Title: Twenty Questions
Author: Inell
Disclaimer: Rowling owns them all
Rating: PG
Pairing: Adrian/Hermione
Summary: Adrian has a talk with his cousin Pansy
Set after Hide and Seek
Dedicated to all the Charming and Wise (Adrian/Hermione) shippers!

TWENTY QUESTIONS (1/1)

"What do you think you're doing?"

Adrian glanced to his left when someone sat beside him. Surprised to see Pansy, he arched a brow and drawled, "It would seem that I'm sitting here, dear cousin. Are you feeling sick? Feverish perhaps? After all, you're speaking to me when anyone could wander by."

"You make me sound horrid," Pansy frowned, though she did covertly peruse the courtyard to confirm that no one from her House was near. She loved her cousin and honestly had no problem telling anyone that asked her exactly what she thought of Adrian, but she knew it was to his benefit to not attract too much attention, especially from Draco, so she avoided having lengthy talks with him in public. However, today she was making an exception. She noticed him staring again, nudging him with her elbow as she hissed, "Adrian, you're staring."

"Princess, I don't know what you're talking about," Adrian lied smoothly, reluctantly moving his eyes from the brunette witch that had caught his attention to look at his cousin.

"You're being very subtle, I will give you credit, but I've noticed, Ade. At meal time, I've caught you looking across the Great Hall several times over the last few weeks. And now you're not even attempting to conceal your interest."

"I am not staring," Adrian denied effortlessly.

"You're practically drooling," Pansy rolled her eyes. "It's bad enough that you're looking at a Gryffindor, but her of all people? What are you thinking? Never mind, it's obvious that you're not thinking!"

"You know, Princess, I don't recall my parents dying and leaving you as my keeper," Adrian mused, neither confirming nor outright denying Pansy's beliefs.

"You need a keeper," Pansy muttered before looking at him with a serious expression in her hazel eyes. "Adrian, you're my cousin and I love you. I don't want to see you end up hurt."

"I'm simply appreciating a nice November afternoon," Adrian smiled fondly.

"Don't lie to me," Pansy's eyes narrowed, "You were looking at Granger with that sappy smile on your face, as if you'd never seen anything so lovely. It's positively sickening."

"She is rather lovely, isn't she?" Adrian asked as his eyes moved to where the girl was sitting with Potter and Weasley.

"Bloody hell," Pansy whispered suddenly, her eyes widening, "You fancy her, don't you?"

"So what if I do?"

"Would you like me to start the list?" Pansy asked before groaning, "Out of all the girls at this school, why her?"

"She's natural," Adrian said softly, "She's also brilliant, loyal, brave, not to mention adorable. She spoke to me as if I had a brain and didn't simply dismiss me because I happen to be handsome like so many people do, Pansy. I liked it, being treated as if my thoughts were important and my opinions mattered. Besides, I think there's a wildcat beneath that bookish exterior just waiting for the right man to come along and free her."

"First, eew," Pansy wrinkled her nose at the thought of her cousin having such wicked thoughts about Bossy Granger of all people. She shuddered as her mind flashed with a truly frightening image of Adrian and Granger doing things she didn't even want to consider. Collecting herself and pushing those images far, far away, she continued, "Second, she's a Gryffindor." She held up her hand as soon as Adrian opened his mouth, not wanting to hear his rant against house rivalry at the moment, "Not only is she a Gryffindor but she's Harry bleeding Potter's best friend!"

"Your point?"

"Adrian," Pansy sighed, "I don't want you to get hurt. You can't be infatuated with Granger without getting hurt."

"Princess, I was simply looking at her. I've not spoken to her since Hide and Seek," Adrian reminded.

"Hide and Seek?" Pansy frowned, "Is that when this started?"

"We were locked into a room together," Adrian explained, "Cliché, I know, but it was the first time I ever really noticed her as anything other than Potter's friend and the smartest Sixth year at Hogwarts."

"Ahem," Pansy glared slightly, "She may be somewhat intelligent, for a Muggleborn, but I wouldn't necessarily say she's the smartest student in my year."

"Really?"

Pansy made a face before snapping, "Fine, she probably is but it doesn't mean I like to hear about it! She's a bossy little know-it-all who thrives on giving orders and making everyone else feel inferior because they don't know as much as she does. Besides, it's really quite annoying to have to respect a Muggleborn, even if it is grudgingly."

"I promise not to tell Auntie," Adrian smirked, his dislike for his Aunt evident in his tone.

"You'd better not tell anyone," she scowled, though her lips twitched slightly from hearing her Mum referred to by the hated Auntie title. "Regardless, I really can't stand the uptight little priss and I definitely don't like my favorite cousin drooling over her."

"Why do you think I'd get hurt?" Adrian suddenly asked, recalling a comment Pansy had made previously. "She's not shagging Potter or Weasley and I never see her spend time with anyone else really so I know she's not involved."

"How do you know she's not shagging them?" she asked curiously, her eyes moving to look at the Golden trio slyly.

"She treats them like I treat you, as if they're family," Adrian explained matter-of-factly, choosing to ignore the fact that he had just confirmed her suspicions that he had been spending far too much time watching Hermione lately.

"I always assumed she was either too prim to realize they were both boys since she hadn't read it in one of her silly books or that she was secretly shagging them both rotten in wicked orgies," Pansy confessed with a slight smile.

"There is more to the lovely Miss. Granger than books," he said knowingly, his eyes flashing with jealousy at the idea of her in wicked orgies with anyone other than himself, his next words a bit more sharp, "and do refrain from indulging in such ridiculous gossip. It will only rot your brain."

"There's far little else to do around this place than sit and gossip unless I want to pretend to fawn over Draco for his Quidditch abilities or tolerate listening to those buffoons discuss plans to join the Dark Lord simply because their parents instruct them to take the Mark following graduation. I would like to think I'm deserving of some triviality in my life since I have enough of a brain to think for myself," Pansy declared somewhat proudly.

"You only think for yourself because I told you last year that you were becoming just like your Mum and it scared the Hell out of you when you realized I was right," Adrian pointed out smugly.

"Possibly," Pansy shrugged, "but I think I'd have eventually realized that the Dark Lord is a psychotic bastard. Besides, I'd have never taken the dark mark. God, have that horrible disfigurement on my arm for the rest of my life? I think not. It's just ghastly and very unbecoming!"

"You still haven't answered my question, Princess," Adrian laughed softly, his eyes drawn back to Hermione. He smiled when their eyes met, watching her frown slightly as her cheeks flushed before she looked away quickly. There had been several times in the three weeks since their meeting that he'd caught her watching him. Normally, she looked curious, thoughtful, intrigued, and a bit confused, letting him know that she hadn't forgotten their encounter either. Today, however, there had been something new in her eyes. Jealousy. Well, well, well, he slowly smiled, it seemed that it might finally be time to approach her.

"Ade," Pansy sighed when she looked at him, noticing the smile and the gleam in his eyes when he was looking at Granger, realizing that she might be too late for this talk. She spoke quietly, "She's Potter's best friend. She's also a very well known Muggleborn."

"I don't understand why you think that automatically means I'm going to be hurt."

"Bloody hell," Pansy shook her head, "Adrian, listen to me. Our world is at War and Granger is right in the middle of it. If it comes to Hogwarts, she's going to be standing right beside Potter facing the Dark Lord and his followers. If it lasts until after graduation, she's going to be right there with Potter ready to sacrifice her life for what she feels is right because she's one of those noble little Gryffindors. Who do you think is going to be one of the prime targets of the Dark Lord? If you fall in love with her and she dies, you're going to be hurt. If you fall for her and she refuses to complicate her life at the moment by refusing to have a relationship, you're going to get hurt. If you fall in love with her and you stupidly decide to choose a side in this War, you might get hurt."

"You're so negative, Princess," Adrian said softly, touched that his cousin was thoughtful enough to think ahead when he'd not even admitted to himself that he might be interested in pursuing a relationship with Hermione. She intrigued him, certainly, and he was definitely attracted to her, but he had never had a relationship with anyone that lasted beyond two dates and the very idea of acknowledging he might want something more, especially after a conversation that hadn't even lasted as long as lunch, was a bit frightening.

"I'm realistic," she replied simply.

"Pansy, I'm not planning to run over and ask her to elope. I am somewhat fascinated with her, true, but I don't think you should be planning to console me just yet," Adrian nudged her arm playfully, "besides, there are some things in life that are worth the risk."

"Like love?"

"Like love," Adrian confirmed, thinking of his parents and his grandparents. They'd all taken the risk and were happier than anyone he knew. His grandparents were celebrating their fifty second anniversary soon and his parents had been married twenty-eight years. "If I happen to fall in love with her, she might fall in love with me and we could live the rest of our lives together surrounded by family, happier than we ever considered possible."

"You're a romantic dreamer, Ade," Pansy laughed softly, taking his hand and squeezing, "I'm here if you need me, whether it be for consolation or as Best Woman at the wedding, though I hope the latter wouldn't be for a few more years. Promise me that I won't lose you, Adrian. I don't want to attend your funeral because you get caught in the middle of this horrible War."

"I have a feeling this War will be over soon, Princess," he said seriously, believing that Potter would be triumphant against the Dark Lord, "but I promise that I won't do anything stupid."

"Some would argue that lusting after know-it-all Granger was stupid," Pansy teased as she leaned against him and gave him a bit of a hug, loving the opportunities that she had to sit and talk to her cousin. There were times she wished she was braver and had the courage to say to Hell with her House and just be the person she had become over the last few years, but she was in the thick of Slytherin politics and knew from years of observance that doing anything that deviated from the expectations others had of her would be far too troublesome to bother with during the last two years of school.

She played her part, making all the right noises when others grew vocal in their loyalty to the Dark Lord and their hatred of Muggles, not letting anyone know she had doubts to the future her parents had planned for her, but sometimes it all got so bloody tiring. With Adrian graduating this term, she'd be left completely alone, Blaise Zabini the only other Slytherin not interested in following the Dark Lord, and he was so quiet she usually forgot he was around.

Being true to herself didn't seem too important when compared to being an outcast, spending her final year alone, or possibly becoming a target just like the Gryffindors. None of those possibilities sounded enjoyable so she smiled and laughed and insulted students from the other Houses so no one would realize she had changed. Luckily, most of her fellow Slytherins weren't overly bright when it came to observation so no one had noticed any change in her behavior.

"You okay, Princess?" Adrian asked quietly, squeezing her hand as she gave him a real smile.

"I'm fine. Try to be more careful when ogling your Gryffindor, Ade. You never know, maybe one of them actually does have a brain," Pansy cautioned with a smile, knowing that she wouldn't have even realized he fancied Granger if she hadn't known Adrian so well. She stood up, brushing her lips against his cheek, "I'd better get back to the Common Room before someone notices I'm gone."

Adrian kissed her cheek before saying, "Thanks for caring, Pansy. You know I love you, right?"

"Of course you do," Pansy smiled as she tossed her hair over her shoulder, "I'm very lovable. Now quit drooling over Granger and get inside before you get sick from being out in the cold so long."

"I will, I will," he laughed as she ruffled his hair and walked away, his eyes moving back to the trio on the other side of the courtyard. When he saw that Hermione was watching him again, his lips curved into a slight smile. Green eyes met amber, curiosity and longing flashing in both gazes before she looked away, distracted by Weasley. When she looked back, Adrian winked at her, mouthing the words, "Soon, kitten."

The End.