Not Quite Dark Magic

Blaisus

"Zabini is all that as well," Seamus argued. "I could even say he's worse, considering he's not even all that skilled as what he does."

"So Malfoy being a more successful part of the Dark side makes him a better partner? No, it simply makes him more evil."

"Malfoy came to the Order willingly. Zabini still believes all that nonsense that Tom speaks."

"Malfoy came to us strictly to save his own arse. That makes him smarter than Blaise, sure, but I could argue that makes him more dangerous and therefore the worse partner."

"Is this something you really need to be arguing about?" Theo inquired.

Hermione pursed her lips and tipped her head to the ceiling as if in thought. "Yes."

"Well Finnegan," Theo began, giving Hermione a conspiratorial look, "the only way to truly prove you've got it worse is to go through with the binding."

Seamus, whose face had gone from pinked cheeks to completely red faced, shot Theo a glare so menacing that Voldemort himself would be impressed, before throwing his hands up.

"Fine. I'll bind to the bloody evil git."

Hermione patted him on the back. "That's the spirit. You'll be best friends in no time."

"S'not fair," he insisted. "Malfoy actually isn't all that bad."

"I'm confused. In all the scenarios I'd imagined where Malfoy joined the Order— which in case you were wondering, were zero, because Malfoy was evil and self righteous and prejudiced—" she shook her head. "He was isolated and miserable and constantly being mocked."

Seamus shrugged, blowing his hair out of his eyes. "A few years ago, sure. Now it's too exhausting. We've got enough people to hate. I'm tired of it. I'm not sure how much hatred I have left in me."

With that, Seamus was up and walking out the door.

Hermione sat thinking about his words long after she should have headed to the ceremony.

---

When she had managed to shake herself from her reverie she rushed into the binding room into a scene of chaos.

The room was almost as full as it had been during Malfoy and her's ceremony. Apparently even during war people still had time to stick their noses where they didn't belong.

Theo and Malfoy were both screaming at something below them. Hermione ran over to see Blaise pinned below Draco's knees while Theo gripped his shoulders with a white knuckle intensity.

"What in Godric's name is going on?"

Malfoy looked up at her. She couldn't read his eyes. His brow was loose with emotionless indifference. He was fully occluded, as if headed into battle.

"We can't start a binding ritual like this."

"The circle's just over there to the left." Malfoy chucked his chin in the direction and she eyed a green circle, so thin it was barely visible at the angle she was standing.

She turned her head back to the boys. "What's your plan?"

"Can we stun him?"

"Theo!"

"It was just a suggestion."

Even under Theo's inhuman strength Blaise was bucking like a wild animal. The scene reminded Hermione of third year, Malfoy writhing underneath Buckbeak's claws.

"Looks like you finally conquered your fear of mythical creatures."

"Stuff it, Granger."

Hermione bit back a smile.