Chapter 53

June 1998

The Greengrasses were hosting an end of year party for the Slytherins who had gone back for seventh year. Greg and Vince were enthusiastically discussing their increased responsibilities as Death Eaters all evening. And now that the rest of their classmates had graduated, it was only a matter of time before they took the Dark Mark as well.

With the exception of Blaise, it still seemed. Once again, Draco had no idea how Yasmine Zabini had managed to save her son from such a fate.

"You really want this for Millie?" Draco asked, shoving his hands in his pockets

Greg watched Millicent Bulstrode, on her knees by the coffee table, taunting everyone around her into arm wrestling her. She was barefoot, her long blond hair was held back in a clip and she wore a shimmery gold sleeveless dress which showed off her broad shoulders and muscular arms.

Theo appeared to be considering it.

Theo was stupid.

"It's not as if she has a choice," Greg rationalized. "The Dark Lord will take everyone now that they're out of school. He'll finish off the Order soon and needs them for the last push. We all know that." He scratched the back of his head, shorn short in a crew cut. "It'll be less painful if she comes voluntarily like we did. And then it'll all be over."

Draco eyed him. "It hasn't been less painful."

Greg had only been tortured once, after the first safe house raid along with everyone else who hadn't brought back a prisoner. He hadn't yet displeased the Dark Lord personally, but it was only a matter of time.

"But I thought–"

Draco shook his head. "The Dark Lord has high standards. He wasn't happy during the failed Mudblood raids."

He took a wine glass off a floating tray that neared him, so did Greg.

Greg furrowed his brow. "But if you do everything he asks, he rewards you. We're all fighting on the same side."

The conversation was veering into dangerous territory. Greg was too loyal to the Dark Lord's cause. Draco should have known since he had been able to kill Muggle-born children. It appeared Greg didn't consider what would have happened if he had failed to kill upon command. Even with the implicit threat to his parents.

Reflexively, Draco's stomach did a small heave whenever his nightmarish thoughts of the murdered families returned. He swallowed some wine, washing down the bile that accumulated in his mouth.

"Yes, the Dark Lord rewards those who serve him well." He sipped again, clearing his mouth of the remaining acid. "And punishes those who don't."

Greg returned his gaze to Millie. Her face broke out in a large predatory grin as Theo took the bait. He dropped to his knees on the opposite end of the table and clasped Millie's right hand. Daphne counted down and the two started arm wrestling. At least, Theo did. Millie didn't look like she was trying at all. She sat calmly, sipping her glass of wine while Theo struggled, veins protruding from his forehead while his face turned red. After a few moments he started straining his body, shifting his posture to get more of his back behind his hand, and then his legs.

Millie glanced over her shoulder and made a comment to Pansy, who was watching the scene with a raised eyebrow, clearly amused. Millie took another sip of her wine, calmly watching Theo's antics. Eventually Theo gave up all pretense and added his other hand, still struggling to push Millie's arm down. He braced his entire body against her hand when she decided to put him out of his misery. With a slam of his hands down on the coffee table, he tumbled to the floor. She jumped up, raising both arms into the air in victory and turning around towards the onlookers.

"Who's next?" She called out to the room.

"It's just for a short while," Greg explained. "The Order will be destroyed soon, the Dark Lord said so. She won't have to… do what we did."

Greg shifted his brown eyes to Draco, seeking reassurance. Draco didn't have any to give. The Carrows had trained everyone at Hogwarts to use Unforgivable Curses. They'd be expected to use them on everyone. Parents, children, fighters, prisoners.

Blaise sunk to his knees on the other end of the coffee table to try his luck against Millie. They each put their right arms on the table and clasped hands. Daphne gave Blaise a kiss on the cheek and whispered something in his ear. He smiled and shook his head. Pansy counted down and the arm wrestle began. Draco watched their arms wobble a bit. Millie didn't drink wine this time, but after a few seconds her bicep bulged and, slowly but surely, she pushed Blaise's arm down to the coffee table.

Blaise hopped up and winced, wringing his wrist.

"Next!" Millie called out. Vince sunk to his knees on the opposite side of the table. Greg and Draco approached, more interested in seeing this pair up. Everyone at the party crowded around to watch. Vince might actually win.

Eager to change the conversation topic Draco motioned to Millie with his glass of wine. "Are you going to take a turn?"

Greg shook his head. "I don't have a chance."

Draco raised his eyebrows in surprise. Maybe Vince wouldn't win.

Pansy counted down this time and he watched the two glare at each other. The arm wrestle began and almost immediately the exertion of trying to push each other's arms over made them shake. Millie gritted her teeth and Vince winced.

This match might be a draw.

The Slytherins all crowded in more closely, interested in who would end up the victor. Beads of sweat formed on Vince's forehead. He may have strength, but Millie had strength and stamina. Millie released a low grunting whine; Vince exhaled sharply and held his breath. After a few moments, the angle of their arms tilted ever so slightly to her advantage. Vince didn't give up. He inhaled quickly, blew out another breath of air and his face turned bright red. Slowly, slowly, their arms lowered to the table until the back of Vince's hand touched the surface.

Huge grins spread on their faces as they released their grip on each other. Impressed, Vince shook Millie's hand.

"When she gets the Dark Mark," Draco whispered softly turning to Greg. "Make sure you stay with her."

Greg eyed him, not quite understanding what he meant, but was already disturbed enough by the conversation. He looked uncomfortable, and ambled over to talk to Vince. Millie wrung out her hand, releasing the strain, and rubbed her arm up and down to ease her muscles.

If there was any time to arm wrestle her, it was now. Draco walked around the coffee table and sunk to his knees across from her, placing his wine glass to the side.

She narrowed her brown eyes at him as he rested his right elbow on the table, hand ready to grab hers.

"Nice timing, Draco. Right after I finish with Vince?"

Draco flashed his teeth in a wide smile. "Alright then, Millie." He replaced his right arm with his left. He was left-handed. She wasn't. "Fresh arm."

He raised his eyebrows in challenge and her nostrils flared. He had no doubt she'd kill him with her right arm if she hadn't just wrestled Vince. He might actually have a chance with his left.

Might.

Millie brought her left arm up and they clasped hands. She crushed his fingers in her grip, grinding his knuckles together and he braced himself. Daphne counted down for them and immediately he felt the power behind her arm, pushing into his palm. The two locked eyes over their hands, which started to wobble. His lip curled and he bared his teeth as he struggled to push her hand down. Her eyes flashed defiantly, and she clenched her jaw.

Draco smirked at her and her eyes widened slightly, wondering what he was thinking. He released a tiny bit of pressure on Millie's hand. The sudden change put her off guard and her distraction enabled him to push her hand back so her wrist wasn't straight. He gained the angle, and then the advantage, slowly pushing her arm down to the coffee table. Her knuckles hit the glass and everyone whooped and cheered.

"Cheat," she hissed at him.

"That's not cheating," Draco said with a smirk. "That's Slytherin." He stood up and looked down at her, she was seething. "Maybe next time." He turned around to walk away when suddenly arms wrapped up from under his armpits and hands laced behind his neck.

Fuck.

He was such an idiot. He knew better than to mess with Millie.

Draco grabbed uselessly behind his back, but she jammed her knee behind his and kicked his instep, making him crash to the floor with her atop him. She twisted his arms behind his back and shoved her knee into his spine.

He winced with a grunt.

Millie's voice was playful now. "Say you're a cheat, Malfoy."

He looked behind, over his shoulder. The grin on her face spread from ear to ear.

"Just because you're easily distracted-" She pulled his arms up higher and he howled. She shoved his face into the carpet.

"No mercy, Millie." Pansy stood over him with a smile, holding her wine glass.

"Traitor," Draco shot back, his voice muffled by the rug. Pansy grinned even wider.

"Say you're a cheat," Millie repeated.

"I'm a cheat," he drawled with as much superiority as he could muster with Millie's hand forcing his head to the ground.

That appeared to mollify her. Millie stood up and released his arms to more cheering and whooping. Draco stretched his back and shoulders with a grimace before pushing himself to a standing position.

Fuck. She was brutal.

He wondered if she could beat Jugson. Draco remembered when she had Hermione in a headlock fifth year. Hermione had gotten off easy.

Vince clapped him on the back, right where Millie's knee had been, and he winced again. "She'll make a good fighter for the Dark Lord."

Draco rolled his neck and eyed Vince warily. He wondered how many followers were brainwashed like Vince, and how many were simply terrified for themselves and their families, like Millie. It was a dangerous topic of conversation. "She will, indeed."

Draco meandered around the room, sipping his wine and nursing his pride, and sunk into the couch, hoping no one would notice. Almost immediately, Pansy sat down next to him, crossing her legs.

Of fucking course.

The fabric of her sleeveless red dress rode up her thighs and she pulled it back down again. She rested her chin on her fist, staring at him. Her Dark Mark looked so different from his. Smaller, almost delicate on the inside of her thin forearm.

He snorted.

Pansy. Delicate.

"Would you like your penis back? I bet Millie would return it if you asked nicely."

"Sod off, Pansy."

She narrowed her dark eyes, studying him. She knew something. Not good.

"Spill."

He peered into his glass. "The wine?"

She curled her lip at his evasion. "Who is she?"

Draco sipped his wine slowly, watching her eye twitch as he prolonged his response. Then he waited just a little bit more to irritate her.

"She?" he asked, innocently.

Pansy leaned in even closer. "Don't even try it, Draco. Theo said you've been with someone since at least the winter hols." Fucking. Theo. "I didn't buy it then, but you're definitely getting screwed on the regular now and you don't shag for fun. It's all or nothing with you."

"Ah yes, so I've been told," Draco said with a disparaging look. "My dopey grin."

"Nope." Her lips made a popping sound on the 'p.' "You've got other tells."

He raised an eyebrow. "You and Theo spend way too much time observing me. If you'd like a threesome just say so. Millie told me he's kinky as fuck." He sipped his wine and smiled. "But only after he comes twice."

Pansy's pink lips quirked upwards and she pointed a perfectly manicured nail at him. "Ever since sixth year, when you're alone you brood until someone takes pity on you and drags you into a conversation. Now when you're alone you seem hopeful." She shuddered as if it were the worst quality in the world. "Something's changed, and it's not your success in the Ministry. You hate that shit."

Draco fingered the stem of his glass. Pansy knew him too well. They had been through a lot together. And he did hate what he was doing at the ministry. Threatening, bribing, blackmailing, popping in on Elizabeth for the occasional heavy petting session, Imperiusing officials… He may be good at what he did, but he loathed it.

"I do not brood."

She sent him a withering glance. "You sulk more than Snape."

He leaned back and crossed his legs. "That's simply not possible."

Pansy lifted an eyebrow and he took another sip of his wine.

Theo walked up behind her and placed his hand affectionately on the nape of her neck. She leaned into his arm and smiled up at him. Draco liked to see his friends happy. Someone should be happy in this fucked up time they lived in.

"He's still denying it," she reported, turning back to Draco. "I don't care how good an Occlumens you are Draco Malfoy. You can't lie to me. The question that's burning in my mind is… Why isn't she here?"

Theo shrugged. "It's not obvious? She's not Sacred Twenty-Eight. His parents would never approve."

"Oooh!" Pansy's grin widened in scandalous excitement. "He must have met her in the Ministry. There's plenty of staffers and interns around our age."

"Pretty ballsy," Theo smirked at Draco's eye roll. "Sneaking off for a shag in between extorting Ministry officials with Lucius. Is it Elizabeth?"

Draco shot Theo a threatening glare. The prick shouldn't be running his mouth.

Pansy's eyes widened, misinterpreting Draco's ire at Theo. "E-liz-a-beth." She said the name with relish.

If they wanted to believe he was having some kind of affair, hidden from his parents, Draco supposed Elizabeth was a good enough cover. Finding out about an affair with a Ministry intern was infinitely preferable to what he was actually doing.

"Defying your father when he's right there." Pansy flashed him a set of perfect teeth. She lowered her voice and swiveled to face Theo. "I see the appeal."

Draco started to get up. "Let me know when you two are done discussing my sex life."

Pansy put her hand on his thigh and squeezed. "Oh, sit down, you big baby. We're happy that you're happy."

Draco reclined again and rested his arm on the back of the couch with a pout.

Pansy sipped at her wine, leaving a ring of pink lipstick around the rim. She scrunched her nose at the taste and abandoned her glass on the table. "I just want to know what you're going to do about it."

He scoffed. "There's no 'it' to do anything about."

Draco downed the rest of his wine. It did have an odd aftertaste. Pansy must have been put off completely. He was surprised the Greengrasses didn't serve higher quality.

Theo continued talking to Pansy as if Draco hadn't spoken. "Pain now or pain later. Either he ends it soon or it reaches its inevitable conclusion when his parents find out." He stroked his jaw in thought. "Lucius will have a stroke. Perhaps that'll make him more agreeable; less prone to plotting the demise of everyone around him." Pansy snorted a laugh. "Narcissa will forgive everything once she's got grandkids and a daughter-in-law to go shopping with. She's got Lucius by the balls anyway, stroke or not." He shrugged and turned back to Draco. "Happy ending for all, just pop out the pure-blood babies. Easy."

Draco rubbed his face. This was ridiculous. All the talk of Sacred Twenty-Eight and approved marriages. Entire family lines would be wiped out. "For fuck's sake Theo. Who knows if any of us will survive this war? None of this pure-blood inheritance shit matters."

Theo and Pansy both turned to him in shock, then scanned the room to make sure no one had overheard what Draco had said.

No one had. Did it matter if they did?

Pansy squeezed his thigh again and lowered her voice. "We will. Don't talk like that. You survived sixth year."

He glared at her in annoyance. What was she talking about? She knew exactly how bad it could get. Pansy was a snatcher during the failed raids.

"This is worse and you know it. I was getting Crucio'd almost weekly last year during the Muggle-born raids."

Her eyebrows raised curiously. "Muggle-born ra–"

"You had it just as bad then too, if not worse," he cut her off. Pansy was being stupid. Why deny what was happening to all of them? "And Rowle was raping you."

"What–" Theo sputtered at the verbal bomb Draco just dropped. He turned to Pansy. "Are you–?" He protested in horror but Pansy held her hand up to silence him.

Her nostrils flared and her eyes flitted around the room, ensuring no one could hear. "What the fuck are you doing Draco?" she hissed. "And Rowle's gone. It's better now."

He stared into her dark eyes. They were all deluding themselves. Everyone thought that once the Order was destroyed, pure-bloods would take their rightful place in society and all their problems would be solved.

"Why does everyone think that if we hold out just a little bit more, life will go back to normal?"

"Stop it." Pansy held his gaze and whispered. "Someone will hear."

"Right," Draco spoke into his empty glass. "The fucking Thought Police."

Theo's eyes bulged and he dropped his wine. The glass shattered on the floor and he looked around at everyone, laughing awkwardly. "S'Alright! Can't hold my liquor! Lit-er-al-ly!"

Pansy helped him siphon the wine up and vanish the shards, scanning the room warily at the curious stares they were receiving by their former classmates.

Draco raised his eyes to Theo's. Theo could leave. Theo should leave. His father wasn't beating him anymore but the Dark Lord would recruit him soon. Just like he would ensnare the rest. He wanted to defeat the Order and needed more foot soldiers. They were all cannon fodder.

"You need to leave before he comes for you. Like he'll come for everyone else here. I can hide you."

Theo's jaw dropped. Pansy plastered a smile on her face.

"Theo isn't feeling well you mean? He should leave? Had too much to drink, didn't he?" She put her hand on Theo's forehead and offered him a fake look of concern. "I think that's a good idea. We should leave."

Pansy stood up and spoke to Theo's ear through her teeth. "Something's wrong, get him out of here."

Draco glowered at her. Nothing was wrong with him. They just weren't listening. They were in denial.

"You don't understand, Pansy," he insisted. "Now that everyone's out of Hogwarts, the Dark Lord is going to go after him, he'll go after Blaise, Daph-"

Pansy bent over and covered his mouth with her hand. "You really want to tell me, Draco?"

He nodded his head up and down, her hand still over his mouth. He needed to tell her. He needed to tell Theo.

"Wait two minutes. I'll tell Daphne we left. Can you wait two minutes?"

He supposed he could. But not much longer.

"Okay," he glared at her sullenly, speaking into her fingers.

Pansy removed her hand from his mouth, took the empty wine glass from Draco's hand, inhaled the fumes and held it out to Theo. "I wonder if he's the only one who had their drink spiked with Tongue Loosening Serum tonight."

She took her own wine glass from the coffee table and sniffed, then sniffed harder, sending Theo a knowing look.

Just then, Vince climbed atop of the coffee table and raised his wine glass. "The Dark Lord will kill all the Mudbloods and the blood traitors!" He pushed down his sleeve to show everyone his Dark Mark. "We'll all take the mark! And fight to purify our world!"

"No." Theo raised his eyebrows at Pansy in amusement. "Not the only one."

000000000000000000000

Draco sat with his head in his hands in Theo's parlor. He couldn't believe how close he'd come to giving himself up. He could have talked about Hermione, he could have talked about spying for the Order, he could have talked about anything. He was lucky the serum hadn't started affecting him until he was speaking with Theo and Pansy. And he was lucky Pansy caught on so quickly and prevented him from saying anything more incriminating than his thoughts on the bleak outlook of pure-blood society. Draco hadn't realized he was babbling at all.

Millie told Pansy that Greg also had his drink spiked, and of course, Vince. Pansy did as well. The obvious commonality was that the four of them were active Death Eaters. Draco didn't understand why someone would want to give them Tongue Loosening Serum and because of that, it was nearly impossible to know who had done it. Those floating trays provided anyone the opportunity to do so.

Pansy and Theo sat across from him on the loveseat, quietly discussing what Pansy had been through with Rowle while an all-purpose antidote made its way through his body.

"Draco," Theo called out.

He lifted his head.

"Who's the ministry intern? Is it Elizabeth?"

"Fuck off."

Theo turned back to Pansy. "It's out of his system."

Pansy absently drew patterns on Theo's thigh with her fingers. She pursed her lips and looked at Draco. "Tongue Loosening Serum was a poor choice. Veritaserum would have ensured that direct answers would be given to questions and it has no aftertaste." She raised an eyebrow tauntingly. "I cannot believe you drank that wine. Were you raised by Weasleys?"

He glared at her, but ignored the barb. "It has to be someone working for the Dark Lord. Probably checking loyalty. They knew about the implant."

Theo flicked his eyes to Draco and then back to Pansy. "What implant?"

"Hopefully you'll never have to find out," Pansy answered evasively. "You know, Theo," she leaned back against his chest, but stared at Draco. "Draco's right. You should go on holiday."

"But I don't want to leave you," Theo said, nuzzling her hair.

Pansy closed her eyes and took his hand. "They'll force you to take the Dark Mark. You'll fail at torturing prisoners just like Draco does–"

"Did." Draco interrupted.

Theo turned to him, shocked. Maybe now Theo would understand how urgent it was for him to get the fuck out of here.

"Did," Pansy continued, without missing a beat. "And then someone will torture you instead. You'll fail at killing and then you'll get tortured some more. Eventually, you'll have so much hatred towards everyone and everything you won't fail anymore. And then you won't want to leave." She paused and tilted her head playfully. "Unless they kill you first."

Draco wondered if that was to be his fate from using Unforgivable Curses. Broken down and hating everyone around him save for a precious few.

"And that's assuming you even remember," Pansy continued in a bitter tone, eying Draco. By unspoken agreement, neither one mentioned the incident at Wembley Stadium, both worried it would come back to bite them in the arse.

"What do you mean?" Theo raised his voice, slightly panicked.

Draco shifted his gaze from Pansy to Theo. "You don't have any family here. Don't you have some elderly relative to take care of?" Caring for one of the many Notts living abroad would be as good a cover as any.

"Is that why you stay? To protect your family?" Theo asked.

Draco clenched his jaw. "I stay because I want to serve the Dark Lord."

Theo narrowed his inquisitive, blue eyes at him. "You're worried about the Thought Police."

Draco stared back at Theo, each of them stunned the other had read a Muggle book; sharing something even more forbidden than going into hiding.

"Who the hell are the Thought Police?" Pansy asked, irritated.

Theo ignored her question. "And how long would I be away?"

"Until the Dark Lord defeats the Order," Pansy replied, as if it were obvious.

"And when he's won, my absence won't be frowned upon?" Theo asked skeptically.

Pansy scoffed and waved her hand dismissively. "Draco's right. You can say you're caring for one of your elderly relatives. They're too busy to track down all the Nott cousins and second cousins and family by marriage all over the globe. You're not that important in the grand scheme of things."

"Excuse me, I am extremely important."

"To me you are," she said, patting his thigh patronizingly, and then turned back to Draco. "Draco, you said you could help?"

He looked up. "Yes, after my mother's summer party."

Chapter end notes:

My fic fest piece just came out. It's a one shot with demon Draco called Draco's Body (title taken from the movie, Jennifer's Body), and has awesome fan art to go along with it! Mind the warnings though!

Next chapter: A bit of fluff before the angst comes to a head again.