alt_harry | Order Only: Private message to Ron, Justin, and Draco

From:

alt_ron

Bally well brilliant, wot?

From:

alt_harry

So, Draco and Hermione. Do you think Draco was cross that I was surprised?

From:

alt_ron

Nic e to have that place to slip off to, yeah?

From:

alt_ron

Heh.

You mean cause it looked s'if you didn't see wot sh e sees in him?

Eh. I actually think he's dead surpri sed she came round, y'know?

From:

alt_harry

Yeah, I think he is.

But that's it exactly. I dont want him to think I didn't know what she sees in him.

From:

alt_draco

Hey. It could also save your life someday, son.

Son, how do you like that? Its my Kingsley impersonation.

Never seen F-F so pissed off his tits. Did he have to go lie down or summat?

From:

alt_harry

I don't know, I mean he didn't come back to Gryffindor obviously. But probably. I mean he kept getting more and more careful not to knock anything over and his accent got even more ~~poncey~~ posh.

I like your Kingsley impersonation. Do Mrs Longbottom next.

From:

alt_ron

Nah, s'alright.

You told him you're happy for him.

I think, really, he just sort of realised that it means you're the only one of us hasn't got a girl now. So I don't think he was cross. Jus t feeling a little awkward about it?

What was it like with Bell when you were seeing her? I mean was that-- Were you really together or just, y'know--like with Hydra?

From:

alt_harry

We were really together, it wasn't like with Hydra.

But

I couldn't tell her the truth. About anything. I didn't trust her enough. And she didn't exactly trust me either. And I knew I was making her a target and then she got a pin -- and that was awful. She didn't blame me, but we both knew it wouldn't have happened if we hadn't been dating.

So I broke things off because

Anyone I like gets used against me. Sooner or later. Anyone. It's bad enough when it's you. Katie wasn't even in the Order.

From:

alt_draco

"I see." Followed by a mountain of gratitude for all your sacrifices.

Seriously, though, you're sacrificing way too much. We've got to find you a girl. Too bad Daphs is over the moon for Creepy Crouch, cos I bet she'd be a good match for you. She fancies you gentlemanly Gryffindors, when she's not fancying maniacs.

From:

alt_ron

Yeah. That must've been horrible. When she got the pin for the competition.

D'you think we should've told her about the Order?

D'you hear from her at all, now she's left school?

From:

alt_ron

What about Astoria?

She likes gentlemanly types, too, yeah? Was all gooey over F-F, wasn't she?

From:

alt_draco

I don't know, was she? I haven't seen Astoria in yonks.

Speaking of Daphs though, how we going to tell her that we think Creepy Crouch's eagle-staff artefact-thing might be a horcrux?

From:

alt_harry

Gentlmenaly Gryffindors, or maniacs. Which one is Blaise, then?

Anyway, at least Daphne is an Order member. Too bad, yeah, she's pretty taken.

From:

alt_harry

Do you think we should ask Hydra first? I mean to make sure she's still

I don't know. I guess if she weren't on our side we'd all be dead, right? Or at least Ron would. Sally-Anne. Pansy.

From:

alt_ron

Yeah. Thas the question of the day, innit?

I mean, it could be dangerous if she doesn't know, but knowing it could make it dangerous for her, too.

We've gotta tell her, tho', right?

From:

alt_harry

I don't. Or at least, I haven't.

I think not telling her about the Order was the right decision. She had a Galleon. If she'd wanted to know more -- I think she'd have let me know.

From:

alt_harry

I think we have to. It's not like any of the rest of us can go poking round Barty Crouch's house.

From:

alt_ron

So, would you want to see her again after NEWTs? If she wanted to, I mean?

Or-

Is there anyone you fancy now?

From:

alt_draco

She's on our side. She's making some truly questionable personal and romantic choices right now, but - it's not the first time she's done that. But Daphs is a bit of a Hufflepuff, for a Slytherin. She's not going to turn against us.

Pretty sure, anyway.

From:

alt_ron

Or Dolohov's.

I mean, where do you think he's even keeping it? For all I know, he's got other houses, too. Or other places he can store things. Doesn't Voldemort give them all manors and land and whatever they want?

From:

alt_draco

He's just a tit.

Well, I don't know that she's really THAT taken. Maybe Crouch will grow tired of her.

And go back to my Mother. Bloody nightshade I detest that maniac.

From:

alt_harry

There are girls I've noticed but

I can't

It's too risky. For anyone.

Sooner or later they'd hurt her to try to control me. They'd put her in front of me and cruciate her. They did it to Draco, they've done it to you, they did it to Hermione, they sent Katie the pin. I can't protect anyone except by not letting anyone get close to me.

From:

alt_harry

I still think our best shot at killing him is have Hydra do it 'accidentally' as a 'training accident.'

From:

alt_harry

Marlborough is his, but he almost never goes there. I think mostly he lives at Dolohov's house in London.

The other place he could keep it is Snowdonia. You know, Maebh Drumgoole's hunting preserve. Crouch actually asked for that land and then gave it to her as a gift, that's how she got it. I overheard people talking about that, years ago.

From:

alt_harry

Justin, does Hydra ever get utterly fed up with being the one Order member who's really ace at reading people's minds?

Ron, do you ever get utterly fed up with being the one Order member who can turn into a snake and spy from people's pockets or slither through cracks and so on?

From:

alt_ron

Didn't he almost marry her? I mean, she's the one Voldemort said he couldn't marry that time, right?

Cause that would be awkward. 'Listen, Daphs, I'll just be dropping by Snowdonia for a bit tonight. You know, to drop something off. With my ex. Don't wait up.'

From:

alt_draco

Harry, are you trying to tell us that you are fed up?

I am excellent at being fed up.

From:

alt_harry

Yeah, that was her. But do you think he'd even bother mentioning that to Daphne? It's 'Our Lord's business,' one way or another.

From:

alt_harry

I'm fed up with not being able to protect people. With seeing people I care about hurt. I'm fed up with people being polite to me because they're scared utterly witless of Voldemort. I'm fed up with the Order acting like I'm important because of that stupid useless prophecy. If I've got some Power the Dark Lord Has Not it might be helpful if Sibyl Trelawney had told Dumbledore what it was.

Also, I'm really, really, really fed up with Lana Sandoval being my Head of House.

From:

alt_ron

Er.

Actually. I like it.

A lot.

I mean, I've never been really great at blending in, y'know? People always see me in a room--that tall, gangly-looking ginger bloke, right? But when I'm a snake, I can pretty well move around unseen. (Well, as long as no one catches a glimpse of bright red sliding round the corner of the potted palm. It helps if the lights are a bit dim.)

And I'm good with a wand, but I'm not the best wand in the Order. Don't get me wrong. I'm used to not being the best at anything. I mean, I grew up with brothers who're better at every damn thing. Only, it's nice to have one thing I really can do that pretty much no one else can. Shame we don't really need that kind of spying all the time. I mean, it's useful when we do, but the rest of the time, I'm just looking to train with the Aurors and hope that sometimes I end up being in the right place to know something useful before it's too late to help.

From:

alt_draco

We all feel that way, mate. No one single person can protect everyone. But I know what you're on about - you can't even suffer properly along with the rest of us. You get to suffer by not suffering, never getting Cruciated and what not, and seeing other people take it instead.

When we were young I thought I had the worse end of the deal, but I don't feel that way anymore.

From:

alt_ron

She owes him one, yeah?

I mean, whoa. What Justin said about it... how cold was Crouch?

From:

alt_harry

Oh, well, that's good to know.

Because I'm sure there will be more times when having a spy that can ride along in my pocket will be really useful. I won't feel bad about asking.

From:

alt_ron

Ugh.

Why would she want to be with a bloke who treats her like that?

Yeah, alright. I don't understand Daphs at all. It's just what Zabini's like, too, and he's the best of the bad lot she's picked (present company excluded, y'know).

From:

alt_ron

Ha.

Yeah, do ask. Seriously.

I mean, you can ask for wand backup, too, when that's what you need. Always ready for that.

From:

alt_ron

Can't hurt to ask Hydra, though.

Just to be sure.

From:

alt_harry

If I ask for wand backup there might be a queue. If I need someone who can turn into a snake, you're going to be up every time.

Mind you if I'm planning to sneak into Dolohov's quarters to try to steal back the bloody Umbridge plate, for instance, that's potentially an invitation to a world of trouble.

From:

alt_ron

Yeah.

Alright. So no girlfriends. For now. Gives you another reason to get into the fight and get it won!

From:

alt_ron

Oh, I'm totally in for that. Wand or snake. Whichever.

You don't even have to ask.

From:

alt_ron

D'you ever think you'd want to have a shag with no strings attached, though?

I mean, well. The blokes in the department've got a place they go in New London. And, actually, there're some other places outside NL, too. No questions asked. No one talks. No one'd be a target afterwards. Just, y'know. Some galleons and as much time as you want to ask for.

I guess. I haven't been. But that's what I've heard.

From:

alt_draco

Same goes for me.

Except the snake part.

From:

alt_harry

Oh, maybe. It sounds a little -- I don't know. I'll think about it.

From:

alt_ron

Or, hey.

Here's something. I hear Ptolemy and Karo Baddock have a thing for inviting people over for y'know, three-way. Catchlove was saying. Anywiz, if you didn't mind Baddock, Karo's not hard to look at, and if you got Baddock painted with a target for getting too close to you... that'd be a right shame.