The next morning, Pansy reluctantly dressed for her first class,
Potions, with the Gryffindors. Crabbe, Goyle, Draco, and several Slytherin
girls were waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. It was unusual,
Pansy usually walked to class alone. Apparently the three were worried
about her. She blushed slightly as Draco grabbed her hand and asked her how
she slept.
"Fine," Pansy murmered. "And you?"
"Horrible, I kept thinking about you," Draco told her, smiling.
Pansy blushed twice as much as she had before. "Why?"
"We're worried. We feel like we should be doing something about what happened. We want to curse him or something."
Pansy's mouth dropped open. "No, don't do anything, Draco!"
"Why not?" Draco asked, obviously surprised.
"Just. trust me, you don't want to mess with him," She frowned. "He's trouble."
"Where's your book bag, Pansy?" One of the girls asked.
"I left it in my room!" Pansy sighed. "I'll be right back." She ran up the stairs and threw open the door into her room. The first thing she saw was that the window was open. She looked around the room, and saw that it was empty. She sighed and shut the window. Then she crossed the room to her bed. She stopped in midstep, about a foot away. Someone was lying in her bed! Pansy's breath caught in her throat. She reached a shaky hand outward, grabbed the hem of the blanket, and ripped it backwards. She sighed in relief- it was just her pillow. She put a hand on her heart and took several deep breaths. She fixed her bed, then found her book bag. She made sure she had all the books she needed, then walked downstairs. The girls, Crabbe, and Goyle had left already. Draco stood alone, leaning against the banister, with his hands crossed over his chest. Pansy hurried down the stairs, feeling guilty that she had kept him. How long had she been upstairs, anyway? He turned around slowly and grinned at her. "Let me carry that," He volunteered and took the bag before she could protest. "Are you okay? You look pale." "Paler than usual, you mean," Pansy laughed. "I'm fine. I just had a little scare upstairs. I thought there was someone in my bed. But it was just my pillow." Draco laughed and Pansy felt her cheeks glow red. "Well, then, let's go before we're late to class." Once again he put his hand over hers and led her through the portrait hole. They walked to the Potions classroom. Draco pushed the door open and let Pansy walk through before him. He shut it with a thud and Pansy looked around. Professor Snape was no where in sight. Neither were the other students. Pansy turned around and looked at Draco, confused. "Where is everybody?" "There're making the Insta-Cut Potion outside today," A familiar voice said from the opposite side of the room. Pansy jumped. Draco put a hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong, Pansy?" He asked. "You aren't usually this edgy." "The stupid prat scared me, that's all," Pansy glared at Ron. "Then why are you here?" Ron shrugged then turned to Draco. "You know?" He asked. Draco stared blankly at him. "Know what?" Ron looked at Pansy next. "You didn't tell him?" "Tell him what, exactly, Ron?" Pansy asked, feeling her legs turn to rubber. She was alone in the room with Ron and Draco- Ron would attack her as soon as he got the chance and Draco wasn't prepared to defend himself or Pansy. She reached a shaky hand into her bag and wrapped her fingers around her wand. "What's been happening." Ron shrugged. "Of course you didn't. What's he supposed to do to protect you from me, anyway?" "You?" Draco asked, wide eyed. "You're the one who did it?" "Not necessarily." Ron said. "Yes, I wanted revenge. She broke my heart." Pansy gasped. "What are you talking about? I haven't done anything to you!" "Exactly my point," He took a menacing step forward. Draco stepped in front of Pansy. "Get out of my way, Malfoy." Draco scowled at Ron. "Don't tell me what to do." Ron held out his wand and muttered something. Pansy, seeing his lips moved, grabbed Draco's shoulders and pulled him down to the floor. In one swift movement, she pulled out her wand and sent a jet of fire at his legs. The bottom of his robes caught flames and he shreiked in pain. Draco helped Pansy up and the two ran out of the room. "Why didn't you tell me it was Weasley?" Draco asked Pansy, panting, as they ran down the hallway. Pansy had no idea where they were going, Draco had his hand tightened around her elbow and was practically dragging her along. "Because. if I told you, I thought you would try and hurt him," Pansy bit her lower lip. Draco stopped. "So what if I hurt him? He hurt you, Pansy," Draco frowned at her and let her arm drop to her side. "In more ways than one, Draco." Draco's mouth dropped open. "The potion you were looking up. was for. him?" Pansy looked down at the ground and started to explain to Draco what had really happened but was interupted by Ron's insane screams. "Pansy! Malfoy! Get back here!" He shouted loudly, his voice echoing through the halls. "I'm not finished with you yet." Pansy barely had time to scream when the blue light filled the hallway.
"Fine," Pansy murmered. "And you?"
"Horrible, I kept thinking about you," Draco told her, smiling.
Pansy blushed twice as much as she had before. "Why?"
"We're worried. We feel like we should be doing something about what happened. We want to curse him or something."
Pansy's mouth dropped open. "No, don't do anything, Draco!"
"Why not?" Draco asked, obviously surprised.
"Just. trust me, you don't want to mess with him," She frowned. "He's trouble."
"Where's your book bag, Pansy?" One of the girls asked.
"I left it in my room!" Pansy sighed. "I'll be right back." She ran up the stairs and threw open the door into her room. The first thing she saw was that the window was open. She looked around the room, and saw that it was empty. She sighed and shut the window. Then she crossed the room to her bed. She stopped in midstep, about a foot away. Someone was lying in her bed! Pansy's breath caught in her throat. She reached a shaky hand outward, grabbed the hem of the blanket, and ripped it backwards. She sighed in relief- it was just her pillow. She put a hand on her heart and took several deep breaths. She fixed her bed, then found her book bag. She made sure she had all the books she needed, then walked downstairs. The girls, Crabbe, and Goyle had left already. Draco stood alone, leaning against the banister, with his hands crossed over his chest. Pansy hurried down the stairs, feeling guilty that she had kept him. How long had she been upstairs, anyway? He turned around slowly and grinned at her. "Let me carry that," He volunteered and took the bag before she could protest. "Are you okay? You look pale." "Paler than usual, you mean," Pansy laughed. "I'm fine. I just had a little scare upstairs. I thought there was someone in my bed. But it was just my pillow." Draco laughed and Pansy felt her cheeks glow red. "Well, then, let's go before we're late to class." Once again he put his hand over hers and led her through the portrait hole. They walked to the Potions classroom. Draco pushed the door open and let Pansy walk through before him. He shut it with a thud and Pansy looked around. Professor Snape was no where in sight. Neither were the other students. Pansy turned around and looked at Draco, confused. "Where is everybody?" "There're making the Insta-Cut Potion outside today," A familiar voice said from the opposite side of the room. Pansy jumped. Draco put a hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong, Pansy?" He asked. "You aren't usually this edgy." "The stupid prat scared me, that's all," Pansy glared at Ron. "Then why are you here?" Ron shrugged then turned to Draco. "You know?" He asked. Draco stared blankly at him. "Know what?" Ron looked at Pansy next. "You didn't tell him?" "Tell him what, exactly, Ron?" Pansy asked, feeling her legs turn to rubber. She was alone in the room with Ron and Draco- Ron would attack her as soon as he got the chance and Draco wasn't prepared to defend himself or Pansy. She reached a shaky hand into her bag and wrapped her fingers around her wand. "What's been happening." Ron shrugged. "Of course you didn't. What's he supposed to do to protect you from me, anyway?" "You?" Draco asked, wide eyed. "You're the one who did it?" "Not necessarily." Ron said. "Yes, I wanted revenge. She broke my heart." Pansy gasped. "What are you talking about? I haven't done anything to you!" "Exactly my point," He took a menacing step forward. Draco stepped in front of Pansy. "Get out of my way, Malfoy." Draco scowled at Ron. "Don't tell me what to do." Ron held out his wand and muttered something. Pansy, seeing his lips moved, grabbed Draco's shoulders and pulled him down to the floor. In one swift movement, she pulled out her wand and sent a jet of fire at his legs. The bottom of his robes caught flames and he shreiked in pain. Draco helped Pansy up and the two ran out of the room. "Why didn't you tell me it was Weasley?" Draco asked Pansy, panting, as they ran down the hallway. Pansy had no idea where they were going, Draco had his hand tightened around her elbow and was practically dragging her along. "Because. if I told you, I thought you would try and hurt him," Pansy bit her lower lip. Draco stopped. "So what if I hurt him? He hurt you, Pansy," Draco frowned at her and let her arm drop to her side. "In more ways than one, Draco." Draco's mouth dropped open. "The potion you were looking up. was for. him?" Pansy looked down at the ground and started to explain to Draco what had really happened but was interupted by Ron's insane screams. "Pansy! Malfoy! Get back here!" He shouted loudly, his voice echoing through the halls. "I'm not finished with you yet." Pansy barely had time to scream when the blue light filled the hallway.
