Title: Rebellion
Author: Wildecate
Email: wildecate@hotmail.com
Summary: Draco Malfoy rebels.
Notes: Set post BTVS S7 and post ATS S4 and definitely post OOTP.
Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine.

A howl from the corridor that Professor Snape was about to walk down told him several things. Firstly, from the high pitched whining noise – there were first and second years. Secondly from what he could tell, they were Gryffindors. Or Hufflepuffs. Or Ravenclaws. But not Slytherins. And thirdly, they had all just been given detentions. He laid a silent bet with himself that he knew who they had met up with.

He rounded the corner and saw the students cowering from the tall dark figure of Draco Malfoy. He sighed to himself. Ever since his return from LA, the Slytherin Prince had returned with a vengeance. People were keeping their distance from Draco Malfoy, even his pack of courtiers were keeping their heads down, all of them having been on the receiving end of his sharp and vicious tongue. He was giving out detentions like they were going out of fashion. It was almost as though he was going out of his way to emphasise that he was back on form. There was no question in anyone’s mind that after the school year finished, he would been at the front of the queue for the Dark Mark.

Draco had deflected any queries that had come his way from Dumbledore and Snape and eventually they had both stopped asking, leaving Malfoy to his misery.

Snape stood at the end of the corridor and watched as Malfoy scared the hell out of, yes they were Gryffindors, first years. He stormed down the corridor away from the group snarling at anyone who got his way. Had they had been Slytherins, Snape might have retracted the detentions – he knew they had been unfair – but they were Gryffindors. They would probably deserve them at some point.

“Go on then, get to your lesson” he said, making the students jump. They scattered before him like autumn leaves, leaving him alone in the now empty corridor. Malfoy was gaining a reputation that was almost as bad as Snape’s. But in comparison to Snape’s evilness, his black hair, dark eyes and swooping robes, Malfoy’s cropped white hair, pale eyes and tanned skin made the girls swoon after him, no matter how evil he was to them.

Fred watched Dawn from across the room. The girl had barely spoken since Draco’s abrupt departure. As far as Fred could tell, she hadn’t eaten either and Fred had her doubts as to whether she was even sleeping properly.

The days had passed in a complete blur for Dawn. New Year had been a subdued celebration, the gang just held their glasses up and toasted those who were no longer with them. Buffy had held Dawn tightly as the tears had flowed down their faces and Fred had felt incredibly sorry for Dawn. She had lost so much over the last years – her mother, Buffy, however briefly, Tara, Anya, Spike – all people who Dawn had loved deeply.

And now this. Draco’s absence was noticeable. In the few weeks he had been with them he had become one of them, always ready with a smart comment to make them laugh – it was strange seeing Dawn without Draco by her side. The two of them had been practically inseparable. She wondered what Draco could have done that was so bad for him to leave and to leave Dawn in this sort of mess. She knew there had been an argument – hell, she’d heard most of it. But she hadn’t understood most of it and Giles and Buffy weren’t talking.

Fred longed to reach out to her to help her but she had no idea what to say. Dawn glanced up and met her eyes before looking away again, not even bothering to try and raise a smile. Fred frowned.

Buffy stood opposite her sister downstairs not feeling entirely happy about what Dawn wanted to do.

“Come on then” she said.

Dawn stepped forward into the light, her long brown hair bound back off her face. Her blue eyes were intent, determined, focused. She was dressed simply in a blue tank top and black pants, her feet clad in trainers.

Buffy moved round behind her pushing her into position, changing her stance a little, tilting her head up, shifting her weight before taking up position opposite her which mirrored her.

“Right, just like I showed you before”

Dawn shot out a fist which Buffy deftly blocked.

“And again” Buffy encouraged.

Dawn’s other fist came out and Buffy ducked out the way before putting in her own shot, giving Dawn the time to block the blow. The sisters fell into a pattern, swing, block, punch, block, kick block, swing, duck, punch, block.

Buffy pushed her advantage a little, forcing Dawn to fall back a little before regaining her confidence and stepping forward again to attack. Buffy sped up her attack with Dawn keeping up valiantly. The sweat sprang up on their skin, the room became hot and Buffy broke off halfway through their sparring session to grab a drink. She wasn’t in the least tired but she could see Dawn was finally wearing herself out.

Dawn tipped her head back, welcoming the ice cold water. She wasn’t breathing hard but she could feel the strain in her muscles.

“Let’s go again” Buffy said “Let’s try something different”

The sisters fought their way through the afternoon and well into the evening, breaking only for drink and food, Dawn eating properly for the first time in weeks. They retreated back to the training room, Buffy working Dawn hard. The blood flushed into their cheeks and finally Dawn called a halt, barely able to stand.

Buffy walked with her upstairs, waited for her while she showered and pulled on the fluffy pyjamas that Buffy had bought her for Christmas. Buffy, for the first time in a long time, tucked her sister into bed, smoothing the brown hair and stroking Dawn’s cheeks.

“You doing OK?”

“I’ll live” Dawn lay back on her pillows. Buffy noticed one of them did not match the rest of her purple bedroom set. She stroked it with a question in her eyes but Dawn could not meet her face.

“I’m so stupid” she whispered, stroking her hands over the pillow which had once been Draco’s.

“You’re not stupid Dawn. There’s nothing stupid about falling in love.” Buffy took hold of Dawn’s hand remembering how she had first felt about Angel.

Dawn laid her cheek against the pillow, pulling the covers over her shoulder. Buffy took this as a hint to go and bent down to kiss Dawn’s cheek. She switched the light out and plunged the room into darkness.

Dawn lay there breathing his scent in and out. It could almost be him there beside her. She remembered the feeling of lying next to him, the heat of his skin through his t-shirt, the sound of his heart thumping away next to her. Where was he now? she thought. Lying in a bed thousands of miles away from her, somewhere in Britain. Was he missing her the same way she was aching for him?

She rolled over and her tears began to soak their way through his pillow.

”Draco?”

It was Pansy Parkinson. She knocked on his door quietly and he could hear the concern in her voice. He swung himself off the bed and pulled the door open. She stood on the other side, twisting her hands nervously.

“Pansy” he raised an eyebrow in enquiry “What can I do for you?”

“I just wanted to make sure…..” she hesitated for moment, as if unsure how to speak.

“You wanted to make sure?” he queried.

She eventually met his eyes “I wanted to make sure that you were OK.”

“I’m fine. Up to my ass in Potions homework.”

“Up to your ass?” she repeated and Draco realised his mistake. He would never have said anything like that before. Dawn. Bloody Dawn. It was something she would say.

“Up to my eyes. I meant up to my eyes.” Draco amended what he had said quickly.

“OK” Pansy looked away from him again to where Goyle and Crabbe were standing, about five feet away, watching nervously. Draco wondered whether their fathers had told them about his time in America but decided, on balance, they probably hadn’t.

“I’m fine, Parkinson, really.” Draco came out of his room and joined the others. He lounged across his favourite chair, next to the fire so he could feel its warmth. The others, glad that their leader had finally come out of his shell and decided to join them, took their usual places around him, Pansy at his feet, leaning against the base of the chair, Goyle and Crabbe on the sofa. Some other Slytherins from their year came in to join them, making themselves comfortable, bringing out secret stashes of food and chatting, passing on the latest gossip.

Draco leaned his head back and closed his eyes, listening to the quiet hum of voices.

No one ever really thought that Slytherins got on well together but usually they were inseparable. Seven years in boarding school together forge bonds that are not easily broken and Draco found it easily to slip into his old role of leader of the pack. He shifted in the chair a little, his legs dangling down over one arm, his back and heard supported by the other.

“Professor Moody has got a whole new idea for the Dark Arts classes” he heard Pansy tell Millicent Bulstrode.

”I heard about that too” Goyle agreed “something about managing without wands?”

“Yeah – magic without wands. How does that work?” Pansy asked.

Draco stifled a laugh. Willow Rosenberg could show this lot something – stun a fair few people.

“No, not magic. Something about fighting” Pansy examined her fingernails, and took out a small bottle from her robes which she unscrewed. She began to paint each nail with the brush that was attached to the lid of the bottle and speaking quietly under her breath. Her nails began to change colour as she spoke.

Draco pricked his ears up at this. Now he would have to be careful. His time with Buffy and the others had honed his already existing skills, until he was a formidable opponent. He would have to watch his step in the Dark Arts class though, Moody would be sure to notice if he exhibited any kind of real skill at this.

“Sounds like a daft idea” he said and the others agreed with him.

They must have talked until the early hours, Snape, for once, ignoring the quiet chatter from the Seventh Year common room and allowing them to indulge. The Slytherins returned to bed, glad that Malfoy had come out of himself at last, seemed to be more sociable. Draco Malfoy retired to bed and found himself missing Dawn Summers more than ever.