::Dungeons::
A large room was dedicated to the war. A grand map hung on one wall, all of Europe with countries outlined. Strongholds and major cities were marked with bright green spots and areas under the influence of the Dark Lord were shaded red.
Tables were piled with letters, names and strategies. A ceiling to floor bookshelf was crammed with books one the dark arts, defense and war strategy. Another was full of books on international politics, international war laws and agreements as well as books on manipulation.
Aurors constantly came in and out either through the main entrance or one of many secret doors. Several times a week there were meetings held around the large square conference table in the centre. The chairs around the table were usually burdened with heavy tomes or cauldrons full of potions ingredients to be transported to the potions store rooms.
Two chairs now held Draco and Harry, both bent over a small map of Europe. They occasionally drew arrows or circles on the map, bickering about this and that. Behind them Theodore and Hermione were organizing books, talking about something. Somewhere at the far end of the room Snape was reading, glaring at the page out of either frustration or concentration. The large map was dominated by Blaise as he added roads, towns and rivers to the already fine detail.
"No, no, we cannot do that," Draco argued, "Spreading our resources so thin will only make them easier to attack and destroy."
"Then we need to start conscripting," Harry snapped.
"What?"
"Conscription, the draft?" Harry asked and Draco continued to give him a strange look, "The muggles do it in times of war, they send out messages to all qualified young people, really just the men, and make them join up with the military so they have enough people to fight."
Draco frowned, "That sounds like people in power forcing those without power to do their work for them and that's not the kind of war I want to be involved in."
Harry sighed, "Then how do we fight off the Death Eaters?"
Draco turned over his shoulder to the map, "We request help from our allies."
"Who are we allied with?"
Draco smirked, "As much as the muggles squabbled over politics, all European countries are unified. In Europe we have the Grand European Council of Magic, America has a similar one and the High Sorcery Confederation presides over intercouncil affairs."
"So, we have innumerable allies?"
"Yes."
"Do they?"
"Not even close." Draco said and turned to another blank wall and conjured a map of the entire world, "Everything in green," the world went green, "Is allied under the Sorcery Confederation. Everything in red," several small dots appeared, mostly in England and a few in North America, "Is liable to support the Dark Lord."
"So…" Harry smiled, "We win?"
"Yes we do."
Draco moved some white hair from his face, "I doubt the war will move beyond the United Kingdom so we do not need to worry about sending Aurors to defend foreign countries. Our focus should be requesting help and making sure our Ambassadors to our European allies are well informed and kept safe and in the know."
"Do you think we should start sending out letters to them now?"
"As soon as we can," Draco said and dispelled the map, "It would help if they were from Dumbledore so we need to create a basic outline letter that can be copied and sent to them all."
"Why don't you write that," Harry suggested, "And I can continue working on our map."
Draco nodded.
He sat down and paused when he stared at the parchment in front of him.
"Harry?"
"Yes?"
"Are you worried?"
Theo, Hermione and Blaise all turned to look at Harry too.
The boy wonder shrugged, "Sometimes. But then I'm reminded that we have all the advantages."
Draco nodded and wrote the letter rather quickly.
Blaise stood up from where he knelt by the bottom of Italy, "We need a break," he declared.
"We do?" Theo asked skeptically.
Draco looked at the clock and saw that they had spent three hours in the War Room. "Maybe we do," he agreed.
Blaise, with ink stained fingers and smudges on his chin and cheek, grabbed Theodore and pulled him towards the door. "We'll go to the Room of Requirement and drink butterbeer and eat pastries and sleep, Merlin we could all use a nap."
Theo sighed and followed Blaise out the room.
Hermione sighed in much the same way and walked between Harry and Draco, a book under her arm.
"I'll never understand that boy," she smiled.
"Who? Blaise?" Draco smiled, "It takes a few years to even get used to him, much less understand him."
Hermione giggled, "He's a sweetheart though, absolutely wonderful."
"Sure is," Draco nodded.
A door opened and Ron stepped out, "Hey, sorry," he looked over his shoulder at the new medical wing he was helping Professor McGongall construct. There were rows of beds with cabinets to hold potions and bandages. Some things were still in progress, the floor and a complex series of entrances and exits as well as communication system between this, the War Room, Dumbledore's office and the House common rooms.
Ron began to walk with them, on the far side of Draco.
"What's going on?" the red head asked.
"Blaise convinced us to take a break and have food and naps in the Room of Requirement."
Ron nodded, "I see."
They reached the door and stepped inside to find Blaise standing on a table conducting a squad of house elves as they set up a large table for lunch. Blaise smiled and hopped down when he saw Ron, "Hi honey," he planted a kiss on the young Weasley's cheek, "Food will be ready soon, love."
"Oh good," Ron grinned, "I'm dying."
::Unknown Location::
The masses of dark cloaks rustled, trying to keep from touching the snarling, partial humans and less than partial humans in their midst. Not that the men were uncomfortable with the death nymphs, werewolves and dementors…well, really they were but they did not want the Dark Lord to know.
"My followers," The Dark Lord stood above them on the platform where his throne was. "We will attack the school, at dawn," he shouted and they cheered back.
::Blaise's New Room::
"Well this is cozy."
Blaise was sitting on his bed, legs crossed and shirt off, "I know," he smiled and looked around the well furnished rooms, "I'm a lucky boy."
Ron climbed onto the bed and stretched himself out across the queen sized bed, he groaned. "So comfy."
Blaise leaned back, smiling as Ron welcomed the personal bubble space intrusion.
Ron noticed Blaise's hands stained with ink and one eyebrow rose, "What that?"
"I'm detailing the War Room map."
"Really?"
Blaise rolled his big brown eyes, "I may be thick but I'm not utterly untalented. I can draw little lines and circles and label things…except for that town I labeled Buttfont instead of Buetfont…"
Ron laughed loudly and Blaise loved his laugh. It was free of the calculated level and length that burdened his laugh. Blaise was taught that laughing for too long is rude as is laughing not long enough, too loud and too quiet are rude as well and so the perfect pitch, tone, volume and length must be achieved so his laughter is neither rude nor screechy and annoying. It flowed like water and rang like a choral song and he knew that, of course he did, perhaps it sounded spontaneous and delighted but it was all practiced.
Ron did not care about the slight snort that came as he tried to inhale when he laughed or how long it went on or how loud it was or who was around and could hear him. Ron's total lack of etiquette and even more that he did not know or care made Blaise like him that much more.
Ron smiled, "You're so bloody adorable," he kissed Blaise's forehead.
The Italian snake snuggled closer to him, "Good, I do love being likened to a small child or furry critter."
"My furry critter," Ron clarified.
"Damn fuckin' straight," Blaise smirked and kissed his chest.
Ron smiled and tried to doze off before Blaise gave him a little love bite.
Ron squeaked and looked down to see a mark forming, "What was that form."
"Just marking my property."
"I'll show you marking," Ron rolled on top of him and kissed him heartily.
::Theo's Room::
Hermione was sitting on the bed with her back to the headboard and cushioned by a couple pillows. She was wearing a pair of Theo's old boxers and a tank top, reading a book with her hair tied back to stay out of her eyes. Theo stood at the window, leaning out a smoking a cigarette, his eyes dancing over the night and smoke and stars.
Hermione had been sleeping in his bed since the new year though they never went farther than heavy petting and only when she was feeling frisky. Theo was not particularly upset about it, he was not Blaise Zabini for Merlin's sake. It was nice to lay in the wake, perpetually plagued by insomnia, and listen to her breath and watch her lips move as she spoke to the people in her dreams.
She was pretty, smart and strong, an independent woman with dreams and wit. Theo often wondered if he could handle this relationship. The longest he had ever spent being exclusive with someone under two months. He looked over his shoulder at her and saw she was staring into space. He turned back to the night and exhaled smoke, tasting the tar and tobacco in his mouth and lungs.
Theo was scared of his addictions, his flaws and his past. He was scared of the Dark Lord, of his inner monologue and his future. A thousand pinpricks hit his skin as he thought about his future. The immediacy of the war and the long term future set out before him. The big plans. His eventual marriage, the birth of his children, graduation and the death of his parents, his freedom and living on his own; all of it rested on the war and then on his choice: Hermione or no?
Theodore was not a virgin. He was not as…well known as Blaise or Pansy or even Draco. He chose carefully and had yet to regret it on the same level Blaise and Draco had. Pansy was more of a heartbreaker than a broken hearted girl but she left them prematurely and never had real relationships.
Hermione looked over at the imperfect shade of gold that crowned Theo. She loved that color. She cared about him deeply and perhaps loved him. She was proud of it. But she was scared. The lioness felt self conscious holding his hand with other people around. It was not her discomfort with him, it was her discomfort with the other people, with the world.
"Theo?" she asked softly.
He turned and she found his bright eyes.
"Yes?" he asked and when he spoke smoke trickled from his lungs and rose around his face.
She paused, "I…I think I love you."
He smiled at her.
"Really?"
She blushed.
"I don't just think it, I do, I love you."
Theodore smiled more to himself because he agreed with her. His fear of the future was answered in the sight of her, on his bed, in his boxers, with his book in her arms. She was definitely in his future.
"I love you too."
She's short and fluffy and I thought it necessary since the next one is all plot.
53 through maybe 54 or 55 will be the war so be warned.
Warnings: character death, blood and sadness will be present. It happens.
Draco: If I die I'm gunna be PISSED!
Blaise: Yeah, me too.
Harry: It's her story boys, don't be mean.
Blaise: Kiss arse.
Harry: Hey!
FireStorm: It's true, you kiss ass.
Harry: HEY!
Draco: He bites arse too.
Ron: Ew!
Draco: Suck it up Ronniekins.
Azriel: You're all sluts.
Julian: Not me
Azriel: No, not you.
Draco: BUTT SLUT!
Harry: You're such a spaz!
Draco: You're a penis face, I hate you ::pout::
Harry: What? Ah, no::confused!::
Blaise::snicker:: penis ::snicker::
FireStorm: Well...fuck
LOVE
FireStorm
ps. if you have predictions I would love to hear them. : )
