“Why?” I managed to gasp as I broke the embrace. I had to hold onto him to steady myself, keeping our bodies so close I could feel the heat radiating from his. “I need to know the real reason. Is this a game?”

He dipped his head low and his lips brushed my earlobe, then kissed it gently before taking it between his teeth and tugging gently. “Didn’t you feel it, Granger?” he whispered in my ear. “Didn’t you feel that spark? Isn’t that why you watched me? Isn’t that why you came so hard that night?”

I shivered. It made sense that there was electricity between us, despite our obvious differences. He stood for everything I hated, yet the ability to be exactly what I needed. For all his haughty arrogance, vanity and pureblood pride, he was clever, observant, charming…and made me feel sexy, something that until recently, I didn’t know was possible. Unlike Harry or Ron or any of the other boys, he didn’t want to copy my homework or have me tutor him or hold his broom while he flirted with the other girls. I didn’t need hold his hand and control him or manipulate him or dictate his actions. He did what he wanted, challenging me at every step. He challenged me, and I liked it a lot. I think I needed it. The worst part of it all was he knew this. He saw my weakness and set out to exploit it for his own gain. I should have smacked him like I did in third year. It would be so satisfying…

His lips found my neck and were doing such magical things that I moaned, rather loudly.

I wanted him. I really did. This was the opportunity of a lifetime…and I was going to throw reason and logic to the wind and take what I wanted.

If we were doing to have sex, I wanted it to be as much of a hands-on experience as possible, no pun intended. I had cleverly negotiated rule number four not only as a way to pull out at the last minute in case my nerve failed… but also that if it did hold fast, I could get as much satisfaction out of the night as possible. Judging by his hands and mouth, I knew he would be great in bed. This worked perfectly - if I only had one night, it had to count.

It was actually going to happen. His lips found mine and sucked gently on the swell of my bottom lip.

So I kissed him back for all I was worth.

Tbc…

AN: Sorry bout the wait. Even more sorry to leave a cliffy. I\'m not usually a tease. Thanks Michelle.