Breaking Rules (Daphne, Padma, Demelza, Susan, PG-13)

Nov 09, 2017 06:54

Title: Breaking Rules
Author/Artist:
Characters: Daphne Greengrass, Padma Patil, Demelza Robins, Susan Bones
Prompt number: 189
Word Count: 3,598
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None.
Summary: An encounter brings about a friendship between four girls that crosses House boundaries.
Disclaimer: As much as I would love to own JK Rowling's world, I most unfortunately do not. But I thank her for giving me so many characters to work with. :)
Author’s Notes: Thank you to my betas for editing!

I realized after writing this that in The Cursed Child, certain information comes out about the Greengrass family that gives this story a potentially more depressing ending than I intended. I don't hold much of The Cursed Child as canon, so please assume that for the purposes of this fanfic, that particular fate is in a different timeline. ;)



The first meeting was by accident. It should never have happened.

Susan Bones and Padma Patil ran into the girls' bathroom. It was the first place they'd thought to hide from Umbridge - as much as they’d had time to think of anything. They hadn't thought to run with their friends (or, in Padma's case, her sister); they'd just run in the same direction. That was what Harry had ordered. They fell against the bathroom sink, winded from what must have been a record-setting sprint.

How had Umbridge found their hiding spot, anyway? Susan didn't know. Had one of their own ratted them out?

"What are you two running from?"

The dry question was asked by Daphne Greengrass, a surly Slytherin fifth year. Meanwhile, a Gryffindor third-year had just exited one of the stalls, and was watching them with interest.

"We were trying to catch two first years," Susan lied. “They were… breaking rules.”

Very convincing, Susan.

At that moment, the door opened. Susan held her breath as Millicent Bulstrode walked in.

"You know what it's about!" Daphne cried.

Susan and Padma exchanged confused looks.

"Don't play dumb," Daphne said, and she inched up to Susan. "You're not getting him. As though he'd have anything to do with a Hufflepuff!"

It took Susan a few seconds to catch on. "Really? Maybe he's done with serpent girls. Maybe he wants someone a little different. A little... riskier."

"I'm sorry, have you been here this whole time?" Millicent interrupted.

"None of your business, Millie," Daphne snapped.

"Actually, it is. I'm part of the Inquisitorial Squad, remember?"

"So?"

"So I think they might have been somewhere they oughtn't have!"

"Well, we're all here. Sorry to disappoint."

"And for how long?"

"Too long," Daphne said with a glare at Susan.

"And her?" Millicent pointed at the third-year and Padma.

"Probably five minutes," the third-year said quickly. "We'd been studying at the library."

Millicent pouted as she closed the door. Susan struggled to process what had happened.

"Why did you just cover for us?" Susan asked.

Daphne shrugged. "I don't like Umbridge. My sister had detention with her, and -" Daphne stopped. "I shouldn't be talking. I don't know you. Any of you."

"You think we like that cow?" the third year asked. "I'm in Gryffindor. She hates us the most."

Padma rolled her eyes. "It's not all about Gryffindors. I think she hates Ravenclaws the most."

"Honestly," Susan said, "I think Umbridge just hates everyone. My Auntie's told me stories about her... not that my Auntie doesn't like her," Susan finished. She couldn't be absolutely certain that she could trust either the third-year or Daphne.

"I thought she seemed nice at first," the third-year admitted. "But then she got mean."

"You're sweeter than a sugar quill," Daphne muttered.

"What's your name, anyway?" Susan asked her.

"Demelza Robins. And you?"

"Susan Bones. This is Padma Patil and Daphne Greengrass."

"Oh. Nice to meet you."

Susan checked her watch. By now, they were probably safe to go. She nodded to Padma.

“I’ll see you all around,” Susan told them. Padma, Demelza and Daphne nodded.

Maybe it was just Susan, but she felt a sense of comradery as she left the bathroom.

When it became apparent that Dumbledore's Army was no more, all Susan could think of was her chance encounter with Daphne and Demelza.

Could they do much? Probably not, but maybe that wasn't the point. In that brief span of time, they'd all protected one another. That said something to Susan. Maybe it was a sign of some sort.

Susan managed to pull Daphne aside; she also talked to Parvati Patil about relaying a message to Padma, and asked Hermione Granger to relay a message to Demelza. That night, two weeks after their initial meeting, the girls met. It was early enough that they weren't technically breaking rules, late enough that most of their peers were unlikely to walk in.

The girls abused Umbridge liberally. Then Daphne made a haunting confession: "Umbridge tortured my sister."

Everyone fell silent.

"Tortured her?" Demelza asked.

Daphne nodded grimly. "Astoria only asked why we weren't learning spells. She believed we had every right to learn them. Apparently if you persist too much, your House no longer matters. Astoria had to write that she would respect Umbridge over and over."

"That's not torture," Padma said with an exasperated sigh.

"Into her hand. With a magic pen."

The dismissive expression on Padma's face turned into horror.

"She can't do that," Susan said immediately. "That has to be illegal! If my Auntie knew... I'm going to tell her."

Daphne snorted bitterly. "For all you know, your Auntie signed off on it."

"No." Susan shook her head. "Aunt Amelia would never. I'm going to write to her."

"You can't," Padma said. "Then Astoria and Daphne will get into trouble for telling you, and you'll get in trouble for telling her."

Susan didn't like that Padma was right. But she was.

"Maybe when you go home for the holidays," Demelza suggested.

There was a long and depressing silence. Susan decided to change the subject. "Do any of you like The Wyrd Sisters?" Susan asked.

No one seemed to have an answer to that.

"Because I do," Susan continued.

"I like the song 'Do the Hippogriff,'" Padma replied skeptically. "But what does that have to do with-"

"-I love that song!" Demelza exclaimed. "Move your body like a hairy troll..."

"Learning to rock and roll," Susan sang.

Padma broke into a smile. "Spin around like a crazy elf."

Daphne spun around. "a' dancin' by himself!"

The girls shook their hair around madly, singing until Padma checked her watch and exclaimed that they had to go before Filch found them.

"We should do this again," Demelza said.

"Do what, though?" Daphne asked.

"I don't know. Let's bring Gobstones next time. Or Wizard’s Chess. Two weeks? Same time, same place?"

"I can't think of a reason not to," Daphne said, "Fine. But we shouldn't talk outside of it."

Their next several meetings were everything Susan had feared she'd lose after Dumbledore's Army was disbanded. Minus the lessons, but with even more House unity and - dare she say it? - something close to friendship. One of her new friends being a Slytherin, no less.

They talked about heartbreak: Susan admitted that she'd fancied Cedric Diggory, which got her a pat on the back from all three girls. Padma Patil expressed frustration that Anthony Goldstein didn't fancy her as she did him. Daphne had fancied Viktor Krum, but he’d never responded to her fan letters, so she was pretty sure she could let that fantasy go.

They played wizard's chess; Padma beat everyone, but Daphne was best at almost beating her. And every so often, they dueled one another for fun - yet also, in their own way, for practice.

When the school year ended, Susan promised her friends that they'd resume the hangouts.

But then disaster struck. Her Aunt Amelia was killed.

Into the new school year, Susan didn't want to talk to anyone. Everyone wanted to talk about Aunt Amelia. I'm so sorry. You're in my thoughts. Is there anything I can do? Susan didn't want to hear it. Even Hannah and Ernie's words were useless to her, and while she knew she'd regret leaving them staring at her in the hallway, it was hard for her to care.

Aunt Amelia had been everything to Susan. She'd been what inspired Susan to be so strong. Where was her inspiration now?

Two weeks into the school year, Demelza Robins jabbed Susan into the back.

"Tonight, right?" Demelza demanded.

"What?"

"Come ON, Susan. You can't have forgotten."

"It's not a good time," Susan told Demelza. "I've got a lot going on right now."

"Then talk to us. We'll listen."

"Everyone says that," Susan said with a wry laugh. "Trouble is, no one really means it."

Demelza's face fell, and Susan walked back to the dormitories.

But as she worked on her NEWT coursework, Susan realized that she couldn't concentrate one bit. She kept thinking about Daphne. And Padma. And the now let-down Demelza.

Maybe she needed to go. They'd kept her safe once before, hadn't they?

When Susan walked into the bathroom, Padma greeted her with a hug. Daphne didn't hug her, but she did smile sympathetically.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Susan shook her head.

"Didn't think so," Daphne sighed.

"I should be," Susan admitted. "It's been two months, after all."

"There's no time limit, you know," Daphne told her.

"Thank you. I think a lot of it is that.... everything I did last year was for her. Aunt Amelia never told me to join a resistance group, but that's the sort of thing she would have done, so I did it. Now what?"

"Now you do everything else for her," Padma advised. "In her name. Her memory."

"I don't know if I can."

"Of course you can," Demelza said.

"I will, too," Daphne said.

Susan tilted her head. "You'll what?"

"Astoria and I have been talking. Our family's not - well, we've never been Death Eaters. Most of us, anyway. My parents think You-Know-Who is going too far. But I wouldn't call them open-minded people. Maybe it's time to change that. I want to be an Auror."

"An Auror?" Susan asked, surprised.

Daphne nodded. "Yes. Isn't that what you're aspiring to be?"

"I'm still not sure. Possibly."

"Think about it. I reckon we could be Aurors together. Then we wouldn't have to sneak in the girls’ bathroom anymore."

Everybody laughed, and Susan smiled.

Being around her newer, odder friends had never been more important.

Demelza was the baby of the group, and their next mission was pumping her up to try out for Quidditch.

"You'll get on the team," Daphne assured her. "'course, if you do, I'll hope that you lose. But it'll be worth it."

"That's very supportive," Susan told Daphne. Daphne beamed.

When Demelza made the team, they had an impromptu celebration, complete with Chocolate Frogs, Butterbeer, and more dancing to their poorly sung version of "Do the Hippogriff."

"I'm glad I don't play Quidditch, though," Padma admitted to Susan and Daphne quietly after Demelza left. "I'd hate trying to beat her. She's like a little sister to me."

"I think she's like a little sister to all of us," Daphne said. "Merlin, I have a sister in Gryffindor. How'd that happen?"

The girls began to socialize outside of the bathroom.

Daphne had to be more careful, of course; many Slytherins were looking out for possible Blood Traitors, and Daphne didn't want to endanger her sister or her new friends. Although she and Padma did sometimes pair up in Herbology, purposely putting themselves in positions where they had to work together. And Demelza was two years below Susan, so Susan hardly ever saw her.

Padma, however, did pop up more frequently - often with Parvati in tow, given that Lavender Brown was apparently "busy with Won-Won," whatever or whoever Won-Won was. Susan decided it was better not to ask, given the annoyance with which Parvati expressed this. And sometimes Susan invited Daphne along when they were at Hogsmeade, and it was easier to get lost in the crowd. Susan was glad that they didn't seem to really need the bathroom anymore, although they of course still met there each fortnight. It was their tradition, after all.

Then Dumbledore was killed.

First, they lost Padma. Susan watched her leave Hogwarts with Parvati and Mr. and Mrs. Patil, a sick feeling in her stomach. She scanned the Great Hall; Demelza had run to Padma and given her a tight hug. Daphne stayed at her table but looked crestfallen, although she quickly covered it up with a yawn when she spotted Pansy Parkinson watching her. Susan looked at Daphne once more before joining Demelza in the hugging.

"I'll write," Padma promised Susan.

"You'd better."

Padma rejoined them when the Death Eaters took over, given that Hogwarts was now compulsory. The bathroom once again became a necessary meeting spot. But they couldn't even enjoy it as freely as they had before. Instead, they met nervously, wondering if they should be there.

"I can't stay in the Slytherin Common Room, though," Daphne said one night, as she halfheartedly unwrapped a Chocolate Frog. "Talk of killing Muggles - well, they say Mudbloods, they throw around that word a lot - and little else. Even the first-years are buying into it. How can anyone listen to that filth?"

"It's not just Slytherins," Susan said miserably. She'd heard horrible things from Hufflepuff first-years just that morning. "They're trying to corrupt everyone. But listen..."

Susan knew that inviting Daphne to join Dumbledore's Army would not be a move met with approval. However, she trusted Daphne. All three of them - Demelza was a new member - had agreed that they would ask Daphne.

"We're part of a student group," Padma said. "Fighting the Carrows."

"I see. And you want me to join?"

All three of them nodded.

Daphne hesitated. "Honestly... it's not a good idea."

"How is it not a good idea?" Susan asked.

"Make no mistake, I'd love to join. However, even this is risky. All Slytherins are practically potential Death Eaters anymore. They're watching for traitors. I'd be more useful to you if I were removed."

"You should spy," Padma said.

Everyone looked at her.

"Think about it," Padma continued. "That makes more sense. This way, most of the DA thinks she's on the other side, or at least sympathetic to it. The Carrows will have no reason to believe we trust her. Meanwhile, Daphne can feed us things we should know, and vice versa. That is, if Daphne's okay with that."

Daphne paused. "I always have liked the idea of being a spy. What should you call me in private?"

"Persephone," Padma said without skipping a beat.

"This is why we have a resident Ravenclaw among us," Demelza announced.

The plan worked well; Susan, who relayed the information, declined to detail how she received it. Neville took her word for it. Most of it was simply knowing where the Slytherins and the Carrows planned on spying, but occasionally there were other useful bits of information, and the bathroom once again became a necessary meeting spot.

Sometimes, there was even time for fun things. Each girl's birthday was celebrated in the bathroom, even if they had to wait two weeks after the fact. Quidditch was still a beloved sport at Hogwarts, and the girls would discuss upcoming matches. They also discussed what they would do after Hogwarts, when the war ended. They never let themselves say "if." Padma was contemplating working for the Department of Mysteries. Susan and Daphne were still set on being Aurors. Demelza was undecided, but knew she'd have to decide soon.

"Some people never know until they leave Hogwarts," Susan told her.

"What's the point of NEWTs, then?"

"They'll at least get you in the right direction," Padma replied.

Demelza considered her point. "I suppose that's true."

Deep down, the girls knew their choices were bigger "ifs." Susan and Daphne couldn't work as Aurors in a Death Eater occupied Ministry, and Padma wasn't sure they even had anyone working for the Department of Mysteries anymore. You-Know-Who didn't seem like one to tolerate other people’s secrets.

But they needed hope.

Padma would later say that the Battle of Hogwarts was proof they'd been meant to meet all those years ago. Susan didn't know if that was true, but they did end up fighting with one another.

Not many Slytherins came back to help, but Daphne was one of the few who did. Susan realized it when she, Padma and Demelza happened to end up in the same corridor. Susan was looking for Hannah; Padma was looking for Parvati and Lavender.

"Is Astoria somewhere safe?" Demelza asked.

"Of course. She's with Millicent Bulstrode. Millicent's on our side now, too. I don't think she ever wanted to kill people, she just wanted to bully people. I reckon that's how most of them are, 'cept they're playing along. Cowards."

Daphne looked at Demelza. "But you shouldn't be here. You're too young."

"I'm fighting." Demelza looked determined.

"Demelza, please. I'll tell you where Millicent and Astoria are, you can hide with them."

"No. You can't make me leave."

"This isn't a Quidditch game, Melz," Padma said softly.

"Oh, let her fight," Susan said. "She's one of us. And it's too late for her to leave, at any rate."

"Thank you," Demelza said to Susan.

Inwardly, Susan wasn't sure it was such a good idea. However, she also knew that they didn't have much choice. Besides, there was no need to patronise their friend, even if she was a little younger than them. Still, she hoped this wasn't a decision she would regret.

The girls found themselves dueling a former Slytherin, who’d been attempting to ambush a group of first or second years. The girls stepped in, and Susan ushered the two students in a classroom. When she ran back, Marcus Flint was on the ground grabbing his shoulder.

“Didn’t take much,” Daphne said. “He was always as dumb as rocks.”

“Who’s dumb?” A sweet voice sang behind them.

It was Dolores Umbridge. Their former teacher.

"All of this fighting isn't very nice," Umbridge simpered as she cast what would've been a deadly blow at Padma. Demelza and Susan deflected it quickly. She looked at Susan and grinned. "Your Auntie Amelia wouldn't like it."

"On the contrary, my Auntie Amelia wouldn't like you. No one likes you. But we will beat you."

"What makes you think that?"

"Because we've done it before," Demelza said. "Right under your nose."

"We actually owe you our undying gratitude," Daphne quipped.

Umbridge lowered her wand with a confused frown. "Why's that?"

"Why? You gave us each three best friends," Susan told her.

"You taught us what was right, and what was wrong," Daphne said.

"You made us do things we never thought we'd have the courage to do," Padma added.

"How can we ever repay you?" Demelza asked.

With four wands raised against her, Umbridge flew across the room.

Umbridge was sent to Azkaban within a few hours after the Battle, Susan learned. She was glad.

The aftermath wasn't easy; many lives had been lost, including those in Dumbledore's Army. Fred Weasley. Lavender Brown. Colin Creevey, who had also been one of Demelza's good friends. And several Hufflepuff students, some of whom were just collateral damage.
This made for a somber meeting. For the first few minutes, not much was said at all; the four girls simply sat together, lost in their own thoughts.

"I'll miss Hogwarts," Susan finally said.

"I can't believe you're all leaving," Demelza said.

Padma shrugged. "I might stay one year. A few of the seventh-years are talking about it. We lost a year of learning, after all."

"Well, Susie and I are already signed up for Auror Training," Daphne said. "They recruited new Aurors pretty quickly. We're even bypassing the NEWTs, although we'll have to take them if we ever want to get promoted."

"I'd offer you congratulations," Padma said, "but the circumstances are... less than ideal."

Susan shrugged. "Still better than no Auror Department."

"The good news is, we don't really need this bathroom anymore," Daphne said. "We can be ourselves now."

"Who'll use it, then?" Demelza asked.

"Maybe another group of girls," Susan mused, "also bonded by running from teachers."

"Hopefully better ones than Umbridge!" Demelza exclaimed.

"Of course. But there'll always be some necessary rule-breaking, won't there?"

With a sad last glance, the girls left the bathroom one by one.

But this time, they didn't separate quickly. Instead, they walked together like the friends they were.

*2017 fest, .gen, *fic

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