Chapter Text
Walking into the common room for the first time there was a dramatic shift in energy and tone from the prefects who looked to each other and nodded before addressing the first years.
“Now there is something a little special that we do here nightly so if you’re ever planning on actually studying late I’d suggest avoiding the common room.” The girl that Draco couldn’t remember the name off the top of his head turned to them with the realist smile he’d ever seen from another pure blood. “Here in our little dorm space you are completely free of your parents and families as long as everyone sticks to the rules!”
There were murmurs around the small gaggle of eleven year olds as they tried to comprehend what she meant. Most of them like Draco grew up in strict families that they’d never been separated from for more than a bathroom trip so the concept was completely foreign.
“And if we don’t believe you or don’t agree.” Pansy spoke up from where she was standing right next to Draco. He was glad she asked so he didn’t have to, despite his fathers teaching he still didn’t like having a lot of attention on him like Pansy had just brought to herself.
“Well there's two choices.” There was an edge to the other prefect's voice as he addressed her specifically. “We either wipe your brian of this conversation and you go to sleep well before the party every night or you keep your mouth shut so the rest of us can have fun.”
“We’re Slytherins, we take advantage of what we can and this little bit of freedom will get used to the fullest with you or not.” The girl spoke up again having not dropped her smile though it was sharper in a way more familiar to them all.
“Just curious.” Pansy kept her voice level but she looked excited. The idea of that level of freedom even if just in their common room a new and unexplored situation that sounded a lot better than what they had been dealing with their whole lives.
The prefects went on to explain the rules around the parties and the few times they didn’t host them. Each one was meant to guarantee that they got to keep this time to themselves and avoid bringing any other teachers attention to it.
“Sometimes we invite others from different houses if you feel they are trustworthy. Never invite a Gryffindor however, they are not and never have been.” The male prefect sounded tired dropping down onto one of the couches sitting around the space.
“Ooo I wouldn’t sit on that one.” Once the guy registered what she said he jumped up glaring at her before scurrying off. “You should avoid that couch and that arm chair.” She pointed to one across the room, not clarifying why but they could feel her seriousness enough to listen. She dismissed them to figure out their rooms guiding the boys to their side and the girls to theirs.
Draco was half way through setting up his bed the way he likes Pansy came in with a little bounce to her step he hadn’t seen earlier or really ever despite having known her their entire childhood.
“Did you hear that! Complete freedom down here!” She plopped herself on his bed, messing it up and earing a glare before Draco responded dishearteningly.
“I don’t believe them. Snape is friends with my parents, he’s going to be reporting to them constantly.” He sighed sitting down next to her now that the sheets were already messed up.
“Oh come on he loves you enough to not get you into any serious trouble. Just try one night and if nothing happens we can live a little!” Her optimism was so infectious that Draco could feel himself smiling a bit.
“Alright,” He relented, “One night.”
Pansy smiled brightly at him, getting up and wandering out of the room to go talk to the other girls and make new friends.
The party later that night was just as hectic and fun as promised. There was music from a vinyl playing that someone had snuck in along with alcohol, brightly colored lights, and a variety of outfits that they were borrowing out. Guys were wearing dresses while girls were wearing men's clothing and some were wearing very little at all, something none of the first years had seen before with their highly traditional parents.
It was almost too loud for the kids whose families never had music played at their manors and the ones like Draco who were sensitive to noise in the first place, one of the upper years came around to all the kids who were uncomfortable with charmed “headphones” that dampened the noise without muffling anything too much, they promised it got easier to handle the more you showed up.
By about an hour in there was a group of upper years completely wasted sitting by one of the windows into the Great Lake, each of them deeply fascinated with the merpeople who kept swimming by. The music had been switched to something heavier with more deep sounds that made Draco's chest feel weird but not unpleasant.
Pansy eventually convinced him to join a group of all different years that were trading stories and laughing up a storm, the crowd welcoming him in easily.
“Hey, you’re the Malfoy kid right?” A guy probably six years his senior leaned forward to get a better look at him. “Ya you got the blond hair and gray eyes! Let me tell ya you can make a lot of friends here but you can also make a lot of enemies, we’re pretty loyal to each other alright but even that can be spread thin.” His face must have shown how sick he was of hearing that as the guy quickly backed off. “Look if you’re ever looking to break some rules or experiment with something ya’d never be able to normally you find one of us and we’ll cover ya.”
It was a nice gesture so Draco nodded before catching himself and trying to respond verbally, Pansy was quick to stop him.
“I’ve talked to them and they’re not gonna judge you for not talking if you don’t want to.” Leave it to her to fix the issue before it could even become one. He gave her a smile in response watching her sit up proudly before returning to the conversation the group was now having.
If the parties were consistently like this he’d have to attend them, that is if he didn’t get in trouble with his father the next day from his godfather snitching.
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The next morning at breakfast was a little nerve wracking. Draco was glad he’s used to not sleeping well so that wasn’t another stressor but watching the owls come in for the first time he prayed that he wasn’t about to receive a threat wrapped in the guise of a loving father checking on his kid.
Willow, their family owl that Draco had named himself after finding out that his father just called her “the owl”, landed elegantly in front of him with an envelope bearing his mothers neat script immediately easing him of all the tension that’d built up in his shoulders. Willow cooed happily before taking off, her light brown feathers reflecting beautiful golds and reds in the early morning sun.
The letter was written with the facade of congratulating him for getting into Slytherin but held undertones he’d learned to find over the years. He wasn’t all that surprised but thankful that his mother was aware of the parties that still happened in the dorms, a tradition she called it instead of a party but the meaning was the same. She gushed over how much she herself loved to participate and hoped that he was having fun as well though warned him not to let his father know.
That night he penned her a response in an equally formal and secretive style telling her he loved her and that he plans on having the best year he could.