Saturday morning dawned , Pansy waited until she saw Draco and Blaise Zabini leave the common room, to go down to the Quidditch pitch to check conditions for today's match against Gryffindor, and Crabbe and Goyle disappear to the Great Hall for a long breakfast.
Pansy had finally gotten her chance, she snuck up the stairs to the dorm and started to walk towards Draco's trunk when she glimpsed the black envelope on his bedside table she had seen him put down four nights ago, marvelling at the fact that he hadn't hid it at all she picked up the letter and read it. Clogs clicked away in Pansy's brain as she was reminded of the four bottles of unknown substance they had found on a table in the Slytherin common room last Thursday night.
There had been much debating over what to do with the drinks, there had been no note or any indication whatsoever of where they had come from so finally they decided to give them to enemies of Slytherin at the Gryffindor party.
Pansy hadn't given these drinks much thought since last Friday night because there seemed to be no harm done. But this new information made her believe that there must have been something in them. After all Lucious Malfoy had never failed them yet!
" I think we'll slaughter Slytherin in this match!" Ron roared to the rest of the team in the changing room.
It was about 10 minutes before they were due to play in their last match of the season against Slytherin and the decider on who won the house cup. Soon enough the two teams were out on the field and Madam Hooch was blowing he whistle. Ron flew straight to the goal posts and Harry soared up past everyone else and started to look for the snitch.
"Well hello Potter. How are things?" Harry heard the familiar sneer of Draco Malfoy. He shot Malfoy a warning look and said "Get off it Malfoy, just do your job would you"
"C'mon I'm just being friendly. Now how was that partly last week, aye? Anything strange happen to you?" Malfoy asked in a superior tone. Harry looked at him curiously 'Does he know something?' He thought.
"If you have a point Malfoy I suggest you make it or else leave me alone"
"Oh, you already know my point don't you Potter, and whatever happened is because of me!" He gave Harry an knowing smirk and flew away, making Harry feel very uneasy.
"Neville I'm just going to the bathroom, I'll be back in minute, alright"
"Alright." Hermione squeezed through the rows on the grandstand and made her way to the girls toilets located near the entrance to the stadium.
In the toilets she found Pansy Parkinson and her friend putting on their make up.
"You know Draco can't see all that from the pitch. Not that he would be more attracted to you if he could, probably the opposite actually." said Hermione. Pansy gave her a look that plainly said 'If you say one more thing you little mudblood …'Hermione laughed inwardly and gave Pansy a smirk.
When she emerged from the cubicle, Pansy was leaning on a sink watching her, obviously waiting. Hermione knew she was going to pay for her little comment.
"You certainly look normal." said Pansy quietly studying Hermione "But one can never be too certain." she seemed to justify. Hermione squinted at her confusedly.
"Well I suppose I'll just come right out and say it," she said louder and to Hermione this time "anything strange happen to you on, or since, that Gryffindor party last Friday?" Hermione blinked at her utterly confused. A battle seemed to be waging in Pansy's head. Finally she decided to explain herself.
"Well, you see Granger, us Slytherins slipped you, Potter and a few others a few, well, bad drinks that night." She said with a sly laugh and a heavy emphasis on 'bad'.
Hermione continued to look at her, determined not to show that Pansy had gotten to her. This only seemed to frustrate Pansy, who must have been relying on some kind of response.
"Look Granger, those drinks were poisoned, drugged or, or something! You can't tell me nothing happened." She snapped.
When Hermione didn't reply, she gave an exasperated squeal and stormed out of the bathroom.
Hermione stood stock still for a couple of minutes mind whirring. But finally, she slowly and dazedly walked out of the bathroom and away form the rest of the school up to the castle.
After a few moments her mind recovered form the shock and she realized that this could be the reason for everything that happened between her and Harry last Friday night. Hermione remembered Pansy's words '…those drinks were poisoned, drugged or, or something!' Suddenly Hermione saw the whole situation in a new light, it hadn't been their fault at all! If Pansy was telling the truth and the drinks really had been drugged or poisoned then neither her nor Harry could be held responsible! Hermione, who was about to climb the steps into the castle turned on her heel and walked briskly back towards the quidditch pitch to watch the rest of the game, resolving to tell Harry all that she had found out as soon as she could.