#had to go poncing off to magic school with her spells and her potions

[amateur-ornithology]

oh, Little Miss Perfect thinks she's too good for fried owls now, does she?

[probably-lucifer]

This is what happens when I'm sad, I think, I write, I cry, I contemplate things I shouldn't, and then I write some more.

It is also what happens when @whimsicaldragonette and I have a back and forth about writing ideas. This may be the first one I'm publishing though. (If it is, I am happy it was.)  

Trigger warnings: Slytherins will plot, and for some that may include murder, for others safety, for others forgiveness. There is also drinking (An unhealthy form of coping, but the kickstart non-the-less). Mentions of abuse (Non-graphic, one sentence). Allusions to sexual-assault (Non-graphic one sentence. You can just skip the second paragraph).

"I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hate so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain. - James Baldwin"  

When Draco walked into the common room after Easter break he immediately grabbed a few bottles of fire-whiskey and joined the circle of despondent Slytherins sitting by one of the fireplaces in various forms of dismay. Opening a bottle and drinking from it passing it to their left became a reflex as the Slytherins. When Blaise joined bringing his own bottle to pass around is when things started getting interesting.

"I don't want to be on this side of the war," Draco said as he passed the bottle Blaise had gotten as a gift from his mother to Pansy. "My father is hitting my mum again. I wish he would just, stop breathing. " Theo drank from the bottle he'd been handed and passed it to Blaise. "I know a spell for that. Sufoxis. Comes in handy when your uncle tries to sneak in a strapping young man's rooms." Blaise pulled Theo in close as he drank. "Mother gave me this to share with my closest friends so that I can blackmail them if necessary, and yet I am telling them that I was created with a ritual between her and my other mother. Irony." One by one the Slytherins shared secrets, and plans, younger years joining in, bringing snacks, and treats, and soups, though only the sober Slytherins had the soup.

Eventually, there was a pile of Slytherin children passed out in front of the fire. These children, because that's what they were, should probably be woken up, and sent to their rooms, but Severus too was tired, tired of this war, of bad decisions, and wrong-sides, and dark lords, and genocide. Tired of being evil, tired of being the bad guy, just infinitely tired. So he pulled his cloak tight and left the Slytherins to sort themselves for once. Though before he left the room he said: "Set it right my children." Because they are the future, and at this point, the only ones who can do anything to save it.

To heavy a burden to ask children to shoulder he has figured out on his own, but perhaps, together, they will overcome it. A man can hope.

---

"Fuck." Said at least three Slytherins who'd woken up with headaches, tangled up in blankets, and limbs. Slowly everyone woke up, to see plans they'd put together still in front of them, candy wrappers thrown about, cold bowls of soup, empty bottles of whatever on their side. The Slytherins took turns showering, handing out hangover cures, and changing clothes coming downstairs to see everything except their plans gone back to whence it came and whatnot.

"Hey, why don't we actually put some of these to work," Draco said not long later, "I mean, none of us are happy with where we are right?" Nods from various Slytherins, murmurs of agreement from the rest. And thus marks the third time an entire house skipped out on classes.

---

Many months later

---

"The DA got the food, and water, the children are fine, everyone is doing well on the lesson plans, you were right to mention dark spells Pans, thank you." Draco handed some papers to look over to Theo and Adrian, still walking around checking on everyone, "Good news my friends, we've got word from them, and the diadem has been secured." Cheers erupted all around, "Bad news," Groans erupted all around, and Draco smirked a little. "We're still behind in the Harry trap-" Pansy cut him off. "It's not a trap if it helps him Draak." Draco rolled his eyes. "It is if it traps him, now shush. Has anyone got anything new to add on that front?"

The Slytherins had heard about the Horcruxes from their parents and found that destroying them was moderately easy depending on how desperate, or talented one was. "Yes Vin, what've you got?" Vincent Crabbe had been writing his reluctant death eater da about Horcruxes as the only adult the children knew they could trust. After all, mister Crabbe had always taken the pureblood and halfblood children in if they needed a hand, they know he's trustworthy.

"My da said fiendfyre would definitely destroy a Horcrux, and he told me the instructions to start it, but he hasn't found the instructions to stop it yet so that's a good last resort. My da said we should look into goblin rituals, they have cleansing things that young wizards and witches are given to make sure the child is unburdened by foreign magics." Draco nodded and wrote that down on the chalkboard.

---

Sammy, a second-year Slytherin from India had a cousin who spoke parseltongue record a few words so that they could use the chamber of secrets, which they shortly found extended to include a living-quarter big enough to house their entire house (Hogwarts-magic is suspected.) study included.

The chamber had been cleaned up, fixed in some places, and reopened, they'd slowly smuggled as many people in as they could, though the general consensus was that they were hidden in the Room of Requirement. An understandable, but incorrect assumption.

---

On the day of the battle every fourth year and under were taken to the chamber, and when Harry showed up to see several Slytherins trying to escort them down there he stepped in wand raised at the adults in their way, quickly stopping them in their tracks. "Thanks, Potter. Think you could hiss this open? We lost our recording." Remembering that Malfoy had saved his life not long ago he nodded and hissed open to the faucet. He waited around to close the sink after Malfoy, but Malfoy wasn't going in. "Aren't you going in?" Malfoy shook his head and said "Come on, you've got that sword that kills the Horcuxes right because we found the diadem." Harry followed as he is wont to do. 'Pansy was right he really does let his guard down around me. Huh.'

As they walked, quickly and silently, many students waved, Slytherins, Hufflepuffs, Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, it didn't seem to matter, and not for the first time Harry wondered what exactly had been happening while he was gone that had Ginny kissing Blaise before charging to battle, he was surprisingly unhurt by that, though he was upset she didn't even say hi.

When they arrived in the Room it was nearly empty, and there was a waterfall. "Come on Harry this way." Malfoy pulled the shocked Harry to the waterfall careful not to get wet. 'Course he still cares what he looks like the ponce, I bet his robe will be in tatters by nights end.' When Harry stopped under the waterfall he felt tired, so bone tired, it was like the adrenaline that had been ushing him before had drained from him.

"I'm sorry Harry but, I can't ask you to die for us," Malfoy said as he carefully used his wand, a backup from his father, to lay him down under the water. "Please stand back Heir Malfoy." Draco stood back near the edges of the room as the goblin began the ritual. 'Please let this work.'

---

It worked, but Harry still slept for seven hours as expected. Draco was the last line of defense to Harry, and he hoped everything would go according to plan so that he would be unnecessary.

When Harry started to wake up Draco quickly brought the water over to give him. "Hey, Harry, how're you feeling? Sick? Dizzy? Hot? Cold? G-" Harry interrupted him with a great sigh reminiscent of his house mascot. "Malfoy please shut up, and where are my clothes?" Draco, clearly nervous, pointed to the table beside his bed and turned around to give Harry privacy. "The goblins threw the other ones out, but Ginny had these round-up for you. We weren't 100% certain that you would be awake so soon though. Thought you might sleep all day as you tend to do according to your friends. Luna says that's what happens when Ingles get stuck on your magic though." Malfoy said as though he completely believed and accepted this line of logic. Then again Harry can see horses that can only be seen after witnessing death.

"I only do that when it's safe, there's still a war going on. What exactly is going on Mal- Draco?" Draco pointed to the letter on Harry's table when Harry turned him around. While Harry read, and drank the various potions Draco was handing him he considered what he has seen so far. The school was very put together in its attacks, and every instant seems to have been thought out. Every move anyone made. 'I wonder who planned it?'

---

For now, this is a one-shot, but I will probably add more on to it at a later date. Maybe I can make this a really sad beginning to a Drarry and friend(s) travel back in time thing I've been wanting to write. Maybe.

Published Ao3, Wattpad, and Tumblr Jan. 21, 2018

1608 words.

[leeshajoy]

had to go poncing off to magic school with her spells and her potions leaving her poor mother to slave away over a hot owl stove while her father works himself to death down the owl pits

oh, Little Miss Perfect thinks she's too good for fried owls now, does she?