A/N: Okay, enough deviating. Maybe. HA. FILLER. FILLER. I LIKE TO PUT FILLERS IN MY SANDWICHES. The songs are mine. No Good Charlotte or MCR lurks here.

Chapter 14.

The concert venue was a newly opened bar opposite Madam Puddifoot's; a mixture of sleek metals and leathers that made unattractive noises if you slid the wrong way. The line outside was considerable, ranging from eager third years to middle aged men pretending to look like they were just there to accompany their wives who had queued up for hours to get these tickets. It was the first time in a long time Selena Warbeck had played in Hogsmeade. As was his manner, Draco moved to the front of the queue and greeted the security guard, a burly troll like wizard that had Ebony wondering if Flint had been kicked off his Quidditch Team, so that they were soon inside, and being greeted by the owner.

"Draco! Darling, Oh look at you," she greeted, placing exaggerated kisses on both his cheeks, not even careful to avoid leaving behind remnants of her electric blue lipstick. "All grown up and more handsome every day. I am so glad you could make it."

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world," Draco replied. "Lucinda, this is my fiancée Ebony Dementia. Ebony, I'd like to introduce you to Lucinda Warrington; she was like a big sister to me. Until I grew taller than her that is."

Ebony greeted the other girl as politely as she could muster, conscious that Lucinda had yet to remove her talons from Draco's arm, and if her rather generous bosom was pushed up any higher it would be suffocating her irritatingly beautiful face. She was an English rose, milky skin and delicate features with tumbling dark brown locks, a beauty that not even the odd make up could detract from, but her personality did that for her.

"She's pretty but, you know, I always thought you'd go for prettier. But I'm sure you have the wonderful personality Emily," Lucinda smiled before turning to Neville and Luna hovering behind them. "And Draco! Whatever did you replace Crabbe and Goyle with?"

It took all of Ebony's strength not to gouge those pretty blue eyes out of her face; she didn't know how Draco did it, putting up with people as irritating as Lucinda just to have a booth directly overlooking the stage and an offer of however many drinks he wanted, on the house. Though she supposed it didn't hurt that Lucinda had boobs – they looked like bloody balloons to her – and the way Draco allowed her to hug him and touch him, his gaze never staying long above the neck, Ebony was certain he thought it was a fair exchange.

"You two seemed very cosy," Ebony finally commented when Neville and Luna had left them to go find more familiar faces that they had promised to meet.

The venue was filling out; the floor which they were on, a balcony looking out onto the stage not as much as the floor below where noise drifted upwards and above the generic jazz music being played as they waited. Though they had agreed not to get shitfaced, they were on their third cocktail and the opening act had yet to play. If worst came to worst they'd stay at the Three Broomsticks and face the music tomorrow. They were of Age, due to graduate in a few months – kicking them out over something so small would be stupid.

"Who? Lucinda and I?"

"No, you and the Queen Mother. Who else?" She stuck out her chest and did an imitation of their host. "Oh Draco darling! I do love that dress Emily, it's such a shame I can't wear dresses like that because I had my chest blown up far too big and can only wear clothes that allow me to shove my boobs into your fiancés face!"

"I think someone might be a little jealous."

"Not without reason."

"She's five years my senior," Draco reassured, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a tin. "And single. Not without reason." He took out a purple cigarette from the tin, leaning back as he took the first drags. "Trust me, should I ever replace you, it won't be with her."

"Oh that's reassuring."

"Just relax will you." He held out the cigarette for her. "Here."

"What is it?"

He rolled his eyes. "Just trust me."

I took a cigarette end
And started to smoke pot
I didn't know what it was
But the guy who gave it to me was hot
I didn't know his name but I had to have him
I nicknamed him Vampire though his real name was -
Martin? Marvin? Harry? TIM!

Ebony didn't know if it was the haze of the smoke that surrounded them, Draco contenting with puffing large smoke rings and then laughing at her own dismal attempts, but she quite liked the opening act. The Mariesuettes were easy on the ear and easier on the eye: four witches, barely older than she was, and hundred times prettier than Ebony ever hoped to be. The leader singer had black ringlets that framed a porcelain freckled face, a strong nose that might have seemed odd on anyone else but added to her beauty, balanced out by full pouty lips. The guitarist had golden hair that tumbled to the small of her waist, tips seemingly dipped in a paint pot of hot pink, her purple eyes often closed as she played the witching solos that conveyed a store of emotions. The drummer had short spiked blue hair, and stuck her tongue out in concentration, pointed ears covered in piercings betraying elf origins. Finally there was the bass player, with alluring caramel skin framed by a lion's mane, and green eyes that scanned the crowd unflinchingly.

"Let's go dance," Ebony said as the girls struck up another catchy song. Contrary to Draco's continually mellowing mood, she felt ready to conquer the world. She'd progressively shed her winter layers until she was down to just her maxi dress and jangled with every move of her bangles. The neon ribbons that had once decorated their table now woven into her hair added to her look. "I'm feeling a dance."

"How do you expect to be caressed by the gentle beats of the music if you are busy thrashing against them?"

"Shall I take that as a no?"

"Take it as whatever you wish to take it."

Ebony placed a lingering kiss on his lips, smiling at the widening of his dilated eyes. "I shall take it as permission to go and dance by myself for a little while."

"Dance like the queen that you are."

Ebony floated down to the floor below; there was The Floor, which was a space cleared before the stage where Mariesuettes fans, both new and old were jumping, swaying and moving to the music, members of all sex trying to catch their eye because face it – they were irresistible, and as Ebony heard someone say 'the female equivalent of Goblin Charlatans', and then there was The Around, areas around The Floor which held an assortment of chairs and tables, some booked, others first come first served and don't move away. Unlike the Top Floor, with its servers, the bar here was crowded.

Before she could begin swaying to the Mariesuettes 'Self-Insertation Proclamation', the first chords promising a stream of punk, Ebony spotted a familiar face.

"Willow?"

The girl turned around, confirming that it was indeed the Ravenclaw who was stood by the wall, gently nodding her head to the music, her hair moving in time. It had been a long time since Ebony had seen Willow out of her usual bun and robes study combo – her chestnut waves were held in place by a silver hair band worn around her crown, matching the silver birds on her black dress that flittered around in time to the music.

"Ebony!"

The two hugged. They hadn't done that in awhile either.

"OMM, what are you doing here?" Ebony asked.

"You're not the only one allowed to go to concerts are you?"

"But you never said!"

"Hey Willow, they've run out of Pumpkin-oh, hallo Dementia."

Ebony turned to the familiar voice that came up behind them balancing to sloshing tankards of whatever the hell they were selling here. The Gryffindor red-head looked out of place without Potter and Granger by his side, even though his worn out blue jeans and his hideous patterned jumper seemed quite in keeping with the crowd.

"Weasley? What are you doing here?"

Willow replied before he even had the chance to open his mouth.

"He's with me."

If Ebony had been drinking, she would have just spat the content out on her best friend. "Wait- what? Weasley? When were you going to tell me?"

"Well, I was planning on having you be the last one to know, seeing as that's how it seems to work with you."

Ah. So Willow was still angry about not being invited to the New Year Ball and their unofficial engagement party? She had seemed cool when Ebony had explained coming from a neutral family, she as an Arcane was naturally excluded from.

"I said I was sorry Will! And you were the first to know - I Owled you straight away."

"So I wasn't even worthy of a quick Floo."

"It's complicated - you know that. And you know how sorry I am. You don't have to tolerate Carrot-Top over here just to prove a point to me."

"I actually happen to enjoy Ronald's company."

Ebony rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. He's as thick as a brick and you could do better."

"Hey!"

"My point exactly."

"What, just like Malfoy is a pompous dick, and though you might be hard pressed to find richer, you can definitely do better."

"Not this again. I thought you were happy for me."

"Not when he's taking you away from me! I have barely seen you -"

"I'm always in the library-"

"Planning your wedding."

"He likes me close."

"You mean within his control."

Ebony opened her mouth to retort, but decided that this argument was no longer worth her energy.

"Whatever Wills, you're killing my buzz."

Grabbing the tankard of whatever Ron was carrying, she walked away, pulling a face at the sweet acidic taste of it. If Willow was going to be a bitch, she could be too. Not feeling the climb of the stairs, she took the nearest seat, ignoring the strange looks she was given by the men occupying the nearby seats and watched the Mariesuettes play their final song, 'Lost the Plot'

Nothing makes any sense,
The mistakes within this are so dense
I clutch my head in pain and cry
And through these tears ask God why
If he exists he'd let this be
This abomination, this story
Clearly

He's lost the plot
Like I've lost the plot
If there was any plot to begin with
Let's make it up as we go
Pretend to know what we don't know
And hope that nobody notices
That we've lost the plot

Though she'd come for Celestina, by the time the girls bid goodnight to enthusiastic applause and she had reached the bottom of her permanently borrowed tankard, Ebony was about ready to go back to the castle. The euphoric edge had worn off and been replaced by a heaviness behind her eyes and an acute awareness that she was surrounded by a sea of strange faces, even the familiar ones that passed by and said hello, the Hogwarts alumni that stopped to tell her that the NEWTs really were as bad as they made them out to be. She was grateful when she saw Draco making his way through the crowd.

"I thought you came down to dance?"

"I got tired," Ebony explained, letting Draco pull her up and close. She rested her head on his chest, her comfort blanket. "And just a little bit drunk. Maybe."

"The last time you said you were 'a little bit drunk', you turned around and puked all over Greg."

"He was reciting poetry to Vince, of course I was going to puke on him." She sighed. "I had a fight with Willow."

"About?"

"Her dating Weasley and not telling me. Me telling her he's not good enough for her. Her telling me you're a dick and a control freak."

"Arcane's just jealous. Don't let her ruin your evening, okay?" He kissed the top of her forehead. "Especially when she's dating the likes of Weasley. Clearly has no taste at all."

"I love you, you know that."

"I know."

And they stayed there, watching the stage prepared for the main act, swaying to the anonymous jazz music being played over the silent rumble of people talking. They watched fellow students traipse from table to table, booth to booth, occasionally making the occasional comment about who was wearing what, passing judgement on their different stages of sobriety. Finally Ms Warbeck appeared on stage to cheers and applause, accompanied by the luteist and pianist that made her music hers.

"This song is dedicated to the Hogwarts students, especially my fellow Ravenclaws, and those who took the effort to sneak out just to be here to see me. Good luck getting back in. This is 'Never Tickle A Sleeping Dragon'"

As she opened her mouth to sing, there was a blast from behind.

There were screams from every corner, and it took awhile for anyone to understand what had happened, why there was suddenly dust everywhere. But as the rubble cleared, the men in the dark cloaks and the skull masks explained it all.

Death Eaters.