Warning: Snogging scene, adult language, alcohol use (of age but in school), suggestive dialogue, minor mistreatment of animals
Author's Note: This is the chapter that the story is named after. In this chapter there is a snogging scene, but it doesn't really get sexual so I think the rating is safe. Additionally there is more talk of sex. There is alcohol use in this chapter. Draco is of age to drink, which in wizarding Britain is seventeen, however he is in school where it is contraband. There is a part in here in which Ron…mistreats an animal. I do not condone this mistreatment of animals, unless it is Mrs. Norris, which it is, so it's okay…maybe. Basically this chapter has more of the teenagers being real teenagers. So without further ado, enjoy and review…
Chapter 4: Raised by the Fallen Angel
Draco sat in the Great Hall the next morning with Blaise and their fellow Slytherin seventh years. He had just bitten into a sausage when the post owls arrived. Draco's eagle owl, Demetri, landed on Draco's shoulder and held out his leg so that Draco could remove the rolled up copy of the Daily Prophet tied to the owl's leg. When Draco unrolled the paper, the picture on the front page showed Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy being led out of Malfoy Manor by a number of Aurors. Draco slammed the paper down on the table, causing Blaise's cereal bowl to splash milk onto the table. Pansy Parkinson gasped, bringing her hands to her mouth. Crabbe and Goyle cracked their knuckles as they were wont to do whenever Draco was upset. They all leaned in to read the newspaper.
Escaped Death Eater Found
Known Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy, who escaped from Azkaban prison in July, was found yesterday afternoon at his manor outside Wiltshire. Arresting Auror, Mr. Kingsley Shacklebott, says that the manor was one of the first places searched after Mr. Malfoy's escape, but he was not found there at that time. Shacklebott told reporters that he had received a reliable tip that led him to believe Mr. malfoy had been hiding at the manor since late August, but would not reveal his sources. Mr. Malfoy was arrested on the spot, along with his wife Narcissa, who was given a three-year sentence in Azkaban for harboring a dangerous criminal. Shacklebott claims that the Auror department will press for a longer sentence if any evidence arises that Mrs. Malfoy was involved in any Death Eater activity further than what is already known. Mrs. Malfoy would not speak to the press, but Mr. Malfoy has issued this statement: "The work of the Dark Lord is noble and ancient. He shall judge the righteous in due time." Continued on page 6.
"Bastard" Theodore Nott said "If I ever find out who tipped off Shacklebott I'll"
Draco cut him off, "They're my parents Nott, if anyone's doing anything it'll be me."
In Defense Against the Dark Arts, their first class after breakfast, Draco sat in the back with the Slytherins, glaring at the front of the classroom. Professor Shacklebott entered the room a few minutes late and seeing all of the Slytherins in the room with their arms folded over their chests seemed to unnerve him for a few seconds. Then he say on top of his desk, looked straight at Draco, and asked "Is there a problem here?"
"What do you think?" asked Milicent Bulstrode, another Slytherin seventh-year.
"I think that you are all upset that I've been doing my job." The professor stated matter-of-factly "And I think that if every single one of you doesn't get out quill and parchment and prepare to take notes then it'll be ten points from Slytherin each." No one moved for a tense moment, in which Draco and Shacklebott seemed to be trying to stare each other down. Then Draco, without speaking, bent over in his chair to get parchment, ink, and quill out of his bag on the floor. The rest of the Slytherins followed suit.
"Did you see what he said in the paper Draco?" Hermione asked him that afternoon, exasperated by Draco's brooding mood. "He made Voldemort out to be some sort og god or something." Draco didn't respond.
"I think he thought of his master as a god." Blaise said.
"More of an anti-Christ if you ask me," Ginny said.
"Yeah, and Lucius is the embodiment of Lucifer," Luna put in.
"Who?" Neville asked
"Lucifer was Satan's name before he turned evil." Luna explained "Back when he was an angel."
"Lucius Malfoy was never an angel." Ron stated firmly.
"Poor Draco," Hermione said, "raised by the fallen angel."
"Shut up" Draco said.
"Hark, he speaks" Blaise joked.
"I wonder if they found anything else in that house?" Harry said out of nowhere.
"They didn't" said Hermione "I already asked Professor Shacklebott."
"Just because they didn't find anything doesn't mean it's not there," said Ron. "Drawing room floor got any goodies under it Draco?"
Draco glared at him. "How should I know?" he asked. "They move stuff in and out of that house so often I barely recognize it from one day to the next."
"He exaggerating," Blaise said, "but only a little bit. They do have a lot of people coming to buy and sell stuff at Malfoy Manor. Every time I've been there. Someone else is over to pick something up or drop something off."
"I've got to go there for Halloween anyway to finalize the property transfer. I get everything now that Mother and Lucius are in Azkaban. We'll search the place then."
"you knew it was going to happen Draco." Blaise told his best mate. Draco was sitting slumped on Blaise's bed in the seventh-year Slytherin boys' dormitory, looking very unkept. His blond hair hung randomly about his face; he had discarded his robes and tie. Sitting there with the top two buttons of his shirt undone, his eyes downcast, nursing a bottle of firewhiskey, he looked extremely world-weary.
"I know that" Draco said, taking a swig. He lowered the bottle, twisting it around in his hands. "I just didn't think they'd take my mother. She had nothing to do with it; she even tried to stop me from joining Voldemort." Blaise and Theodore Nott, who was sitting on his own bed, shuddered. "She didn't particularly like Muggles and all that," Draco continued, "But she didn't want me to go around killing them. She's seen too much of what Death Eaters do." He stood up abruptly, "Damn it, she doesn't deserve to be in Azkaban!"
"I'm just surprised it took this long." Nott said, "I mean, hiding in his own house, how obvious can you get?"
"Shut up Nott" Draco said, dropping back onto Blaise's bed and taking another swig of the firewhiskey.
"Can't you be a little sympathetic?" Blaise asked Nott.
"You sound like a woman Blaise. 'Can't you be a little sympathetic?'" Nott taunted.
"Oh, do you knbow what a woman sounds like?" Blaise shot back.
"Yeah, do you need me to tell you?"
"Oh yes, please do. I'd love to hear from The Great Virgini."
"You do realize that rhymes with Zabini" Draco put in.
"Yeah, but we all know I'm talking about Nott. He's the only virgin here."
"I still can't believe these two lost it before him." Draco said, indicating Crabbe and Goyle, who were each leaning against a post of Crabbe's bed. Goyle grunted.
"Only because Bulstrode and Parkinson are whores," Nott said. Crabbe and Goyle cracked their knuckles.
"Can we get back on topic please?" Blaise asked annoyed.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot this conversation is too vulgar fro Blaise's delicate woman ears."
"Shut up"
"Who'd you sleep with anyway?"
"None of your business Nott"
"was he good Zabini?"
"It was Padma Patil if you must know, not a bloke."
"Are you sure?" Nott smirked. "maybe it was Draco; I never knew who he slept with either."
"That's because it was Melanie" Blaise declared. Draco's head shot up.
"My sister!" Nott jumped up and rounded on Draco. "you slept with my sister?"
"Whoa, serious deja vu" Blaise commented off-hand.
"You think this is bad" said a voice from the open doorway, "Try using a time-turner."
Draco spun around. "Hermione!" he half-shouted in his shock, "Wha…? How did you…?"
"What the hell are you doing here Granger?" Nott spat. Hermione ignored him and walked toward Draco, who backed away from her and into the wall. To his surprise, she didn't hit him. Instead she took the bottle of firewhiskey away from him. "You shouldn't be drinking this" she said calmly.
"You're…you're not mad?" Draco asked.
"About what?" Hermione responded "I've known you weren't a virgin for ages and I already took away your whiskey. You look a mess." She pushed his hair out of his eyes. Standing on tip-toe, she whispered in his ear, "Come on, let's get you out of here." Stepping back, a smirk crossed her face. "Hermione" Draco half-purred, and allowed her to lead him out of the dorm, through the Slytherin common room, and up toward the Entrance Hall. He pulled her into a hidden passageway behind a tapestry off the Entrance Hall. "Where'd you get the Slytherin password?" he asked, snaking his arms around her waist and pressing his forehead against hers.
"I overheard Blaise telling it to you." She responded.
"You little sneak" he said, a hint of pride in his voice.
"You've been a bad influence on me."
"Oh, I think you were bad before me."
"Do you?"
"Yes I do. And I think you like being a bad girl." he smirked
"Draco!" she reprimanded, and he couldn't help but feel that she was only pretending to be shocked. They were silent for a minute.
"You're beautiful" he said, and she blushed. He tilted her chin up, smiling as he looked into her eyes, then pressing his lips to hers. He pulled her body to his and she allowed him, wrapping her arms up around his neck. His tongue slid across her lips. As she parted them slowly he felt her hand make its way down his chest, unbuttoning his shirt the rest of the way. His tongue slid against hers as he explored her mouth.
The oak front doors banged open and they broke apart, startled. Hermione pulled back the hanging just enough to see out. Harry, Ron, and Dean Thomas strode into the Entrance Hall, broomsticks slung over their shoulders, fresh from Quidditch practice.
"Can't believe they scheduled the rematch in May," Ron was saying to the others. They stopped in their tracks.
"It's Mrs. Norris" said Harry, walking forward again.
"I'd love to give that cat a good kick." Ron said.
"I'll give you five galleons if you do it." Dean said.
Ron smiled and walked towards Mrs. Norris. Draco hurried to rebutton his shirt as he watched from behind the hanging. Ron walked straight over to Mrs. Norris, who turned her lamp-like eyes on him. He looked around and then, in an instant, gave the cat a good hard kick. Mrs. Norris rose a foot in the air, hurtling backward from Ron. Ron looked shocked that he had actually kicked Filch's cat. Dean was bent double with laughter and Harry looked like he could be knocked over with a feather.
"Ronald Weasley" Hermione said, storming out from behind the hanging. "What do you think you're doing?"
"I could ask you the same question." He said as Draco emerged from behind the hanging as well.
"Twenty-five points from Gryffindor for cruelty to animals." She said
"But no detention," Draco added, "because I've always wanted to do that."
"Get to bed.' Hermione said. Draco was surprised that she hadn't contradicted him.
Harry, Ron, and Dean scrambled up the marble staircase. Just before they were out of sight, Dean leaned back over the banister.
"Oh by the way Malfoy," he called to Draco, "Your shirt's buttoned wrong." Draco looked down. He had indeed missed a hole at the bottom so that the buttons were done up crooked.
"Thomas" he said looking back up at Dean. "I didn't realize you wanted that detention after all."
"Nope, I'm good" Dean said quickly and vanished from sight down the first floor corridor.