Chapter 21

I want a threesome.

Draco glanced down the Galleon in his hand and smiled. She may be a swot but she was a kinky swot.

Mmmm. Two women at once.

No. Two men.

My dick isn't enough for you?

I have multiple points of entry.

He laughed out loud.

When will we have this threesome?

Saturday night. Come prepared to please me.

Draco blinked at her message. That was five days from now. She was warning him about the Nott raid. A warm feeling spread in his stomach. Granger came through for him like she promised.

He thumbed the Galleon.

I never leave you unsatisfied.

ooooooooooooo

It was good to see Draco's old classmates. Everyone was in a cheery mood despite the circumstances. They had started by opening a few bottles of wine, and now some hors d'oeuvres were being passed around. He always enjoyed coming to Blaise's house. His mum was Lebanese, although her latest husband to meet an untimely death was Italian, and the food never failed to impress. He mostly ate French or British cuisine at home or while at Hogwarts but thoroughly enjoyed the eclectic taste of the Zabini nee Petrofsky nee Kastellanos nee… Sugiyama? household. He couldn't remember all of the previous names of Yasmine Zabini's husbands.

He doubted Blaise did either.

By unspoken agreement, none of them talked about the war or their parents' involvement, although Draco did have a few things he needed to accomplish tonight. Vince and Greg were each sporting new Dark Marks, but had the decency not to discuss them. Pansy was a Snatcher and had already received one of her own. She, like him, or perhaps because of him, wanted to prove herself last year. He wondered how she was dealing with the reality of her choice. If she too felt trapped and complicit in the death and torture of people she may think were inferior, but didn't deserve the fate the Dark Lord's army had in store for them.

At least she didn't have to deal with Rowle anymore.

Theo had managed to avoid being recruited or going back to Hogwarts, but paid for it dearly at home. Although after tonight, that would be taken care of.

Millie Bulstrode, Blaise, Daphne Greengrass and Tracy Davis were back at Hogwarts. Being of age, they could come and go from the castle grounds as they pleased. The Carrows were teaching them to Imperius and Crucio other students. Despite the horror of Charity Burbage's death and the other terrible occurrences he witnessed, he was glad he stayed home and again silently thanked his mother for her foresight.

Draco gazed at Blaise lying on the couch, his head resting in Daphne's lap while she ran her fingers through his dark hair. He was glad to see at least some of his friends managed to find some happiness in this hell. Vince and Greg were talking with Tracy. Millie was chatting with Pansy, and Theo was sitting on the couch next to Draco, staring at his ex. Theo's lips moved silently, and then he'd shake his head. He looked like he was rehearsing conversations, trying to get up the nerve to talk with her. His glass of wine was in his hand, untouched.

Draco kicked his shoe and Theo jumped.

"Just go talk to her."

Theo scowled, not realizing that he was being watched. "She's with Millie."

Draco looked in their direction. "Is Millie that scary?"

"Pansy is."

"You won't get laid if you're afraid," said Draco as he sipped his wine. "Pansy can smell fear a kilometer away."

Theo turned back to Pansy, interested even more now, and then eyed Draco.

"I don't see you getting any action aside from that Ministry intern of yours." Theo admonished him. "Snake-eyes keeping your balls in a jar?"

Draco shot him in a glare, not wanting to be reminded of what he was forced to do with Elizabeth. "I don't have time to fuck around."

As if on cue, he thought of Granger. For a brief moment before they left her parents' house for the movie, he thought she might kiss him. But then she had Apparated them away and kissing her was all he could think about that night. They were so physically close to each other at the theater, he had noticed that her eyes were actually hazel. Not brown like he previously thought. And they were very expressive, framed by eyebrows that were constantly moving in accordance with her thoughts and what she was saying.

It was incredibly easy to tell what she was feeling. Despite her attempts to school her expressions, he could always tell when she was happy, angry, disappointed, impressed, sad, or embarrassed when he made her uncomfortable.

And he thoroughly enjoyed making her uncomfortable. They had been in this constant game of subtly trying to gain the upper hand on one another. Learning new things about the other forced them to adjust each time. But he quickly saw that flirting threw her off kilter.

Every. Single. Time.

Granger was so different from his Slytherin friends.

He frowned. The way she wore her emotions like that was concerning. He would have to test how she was faring with Occlumency.

Her expressiveness was part of what was so exciting about being with her. Just being with someone he wasn't supposed to enjoy the company of was new and liberating. Lately, he found he could be himself: learning to cast a Patronus and then going to see Star Wars. He could shed the calm, disinterested exterior he had to wear all the time in front of people in the Dark Lord's army, or his parents. It was exhausting always having to hide who he was.

With Granger, he felt he could open up, like he could talk about anything. And he did. He still couldn't believe she had entertained his question about Mudblood inferiority, let alone taken it seriously. He thought she'd hex him just for asking. And it turned out to be one of the most fascinating conversations he'd ever had. If not the most fascinating.

Draco knew information had been kept from him, but hadn't realized to what extent. She was a forbidden source that could answer his questions and had been right there in front of him the whole time. He wondered how his parents would react to what he had discovered about the Muggle world. Among pure-bloods, the desire to learn was stamped out by a sense of superiority so that no one would even want to know.

But he had been curious. Curious and angry that he couldn't express his doubts to anyone.

Anyone except her.

Draco hadn't had a real, frank, honest conversation with anyone since… Well… He couldn't remember the last time he had opened up like that. Even with Theo, he couldn't voice his concerns about the Dark Lord and his role as a Death Eater. And he certainly couldn't voice his doubts about what they'd been taught regarding Mudbloods and Muggles since infancy. Not that Theo would betray him, but he already ran his bloody mouth enough to get in trouble. He didn't need Draco pouring gasoline on that fire.

"But you do have someone," Theo pressed, pulling Draco from his thoughts.

"As you said, my balls don't belong to me." Draco snorted in disgust and looked down into his glass of wine. Nothing belonged to him. Not his body. Not his actions. Not his future. The only reason his thoughts were still his own was because he was a fucking good Occlumens. "I wouldn't drag anyone into my shit," he said, taking a sip.

"But you have someone," Theo repeated, and slowly turned to Draco with a sly grin. "And she's not here. Interesting."

"How would you know?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because you had that dopey grin on your face a minute ago," Theo said, looking right at him.

"I did not have a dopey-"

"Yep." He pointed at Draco's mouth and Draco frowned, making Theo laugh. "The dopey grin when you're interested but not sure if you'll get her. Fourth year, Fleur. Fifth year, Pansy. Sixth year," Theo paused, "the Vanishing Cabinet."

Draco scowled. Theo was such a prick sometimes. Time to turn the tables on him.

"You're stalling," retorted Draco, motioning in Pansy and Millie's direction.

Theo shot a panicked glance in their direction. Pressing his palm down hard on Theo's thigh so that he winced, Draco pushed himself up off the couch. He walked over to where Pansy and Millie were chatting, looked back at Theo and raised an eyebrow in challenge.

Pansy gave him an obviously fake grin. "What do you want Draco?"

He flashed his teeth at her in return. "Do I have to want something in order to talk with you two lovely ladies?"

"Yes," she deadpanned.

Without responding, he turned to Millie. "Would you mind walking with me outside?"

"See?" Pansy said to Millie, who stood up from her chair and followed him to the veranda. He glanced back over his shoulder at his ex, eyeing them with cool interest. He recalled her face nearly slack with terror at Azkaban when he held her hand. Draco had only seen her that scared once before in her life.

When she took the Dark Mark.

She met his stare and mouthed the words, 'Thank you.' She must still be thinking of Azkaban as well. He nodded, and turned back to follow Millie outside.

The cool night air caused goosebumps to appear on her sleeveless arms and he cast a warming charm on her.

"Ever the gentleman, Draco."

Millie turned to him expectantly, waiting to see what he wanted. She was one of the few women as tall as he was and looked him directly in the eyes. Her acne had mostly cleared up from her teenage days and she wore her long blond hair loose over her broad shoulders. With her tall, muscular physique, she was downright Amazonian.

The sleeveless dress was deceiving. Draco knew she could have him in a headlock and calling 'uncle' in less than 5 seconds. Heels or no heels. And it certainly wouldn't be the first time. He always wondered why she never played Quidditch. She'd be an absolute terror as a Beater.

Perhaps she thought the bats got in the way of her bare hands.

"Are you coming home for Christmas?"

She eyed him warily. "Why? Are you hard up for a shag?"

"No," Draco replied. Although the prospect was interesting, he'd probably end up bruised and with a fractured limb or two. And he knew Greg fancied her. "Just curious about the general sentiment at Hogwarts." He wanted to know if anyone was staying. And if so, who. Tonight had a dual purpose.

Millie studied him for a moment before answering. "Why?"

He leaned on the railing. "Do you really want to know?"

"I suppose not," she replied with a sigh. "Home is a gamble, the Carrows are guaranteed. The more students leave for the holidays, the more personal attention those that stay will get at school." A tray floated by them and she popped a ball of falafel into her mouth after dipping it in tahini. After she finished chewing she continued, "Although, I guess I should count my blessings being at Hogwarts." Her face darkened. "I don't have to deal with Rowle trying to cop a feel every time I'm alone." She took another falafel ball and dipped it in hummus this time. "I thought we weren't talking shop."

"We're not," Draco said, sipping his wine in satisfaction. Glad that Rowle was rotting away in a prison cell and spilling secrets to the Order. Shame they discovered the implant before they got him.

"If you say so," Millie huffed and then eyed him in contemplation. "It's been a long time since I've seen you. Maybe sixth year even?"

"Probably." He looked out into the garden below and grabbed the railing, leaning over slightly.

"Your hair's longer. Are you trying to grow it out? Want to be just like daddy?" she raised her eyebrows mockingly.

"Right," he snorted. "Those days are gone."

"That's not what I've heard," she replied softly.

He turned back to her. "I thought you said no shop talk."

"So I did." She drummed her fingers on the railing. She didn't have long pink manicured nails like Pansy. They'd probably get in the way of choke holds. "How's your mum?"

"As well as can be." He paused and sipped his wine again. "Considering." Millie nodded. She understood. They all did.

"What about your mum and dad?" Draco asked.

"They're happy to support their children's future," she replied with a hint of bitterness. "But there is a bright side to it all. Jonathan is too young for the harder lessons this year."

"Your brother is fifth year now?"

"Fourth," she corrected.

He hated what the war was doing to them. Since Millie came outside to the veranda with him, they had discussed being tortured, being forced to torture someone else under threat to yourself, your siblings or your parents, and financial extortion of parents under threat of torture to their children.

It was a lovely evening.

She must have been thinking the same thing. "And now you've gone and depressed me, Draco. Can we talk about something else?"

He ran a hand through his hair to get it out of his eyes. "What were you talking about with Pansy earlier? Clearly I interrupted something interesting."

She blushed, but didn't answer.

Draco smiled and poked her upper arm. There was no give, it was rock hard. "Out with it, Bulstrode."

She flicked her hair over her shoulder, took a sip of wine and swallowed. "We were discussing how you all would be in the sack."

He raised his eyebrows and grinned. "Oh?"

"Get that cocky look off your face, Malfoy. Pansy said for months you were completely hopeless. Couldn't even find her clit with a Point Me Charm."

He shrugged, there was no point in denying it. "She had to teach me everything. Good teacher though, she knew what she liked."

Millie laughed. "She did say you'd get an "O" for effort."

He put his empty wine glass on a floating tray and shoved his hands into his pockets, rocking back on his heels. "I aim to please. Who else?"

"Theo would be kinky. He's always so quiet, probably has a bunch of sick fantasies playing through that head of his." She took a sip of her wine and swallowed. "But he'd come too fast, the sex would only be good second time around. Possibly by the third."

Draco chuckled appreciatively at her assessment.

She put a finger to her lip and scratched. "He's scrawny though. I'd break him like a twig."

"You'd break me like a twig. We'd never find Theo again after you were done with him."

She smacked his arm and he winced. Bloody fuck, she was strong.

"Vince?" he prodded her.

"Missionary. Boring."

Draco grabbed another wine glass from a floating tray and took a sip.

"Blaise?"

She shot him a taunting smile. "Clearly he'd be the best out of all of you."

Draco scoffed. "Please."

"He's got an air of mystery to him. Pansy's never had him and I haven't either. Daphne doesn't kiss and tell soooo..." she shrugged. "It leaves more to the imagination." She smirked. "And we can imagine quite a lot."

"Greg."

Millie flushed and looked out into the garden. Draco smiled. It was only a matter of time before those two got together.

"He may not be so imaginative, but he'd follow instruction well. It would be sweet."

She turned back to see Draco smiling knowingly at her so she punched his chest and crossed her arms.

"Shut it, Malfoy."

"I didn't say a word," he replied, rubbing his pectoral muscle.

Ow.

"You didn't have to." She gave him an exasperated sigh and downed the rest of her wine. "It's nice seeing you, Draco. You're not a snot nosed little shit anymore."

He snorted. "Between my hair, my skills in bed and my personality, you sure know how to make a bloke feel special."

"You know I love you," she cocked her head at him. "When I'm sad I think back to that summer before second year when I threw you in your mum's swan pond. Never fails to bring a smile to my face."

She gave him wide grin and he scowled at her in mock anger. It wasn't funny at the time, but he could laugh about that now. Things were simpler back then. He missed those days.

Millie placed her empty wine glass on a floating tray and they walked back into the living room. Draco paused in the doorway, surveying his friends. Greg eyed Draco uneasily and his gaze followed Millie as she walked to sit at the couch where Theo and Draco sat previously.

Theo had taken Millie's seat next to Pansy. She was talking animatedly, gesticulating wildly with her hands. Theo sat watching her, entranced, but saying nothing. He needed to overcome his shyness around women he fancied. Pansy would like him if he could open up.

Vince lumbered over to him with a secretive smile. "Maybe we'll be working together again this year, eh?"

"It's possible," Draco answered, noncommittally, hoping to steer the conversation to an end.

He didn't want to have to speak with Vince or Greg tonight but he supposed it couldn't be avoided. They were both enthusiastic about their recent inclusion in the Dark Lord's army. Their attitudes reminded Draco of how he felt in sixth year when he didn't know any better. Eager to please. Eager to fight. Not understanding the gravity and permanence of his decision, or how he had been used as a pawn to punish his father.

Draco didn't know how Vince and Greg would cope with the realities of being a Death Eater. They hadn't had to torture anyone yet and hadn't faced the business end of the Dark Lord's wand either.

"What have they had you doing?" Vince was curious. Everything was new. He wanted to know more and was motivated to start working.

"Helping my father."

"At the Ministry?"

"Mmm."

Draco wanted to end this conversation. He partially blamed himself for Vince and Greg taking the Dark Mark. They had always followed his orders, looking to him for leadership. And what did he do with that position? For years he used them to bully others. They were just repeating his mistakes now. He wondered when they'd start paying for it.

When Draco started to break down last year, they abandoned him, needing another strong man to follow.

And so they found one.

"Greg and I will help the Snatchers out." He puffed his chest out, satisfied with his assignment. "They need more coverage now that Rowle is missing." He eyed Draco. "Do you think the Order got to him or is he a deserter like Karkaroff?"

Draco shrugged. "Impossible to know. If he deserted someone will eventually find his body."

Vince smiled evilly. "True."

Yasmine Zabini sauntered into the room, hips swaying in a form fitting red dress that came to her knees. She was fiddling with an earring. Every male in attendance sat up straighter. Draco couldn't help but stare. Vince was also watching her, mouth partly open. She always looked stunning. Pansy rolled her eyes as Theo's gaze was drawn towards Blaise's mother. Yasmine motioned for Blaise to approach, and Draco watched the two speak. After a few moments Blaise turned around to face everyone.

"Sleepover?" he called out.

Perfect.

Draco needed to keep Theo here as long as possible. He assumed the raid on Nott Manor would be quick since the Order could get in undetected, but he didn't know exactly what time it would be. He had been wondering how to subtly introduce the idea of some of them sleeping over but now he didn't have to worry about it.

And he knew how to ensure they all stayed.

"Do we get a Lebanese breakfast?" Draco called out from the opening to the veranda. The variety of salads, cheeses, olives and shakshuka were a rare treat for all of them.

Yasmine pointed at him and winked. "If you all behave."

Theo raised his glass. "To Zabini's mum!"

They all raised their glasses. "To Zabini's mum!"

Her deep, throaty laughter echoed back as she walked out of the living room.

Thankfully, Vince walked to the center of the room and led them all in a slightly drunken chorus of "Weasley is our King," and Draco didn't have to talk about Death Eater business anymore. The rest of the evening was spent discussing Slytherin common room antics, school memories and some fun times from their childhood.

Blaise leaned against the fireplace, nursing a tumbler of Firewhisky when Draco walked up to join him.

"How's Daphne?"

"Lots of fun," Blaise replied, watching Daphne speak with Pansy. The two witches broke out into laughter. "Mum doesn't like her though."

Draco grinned at him. "No witch is good enough for Yasmine Zabini's only son?"

Blaise studied Daphne in thought while she spoke with Pansy. "That's what I thought until tonight. Quite frankly, I'm scared to leave her alone here now."

"She's being overprotective. You're the only constant in her life." Draco took a swig of his Firewhisky. "She had you when she was really young – and she wasn't married either, was she? Did she have anyone back then?"

Blaise shifted his gaze to Draco, but didn't answer the question about his mother. "I don't think that's it. It almost makes me glad we're at Hogwarts so I can see Daphne without worry."

"Daphne isn't your next step father so she should be fine," Draco teased Blaise, who shot him a dark look. He watched Pansy laugh at something Daphne said and changed the topic. "I heard they were combining some classes with sixth and seventh years due to decreased attendance."

Blaise nodded, his brown eyes surveying the room. "They did."

"How many Gryffindorks are left in those years?"

Blaise scratched the back of his head. "Four? Five maybe after the students broke out last fall?

"Hairymuffs?

"About double that."

"Ravenclaws?"

"What?" Blaise shifted his dark eyes to Draco with a look of mock disappointment. "No clever name for them?"

"Ravenclaws at least have some admirable qualities."

"True."

"Except for that barmy girl. How she got sorted there I have no idea."

"Right."

"I wonder how someone like her would deal with the Carrows."

"She doesn't scream," Blaise said softly.

"What?" Draco asked, thinking he heard wrong.

Blaise turned to him, his eyes unreadable. "I've never seen anything like it," he explained. "They Crucio her, it's obviously painful, and she doesn't scream. Then they do it some more."

Blaise kept the expression out of his voice. It was hard to tell if he pitied her or was just observing a phenomenon. Draco's friends were mostly careful around him. He was a Death Eater. As far as they knew, he supported the Dark Lord and open displeasure with the takeover of the Ministry and Hogwarts would be punished. Severely.

Similarly, Draco couldn't express his opinions to his friends. It was hard to see where that would come back to bite him in the arse. Overall, the rise of the Dark Lord's army and the fact that more and more of them were joining created a tense feeling of mistrust, which is why so many of them did not want to talk about the current state of affairs.

Blaise was the hardest to read of them all.

Draco surveyed his friends, wondering which of them would be loyal to the Dark Lord, who would join out of fear, and who might try to run. "She probably can't wait for the holiday break."

"Yeah, she's going home for Christmas. So many parents sent their children to Hogwarts because they thought it would be safer. I don't know why she doesn't stay home but I heard she'll be back after the hols."

Bingo. Now he could relax.

Theo walked over, his own dopey grin plastered across his face after having successfully survived a conversation with Pansy. He leaned into Blaise lecherously. "Do you have a new daddy yet?

Blaise waived his glass dismissively. "She doesn't like younger men, Nott."

"I wasn't offering myself," he retorted, clearly offended. After a pause he continued, "Unless she wanted me. In which case I definitely was. Do you think she wants me?"

"Aside from that," Blaise added, ignoring Theo, "I think she's found someone serious."

"Serious enough to marry?" Draco turned to Blaise in surprise. It had been a while.

"No," he corrected. "Serious enough not to marry."

Draco and Theo exchanged glances, impressed. That was new.

"How can you tell?" Theo asked.

Blaise looked down into his glass and swirled the remaining Firewhisky around. "I recognize the signs that she's dating someone. It's been going on longer than two of her previous marriages combined, at least. And I've never seen him. Usually by now I've been bribed with gifts, she's been bribed with gifts, we go to exotic vacations. Maybe a new villa to add to her collection of real estate. This guy? Nothing. She's kept him under wraps," he shrugged and downed the rest of his Firewhisky. "She's happy. She's got her reasons, so I haven't asked."

"Huh." Draco contemplated his friend. Was Yasmine Zabini finally settling down? He wondered which man managed to achieve that? Which one would be brave enough to?

He chuckled to himself. Or stupid enough?

It was starting to get late. Goyle was slumped over on Millie's shoulder on the couch, having dozed off already. Millie looked happy and he shared a knowing glance with her. They could die tomorrow. Next week. Next month. It was good to take happiness where it could be found.

The conversation slowly petered out and his friends started heading to the guest rooms.

Draco walked down the hallway to the loo and passed Blaise's mum. She met his eyes, tilted her head and gave him an indecipherable look. The hairs pricked on the back of his neck and before he could even think why he would do so, he instinctively started to Occlude.

She spoke in a soft, low voice. "You do anything to protect the ones you love."

The statement took him completely off-guard.

"Don't you?" he replied, trying to remain disaffected.

He wondered what she meant. Was it possible she knew about the Nott raid tonight? Is that why she suggested the sleepover? But she couldn't know about that. She must have overheard Blaise's conversation with him about Daphne. It was her house after all. She probably had charms in place that enabled her to eavesdrop.

Regardless, this was not a conversation he expected to be having with his friend's mother.

"I would do anything for my son."

He suddenly pitied Daphne. She was the first woman Blaise was serious about, and wondered if that was the reason his mother didn't like her.

"He's lucky you're his mum."

Despite how she may be interfering with her son's love life, he meant it. Yasmine Zabini was one of the few parents (if the only parent) that succeeded in keeping her son out of the war. Unlike his other friends who, if they weren't already involved, were expected to be once they graduated. He heard no mention of Blaise and his involvement in the Dark Lord's army in some form or another. Draco didn't know how she had managed it. And she had no husband to leverage power or influence either.

He wondered who the man she was seeing was.

Blaise's mother leaned forward slightly and he exhaled a breath with a growing sense of terror. She was staring at him like she was going to cut him open and eat his insides. In that instant it was clear. Every single rumor and whisper about her was true. He and his friends joked around but he knew right then and there. Yasmine Zabini was a cold blooded serial killer. Once this woman had a victim in sight they were already dead. In five minutes, five days, five months, she had them. Her previous husbands never stood a chance.

Neither did Draco, if she targeted him.

"Sometimes," she said, her gaze unwavering, "you need to do more than protect your loved ones."

Not two heartbeats later, her expression returned to the sultry, flirty one he was familiar with. Before he had a chance to process what was happening the moment was over.

"Towels should be on your bed, Draco." She looked up at him and shook her head in disbelief, long black hair swaying. "When did you boys get to be so tall? Even in my heels I barely come up to your shoulder." She squeezed his upper arm affectionately and sashayed past him down the hallway. Heels clicking on the hard wood floor.

She left him with his heart pounding against his rib cage and sweat beading on his forehead.

What the fuck was that?

Blaise was right to be scared for Daphne.

Chapter end notes:

I've never really seen Millicent Bulstrode portrayed as anything but pimply/tough/mean/not very interesting. So many side characters have been done to death I felt like I could do something completely different here without prior expectations ruining the fun. If you're having trouble imagining this version of her, take a peek at MegSquats' videos

channel/UCj_GeRF7G4NEpvQ5_A1wSvg.

Also, I can't tell you all how much I've been enjoying this routine. I have my morning coffee, post a chapter, and scroll through some of the lovely reviews you all are leaving me before I start work. It's a nice little pandemic book club we've got going here. I am having so much fun. I hope you all are too.