Author's Notes: You're gonna kill me over this chapter, I swear...but I did
get it up quickly! I did! Don't kill me!! Please!!
Disclaimer: See part one.
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Eventually we all mutually decided that since we couldn't live like coiled springs, waiting for something that might or might not happen, we would go about as normal and as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
Or as normal as possible - and of course we couldn't just forget about Voldemort's visit. Harry's chains were reminder enough - he still hadn't taken them off, and he still hadn't told anyone why. It was frustrating for the rest of us, because we knew he didn't have to wear them.
We knew he didn't have to stay in here. And yet he did.
The second thing that happened to make Harry talk to me was that one day, several weeks after Half-Eye came to visit Gary, Blaise Zabini found me alone in the showers.
It was late afternoon, and the courses in the dining room had just finished - I'd been doing some woodwork, and had got covered in sawdust, so the obvious thing to do was take a shower. I'd finished rinsing off by the time I realised that I was no longer alone, and that the man who'd entered was Zabini.
I slowly turned off the water and dried myself. I could hear Zabini moving around, but it was clear he wasn't having a shower. I pulled on my uniform and stepped out of the shower cubicle.
He was standing bare-chested to one side of the room, leaning against a hand basin, washing a cut on his shoulder blade that he couldn't quite reach. He looked up sharply when I made a small noise, and I could see that he had a black eye as well as a split lip.
I don't know what made me do it - perhaps it was because we'd once been friends, perhaps it was the possible threat of an attack on Talsgate, but whatever the reason, I crossed the room, took the towel from his hand, and washed the cut on his shoulder blade.
"Who was it this time?" I inquired harshly. "Claw or Rubber?"
"None of your business," he replied, equally harsh.
"I'm making it my business," I told him, rubbing the towel over the cut harder than I needed to. He hissed in pain. "So. Who was it, Blaise?"
"Neither," he admitted in a muted voice. "Birdie."
That surprised me. Birdie and he were great friends, or so it always appeared. I had the sudden thought that maybe they were Slytherin friends - not both from Slytherin house, but the kind of friends that one tends to make when one had been Sorted into Slytherin.
In Slytherin house, it is rare to actually be friends with someone. It's rare to have the kind of friendship that, say, Harry, Ron and Granger had. True, deep friendship. Friendship that lasts well beyond schooldays, well beyond work, well beyond reunions. That kind of friendship happens only once in a hundred years in Slytherin house. Our friendships were and are based not on trust, but on protection, on image, and on opportunities.
They didn't last long. Such had been the friendship between Blaise Zabini and I, although we had the rarity of actually having some interests in common. So maybe Zabini and Birdie had a Slytherin friendship.
Some of my thoughts must have reflected on my face, for he snorted. "Yes, Draco, we're like that. Though I don't see why you care - you're nice and safe under Harry's wing. Even the Dark Lord won't touch you, not now. Not all of us have that luxury. Some of us actually have to put up with getting beaten up by his friends."
"He's the one who can do magic," I pointed out, rinsing the towel in the basin of cool water. "He's the one who's got the most power - in here, at least. You were a Slytherin, Blaise - act like one."
"What makes you think he isn't?" came Harry's voice coolly from behind us. I whirled; Blaise lifted his head. Harry was standing in the doorway, his eyes glittering strangely. "Blaise?"
"Birdie," Zabini replied simply. I frowned. Something was going on here that I was not privy to, and I didn't like it.
"I'll talk to him later; he should know better," Harry muttered. Should know better than what?
"Don't bother," Zabini said sharply. "He knows better now." Perhaps if I jumped up and down on the spot they'd notice that I was actually still in the room.
Harry grimaced. "Zabini, while I appreciate that you have to retaliate to any and all threats against you, I'd like it if you didn't continually put everyone in the medical bay - you'll end up in isolation for it soon enough."
"Sure, whatever," Zabini muttered.
"Uh, hello!" I spoke up, a little angry now. "I'm still here! What the hell is going on?"
Harry's eyes snapped to me, as if he had only just noticed that I was in the room. "Nothing for you to be concerned with," he told me quietly. "If your finished, could you leave us alone, please?"
Well, he'd said please. Maybe I actually should go.
But I wouldn't get any answers if I left. So I stupidly stood my ground.
Harry's eyes flashed. "Out, Malfoy," he said curtly. "Before I decide to see how much magic these cuffs will really let me do."
Okay, so maybe I wasn't so stupid after all. I bolted. I wasn't about to risk my neck trying to find out something that they obviously didn't want me to find out about.
But I hadn't been a Slytherin for nothing. I stayed outside the door; I could hear muted voices, then some other sound. I risked a glance through the doorway.
And promptly left the alley, shaking with disbelief. My cell was at the other end of the prison; how I made it there I'm not sure, but somehow I did, and ended up on my bed.
Salazar, Merlin and Godric!
Of all the things I had half-expected, *that* was certainly not it.
I hoped I'd been hallucinating, although I was fairly sure there'd been nothing in the wood dust I'd inhaled to make me see anything, let alone *that*.
Bloody hell.
There was a noise at my cell door, and I looked up to see Claw regarding me with a sombre expression.
"So," he said at last, "you know."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
To be continued.
Replies to reviews:
JaiyAlex - Thank you!
Mage Of Fire - thanks. Did Hermione give up Ron and Harry? Did I say that? And JK Rowling never said whether Zabini was a boy or a girl, so I've made Zabini a boy for the purposes of this fic.
Hana-chan - since the prison attack may or may not happen, I can't say anything about it, *evil grin*.
Leon - thanks - you thought Draco had too little personality: remember that Draco has been thrown into a situation that could be potentially hostile if he doesn't play his cards right. Also he has changed considerably from the Draco we all know and love to hate in Hogwarts. You also though that Harry is acting like a god - well, I suppose in a way he is, but he's been placed into this role and had to cope with it as best he can. He has also changed a lot from the sweet and innocent Gryffindor. Anyway, thanks for your comments.
EnigmaDesdemona7 - thanks! Yes, Rubber is part wraith, but it doesn't *really* play a major part in the plot, it's mostly just there to explain more about Rubber, who *will* become an important character at some point. Just do me a favour, okay? Don't kill me over this chapter!!
Savannah - thank you - and it's meant to be incomprehensible. However, I will answer as many of your questions as I can. Yes, the Dark side won. The prison is controlled by Voldemort's government, and yes, he himself. The guards aren't really benevolent, it's just they appear that way sometimes because of Harry. He didn't use the Dementors because *****-- censored for spoilers--*****. He doesn't kill them all because some of them are only in for petty crimes, like theft or assault, and will be let out fairly soon. Hope that answered some of your questions, and thanks for your comments.
Hippy Flower(Voldie's kid - Is this more soon enough for you?
Disclaimer: See part one.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Eventually we all mutually decided that since we couldn't live like coiled springs, waiting for something that might or might not happen, we would go about as normal and as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
Or as normal as possible - and of course we couldn't just forget about Voldemort's visit. Harry's chains were reminder enough - he still hadn't taken them off, and he still hadn't told anyone why. It was frustrating for the rest of us, because we knew he didn't have to wear them.
We knew he didn't have to stay in here. And yet he did.
The second thing that happened to make Harry talk to me was that one day, several weeks after Half-Eye came to visit Gary, Blaise Zabini found me alone in the showers.
It was late afternoon, and the courses in the dining room had just finished - I'd been doing some woodwork, and had got covered in sawdust, so the obvious thing to do was take a shower. I'd finished rinsing off by the time I realised that I was no longer alone, and that the man who'd entered was Zabini.
I slowly turned off the water and dried myself. I could hear Zabini moving around, but it was clear he wasn't having a shower. I pulled on my uniform and stepped out of the shower cubicle.
He was standing bare-chested to one side of the room, leaning against a hand basin, washing a cut on his shoulder blade that he couldn't quite reach. He looked up sharply when I made a small noise, and I could see that he had a black eye as well as a split lip.
I don't know what made me do it - perhaps it was because we'd once been friends, perhaps it was the possible threat of an attack on Talsgate, but whatever the reason, I crossed the room, took the towel from his hand, and washed the cut on his shoulder blade.
"Who was it this time?" I inquired harshly. "Claw or Rubber?"
"None of your business," he replied, equally harsh.
"I'm making it my business," I told him, rubbing the towel over the cut harder than I needed to. He hissed in pain. "So. Who was it, Blaise?"
"Neither," he admitted in a muted voice. "Birdie."
That surprised me. Birdie and he were great friends, or so it always appeared. I had the sudden thought that maybe they were Slytherin friends - not both from Slytherin house, but the kind of friends that one tends to make when one had been Sorted into Slytherin.
In Slytherin house, it is rare to actually be friends with someone. It's rare to have the kind of friendship that, say, Harry, Ron and Granger had. True, deep friendship. Friendship that lasts well beyond schooldays, well beyond work, well beyond reunions. That kind of friendship happens only once in a hundred years in Slytherin house. Our friendships were and are based not on trust, but on protection, on image, and on opportunities.
They didn't last long. Such had been the friendship between Blaise Zabini and I, although we had the rarity of actually having some interests in common. So maybe Zabini and Birdie had a Slytherin friendship.
Some of my thoughts must have reflected on my face, for he snorted. "Yes, Draco, we're like that. Though I don't see why you care - you're nice and safe under Harry's wing. Even the Dark Lord won't touch you, not now. Not all of us have that luxury. Some of us actually have to put up with getting beaten up by his friends."
"He's the one who can do magic," I pointed out, rinsing the towel in the basin of cool water. "He's the one who's got the most power - in here, at least. You were a Slytherin, Blaise - act like one."
"What makes you think he isn't?" came Harry's voice coolly from behind us. I whirled; Blaise lifted his head. Harry was standing in the doorway, his eyes glittering strangely. "Blaise?"
"Birdie," Zabini replied simply. I frowned. Something was going on here that I was not privy to, and I didn't like it.
"I'll talk to him later; he should know better," Harry muttered. Should know better than what?
"Don't bother," Zabini said sharply. "He knows better now." Perhaps if I jumped up and down on the spot they'd notice that I was actually still in the room.
Harry grimaced. "Zabini, while I appreciate that you have to retaliate to any and all threats against you, I'd like it if you didn't continually put everyone in the medical bay - you'll end up in isolation for it soon enough."
"Sure, whatever," Zabini muttered.
"Uh, hello!" I spoke up, a little angry now. "I'm still here! What the hell is going on?"
Harry's eyes snapped to me, as if he had only just noticed that I was in the room. "Nothing for you to be concerned with," he told me quietly. "If your finished, could you leave us alone, please?"
Well, he'd said please. Maybe I actually should go.
But I wouldn't get any answers if I left. So I stupidly stood my ground.
Harry's eyes flashed. "Out, Malfoy," he said curtly. "Before I decide to see how much magic these cuffs will really let me do."
Okay, so maybe I wasn't so stupid after all. I bolted. I wasn't about to risk my neck trying to find out something that they obviously didn't want me to find out about.
But I hadn't been a Slytherin for nothing. I stayed outside the door; I could hear muted voices, then some other sound. I risked a glance through the doorway.
And promptly left the alley, shaking with disbelief. My cell was at the other end of the prison; how I made it there I'm not sure, but somehow I did, and ended up on my bed.
Salazar, Merlin and Godric!
Of all the things I had half-expected, *that* was certainly not it.
I hoped I'd been hallucinating, although I was fairly sure there'd been nothing in the wood dust I'd inhaled to make me see anything, let alone *that*.
Bloody hell.
There was a noise at my cell door, and I looked up to see Claw regarding me with a sombre expression.
"So," he said at last, "you know."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
To be continued.
Replies to reviews:
JaiyAlex - Thank you!
Mage Of Fire - thanks. Did Hermione give up Ron and Harry? Did I say that? And JK Rowling never said whether Zabini was a boy or a girl, so I've made Zabini a boy for the purposes of this fic.
Hana-chan - since the prison attack may or may not happen, I can't say anything about it, *evil grin*.
Leon - thanks - you thought Draco had too little personality: remember that Draco has been thrown into a situation that could be potentially hostile if he doesn't play his cards right. Also he has changed considerably from the Draco we all know and love to hate in Hogwarts. You also though that Harry is acting like a god - well, I suppose in a way he is, but he's been placed into this role and had to cope with it as best he can. He has also changed a lot from the sweet and innocent Gryffindor. Anyway, thanks for your comments.
EnigmaDesdemona7 - thanks! Yes, Rubber is part wraith, but it doesn't *really* play a major part in the plot, it's mostly just there to explain more about Rubber, who *will* become an important character at some point. Just do me a favour, okay? Don't kill me over this chapter!!
Savannah - thank you - and it's meant to be incomprehensible. However, I will answer as many of your questions as I can. Yes, the Dark side won. The prison is controlled by Voldemort's government, and yes, he himself. The guards aren't really benevolent, it's just they appear that way sometimes because of Harry. He didn't use the Dementors because *****-- censored for spoilers--*****. He doesn't kill them all because some of them are only in for petty crimes, like theft or assault, and will be let out fairly soon. Hope that answered some of your questions, and thanks for your comments.
Hippy Flower(Voldie's kid - Is this more soon enough for you?