CHAPTER SIX: Hogsmeade

Pansy Parkinson hated feeling embarrassed.

When Blaise caught up to her in the Common Room the next day, he tried talking to her, but she didn't even listen. Pansy couldn't focus, still reminiscing the previous night. She knew she didn't imagine it – when Draco's got lost in the kiss for a second, she really did feel the affection. It was there. But afterwards, when he rejected her so effortlessly, it was like a stab in the heart. She didn't know if she was more furious, sad or embarrassed. She could still feel her eyes prickling every time she was thinking about it. And it was, literally, all she could think about.

'Hey!' shouted Zabini, waving his hand in front of her face. She focused on him again but didn't say anything.

'I have no idea what's going on with you today,' he sighed, but she just shrugged. '...Anyway, we have to find another way. My proposition is, talk to Nott again.'

'He won't say anything, I tried that,' she replied coolly.

'You're… possibly right but it doesn't hurt to try.'

She scowled at him, and he raised his arms defensively.

'I have no idea what happened to your optimism, Parkinson, but I shall remind you that Slytherins do not give up so easily!'

'Well, maybe I'm not a true Slytherin, then,' she said in a strangled voice, got up abruptly and headed for the exit. A few students at instant got out of her way to give her room to storm out. Zabini just rolled his eyes and took after her.

'You're not Crouch to be this moody,' he said, ignoring her growl. 'If you don't want to, I'll talk to Theodore myself. But we both know you're going to be mad at me later for working without you.'

Furious, she stopped abruptly, and her dark eyes were like bolts of lightning.

'Ooh, now it's getting interesting,' he mocked.

She cringed, but finally took a deep breath and said calmly, 'All right, then. Let's go together.'

Blaise raised an eyebrow but luckily for him, he didn't comment that.

'So, where do we look for him?' he asked when he saw that Pansy headed somewhere as if she already knew where to go.

'In Hogsmeade, obviously. Where else? It's a weekend.'

She didn't look at him and didn't even bother to slow down.

'Ah, yes, Theodore Nott and his crazy weekend, going wild in the bookshop after the whole week in the library,' he smirked.

Finding him wasn't very difficult – as expected, he was sitting in the bookshop, surrounded by the books at the table near the counter, while reading one of them. They came over and sat opposite him.

'Oh, hello,' he said, barely looking at them.

'Hi, Theo,' they replied calmly.

Pansy knew perfectly well that he already knew why they were there before they even started to talk. If they tried to trick him, it wouldn't work. So the only way to actually get something out of him, was absolute directness.

'We're just worried about him,' she spoke up after a moment of silence. Blaise nodded in agreement, but Theo just sighed. He was watching them studiously but remained silent for a moment.

'You really have to let this go.'

Pansy tried hard not to snort.

'It's destroying him already.'

'You should talk to him, then, not me. As I've said, it is not my secret to tell,' he stated calmly, taking a few books and sending the rest of them back by a single wave of his wand.

'I did,' said Pansy quietly, taking Blaise by surprise.

'So did I,' he added after a while, but he didn't sound entirely convinced.

Nott looked at them expectantly.

'...He doesn't want any help, and he doesn't want to tell us anything,' she said finally with resignation in her voice.

'I don't see the problem, then.'

Theo got up, and after he'd put a bag on his arm, he headed to the checkout.

'You know he needs help!' she shouted after him, risking the displeased looks of other people in the shop.

Nott turned around again. After considering her words, he spoke up resignedly, 'I'm worried about him, too. But it's really none of your business, okay? Talking about is only making things worse. You really have to stop.'

He left the shop at once, leaving Blaise and Pansy in absolute silence. They looked at each other as though they weren't sure if they should comment that or not. They didn't have any high hopes considering this talk, but they were let down anyway.

'Well, that was… catastrophic,' said Pansy finally, looking at Blaise with an apologetic look.

'When did he started acting so… you know, not-Nott?'

Pansy frowned but didn't reply. They decided to go to the Three Broomsticks, after all, since they were already in Hogsmeade. When they went into the dimly-lit pub, the very first thing Pansy saw was a tall figure of Milicent Bulstrode.

'Turn left, turn left, turn left,' she whispered urgently to Blaise, hiding behind him.

He led them through the crowded room to the table in the back, so that they could hide, at least temporarily. When they sat down at the tall, wooden chairs after they'd ordered butterbeer, only then did they notice who was sitting two tables away.

'The lesser of two evils,' Pansy said hastily when she realised that Blaise wanted to change tables again.

'Fine,' he groaned as Potter and his two pathetic friends were glaring at them with hatred. After a while, they returned to their conversation, probably realising that Parkinson and Zabini weren't planning on picking any fights today.

'See? We can be civil sometimes,' she said with a slight smirk. 'Besides, I'm not confronting Milicent now, not when I've managed to avoid her for so long.'

'Right,' he replied sceptically. 'Anyway, do we have some kind of a plan now? We pretty much fucked up every idea we've had so far.'

'And here I thought you were turning into an optimist.'

'I would never betray myself to that extent.'

She snorted.

'Well, the only idea I have for now, is somehow tricking Nott into talking but we both know that –'

'He's going to see right through us? And will never let us – or anyone else – forget it? And that he will probably carve it on our tombstones?' he interjected. 'Blaise Zabini, died of the stupidity by crossing Theodore Nott.'

'Well… Pretty much, yeah.'

They drank butterbeer in silence for a moment. Pansy started wondering if they were going to figure something out. Blaise was right, they basically fucked up every idea they had.

'Unless –,' she started uncertainly.

'We're not spying on him,' he cut her short.

She sighed with defeat. It was only making her more depressed. When they had a plan, any plan, there was at least a shred of hope. And now she had nothing, while the clock was ticking. Draco looked worse each time they saw him. She wanted to act fast, but not one idea crossed her mind. She shifted her attention back to Blaise, only to see him staring into the direction of one certain person. Following his gaze, she couldn't help but roll her eyes.

'You seriously can't take eyes off Weaslette now?' she asked with disappointment in her voice, just to make him glower at her.

Ginny was sitting on their right with her new Gryffindor boyfriend, more snogging than chatting. They were hidden in the back of the room, behind huge plants that blocked them from view from most of the tables.

'I already told you, I wouldn't touch –'

'And you honestly believe that?' she almost shrieked with laughter.

'Being as loud as you are, I can see you can't wait for another punch from Bulstrode,' he commented coldly.

'Well, I'm just saying, it's not like it's contagious, is it?'

He looked at her with disgust.

'Oh, come off it,' she said, waving her hand. 'You have to at least admire her for this little show. I mean, she's been a psycho-fan of Potter's for what – four years now? And he ignores her the whole time, then she starts dating, and look at Potter now – he looks as if he wanted to punch Thomas out of this room. Besides, the whole purity thing, it's a matter of respect, not touching, or – whatever.'

He looked over to the table next to them only to find out that she was, indeed, right. After a second, he shook his head with disbelief.

'Oh, you're always looking down on everyone, aren't you Blaise, even though you know I'm right,' she sighed irritably.

'Of course I am looking down on everyone, people are such idiots,' he snorted.

'I, too, hate people, but –'

'Have we come here to fight or to save another one of those idiots from a terrible fate?'

Pansy growled with annoyance.

'Fine,' she shrugged indifferently. 'What do you propose we do?'

'Lie low, for now, observe him or whatever, until we can find some way to get Nott talking or until we figure out another plan.'

'Guess it's better than –'

'Parkinson!' they heard a shout that made her cringe.

Blaise smirked again, so she kicked him in the shin. Bulstrode was coming up to them, apparently attracting the attention of the whole pub. Apart from Potter and his "friends" who were too focused on themselves. And Weaslette – focused on something else.

'Hello, Milicent, darling,' Pansy greeted her with a fake smile plastered on her face.

'So, you've come to your senses?' she asked.

'I've always been quite conscious, thank you very much for asking. Well, apart from the time when I was lying in the hospital wing,' Pansy said before she could stop herself. She knew Blaise rolled his eyes, even though she didn't look in his direction.

Bulstrode slammed her fist onto the table, making both of them jump.

'You know what I mean, Parkinson!'

'Darling, please go bully hundreds of other Slytherins who don't care about blood purity. You'd be surprised how many of them are out there,' she smiled leniently.

'So do you care about it or not?' Milicent asked, her fists clenched by her sides.

'I thought that after such a long time that we've known each other, you'd realise that I might joke in weird situations,' Pansy replied calmly.

'This is not a laughing matter.'

'Yes, I've heard it somewhere,' she glanced at Blaise, before shifting her attention back to Bulstrode. Both girls glared at each other for a second.

'Oh, Merlin, can't you two just shake hands?' demanded Zabini. 'Pansy, just stop provoking her, and you, Milicent, let it go, it's not like she's serious, anyway.'

'Well...' started Pansy hesitantly. 'I suppose I could try and be nicer to you, Milicent. We're both Slytherins, after all, the least we can do is be civil.'

'Fair enough, I won't punch you again,' replied Milicent as they shook hands.

'Great,' said Blaise when Bulstrode went back to the table where Daphne and Tracey were watching this situation with fright visible on their faces.

'Now that we've got this sorted out, we can go back and find this idiotic blond ferret,' added Zabini, making Pansy growl again.

They made their way out of the Three Broomsticks. Even though Nott made her feel guilty for a second, Pansy Parkinson found herself feeling quite hopeful again.