shimmy shimmy ya
Draco sat at the dining room table, leaning forward on his elbows. Tomorrow, him and the others would be going to Voldemort's meeting. His mind was racing. The only reason Hermione trusted them enough to leave, was due to their risk in saving Fred's life. She had to take this leap of faith, but seeing how they took care of Dru and clearly loved her, she knew they wouldn't betray her. Even if she didn't fully trust them, as long as Dru was here, they'd stick to their word.
"You gonna have a drink?" Dru asked, as Draco leaned back and wrapped his arm around her waist while she sat on his lap. She handed him a cup of gigglewater. They had all been drinking and mingling for a little while, and when Luna brought out her own formulated gigglewater, it grew more fun. They deserved a night to be free and happy. To just forget the mess that was brewing ahead. He was hesitant to drink, because he knew what was to come, but Dru's eager smile caused him to take a quick sip. "It's fun! I've never, hic! had anything quite like this before!" Her hiccups were beginning and he leaned forward to her.
"Actually, you have." He smirked. "How much have you had to drink?" He laughed a little at her. Dru lifted up her hand, hiccuping again, and then held up 2 fingers, which turned to 4. She then made a puzzling look at her hand before cocking her head to the side. "Okay, a lot." Draco pulled her hand back down. He glanced around the room, peering into the living room where Pansy had been drunkenly dancing to whatever awful music had been playing off the stereo. Blaise was even enjoying himself and smiling more than usual, which was disturbing for Draco.
Theo had been talking to one of the PA members, causing a little bit of surprise, but Theo could talk to anyone, as long as he got something out of it.
Hermione and Ron were sitting on the sofa comfortably, with her head on his shoulder. And then there was Fred, standing amongst some other PA members, watching Dru casually. Draco tensed at this, slightly pulling her into him as she nuzzled her head into his neck. "Dance with me?" She asked with a giggle.
"I don't dance." He told her, drinking some more.
"Why not?" She asked him.
"I just don't." He confirmed. This had been a minor lie, as he did dance with her at the yule ball. But that was the one of just a few times, that had ever happened, and he doesn't enjoy doing so. Dru let out a giggly groan as she stood up from his lap and made her way to the living room. Fred smiled at her, approaching eagerly. Blaise had seated himself beside Draco at the table and leaned forward.
"You feeling alright, mate?" He asked him. Draco looked to him, noticing the slight smile on his lips. Everyone around him was drunk.
"Fine, thanks." He responded callously.
"You know, it doesn't hurt to just let go of everything and drink." Blaise took a sip, pushing aside all his thoughts. Blaise was always a practical man. Even as a boy, he was solemn, quite, and oddly polite. It was a shock to everyone in the PA when they discovered that Blaise was actually the one they referred to as The Butcher.
The tales of the butcher were terrifying. He had extensive knowledge in torture and dismemberment. And from an outsiders point of view, he had enjoyed it. But truthfully, Blaise hated that side of him. He had a tendency to separate his two personas and ignore the darkness Voldemort had created within him. His skills with cutting up bodies and disposing of them were so precise, that he had become a key member for the Death Eaters. But all that blood and carnage only took a toll on him and he knew there was no happiness within this life. It was a shock to him when the PA actually allowed him to stay with them, but everyone kept their distance. He pretended not to notice the uncomfortable glares and whispers when he walked through the hall, but it was troubling. He was what the boogie man should be. He was the nightmare that lived under your bed and the monster in your closet. But in his mind, he was still just Blaise— another boy with no choice and a child who had to grow up too young, and become something he never wanted to be.
"I fear for what may happen." Draco whispered quietly to his friend, staring him dead in the eye. His vulnerability came through whenever Dru was in the picture.
"That's a common worry, Draco. But, we know who she is. What she's capable of. And in retrospect, she could kill us all with a wave of her hand." Blaise whispered back, inching Draco's drink to him. Draco eyed it, unsure if he should let his guard down for the night. But when he followed Blaise's eyesight to see Dru conversing with Fred, he felt the urge to just let go.
Downing the rest of the glass in a quick second, he stood from the table, causing the chair to scratch against the floor, and made his way to Dru. She turned to him, smiling. For a moment, he had forgotten where they were and what was happening in the world around them, and was taken back to a place from many years ago. The dormitory parties were always Dru's favorite, even if he hated that she'd drag him to the other houses. She looked just as she did all those times that they enjoyed life as Hogwarts students. What he would give to relive those times instead. "Draco!" She smiled, lunging up into his arms again. She was clingy when she was drunk. He almost forgot. Almost.
"I'm not dancing." He told her, finally smiling.
"Pity." She pouted, turning from him and pressing her backside against his torso. Her swaying kept in rhythm with the music and he felt his hands grab onto the sides of her waist. He didn't dance, but he held onto her, subtly glaring at Fred every once in a while. He loved when others desired what he had. The gigglewater was beginning to kick in, as a laugh escaped his lips, brushing against her ear. She pulled her hand up and rested it gently against his cheek, caressing his soft cold skin. Lifting her drink to his lips, he drank more, enjoying the moment for what it was. No one knew what tomorrow held, but tonight was all they had.
— — —
Dru's eyes fluttered open to the empty spot beside her on the bed. Her hand had reached briefly, expecting to feel Draco as usual, but she was greeted with a piece of parchment instead. Sitting herself up, grabbing at her throbbing head for a moment, she unfolded the letter.
I'm sorry to have left you without a proper goodbye. I didn't want to make it harder on either of us, but I look forward to seeing you again in a few days.
Stay safe, keep your mind focused. I have no doubt in my mind that you will be able to expand your magical abilities. You've come so far already.
Soon,
D.M.
Dru sighed, setting the paper down and grabbing at her head again. It was throbbing. How much had she had to drink last night? She wondered. A quiet knock on the door startled her as she looked to see a surprise, it was Pansy. "Take it you read his letter?" She asked with a yawn. Dru nodded while Pansy proceeded to the bed, sitting beside her. "They shouldn't be gone too long, so don't worry."
"Why didn't you go as well? Don't all death eaters need to be in attendance at the meetings?" Dru asked, curiously. Pansy smirked.
"Unless you're a woman. It's required all male death eaters attend, whereas women are only needed if they have a task to fulfill. I guess war isn't one of them. Of course though, Bellatrix somehow manages to weasel her way into being at every one of them. But that's just because she's got Voldy's dick so far up her arse that she can't help but be wherever he is." Pansy scoffed with an exaggerated eye roll.
"Bellatrix?" Dru asked.
"Oh, right. Draco's aunt. She's a nightmare. Totally fucking mad and a raging twat. Also, Rodolphus's wife." Pansy explained. "So I didn't need to be there and Hermione found it best for at least one of us to stay. She tries to trust us, but she can't."
"I mean, can you blame her?" Dru wondered.
"Not at all. But they should be earning our trust as well. We're the ones risking much more than them." Pansy leaned onto Dru's shoulder, reading over Draco's note for herself. "He's usually one for letters. But this one is just tragic." Pansy made fun of him, before side-eyeing Dru beside her. "You know he used to write you all the time. I'll admit, for a wanker, he's quite the poet." Dru grew intrigued by this. "You bring out the better in him. It's nice to see a glimmer of the Draco we once knew."
"I wish I knew him back then." Dru sighed, leaning her head on Pansy's.
"You'll eventually. I'm sure of it." There was a silence now. Both deep in thought. Pansy thinking of her memories from Hogwarts, and Dru straining to remember her life at Hogwarts.
"Do you ever wonder what your life would have been like, had Harry won?" Dru suddenly asked, looking to her friend as Pansy looked back at her.
"Often, actually." Pansy glanced down at her hands.
"Where do you think you'd be?"
"It's hard to say. I'd like to think I'd be newly divorced—,"
"Divorced?" Dru shot back, furrowing her eyebrows, confused as to why someone would imagine themself divorced.
"Let's be honest, I'd probably be divorced because I would have married young and dumb and then realized there was plenty of other options for happiness." Pansy shrugged. "I'm trying to think realistically, alright?" She laughed, and Dru did as well. The laughter died out, and the girls looked to one another again. "Truthfully, I don't think I'd ever be satisfied."
"What do you mean?"
"I always choose wrong, because I never believed I deserved right. So I'd have a divorce out of pure misery with myself. And I'd have kept looking for the one or whatever it is, and still end up alone. That's just life." Pansy shrugged.
"Pans, when this is all over, I'm sure you'll find her. You're an amazing woman, and anyone could see that. She's out there. I know it. Just give it time. With time, comes happiness. And any girl would be lucky to have you." Dru smiled, as she rested her hand on top of Pansy's in an attempt at comfort.
"Well, anyways, we should probably get started. Got a lot planned for the day." Pansy hated discussing her personal life and the fact that she's never actually found someone like Draco and Dru did. But, that was this life. And she held no hope for her own future. After being put down from her father for so long, it never felt she was good enough. Even if she couldn't see how truly amazing she was deep down.
"Really? Like what?" Dru asked.
"Training. There's a war headed our way and we need to get you in tip-top shape."
— — —
Later that day, Dru stood outside amongst a few PA members and Pansy. She had been working on channelling her emotions through meditation to redirect it into her magic. It had been an exhausting process. It was also difficult to focus when Hermione had been talking with the new PA members who had returned to the safehouse today from their prior posts. Ginny brought along Padma and a few others, while a woman named Cho had come all the way from America with others. They were gathering here to begin a plan. And Dru wanted eagerly to listen to their ideas. "Sidetracked?" Fred asked Dru, causing her gaze to shift from Hermione, Ginny and Cho, to him.
"A little." She rubbed her head.
"Hungover?" He asked her with a smirk, she nodded. "Here, take this. It'll cure that within seconds." He handed a vial and without even questioning the mysterious potion, she downed it, instantly feeling relief wash over her.
"So much better, thank you." She sighed.
"No worries. You know, you are making quite a bit of progress. I'm surprised." He looked out to the clearing of trees that had been damaged.
"I can only stay mad for so long until I'm just tired." She groaned. Worst part of having to channel emotion into using magic, was when your battery drained and you just feel numb.
"Well have you tried a different emotion? I know anger seems to work really well for you, but what about anything else?" He asked, putting his hands in his front pockets.
"Well all of my happiest memories were just fabricated to protect me. And sadness is a little hard because I don't necessarily feel sad about anything anymore."
"May I try something?" He asked her. She nodded, curiously and he stepped beside her. Her eyes fixated on the tree in the center that was hardly unscathed. "Try not to get mad at me, actually, it's fine if you do." He said, before taking her chin in his hand and doing the unthinkable. His lips met hers and for a moment, she leaned into it, before the realization his and her eyes widened in horror.
"What the hell, Fred!" She shouted, pushing herself back from him. Pansy had noticed this and approached, equally surprised at this move Fred had made. "You can't just go around kissing people without consent! Let alone people with boyfriends!"
"So he's your boyfriend? That's been confirmed?" Fred smirked, knowing what he was doing was working.
"Well, no, not confirmed. But implied! I suppose..." she stopped for a moment, shaking her head at him. "No matter the circumstance, that's entirely not alright!" She screamed at him some more as he let out a chuckle and others began to watch the ordeal. "It's just rude and disrespectful! To not only Draco, but me as well!"
"Channel it then." His eyebrow raised up as she stared at him shocked for a moment, before turning to the tree and forcing all her energy into it. Suddenly, her mind came filled with images of nonconsensual circumstances she had been in in the past. No, what Fred did was not the same, but it triggered something in her that reminded her of Joseph and that rage, was finally coming through. The tree in the clearing had crumbled into thick, long pieces to the ground and everyone nearby had witnessed it, in awe. When she realized what she had managed to do, she should have felt happy. But she couldn't. Because now, her mind had been reminded of her past. The past that was not fabricated. The life she had that was supposed to be better and supposed to be safe, but it wasn't. Her eyes swelled up briefly with tears, as Fred reached forward, concerned. "Dru, I'm sorry, are you okay?" He asked. She just shook her head briefly, before turning and walking back into the willow tree. Pansy stepped beside Fred now, shaking her head slowly.
"You know, I see what you were doing. And I get it. But Dru's been through some shit." She told him.
"What are you on about?" He asked, not intending to come off as harsh.
"Her ex boyfriend, Weasley. He assaulted her, alright?" She didn't mean to let it slip, but it just came out. She told him with the intention that he needed to understand her boundaries, but realized that wasn't her place.
"I— bollocks, I didn't know." He sighed, upset with himself.
"I'm sure it's alright. I think it just brought her back to a place mentally that she can't fully process still. But I mean, you didn't know. She'll forgive you. Dru can never stay mad for long." Pansy assured him, following off after Dru, who was walking down the hall of the safe house with her arms crossed over her chest and shoulders raised. "Hey, Dru!" Pansy called out to her. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Dru flinched away from her as Pansy's hand had just barely touched her arm.
"You know, I can't stand the prat, but he didn't want to hurt you. I mean, bloody hell, that boys been in love with you since like fourth year." Pansy laughed a little, but realized Dru wasn't fully amused. "Sorry. I just want you to know that he would never harm you. No one here would. You're safe. And I won't let anything happen to you."
"Why do you care?" Dru snapped, feeling her defense mechanism return.
"Because you're my best friend." Pansy assured her. "You always have been. And I'd do anything for you."
"That's a bit much, don't you think, Pans?" Dru mumbled.
"No, I don't actually. You and I have been through a world of shit and we've always been there for one another. I'm not turning away from that now. Not after I didn't have you for seven years." Pansy pulled her arm, causing Dru to stop walking and face her. "We all love you Dru. And you're not going to push us away. So stop trying to." She demanded. Dru stood quietly for a moment, contemplating everything. Pansy was right. She had to at least try a bit more to feel comfort with some of these strangers she once called friends. Tears flooded her eyes as she leaned forward into Pansy's arms, which were now wrapped around her body in a tight embrace. "You're safe, Dru. You're okay."
"Dru?" Hermione's voice rang out and the two girls looked to her. "We're about to start a meeting, if you'd care to join." She continued. Dru and Pansy followed her into the living room where they stood near the doorway. All of 18 people were in attendance. They had allies from across the world, but these were just the few who were able to join safely. Owls would be sent to the rest of the members once a plan had been formulated. "Alright, now that everyone is gathered," Hermione began as Fred glanced to Dru, who looked back at him with a weak smile. "We know that the dark lord has been staying at the Hogwarts castle for the past few years. We also know that he rarely ever leaves, thanks to miss Parkinson here. So our best bet would be to go to him."
"That's absurd. We'll be slaughtered!" Seamus had shouted from the sofa.
"I mean, wouldn't he be expecting us if we do that?" Padma joined in.
"And let's be honest here, he's probably got at least a hundred guards watching the castle." An unnamed member had insisted.
"He doesn't." Pansy spoke up. "After seven years, he's become careless. Believes that he's the most powerful and that nothing could touch him. He's probably got a total of 20 death eaters there in his defense. Granted, more will appear once we begin, but it gives us a good start."
"And we have the centaurs loyalty, so they'll be armed and ready the second we say so." Cho chimed in. Dru looked between everyone as members began to argue.
"We need to wait for him to come to us!" One shouted.
"No, we need to go there!" Another spoke up.
"So the death eaters can just kill us all on their grounds? I'll pass." Seamus continued as the bickering amplified.
"Guys," Dru tried to speak up, but everyone was getting too loud. Her mind was racing as her eyes kept darting between everyone. Hermione held her forehead in her hand and Ron was yelling at Seamus over how he should be listening to Hermione. Pansy was telling off someone saying she has the best knowledge of the dark lord and they should be going to him. And Fred was staring at Dru, nodding his head while indicating she should step in. "Everyone, please—," Dru tried to break it up, but again, no one would listen. Her eyes closed, and she tuned out all the chatter. She wanted to scream, but rather, the safe house shook as though a minor earthquake hit. Everyone silenced immediately, and looked to her. Fred grinned. "If we go to him, we have better odds. It'll be an ambush. He wont be able to see it coming and yes, he'll call in for more death eaters, but we will have the higher ground. On top of that, I doubt he would be on the front lines. I can sniff him out, and I'll kill him myself." She exhaled. "Pansy, you know the layout of the castle, correct?" She turned to her.
"Sure do." Pansy nodded.
"So you give a detailed layout of everything to Cho and start coming up with a map. If we're going to do this, we need to be precise. Hermione, you can contact the other PA members and let them know what we're planning?"
"I will." Hermione nodded in agreement.
"We'll need to figure out how we'll get into the castle but after Pansy gives all the information, I'm sure we can come up with something." Dru told them.
"It's a good thing I paid attention to my surroundings and what time death eaters start and end their shifts." Pansy smirked, walking over to Dru.
"All that's left is a date, and how we're gonna do the damn thing." Dru sighed. Shit was getting more real by the second, and as much as she tried to convince herself that she was ready, she didn't know if that were true.
a/n: sorry loves, I'm not super proud of this update but my family has covid and life's been rough rn but i'll still be getting chapters out🤍 stay safe everyone & much love.