author_by_night | Deathly Drabbles

Double double, toil and trouble
Dark Marks burn and tempers bubble
Dark Marks burn and tempers bubble
Bubble!
Something drabbley this way comes!

What with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows coming out this week, I have decided to do daily drabbles and short fics. I may post a few times a day, I may only post once.

If you have anything you'd like me to write, comment here with a prompt and I'll post if my muse allows. Just one condition - they must be DH centric. Also feel free to do this on your own LJ - I'll round them up at the end of the week and link them, so I can include yours if you write one.

Basic idea of what I'll write for this:

- Missing moments

- Alternative directions/what if

- Before and/or after

- A situation in another character's POV

Request away! I'll be making request posts like this throughout the week. (And please don't be hurt if I don't reply to yours, but don't let that comment scare you off from replying - I just can't guarantee that everything will give me ideas.)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Don't use that word!"

Daphne's heart sank as she saw a younger student staring at Draco Malfoy in the face.

He had to be eleven, maybe twelve; he was a Gryffindor, which wouldn't help his already naive idealism.

Daphne Greengrass was a Slytherin, had been for seven years. Daphne was proud of her House; despite a few bad apples, it really had turned out some great witches and wizards.

Trouble was, it also turned out ones who made Daphne ashamed.

"Mudblood," Draco repeated. "And I'll say it whenever I want. You're not a Mudblood lover, are you?"

"Just use crucio," Vincent Crabbe advised Draco. "That should teach him."

"What's going on?" Daphne asked as she walked over casually.

"This little blood traitor here-"

"OBLIVIATE!"

The two boys blinked, and Daphne quickly took the boy by the arm, hurrying down the hall before Draco and Vincent figured out where they were heading and followed.

"Are - you - mad?" Daphne hissed at the boy as she led him into an empty classroom, slamming the door.

The boy's eyes were wide now, and he was shaking head to toe.

"I wasn't - thinking," he finished. "I'm sorry, I'll never be a traitor again."

Daphne sighed.

"Listen," she said, "you're not wrong. Those two boys were wrong."

"I thought you..."

Daphne put her finger to her lips. "Hush. Do you not understand what's going on?"

"I got so upset, and I thought maybe I could change their minds. They're kids too."

Daphne lowered herself to the boy's level.

"No," she said, "they're not just kids. They're kids who believe everything Mummy and Daddy fed to them, and if Mummy and Daddy told them to kill a bunch of muggles and their protectors, that is exactly what they will do. They'll hurt your family too, while they're at it."

"But then what can I do?"

"Stay discreet," Daphne told him. "That's what I've done since my first day."

This was not strictly true - she'd been friends with Draco and his lot for years until realizing her parents were right about him following in his parents' footsteps. But not everyone needed to know that.

"I want to stop the war. Saying things about muggles is bad, and I want it to stop."

"How about this," Daphne said. "Stay quiet, but tell me if you hear anyone in my House say something bad, and I'll see if I can't take care of it."

The boy's eyes widened. "You're a Slytherin like them? You'd do that?"

Daphne had to laugh. "Which one do you want me to answer first?"

"You'd really let me be your spy?"

"Assistant Spy," Daphne told him. "And yes."

The boy grinned from ear to hear.

"By the way," he said, "my name's Henry."

"I'm Daphne," Daphne returned, shaking his hand.

Eight Months Later

The breeze was cold as Daphne made her way through the rubble.

She hadn't seen Henry anywhere; nobody had, from the sounds of it. Neville Longbottom had tried to get him to leave with the other younger students, but he admitted that the boy had looked less than likely to listen.

It would be so typical of him to have rushed into battle, despite knowing so little magic.

"He might have listened," Neville said helpfully.

"Too late, Longbottom, you've already freaked me out," Daphne said.

"I'm sorry."

Daphne looked around bleakly. "God. If he's dead, I don't know what I'll-"

"Daphne -"

"-do, and don't say it's not my fault-"

"Daphne-"

"-because I don't go around blaming myself, I just wish I'd made him leave instead of encouraging him to report to me, what a stupid-"

"DAPHNE!"

Two voices had said that - Neville's and one behind her.

Daphne turned around, not wanting to believe it.

Henry was standing before her, two people she assumed were his parents beside him.

"Mum, Dad, this is Daphne," Henry announced. "I was her Assistant Spy."

Daphne shook their hands, trying not to cry, and Henry's father pulled her close to him.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Edited 2010-11-15 23:03 (UTC)

This is so good!!! I love it. I almost teared up at the end with Daphne. Thank you!

Glad you liked it!

Deathly Drabbles

The Spy's Assistant

Re: The Spy's Assistant

Re: The Spy's Assistant