TW: Language, Drinking, Smoking
The weekend went by rather quickly, Draco had sent word to his mother about needing transportation to the English coast for the ritual they were attempting to perform and she promised to get back to him as soon as possible; only Sunday night came around and they had heard nothing. Draco was becoming increasingly anxious as they entered into the final week of school and the summer grew ever nearer. All plans they had to relax seemingly diminished overnight, and they spent the weekend cooped up in their shared space, Draco pacing nervously for most of the day and night. Demian sighed, stopping him in his tracks.
"What is it?" Draco said, fidgeting with his hands nervously.
"You've just been at this all weekend." Demian said, crossing his arms sadly.
"I know I'm sorry. There's just so much on my mind right now." Draco said, sitting beside him on the bed.
Demian leaned his head against Dracos shoulder, "Well...what if we went to hang out with my friends tonight?" Demian suggested.
Draco sighed this time, "I mean...maybe." He said with a bit of reluctance in his voice.
"You need to get out of this room." Demian demanded, "It's been days cooped up in here just waiting. You know your mother isn't going to let you down, so have a little fun in the meantime." He gave him those big expectant eyes.
"You know it's hard to resist that pathetic begging look you give." He laughed quietly, "Fine, let's go see your friends then."
Demian jumped up happily, almost falling over as he quickly slipped his shoes on. They both hurried towards the Ravenclaw commons and straight into Demians room. Mordred and Peter were both home, surprisingly.
"Well look who it is." Peter said. Mordred hardly looked up from his comic book.
"Yeah yeah I'm a shit friend whatever you want to say." Demian joked, "But tonight I have to do something, before I go mad."
"Now you're speaking my language." Peter said, sitting straight up in his bed. Mordred just groaned.
"Ugh, the two of you, always dragging my anti-social ass to places it has no right being." He tossed his comic book aside.
"Oh, and look who you obviously brought. Haven't seen the two of you apart in a while." Mordred said, motioning to Draco.
"And you're unlikely to see us apart in the near future." Draco scoffed.
"Yeah whatever, you should really try being nicer to people besides Demian." Mordred said, scolding him a bit.
"Yeah we're all kinda sick of your moody ass." Peter said. Demian shoot him a disapproving look and he held his hands up. "What? It's fucking true!" He started digging in his drawer for the addictive smoke even Demian was craving. Eventually he made his way to their familiar perch in the window and lit it. Demian joined him quickly and Draco fell into Demians bed seeking comfort while he waited.
"Ugh, your bed is just awful." Draco said. "No wonder you've been practically living in mine." He slipped his hands under his head and tried to make the best of what he considered to be the most uncomfortable sleeping situation he'd ever been in.
"You're so spoiled." Demian joked, laughing a bit. Even Draco smiled.
"I don't see you complaining, enjoying the fruits of my easy labor." He said, "Just saying."
Demian just rolled his eyes, still smiling while he took a drag off the cigarette. He talked prematurely, the smoke rolling out with his words, "So what's the plan then?" He questioned.
"Let's all of us throw a fucking rager, right here in the Ravenclaw commons. We never get to do anything this close to home. Can you imagine just falling into bed tonight, I won't have to question how I got here at all." Peter argued.
"Party planning isn't' my strong suit." Mordred said.
"Yeah, mine either." Demian admitted.
"It would be so easy." Draco said, "Take all the alcohol you have left over from all your previous escapades, because I know there's some lets face it you guys drink once every three weeks. Tops. Mix it all together in a bowl with a dominant juice and you've got a mixed drink. Spread word tonight at dinner, you could even pass a single flyer down each side of the tables to keep it low key. This way everyones invited, guaranteeing at least a moderate turnout even if half of them decided not to show up." He kept his hands behind his head, shuffling a bit in an attempt to get more comfortable. Eventually he groaned, sitting up, "I think the hardest thing about throwing this party, would be keeping its existence away from the teachers. Especially after what happened to Higgs."
"Yeah, you're probably right about that. But it's the end of the year, what could they really do? Send us home early?" He questioned, motioning for the cigarette.
"Expel us for next year." Demian said.
Draco scoffed, "Tch, will we even be here next year?"
"What's he on about?" Peter questioned, exhaling the smoke into the soft-spoken wind.
"Nothing he doesn't know what he's talking about." Demian said, his brows in a confused stance as he looked at Draco, who didn't seem to be paying him any mind.
"Well, I'm just saying." Draco replied, stretching out his tight muscles after his short stay in Demians bed.
"Alright well, it's going to be a last-minute thing, and we could all be expelled but this is our last shot at doing anything since we go home next weekend." Peter said, somewhat sadly.
"So might as well risk it then." Draco said, which surprised Demian.
"Mr. I don't want to go suddenly wants to go?" Demian asked, curiously.
"Yeah well, you're not the only ones who have been deathly bored the last few days."
Demian smiled, taking another drag off the cigarette before tossing it out the window.
"Then we have some work to do boys."
They each got up and began looking through their rooms for long lost alcohol bottles, collecting them all in a pile in the center of the room.
"Jesus 1/3 of every single bottle. And so many of them." Draco said, picking each one up individually and examining it.
"And somehow they're all shitty quality." Demian reminded him.
"Yeah that's a nasty hangover waiting to happen, but you'll get drunk alright." Draco said, tossing a cheap bottle of vodka down.
"I'll take care of the refreshments." Mordred said, "I'm going to ask Susan for help since she's oh so resourceful."
"You can say that again." Demian responded, thinking of their previous truth or dare night. "I still never expected it."
"She's full of surprises." Mordred said, smiling. "Anyways I'm off, you guys worry about getting the word out. I'll see you at dinner."
"So I'll be honest I can't draw, do any of you have good hand writing?"
Silence enveloped the room, Draco cleared his throat. "Uh, fuck no." He said.
Demian sucked his teeth, "Yeah uh, maybe we would be better off taking Mordreds advice literally and just telling each table."
"Sounds like less work too." Draco said. "We'll each sit at a different table tonight. Dangle the alcohol in their faces and wait for the fish to bite. Easy as fuck."
"Ugh, fine. But I'm taking Ravenclaw then." Demian demanded. He felt safe in the presence of his own house.
"Alright, and I'll obviously take Slytherin." Draco said.
"I'll sit next to Penny I guess and tell the Gryffindors."
"So that leaves Mordred with the Hufflepuffs."
"He might fight that but, hey." Peter responded.
"And so what if he does, do we even really need any of the Hufflepuffs to show up?" Draco scoffed.
"Hey, dickhead. Your elitism is showing again." Peter said.
Draco just flipped him off. "Har-har." He responded.
"Alright well, let's get this over with." Demian said, he swallowed nervously.
"Oh stop acting like it's hard, you tell one person and they all follow in suit. We can sit together after the deed is done." Draco said, trying to comfort Demian in his own way.
They headed out to the Great Hall together, eager to spread their mischievous word during their last free weekend in Hogwarts.
***
They all took their respected seats amongst their tables, Demian chose to sit next to Luna, he felt safe with her, especially after they had hung out a few weeks ago.
"Hey so, did you hear about the party tonight?" He said to her casually.
"Oh um, no I didn't." She said, eating her food in small bites.
"Well do you want to go?" Demian said, prodding her a little."
"I dont really drink much..." She admitted.
"Yeah well, every house has been invited so, it's likely to be pretty big. And it's in our own commons, we have yet to do anything like that." He reminded her.
"Wait, every house?" Cho Chang said, interrupting them.
"Yeah, every house is being invited, it's supposed to be huge." Demian said, only a hint of doubt in his words.
Her eyes drifted to the Gryffindors table, "Well that sounds like a lot of fun." Cho said. "Count me in."
Demian smiled, she chatted with those around her and the invitation slowly ignited it's way down the table, one ear at a time. Demian took this as a job well done, even if Luna hadn't expressed as much interest. And he felt a little bad about that. He scanned the room and saw Draco laughing amongst the other Slytherins, even Pansy had joined in. He wondered how that happened.
Of course he has no problems at all. He thought to himself.
Peter was obviously engaged in some heated story, his arms moving wildly as he acted out whatever misadventure he was spewing at the time. However, he didn't see Mordred anywhere. He doesn't remember telling him to invite anyone to begin with, since they never reconnected.
I wonder where he went.
Demian ate his food slowly, waiting to regroup. Eventually Peter and Draco found their way to him. Peter just gave him a thumbs up, and Draco didn't have to say anything. He knew he was successful.
"Have any of you seen Mordred?" Demian asked.
"Not even a little bit." Draco said.
"Actually, no." Peter said, his arm slipped around Pennys shoulders.
"Well, I guess we'll see him at the party." Demian just said, trying his best to polish off his food.
Before they even had time to finish people were leaving early, likely to get ready for the festivities. Dozens of people filed out of the great hall.
"Jesus, maybe we should have had a dress code to at least thin it out a bit." Draco joked.
"Yeah, this might end up being wall to wall if we aren't careful."
"Careful should have been my middle name, but it isn't. So fuck it." Peter said, this made Penny laugh.
They each got up and headed to the common room.
***
By the time they entered it the main floor was already packed with people. Mordred could be seen in the center of the room, a huge traditional cauldron in the center.
"Check it out boys, our jungle juice is ready." He dipped a cup into it and the others followed suit. Demian took one sip of it and nearly gagged.
"Holy fuck that is disgusting."
Mordred laughed. "Yeah well, they only had tart cranberry juice in bulk so, you get what you get. I'll tell you one thing it is, and that's strong as hell." He lifted his cup, "So drink up motherfuckers, but not too much." They all shared in a laugh and lifted their cups, clinking them together though they couldn't hear it through the crowds.
"Good think you didn't invite anyone else." Demian said through the whirlwind of bodies around them.
"Yeah If this shit got any bigger, we'd be busted for sure." Peter said. At that very moment another dozen or so people filed in, the space between them all grew ever smaller.
"I told you the dress code was a good idea." Draco yelled to them.
"Hey fuck you, we don't all have daddy money to buy fancy shit." Peter joked, but Draco rolled his eyes, downing his drink before dunking it again immediately.
"How did you manage all this in just an hour?" Demian said, looking to Mordred.
"Let's just say my girlfriend is a rockstar." He snaked his arm around Susans waist, she blushed.
"Girlfriend?" Demian said, "So it's official then?"
"Has been for a week or so, but we haven't seen you that much." Mordred said, leaning close to him.
He felt that pang of guilt eat at him again. And they were right, they hadn't seen much of him because of everything else going on. He wanted so badly to confide in them, tell them everything, but he worried word might slip. If not them, maybe one of their recent girlfriends they'd acquired. He sighed in his lack of his trust for the people who once knew everything going on in his life.
"Yeah I'm sorry about that, a lot of stuff going on." Demian shouted at him, trying to be heard through the countless people engulfing them. Multiple people were squeezing in, attempting to get a taste of their foul but strong concoction.
"Yeah well, talk to us more." Mordred said. That small amount of liquid courage already creeping it's way into his system.
"I will." Demian promised, but he sighed to himself wondering just how truthful he was being.
They all talk amongst themselves for a while, sipping at their potent beverages. Eventually the courage took over Draco and he pulled Demian closer to him through the sea of bodies. Demian just blushed, leaning into his grip. He sipped his drink and found himself scanning the room, looking for eyes on them.
"Stop it. You're worrying again." Draco reminded him, taking another large gulp of his drink. And he was right, he was worrying again. He just didn't want Draco to know why he was worried. He scanned the room for Higgs until he finally saw him in the corner, laughing with Blaise. He felt relief, but also sadness.
I guess he really is over it. He pondered to himself.
He leaned into Draco, trying to ignore what felt like the entire school surrounding them. He suddenly noticed a familiar face in the crowd, he squinted and leaned close to Dracos ear. "Isn't that your mom?" He said, pointing to the stairwell. Draco looked up immediately, Demian could see him grit his teeth. He dunked his cup again and downed it in one gulp.
"I'll be right back." He said. Demian watched him curiously as he approached Narcissa, she had a hood up over her head, though anyone who knew he would recognize her immediately. He couldn't hear their conversation, but he could see impatience stained on her face. He sipped at his drink, that familiar burning was accompanied by a wave of nausea but whether it was from the drink, or his nerves, he couldn't tell. Harry watched them both curiously from the corner, Cho Chang next to his side.
Draco walked back over to him, grabbing him by the sleeve of his shirt and started to drag him away.
"Okay, bye then." Peter said, Mordred just stared at them in confusion.
Demian tripped, spilling his drink all over someone, he apologized incessantly though no one could hear him through the commotion. He was soon in the empty hallway, the noise of the party could still be heard. It provided some much-needed cover for their conversation,
"We have to leave, now." Draco said suddenly.
"Now? Why?" Demian said, his head swimming from the alcohol.
"My father knows and if we don't leave now, we won't have another opportunity."
Narcissa looked at them both sadly, "I tried my best to conceal this from him but he knew I was up to something already." Narcissa said, "I'm sorry, my darling." Her words meant only for Draco. He just sighed, inhaling sharply. "Lets go then, before the courage wears off."
They gathered what little things they needed and piled into a car Narcissa had waiting for them.
Draco kept his head in his hand most of the way, his eyes were closed in deep concentration. Demian couldn't find words, though he knew he needed to comfort him somehow. He just slipped his hand into his. Narcissa looked out the window most of the way, her fingers pressed against her lips nervously.
Soon they arrived at a boat, that was waiting to take them to what they'd hoped would be their last struggle. The second it started to move, Draco lost whatever courage he had left over the side of the boat and into the open water. He wiped his mouth clean and Demian rubbed his back comfortingly.
"Fucking cranberry juice." He said, refusing to blame his nerves or the alcohol in that moment.
It was a rather long ride, they sat together and Demian tried to sleep, though Draco didn't get even a moment of it. He waited for his judgement, his one chance at being rid of this life he felt he was forced into. His mind raced at all the possibilities, his eyes darting back and forth to from his mother, to Demian. A whirlwind of emotions overtook him, he closed his eyes and waited for the movement to stop. For that's when his true destiny would come to fruition.