Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Author's Note: Once again, I do not speak French. I am using a dictionary/translator on my computer, so I'm aware it won't be perfect. If you do speak French, I would like to apologize now for any slaughtering of the language I may have inadvertently caused. Otherwise, what do you care, right? Oh, and a sincere 'thank you' to everyone who reviewed!
Plus, I got the idea for their House ties from the movies, so if anyone else has done something similar before, I'm sorry! It was accidental, I just liked the idea.
French translations: ((example))
WARNING: Tiny bit of Harry bashing in this chapter and maybe the next, but it's necessary for the scene I wanted, and I promise that everyone will forgive him (with the exception being the Slytherins, of course). Eventually. Okay, probably soon. Maybe. Or perhaps I'll just stake him on the Quidditch pitch and set him on fire. (That was a joke, for all you Harry-fanatics out there. So no death threats, please.) On to the story! Please review!
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"I just don't get it." Harry said out of nowhere while the trio and Lauren were sitting in the common room. The trio was still slightly dazed from their earlier meeting with the Slytherin Princes and Ginny, which they had filled Lauren in on since she'd had Divination, a class that almost everyone else had dropped. "I mean, we've known for nearly two months, and kept our promises not to tell anyone, but it still doesn't make any sense. I think I'm more confused now then I was before."
"I don't see what's so hard to grasp about it, Harry." Hermione said with a sigh.
"Everything!" He replied indignantly. "First off, I mean, Draco and Blaise? Where did that come from?" He asked.
"Yeah, I couldn't believe it either." Ron agreed, shaking his head, and Hermione and Lauren could do nothing but stare at him in disbelief.
"What?" Hermione finally questioned, seriously disturbed by her friend's utter lack of comprehension. With Harry, it was understandable. After all, he hadn't even known that kind of thing was commonplace here until a few hours ago. But Ron had understood perfectly his entire life, and the fact that he seemingly hadn't noticed Draco and Blaise's attitude towards each other was...disturbing. "What on earth are you talking about, Ronald Weasley? Do you have eyes?"
"Of course I do!" He snapped, irritated. "But what does that have to do with it?" He asked, and Harry nodded. Once again, Lauren and Hermione could only stare for a moment, before Lauren gently broke the news to them.
"Ron, Harry, try to follow me here. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, even the first years, know that Draco and Blaise have only had eyes for each other for years." Ron and Harry looked to Hermione for confirmation.
"It's true." Hermione said. "The only reason I was surprised when Pansy and Goyle said something that day was because it's never been officially confirmed. But honestly, you never once..." She trailed off, the inquiry hanging in the air.
"No!" Harry burst out, and then seemed to feel the need to justify his response. "I mean, I know you said that guys getting with other guys is nothing new to our world, but them? Don't they need heirs or some-" He was cut off by Ron yelping and proceeding to turn an alarming shade of green.
"I'll kill them! My baby sister is not going to carry Malfoy and Zabini spawn!" He yelled, causing half of the other Gryffindors in the commons to turn, staring, and Hermione and Lauren to choke. Hermione had already had to avoid enough questions from the Gryffindors about why the hell Ginny had left with the Slytherins. She really didn't need more at the moment. Lauren glared at them and they turned back to their work reluctantly.
"Ron!" Hermione finally exclaimed. "You say it like you really think they're demons or some such nonsense!"
"They are!" Ron argued, his face going from green to red in seconds.
"They are not!" Hermione said furiously, fully sick of this general attitude towards the two Slytherins. "I told you before, just like I told the others. They are not demons. Honestly! And it's Ginny's decision what she does with her life! If you want to risk losing your friendship with her because you're too stubborn to see the obvious, then so be it! But I won't!" The boys seemed momentarily astonished by her little outburst.
"B-But, Hermione..." Ron started. "What's so 'obvious'? 'Cause you lost me." Hermione felt like shrieking. How could anyone be as dense as these two?
"Let me spell it out to you." Hermione said slowly, as though speaking to a child. "They. Are. In. Love. As in Draco loves Blaise and Ginny, Blaise loves Draco and Ginny, and Ginny loves Blaise and Draco. It's not hard. Is there anything else about the situation that you're missing? It seems pretty self-explanatory to me." Ron had gone pale as a sheet at the word 'love', and looked on the verge of fainting.
"She can't." He squeaked. "She can't love two monsters! They murdered their own fathers, for the love of Circe! They can't be trusted!" No one said anything for a long moment.
"I didn't say they could be trusted, Ron." Hermione haltingly agreed after a few minutes of silence. "I just said that she loves them, and I believe they love her, too. Beyond that..." She shrugged her shoulders. She didn't like not knowing what was going on, but she seriously doubted that anyone knew the answer to that question at the moment.
"That's not good enough!" Ron said, his voice full of heat as he leaned forward in his chair. "I have to know they won't hurt her, don't you see that? They're going to go public with this, and my family is going to kill me for letting this happen! The only girl in the family seduced away by Dark wizards! Twice!" He added, before he could think about it. Harry's eyes widened and Hermione clamped a hand over her mouth. Even Lauren looked taken aback.
"Oh, Ron!" Hermione's voice came out muffled from behind her fingers. She lowered her hand slowly. "How could you say that?" Ron had the grace to look embarrassed.
"Sorry." He mumbled. "But really! You know what I mean, don't say you don't! I'm going to get Howlers everyday after this hits the papers!"
"Then why don't you write your mum and let her find out from you first?" She questioned. Ron shook his head.
"I promised Ginny I wouldn't." He didn't sound very pleased about it.
"Well," Lauren said, clasping Ron's shoulder with one hand, "I guess the only thing to do is wish you luck." Ron scowled and pushed her hand away.
"Funny. This isn't a joke! What if they hurt her? What if she's under the Imperius Curse? What if they kill her?" He asked, his voice growing more frantic with every idea that popped into his head. The two girls sighed.
"Ron." Hermione said sharply, drawing his attention back to her. "She's not under the Imperius Curse, for the love of Merlin! Why can't you just accept her decision on this?"
"Don't tell me you're actually pleased about this, Hermione!"
"Well, if it helps Inter-House relations..."
"What?!? How can you even think that?" He demanded.
"Oh, come on, Ron! What are you going to do about it anyway? Huh?" She asked, her temper flaring. She immediately regretted it, however, when she saw that daring, stubborn, Weasley look settle over his features.
"Well, if they can't, or won't, prove to me that they care for her, then we'll duel." He said calmly, and Hermione knew her mouth was hanging as far open as Lauren's was.
"You...You can't!" She finally spluttered. He shook his head.
"I'll have to. I'm the only male Weasley here. I have to look after her virtue." He said with conviction, and Hermione spluttered once again, except this time with laughter.
"'Her 'virtue'?" Hermione mocked. "That's rich! Honestly, Ron. This isn't the Dark Ages, and sixteen is the age of consent. Or had you forgotten?" He turned red to the tips of his ears.
"Oh gods...Y-You don't think sh-she's..." He trailed of in misery, burying his face in his hands.
"It's highly probable, Ron." Hermione replied coolly. "Ginny's one of the prettiest girls in her year, hell, in the whole school. I'm just saying it wouldn't surprise me, especially since she's found two people that really care about her."
"Bollocks." Ron mumbled. "Slytherins only care about themselves." He lifted his head and plastered a thoughtful expression on his face. "Oh, and money and power. Yep, that's about it."
"You don't know that." Hermione protested tiredly. She had seen the emotions flickering in the Slytherins' eyes when they'd looked at Ginny earlier, just as she'd seen Ginny's own, which were much easier to read. The only reason she'd gleaned anything at all from Blaise and Draco was because she'd been looking hard for it and had gotten lucky right before they'd thrown up Elemental shields to get away from her Housemates.
"Sure I do, 'Mione. They're all soulless, evil bastards, remember?"
"Ron! Even you can't believe that! Just because they're Slytherins doesn't automatically make them horrid!"
"Maybe not," Ron spat back. "But being a Malfoy and a Zabini does!"
"Argh!" Hermione threw her hands up in the air and then stood hurriedly, grabbing her books. "You-" She started, but was too mad to form words. She took a deep breath and tried again. "You are the most immature boy I know." She said and stormed off to her room, leaving Ron gaping.
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Hermione woke early the next morning, the events of the previous day rushing back. She sighed, and went to take a quick shower. The cold water fully woke her and she was done in minutes. She went back to into her room and dug through her wardrobe, finally pulling out some faded jeans and a t-shirt. She pulled them on quickly and threw her robe over her head. She grabbed her Head Girl badge off the nightstand and pinned it on her robes before snatching up her bag and heading down to the common room. She took a seat by the fire and started reading as the other Gryffindors began stumbling downstairs, Lauren falling next to her bonelessly. Harry and Ron were two of the last to come down and she rolled her eyes at their foggy, sleep-befuddled expressions.
"You two are the laziest cretins on the planet, you do know that, right?" She asked, and they grunted in response. Rolling her eyes again, she dragged them through the portrait hole.
"So pushy, 'Mione." Ron mumbled sleepily, bumping into a suit of armor and nearly knocking it over. The armor immediately started insulting him, and they rushed past before it could throw the vase it was waving at them threateningly. They were out of breath when they reached the Great Hall, and Ron suddenly moaned as they walked through the doors.
"Oh gods, it's today, isn't it?" He questioned mournfully, and they didn't have to ask what he meant.
"Yes, Ron. Unless they changed their minds." She replied calmly, leading him to the table. For the first time she could remember, Ron didn't touch a bite of food, just sat there looking vaguely ill. The Great Hall filled rapidly, the students laughing and chattering, although with their voices quite a bit lower than they would be at lunch and dinner. Many of them were still half asleep and being drug in by their Housemates, much as she had drug in Ron. At least Harry had fully woken up when the suit of armor had nearly attacked them.
"You notice anything funny?" Lauren asked after a while. Hermione looked around and it clicked.
"Where are the Slytherins?" She asked, seeing the total lack of even a single student with green-trimmed robes.
"What?" Ron asked, looking up right as the doors opened again.
It was almost comical the way that complete and total silence fell as the Slytherins entered, Draco, Blaise and Ginny at the front. Both Draco and Blaise had an arm around her, whispering something to her as they completely ignored their peers and headed for their table, the rest of their House following with smug smirks on their faces. Metal clattered against wood and stone all around the hall as silverware and goblets fell out of the students' suddenly nerve-less fingers. Since Hermione had been prepared, she had time to study the others' reactions. Open, gaping mouths seemed to be a common affliction as they stared in shocked disbelief at the group making its way to the Slytherin table, particularly at the three leading figures.
They were dressed in black school robes; Ginny's silk and scarlet, Draco and Blaise's green and velvet. The only things out of place were their House ties. They had switched; an emerald and silver one hung at her throat, blood-red and gold at theirs. Ginny smiled over at Hermione, Lauren, Harry and Ron, giving them a small wave as she reached the Slytherin table. Draco and Blaise followed her gaze, their noses crinkling in automatic distaste when they saw who she was looking at. Hermione tried not to be offended at their look of utter revulsion, but it was hard. They reached the Slytherin table, and when Ginny actually sat down, gasps flew around the Hall, the first noise since they'd entered.
She was the first Gryffindor to ever sit at Slytherin's table, and her scarlet hair and red-trimmed robes stood out vibrantly among all of the green, silver and black. Blaise and Draco sat on either side of her, and both kissed a porcelain cheek before leveling poisonous glares on the gawking students. Eyes dropped immediately and the noise began to rise as students broke out of their stupor. The Ravenclaws were muttering to themselves, angry that something so interesting had gone on that they didn't know about; the Hufflepuffs were nearly in tears over Draco and Blaise being officially taken; and the Gryffindors were still stunned into absolute silence, their questions from yesterday finally answered. Everyone kept glancing at the trio, especially at Ron, wondering why he hadn't exploded at the sight of his sister with Slytherin's Princes.
And since he couldn't do just that, he had decided to pout and curse viciously.
"Goddamn stupid Slytherins. I hate Slytherins. Narcissistic bastards, the lot of them. And the Hufflepuffs! Could they be more pathetic mooning over them? Bloody fucking poufs." Ron spat angrily, his words carrying down the silent Gryffindor table.
"Ron." Hermione hissed, seeing quite a few Hufflepuffs glaring at them. "Shut up."
"Why!?" He snapped, and Hermione sighed when she realized he was reaching the end of his infamously short fuse. "I can't stop her from what you and she both say, but I can damn well still speak my mind about it! And do you know what I think? I think its bloody bul-" Hermione interrupted him unintentionally, as she hadn't even been listening after the initial outburst.
"What are they doing?" She asked, looking over at the Slytherins.
Ron, who looked nearly apoplectic with rage for her cutting him off, glanced over with furious eyes. Said furious eyes widened, then narrowed suspiciously, as did Harry's. The upper year Slytherins and Ginny were huddled together over something Draco and Blaise were holding, laughing deviously. Ron and Harry, of course, were two of those people who became very paranoid whenever a Slytherin was cheerful, and a group of them was even worse in their opinion. Hermione could see them fingering their wands and felt like whacking them both upside the head with her History of Magic book. Deciding to ignore them, she turned back to the Slytherins, who by now were drawing more than just the trio's curiosity with the pleased, shit-eating smirks they were donning.
She saw Blaise and Draco begin to chant under their breaths, and saw the Slytherins and Ginny watching them with confident, expectant eyes. But hadn't it always been that way? She'd never really seen the Slytherins question or doubt anything their 'Princes' did. They'd been called that, Slytherin's Princes that is, since their fifth year. And when they'd come back for their sixth year, everyone had started calling them the Dark Prince and the Ice Prince. When she'd heard them called that on the train the first day of that year, she'd wondered at it. When she'd seen them, though, it had made perfect sense. Nearly every picture they'd been in at the time had had them covered in gore, so she hadn't really noticed how much they'd changed when she'd seen them plastered all over the Daily Prophet.
Gone were the boys of barely three months before. They had seemed huge, even though they were both just at six feet and as lithe as jungle cats. Then she'd realized it was just the feel about them that made them seem that way. The darkness that had always been in their eyes had intensified and something feral seemed to be lurking just under the surface, looking out at you with an almost alien, primordial intelligence. Just a glance from those eyes had been enough to raise the hairs on the back of her neck, and she had hurried away before they'd had an opportunity to really notice her. She'd later reflected that the new titles fit them perfectly. Blaise was definitely dark, the only pale thing about him being his alabaster skin. And Draco was definitely ice, with his silver hair, frosty eyes and snow white complexion.
And now, looking across the Hall at them, she couldn't think of anyone who would look more fitting or more at home between them than Ginny did. After all, what could be better at heating cold hearts than fire? Hermione was about to say something to Lauren when the two Slytherins stopped, blew on whatever they were holding, and tossed their hands up. Two ebony globes sailed upwards, but instead of dropping back down on their heads, there was a flash of silver light and the balls blew outwards like small atom bombs. A few students screamed, but Hermione wasn't paying attention. Because the sparks of silver light were growing, twisting, and forming into...butterflies? But, as the creatures began multiplying and flying around the room, she realized that they were only part butterfly.
The bodies of the little creatures ranged from green to silver to black to scarlet, and they were quite obviously tiny dragons. The wings, though, those were a butterfly's wings. Resembling flexible, stained glass windows, their wings were the three colors their bodies were not. They appeared to leave trails of glitter behind them, and the air was soon shimmering, as were the students. The little dragons flew gracefully, not the bobbing flight pattern butterflies usually used, but the more eagle-like soaring of their larger kindred. Then, almost like a school of fish, they turned as one and descended on the students, the House tables, and even on the Professors.
A tiny silver one landed on Hermione's wrist, it's black, green and scarlet wings fanning the air softly behind it. It stared up at her with wide, adorable eyes and she fell in love almost instantly. She heard the first chuckles and giggles begin to break out, and then Dumbledore let out peals of delighted laughter as three of them took up residence in his beard. Her little dragon butted its head into her hand, nuzzling against her palm. She pulled it close, cooing, and scratched the scales under its neck. It's body, tail included, was about half the length of her quill. She looked up, and saw people all over the Hall petting the little creatures, utterly unable to resist their charms.
Even Ron and Harry were trying and failing to push the little creatures away, but their resolve broke when the two trying to get their attention mewled softly and let their wings droop. Everyone was almost completely covered in the glittery dust, but the tiny dragons seemed to have stopped shedding it, or however it was that they'd been producing it. For all she knew it could have been part of the spell. Thinking of that, her head snapped up. What spell had it been? She was deathly curious about it, as it was a brilliant work of magic and she'd never heard of anything like it before. The Slytherins were petting their own dragons, looking decidedly smug and superior as they surveyed their handiwork.
She glanced up at Snape and nearly choked, elbowing Harry, who was laughing at the little scarlet dragon that had attached itself upside down to his sleeve. He looked up at her prodding and began laughing even harder. It seemed that an entire little swarm had taken a liking to Snape, as ten or eleven of them were fawning over him. Some flew lazily around his head, some were lounged about on his plate, three had dug claws into his robes and one was twisted in his chin-length hair. The scowl on his face could have broken china, and the glare he had fixed on Blaise and Draco would have had any sensible person already running for the hills.
"How did they do this?" Harry asked after he'd quit laughing. One of the dragons a few feet from them that had been drinking with its entire head in one of the goblets fell out, landing on shaky feet. It beat its wings wobbly, then stumbled, spun around in four circles, crashed into a dish of toast, and lay still.
"Oh no! Is it-?" Lauren asked, but the dragon burped, a tiny cloud of smoke rising from its mouth and leaving a black streak on the toast. It stood, promptly pranced back up to the goblet of pumpkin juice, and then climbed unsteadily into it, this time apparently deciding to go for a full-body swim. They stared.
"Well." Harry said after a moment. "It was almost like it was drunk, or something."
"Didn't you hear?" One of the Hufflepuff girls asked, having heard Harry's statement. "One of the Slytherins told a Ravenclaw that Draco and Blaise invented this spell. It only lasts for a day unless you perform a sticking charm on the cute little things. Then you can keep them forever! And pumpkin juice, avocados, chocolate and soap will get them high, so watch what they get into! On the weekdays, anyway." She said as an afterthought, and turned back around, giggling excitedly with her friends.
"Did she really just say that soap will get them high?" Ron asked, trying to keep a scowl on his face as the little black dragon that had chosen him rolled through the scrambled eggs he'd never eaten.
"And avocados and pumpkin juice and chocolate." Harry said with a lop-sided grin.
"Oh gods, Harry, be careful!" Ron said, shaking his head emphatically.
"What?" Harry asked, surprised, and looked around.
"It's their plan! Soften us up with these little buggers and-OW!" He yelped as a glob of scrambled egg hit him in the eye. Enraged, he looked around, glaring, only for his eyes to land on the dragon in front of him. When it saw it had his attention, it stuck its nose in the air, huffed, purposely flicked a piece of egg off its wing and turned its back on him. Ron's mouth dropped and Hermione, Lauren and Harry burst into hysterical fits of giggles.
"Well, well, Weasley got punked by a dragon. How...appropriate." Blaise's velvety, drawling voice came from behind them, and the trio spun around to see him with Draco, Ginny, a few other Slytherins and a small cloud of the swooping, diving little creatures.
"Blaise." Ginny hissed, reminding Hermione of herself earlier with Ron. Blaise shrugged, obviously satisfied with the new shade of red he had caused Ron to turn and with the angry glint in Harry's emerald eyes. Ginny had told her a few weeks ago that it was almost a game for him and Draco to try and see just how many variations of the color they could goad Ron into, and what new levels of rage they could provoke in Harry. Hermione had actually laughed before clamping a hand over her mouth.
"What the hell do you want?" Ron growled, his fists clenching at his sides. Draco's eyes immediately went to his white-knuckled grip on the bench, and he smirked.
"Oh, nothing, Weasley. Just dropping by to chit-chat about the weather." Draco said, his words practically dripping sarcasm. "Honestly. Why the fuck do you think we're here? Your sister wanted to talk to you." He said scathingly, and Hermione noticed that someone had braided his hair since they'd first come in.
It was just in the front on the sides, to keep his hair out of his eyes, but the braids themselves were horribly intricate and beautiful, quite a bit like him. Her eyes trailed over sculpted marble cheekbones and full lips, almost unintentionally drinking in the chilling beauty he presented. She didn't even know she was staring until a small movement caught her attention. She looked over and into Blaise's navy eyes, realized what she'd been doing, and blushed. He was looking at her strangely, as if he could see right through her, and there was a vague, yet startlingly clear threat in that piercing gaze. She had a wild thought about asking him how to do the braids, how to do anything, just to get those judging, disturbing eyes off of her, when he looked away and she could breathe again.
"But anyway," Ginny was saying, "I just wanted you to know so you didn't worry when you couldn't find me tomorrow, and I knew you weren't going to Hogsmeade this time. But we want to sort of celebrate, you know?"
"Hmph." Ron grumbled. "What restaurant are you going to?" He asked, in full overprotective-older-brother mode. Ginny's eyes skittered away from his almost nervously.
"The Silver Swan." She finally said, and Ron gaped before snapping his mouth shut and narrowing his eyes. Hermione knew it was the most expensive restaurant in Hogsmeade, and Ron always made derisive comments whenever they passed it. Ginny was also undoubtedly aware of that fact.
"Well, I guess I can't exactly stop you, can I?" He asked, standing, his voice rising and causing people to stop and stare. It was amazing, really, his easy ability to cause a scene. Harry stood with him, lending his support. "After all, you just had to come out with this...this...disgusting bit of filth you call a relationship, didn't you?" He was almost yelling by the end and Ginny stepped forward, pushing him back into the table. Hard.
"You listen to me, damn it." She said in a low, deadly voice. "If you have a fucking problem, you tell me about it later. I've done my dramatic skit for the day and don't plan to do another just so I can support your pathetically small, little black and white views on everything. So, in ten or less words, do you have another dire complaint that needs vocalizing this very bloody minute?" Ron looked taken aback, before an angry flush crept up his neck.
"Fuck you, Ginny."
"Show your sister some respect, Weasel." Draco said, his voice silky and dangerous. Surprisingly (or maybe not so surprisingly), Harry rose to the unspoken challenge before Ron could respond. Malfoy had always been able to push Harry's buttons in a way that no one else could.
"Sod off, Malfoy." He spat, his eyes hard and glinting. A slow, malicious smirk spread across Draco's lips, and Hermione felt a sudden sense of dread.
Because Draco looked like a cat who'd just found the mouse, but wanted to play with it a little bit first. And she was sure, in that moment, that Harry couldn't win in a game of sly words and trickery with Draco Malfoy. And as Draco's eyes dropped to half-mast, traveling over Harry's form slowly, as his voice became sensual poison, that belief was reinforced. Because if Harry stood little chance with sly words and trickery, he stood absolutely no chance with sly words and slippery, Slytherin seduction. Draco, however, had no problems with any of the above. Harry seemed enthralled at whatever he saw in the silver eyes that met his, and Draco glided closer. He lifted a slender hand to Harry's face, pausing just enough for Harry to refuse. But Harry didn't, he was shaking like a leaf, and Draco brushed a lock of hair from his eyes.
"Do you know what I think, Potter?" Draco asked, his voice a caressing purr. Harry didn't answer at first and Hermione almost stepped in because there was something strange her friend's eyes and...Why hadn't he pushed Draco away? But Harry did answer.
"W-What?" He asked, and she saw the flash of self-contempt he felt for himself because his voice had come out shaky.
"I think..." Draco leaned in, his lips almost brushing Harry's before he pulled back abruptly. "That you're a very sad, very confused little shit." He then looked pointedly down. "And you might want to take care of that, Potter."
Hermione almost died when her eyes lowered involuntarily. She just couldn't believe it at first. Ginny's shocked gasp, Blaise's venomous hiss and the Slytherins' hysterical attack of mirth didn't help. Harry had...Well, it wasn't too difficult to figure out what was ailing Harry. Or maybe she should say it wasn't too hard. Except that it was. Ron, surprisingly, got his wits about him first, and while looking very, very disturbed, he cast a concealing charm. No one but Ron, Hermione, Lauren, Ginny and the Slytherins had heard Draco's last comment or seen what the fuss was about, since the Slytherins had formed a semi-circle around them as soon as they'd seen their Ice Prince's eyes droop, but this seemed to be the last straw for Harry. He snapped out of the weird almost-trance he'd been in and the fury came back tenfold as he pushed the Slytherins closest to him away, breaking their half-circle. They parted almost expectantly, aware that he was about to blow up and obviously wanting the entire school to see him when he lost it. The next words out of his mouth were crude and vulgar; were words he would be apologizing numerous times to various people for; and were words which he didn't even really mean.
"You're one to talk, you bloody queer!" Words born of hate. "You had the balls to come out about her, right?" Words born of anger. "So why don't you two faggots come out about the other shit then, huh?" Words born of lust. "You're both fucking ashamed, aren't you?" Words born of confusion. There were gasps and outraged cries from the surrounding students, who couldn't believe anyone, especially the Boy Who Lived, would say such things, even to people he hated. Draco and Blaise turned charged, frosty eyes on him, and the loathing and disgust they regarded him with was almost tangible.
"Ashamed?" Blaise scoffed. "Have you seen him?" He asked, gesturing to Draco. "Oh yes, I suppose you have. But you don't even know the half of it." Seconds later, Blaise's lips met Draco's in a furious, passionate kiss that almost shocked the student body as badly as their earlier entrance had. Those closest to them would later swear that they'd seen ice crystals form in their hair and small wisps of electricity dance over their lips before they were pulled away from each other by an indignant McGonagall and a dragon-coated Snape.
"Was that a good enough admission?" Blaise called through swollen lips as Snape led them away, muttering to himself.
"Or would you just like to come watch us shag later?" Draco added, lifting a platinum eyebrow suggestively.
McGonagall's mouth tightened impossibly, while the Slytherins and Ginny started snickering uncontrollably. It caught on like wildfire, spreading to the other Houses as Harry became nearly purple with embarrassment and the realization of what he'd said. More than a few hostile glares were aimed on him, the nearest from Seamus, Dean and Lavender. Draco and Blaise disappeared with the Professors, McGonagall's 'That's no way for the Head Boy and a Prefect to behave!' echoing back to them through the laughter. Ron looked around, noticing the glares, and turned to Hermione just as Ginny and the other Slytherins who had been with them left, throwing last, withering looks at both him and Harry as they passed.
"Err, Harry?"
"What, Ron?" Harry asked in a choked voice as he sat back down miserably.
"I think you might want to apologize now. At least to the other Gryffindors. Because I'm pretty sure they might start stoning you here in a minute."
"With reason." Hermione growled, surprising both of them. Harry looked around him nervously, then at her nervously, before hastily lowering his eyes to the table. He seemed to feel the need to share the misery, however, and looked back up, this time at Ron.
"Yeah, well, at least my sister's not sleeping with the next Dark Lords." He mumbled sullenly, and Ron once more showed his odd ability to change colors at the drop of a hat, except this time he went from pink to pale in record time.
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(A/N: Remember, Ginny is Virginia when it's not one of the trio's P.O.V.'s!)
As soon as they left the teacher's lounge and turned the corner, both Draco and Blaise had to lean up against the wall as the laughter they'd been suppressing bubbled out. Honestly, the Weasel and Potter had always been easy to get a rise out of, but even Draco hadn't expected the Boy Wonder to lose it like that. Talk about a way to get yourself ostracized. He'd seen the conflicting emotions in Potter's eyes, and had seen them the day before when his and Blaise's relationship had been brought up during their little 'meeting'. He'd just made it so easy that Draco hadn't been able to help himself. And it had seemed an absolutely delightful way to embarrass the bloody fuck out of him. Which it had. Which was just excellent.
"Oh gods." Blaise said after a minute, leaning into him. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to look menacing when you pointed out his 'problem'? I'd wanted to laugh at his dumbstruck expression since you first approached him, but that nearly killed me."
"You had a hard time?" Draco asked incredulously, cocking an eyebrow. "I had to look at Potter as though he were actually attractive. I still feel ill." He said, shuddering as they began walking slowly down the hall.
"However did you manage, O Mighty One?" Blaise asked sarcastically as their fingers intertwined.
"Oh, it was nothing, really." Draco replied nonchalantly. "I just thought about the time we used that sight shield charm in the Entrance Hall and-"
"Shut up!" Blaise said, stopping and clamping an elegant hand over Draco's mouth. His blue eyes were shining with mirth; the thin, black streaks that shot through the irises growing darker, and Draco barely even heard his next words. "We're still right by the teacher's lounge! Honestly, Draco!" Then a few seconds later, "Draco? Hello? Still with me here?"
"Um-hmm." Draco replied, utterly unable to do anything but thank every god he could name that this wasn't a dream and that the divine, delectable creature in front of him really was his.
"Are you alright, mon âme?" Blaise asked, his hand falling away. ((my soul))
Draco came back to reality, and let Blaise see exactly what he'd been thinking. A smirk uncoiled across those achingly familiar lips, and all thoughts of waiting to kiss him until they had gotten back to their room vanished. Their lips met halfway and Draco gave everything he was into it. It was like that every time, as if he couldn't help but bare his soul to the one who had claws sunk so deeply into it that it was everything-but-officially his already. Blaise surrendered the same as he did; it wasn't a game of submission and dominance with them, it never had been. Both yielded freely to the other as they always had, and whatever came afterwards was just lust and passion, epinephrine and pheromones.
Kissing Blaise was like coming home, and yet at the same time being flung off the planet and into an entirely different galaxy. Kissing Blaise anytime was like kissing Blaise for the first time all over again, like having his heart deliciously devoured by way of his mouth. His blood had been replaced with liquid lightning that pooled in his soul, and he could feel himself thawing under Blaise's knowing touch. He deliberately ran his tongue over one of his lover's suddenly sharp canines, and their first shared taste of the sweet, life-giving elixir turned the kiss hungry, ravenous, demanding, desperate. Whistles and cat-calls made them reluctantly part, turning to see Virginia, Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle and Anton leering and laughing.
"You two get off on some odd things, do you know that?" Pansy asked, her eyebrow arched as they all started walking towards the dungeons.
"Whatever do you mean, darling?" Blaise asked, licking his lips clean of any lingering crimson fluid. She rolled her eyes.
"I mean that one of your odd little kinks is publicly humiliating people and getting horny while doing it. You're both fucked in the head if you ask me."
"Yes." Anton agreed with her. "But you have to admit that was the most entertaining shit we've seen in a while. Potter's never going to live it down. You know the fifth years that were with us won't be able to keep that quiet. And who would want them to? I laughed so hard when I saw him hard that I almost died right there in Gryffindor territory." The others laughed as the scene replayed in their minds, which it was sure to be doing for a while.
"Well, hopefully it will make Severus more forgiving toward the both of you." Goyle said, and Blaise and Draco...cackled. There was no other word for it. That, coupled with the evil little grins that had stolen across their faces, caused their friends to pause and shiver. They knew that laugh and those grins, and were just thankful something involving them hadn't caused them to come into play now.
"What did you do?" Virginia asked suspiciously. They each held out a hand to her, still grinning madly, and she took them warily, her eyes narrowed.
"Severus won't be forgiving us for a while." Blaise said cheerfully. Virginia wasn't too sure what there was to be cheerful about if Severus Snape was out for your head.
"And why is that?" Virginia asked when they held true to their Slytherin upbringing and supplied no more information then was necessary or asked for.
"You know that swarm of dragons following him?" Draco asked and she nodded. "That wasn't an accident or a glitch, and he knows that. But what he doesn't know is that those dragons won't disappear in a day, or even a week, no matter what he does." The Slytherins and Virginia simply stared for a moment as the ramifications of that sank in. Immediately following were mental images of Snape's incensed face threatening to have them all expelled. Which he wouldn't really do, of course, but still.
"There has to be some way to get rid of them." Virginia said after a moment. Blaise nodded.
"They'll only disappear when the blood of one of their creators, namely me or Draco, is shed on their skin. But we don't plan to tell him that. The lunatic would do something like leave crushed glass in the carpet again." Crabbe, Goyle, Anton and Draco all sniggered at that, while Pansy and Virginia looked at each other, decided simultaneously that they didn't want to know, and shrugged, moving on.
"Maybe it won't be too bad." Pansy said wistfully, but she had the woeful expression of someone who had been around the two Slytherins long enough to know it was futile. "Maybe they'll find other people to like and leave him alone in a few days."
"Oh no." Draco said brightly. "We decided if we were going to do it, we were going to do it right." Pansy groaned.
"I have heard that so many times." Then she stopped, looking a tiny bit panicky. "Wait, what do you mean 'Oh no'? 'Oh no' as in it's going to be bad, or 'Oh no' as in they won't find anyone else to like because you made sure that they won't?"
"All of the above." They drawled in unison, smirking contentedly.
"He's going to kill you both one day and I'm going to laugh and laugh." Pansy said dryly, the panicked glimmer replaced by a very jaded look, quite similar to the one Virginia had seen Snape don the night before. "And do you know why?" Pansy asked them.
"Why's that, Pans?" Blaise indulged her.
"Because you'll deserve it! Do you know what he found after that incident with the Alihotsy leaves and the runespoor? A gray hair! He's only forty! If I was him I would have smothered you both in your sleep." She huffed, and they somehow managed to choke back their laughter.
"Today's been a good day so far." Blaise said under his breath, loud enough only for Draco and Virginia to hear him.
"Yeah." Draco agreed with a gleeful smile. "Potter absolutely wigged and a gray hair has to be at least triple the points." Virginia gaped.
"You keep a tally!?" She asked incredulously.
"What did you think all those lines in the back of our book were for?" Blaise asked, his low voice filled with humor. "Murders and rapes?" She hit him in the arm.
"No, idiot, I did not. Are you telling me that you have over twelve pages of microscopic little dashes and that they all symboli-" She stopped when she saw their eyes goes limpid and innocent. "Oh gods. Never mind, there went any chance of getting a straight answer out of either of you. Quit looking at me like that." She laughed, ducking out from underneath their arms and smirking at them as she caught up with Pansy.
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It was later that day, after her last class but before dinner, that Virginia heard the first whispers of unease. Something about an emergency issue of the Daily Prophet that had been sent to the teachers, but not to the students. Someone, though, had apparently managed to do an illegal forgery charm and there were a few copies circling, but word of mouth was circling much faster. She hurried down the hallway, looking for anyone she knew. She couldn't tell anything from the mumbled conversations, and she didn't want to corner a first year. They were quite unreliable, anyway. She was on the second floor when she saw Colin and Dennis, and she made a beeline for them, ignoring people's stares.
She was starting to wish she had left with the Slytherins in her class like they had asked her to (nearly begged, actually, and she was pretty sure that had something to do with her illustrious boyfriends), because the eyes constantly on her were unnerving. And now, for some reason, their looks were almost hostile, not at all like they'd been earlier in the day. Earlier, they'd been curious and stunned, stumbling over words and staring. Now, they seemed furious and stunned, halting speech altogether when she neared and glaring. What the hell is wrong with everyone? She had a wild thought, as she drew even with Colin and Dennis, that it was funny everyone was shooting mental daggers at her while petting her boyfriends' creations at the same time.
"Hey." She said hesitantly, worried the two brothers would look at her like everyone else seemed to be. Well, the Slytherins weren't, but she hadn't even seen any of them since this weird shit had started anyway. Colin and his brother looked up at her anxiously, but they didn't seem angry. The opposite, actually.
"Oh, fuck. Gin, your boyfriends or whatever care about you, right? They'll keep you safe?" Colin asked right off the bat, throwing her off track.
"Uh, yeah. Why?"
"Because you need to find them before someone here decides to do something stupid. I haven't seen a copy of this paper or whatever, but word of mouth says there's been a serious attack. A Death Eater attack. Even the Hufflepuffs have started in with suspicions about the Slytherins, and most of the Gryffindors are...Well, they're being very Gryffindorish and wanting to retaliate, and so do a lot of the Ravenclaws. Just please, please go fin-"
"Hey!" A shout cut him off. "I found her!" Ginny's heart nearly leapt in her throat, as Colin's speech had wound her up, and she cursed herself for being stupid as she saw a third year Slytherin glaring much older students out of her way. The girl twisted through the crowd with an efficiency that would have made her House mascot proud. There was a group of about ten Slytherins on her heels, mostly third and forth years, but two sixth years were also with them.
"Come on, we have to get out of here." The third year said, putting her hand on Virginia's arm and sneering at the Creeveys when she saw the scarlet on their robes. "Fucking Gryffindors." She spat. "Did you know one of yours just shoved a friend of mine down a flight of steps? But it was an accident. The lot of you noble bastards can burn in Tartarus." She seemed to collect herself as the Gryffindors stared in mute horror. Had one of their own really done that?
"Except you, of course, Virginia. Come on, we have to go. Pansy shouldn't be very far." Another girl said, one of the sixth years, Daphne. Virginia waved to the Creeveys as she was surrounded by a tide of green and black.
"Can someone please explain to me what the fuck's going on?" Virginia asked as she was led down a hallway full of murmuring, pointing students.
"You'll see. Draco's close. And angry." Daphne said, looking down at a small orb she held in her hand. It looked like a much smaller version of the spelled orbs they'd used for the dragons, but it was a pale, icy blue. At Virginia's questioning glance, she explained. "It's Blaise's. They each have one, and they've been making one for you. He gave it to me because I have a good nose." She said, and Ginny remembered she was a wolf in her Animagus form. "All I had to do was tap it when we found you and Draco knew through a charm he has. Draco gave his orb to Pansy, and it alerts Blaise the same way."
"As soon as they found out, they came looking for you." The sixth year boy, Marcello, said. "But Sprout, the nosy old hag, stopped them in the hallway. So they sent us ahead. Snape has officially decreed that no Slytherin is to go anywhere alone at any time until further notice, and unofficially decreed that the same goes for you. But you didn't hear that from me if McGonagall asks. No offense, but she's a cranky bint."
"None taken." Virginia said distractedly. Pansy joined them shortly, her group of Slytherins mixing with theirs automatically. But Virginia wasn't really paying attention as Pansy tapped her own orb and greetings were exchanged.
Her eyes caught a flash of silver and she let herself relax a bit. She wasn't worried about herself, but she was worried about Draco, Blaise and the other Slytherins, especially the older students, as they would be the ones most likely heading any confrontation between the Houses. Draco came fully into view, and Daphne was right. He was very, very angry. She could see that he was keeping a tight leash on his Elemental power, as nothing was icing over or spontaneously exploding. But he couldn't hide the dark rage in his eyes, at least not from her, nor could he hide his relief when he saw her with his Housemates. The students were actually scrambling to make a path for him, even as they glowered at him.
"To the dungeons. Now." He said shortly, softening the clipped words by kissing the side of her neck as he slid a protective arm around her waist. They made it to the Slytherin dorms without any problems, although menacing looks followed them everywhere. The common room was almost full when they arrived, and they saw Snape talking with Melody, Millicent and a group of younger years. All of their dragons flew away to the center of the room where everyone else's had gone, even Snape's, and they joined in the synchronized flying that the others were doing.
"Where's Blaise?" Virginia asked after scanning the room and seeing him nowhere.
"Trelawney caught him on the fifth floor right after my charm let us know that they'd found you. I assume Daphne explained?" He continued when she nodded. "Well, at any rate he shouldn't be too much longer." Draco said as they walked over to Snape. She nodded again, but she knew the last knots of worry wouldn't leave her until she saw him. When they sat down, Draco pulled a rolled up parchment out of his voluminous sleeve.
"What's that?" She questioned curiously, hoping it was what she thought it was.
"I'm sure you can guess." Draco said, handing it to her. It was the emergency issue of the Daily Prophet.
"How'd did you get this?" She asked. "Were you the one who used that forgery charm?
"Of course not." Draco said, looking affronted. "That, thank you very much, is the real thing."
"But someone said that students weren't sent or allowed copies." She said. He just looked at her. "Right." She murmured, rolling her eyes and turning to the paper.
The article (the only article as it was a mid-day emergency issue) said that Diagon Alley had been attacked by Death Eaters around noon that day. They'd come from nowhere, just streaming out of the alleyways, and the people were taken by surprise. The new wards they'd put up last year had apparently been taken down by a traitor, and the people who'd thought they were safe, weren't. It was the first major attack since the Ministry had half-ass admitted Voldemort's return, and the casualties were high. She recognized many names on the list of deaths and many more on the list of injuries. There were also lists of dead or injured Death Eaters who were in the Ministry's possession, and many more who'd been sighted when their masks came off. Nearly every Slytherin attending Hogwarts had someone sharing their name on one of the lists of the Death Eaters, be it a parent or a distant relation.
"Who are Natilana Malfoy, Fabian Zabini and Giuseppe Zabini?" She asked after scanning the lists.
"Natilana is my second cousin and the other two were Blaise's first cousins." Draco said absently, and when she looked up, she saw he was looking towards the entrance, the first hint of worry clouding his silver eyes.
"He'll be here." She said, not sure whether she was saying it more for her own benefit or for his.
They sat in silence, but after nearly twenty minutes, their patience was running thin. Draco had tried to find him through their link, but Blaise was blocking him for some reason, only letting him through enough to know that he was alive and not mortally wounded. Which, honestly, wasn't the best consolation. Draco's fingers kept flittering back to the tattoo on his arm, which usually would also let him know if Blaise was hurt, but with Blaise blocking, he couldn't be sure of anything but the same things the mind link told him; that he wasn't so seriously hurt he needed help. Draco had finally stood, saying enough was enough, when the wall opened up. Two fifth year Slytherins stumbled in, their usual grace forgotten as they simply tried to walk.
They were covered in cuts and bruises, and it was obvious the damage continued underneath their clothing. Even though she was more than half expecting it, Virginia's breath caught when Blaise came in behind them, the front of his robes soaked in blood. There was a huge gash from his temple to his chin, and blood was pouring out of it. A livid bruise was forming on his other cheek, his right arm looked broken, and even his natural fluidity was hampered by the fact that he was favoring his left leg. The Slytherins looked shocked, while Draco and Virginia went to his side immediately. They helped him to the couch, amid much snarling from him stating that he was fine, and crouched down beside him. Snape came over almost instantly, kneeling down next to them.
"What the fuck happened?" Draco asked in a venomous hiss. "Who did this?"
"Exister vous soucieux pour moi, mon chou?" Blaise asked, a slight smirk on his lips. He coughed suddenly, and two things happened at once. Blood splattered on his lips as the racking cough shook his body, and Draco gasped, nearly falling backwards as Blaise lost the hold he had on their bond. Draco's face paled, before he drew himself up and his eyes frosted over as he began channeling power. He clutched Blaise's hand, and color rushed back into his lover's cheeks, while his breathing evened out a bit, the pain gone long enough for him to talk before they fully healed him. It would take the three Slytherins Snape had just sent to his office at least ten minutes to get the necessary potions anyway. ((Were you worried for me, my beloved?))
"De cours je être, vous bête soucieux!" Then, a deep breath and in English, "How dare you?" Draco seethed. "How dare you hide such pain from me? You are such a hypocrite!" He snapped. Virginia was stunned. It was the first time she'd seen either of them genuinely angry with the other. She turned to Pansy, a question in her eyes. Pansy leaned close. ((Of course I was, you stupid bastard!))
"He called him a hypocrite because Draco pulled the same trick a couple years ago when his father took him to see Voldemort. Blaise was infuriated for weeks afterward." Pansy whispered.
"I'm not going to fight with you about this now." Draco said suddenly, obviously working to keep his voice calm. "Later. We'll fight later."
"Marvelous." Blaise said through gritted teeth, but he did look abashed.
"What happened?" Snape asked after he told Pansy and Anton to start patching up the smaller injuries two fifth years had.
"I was passing that third floor balcony on the east side after I'd gotten away from that crazy old hag Trelawney. Today of all days she just had to know if I had any Aetherius Draught. Honestly. That woman is addicted." Blaise replied, smirking.
"And?" Draco all but growled. "Get to the point. And no bullshit." Blaise sighed, but nodded.
"Well, like I said, I was passing that balcony when I saw some sixth years messing with those two." He said, gesturing to the two younger Slytherins. "There were seven or eight of them, and I know Mycella and Devon didn't want to use any magic because of that bloody attack today. I, however, had no such scruples." He said, a vicious sneer twisting his lips. "It was an easy jump from the balcony, and that alone scared the sixth years so bad that I couldn't help laughing at them. We were right by the Whomping Willow, and those bastards used some kind of repulsion spell to knock Mycella and Devon through the branches all the way to the trunk."
"And?" Snape said after a minute, but Virginia had a pretty good idea what had happened next, and she didn't like it. If it were any other 'active' tree but a Whomping Willow, she wouldn't have been concerned and Blaise wouldn't be so hurt. But they had told her on one of their walks around the grounds that a Whomping Willow's magic had adverse effects on a shapeshifter. Such as lowering their speed, flexibility, eyesight and hearing quite drastically.
"What do you think?" Blaise asked dryly. "I preformed my own little version of their repulsion spell and sent them halfway into the Forbidden Forest. Then I got Mycella and Devon."
"'Then I got Mycella and Devon'." Draco mocked, his breath so cold his lips were taking on a bluish tinge. "Are you telling me that instead of just letting me know where you were so we could send help you fought that goddamned tree!?" Blaise nodded warily.
"More like it fought me, actually. I had to, Dray. Those stupid fucks 'not thinking' almost got those two killed. You would have done the same for any Slytherin and you know it." He said, and before Draco could start cursing again, Blaise's fingers tightened around Draco's hand as another bolt of pain hit him. His eyes shifted, the pupils splitting, and she knew it was bad if his healing instincts were taking over without him calling on them. It didn't escape Draco's attention, either.
"Robe off, now. The energy I sent you should have lasted longer than this. You didn't keep the pain I felt earlier dampened, did you?" Draco asked suspiciously. Blaise avoided his gaze and Draco spat out something that sounded as if it were four or five languages blended together, none of which Virginia could even identify, much less understand. He waved his hand, speaking a spell, and when Blaise's robe and shirt disappeared, Virginia sucked in a breath, suddenly nauseous, unbidden tears springing to her eyes.
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Oooooh, a cliffie! Please review and tell me if you like it so far!