The Slugfest, the Slugfest, who was going, who was taking whom, who was wearing what; it was all that anybody cared about for the week before. Brogan was mortified that she was invited and irked that she had to go and very short-tempered with all the excitement.
She had ordered Draco to go with her straight off though, that one part pleased her. It was so much better than all the stress of the Yule Ball during the Triwizard Tournament, knowing that everyone expected her to go with Draco anyway for The Plan, and also he was pretty much her real boyfriend now and all that. Plus, Draco would make it a fun evening, he would know who people were and how they should be acting but he would still hide in a corner and make sarcastic remarks with her anyway.
And if she looked nice then Draco would beam and be all silly, but if she didn’t look nice he would be pleased that nobody else knew how pretty she really was (or so he had told her.)
Blaise had been invited and he was bringing Pansy, Hermione was invited and she was bringing Ron, Ginny was invited and she was bringing Dean. Brogan hadn’t been able to talk to Dean all year and she was looking forward to the chance. Nobody had seen Brogan and Ron together all year either but Hermione was still her tutor and she had ‘met’ Ginny that summer so hopefully...
Luna wasn’t attending the Slugfest, Brogan wished she was still Harry Potter too so she could invite her but Luna didn’t seem to mind. Brogan decided that Luna was even more mysterious than she was, and that rather boggled her. Whenever she thought about her upcoming visit to Luna’s house and meeting Luna’s da her stomach would give a weird little swoop -she wasn’t even sure what they ate.
But now it was finally the evening of the party and seeing Draco all decked out for the party gave her stomach a different swoop. He was wearing a suit, it looked like a muggle suit and Brogan was sure Aunt Petunia would have known what brand and how much it cost. The suit was nice and the hair was nice as usual but it was always his eyes and his mouth that captivated her.
Brogan tottered across the common room and over to him, Astoria had insisted on high heels and combed the whole of Slytherin house to find a pair that fit after Brogan refused to ask her father for them. Draco smiled softly at her approach, it wasn’t nearly as wobbly as she felt. Mostly he thought she looked fan-fucking-tastic; heels simply did something to a woman’s posture that made them worth all the pain and fuss, in his opinion.
They intertwined fingers and Draco gave her a careful kiss high on her cheek so he wouldn’t muss any of Astoria’s work before she reached the party. After the party though...
Pansy and Blaise looked very grown-up together, Draco felt a rush of pride at his friends they seemed posh and smart and he was pleased to be with them. The underclassmen and those not invited rolled their eyes at his swotty look and waited for them to be on their way already instead of prancing about in a great show.
The walk to the party was short and when they got there they saw that Horace had outdone himself, and that was saying something indeed. Brogan half expected there to be scantily clad men and women posing as furniture holding bowls of crystallized pineapple, but no, they were just house elves draped in napkins that made them look like little roaming tables holding bowls of crystallized pineapple and every other nibble imaginable.
Draco paused just inside the door and over to one side so that Brogan could stare at everything, he glanced around too it really was amazing, but he had been to other showy wizard parties and watching the expressions cross Brogan’s face was more interesting. She had this mixture of delight at magic -sheer joy at the things it could do, but also a wistful sort of disappointment that this was what they chose to do with that power. She never said anything about it, certainly never judged the wizarding world on the choices they had made, but he knew she had trouble figuring it out and understanding.
Draco thought about the choices too, much more often now than before he was friends with Brogan and he realized that the status quo she was quietly upsetting was the reason the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters were so against muggles and muggle-born. They didn’t want to know about children dying in deserts when it would be so easy for them to charm an old well into an everlasting supply of clear water.
He could easily picture Brogan and Hermione Granger traipsing through deserts leaving magical wells, or tricking muggle scientists into ‘discovering’ ‘herbal’ cures for diseases, or doing good deeds in all sorts of ways. Sometimes he pictured Ron as their sherpa carrying the heavy stuff and quietly providing his protection, grounding them both. Sometimes he pictured himself joining them too, reminding them not to try and do everything the hard way, directing them to the little wizard enclaves and sweeping them all off to a fabulous dinner after a grotty day. Those dreams were rather like a sappy children’s adventure book though so he tried not to get too wrapped up.
Brogan spotted the knot of Gryffindors hanging out near the punch bowl (Draco could only assume they showed up abominably on time) and asked if they could go say hi. Blaise and Pansy had already disappeared into the crowd so Draco nodded. Ginny Weasley started giving him dirty looks as soon as they headed her way and Draco tried to think of how he could gracefully excuse himself, it might be tricky since they were loitering on top of the punch bowl and offering to fetch drinks was out. Whatever he decided, they were Gryffindors and he could excuse himself to go tickle a walrus and they wouldn’t notice.
Draco was just far enough behind Brogan so he could watch Ron and Dean’s faces as Brogan approached, he saw their eyes slide down her form to her pointy shoes and then slowly go back up following the curves of her legs to the short black dress and then up to her white throat and the tendrils of hair escaping from the fancy braid that Astoria had somehow managed.
He even saw Ron’s eyes trace her collar bone and the place where the dragon scar used to be; luckily Astoria had talked Brogan into the dress with enough time for Snape’s scar cream to do its magic. The ratty string necklace was gone too thankfully, Draco had insisted on giving Brogan her Christmas present early and she was wearing a simple gold chain with a golden Hungarian Horntail figure. It was almost as good as hanging a sign around her neck that said ‘Draco’s girl’. He met Ron’s eyes after the red head had noticed the necklace and smirked; Ron rolled his eyes back.
Just as she reached the group Brogan seemed to falter a bit, not on the heels, but she suddenly remembered that they weren’t supposed to know her now. Hermione was allowed though and she reached out quickly, “Brogan you look so great!”
“She does,” Ron agreed to Ginny’s shock. Draco smirked at her too. Ginny looked very nice, her legs were longer than Brogan’s and her dress was just as short, her face was younger looking though. Hermione also looked great, her hair was tamed like Brogan’s and she had a soulful intelligent face that really was attractive. Draco sighed, he liked girls a lot. Sometimes he felt guilty because he was so thankful that Harry had been turned into a girl (just for him);he knew that Harry was having a bitch of a time adjusting and was sad and lonely because of it, but luckily Draco had been given everything he wanted his whole entire life so he knew how to accept the universe’s kindness graciously.
Like now for instance when his hand automatically planted itself in the small of Brogan’s back, his fingertips just ghosting over her dress. He tuned back in from glaring at all the boys in a twelve foot radius to hear Brogan nattering on about Astoria, of course she couldn’t just accept a compliment. Ginny and Dean were both still glancing uncomfortably at him but Ron and Hermione were completely focused on Brogan. Well this won’t do he sighed to himself.
Draco looked across the room in a random direction and gave a small fake gasp, “Princess can you excuse me for a moment, I just saw someone across the room?”
Brogan looked up at him with a touch of worry in her eyes and Draco felt like a giant security blanket, he smiled, “I’ll come right back.”
Brogan swallowed and nodded, Draco poured her a cup of punch and placed it in her hands before he left. He had to restrain himself from shaking his head as he walked away, ‘saw someone across the room’ honestly and they didn’t even ask who.
The tension around Ginny and Dean decreased a bit when Draco left but they still seemed a bit confused about why Brogan was standing there talking to Hermione and Ron. Ginny thought Ron was giving the Slytherin rather inappropriate looks too, especially with Hermione right there.
Hermione had just noticed the necklace and was cooing over it, Ron was laughing and so was Dean. Ginny’s eyes almost fell out of her head when Ron reached out to pet the little dragon, it seemed to twitch a little almost preening itself, “How subtle this is,” Ron was saying, “and so much classier than a big sign saying Draco’s.”
Brogan blushed and smacked Ron, hard, on the arm. Hermione smacked him too but not as hard, luckily for Ron. Ginny had to laugh then too and slowly she found herself thawing out a bit to the strange Slytherin girl with the most unfortunate last name, first name too actually in Ginny’s opinion.
Speaking of which, she looked down at the spiky heels that Brogan was doing a pretty good job of managing. The heels were certainly doing their part of managing her. “Don’t tell us that Professor Snape conjured those shoes for you.” Ginny suddenly burst out and then flushed a bit.
Brogan laughed kindly at her and smiled, “I refused to ask my da to make me a pair of ‘fuck me pumps’, Astoria borrowed these for me from Tracey Davis I think. The only reason I dared to wear them is because I knew my da would be here and if things get dire I think I can talk him into making me a pair of trainers or something flat at least.”
Dean laughed when Brogan said fuck-me-pumps but Ginny and Ron just looked confused, “Muggle thing?” Ron asked.
“Yeah,” said Brogan, “but pretty much exactly what it sounds like.”
Dean looked at her in confusion, a muggle-born in Slytherin? Brogan saw his look and smiled again, “My mum raised me in Surrey and I went to muggle schools for a while.”
There was never any point in denying her sort of posh accent, there were lots of suburbs of London and she never had to say Little Whinging.
Dean smiled, “I don’t suppose you know any recent football scores?”
“Not really,” smiled Brogan wishing she did. “Are you excited to get back to the real world this break? My da wants to keep me here but I have to escape and see the new James Bond.”
Hermione started squealing and asking if they could meet up somewhere to see it together and Dean let himself be invited along. “Will Draco be joining you too?” asked Ron.
Brogan unconsciously touched her new necklace and her face fell, “No, he’s going to France for the whole break.”
“And Professor Snape is really going to keep you here the whole time?” asked Ginny.
Brogan smiled at the compassion in Ginny’s voice, “he might let me meet Draco for an afternoon or something in Paris and I’m going to Luna’s house for New Year’s and then I’m going to visit my mum, so it’s not bad at all really.”
“Good,” said Ginny. “Luna lives quite close to us so you can pop over for tea or something while you’re there.”
“Oh that would be wonderful, I adore Luna but I have to admit I feel a bit timid about visiting her house, you know,” and she looked around carefully, “will they serve wrackspurts for breakfast or something?”
The group laughed, carefully, because it was rather a cheap shot but also wickedly funny. They chatted for a while more, and the conversation flowed well, but eventually Draco got bored or lonely or petulant and came back to them. Even then Ginny and Dean were a lot more gracious than they had been, but Draco had found the real vampire and wanted to show him to Brogan; he did not want to introduce them by any means, but gawk together, yes.
He pulled Brogan along, their fingers tangled and swinging slightly. They paused whenever they spotted a tempting bit of nosh but Draco was eager to show Brogan the vampire. And then they had to duck around hiding from Trelawney, although they both doubted her second sight Brogan had heard true prophecies from her before and didn’t want to take any chances.
Unfortunately they were so engrossed in being where Trewlawney wasn’t that they ended up backing right into Snape and the Headmaster. Snape’s eyes zoomed in like laser beams on Brogan’s new necklace, his lips made a thin angry line but he didn’t say anything. The headmaster noticed too but he seemed more entranced with the outfits the students were wearing, and the way they were still holding hands. Draco feebly tried to let go of Brogan but she squeezed him back and refused.
“Miss Snape, it seems this new environment is agreeing with you. That is, you look lovely. Perhaps even too lovely for your poor father to bear, but I would argue that is his burden and none of your concern.”
“Headmaster, I believe your opinion is just as well kept private. However, Brogan you do look lovely and I will keep my suffering to myself.”
Brogan beamed at him and laughed. “If you hate the shoes feel free to make me a pair that are reasonable, I’d be happy to let you take the fall with Astoria before I literally do so.”
Snape’s eyes flicked over to Draco and saw that the young Mr. Malfoy appeared to be in favor of keeping the torture devices. “Find me later if it gets worse, they make you look quite feminine for now.”
“Did my mum know how to walk in heels?” Brogan asked, assuming that Snape remembered everything about her.
“Of course, I don’t think she ever wore them to please herself though. They were more like weapons to be used in the slaying of young men.”
“Oh, well, I’m not exactly on the hunt at the moment though.” Brogan responded blushing a little.
“That may be true Miss Snape, however I ask you to recall why we were so insistent upon you attending tonight.” Dumbledore trailed off as Professor Slughorn began to lumber nearer to their group.
Brogan paled and Snape looked furious but it was Draco who spoke, “Professor Snape, I would remind you of the threats which you and Mr. Weasley made upon my person that first night at Spinner’s End. I fully expect you to model the behavior which you requested of me.”
Brogan started to laugh at Draco’s literalness, the Order of the Little Toe flashed through her head. So she was, if not composed, at least mirthful when Slughorn finally reached them.
“Well, well, he declared. It doesn’t look like you lot have done a very good job of mingling. Miss Snape the esteemed Gwenog Jones is here from the Holyhead Harpies, I’m quite sure she will be most interested in hearing all about your quidditch talents, why don’t you run along and find her?”
Brogan gave him her most excited-looking smile, although she saw Draco wince a bit and decided she might have over reached and gone straight through to demented. As if it really mattered with Slug anyway, Brogan sighed to herself trying to look sane(r).
“Which one is she?” Brogan asked craning her head around.
Draco sighed and surreptitiously pointed at a tall woman wearing dark green and talking to Ron and Ginny Weasley.
“Duh,” said Brogan laughing at herself. Ron noticed her and made a hand motion inviting her over, Brogan smiled and nodded. “Are you coming with Dray?” she asked.
“I’ll catch up soon, I actually had one quick potion question while Professors Slughorn and Snape are right here.”
Slughorn knew that Draco was gifted in potions and he was aware that he worked with Severus on experimental brews but he never let that affect his coolness towards the boy in class. Slughorn was frightened of the Death Eaters and tried to maintain what he thought was a professional detachment towards all the children of suspected families.
“As you may have heard Professor Slughorn, my mother left me in Professor Snape’s able hands this past summer to do some extra work. Since that time my mother has moved to France, she has an elderly second cousin who is quite enjoying her company from all accounts.
It’s quite early to begin worrying about next summer of course but one always likes to be prepared, my mother is eager for me to spend the summer close to her and I was wondering if you had a connection to a potions master I could begin corresponding with.”
Draco had grown weary of Professor Slughorn’s chilly attitude, and worse his disdain could easily hamper Draco getting a top notch potions apprenticeship. Seeing the Headmaster with Snape and Slughorn in a polite social setting was too good an opportunity for Draco to pass up, what better chance would he get to proclaim he was not a junior Death Eater and had no intention of becoming one?
He had let Brogan leave first because he knew she was upset that he was going to France for the few weeks of winter break, she would be really depressed to learn he was supposed to leave for the whole summer. And if Slug or Snape couldn’t set up a connection for him then he might not go anyway and she would have worried her pretty little head over nothing.
“Oh dear, won’t Miss Snape be disappointed with that news.” Slughorn chortled in a knowing way.
Draco allowed himself to blush and look down, “Yes, that is part of the reason I waited until she had stepped away. Not that I intend to keep it from her, but just that this is very exploratory you know.”
Inside Snape was seething at the heavy handedness Draco was showing, he heard the boy complain about Slughorn a thousand times and clearly now he was trying to stuff it into the walrus-like head that he welcomed an opportunity to remove himself from the politics of England, but really, he was being so obvious about it.
Dumbledore was unaware of Slughorn’s classroom behavior with the children of suspected Death Eaters but he figured there was some reason Draco would have brought this up now, some reason beyond a summer apprenticeship in France certainly. He noticed that Snape looked ready to murder Mr. Malfoy and smiled to himself that it would certainly help cement Draco as a non-Death Eater in Slughorn’s eyes. Perhaps he would get wrapped up in the star-crossed lovers, Draco and Brogan, trying to escape from her Death Eater father and discover a new life safe in France. Dumbledore’s smile grew, well done indeed Mr. Malfoy he thought, more sympathy for Brogan was just what Dumbledore needed.
He wasn’t sure if Brogan could get enough sympathy from Horace as Brogan Snape and loathe though he was to ask her to reveal herself as Harry Potter to the shameless old gossip, if it needed to be done he would see that it was. Nothing was as important as getting that information from Horace.
Ginny glanced up to see who her brother was waving over and was rather peeved to see that it was another female quidditch player, did he understand nothing? But before she could stomp on his giant foot he was introducing Brogan to Gwenog as the amazing Slytherin seeker.
“Well, I was disappointed that Harry Potter wouldn’t be here tonight but I’m meeting lots of other quidditch talent, and you witches are more employable by the Harpies, that’s for sure.”
“I was sorry that I didn’t get to play against Harry Potter too but Ginny certainly gave me a run for my money in our last match. Her efforts were easily as good as anything he could have done.”
Ginny blushed and hurried to compliment Brogan back, “I tried, but Brogan did get the snitch. It seemed like you were still adjusting to your broom but a few more matches to work that out and you’ll be unstoppable.”
Brogan grinned evilly, “Thank you, we need to have a match without my da around -then I can try out my Wronski Feint and have some real fun.”
“Oh Harry loves that move, I always find it rather vicious, especially in a school setting like this but he enjoyed leading Draco Malfoy to the turf when he could.” Ginny said.
Ron watched as a little wrinkle of concern marred Brogan’s forehead, he knew that Harry had never ever considered the Wronski as vicious but this was Brogan now, she was quite a bit more soft hearted than Harry. He was glad to see her worry, if she flew any better more people would wonder about her identity, plus if she flew any better Gryffindor wouldn’t have a chance in hell at the cup that year. And yet, he didn’t want her to cry or get even more angsty over quidditch of all things. Quidditch had always been Harry’s escape and Brogan had just as much to escape from.
He wrapped a warm hand around her bare shoulder and leaned down conspiratorially, noting that he didn’t have to lean as far as usual with those ridiculous shoes on her, and said, “Keep in mind mate that she’s on another team from you.”
Brogan gave him a quick relieved smile and laughed a bit with the others. Ron noticed that the shoulder beneath his hand felt cold and decided to leave his arm and his hand where they were, at least until Draco came along -which probably wouldn’t be long.
They chatted about quidditch a bit more until the Headmaster interrupted them and asked to speak with Brogan for a moment. He looked as nonchalant as ever but Brogan had no desire whatsoever to leave Ron’s really warm arm or the conversation. She tried not to look forlorn though as she wriggled out and excused herself.
Gwenog left too shortly after and Ginny turned to Ron with a curious look, “Ronald Weasley, can you explain to me why you had your arm draped around Draco Malfoy’s girlfriend for the last five minutes?”
Ron turned red although it was more of an angry (at himself) red than an embarrassed red and only served to make Ginny more curious. “It’s nothing, Hermione tutors her and I tag along sometimes. She’s really rather wickedly funny and since she transferred in so late she doesn’t really understand that we’re not supposed to be friends. And I don’t know, I just put my hand there but then she felt cold so I left it.
Believe me, if Draco walked over I would have moved.”
“So, no designs on stealing Draco’s property?”
“I wouldn’t call her Draco’s property no matter what necklace she’s wearing. Maybe she just likes Hungarian Horntails.” As soon as the words left his mouth he regretted them, of course he had recognized the breed and of course Ginny had too -she had the same dragon tamer brother after all, but saying the name just seemed to reinforce the Harry Potter/horntail connection. How had he ever thought Slytherins were sneaky or subtle?
Ginny looked at him thoughtfully for a long moment and then Hermione saved them by bringing over a napkin with some strange treat on it that she wanted them to try and also identify but only if identifying it didn’t make her want to hurl in the drapes.
The Headmaster led Brogan to the most secluded corner he could find, he was quite tall and quite popular so it was a bit of a feat. “I wish to apologize my child. It was quite wrong of me to suggest using your female charms to make Professor Slughorn like you.”
“Quite wrong in quite a few ways sir, it was sexist and embarassing -you said that in front of my father and my boyfriend. And you know I’m still a bit tentative about all of it sir.”
Dumbledore sighed, “I am not looking forward to the next time I am alone with your father.”
Brogan sniffed her approval of that image.
“However, perhaps my idiocy will help you to understand how absolutely crucial the cooperation of Horace Slughorn is to our cause. I have another set of memories to share with you at your earliest convenience.”
“And you’ve spoken with my da about this? Has he seen the memories?”
Dumbledore looked away again, “I was going to speak to him soon but now I fear he may dismiss me out of hand no matter what. He has a bit of a temper.”
“Could we see it together?” Brogan offered, “That way even if it isn’t something he likes it will be too late sort of.”
“Perhaps, I will certainly place that offer upon the table. If he refuses me Brogan will you meet with me and see the memory anyway?” Dumbledore asked.
Brogan looked at him with some shock, how could he ask that of her? Was he just saying this so she would feel bad and save him from talking to Snape? She opened her mouth, whether to yell or what she wasn’t sure but then realized they were still in the middle of Slughorn’s Christmas party, her anger spiked even higher. “No sir, I won’t. Not while I’m underage at least, possibly after I reach my majority.” Her shoulders were back and her chest was out, her eyes were blazing too.
Draco probably caught her change in posture out of the corner of his eye but it had the same effect as a Pansy-romance-novel-veela-soul bond, he was halfway across the room before she even finished her first sentence and had his hand on her elbow before she took a breath.
He looked coolly at the Headmaster, the man was not making things easy for Brogan tonight, “All right Princess?” Draco asked rubbing her back gently and stepping close.
Brogan wanted to melt into him but she was too mad at the headmaster to allow herself, instead she stood there with fury and righteous indignation radiating from every rigid line. Draco just hoped the Headmaster would walk away before she started crying. He didn’t hope it in a belittling way, it was just those hormones or whatever after effects from becoming a girl in one night.
He really needed to tell her how in awe he was of the way she managed to cope, even with the tears. It was obvious to him that Brogan/Harry thought the tears were a nuisance more than anything and she just put up with them, shouldered it like she shouldered everything else. And yet, she didn’t just cave because apparently she wasn’t caving to the headmaster just now. She was complicated, he liked that, it would keep him entertained for the rest of his life.
She was powerful too, his arm was still around her back and the hairs on his arm were starting to stand up. Uh oh, he leaned over to her ear and whispered, “God you look sexy when you’re pissed off.”
The moment she turned to sneer at him the Headmaster retreated, Brogan made a face at his back and Draco brought up his other arm to wrap her in a hug. He kissed her forehead, “Don’t tell me what he said, I’ll just get mad too and we’ll have to leave early to go blow things up together. I’d rather dance for a bit first, we haven’t danced together yet.”
Brogan finally allowed herself to slump into Draco’s embrace, she put her head on his chest and breathed deeply his expensive cologne, his shampoo, his everything. Two things struck her, he hadn’t jumped in front of her and started fighting the battle for her -he had just barely touched her back and stood quietly beside her. And he had assumed without question that the Headmaster was in the wrong, knowing nothing at all about the conversation. And well if there was a third one it was that he wanted to dance with her.
“I can’t really dance, you must remember from that Yule Ball and I’m sure it will be even worse with these things on.” Brogan attempted to beg off.
“You weren’t dancing with me at the Yule Ball,” Draco responded smugly, “I’ve got you now.”
And he led her to the tiny bit of floor that was cleared off in front of the band which was really just a few wizards trying to keep up with their enchanted instruments. He arranged their hands the way he wanted and then looked at her, “this might actually be tricky for you I guess, I’m going to lead and you’re going to follow. To follow is sort of like doing as you’re told, it involves trusting the other person to not twirl you out into danger,” he demonstrated by pushing her away and then pulled her in close, “but just fake it until you make it okay?”
“I don’t think I have to fake trusting you Draco.”
Draco looked down at her and smiled, it was nice to have her trust. “And I don’t mind following you on things like this, things that you know and I don’t. It’s kind of nice.”
“I’m glad, I think it’s nice too. You’re a tricky little bastard to figure out, it’s a good thing I stalked you all those years so I know when it’s safe to help and when you’ll bite my head off for offering.”
“I stalked you too, you’ll notice how few times I have mocked your hair. It was easy to tell that wasn’t a battle worth fighting.” She was rewarded with the chest rumbling laugh that she loved so much.
“I think I know where you’re coming from on that one Princess,” he mocked and tugged on a wisp that had escaped Astoria’s braid during the night.
Brogan kept on smiling and they kept on dancing.