Chapter 2 - Tuesday morning
The next morning, Hermione gave her appearance one last glance in the mirror. She felt different. Different wasn't necessarily bad, but it wasn't necessarily good either. She had mixed feelings about her new hairstyle. On the one hand, she felt more exposed since her features were no longer overshadowed by an uncontrollable mess of curls.
On the other hand…
Tentatively, she ran her fingers through her hair. It was nice to be able to do so without them getting caught in a snag. Her hair was easily brushed. She experimentally put her hair in a messy bun, a ponytail and a braid, and easily undid each hairstyle with minimal effort and no pain. She decided that she liked it. Ginny had done her homework. The waves would take some getting used to, but she could certainly appreciate her hair not being a constant source of aggravation anymore.
Last night, after rinsing the potion out and drying her hair, happy with the lack of frizzy poof that drying spells normally resulted in, Ginny had dragged her down to the common room. To her embarrassment and Ginny's delight, everyone complimented her. Even Ron had something nice to say, and he would usually be the one to let something insensitive come out of his mouth at a time like this. Maybe Lavender really was good for him.
"It's different, but it suits you."
Hermione jumped and whirled around to see Lavender appraising her hair critically. She hadn't realized that she wasn't the only one in the girls' bathroom.
"It's much lower maintenance than what you had before. With some work, you could have shaped ringlet curls out of your hair to get it under control, but the waves will be easier to manage. It looks good."
"Thanks," she said, as she studied Lavender warily. "You would be honest, wouldn't you? You wouldn't hold back if it really didn't look good." Hermione smiled, trying to joke and ease her guilt from the way she had been treating her this past year. "In fact, you might even enjoy telling me so."
Lavender smiled in return. "Actually, I was trying to be nice, but I was also being honest. How did you manage it? I've never seen you put any effort into your hair."
Hermione explained Ginny's birthday present and Lavender nodded in understanding. She wondered if Ginny had spoken to Lavender as well about them getting along. Things had been tense between the two of them for awhile now because of her past history with Ron. Hermione took the conversation as an olive branch and decided to extend one of her own.
"I'm heading down to breakfast now, want to come with me?"
"Sure, just hold on a minute." Lavender approached one of the mirrors above the sinks and began to primp her long, blond hair, muttering charms with practiced ease while her hair flattened, curled and poofed out at various places that her wand touched.
"It really is a talent, isn't it?" Hermione mused, thinking that there were more valuable talents than hairstyling. But she told Ginny she'd make an effort. Hermione briefly wondered if their relationship would have been better if she would have asked Lavender to teach her to style her unruly curls.
She grinned at the praise. "Thanks." She applied some lip gloss and held the tube out to Hermione. "It'll make your lips seem fuller… sexier." She raised an eyebrow suggestively.
"Ha." Hermione laughed lightly and took the tube. "That's me. Sexy."
She imitated Lavender in applying the gloss and smacked her lips together. Lavender giggled and Hermione smiled at her.
Gross.
The lip gloss was sticky and tasted like cherry. It was vile. She'd wipe it off when Lavender wasn't looking. For now, she kept the smile on her face, hoping to mask her distaste. She didn't want this newfound easing of hostilities between them to end. She promised Ginny, and she wanted to atone for being so unfair to Lavender.
"Shall we?" Hermione asked.
"We shall."
And so, the two girls headed down out of Gryffindor Tower to the Great Hall.
As they entered, Hermione could see Harry already sitting at their house table. He glanced up suspiciously at the two girls as they entered, wary of another tense meal together. However, as they seemed relatively at ease with each other, Harry relaxed. Hermione sat across from Harry and next to Lavender. Ginny bounced across the room, pecked Harry on the cheek, and sat next to him.
"Your hair looks amazing Hermione," Ginny said with mock admiration in her voice. "Tell me, who suggested you make your hair wavy like that?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "You did."
"And how long did it take you to do your hair this morning?" She cocked her head, as if she truly didn't know the answer to her question, down to the last second.
Hermione blew out a breath of air. "No time at all," she ground out. "I just brushed it."
"Fascinating." She turned to Harry. "Harry, don't you think that Hermione looks much better now that we can actually see her pretty face?" She turned back and smiled innocently at Hermione, batting her eyelashes and thoroughly enjoying herself.
"Uhh… yes?" Harry answered warily, not sure which answer would be least likely to backfire on him.
"Oh, quit your gloating, Ginny. You were right, I was wrong. Are you happy?"
"Quite!"
Lavender and Harry sniggered while Hermione grumbled, reaching for a piece of toast. Really, she didn't know why she hung out with this lot anymore. She buttered her toast as Ginny and Harry began to discuss the upcoming Quidditch match.
Surprisingly, Lavender looked as disinterested as Hermione was in the conversation. She didn't realize that was something they had in common. She had assumed Lavender was just another Quidditch groupie, hanging on to Ron's every word. Maybe she was just… a supportive girlfriend? Wouldn't Hermione want a boyfriend to be supportive of her hobbies and activities even if he wasn't interested?
She really did need to question her preconceived notions about Lavender. However, her recent revelation didn't help to alleviate the silent awkwardness between them right now. Despite the commonality of being completely uninterested in Quidditch, they didn't have much to say to each other. Suddenly, Lavender perked up and waved to Padma, who was approaching their table with Anthony Goldstein, the other Ravenclaw Prefect, and Blaise Zabini, the Head Boy. Both of them were happy for the chance to break the silence.
"Hi, Hermione, Lavender" Padma greeted them, giving Lavender a small wave and turned with purpose to Hermione. "We wanted to talk with you about the Ancient Runes project due next month."
"Yeah," Anthony said, "We're having trouble explaining why Gaussius interpreted the East Balkan scroll to mean that war would cleanse the mountain regions there."
Blaise continued, "If I didn't know better, I'd think that Gaussius was making a mistake. We're all stuck, Draco didn't understand it either."
Hermione nodded excitedly. "I know what you mean. It's Gaussius!" She heard Harry mutter something that sounded suspiciously like "Nerds" to Ginny and Lavender followed by barely concealed sniggering. "It just doesn't make sense however you look at it. Maybe we could meet Friday afternoon, I've got a free period then and we could continue on until the evening."
"Sounds good." Anthony clapped her on the back, a little bit too hard, and she pitched forward slightly, jostling her plate of eggs. "See you in Arithmancy."
"Right," she waved as they walked back to their respective tables.
Hermione smiled to herself. She enjoyed the rare occasions that she collaborated with the students in the other houses on schoolwork.
"Good morning, love." Ron took Lavender's hand as he sat down across from her. "You look beautiful today."
"Thanks, Won-Won."
Hermione didn't roll her eyes. She didn't. She was pretty sure at least. Well, maybe a little but it was most certainly not a full blown eye roll. Partial.
She looked up to see Ginny's blue eyes crinkling in amusement at her.
Ron busied himself in collecting toast, a scone, jam, butter, eggs, sausage and kippers. Lavender eyed the growing pile on his plate with thinly veiled disgust. Hermione was also grossed out on occasion by the amount Ron was capable of eating. Something else she and Lavender had in common.
"So," Lavender asked. "You three have Quidditch practice this afternoon?"
After shoveling some eggs in his mouth Ron suddenly coughed and squeaked out, "Yes!"
Harry quirked an eyebrow at him. "You alright there, mate?"
Ron swallowed his eggs and shifted in his seat uncomfortably.
"Just fine," he answered, regaining control over his voice. He gave a seductive glance at Lavender and Hermione noticed a blush slowly creeping up his neck.
"Are you sure?" Lavender asked him with innocent concern. "You look a bit peaky."
His ears turned bright red and his mouth opened slightly.
Hermione tried to ignore the exchange. She had seen Lavender's leg extended under the table and could guess what she was doing. Lavender wasn't exactly being subtle next to her.
She finished her toast while listening to Harry and Ginny talk about Quidditch, pointedly not looking at Ron and Lavender although she could hear his suppressed gasps and her giggles. She reached for the saltshaker in front of Ron to sprinkle on her omelet. The house-elves never used enough salt. Not that they could be blamed for that, of course. They had so many people to please!
"You think you'll be okay for practice?" Harry asked Ron as he turned back to his food. After chewing and studying Ron's reddened complexion a bit, he added, "You don't look well. Don't get sick, we need you for the game this weekend. Hey, Hermione, pass the salt, will you?"
Hermione handed the shaker to Harry but nothing came out when he sprinkled it on his eggs.
"Blimey, Hermione, you're like a cow at a salt-lick. How much did you use?" He looked around. "Is there another shaker on the table?
Hermione munched on her eggs and furrowed her brows. "That's odd, there was plenty when I used it."
Harry spotted one. "Accio saltshaker."
Another saltshaker came whizzing down the table, knocking over Hermione's orange juice, and he caught it.
"Aak! Harry!" with reflexes honed in battle, she quickly siphoned all the spilled juice away with her wand before it dribbled onto her clothes. He smiled sheepishly at her. "Sorry." She glared at him.
Ginny reached across Harry to put her hand on Ron's forehead. "You are a little hot."
Ron gasped and looked at Lavender, his face flaming, her face full of innocent concern. "I'm okay," he rasped to Ginny. "Really!"
Ginny wasn't convinced. "You don't sound it."
The five talked about their classes and the impending double Potions class they had with the Slytherins during fifth and sixth period. Two days in a row. Ginny taunted Harry and Ron as she knew how they suffered under Snape. Ron continued to look more and more uncomfortable as he shifted and slouched in his seat, giving out grunts in reply and vague monosyllabic answers. Hermione tried to keep her eyes on her food. Lavender smiled sweetly at Ron, appearing completely oblivious to the effect her foot was having on him.
Feeling irritated at being forced to study what was left of her omelet and trying to look anywhere but Ron, whose sexual agitation was starting to make her uncomfortable, if not a bit sexually frustrated herself, Hermione's eyes floated over the various house tables and landed on the other side of the room. There, she saw the blond head of Draco Malfoy. He was leaning back against the wall by the Slytherin table as if he owned the place.
Pansy Parkinson leaned into him with a simpering smile. His arms were crossed and his tie was loosened. She could see him conversing with a few older Slytherins sitting near him down at the table. Unlacing his arms, he pushed himself off the wall and sat down where the other seventh years parted for him. Although he and his family had been Death Eaters, they had managed to turn sides right before the end of the war last summer, working with the Order to find and destroy the last of the Horcruxes and to bring Voldemort down. Somehow, they had come out of the whole mess on top, like the last war.
Hermione shook her head, thinking about how Lucius Malfoy had tried to kill them at the Department of Mysteries two years ago. If someone asked her, the Malfoys were given more credit than what was due, but no one asked her. She could understand Narcissa and Draco being forgiven for their roles in the war due to the abject terror they had lived with the past two years. And Draco was still a minor then, threatened with his family's lives. But it's not as if they were spies throughout the war like Snape. They didn't deserve to go back to their lives as if nothing had happened and Lucius certainly deserved to go back into Azkaban instead of pulling strings at the Ministry like he used to do.
Those Malfoys were nothing if not cunning, manipulative sons of… she thought as she studied Malfoy a bit more... and very attractive.
She furrowed her brows. Gone was the gaunt and haunted look from last year when he was assigned to kill Dumbledore. Living without fear, life returning to normalcy and getting involved in Quidditch again had brought him a lean, muscular physique. His chin length hair looked soft as he carelessly ran a hand through it. His face was contoured and masculine. She wondered what his skin felt like. Whether it would be cool to the touch, or warm.
Hermione lost track of how long she had been staring at him when she suddenly realized that he was staring right back at her. A nervous tightening slowly spread in her stomach as his grey eyes pierced hers. She had never really looked at Malfoy for an extended period of time - not if she could help it, and certainly not directly into his eyes like this. They usually ignored each other. He saved his barbs and snide remarks for Harry or Ron, they seemed to enjoy baiting each other. She tended to stay out of their pissing contests and was pleasantly surprised to see that she was left alone in return.
But this? This was strange and new and intimate. His grey eyes promised something sensual and dirty and she wanted it. She wanted him.
She felt hot and her cheeks flushed involuntarily, but she couldn't look away. The tightness in her stomach spread lower and she rubbed her legs together to relieve the building tension. Her sexual frustration increased as she heard Ron's occasional grunts to Harry's comments and his sighs in the background, causing her to imagine Malfoy making those noises.
The longer she looked into Malfoy's eyes, the more she felt she was treading into unknown territory. She felt increasingly warm and nervous and… was she getting wet? His grey eyes bored into hers and she felt herself breathing heavily, as images flashed of him moaning and sighing in pleasure. She imagined his eyes locking onto hers, forbidding her from looking away, as he slowly entered her from above. Her mouth went dry and her lips parted.
Oh. Her knickers were most definitely wet. She wanted to feel his body. She wanted him on top of her and to stare at her like he was doing right now. She wanted him inside her. She wanted him inside her now.
Malfoy slowly rested his arms on the table, and leaned forward. "Mudblood," he mouthed, and sneered, breaking the spell.
Faking nonchalance, she rolled her eyes, flicked her hair and turned away as if nothing had happened. She was a little surprised, he hadn't used that term for a couple years and had given no indication that he held onto previous prejudices. She was just another classmate as far as he was concerned. But she couldn't get rid of the desire within her. It was so sudden .
"Don't you think, Hermione? Hermione, are you listening?" Harry asked, pulling her away from her thoughts.
"Pardon? I'm sorry, Harry. I got distracted."
"Don't you think that Ron should see Madam Pomfrey?" He turned back to Ron. "Just have her check you out quick. I don't want you missing practice and definitely not the game."
"Aaahhh, sure. Sure, Harry. I'll go."
"I'll take you down," Lavender offered Ron with a sensual smile.
I'm sure you will, Hermione thought to herself.
She sneaked a peek at Malfoy's lean, muscular frame as he rose to leave. Letting out a long breath, she watched him stretch his limbs as he donned his robes and straightened his tie before heading off to class.
When did he become so desirable?
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Hermione passed through History of Magic and Care of Magical Creatures in a daze and was quite disturbed to find that she couldn't stop thinking about Malfoy or his grey eyes. Even less welcome were the images that kept playing through her mind of him sweaty, naked, and pressed against her body. She didn't understand what was wrong her. Sure, Malfoy was attractive, she could admit to that. Lots of blokes were attractive. So were Bill and Charlie Weasley, so was Dean Thomas, and she did fantasize about them every so often. But she didn't find herself obsessively thinking about them all the time. Not so intensely. Not so suddenly.
She never even obsessed over Ron like this when she had once hoped that the two of them might become an item instead of an awkward source of comfort during a war they were uncertain about winning. And she genuinely loved Ron. Malfoy, she couldn't stand. With irritation, she noticed that her notebook was full of incoherent phrases. She couldn't concentrate on her classes, and found that the tightness within her would not go away. If anything, it seemed to be getting worse and her fantasies more frequent.
Hermione walked back inside the castle from Care of Magical Creatures, lagging behind Harry, Ron and Lavender. Her next class was Arithmancy, which she had with Malfoy. She was so nervous about seeing him again she felt she might vomit. She wished she didn't have any classes with him. But still, she couldn't wait to see him and get closer to him.
This was so pathetic.
As she approached the classroom, she peeked inside to see if he arrived. Not yet, she exhaled in anticipation, wondering what to do next. She walked to the other side of the corridor pretending to organize her things as Malfoy sauntered around the corner with Blaise Zabini and entered the classroom.
Only seven students dared to take the NEWT level Arithmancy class, so most of the chairs were usually unoccupied. They were the same seven students that took NEWT level Ancient Runes. Three Ravenclaws, two Slytherins, one Hufflepuff, and one Gryffindor. Hermione waited until Malfoy sat down. Hoping to watch him without calling attention to her actions, she took a seat one row behind him and two chairs to his right. He took his quill, ink and parchment out of his satchel in preparation for class and didn't notice her.
Good.
…and bad.
She wanted him to notice her. She wanted him to look at her like he did in the Great Hall.
She sighed, disappointed in her ridiculous behavior. She thought herself above the frivolities of brainless teenagers. But these were just normal hormone driven thoughts. She still was a teenager, after all. Maybe she needed a good snog; it had been a while since she had done anything remotely sexual. Or maybe she was just more turned on by Ron getting off by Lavender's ministrations than she cared to admit?
Did that make her a voyeur? But then, why the sudden attraction to Malfoy? What did he have to do with any of it?
Professor Vector came in and with a quick greeting to her students and continued to describe the quantification of magic intensity from where she had left off in the previous lecture. The furious scratching of quills across parchments sounded in the classroom, punctuated by the occasional tap from removing extra ink from the quill point on the inkwell. Hermione intended on taking notes, she really did. But Malfoy had pushed up the sleeves of his robes, baring his forearms. She could see his muscles flexing and tendons moving under his pale skin. The movement made his faded Dark Mark ripple as he wrote. His long fingers gently held his quill as he gracefully filled line after line of parchment with notes and diagrams, periodically looking up at Professor Vector, and down again to his notes.
She began to imagine his fingers on her body and her temperature increased. Where there was tightness, there was now heat. She squirmed in her seat and pulled her eyes to the front of the room and to the diagrams, which were magically suspended in mid-air.
Merlin! She hadn't written down a thing!
Professor Vector never checked to see if her students were paying attention, she knew they were all highly motivated and at the top of their year - there was no need. How embarrassing would it be if Hermione was caught daydreaming!
She furiously copied the diagrams before Professor Vector could take them down to make room for more, although she knew that her notes wouldn't be adequate enough to describe them. She would have to get today's notes from one of the Ravenclaws. That shouldn't be a problem. She lent out her notes to them whenever needed. And she could always catch up on today's lecture by reading over the chapter; it would just be a bit more difficult without the benefit of Vector's explanations.
Feeling a bit more relaxed in her ability to get caught up, she turned back to studying Malfoy. His frame was slightly hunched forward as he copied down his notes, and she studied the different angles of his body. He shifted his posture occasionally, which allowed her to see the changing contours of his limbs through his robes. He ran a hand through his chin length hair.
Oh, did she ever want to do that.
She would run her hands through his hair and grip the base of his neck. She imagined sliding her hands underneath his robes and feeling his chest. The warmth in her lower body intensified and she found herself heating up and becoming even more aroused.
She closed her eyes and licked her lips. It was awful and at the same time, it was wonderful. She had never felt an attraction this intense before. All the same, she couldn't continue like this. She had to get out of here. Certainly, something unusual had happened to her; this wasn't normal behavior, even for sex-obsessed teenagers.
Her head snapped up. That was it! She must have been cursed! Why else would she suddenly be so taken with Malfoy that she couldn't concentrate on anything else?
She stared and contemplated him. Did he do it? He certainly wasn't acting any different than usual. If he had cursed her, wouldn't he be taunting her by now? No, it wasn't him.
Of course, turning back to look at him was a mistake. Her eyes were drawn to the side of his head and at his brow furrowed in concentration. She lowered her gaze to his defined jaw, which clenched and unclenched with the rhythm of his writing, and then to his plump lips.
She could kiss those lips. She really, truly, deeply wanted to kiss those lips. She bit her own at the thought, closed her eyes and let out a small groan. The room went silent and everyone turned around.
Bollocks!
Wide eyed, she looked up at Professor Vector, purposefully avoiding Malfoy's gaze, staring at her with curiosity. She could actually feel his eyes on her and she clenched her thighs knowing she was the object of his piercing grey eyes.
She was cursed. No doubt about it. There was nothing natural about any of this.
"Are you alright, Miss Granger?" Professor Vector asked.
Not wanting to pass up such a perfect opportunity, she lied. "Actually no, my stomach has been bothering me all morning. Could I go see Madam Pomfrey?"
"Of course, and will someone please give Miss Granger their notes for this class afterwards?" The professor was already turning back to the blackboard to continue the lesson. "Feel better," she called over her shoulder.
Hermione quickly gathered her things and rushed out of the classroom without meeting anybody's eyes.
Thank Merlin!
She couldn't stand being that close to him another minute! No matter, she thought as she walked down to the hospital wing. She'd get the antidote to whatever it was that she had been cursed with from Madam Pomfrey and everything would go back to normal. Then she would find out who did it, and hex the ever living shit out of them!
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Hermione entered Madam Pomfrey's office in a rush. The much older witch looked up from her paperwork and suddenly, she felt tongue-tied, and ashamed.
"Yes, dear?"
"Madam Pomfrey, I.. uh…"
She stopped and looked shyly at the older medi-witch. How was she going to explain this? Madam Pomfrey was the only staff member as old as Dumbledore had been, possibly older. She must have lived during the Victorian era. How would she explain this to someone who grew up in a time when table legs were supposed to be covered to prevent men from having carnal thoughts of women's legs?
Madam Pomfrey gazed back patiently at her.
Hermione took a steadying breath. She could do this. She's faced Death Eaters and pieces of Voldemort's soul. What was a conversation about sex with the school nurse in comparison? "Madam Pomfrey, I think I've been cursed."
Her eyebrows rose as she looked Hermione up and down. "Oh?"
"Just this morning, I found that I was having very… um… indecent thoughts about someone." She blushed, but hurriedly continued before she lost her nerve. "Someone that I don't like at all, really. And I can't concentrate on my work, I can't concentrate in class, I can't concentrate on anything. All I do is stare at this person when he's around and think about…." She stared at her feet. She had to keep talking. "Those things… with him… and when he's not around, it's the same. And I get very hot and flushed because all I can think about is…" She blushed again, hoping that Madam Pomfrey would understand and not judge her too harshly. "….is that. With him."
Madam Pomfrey nodded sagely, an understanding smile quirking on her lips. "Well, Miss Granger, I don't think that you are cursed. You're a young woman, and while I do encourage abstinence, I'm not so naïve as to be oblivious to what hormone driven teenagers do at Hogwarts."
"But you don't understand! It's getting in the way of my ability to study." Her eyes widened. "That's it! Someone cursed me to sabotage my place at the top of the class!"
Madam Pomfrey chuckled at her. "Miss Granger, this is all perfectly normal. Why do you think we have dress codes here? How easy would it be for students to concentrate in class if everyone attended dressed in inappropriate attire?"
"But he's dressed appropriately!" she argued, although she absolutely wished that he weren't. "And you don't understand - he's… he's a complete and utter prat. I don't like him! I don't want to be attracted to him or think about him in this way. And it just happened so…so... suddenly! Nothing happens that fast! It has to be a curse."
Madam Pomfrey gave her a knowing smile and Hermione's blood boiled. She didn't believe her!
"Of course, Miss Granger. And yet you are attracted to him. It seems you have a very active imagination; a quality that's helped you excel in your studies and find the Horcruxes, I'm sure. But now, your imagination is hindering your studies rather than helping them. If I might suggest to you something that is more common with boys to get them through the day? Some… relief?"
"Relief? What do you -oh!" Her face blanched as her anger quickly diffused into embarrassment. She stared at her feet. Was she really having this conversation with Madam Pomfrey of all people? She'd prefer facing Death Eaters again.
Madam Pomfrey continued. "Now, don't be embarrassed, dear. It's perfectly natural. In fact, if you know how to relieve yourself, you'll be better equipped to tell a future partner how to give you that same relief."
This was humiliating. She had to get out of here. She'd much prefer to have this conversation with her mum, or Ginny, if she was going to have it at all. But it did make sense, maybe she just needed to masturbate and relieve her tension. She'd never tried it before, but the idea was becoming more and more appealing.
"If you are unsure as to how to go about relieving yourself, I have these explanatory diagrams –"
"No, no! Please! That won't be necessary!" She would rather sing opera in front of the entirety of Hogwarts than be told how to masturbate by Madam Pomfrey. Ron had essentially done it for her in the past, she didn't need to be told how.
"Yes, well, I know the subject can be embarrassing, but I ensure you it's completely healthy and will only enhance your future relationships. Some people enjoy watching their partners –"
"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey," Hermione interrupted. This conversation had to end now. "You really have given me good advice, it's just a bit more that I wanted to hear, no offense."
Madam Pomfrey smiled. "None taken."
As Hermione turned to rush out of the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey called after her. "Oh, Miss Granger, one more thing." Madam Pomfrey whisked her wand and a series of pamphlets sailed through the air and landed into Hermione's hands.
Hermione skimmed over the titles: Abstinence: is it the right choice for you?, Safe sex: A guide to contraceptive spells and potions, Masturbation: a guide for witches. All of the pamphlets were complete with explicit, moving, and extremely detailed diagrams.
Mouth agape, she looked up at Madam Pomfrey, her blush back in full force, and ran out of the infirmary.
Madam Pomfrey shook her head and tsked. "Teenagers these days are such prudes."
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Hermione ran to her dorm room.
Relief! Masturbation! Of course!
That's what she would have to do. She wished that she would have thought of it herself without having to go through that embarrassing conversation with Madam Pomfrey. The memory alone made her shudder.
Well really, it was her fault for not considering the obvious. Being involved with Harry and Ron on all of their adventures made her extra paranoid. A curse! How silly! She raced up the stairs to the girls' dormitories of Gryffindor Tower, pushed open the door to the seventh years' bedroom, threw her bag and books to the side of her bed, collapsed on the mattress and drew the curtains around her.
Everyone would be at lunch now, but it was always best to take precautions. She cast a Silencing Charm around her bed and took off her robes. Glancing at the hand-outs, she decided she wouldn't be caught dead with Madam Pomfrey's informational pamphlets. She incinerated the one on abstinence (it's not like she was going to have sex with Malfoy anyway) and did the same with the pamphlet on masturbation. She was hot, wet, and pulsing down there. She'd have no problem finding the right spot. Ron had certainly found it and it was her body. The last one regarding contraceptive spells and potions, she placed in her drawer underneath a collection of various items so that it wouldn't be seen. They would come in handy one day, maybe just not during her time at Hogwarts. She couldn't imagine doing it with anyone except Malfoy right now and that wasn't going to happen for obvious reasons.
Impatient to feel normal once again, Hermione laid back on her pillow, hitched up her skirt, shoved her hand down her knickers and closed her eyes, thinking of Malfoy's piercing greys.
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Blaise leaned over to speak to Draco at lunch. "Did you see Granger checking you out in Arithmancy today?"
Draco choked on his chicken. Blaise slapped him on his back several times. After regaining the ability to breathe, he turned to Blaise and cracked a smile. "You had me there."
"I'm not kidding. She was so busy staring at you that she didn't realize I'd noticed. From the look of her, it wasn't magical quantification she was thinking about. She wasn't taking notes either."
"Can we not talk about this? I'd like to finish eating. Prissy swots aren't my thing."
"Why not?" Blaise gave him a lecherous look. "She's not ugly. I wouldn't kick her out of my bed."
Draco rounded on his friend and lowered his voice. "Blaise, I said shut it."
"Okay, okay." He raised his hands and backed off.
Draco turned back to his meal and stabbed his chicken. When Blaise was otherwise engaged, he chanced a quick glance at the Gryffindor table. Granger wasn't there. He returned his gaze back down to his food before Blaise could see him looking.
She had been staring at him this morning. He was surprised at how clearly he could see her facial features with her hair out of the way. Locking eyes with her earlier had made him feel uncomfortable, and he had ended it the best way he knew how.
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Hermione saw the tall forms of Ron, Lavender, and Harry heading down to the dungeons and she ran to catch up with them. She poked Harry in the side, causing him to yelp and whirl around.
"What happened to constant vigilance?" she teased.
"Hey, we saved you a sandwich and some crisps." Harry passed her a bagged lunch and she took it. "Were you at the library again?"
"Thanks, Harry." Relieved for yet another easy excuse presented to her, she nodded. "You know, NEWTs and Head Girl duties have me working overtime."
There was no way she'd tell them what she had been doing during lunch period. During all of lunch period. She had orgasmed five times to images of a naked Draco Malfoy playing through her head. He took her on top, from behind, from the side, and lastly, she rode him until they both were screaming. She was a sweaty mess before she rushed to take a quick shower and dry her hair.
She was so relieved that she had gotten rid of that sexual tension and felt she would be fully able to concentrate in class now. Even with the double Potions with the Slytherins. And she'd definitely need to be concentrating in Potions. She'd just have to avoid looking at him.
"It's the least we can do with all the help you give us with homework. We need to keep our source of brainpower fed." Harry put a strong arm around her tiny frame, squeezed her towards him and tussled her hair.
"Quit it!" She smiled up at him. "You two are both bright, you just don't apply yourselves, and have trouble paying attention in class."
"Do we ever," answered Ron. "I drooled over all my notes in History of Magic this morning. Which reminds me - I'm going to need yours, Hermione."
"Oh," she said, embarrassed. "My notes aren't so good today, otherwise I would give them to you. I wasn't paying attention myself actually. Fine time to give you two a lecture, huh."
"You can take my notes," Lavender offered. "They're well organized."
"Thanks, love." Ron nuzzled her ear.
Hermione held back a snort, not wanting to insult her. She would not be getting her notes from Lavender—that was for sure. She could be nice and accepting but she had standards. They approached the door to the Potions classroom and she stopped, closed her eyes and counted to ten. She just had to avoid looking at him.
They went to their usual tables, Harry and Ron together, Lavender and Parvati, Hermione and Neville. She kept her eyes focused downward, forcefully avoiding Malfoy's direction where he was paired with Crabbe. She'd look at her table all class.
My, there were a lot of ridges and scratches in the wood. Maybe she could count them. One, two, three…
Snape entered with a flourish of his robes and began describing the potion that they would be making. "The instructions are on page 158 of your textbooks. Failure to produce satisfactory results will result in a three foot essay on the effects of poorly made Mandrake draughts."
When no one made a move, he added in a voice filled with irritation, "If you want to finish on time I suggest you start today. I have some papers to go over and do not wish to be disturbed. Seventh years at Hogwarts should have enough self-reliance to make a decent draught. By. Themselves."
He entered his office and shut the door. He must have been angry about the lack of success yesterday.
Chairs squeaked and papers rustled as the room became a flurry of activity.
Hermione handed Neville the list that she had prepared last night. "I'll get the dry ingredients, Neville, you get the wet."
"Sure thing." And they both headed off to collect their respective ingredients.
Hermione headed over to the supplies closet with her tray to collect the items that she needed. Looking briefly at her list, she began to fill the various bowls. She was almost done when she felt a warm body close to her backside. A musky, male scent filled her nostrils as she inhaled, and she shivered. Hermione didn't even have to turn around; she knew it was him.
She closed her eyes and counted to three.
Just get your things and get out of here, don't look at him, she told herself.
She hurriedly scanned the shelves for Rockwurst root, conscious of the now familiar tightening in her lower belly and put a large piece into a glass receptacle. She could see his arms reaching out to grab ingredients from the corner of her eye and willed herself to look away, turn around, and make it back to her seat. But the damage was done. It was as if she hadn't masturbated at all and she was right back to the state she was in during Arithmancy.
She placed her tray on the table next to Neville's and they began to prepare the first ingredients. She looked over (Stop looking!) and saw Malfoy's arms with his sleeves rolled up, muscles flexing, chopping the root with Crabbe. He had such sexy hands and forearms. She thought of how they could stroke her, grope her, pinch her… spank her.
Where did that come from?
She had to concentrate. They had a potion to make. Neville was relying on her.
"Okay, Neville, first we have to –" Merlin, she felt hot. She rubbed her forehead. She was sweating! "– uh, dice the Rockwurst root. Here, I've got the knife. You get the rose water boiling."
She tried chopping but kept looking across the room at Malfoy, and ended up cutting her middle finger. "Ouch!" She put her finger in her mouth and sucked on it.
"Oh, be careful, Hermione, I'll do it." Neville took the knife from her and continued chopping the root. "Um, maybe you can adjust the temperature of the cauldron."
But Hermione wasn't listening. Her eyes were back on Malfoy.
He glanced up at her and she stared into his grey eyes, sucking the blood off of her finger. Her lower belly constricted and she felt her knickers get wet again. She couldn't help it. She loved his eyes, and they dropped to her mouth. As her tongue moved over her finger distractedly she imagined licking him. Licking all of him. She could see his eyes darken with heat as he watched the movements of her tongue. Or was she just imagining it? What would he taste like? Malfoy stared at Hermione while her tongue moved up the sides of her finger.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Draco's lips parted and he felt his cock twitch.
No. Fucking. Way.
Girls flirted with him all the time. His reputation as a reformed Death Eater had its perks. And while the flirtations were strangely exciting coming from Hermione, they couldn't be real. The way she was licking her finger with that sultry gaze of hers was too much. She was playing with him, and that came as a surprise since they had pretty much ignored each other in an unspoken truce. The Golden Trio must be bored now that Voldemort was dead, and were looking to get their kicks by messing with his head. Well, he wasn't falling for this shit.
Longbottom jostled her and she looked back, embarrassed, as if she didn't realize what she was doing. Draco continued to add ingredients as Crabbe stirred, but kept an eye on her.
"Did you see that?" Blaise asked him.
"See what?" answered Draco, although he knew exactly what Blaise was referring to.
"Granger. Sucking on her finger like she'd like nothing better than to have her mouth around your cock."
Draco ground his teeth, trying to will his erection away. "Yes, I did."
"And?"
"And what?" Draco gave Blaise an exasperated glare. "She's too obvious. It's a prank."
Blaise looked put out. "Yeah, you're probably right. But she's making me hard and I'm not even the one she's looking at."
"So if you want her so badly why don't you do something about it," Draco asked, irritated. "As Head Boy, you share a common room with her, you certainly have the opportunity." There was a long pause as they both studied Granger. She looked up at Draco again and flushed perceptibly.
"I think I will," Blaise countered. "But it looks like it's you she's all hot and bothered over."
"If you want to be ordered around in bed by some swotty bitch then go right ahead," Draco said, trying not to look at her.
Blaise gave him a smirk. "You make that sound like a bad thing."
Draco glanced back at Hermione. It wasn't a bad thing. It really wasn't. The thought of Hermione Granger bossing him around while he serviced her sexually was damn arousing. But he was barely ready to admit that to himself, let alone to Blaise. What did she think she was doing? Sucking her finger like it was his cock and then blushing. Playing the seductress or the embarrassed virgin? Whatever game she was playing, she was surprisingly good at it. He adjusted his trousers to make room for his erection that wouldn't go away.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Neville looked down at her, worried. "Hermione, are you alright? You look like you have a fever and it's not like you to not pay attention to our potion."
She wiped her brow again. She was so hot! Her knickers were wet, her nipples were hard, she was horny as hell, and she felt so frustrated. Would Snape excuse her so that she could go relieve herself in the bathroom? No, he wouldn't be as kind as Professor Vector.
"It is hot in here, isn't it? I'm sorry, Neville, I think I'm okay; I'm just not myself. How about we switch and you tell me what to do instead? I don't want to mess up our potion."
"I can try. But I don't think it will be as good."
"That's okay…" she groaned as she rubbed her thighs together.
Neville eyed her warily and then bent over the text and her notes, deep in thought.
She glanced at Malfoy again. Both he and Zabini were staring at her. Merlin, those eyes of his. All she could think about was him on top of her, thrusting into her, dominating her, taking her, claiming her. She was hot and itchy everywhere. Her head was swimming. She had to take off her robe. Dress codes be damned, she would pass out if she didn't.
Hermione quickly unfastened the front and put her robe over the back of her chair. She ran her hands through her sleek, shiny hair, extremely happy that it was no longer a frizzy mess. It was a little damp from sweat. She pinched a bit of fabric from her blouse and pulled it in and out quickly, creating a small fan of air on her neck and face, and wiped her neck with her sleeve. The tension and heat between her thighs was unbearable. She squirmed, and unable to help herself, rubbed her legs together again.
This was humiliating. She knew that Zabini and Malfoy were discussing her antics. They kept whispering to each other and looking at her. She met Malfoy's eyes once more and ran her tongue over her lips. His mouth was closed tight as he watched her intently. He didn't break eye contact with her like he had done previously at the Great Hall. The heat was unbearable. She wanted him. She couldn't help it, a small moan escaped.
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
He did want her. Badly.
He could deny it until his face turned blue but Blaise was having none of it. Certainly his anatomy wasn't currently aligning with the protestations of his brain. He knew what would happen, though. He'd attempt to follow up on her flirtations, and she'd leave him hanging so that her idiot friends could laugh at him. What else would explain her behavior? Surely she wasn't really this aroused in the middle of class. And by him of all people.
"Snape is going to give her shit as soon as he notices that her robe is off," Blaise commented. "If it's a joke on you, it's an awfully risky one. She's going to get in trouble as soon as he comes back."
Draco said nothing and continued to watch her. He tried to inconspicuously rub himself on the edge of the table to relieve some of the tension he was feeling.
"Look at her," Blaise pondered about Granger some more, and then he grinned maliciously. "There's no way you can fake that."
Draco's eyes narrowed at Blaise. "What?"
"I don't think it's a joke. At least, not one from her. Someone must have spiked her pumpkin juice, or something. She wouldn't be pulling a joke in a classroom where she'd risk getting detention and house points docked. Especially with Snape."
"Hmm, that does make sense," Draco commented as he watched her squirm and wipe her throat and chest area. He wouldn't mind licking her there. "Actually, that makes a lot of sense…"
Draco smirked devilishly at her. This was going to be fun.
He didn't notice that Pansy was eyeing the interactions between the two of them, looking both shocked and hurt.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
He was smiling at her! She shut her eyes and gripped the edge of the table. Lowering herself into a crouching position, she tried to breathe slowly. She inhaled and exhaled. Slowly… deeply… In and out, in and out, she thought to herself, but thoughts of Malfoy going in and out came to her… argh!
She was definitely cursed; this was not due to teenage hormones.
Neville looked worriedly over the table and down at her. "Hermione, I think you should go see Madam Pomfrey. You really do look sick."
Harry overheard. "Hermione's sick?" He walked over to their bench. "Let me see you." His strong arms easily lifted up her petite frame and he felt her forehead. "You've definitely got a fever, you're all red and sweaty. You know what," he looked over to Ron, "You look like you have what Ron had this morning."
Ron's head whipped around as his eyes met Hermione's. His jaw dropped and she flushed even more.
"What?" Harry asked, not used to being out of the loop. Neville stared at them, not understanding either.
"Uh, I wasn't exactly sick this morning, Harry. Lavender was… um…"
"Don't describe it, Ronald, I saw Lavender's little footsie game." She glanced over at Malfoy again and saw that his mouth spread into a predatory grin. She gasped as another wave of arousal passed through her, and shut her eyes.
"So you're… not sick?" Harry asked, confused.
"No, Harry, I'm not." She wished that was all it was. Harry's eyebrows went up as his figurative light bulb went on. He released her arms abruptly.
"You're…"
"I think someone's cursed me."
Ron looked at her with wide eyes and said a bit too loudly for discretion. "You think someone's cursed you so you'd be… randy?" A few heads snapped up, curious.
Harry and Ron turned to each other at once and started to laugh in loud guffaws.
Hermione picked up her Potions book and smacked the backs of her two friends as they doubled over, clutching their stomachs.
"It's… not… funny!" she breathlessly exclaimed between smacks of her textbook. This only made them laugh harder. Everyone was sniggering.
Snape overheard the commotion and came back from his office. He stared at the three icily. "Fifty points from Gryffindor for disrupting the class and disrupting me. Miss Granger, don your robes, this is a classroom. Ten more points for not adhering to school dress codes. If I have to come out of my office because of you three again, I'm taking another fifty and you'll all land in detention."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione, for their part, looked a great deal ashamed and went back to work immediately. Snape returned to his office, but the rest of the class was full of hushed whispers and suppressed laughs.
"I'm sorry, Neville. It just started this morning. I really am cursed, I just don't know what it is, or who did it. But that's why I can't concentrate," she pleaded.
Neville looked uncomfortable and put a bit more space in between them. "Uh, sure, Hermione." Neville started to say something, paused, shifted his feet, and spoke. "Is it a general…" He chose Ron's word, "randiness? Or, uh, is it directed towards one person?"
"It's just one person," Hermione said, as Neville froze like a deer in headlights. "Don't worry, Neville, it's not you."
He let out a slow breath and looked much more relaxed. "So who...?" he began, and then thought better of it. "Never mind, I'd rather not know."
"I'll have to go to the library to figure out what it is." Hmm, she struggled to think about something besides Malfoy. A potion? Charm? Something more complex?
"You just sit and try to relax," Neville assured her. "I'll finish the potion, okay? You always help me when I need it." He conjured a cup. "Aguamenti." The cup filled with water and he handed it to her.
Hermione smiled at him. "Thanks, Neville." She gulped the water, set the cup down on the table, and filled it again.
She looked back at Malfoy and was shocked to see that he had been watching her the whole time. He gave her that seductive half smirk of his, full of naughty promise. She began to pant and felt her chest heave.
His eyes pointedly moved southward to her breasts moving up and down, and she looked. Not wearing her robes anymore, her damp blouse was sticking to her body and mildly translucent. Her nipples were hardened under his scrutiny, and her breasts just ached to be touched. She rubbed her forearms over her nipples in order to ease their sensitivity, and tried to disguise the motion to that of rubbing her neck.
She looked back up at Malfoy. He grinned wickedly and leered at her damp chest again. Her lips parted and she tried to hold in a moan that threatened to escape. He knew exactly what she was doing but it didn't matter. Her arousal intensified. Was he just playing with her? Maybe he would have sex with her? Would he touch her at least? At this point, she was so desperate she knew she was willing to have sex with him. She rubbed her legs together at that thought. God! Her core was throbbing. Her body was tingling. She was hot and she needed him. She pressed her hands between her thighs; she couldn't take it anymore.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Fucking. Hell.
Draco stared at Granger unbelievingly.
Someone had definitely messed with her libido. Whoever it was, he owed them big. Watching the petite Gryffindor getting hot and bothered gave him a feeling of power over her, which only added to his arousal. He'd have to corner her later before the effects of whatever had happened to her wore off. There was no way he was passing this opportunity up. He watched her press her hands to her nether region. She looked up at him again, gasping. He stared into her eyes and slowly ran his tongue over his teeth with a smile.
Immediately, her demeanor changed and she eyed him like a predator would her prey. With a growl, she lithely jumped over her table scattering a few ingredients on the floor, stalked over to his bench, muscled a gawking Crabbe out of the way with surprising strength, and pushed him down into his chair as she stared at him. The entire class stopped what they were doing for the second time that day. Jaws dropped.
Wasting no time, she straddled him and his eyes widened. He was surprised that this was happening now, but she was not unwelcome. How strong was this hex or potion she had been given? What was she going to do next? He let out a barely stifled groan as he felt the hot wetness between her legs rub over his erection, and she moaned loudly as she began to grind herself on him.
He looked at her lust filled hazel eyes. Was she really going to do this here? "Go ahead, Granger. I'm all yours." He put his hands behind his head and leaned back smugly, looking completely in control.
Hermione's eyes flashed in anger. She would have none of that; she needed him to touch her… NOW. She grabbed his tie and yanked his head forward. His eyes widened in shock.
"Touch me!" she commanded.
Everyone in the classroom was still too stunned to react, including Draco. Numbly, he placed his hands on her waist. She smacked him hard. His head fell to the side. Slowly, he turned back and stared up at her open mouthed, taken aback, and completely aroused.
"Not there, you little shit! Here!"
She placed his hands on her breasts and started rocking herself back and forth on his erection. He stared in wonder as he massaged her small breasts over her damp blouse. She sighed and moaned. He still couldn't believe this was happening.
She pulled him up by his tie and invaded his mouth with her tongue. Desire and warmth flooded through Draco. The classroom melted away and he reveled in the feel of Hermione Granger in his mouth, pressed against him, kissing him and writhing on him. She was fantastic.
He tried to regain control but she wouldn't let him. Her legs pinned him down as she wrapped her feet around his shins and to the chair. She continued to grind her core onto his erection, and he moaned. One hand of hers still held him by his tie, the other fisted his hair and roughly massaged his scalp. She had an iron grip on him with her legs, and he couldn't move from his seat. Warmth pulsed through him, as his tongue met hers and his head clouded with sensation.
She broke off the kiss, and they both gasped for breath and opened their eyes. Was this really happening? He was still in shock from having an extremely horny Hermione Granger getting herself off. On him. In the middle of Potions. He caught Potter's eye, who was just as much in shock as he was, and felt a surge of adrenaline. How much could he get away with before Snape came back in? He smiled darkly at Potter and massaged her breasts.
Hermione moaned and continued to rub herself on him. Oh, did that friction feel good. He grunted and tried to pull his head back, but her grip on his tie and hair was too tight. Her legs were wrapped around his and he couldn't really move from his chair. Damn, but she was strong! How did someone so small have him pinned?
Ron finally suddenly came to his senses. "Hermione, get off him! You don't know what you're doing!" he yelled, jolting Harry out of his shock.
They rushed over to Malfoy's table, shouting at her when she suddenly summoned Crabbe's wand and snarled.
"Incarcerous!" Ropes came out to bind the two of them together in the middle of the room. They struggled and fell to the ground, but couldn't get free.
"Neville!" Harry shouted, "Help her! She doesn't know what she's doing!"
All the yelling had brought a livid Snape out of his office. But Hermione was prepared.
"Stupefy!"
Snape fell to the ground just as he appeared in the doorway and the class gasped. Neville didn't move, and neither did anyone else. Draco looked at Hermione in fear. What had been done to her? She was clearly not in her right mind, and he felt the beginnings of terror as she looked down at him with lust-filled eyes. What the hell was she going to do to him?
"Keep touching me!" she growled at him.
He obeyed.
She cast a Shield Charm around them, which prevented anyone from getting close. Not that anyone had tried after watching her attack Harry, Ron, and Snape.
"Accio wands!" Everyone's wands came flying to her hands and she hurled them to the ceiling, where they remained stuck.
"Somebody, go get help!" Harry yelled.
Hermione's eyes flashed. The door slammed shut and locked and gags appeared around Harry and Ron's mouths. They gave muffled shouts.
She turned around to see Malfoy's surprise at her display of power; she gave him a wicked smile, leaning down to lick around his earlobe and down his neck. He shuddered at the contact, and felt a pulse from the trail of her tongue down to where she was rubbing herself on his groin. He gasped.
"You just worry about pleasing me," she whispered hotly into his ear. She was absolutely terrifying, but pleasing her was something he could do. Merlin, he wanted her.
Scary as it was, the absurdity of the situation was turning Draco on immensely. It was a fantasy come to life - he didn't actually expect to be fucking, or in this case, getting off against some girl in front of a full classroom of onlookers. Or to be doing it with Granger while Potty and the Weasel watched. They were lying on the ground, unsuccessfully trying to break their bonds and shout some sense into her through the gags. All the while giving Draco murderous glares.
He smirked at them, then slowly unbuttoned her blouse while they watched, pulled down the cup of her bra, and inserted her hardened nipple into his mouth. His eyes were on Potter and Weasley the whole time.
The whole class was watching. It was like a train wreck. They couldn't look away, and they were too scared to do anything. Unable to deny the nature of the situation, many of the students themselves started to become aroused. Some tried to avert their eyes unsuccessfully, some didn't even try to hide the fact that they wanted to watch.
Blaise unabashedly stuck his hand down his pants to stroke himself. Nobody would notice with this show going on.
Pansy watched the scene, furious.
Draco sucked on Granger's nipple, his tongue swirling around it.
"Yessss," she hissed as she arched her back into him. "More! Unnngh!" She rubbed back and forth, and they both moaned with each motion. He started tweaking her left nipple while his mouth continued to tease her right one. She sighed, "More, give me more!"
She removed her hand from his hair and inserted it into the opening of his robes, and then his shirt, trying to feel the muscles of his chest. Moving downward, his left hand cupped her arse, groping, prodding and pinching, with his eyes on Potter and Weasely. She yelped with each pinch.
"More!" she commanded him.
He smiled at them again. They'd come after him later for this, so he'd better make the most of it. In any case, he didn't care. No amount of them kicking his arse would strike this from their memories, or his.
She slapped his cheek again, and her nipple popped out of his mouth as his face whipped to the side. Sweet Merlin! If that didn't turn him on.
Her eyes flashed at him. "Look at me, dammit! You do a lousy job when you don't pay attention!"
Angry at the jab at his skills, he smacked her arse and bit her breast lightly.
"Aaah!" she gasped. "Again!"
He sucked, licked, bit, pinched, groped, and spanked everywhere he could. She kept on moaning, crying out with each smack and pinch, continuously rubbing against him. He panted from the heat and friction.
He repeatedly tried to move his hips but she wouldn't let him. Her moans got louder and her breathing quicker. She leaned down to kiss him again and he groaned as her tongue slithered against his. Her mouth was heaven and almost made him forget how terrifying the situation was. He could feel that he was close to coming himself as his breath hitched.
She smacked his face to the side again. "Don't even think about it. You don't come until I do!"
Fearful as to what she would do to him if he came before she did, he reached down between her legs to stroke her under her soaking knickers.
"Yessss… yesss…!" She was coming apart. "Unnnnnghhh!"
Draco looked up at Granger in fascination, her hand still gripping his tie. She threw her head back, her back arched, and her breasts pushed out towards his face. She bucked and her body shuddered on top of him, as he continued to stroke her clit and watch her come apart.
He groaned and strained under her grip on his tie and around his legs. Watching and feeling her in the throes of her orgasm brought him over the edge. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he came with a muffled yell. His hips bucked, and she bounced up, as her strength waned. They held onto each other, her fingers dug in to his arms so hard he knew he'd bruise. After the last shudder passed through them, Draco gazed up at her, wide eyed, enthralled, and completely unbelieving that this had just happened. Hermione hung her head, unable to look him in the eye.
Everything was quiet. Nobody in the class said anything. And then they heard quiet sobbing.
Hermione loosened her grip on Draco's tie. He stretched his neck and stared at her, as her crying increased in volume. She pounded his chest with her fist.
"What did you do to me!" she yelled at him.
He winced. She knew it wasn't Malfoy. He seemed to have only figured out that she was this attracted to him in Potions. But she didn't care, she was too upset. The realization of what she had done was coming to her full force. She had to scream at someone.
"Granger," he began huskily, "I didn't-."
She pushed herself off of him and ran crying from the room after unlocking the door, unable to look at anyone. The Shield Charm dissolved, as did the ropes and gags binding Harry and Ron, and everyone's wands came clanking to the floor. Neville's hit him on the head.
"Ow!" He rubbed his skull.
Parvati said, "I'll go find a teacher, I don't know about any of you, but I don't want to be the one to wake up Snape." There was a murmur of agreement from the class.
"I'll go after Hermione," offered Lavender, and she collected hers and Hermione's things and left.
Ron and Harry got up off the ground and glared at Malfoy, who was already getting pats on the back and comments of admiration from his fellow Slytherins. They could also hear lewd remarks about Hermione. The rest of the students were tense and uncomfortably aroused, not knowing what to do or say.
Blaise looked oddly content.
Ron was boiling with anger. His vision was clouding with red and he felt a humming in his ears. How dare Malfoy touch Hermione in that way? He made to lunge towards Malfoy, but felt a hand on his arm, restraining him. Harry shook his head. Ron's eyes bulged. He had to beat Malfoy's arse now.
"Wait," Harry whispered to Ron.
Beating up Malfoy wouldn't mitigate the embarrassment and shame that Hermione would feel, but he knew just how to turn this thing around in her favor. They could beat up Malfoy anytime. Harry smiled darkly at the thought.
"Wow. She made you her bitch, Malfoy." Harry quipped. "Is she going to take you with a strap-on next time?"
And just like that, the tension in the classroom diffused. Everyone burst out laughing, even the Slytherins. Malfoy rounded menacingly on Harry and looked every bit as ready to kill as Ron. His moment of glory had turned into humiliation. Malfoy and Ron stepped forward, wands ready, both only too happy to start hexing each other when Professor Flitwick entered the room with Parvati.
"Expelliarmus!"
Both wands flew out of the dueling wizards' hands.
They looked at Professor Flitwick, anger still dominating their features.
"Ennervate."
Snape stood up groggily and shook his head, remembering, "What…What happened?" His expression darkened and his voice lowered. "And where is Miss Granger?" he asked, surveying the room. Only the faintest signs of his rage could be seen.
Everyone began shouting at once.
"- not her fault! –"
"was cursed! – "
"Malfoy did it! - "
"- didn't know what she was doing!"
"I didn't curse her, Weasel!"
"Silencio!" Snape roared.
Blessed silence. He rubbed his temples. Much better.
He contemplated his students amusedly as they shouted and waved their hands without a sound. They looked like fish out of water.
"What has happened in my classroom and what in Merlin's name possessed Miss Granger to throw a Stunner at me?"
They went to a corner to converse. Everyone leaned in to listen to the hushed conversation. Professor Flitwick explained what he knew from Parvati's worried descriptions.
"So you see, Severus. It seems that someone has indeed cursed Miss Granger. I don't think it's a charm, there is none that I know of that would affect a person so. According to what Miss Patil has told me, she has been afflicted since this morning. We might be dealing with a potion, and therefore, your area of expertise."
"Yes," Snape rubbed his jaw. His eyebrow twitched, the only sign that he was still incredibly angry. "It sounds like Lustfarae, from what you've described. A simple antidote, but it needs to sit for twenty-four hours before taken. If she doesn't take the antidote, the effects will stay in Miss Granger for roughly a week, depending on how much she's ingested."
Snape thought a bit, searching his vast knowledge. "The antidote, while easy to prepare, is not readily available due to the loss of properties within three hours of making it. I'll get started right away so that we won't have a repeat… incident."
Snape shuddered. The last thing he wanted to see was more students rutting against each other like dogs in heat. The Dark Lord's return would almost be preferable.
"And what can we do with Miss Granger in the meantime? From what I've read of Lustfarae, she could be quite dangerous to others if-" Flitwick's voice trailed off, not wanting to continue the sentence.
Snape interrupted, not wanting to hear the rest of the sentence.
"Have someone explain to Poppy what has happened. She needs to test Miss Granger for traces of Lustfarae, just to be certain, although I'm positive that's what was given to her. Like the antidote, it's an easy potion to make. If it is indeed Lustfarae, I'd recommend that Miss Granger stay away from Mr. Malfoy at all costs," he said as he eyed Draco, who was straining to hear, like everyone else. "But at the same time, if he agrees, he should be available to her if she needs him, perhaps with faculty supervision," at this suggestion he looked ill, "to prevent further—" His eyes narrowed at the memory of being stunned in his own classroom. "—injury to others. If he doesn't agree then we should put her out and isolate her until the antidote is ready. Although I'm not sure stunning her would work."
Flitwick nodded and quickly exited the classroom.
Snape suddenly rounded on his classroom in a swish of robes, and they all jumped back in surprise, having been intent on listening in on the conversation. He gave a sinister smile.
"In addition to the assignment of failing to produce a satisfactory Mandrake draught today, you are all assigned an additional two feet on the ingredients, and how the properties of each specific item affect the outcome of the potion as a whole, due next Monday."
There was a flurry of movement as his class waved their arms and mouthed protests at his unfairness while still unable to make a sound.
Snape gave his class a small smile. "Class dismissed."
"Oh," he said as if just remembering. "Finite Incantatum."
The silently moving mouths suddenly returned to full volume as students complained about the homework and eagerly discussed the events of their Potions class.
Just as the last of the students exited the classroom, Snape called out. "Mr. Malfoy, you may stay."
Draco froze - it was too much to hope for that he'd be getting out of this scot-free.
"You're dead, Malfoy!" Weasley's voice rang from the hallway.
Great. A reminder of what else was coming to him. As if the blow that his reputation just took wasn't bad enough. He seethed in anger.
Snape eyed Draco carefully as he approached his desk. His eyes narrowed as he studied him. Draco glared back.
"Did you do anything to Miss Granger to alter her behavior?"
"Of course not," he said, cockily. "If I wanted her, I'd have her."
Snape's eyebrows rose.
"What? It's true."
Snape studied Draco some more. "Have you ever heard of the Lustfarae potion?"
Draco looked at Snape and thought a moment before answering. "No."
"It appears that's what she's been given. She will be under the influence of Lustfarae for the next twenty-four hours and you, unfortunately, are the target of her lust."
Snape placed his hands on his desk and leaned forward towards Draco.
"How do you feel about further relations with Miss Granger, if she would need it to prevent further injury to yourself or others? It is very difficult to contain someone who has been given Lustfarae, and denied themselves release for so long, as I am sure that she had done today. Their physical and magical strength becomes intensified to sate their desire. And as we all have witnessed, they can become extremely dangerous when their sense of morality is compromised."
"I guess, if it would prevent further injury to others, I could… lower myself." Draco smirked at Snape.
Snape rolled his eyes at the double entendre.
Draco turned to go - this was going to be fun.
"Oh, and Mr. Malfoy?" As if reading his thoughts, and he probably did, Snape added, "You are not to go near Miss Granger. She can't hear, see, or smell you for the next twenty-four hours, unless someone tells you that she needs you. Do not approach her on your own. Is that clear?"
Draco scoffed, "As if I'd want to be with her any more than I'd have to be." He sauntered out of the classroom.
Bull, Snape thought, shuffling his parchments in disgust.
He hated teenagers.
Chapter end notes:
In the next chapter, Hermione tries to figure out who gave her the potion, and Draco wants more action!