The Day After Tomorrow

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"THANK you for coming all, I appreciate the time and trust you've put forward attending this event in such a strenuous time." Ted Nott Senior began from his place at the dining room of Malfoy Manor. It had been the only location warded enough for them to meet.

Draco felt his eyes narrow a fraction and focused on the motion of his lungs inflating with air. It felt like Merlin was playing a joke on him, like the worst case of déjà vu, all of them in the same room again. Only this time they weren't in black robes and there was no giant serpent slithering across the smooth mahogany of the table. There wasn't the dirty tresses of his Muggle Studies professor skimming the table either or the stink of dark magic and blood. Out of habit, Draco inhaled through his mouth against the memory. His mother and him had even taken to eating in the conservatory, in the drawing room, anywhere but the room Voldemort had held court and killed in.

There was late afternoon light falling through the large windows, and it fell against the vacant chair at the head of the table and Draco couldn't decide if it was an ode to his father or to Voldemort. Neither of the options inspired much in him, not with Astoria Greengrass sitting beside him like a living breathing reminder. He tried to remind himself he was doing the right thing, the honourable thing, but it didn't feel right or honourable. He felt like rubbish.

"It seemed an appropriate time to meet considering recent events." Ted Nott continued, his voice was a loud booming sound, obnoxious in the clipped authoritative way he communicated everything like he couldn't imagine ever saying anything wrong. He levelled a dark gaze on the guests in the dining room. "I'm sure, that like me, its come to your attention that the situation we've discovered ourselves in is neither pleasant or enjoyable." His eyes traced down the one side of the table, picking up on faces he hadn't seen since they'd last been assembled here, months ago before the Battle of Hogwarts. The Bulstrodes pressed their lips together into tight lines, and it was a reminder that they'd lost a daughter to this 'situation'.

In one corner, were the Parkinson's, beside them the familiar face of Sewlyn and the blazing face of Bellatrix Lestrange. Sitting quietly across them with unreadable expressions were Nacrissa and Draco Malfoy. Astoria Greengrass and her family were sat beside them, their faces serious and silent and wearing matching looks of quiet introspection were the Zabinis.

Nott Sr. had moved heaven and earth coordinating this meeting, and still he found it in himself to feel a little stunned that he'd managed to drag them out of their little dark holes to talk. He'd even managed to get the Flint's invited, and they looked giddy their seats like they'd been waiting for this, waiting for them to organise a counter attack.

The most reluctant attendees, the one's that had taken the most convincing were not the most wanted Undesirable Bellatrix, Avery or even Sewlyn, but the Macmillans and the nervous wreck that was Horace Slughorn. They were positively quacking in their boots, he wouldn't have been surprised if they spontaneously combusted from pure terror at having been sat at the same table at a war criminal.

"In fact, I feel that I speak for everyone when I say that we must stop cowering in the shadows and start doing something about it." Ted Nott heard Bellatrix laugh, a high pitch manic sound of affirmation. She was a loose cannon, he knew that, they all did and tracking her down had been a pain, but she was the last of the Lestrange's – he couldn't not invite her.

Theo fought the urge to frown at his father's words. Theo really wished that his father just wouldn't speak for everyone, because he knew that amongst this group of black clad figures, half of them would rather not be there, rather not be involved in whatever strange reunion of darkness this was. And that was putting it mildly.