Usurpers
The city is what it is because our citizens are what they are
(Plato)
They sat in silence, waiting for Draco to answer. But he was never given the chance to, as the delicate footsteps of heels echoed in the darkness. Immediately they all withdrew their wands and turned in wait. It grew louder, and with each step the group grew more tense.
As far as the dimly lit lanterns and moonlight allowed, they could make out the shape of a woman walking towards them. She didn't say anything as she came to stop before the group, her hands dug deep in the pockets of her jacket.
"Hi," she greeted softly.
Daphne sucked in a breath and rose from her seat. "Astoria," she breathed taking a step towards her but Theo reached out grasping her hand gently, holding her firmly beside him.
Daphne looked back at him conflict swarming in her eye. He gave her a meaningful look which she seemed to accept, nodding before turning back to her sister.
"You look well," Daphne said tentatively.
Astoria gave her a small smile. "Thank you. You look..." she stopped to really look over her sister. "Alive." she mumbled shocking them all.
"Surprised she survived the war?" Pansy quipped.
Daphne threw her a warning glare but Pansy waved her off.
"Yes," Astoria answered truthfully. She turned to Pansy and said, "You have to admit the odds weren't exactly in your favour. Your saviour died."
"Temporarily died," Harry amended.
"Technicalities," Astoria brushed off.
"I didn't think you would come," Daphne said redirecting their attention. "The Abbott's and the MacMillian's aren't exactly high profile enough for father to care to attend."
"They aren't. That's why he sent me," Astoria replied nonchalantly.
"He's not here?" Daphne asked surprised and relieved.
"No, He's not here. So, you can stop clutching your wand like you're about to hex me into my next life, Theodore." Astoria said smirking slightly a Theo.
"Forgive me if I don't completely trust you." Theo retorted. "And don't call me Theodore!"
Astoria smiled ruefully, and looked at her sister once more. "I am glad to see that you're alive."
"As am I." Daphne responded. "How's..." she stopped wondering if she really wanted to know.
"Fine," Astoria supplied. "Having tea – parties, throwing benefits and slipping cheques in every which direction, almost hoping they can buy their way back into good graces. Because you know they didn't help in plotting mass genocide or anything." Astoria scoffed. Her honesty seemed to shock them all again.
Daphne looked at her younger sister and felt conflict in her heart. She felt both pride and pain fill her. It would seem that Astoria no longer held the petty ideals of a spoilt girl. The war had made her less of an entitled princess and more of a realist. How proud she was that her sister could finally see their parents for what they really were. Yet how awful to realise something like that all on your own.
"How have you been Tori?" Daphne asked.
She saw Astoria's rigid posture melt a little at the use of the old nickname.
"I survived. Just like you," she simply said, avoiding looking at her sister.
"Tori..." Daphne begun.
"It was war." Astoria said cutting her off. "You did what you had to." she said coldly.
"I didn't want to," Daphne cried softly. "I didn't want to leave you. Merlin you have no idea how difficult it was for me to leave!"
"Almost as difficult as it was for me when you left," Astoria snapped.
Daphne whimpered. She wrung her hands together almost as if she were fighting the impulse to reach out to her sister. "You would never have left." was all she said.
Astoria sighed her anger temporarily dissipating, "I know."
"I didn't want to leave you" Daphne assured her, "But I … Tori I couldn't stay."
"I know." she said again, leaving little emotion in her voice.
"I wanted to come back for you. I thought about it every day, but I couldn't." Daphne explained.
"I know."
"I didn't want to leave you," Daphne repeated. "Tori, I'm so sorry I left you with them. I'm so sorry." Daphne cried.
"I know." Astoria said and Daphne felt angry at her simple answer. She was expecting more anger from her sister.
"That's all you're going to say?" Daphne cried in frustration.
"What else is there to say?" Astoria asked.
"I don't know!" Daphne cried helplessly. "Something more!"
"Like what?"
Daphne stuttered for a moment, "Like … you're angry that I left you with mother and father! Or that you hate me because I didn't take you with or – "
"But I'm not angry" Astoria said. "And I don't hate you."
"But you should!" Daphne cried. "You should hate me!" she yelled.
Theo looked between the two sisters with deep concern. He wanted to object but this was not his fight.
"You don't get to tell me how I should feel!" Astoria replied angrily. "You don't know what it was like after you left so you don't get to tell me how I feel!"
"Exactly I left..." Daphne said confused. "Why wouldn't you hate me for that?"
"I can't hate you Daph," Astoria said. "You didn't want to be like th - us. I can't hate you for that."
"You're not them either," Daphne assured her.
"I think we'll both find that I might be more like them than either of us would care to admit." Astoria replied. "I don't have the courage you have to be anything but what they want me to be. I can't be you, Daph."
Daphne fought to hold back her tears, but this time she didn't hold back from reaching for her sister. She pulled Astoria to her and both sisters clutched to each other.
"You don't need to be me, Tori." Daphne whispered in her ear. "I wouldn't ask you to be anything but who you are."
Astoria pulled back with a sad smile, "And that is why I couldn't leave."
Daphne didn't say anything, instead she pulled her sister back to her, weeping in their embrace.
When they finally pulled away, Astoria looked around, forgetting they were not alone. Her eyes widen momentarily when she spotted Draco standing very close to Hermione Granger and Pansy looked oddly comfortable beside Potter.
"Quite the little group of rebels you have here," she commented.
Daphne gave her a watery chuckle before reaching down to take her sister's hand in hers.
"You should join us," Daphne said looking around the group, silently asking if anyone objected. No one said a word.
"Join you?" Astoria asked uncertainly. "For what? Sipping firewhiskey by the pool side?"
"Truth - telling," Daphne corrected.
"It was Granger's idea," Theo informed her.
Astoria looked rather uncomfortable at the idea of telling her secrets to everyone. Draco seemed to understand and instead handed her a glass.
"Or you could just drink," he offered.
"That I can do." Astoria said accepting the tumbler of firewhiskey.
Daphne led Astoria to the lounging chairs, and everyone shuffled about trying to get comfortable. She took a deep sip from the glass as she noted the familiarity that seemed to linger between Draco and Hermione. No one had forgotten that Draco still had not given them his answer But, it was Astoria that brought their attention back to that particular topic.
"Are you two like... a thing now?" she asked uncertainly.
Daphne chuckled, "We're all waiting to hear the answer to that one," she said.
"Apparently it's complicated," Theo teased.
"You bloody well know it is!" Draco scolded.
"It's about to get a lot more complicated," Astoria told them.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
"They're putting a new law in place." she said.
"What kind of law?" Pansy asked already sounding very aggrieved.
"A marriage law," Astoria said. Her answer was met with a startling stunned silence.
"They can't do that!" Hermione immediately objected. "It's... it's..." she struggled trying to find the right words.
"Bullshit," Daphne said.
"Fucking insane," Draco supplied at the same time.
"Complete and utter madness," Harry added.
"How sure are you?" Theo asked.
"Father took great pleasure in telling me himself," Astoria informed them. "It's like this is his last and final 'fuck you because you won and he lost.'
"So, he's punishing us all?" Daphne cried incredulously.
"Not just him. The votes need to be unanimous." Astoria answered.
"So if they agree then it's a law." Harry clarified. Astoria nodded. "So then the Wizengamot would be punishing us, punishing us all" he muttered more to himself.
"They can't do this!" Hermione seethed. "Has it already been approved?"
"Not officially. As you know the Wizengamot is made up of some of the most influential pureblood families in all of Britain. I believe the minister is confident that the votes will be unanimous" she answered. She was about to added something further but was cut off by Hermione's rant.
"How could they do this to us!" she cried.
"So how exactly is this going to work? They pick our partners for us?" Theo asked scowling.
"And what happens if you're already in a relationship?" Daphne questioned looking worriedly at Theo.
"Or already in the process of being married?" Pansy asked motioning to the party behind them.
"I don't know all the details." Astoria said but continued seeing their dejected faces, "But from what I could gather, the law affects everyone from eighteen years and above. If you're already married or are in the process of getting married, then you're supposed to submit an application for the ministry to approve your bond... I think." she explained.
"And for those lucky suckers who aren't married or in the process of getting married?" Draco questioned. "Do we randomly pick names from a hat?" he spat.
Astoria sighed, "They've managed to adapt a charm from the old ways," she said and all the purebloods in their circle grimaced.
"What are the old ways?" Hermione asked frowning.
"It was like the unwritten, unspoken pureblood laws. There's an ancient charm that was used eons ago to help determine one's soulmate." Theo started explaining.
"That doesn't sound too awful," Harry said looking slightly confused.
"It's a little more complicated than that." Astoria offered.
"Once the spell is cast, the two fortunate souls have to be married within a certain amount of time... or suffer rather drastic consequences." Theo went on.
"Like what?" Hermione asked. Theo didn't answer immediately and that set Hermione on edge.
"Death," Pansy said a moment later. "They'll both die."
Hermione and Harry both looked completely aghast.
"They... what... that's fucking preposterous!" Harry objected.
"There's more," Hermione commented noticing the way Theo and Draco were shifting in their seats. "What else aren't you telling us?"
"I'm pretty sure the original charm had a reproductive clause in it." Theo mumbled.
Hermione was stunned into silence for a moment. There was a likelihood that the charm might reveal that Draco was not her soulmate and then she would be forced to marry someone she didn't love and worst still - be forced to procreate!
"They... they can't do this..." Hermione muttered more to herself.
"There is a chance that they'll tweak the charm to better suit us," Astoria offered. Her optimistic input was met with six deadpan looks and she would have laughed if not for the severity of the situation.
"Why would they do this?" Harry asked the group.
"Numbers," Astoria finally answered. They all turned to look at her. "The wizarding population it at it's all time low. It would take a minor bout of dragon pox to wipe us out. They need us married and having children within the next two years if we want to survive."
"And of course, a law that forces you to either marry or die is ideal for extracting exactly what they want from us," Hermione cried angrily. "What are we going to do?" she asked them.
"Is there anything we can do?" Daphne countered.
"I will not be married of like some bloody trophy!" Pansy seethed. "I didn't turn my back on my father only to be sent back into that society!"
"No one is going to make you do anything Pans," Draco soothed.
"What power do you have to stop them Draco?" Pansy asked. "You can't stop this." she said sadly.
"Actually he can," Astoria said and they all whipped their heads back to her.
"What?'"
"How?"
"They need a unanimous decision," Astoria reminded them.
"And what does Draco have to do with that?" Pansy asked.
The Malfoy seat is still open," Astoria reminded him. "As is the Nott and Parkinson."
"You can't be serious Tori," Daphne chided quickly catching on to what her sister had in mind.
"Actually, I am very serious. It's the only way." Astoria said. She turned and looked at all three, "You still have the family power, especially if they're using an ancient charm for their baby-making ambitions."
"So you want us to oppose the new law?" Draco questioned. "Stop it from being a completely unanimous vote?"
"No. I want you to agree," Astoria replied completely serious.
"What? Why?" Draco asked utterly confused.
"Opposing the law will only delay the inevitable," Astoria said.
"And how is accepting the law going to help us?" Draco asked frustrated.
Astoria huffed, "You're going to set conditions," she said. "There's no out running this. I've heard the discreet conversations and read the secret letters. They're determined to make this work. They think they have us all in a corner. You can't fight against this law like a bunch of stomping Gryffindor's - no offence," she added looking a Hermione and Harry. They waved her off and she continued. "Do you honestly think this is going to be the last ridiculous law they pull out and force us into? We have to stop this before they actually start to believe we're just going to sit back and do as they say."
"So now you want to take down the government?" Theo asked slowly.
"Not take down...just reorganize it," Astoria said casually.
"Oh, is that all then?" Harry mocked.
Astoria rolled her eyes. "Thought you would have had more fight in you Potter."
"Tori," Daphne said interrupting her, "this is madness."
"No Daph, this is just our reality." Astoria corrected.
"What exactly do you have in mind?" Hermione asked looking at Astoria curiously.
Astoria smirked before she answered. "We start by creating a small disturbance. The new marriage law is the perfect opportunity for that. It will set the tone for other laws to come."
"And you'll just have us rejecting these laws till what... they get tired of making them?" Draco asked.
"No, actually I was thinking of making you more of an official job offer." she replied.
"What kind of a job?" Draco asked frowning.
"How about MInister of Magic?" Astoria asked.
There was utter silence before Draco burst out laughing. "You've completely fucking lost it."
Astoria scowled. "Do shut up and listen." she chided. "You three are going to oppose the new marriage law unless they agree to certain conditions of ours." She said looking between Draco, Theo and Pansy.
"What makes you think they'll agree?" Daphne asked.
"Because despite how retched it may be, we need this law." Astoria told them. "They know this and our survival is what matters most, that and you'll tell them you plan on opposing every law they try to put through. Even the dissolving of the Wizengamot would need a unanimous vote."
"So without our vote we'd just be stuck in a vicious cycle?" Pansy asked.
"Exactly. They wouldn't be able to make new laws and they wouldn't be able to change the rules of the court because it needs to be agreed upon by all." Astoria said grinning. "The only time this doesn't apply is when they're voting in or out a new Chief Warlock."
"Which idiot thought up that rule?" Theo huffed.
"I believe it was your ancestor Cantankerus Nott," Astoria answered.
Theo looked shocked that she actually had an answer to his question. "Fucking cunt," he swore under his breath.
"You three will use your seats to better establish positions within the ministry," Astoria went on. "If they don't comply then I guess the cycle will continue."
"So... we're going to blackmail them into giving us jobs we don't want?" Draco asked.
Astoria scowled. "It's not blackmail. Merlin, are you even Slytherin?" Draco opened his mouth to argue but Astoria went on, "I know you don't want these jobs but I don't think there's anyone better suited than you lot."
"What makes you think that?" Harry asked.
Astoria groaned not bothering to hide her disbelief, "Brightest witch of the age," she said pointing to Hermione, "Came second in your year, which kind of makes him the cleverest wizard of the age," she said motioning to Draco. "You're the fucking saviour," she continued looking at Harry. "And from what I understand your overall marks placed you in the top ten of your year," she finished motioning between Daphne, Pansy and Theo. "If anybody can throw a coup on the ministry and get away with it, it will be you lot."
"You've really thought this through," Hermione said with sudden realisation.
"Yes," Astoria admitted.
"This is bloody insane," Draco muttered. "Do you have any idea what you're actually suggesting?"
"I think it's a rather brilliant idea actually," Hermione said shocking them all.
"Mya…" Draco groaned.
"Oh hush Draco," Hermione scolded. "I think it's brilliant because she's right. Who else could throw a coup to the Ministry and get away with it?" she asked looking around the group. "We have the brain power, influence and money to pull it off."
"Who exactly are we influencing Hermione?" Draco snapped. "No one is going to support us for anything unless it's a petition for our Azkaban sentences!"
"I've repeatedly told you Draco, that you underestimate your worth." Hermione replied rolling her eyes.
"You can't honestly tell me you think this is going to work?" He questioned disbelievingly.
"And why shouldn't it?" Hermione asked crossly.
Draco groaned in exasperation. "Have you considered that maybe we don't want to be a part of this? I don't exactly want a job right now."
"No one wanted a part of the war Draco, and yet here we all are; drinking and truth telling in the fucking dark because a man thought be was better than the rest of us and decided he wanted to rule the world his way." Hermione seethed. "No one wanted this and yet here we are!"
"Hermione, just think about what you're asking them to do for a moment," Harry advised.
"I'm asking them to stand up and take control of their own fucking lives for once!" Hermione cried. "You will have no one else to blame after this." She said looking around her. She sighed, reaching for Draco's hand. He grasped her hand tightly immediately, "You always said you wanted to be better than your father. Astoria is giving you that chance. This is it. Your chance to be better; to do better Draco. Don't let it go to waste."
"Mya, what you're asking is … insane." He said slowly.
"Just a bit yes," she admitted with a smile, "But that doesn't mean it won't work."
"And who exactly is going to want us in government? They don't even want us in the damn building let alone as fucking Minister of Magic." Pansy asked.
"The only time they want us in the Ministry is when they're accusing us of something," Theo quipped.
"Fucking hell, you're Sacred 28. Start acting like it!" Astoria scolded.
"Tori," Daphne warned.
"No Daph. Enough! You lot can't sit here in the dark and feel sorry for yourselves when I am practically giving you the best damned opportunity to change everything. Reset the entire board!" Astoria cried. She looked around the group taking a deep breath, "Draco, what exactly do you plan on doing instead? Drinking yourself into oblivion? Wake the fuck up!" she scolded and he looked momentarily abashed. "This is our chance to fix the fucked up shit our parents caused. Don't you want that chance?" she asked to resounding silence. She groaned, "Look, our fathers had their chance and they fucked up. Royally fucked it up. This is our chance, to make it all right. Correct all the mistakes and … "
"Undo their misdeeds?" Theo offered cynically.
"I don't think anything can undo what they've done." Astoria told him. "But perhaps this can be our penance for what our families have done." She said looking around to her sister and friends. "We can make it right… well we can at least try." She finished softly.
The group was left in a resounding silence again as they chewed over Astoria's words.
"This is crazy," Theo murmured.
"Yes, and there's a very good chance we might fail. But at least we would have tried," she replied.
"That sounds bloody fantastic but you're forgetting one thing," Theo said.
"And what would that be?" Astoria asked.
"Just how are we're supposed to do this?" He questioned. "You think the Ministry is just going to let us walk in there and started changing things up? You honestly think people are going to let Draco fucking Malfoy become Minister of Magic?" he asked barely managing to keep the sarcasm from his voice.
"Why can't Potter do it?" Draco jumped in. "It makes sense that Wonder Boy here should become Minister of Magic." He said motioning to where Harry sat.
"I don't want the bloody job!" Harry quickly objected.
"And I do?" Draco asked snidely.
"Wait, Draco's got a point." Daphne said interrupting them. "Why not Potter instead of Draco?"
Astoria bit her lip trying to find the words. "Draco's … got more influence." She said.
"So does Potter. He's the fucking saviour," Pansy argued.
"Yes he is. But he can't influence the Wizengamot like Draco could. Nor does he know about all the age old ridiculous traditions and loopholes that we would have to jump through for this to work." Astoria explained. "Besides we all know Draco would make the better Minister." She added.
Harry rolled his eyes but decided not to challenge that theory. The rest of the group grew silent as they thought over Astoria's words. Draco groaned casting his eyes to the ground, thinking it over. It was complete and utter madness what Astoria was suggesting. There was no way in hell it would work. Not only would he probably get laughed out of the Ministry but they'd probably try and lock him up in Azkaban for trying to start a mutiny or something. So lost in his thoughts that he didn't realise his friends had grown quiet around him. Looking up again, he saw that all were now staring at him. Catching Hermione's eyes, he immediately recognised the look in her chocolate eyes.
"No," he insisted. "Think about what you're asking me to do." He all but pleaded. "You actually want a marriage law?" he asked turning to his friends outraged. "You want them to pair us up and have us making babies?"
"They're going to do it anyway Draco," Astoria told him. "Like I said, there's no running from this."
"Mya, don't look at me like that," Draco groaned shaking his head and turning away from Hermione.
"Draco, if what Astoria says is true then there's no running from this." Hermione said slowly.
"So why in Merlin's name would I agree to this ridiculous plan of hers?" He asked looking between the two women.
"Because you're not looking at the bigger picture!" Hermione told him firmly. "You always told me to pick my battles. Now I'm asking you to do the same."
"You're asking me to pick a fight with the most powerful men in this country," Draco snapped.
"Wrong!" Hermione argued. "I am looking at the most powerful men in this country," she said looking from Draco to Harry to Theo.
"We just fought a war Hermione," Theo reminded her. "Why do you want to go and start another?"
"That wasn't our war to fight! We were used as pawns. All of us." She said vehemently. "If we have the chance to change the order for the better, then there is really no question about what we have to do."
"And you'd be okay with marrying a complete stranger?" Draco questioned, his silver eyes steeling at the thought, "All for the betterment of others?"
"I almost gave my life for the survival of others Draco," Hermione reminded him. "Besides who's to say it will be a complete stranger?" she asked smirking. "How good are those ancient spells at determining your soulmate?" she asked turning to Astoria.
"About as accurate as you can get," Astoria told her.
"Draco, I don't need some spell to tell me what I already know." Hermione told him.
"Hermione," he said sounding almost pained.
"Stop Draco," she said immediately. She stood up taking a deep breath. "Time for one last truth telling tonight. You've been talking all night about the monster's your fathers were; about the mentor's that used us and lied to us; about a war that we should never have fought in. Now we've been given the chance to reset everything. Give some semblance of justice. How can you sit here and tell me no because you don't believe in yourself? Who the hell are you say something like that?" she cried out at them. "You left everything behind … your families, your friends, your homes; fought in a fucking war and for what? So the same prejudiced, arrogant old men can inflict laws upon us as punishment? You want things to be different, then you need to be the change. No one else is going to come and save us this time, because there is no one else. It's just us. You won't have the room to blame anyone else for how your future turns out if you do nothing now." she told them. The group were shocked into silence and could only listen to her words. She turned to Draco. "I have always … always believed in you. And I believe that you can do this. Better than any of us. I am asking you, Draco Malfoy, to do this… and you will." She stated vehemently.
"And why is that?" he asked rolling his eyes.
"Because it is me that is asking," she answered.
Draco looked extremely conflicted at her words. It was true that he would never deny her anything, especially if it was her that was asking.
"That is not fair," he said softly.
She gave him a little smirk, "When has life ever been fair in our favour?" she responded.
He didn't reply, and a silence filled the gap as the members of their circle looked at each other. As if silently asking, 'are you in?'
"You sure about this Draco?" Harry asked. "Once you tip the cauldron over, it's going to cause a lot of heads to turn."
"Or explode," Theo commented, "But fuck it anyways. We were doomed from our miserable childhoods. If this is the only good thing my … our names can do then Hermione's right, we have no other choice but to say yes. Ladies?" he asked looking at Pansy and Daphne.
"If you're asking me to use my family money and name for the betterment of others especially muggleborns and halfbloods then I can't possibly think of anything better that would make my father turn in his grave." Pansy said smirking.
"Time to change things up. And if Tori believes we can do this then who am I to argue with my sister?" Daphne asked smiling at her sister. "Come on Draco, Hermione is right. You're the one who can do this."
They all turned to look at Draco now. He groaned, rising to his feet, looking around at his friends.
"Damn you Mya," he sighed reaching for Hermione who came without resistance. He wound his arms around her, "You realise what you're asking of me?" he asked quietly. "What this might mean for the two of us?" he asked seriously.
"I already told you that I don't need any ancient spell to tell me what I already know." She answered.
"Mya, the spell might not give you the answer you think." He told her. He had to make her understand this could go horribly wrong.
"Of course it will," she insisted.
He rolled his eyes at her, "Hermione, just - "
"Draco, please." Hermione whispered and that was all it took.
He looked up over Hermione's shoulder to Astoria, "Tell me you actually have a plan." Draco demanded. "Because we're about to tip over the fucking cauldron and I hope to fucking Merlin you have a plan."
Astoria practically beamed, "Of course I have a plan!"
"I told you," Pansy sighed looking at Harry.
"What?" He asked confused.
"Draco snogging Hermione; it's fucking apocalyptic," she explained smirking a little. Harry chuckled and kicked back the last bit of his firewhiskey.
"Great, we're fucking rebels again." Theo moaned sarcastically, holding his glass out for Pansy to refill it. "If this goes badly, can we blame it on the copious amounts of Firewhiskey?"
"No not rebels," Astoria frowned for a moment before she corrected. "Usurpers."
They all looked at her then realising the severity of what they were planning.
Theo rose from his seat, holding his glass out, "Usurpers," he repeated looking rather proud at that fact.
Slowly the rest of the group rose, the gentle tinkle of their glasses knocking against each other echoing in the dark.
But nothing echoed more powerfully than in that moment, when they all stood around the burning fire, now pledging to a new cause.
"Usurpers," they said simultaneously, their voices echoing together in the darkness of the night.
AN: Hi to all!
Firstly, I have to admit I am rather nervous about this chapter, but if this chapter was not what you were expecting then I have done my job right (I think)! I did warn that this story was going to be rather unconventional. I hope that you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Thank you to all those wonderful readers who have followed, favourited and reviewed this story! I appreciate it! Please do review this chapter and tell me what you think of this little twist. More reviews means faster updates.
xoxo
Immortal Dragon Empress