One Bite ✔️ (#Wattys2017)

Chapter 20...

     "I love you, you know," Draco's sultry voice broke through the silence.

"I know, I love you, too," Hermione responded, her eyes looking away from her King's silver ones before looking up at the stars, "You know, my love, you still haven't told me that story."

"What story?" Draco studied his Queen, his body growing tired from Hermione's petting and the intense sex they had moments before. He yawned.

"Never mind, you're too tired."

"No, I'm not," he said and crawled up Hermione's body, caging her beneath him again, "What story?"

"The Tales of Beadle and the Bard," Hermione gave in.

"Oh," Draco gave a chuckle as he remembered the book, "Well, I only remember one story from perfection."

"Anything is fine with me," Hermione said and looked up at him, "As long as I get to hear you tell the story."

Draco chuckled and rolled off of Hermione. She pulled herself close to him, throwing one of her legs over his. The weather was warm out now and so the water on their bodies dried very quickly, their bodies barely sticking. She nuzzled herself into Draco's side, his arm coming to wrap around her naked waist. He cleared his throat, "There was once a handsome, rich, and talented young sorcerer, who observed that his friends grew foolish when they fell in love, gamboling and preening, losing their appetites and their dignity," Hermione looked up to the stars, imaging the story play out before her in the sky, "The young sorcerer resolved never to fall prey to such weakness, and employed Dark Magic to ensure his immunity.

"Unaware of his secret, the sorcerer's family laughed to see him so aloof and cold.

"'All will change,' they prophesied, 'when a young slave girl or governor's daughter catches his fancy!'

"But the young sorcerers fancy remained untouched. Though many a maiden was intrigued by his haughty mien, and employed her most subtle arts to please him, none succeeded in touching his heart. The warlock gloried in his indifference, and the sagacity that had produced it.

"The first freshness of youth waned, and the sorcerer's peers began to wed, and then to bring forth children.

"'Their hearts must be husks,' he sneered inwardly as he observed the children of the young parents around him, 'shriveled by the demands of these mewling offspring!'

"And once again he congratulated himself upon the wisdom of his early choice.

"In due course, the sorcerer's aged parents died. Their son did not mourn them; on the country, he considered himself blessed by their demise. Now he reigned alone in their palace. Moving his greatest treasure to the deepest dungeons, he gave himself over to a life of ease and plenty, his comfort the only win of his many servants.

"The sorcerer was sure that he must be an object of immense envy to all who beheld his splendid and untroubled solitude. Fierce were his anger and wrath, therefore, when he over-heard two of his servants discussing their master one day.

"The first servant expressed pity for the sorcerer, who, with all his wealth and power, was yet beloved by nobody.

"But his companion jeered, asking why a man with so much gold and a palace to his name had been unable to attract a wife.

"Their words dealt dreadful blows to the listening sorcerer's pride. He resolved at once to take a wife, and that she would be a wife superior to all others. She would possess astounding beauty, exciting envy and desire in every man who beheld her; so that their offspring would inherit outstanding magical gifts; and she would have wealth at least equal to his own, so that his comfortable existence would be assured in spite of additions to his household.