The fires were burning low, and shadows flew long across the halls. In the distance a clock chimed the hour: midnight. And yet, less than half the house was sleeping as they ought.
SIx figures huddled behind Malfoy Manor bookshelves scouring page after page, book after book, in fading light.
"I don't suppose we could simply build up the fire ourselves?" Hermione finally asked after suppressing another shiver.
Pansy wrinkled her nose in distaste and snuggling closer to Draco. "That's the servants' job, duh." She switched tones like lightning, a crafty look in her eye. "Any witch or wizard can just cast a heating spell. It's not like we're muggles."
Theo raised an eyebrow but didn't respond. Typical, Hermione thought. They may be her friends but who wouldn intervene on her behalf if the choice was her or a pureblood?
"Here," Draco murmured eventually. "I found a few new ones we can try, but they look difficult."
He passed his book around carefully. In the dim light Hermione could barely make out the words, or the diagrams. But for once Draco was right: it did look difficult, even for her and Theo, judging by his scrunched expression.
"Do we even know how to reverse it?" Daphne asked fearfully. "I refuse to be stuck as a bird for the rest of my life."
Blaise took the book, eyes glazing over as he mumbled the phrase. After a moment he looked up. "It doesn't require a healing spell so I assume the standard reversal spell should work."
Draco snorted. "I'm not dueling with that under a mere assumption! Father would-"
"Your father would know how to reverse it. We'll be fine." Hermione cut in.
Out of habit, they split into their regular pairings. Hermione faced off against Daphne in one row of shelves, while Pansy sauntered away with Draco, leaving Theo and Blaise in their own row. In a flash, duels erupted across the library, a cacophony of crackling and voices throwing out curses. It wasn't long before the lack of adequate heat or light was forgotten.
"Avifors!" Blaise yelled, slashing his wand down. The curse fizzled and hardly made a sound, leaving Theo room to pounce.
"Mucus ad nauseum!" In the same moment that he cast, Theo threw up a shield and fired yet another at Blaise who was now blocking with one hand while holding his nose. At "Calvario", Blaise threw a last ditch Protego and begged uncle to a smirking Theo.
Two rows over, Hermione's hair was now roughly four inches wide as she cast spell after shield after defensive spell after hex. Daphne was nearly as disheveled, but neither girl had yet landed anything and the furor was growing.
"Petrificus Totalus! Expluso! Mimble Wimble!" Slash slash swipe, swish and flourish, around and around the girls went, but little progress was made and the harmless spells did nothing save bounce off their shields. In a last ditch attempt, Daphne whipped her arms out, barely whispering 'Expulso'. The spell broke Hermione's shields like dust in the wind, throwing her fifteen feet back and slamming the girl into the far wall. Immediately Theo, Blaise, and Daphne rushed after her.
"Hermione? Hermione!"
"Are you alright?"
"Is that supposed to bend that way?" Theo asked dryly, pointing at her leg. He knew full well Hermione's legs were quite alright but seeing Daphne snap out of her growing panic to berate him made the comment worth it. Blaise only laughed and helped Hermione up. In the distance, Draco and Pansy came running, both flushed and more disheveled than anyone wanted to really see. Theo only raised an eyebrow while Hermione waved away their concern.
"I'm quite alright, there just might be a bruise or two tomorrow is all. Really."
Draco nodded, not quite convinced. "I think perhaps that's enough for tonight. If you're feeling up to it we can duel again in a few nights, but absolutely nothing until then."
Everyone seemed surprised by the authority in his voice. Hermione, somewhat peeved, said "Oh yes thank you, Healer Malfoy." and stomped off.
Blaise coughed. "Good job mate."
Theo laughed at Draco's confusion who just stood saying "Birds eh? Bloody strange sometimes."
Unbeknownst to the young students, Lucius and Narcissa were quite aware of the extracurricular activities, thank you very much. If the library was conveniently unlocked, or certain spell books left lying around, well, what could they say? There was hardly a family of the Sacred Twenty Eight who didn't have unsavoury spellbooks in their collection. Of course, the Malfoys were somewhat different in that the Dark Lord himself had supplemented their personal library greatly.
"I think perhaps, it's time we moved them beyond harmless school jinxes," Lucius said one evening, looking out across his gardens. Behind him, Narcissa stilled.
"Darling, until that Pansy chit leaves Draco alone and they both demonstrate a greater propensity for maturity, Walburga's books stay under lock and spell."
Lucius considered her words for a moment,then shrugged. She was probably right.
"Even so…" he tried again. "They're growing up. And worse, the Dark Lord will take any negligence in their training as a lack of loyalty. Draco is still a child, but the others aren't. And worse, they won't care. We must start soon, if not now."
Narcissa came to stand at his elbow. She too, looked out at the dying light across their gardens. For a brief moment they stood wrapped in their own thoughts, until she murmured "Hermione will need occlumency training. Her honesty though delightful, is a double edged sword. She betrays her thoughts and intentions far too easily."
A:N/ Thank you all for the reviews and messages!