A War of Nerves

CHAPTER 14: On Friendship

Morgan woke the next morning with an excess of unsorted information. She grabbed her private journal and began writing furiously. So many new facts, this changed the whole game. It was amazing the amount of things those Slytherins were aware of, their parents needed to give them more credit, or put silencing charms up more often.

After a solid hour of writing, she heard it. It was very soft, if she hadn't have been so quiet, she would have missed it all together; a soft breath, somewhere in her room. She kept on scratching away, pretending she heard nothing. A soft foot step was barely audible over the scratching and she stopped, pretending to think, but really wanting to see in her imagination was playing tricks on her. The first thing that popped into her head was invisibility cloak.

"I wonder," she said aloud, "If I were to scoot out my chair swiftly, would I run into something, or some one?"

Nothing.

But she knew that some one was there anyway, she heard a slight intake of breath.

"I think the real question isn't if you are there or not, I'm assuming Mr. Malfoy, but what you want. But perhaps you were just hoping to catch me with no clothes on, could that be it?"

She could tell that he was thinking.

"We could be here an awful long time, Mr. Malfoy," then she paused and said, "But I have no qualms. Go ahead, just be aware that if you are under an invisibility cloak, you can't walk through walls, I'll find you eventually."

After a few moments of silence, Draco finally spoke up, "How?"

She didn't turn in her seat and finished her sentence before answering him. "I heard you," she said simply.

He stayed quiet for a while, and then spoke. "What happened to them? The other Slytherin, I mean."

She turned around and saw he was sitting on her bed, a confused expression on his face. *Ah,* she thought, *so this is how Draco looks unguarded. He's attractive, in an ethereal sort of way. Kind of like an angel of light. Couldn't have picked a better opposite to compare him to, eh, Raj?*

He saw her looking and quickly schooled his expression.

"Well," she began, standing up and then leaning against her chair, "Harry, Ginny, and a couple of teachers rounded them up and I interrogated them."

After a bit, he nodded and said, "Who are you?"

Morgan smiled, "I bet you had a hell of a time when you asked Lily that question didn't you Mr. Malfoy."

"She seemed to think it very funny," he said dryly.

Morgan laughed at this, "I believe she would. But I have less to hide than my dear friend Lily you'll find."

"So," he prompted, "Who are you? Really."

"Morgan Le Fay Estellan."

"I knew that," he said in an exasperated voice, "why are you here?"

"Oh, that. Lily invited me to come and play Hogwarts."

Morgan watched his teeth grind and she laughed some more.

"Oh, Mr. Malfoy! It is just to fun! Hm...for some reason I like you. I tell you, I don't genuinely like many people, but you are one of them."

"Right," he said rolling his eyes.

"I imagine people don't say that to you often do they," she said in a quieter voice. He looked at her sharply. "Not unless they want something from you anyway," she continued. "I neither want nor need something from you, Mr. Malfoy."

"Why would you like me? I'm not particularly a likable guy," he said. Morgan was breaking him open and she knew it. She could tell he was close to breaking anyway, she just hoped she wasn't interrupted anytime soon.

Morgan sighed, "I suppose you don't get told this often enough. If nothing else, it should serve as an ego booster. Mr. Malfoy, as I'm sure you know, you have a desirable body," he smirked at her and she continued, "But I think that that particular asset has hurt you more than helped you. Growing up in Slytherin families is hard, I know. But I think you and my cousin Blaise have conquered where many others have failed. I think you've caught a glimpse of what Salazar envisioned when he founded his house. Salazar wasn't an inherently evil wizard, he just had different views. These views, over time, distorted the house, making it less appealing. I applaud you that you were able to stand up to you father, but you need to take the last step. That is why I like you Mr. Malfoy; I see the shine of the ability to change in you. Not many people have that."

He looked in her eyes for a long while, and then said, "I wish I were as strong as you made me out to be, Morgan."

She silently applauded. She had won. Not only were his defenses down, he was looking to her for guidance. Now for the final push.

"What is the right thing to do, Draco?"

That had done it, she was sure. She knew that a name was a very powerful weapon. It was one of the first games she learned. By calling people 'Mr.' or 'Ms.,' it made them feel isolated from you, like they weren't in close. They felt they had something to prove to you, so that they could gain that closeness. If you used their name, they felt like they have become loyal to you in a sense, it made them easier to manipulate. But that by no means meant she used that power lightly. A name held a lot of magic, and she knew it.

He had been silent for a while. He looked her in the eye again and said, "I want to defect from my father's service completely. I don't want to be in between anymore."

"Bravo, Draco," she said in a low voice.

He nodded slightly. She stared into his eyes. Once cold, gray rain clouds now seemed to be warm and inviting. They didn't speak, they didn't look away. It was as if a bond had been made between them, and nothing could ever break it.

"So," Draco began, "do you want to get something to eat? For breakfast I mean."

"Sure," she answered, "Go ahead with out me. I'll get dressed and meet you down there."

Draco's trade mark smirk slithered its way onto his lips and he said silkily, "I'll wait."

The corner of Morgan's mouth turned up slightly and made a spinning motion with her finger, telling him to turn around. He did so slowly.

"So," she said, back turned to him as she changed her clothes, "what do you do around here on the holidays?"

"Nothing," he said dully.

"So why did you stay?"

"I wouldn't want to waste time I could be spending with some one as lovely as you on something as trivial as having Christmas with my family," he replied smoothly.

"Oh, shove it Draco," she said with an exasperated sounding sigh. "Speak plainly, we aren't playing now."

"Shove it where, and what exactly could we be playing instead?" Draco asked her with more than a hint of a sexual overtone.

Morgan finished dressing and turned around, not at all surprised to see he was sitting on her bed again and looking at her. She rolled her eyes and said, "Boys! This is why I go for older men."

She started walking out the door and Draco followed her quickly. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Boys are so immature," she said imperiously. "Not only that, I haven't met one who could make me orgasm five times in one night."

"Have you had sex with every 'boy' as you put it?"

"Of course not," she said giving him a sideways glance as he fell in line beside her. "But I'm no blushing maiden either and you know it."

"Well at least you're not a tease," he mumbled. "But really, how do you know?"

"I doubt you could Draco, if that is what you are insinuating," she said airily.

"You never know-"

"-until you try. I know," she said with a fake smile.

"I was going to say until you've had a Malfoy, but yeah, that was the gist of it," he said with a shrug.

"Liar."

"I know. But it's true anyway."

They entered the Great Hall and sat in the empty Slytherin section.

"I would ask where everyone is," Morgan began.

"But you already know," Draco finished.

Morgan shrugged.

"I can't help noticing," Draco said between bites of food, "that you avoided my question very well."

"Which one?" she asked.

"Who you are," he answered.

"Oh, that one!" she said laughing. "It isn't that important anyway."

"No? Well it is important to me," he said seriously. "I already have trust issues, don't add to them."

"I have trust issues, too," Morgan said evasively.

"Well," Draco said cautiously, "you tell me who you are, and I'll tell you something about me, something no one knows."

She eyed him carefully. This could be very good or very bad. She didn't want to get to close. *Ha! It would be just your luck if he turned out to be the clingy type*, she thought sarcastically to her self.

"Deal," she said after much consideration. "And you better make it good."

He smirked and said, "Well, I'm waiting Le Fay."

"Do you know what Salem's is?"

"A school in America," he said dully.

"And do you know what they teach?"

"I'm sorry, I thought that 'Salem's Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry' was self explanatory," he said sarcastically.

"Ah, so you don't know. Well, Salem's is an auror's school. It is almost identical to Hogwarts except that it trains children specifically for defense of the dark arts, and more specifically, the war with Voldemort," she explained.

Draco's eyes widened (for two reasons). "What the hell did you say his name for? And why the hell is that a big secret?"

"Say whose name?" she asked.

"Vol-, You-Know-Who," he explained.

"Voldemort? Well that is his name isn't it? I mean, of all the You-Know-Who's out there, it is kind of hard to tell them apart," she explained. Then as an after thought, "A name is a powerful thing, Draco. It can gain trust, break spells, and even incite fear. Be careful how you use them."

"Thank you Dumbledore," Draco muttered.

"I not here to lecture you," Morgan said. "It is just the truth. And in answer to your second question, it is a secret so people like your father don't do something rash and attack it."

"That *was* a stupid question, but still, what is the big secret? We have DADA here too."

"But are you trained to be an auror?"

"No, but-"

"And have you been assigned a job in the rebellion since you were born?"

"No, but-"

"And do you have DADA twice a day every day even on the weekends?"

"No, but-"

"As I thought. I've been trained since I was ten to be a strategist and interrogator, I'm in the I&S group. At Salem's, all we do is prepare. I didn't know how to do a levitating charm until I was in third year, that is how much DADA is stressed," Morgan explained.

"Fine," Draco said, semi-sulkily.

They sat in silence for a while.

"Can we be friends?" Morgan asked suddenly, no longer caring if Draco revealed anything about himself.

Draco looked at her like she had lost her marbles. "You want to be 'friends'...with me?"

"I believe that is what my question implied. You do know what a friend is, right?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Friends are like what Weasel and Potty are."

"Nice call," Morgan said sarcastically. "So let's be Estellan and Malfoy."

Draco cocked an eyebrow and sat considering this for a while. A friend. He didn't *have* friends. This was dumb. Why did he want a friend? Why did he need a friend? And if he did need a friend, why should it be her? She had to have some motive, thought what it was he didn't know. She didn't need money or power or influence or anything he could fathom. And if he was going to be loyal to Dumbledore and spy for him, he needed a friend, right?

"What does being friends entail?" he asked, still cautious.

"Well," Morgan began, "when two people are friends, they are truthful with each other; they keep each other's secrets. People who are friends can talk about anything without fear of rejection or criticism, though I can't tell you that I won't laugh at you, because I might. Friends can be found in each other's presence a lot and communication is essential to a good friendship," then she paused and said, "So? What do you think?"

Draco chewed on his tongue as he thought. After some more consideration, he smirked and said, "Deal, Le Fay."

"Good," she said. Then she looked sideways at him, "I just want you to know I'm bestowing a great honor on you be letting you be my friend."

He sneered at her and looked at her coldly.

"It is called a joke, Draco. Friends do that too, for entertainment purposes."

"I knew that," Draco said confidently.

Draco frowned. "What about your other friends? Won't it seem, well, odd, if you're hanging around me?"

"No."

"Okay. Well, what will you tell them?"

"It is none of their damn business whom I choose to be friends with. And that reminds me, we have to see Dumbledore."

Draco groaned and stood, "Alright. But one more thing. You said I&S group, what did you mean?"

"Oh, that! That is just the subdivision of Auror training I was given. There are six in total, groups that is, that Salem's students are trained in," she said in an offhanded manner.

"Well?" Draco said, asking for more information.

"You're going to have to keep this to yourself you know," she said seriously.

"Duh," Draco said dully.

Morgan took a deep breath and started. "There are six subdivisions of auror training in Salem's; AA&R or Advanced Auror and Rescue, DAA&S or Dark Arts Analysis and Strategy, I&IG or Infiltration and Information Gathering, I&AAA or Infiltration and Advanced Assassination Auror, I&S or Interrogation and Strategy, and AA&WG or Advanced Auror and Warriors Guild. Usually a certain house corresponds with a subdivision of Auror, but any house is welcome in any division.

"Waters, or Ravenclaws as they are known here, usually fall into the DAA&S or I&S just based on their character. They aren't particularly physical, so they choose categories where they are thinkers.

"Winds, Slytherin, are usually found in I&IG, I&S, or I&AAA. I myself am in the I&S division because of my, well, my talent.

"Hufflepuffs, Earths at Salem's, really only go for AA&R. They like helping people more than anything, not overly aggressive, but strong and very reliable.

"Gryffindors, or Fires are found basically everywhere, though they stick to AA&R, I&AAA, and AA&WG. But Katie and Gwen are prime examples of how Fires differentiate. They are both in I&IG. Brigid is a Fire through and through, she's one of the top assassins in I&AA, all of them aggressive and brave.

"Ethers, you know, all the houses together, are found everywhere, they are all the houses combined after all; though there aren't many of them, never have been. Lily is the greatest AA&WG student since the beginning of the school. She has good wizarding blood she does."

"What do you mean?" Draco asked.

"Nothing, let's go. You have an appointment with Dumbledore," she said in a brisk, business-like tone.

Draco opened his mouth then shut it again; he could ask her later.

As they were walking down to Dumbledore's office, they ran into Brigid and Ron, talking amiably about Quidditch.

They stopped in front of Ron and Brigid and Morgan said, "B-chan, Ron, good morning."

"Good morning," they said, eying Draco.

"Where are you going?" Brigid asked suspiciously.

"I'm going to make wildly passionate love to Draco. Do you want to come?" she said snidely. Then she sneered, "None of your business."

Brigid shrugged, "Seems a bit early for me, but it is your internal clock." Then she turned to Draco, "Watch out. I was talking to O'Henry and he said she scratches."

Ron's jaw opened and closed a couple of times and then he walked off, not saying a word, Brigid in tow.

"That was easy enough," Morgan said coolly.

Draco rolled his eyes, "I'm beginning to feel like I never should have wondered who you were."

"Curiosity killed the cat," she quoted, "But I wonder, will it kill the dragon?"