FIC: Normality is an overrated concept, NC17 - Chapter Four
Title: Normality is an overrated concept
Username: Anonymous
Chapter: Chapter Four
Pairing(s): Blaise/Ginny/Draco
Rating: NC17
Chapter Word Count: 3,135
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.
Chapter Four
Hurricane -30 Seconds to Mars
Two weeks of behaving. Okay, two weeks of not maiming or killing anyone was wearing on Blaise’s nerves. Theo and Greg were still taking turns looking out for Lovegood whilst he and Draco accompanied Ginevra on all her resistance ‘missions’. She was to the point where she would brush up against them with a wicked little grin, but not say a word. It was driving them both a bit batty.
Ducking out of the common room, he hurried to where Draco was doing his Head Boy rounds. Ginevra had insisted upon not creating mayhem during the times in which Draco would be held responsible. She had claimed, loudly and with more than a bit of anger, that it wouldn’t be right to do so. When Draco pointed out that they would have to at some point or risk implicating him in that way, she had relented.
Snickering, he slid behind the tapestry on the fourth floor that used to have a passage behind it. It was where Ginevra stored many prank items. She handed him a box marked ‘Demon box’ and tucked three more under her arm.
“Demon box?”
She snickered. “They are…almost … harmless. That is for the Muggle Studies classroom.” Patting the boxes under her arm, she added, “These are to be left for the house elves to drop into breakfast.”
“You’ll get caught one of these days,” he warned her.
“Pfft, and you will be there to get me right back out of trouble.”
Blaise was rather proud that he had finally earned her trust. They had spent the evening two weeks ago in the Room of Requirement discussing Snape’s news about the holiday. It had been decided that Theo and Greg would travel to Annwn and then Apparate to Valhalla as to keep up the idea that their ‘group’ had split up. Now was not the time to be sloppy. “We should wait until closer to the holiday to do this, Ginevra.”
“No.” She turned and glared her most potent glare. “You are dead bored and this will help.”
He was stunned. “Wait, this is to keep me from being bored?”
“Mostly, yes, the rest is because I really love the idea of setting demons on that cow.”
“I’m fine,” he insisted.
She pushed him into an empty classroom. “You are not. Don’t you dare lie to me. It is killing you that you’ve not been able to do more than hex anyone in weeks and I damn well know it.”
He set the box aside and took the ones out of her arms. Gently, he lifted her onto the desk and stood between her legs. “Do you know how difficult it is not to snog you senseless?”
“Prove it.”
Taking her at her word, he slid his hand into her hair and cupped the back of her head. Slowly, reverently, he kissed her until he was forced to stop for air. It felt like kissing Draco and yet so very different. It felt like home. That was the only way he could think to explain it.
“I should be jealous.” Blaise turned his head and smirked at the amused blond in the doorway. Draco stepped inside and closed the door. “I thought you two were doing the whole prank thing.”
“We were…” Ginevra said sounding a bit dazed.
Blaise stepped back, kissing Draco lightly. “Then there was a whole challenge accepted sort of thing.”
“There was, was there? Any chance of me hearing this challenge?” Draco traded places with him, his full attention on Ginevra.
“Umm, I admitted to trying to keep him from getting bored and he said something about wanting to snog me senseless and I said prove it.”
Blaise sat back, prepared to watch the show.
Draco chuckled. “So if I said I wanted to snog you senseless…”
“Prove it,” she replied wickedly.
Damn, Blaise thought appreciatively. Watching the two of them was almost as good as being in on the snogging. He was one for taking what he wanted usually. With these two, though, he was being very cautious. Draco was still shaky, trying to come to terms with the fact that he was actively working against his father’s express wishes. Ginevra, well…she was getting close to two men that her family would likely disown her for even speaking pleasantly to let alone sliding into a relationship with.
Draco finally broke the kiss. “You confuse me,” he whispered.
Ginevra laughed lightly. “You two confuse me, but I’m not minding it just now.”
Blaise sat next to her, utterly curious about the turn the conversation had taken. “Perhaps if you voice your confusion, we can clear it up.”
Draco ran a hand through his hair and sighed, sitting on the other side of Ginevra. “I am still trying to wrap my mind around Ginevra calmly watching whilst you maim, torture, and kill. Not that it is a bad quality to have, it was simply unexpected.”
Ginevra shrugged. “You cannot make peace with terrorists. The normal dividing lines between war and peace do not apply. I am…damaged… enough to know that we can’t go about fighting a war with cute little harmless light charms. I want to win; I want to see that bastard rot in whatever realm of Tartarus there is for things like him.”
“And yet you two accept the fact that I can’t seem to find it in me to kill,” Draco muttered. “Explain that, if you will.”
Ginevra rolled her eyes, taking his wand and waving it in front of him. “This is a wand.” She pointed to the handle. “You hold it here.” Smirking, she pointed to the other end, “this is the pointy end, you point this end at whatever or whoever is annoying you and say a hex.”
Draco glared weakly. “I know that!”
She reached into her robes and handed him Horatio’s 1001 Hexes and his wand. “The ones with the little stars next to them cause pain. Combine those with your wand and you will be golden.”
Blaise snickered. “There you have it, Draco. Ginevra once again proves why I question the Sorting Hat and its ability to place her in the proper house. It also proves why,” he leaned in and kissed her lightly, “we are so very attracted to you.”
She grinned and kissed him back. “Which should help explain why I let either of you, let alone both of you, anywhere near me.”
“The fact that your family and the boy wonder have no clue who you really are and we do?” Draco said softly, his tone cautious.
“We see you,” Blaise said simply.
She nodded, smiling brightly. “You’re both correct. Now, are we going to plant these pranks or find another way to spend the evening?”
“We have three weeks to cause mayhem, roughly, before we leave for the hols,” Blaise pointed out. “You can put up posters or graffiti to your little hearts content…but I would really like you to consider holding off on demon boxes until closer to the time we leave.”
Ginevra sighed heavily. “I see your point. But, I really, really want to make that horrid woman pay.”
“Oh she will,” Blaise promised. “I won’t share with the class just yet, but I do have plans for her.”
Draco shook his head and groaned. “Why don’t we go to the Room of Requirement and you two can teach me a few of your favourite hexes.”
Blaise was pleased that Draco was no more willing to push Ginevra than he was. Now, that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to be snogging her as often as possible. He and Draco had yet to shag actually, the whole taking it slow thing seemed to be working for them. Sliding off the desk, he grinned. “I like that plan. Shall we tuck this contraband away here and come back for it later?”
“Probably,” Ginevra said, hopping off the desk. “It will be difficult enough to explain why the three of us are together this late as it is; having Wheezes on our persons would mean torture and maiming us as well.”
“Oh they could try,” Blaise said dangerously, making it clear that there would be no maiming or torture that he wasn’t handing out. “I would carve whoever dared try into tiny pieces, rest assured.”
“With that, we should go.” Ginevra took the boxes and tucked them behind a stack of broken chairs in the corner.
They made their way through the corridors uncontested. Even Padma Patil, the Head Girl, pointedly looked the other way when they passed. Ginevra had just stepped into the Room of Requirement when Amycus Carrow made an appearance. Blaise closed the door quickly; he knew that the room would let them in once the sick bastard was gone.
“What do we have here?”
“The Head Boy and a Prefect doing their rounds,” Blaise replied blandly.
“I think not. I think you’re turning Zabini to our cause.” Amycus’ face twisted into an expression of depraved pleasure. “Had I known, Malfoy, that your tastes ran that way, I would have petitioned your Aunt for time with you over the summer. I am certain I could have taught you a few things.”
“You’ll want to stop while you still draw breath,” Blaise said in a very calm tone, one he only used when he was so angry that he couldn’t hold his anger in. He wanted to torture this sick bastard until there was nothing left of him but mush and bone fragments. It would be a slow, painful death, of that much Blaise was certain.
“Or what, boy, you will call your Mummy?”
The simpering tone just set Blaise off even more. He was across the hall, wand in one and dagger in the other before he even thought about it. “I won’t need to, you sick fuck.”
“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it,” Amycus said tauntingly. “Once I’ve had that redheaded blood traitor and then Malfoy here, it will be your turn. My Lord rewards the faithful.”
“Oh you are going to be rewarded all right.”
“Blaise,” Draco said warningly.
Ignoring his boyfriend, Blaise stunned Amycus. Standing over the idiot, he pondered how to best kill him.
“Mr Zabini, cease.”
He looked up and grimaced. “Go away, Snape, and leave me to it.”
“No. Explain, Mr Malfoy, before this fool wakes up.”
“He insinuated that myself, Ginevra Weasley, and Blaise would all be on the receiving end of his…attentions,” Draco said disgustedly, “willing or no. He further stated that his Lord rewarded the loyal. I’m all for letting Blaise go on as he sees fit.”
“As am I,” Ginevra said as she exited the Room of Requirement. “I heard all of it, sir, just to be clear. I vote for Blaise making him…go missing.”
“I’ll Obliviate him,” Snape said in a tone that left no room for argument. “Should he, at a later date, go missing than I disavow any knowledge of what may have led to such a thing. You three should go now. Rest assured that I will not be allowing Amycus’… attentions… to focus on any of you.”
Ginevra walked over, leaning against Blaise’s chest. “You know, sir, you are only making this one testier.”
“Ginevra has a point.” Draco joined them, smirking. “You want him to behave and yet when faced with the perfect chance…you stop him.”
Snape’s lips twitched almost as if he was struggling to hide his amusement. “I am Headmaster and it is my duty to protect the students. I loathe considering just who might be sent to replace this one.”
Blaise shuddered. “Can students disappear? Come on, Snape; give me something to work with.”
Snape pointed to the still open door. “Go, now, you three.”
They were all pouting a bit at this point. But, they did as he ordered seeing as it was still Snape and he was vicious when angered.
“Mr Malfoy.”
Draco looked surprised. “Yes?”
“I see you have found better company to keep as of late, your mother would approve.”
Ginevra snickered, shooing them in and closing the door. “I think not.”
Draco shrugged. “Why not?”
Ginevra pointed to herself. “Red hair, hand-me-down robes, last name Weasley… any of that ringing a bell, Draco dear?”
Blaise snickered and pulled over a chair. He was going to enjoy this and try to distract himself from the need to hurt something after Amycus’ disgusting words. When he realised that he was flexing his hands, he made an effort to grip the arms of the chair instead.
“Well, yes, but stick with us and the wardrobe situation will change,” Draco replied teasingly. “As for the hair, yours is more a red wine than that atrocious orange.”
“You are stunningly gorgeous,” Blaise offered helpfully. “Now, do we think I could ‘require’ an idiot minion to torture or would Hogwarts disapprove of such a wish?”
“No,” was Ginevra’s dry reply, “but there are training dummies like we used in DA over in the corner.”
“Meh.” Training dummies weren’t going to cut it. He saw Draco sit down and begin flipping through the book and that gave him an idea. He reached down and took his spare dagger out of his boot and held it out hilt first to her. “You’re going to learn to wield this. Not that I don’t think Snape can cast a proper Memory Charm…”
She took the dagger with a light sigh. “Maiming only, deal?”
Blaise tugged her into his lap. He hadn’t expected her to protest, but her reaction made him smile. She settled in sideways, her legs hanging over the arm of the chair. “Just maiming, I promise. I just don’t like the idea that he could track you down and hurt you.”
“Give me some credit.” She was pouting now.
“I do, darling, believe me I do. But, he is even crazier than I am. If he should get his sister in on the act…”
Ginevra shuddered and laid her head on his shoulder. “I don’t even want to think about it. Why is the holiday so far away?”
Draco looked up from the book. “I still say he needs to disappear. It can’t be just us he has set his disgusting sights on. As for the holiday, I am beginning to think we should all disappear; Lovegood, Theo, and Greg included.”
Blaise wrapped his arms around her and considered Draco’s suggestion. While he agreed, it would make it more difficult for Draco to retain the façade of ‘willing minion’ should they go that route. Then again, Valhalla was safe. No one would be getting through the wards and the Floo had long ago been blocked at Kingsley’s insistence. He had to admit that the Auror did have the ‘paranoia’ thing down. Until they knew just how much danger Narcissa was in, it seemed the best option to try and stay at Hogwarts. He didn’t like that option, but it was the most logical.
“Blaise?”
He looked up and shrugged. “I say we stay. I don’t like it, but think about what risk we would be putting your mother in.”
Draco blanched, returning his attention to the book. “Point.”
“Though,” he said musingly, “Having a bag packed and tucked away just in case would also be wise.”
Ginevra chuckled. “I’ve had one packed since August. I actually figured that I would have been long gone by now. Mum kept telling me how Hogwarts was the safest place for me. I don’t think she thought it through though.”
“Safer than you being at home and at risk for attack day in and day out,” Draco pointed out. “Ask me how I know.”
“Let’s be honest here.” Blaise laid his head back and sighed heavily. “We all know that if Crabbe, Alecto, or Amycus makes one more threat against any of us… I am going to snap completely and slaughter whichever one of them is stupid first no matter where the confrontation happens. You two accept that about me, for which I am eternally grateful. But, it does put us in a tight spot.”
“Well, why not have Draco go to Snape, citing his Head Boy status and such if asked? He can alert Snape that Narcissa needs to be moved, to Valhalla or even Annwn if that is better.” Ginevra laid the dagger in her lap. “I don’t want any of our mothers at risk. However, I know mine well enough to know that she would refuse any further protection than she already puts up with.”
Blaise kissed her brow. “That is perfect. Draco?”
“Tomorrow,” Draco murmured. “Good gods, some of these are downright evil.”
Ginevra laughed. “So, would those be the ones you want to learn then?”
Draco smirked, winking at her. “Sure, why not. Why don’t I do that whilst Blaise teaches you to maim things?”
Laughing, Blaise held on to Ginevra a bit tighter and got to his feet, setting her down once they had crossed the room to where a large target had appeared on the wall. “First, you will have to learn how to hold and throw the dagger properly.”
She tipped her head back so she could look him in the eyes. “I don’t like the idea of me taking this one though. I would be leaving you without one of your weapons.” At his scowl, she rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes unnecessary fear, I know, but deal with it.”
“I will get you one of your own for Yule,” he said in hopes of getting her to agree. He really, really had a bad feeling about Amycus. Coming from him, that was worrying indeed. Still, he needed to use this time wisely and bring Ginevra up to a reasonable competency with the dagger. If he had his way, which he fully intended to; she would not be going anywhere without it.
--ii-
Draco returned to the dorm after speaking to Snape looking a bit victorious. Blaise was laid out on his bed, not having bothered to attend Muggle Studies… again…or even Dark Arts. He knew he was pushing it, but he knew Draco would come back to the house first.
“Well?”
“He assured me that the information would be passed along and the moment my mother has been moved, one of us will be made aware of it.”
Blaise motioned him over. “Good. Did he say how long it would take?”
Draco dropped down on the bed and sighed before laying back. “No, though he did insinuate that it would be before the winter holidays.”
Blaise rolled over and pinned Draco to the bed, grinning. “I say we skip afternoon classes as well. I can think of better ways to pass the time.”
Draco snickered, but didn’t complain in the least.
Username: Anonymous
Chapter: Chapter Four
Pairing(s): Blaise/Ginny/Draco
Rating: NC17
Chapter Word Count: 3,135
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.
Chapter Four
Hurricane -30 Seconds to Mars
Two weeks of behaving. Okay, two weeks of not maiming or killing anyone was wearing on Blaise’s nerves. Theo and Greg were still taking turns looking out for Lovegood whilst he and Draco accompanied Ginevra on all her resistance ‘missions’. She was to the point where she would brush up against them with a wicked little grin, but not say a word. It was driving them both a bit batty.
Ducking out of the common room, he hurried to where Draco was doing his Head Boy rounds. Ginevra had insisted upon not creating mayhem during the times in which Draco would be held responsible. She had claimed, loudly and with more than a bit of anger, that it wouldn’t be right to do so. When Draco pointed out that they would have to at some point or risk implicating him in that way, she had relented.
Snickering, he slid behind the tapestry on the fourth floor that used to have a passage behind it. It was where Ginevra stored many prank items. She handed him a box marked ‘Demon box’ and tucked three more under her arm.
“Demon box?”
She snickered. “They are…almost … harmless. That is for the Muggle Studies classroom.” Patting the boxes under her arm, she added, “These are to be left for the house elves to drop into breakfast.”
“You’ll get caught one of these days,” he warned her.
“Pfft, and you will be there to get me right back out of trouble.”
Blaise was rather proud that he had finally earned her trust. They had spent the evening two weeks ago in the Room of Requirement discussing Snape’s news about the holiday. It had been decided that Theo and Greg would travel to Annwn and then Apparate to Valhalla as to keep up the idea that their ‘group’ had split up. Now was not the time to be sloppy. “We should wait until closer to the holiday to do this, Ginevra.”
“No.” She turned and glared her most potent glare. “You are dead bored and this will help.”
He was stunned. “Wait, this is to keep me from being bored?”
“Mostly, yes, the rest is because I really love the idea of setting demons on that cow.”
“I’m fine,” he insisted.
She pushed him into an empty classroom. “You are not. Don’t you dare lie to me. It is killing you that you’ve not been able to do more than hex anyone in weeks and I damn well know it.”
He set the box aside and took the ones out of her arms. Gently, he lifted her onto the desk and stood between her legs. “Do you know how difficult it is not to snog you senseless?”
“Prove it.”
Taking her at her word, he slid his hand into her hair and cupped the back of her head. Slowly, reverently, he kissed her until he was forced to stop for air. It felt like kissing Draco and yet so very different. It felt like home. That was the only way he could think to explain it.
“I should be jealous.” Blaise turned his head and smirked at the amused blond in the doorway. Draco stepped inside and closed the door. “I thought you two were doing the whole prank thing.”
“We were…” Ginevra said sounding a bit dazed.
Blaise stepped back, kissing Draco lightly. “Then there was a whole challenge accepted sort of thing.”
“There was, was there? Any chance of me hearing this challenge?” Draco traded places with him, his full attention on Ginevra.
“Umm, I admitted to trying to keep him from getting bored and he said something about wanting to snog me senseless and I said prove it.”
Blaise sat back, prepared to watch the show.
Draco chuckled. “So if I said I wanted to snog you senseless…”
“Prove it,” she replied wickedly.
Damn, Blaise thought appreciatively. Watching the two of them was almost as good as being in on the snogging. He was one for taking what he wanted usually. With these two, though, he was being very cautious. Draco was still shaky, trying to come to terms with the fact that he was actively working against his father’s express wishes. Ginevra, well…she was getting close to two men that her family would likely disown her for even speaking pleasantly to let alone sliding into a relationship with.
Draco finally broke the kiss. “You confuse me,” he whispered.
Ginevra laughed lightly. “You two confuse me, but I’m not minding it just now.”
Blaise sat next to her, utterly curious about the turn the conversation had taken. “Perhaps if you voice your confusion, we can clear it up.”
Draco ran a hand through his hair and sighed, sitting on the other side of Ginevra. “I am still trying to wrap my mind around Ginevra calmly watching whilst you maim, torture, and kill. Not that it is a bad quality to have, it was simply unexpected.”
Ginevra shrugged. “You cannot make peace with terrorists. The normal dividing lines between war and peace do not apply. I am…damaged… enough to know that we can’t go about fighting a war with cute little harmless light charms. I want to win; I want to see that bastard rot in whatever realm of Tartarus there is for things like him.”
“And yet you two accept the fact that I can’t seem to find it in me to kill,” Draco muttered. “Explain that, if you will.”
Ginevra rolled her eyes, taking his wand and waving it in front of him. “This is a wand.” She pointed to the handle. “You hold it here.” Smirking, she pointed to the other end, “this is the pointy end, you point this end at whatever or whoever is annoying you and say a hex.”
Draco glared weakly. “I know that!”
She reached into her robes and handed him Horatio’s 1001 Hexes and his wand. “The ones with the little stars next to them cause pain. Combine those with your wand and you will be golden.”
Blaise snickered. “There you have it, Draco. Ginevra once again proves why I question the Sorting Hat and its ability to place her in the proper house. It also proves why,” he leaned in and kissed her lightly, “we are so very attracted to you.”
She grinned and kissed him back. “Which should help explain why I let either of you, let alone both of you, anywhere near me.”
“The fact that your family and the boy wonder have no clue who you really are and we do?” Draco said softly, his tone cautious.
“We see you,” Blaise said simply.
She nodded, smiling brightly. “You’re both correct. Now, are we going to plant these pranks or find another way to spend the evening?”
“We have three weeks to cause mayhem, roughly, before we leave for the hols,” Blaise pointed out. “You can put up posters or graffiti to your little hearts content…but I would really like you to consider holding off on demon boxes until closer to the time we leave.”
Ginevra sighed heavily. “I see your point. But, I really, really want to make that horrid woman pay.”
“Oh she will,” Blaise promised. “I won’t share with the class just yet, but I do have plans for her.”
Draco shook his head and groaned. “Why don’t we go to the Room of Requirement and you two can teach me a few of your favourite hexes.”
Blaise was pleased that Draco was no more willing to push Ginevra than he was. Now, that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to be snogging her as often as possible. He and Draco had yet to shag actually, the whole taking it slow thing seemed to be working for them. Sliding off the desk, he grinned. “I like that plan. Shall we tuck this contraband away here and come back for it later?”
“Probably,” Ginevra said, hopping off the desk. “It will be difficult enough to explain why the three of us are together this late as it is; having Wheezes on our persons would mean torture and maiming us as well.”
“Oh they could try,” Blaise said dangerously, making it clear that there would be no maiming or torture that he wasn’t handing out. “I would carve whoever dared try into tiny pieces, rest assured.”
“With that, we should go.” Ginevra took the boxes and tucked them behind a stack of broken chairs in the corner.
They made their way through the corridors uncontested. Even Padma Patil, the Head Girl, pointedly looked the other way when they passed. Ginevra had just stepped into the Room of Requirement when Amycus Carrow made an appearance. Blaise closed the door quickly; he knew that the room would let them in once the sick bastard was gone.
“What do we have here?”
“The Head Boy and a Prefect doing their rounds,” Blaise replied blandly.
“I think not. I think you’re turning Zabini to our cause.” Amycus’ face twisted into an expression of depraved pleasure. “Had I known, Malfoy, that your tastes ran that way, I would have petitioned your Aunt for time with you over the summer. I am certain I could have taught you a few things.”
“You’ll want to stop while you still draw breath,” Blaise said in a very calm tone, one he only used when he was so angry that he couldn’t hold his anger in. He wanted to torture this sick bastard until there was nothing left of him but mush and bone fragments. It would be a slow, painful death, of that much Blaise was certain.
“Or what, boy, you will call your Mummy?”
The simpering tone just set Blaise off even more. He was across the hall, wand in one and dagger in the other before he even thought about it. “I won’t need to, you sick fuck.”
“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it,” Amycus said tauntingly. “Once I’ve had that redheaded blood traitor and then Malfoy here, it will be your turn. My Lord rewards the faithful.”
“Oh you are going to be rewarded all right.”
“Blaise,” Draco said warningly.
Ignoring his boyfriend, Blaise stunned Amycus. Standing over the idiot, he pondered how to best kill him.
“Mr Zabini, cease.”
He looked up and grimaced. “Go away, Snape, and leave me to it.”
“No. Explain, Mr Malfoy, before this fool wakes up.”
“He insinuated that myself, Ginevra Weasley, and Blaise would all be on the receiving end of his…attentions,” Draco said disgustedly, “willing or no. He further stated that his Lord rewarded the loyal. I’m all for letting Blaise go on as he sees fit.”
“As am I,” Ginevra said as she exited the Room of Requirement. “I heard all of it, sir, just to be clear. I vote for Blaise making him…go missing.”
“I’ll Obliviate him,” Snape said in a tone that left no room for argument. “Should he, at a later date, go missing than I disavow any knowledge of what may have led to such a thing. You three should go now. Rest assured that I will not be allowing Amycus’… attentions… to focus on any of you.”
Ginevra walked over, leaning against Blaise’s chest. “You know, sir, you are only making this one testier.”
“Ginevra has a point.” Draco joined them, smirking. “You want him to behave and yet when faced with the perfect chance…you stop him.”
Snape’s lips twitched almost as if he was struggling to hide his amusement. “I am Headmaster and it is my duty to protect the students. I loathe considering just who might be sent to replace this one.”
Blaise shuddered. “Can students disappear? Come on, Snape; give me something to work with.”
Snape pointed to the still open door. “Go, now, you three.”
They were all pouting a bit at this point. But, they did as he ordered seeing as it was still Snape and he was vicious when angered.
“Mr Malfoy.”
Draco looked surprised. “Yes?”
“I see you have found better company to keep as of late, your mother would approve.”
Ginevra snickered, shooing them in and closing the door. “I think not.”
Draco shrugged. “Why not?”
Ginevra pointed to herself. “Red hair, hand-me-down robes, last name Weasley… any of that ringing a bell, Draco dear?”
Blaise snickered and pulled over a chair. He was going to enjoy this and try to distract himself from the need to hurt something after Amycus’ disgusting words. When he realised that he was flexing his hands, he made an effort to grip the arms of the chair instead.
“Well, yes, but stick with us and the wardrobe situation will change,” Draco replied teasingly. “As for the hair, yours is more a red wine than that atrocious orange.”
“You are stunningly gorgeous,” Blaise offered helpfully. “Now, do we think I could ‘require’ an idiot minion to torture or would Hogwarts disapprove of such a wish?”
“No,” was Ginevra’s dry reply, “but there are training dummies like we used in DA over in the corner.”
“Meh.” Training dummies weren’t going to cut it. He saw Draco sit down and begin flipping through the book and that gave him an idea. He reached down and took his spare dagger out of his boot and held it out hilt first to her. “You’re going to learn to wield this. Not that I don’t think Snape can cast a proper Memory Charm…”
She took the dagger with a light sigh. “Maiming only, deal?”
Blaise tugged her into his lap. He hadn’t expected her to protest, but her reaction made him smile. She settled in sideways, her legs hanging over the arm of the chair. “Just maiming, I promise. I just don’t like the idea that he could track you down and hurt you.”
“Give me some credit.” She was pouting now.
“I do, darling, believe me I do. But, he is even crazier than I am. If he should get his sister in on the act…”
Ginevra shuddered and laid her head on his shoulder. “I don’t even want to think about it. Why is the holiday so far away?”
Draco looked up from the book. “I still say he needs to disappear. It can’t be just us he has set his disgusting sights on. As for the holiday, I am beginning to think we should all disappear; Lovegood, Theo, and Greg included.”
Blaise wrapped his arms around her and considered Draco’s suggestion. While he agreed, it would make it more difficult for Draco to retain the façade of ‘willing minion’ should they go that route. Then again, Valhalla was safe. No one would be getting through the wards and the Floo had long ago been blocked at Kingsley’s insistence. He had to admit that the Auror did have the ‘paranoia’ thing down. Until they knew just how much danger Narcissa was in, it seemed the best option to try and stay at Hogwarts. He didn’t like that option, but it was the most logical.
“Blaise?”
He looked up and shrugged. “I say we stay. I don’t like it, but think about what risk we would be putting your mother in.”
Draco blanched, returning his attention to the book. “Point.”
“Though,” he said musingly, “Having a bag packed and tucked away just in case would also be wise.”
Ginevra chuckled. “I’ve had one packed since August. I actually figured that I would have been long gone by now. Mum kept telling me how Hogwarts was the safest place for me. I don’t think she thought it through though.”
“Safer than you being at home and at risk for attack day in and day out,” Draco pointed out. “Ask me how I know.”
“Let’s be honest here.” Blaise laid his head back and sighed heavily. “We all know that if Crabbe, Alecto, or Amycus makes one more threat against any of us… I am going to snap completely and slaughter whichever one of them is stupid first no matter where the confrontation happens. You two accept that about me, for which I am eternally grateful. But, it does put us in a tight spot.”
“Well, why not have Draco go to Snape, citing his Head Boy status and such if asked? He can alert Snape that Narcissa needs to be moved, to Valhalla or even Annwn if that is better.” Ginevra laid the dagger in her lap. “I don’t want any of our mothers at risk. However, I know mine well enough to know that she would refuse any further protection than she already puts up with.”
Blaise kissed her brow. “That is perfect. Draco?”
“Tomorrow,” Draco murmured. “Good gods, some of these are downright evil.”
Ginevra laughed. “So, would those be the ones you want to learn then?”
Draco smirked, winking at her. “Sure, why not. Why don’t I do that whilst Blaise teaches you to maim things?”
Laughing, Blaise held on to Ginevra a bit tighter and got to his feet, setting her down once they had crossed the room to where a large target had appeared on the wall. “First, you will have to learn how to hold and throw the dagger properly.”
She tipped her head back so she could look him in the eyes. “I don’t like the idea of me taking this one though. I would be leaving you without one of your weapons.” At his scowl, she rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes unnecessary fear, I know, but deal with it.”
“I will get you one of your own for Yule,” he said in hopes of getting her to agree. He really, really had a bad feeling about Amycus. Coming from him, that was worrying indeed. Still, he needed to use this time wisely and bring Ginevra up to a reasonable competency with the dagger. If he had his way, which he fully intended to; she would not be going anywhere without it.
--ii-
Draco returned to the dorm after speaking to Snape looking a bit victorious. Blaise was laid out on his bed, not having bothered to attend Muggle Studies… again…or even Dark Arts. He knew he was pushing it, but he knew Draco would come back to the house first.
“Well?”
“He assured me that the information would be passed along and the moment my mother has been moved, one of us will be made aware of it.”
Blaise motioned him over. “Good. Did he say how long it would take?”
Draco dropped down on the bed and sighed before laying back. “No, though he did insinuate that it would be before the winter holidays.”
Blaise rolled over and pinned Draco to the bed, grinning. “I say we skip afternoon classes as well. I can think of better ways to pass the time.”
Draco snickered, but didn’t complain in the least.