dragynville @ August 23 2003, 21:38:30 UTC

He sounds terribly bored, what with the repitition about Pansy and Millicent and the blandness of the rest. He used the 'enraged' mood, but the post doesn't quite carry it off.

akutenshi2007 @ August 23 2003, 21:55:44 UTC

no, he sounds like hanging with Lucius isn't the greatest time. he doesn't sound like the enraged!draco, he sounds like subdued!draco. maybe he's trying to act mature around Lucius and his associates and such? kind of like a reaction to the fact that Narcissa isn't home.

What's with Crabbe's icon?

dragynville @ August 23 2003, 22:07:29 UTC

I reread it and he still sounds bored to me. He's repeats himself about wanting to see/talk to Pansy and M.B., and the rest of it mainly consists of describing luncheon and talking about gardening. Here he is talking about his activities with His Father, and they're deadly dull. Seems Draco may find out Life with Lucius isn't one big adventure after all.

mayhap @ August 23 2003, 22:09:08 UTC

Well, he nicked it from Lavender back when she made all the Martin Miggs icons. Why, precisely, I could not say.

akutenshi2007 @ August 23 2003, 22:10:20 UTC

yeah, i've seen them in Lavender's LJ but i was wondering more of why he'd want one...

dragynville @ August 23 2003, 22:09:43 UTC

What's with Crabbe's icon?

Scorpio Nespoir from Martin Miggs. Lavender made a bunch of icons a while back and he adopted one. XD

clodia_of_rome @ August 23 2003, 21:40:06 UTC

Gawds! Does Draco take steroids or something? He is always "inflamed."

tortietta @ August 23 2003, 21:56:10 UTC

Is it just me, or is this post really repetitive? Draco mentions the luncheon, and that it 'went well' on more than on occasion, and there was also the repetition of needing to see Pansy and Millicent. It just strikes me as slightly odd, not really up to his usual cutting style.

blue_lightning @ August 23 2003, 22:18:54 UTC

Could it be that this is what Narcissa meant when she tried to warn Draco about why Lucius was dangerous to him? Could it be that she was referring to his potentially approaching initiation into the Death Eaters? (the "you're old enough now" bit was chilling, to say the least)

I never took N_A Narcissa to be a strong supporter; if this was indeed her intention when she tried to talk to Draco, then I suppose this means she wasn't a DE at all, and must have gone along with it merely because Lucius is her husband.

hmm. much to ponder on. thoughts?

eponis @ August 23 2003, 22:25:29 UTC

I'm not sure how opposed Narcissa would be to the DEs. She strikes me as the sort of person who might find Muggle-killing distasteful, but wouldn't specifically try to engineer her son away from it. In other words, she may not be a DE, but I can't see her strongly caring either way.

I do agree, though, that this post was somewhat chilling, and I wonder whether that was intentional - whether Draco is intentionally trying to distance himself from the Harry/Remus/Sirius/Narcissa tangle of emotions. Surely he knows that Harry knows these "associates" are DEs (Harry named them as such in GoF, after all!). By talking casually, even almost proudly, about his meeting, he distances himself not only from Narcissa but from Hogwarts and Harry.

blue_lightning @ August 23 2003, 22:29:34 UTC

Ah, but with her recent trend towards independence, she may have decided to warn Draco about the impending DE matters out of the desire to encourage independence from Lucius in him, as well.

Just a thought. ^^

hobaggins @ August 23 2003, 22:27:48 UTC

Yes, quite.

I find it chilling to say the least. There's been signs of this coming up, several people thought that the last entry spoke of nothing but fear and nervousness. "I'm SUREs" punctuating this (I'm stealing this from theantimodel but she's not around to add it, so, c'est la vie...

Narcissa I can go either way on. She and Lucius have had discussions that I find lean me towards thinking Narcissa has had a lot more involvement to the Dark than I would have otherwise. But at the same time, her close relationship with Remus and her fondness of Harry really must be affecting her impartiality in regards to You-Know-Who's actions.

blue_lightning @ August 23 2003, 22:30:13 UTC

Precisely. She's up with the half-breeds, that's for sure ^_~

hobaggins @ August 23 2003, 22:19:25 UTC

ERrr... are we choosing to ignore that Draco had society tea with Death Eaters?

akutenshi2007 @ August 23 2003, 22:21:44 UTC

no, just being wonderfully ignorant of the fact.

another reason to hate August, the month Draco was introduced.

hobaggins @ August 23 2003, 22:24:52 UTC

How can you be ignorant of the fact? That's what his entry was about? It's quite obviously not about practicing feng sui with a group of Father's school chums, this is scary and important. I am distressed at this. I like the I-don't-want-an-ugly tattoo Draco.

eponis @ August 23 2003, 22:27:57 UTC

Yeah. I totally agree. I'm really worried that this will continue through the year, too. It's easy, in the NA world, to think of Lucius as a charming bastard and not as the man who has killed and tortured people for fun, and Draco as a kid growing up to be an aristocrat rather than a Death Eater.

Draco did allude to some of this in his Q&A, though. This post makes me think of his comment that, after graduation, he'll have "new friends."

I'm distressed, too.

hobaggins @ August 23 2003, 22:35:16 UTC

It was specifically after his dinner with his father that he made this comment, I believe tabiji had pieced together. She's wondering if there had been brainwashing, or simply his father's influence simply exerting himself.... and I am at a loss too. I don't think Draco is completely on with this new arrangement, but I don't think he has any idea how to extricate himself

sistermagpie @ August 23 2003, 22:40:09 UTC

That's how I feel too. (Sadly, I do not have AIM!) He sounds like the main thing he feels like he needs to do is talk to the others. Nott may have had the same idea. I wonder if this is something all Slytherin 7th years deal with, at least those from the DE families. Lucius says 17 is old enough to come to these luncheons. Draco doesn't seem that impressed with the business associates. One smells and the other screwed up his knee.

hobaggins @ August 23 2003, 22:45:44 UTC

Y!M? MSN messenger? #desperate# Download one!!

That's a very good point. A very good point. And notice Crabbe was the one to reply to Draco's post. Add in M.B. Pansy, Goyle (did he leave the school yet?)....

ah good Pansy will come and kidnap him, thank god.

Draco doesn't sound impressed with anyone though, I can't tell how not-impressed wtih them he is, and how much that's just his usual charming personality.

dragynville @ August 23 2003, 22:59:08 UTC

As impressed as he is with His Father, I should think he'd be impressed with Those His Father Chooses To Associate With, however, he distictly is not. Instead, he talks about the soup and tells Pansy he's sodding bored.

hobaggins @ August 23 2003, 23:03:54 UTC

BECAUSE THEY'RE SLYTHERINS

Pansy obviosuly knows what's going down with Draco, but everyone can read what they're writing, they can't really say anything.'

Draco's upset/scared/nervous/i have no idea, and Pansy knows this and has come to fetch him away from his parents on premise of a sleepover with his close friends. It's what they absolutely would have done. Good on the characters. V. in character

sistermagpie @ August 23 2003, 23:07:14 UTC

Aren't they fabulous? This is why I love the Slytherin kids. I love the Gryffindor friends too, but there's something so serious and sad about the (cue melodramatic music) Children of Darkness. They're so on the spot for each other--as much as Ron is when Harry seems to be in danger.

dragynville @ August 23 2003, 23:23:04 UTC

BECAUSE THEY'RE SLYTHERINS

Obviously.

I was just pointing out the fact that he's not bragging about the luncheon, which he would do if he were all for joining the Junior DE Club.

hobaggins @ August 23 2003, 23:26:06 UTC

No, he's scared/upset/pissed/unwilling or whatever emotion he is when he's this sort of enraged. That's why he posted about it at all, he wants reinforcements, he wants to go talk it over with people who could possibly be in the same place, the only people who could possibly understand what it is he's going throguh, people who have DEs for parents themselves. He's ina very tricky situation

Anonymous @ August 23 2003, 23:31:47 UTC

No, he's scared/upset/pissed/unwilling or whatever emotion he is when he's this sort of enraged.

dragynville @ August 23 2003, 23:32:05 UTC

Precisely.

dragynville @ August 23 2003, 23:52:26 UTC

Oh! LOL I didn't mean "Junior DE Club" as in the children of DEs. I meant as DEs-in-training.

akutenshi2007 @ August 23 2003, 22:37:46 UTC

well, i can be ignorant of the fact because i honestly didn't think of that, i'm out of myself today it seems.

its easy enough to think of Lucius as not a completely horrible person and Draco as the aristocrat because NA makes them seem that way. It's hard to think of them as jumping right back to the DE sort of mind frame, he holds up his facade of not being one. Hopefully draco can find a way to get himself out of this, perhaps thats why he wants to speak to Pansy and M.B. so much, because he needs to find a way out.

honestly, now you've got me wibbling, its quite distressing.

hobaggins @ August 23 2003, 23:12:48 UTC

The Lupin and Lucius posts have always been about DEs. Lucius is always referring to meetings and...

SHIT there was a really really good DE update post on NrAged a few weeks (months?) ago. I will go try and find it. Does anyone have it handy?

hobaggins @ August 23 2003, 23:17:24 UTC

shusu's Death Eater links from June for your perusal

zionsstarfish @ August 23 2003, 22:25:57 UTC

I know!! I also noticed all he had for lunch was cucumber soup. Remembering his aversions to eating meat (chicken especially, with its blood spots o_O), it doesn't surprise me. He's really sort of stuck now, isn't he? I don't know if he's ready yet (emotionally or mentally) for outright denouncement of DEs and Voldemort and his father but it seems like he's going to have to choose sooner rather than later, or else the decision is going to be made for him.

sistermagpie @ August 23 2003, 22:27:36 UTC

I'm not--my stomach dropped when I read this post. YIPES!!! This is the most frightening post on NA EVER!!

I think Draco really really wants to talk to M.B. and Pansy about this. And the owl from Nott? His Dad's a DE, yes? Connection?? M.B. and Pansy please come collect Draco from the bad men!!

Meep.

hobaggins @ August 23 2003, 22:32:06 UTC

THANK GOD. Do you have AIM, would you like to discuss ramifactions, past post linkage, et cetera? All my NrAged friends are off.... and I really need to!!!

#thinking too quickly#

eponis @ August 23 2003, 22:49:20 UTC

::sigh:: What worries me, more than anything, is that I'm not sure that Draco wants to be saved. Never, as far as I can remember, does he express any disapproval of DEs or apprehension about his future life with them.

I mean, I want Harry to save him. But in all honest, for all the squeeing taking place over their growing relationship, I've seen nothing so far that could indicate permanent changes of heart on Draco's side - and if it came between his father and future and Harry, Draco wouldn't think twice.

I wish I could say it's different. But this post worries me precisely because it reminds me how wishful such thinking is.

Or do you see evidence otherwise?

dragynville @ August 23 2003, 22:51:24 UTC

Well, there was that time he published the article about DE activity in his LJ and Lucius was not pleased.

fourscore @ August 23 2003, 23:06:20 UTC

Yeah, but he also mocked Lupin and Black for tiptoeing around the issue. It felt more like bragging to me.

dragynville @ August 23 2003, 23:42:01 UTC

*sigh* I thought it was a little bit of 'safe' defiance (i.e. nothing that could be proved to be defiance). (I don't remember the Lupin and Black posts.)

sistermagpie @ August 23 2003, 22:59:52 UTC

I don't see clear evidence that he's come to reject the ideology he was raised with, but his personality has changed a bit. I don't think he's DE material yet. Not that he ever really was (to quote Harry, Malfoy's not even a little brave...) but I no longer think his future is clear.

dragynville points out that he says he's sodding bored, but to me it's very significant that his main desire is to see his friends. He hasn't seen Pansy at all this summer and M.B., I believe, ran away to his house. For Draco to send up two flares to them in one post after a summer of not contacting them seems very significant. He's been sodding bored a lot this summer, after all.:-)

Presumably this luncheon was just that, a luncheon. They probably really did talk about feng shui (how funny is it that Avery starts all his relationships with that? Every DE must know something about it...). It's not like they'd have started right in showing him where the tattoo would go, but ps isn't completely stupid about the DEs. He may not yet know just how he feels about being invited to business lunches. Perhaps he always thought it was just be exciting and wonderful and now he's confused.

sistermagpie @ August 23 2003, 23:01:37 UTC

And Draco has left the building.

Well.

dragynville @ August 23 2003, 23:08:28 UTC

Perhaps he always thought it was just be exciting and wonderful and now he's confused.

Yes, that's pretty much what I was trying to say in my muddle-headed way. XD

I think he thought having his father all to himself would be wonderful and exciting, instead it's been a dull luncheon and deciding about the rock garden. Or maybe he thought he'd have daddy's undivided attention finally and, instead, Lucius is (as usual) focused on his own priorities..?

sistermagpie @ August 23 2003, 23:12:35 UTC

Though I think when it comes to Lucius Draco has always been willing to take a backseat to other priorities: Father's a Very Important Man, after all.

Draco was making a big show about the good times he and Lucius have, how all time spent with him is so valuable and he learns so much. He has lunch with him and suddenly says he's sodding bored and sure he's up for a sleepover. Sounds like he's high-tailing it out of there a little to me!

Also, how great is it that Crabbe is using his "Redeemed" icon? We're all hoping Crabbe!

dragynville @ August 23 2003, 23:47:49 UTC

I've thought he was willing because he had no other choice and knew it, that he doesn't feel secure enough about Lucius' love for him to call him on it.

Yes, I think you're right about that.

I didn't even think of that, but that's a very interesting point!

delfeus @ August 24 2003, 02:09:22 UTC

What's Severus' status in NA? I mean, is he still a spy, is it known that he was? Considering the character in the icon is based on Severus is interesting as well. Severus got out, and he knows of what it's like to be a DE in case Draco needs someone of first hand experience to speak with, who's not his father.

Also, I think that Crabbe might be saying that it's okay if Draco doesn't want to become a DE. Or maybe he's thinking of not joining himself. *shrug*

Then again, I may be placing too much importance to this. :D

fourscore @ August 23 2003, 23:22:43 UTC

I really don't see how a luncheon wherein you're pretty much told you're now old enough to be a Death Eater could be "dull." I mean, PS is a coward.

dragynville @ August 23 2003, 23:27:44 UTC

Would they be so blatant about it though? Especially with Draco having another year of school left to be out from under daddy's watchful eye.

fourscore @ August 23 2003, 23:29:22 UTC

I don't see why not. He says Lucius says he's old enough now -- what else would he be talking about? "You're old enough to have lunch" doesn't make much sense.

dragynville @ August 23 2003, 23:39:22 UTC

Oh, I meant that maybe Lucius allude to it without actually saying it flat out.

delfeus @ August 24 2003, 02:14:26 UTC

Maybe Lucius doesn't like the fact that Draco is socializing with Potter & others [I think he left a message about it at some point] and wants to remind him of what's to come. Especially since Draco will be out from his watchful eye, and he doesn't want him to become too friendly with the Gryfindors. *shrug*

Also, Draco might be reminding Harry of it. To watch out, or something. Or just to let his friends know what's going on, and that he needs their support. *shrug*

nightflight @ August 23 2003, 23:00:27 UTC

I am clinging to the fact that he said he didn't particularly like dining with and was "wary" of both Macnair and Avery, although the reasons he gave were for different things, they're both easy cover-ups. I don't know. I think I need my sleep.

><;;; Draco...

sistermagpie @ August 24 2003, 08:10:52 UTC

I really hate to ask for star clarification but...I'm gonna. :-)

Other stars confirmed Draco's being freaked out and "scared/upset/pissed/unwilling or whatever emotion he is when he's this sort of enraged," but this post is about Draco's not wanting to be saved. Is this star reminding us not to confuse the emotions Draco is feeling about the lunch (which are not generally positive) with a sign he's now switched to Harry's side and rejected his father? Or that Draco is positive about all the implications of the lunch because he's sure about wanting to be a DE?

Sorry to be demanding, I just don't want to misread a star you went to the trouble of giving us!

Anonymous @ August 24 2003, 23:33:04 UTC

Oh, hey there, sorry -- being anonymous, obviously I don't get the replies sent to my inbox! I didn't notice you'd commented until just now.

Is this star reminding us not to confuse the emotions Draco is feeling about the lunch (which are not generally positive) with a sign he's now switched to Harry's side and rejected his father

Yes.

sistermagpie @ August 25 2003, 06:42:35 UTC

Excellent!!!! Thanks!

hobaggins @ August 27 2003, 14:53:44 UTC

Thanks for the verification point

len @ August 23 2003, 23:02:22 UTC

Goodness, no. This was the first thing that came to my mind as well. Draco almost seems to be trying to convince himself that the luncheon went fine and that everything will be fine but the repeated references to wanting to talk to Pansy and Millicent show that he's definitely NOT fine.

"Father says I'm old enough to go now, since I'm seventeen." This is not good. At all.

dragynville @ August 23 2003, 22:49:34 UTC

He says he's sodding bored, which he sounds. I mean, he certainly didn't sound particularly impressed about having lunch with His Father & the DEs.

akutenshi2007 @ August 23 2003, 23:06:14 UTC

yes, i think that i want to agree with you here. he doesn't sound like he's jumping on the DE boat, but its a push in that direction from his father. He doesn't seem like he's going to jump right in, it may take some nudging from Lucius before he even decides to go into the family business.

now, he's going to spend time with Pansy and M.B. and he acts as though it wasn't his idea, that it was theirs to have him come over. that's kind of like normal draco, i'm not going to ask you, you'll offer.

id rather think that he's displeased with going to than being excited over the luncheon or anything like that, he seems to not like it or the outlying details of it and thats a good sign.

dragynville @ August 23 2003, 23:16:05 UTC

Yeah, Lucius is definitely nudging.

Very Draco and I'm glad he's getting out of the manor (for a while at least) what with just Lucius there. Which is telling after all his going on about how wonderful His Father is.

Not impressed and, more importantly, not trying to impress everyone else with the fascinating details.

fourscore @ August 23 2003, 23:12:53 UTC

I thought he sounded freaked out. I mean, the only times I've seen PS be repetitive, he's been freaked out. And he really snapped at Pansy.

luna_lg @ August 25 2003, 18:39:40 UTC

So...this means that Draco is having some very serious second thoughts about being a Death Eater and needs his two bestest buddies to talk to, huh?

dragynville @ August 23 2003, 23:36:44 UTC

Hmm, ok. I'll have to go back through his older posts to familiarize myself because, even with confirmation, it still doesn't read that way to me. *scratches head*

hobaggins @ August 23 2003, 23:15:51 UTC FOR REFERENCE

shusu posted this DE update in June with all the related links

akutenshi2007 @ August 23 2003, 23:45:17 UTC

Pansy Posts.

dragynville @ August 23 2003, 23:48:52 UTC

And she mentions that Draco is paler than usual.

akutenshi2007 @ August 23 2003, 23:53:05 UTC

that point worries me, it shows that he really is in a state of distress.

and i doubt that its only a bit of a mood.

dragynville @ August 23 2003, 23:58:31 UTC

Yes, very much so. I'm glad they went and got him right away. Or he went to them or whatever.

He really should not return to the manor if at all possible.

akutenshi2007 @ August 24 2003, 00:02:01 UTC

well, lets see, they're going back to Hogwarts on the first, right? thats about a week away, he can probably avoid the manor for a week, if he really wanted to.

and i think that he really wants to.

dragynville @ August 24 2003, 00:23:49 UTC

Yes, the first.

Looks that way. Wise of him if he does.

luna_lg @ August 25 2003, 18:42:21 UTC

I will agree on you. I have a feeling that he is not just scared, but freaked out to the point where he has no idea what to do. I mean, I cannot help but feel that he wants out of the whole DE thing, but he honestly feels that he's trapped on such a path no thanks to his "loving" father.

la_trix @ August 24 2003, 00:27:13 UTC

So, suddenly Draco is old enough to begin attending meetings with Lucius's "associates"? Draco's been seventeen for nine months. I find it interesting that a week after Narcissa is out of the picture, he's invited to lunch with the DEs. Possibly it was Narcissa's influence that delayed Draco's involvement up to this point?

dragynville @ August 24 2003, 00:44:56 UTC

And a week before going back to school too.

delfeus @ August 24 2003, 02:19:27 UTC

Good point. I didn't even think of that. So, if Draco decided that he doesn't want to be a DE, would Narcissa help him?

la_trix @ August 24 2003, 19:13:37 UTC

I think she would. At least, I hope she would.

I don't believe Narcissa is a full-fledged DE. By severing ties with Lucius, she may have been rejecting further participation in LV's organization, as well.

luna_lg @ August 25 2003, 18:44:17 UTC

That may be true...but I honestly feel that she's not that far...yet. After all, she knows that no one truly leaves the DE circle alive...

hobaggins @ August 24 2003, 11:57:47 UTC

Ah, well, that helps. M.B. is anything but confusing as usual.

Does that turn into

You
Are
Here?

M.B.

peccavium @ August 24 2003, 13:44:46 UTC speculations

Are
You
Okay?

M.B.
...

Are
You
Fine?

M.B.

blankcanvas @ August 25 2003, 00:19:36 UTC

Snape replied to Draco's post. How long has it been since this sort of thing happened? Does this mean Snape isn't mad about Draco making the homophobic outing post anymore? *confused*

luna_lg @ August 25 2003, 18:47:06 UTC

Why would he be mad about--

...oh, yeah...Snapes DID sleep with Sirius during late fall of last year...

Well...I guess that's possible...