The Curse of Love

The Curse of Love
Prologue
She backed up against the wall, fear coiling tightly in her belly. Nervously glancing around the bare stone cell she was thrown into, she noticed for the first time a familiar figure clad in a black hooded robe standing at the far corner. She couldn’t put her finger on who that person was, but a tremor of fear coursed through her body when that figure started to advance slowly towards her.

He waited quietly for her to notice him, excitement stirring within him. At last, she finally focused on him. Advancing stealthily towards her, he smiled in lewd amusement at the obvious terror on her face. Stopping a few meters away from her, he slowly raked his probing eyes down her body. He knew she couldn’t see his face, but he also knew she could feel his invading eyes on her body. Her hair was wavy, long, the colour of rich dark chocolate with sun-streaked highlights. Her eyebrows arched delicately over her forehead like raven’s wings, her eyes were brown with flecks of gold, her nose and cheekbones were delicate and her mouth-god, her mouth…he started to feel a certain snugness that was growing by the passing minute in the front of his pants. Her tongue darted out every few minutes to wet her trembling red lips and he had to bite his own tongue to keep from groaning. He slid his eyes lower over her smooth, creamy golden brown skin. She had small but shapely breasts. It suited her petite frame. She was at least a head shorter than him. Her belly was flat, toned. Her legs were smooth, long and shapely. He suddenly found himself wanting those legs wrapped tightly around his waist. He glanced at her attire and smiled. She looked exactly like a frightened wildcat in the black wrap-around halter, exposing her upper torso save her breasts and short black skirt, the torn hemline skimming just below her butt. He could see that she was in great terror. The time has finally come. Arranging the expression on his face, he raised his hand and threw the hood back, exposing his identity.

Her eyes widened in horror as recognition hit her. Flattening herself against the wall, her mouth opened in a silent scream. She stared at him, his cold, hard gaze boring into her eyes. Tearing her eyes away, she looked around for a way to escape, panic rising to near hysteria. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his handsome face twisting into a cruel sneer, his eyes dark with amusement.

And he was coming closer.

Suddenly, some of her fear turned into anger and she snapped her head around and glared at him. She was angry. She was frightened.

She was being cornered.

He moved closer to her, sneering at the way she was panicking. It made him feel powerful, masterful. She was glaring at him, her eyes flashing with fear and defiance. Stupid girl, I feed on your fear. He glided even nearer, trapping her against the wall.

She could hardly breathe. She tried to scream, to run, move, push, anything! -But it was as if she was paralyzed. He pressed her against the wall with his own hard body, making her gasp involuntarily. She looked up at him fearfully, wondering what he was going to do to her this time.

He wanted to break her, oh how he longed to break her. He stared at her neck, imagining his long fingers wrapping around that delicate neck and squeezing until the pulse no longer throbbed. It was so easy. But, no. He had other plans for her. Pushing his hand behind her, he ran his fingers lightly across her lower back. With a sudden jerk, he pushed her hard against his body, molding his body against hers. He sneered once more when she gasped. She was too frightened to resist, he knew. His plan was working well. He slid his hand up her back, over her neck and shoulder and down to her cleavage. He stroked her while reveling in the way she was panicking.

She wanted to recoil from his touch but her body wouldn’t cooperate. Her mind was screaming to get away from him but her body simply couldn’t move! She stared at him helplessly as he stroked the side of her left breast. She caught her lower lip between her teeth when he lowered his head and sucked her left nipple gently through the cloth of her top. She let out an unbidden moan as he began to tease her hard nipple with his tongue and lips.

No, no, no…

Oh, how she hated her body for responding to him. But she couldn’t help it. She clutched at his shoulders and closed her eyes when he slid his other hand into her top to knead her right breast, his thumb and finger pinching her sensitive nipple. Fire began to run through her veins, pushing all thoughts from her mind, leaving only sensation and pleasure.

He pushed her up against the wall, continuing his assault on her breasts. He smirked at the helpless image she created before him now, surrendering to his touch. How easy it is. He dropped his hands and started to stroke her thighs. His hands traced intricate patterns on her inner thighs, working his way up slowly.

No…. please…no…. run before it’s too late…no, no, no…

He brushed the side of her groin, arching an eyebrow in mockery when he found her dripping wet.

Ohhh…no…I must resist…ohh….

She couldn’t fight back now. Her whole being felt like molten silver. She moaned when his fingers parted her wet sex, stroking her most sensitive place. She quivered when he slid a finger into her, sliding in and out slowly. She arched her hips into his hands and threw her head back in a loud moan.

“Please….”, she whispered.

His voice was silky, amused, deadly. “What do you want?”

“More…”

“More what? This?” He slid another finger into her, producing a cry from her.

“Or this?” He pumped his fingers in and out of her faster, causing her to buck her hips into his hands and tightened her grasp on him.

He sneered cruelly at the moaning girl before him. She was close, he could tell.

The timing had to be right.

He slid another finger into her and pumped her even faster, flicking his thumb over her clit. She gave out loud cries, grinding herself on his fingers. He leaned close to her ear. The air surrounding them was electric with ancient dark magic. When he felt her tightening around his fingers, he whispered, “ Modulatimus exsertiamo binduo”

She screamed.

Her body arched up in intense pain and pleasure. She registered in her somewhat hazy mind that he had muttered something. But all she knew now was the pain twisting and scorching her entire body and the pleasure that he had caused. It was hard to know where the pain left off and the pleasure began.

She collapsed to the floor in exhaustion as the pain began to ebb. She gazed up at him standing over her, his face twisted with hatred. She felt betrayed. She felt dirty, used. She hated her body for being so weak.

One name was on her lips before she slipped into a dead faint.

“Draco…”

Chapter 1

“Hurry up Harry! Ron! Will you move?!” Hermione huffed and folded her arms, shivering from the cold. Glaring at the two blissfully unaware boys throwing snowballs at each other, she gritted her teeth in irritation, spun on her heel and began an unceremonious stomp back to the Gryffindor tower.

Morons…when will they ever grow up?

Grow up and what?

Oh no, not you again.

Yes, dear. It’s me.

When will you ever leave me alone?

How could your conscience possibly go away? Back to the topic. Grow up and what?

Well…take notice of things around them for once.

Like what? Or should I say who?

What is that supposed to mean?

Well, considering they are two rather handsome boys and the amount of time you’ve spent preening yourself in front of the mirror this morning…

I do not PREEN myself!

Really.

Really!

Hermione was so busy arguing with herself that she nearly missed a dark shape on the ground near the Forbidden Forest. Her curiosity stirred and she contemplated whether to check it out, all frustration dissolving into thin air.

Should I? I mean…it could be something dangerous…

“Oh, Hermione Granger. Get a grip!” she scolded herself.

She strode towards the object of her curiosity purposefully, trying to quell the uneasiness rising in her.

Curiosity kills the cat…

Oh, shut up you…

Fine, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Hermione rolled her eyes at herself. As she neared, she frowned in disbelief. The dark lump was looking more and more like a human draped with a black robe.

That’s impossible…is it?

She stopped over the disturbing form.

Is that hair? Oh my god, this is a dead body. Oh come on Hermione, why would dead bodies be lying around Hogwarts? Don’t be daft.

Hermione swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth and shook herself a little. “Just do it,” she ordered herself. She bent down uncertainly and drew down the top of the robe with a trembling hand.
***********************

Laughing, Ron and Harry wrestled with each other playfully in the snow, oblivious to everything around them. Gasping for breath, Ron shoved Harry over into a mound of snow. Harry floundered around in the snow, trying to get his bearings. Ron shouted with laughter at Harry and suddenly found himself looking up at the sky, his butt and back hurting like hell on the hard snow. Harry sat up and grinned at Ron, brazenly congratulating himself loudly, raising his hands to quiet imaginary admiring spectators.

Suddenly, a high-pitched scream pierced the spicy morning air making the two boys jump. They stared at each other in shock, both immediately quiet.

“Um, Harry? I think that’s Hermione.”

***********************

Voices. She heard voices. Slightly muffled, she could only hear bits and pieces of the conversation. Was she in a dream?

“…bodies…girls…Forbidden Forest…alarming…one….survived…muggles…”

Surely it must be a dream. Prying her eyes open, she blinked hard at the bright light and rubbed her sleep-filled eyes. Her back was tingling with a funny sensation but she soon dismissed it when she realized her surroundings were unfamiliar to her.

Where am I? What’s happening?

She tried to recall what had happened the day before but to her mounting panic, she realized her whole life before that very morning was a blank.

WHO am I??

To her immense relief, a name popped up in her mind.

Stefenie Courdo.

“Stefenie Courdo. Is that my name?” she whispered to herself. But her relief was short-lived. She could not remember any other thing about herself at all. Suddenly, the curtains around her bed were pulled open and a tall, kindly looking old man stepped in. Stefenie stared in amazement at the blue robes, the tall pointy hat sitting atop flowing long white hair, and the twinkling eyes behind the spectacles. She was speechless as the strange man walked towards her and sat on the edge of the bed. All she could do was stare.

“My dear, who are you?” asked Dumbledore,

His voice startled her and she realized with a sinking feeling that this old man before her had no idea who she was either.

“I was hoping you could tell me,” Stefenie sighed, lowering her head in disappointment, “but for what it’s worth, my name is Stefenie Courdo.” I think, she added silently.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Courdo. You may call me Professor Dumbledore,” he said kindly.

For some unknown reason to her, tears suddenly sprang to her eyes, blurring her vision. In an unsteady voice, she turned her face up to the man old enough to be her great-great-grandfather and asked desperately, “Please, where am I? How did I get here? What happened to me? Do you have any, any knowledge at all about my past? Please tell me!”

Pity filled him and Albus Dumbledore patted the hand of the panicky teayed yed girl looking up at him as if he was the answer to all the questions in her head. He studied her for a moment.

She looks just like the others…except…he shuddered inwardly.

He sighed sadly and began telling her what he knew.

“My dear, I can only tell you so little. But I do warn you for what you are about to receive. Please, promise me that you’ll be strong…and cooperative,” he added after a moment.

Stefenie was bewildered at the strange words. Nevertheless, she did want to know.

“Alright. I promise.”

**************************

“What?!” exclaimed Stefenie. She could hardly believe her ears.

“Yes, I’m afraid it’s true. You were found unconscious near the Forbidden Forest along with many others.”

“Others?”

“Other girls. You, were the only one alive.”

Stefenie shivered at the sudden chill in the room.

“How did they look like, these other girls?” she asked quietly.

Dumbledore peered hard at her. Reaching out his hand towards her bedside, he picked up a hand-mirror and held it out to her.

Stefenie furrowed her brow in confusion.

“You’ll understand soon enough my dear,” Dumbledore said, answering her silent question. “Look at yourself in the mirror. I doubt you even know what you look like,” he said gently.

Stefenie’s eyes widened in surprise as she realized the truth of his words. I really don’t know what I look like. Grasping the handle of the mirror, she raised it cautiously to her face. The sense of unfamiliarity grew stronger and stronger inside of her as she continued to study the face staring back at her from the mirror.

Dumbledore sat quietly on the edge of Stefenie’s bed, waiting patiently for her to satisfy her curiosity. When she finally looked up at him, he said in a low tone, “The other girls looked very much like you. Except that their bodies were very horribly…” he searched for the right word, “…mutated,” he finished weakly.

The room was filled with deathly silence.

Stefenie stared at Professor Dumbledore, her eyes round with fright. She swallowed the bitter bile that rose in her throat and licked her suddenly dry lips. “Who did this?” she whispered hoarsely. Dumbledore stiffened and looked away, “We don’t know.” Blinking in confusion, Stefenie wasn’t sure that Professor Dumbledore was telling the truth. Suddenly a bigger question rose in her head, pushing away all other thoughts.

“How come I survived? Why wasn’t I…hurt like them?” Stefenie asked aloud. Looking back at her, Dumbledore answered, “I don’t know.” Frustration gnawed at Stefenie and she asked exasperatedly, “What do you know?!”

Calmly he said, “All I know is someone out there tortured and killed those girls and somehow by some miraculous happening, you survived. Then, all of you were left near the Forbidden Forest, each of you draped with a black robe. And from what I’ve found out, all the girls, including you, are orphans and they are all muggles.”

Stefenie’s mind spun. “Muggles?” she asked bewilderedly. “I’m an orphan??” she added to herself.

Dumbledore sighed. “Yes, muggles. Human beings who don’t possess magical powers. Muggles.”

“Magical powers?! That’s insane! You’re crazy! This is absurd!”

“And how would you know, Miss Courdo? You’ve lost your memory.”

Stefenie stopped with a painful jerk. She stared at Professor Dumbledore in disbelief, hurt beyond words. He’s right…she mused...I’ve lost everything. And I’ve awakened to this...this...nightmare. Hot tears welled up in her eyes once more.

Seeing her obvious pain, Dumbledore immediately regretted his harsh words. Patting her hand to comfort her, he said gently, “Forgive me, my dear. I know this is hard for you.” Suddenly ashamed of herself, Stefenie blinked back her tears and nodded her head.

“What am I to do now? Where am I to go?” she asked him worriedly.

Dumbledore frowned. “Miss Courdo, your life, I presume, is in grave danger right now. If the…murderer finds out that you are still alive…”

Stefenie held her breath in an attempt to quell the panicky feeling rising from the pit of her belly.

“…perhaps it would be better for you to remain here in Hogwarts, under a disguise, under my protection. You will be safe here, I promise you,” Dumbledore said firmly.

Stefenie let out her breath in a whoosh of relief.

“Wait. A disguise? How on earth am I suppose to handle that without getting found out? I mean, a wig could come off if somebody yanked it from my head…or…or…”

“I meant that you will be provided with a background. A story of your past. A family. A safe place to stay during the holidays. No physical changes will be done.”

“But, what for? I mean, why not just tell them the truth?”

Dumbledore stared hard at her, making her squirm in her bed uncomfortably. “Because, Miss Courdo,” Dumbledore said quietly, “the truth will spread unnecessary panic and furthermore, endanger your life. Now, a good friend of mine is going to help prepare you to become a student here at Hogwarts. Do not worry. You can trust him. His name is Hagrid and...”

“Wait! Hold on a sec! What do you mean a student?? I’m a…a…”

“Muggle?” Dumbledore suggested helpfully.

“Yes! Muggle! I have no magical powers what so ever and…and…how can I be a student here?? I thought you were going to put me as your new secretary or…or…janitor or something! Not student! Everyone will know immediately that something is amiss!”

“Miss Courdo, correct me if I am wrong, but I have never once told you that you are a muggle.”

Stefenie stared at him in disbelief. “But...but…you said…”

“I said that the rest of the girls are muggles. You, were once a muggle yourself. But I have found out otherwise. You will know for yourself soon enough. Believe me. There is magic in your blood.”

This is absolutely insane. Stefenie thought to herself.

Ignoring the I-think-you’re-crazy expression on her face, Dumbledore continued on, “As I was saying…”

*******************************

He paced around his luxurious bedroom nervously, clad only in a pair of black silk drawstring trousers. His muscles were taut with anxiety, his nerves drawn like a tight bowstring, about to snap at any moment. His mind was in a whirl trying to figure out why he was so disturbed.

And the sleeping form in his bed wasn’t helping. He He groaned with frustration and slammed his fist down on the writing desk, rattling everything sitting on the beautiful mahogany table. The girl in his bed stirred slowly. She was used to his tempers anyway. She sat up slowly, not bothering to cover her nakedness. God knows he’s seen everything anyway. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and yawned.

“Draco?” Silence. “Draco, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Well, something must be bothering you. You’ve been acting weird ever since we came back to Hogwarts. What is the matter?”

Silence.

She sighed wearily. “Draco, please talk to me. You don’t open up anymore. I’m worried about you.”

More silence.

“Merlin, this is really unfair. You know that I--”

“Go back to sleep, Ginny,” his tone harsh.

She burst.

“Oh! So it’s like that now is it? ‘Go back to sleep Ginny’,” she mocked him, “how old do you think I am?! Six?! I’m not a boneless slug who would follow your every command Draco! I’m not one of your whores! I’m your girlfriend for Merlin’s sake! A few months ago you trusted me! You loved me enough to trust me! You stood up to Harry just to be with me! And now…now…you won’t even talk to me! I’m worried sick about you! And you don’t give a damn! Who am I to you Draco?! Your fuck buddy?!” she exploded.

She bit her trembling lip, brushing her tears away angrily. A deafening silence followed.

“Draco? Say something,” she ventured shakily.

He whirled around to face her, his eyes void of any expression. Draco looked innyinny, her mass of fiery red curls tumbling around her shoulders, her round eyes full of tears, her lips bruised from his kisses…he narrowed his eyes in anger.

“Draco?” came her frightened whisper.

He hardened his mouth into a thin line, suddenly furious. Not at Ginny. At himself. And the world he was born into. He stalked angrily towards the bed in long strides. Ginny shrank back against the pillows in fear. She has never seen him so angry before.

He stood over her, looking down at her, a queer unpleasant look in his eyes. He raised his hand.

Ginny’s eyes widened in panic and she flinched. Instinctively, her hands grasped the sheets and tugged it up to protect herself. Surely he won’t…he wouldn’t…he would never…

His hand froze in mid-air. His tone was sad, quiet. “I wasn’t going to hit you, Ginny.” He gently touched her cheek with his fingers, caressing the soft skin. “I would never hit you.”

Letting his hand drop to his side, he turned away and snatched up a black shirt lying on the ground. He buttoned it quickly, walking towards the door.

“Draco?” her tone was soft, pleading. “Where are you going?”

Silence.

He laced on his shoes and plucked his robe from the back of his chair.

“Don’t go. Please. We don’t have classes today and I thought…Draco?”

He fastened the silver dragon clasps of his robe and straightened up, his back to Ginny.

“Draco, I…I love you.”

He turned his head slightly as if listening to Ginny. A tense minute passed.

And he was gone in a swirl of black robes.

Ginny stared at the empty space where he was only seconds ago, disbelief and denial overwhelming her. She fell back onto the pillows, blinking rapidly. Finally, she buried her head into a soft pillow.

“You idiot,” she mumbled into the pillow, not entirely sure to whom it was directed to- Draco or herself.