Chapter 2 "Capture the Flag"
Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments
Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth
Turn melancholy forth to funerals,
The pale companion is not for our pomp…
(A Midsummer Night's Dream 1.i.42)
-------
"Ron's still out there," Luna reminded Draco in a sing-song voice. She was fiddling with her hair, not really understanding why sitting out during Tonk's "Hogan's Heroes" game was such an 'unbloody believable' hardship.
The group was playing a wizard's version of 'Capture the Flag.' Something Tonks had thought up to ready Harry, Draco, and Hermione for their impending Auror training. Lavender rounded out Team Harmony while Draco, Luna, and Ron made up Team Doom (which was in danger of losing now that Luna and Draco had been captured and forced to sit in Harmony's "POW" camp.)
Luna let out a sigh as she began braiding the long strands of her hair, trying to ignore her fellow teammate's endless complaining.
"It's all up to Weasley, eh?" Draco gave a long-suffering sigh took a seat next to her. "Right. So, in other words: we lose. No, wait, scratch that. We're all going to die." He shook his head. "Don't ask me how, but, practice session or not, Weasley's going to get us all killed. Nice knowing you love. Hope you're less crazy in your next life."
She smiled sweetly and patted his leg. "Hope you're less photophobic in yours."
Draco shifted away uncomfortably and scowled. "And why are we even in training?" He went on. "The war's over. We won. Go team and all, but a little downtime never killed anyone. Well," he paused, "except Sirious Black… I think that goes without saying."
"That's not funny Draco," she said evenly, working the strands of her hair.
"What? Too soon?" He flashed his best grin, which quickly faded when he noticed she wasn't paying attention. He huffed a bit and looked around at their makeshift prison: a charmed circle made up of leaves and bits of scrape paper.
How are the mighty fallen he thought as he stared at the Campbell soup can marking one of the boundaries.
"And why do I always have to work with Weasley?" He sighed. "You're all right and all luv, but gods, he's about as useless as a cock-flavored lollipop."
Luna continued braiding her hair, only half-listening to the ill-tempered Slytherin beside her. "Harry and Hermione like working together because it allows them an outlet for the less-than-platonic drives they're not ready to actively express."
Draco stared at her a moment.
"Yeah," he said bitterly, "that or they're off snogging." He rolled his eyes. "Probably snogging."
Luna shook her head and sighed. "Here, hold this…" she handed him a finished braid.
"What…?"
"Just hold it until I'm finished with this one," she said absently, too busy parting the strands to notice his scowl.
Draco started to protest, but since she was already braiding and couldn't be bothered, he shrugged and twirled the lock between his fingers. It was soft and shiny and smelled like lilac, and, yeah, since no one else was around, he decided to do her the favor. Wasn't like he was helping her fix her hair or anything.
-----------
"Awwww," Hermione gave a sentimental moan and took Harry's arm.
Harry turned to her and shook his head.
"What?" She asked. "It's adorable. Look at them." Hermione pointed towards the prison and smiled. She leaned against him and gave a rare, girlish sigh.
Draco was helping Luna braid her hair, chatting with her, making her laugh and according to Hermione, this qualified as "oh-so-cute."
Harry smiled. He didn't think Draco would agree with its being "cute" if the poor guy knew he was being watched (although Harry had almost given them away when he'd tried to curse Draco for that crack about Sirious).
Harry turned to Hermione. "Cute?" he whispered. "Hardly." Cute was not a word he'd use for Draco. Several other four-letter words came to mind, but 'cute?' Not a chance.
And what was all that business about repression and snogging? He glanced down at Hermione. Her cheek was resting on his shoulder as she watched the couple, her soft lips parted with silent laughter as she gripped his arm and sighed again and nope, no repression here…nope…not at all…gods she smells good…
Speaking of snogging and repression, Harry didn't want to know where Ron and Lav had got off to. Team loyalties aside, Ron had the attention span of a milosecond when it came to non sex, non food related tasks, and sad to say, Lav was the same way. No doubt they were off somewhere, breeding a race of hedonistic, ginger-haired Gryffindors.
"Harry, look over there." Hermione pulled away and motioned towards the old carriage house in the clearing. There was a faint light coming from the stable hand's quarters. She crept over to get a better look, flashing a few hand signals back to him.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Hermione, I'm standing right here…"
"It's training Harry, come on," she darted towards the clearing, leaving Harry to wearily follow her.
------------------
"You two are…sleeping together?" Hermione asked incredulously. "Now?" They had just crawled through ruined door of the cottage, only to stumble in on an underdressed Ron and Lavender, perfectly at ease on the floor under a blanket.
"Wouldn't call it sleeping Hermione," Ron replied, wriggling his eyebrows. Lav nudged him as she began to get dressed under the blanket.
"But," Hermione said, motioning around the cabin. "We're in the middle of training."
"All the more reason," Ron shrugged.
"And there's all the…" Hermione trailed off.
"Adrenalin inducing action," the muffled Lav offered brightly.
"Mmmmm," Ron gave an exaggerated sigh, "I love it when you use those big words."
"Good God Ron…" Harry groaned. We're standing right here…
"Oh Good God nothing Harry," Ron snapped, his attention once again on them. "It's not like we expected you to walk in."
"Sure you didn't," Draco's knowing voice rang out. Hermione buried her head in her hands and Ron dove under the blanket as Draco climbed through the small doorway.
"Wow…can't say I'm surprised, but hey," Draco took a seat a dusty chair in the corner, "don't let me interrupt." He leaned back and propped his legs up on a stool, apparently expecting to be entertained. "Well, come on guys." He motioned towards them. "The orgy's not going to start itself…"
"This isn't an orgy Draco," Luna said as she climbed through the door. "They're just talking."
"Hey," Hermione cried, "you're supposed to be captured."
Draco shrugged. "We escaped."
"You were captured?" Ron asked, sitting up. "Both of you!"
"Well what did you expect Weasley?" Draco asked bitterly. "Reconnaissance was in the sack with Mata Hari over there. Not like we stood much of a chance."
"Ron!" Lav sat up, gathering the blankets tightly around her, motioning towards Draco.
"What?" Ron said, now struggling to get dressed.
"He called me…that!"
"So?" Ron asked, fiddling with his trousers under the blanket.
"You're going to let him call me…that?"
Ron rolled his eyes. "Well, I can't defend your honor without my pants, luv."
"Sure you could…" Draco said merrily, "but it'd get awfully messy."
"Draco…" Lav moaned.
"That's it. I quit." Hermione shook her head and held up her hands. "I quit. Game's over. Good job guys. Really." She crawled through the door and strode down the path, leaving an amused Harry to trail after her.
"So…" Draco said. "Orgy's off then?"
"Get Out!" Ron and Lav cried.
Luna took his arm and dragged him out the door, leaving Ron and Lav to get dressed in peace.
"Yup," Draco said as he slung an arm over an unimpressed Luna's shoulders. "Helluva game love. Go Team Doom."