A/N :- First of all I would like to thank everybody for all the reviews for the first chapter. It's very much appreciated. I've tried hard to work on the speech elements of this chapter as that seemed to be the area most people offered criticism. As before this isn't beta'd and any mistakes are my own. I am working on getting a beta and will definitely think about posting this elsewhere to help make this as polished/tidy as it can be before posting it here. However until then; here is the second chapter of Death before Dishonour. Enjoy and please feel free to leave a review! - SuperNova.
Chapter Two – Gimme Shelter
Harry Potter paused, one foot placed upon the dark black metal step used to get up into the carriage, and he watched Theo standing at the front of the carriage in front of his own. To anybody who didn't know the secret of the Hogwarts carriages, it would simply look like Theodore Nott was talking to himself and patting thin air.
Of course, Harry knew that Theo was simply greeting the Threstral that was about to pull his carriage. It was a ritual Theo he had done every year since starting Hogwarts. That didn't mean that Harry didn't find it a little weird. He couldn't see them, something he was more than a little grateful for and, from the description that Theo had given to him about how they looked, Harry couldn't imagine wanting to ever pet one.
Shaking his head, Harry pulled himself into the carriage and shut the door behind him, taking the last seat. It wasn't long before Daphne, who was sitting beside him, entwined her hand with his before smiling up at him. Harry returned the smile easily, giving her hand a squeeze, before turning his gaze to the couple sitting across from them.
Draco and Pansy did not seem to be getting along. Which was saying something, considering that normally they where pawing at each like dogs in heat. They where sat next to one another, slightly turned away from each other, quite content to stare out of opposite windows. Draco had his arms folded and Pansy was tapping her foot irritatingly against the carriage floor.
Harry looked to Daphne again and raised his eyebrows in question and she barely managed to suppress a smirk that told him that she knew exactly the reason for the unusual tension between the two. Pansy was an attractive girl, the very definition of ugly duckling, she was a little taller than Daphne, and much curvier. Her face had finally grown into the nose that had dominated her face up until the beginning of fifth year, her eyes a deep brown and her face framed by short, chin length brown hair, so dark it was almost black. Harry had often thought that despite her obvious assets that having Pansy as a girlfriend would be a nightmare.
She was – quite proudly - very high maintenance. Draco had often moaned about that very trait to them privately and Harry couldn't blame him. She fussed over him constantly, constantly wanted to be the centre of his attention and when she wasn't, had been known to throw quite the tantrum. Blaise had, in the previous year, during one of Draco and Pansys particularly nasty arguments, asked why Draco was with her and Dracos answer was simple. She might be a pain in the arse, but he loved her. That was about as emotional as Draco had ever been in their presence.
"Did you have a nice summer, Pansy?" Asked Harry, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
Pansy turned her dark brown eyes upon him.
"It was ok." Replied Pansy tartly.
The silence developed between the four of them again, and never had Harry been so happy about the carriage ride only being a short trip. As no sooner had the carriage began to move they had came to a stop. Pansy wasted no time in opening the carriage door and climbing, gracefully, down the step and out into the cold Scottish night, waiting expectantly outside the carriage, arms cross under her breasts and foot still tapping impatiently.
"Excuse me, boys." Said Daphne cheerfully. "I think Pansy is waiting for me! "
She moved past them both, pausing briefly to give Harry a kiss on the cheek, before climbing out of the carriage. Harry watched her link arms with Pansy and begin the walk into the castle, joining the mass exodus of the other carriages. Pansy wasting no time in launching in to what was clearly a very passionate and theatrical bitch about Draco and all his faults.
"Bloody women." Sighed Draco, running a hand through his hair.
"What's got her knickers in a twist?" Asked Harry over his shoulder as he climbed out of the carriage. He cast a look around as he waited for Draco. The castle loomed as impressively as ever behind the river of students that where meandering their way into the castle, through the large oak doors and into the great hall.
"She's upset that I didn't send her many owls over the summer." Stated Draco glumly, appearing beside him. "Honestly, like I didn't have more important things going on!"
Harry winced.
"For Merlins sake, don't tell her that!" Urged Harry, shaking his head in dismay, imaging the raging nightmare Pansy would become if Draco told her that some things were more important than her.
"I haven't! I aren't completely stupid!" Said Draco. "How do you get away with it with Daphne? She never gets pissy and you never mail her over the summer!"
Harry smiled as they slotted into the shuffling crowd of Hogwarts students and began to walk toward the castle. He didn't mail Daphne over the summer, he didn't mail anybody, he'd never had the gold to afford his own owl and after the first few attempts that his friends had made to write to him during the summer after their first year, he'd simply requested that they didn't bother. As nice a thought as it was, it simply wasn't worth the grief he'd received from his Uncle and Aunt.
So from late may to the beginning of September, Harry Potter went off the grid from the Wizarding world.
"Daphne understands why I can't mail her." Answered Harry. "I just told her the truth."
Draco turned to look at him, those pale – barely there – eyebrows raising high onto his forehead, the expression on his face clearly saying that he doubted that last statement.
"Ok." Admitted Harry with a smile. "I told her some of the truth! But she understood."
"So you're saying I should tell her about -" Draco stopped short of saying the actual reason for why he hadn't written, he simply tapped his left forearm with his right index and middle fingers whilst giving Harry a knowing look.
"Well...No." Admitted Harry. "Maybe not that, but just tell her..." Harry trailed off, just how did you explain to your girlfriend that the Dark Lord wanted to brand you as his follower, without actually telling her? "A few half truths never hurt anybody. That or you could just buy her some flowers and she'll forget all about it."
"I guess." Grunted Draco not sounding convinced.
They walked the last few metres to the castle door in silence. Harry looked off to the side, just past the castle to see the hundred or so tiny boats beginning their trek across the Black Lake, the tiny lanterns that sat at the front of the boats making it look like the edge of the lake itself was on fire. Harry hoped that the first years truly took everything in that little boat trip had to take in; if Harry had a choice, he'd take that boat trip every year.
They followed the herd into the castle, passing the ever-grouchy looking Angus Filch and his grubby looking cat, that seemed to be surveying every student that walked past for any slight sign of nuisance. Harry had half expected for Filch to be wearing a relieved expression upon on his sour face, no doubt the lack of Weasley twins this year would almost cut his work load in half.
"I'm going to head to the common room." Said Harry, breaking the silence and drawing Draco's attention. Draco was regarding him suspiciously.
"What have you got planned?" Asked Draco in a hushed tone.
"Whatever happens when you get back from the feast..." Harry paused, leaning in closer to Draco before saying so only Draco could hear. "Make a move."
Before Draco could even begin to reply, Harry had split from the crowd and began his walk to the dungeon. When Harry was in his first year, he'd often wished that the Slytherin common room had been somewhere a little closer to all the class rooms but now, he'd quite gotten used to it being out of the way.
The walk down to the dungeon was as quiet as Harry had expected. Every student in the castle was currently awaiting the arrival of the new first years; even the ghosts and Peeves where conspicuous by their absence. Every now and then a painting would shout their 'hellos' or question why he was walking down the corridors and staircases instead of being in the great hall but Harry ignored them and continued his walk.
Years of navigating the hallways of Hogwarts amidst the hoards of students on a daily basis for five years – as well as more than a few night time excursions – allowed Harry to find his way to standing in front of the secret entrance to his common room in no time at all.
"Moke."
The stone wall in front of him shuddered. Dust poured out, like the very wall itself was crying, as the large stone slabs that made it up, began to rearrange themselves much like the wall behind the Leaky Cauldron did, before reorganising themselves into a doorway that opened itself into a narrow tunnel. Harry wasted no time in walking through the entrance, the stones instantly beginning to make up the stone wall again the very second he stepped through the threshold, concealing the common room from view once more.
The Slytherin common room was essentially a dungeon, lit with greenish lamps and filled proudly with furniture that was a mixture of black and dark green tuffled couches, armchairs and stools that sat immaculately in the common room, untouched by any student for months, whilst dark wooden cupboards sat in the far right hand corner of the room. There was a faint smell of damp that, after years of living here, Harry had simply learnt to tuned out, a hazard of being partially under the lake. Large windows allowed students to peer out into the vast murky depths of the lake, sometimes granting them a look at Giant Squid that most students would never get to see or even a look at some of the more interesting secrets the lake held. It still, to this day, remained the most grand room that Harry had ever seen.
Harry took out his wand as he walked across the common room, flicking it casually and causing the giant fireplace, that sat between the pair of doors that belonged to the male and female dorms, to erupt into life. It would take a while to heat the naturally chilly common room but Harry had nothing but time.
Harry took a seat in one of the many plush leather armchairs, content to look at the many ancient tapestries that decorated the stone walls, many depicting Merlin – Slytherins most famous son - himself, whilst he thought over his plan. He'd been thinking about it since he'd arrived back at Number four Privet Drive, perhaps even as early as discovering the D.A's use of the room of requirement but he'd never really committed to the idea until Draco divulged his predicament on the express. They needed somewhere to plan. Somewhere they could talk openly, without having to worrying of somebody over hearing them.
Harry wasn't sure how it worked in the other houses, honestly he didn't really care, but in Slytherin house if the Head boy and Head girl were chosen from one of the other houses, then the quarters that where normally reserved for them, became available and where fair-game.
Normally, as was the tradition, it became a little bit of a free for all between the seventh years to see who could trade, barter or bully there way into the private dorms. For the past five years it had provided first day entertainment for Harry and his friends as they shared amusement – and disbelief – at some of the trades being offered just for a private room. Of course, now Harry understood their true value.
This year, however, was going to be different from those that had past.
The difference this year was that Harry, as usual, was willing to sacrifice his needs for the greater good of the group. Whilst the seventh years where stuffing their faces with every delight imaginable, Harry had chosen to forgo the first proper meal he would have had since the leaving feast, to secure those rooms for himself and his friends. Harry had thought of a few different methods that he could use to secure them. At first, he'd thought about offering whoever eventually won them a monthly allowance to use them. Then he'd thought of duelling for them. Both ideas had quickly been dismissed.
He needed that gold as badly as the others and couldn't afford to waste it on renting a room, no matter how handy it was. Duelling wasn't a viable option either. Oh, he didn't doubt he could beat most – if not all – the seventh years but it would attract more attention from Snape than he wanted and could, at worse, end up with a trip to the Hospital wing.
No, there was a better way to secure those rooms. He would wait. In the shadows, never even a consideration for the seventh years. He'd let the seventh years do what they wanted to do and sort it out amongst themselves. Then he'd strike.
Harry rose from his seat and moved toward a tapestry of the great Merlin standing fearlessly in front of some long dead species of Dragon. Harry tapped the tapestry gently with the tip of his wand and it fluttered slightly before flickering. Harry watched pensively, as the tapestry disappeared and a rather plain, dark wood door with a shiny gold handle appeared in its place. Harry barely suppressed a smile and fought with the internal urge to open the door and have a look inside, the curiosity of what the private chambers looked like was killing him, but he knew that if he stepped foot through the threshold, the wards would keyed to him.
Harry tapped the door handle with the end of his wand, right in the centre, before circling it clockwise once and then tapping the top of the gold handle. Nothing happened and for a moment, Harry feared it hadn't worked. He'd never actually attempted this jinx. He'd read about it and understood the mechanics but he'd never had the need to use it. Harry tentatively reached out with a finger, touching the door handle for a split second before quickly withdrawing it with a hiss, the door handle was piping hot. Anybody who went to open the door would be in some serious pain.
Harry took a moment to admire his work before drawing his wand into an arc shape, roughly encasing the door within it. These jinxes didn't need to be pretty or deadly, they needed to be effective in warning off whoever tried to open it. Harry had no doubt that once the unfortunate seventh year realised they couldn't open it by hand; they'd try to force there way in, not willing to accept defeat. Harry had to cover all bases to ensure victory.
It was an hour and a half before the dungeon wall was forced to rearrange itself and allow the rest of Slytherins entrance to the common room. Harry had long since finished his work and had taken up residence in his favourite seat, waiting patiently for his friends to arrive, to fill the rest of the seating around him and killing the time between by reading through that mornings edition of the Daily Prophet. The common room soon filled up with the lower years rushing around, keen to unpack their things and continue their gossiping and story telling about what they got up to over the summer.
It wasn't long before Draco, Theo and Blaise walked through the door and made a bee-line toward him and the cluster of chairs that he'd 'reserved' for them. Draco plopped down on the couch with little grace whilst Blaise sat next to him and Theo rounded out the circle of chairs next to Harry.
"Still not made up with Pansy." Asked Harry curiously.
"She wouldn't even pass him the potatoes." Answered Blaise with amusement. "It's like he doesn't exist to her."
"She is pretty pissed." Said Theo.
Draco didn't answer or say anything. He just groaned and seemed to sink deeper into the coach.
"Where is she?" asked Harry.
"She's helping Astoria and Daphne herd the first years here without losing any of them." Replied Theo with a shrug.
"Good batch this year?"
"Not bad." Answered Blaise with a nod of appreciation. "A few less than last year but still more than Ravenclaw."
The annual gasp of awe indicated that Astoria Greengrass – newly appointed fifth year prefect – had managed to get the first years to the Dungeon in one piece. Harry turned around in his chair, watching as the young carbon copy of Daphne spoke to the first years, given them the mandatory speech that all the first years received from the prefects. Daphne was making her way toward them with Pansy a few paces behind her, still looking as glum as she had done in the carriage.
"You missed a hell of a feast!" Announced Daphne as she sat down on his lap. "Might be the best one yet!"
Harry groaned at his girlfriends teasing. He'd spent a large part of the last forty five minutes trying not to think about the feast.
"Don't say that!" Pleaded Harry, closing his eyes and trying not to think about the mountains of mash potato, layer upon layer of cauliflower cheese or the plates full of every different type of meat.
"Not my fault you chose to miss the feast!" said Daphne. "Though, I suppose if you speak to me nicely...you could persuade your wonderful, beautiful girlfriend to go for a trip to the kitchens tonight for a midnight snack?"
Harry had no idea where she put it all. Daphne was a tiny dot of a women but she ate like a horse! He had seen her eat platefuls of food that made even Goyle blanch. Though, the idea of going to the kitchens was definitely appealing. His stomach was beginning to forget about the pumpkin pasty he'd bought on the train.
"Sounds like a brilliant idea, Daph!" Exclaimed Harry, not able to contain the excitement from his voice. "Any interesting announcements?"
A glance was shared between his three friends – Pansy was sitting beside Draco, a good distance still beside them, staring off into space and ignoring all of them, although she was still managing to shoot Draco meaningful glances, clearly expecting some sort of show of affection. Harry doubted Draco had even noticed her.
"Professor Slughorn -"
"Still can't believe you got to meet him!" Interrupted Theo.
"Stop sulking Theo. He'll be teaching you potions all year!" said Blaise.
It hadn't come as a huge surprise to Harry that Slughorn was teaching potions, not after what Draco had told him during their little visit to the Slug club. However it raised questions.
"And Snape?" asked Harry curiously.
"Snapes the new defence against the dark arts professor." Answered Daphne. "Be nice to have a competent teacher this year!"
It was no secret within their little circle that Daphne hadn't been the biggest fan of the previous professors. She'd had no real problem with Quirrell, she'd despised Lockhart for not teaching them anything useful, quite liked Lupin, feared Moody and loathed Umbridges methods more than she had actually hated the women.
"Anything Snape doesn't know about the dark arts, isn't worth knowing." Stated Draco. "We should learn loads this year."
"All degrees that the ministry enforced last year have been rescinded." Theo told him. "And Dumbledore has decided to turn Longbottoms little club into an official Hogwarts 'club'."
That wasn't surprising. With Voldemort back it was no surprise that Dumbledore was putting an emphasise on self-defence.
"Longbottoms teaching it?"
"Nope!" Said Daphne happily. "Dumbledore himself is teaching it!"
That was interesting. Albus Dumbledore hadn't actively taught a lesson since he'd assumed the role of headmaster. Everybody knew the legends that surrounded Dumbledore . The famous duels, the feats of magic that would never be duplicated and even the lessons that he taught fifty years ago where still regarded with awe. The chance to be taught by Dumbledore wouldn't be passed up by many.
Harry was about to reply when the figure of Adrian Pucey entered the common room, spearheading the contingent of seventh years. Adrian Pucey was of average height, medium build with short black hair and heavy features. His brow was large and seemed to dwarf his beady brown eyes whilst his jaw was possibly his strongest feature. This was Adrians second attempt at his seventh year but he didn't seem embarrassed by it. In fact, Adrian walked into the common room like the dog with the biggest bone in the yard. Whilst the previous year he'd been somewhat lost in the shuffle amongst the likes of Marcus Flint, Warrington and Urquhart, this year it seemed Pucey fancied himself the main man and the rest of the sevenths years seemed happy for him to have that title.
Harry frowned. He hadn't expected this. They where normally already squabbling.
Harry watched carefully, tuning out Daphne and Blaises chit chat, as Pucey made his way toward the tapestry of Merlin standing in front of the dragon. Pucey took out his wand with an extravagant flourish.
"And just think of the after hours parties we can have!" Exclaimed Pucey to two seventh year witches who flanked him. Terrence Higgs was stood, looking over Puceys shoulder eagerly. "Last year Warrington would throw one every Saturday! Sometimes even Sunday! I attended more lessons hungover than I can count!"
Harry couldn't help but feel that that was probably the reason as to why Pucey had needed to retake his final year. A lesson he clearly hadn't learnt.
Harry watched as Pucey tapped the tapestry exactly as he had done earlier. There was a cocky arrogance to the way Pucey was acting. It was the type of arrogance that only came about with a sure thing. He'd clearly spent a lot of time working the charm offensive with his new year mates either over the summer or perhaps even a little before that. You don't install yourself as the leader of an entire year group in the duration of the train journey.
The door to the Headboy and Headgirls quarters appeared in place of the tapestry to gasps of excitement from the first years. Harry looked around and could see most conversation between groups of friends had stopped, everybody in the common room was watching the seventh years, waiting for something to happen. Normally by this point in the evening there had been several curses, several attempts to gain favour and even a few suggestive whispers.
Pucey preened under the gaze of his house mates, puffing his chest out like a peacock and soaking in every bodies undivided attention. Harry chanced a glance at Draco but Draco was watching Pucey and only Pucey with interest.
"I suppose I will have to get used to sleeping on my own!" Sighed Pucey, not sounding like it would be too much of a problem for him. Harry absently noted that their little group had been joined by both Crabbe and Goyle – who stood behind Draco – and Tracy Davis who whispered quietly to Pansy but never once taking her eyes off the scene before her.
Pucey reached out and seized the door handle and tried to twist it open. For a second nothing happened and Harry once again wondered if the jinx had perhaps worn off, but Puceys face suddenly contorted into a frown before his eyes bulged and a feint sizzling sound echoed through the common room. Pucey dropped his hand quickly, hissing through his gritted teeth as he shook his right hand rapidly as if to cool it down.
"Son of a bitch!"
Pucey had doubled over, his good hand grabbing his not so good one as he gingerly flexed his fingers, wincing in pain the entire time. The two witches who he'd been bragging too were at his side instantly, fawning over him.
"Move!" Demanded Pucey angrily. His normally waxy face flushing red with embarrassment as he straightened himself and tried to hide the pain he was in. He gave a pained smile to Higgs before reaching for the door handle again. He barely touched it this time before he withdrew his hand and looked at the door suspiciously.
"Unlock the door, Higgs!"
Higgs almost fell over himself to open it, fumbling his wand before jabbing it forward, pointing it at the door and saying, "Alohamora!"
The unlocking charm, nicknamed 'a thiefs bestfriend', would open any door it was tested upon, at least in theory. The lock didn't budge an inch. There was no click of the latch. Nothing. The door just remained exactly how it had been.
Harry could feel Draco's eyes upon him, Daphnes too but Harry didn't tear his eyes way from the seventh years.
"Try again!" Pucey ordered. His face was now burning a crimson red as he continued to favour his right hand.
"Alohamora!" Cried Higgs to the same result as before. Higgs turned to Pucey and said. "It's not opening! It's been charmed to stay locked, I reckon!"
Harry could almost see the gears turning inside Puceys head. Pucey turned around and looked at his group of newly found friends suspiciously, like he was weighing up with one of them was the snake who'd betrayed him but after a few seconds a forced grin broke across the elder boys face as he turned to look at all those gathered in the common room, like a gladiator surviving the crowd.
"Well I guess I'll just have to blast the door off then hadn't I? Keep whatever is inside as mine...after all it's in my quarters!" Yelled Pucey to no one in particular, like he was expecting somebody to throw themselves forward, admit to this crime, and beg for their stuff. Of course, nobody did.
Pucey pulled his wand out from the back pocket of his trousers, holding it feebly in his hand, the pressure of the wooden wand gripped in the raw and sensitive palm of his hand obviously causing him no small amount of pain.
Pucey flicked his wand upwards before bringing it down in a sharp left diagonal motion, muttering something under his breath that vaguely sounding like the breaking charm.
Suddenly, no sooner had his wand stopped moving, Pucey was sent flying backwards across the room, crashing through a wooden coffee table that buckled instantly under Puceys weight, leaving Pucey laying in a heap on the floor surrounded by wooden shrapnel.
Stunned silence swept through the common room. Higgs and the rest of the seventh years looked from the unmoving form of Pucey to the door before taking a couple of steps away from the door cautiously. Pucey groaned in pain, his breathing raspy and ragged as he started to stir.
Draco was already moving when Harry looked over to him. Harry watched, pleased, that Draco had followed his earlier instruction. Draco pushed himself up from couch and began walking out of their cul-de-sac of chairs with the same cocky arrogance that Pucey himself had sauntered into the common room with and into the open space in front of the door.
"I think you should probably take Pucey up to your dorm." Half stated, half ordered Draco as he came to a stop a few feet away from Higgs and the rest of the seventh years. Harry watched as Draco slowly turned his gaze away from Higgs before looking at the stirring figure of Adrian Pucey, still laying amongst the wreckage of what had been the wooden coffee table.
Higgs was staring at Draco in disbelief but he didn't quite say anything, his mouth moving wordlessly for a few seconds.
"This was you?" Asked Terrance, like he didn't quite comprehend what he was saying.
Draco didn't answer and Harry barely suppressed the impressed look that was threatening to break out across his face. Draco was handling this better than he could have dreamed. Draco was standing a few feet from the throng of seventh years calmly, showing no fear for the consequences that could potentially come back to bite him in the arse.
"You have no right to those rooms!" Said Higgs to murmurs of agreement from the seventh years that stood behind him.
Draco snorted dismissively in reply.
"It doesn't matter." Said Draco calmly. "The rooms belong to me now."
"You aren't a seventh year, Malfoy!" Shouted a high pitched, squeaky feminine voice from somewhere behind Terrance Higgs.
"And?"
Dracos cool and even reply seemed to kill any forth coming arguments dead. There was a tense moment between the Seventh years and Draco and the entire common room waited with baited breath to see what would happen next between them. Harry got the distinct impression that more than a few would be hoping for wands to be drawn. That, however, was never going to happen. Terrance Higgs was many things but brave was definitely not one of them.
Terrance Higgs had always, ever since Harry had first became aware of him, seemed to cling to the coat tails of bigger, stronger Wizards. He'd normally stood on the edge of friendship circles of the older years, chipping in here and there with a joke and always siding with the leaders opinion. He was remarkable for being unremarkable. A footnote attached to other people chapters.
This time though he'd made a mistake and he was beginning to realise it, no doubt.
Harry tore his eyes away from Draco to focus on his friends. Blaise and Theo where sat on the edge of their seats, both had their hands on their wands, ready for action at the slightest hint of trouble. Pansy was watching the scene with worry whilst Tracy Davis just looked eager to see the fight. Crabbe and Goyle now stood behind Theo, flanking the smaller boy, waiting for Harry to give them the signal to step in.
Higgs took a step backwards, the heel of his boot clanking against the cold stone of the common room floor, towards Pucey. Higgs never took his eyes from Draco, like he expected Draco to strike the moment his back was turned.
Harry watched as Higgs reached down and grasped Pucey by the forearm and pulled the older boy to his feet. Pucey winced as and wrapped his free arm around his ribs. Pucey never looked to Draco, never looked toward his fellow seventh years...he just walked slowly, with a slight limp, toward the door that led to the male dorms – his tail firmly between his legs – as he lent on Higgs for support.
The rest of the seventh years shared a glance between them, murmuring in disappointment – they had clearly been expecting to break in the new term in style – before they too, slowly began to disperse. None of them deciding it was worth a fight. It wasn't long before the rest of the common room returned to their own business.
Draco returned to his seat and nodded to Harry.
"Right girls, give us a little space would you?" Said Blaise, clapping his hands together and jerking his head to the side.
Pansy huffed at being dismissed but not before she leant over and gave Draco a chaste kiss that clearly said he was at least, partially, on his way to being forgiven – the addition of new private quarters no doubt playing a large part in this forgiveness. Tracy got up and followed her, having never said a word to anybody but Pansy, which wasn't entirely surprising as she had always been a quiet, shy girl.
Harry expected Daphne to follow suit but she didn't. She only turned herself sideways on his lap, so that she was sitting across him, her deceptively long legs handing over the edge of the armchairs arm.
"I don't quite understand how I'm supposed to enjoy Draco having private quarters?" Whispered Daphne teasingly as she leant forward, her lips right beside his ear and causing a shiver to run down his spine as her breath tickled the side of his neck. "Do you want me to start sleeping with Draco?"
"Draco needed a win." Whispered Harry in reply so only she could hear him. "Besides, I thought you enjoyed the challenge of sneaking into the dorm?"
Daphne reared back with a over dramatic thoughtful look on her face. He'd seriously considered taking the room for himself. It would have been easy. All he'd have had to do was walk through the threshold of the room and have the wards key to his magic. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't considered it but Draco needed a boast and it served them to have Draco take them.
"Well, you'll just have to wait and see if I enjoy the challenge of sneaking in anymore!"
With that said, Daphne slid of his lap tantalisingly slowly, before walking after Pansy and Tracy, stopping only at the door to her own dorm to look over her shoulder and blow him a kiss before disappearing into her dorm. As Daphne disappeared through the door, Harry returned his attention back to the group.
"Crabbe, Goyle why don't you go and grab Dracos trunk." Said Harry, looking at the two hulking figures that still stood behind the couch which Theo and Draco were sat on. Both boys grunted and began toward the sixth year dormitories, talking between themselves. When they were out of earshot, Harry nodded.
"Not that I'm complaining, but an explanation would be nice." Requested Draco.
"It ticked most of the boxes." Replied Harry. "With the room of requirement no longer a consideration..."
"Why Draco?" Asked Blaise. "It was your idea. Why not take them yourself?"
"Everybody outside of Slytherin already thinks Draco runs everything that happens in this house," Harry said calmly, "now the Slytherins think it too."
"Clever." Acknowledged Theo. "You still could have told us, though. We could have helped!"
Harry had considered it. He really had. When they'd left Slughorns little tea party and he was pretty certain that this was the route he was going, he'd considered telling them his plan during the final stages of the train journey but he'd decided against it. The four of them missing from the feast would have attracted to much attention from the others in their house; no matter how much they tried, Draco Malfoy was a fairly well known and easily seen character.
"It would have drawn to much attention." Dismissed Harry. "Better that one of us slipped away unnoticed." Theo didn't argue with that. Harry knew that Theo could see the reasoning for it.
Crabbe and Goyle arrived back into the common room carrying Draco's trunk between them. Quite, why they didn't consider levitating it, Harry didn't know, although to be honest Harry shouldn't have been surprised. Crabbe and Goyle were probably the worst students in sixth year, their grades had always been considerably worse than anybody else in their year. Despite their lack of intelligence and their lack of talent they more than made up for it in sheer size. Their hulking presence was intimidating and their ability to follows orders was perhaps the pairs most redeeming quality.
"Perhaps we should move into your new quarters Draco?" Suggested Harry. "And we can continue our conversation from the train?"
Harry stood, an action mirrored by the others, before moving over to the door. Harry put his hand into his pocket, grasping his wand before willing the spells he'd cast on the door to disperse. Draco went first, as he should have, through the door and was quickly followed by Blaise, Theo and Harry which left Crabbe and Goyle dragging up the rear.
The private quarters were exactly what Harry expected. A short corridor, decorated much in the same vein as the rest of the Slythern common room, before it opened up into a lounge that was like a miniature version of the common room, though this room was circular. The furniture was the same style with the same black and green trim, the room was decorated with similar tapestries – though this time depicting Salazar himself – with one large, bay like, window that revealed the surrounding depths of the lake. There where two more doors on opposite sides of the room that Harry assumed were supposed to be for the Head girl and Head boy.
Blaise and Theo wasted no time before making themselves comfortable. Draco joined them in taking a seat in one of the armchairs, which left Harry with a seat next to Blaise. Crabbe and Goyle put Dracos trunk down against the stone wall and lingering awkwardly just off to the side.
"Crabbe, Goyle...make sure that nobody outside disturbs us." Ordered Harry with a thankful nod.
The two boys nodded and walked back along the corridor. Harry waited until he heard the door close behind them to start talking.
"I think this place could be very good for us." Stated Harry, looking around the room, already mentally planning on filling the stone walls with charts filled with odds, player form and possible injuries. He'd already mentally moved Theo's cauldron into the far left hand corner of the room and could envision the crates of 'acquired' fire-whiskey stacked up underneath the window.
"Good for us?" Repeated Blaise in awe. "This place is fucking amazing! We should have made a move for this place years ago!"
"We just got to make sure that nobody gets curious enough to stick one of those bloody ears under the door." Said Theo with a shake of his head.
Harry had never begrudged the Weasley twins how they made their money. In truth, how they'd made their money was probably less risky than how he made his own but with that one product, the Weasley twins had made their lives infinitely more difficult. It hadn't been so bad last year – the twins limited due to the same problems that they faced; lack of storage space, supply and gold. This year was different though, they had found a backer and had wasted no time in opening up a shop in Diagon Alley. They'd gone legit but in doing so; every one of their products had been made available to anybody with enough money and a mischievous streak.
Those bloody ears where going to be everywhere. Secrets were hard enough to keep within the walls of Hogwarts before, now, Harry had the suspicion that they were going to even harder to keep.
"I swear if I could go back in time..."
Blaise let the threat linger, nothing else needed to be said because Harry was certain that everybody in the room felt the same.
"There's a lot of things we'd all do differently." Said Harry, leaning forward in his chair. "This year, we can't afford mistakes. We have to be flawless on our exercution." Everybody nodded in agreement. "We need enough gold to be able to disappear at the drop of a wand if everything goes brooms up."
"So what do you want us to do?" Asked Theo, straight to the point.
"We need to keep all our areas locked down before we explore any new opportunities." Explained Harry. "Theo you keep turning out the pepper-up potion, we need it, it's a steady flow sickles. Blaise we'll need you at every Quidditch try-out, practice and maybe use some of those ears to eavesdrop team meetings."
"That's a lot of work." Said Blaise, sounding sceptical.
"It is." Agreed Harry. "But Quidditch was a big earner for us last year. Especially the last game. With the right information we could make a killing on every game this year."
"Harry is right." Agreed Draco. "Gryffindor will have almost an entirely new team this year after the twins, Johnson and Spinnet have finished. Any information on them and we could stack the odds almost entirely in our favour."
"Don't forget Hufflepuff will have a new keeper as well." Pointed out Theo.
"See?" Said Harry to Blaise. "We need that information."
"Alright." Agreed Blaise. "I'll get on it. First match isn't until mid october anyway, plenty of time for us to get a idea of the teams."
"What about me?" Asked Draco curiously.
"You said on the train you'd been in contact with Phipps? We'll need that pipeline, I think with the news as it is at the minute...our fellow students will be looking for any excuse to party." Said Harry confidently. "And they'll supplying with the finer things. Use the gold in the vault to stockpile."
"And what about you?" Asked Theo curiously. There wasn't any hint of accusation in his tone; no suggestion that he wasn't pulling his weight. Just a genuine curiosity as to what Harry would be focusing on.
"I'll be getting the money we are owed."
"I thought you wanted me in charge of that?" Asked Draco with a furrowed brow.
"I did." Confirmed Harry. "But it wouldn't look good for the prince of Slytherin to be doing his own dirty work."
Draco closed his eyes at hearing that nickname, trying to block it out. He'd hated it ever since the entire school had thought him to be the 'heir of Slytherin'. Harry couldn't understand why. It had served a purpose then and would this coming year.
"You know I hate that nickname!" Moaned Draco.
"Doesn't matter." Harry said with a smirk. "Once one of those little first years whispers about you putting Pucey in his place, the whole school will be whispering it again."
Draco looked less than pleased at the possibility as his pale, pointed face formed into a grimace at the idea of those whispers dogging him everywhere he went.
"You sure that's a good thing?" Questioned Blaise. "We've spent years trying to avoid the spotlight and now you're putting Draco firmly under it?"
It was a fair point. They'd operated in the utmost secrecy since they had started. Everything from late night meetings in a deserted common room, to the cold and windy afternoons spent plotting in the empty Quidditch stands and more than a few Saturday nights spent huddled around Theos cauldron trying desperately to make liquid luck.
"It's different this year." Explained Harry. "The focus is on keeping everybody within the castle safe. The focus is on Longbottom and Voldemort. If anything, we have more wriggle room this year because of the distrations. If we are going to make gold, serious gold, this year we need people to respect us. Draco taking these rooms from a seventh year without saying so much as a spell? It gives us that respect."
"And if it draws the wrong type of attention?" Continued Blaise. "You can't deny it's a risk."
Harry couldn't. It was a calculated risk but a risk never the less but people already whispered about Dracos alliances and they had done since the beginning. However, you can't punish somebody based on rumours. As long as they didn't get sloppy, become complacent and, most importantly, they didn't get caught. They would be fine.
"Everything we do is a risk." Stated Harry simply. "We could get caught at any moment; have our wands snapped, be expelled and left with nothing. We all have our reasons for needing the gold and that is what makes us different! We see the risk, run the odds and come out rich!"
"Have you been reading my journal?" Asked Theo sharply with a amused smile showing off his large crooked teeth. "That's a direct quote!"
"You keep a journal?" Asked Blaise with disbelief..
"No of course not!" Snapped Theo. "Do I looked like some soppy Lockhart fan?"
"Well..." Said Harry trailing off. "I think its the hair..."
Theo mumbled something under his breath that did not sound entirely polite.
"Right, that's enough business for tonight." Announced Harry with a clap of his hands. "I don't know about any of you, but I've got a beautiful brunette somewhere in this dungeon that I haven't seen for the entire summer!"
Harry got up from his seat, clapped Draco on the shoulder before leaving the living room of Dracos new common room and walking down the corridor. Harry vaguely heard Blaise joking with Theo about his hair and not having anybody to keep him warm at night.
Harry opened the door and found that the common room was mostly empty, save for a handful of excited first years, a lonely looking fifth year and Crabbe and Goyle, stood loyally either side of the door, arms folded and looking menacing. It was impressive.
"You two." Said Harry, gesturing to both of them. "We'll be having a conversation tomorrow."
Crabbe and Goyle shared – what Harry supposed – was an inquisitive look between themselves before Goyle turned toward him. Goyle was slightly smaller than Crabbe which wasn't hard. He was a huge, mountain of a boy none the less with a shaved head, crooked nose and acne scarring covering his face. His neck was thicker than most peoples thighs and his robes struggled to contain his size.
"We are?"
"We are." Replied Harry firmly. "It's time to bring two you into the fold."