What Shakespeare Never Told You

Chapter 1

Hermione Granger reached for another stack of envelopes that she had to address. Painstakingly, she began to continue down the list of names and addresses that she had been given. The invitations were for the National Dragon Control Benefit Auction, and despite the aid of magic, they were taking an incredibly long time. It may have been an odd scene, one of the most brilliant minds to go through Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a long time friend of the infamous Harry Potter, doing the humble task of addressing invitations for a benefit. But Hermione didn't mind much, naturally, she'd rather have it be for an Elf Rights benefit, but she didn't mind doing things right and starting at the bottom of the ranks. Besides, the faster they rise, the harder they fall.

She continued waving her wand in the pattern as the ink appeared on the invitations, transferred from the list to the prim cream colored parchment in her neat handwriting. Not for the first time she wondered how long this task would take without the aid of magic.

Across the room, a pretty blonde-haired witch got up from her desk turned up the radio on her desk, which was tuned to the WWN. Hermione barely listened as the reporter spoke enthusiastically of the construction of a new branch of Malfoy Industries in the Wizarding Village of Giggleswick, just north of London. The wizarding economy had experienced a huge jump ever since the defeat of Voldemort two years prior, and new companies and branches of old ones were popping up everywhere. For her part, Hermione didn't quite know what Malfoy Industries marketed, but she was pretty sure that the people of Giggleswick would be no better for the addition to their town.

It had probably been charming before the addition of a big time manufacturer.

Just then, the current reporter was interrupted by a new voice, which seemed less enthusiastic and more seasoned to broadcasting on the Wizarding Wireless Network. "We interrupt the scheduled program for an advisory to avoid the main street of Diagon Alley for a many-person duel that has broken out there. An Auror team has been dispatched to deal with the offenders, but the area is best avoided for now."

Hermione couldn't help but sigh. One would think that with the defeat of Voldemort all the problems would disappear, but it seemed that the Dark Lord's death had merely caused the tensions between the Dark and Light sides to come to a head. Both sides had been hurt at the Battle of Hogwarts, and both had suffered deaths and lost people that they cared about. If it's possible for a Death Eater to care about anyone, she thought ruefully. They were only hurting themselves with these street fights, and their numbers were slowly being diminished to almost nothing. Harry, the new head of the Auror office almost always took the side of the Order, and every time a fight broke out, more of the Offending Party, often under-cover Death Eaters who had run away from the Battle of Hogwarts with their tails between their legs were hauled away for trial, now that there was something concrete to accuse them with.

Hermione smiled inwardly, soon enough this problem would be solved once and for all.

***********

A pair of people made their way through Diagon Alley, and while they didn't make any movement that seemed particularly threatening, the law-abiding citizens of the Alley gave them a wide berth, while mothers pulled their children out of the way. A tall, willowy girl with long dark hair and a strikingly beautiful face walked next to a dark-skinned boy, who was also fairly good looking. While they made no aggressive moves, their mere body structure gave the impression that they wanted to be left alone, and everyone near them saw in their expressions that they had better abide by their wishes.

However, from across the street, a group of people approached the pair. "Oi, Greengrass!" called one, his red hair reflecting the early afternoon sunlight, "How does it feel to be at the bottom of the totem pole for once?"

The girl stiffened, and reached towards a pocket in her robes where her wand was hidden.

"Easy Daphne," Said the boy, placing a hand on the girl's arm, as the tallest of the other group approached.

"Oh cut it out Blaise" She returned, glaring daggers at the red headed boy standing before her. A gleeful expression came into her eyes and without a thought she brought her foot down heavily on Blaise's, and wrenched her arm free from his grasp. Drawing her wand she shouted an incantation and a hex flew from her wand towards the red headed young man. Drawing his wand from his pocket he blocked the hex and advanced towards the girl.

"Daph," Hissed Blaise, stepping back so that he was standing next to his friend, "Stop this now" His tone was deadly serious. At the same time, a girl from across the street called to the red headed boy, "George! Cut it out!" In answer, the young man merely raised his wand and sent another hex in the girl's direction which she efficiently blocked.

"Don't worry Blaise" She laughed, "I haven't had this much fun in ages"

The screams of several people rose up from around them. Blaise turned to glare at a middle aged woman who was gathering her children in her arms. It wasn't that bad. Really. But as he felt a hex fly past his ear and heard the sound of shattering glass, he couldn't help but feel that the woman might be on to something. Several pops split the air and although he wasn't sure if it was people coming or leaving, it crossed Blaise's mind to apparate out while he still had a chance. He'd been around to see some of the Pureblood Extremists hauled away for merely being near the site of a quarrel. Potter was doing a fine job ridding the world of the nuisances

He ducked down as another spell flew past his head. Daphne and the Weasley kid were circling each other, George sending shots of light and various spells at her while Daphne danced out of the way, cackling and taunting. Pointing her wand at a street lamp, the lamp uprooted and flew through the air at a blinding speed, nearly colliding with George who barely blocked it in time. The force of his spell sent the huge piece of metal crashing through a window into the Magical Menagerie. In a flutter of wings a hundred owls took flight, liberated from their cages and several dozen rats scurried from the store into the street. Several onlookers had rushed towards the two duelers, wands drawn in an attempt to separate them, but Daphne only turned on the new additions as ferociously as she had George Weasley.

The street was a mess, animals were running everywhere and glass littered the cobblestones, sobbing children and the sounds of people apparating in and out only added to the din. Spells were flying every which way and people were taking cover behind anything that they could find or joining in the fight. "Daphne!" Cried Blaise, struggling to see her dark head of hair through the mob, "The ministry is coming! Let's get out of here!"

"You worry too much, Blaise!" She shouted back as another spell broke the window right next to where Blaise was standing, drowning out anything else she had to say.

'"You're an idiot!" He shouted back, cowering from the flying shards of glass.

Suddenly out of nowhere a large golden net had formed in the air above them and quickly fell to earth, trapping the duelers beneath it. Several grim-faced men and women approached the now struggling duelers, some of whom were trying to blast the net out of the way or slash holes in it, to no avail. The youngest of the group, a young man no older than Blaise scanned the mob of people, his eyes resting a few extra moments on George Weasley. Pointing his wand at his throat he muttered "Sonorus" and immediately his voice rang out loudly, echoing off the walls and storefronts. "What is the meaning of this?" He asked, his tone deadly serious.

Daphne's head appeared above the rest of the group, as she extracted herself from between two rather large men. "It was Weasley, sir" She cried, trying to look injured and pathetic, "He was taunting me, he started it" She turned slightly and glared daggers at the boy a few feet away from her.

"Is this true George?" He asked, his eyes following Daphne's gaze until they came to rest on George Weasley.

"Absolutely not" He said, shaking his head. Daphne scoffed at the outright lie. "You know her type, Harry. And she's loopy, gone completely crazy."

"Listen Potter," Said Blaise, taking a step closer to where Harry was standing, "They both had a hand in this, Weasley was giving Daph a hard time, but she's the one that brought it to blows."

Harry stared at Blaise for a moment or two, a calculating look on his face. "Thank you Zabini." He said, turning back to the group beneath the net. "Listen to me all of you. There will be no brawling in these streets, understand? Next time something like this happens, everyone participating will be taken to the ministry to stand trial. Do you understand me?"

Several weak "yes sirs" came from the group, and a few people in the front nodded their heads, shamefacedly. Daphne looked positively giddy at having been let off so easily.

"Good" With a wave of his wand, Harry vanished the net, and then he and the rest of the aurors disapparated with a series of pops.

"Thank Merlin" Breathed Daphne, coming over to stand next to Blaise, "What do you say we go get some drinks?"

"Sorry Daph" Said Blaise, "But I promised to meet Draco this afternoon, he's been under a lot of stress opening up so many new branches of the company."

"Eh" Said Daphne nonchalantly, "I'm sure it's nothing a little shaking up can't fix. He should have been here this afternoon, it might have pulled him out of his stupor." She shook her head, "I gotta go, let me know of any plans you've got tonight, by the way," She leaned in close as if she were disclosing a brilliant secret, "Potter's birthday celebration's tonight, might be fun to wreak some havoc, huh?"

"After what you pulled today you'd be shut away without a trial" Hissed Blaise. But Daphne just laughed and pulled out her wand to apparate, but stopped just before she turned.

"By the way, it's a masquerade."

"How do you find all this out?" He asked. But she just smiled secretively and disapparated. Blaise stared at the spot where she had been standing for a long time. Daphne had gotten lucky today, but he was certain that if she wasn't careful, there would soon be a cell in Azkaban with her name on it. It was only a matter of time, he was sure, until the rivalry between the dwindling Dark Lord supporters and the remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix led to more than just a few shattered storefronts. Grimacing slightly, he turned on the spot and disapparated.

A few seconds later he reappeared, his lungs expanding thankfully as he took in the scene before him. Malfoy Manor, the spot that it was rumored to have been used as headquarters for the Death Eaters, but Blaise wasn't positive. It has been a long time since Draco had ever told him anything of real importance. Pocketing his wand, Blaise marched down the long drive and up the steps to the large door. He didn't bother to knock, but turned the knob. It was unlocked. Pushing the door open, he stepped into the vast entryway. The house was huge, much too large for the two people that lived there. After Lucius had died, the house had gone to Draco, but Narcissa had stayed. She mostly spent her time nowadays prowling the halls, and sometimes visiting Blaise's mother, Adanne.

Shutting the door behind him, he made his way through the vast house, encountering no one, not even one of the many house elves he knew served the two people who lived there. As he walked, his footsteps echoed ominously through the many corridors, staircases, and passageways that made up Malfoy manor. Finally, he reached the back of the house and reached a handsome oak door, which he knew led to Draco's study. Pushing it open, Blaise found his best friend bent over his work, reading through what looked like a very long and very dull report. Every now and then he would circle or underline something with the quill he held in his left hand. Upon hearing Blaise's entry he looked up wearily.

"Blaise," he sighed, turning back to the piece of parchment, "What brings you here?"

"We were going to hang out today" Said Blaise, seating himself in one of the chairs sitting in front of the desk and propping his legs up on the shining surface.

"Did we?" Said Draco, eyeing Blaise's feet now settled on top of his gleaming desk. "Sorry Blaise, I haven't got the time."

"Listen Draco," Blaise set his feet back on the floor, and leaned forward, taking the parchment out of the blonde man's hands. "We've been friends since before we could walk, so I'm pretty sure I'm able to tell when something isn't right, and right now I can tell that you desperately need a break."

Draco stared at Blaise for several moments before leaning back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're right," he finally said, "I have no idea how father was ever able to handle all of this, I feel more threatened by this" he waved his hand at the mountainous stacks of parchment littering his desk, "than I ever felt by the Dark Lord" he smiled wanly "I need to get away."

"Did you hear about the duel?"Asked Blaise, in an attempt to distract his friend.

"Yeah, Portillo sent me an owl. Were you there?"

"Yep," Blaise returned to his former position, his feet now resting on what looked like a series of money transactions. "Daphne started it, that girl's an idiot"

"Where's she now?" Draco stared up at the ceiling, in an uninterested manner

"No idea, although she's planning on crashing Potter's party tonight."

Draco smiled sarcastically, "She really is an idiot."

"Yeah, and she said that I should talk you into going--"

Just then an owl flew in through the open window with a squawk and dropped an official looking envelope on Draco's desk. "Damn it!" Swore Draco, "Owls have been in and out all day, Merlin." He moved to snatch up the envelope, but Blaise got there first, grabbing it from the desk and holding it out of Draco's reach.

"Listen," He said, inspiration dawning on his face, "You need to have some fun, let's join Daphne tonight, huh?"

"Absolutely not," Said Draco reaching for the envelope, "That's a stupid idea and you know it."

"I don't think so," Blaise tucked the envelope into one of his pockets, much to Draco's annoyance, "It'll be good to shake things up, and you need some changes, all work and no play is what you're doing, and it's starting to tell." Draco merely glared at Blaise, eyeing the spot where the letter had disappeared. "Listen, it's a masquerade, I'm sure Daphne will be happy to find stuff for us to wear, so you don't have to worry about anything but showing up." He stood up to leave, "Come to my place at seven, I'll owl Daphne, and so help me you had better be there." He reached once again into his pocket and extracted the letter, "There you go," he tossed it onto the desk, where it settled softly before turning to go.

"I despise you," muttered Draco glaring at Blaise through narrowed eyes.

"I know," chuckled the boy, "see you at seven."

Hey guys!

So here's the first real chapter, and I've already gotten started on the next which I am really excited about. A few things that I want to address: you may have noticed that George Weasley is really out of character, the reason for that is I needed a Tybalt and I was thinking of using Ron but he was going to be Paris and he can't be both, George was the next best thing. My reasoning is that ever since Fred was killed he was really bitter and started taking that out on people who he associated with the DE's. All of that will be explained in the next chapter.

Shout Outs!

Musicmaniac91: Thank you! I have tons of difficulty with beginnings so that's really encouraging

Oola: Thanks very much! I hope it continues to be interesting

Voldyismyfather: :)

LucytheReviewer: Thanks! I definitely hope so!

And for all you lurking readers Remember…reviews feed the muse and the muse is VERY hungry. FEED THE MUSE