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Challenges listed at the bottom.

Word Count: 504

Just For Now

Blaise watched Draco from across the Slytherin common room, anger burning through him. Why did he have to be so goddamn cocky? It was ridiculous and unnecessary.

Hell, the others only put up with him at all because of who he was connected to, and that wouldn't last long, Blaise was sure.

The tides were turning, even in Slytherin.

The Dark Lord wasn't what he once was, and those who knew that were beginning to doubt the path of following him. There were whispers of him being crazy, of him losing his grasp on reality.

There were whispers that Potter was going to beat him.

The thing was, Blaise knew that Draco didn't even believe the rubbish he was spouting.

It was irritating, to say the least. He closed his book, unable to concentrate, and stood up. He couldn't watch anymore.

He knew Draco was watching him as he left the common room for their dorm, but he couldn't bring himself to look back.

…

"You're mad at me."

Blaise shifted on his bed. "What gave it away?"

"The cold shoulder, for a start, but the way you left the common room in a huff made it pretty obvious."

Blaise rolled his eyes. "I'm not in 'a huff'. I just don't need to watch you embarrass yourself like that. Why are you still trying to convince them that the Dark Lord is the best pathway?"

Draco looked away.

Blaise sighed and shook his head. "You don't even believe it yourself, Draco. You don't want him to win."

"I don't want him to kill my mother either," Draco replied flatly. "And that's what'll happen if I stop pretending that the Dark Lord is anything but the only choice for them to make."

"Draco…"

"Don't. I…. It's okay for you. You have options, because your family isn't openly dark, Blaise. Me… I don't get a 'happily ever after'. Don't you get that? I get to lie to people, and I get to manipulate people, and I get to condemn them until finally, Potter will win and then I'll be arrested for crimes I didn't want to commit."

"That's not—"

"That's exactly what's going to happen, Blaise. There's no point pretending any different."

Blaise was silent for a moment, and then he reached out and tugged on Draco's wrist until they were facing one another on the bed.

"Blaise—"

"You might not get a 'happily ever after', but you can have a 'happy for an hour', right?" Blaise offered, his lips tilting up as Draco snorted. "Okay, that sounded ruder than I meant it too. I just… cuddling isn't against his rules, is it?"

Draco shrugged best he could with one shoulder. "I don't know. I don't think he particularly cares to be honest."

"Perfect," Blaise replied, snuggling around Draco. "Then, just for now, can we be Blaise and Draco and not worry about anything else. Just… just for now?"

Draco nodded, and pulled Blaise tighter against him. "Yeah. Yeah, we can do that. Just for now."

Written for:

Murder Mystery: Where: Slytherin Common Room

Mini Golf: Hole 17: Happily Ever After

Game Of Life: Cocky