FIC: Normality is an overrated concept, NC17 - Prologue
Title: Normality is an overrated concept
Username: Anonymous
Chapter: Prologue
Pairing(s): Blaise/Ginny/Draco
Rating: NC17
Chapter Word Count: 1,207
Disclaimer: The characters of Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling. We're only borrowing them. Chapter titles are songs or lyrics and are property of the musicians. Quotes or literature used are also notated as not mine.
Summary: You cannot make peace with terrorists. The normal dividing lines between war and peace do not apply. - Ulrich Beck. Ever wonder what happened at Hogwarts during Deathly Hallows…
Author Notes: AU for epilogue and parts of DH.
Blaise Damon Zabini wasn’t normal. He liked it that way. Normal was boring. He’d decided that about age eight when his mum taught him that you really could, with the proper use of certain potions, reduce a body to mush in less than three hours with little fuss. Normal wasn’t knowing fifty ways to kill before age eleven. Normal wasn’t having more money in six Gringotts branches (and two Muggle banks) than it was alleged the Muggle Queen of England possessed. Normal wasn’t taking one look at your housemates first year and deciding that they were dreadful bores that needed a bit of excitement in their lives. After all, sending Millicent her cat…in pieces… late his third year had been more fun than he’d expected. Oh the fit she’d thrown would play over and over in his head anytime the boredom started to get to him. Normal certainly wasn’t being knee deep in the blood of step-fathers either, which he rather felt he had been since number seven bit the dust after deciding to give Blaise an ultimatum last Boxing Day: Join my Master or die. Just the memory had him chuckling.
But, as he strode down the hallway towards his mother’s sitting room, Blaise’s thoughts were less on what mayhem to cause at Hogwarts now that the Death Eaters had taken over and more on what the fucking hell he was supposed to do about his next future stepfather. An Auror, not just any Auror at that. Kingsley Shaklebolt. He still didn’t know what the hells his mum had been thinking.
“There you are!” His mum hurried over, kissing both of his cheeks. “Kingsley wants to talk to you, alright?”
His expression hardened as he was unwilling to give away anything until such time as he had a better understanding of the matter. “Will you be joining us?”
She laughed, sliding her arm into the crook of his. “Yes, for the first bit, darling boy.”
“Mum,” he said warningly, more out of a need to seem above it all than any actual urge for her not to coddle him. It was the one constant despite the ever changing step-fathers. Marguerite Lucrezia Zabini (and yes she reverted to Zabini each time she was widowed) had made it clear to the world that he was her sole concern. Even Malfoy had been known to whinge about the injustice of that. How Draco bloody Malfoy thought it was an injustice, Blaise didn’t know. He just shrugged and muttered ‘jealous much’. Then again, that lovely eagle owl of Draco’s had gone missing last year. So maybe just making disparaging comments to Draco was a bit of a stretch.
“Blaise.”
He blinked and turned to his mum, smiling brightly. “Sorry, was lost in thought for a moment. What needs discussing?”
Kingsley stood, sighing deeply. “You know that my relationship with Marguerite is strictly confidential, not only because of the current political climate, but also because I wish to protect both of you.”
‘Yes, I did, because I am not a bleeding idiot’, was all he could think. But, he knew the game very well. “Yes, I did. What does this have to do with me?”
“I know far more than you likely think,” Kingsley began in a confident tone. “I know of Marguerite’s past… and yours. I have been informed that after this war ends; I will likely be up for Minister for Magic.”
Blaise would have gaped if he had not taught himself long ago to show no emotion. ‘What the fuck,’ was resounding in his head though. Good gods. “And?” he replied blandly.
“I have convinced a key player that I have access to two operatives that can perhaps be talked around to helping our cause.”
“Your little Phoenix lot?” he spat in reply, his mouth twisting into a sneer.
“I already agreed.” His mum’s soft declaration stunned Blaise as little else had ever done. But, she wasn’t done apparently. “You know that I have many social acquaintances that will provide fruitful. We have always been neutral, you know this. Now is the time to strike and yet hold the façade of neutrality.”
He still wasn’t convinced. Not by a long shot.
“You will be given free rein to kill any and all Death Eaters… with extreme prejudice.” Kingsley grinned wickedly. “You can even leave their bodies in public; in macabre displays should you wish to do so.”
Okay. That sounded like all sorts of wicked fun. “What guarantee would there be that if that sort of activity would be one in which I would enjoy, that there would be no little cell door slamming behind me once this war is over?”
Kingsley laughed. “Oh, that would be because I convinced Albus Dumbledore, prior to his death, that he should leave a letter detailing you and Marguerite’s ‘sleeper agent’ status.”
“Sleeper agent?” he questioned, getting the gist of what such a thing was, but not having heard the term before.
“One of the muggleborns in the Auror department said it is what spies are sometimes called. I liked the sound of it. I am, as of now, officially in hiding as the Ministry has fallen. This has provided me with the unique ability to spend all my time here, at Valhalla, with no one the wiser.”
“I refuse to get one of those tacky tattoos,” Blaise said after mulling it over a few minutes. He was being given the go-ahead to kill as he saw fit. Damn, but that was a lovely feeling.
His mum chuckled. “No, no, you won’t have to. All you have to do is…assist any resistance groups at Hogwarts. If a Death Eater or two drops dead…so be it.”
“Kingsley, could you give mum and me a moment?”
Kingsley hurried out, closing the door as he left.
“Mum, what is your game here?”
She laughed nervously. “I actually love him, darling. I won’t be killing this one unless he betrays us. Just think about it… future Minister for Magic…”
He sighed, running a hand through his hair since he’d not bothered pulling it back today. “So, what you are saying is that we get to go on about our lives as we have always done, but this time I won’t be hiding a body in a year or two? In addition, any of my fun little games, should I be dim-witted enough to be caught, will be given a free pass?”
She grinned, her light brown eyes lighting up with glee. “See! It is a win-win for both of us. I finally found a decent man and you get to continue running amok, this time with a full pardon for anything you may be accused of.”
“I’ll do it.”
He was rewarded with a squeal and a hug. She kissed his cheek and whispered, “Go on, play with your poisons, I will tell Kingsley the good news.”
He grinned, already thinking of the ways he would use this little situation to his advantage. As he strode out, a thought occurred to him. “I think I’ll visit a…friend.”
Kingsley just smiled as Blaise walked past, likely thinking that he had won. Blaise wasn’t going to tell him differently because…well where would the fun be in that?
Username: Anonymous
Chapter: Prologue
Pairing(s): Blaise/Ginny/Draco
Rating: NC17
Chapter Word Count: 1,207
Disclaimer: The characters of Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling. We're only borrowing them. Chapter titles are songs or lyrics and are property of the musicians. Quotes or literature used are also notated as not mine.
Summary: You cannot make peace with terrorists. The normal dividing lines between war and peace do not apply. - Ulrich Beck. Ever wonder what happened at Hogwarts during Deathly Hallows…
Author Notes: AU for epilogue and parts of DH.
Blaise Damon Zabini wasn’t normal. He liked it that way. Normal was boring. He’d decided that about age eight when his mum taught him that you really could, with the proper use of certain potions, reduce a body to mush in less than three hours with little fuss. Normal wasn’t knowing fifty ways to kill before age eleven. Normal wasn’t having more money in six Gringotts branches (and two Muggle banks) than it was alleged the Muggle Queen of England possessed. Normal wasn’t taking one look at your housemates first year and deciding that they were dreadful bores that needed a bit of excitement in their lives. After all, sending Millicent her cat…in pieces… late his third year had been more fun than he’d expected. Oh the fit she’d thrown would play over and over in his head anytime the boredom started to get to him. Normal certainly wasn’t being knee deep in the blood of step-fathers either, which he rather felt he had been since number seven bit the dust after deciding to give Blaise an ultimatum last Boxing Day: Join my Master or die. Just the memory had him chuckling.
But, as he strode down the hallway towards his mother’s sitting room, Blaise’s thoughts were less on what mayhem to cause at Hogwarts now that the Death Eaters had taken over and more on what the fucking hell he was supposed to do about his next future stepfather. An Auror, not just any Auror at that. Kingsley Shaklebolt. He still didn’t know what the hells his mum had been thinking.
“There you are!” His mum hurried over, kissing both of his cheeks. “Kingsley wants to talk to you, alright?”
His expression hardened as he was unwilling to give away anything until such time as he had a better understanding of the matter. “Will you be joining us?”
She laughed, sliding her arm into the crook of his. “Yes, for the first bit, darling boy.”
“Mum,” he said warningly, more out of a need to seem above it all than any actual urge for her not to coddle him. It was the one constant despite the ever changing step-fathers. Marguerite Lucrezia Zabini (and yes she reverted to Zabini each time she was widowed) had made it clear to the world that he was her sole concern. Even Malfoy had been known to whinge about the injustice of that. How Draco bloody Malfoy thought it was an injustice, Blaise didn’t know. He just shrugged and muttered ‘jealous much’. Then again, that lovely eagle owl of Draco’s had gone missing last year. So maybe just making disparaging comments to Draco was a bit of a stretch.
“Blaise.”
He blinked and turned to his mum, smiling brightly. “Sorry, was lost in thought for a moment. What needs discussing?”
Kingsley stood, sighing deeply. “You know that my relationship with Marguerite is strictly confidential, not only because of the current political climate, but also because I wish to protect both of you.”
‘Yes, I did, because I am not a bleeding idiot’, was all he could think. But, he knew the game very well. “Yes, I did. What does this have to do with me?”
“I know far more than you likely think,” Kingsley began in a confident tone. “I know of Marguerite’s past… and yours. I have been informed that after this war ends; I will likely be up for Minister for Magic.”
Blaise would have gaped if he had not taught himself long ago to show no emotion. ‘What the fuck,’ was resounding in his head though. Good gods. “And?” he replied blandly.
“I have convinced a key player that I have access to two operatives that can perhaps be talked around to helping our cause.”
“Your little Phoenix lot?” he spat in reply, his mouth twisting into a sneer.
“I already agreed.” His mum’s soft declaration stunned Blaise as little else had ever done. But, she wasn’t done apparently. “You know that I have many social acquaintances that will provide fruitful. We have always been neutral, you know this. Now is the time to strike and yet hold the façade of neutrality.”
He still wasn’t convinced. Not by a long shot.
“You will be given free rein to kill any and all Death Eaters… with extreme prejudice.” Kingsley grinned wickedly. “You can even leave their bodies in public; in macabre displays should you wish to do so.”
Okay. That sounded like all sorts of wicked fun. “What guarantee would there be that if that sort of activity would be one in which I would enjoy, that there would be no little cell door slamming behind me once this war is over?”
Kingsley laughed. “Oh, that would be because I convinced Albus Dumbledore, prior to his death, that he should leave a letter detailing you and Marguerite’s ‘sleeper agent’ status.”
“Sleeper agent?” he questioned, getting the gist of what such a thing was, but not having heard the term before.
“One of the muggleborns in the Auror department said it is what spies are sometimes called. I liked the sound of it. I am, as of now, officially in hiding as the Ministry has fallen. This has provided me with the unique ability to spend all my time here, at Valhalla, with no one the wiser.”
“I refuse to get one of those tacky tattoos,” Blaise said after mulling it over a few minutes. He was being given the go-ahead to kill as he saw fit. Damn, but that was a lovely feeling.
His mum chuckled. “No, no, you won’t have to. All you have to do is…assist any resistance groups at Hogwarts. If a Death Eater or two drops dead…so be it.”
“Kingsley, could you give mum and me a moment?”
Kingsley hurried out, closing the door as he left.
“Mum, what is your game here?”
She laughed nervously. “I actually love him, darling. I won’t be killing this one unless he betrays us. Just think about it… future Minister for Magic…”
He sighed, running a hand through his hair since he’d not bothered pulling it back today. “So, what you are saying is that we get to go on about our lives as we have always done, but this time I won’t be hiding a body in a year or two? In addition, any of my fun little games, should I be dim-witted enough to be caught, will be given a free pass?”
She grinned, her light brown eyes lighting up with glee. “See! It is a win-win for both of us. I finally found a decent man and you get to continue running amok, this time with a full pardon for anything you may be accused of.”
“I’ll do it.”
He was rewarded with a squeal and a hug. She kissed his cheek and whispered, “Go on, play with your poisons, I will tell Kingsley the good news.”
He grinned, already thinking of the ways he would use this little situation to his advantage. As he strode out, a thought occurred to him. “I think I’ll visit a…friend.”
Kingsley just smiled as Blaise walked past, likely thinking that he had won. Blaise wasn’t going to tell him differently because…well where would the fun be in that?