Penitence Part Two
May. 23rd, 2009 07:56 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dysonrulesThe war begins in earnest... WOOT!
Year Four
The Potter/Malfoy war escalated during their fourth year. Both were still Beaters on the largely undefeated Slytherin Quidditch team, and it was one of the few times they did not actively try to destroy each other. Most of Slytherin House had chosen sides, dividing almost evenly down the centre. Between blackmail, bribery, homework assistance, and ruthless application of Malfoy charm, half of the Slytherins were firmly in the Malfoy corner. The ones that swayed to the Potter camp either had personal grievances against Malfoy, or they chose to back the famous Potter name. Albus also came with perks, such as friends and relatives in other Houses, as well as access to everything in his famous uncle’s joke shop.
The touching war of Pious Malfoy had degenerated into actual pouncing, punching, and pounding of Al’s head into the ground, as well as biting, ear pulling, and mindless slugging. The retaliatory pranks of Albus threatened to get both him and Hell expelled. Under orders from their parents, James Potter confiscated all prank-related materials and kept Albus under close scrutiny until the school term ended.
Without the need to retaliate, Pious eased back on his war of touch and their fourth year ended almost peacefully.
It was the calm before the storm.
Part Two
Year Five
Al congratulated himself on successfully avoiding Pious until the train began to move. He sat with his siblings and Hell and spent the entire trip playing catch-up, even though Hell knew most everything that had occurred during the summer. Al’s letters to Hell had been frequent and heartfelt, and they had gotten together several times, mostly when Al’s father became tired of dealing with him and needed a break.
“How soon before he starts making trouble?” Hell asked. Al did not need to ask the subject of Hell’s question.
“Are you joking? He’s probably plotting right now. I assume Bleys is still here and wasn’t shipped off to Durmstrang?” Al asked the last hopefully, although he really didn’t have anything against Bleys. It was his blond counterpart that caused Al’s daily headaches.
“Well, we’ll just have to take the offensive, won’t we?” Hell suggested soberly. Al smiled at him fondly. Hell patted down his curly brown hair and returned Al’s grin. For a supposedly mild-mannered Hufflepuff, Hell was awfully crafty. Sometimes Al wondered why he hadn’t been sorted into Ravenclaw, like his mother.
“Yes, Hell. Yes, we will.” Al launched into a long description of the items he had smuggled from home after secretly hiding them away over the summer. He had gotten away with quite a large number of them, even though his father had given Al’s belongings a thorough shakedown before Al had left for school. Luckily, his father had not allowed James to do it. His brother had an uncanny knack for finding Al’s hiding places. A decoy stash of prank items had satisfied his father upon confiscation.
Al nearly made it off the train without incident, but he later determined that Pious had ruthlessly stalked him. How else could he have caught Al off-balance trying to exit the train with one foot partially in midair? A cool hand dropped onto the back of Al’s neck, causing him to nearly jump out of his skin.
Al stumbled the rest of the way off the train and nearly sprawled on his hands and knees before catching himself.
“Bloody hell, Potter, you certainly are jumpy. One might think you had a guilty conscience about something,” the hated voice drawled.
Al flung himself upright and glared at the blond. Bleys stood next to him with a wry grin.
“Hey, Al,” Bleys said in a friendly tone that did not fool Al for a moment. Bleys Zabini had no more love for him than Pious did. Bleys continued, “Have a nice summer?”
Al snarled. “As if you didn’t already know. Why don’t you try and keep this menace away from me this year? I’ve seen more than enough of him to last me a lifetime.” Al did not miss the irritated glance Pious threw to Bleys. That was interesting. Had Bleys spoken without the permission of his overlord? Maybe Bleys had developed a spine over the summer? Normally he was so soft-spoken he barely voiced a thought that hadn’t been previously uttered by Malfoy. Bleys had changed physically over the summer, filling out in the shoulders and slimming elsewhere. He was still shorter than Pious, but not by much. His hair was nicely styled, as usual, and his features were more defined. His dark eyes were sober and measuring.
Al dragged his eyes back to his nemesis with a mental hiss. He was not checking out Bleys Zabini! What the hell was wrong with him? Instead, his eyes unwillingly travelled over Pious Malfoy. He had already noticed the changes in the blond, without actually allowing them to register. Pious seemed even sharper and leaner than usual. His cheekbones were sharply defined, causing his grey eyes to stand out like silver coins. His hair fell over his eyes in a style that was likely just long enough to annoy his father. His school robes were immaculate, as usual, and looked as if they had been purchased from a designer label rather than selected at normal shops. Al wondered if they had been modified to fit the blond perfectly and then sneered at the thought. Of course they had. Pious Malfoy would not dare be caught looking anything less than perfect.
His scrutiny of the blond was brought to an abrupt halt by a pale hand reaching out to caress his cheek. Al jerked away furiously.
“Like what you see, Potter?” Pious asked in a suggestive tone and Al suddenly wanted to hit him. He pulled back his fist but Hell grabbed his arm quickly.
“No, Al! School hasn’t even started yet!” he hissed into Al’s ear. “There are better ways.”
Al took a deep breath and swallowed his anger. Hell was right. There would be time enough to get even with Pious Malfoy, in ways that would hopefully not get them tossed out of school. He glared at Pious one last time and followed Hell to the nearest carriage. When the Sorting was over, the vengeance would begin.
~~- oOo -~~
Pious grinned beatifically and watched Al and Hell march away to enter a horseless carriage. He chuckled aloud and Bleys gave him a curious glance.
“You know they are going to get even, don’t you?” Bleys asked.
“I’m counting on it,” Pious said levelly. “My new goal for this year is to get Albus Potter expelled. He won’t be his daddy’s little angel for long.”
Pious waited until the carriage containing Potter was nearly out of sight before striding to another. He climbed into the dark interior and helped Bleys inside with an outstretched hand.
“Al has a lot of relatives at Hogwarts. Won’t they want revenge?”
Pious granted Bleys a smirk and then turned an icy glare on a second year student who had the temerity to attempt entry into their carriage. The boy faltered and backed away before hurrying to find a more hospitable welcome. “Actually, our little friend Al will do it to himself. He has already been warned not to pull pranks on anyone this year.”
“Not even you?” Bleys asked and chortled.
“Especially not me,” Pious said smugly and Bleys gasped. Pious reached out and slammed the carriage door on a portly Ravenclaw girl before she could try and climb aboard. A quick Locking Spell kept her out, even though she pounded gamely on the door.
“Are you certain?” Bleys asked.
Pious nodded. “I have it on good authority that James Potter is directly responsible for policing Al’s actions. Given who he is, of course, Albus is bound to get away with several offences. You know how the teachers like to look away rather than incur the potential wrath of the Vanquisher of Voldemort.”
Bleys winced slightly.
“What?” Pious asked.
“I hate it when you use the name of You-Know-Who. My parents said he had the power to hear his name at any distance…”
Pious would have given Bleys a smack on the head if his gullible friend had been in reach. As it was, he gifted him with a glare just as the carriage lurched and moved forward. “Bleys, the old bastard is long dead! Give the superstition a rest. We’re talking about Potter here. Remember Albus?”
Bleys sighed. “I was sort of hoping we could bury the hatchet this year.”
Pious sat forward angrily. “Have you gone Hufflepuff over the summer? Do you not remember what that cretin did to us last year? And the year before? And the year before that?”
“I remember,” Bleys said wearily. “Frankly, I’m not looking forward to it this year. I would really like to be a normal student and concentrate on my studies, instead of watching my back for flying cakes, examining my toothpaste for tampering, and double-checking my clothing a dozen times a day to make certain everything is still in one piece.”
“Fear not, Bleys. As soon as Potter is gone from Hogwarts, everything will be roses for us. I promise.” Pious was not gratified at the less than enthusiastic response from his best friend. He sighed and sat back against the cushions. It did not matter. Bleys would see. It would be a glorious year. Just as soon as Pious got rid of the black-haired thorn in his side. He rubbed his fingertips on his trousers to rid himself of the memory of the feel of Al’s cheek. Damn if he didn’t enjoy touching the idiot, though. He grinned when he recalled Al’s discomfort. Pious could hardly wait to get off the carriage and seek out his fellow Slytherin. He thought a Welcome Back to Hogwarts hug might be in order… and as a bonus it would probably goad Al into even more extreme acts of revenge. He restrained himself from rubbing his hands together in glee. Albus Potter might be Slytherin, but Pious had generations of Slytherin Malfoys in his bloodline. Potter would have no chance at all.
Part Three
Year Four
The Potter/Malfoy war escalated during their fourth year. Both were still Beaters on the largely undefeated Slytherin Quidditch team, and it was one of the few times they did not actively try to destroy each other. Most of Slytherin House had chosen sides, dividing almost evenly down the centre. Between blackmail, bribery, homework assistance, and ruthless application of Malfoy charm, half of the Slytherins were firmly in the Malfoy corner. The ones that swayed to the Potter camp either had personal grievances against Malfoy, or they chose to back the famous Potter name. Albus also came with perks, such as friends and relatives in other Houses, as well as access to everything in his famous uncle’s joke shop.
The touching war of Pious Malfoy had degenerated into actual pouncing, punching, and pounding of Al’s head into the ground, as well as biting, ear pulling, and mindless slugging. The retaliatory pranks of Albus threatened to get both him and Hell expelled. Under orders from their parents, James Potter confiscated all prank-related materials and kept Albus under close scrutiny until the school term ended.
Without the need to retaliate, Pious eased back on his war of touch and their fourth year ended almost peacefully.
It was the calm before the storm.
Part Two
Year Five
Al congratulated himself on successfully avoiding Pious until the train began to move. He sat with his siblings and Hell and spent the entire trip playing catch-up, even though Hell knew most everything that had occurred during the summer. Al’s letters to Hell had been frequent and heartfelt, and they had gotten together several times, mostly when Al’s father became tired of dealing with him and needed a break.
“How soon before he starts making trouble?” Hell asked. Al did not need to ask the subject of Hell’s question.
“Are you joking? He’s probably plotting right now. I assume Bleys is still here and wasn’t shipped off to Durmstrang?” Al asked the last hopefully, although he really didn’t have anything against Bleys. It was his blond counterpart that caused Al’s daily headaches.
“Well, we’ll just have to take the offensive, won’t we?” Hell suggested soberly. Al smiled at him fondly. Hell patted down his curly brown hair and returned Al’s grin. For a supposedly mild-mannered Hufflepuff, Hell was awfully crafty. Sometimes Al wondered why he hadn’t been sorted into Ravenclaw, like his mother.
“Yes, Hell. Yes, we will.” Al launched into a long description of the items he had smuggled from home after secretly hiding them away over the summer. He had gotten away with quite a large number of them, even though his father had given Al’s belongings a thorough shakedown before Al had left for school. Luckily, his father had not allowed James to do it. His brother had an uncanny knack for finding Al’s hiding places. A decoy stash of prank items had satisfied his father upon confiscation.
Al nearly made it off the train without incident, but he later determined that Pious had ruthlessly stalked him. How else could he have caught Al off-balance trying to exit the train with one foot partially in midair? A cool hand dropped onto the back of Al’s neck, causing him to nearly jump out of his skin.
Al stumbled the rest of the way off the train and nearly sprawled on his hands and knees before catching himself.
“Bloody hell, Potter, you certainly are jumpy. One might think you had a guilty conscience about something,” the hated voice drawled.
Al flung himself upright and glared at the blond. Bleys stood next to him with a wry grin.
“Hey, Al,” Bleys said in a friendly tone that did not fool Al for a moment. Bleys Zabini had no more love for him than Pious did. Bleys continued, “Have a nice summer?”
Al snarled. “As if you didn’t already know. Why don’t you try and keep this menace away from me this year? I’ve seen more than enough of him to last me a lifetime.” Al did not miss the irritated glance Pious threw to Bleys. That was interesting. Had Bleys spoken without the permission of his overlord? Maybe Bleys had developed a spine over the summer? Normally he was so soft-spoken he barely voiced a thought that hadn’t been previously uttered by Malfoy. Bleys had changed physically over the summer, filling out in the shoulders and slimming elsewhere. He was still shorter than Pious, but not by much. His hair was nicely styled, as usual, and his features were more defined. His dark eyes were sober and measuring.
Al dragged his eyes back to his nemesis with a mental hiss. He was not checking out Bleys Zabini! What the hell was wrong with him? Instead, his eyes unwillingly travelled over Pious Malfoy. He had already noticed the changes in the blond, without actually allowing them to register. Pious seemed even sharper and leaner than usual. His cheekbones were sharply defined, causing his grey eyes to stand out like silver coins. His hair fell over his eyes in a style that was likely just long enough to annoy his father. His school robes were immaculate, as usual, and looked as if they had been purchased from a designer label rather than selected at normal shops. Al wondered if they had been modified to fit the blond perfectly and then sneered at the thought. Of course they had. Pious Malfoy would not dare be caught looking anything less than perfect.
His scrutiny of the blond was brought to an abrupt halt by a pale hand reaching out to caress his cheek. Al jerked away furiously.
“Like what you see, Potter?” Pious asked in a suggestive tone and Al suddenly wanted to hit him. He pulled back his fist but Hell grabbed his arm quickly.
“No, Al! School hasn’t even started yet!” he hissed into Al’s ear. “There are better ways.”
Al took a deep breath and swallowed his anger. Hell was right. There would be time enough to get even with Pious Malfoy, in ways that would hopefully not get them tossed out of school. He glared at Pious one last time and followed Hell to the nearest carriage. When the Sorting was over, the vengeance would begin.
~~- oOo -~~
Pious grinned beatifically and watched Al and Hell march away to enter a horseless carriage. He chuckled aloud and Bleys gave him a curious glance.
“You know they are going to get even, don’t you?” Bleys asked.
“I’m counting on it,” Pious said levelly. “My new goal for this year is to get Albus Potter expelled. He won’t be his daddy’s little angel for long.”
Pious waited until the carriage containing Potter was nearly out of sight before striding to another. He climbed into the dark interior and helped Bleys inside with an outstretched hand.
“Al has a lot of relatives at Hogwarts. Won’t they want revenge?”
Pious granted Bleys a smirk and then turned an icy glare on a second year student who had the temerity to attempt entry into their carriage. The boy faltered and backed away before hurrying to find a more hospitable welcome. “Actually, our little friend Al will do it to himself. He has already been warned not to pull pranks on anyone this year.”
“Not even you?” Bleys asked and chortled.
“Especially not me,” Pious said smugly and Bleys gasped. Pious reached out and slammed the carriage door on a portly Ravenclaw girl before she could try and climb aboard. A quick Locking Spell kept her out, even though she pounded gamely on the door.
“Are you certain?” Bleys asked.
Pious nodded. “I have it on good authority that James Potter is directly responsible for policing Al’s actions. Given who he is, of course, Albus is bound to get away with several offences. You know how the teachers like to look away rather than incur the potential wrath of the Vanquisher of Voldemort.”
Bleys winced slightly.
“What?” Pious asked.
“I hate it when you use the name of You-Know-Who. My parents said he had the power to hear his name at any distance…”
Pious would have given Bleys a smack on the head if his gullible friend had been in reach. As it was, he gifted him with a glare just as the carriage lurched and moved forward. “Bleys, the old bastard is long dead! Give the superstition a rest. We’re talking about Potter here. Remember Albus?”
Bleys sighed. “I was sort of hoping we could bury the hatchet this year.”
Pious sat forward angrily. “Have you gone Hufflepuff over the summer? Do you not remember what that cretin did to us last year? And the year before? And the year before that?”
“I remember,” Bleys said wearily. “Frankly, I’m not looking forward to it this year. I would really like to be a normal student and concentrate on my studies, instead of watching my back for flying cakes, examining my toothpaste for tampering, and double-checking my clothing a dozen times a day to make certain everything is still in one piece.”
“Fear not, Bleys. As soon as Potter is gone from Hogwarts, everything will be roses for us. I promise.” Pious was not gratified at the less than enthusiastic response from his best friend. He sighed and sat back against the cushions. It did not matter. Bleys would see. It would be a glorious year. Just as soon as Pious got rid of the black-haired thorn in his side. He rubbed his fingertips on his trousers to rid himself of the memory of the feel of Al’s cheek. Damn if he didn’t enjoy touching the idiot, though. He grinned when he recalled Al’s discomfort. Pious could hardly wait to get off the carriage and seek out his fellow Slytherin. He thought a Welcome Back to Hogwarts hug might be in order… and as a bonus it would probably goad Al into even more extreme acts of revenge. He restrained himself from rubbing his hands together in glee. Albus Potter might be Slytherin, but Pious had generations of Slytherin Malfoys in his bloodline. Potter would have no chance at all.
Part Three