Title:Game Without Tears

Disclaimer: I do not own, wish I did, but I don't. I only own my plot line. Full disclaimer, first chapter.

Author: ShaeLynn Teelle

All other information: See first chapter.

Polite constructive criticism welcome. FLAMES WILL BE FED TO THE DRAGON IN MY BED.

Chapter 6: Wrapped in Guilt, Sealed Tight

Over the next four weeks the group of Slytherins did everything they could to keep Daphne calm and at least mentally prepared for what was going to happen, including basic Occlumency. Pansy and Gregory were always there to lend a shoulder for her to cry on and Daphne found herself quickly becoming a source of comfort along with Vincent for Pansy after the longer Death Eater meetings, though they were few and far between. During these weeks, Gregory and Daphne became closer as well.

Through Daphne the group had found two others that, while they would never be forced to take the mark, were willing to help the group in any way they could from where they were. The two were Daphne's best friends, Tracey Davis and Blaise Zabini, though Blaise had already been secretly assisting Draco. They knew what would happen to Daphne and what had already happened to Pansy. Tracey was good with basic and advanced medi-magic and Blaise, surprisingly, knew basic Muggle first aid which came in handy, though it wasn't used often.

In the midst of these additions to the group of spies, Draco was forming a plan on his own to help the girl that was fast becoming as important to him as the rest of what he considered his Slytherin family. A family that had suddenly become four members larger with the addition of Daphne's young sister, Selena, whom they protected as much as they could.

Then, on the second Friday in December, Daphne received an owl from her father at breakfast. Only Tracey, sitting next to her, knew when Daphne began trembling and quickly alerted Pansy who sat diagonally from her. Pansy nodded once, glancing across the table at Draco while Tracey helped Daphne to her feet, steadily leading her from the Great Hall as though nothing was wrong. From his position down the table, Blaise could only watch and shrug at his dorm mate when Theodore asked what was wrong.

Draco had tipped his head very slightly to show that he understood what Pansy was trying to tell him with her look and the girls' departure. Draco poked his elbows into the sides of the two sitting next to him. Vincent and Gregory looked at him, then, looked to where his gaze was fixed on Daphne's retreating form. Wordlessly, the two set down their forks, even though they had just started to eat, and rose with Draco. Pansy got to her feet and the group silently walked out of the Great Hall. Pansy clung to Draco's arm down to the Slytherin dorms as if nothing unusual had happened.

They reached the Slytherin common room to find Tracey and Daphne waiting for them. Daphne had a shocked expression on her face and her trembling had increased so they all noticed it. Draco led the way to his room, knowing the common room was prone to first years returning for forgotten homework. When they were safely enclosed in the single dorm room, Draco addressed Daphne whom Tracey had gotten to sit on the edge of Draco's bed.

"What's wrong, Daph?"

"There's a meeting set for tomorrow after the match between Gryffindor and us. I'm to be initiated then. Tomorrow. I— I—"

Pansy took Tracey's spot, being able to better empathize with what was wrong and Gregory sat on Daphne's other side, arms wrapped about her as she began to sob. Pansy looked to Draco for advice, she had never had to worry about going to classes after a crying fit before, but she found that Draco himself was deep in thought.

"Daphne," Draco said quietly after another moment and knelt in front of the crying girl. "I have been thinking a lot in the last month on how to make this easier for you. I couldn't help Pansy as I was not in a position at the time to do so, but I think I can help you, at least a little. As part of his Inner Circle and legal age, the Snake will require me to take part in your initiation.

"The Concealment Salve I've been working on was finished Wednesday. I penned a note to him that night giving him the news and that I had heard of your pending initiation. I suggested to him that I would prefer you… unsoiled or minimally so and they all know that I… can't perform sexually with an audience." Tracey frowned at Draco, but he ignored her and continued.

"I'm sorry, Daphne, but this way I can slip you a potion to make things easier. It will dull any pain and relax your muscles for an hour. It should be over by then. If you are given to me first, I'll have to take you or the others will know, even if you are not a virgin, they'll know. If I get you… later, I won't. This is the only thing I can possibly do. I can't think of anything else that could help you. Do you understand, Daph? " Draco asked, compassion in his voice at what she might be thinking.

"I haven't… I hope you are first, Draco. At least then I'll know that you didn't want to and I'll know who it is. It won't be so bad. Thank you for helping me prepare for this, all of you," she said, glancing at the five surrounding her. "I wish it wasn't necessary."

"So do we all, Daphne. So do we all," Gregory said quietly, holding her tightly to his chest.

After some time and with only five minutes to spare before class began, Daphne got her tears completely under control. Draco cast a quick refreshing charm for Daphne's flushed face and the five quietly left the dorm, just in time to reach their respective classes before the Professors.

\/\/\/\/\/

"You have done well, my loyal Potions Maker. You will be well rewarded for this. The process of initiation shall begin shortly and you shall have the privilege of the first round," Voldemort said loudly, his hissing voice high with excitement as he looked to Draco at his right-hand side.

Draco felt the glare come from the others in the inner circle, but knew they would not dare to disagree with Voldemort's decision, especially as they had all managed to escape any punishments thanks to the success of the potion he had made. "Thank you, my Lord. Is the initiate prepared in the room?" he asked without emotion, following what he had heard from other initiations that he had seen, but not participated in.

"Of course, Dorchadai, my darkness When you have finished, bring her out here. I want to watch the rest of her initiation."

Draco nodded and calmly walked through a portion of the wall at his right. When he was inside the room he closed the door loudly. The room was small, barely seven by five feet. In the middle of the room, on an even smaller rug, a figure knelt. A white mask with pink and light green detailing covered half of her face, leaving her mouth and chin bare. Her hair was pulled back into a tight braid, one of the many things Pansy had suggested as it couldn't be pulled on as much while it was tied back. Draco walked forward until he stood directly in front of her.

"My Lord," she murmured and Draco was proud to hear the Daphne kept her fright from her voice, even as she knelt there in no more than a thin robe, waiting to be taken by force.

"Founder's secrets," Draco said quietly.

Daphne looked up at the Death Eater in front of her and nodded once, knowing by the words and half-mask that it was Draco. He knelt in front of her and produced the small vial of pain-relieving calming potion from one of his many small pockets inside his robe. He gently poured it into her mouth as her hands were tied behind her back. Then, as he hid the vial away once again, told her to turn around and they both played the parts that were expected of them.

\/\/\/\/\/

Two hours later Draco returned to Hogwarts and silently made his way to the Slytherin dorms. He knocked once on the door of the room that Vincent and Gregory shared before entering. He closed the door behind him quickly and looked at the others in the room. Pansy and Vincent were quietly studying on Vincent's bed as neither had been called and both merely nodded at Draco in greeting. The hangings about Gregory's bed were closed and no sound could be heard from within.

"Greg? Daph?" he asked quietly.

After a moment the hangings on one side of the bed rustled and Gregory stepped out, quietly pulling the hangings closed behind him. He stood facing Draco, neither said a word for a few long moments.

"I'm sorry, Gregory. How is she doing?"

"She's asleep right now. If the Snake doesn't call a meeting with the girls anytime soon, she'll heal. Thank you, Dragon."

"Don't thank me for what I did. It wasn't enough. They still hurt her. I still hurt her and we can't change that. I'm sorry."

"Dragon, you did what you could, all that you could to help her. There's nothing more we could have asked of you. You risked your life to help her and if you hadn't, Daphne would have been hurt so much worse, possibly even killed," Gregory said convincingly, laying his hand lightly on Draco's shoulder, but the other Slytherin just shook his head.

"Please, Greg. When she wakes up, tell her I'm sorry," Draco said and hurried from the room just as quietly as he had entered.

He left the Slytherin dorms and went outside to the lake. He ignored the frigid winds that were blowing snow into drifts on the grounds and stared out at the rippling waters. None of the five Slytherins made it to the Great Hall for supper.

\/\/\/\/\/

"I can't believe we stayed out so late!" Hermione gasped out as the three were hurrying through the snow towards Hogwarts.

"You're the one that spent so much time in the bookstore, Hermione! We didn't even have time to get anything to eat at the Three Broomsticks," Ron said from behind her.

"You need to gauge your future by more than just the time of your next meal, Ron. We have our NEWTs in less than six months."

"Hermione, you've got your books. Ron, I'll go to the kitchens for you. Now, be quiet so we don't get caught, please."

"Hey, who's that?" Ron asked, pointing towards the lake.

"Oh, who cares? It's cold out here and we're already late. Now, come on!" Hermione said and went faster without waiting to see if the other two followed.

"Harry, that's Malfoy! Who does he think he is? He doesn't even have a winter cloak on. Being a Malfoy isn't going to help him if he freezes to death."

"I don't know, Ron, but let's just get back to the dorms. If he wants to freeze that's his choice," Harry said before hurrying after Hermione, but a frown decorated his face as he glanced back at the Slytherin whose pale blonde hair was silver in the brief moonlight as it shone out between storm clouds.

When they reached the dorms Harry slipped back down to the kitchens with his Invisibility Cloak. After bringing plenty of food back for Ron, he silently left the Gryffindor common room again. Staying within the shadows Harry went to one of the windows that overlooked the lake. He saw Draco as he still stood at the lakes edge without a winter cloak.

Harry frowned and went through one of the side doors. He slipped down to the lake, walking in one of the worn paths so no fresh footsteps would be found. Silently, he walked to the edge of the lake, standing no more than ten feet from the Slytherin, but the other didn't seem to notice even his presence. Harry stood there for almost five minutes watching as Draco occasionally shivered and was glad he had his winter cloak on.

"I know you're there," the Slytherin said very quietly and Harry almost jumped.

A voice about five feet to his right called out 'Finate Incantatum' and two black-cloaked figures appeared. At first Harry thought they were Death Eaters until one pulled back the hood and he saw the long hair and Slytherin scarf, but couldn't tell which girl she was as she stood with her face in the shadows from the school. The other did the same and Gregory Goyle was revealed.

"Are you really that anxious to freeze out here?" the girl asked quietly, her voice slightly hoarse.

"I've stood out here for the last four hours, somehow I doubt I'm going to freeze anytime soon as I do know temporary heating charms." Draco turned to face the two, "Daph, about earlier—"

Draco was cut off by the girl's slap against his right cheek. She stood in front of him, hands clenched at her sides. For several minutes Draco just stood there, stunned, though the slap hadn't hurt him much, while the girl glared at him.

"I don't want your apologies, Dragon. I know you're sorry. I already forgave you hours ago. You did what you had to, I did what I had to, that's the end of it. Now, come inside before you really do freeze out here. We can't afford you getting ill in the middle of everything else happening."

She walked up to Draco and put her arm about his waist, gently leading him away from the lake and back towards Hogwarts. Gregory fell into step beside her and the trio left silently, Harry's gaze following them the entire way until they entered the school.

Once they had reached the school, Harry followed the trail the Slytherins had left and returned as well. He caught a glimpse of the three as they turned down the corridor leading towards the dungeons and debated with himself if he should follow them, as he couldn't place who the girl had been, or her name.

After a moment he decided to simply return to the Gryffindor common room. When he got there Ron asked where he went, but Harry just shook his head and spent the next hour until curfew staring into the fire, puzzling over the scene he had just been a witness to and the way that none of the three Slytherins had acted as he had expected them to.

\/\/\/\/\/

Two weeks later the Christmas holidays began. There had only been one brief meeting called between Daphne's initiation and the start of the holidays and thankfully the girls were not required to attend. All five Slytherins knew that there would be a meeting called on the eve of Christmas Day and Gregory, Vincent, and Draco were worried about Pansy and Daphne. Draco knew from his father that this meeting would be more of a revelry for the holidays and the women were made good use of at that time.

It was also the time when the highest number of deaths was recorded for the women. The five wouldn't be able to write to each other, but they wished each other the best of luck for the meeting and Vincent an early happy birthday. Draco also provided both girls with two pain-relieving calming potions, one for the Christmas revelry and the other in case a second meeting was called. It was the longest Christmas holiday any of them had ever experienced.

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