A.N. I apologise for this chapter already...the first bit is a bit shit, funny as it made me laugh while writing it but shit never-the-less ;)
Chapter 10 - Recruiting Hard Times
Orion quickly wrote a note explaining their upcoming absence and staked it to Draco's door, narrowly missing the growling dragon who safe-guarded his friend, before tearing out of the Common Room like a bat out of hell, with Alerion and Andy right behind him. They pounded on the wall where the Room of Requirements was usually found and waited for the occupant to show himself, as they bent over breathless, trying to regain the use of their lungs.
"We are getting fat. That's all I can say." Andy exclaimed, wheezing heavily as he slumped against the wall.
"Yup," Orion replied, "We need to hit the gym pronto."
Alerion opened his mouth to respond but quickly shut it again and just nodded in agreement, making the other two dissolve into a combined fit of laughter and coughing.
The door appeared and the redheaded fugitive poked his head out of the side, raising an eyebrow at the pair, who had clearly not regained their sense of normality and looked as if the Heimlich manoeuvre would be the appropriate remedy.
"No fear. We come in..." Alerion took a deep breath before trying again but was interrupted.
"Pieces, clearly," Ron deadpanned, "So you are either here to kick my arse or to invite me to your tea party and I'm guessing you don't look much like an execution squad so I am in the clear for cream tea and cucumber sandwiches. Agreed?"
Andy regarded him with a raised eyebrow for a moment before exclaiming, "I like you already. You got a bit of spunk, a bit of fire in ya bones..."
"Shut up Andy, just bring him home." Alerion growled in amusement, before turning swiftly, making his cloak swish in a movement that would be approved by Severus Snape.
The newest member of En Lucem gazed upon Alerion's retreating form in amazement and then followed willingly.
When Hermione had finally calmed and her sobs had stopped, she extracted herself from Draco's arms and wandered into the bathroom to wipe all traces of tears from her face.
Draco made his way into their common room and stopped in fright.
"WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE TO OUR COMMON ROOM?" Draco yelled, horrified at the bright colours.
The quartet did not move from their positions around a long rectangular tea table in the centre.
"More tea Orion?" Andy asked, pushing the tattered top hat back into place after it slid down to his nose.
He nodded in the affirmative and held out his cracked bone china tea cup towards the large pottery tea pot.
Hermione entered the room and squealed in delight for two reasons.
"I love Alice in Wonderland," She exclaimed, looking around the room, "Ronald, you make a lovely March Hare."
Ron grumbled in annoyance, scratching at the very real looking brown fur ears that had sprouted from his head.
The room had changed to various shades of pink, purple and blue. Fairy mushrooms and jungle like plants littered the floor and hung from the ceiling. Strange animals flew, shuffled and hobbled through the undergrowth.
Andy's hair had turned a shockingly bright orange and was covered with a large battered and burnt top hat. Alerion had turned blue and had round metal framed glasses perched upon his nose, whilst smoking on a pipe. Orion had gained several stone and wore white and blue stripes. Looking at Draco you could see light and dark blue stripes he had gained as well as his eyes turning into bright blue cats eyes. Hermione herself had gained a tattered and mud splattered blue Victorian dress complete with no stockings or corset.
"Hello Hatter," Hermione nodded to Andy, "Absolom," Alerion winked to her, "Tweedledum or Tweedledee." She patted Orion on the shoulder.
"Hello Cheshire." Hermione grinned at Draco.
He groaned, but joined the others in saying, "Hello Alice."
Andy gestured to them to sit down, "Tea?"
Hermione immediately trust her chipped cup to Andy and waited for the warm liquid to be poured. But Draco was still looking at his cup, actually through it. The whole of the bottom had disappeared leaving a sharp jagged edge.
"And you call yourself a wizard." Alerion exclaimed jokingly, as he snatched the china away from him.
He tapped the rim with his wand before passing in along to Andy. They all watched waiting for the tea to pour straight through, but instead it hovered where the bottom should have been. The Hatter, then hovered, the broken cup back to Draco, who snorted in amusement at the ridiculousness of the whole situation.
Hermione giggled and then began passing around the various foods on broken plates, using magic. Scones, sandwiches, biscuits, cakes and tarts flew around the room, landing on their plates without destroying themselves.
They all dug in, trying to ignore any animosity they had against each other.
Once they had finished all the food, they settled into a strained silence.
"So why are you really here, Ron?" Hermione sighed, looking at the floor instead of her old friend.
He swallowed slowly, giving himself time to form an adequate answer, "Hermione, you have been my friend for six years, I was stupid for letting that go on the train, I knew the way Potter treated you was bad, but I knew he wouldn't listen to me if I had confronted him about it. You were not at the Burrow over the holidays, but his attitude has slowly become what it is. Before the holidays, he was the Harry we all knew and loved, but sometime during the summer he started ignoring everything I said, defying my parents, being cocky and generally acting like a spoilt prat. We still don't know what made him change, whether it is his true person shining through or something else, but the Order's position has been moved as a precaution, just in case it's He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named controlling him through his scar. I don't want to think the worst of Harry as he has been my best friend for ages, but I cannot ignore his actions. You have always been my friend and I would be stupid to throw that away. Plus I have been training for this fight for the whole of my school life."
Hermione hugged her friend, "If you want to be in our house you are going to have to get a new uniform. Andy and Alerion, would it be possible for you to take Ron to your shop to get more clothes please?"
Their head of years nodded in confirmation, as they realised today would be the day they grow closer together.
Alerion waved his wand and the room and their clothes returned to normal.
"I have an idea. For Neville, because he is a member of this house, to get a coin with our phoenix on it, so that he can contact us whenever he likes." Draco explained slowly.
Hermione and Ron grinned at this idea.
"Draco you are a genius. We'll get a few tokens whilst we're out." Andy smiled, clapping him on the back.
The brothers shepherded the newest member of En Lucem out the door and towards the headmaster's office.
Once they were gone they all sighed knowing it was time.
The Trio dragged themselves to Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom with solemn expressions, knowing that what they were about to indulge could make or break their queer friendship. Orion leant against the wall by the door, whilst Hermione sat on the floor next to him. Draco sat on one of the sinks as he waited for someone to start.
"I'll start," Hermione said shakily, "Last year, my sister had a boyfriend. He was a right tosser. His name was Michael and he always gave me the creeps; he was always looking at me strangely, it made my skin crawl. One day I got a letter from my sister telling me that he had forced himself on her and that she was scared. Except I was at school, I couldn't do anything to help her or comfort her properly. So I wrote to my mother explaining the situation, but before she could read it my father did. She was at work at the time and couldn't calm my father down. He blamed my sister for what happened to her. He said that it was because of her attitude that Melanie had been raped and if she hadn't of worn such revealing clothes it wouldn't have happened. I went home for Christmas and Michael was there, I couldn't understand it, if father had known of that bastards actions, why was he there eating from our table at Christmas of all times? I confronted my father, after dinner, about it but he said Michael had done no wrong and that we only had Mel's word for it. I ran to my room, with the intention of getting ready for bed before saying good night to my sister. So I was in the process of changing in the dark when my light switched on and there he was, lounging on my bed in only his boxers, staring at me. I had rushed to cover myself up, as I was only in my underwear, but Michael had pulled me on to my bed and held me there.
"I have always wanted you, ever since I met your family I have wanted you." He had said, in a tone that was supposed to be alluring.
I fought against him and I managed to kick him in the balls and escape his clutches. My sister charged into my room, as I cowered in the corner, and yelled at Michael with so much anger I was beginning to get scared of her. I returned to Hogwarts the next day and had never been so pleased to be there, Harry and Ron of course didn't notice a change in me or if they did they didn't mention it. Returning home was inevitable during the summer, when I arrived at the station no one had come to get me so I had to get a taxi back. When I got home no one was there to greet me, so I went to put all my school stuff away, but I heard a noise coming from the bathroom. My sister had drowned herself and I couldn't save her. My mum soon left my father because of his indifference towards Melanie's suicide, she didn't know of Michael's actions, yet my father blamed me for my mother's abandonment and soon started beating me to 'keep me in line'. It's all my fault, I should have reported him, I should have seen the difference in her letters, I should have felt her desperation..."
"It's not and never will be your fault. All the blame shall be placed on Michael and your father." Orion growled comfortingly.
Draco wrapped an arm around her quaking figure and nodded towards Orion to start.
"I don't know who my parents are; I was left in a Muggle Orphanage by my mother just after I was born and I was only left with the names of my parents, but I haven't been able to find them. I don't even know if they are magical. Anyway, I spent around ten years in that place, until a couple turned up. No one wanted to adopt me because strange things happened around me, but out of the blue this pair wanted me and I felt special, until the oddities started again. One time, a boy stole the only thing my mother left with me on that doorstep," He slipped a tiny silver cross out from under his shirt, Draco's stomach dropped, "And I was sooo mad that I didn't think much of much when I saw him get knocked down by an invisible force and he fell on a knife, that wasn't there before, and impaled himself on it. The man who had adopted me blamed it on me, I was eleven, I had no idea what was happening. The woman was lovely, she defended me, saying that it couldn't have happened, that it wasn't possible, it was just a coincidence. For three years I had to listen to their constant arguing over me, when one day it stopped so suddenly it was like I went deaf, I went to investigate. I found the man crouching over her body bawling his eyes out, his hand clutched into a fist and cradled to his chest. Blood ran from her throat and on to the floor. He blamed me for murdering his wife and threatened to kill me too if I didn't get rid of the evidence. So I buried her in the back garden, gave her a funeral and everything, but he slowly went insane. He almost killed me several times because he thought I was there to kill him like I killed his wife, he had forced himself to believe that it wasn't by his hand that she died so that he didn't destroy himself with the guilt. I put up with it for so long that I began to believe I had killed her. Everything I did prompted him to pound me to a pulp. The last time I saw him, I broke her favourite vase and he went mental and literally beat me to death. That was the first time my shield appeared and I defended myself against him without killing him, but I was scaring him. Scaring him so bad that he went to hammer my head in with a baseball bat, all I could feel was a rush of fear, the need to get out of there, as well as hopelessness at my situation. So I waited for the death blow but it didn't come. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a room I hadn't been before and I was scared. I thought I was dead. Then Dumbledore and McGonagall came in and I almost killed them with my shield. I couldn't move as most of the bones in my body were broken because of that asshole, so my shield of weaponry was my only defence, but it was killing me, using up too much energy I needed to stay alive, I was killing myself. I don't know how I came to be here as it should be impossible."
Hermione grabbed him into a fierce hug as his body shook violently.
Draco swallowed harshly, his mouth had dried, "What were the names of your parents?" He whispered as he clutched at a chain around his neck.
"Severus and Narcissa Black." Orion whimpered, grasping hold of Hermione's shirt.
Draco paled and was promptly sick in one of the sinks beside him. Shaking he slid to the floor.
Hermione asked slowly, reaching out a hand to comfort him, "What's the matter, Draco?"
He flinched away from her comfort, not feeling worthy of it, "Severus Black doesn't exist, it's Snape. Narcissa Black doesn't exist because I killed her."
Orion backed away from his half-brother and sank to the floor in defeat.
"I think it's time for your story now."
Draco gulped, fear evident on his face as he started, "I didn't mean to, but I couldn't stop myself. She was the only person who loved me truly. Ever since I was little I have been forced to be the perfect Malfoy clone. My father," He spat the word, "Would punish me if I did anything that would be considered Muggle-loving and then kill the object of my affection to discourage me, which is why I was such a bastard to you before, so that he didn't kill you for something that wasn't your fault. All throughout my childhood I was subjected to the teachings of the Dark Arts and if I didn't get them right first time, he would beat me. If I defied him, which I did on more than one occasion, I would be taken down to the dungeons where he would let loose all his rage on me. I have died before, from Haemorrhagic Shock, blood loss and just giving up, my mum had to basically resurrect me every single time, because Lucius wouldn't give a shit if I did die. The day before the end of summer, I defended Narcissa because she was trying to protect me from her husband and Voldemort. I am glad that she found someone else to love because loving Lucius is toxic, it will kill you, but loving me will kill you faster. She defended me from Lucius and the task he was giving me. I defended her from him, and for my insolence I got put under the Imperius Curse and killed her as she was telling me that she loved me."
Draco had a tortured expression on his face as he braced for Orion's weaponry to pierce his flesh.
Shaking he whispered, "I am so sorry, so so so sorry."
Orion released a sob as he crawled towards his brother's trembling form and collapsed against his side.
"It's not your fault and it has never been your fault." He murmured comfortingly, into his neck.
After a while, they both calmed and pushed themselves off of the floor and slumped against the sinks instead.
"What was she like? I mean I knew her in public and she seemed harsh, but I suppose she was in the same position as you." Hermione asked slowly.
Draco smiled tightly, "Yeah, she was sorry about that you know. Mum hated that she couldn't be herself in public, she hated that her parents had forced her into a marriage that she didn't want. She had wanted to marry someone else but he wasn't of a pure blood family so she was arranged to marry that bastard. My...Sorry...Our mum was so compassionate and loving. She tended to the wounds of the house elves when Lucius had gone too far. She defended me and fought against him, even when it was her life in the balance. Mum tried so hard to get Lucius to not give me the task but he doesn't listen to anyone other than Voldemort..."
"What's your mission?" Hermione asked, her voice filled with sympathy.
"My father...gave me a task to complete...it would double as my initiation...to become a Death Eater." He explained, trying to avoid the question, choking on his own words.
"What's the task, Draco?" Orion said softly.
"I can't do it...I have to get the dark side into the castle...undetected..." Draco paused and took a deep breath, he was crying. "And I have to kill Dumbledore."
There was silence. Only interrupt by the dripping of water into a sink.
"Oh my god." Hermione breathed into the silent bathroom.
The silence was pierced by a loud screech coming from the heavy wooden door. It slowly moved back to its original position, alerting the trio to an eavesdropper.
Draco stood and pointed his wand towards the door; it flew open almost ripping off of the hinges to reveal Harry fucking Potter.
A.N. Sorry this was rushed. If you don't understand the Alice in Wonderland part, don't worry, I wrote it to cheer myself up
