Unbidden Desires

CHAPTER 3 - Secrets and Lies

The first several weeks of school actually breezed by rather quickly for Draco. He had prefect duties to attend to, which meant weekly meetings, the occasional curfew check, and watching for rule violations. He actually looked forward to the latter two activities, which were rather enjoyable. He got a charge out of doling out punishments and speaking crossly to younger students. It was fun. He reflected, Ah, the simple pleasures in life are the best.

But unfortunately, it wasn't all fun and games. He also had grueling, 2-hour Quidditch practices three times a week with an unforgiving coach. To top it all off, he was up to his arse in homework. The combination was wreaking havoc on his social life, which was rapidly becoming nonexistent. Things had changed drastically for the former sex god of Slytherin House.

Draco had never had to try and chat girls up or even seek them out. They had always approached him, as if he were some sort of mysterious puzzle to solve. With his sleek good looks, abundant wealth, and bad boy attitude, most girls had just laid back and spread their legs for him. Yet even the girl who had greeted him on the first morning of classes (Lydia, that's her name, he recalled) had snubbed him once the rumor mill started churning.

Draco sighed audibly. His father's recent change in residence had changed a lot of things. He grumbled at how unfair it all was. But he simply didn't have the time or the inclination to go around being sweet to girls or to work on faking sincerity. Nor did he felt that he should have to do all that. That might be fine for other guys, but they weren't Lucius Malfoy's only son. That meant something. Well, it had meant something; now it meant something entirely different.

Lucius had always been a babe magnet. Women everywhere, and a handful of men, had found him quite attractive. As Draco looked and acted like Lucius, he had come to think that this perk was due him as well. But just the women, please -- don't want any sodding wanker like Potter gazing into my eyes with wanton desire from across the Great Hall, he thought. Talk about losing your appetite. He shuddered, repulsed by the image.

The truth was that the men in his family simply weren't inclined to asking. They just took what they wanted, consequences be damned, and women found that kind of confidence very sexy. And Malfoys certainly didn't do without, regardless of what they wanted. Draco was no exception, and he was getting very frustrated. Thanks a lot, Dad, he thought irritably. Nice parting gift.

While girls were becoming somewhat of an enigma to him, he didn't feel like making the effort that other guys had to in order to bed them. He shrugged to himself, thinking, I've never had to before. Why should I start now? His daily commitments were already threatening to overwhelm him anyway.

Although he had little time or energy to devote to anything else, he was determined to learn all he could about enchanted mirrors. This became his new project, and he excitedly dove into it head first.

Unfortunately, it felt more like he'd landed in sludge instead of water. The research wasn't easy, and it was tedious and largely unrewarding. With all he had to do, Draco only managed to make it to the library once or twice a week. He made good of this time by enlisting the help of his friend, Blaise Zabini. Blaise was not a prefect or a Quidditch player, and he had an overseas girlfriend that he was utterly smitten with. As a result, he had a lot of time on his hands, as well as far too much pent-up energy that he needed to work off. The two boys also enjoyed one another's company. Although they sometimes saw things differently, this only made them better study partners.

Draco knew that what he was seeking would probably not be right out in the open. It would most likely be well hidden, if it were published at all. So to further his research, he'd gotten a note from Professor Snape allowing him access to the Restricted Section. He'd simply lied to his Head of House, saying that he was working on some advanced potions. At least he had no problem getting to any of the books on Madame Pince's shelves. If only he could find something truly useful, he could give all this up and focus on more important things, like getting himself a proper shag.

One Tuesday evening in early October, he and Blaise were in the library once again. It had not been going well, as they had little to show for their efforts. They had perused thousands of pages of text for hours on end. Yet they found that most of what was written about enchanted mirrors was either common knowledge or just plain common sense. The rest of it, the part they were looking for, remained a vague mystery and was not well documented.

One very old, heavy book had devoted many detailed chapters to the subject of mirrors. It had prattled on and on, saying that they came in a variety of categories, strengths, and abilities. The everyday variety would comment on a person's appearance, such as the ones that were scattered throughout Hogwarts. They were literally everywhere and could be found in hotels, the homes of well-to-do wizarding families, and the occasional public loo.

Less common were full-length mirrors called Vanity Mirrors, which were designed for use by merchants. They were especially popular with wizards and witches in the jewelry and garment industries, and they were mostly found in upscale robe shops. These mirrors were often charmed to compliment the shopper, convincing them to buy the most expensive garments, items with the highest profit margin, or those that had been on the rack too long and were in danger of going out of style. Some of them were not above telling blatant lies, so the Ministry of Magic had tried to gain some sort of control over the magic that went into them. So far, they had had little success, as the shoppers themselves were often highly embarrassed that they had been scammed into buying simply awful robes. Since the victim wouldn't dare to wear the dreadful garment out in public or even admit that he or she owned it, the dodgy practice continued unabated.

As for the rarest of all magical mirrors, there was very little written about them. These mirrors often showed the viewer something other than his or her own reflection. They seldom spoke, and when they did, it was often in cryptic messages. Some showed visions of the future or an important event in the person's past, while others showed the viewer a glimpse of his or her own soul. The images were not always pleasant, and depending on the function of the mirror, it could be disarming or frightening.

As they both read, Blaise tapped Draco on the arm and asked, "Hey, you ever hear of Fidelity Mirrors?"

"No," he replied flatly.

"Well, it says here that when the person says his or her lover's name, the mirror will reflect the face of the person that their partner most recently had sex with."

Hardly looking up from his own text, he remarked, "That sounds nasty." Then he snorted, "My mum would see a different face every time, then, wouldn't she?"

Blaise smirked then said, "They're hard to find, as they're often shattered in anger or jealousy. Says here that Reparo has no effect at all. They've caused hundreds of suicides and countless murders." He paused for a moment, then continued, "Listen to this. About 75 years ago, one man in Brighton jumped out of a 10-story window and fell to his death. He had said his wife's name, and he saw his brother's eyes looking back at him." Stunned, Blaise remarked, "Bloody hell, Malfoy! Wouldn't want to find one of those."

Draco then paraphrased from the book he was reading. "Hmm, this one says there's a legendary Mirror of Morgan le Fey. Sounds familiar -- do you know of it?" Blaise shook his head dumbly, then Draco continued. "It's centuries old, so of course, no one knows for certain if it exists anymore, or if it ever did. It displays the aura of Hell and sometimes shows the viewer's own face fading in and out of the agony."

Blaise cringed, saying "That sounds creepy, mate."

Draco remarked, "Yes, that would be bizarre, seeing yourself in Hell. Sounds like my parents' marriage."

Blaise stifled a laugh, and they both returned to their reading. Draco's book went on to say that looking into any one of these mirrors could be a confusing experience, as the person may not understand the meaning of what he or she had seen. The trick with most of these, the author expounded, was to determine what the mirror's purpose actually was. Were they actual visions, or were they merely hallucinations of one's own mind, induced by the mirror itself? Also, very few were catalogued by the Ministry of Magic. Most were believed to be stored in private homes, hidden away from prying eyes.

After literally hours of research, it seemed that they were no closer to learning the mirror's name, location, or even its true nature than they had been weeks before. It was all very tiring, and Draco was beginning to lose what little hope he had left. Tonight, the boys had been in the library for almost two and a half hours when Blaise stretched and groaned, "Ahhhh, my backside is killing me."

"Did you forget to cast a cushioning charm?" Draco asked.

"Yeah, shit, I guess I did." Blaise stood up, twisting and stretching his back. He shrugged his shoulders and rolled his head, trying to relieve the tension in his neck. "Listen, I really need to get back to the dorm. Marianne doesn't like to be kept waiting for long." As he said this, he grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.

"That's right, she wrote you again yesterday. Do you think maybe she's a little -- possessive?" Draco ventured.

"Nah, she's just wild for me, that's all," Blaise said. "She wants me, the poor lass. And I'm not there, am I?"

"Gee, I wonder how she'll ever make it without you," Draco sneered. "Does she have some neighbors who are teenage boys? No? Well, I suppose she could always get one of those muggle devices -- what are they called? Verberators?"

"Ha, ha, you're hilarious," his friend replied sarcastically. "Hey, that's not such a bad idea, really; might keep her from needing other guys, eh? Maybe I'll send her one for her birthday next month. But where would I find one big enough, eh?" he asked, grinning and winking.

Draco suggested, "How about Giants R Us?"

They both snickered then Blaise turned to leave, saying, "See ya, Malfoy."

"Yeah. Thanks, Blaise." His friend nodded and left the library. Draco's mind turned to the massive task that lay ahead of him. The mountains of books merely stared back at him blankly, withholding any secrets they might have. Sure, he could have charmed them to read themselves aloud to him, but he'd be at least 100 years old before they had finished. He sighed and wondered if it was really worth it. My back's starting to ache, too. Maybe I should just get a girlfriend.

After several more minutes, Draco looked up from his work when he heard soft, feminine giggles coming from the next shelf over. A honey-sweet voice in the next row was talking to her friend about Polyjuice Potion. She said that one of her brothers had used it years ago to gain entrance to the Slytherin Common Room. Draco furrowed his brows. Someone who was not a Slytherin had been inside their house without their knowledge or consent? How could they have? That's the ultimate low. His blood boiled with anger. Just then, another question popped into his head: One of her brothers? How many brothers does this trollop have?

Her friend gasped. "Isn't that illegal?"

"Well, yes, technically it is," the girl answered cautiously. She must have realized the trouble her brother could be in if this were widely known, as she quickly tried to cover her tracks. "But it was for the safety of everyone in the school. There were attacks on muggle-borns, and he only wanted to help stop them!"

Draco's brain went into overdrive. He stood up slightly to see if he could catch a glimpse of the girl. He peered between the books, trying to discover her identity. When he spotted ginger locks, he smirked and remarked to himself, She has red hair. Weasley . red . . . hair.

In a matter of seconds, it all clicked. Crabbe and Goyle did seem very odd that night. But which one was it? It couldn't have been those disgusting twins -- she said one of her brothers, and they would have done something like that as a team. In fact, they probably would have been a lot more convincing. Percy was a prig, he would never break so many rules, so it had to have been . . .

No. Fucking. Way.

His anger forgotten, Draco's face broke into an evil grin. He had to fight the urge to laugh out loud. At long last, the answer he'd been seeking, and it practically fell right in his lap. He finally had something on King Weasley that he could use to get what he wanted. After all, we don't call him our king for nothing. He chuckled to himself as he moved stealthily to get closer to where the girls were. Hiding behind the thick volumes, he planned to gather all the ammunition he could get his hands on.

Her friend asked in a dreamlike voice, "So did it work?"

"Well, yes and no. He was disguised for one hour, but he really didn't get any useful information. Just that Draco Malfoy is a thief and treats those thugs he calls 'friends' like shit."

What?! Draco was aghast, but he forced himself to remain quiet.

"Are you surprised?" the other girl asked in an amused tone.

"No, not really," Ginny responded with a laugh. They both giggled. When her friend turned away as if to go, Ginny asked, "You going back now?"

"I really need to," she replied. "Dad asked me to review his latest article on Yeti sightings in the Himalayas, and I promised to owl my comments to be on his desk first thing Wednesday morning."

"All right. See you tomorrow, Luna." Ginny waved as her friend left. She continued browsing the shelves when a large, slightly calloused hand came up from behind her and covered her mouth. Another reached around her waist, pointing a wand toward her chest.

"Gotcha. Now let's play a little Truth or Dare," he said smoothly.

She wiggled fruitlessly to get out of his grasp. He could hear muffled shrieks trying to escape her lips. He cast a silencing charm so that only he could hear her, as well as a restraining charm so that she couldn't walk more than a foot away from him. When he let go of her, he immediately regretted it, as her screams were piercing his ears. To say she was put out was a gross understatement. The fire in her brown eyes could have melted the polar ice caps.

She eventually calmed down enough to be somewhat civil. "Feel better now?" he asked smugly. She narrowed her eyes, but at least she had stopped her infernal screeching. At last, we're getting somewhere, Draco's mind said approvingly. "Now that you're through imitating a banshee," he said calmly, "tell me what I want to know, and I'll let you go."

She turned and looked at him warily. She started to dart out of the row to get away from him, only to be yanked back abruptly by invisible hands. Just to be safe, he grabbed her by the shoulders and pinned her to the wall. He felt the strong urge to kiss her just then, but he couldn't comprehend why. Because she's really sexy like this, pressed up against the wall, so close I can feel her breath on my neck. Woah, down, little dragon -- we're not that desperate!

Clearing his mind, he focused on the task at hand. He would have to do this quickly before anyone saw them. If that lovesick Pot-Head were to come waltzing in now, this would be all for naught. Besides, with his entourage in tow and Draco alone, he wagered that he might even end up in hospital tonight. That would be terribly inconvenient; he still had a three-foot essay to finish for Professor McGonagall.

"I heard what you said to Loony Lovegood about King Weasley. Used Polyjuice Potion back in our second year, eh? Most impressive. Suppose Granger must have helped? Of course she did. Your brother is too big of an oaf in Potions to brew that today, much less four years ago. Tell me, where did they brew it? And where did they get the contraband to make it?"

"I . . . I . . I d-don't know," she stuttered.

"Was Professor Snape missing something from his stores the next day? Hmm?" His voice was filled with sarcasm; he was really enjoying this. Draco had her over a barrel, and he knew it. Meanwhile, she was squirming, wondering how she would ever get out of this.

"Pl-please don't get Ron in trouble. He's a prefect-"

"I know that," Draco spat.

"He was only 12. He was trying to help. Please, don't say anything -- he could lose his prefect's badge, and it means so much to him-"

Draco raised one eyebrow as his lip curled. Perfect. "And exactly what would you do to prevent that from happening?" Somewhere in his mind, he was chanting, Say you'll sleep with me, say you'll sleep with me, please, please, oh please, say you'll give me mind-blowing, spine-tingling, knock your socks off sex . . . . The logical half of his brain soon took over and practically shouted: Will you shut up! She's just a Weasley!

She thought for a minute. She glanced over at the table he had been sitting at with Blaise earlier that evening. Spying all the books, she responded quickly, "I'll tell you what you want to know. Maybe I can help you with whatever it is you're researching."

He hesitated for a moment, then he said, "All right. Maybe you can help me in that regard."

Her spirits lifted slightly, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She looked even prettier than she had before, smiling in a relaxed manner. He was starting to feel distracted again, even a little light-headed. He cleared his throat and began. "On the train, I heard your brother telling Potter something about a mirror that he had found in his first year of school. It seems this mirror showed him some predictions for the future. Do you know what he was talking about?"

She stared back at him blankly, her mouth hanging open a bit. Not quite the reaction Draco had hoped for, but at least she might be true to her word; it looked as though she might actually be thinking. Maybe she would help him.

"No, I'm -- I'm not certain what he meant." Realizing that this could revoke their agreement, she continued quickly, "But I'm sure I can find out. I'll ask him. He'll tell me. But if he won't, then Harry definitely will."

In an irritable tone, Draco said, "Yes, Saint Potter does seem to be -- rather fond of you." He gently picked up a few strands of her hair and rubbed them between his thumb and forefinger as he stared intently into her eyes. He broke the contact abruptly and said, "All right. Find out everything you can and report back to me."

"Fine," she said with a nod. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Ginny looked up at him. "So, Malfoy -- Draco -- will you kindly remove these charms so I can leave now and go speak to them? I swear, I won't scream, and I won't run away. I'll just quietly gather my books and go," she said as sweetly as possible.

Draco had a better idea. She would help him reshelve his books, collect her things, and walk out of the library with him. Then both charms would be reversed. She readily agreed -- anything to keep Ron from wanting to kill her. With Percy, Fred, and George gone, he was all she had.

They finished their task and left the library. He looked around to see that they weren't being watched. Sophia Bellucci was studying a book and practicing her English, and a few Hufflepuffs were engrossed in a discussion about Quidditch. They ignored Ginny and Draco completely. He soon found a broom closet where he could remove the charms in privacy, and he roughly pushed her inside.

He couldn't take it anymore; her scent, her soft hair, her cute little bum wiggling just inches from him. It was all too much, and it was making him so horny. He pressed her to the wall and placed a searing kiss on her soft lips. She opened her mouth to really give him hell, but instead, he pressed his advantage. He took it as an invitation and pushed his tongue inside, tasting her sweetness.

Warmth. He felt her warmth rushing all over his body. She felt his too, as she soon responded in kind, her tongue dancing with his. She put her hands around his neck, tenderly fingered his hair, then moved on to his face. Her touch was delicate, and it felt bloody fantastic. He pulled her closer, tightening his grip on her waist, aching to move his hands lower. Her lovely breasts were pressing into him, and he felt himself responding. They were both high on hormones and adrenaline. He had to fight to stop before this escalated into something far too dangerous. This is not the right time, he reminded himself. And she's definitely not the right girl.

He broke the kiss suddenly and pushed her away. "Sorry, I got a bit carried away there," he said.

"Yeah, me too. Don't know what came over me," she murmured apologetically.

Me, he thought, but didn't dare say aloud. He was feeling a bit woozy, but with that wildcat temper of hers, she might just go off and kick him in the family jewels. He thought, Note to self: Never cast a restraining charm any closer than three feet on an attractive girl.

She continued her rationalization. "Because you know, I would never kiss you willingly, if I were thinking clearly."

"Yeah, me neither," he agreed readily. Like hell. If there were so much as a cot in here, you could just kiss your virginity goodbye.

She looked at him skeptically, crossed her arms, and asked him angrily, "Hey, what kind of charm did you cast, anyway?"

Offended, he put his hands on his hips and snapped, "Well, certainly not that one. I can find girls without having to enthrall them, thank you very much!"

"All right, all right," she relented. Still feeling she had to justify her uncharacteristic behavior, she went on, "Well, I suppose it's a perfectly natural reaction, if any of my brothers are to be believed. Guess I wasn't thinking too clearly, what with skipping dinner tonight."

Without a moment's hesitation, he said eagerly, "Hey, me too. Would you like to go to the kitchens and see what the house elves can dreg up for us?"

He thought, Oh, no -- did I just ask her on a date? What is wrong with me?

She declined, saying that her brother would already have something for her. Whenever he saw her miss a meal, he made it a point to bring a plate up for her. Draco felt a twinge of jealousy. No one had ever done that for him, not even his mother. He sneered, "Hmph. Must be nice."

"Yes, it is. It's rather comforting, having someone who looks out for you," she answered candidly. "He's always been there for me."

The wave of jealousy fled, and a slight pang of sadness took its place. He felt annoyed that she had someone to take care of her. The only people who had ever taken care of him had done so because they were paid, and paid extremely well. That was the truth of the matter, plain and simple. Well, maybe he still felt a little jealousy, but was it aimed at her or at Ron?

Realizing they had been in the closet for far too long, Draco shook off these emotions. Once again, he was all business. He swiftly reversed the charms then instructed her in a serious tone, "Now go to your tower. I'll send you a school owl telling you where we'll meet. This has got to be done discretely, or people will start to talk."

She nodded, pursing her lips. Clearly, there was a lot on the line. She carefully pushed opened the large, squeaky door and peeked outside. After making a cursory check for students and teachers, she exited the closet and practically ran down the hallway, leaving the door slightly ajar.

He watched as she disappeared down the corridor. He left the closet a few minutes later, heading down to the kitchens for a snack before returning to the dungeons. He thought of her tender lips on his, and his mouth tingled. He groaned to himself, Oh, man, am I ever in trouble. She's incredible. Hot, fiery little thing --

Then the reality of it hit home. No, I can't. It would be a huge mistake. Father would surely find some way to leave Azkaban, just so he could come and kill me. He pinched the bridge of his nose and pinched his eyes shut. He took a moment to think rationally, realizing, This has got to be strictly professional.

Then he stopped dead in his tracks and wondered: Was the other one Potter or Granger?