The Journal

Chapter 3: Draco's Conquests

Draco looked down the table, his eyes slowly washing over each girl in his house. A smile formed on his lips as he thought of how he could have any one of those girls if he so cared. They would be more than honored, he mused, to be led to his dorm and fulfill any need he wanted. But this great power had gone fairly unused by the blond, for many of the girls in his house were not known for their beauty. Some of them were much like Millicent Bulstrode, who he thought resembled a female version of Goyle than anything else.

Although he had hormones like any other hot-blooded male, he also had standards, which would only allow beauty and grace into his bed. This being so, he had tampered with and tasted the fruits the other houses - except Gryffindor of course - had to offer, as many beautiful girls resided in Hufflepuff and especially Ravenclaw. Although the creed was for all the Slytherins to stick together and to only date those in their house, inter-house sex was found necessary and frequently practiced by the boys of Slytherin.

Draco had been shocked during his second year at school when he saw a seventh year Slytherin boy sneaking into the Astronomy Tower with a Hufflepuff. He had initially found the boy's actions to be highly traitorous; but he soon learned that sex had its own rules.

Although some of the Slytherin young men were seen as vile and detestable, they were still able to get the odd Ravenclaw young lady for the night. During the day, the usual taunting and glares in the halls would be exchanged by these two groups of individuals; but at night, that hatred would fuel their lust and make their amorous encounters much more explosive. And the next morning, the boys would go back to holding their Slytherin girlfriend's hand around school.

This was also the same for Draco, but with one exception: he never held anyone's hand the next morning.

"It's all in our persona," Marcus had said, as he tried to explain to him the reason the Slytherin young men were popular with the women. "I know they stay away from us in the halls and pray for us to lose during Quidditch matches, but that's just a facade. We're their guilty little pleasure. They might want a Gryffindor for a boyfriend, but they want us in their bed. They find the symbol of the snake dangerous and exciting."

But Draco soon realized he didn't need the mystique of the Slytherin banner to get attention. Over the course of those years, he had built a steady reputation for himself of being wildly seductive, and that he was now the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team helped his popularity as well. But he had also grown more handsome over the years, as he was quick to point out. His eyes, which had gotten him much teasing in his younger years for looking strange, were now his biggest assets, as girls often commented on how beautiful they were. He had also let his hair grow out longer, as it hung to his shoulders, beautifully framing his pronounced cheekbones.

His gaze soon flittered to the Hufflepuff table. The girls in this house were what he would call "cute," but they also possessed a giggly nature that made them annoying. He could easily have any one of them with her legs spread and ready for him at the snap of his fingers; the other lads in his house did not nickname them Hufflepuss for nothing. But they were great practice for more challenging prey.

One of the girls caught his gaze and smiled at him. But he kept his face expressionless and moved his eyes to the next table, Ravenclaw. The women at this table were considered to be some of the most beautiful at the school; but they were much more of a challenge to get. No smiles greeted him from this table; there were scowls and lowered glances, but definitely no smiles.

A smug smirk curled onto his lips as his gaze fell upon what was once a reluctant conquest. He then mused over how she and the other girls in that house had initially resisted him. But he was patient and had mastered the art of seduction. Plus, he preferred to chase and the opportunity to slowly break down a girl's resistance, rather than have them fling themselves at him.

He had courted one certain young woman for several months before she even spoke to him. But that girl had since become a nuisance. And just then, his gaze fell upon the young woman in question. She was his first Ravenclaw conquest and was one of only two girls in the school who had managed to remain a frequent in his life for more than a week after their initial sexual encounter. Draco had opened up to her once - clearly a lapse in judgment on his part. He has since tried not to make that same mistake.

Mandy did not try to hide away from him like the others at her table and met his glances full on. The powerful emotions that exuded from her gaze would have affection any other person; but Draco kept his face relaxed and brought his hand to his chin and rubbed the few tufts of hair with the back of his fingers.

The staring continued for a while longer as neither party looked away. And then her expression turned from sadness to anger as she furrowed her brows and pressed her lips together in a tight line. No emotions, however, surged onto Draco's creamy features. And that's when she glanced away and started blinking her eyes rapidly.

Draco slowly let his eyes wander to the end of the Ravenclaw table, where a sixth year blonde was seated. She was looking down at her breakfast, as she twirled her porridge around in her bowl. But Draco was not fooled by her coyness; he was certain she had seen him. So he leaned forward in his seat and kept a steady gaze on her to show that he would not back down.

She eventually let her spoon fall from her hand and sheepishly met his stare for a moment before looking away. But her timid glances eventually grew more and more confident and were soon engaged in a romantic dance with his gray stare. After several minutes of that tango, Draco looked to the doors of the Great Hall and then back at her.

She kept still, as if pondering something in her head before she gathered her things from the table and left the room. Draco kept put as he watched her leave. He then pushed his uneaten food away and tapped his fingers against the table. He glance down at his watch and then got out of his seat and exited the room.

He walked swiftly down the long hall and turned into a dark corridor. He was about to head up the small passageway that led to the North Tower, when someone grabbed his hand. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked.

Draco breathed loudly and looked down at his feet. But he eventually leaned against the wall and stared across the hall at her through half closed eyes. He brought his arms against his chest and waited for her to start talking. But she looked very timid as she glanced up at him, crossing and uncrossing her fingers in a nervous gesture. He was glad to see that his presence unnerved her; he was secretly hoping that his defensive stance would eventually intimidate her and force her to head back to the Great Hall. But she finally mustered some courage and began to speak.

"Did you get the letter I sent you the other day?" she asked.

Draco slowly nodded.

She continued to stare at him, as her eyes pleading with him to say more about the letter; she had spend nearly two hours expressing her feelings over that long piece of parchment. But he did not utter a word.

"I was hoping you'd write me back," she began. "You used to write me the most incredible letters. I still have all of them." She slowly approached him and placed a hand on his arm. "I've missed you." Her voice came out sounding choked, but it was evident she was trying hard to suppress the majority of what she was feeling. "I've missed spending time with you. Remember how we used to spend all those nights together talking?"

Her breathing grew more audible and she found herself moving closer to his body, as her fingers traveled along his chest. "Did you even read my letter?"

Draco turned his head towards the staircase as he muttered in a flat voice, "No."

Mandy glanced in that direction as well. "I guess you were too busy...with other things."

Since it was apparent that she knew where he was going and with whom, her gaze searched his face, as she tried to find a hint of guilt in his features. But there was no evidence that he was shameful for his actions; there was even a small grin on the corner of his lips. She drew her hands away from his body and took a step backwards. She looked away for a moment, but then gazed back at him. He met her eyes with indifference and drummed his fingers against the wall to indicate she was wasting his time. After a few minutes of that eerie silence, she walked away and headed back to her dorm.

Draco stayed against that wall for a minute, but then glanced at the staircase once more. He closed his eyes and whiffed the air; he could still smell the blonde's perfume. He had been planning that meeting for quite some time and hated the idea of missing it. But he soon concluded that not showing up would only increase the Ravenclaw's interest in him. He looked down at his watch and decided he had better head off to the library.

He stalked along the hallway with quick but controlled steps, all the while making sure he did not look too eager. Outside the library, he saw Madame Pince opening the doors. He calculated that he would have a few minutes to get his journal before heading off to the Quidditch pitch. But Snape, who intersected him from an adjoining hall, prevented him from reaching his destination.

"Where have you been?" the Potions Master asked. "We've been looking for you everywhere. Did you forget about the team's practice?"

"No. I was just about to...I'll be right there." He stood in the halls for a moment longer watching the librarian open the doors to the room he'd been thinking about going into since the night before. But he put his needs aside and followed Snape.

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

Hermione slowly made her way to the Great Hall. She had initially waited on the steps leading to the boys' dorms for Ron and Harry, but after fifteen minutes she guessed they had left for breakfast without her. And just as she had assumed, they were both sitting at the table. Ron's plate was piled high with bacon and eggs, while Harry's plate only held a half eaten piece of toast, which he stabbed at with his knife.

She took her usual place between the two young men. She greeted them good morning, but it was hard to grab their attention. Ron was involved in a fierce argument with Seamus; they had bet money on the previous night's game between the Cannons and the Falcons, and the Irish boy was refusing to pay. Harry on the other hand, had his head lowered and was absorbed in his thoughts. She grabbed both of their arms, causing each of them to look at her.

"I have something important to discuss with you guys," she said in a whispered voice. Ron only casually glanced at her, before returning his attention back to Seamus. But seeing that Harry was looking at her, she decided that she would be better off telling him the news since if pertained more to him than Ron.

"How are you feeling?" she asked Harry. She brought her arm around him and began to rub his back. "Did you get a good night's sleep? I know you went to bed early last night."

Harry had his elbow on the table and offered her a weak smile. His hair was a bit more tousled than usual and the circles around his eyes were visible, even though his glasses. "I woke up last night at one in the morning, and couldn't go back to sleep. I spent the rest of the night just pacing downstairs in the common room."

"I was awake then. You and I could have talked."

He raised an eyebrow in the air. "What were you doing up?" Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but hesitated. However, she didn't need to make up an excuse, because Harry said, "You were still working on your essay, weren't you?"

Hermione nodded. Her hand then fluttered to the boy's face, as she pushed away the hair from his cheek.

"What's the important news you need to share?" he asked.

Hermione kept quiet as she observed the weary expression on his face. Although the news she wanted to tell him was not life threatening, she feared it would add to his already abundant worries. And that he was never able to get a good night's sleep reinforced her decision to keep mum. "Nothing," she muttered, as her fingers traced along his face. She then grabbed his plate and began to fill it with more food. "You should really eat something, your skin is losing its color."

Harry at first stared at the food as though it was some foreign substance, but soon found his hunger.

Hermione then decided she would take it upon herself to watch Draco and see if he engaged in any suspicious activity before sharing anything with Harry. She looked across the room at Draco; he wasn't eating his breakfast, but looking in the direction of the Hufflepuff table. His gaze was fixed at the end of the table, where a group of girls were gathered.

She knew exactly what he was doing as Ron often did the same thing during meal times. Ron would always stare at the girl he had been with the night before in the same fashion; but unlike Ron, who would wave at the girl as if publicly announcing to all the other boys at the table that he was capable of getting a member of the opposite sex, Draco's methods were slyer. The calm manner in which his eyes darted from girl to girl signified he was confident in his achievements and didn't need to proclaim his conquests to anyone.

But then suddenly, Draco's gaze grew intense, almost alarming her. She followed his gaze to the Ravenclaw table behind her. And just as she had thought, he was observing Mandy. But there was a peculiar manner in which they were looking at one another. Hermione then watched as Mandy lowered her head and began to wipe her eyes.

Hermione was busy watching Mandy that she failed to notice that Draco had walked out of the room. But she, too, got out of her seat when she saw Mandy chase after him. She stayed several feet away from the other girl, as she followed her down the hall. She suspected the couple had arranged to meet in some secluded classroom while the whole of the school was enjoying their meal. And just then, she saw them in a dark corridor staring at one another. Hermione stayed out of sight, but was close enough to hear parts of their conversation.

She peaked her head around the corner and saw Mandy with her hands pressed against Draco's chest. Assuming they were going to kiss, Hermione looked away; she definitely did not want the image of their embrace permanently ingrained on her mind. But after several minutes, she heard footsteps coming her way. Before she could find somewhere to hide, Mandy was walking towards her. The Ravenclaw gave out a frightened gasp when she saw her, but hid her face underneath her mountains of curls before quickly heading down the hall.

Hermione's heart was pounding, as she wondered if Mandy had suspected something. But she became more nervous when she thought of Draco catching her. She glanced around the corridor once more, but he was nowhere in sight.

She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes as she thought of what she had just witnessed. She winced as the image of Mandy with her hands on Draco's chest flooded into her mind. She and Mandy had had several classes together in the past; she remembered the Ravenclaw as being extremely smart.

It was thus highly disturbing for her to think of how such a bright girl could fawn over Draco. She could see how a Hufflepuff could fall for the Slytherin, as they didn't know any better and were highly susceptible to flattery.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a sliver of parchment, on which had written down the journal entry date where Mandy was first mentioned. "25 August 1996," she said to herself. Her hand lifted, as she placed the parchment close to her lips. Seeing as that Mandy's liaison with the Slytherin had gone on for over a year, Hermione guessed the Ravenclaw could offer her some insight on his daily routine.

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

Draco ducked as a bludger came surprisingly close to his head. He managed to move out of the way just in time. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he yelled at the beater. "You're supposed to hit it at the other team, not me." He glared at the sixth year for a moment, before looking out into the sky for the snitch; the shiny object was nowhere in sight.

He spent his time watching the rest of the team down below, as they practiced the new game plan he had come up with the week before. He closed his eyes, as the chasers were out of alignment with one another. "You guys are supposed to stay together. Stay as a pack. We're never gonna win if--will the two of you cut that out?" he screamed as the two beaters began swinging their bats at one another in some mock gladiator combat.

The rest of the practice time was spend just the same way, with him barking orders and then throwing back his head as the team was not working up to his standards. They continued for another hour before going to the changing rooms. Draco spent his time getting dressed away from the rest of his teammates. He was swelling with the great desire to slam Terry into the lockers for his poor performance on the pitch, but he had other important things to attend to. With his hair still wet, he made his way out of the room. While at the door, he flashed the other player a warning look of what was to come if he ever messed up again.

With quickened steps, Draco made his way back to the library. And just as he had seen her a few hours earlier, Madame Pince was standing before the doors, this time locking up the library.

"What a minute," he said as he hurried to the woman's side. "Why are you closing it now? It's only four o'clock."

The librarian finished locking the doors and nonchalantly turned towards him. She glared at him for a moment, before placing her keys in her pocket. "Young man," she said in a flat voice, "let me make you aware that the library closes early on weekends. One would think you'd know this, considering the amount of time you now spend here."

And with that, Madam Pince turned around and continued down the hall, leaving Draco to glare at her back and curse her under his breath.

Draco stood motionless for several minutes. Soon his head began to pound, as he felt his heart racing. He squeezed his eyes shut, as his body was suddenly proliferated with an intense anxiety. His mind began to swim with looming thoughts just then, many of them not related to whether his house would win the Quidditch Cup that year.

His hands clenched into balls as his body tensed. He looked up at the light fixture above and mouthed an obscenity. He began to take deep breaths as he told himself over and over again that he would find his journal the next day. After saying this enough times, he eventually believed it; it was through the help of this wishful thinking that he was finally able to leave the hall.

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

Draco threw himself onto the bed and closed his eyes. He tried to keep his mind from racing with numerous thoughts, as was the case when he tried to get some rest. Breathing slowly, he was able to slow down his thumping heart and calm his nerves. He didn't know how long he was on his bed, but when he opened his eyes once more, a small group of boys were sitting in the corner of the room, whispering quietly amongst themselves.

Some were sitting on Blaise's bed, while others sat on the floor. They stopped talking when they saw him sit up on his bed and eye them. There was a long silence as the six boys glanced from their hands to Draco, a look of discomfort on their faces.

"We didn't mean to wake you," Brandon finally said. "I guess we'll take this back to my dorm." The dark haired sixth year got to his feet and was about to tell the others to follow him, when Draco lifted his hand and signaled for them to stay put.

Normally, Draco would have delighted in watching them walk out of the room, but he had a fondness for the sixth year; the young man always knew his place and never grated his nerves, like everyone else. Plus, Brandon told amorous tales that rivaled his own.

"Go on," Draco lazily said as he lay back on his bed and sunk into the mattress. His eyes stayed fixed on the ceiling as he listened to their chatter.

"Like I was saying," Brandon went on, "she and I arranged to meet in the Prefect's bathroom last night. Knowing her, I knew we wouldn't be doing anything right away, so I just bided my time. I mean, after all, I didn't want to rush her."

"Of course not," said Terry. "You have to give them as much time as possible or else you'll frighten them." All the boys in the group nodded in agreement, even those who had no luck or practice with the opposite sex.

"I knew I couldn't bring up the issue of sex right away, so I just turned on the water and started soaking my legs in the tub. But she was soon sitting beside me, doing the same thing. I was finally able to convince her to take a bath with me, with the promise that nothing would happen. I even looked the other way while she got undressed."

"But you saw her body, didn't you?"

A smile crinkled onto Brandon's lips, as he nodded. "I looked at her while she climbed into the tub. And I must say, she has a wonderful body. "

The boys around him began to chuckle.

"Anyway, we were in that tub for about fifteen minutes, just messing around. We were just doing innocent things like splashing water on one another and rubbing our feet on each other. Her feet were on my belly, when she brushed up against my...you know."

Draco had kept passive during the conversation, until this point, when he stopped concentrating on the crack in the ceiling and turned to look at the other boys. Still acting as though uninterested, he slowly rolled onto his side and watched Brandon.

"Of course she got a little alarmed about what she felt," continued Brandon, "but--"

"As well she should," said Blaise. "Us Slytherin men are pretty lucky in that department."

Draco huffed loudly and rolled his eyes at the comment; he wished Blaise would allow the other boy to continue with his tale without interruption. But Brandon did not utter a word about being interrupted and waited patiently until everyone had gotten an opportunity to make a comment about the boys in their house being blessed.

When everyone had settled down, Brandon continued to talk once more. "I told her I didn't want do anything with her. I even said I would take care of my..." He glanced down at his lap. "My little problem on my own when I got back to the dorm." He reached for his face to hide his embarrassment, when he heard some of the other lads laugh. "But I think it turned her on that I was excited by her presence because she gave me a handjob."

This statement caused everyone to immediately hush up and lean closer to the other boy. Even Draco found himself climbing out of his bed and slowly moving towards the small group.

"What was it like?" asked Goyle, as he rested his head on the bed and looked up at Brandon with utter fascination.

"I'd say she was top five. She did it a little too hard the first time, but she got it right the third try."

"Three times?" exclaimed Blaise. "My God, you're an animal." He shook his head for a moment and whispered something to Terry. Both boys began to laugh. "I told Terry you should try to get her and her twin at the same time. Can you imagine having two sets of hands all over your--"

"You had one of the Patels?" asked Draco.

Terry turned around. "Yeah, he had Parvati."

Draco now sat on the edge of Blaise's bed. He tried to keep his face neutral and not show the budding interest that was now flooding within him. It was to his knowledge that no one in the house had ever succeeded in getting anywhere with a Gryffindor.

Although they would publicly denounce any notion of wanting to sleep with a Gryffindor - often with the words, "Salazar Slytherin would roll in his grave if I got together with one of them" - but privately, they all wanted to penetrate that house. This feat would have brought unending bragging rights and a place in Slytherin sexual history for the young man who accomplished it.

Although Draco's place was already firmly set in that history, he would like to have accomplished the task that boys like Brandon only came close to doing. Draco watched the way all the boys glanced up admiringly at Brandon. He too couldn't help but feel a bit of envy.

"But of course getting a Gryffindor is all routine for Draco," said Alex. The boy then looked up at him. "I'm sure he's had nearly every girl in that house since they all hate him."

"Yeah," chimed Terry. "After Draco gets through with a girl, they hate him that much more. I can tell which Ravenclaw girls he's been with by the way they glare at him in the halls."

One by one, all the seated boys looked up at Draco for some answers; but Draco only kept his arms crossed against his chest. He met all of their gazes, before standing up and walking back to his bed. He never indulged them in stating whom he had or had not been with, and let them come up to their own conclusions.

He casually climbed back onto his bed and placed his hands behind his back.