CHAPTER NINE: Christmas Party, part 2

Pansy Parkinson hated everyone, and Harry Potter's just made it to the top of the list. She wanted to ask herself how can he even dare follow Draco, but the small voice at the back of her head responded, that she was doing the exact same thing. She focused back on Potter. But as soon as he walked down the stairs, he took something out of his pocket. He completely disappeared. For a second, she had no idea what's just happened, but then, the thought stroke her.

'That dick has an invisibility cloak. Obviously' she muttered under her breath. She tried casting a concealment charm on herself but failed to do so, which only made her more irritated. Potter couldn't see her, otherwise, he'd comment that somehow later on, or worse, reveal himself and start talking, which would cause them to fail to listen into the conversation.

She supposed he would be able to do something equally stupid so she tried casting it again. She was practising it with Umbridge last year, so she could spy on Dumbledore's Army, but she'd never really got the hang of it. But now, she really had to succeed. She tried again and finally saw her body disappear. She cast homenum revelio – the first charm that crossed her mind, to localise Potter. It didn't work. Luckily, she heard angry voices, coming from one of the classrooms. She decided to carefully crouch next to the door, almost praying that she wouldn't bump into Potter. Thankfully, she succeeded, hoping at the same time he wouldn't notice her. But considering how absorbed he must have been in the situation, it shouldn't be too hard.

She put her ear to the door and tried to listen in.

'I didn't have anything to do with it, all right?' asked Draco angrily.

'I hope you are telling the truth because it was both clumsy and foolish. Already you are suspected of having a hand in it,' said Snape coolly.

'Who suspects me? For the last time, I didn't do it, okay? That Bell girl must've had an enemy no one knows about – don't look at me like that! I know what you're doing, I'm not stupid, but it won't work – I can stop you!'

There was a silence for a moment, so she put her ear closer to the door.

'Ah… Aunt Bellatrix has been teaching you Occlumency, I see,' said Snape quietly. 'What thoughts are you trying to conceal from your master, Draco?'

Pansy cringed at that name… Bellatrix? He'd only heard about her once she escaped the Azkaban, but she was a psycho and she thought Draco was aware of that. Pansy definitely didn't like that.

'I'm not trying to conceal anything from him I just don't want you butting in!'

'So that is why you have been avoiding me this term? You have feared my interference?' asked Snape and Pansy came to a conclusion that Draco's been avoiding everyone. The only person that knew, Nott, was also the only person who would listen if he told him not to dwell on it. And he didn't.

'You realise that,' Snape continued, 'had anybody else failed to come to my office when I had told them repeatedly to be there, Draco -'

'So put me in detention! Report me to Dumbledore!' jeered Draco.

'You know perfectly well that I do not wish to do either of those things,' answered Snape calmly, after a moment.

'You'd better stop telling me to come to your office, then!'

Why was he so… emotional? Why was he shouting? Pansy almost couldn't believe it was the same person. He'd never lost his cool – maybe apart from the time when he was turned into a ferret – but not like that, he never has. It was incredibly stupid to shout at the professor, so what was he trying to achieve?

'Listen to me, I am trying to help you. I swore to your mother I would protect you. I made the Unbreakable Vow, Draco –'

'Unbreakable Vow?', thought Pansy, terrified. It had to be awfully serious if his mother asked this of Snape.

'Looks like you'll have to break it, then, because I don't need your protection! It's my job, he gave it to me and I'm doing it. I've got a plan and it's going to work, it's just taking a bit longer than I thought it would!'

'Why, why does he have to be this stubborn?', Pansy asked herself. If he had Snape, he'd… well, it'd just be better with him on his side.

'What is your plan?' asked Snape sceptically.

'It's none of your business!' shouted Draco again.

'If you tell me what you are trying to do, I can assist you –'

'I've got all the assistance I need, thanks, I'm not alone!'

'Of course he isn't', thought Pansy with a twinge in her heart. He had his private guards and Nott to whine to, the team of a dream, for Merlin's sake.

'You were certainly alone tonight, which was foolish in the extreme, wandering the corridors without lookouts or back-up. These are elementary mistakes –'

'I would've had Crabbe and Goyle with me if you hadn't put them in detention!'

'Keep your voice down!' growled Snape. 'If your friends Crabbe and Goyle intend to pass their Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. this time around, they will need to work a little harder than they are doing at pres–'

'What does it matter?' Draco interrupted. 'Defence Against the Dark Arts – it's all just a joke, isn't it, an act? Like any of us need protecting against the Dark Arts –'

'It is an act that is crucial to success, Draco! Where do you think I would have been all these years if I had not known how to act? Now listen to me! You are being incautious, wandering around at night, getting yourself caught, and if you are placing your reliance on assistants like Crabbe and Goyle–'

'They're not the only ones, I've got other people on my side, better people!'

Pansy wondered whether he thought about Nott, but he didn't really help him, per se. But he did use the plural – 'people' so… was there anyone else helping him?

'Then why not confide in me, and I can –'

'I know what you're up to! You want to steal my glory!'

Pansy just shook her head as she felt tears prickling in her eyes. Why, why was he like that? Instead of accepting help, he just attacked those who were willing to offer him a hand – and that was destroying him even more.

'You are speaking like a child,' said Snape coldly. 'I quite understand that your father's capture and imprisonment has upset you, but –'

Both Potter and she had seconds to get away from the door. But Pansy also had to watch out not to bump into the invisible Harry. She took a few quick steps back, hoping he'd go the other way, as Draco stormed out of the classroom and Potter's feet appeared for a mere second on the floor, next to the door. Pansy waited patiently for Snape to come out of the room and go back to the party. She assumed Potter hurried after him but waited a little longer just in case, and only then, did she remove her charms and went after Draco, hoping she could still catch up with him.

She broke into the run on the long corridor, when she finally saw the blonde figure and called after him. He turned away, clearly surprised.

'What's wrong?' he asked.

'Everything,' she admitted. She didn't want to reveal what she'd heard just now. It still felt as it was not enough information. And… well, it was the invasion of privacy.

'You've been crying,' he added, studying her for a second and she cursed herself for not trying to conceal it. 'Was it Blaise?'

'What? No, no, he's still at the party,' she replied.

'Well, then, what is it?' he asked, a suspicion raising in his voice.

'I heard shouting. Did Snape give you detention?'

She hoped it wasn't too much and that he wouldn't realise what she'd actually heard.

'No, no, he didn't,' he said, anger flashing in his eyes for a second.

'Well, you're clearly angry about something.'

'It's nothing.'

'It's always nothing, isn't it?' she said, treacherous tears springing into her eyes again. 'Well, if you like being alone so much, I'll leave you alone, whatever you want. But don't tell me it's none of my business, because it fucking is, all right?'

'You wouldn't un-'

'Oh, spare me this, Draco!' she shouted, surprised at her reaction. 'Crabbe and Goyle know, Nott knows, even Snape knows, apparently, but you'd always just leave me alone, out in the cold, wouldn't you?'

'Do you always have to know everything? I can't tell you… I just can't' he asked tiredly, looking at her steadily.

She shook her head in disbelief.

'Well, that's what you get for caring about someone,' she said quietly and twirled around, heading for the staircase. He grabbed her arm and turned her around again.

'Why?' he asked.

She snorted, 'You might have asked me this question last year, Draco, but not now, because I truly don't know anymore.'

He still held her arm as if he was trying to stop her from running. Ironically, because it was he who was running from her for the last couple of months.

'Why won't you let that go?' he asked.

'Well, I can't, can you?'

They just stared into each other's eyes for a second, as if that would've made things different. But then, something changed. Pansy wasn't sure if he felt it too, but their staring became suddenly more intense and even if she wanted to stop, she couldn't. It was physically impossible for her to avert the gaze.

Before she knew what was happening, he pinned her to the wall, and before she could even react, he started kissing her fervently. She didn't know where it came from but pulled him even closer by his tie so that she could swear he could feel heart hammering in her chest. He didn't stop like the last time, though. He even deepened the kiss, as she ran the hand through his hair. And there it was again, she could feel his sadness fading away, his problems forgotten, as well as hers. He moved his hands to her waist so that there would be no distance left between them. It felt like time slowed down, they didn't stop, only kissed even more passionately. Finally, Draco moved his lips to her neck, biting her delicately behind the ear.

'There's a classroom on your right,' he whispered.

'Mhm,' she replied, which was the only thing she could say aloud at that moment. As he pressed their lips together again, she placed her right hand on the wall, looking for the handle.

But then, they heard footsteps. Draco jumped back, and as realisation dawned upon him, he looked terrified, which only made her feel degraded again.

'Pansy, I've been looking for you!' they heard Zabini's voice. However terrible she felt right now, she must've admitted that he'd jumped back just in time.

'I asked you to stay away from me,' said Draco so coldly, that she almost shivered. He turned away and hurried down the stairs, leaving her alone with Blaise.

'...What's just happened?' asked Zabini, rooted to the spot and watching Draco running away.

Pansy Parkinson hated crying, but there she was crying again, fighting Blaise off for a moment before he pulled her into a comforting hug.