Disclaimer: Nope...not mine.

Warning: ...HD and you know it.

(sigh) Whatev...just read. Lobes.

Betrayed:

I swear the old coot that is our headmaster must have something loose in his head, because he cancelled all classes for today for reasons unknown to the general public. Instead, it would act as a study hall, allowing students to catch up in whatever classes they were behind in. Merlin, the system is set up to bring down those who are smart. I could even see it in Granger's eyes when the announcement was made at breakfast; her face took on a look of utter disappointment. Weasley seemed to be happy beyond description.

After breakfast, Pansy and I sat in the common room, passing the time discussing whatever came to mind.

"So, why exactly do you think he cancelled all the classes?" she finally asked. The plans had already been set the previous night, so there was nothing to go over in that department. I'd already had my Muggle Lesson for the day - a lesson about the nature of this thing called an o-ott-mob…well, fuck it, it was something with wheels - and the bets had already been placed for tomorrow's Quidditch match. Naturally, I had Gryffindor, leaving Pansy to take the Ravenclaw team. It didn't take a genius to know that she had the losing bet.

"I don't know," I replied, flopping myself against the back of the cushy chair I'd been sitting in. "If you ask me, he's a couple broom sticks short of a whole closet."

"Coming from the boy who thinks he can get the Boy Who Lived by some hastily created plans that always manage to fall through," she replied. "If anything, you're as crazy as he is."

"I'm not crazy," I defended. "I'm eccentric!"

"What's the difference?"

"Money," I answered with a shrug.

"Ah, I see," Pansy said slowly.

I opened my mouth to continue our conversation, but it was that moment that a dark haired sixth year decided to plop herself in front of my chair. I exchanged a glance with Pansy as the girl fluttered her eyelashes up at me. Pansy snickered beside me as the girl set a manicured hand on my knee.

"May I help you, Miss..?" I asked.

"Fraiser. Cindy Fraiser," she replied, offering me a lipsticked smile.

"What can I do for you, Miss Fraiser?" I asked again.

At least she had the decency to advert her eyes and blush as she asked, "Well, I was wondering if we could sit together during the game tomorrow. Then, maybe, go down to Hogsmead."

Pansy burst into a fit of giggles. I myself couldn't help but grin at the situation. "Sorry, Fraiser, but I'm already seeing someone."

"Oh," she said slowly, right before she got that mischievous glint in her eye. Around here, we called that the Slytherin Glint, since only us Slytherins seem to be up to anything mischeivous. "Well, maybe afterwards or even during, if you want."

"You're not his type, girly," Pansy stated.

Fraiser turned to glare at Pansy. "And you know what his type is, I'm to assume?"

"Well, yeah," Pansy shot back. Her tone seemed to convey that it was quite obvious that she, of all people, would know what my 'type' was.

Fraiser tilted her head to the side and donning quite a nasty look upon her face. "Am I also to assume that you are his type? Because, Merlin knows, he can do better."

Pansy burst out laughing, at which statement, I'm not quite sure. Her laughing got loud and obnoxious, and every time she looked as though she was about to stop, something rekindled inside her and the laughter started again.

The intruding girl ignored Pansy and looked up at me questioningly, her deep brown eyes asking what the hell was wrong with the insane girl laughing in the chair next to me.

"It's just as she said: you're not my type. And I'll have you know, that neither is she," I informed Fraiser. "Now scram and leave me to my peace."

Yes, I do get that my 'peace' involved a hysterical Pansy barking with laughter. But, thankfully, the girl left anyway. Good riddance.

"Oh, oh, Merlin," Pansy gasped, wiping a tear of mirth from one eye. "I haven't laughed that hard since...well since I accused you of liking the Weasel."

Have you ever had one of those whole body shudders? You know, like when someone makes you think about your parents on their honeymoon. Yeah, unpleasant isn't it? Well, you know how that idea starts a shudder that begins at the base of your skull then radiates out to your extremities? Yeah, I got one of those shudders when Pansy made me remember such an unpleasant memory that I'd been trying to suppress.

"Thank you, Pansy dear, for causing that repulsive thought to resurface," I snarled.

"Oh, Merlin, you're welcome, Draco love." She rode out the last of her giggle fit before continuing. "Gods, I can't believe that the news of your quest to bed Potter isn't all over the school."

"Well, there's this little saying," I recited. "'It is only between you and them, therefore the whole school knows.'" She nodded at this. "Now, reverse some parts of that statement. 'It is out for the whole public to know if they so wished, therefore, no one is interested.' The only thing people are interested in during school is spreading others' secrets; and if my situation does not fall in the 'secret' category, then no one's interest has been piqued."

Pansy seemed to think this over for a few moments. "That does seem to be true. I told Blaise only, but you know how he is at telling people everything."

"Dear, he'd have to understand what you were talking about first," I said in a sickly sweet tone.

"Well, that's true. So I guess that it's just our small group that know the whole story - well, that there's even a story to begin with."

"Oh Merlin." A thought had just occurred to me, and I told Pansy that. "Granger's intuition is a whole hell of a lot better than yours, because she completely guessed everything pertaining to the stolen essay. Do you think she'll tell him that I'm forming diabolical plots?"

"She's a loyal friend to him, but she also thinks that there're some things that he needs to do on his own," she said with a shrug. "She seems to see this as an excellent opportunity for him to acquire observational skills."

"I see," I drawled. "Kinda."

Pansy rolled her eyes at me before pointing at my watch. "What time do you have?"

"Quarter to twelve," I answered. "We should probably get up to lunch, huh?"

"Yeah."

The Great Hall was buzzing with excited chitting and chatting about the Quidditch match tomorrow. I recognized Weasley sitting at the center of a ring of people, obviously taking bets for said match. Others were discussing the odds and the possible outcomes, which was essentially unnecessary, since Harry always caught the bleeding Snitch.

Taking our reserved-but-not seats, Pansy and I started another conversation of our own.

"I wonder if he'll be immune to your advances, and your plans will be thwarted, again," Pansy commented, pouring two glasses of pumpkin juice.

"How dare you!" I exclaimed. "My plans are just fine-" she scoffed at me "-most of time."

She rolled her eyes as I took a sip of my drink.

"Dray, you are way too...what's the word I'm looking for?" she asked to herself. "Defensive? No. Well, maybe. I don't know."

"That's right, you don't know," I retorted, taking another sip.

"Whatever, Dray," Pansy sighed. "You know what, how 'bout a toast to failed plans and hopefully successful ones alike?"

"I'll drink to that," I responded, raising my pumpkin juice. With a clink of cups, we each downed our drinks. However, when I attempted to put my cup down, the damned thing slipped from my fingers.

"You okay, Dray?" Pansy asked beside me, reaching out to place a hand on my forearm. I fought to keep my eyelids open, but to no avail. Darkness and drowsiness was closing in from all around me and I had no way to keep it at bay.

"Yeah, 'm jus' kina sle-"

I barely registered her bright blue nails moving to catch me as the darkness engulfed me.

TBC...