alt_draco | I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

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I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

So who of us has been invited to CCF camp? I already know that Harry and I have been, and Daphs told me yesterday that she was in, too.

I wonder what sort of excitement is in store for us this time around.

Harry, you missed an utterly posh gathering at Avery's yesterday. Plenty of drinks, food, music, and games. No deep topics of conversation whatsoever. It was restful, in a way.

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So it was a good date, then? Harry said you were going with Daphne.

It wasn't a date. I only went with Daphs because she didn't want to go with Moran.

Why, did Harry say it was a date? Because I told him it wasn't.

Why shouldn't it have been a date?

There's nothing wrong with it if you want to date Daphne. I don't think she's a bad sort. Not like Lana Sandoval or some of the others.

I don't want to date Daphne but I'm starting to think everyone else wants me to.

First Sally Anne, then Harry, now you.

I didn't say I wanted you to date her. I just said it wouldn't be such a bad thing if you did want to do.

Anyway, was it a fun party otherwise?

Of course it wouldn't be a bad thing. Daphs is brilliant.

I don't know. I mean, there's fun in theory, and it had all the trappings of that, and then there's fun in actuality, which it wasn't. Not really. But it appeared to everyone as if I was having quite the smashing time, so no worries on that front.

Sorry. I guess even normal things feel strange right now. Ordinarily you'd have found a way to have fun for real. I mean, they're still mates of yours, aren't they?

What was so terrible about it?

Sometimes I'm not sure I've ever had mates, aside from Harry. Even when I used to bash about more regularly with Blaise and Teds and some of the others, it felt more like a social game, of sorts, only I was less aware of it.

Doesn't mean I can't still play it.

There's nothing outright terrible about it. Good food, enough liquor to keep things cheery, decent music, even some interesting conversation. But then when it comes time for the "real fun," you realise that all the pleasant chit-chat you've had is with people who enjoy some rather unsavoury things.

And I don't just mean the stupid "green bottle" games, either.

Aren't you lot a little too old for that game?

Oh. No, that's 'Green Ghost' I'm remembering you used to play.

What's a green bottle game, then?

Ha, right. I forgot about Green Ghost. That was what Harry and I played at Buckingham when we were small.

There's a stack of brown bottles on a table, plus two green ones. Someone casts a spell that sends the bottles shuffling and flying around so that a bottle lands in front of each person. The two people who get the green bottles - either they snog, or, if it's two blokes, or two girls, then they get to make each other perform a dare.

Oh.

You're right: That sounds incredibly stupid.

More or less. Snogging someone that a bottle matched you up with... well, it's just a bit of spectacle, really.

As for the dares, they don't tend to hold back, and some of them have vivid imaginations.

So...did you snog Daphne, then?

Sorry. I just had to ask.

Believe me, I already know by now that if you want to ask something, you'll ask it.

Why does it matter if I did? Or didn't?

Can't I be curious without having some nefarious motive?

Yes, I snogged her.

And Antigone Fletcher.

The bottles also tried to pair me up with Melinda, but thankfully cousins aren't expected to follow through.

Hullo, Draco,

I received an owl about it, what, but I'm well confused. It said everyone who was selected had earned top marks and was continuing on in both Defence and Noble Arts.

So there must have been some sort of mixup, what. I was thinking of writing back to clear it up but Mrs Jugson's so pleased I hesitate to point out that it's got to be an error.

-Justin

What makes you think there's been a mix-up?

Well, I'm not continuing in Noble Arts, you see.

-Justin

Does Professor Dolohov know that?

Moreover, does he care?

I say, what do you mean? I'd imagine he knows; I sent my selections, same as everyone, what.

-Justin

Professor Dolohov visits the Manor sometimes, you know.

He was here yesterday, as it so happens. He was pretty offended that you had decided not to continue, and from what I gathered, he saw to it that you had no choice in the matter.

Seems he didn't see fit to pass this along to you?

He... Sorry. What?

He enrolled me in his lessons?

Without asking? Without my consent?

I say, that's jolly well not on.

-Justin

Justin, of the things that Professors do that are Not On around here, that hardly tops the list.

No, no of course, quite right.

It's simply that I hadn't thought him so dashed rude, even taking into consideration that he's a cold-blooded murderer.

-Justin

I suppose you could always just not go to lessons, if you want to continue to be stubborn about it. And not show up to CCF besides. But he might not be someone you want to offend again, either.

I wasn't.

Presumably because I got an 'A' on my Dark Arts OWL.

I really didn't want to do it last summer by the end but it's really annoying to get kicked out, anyway.

Sally-Anne,

I say, I'm happy to trade places, if you like.

-Justin

Why didn't you muff your Dark Arts OWL, then? What was your practical?

I say, I thought I had done. I even debated a point with the examiners. They made me repeat the spell--I thought I'd bally well made certain I wouldn't receive an excellent mark after all that.

But I got an 'Outstanding' all the same. I suppose arguing with the examiners impressed them, dash it all.

I thought I'd simply not elect to continue, what, but Draco says Professor Dolohov insisted that I be listed on his rolls. Which rather indicates that even had I received a sub-par mark, he might have made the choice for me, regardless.

I say, it's not that I don't think he's a good teacher or even that the subject has no practical application, given our present and future goals. It's just that I thought with enough others taking the lessons, we could manage to learn what we needed without all of us taking them.

Well, and I never expected he would be so jolly well imperious about whom he wanted in his class. There's no doubt he's diabolically persuasive, what, but I've never before found him to be so dashed peremptory!

-Justin

Yes, it's interesting that he put you in the class when you didn't sign up for it.

Are you going to have to drop something you DID sign up for?

I'm not sure I want to withdraw from anything else. Without Dark Arts I was taking seven subjects, so I believe one may be able to withstand the load but it'll be dashed difficult.

As Draco says, one could always refuse to attend lessons but that could lead to worse problems than letting him think he's changed my mind. It might be best to make him think he's won, this time round.

Not before I make the point that he was wrong to take the decision for me, though, what?

-Justin

Wait, you're going to argue with him even though you're planning to go ahead and take the class?

Well, it worked out well enough with the OWL examiners.

Oh, yes, absolutely. He might suspect something otherwise, what?

You see, we others can behave like Slytherins when we put our minds to it!

-Justin

It's not as if we won't pass along everything we learn, anyway.

There's that.

I just hate being left out.

Well, you're not the only one of us who is.

Are you thinking of anyone in particular?

I just meant that Boot and Hermione don't get to take lessons at all. It's tiresome, really, to see Justin moan so much when he has an opportunity that they'll never have.

I know that Boot and Hermione still get lessons from the Order, and who knows, they might not even take Noble Arts if they had the chance - surely Boot wouldn't. I'm not sure about Hermione.

Well, it's none of my concern if he wants to go on being stubborn about it.

I've thought a few times that Hermione would LOVE classes with Professor Dolohov, if she could take them. And his office hours. I mean, whenever I go to his office to ask a question about one thing I wind up talking to him about something completely different but really interesting and then I leave with a stack of books.

Hermione would love that. I think Mr Snape might be a little like this but he's very focused and not especially chatty.

Yeah, I reckon she would. And she wouldn't be able to help being annoyingly impertinent in a way that he would probably find completely amusing.

She thinks Mr Snape is brilliant, even though he's sour. I don't mind his sourness so much, though - he's rather droll in his own way.

Acton would drive her up a wall, though.

He would. He would think she was delightful.

You're completely right about Acton. She'd get on well with Babbling, though. And she'd love Vector, from everything I've heard about her from Pansy.

You know she'd be the top student, if she were a student. Padma would have never stood a chance.

Of course. That's what I told her after OWLs.

Maybe I ought not to have. Suppose it might have made her feel strange. Or left out.

I told her something similar when we worked together on the coins.

She seemed glad to hear it. She said it's hard to know, because she got her wand late, and she doesn't get to work in classes very often -- all of it.

Then I suppose I'll be glad that I said it. Though now that I remember, I said it to Harry, not to her - she could read what I said, though.

Though who knows, she might not have believed me. I reckon it mattered a good deal more, coming from you.

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