The 5th year examinations were brutal. They spent their last few weeks in school all huddled around tables, trying to learn everything that they didn't learn in class. What was worse is that this year, the O.W.L.s were a HUGE deal, and would decide their futures!
This put an immense amount of pressure on people like Daphne and Tracey, who weren't known for being the most brilliant students, but instead hovered around average.
"We're so dead," Tracey whispered encouragingly to Daphne as they walked to their charms exam. Daphne said nothing and focused all her thoughts on trying to remember all her incantations and spells she was supposed to be able to perform.
Merlin, I am dead. She thought solemnly. She sighed in defeat as she took her seat in the Great Hall, setting her head on the table as she waited to be called. If she failed this OWL, then she would certainly hear it from her parents. But charms always seemed like her best subject; that thought gave her a little confidence, but not much...
"...Greengrass..."
Daphne raised her head at her name; Here goes nothing... She thought, sighing a little as she stood, following the others to her practical exam.
Much to her surprise, she did very well. She was asked to perform a variety of charms, and she managed to do them all on the first try without a hitch!
"So you killed that exam?" Tracey congratulated her later that night as they all sat around in the common room.
"Yeah, I knew I would do well on that one. It's History of Magic I'm worried about," Daphne sighed, leaning her head back on the couch. "I'm going to fail that class! Hands down, no competition! I may as well walk in and give Professor Binns the finger; it would have the same effect!"
"Yeah, well that's how I feel about potions! I could flash Snape and he would probably give me the same mark." Tracey laughed.
"Please don't even mention you flashing Professor Snape again..." Daphne said in a low voice, shuddering a little.
For the next week, that was the only thing that Daphne studied for. Every night, she was up until at least 1 am, trying to cram all the useless facts about which witch survived the witch burnings, or why did the Goblins rebel in the 16th century? It was all useless to Daphne since she knew very well that she would NEVER pursue a career that had anything to do with Magical History.
When she finally wrote the exam, she had never felt so depressed in her life. She knew a grand total of 10 out of the 100 questions that she had to answer, and the rest she just made up.
If I'm lucky, I'll get pity marks. She thought, flopping down in defeat on the common room couch. But I've never been lucky.
Several of her housemates came over and talked to her briefly about exams before they all disappeared into their dorms to start to pack. The school year was almost over, and the buzz in the air was summer plans. But Daphne didn't want to go home; home just meant dealing with her parents and her sister for 2 months straight! And the only thing she was sure to hear about was her sister, going on and on about how wonderful Blaise is.
I think I'd rather be eating by a pixie very slowly then listen to that! She groaned, grabbing one of the throw pillows and covering her face with it.
What seemed like 20 minutes later, Daphne startled herself awake when she fell off the couch. She sat up suddenly, very confused as to what was going on. The common room was dark, and the fire had gone out long ago and was now a pile of ash. Daphne looked at the clock above the mantle; 12:30 am.
I slept that long?! She thought in disbelief. Her stomach let out a loud, rebellious growl which told her that yes she had slept that long, and no she hadn't eaten in 12 hours.
Great. Now I have to sneak to the kitchens! She sighed, pulling her robe tight around her and flipping her hood over her hair, attempting to disguise herself as she slipped out the portrait.
Scampering down the dark, damp hallways of Hogwarts at this time of night always terrified her. She kept one hand sliding along the moist walls, and the other in her pocket, her wand in a tight grip, just in case. She was about halfway to the kitchens when she heard a muffled voice ahead. She froze for a moment, listening to see who it was; it wasn't a teacher. She sighed a small sigh of relief and stepped forward a little more. Then, to her surprise, a bright light blinded her temporarily from the direction of the voice.
"Oh, it's you." The voice said, almost relieved.
"Blaise, turn that thing off!" Daphne hissed, shielding her eyes from the bright light at the end of his wand.
"Sorry Daph!" he chuckled, lowering the light away from their faces.
"Call me that again, and so help me-"
"Kill me? Hex my head off?" Blaise teased "Your threats are useless unless you act on them."
"Keep that smart tone and I may do just that," Daphne growled. She hadn't had a decent, civil conversation with him since Christmas Eve, and it was beginning to get old to Blaise.
"Still bitter about me dating your sister, are you?" he smirked, his dark eyes laughing at her.
"I don't care who she dates! It's the fact that-" She stopped herself from telling him about her parents and their disapproval of him, since it apparently only applied to her, which was embarrassing enough.
"The fact that what, Daphne?" he asked, chuckling quietly to himself. "Listen Daph, I know you seem to hate the fact that I'm with your sister, but I think it's wonderful!" he paused, watching the horrified expression on her face "The thought of you as my sister-in-law is quite comforting, actually. I'll have someone to entrust my children with!"
Daphne glared at him and gave him a quick shove away from her. He was laughing hysterically, which only made her fume more. "The day that YOU become my brother-in-law is the day I disown myself from my family!" she hissed before she stormed off in the direction of the kitchens again.
"I love you too, Auntie Daphy!" he called to her as she retreated into the darkness of the empty hallways.
Now Daphne was just outside the kitchen doors. She knew that up ahead would be the portrait of a bowl of fruit, and then she was going to somehow try and convince the house elves to give her food at this time of night. She reached out to touch the portrait when a hand wrapped around her wrist like lightning in the dark. She couldn't help it; she screamed out of fright.
"What are you doing out here?" the familiar voice asked. Daphne felt her heart race, but not out of fear...
"Draco! It's me!" she breathed "Daphne!"
"Oh!" he said, letting go of her arm "That still doesn't really answer my question." He said, turning on a light at the end of his wand. Daphne winced her eyes at the light for a moment before she was able to adjust her vision.
"I slept through dinner, and I'm rather hungry," Daphne explained quietly, careful not to let her voice echo through the empty stone hallways.
"So you didn't hear about what we did?!" he asked, a very proud grin on his face "We captured Potter and all his stupid little friends, and Umbridge is about to torture them into giving information! We had to leave, unfortunately, because Granger was going to take them to some weapon, but still!" he paused, smiling contently to himself "They're sure to be expelled now."
"That's amazing!" Daphne smiled "A school that's free of Potter. It's a dream we've all had for so long." She chuckled.
"Yes, well, I have to say being both a prefect and a member of the inquisitor's squad, I have a fair amount of power." He paused, looking at her for a second, and then smirked deviously. "Which of course means I have some responsibility; it means I have to take some points from you or give you a detention."
"WHAT!" Daphne said loudly, covering her mouth a second later, her eyes still wide with confusion "Oh, come on Draco! Just pretend that you never saw me!" she pleaded in a hasty whisper. He couldn't do that to someone in his own house! He was hurting Slytherin's chances at the House Cup, and that was the ultimate goal of the year!
"Well, I did see you, Daphne," He said in a flat tone.
"It's not like they're going to read your mind!" she hissed. She paused for a moment, properly taking in what she had just said "Ok, maybe Umbridge will, but still! What difference does one student make? It's not like I'm Potter or something!"
Draco sighed and looked at the floor for a moment, weighing his options in his head. Then he looked up with a crooked smile, and Daphne thought that perhaps she might faint. "Alright, I won't tell anyone under one condition." He said slowly.
"Anything! What is it?" she breathed.
"Don't tell Pansy about this." He said in a low voice. Daphne opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but then Draco put out the light.
What the hell? What does she have to do with-
Her own thoughts were cut off by her body being pressed up against the wall. And a moment later, she felt Draco's lips pressed against hers.
For a moment, Daphne thought that she was dreaming, or that he had fallen on her accidentally. Then she thought that her heart had stopped, or that she was going to pass out with shock; he was kissing her! Draco Malfoy was kissing her, Daphne Greengrass! The whole world seemed to disappear around her, and Daphne felt like she was living in a cloud of euphoria.
After the first two seconds of awkwardness, Daphne's mind switched over from shock to want. She kissed him back with a secret, hidden ferocity that she had been waiting for years to release. With his body pressed right against her, pinning her to the cold stone wall, the only thing she could do was put her arms up around his neck to bring him even closer. Draco obviously felt the same vibe that she did and started to kiss her harder, which of course made Daphne want it even more.
The kiss got more and more intense as it went on. There was something so desperate, and at the same time hot, about kissing like this in a dark hallway in the middle of the night that drove Daphne's mind wild. The thrill that they could be caught made her heart race faster; that someone could see them and tell Pansy stuck a momentary fear into her heart, but she pushed it aside. She drew him closer again for a moment, at to her surprise, she felt a cold hand on the back of her thigh. The surprise made her grip his neck a little tighter; Draco hissed and pulled away.
"Ow! Your nails are sharp!" he breathed, shaking his head out of her embrace. Daphne let her arms fall limp beside her as she stared into the darkness, the silhouette of Draco barely visible. They both stood there in silence, their breathing amplified by the echoing walls. Daphne felt that now she might faint, but she dug her 'sharp' nails into the stone wall to try and hold herself up.
"I should get back to rounds," Draco said quietly. Daphne wanted to say something but found that her brain was fried, and all she could think about was the kiss they just shared. "Remember," he said, leaning in again for what Daphne thought was another kiss, but instead he put his mouth right beside her ear, "Don't tell Pansy." And then Daphne heard his footsteps walking down the dark hallway, echoing on the old walls.
She stood there frozen for a minute, unable to move, unable to breathe, and unable to think. Then when she could no longer hear his footsteps, she let out a sharp sigh and felt her legs give way, sliding her back down along the wall until she was sitting on the floor. Her head was spinning; her mind couldn't process everything that had just happened. Part of her was convinced that it was a dream, but the other half said that no, it wasn't a dream and that she had indeed just made out with Draco. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply as she tried to slow her heart rate, and replayed the entire thing in her head. It had the same effect the second time as it did.
Then something he said struck her like a curse. In fact, it was pretty much the only thing that he said. 'Don't tell Pansy.' Daphne's haze of euphoria vanished, and she felt a very different emotion now.
Oh no! If he said that, then that means he doesn't want to break up with her! Which means-
"Shit." She breathed aloud at her realization. She had just accidentally made herself the other woman, something she never wanted to be! But now that he had just kissed her, she would be even more in his power; all he would have to do is look at her the right way, and she would melt.
Daphne's head was spinning again, but for different reasons. Her stomach had just tied itself in a knot that only a sailor could make, and she thought that she might be sick. The thought of food now revolted her, and all she wanted to do was get back to her bed and sleep. She pulled herself back off the floor and ran down the hallways of Hogwarts, cursing her own stupidity. She had now drawn a huge target on her back, for if Pansy ever did find out, she would surely be ostracised or cursed without a second thought. Surely she would never be safe in these walls again...
She was going to tell Tracey the first chance she got, which would be after breakfast. She sat at the table in awkward silence, avoiding Draco's eyes whenever they turned in her direction. An owl dropped the Daily Prophet, which advertised some big event at the Ministry the night before. Daphne read the first few lines of the article, and then dropped the fork she was eating with, making a loud clattering noise that everyone around her was startled by."Oh, my God." She breathed, her eyes wide with shock.
"What is it?" Theodore asked, craning his neck to see what she was reading.
"'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named returns! Last night, at the Ministry of Magic-'" she cut herself off, unwilling to read the rest. Tracey picked up her copy and also gasped after she apparently read the same problem with the report.
"'Several of You-know-who's followers were arrested last night'" she started, looking up with wide eyes at the others, who had all frozen with anticipation "'Among them are Lucius Malfoy, who was their leader that night, Vincent Crabbe Senior, Tobias Nott,'" Tracey cleared her throat and looked more and more upset as she read off the remaining Death Eaters that were arrested, none of whom were of any relation to them.
Daphne let out a very small sigh when she didn't hear her father's name mentioned, but she lifted her head a little to see Theodore beside her, who was frozen stiff, his hands balled in such tight fists that his knuckles were almost transparent. Draco looked extremely upset, like he had just been stabbed in the stomach with a knife. He had heard his aunt mentioned, but she apparently got away from the battle unscathed. Crabbe looked a little shaken, but his expression looked no different from any other time.
"Daphne!" A shrill voice called behind her, making her jump a little. She looked over her shoulder hastily to see Astoria, holding the same edition of the newspaper. Daphne stared at her sister for a moment, her eyes still wide with shock "Is this true? About father?" she breathed, her eyes welling up with tears.
"Father! What about father?!" she breathed frantically, ripping the paper out of her sisters hands and continuing to read. She found it about halfway through the article; 'Long-time employee of Lucius Malfoy, Lennox Greengrass, has been taken in for questioning as to his employers motives for being at the ministry that night.' Daphne felt the food she just ate almost come back again. She looked up at her sister, dumbfounded by this. Their father had been taken into custody, but he wasn't even there last night!
"They can't do anything, can they? They can't arrest him!" Astoria whispered frantically.
"Theodore!" Tracey called suddenly. Daphne turned and saw that Theodore had indeed gotten up from the table and was running from the Great Hall. Draco looked like he was about to do the same, but Pansy was right beside him, holding his arm tightly. A very brief flash of jealousy shot through Daphne again, but the worry and fear of her family's reputation rang loud in her head.
"Come here," Daphne said, climbing over the bench and grabbing her sister's robe, leading her out of the Great Hall. The looks they received from the students were shattering; glares of anger and shock stabbed through them like they were made of paper. Her sister may have been used to looks of that sort from complete strangers, but Daphne was not, and she almost lost her breakfast again.
She stopped when they were outside and in the courtyard, which was thankfully empty. She sat her sister down on one of the stone benches and shoved the paper back into her hands. "Astoria, you mustn't say anything about this!" she said in a low, serious tone.
"But he hasn't done anything wrong! Daddy would never-"
"Astoria, are you blind!?" Daphne hissed, opening the paper to the page again and holding it in front of her sister's face. "Father has been working for him since before we were born! He managed to escape questioning last time, but this time he won't be so lucky! Whatever happens to Lucius Malfoy will happen to us too! The fact that his name is in the paper may have ruined us as it is!"
"Ruined us! But we've done nothing wrong!" Astoria whined.
"Guilty by association, Astoria; that's how the ministry runs!" Daphne said, shaking her head slowly before she crumpled the paper and rammed it in one of the bushes behind her sister. "Now listen to me Astoria; there are only two options that are going to come out of this." She said, kneeling so she was at eye level with her little sister, who was apparently too sheltered to understand how the world worked. "One is that they let father go because he won't tell them anything, which we can only pray for. Our family will still be marked like lepers, but at least he won't go to prison." Astoria took in a sharp breath at the thought of her father going to prison "Or two, he talks, and he is sent to prison, which although horrible, will be safer for us."
"Safe!? He'll be in Azkaban!" Astoria gasped.
"If he talks and is released then the Dark Lord will come for us!" Daphne hissed. Her sister froze and looked at her with empty eyes, reflecting her fear "That's what he does to people who betray him! He'll come for all of us; mother, father, you and me." She said, the meaning of her own words starting to set in. She felt her head feeling lighter, and she thought that perhaps she might be sick.
"What do we do?!" Astoria whispered faintly, the tears in her eyes now flowing freely. Daphne shook her head slowly, not able to answer her.
"All we can do is hope that he doesn't say anything, and is released. Until then, we just have to get home without any incident." She said, the words meaning nothing to her, despite how convincing it sounded to her sister.
Daphne knew that no matter what happened, her family would never be looked at in the same way; they would lose friends, they would be watched everywhere they went both by the ministry and the Dark Lord. Astoria may have been too young to realize it, but Daphne knew what happened to families that were caught straying off the fine line they would now have to walk. The thought of the punishment they would endure sent shivers all over her body.
All the Slytherin's spent the rest of their day in silence; no one dared speak about anything, especially the events reported in the Daily Prophet. A few hours later, Draco received a letter from his mother, telling him that he had to be extra careful on the train and that she would pick him up at the train station. Draco, who was furious when he found out that it was Potter and his little friends that had caused all their parents to get into this mess, went off on a hunt with Crabbe and Goyle, leaving only Blaise, Pansy, Millicent, Tracey, and Daphne sitting around the fire. Theodore sat in the far corner, staring at the desk he sat at, not moving for hours on end.
"What a mess this is." Blaise sighed quietly, staring into the fire. "How are half of us going to get home tomorrow without everyone spitting on us?"
"Why are you complaining Blaise?" Tracey pointed out "Your mother wasn't listed in the report."
"Yes, but my mother is engaged to one of them. Or was, rather; I doubt she'll admit to it now," he remarked solemnly.
"Oh," Tracey remarked quietly.
There was silence between them all yet again, which lasted for about half an hour. They all sat about the common room, thinking about what their lives would look like as of tomorrow, when they left Hogwarts and returned home. Crabbe was going to have to live with his aunt and uncle while his mother relocated them to another part of the country, trying to avoid all the gossip and slander being thrown at their family. The girls that were unaffected by the article would have to be careful with whom they associated themselves with this summer, for being friends with a child of a Death Eater didn't always look good.
Neither does dating one. Daphne thought, looking up at Pansy, who was picking at her nails, her face reflecting the conflict she had in her head right now. No doubt the Parkinson's wouldn't want to be associated with such a scandal if they didn't have to, and could very well tell her to break it off with Draco. A brief spark of hope flickered in Daphne's heart, but the possibility that her family was in very real danger now weighed heavy on the same organ.
Despite her wishes to be disassociated with her family, whom she sometimes believed were not her relatives and that she was switched at birth, she could not change it now. Anything that happened to them, even if she hated them all, would still leave a mark on her.
On the bright side, Draco and I can be outcasts together. She remarked in her head, making her sniff a small laugh aloud. Tracey looked at her briefly and then turned her attention back to the fire.
After another hour or so of sitting, Draco returned to the common room, looking angrier than ever. Blaise and Pansy instantly flew to his aide, trying to get what happened out of him. Millicent went with Tracey to go upstairs and finish packing, leaving Daphne alone in the common room. Almost.
Theodore had yet to move out of the corner since she got there. Daphne was getting worried about him and gathered up the courage to go over and talk to him. She walked over slowly, making sure to make plenty of noise before she got there. She saw his head turn slightly to see who it was, and then he turned back to staring at the table top.
"Hey, Theodore." She said quietly, standing right beside him. He said nothing like he didn't even hear her. She paused for a minute, trying to think of what she could say to him; nothing would sound sincere or true. "I would love to say I know what you're going through, or I understand what you're going through, but I don't." She said quietly, putting her hand lightly on his shoulder. He barely responded to her touch. "But I think we all need each other to get through this." She added, barely audible. She tightened her grip ever so slightly on his shoulder to remind him that she was still here. "Theodore, you can't go through this alone." She said quietly, trying to think of what to say next, but she was cut off by a very uneven sigh.
"I tried so hard to fix it," He said quietly.
"What?" Daphne breathed, grabbing the chair behind her and pulling it up beside him so she could sit at eye level.
"I tried to fix his reputation. I was never proud of my father's lifestyle like Draco is. I tried to change everyone's opinions of him whenever I had the chance..." He said, his voice so low and hollow that Daphne could barely hear him. "And I almost had it! No one mentioned anything about my father killing my mother, or anyone else for that matter, for almost 2 years!" he broke off sharply and took in a deep breath "And then he went and did this!"
"Theodore, you can't think it was your responsibility to change him," Daphne said quietly, her eyes getting watery at her friend's condition. She had never heard Theodore, or any man for that matter, sound so upset.
"But I have to live with his reputation!" he replied hoarsely. Daphne was frozen at the sound of his voice, and she waited with baited breath for him to say something else. "No matter where I go, who I speak to, or what I make of myself, my father's murderous shadow is always going to be looming right behind me."
"I think I understand how you feel," Daphne said softly "I feel that way about my sister; no matter what kind of person I am, my sister's name will always be tied with mine."
"Yes, but you aren't expected to continue the Greengrass Legacy, are you?" Theodore said sharply. "I'm supposed to become him! Take his title, take his job, and take his money!" he paused for a moment "All of that comes with his reputation. And I don't want to be judged just because of my father's mistakes."
"Whoever judges you based on your father isn't worth your time." Daphne comforted, putting her hand on his arm this time. To her surprise, Theodore turned his head to face her, his eyes filled with emotion and tears that broke Daphne's heart. He looked into her eyes, and it made her eyes well up even more; she had never seen someone's face filled with such pain and sorrow.
"Everyone I know judges me because of my father," He said, his voice cracking a little. Daphne bit her lip and tried not to cry, but it was hard when she watched one of her dearest friends going through such pain.
"I never have. I never will," She whispered, placing her other hand on his arm. He looked at her hands, and then at her face. Then, in a move that was so fast she almost didn't see it coming, Theodore threw his arms around her, pulling her into one of the closest hugs she'd ever received. She could feel Theodore sobbing silently against her, and she felt her own tears finally let loose. Not just for Theodore, but for her own situation. None of the Slytherin's lives would ever be the same, and they all knew it. It was only a matter of time before they would all understand how different their lives would be...