Brave Knights

Part 4

I am late, the Room of Requirement is full and I am the last one. Harry sees me first, and gives me a sorry smile. "Hey, Marine. How's Snape ?"

"A lot like my own dad." His sorry smile leaves to be replaced by pity. I shrug, and glance around to see curses flying, books read and potions bubbling. A new corner has appeared in the Room, my guess is that it's for my training. Curiously, I react to the appearance of a new place quite casually, surprising even myself. "So, what are we doing today ?"

"As soon as Malfoy's done with his potion, we'll start. He said he needs one hour, meanwhile I am going to help at wand practise, if that's fine with you."

"Oh. Okay." He smiles again, and goes back to the practise corner. I decide to go over the Potion Lab corner, and glance over Draco's shoulder. He is so focused that he doesn't even see me coming. The potion is green and purple, and it bubbles, and he is throwing a very suspectful looking thing in it, while stirring consciously.

Then, he looks up, and starts to see me. I smirk. "Hi."

"Don't do that. You don't want this potion to explode in our faces."

I consider the idea for a while. Would I really enjoy getting more scars ? "You're right, I don't want that." He keeps staring at his cauldron, and stirring, with a very graceful gesture, and I sit down next to the scary ingredients.

"Do you know that Snape gave a scolding to Pansy for scaring his Muggle niece ? It was hilarious." That makes me doze off pensively, I wonder why the girl hates me so much when I didn't do anything to her. Oh, well. If she wants a fight, she will have it.

"Ah, yes. Nice of Uncle Sev'." He laughs. "Tell me, Draco, am I a Muggle ? I mean, being a Reader..." He actually looks at me, and pays me some attention.

"Well, I don't know. " I understand what he doesn't say : it confuses him too. He can't decide whether I am a Muggle or a Witch. "You are not a witch, you can't spell anything. But you aren't a Muggle either, since you are aware of magical power." He thinks few minutes, and then adds. "You are neither. You are something else." He reaches past my shoulder, and grabs some chopped plants, that he slowly pours in the cauldron, and stirs some more.

A boy comes to us, and grins at me. "How are you suffering the insufferable, Malfoy and Snape altogether ?" Draco doesn't even look at him.

"Fuck off, Finnigan." Finnigan ignores the sweet words.

"I'm suffering just fine, thanks. But only time will tell, right ?" He grins wider.

"Right. I admire your courage." I raise a finger.

"And my patience. Don't forget my patience." Draco shoots me a dirty look, but doesn't say anything. Finnigan is in heaven.

"Yeah, bloody Slytherins." I nod enthusiastically.

"Exactly, bloody Slytherins, I mean, what are they thinking ?! Saving my life, healing me, sheltering me ? Darn idiots." Finnigan's grin instantly disappears, and his cheeks redden a little bit. Draco hides his grin. "You know, this House rivalry has something in common with the prehistoric Men holding their Women by the hair : it has the same primal cleverness." And to this comment, both Finnigan and Draco laugh, but not for the same reasons.

And then, Draco makes a face : Finnigan is in his way, still laughing. I can see his dilemma, and then his whatever-ish resolution : "Finnigan, hand me over the Snake fangs, will you ? And be careful." I am sure that never Draco has asked something in such a nice tone. Well, he didn't say please, but it was close.

Without thinking, Finnigan shrugs. "Sure." He takes the fangs, oblivious to my gagging noise - honestly ! Snake fangs ! Ewwww ! - and gives them to Draco, who throws them in the Cauldron. "By the way, what are you making ?" I believe this is as close to civil as they will ever get.

"Veritaserum." Finnigan gives a painful squeak. Verita- something, my guess is that it has something to do with the truth, probably a truth serum. I silently squeak too.

"You're a dangerous man, Malfoy." I have got to agree inside, but, come on, it is not a scoop, is it ? At this, Draco looks at Finnigan in the eyes, and grins evilly, the kind of grin which would make a little kid scream with terror and have nightmares.

"Thank you, Finnigan. I appreciate this." Finnigan shakes his head, mutters something about the insanity of bloody Slytherins, and leaves, when another student calls him. Draco murmurs, "Well, that was... Educative."

"You could be friends, you know. I mean, Slytherins and Gryffindors."

He smirks over his cauldron. "Dogs and cats living together ! Mass hysteria ! No way, May. It's impossible and we don't want to do it."

I grumble, defeated : "It's impossible because you don't want to do it."

Internally, I have something else on my mind. How old are they all ? Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Pansy, Finnigan, Ron Weasley, Padma Patil, and Justin Finch-Fletchey, would all be around twenty. And from what I know of English school, it ends when they are about seventeen. So why are they all here, all students ? Is this some kind of college as well ? I sincerely doubt it. Maybe it's different because it's a magical school. Maybe their training is just longer.

And then , I recall something Potter said at lunch. He said that the war had changed many ways, and parents separated themselves from their children when it meant their safety. Maybe they just stay in the School even when they have graduated to just be safe.

What a world. How come it existed so close to the 'Muggle' world and I never even had a clue ? Draco keeps stirring silently, all focused on his truth serum, which I sincerely hope he will not use on me.

When the hour is over, Draco and I go to the corner, soon joined by Harry. The two ennemies glare at each other, and I brace myself for the constant bickering to come.

Harry seems to have no idea whatsoever of what to do, where to start, and I feel lucky that Draco does. "I think we should start simply, by sending May some energy and have her recognize it." Harry's eyes widen.

"Are you suggesting we curse her ?" I picture the both of them cursing me, and decide that if that's what he is planning, I wuill run away screaming. Draco sighs loudly.

"I am suggesting we do some wandless magic, Potter."

"That's dark magic, Malfoy."

"So are the Unforgivables, and I know you know them. Now, we tried yesterday, and she had a positive reaction." Harry shouts with fury.

"YOU DID DARK MAGIC ON HER ?!" Instantly, everybody stops whatever they were doing, and look at the three of us, Draco and Harry, wands drawn and ready to kill each other, and me, wishing I was anywhere else but here.

"Harry, I did black magic on him, and I sent him on the floor. Not the other way around." Many looks turn to me at that point. And then, Harry, with utter disbelief, turns back to Draco.

"You let her throw you on the floor ?"

Draco actually smirks. "Believe me when I say that one : I wasn't expecting it, two : I could not fight it, and three : it didn't hurt." And interesting way to describe an orgasm. "And now, let's get to work, unless you wish to experience what I experienced yesterday, in front of an audience, just to prove my point."

"Maybe I would like to." Draco is triumphant. "Show me, May." I sigh.

"No. Unlike Draco, I don't take pleasure in humiliating people." Draco throws me a look which clearly states you-are-taking-all-the-fun-out-of-this.. "Plus it's going to embarass me just as much. But if you really want to, then I am not doing this in front of an audience." Harry hands resting on his hips, he thinks hard.

"Fine. Let's go in an empty classroom." Draco grins.

"Can I come ?" I throw daggers at him. I don't like being used to humiliate people, and I resent him for that. People look at Harry and me walk out of the Room of Requirements, and then we go in a classroom, which hasn't been used in years, considering all the dust everywhere on the furniture, and the floor.

Harry braces himself. "All right, go ahead."

"I did it only once, so I'm not sure it's going to work... Give me your hand." Almost reluctantly, and still ready to fight back, he gives me his hand, and I take it like I held Draco's.

I close my eyes, and this time I find the red power instantly, and shoot it down from my heart, in my arm, my hand, and then through my skin and Harry's, and the reaction is immediate, just like with Draco.

Harry's head shoots back, he wimpers, and his knees give up, he falls in the dust, kneeling in front of me, and as soon as it started, it's over. I can't help but notice that doing this to Harry only embarasses me, whereas with Draco, it was... A very intimate thing to do.

He needs some time to find his breathing back, and then he only uses it to curse Draco : "Bastard." I smile. Draco certainly deserves it, and I want to be here when Harry is going to try and get a revenge.

"You wanted to know. If it makes you feel better, Draco was in the same state like you, maybe a little worse. So he won't blackmail you. Now, you might want to change pants." He nods, red up to the top of his ears. "And I am feeling very uncomfortable with this too. So don't feel too bad."

"This could prove useful." He is completely red and has trouble breathing. I nod.

"I'll go back in the Room of Requirements, now. I'll start training with Draco. Take your time." It's his turn to nod, he needs some time alone, because obviously he is like me - unlike Draco - he doesn't have any comfort talking about sex.

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Draco walks me back to the Potion classroom, I feel itchy under the bandages at night time and I wish I had had time to go see Pomfrey and get a soothing bath. Tonight we trained to recognize the different energies : and in my mind I organized them by colors. I can feel an entire rainbow in my body, and I am a bit afraid of that. I don't like having a whole unknown world in myself.

"You are preoccupied." It is not a question, merely a statement.

"Yeah. Who wouldn't be ?" He nods. "By the way, you were an asshole to Potter." He looks very proud of himself.

"The git deserved it, and it was moment of utter pleasure for me."

"For him too." He laughs.

"Right. When you go back to your boyfriend, he is going to appreciate that power of yours, I'm sure." I smile. Is he asking me if I have a boyfriend, or is he telling me that I will, one day, go back to my former life ?

"Then I gotta get a boyfriend fast, I guess." I can't see his reaction in the shadows, so I don't get any answer to my questions. He wishes me good night and vanishes in the dark.