"What's up, Pansy?" asked Tifa, a member of Pansy's gang. Pansy smiled guiltily and her friends crowded around her, longing for some snooping. "What? What?" nagged Tifa. Pansy opened her mouth, but at the moment Draco Malfoy sat down on the other side of the Slytherin table. The girls noticed how Pansy chanced a sideways glimpse at him while still remaining discrete and facing forwards. They giggled and crowded closer. "Tried to pass a move on Draco?"
"Well-" she started.
Goyle's loud voice interrupted her. "'Lo. What were you doing last night?"
"Nothing." Draco's eyes fell on the group of girls that were watching who quickly looked away, pretending to talk badly. His eyes narrowed. "Nothing of value, anyways." He snapped rudely at them and added, "Mind your own business, you lot."
One of them said jokingly, "It is our business."
Draco scoffed. He tugged on Crabbe's collar so that his friend's head now blocked the view between the two groups. "What?" Crabbe said thickly, tilted obediently.
"Nothing," he growled, pulling some food towards him. No matter how dim Crabbe and Goyle were, they knew enough to recognize Draco's bad mood and decided to eat quietly, Crabbe had already forgotten why he was bent uncomfortably.
Pansy was wondering why Draco hadn't mentioned last night, but she guessed there was nothing to mention. She'd corner him the halls, solidifying her possession of him. 'It'll work.' She knew he was very easy to manipulate him if she worked her feminine charm. It was almost as good as having a Head Girl badge, but she didn't have to do any of work for it. Anyways, she still had her lingering appetite for him. Ever since Pansy matured she loved the conquest of men, Malfoy in particular.
Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were on their way to be early for Potions, their first class of the day, when Malfoy looked at his things and turned around. A parchment, his Transfiguration homework, lay a few feet away from them. Crabbe and Goyle turned, finally noticing Malfoy was no longer walking with them. "Well," he gestured with a book still tucked in his hand. "Go get it." Goyle made to go towards it, but another one of Malfoy's papers flew out of his books. His narrowed his eyes, scanning the hall. "Go, you two," he said ill-temperedly.
"Wha'?" asked Crabbe, confused.
"Just go," he spat, walking towards his homework. They left, but as Draco approached his paper and knelt to get it, it slid some more on the floor. "Alright," he said angrily to the apparently empty hallway. "Have it." He turned to walk away when the paper hit him the back of the head. He spun around, glaring at his invisible enemy. Then, Pansy emerged from a side door with her wand out. "Pansy," he snarled. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Just playing," she giggled, teasing him.
"Go fuck off." Malfoy picked up his papers. Pansy grinned, a comeback emerging out her lips but Malfoy interrupted her. "And let it be anyone but me."
"Aw, that's not nice, Draco." She smirked, sharing a very strong resemblance to Malfoy's style for a second.
"Look-If you're bored go shag a Ravenclaw. Leave me alone." Just as he finished the word 'Ravenclaw' the doors to the Great Hall had opened. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had pushed threw the doors and stopped, seeing Malfoy and Pansy talking. Draco quickly stopped and Pansy glanced over, seeing an opportunity to impress Malfoy. She looked over them and decided to pick on the only girl.
"Oh, look, if it isn't the Mudblood."
"Bugger off," snapped Ron.
"Shut up, Weasely," she snapped. "So, where is the muggle-trio off to now?"
Hermione was looking at Draco who stared back. Hermione looked apprehensive, Draco emotionless.
Pansy looked from the two of them. "What?" she squawked.
"I'm off," Draco said, not wanting to talk to anyone there.
"What?" Pansy repeated, still sounding like bird.
"Come on, lets go," Harry said as he slightly pushed Hermione and Ron away. Anyways, they had been holding up second years.
"Amare…"
"What?"
"…"
"What? Hermione!"
"What? Huh?"
Hermione jutted out of her trance. She looked around and then slowly up at Professor McGonagall who was standing over her with a disappointed look on her face. Her two best friends were staring at her in the same look of letdown. "Ms. Granger," sighed Professor McGonagall. "Are you finding it difficult to pay attention to this lesson?"
"No. I just, I just-"
"Ten points from Gryffindor. Now," McGonagall said, looking back at the class. "How to turn your partners into raccoons..."
At the end of the lesson, Hermione swung her bag over her shoulder and headed for the door with her friends, muttering discouragingly about her daze, when Professor McGonagall called, "Excuse me. One moment, I think, Ms. Granger."
"Yes, Professor?" Hermione asked, forebodingly.
"I wanted to talk to you," her teacher said in a shaky voice. "About your recent behavior. Don't think I haven't noticed it. You don't raise your hand anymore in class or listen."
"About that Professor-"
"Miss Granger," Professor said, in a moment of true concern. Hermione stopped protesting. "Whatever it is, fix it. I know you; and I know you've worked hard for this honor." There was no doubt she was talking about the Head Girl position. "Please, don't through it all away."
Professor McGonagall walked out of the class before Hermione could say anything. She stood there, mouth slightly open. "Ok," she said to the silence. "I'll fix this."