* ~ The Eighth Year Universe Series ~ *
PART TWO
Last Call for Sin
Chapter 2: Don't You Put Me on the Backburner
* ~ HOGWARTS CASTLE ~ *
The first night back at Hogwarts was usually one of the best of Draco's life. He slept soundly, knowing that he was safe. He didn't listen for footsteps on marble stairs; he didn't sleep with one eye open. Despite the fact it was cold and miserable, the Slytherin common room had always felt safe until the first night of his seventh year.
The seventh-year Slytherins reached the common room and were contemplating heading straight to bed when the two new Professors stepped into the common room.
"All year groups below sixth year, go to your dorms," Alecto barked.
The common room emptied quickly, and Pansy looked over at Draco warily. He smiled weakly and took her hand.
Daphne shook her head and looked away from them.
Amycus stepped forward and crossed his arms, "We are looking for volunteers to help us enforce the Dark Lord's standards in the school this year."
Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes when Crabbe and Goyle instantly volunteered themselves.
Alecto locked eyes with Draco. She was a terrifying-looking woman with dark red hair and cold blue eyes. He could tell that she had been pretty in her youth, but Azkaban had taken away her looks as it had with his aunt.
"And you, Draco?" She asked smoothly, "Why do you not volunteer to uphold our Lords standards?"
"I didn't think I had to volunteer," Draco answered dryly, "I thought you were looking for new recruits, not old ones."
"Learn your place Malfoy," Alecto said harshly, "Or it will be writhing at my feet like your father did all summer."
Draco swallowed a remark and said nothing.
Nobody else had volunteered, so Alecto turned her icy gaze on the rest of the students, "Those who aid our Lord in these dark times will be rewarded once we have achieved our victory. Those who refuse to serve us will be punished."
A couple more students stepped forward; all of them were sixth years.
"The Dark Lord does not wish to spill pure blood, but he will, if he has to," Alecto finished.
Nobody else stepped forward, and Pansy tightened her grip on Draco's hand.
"That will be all," Alecto said calmly, "But we would like a word with you in private, Nott."
Theo looked up in alarm, "Me?"
"Yeah, boy, you," Amycus said, opening the door into the dungeon corridor.
Draco let go of Pansy's hand and stepped forward, "Why do you need to talk to him alone?"
"What are you, Malfoy, his protector?" Amycus scoffed.
"He is my friend," Draco said, narrowing his eyes at them, "And he's on our side, so I suggest that you leave him alone."
Alecto laughed, "That's cute, Amycus. He has a guy on the side, just like his father."
Draco's eyes flashed angrily.
"His father has more than that on the side," Amycus said, laughing nastily.
"It's fine, Draco," Theo said. He stepped towards the two Death Eaters.
Alecto laughed once more and guided Theo out of the common room.
"What do you think they are going to do to him?" Sadie asked, stepping forward the moment that the door closed behind Theo and the two Carrows.
"I really hope I'm wrong," Draco said, his eyes lingering on the doorway.
"Why?" Sadie asked anxiously.
"Because-"
A loud cry of pain sounded from the other side of the door.
Anger flashed in Draco's eyes, "There is no way in hell I'm letting them give my best friend the mark."
"Draco!" Pansy exclaimed as he headed for the door, "They'll kill you!"
Daphne's eyes darkened as she watched the blond boy walk towards the door, "She's right, Draco."
Draco ignored them both and left the common room, making sure he shut the door behind him so that the others could not follow. The sight he saw in the corridor made his blood boil. Amycus was holding Theo's arms while he knelt on the floor, shaking. Alecto had her wand trained on his chest, and Draco suspected that she had just used the cruciatus curse on him.
"Torturing one of your own on your first day in the job?" Theo asked breathily, "Not a smart move."
Draco frowned over at his friend, "Shut up, Theo. You don't have to become a Death Eater just because they ask you to. The Dark Lord does not appreciate marks being forced on his followers; he likes them to be willing."
"Good thing I was then."
"What?" Draco asked sharply.
"Lift my sleeve, you idiots," Theo said, glaring up at Alecto.
Alecto nodded in Amycus's direction.
Amycus lifted Theo's sleeve, and there it was…the dark mark. It swam in Draco's vision for a moment, and the snake hissed. Draco stared at it in disbelief, "No."
"Yes," Theo said, catching Draco's eye, "Your father convinced you to take your mark, and mine convinced me to take mine. I was just a month or so behind you, Draco."
Alecto scoffed, "But did you earn it, Nott?"
Theo tore his eyes away from Draco and looked up at her, "Of course I earned it. It wouldn't still be there if I hadn't completed the ritual, would it?"
Alecto narrowed her eyes at him.
"It would have faded if he hadn't completed the ritual," Amycus said, "If he got it the same time as Malfoy, then he's had it a while."
"I know that Amycus, I'm not an idiot," Alecto snapped, "But I have a hard time imagining this pathetic weed killing anyone."
Theo smirked at her.
"Who did you kill then, Nott?" Amycus asked.
"Well, let's just say that somewhere out there, a despicable little Muggle is wondering if his Daddy will ever come home."
Draco physically drew back at those words.
Alecto grinned wickedly, "Congratulations, Nott. You just became Head of the Junior Squad."
Theo got to his feet and smiled, "Well, won't that look good on a CV?" he asked.
"The Dark Lord will be very proud," Alecto said, placing her hand on his shoulder, "As will your father. We always thought you were the runt, but it seems like you have more of your father in you than we realised."
"What can I say? I'm a late bloomer," Theo remarked.
Amycus laughed, "You're funny, kid."
Alecto turned her gaze on Draco, "Malfoy, take note. You could learn from your friend because you are pathetic, just like your father."
Draco shook his head, "My father is not pathetic! The things he did in the first war-"
"Oh, the first war," Alecto said with a wave of her hand, "That was years ago, Malfoy! He's gotten soft since then, lost his mettle, hasn't he?"
"He hasn't gotten soft!" Draco objected as he stepped forward, "He just fell out of favour because I failed to kill Dumbledore. I'm the failure, not my father, so if you want to call anyone pathetic or punish anyone for his mistakes, then you ought to punish me. The rest of the Death Eaters did, all summer long."
Alecto pressed the tip of her wand into Draco's chest, "You are too mouthy for a Death Eater, kid. You need to learn your place, and that place is on your knees."
Amycus kicked Draco down, and Alecto cried, "Crucio!"
Draco gritted his teeth and refused to scream in pain. He didn't want to give the bitch that satisfaction. He looked up and caught Theo's eye and saw him trying to hide a grimace.
"The cruciatus curse doesn't work on him, Alecto," Amycus said, "He's used to it. We're going to need to be experimental with this one."
Alecto ended the curse and grinned, "Ooh, this could be fun! Grab him, Amycus."
"Draco-" Theo began to say.
But before he could finish his sentence, the common room door closed on him, and the Carrows dragged Draco away.
Draco wasn't surprised to see Theo sitting in bed waiting for him when he eventually dragged himself into the dorm room late that night.
"Draco," Theo said quietly as he took in his friends injuries.
Draco sat down gingerly on his bed and grimaced. He had limped into the room; his face was covered in cuts and bruises.
"Draco, I can explain-"
"You can explain?" Draco spat, "You can fucking explain? You're a Death Eater, Theo! A fucking Death Eater, and you didn't tell me? It has been over a year, and you didn't tell your best friend!"
"Oh, don't you fucking start," Theo barked, "Mr 'I'm gonna kill Dumbledore and not tell anyone about it'. You kept secrets from me last year too!"
Draco shook his head and said, "It's worse than that, Theo, so much worse! You killed someone, you. I don't even know who you are anymore."
"Who I am?" Theo asked in disbelief. He crossed the room and sat down on the edge of Draco's bed, "Draco, I'm who I've always been. I'm your best friend."
A scoff sounded from the bed next to Draco's, "If you two are going to shag, can you please put up a silencing charm?"
"Shut up, Blaise," Theo muttered irritably, throwing a silencing charm up around the bed anyway.
"Thanks!" Blaise's voice said from within his bed.
"The listening charms will be able to cut through silencing charms," Draco said, looking at Theo warily.
Theo nodded and used his wand to write in the air, I know.
Draco looked from the silvery writing to his friend.
I lied, you idiot.
Draco's eyes softened, "Of course," he murmured.
I killed a Muggle in hospital, Theo wrote. He was almost dead anyway.
Draco nodded. Any death of a Muggle or Muggle-born would have counted for the ritual.
"Sorry," He mouthed at Theo.
Theo rolled his eyes, "Drama queen," he muttered fondly.
Draco laughed weakly, then grimaced in pain.
"What did they do to you?" Theo asked.
"Nothing I can't handle," Draco said quietly. He lay down on his bed and let out a shaky breath.
"Really? Cause it kind of looks like you can't handle it right now," Theo said pointedly.
Draco sighed and looked up at the top of his four-poster, "Well, my father will probably kill me when I get called back for the next Death Eater meeting. I've already made a stand against the two Death Eaters running the school."
Theo grabbed his hand and began to write in the air again. Get better at lying. I think saying his name sends an alarm out to them. Once I do that, follow my lead.
Draco read the message then nodded.
Theo sighed, "Voldemort doesn't care about the Carrows. He put Snape in charge of the school, and Snape is your Godfather. Forget about pleasing them; they treat you like shit because they think your Dad is soft, but you're not like him, Draco, and I'm not like my father. We're our own people, and if we get on the right side of Snape, we can rule the school this year."
Draco played along, "You're right, Theo, I should be celebrating. There are no pathetic little Muggle-borns to please, no Harry Potter to duel."
"Just scared little students who we can bend to our will," Theo said, "We can train them so that they can be future soldiers for our Dark Lord. I know Alecto put me in charge, but I want you to be my second in command."
"I'm honoured, Theo."
Theo gave him a thumbs up and wrote in the air. Just go with this next part too. You're not going to like it.
Draco looked up at him warily.
"We'll be great together," Theo said. He then cast a spell at Draco's chest.
Draco drew in a sharp breath and gasped.
"Sorry," Theo mouthed. Then he did it again and set another of Draco's ribs.
"Fuck, Theo," Draco gasped, gripping the bedsheets as the pain rippled through his body.
Theo looked at him apologetically then set the third rib.
"Fuck," Draco hissed.
Theo leant back on his feet and wrote, Needed them to think we're screwing because it makes me look powerful and because I had to set your broken ribs.
Draco glared at him and wrote, Great. Now they think I'm gay as well as a shit Death Eater.
Theo grinned at him. Snape is the key, though. Ask him for Occlumency lessons.
How? Draco wrote.
Like this, Theo wrote. He pointed at the silvery writing.
Draco nodded and looked at his friend. What if he won't help?
He will. He's your Godfather, Theo wrote.
At that point, the dorm room door opened loudly.
"What is going on in here?" Alecto Carrow hissed, "Unauthorised use of a silencing charm?"
"Sorry, Professor," Blaise's voice said.
Theo and Draco looked at each other in alarm; the curtains around the bed were drawn.
"Did you cast the charm, Zabini?"
"No, but I asked Theo and Draco to," Blaise replied, "Cause I'm pretty sure they are having sex in there."
Alecto scoffed, and her feet began to move towards Draco's bed. Theo looked at Draco and panicked. Draco shook his head, "No," he mouthed.
But the footsteps reached the edge of the bed, and Draco could tell that the curtains would be ripped back soon, so he caved and pulled Theo on top of him.
Theo's lips connected with Draco's seconds before the curtain was drawn back, so they didn't have to kiss for long, thankfully.
"For the love of Salazar," Alecto muttered when the two boys broke apart, "You two are unbelievable. I mean, Malfoy, will you literally sleep with anyone for power? You really are just like your father."
Draco kept his mouth shut.
"And Nott," Alecto said, turning her gaze to the dark-haired boy, "You could do better than a Malfoy, both in your bed and as your second in command."
"My apologies that you had to hear that, Professor," Theo said as he got to his feet, "And don't worry about Draco, I'll have him up to scratch before the end of the year."
Alecto smirked, "I am glad to hear it. Now, get into your own bed and stay there."
"Yes, Professor," Theo said. He crossed the room and got into his bed, drawing the curtains around it quickly.
Alecto's heels clicked across the room then the dorm room door shut.
"You two are so gay."
"Shut up, Blaise," Draco and Theo echoed in unison.
Everyone approached the first day of classes with trepidation. Breakfast was eaten in silence as the Heads of House handed out timetables. Snape announced that the Quidditch season was cancelled and that there was no Head Boy or Girl this year.
Classes, as a whole, were standard. Neville was under the impression that the teachers were unable to talk openly about the situation. They refrained from referencing the war or assuring the students that things would be okay. They just taught their classes as normally as they could, given the circumstances.
The moment of truth came when the classes that the Carrows taught were attended. Muggle Studies had been made mandatory for all house groups, and it was Neville's last class of the day on the first day of term.
He could feel the fear in the room as he sat down with the rest of his year group. They were segregated into their houses in this classroom, but they hadn't been in any other class. The class was about as bad as Neville expected it to be. Alecto told them that Muggles were animals and should be treated in the same vein as house-elves. She talked of how they stole magic and created Muggle-borns. She spoke about how the natural order would now be restored so that the wizarding world could become stronger once more.
Neville grew angrier and angrier as she spoke, but he bit his tongue and kept his head down. He hadn't had Defence Against the Dark Arts that day, but he knew that Ginny had, and when he saw her walk into the great hall for dinner trying to conceal a limp, he was immediately concerned.
"What happened?" He whispered as he sat down next to her at the table.
"Not here," Ginny muttered.
Neville looked up to the table where the Carrows were surveying the students. Alecto caught his eye and smirked. Neville glared at her and tore his eyes away.
"That woman is evil," Neville muttered to Ginny, "Muggle Studies is designed to make us hate Muggles. We're old enough to understand that she's a psycho, but the younger students aren't."
"Then we need to hope this isn't going to last for long," Ginny whispered, "But don't talk about it here."
Neville nodded and looked down at his food. He didn't feel very hungry.
On the way up to the common room after dinner, Ginny took a detour. She kept glancing around to make sure that they weren't being followed. Neville didn't know what she was doing until he realised what corridor they were in, and then her pacing made sense.
A door appeared, and she dragged him into the Room of Requirement.
"I think we can talk freely here," Ginny said, breathing out a relieved sigh.
"What did he do to you?" Neville asked.
"He made us torture each other," Ginny replied, her eyes meeting Neville's, "He made the more willing of the Slytherins use the cruciatus curse on us, then he imperiused some of the Gryffindors and made them torture the Hufflepuffs."
"Did he use it on you?" Neville said, his eyes burning angrily.
"I had the cruciatus curse used on me, but he couldn't control me with the imperius curse," Ginny smiled triumphantly, "I'm stronger than that."
Neville nodded, "You are," he agreed.
"Did Alecto do anything to you?" Ginny asked.
Neville shook his head, "No, she didn't hurt anyone, but she did try and brainwash us. I dread to think what they will do if they catch students out of bed after curfew."
"It doesn't warrant thinking about," Ginny admitted, "But now that you have seen for yourself how bad it is, don't you think we ought to do something?"
"I want to," Neville admitted, "But we're just students. The teachers aren't even defending themselves against the Carrows, so what can we do?"
"It's going to be about small victories," Ginny said honestly, "This isn't going to be an all-out war. Think of it like the goblin wars."
Neville looked at her blankly, "The goblin wars?"
"Let me guess; you don't listen in History of Magic?" Ginny quipped.
"You do?" Neville asked in surprise.
Ginny shot him an amused look, "I listen enough to pass the exams, but my point is, this is guerrilla warfare."
"Right," Neville said, he leant against the wall and smiled at her, "Assume I'm an idiot and tell me all about that."
Ginny snorted, "We can't fight them in a field battle. It's a handful of us against those two Death Eaters and the large army that they can call upon by pressing the giant snakes on their arms, right?"
"Right," Neville agreed.
"So we go into hiding and strike when we need to," Ginny explained, "Whether that is to retrieve food or supplies or to help younger students who are in trouble. We strike at night; we use every advantage we have."
"Like?" Neville asked.
"Like secret passageways and maybe even ghosts," Ginny answered.
Neville nodded, "We disappear then? We get the DA together and disappear into the Room of Requirement. We only surface when we need something?"
"Exactly," Ginny said.
"I can think of one issue with your plan," Neville admitted.
"Which is?"
"The Slytherins know about this room," Neville said, "They know how to get into it; well, Malfoy does anyway. When we all disappear, won't he tell the Carrows that we're in here?"
"He's the only one who can sell us out," Ginny pointed out, "The others might know about the room, but he is the only one who knows how to get into it, so I think we should take the chance."
"Or I talk to him," Neville said.
Ginny looked at him in disbelief, "Talk to him? Neville, he's a Death Eater! He tried to kill Dumbledore!"
"But before that, he was a kid," Neville said, his eyes meeting Ginny's once more, "A kid I used to play dragons and house elves with in my Grandmothers back garden. I don't think he wants this Gin."
"Talking to him is risky," Ginny said, chewing her lip anxiously.
"It's not any riskier than setting up the DA in the Room of Requirement just to be ambushed," Neville pointed out.
Ginny sighed, "I mean…you're right, Neville, but…I don't like it."
"Neither do I, but I don't see what choice we have," Neville admitted, "And we can't rush into this plan either. The Carrows are bearable if we just keep our heads down as much as possible."
"Bearable? Amycus gets off on seeing students torture each other!" Ginny hissed, "And Alecto prefers to inflict the torture herself!"
"I just mean, we need to be selective about who we invite back here," Neville said honestly, "We can't have another Marietta Edgecombe, Gin. There is far too much at risk this time. We need to make sure every single person we invite here can be trusted completely."
"You're right," Ginny said with a sigh.
"Start thinking about it," Neville said, reaching out to grab her hand, "And keep your mouth shut around the Carrows if you can. They can only torture us if we give them a reason to."
Ginny just nodded in response.
"I wasn't wrong about you being better than Draco," Blaise said, throwing himself onto a sofa and sitting as close to Daphne as he could.
Daphne looked up at him, "No?"
"No," Blaise said, he stretched out and put his arm around her shoulder, "He sleeps with blokes now."
"What?" Daphne asked in surprise.
"Oh yeah," Blaise smirked, "Him and Theo."
"Theo?" Sadie asked in disbelief.
"Oh, come on, Sade, you know that Theo will shag anything with legs," Tracey said with a snort, "I don't think he cares much if it's got a dick or not."
Sadie frowned, "I know he's slept with a lot of people, but he always brags about it, and they are all female."
"Well, he's not going to brag about the blokes, is he?" Blaise retorted.
"How do you know they were shagging anyway?" Tracey asked bluntly.
"Because my bed is next to Draco's," Blaise pointed out, "So when Draco got in last night after the Carrows had beaten the shit out of him, I heard their lovers tiff, and I told them to put a silencing charm up so that I didn't have to hear anymore."
"So they could have just been talking then, knowing those two," Daphne said.
"Oh yeah, they could have been," Blaise said calmly, "But when Alecto came in because of the unauthorised silencing charm, she pulled the curtains on the bed back, and they were snogging so…"
"So you actually saw them?" Daphne asked in disbelief.
"Unfortunately," Blaise said distastefully, "So if anyone is good enough with the charm to obliviate me, that would be great."
"Nah, it's funnier to leave you mentally scarred," Daphne chuckled.
At that point, their conversation came to an end because Draco and Theo stepped into the common room together, followed by Alecto and Amycus Carrow.
"Students of Slytherin," Alecto said in a commanding tone, "I have an announcement to make. As of tonight, we have a new squad of Enforcers. This squad will enforce the standards of the Dark Lord. It will be commanded by Nott and Malfoy, the two true followers of the Dark Lord in your midst."
Many eyes widened at this news because although many people knew that Draco was a Death Eater, not so many knew about Theo.
"Respect them because they have the right to punish any students who do not obey the rules, regardless of their house," Alecto said on a final note before she left the room.
"Theo," Sadie said quietly, "You're not…"
Theo rolled his eyes and lifted his sleeve, "Come on, Draco, let's show them all what we are."
Draco lifted his sleeve too, and the two snakes on their arms hissed.
The younger students in the common room recoiled in fear, and Sadie's eyes darkened. Daphne gripped her friend's hand and pulled her onto the sofa next to her and Blaise.
Pansy watched from the sidelines anxiously, her eyes on Draco even though he refused to look at her.
"Follow the rules and honour the Dark Lord and you will not have a problem with us," Theo said darkly, "But if you don't do those things, then we will have to show you what we are capable of."
Crabbe and Goyle, being the idiots that they were, stepped forward and started to clap. Some of the sixth year students who were glory hunters did too, but most of Draco and Theo's friends just looked on warily.
Tears shone in Sadie's eyes, "But Theo-"
"It's too late to save my soul, Sadie," Theo said. His tone was dark, but his eyes were soft as he met hers. He stepped forward and gripped her wrist. She breathed in sharply but then realised that Theo was pulling her in close so that he could whisper in her ear, "My conscience is clean."
Sadie breathed a sigh of relief and caught his eye. She nodded in understanding.
Pansy crossed the room and gripped Draco's hand, "I'm with you, Draco."
Draco looked at her warily, "Pansy, the danger you're putting yourself in-"
"I don't care," Pansy said firmly, "Death Eater or not, dark wizard or not, I'm with you."
Draco held her gaze for a moment longer than he should have done, then he closed the small gap between them and kissed her tentatively. She leant into the kiss and deepened it, her hand letting go of his and resting on the side of his face gently. Her touch was gentle and loving, and he believed her words whole-heartedly.
Daphne looked away from the kiss between her ex-boyfriend and Pansy. She hadn't been a spiteful person once upon a time, but heartbreak had made her cold. She shuffled next to Blaise on the sofa so that she could turn her head and smile at him, "Well, at least there is one good man left in this common room."
Blaise smiled back, "Yeah?"
"Yeah," Daphne said, pushing herself onto her knees so that she could kiss him. Blaise was surprised, but he kissed her back, losing his hands in her hair as he deepened the kiss.
They were unaware of Tracey scoffing and muttering to Sadie, "She's becoming quite the little user, isn't she?"
Sadie watched the exchange between Daphne and Blaise anxiously and nodded, "Yeah, the break-up with Draco changed her."
"Hardened her more like," Tracey muttered.
* ~ TBC ~ *