CHAPTER FIFTEEN: The firewhisky

Pansy Parkinson hated everyone, but at that moment, she didn't even care. They were all still sitting in the dormitory, three empty bottles of firewhisky standing next to the bin and one opened on the desk, near the window.

Pansy was sitting on the bed, her legs in Draco's lap, while Theo and Blaise had a heated discussion, sitting opposite them.

'I swear to Merlin, Zabini, that's what happened! I looked basilisk straight in the eyes! And it ran away!' persisted Theo, but Blaise was just shaking his head in disbelief.

'Yes, right, this story is as true as Lockhart's books. You won't convince me, Nott.'

'But, honey, what about a story with the dementor? Haven't you heard about Umbridge? Supposedly, one dementor kissed her, and IT DIED!'

'Do you mind switching seats?' asked Blaise with a pleading look towards Draco and Pansy who just laughed.

'But I swear, Blaise, darling!' bellowed Theo, throwing his arm around Zabini who tried to fold back.

'Anyway' continued Theo. 'If you don't want to believe me, then don't, but I'll be savouring these memories 'till the end of my life.'

Blaise just sighed heavily.

'You do you, Nott. Just remember about us when you'll team up with Lockhart to write a book,' smirked Draco.

'Joke's on you since he's in St. Mungo's!' bellowed Theo triumphantly.

'You sure know a lot about Lockhart, don't you?' asked Pansy snidely.

'You're very funny, Parkinson, I'm not –'

'His biggest fan? Or you're not having a crush on him? Too late, we already know about it,' said Draco, still smirking.

'Oh, come on. He was a Ravenclaw and learned one spell. I'm better than him. I know, like, two spells,' said Theo grumpily and Pansy giggled. 'See? She thinks I'm funny, at least.'

'More like desperate,' she retorted.

'Oh, guys, what is it? Have it in for an incredibly handsome and clever, one of a kind pure-blood wizard named Theodore Nott?'

'We could reply, but we all know your ego wouldn't have survived that,' chuckled Blaise.

'You've just admitted you don't know what to say, mate,' said Theo, clapping him on his back.

'That's not what I –'

'I'll pour us some more,' he said, ignoring Blaise completely.

The four of them were sitting for a moment in silence, while Theo tried to fill everyone's glasses. Taking into account the number of drinks he's had, his attempt was rather successful.

'Hey, can you imagine that this can very well be the last time we all hang out together?' asked Blaise suddenly.

Pansy shot him a warning look, and Theo growled.

'Come on, mate, we were supposed to have fun –' he started.

'Now that's effectively ruined,' said Draco flatly.

'Weren't we just drowning our sorrows? We could at least talk about it,' noted Blaise.

'We did talk about it –' Theo sighed.

'But I mean, where are we standing? What's going to happen?'

'We have discussed it, Blaise. The fight will probably happen here, so we have to run away before it starts,' answered Pansy, sipping her drink and not looking at either of them.

'What about you, Draco?' asked Blaise determinedly, looking directly at him.

Malfoy lowered his head, averting their gaze. He was looking into his half-filled glass as if hoping more would appear.

'I try not to think about it,' he admitted finally. 'If I fail this task… both my father and I will be dead. The Dark Lord will presumably bring my mother into this as well, and if he'll find out about the Unbreakable Vow… Well, if I don't fail, I'll probably have to fight. For them.'

'What about the Order?' asked Blaise, which made Draco snort.

'Right. As if they'd help us,' he jeered. 'With their righteous beliefs and heroic attitude they'd probably think we're better off dead.'

'Actually… I think those are the traits that would make them help you,' Theo said quietly.

'I don't need their pity,' sneered Draco.

All three of them shot him warning looks.

'Seriously, Draco, if they were willing to help, you should accept,' insisted Pansy confidently.

Malfoy laughed coldly.

'You still don't get it, do you? I couldn't accept their help, it's the Dark Lord we're talking about. What if he wins the war? He'd hunt us down and we wouldn't stand a chance. I'd be number one on his list.'

'What if the Order wins?' asked Blaise.

'We'd probably be outcasts, in Azkaban or simply loathed, but we'd be alive.'

'That's actually… probably as close to the truth as we can get,' admitted Theo.

'That's mainly all I think about, so I should hope so,' he smiled delicately. 'It's also easier that way for now. So I hope it'll turn out to be okay.'

'Well, I still don't understand one thing. The Dark Lord says he values witches and wizards of pure blood and even half-bloods, but he knows how many of them will fight for mudbloods and for… 'good'. And yet, he's still willing to kill them,' noted Pansy after a while.

'That's the only way to get his world order,' replied Draco with a sigh. 'And he's willing to do anything for that. For power. If the road to that lead by killing all Death Eaters, he'd do it.'

'Well, that's just horrible. I mean, you always need to have someone by your side. How else would he maintain the power?'

He looked at her sadly.

'Spoken like a true Slytherin,' he chuckled. 'Unfortunately, he's barely human. He doesn't know attachment or… anything, really. And I would say he's quite impulsive, which is weird, considering Potter's still alive.'

'Yeah, what's taking him so long? He's been back for two years,' wondered Theo.

'He's trying to plan it perfectly, I suppose,' shrugged Draco. 'All of his plans had failed before, so maybe he thinks that it needs to be every inch of perfection. Don't know.'

'That's the reason I think Potter actually stands a chance,' Pansy spoke up, and everyone in the room looked at her with mouth agape. 'I'm just saying, that all of his plans failed, and the longer he takes, the more time Potter has to prepare himself to whatever is coming to him. And he is not getting weaker.'

Draco shifted uncomfortably.

'I suppose it makes sense,' agreed Theo, slightly frowning. 'I can't believe I'm saying this… But for our situation, it'd probably be for the better.'

'Unless I don't fail the task, there is no difference for me. Either spend a life with a psychopathic, power-driven maniac or live in the world where I'm treated like trash,' said Draco with a hint of sadness in his voice.

'Well, for us it could be the same if the Dark Lord would forgive us for running away from fighting… Which I'm not so sure he'd be keen on doing,' admitted Pansy.

'I think he would,' said Draco confidently. 'I mean, he respects pure-bloods. He wants a world where they are superior. I doubt he'd just… kill you.'

'That wouldn't be so bad,' noted Blaise with an absent look. 'I think he'd just use us as puppets. If we didn't fight, he'd have the leverage he'd use to threaten us.'

'I'm afraid that's true. That's how he treats some Death Eaters, anyway. He wouldn't think twice if it meant strengthening his position. He doesn't care about devotion, he cares about obedience,' stated Theo, who apparently shared their depressive mood.

'It's just so fucked up,' sighed Pansy, hiding face in her palms. 'I mean if he at least treated his followers somewhat well. But this… It's too much.'

'It really is,' agreed Theo, filling their glasses once again.

'So it could really be the last time we hang out together,' added Blaise sadly.

'Whatever happens, we all have a chance at surviving, at least,' said Draco.

'Look at Mr Optimist, here,' sneered Theo. 'That's usually my job.'

'Your job is to make depressive jokes of everything and everyone in the most inappropriate of times,' commented Pansy, so Nott had to agree.

'Yeah, well. So are we going to discuss something less depressive now?' he asked hopefully.

'You mean your favourite Lockhart's outfit or his lipstick shade?' asked Pansy innocently.

He threw a pillow at her, but she just snorted and shook her head.

'That might be firewhisky talking, but I'm glad we've talked this through,' admitted Draco after a moment, carefully weighing words.

All of them looked at him in surprise.

'That's definitely firewhisky talking,' jeered Blaise, raising an eyebrow. 'What now, a group hug?'

'Yes!' shouted Theo so suddenly and unexpectedly that everyone shot him vary looks.

But before anyone could protest, he threw his arms around them and pulled into a hug.

'This is so embarrassing,' whispered Pansy.

'What if someone walked in right now?' asked Draco through the gritted teeth.

'I don't care,' said Theo, smiling blissfully.

'Honestly, for such a loner type, you really are surprisingly affectionate after alcohol,' commented Blaise ironically.

'It's because you guys are special.'

The rest of them automatically pulled back with disgusted grunting.

'Okay, mate, that's enough,' said Blaise and shot Theo a pitying look, which he ignored completely.

'Look, we'll throw pity party tomorrow,' he retorted. 'Once we're all hangover and trying to figure out a plan to help Draco – '

'You're not helping me –'

'But right now, let's enjoy a normal party. And whisky. And if whisky means group hugs, let's just roll with it, all right?' Theo said innocently, completely ignoring Draco.

Both Blaise and Pansy rolled their eyes.

'How about a toast?' asked Blaise.

'There you go, now you get it!' replied Theo happily.

'To… acquaintanceship?'

'...And you ruined it. To friendship!' bellowed Nott, throwing his arm up so enthusiastically, that it had to result in spilling some of the firewhisky.

'To… friend… ship,' repeated Blaise, as if he was about to choke on those words.

Theo looked expectantly at the rest of them.

'Oh, all right,' sighed Pansy resignedly, raising her glass. 'To friendship.'

'To friendship,' said Draco as quietly as he could, rolling his eyes theatrically.

Pansy Parkinson couldn't suppress a smile.