Title: What Bravery Is
Rating: T for mentions of torture and sex.
Summary: The girls of Slytherin find themselves talking in the middle of the night while detention is going on. Set during seventh year with the Carrows and Snape has Headmaster.
Disclaimer: I don't own nothing except for my pay checks.
Viola Runcorn had rested her back against her headboard as she sighed, her fingers tapping against her pregnant abdomen. She was currently 4 months along and barely showing, but alas she had still gone up a size. Her roommates had went from torturing her mercilessly to silently watching her. That didn't matter because soon they were going to be out of school for good.
A shrill scream had echoed through the dungeon walls, which made Viola shutter at the detention victims shouts.
"Make them stop," muttered Daphne from the bed across from hers. "I can't stand it, all the screaming and the curses."
The Carrow siblings decided that torturing the students in detention with the cruciatus curse. What was worse they were letting students like Crabbe and Goyle do it. They had actually found pleasure in it and were on top of the defense class.
Daphne had covered her head with the pillow and still moaned about how loud it was. Viola turned to look on her right to see Tracey letting tears freely run down her face. As a half blood it must have been easy for Tracey to imagine some of her family going through that. Viola desperately wanted to hug her friend but all the girls were too scared to move.
Millicent Bulstrode, miraculously, was sound asleep in her bed. She had always boasted that she could sleep through a war, but it still impressed her housemates. Viola had watched Millicent toss and turn in her bed. She always seemed to sleep like she was a mixing bowl. Whatever her dreams were, seemed to be beating her up about something.
"Is anyone awake?" asked Pansy Parkinson. Everyone except Millicent had sat up in bed at her words, as Pansy hadn't spoken to any one since Draco's ultimate turn to the dark side. Pansy was known to be cruel and lead the other girls to pick on Viola.
She could easily make out each girl from the green glow illuminated from the lake. Tracey was in her favorite long night shirt that had a figure of some cartoon on it. Pansy looked like a ghost in her pale pink nightgown. Daphne was hard to make out since she had her own midnight blue nightgown. Viola looking down at the bulge beneath her long lavender night shirt and dark purple bottoms with silver snitches on them.
Pansy looked at each girl unsure what to say to them next. Clearly she wanted to speak but the screams were still echoing through each girls head. All of the girls looked at each other before shuddering at the sound.
"If we are going to talk can it be about anything other than detentions?" asked Daphne clearly not wanting to speak of it. It was finally Pansy that had looked up from her bed to speak.
"Like what? Boys? Draco hasn't contacted me at all during our seventh year," she said disgusted. Draco had turned to Voldemort's side during their sixth year and it felt like a betrayal to Pansy. It looked like Crabbe and Goyle were going down that path as well.
"Well while we're on the topic…" said Daphne sheepishly, before turning to Viola. "What's it like Viola?"
Viola only looked at the blond with a solemn straight face. She had masked her surprise that Daphne had took the time to call her by her first name. As far as these girls were concerned she was isolated from the rest of them. All these years she was called nothing but Runcorn and never her first name.
Her thoughts wandered to what Daphne might be getting. What was what like? Being in a serious relationship with Theodore Nott? That she had lost her virginity over Christmas holiday? Being pregnant?
"About what? I mean look around you Daphne you're the only one that's pulled together. Pansy hasn't spoken to anyone since term started. Tracey could get kicked out for being a half-blood. Millicent has been trying to be ignorant and in denial about Vincent. I'm four months pregnant and being constantly judged because of it," said Viola blue eyes meeting her green.
Daphne remained quiet before letting out a short laugh. That was the first laugh in months since they had been here.
"Me? I'm the one that's pulled together?" said Daphne, her corkscrew curls shaking with her. "How wrong you are. I'm terrified of being here, the Carrows are terrible teachers. Professor Snape doesn't stop them. I'm in fear of what's going to happen if I tell anyone that I don't want any part of it."
All of the girls had let out a sigh of relief that they were not alone in these feelings. Viola and Daphne had turned to Pansy and Tracey daring them to say something. Not that they expected them to say anything.
"If anyone is pulled together it's you Vi," said Tracey. Viola looked at her surprised at the words that had come out of her mouth. "I mean during all our years at Hogwarts you put up with us teasing and picking on you. Out of all of us you were the one to have a true friend in Theodore Nott of all people. Pansy would turn any of us in if we said anything against her or Draco. You didn't care what any of us said about you. Not only that but you're having a baby in the middle of a war, that's a brave thing."
"Tracey you're brave," said Pansy finally speaking. "You're a half-blood stuck in the middle of the house concerned with blood purity. You came back to school while others would be running. Face it all of you are brave except for me."
The screams had started up again, reminding them that detention was still going on. They could tell it was Longbottom from the voice. He was daring them to do it again to him. If anything Viola wished that she could be like Longbottom, because he was brave than she ever could be.
"We're all brave," said Tracey. "It's just a matter what bravery is."