On a Night Like This

Disclaimer: everything belongs to JKR, I am making no money

Chapter five: We’ve Had Enough

Meanwhile, proving Sirius correct, Draco was with the dream team and they were up to no good. When Hermione explained their plan, he was flabbergasted. He had experienced the curse more times than he could count or remember. He couldn’t fathom why they would willingly subject themselves to it. She patiently said that it would be better if they were used to it before they started casting it themselves, and they knew he had done it before at the revels. He only agreed because he figured it would be good for a laugh. He had certainly enjoyed tormenting them at school.

It quickly became apparent that it wasn’t so. Seeing them in such pain only reminded him of his own. At first it was difficult but each time they recovered, shaking and pale, asking him to do it again, it became exponentially harder. Struggling while Harry lay screaming on the floor, he fell to the ground. “Are you all right, Malfoy?” Ron asked in a rare moment of pity for the boy. “Does it fucking look like I’m alright? I can’t do this anymore.” He was sure it wouldn’t be a problem to cast it on the Deatheaters he hated. He had not foreseen this problem. The “golden trio” had practically been the bane of his existence at Hogwarts. But upon his arrival at Grimmauld place they had actually been nice to him. They were not exactly rolling out the welcome mat, but it was more than he had ever gotten before.

Virtually everyone else he met only talked to him for his family power or his position in the Deatheaters. Women hung around him despite his age because he had been blessed with his father’s looks. He was tall and muscular with skin that was pale and could at the very least be called flawless. His hair was a near translucent white-blonde. All his life only a few people had really seen who he was. They had for once looked past his arrogant exterior and he was surprised at how difficult this made it to return to cold and calculating with them.

“It’s fine, don’t worry,” Hermione soothed, patting his arm. “You don’t have to do it anymore if you don’t want.” He looked at her weakly. Harry looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. “That isn’t going to do it. We need to get out of this house. Being cooped up like this is certainly not helping anything. I think a trip to the Leaky Cauldron is in order.” Draco looked up, hopefully. “No way! It is not safe for us to leave!” Hermione squealed.

“We’ll just go without you then. Bye ’Mione.” Harry helped Draco out the door, with a rather startled looking Ron trailing behind. Realizing reason or common sense would get her nowhere with these boys, she followed them grabbing her bag and grumbling. “Ruddy boys, don’t say I didn’t warn you though. Mcgonagall isn’t going to like this. I’m only keeping an eye on you, mind. I had no choice” Harry knew this was as good for her as it was for the rest of them. Rolling his eyes, Harry shut the door behind her and they headed to Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron.

They had all gotten their licenses when they turned sixteen, so they apparated there. Striding in, they were refreshed to finally see other people. It was exhausting spending day and night with the same people, even if they were your friends. Ron ordered a round of butterbeers and they slid into a shadowed both in the corner. They knew it was a risk for them to be out, it wouldn’t do to broadcast it. Had any of their classmates seen, they would have been shocked to see the four of them getting along so well. It seemed they had wordlessly agreed to forget the past and start again with each other.

They never noticed the three cloaked figures watching them intently.

After a few hours of relaxation and decidedly excessive drink consumption, they all got up to use the restroom before sneaking back into Grimmauld place. Their minds were on their plan of sneaking into the room they usually practiced in and then dramatically exiting. They met in the hallway between the bathrooms and began to walk toward the door of the pub.

Suddenly there were arms wrapped around them all and a sickening jolt from their navels. In all the confusion, Hermione, ever the know-it-all, recognized it as the effects of traveling by portkey. Groggily they were thrown onto a cold stone floor. They recovered quickly, only to discover their limbs were bound. “What the fuck is going on here!” Harry yelled. Draco rolled his eyes, sometimes Harry didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut. One of three removed their hood. They immediately recognized her as Bellatrix Lestrange.

She looked straight at Draco. “Fraternizing with the enemy, are we little Malfoy? I wonder what you father would say. More importantly, I wonder what your master would say? Hmmm?” Draco adopted his best arrogant sneer. “I highly doubt that it is any of your business what assignments our master sees fit to trust me with.” Bellatrix’s eyes widened for a moment with disbelief, but she quickly recovered. “He would do no such thing.” Draco sighed with exasperation and rolled his eyes, a perfect imitation of his father, Bellatrix noted.

Lucius had always rebuffed her advances but maybe his son would consent to share her bed. She quickly filed that thought away. She had to concentrate on the task at hand, not fucking either of the two gorgeous Malfoys senseless. Although I wouldn’t say no to both, she quipped mentally. Right. Task at hand. “Perhaps he does not share quite so much with you as you may think. Maybe you should have a talk with him about that, suggest that he give away all his secrets to anyone interested,” Draco drawled sarcastically. Bellatrix fumed at him.

Suddenly a fourth hooded figure swept into the room. “Just what do you think you are doing?” a female voice said harshly. One of the other two Deatheaters began to sputter. Her imposing Deatheater robes puddled around her elbow as she put a hand up, signaling for him to shut up. Her appearance and voice contradicted the tiny hand and slim arm that appeared. “I don’t even what to hear it. You nearly ruined everything with your fucking distrust and thoughtlessness.”

She looked at them for a moment and then shifted her gaze to the four young people on the floor. “I am most disappointed with ALL of you.” She looked around at everyone. Ron wondered vaguely why she would be disappointed with them too. She certainly had seemed to imply that she meant everyone. What did a Deatheater care? Suddenly the lights extinguished and he heard one terrifying word emit from her mouth. “Crucio.”

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Pleasssssseeeeeeee review! Thanks! I’m finally getting this story to where I want it to be, introducing this character. I can’t wait!