A Love Purer Than Blood

22. Victims of circumstance

The next morning Lily awoke in Draco Malfoy's bed, her head snuggled into his back and her hands around his waist. In a panic she assessed the situation and calmed her breathing. Her spasms had almost completely eased, her muscles only aching due to an excess of use rather than the curse. As Lily lifted her head slightly, she heard Crabbe and Goyle snoring faintly, as if they were far away.

"The curtains are built in mufflers." Malfoy said in a drowsy drawl, his face half in the pillow. "I better not have missed a fun party because of you." He muttered, making no attempt to move.

"You would have hated it anyway." Malfoy hummed in either agreement or denial, Lily couldn't tell which. "I'm sure the girls will be looking for me."

"You wouldn't have stayed in a loud party for long, damaged ears or not. They know you'll return." Lily nodded slightly and sighed deeply as she felt herself wake a little more. "You aren't staying here."

"Make me leave." Lily teased, tightening her grip. Malfoy sighed but didn't make any attempt to move her, the boy deciding to return to sleep rather than wake just for her. As the slow rise and fall of his chest became regulated, Lily snuck away and out of the curtain, careful to focus fully on a silent apparition.

The moment she arrived back in the dorm she was met with heavy eyes and slow smiles as the girls all clambered around her to hold her. They were all covered in various stains indicating there had been a food fight at some point that Lily was sure the twins would have initiated.

"So, you guys waited for me?"

"We just got back." Waverly admitted. "Some of the seventh years are still going and Flitwick is-pardon my French, fucked on firewhiskey." The girls giggled in their sleepy hazes as Lily guided them to their individual beds, clearing the stains with a flick of her hand.

Deciding herself to be much better off than anyone else, Lily headed to the great hall, choosing to walk, the fresh air washing away the last of her headache. On the way she passed students and house elves and even teachers all in various stages of recovery. Some even unable to leave the steady grip of the floor and the wall.

Lily arrived in the great hall to sure enough see a couple of very drunk seventh years and not a house elf in sight. A slow grin spread across Lily's face as she spotted Minerva, Poppy and Pomona all on Gryffindor table in various stages of recovery. Filius was on the table next to them, his mouth open gormlessly as he slept among the remnants of the feast.

The twins were carving their names into the underside of one of the Slytherin tables and the fire was almost entirely out on the Hufflepuff side. All the students under fifth year had been sent to bed at some point Lily assumed due to the amount of students left that were all older. A group in the corner were singing a very sloppy muggle ballad as near the teachers table sat a few students on probably their one hundredth round of wizards chess, the various pieces around them showing various sets had been put through the wringer.

Lily released a laugh in the form of a puff of air through her nose as she spotted Dobby on the top of the teachers table having a very thorough conversation with the headmaster. Next to them lay the unconscious form of Trelawney and the other side on the floor Lily was very happy to see a very giddy Hagrid as he led with his back to the cold stone, singing songs between burps.

Lily rolled her sleeves up and wordlessly set to work after counting that almost every single house elf she had seen on the way was in an insurmountable amount of exhaustion. Lily waved her hands and new logs arrived in the fireplace as it cleaned itself out. She tapped her chest twice and blew enough of a flame to ignite the logs, setting the fireplace roaring once again, despite the temperatures rising with the coming summer outside, the stone of the castle still remained cold.