35: The Smart Thing

A/N: This is a big chapter for plot! Enjoy ;)

Daphne Greengrass

Daphne needed to calm down.

Her dreams were plagued with lavender and blonde hair. Her doodles in class consisted of whispy fairies and greenhouses. Everywhere she went, she looked for a familiar head of blonde hair, prayed that she could bump into Luna for an excuse to speak to her in public.

But she couldn't. She couldn't because she didn't know how she was meant to explain how she was feeling. How she was meant to excuse years of prejudice over a crush. She wasn't meant to have a crush on Luna; had never even had a crush on a girl in the first place. And yet, there she was, with her heart thrumming and her palms sweating at the thought of Luna's smile.

Her heart had not beat this quickly before; not that she could remember.

And here she was again, daydreaming in the Slytherin common room, imagining how life would be if she wasn't a Greengrass. She'd never resented her family nor her name, and she knew it was no use to dwell on what could have been, but she still found herself lost in the fantasy.

Maybe she would've been like Luna; a simple girl from a simple wizarding family, with a simple cottage and an even simpler life. Or perhaps she would've been like Hermione; muggleborn and clueless to magic for most of her life. Either way, she would've been better off with her feelings in another lifetime.

It wasn't because it was a girl. Sure, that was confusing, but it was because it was Luna. Loony Lovegood! Merlin, Daphne had called her that so many times… She'd judged a book by it's cover, and now she wanted to read the pages.

But she had to test her theory, first.

"I heard this muggle story once," Daphne admitted one afternoon, sat in the corner of the library with Luna, "About how lovers are actually two halves of the same person."

"Oh?"

"Like," Daphne sighed, leaning back, "Originally all people were really pairs of people, joined back to back. And that some of the pairs were man and man, some man and woman… and others woman and woman."

Daphne waited, but she had no reaction.

"As in.. We are literally searching for our other half," Daphne finished, "I thought it was cool… But-"

"I like that story," Luna nodded, looking away wistfully, "It makes sense."

"I agree-"

"But I also don't like it."

Daphne furrowed her eyebrows, "How can you like something but also not like it?"

"Quite simply," Lune shrugged, "I like the idea of finding a perfect match, but I don't like the idea that he'd have to be someone perfectly curated to me."

She said he'd.

"Ah," Daphne swallowed, "I see."

"But also I'm not interested," Luna shrugged, "I don't see the big appeal in people like that. I'd rather friends."

Something warmed in Daphne's heart. Okay, maybe friends wasn't that bad of an idea, especially if it made Luna smile like that.

Friends it was.

Theodore Nott

Theodore Nott was born into a good family.

Okay, so maybe good wasn't the right word. Wealthy? Yes. Privileged? Absolutely. But good? Well, that one was subjective.

Theo loved books. It wasn't that he loved studying, but he loved reading. He found that he could easily walk into a new world by simply reading the words on the pages. He'd never told anyone before, but he wanted to be a writer one day. And not just for wizards; he wanted his work to be acclaimed world-wide, even by Muggles.

Things became complicated for his family after the Wizarding War. His father had been… Well, he was a follower of the Dark Lord. He believed that the Wizarding World should only be for pure families, that magic outside of those families was a blasphemy. When Theo was old enough to make up his own mind, he'd decided that although he didn't agree with his fathers views, he would nod and smile and muddle his way through life to survive.

But now… Well, Harry had outed his father as one of the few in the famous graveyard Cedric Diggory had died in. Which meant that, by Theo's calculations, that the Dark Lord was most definitely back.

And that scared Theo.

He knew the power those dark wizards held. He'd seen it in his own father, and the passing of his mother. Sure, his step-mother was alright, but she'd too seen the best out of the dark side. There was no doubt that his whole family would swear oath to the Dark Lord without a second thought. It was cult-like, really; the way they followed him.

So here he was, curled around the Slytherin fireplace with none other than Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, and Draco Malfoy.

It was the late hours of the night. Everyone had gone to bed hours before, even Daphne and Madeline. Which left the five boys to their hushed conversations, something Theo had never thought he'd be part of.

He'd always been happier being in the shadows. Befriending Daphne to the extent he had was an anomaly, let alone Madeline as well. He felt comfortable with the two of them. He wasn't Theodore Nott with them; he was just Theo.

"Oi, Nott. Listen, yeah?" Blaise nudged the boy, bringing him back to the conversation.

"When things start getting rough around here, we need to save our own skin," Draco continued, flanked with Crabbe and Goyle on each side, "I still think Potter is a filthy liar, but I know that I want to be on the winning side of the next war."

"The next war?" Blaise asked, "Are you that certain there's going to be another one?"

Draco smirked, leaning back in his seat, "Trust me, Blaise. When the time comes, you'll know everything I know."

"I still don't understand why I'm here," Theo interrupted, holding his hand up lazily, "It's not like we've had tea parties before, Malfoy. You barely look my way on a good day."

"I've always respected you, Theodore," Draco smirked, standing up and wiping his hands on his slacks. He began circling Theo, "Your father was named, Nott. Like all of ours. And there is one thing we, as Slytherins, know what to do."

Draco basked in the silence of the room as he continued his walk, standing behind Theo and placing his hands on the back of his seat.

"Self-preservation is what we're good at," Draco continued, "And when the time comes… I'll be taking the mark of the Dark Lord."

Theo's eyes widened, turning to stare at Draco in shock. Crabbe and Goyle were the only ones who didn't seem surprised. Suddenly, everything seemed much more real. It wasn't a chance of a war anymore; it was a certainty.

"I want you boys to join me," Draco continued, making his way back to his seat with the same unfaltering charisma, "Join me, and I guarantee we'll be the next generation of powerful wizards."

"At what cost?" Theo dared ask, "You talk of greatness, Malfoy. But you don't talk about the cost."

"When the time comes-"

"I'm asking now," Theo pressed, "If you're so certain-"

"I am, Nott," Draco snapped. The room fell into silence once more as Draco slowly leant back in his seat.

Theo felt his head pounding. Draco wanted him to… To do what? Swear allegiance to the big bad of the wizarding world? He was against everything Draco was asking him to swear to, and yet here he was, considering the offer.

It meant protection. It meant power, and it meant a bigger chance for him to leave this world behind one day. It meant safety when things got rough. It meant all the power and glory his father had; it would all be his one day.

The trouble with Theo was that he was selfish, especially when it came to himself. He could admire Madeline's need to stand up and try and break the house divide, but he was also comfortable where he was. Very comfortable.

"Alright," Theo nodded eventually, "When the time comes… I'll be on your side."

Theo only hoped he hadn't agreed to a death sentence.

Madeline Bisset

It all started with Cedric Diggory.

Madeline thought about him every day. She thought about how Hogwarts had someone missing; someone that should've been here. She thought about how she should've been in the kitchens with him, laughing about some stupid gossip they'd overheard. He should've been celebrating the Hufflepuff Quidditch win. But he wasn't, because he wasn't here anymore.

His absence still left a bitter taste in her mouth. She'd noticed some of the Hufflepuffs would still leave a spot for him at breakfast, forgetting that he didn't need one anymore.

She missed him. And she wasn't the only one.

She didn't exactly know how the conversation had started. She'd locked eyes with Cho Chang that morning on the way to Herbology, and again when coming out of Potions, and the next thing she knew, the two were sat on a stone wall outside of the entrance hall, sandwiches folded in napkins from lunch.

It was as if the other knew that today, Cedric was in their hearts.

"We haven't really spoken much before," Cho began, "But, he spoke about you a lot."

"Yeah?" Madeline asked, staring out at the Hogwarts grounds as she took a bite of her sandwich. She couldn't quite look at Cho just yet.

"He said you were the best of them," Cho gestured to Madeline's green and silver tie, "That you didn't let that define you. You didn't let Hogwarts define you."

"I guess that's true," Madeline smiled, "I'd say the same about him, too."

"He was proud," Cho smiled, looking up at the sky, "I write letters to him sometimes still. I know he will never get them, but it helps. I never send them; I just burn them or shred them."

"Therapeutic."

"It is," Cho agreed, "I don't want to say goodbye to the things that remind me of him, but it's nice to speak to him sometimes, even if it is one-sided."

Madeline didn't say anything else. The two girls sat in the cold air, looking out to the sky and eating their sandwiches. That's what they needed; someone who could understand, even without the words shared.

Maybe Madeline should try writing too.

Theodore Nott

Theo was the second to be chosen for Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad. The first had been Draco Malfoy.

"Exciting, isn't it?" Draco bumped his shoulder against Theo's, the two having just exited Umbridge's office with shiny new silver badges, "She trusts us."

"And half a dozen other Slytherins."

"It means we're on the right side, Nott," Draco bragged, straightening his tie, "You'll see. Just wait and see."

"She's made us her little guard dogs," Theo sighed, "Do you not see how awful she is?"

"Do you not see that we've been chosen under a Ministry Official?" Draco grinned, "It means we're going to be in the right rooms around this place."

"You have a twisted logic."

"Silver linings," Draco shrugged, "Try smiling a bit, would you Nott?"

Theo huffed, "I'll catch you later."

Draco looked at him oddly, but kept walking, leaving Theo in the corridor alone. He sighed, taking in the quiet for a moment, before turning to look out of the window.

He'd somehow entered a twisted sort of friendship with Draco's posse. He was pretty sure he agreed to be part of a cult. What was wrong with him? He was methodical, precise. He was the squeaky clean slate no matter what situation he got himself in. And now he had a sparkling new silver badge, sealing his position.

"Do you ever relax?"

Theo turned around, spotting Blaise walking towards him, also sporting a shiny new badge. Right; another Slytherin. Of course. There were no house biases at all, definitely not.

"I've never seen you not stressed," Blaise observed, hands in his pockets and his shirt untucked. The perfect picture of relaxed, "Why?"

"Maybe when the world stops giving me things to be stressed about," Theo shrugged, motioning to the badges, "You too?"

"And Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy," Blaise nodded, "Malfoy's little club."

Theo was surprised at how bitter Blaise sounded, "I take it you're not a fan then?"

"As much as you are," Blaise finished, starting to strut past Theo, "See you around, Nott."

Theo watched until Blaise was gone. Relaxing? That wasn't on his agenda.

The Trio

"You're a what?"

The Slytherin Trio were sat on the edge of the Great Lake, far away from everyone and everything in Hogwarts. Theo had told them they needed privacy, far away from the prying ears of their Slytherin housemates. What he had failed to mention was that it was still blisteringly cold by the Great Lake, and the wind certainly didn't help.

"Umbridge is starting her own little Prefect group," Theo explained again, leaning back on his arms as his badge glinted in the sunlight, "Mainly Slytherins."

"Pansy is one of them," Daphne nodded, "I mean- one of you lot."

"I don't get it," Madeline huffed, "What is she trying to get out of this?"

"Total school control," Theo answered, "Umbridge would like nothing more than to have Dumbledore thrown out of the school. She wants us to find a reason to make that happen."

"She said that?"

"Implied it," Theo corrected, "Look… There's a reason I wanted to meet here. We need to be careful about what we do."

"Careful?" Madeline furrowed her eyebrows, "Explain."

Theo sighed, rubbing his upper arm, "Look… Draco said something big was coming. I had to make friends in the right places, just in case."

"Just in case for- oh," Daphne breathed, "Harry Potter wasn't lying."

"I don't think so, nor was Dumbledore," Theo shook his head, "I think that… Merlin, do I have to say it?"

"No, you don't," Madeline shook her head, rubbing her temples, "This explains why my mum sent me away."

Daphne raised her eyebrow, "Circle back?"

Madeline took a deep breath, "The whole reason my mother wanted to send me to Hogwarts was to keep me away from my family; to keep me safe. I think… I think she knows what's coming, and I think I'm involved, somehow."

Silence hung between the three friends. No one dared speak the words on their minds; the words that hung between them, close enough to grab, but none of them wanted to.

"So what you're saying," Daphne finally spoke, pointing to Theo, "Is that you threw yourself into a snakes den," she turned to Madeline, "And you're desperately trying to climb out of it?"

"Odd analogy, but it's pretty spot on."

"Then to hell with it; let's all jump in," Daphne shrugged, "If He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is coming back, we need to play this smart, like Theo said. We need to stay neutral, or hide in trenches."

"This is too much," Madeline shook her head, standing up, "Listen- we're in our fifth year and here we are plotting war strategies, which we know nothing about. We're- we're out of our depth here."

Daphne scoffed, rolling her eyes, "If Harry Potter has managed to survive this far, we're getting through this."

Theo nodded as Daphne stood up, taking Madeline's hand.

"Look," Daphne began softly, squeezing Madeline's hand, "We don't live in a perfect world, and I'm sure you know more about it than I do. But it's about more than protecting ourselves now; it's about protecting each other. And I want us all to live long enough to go to each others weddings; to be each others family."

Theo stood up, placing a hand on Daphne and Madeline's shoulders. He didn't need to say anything.

"Alright," Madeline nodded, turning to her two friends; her family, "We play smart. Theo, you did the right thing joining whatever group Umbridge has going on. We have to do what we need to survive."

"Now it sounds like a plan," Theo smirked, "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that we act exactly like the people we are," Madeline decided, "We're Slytherins. We're from proud families, and it's time we took a page out of Malfoy's book and became leaders."

Madeline ignored the tingle of her necklace. She focused on her friends, a triumphant grin on her face.

But now.. She had to confront another problem.

Daphne Greengrass

"Oi."

Daphne huffed, looking up to Pansy's upturned face. Couldn't she catch a break, even in her own dorm? She set her essay aside, crossing her arms, "Can I help you?"

"I think you're the one that needs the help," Pansy retorted. Daphne eyed the shiny new badge on her tie, "I spotted you cosying up to a certain Loony the other day."

"So?" Daphne shrugged, "My social life is none of your business, Parkinson."

"It is when it hurts the house rep," Pansy huffed, pushing Daphne's stuff out of the way and taking a seat on her bed, "And as a Prefect-"

"Don't give me that bullshit," Daphne snorted, crossing her arms, "You're just so obsessed with house purity that you hate the idea of any one of us being civil to someone who doesn't wear green."

"And is that so wrong?" Pansy shrugged, looking at her nails, "It's worked well so far."

"Except for the bullying, and the prejudice-"

"Rarely towards us."

"Always towards us," Daphne corrected, "Remember Evie last year? When they wrote 'SNAKE' on her stuff?"

"We've all been through it," Pansy rolled her eyes, "It's character building."

Daphne suddenly remembered their first year; an older Gryffindor boy had made his whole year taunt Pansy for looking like a pug. It was cruel, and all because she'd rejected his advances. It made sense how Pansy was now; she kept to herself. She shielded behind bitter words and a sharp tongue. Hell, she probably acted the way she did because she saw it as payback.

It made sense. It wasn't right, but it made sense.

Daphne moved her hair out of her eyes, with her quill, not noticing the thin line of ink smudged on her jaw. Pansy frowned.

"Hey, you've got a bit of…" Pansy moved to cup Daphne's face, stroking the ink away with her thumb.

The two girls were inches away from each other. Daphne could smell Pansy's perfume. It smelt like the weather turning; oakwood and mint. She never noticed Pansy had freckles either, or that she was pretty when she blushed.

She didn't know who leaned in first, but she knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was the best kiss she'd ever had.

Madeline Bisset

It all started with Cedric Diggory, and it was going to end with Madeline Bisset.

Madeline was all in on Theo's idea. Well, she needed to do one more thing first. One thing to confirm her suspicions; that Fred, Harry, and the rest of their friends didn't trust Madeline. Because if they didn't trust her, they would never let her in. Not really. And Madeline had to be strict with herself. For her friends.

It was sheer luck that she'd spoken to Cho a few days before, Cho who'd given her the idea to write to Cedric. She decided to write in the kitchens; in their special spot. And so, it was sheer luck that she overheard Dobby the House Elf talking to the other House Elves about Harry and Hermione and their secret Defence Against The Dark Arts meetings.

So when she showed Dobby the galleon, and said she didn't know where to go for her first meeting, Dobby happily told her where to find the Room of Requirements.

Her letter to Cedric wasn't a sad one; it was a promise to herself. She was going to do anything and everything in her power to avenge what had happened to him. Her thoughts were muddled and her morals a bit hazy, but she remembered her aunt, who had been playing the smart game for so long that she'd tricked everyone around her.

It was time to take a page out of her book.

"Okay!," Harry announced, calling them all to order, "I thought this evening we should start our work on Patronuses. Remember; it's always going to be different practicing in a well-lit room than when you're actually up against something—"

"'Oh, don't be such a killjoy," Cho teased as she entered the room; the last to arrive. She dumped her bags quickly, moving to stand next to Luna and Ron.

"What we really need is a boggart or something; that's how I learned, I had to conjure a Patronus while the boggart was pretending to be a Dementor-"

Harry was cut off by the whole room falling into shrieks. As if from nowhere, a bright light began fizzing and flying around the room, almost like one of the Weasley twins fireworks. It spun and flew around the air, narrowly missing Harry as it came flying for him-.

"Watch out Harry!"

He ducked, missing it narrowly. Everyone turned to watch it continue to fizz and fly around, filling the room with green light until it finally stopped-

And landed straight back to Madeline's wand, which was now pointed to the sky.

The room fell into an eerie silence. Fred went to step forwards, but was held back by George, who'd already seen the look in Madeline's eyes. The Slytherin pulled her arm down, a blank expression in her eyes as she spoke.

"Surprise."

No one dared to move as Madeline walked around the room, tapping her wand against the lights curiously. She hummed to herself, and Fred dared to think that for a moment, Madeline looked eerily similar to the photo of Bellatrix Lestrange he'd seen on the Daily Prophet.

"Curious little room, isn't it?" Madeline mused, pacing around the front of the room casually, "I'm surprised more people don't know about this."

"Maddie-"

"I challenge you to a duel, Harry Potter," Madeline cut Fred off, turning to look at Harry. She couldn't look at Fred, "First to disarm the other wins. You lose, I'll tell Umbridge about this, and you all get thrown into detention for the rest of the year."

"That's unfair," Dean called.

"Yeah," Seamus agreed, "This is why we don't let snakes-"

Harry thought about it for less than a moment.

"Deal."