PRECEDENT : Draco Malfoy prequel

The time between lines

Blaise Zabini has never liked getting his hands dirty. He resented Care of Magical Creatures and Potions alike. Galleons grossed him out, touching them, thinking about all the hands they've touched before, exactly where they've been. The only things he didn't mind holding onto were secrets.

Over the years, most of his friends had collected many pieces of leverage. Blaise knew that Crabbe saw his mother having an affair and didn't tell his father. He knew that Goyle didn't just want sex like he made it seem, but he wanted to fall in love with someone. Blaise knew Theodore Nott was not interested in women and would do anything to earn his father's approval besides producing an heir. Blaise knew Pansy Parkinson was much the same, and that the only person she trusted with that information was Theo.

Blaise didn't know much about Draco Malfoy, even if he was more interested in him than any of the others. He thinks about that as he walked through the road leading into the Malfoy estate. How, even after finding out his secret about Martina Turner, Blaise still didn't know much about him. The kinds of things Blaise knew were obvious to everyone; Draco was desperate to win the approval of his parents, full of himself, and living in self-imposed isolation. The Wideeye potion isn't the only thing that made Blaise walk toward Draco's home with a straight back and a smile.

It had only been one night with Marty Turner, and already, Blaise had learned so much about Draco.

Pansy turned her head. She was near some hedges that were carved to look like snakes before the war. They were overgrown now, shapeless.

Blaise thought about Marty then, how maybe he could pull off something so powerful.

"You're late," Pansy stalked over to him.

Blaise shrugged, "am I last?"

"Dunno," Pansy looked back toward the estate. "Something is off. Theo never told me how it went last night. Draco looks like shit too."

Blaise could only guess what happened when the Dark Lord arrived. Harry Potter had undoubtedly escaped. Draco said he'd keep looking for Marty no matter what. After he tied Marty up and woke her, that was the first memory Blaise got. He set his plan into motion then.

"Is that new, for you?" Blaise asked.

Pansy rolled her eyes, "just come."

As they walked into the estate, Blaise Zabini's mind wandered again. This is his break. He had barely eaten in the past day. He had only a little practice in legilimency, for moments like this. It was like the entire universe had eclipsed. Marty Turner was where she wasn't supposed to be, The Marty Turner who had managed to seduce Draco Malfoy. Blaise did not fancy cleaning up the mess that would happen when she was discovered in his basement. The legilimency was supposed to be a one-off. Just a glimpse. 

Because, why, when Draco Malfoy had everything, would he throw it all away? Why? When people like Blaise would never be taken seriously because of his mother's numerous affairs and the colour of their skin, when Theodore Nott could never live as himself, when Pansy could not either, why then would Draco Malfoy insist on making messes? Who is Marty Turner?

And then Blaise couldn't stop. And when he realized he couldn't, when he realized what Draco would do to him if he found out, he needed a way to stop Draco.

And even Marty knew that Draco would let Theodore Nott get away with anything.

He stops for a second in the hallway outside of the lounge they usually frequent when he realizes something. Marty Turner's mind doesn't feel dirty. He didn't tell her that. He did tell her that she knew too much. He hoped she would think she knew too much about Draco or the war effort, or even him. It isn't true, not entirely.