CHAPTER THREE: Plug in Baby

I've exposed your lies, baby

The underneath is no big surprise

Now its time for changing

And cleansing everything

To forget your love

- Plug in Baby – Muse

Later that night, Pansy was laying flat on her back in the middle of her dormitory staring up at the ceiling, "are you in some kind of horrified shock Millicent?" Pansy questioned suddenly, breaking the silence of the room.

"Yeah, you've been ridiculously quiet all night," fellow fifth year Helena observed from her position on Pansy's bed.

Millicent groaned, and rubbed her face.

"Was it that bad?" Pansy asked sympathetically.

"Worse," Millicent moaned.

"I don't know what Dumbledore is thinking," Helena commented, "I don't reckon anyone's going to be able to stop arguing long enough to even think about the project."

"I don't know about that," Millicent put in, "I hear Blaise and Granger were getting along rather well."

"Yeah but they're both so fanatic about school they would both put aside their differences long enough to get top marks," Pansy replied, "they don't count."

"At least Finnegan and Potter are slightly good looking" Millicent pouted, "I swear if I have to look at Longbottom one more time I might…"

"Ew" Helena interrupted horrified, "did you just put Finnegan and good looking in the same sentence?"

Pansy laughed. "Ya know he's not all bad."

"Gross Pansy" Helena replied, "I'm telling Draco."

Millicent smirked, "speaking of Draco. He seemed rather cozy with Brown."

Pansy rolled her eyes, "puh-lease, he'd never touch that tramp. I heard she idolizes Trelawny, now if that isn't a sign she belongs in St Mungos, I don't know what is?"

"Whatever" Helena replied with a wave of her hand, "what about you though? You've been rather quiet about your half hour in the presence of the boy who lived."

Pansy sat up, "nothing to tell. We went a bit into the forest, and I established he's a virgin. Then we got into a debate over blood lines."

"Who won?" Millicent asked curiously.

Pansy looked offended, "me of course."

Helena chuckled, "I notice you didn't object to Potter being called good looking."

Pansy shrugged, "that's because I'd be lying if I said he wasn't."

Helena gaped at her, "ew!"

Pansy laughed, "what? There is nothing wrong with Potter's looks. Mill back me up here."

Millicent nodded, "he's rather attractive. That hair and eyes."

"He's a Griffindor" Helena cut in.

"So what?" Millicent replied, "I'm not marrying the guy, I'd never date him, and the thought of talking to him makes me sick," she ticked them off on her fingers. "Doesn't mean I can't look from afar."

"I can't believe I share a dorm room with you two" Helena said in disbelief.

Pansy laughed, "honestly Hel, don't bother submitting us to St Mungo's until we start going around saying Longbottom is cute. Now that would be cause for concern."

The girls laughed.

By the time the end of the week rolled around, the black lake had frozen over, and a constant raging wind rattled the windows. Pansy found herself fishing through her trunk for extra socks and blankets to battle the chill, where as everyone else in Slytherin house appeared to have been attacked by a love potion. The first morning Pansy walked into the common room to see everyone huddled together wrapped in blankets her jaw had almost hit the floor. Turns out it wasn't a potion at all, but instead some first year's ingenious idea to share body heat.

Sick and tired of students running up and hugging her, Pansy and Blaise deemed themselves the 'coffee club.' After several days the member list began to steadily grow as everyone walked down the halls, their hands clasped around take away cups of coffee instead of each other.

Which was why Pansy found herself on Friday morning seated at the Slytherin table hands clasped around her mug of coffee, as she waited for everyone else to arrive. The ceiling of the Great Hall was covered in storm clouds so thick, extra candles had been lit to make up for the lack of natural light.

Blaise was the first to join her, "how in the world are we supposed to get our project done in this?" he asked, following her gaze, "its bad enough heading outside for Care of Magical Creatures, let alone continuously into the forest."

Pansy raised an eyebrow, "you've started your project?"

"Of course" Blaise replied, "Haven't you?"

Pansy frowned and didn't answer.

After breakfast, Pansy refilled her mug and sipped it as she followed the rest of her friends outside. A path had been cleared down to Hagrid's hut, so grumbling to each other the Slytherin's slowly made their way down the slippery path.

Hagrid was waiting for them outside his hut. "Gather round the fire to keep warm while we wait for everyone else" Hagrid instructed, "hurry up you lot."

For once, they all actually followed instruction. Pansy moved as close to the fire as she could stand and began warming her hands. After several moments strong arms wrapped around her waist, she turned her head slightly to see Draco standing there.

"Hey" he whispered resting his chin on her shoulder and wrapping his heavy winter cloak around them both.

Pansy sighed in relief and leant back into him as his charmed cloak warmed her immediately, "hi."

"I've missed you this week," Draco said quietly into her ear.

"From what I hear, you've been off with a certain 4th year Slytherin," Pansy replied, "corrupting yet another innocent Draco?"

Draco chuckled, and pulled her closer, "nothing gets past you anymore does it Pans?"

"Nothing at all" Pansy replied with a smile, "but I've missed you too."

Draco turned his head and pressed his cold lips to her neck causing her to shiver. "What are you doing tomorrow night?"

"Room of Requirement" Pansy suggested softly, "meet me there at midnight."

"Ok" Draco replied and stepped away from her.

The chill hit Pansy immediately and she crossed her arms across her chest.

"And I'm buying you a better cloak" Draco murmured into her ear before walking over to Blaise.

Pansy watched him go before sighing and watching her breath form in mist until it was carefully swept away in the breeze.

"Ok" Hagrid called, "now I know its cold, but we have important work to do today. Now find your partner."

Pansy looked around and located Potter several feet away, dressed in a heavy black winter cloak, Griffindor scarf around his neck. He gestured her over, and Pansy sighed heavily and reluctantly dragged herself away from the fire.

"Potter" she greeted.

"Parkinson" he replied.

"Now you should by now have chosen your creature, and done some general research, so I'd like you all to take a short supervised trip into the forest. If anyone gets into trouble just send up red sparks. Shall we practice? Wands out."

Pansy sighed and dug through her pockets before extracting her wand and sending up sparks. She looked at them and wrinkled her nose delicately, her sparks were pink and clashed terribly with Potter's red ones. "Have you got any clue what animal to do?" she whispered to him.

He shook his head, "no. But Hagrid wont ask, we'll just pretend."

"Very good" Hagrid continued, "this will be a nice practice for the real thing." He nodded, "well off you go."

Pansy looked at Potter. "Well, after you Potter. Be a gentleman."

Potter raised an eyebrow; "I was always under the impression the lady was supposed to go first."

"Yes, but when facing certain death, the male is supposed to protect the lady" Pansy replied.

"We're not going to die" Potter argued, but led the way anyway.

"And how many times have you been in the forest?" Pansy demanded as she followed Potter into the scarce trees.

"Three times" Potter replied simply.

"How many times of those were near misses?" Pansy pressed, pulling her cloak tighter around herself.

Potter hesitated, "… all three."

"Thought so" Pansy replied.

"Hagrid knows what he's doing" Potter replied.

Pansy didn't even bother to dignify that with a response. They walked in silence for several moments; the only sound made when they both reached into their pockets and muttered a quiet lumos when the trees became too dense. Pansy had never been into the forest before, and it certainly wasn't a place she wished to revisit. The whole place gave her the creeps.

They were attempting to find their way through a particularly dense clump of trees when Pansy sighed, "look, can we go back now?"

Potter chuckled, "scared?"

"No. I'd be scared if I didn't know there was something out there ready to eat me. The fact I do know just gives me the creeps." Pansy halted and crossed her arms.

Potter checked his watch, "we've only been walking for half an hour, and we have at least fifteen minutes to kill before heading back."

"Well" Pansy replied shining her wand around the area; "we can always take another stab in the dark at a conversation."

Harry shrugged, and flopped down onto the ground. Lying on his back, he stared up into the dark canopy, "alright then, you can ask me a question I guess."

For a moment Pansy was sorely tempted to ask him about his sex life again just to see him blush. But at the last moment changed her mind, "so are the rumors true your dating Granger?"

Potter frowned, "no. As a matter of fact I don't think any of Rita Skeeter's stories had any fact in them. You however are dating Malfoy."

Pansy shook her head, "no I'm not."

Harry looked at her in confusion, "it was all over the school a few weeks ago you were caught by Filch up at the Astronomy Tower."

Pansy waved her hand, "ridiculously exaggerated, we were caught by McGonnagal and it was in the room of requirement. But anyway Draco and I aren't dating."

Potter looked surprised, "really, then what…?"

"Lets just say that Draco and I understand each other. We have an agreement."

"Your sex buddies" Harry supplied flatly.

Pansy shrugged, "something like that."

Harry frowned, "doesn't that bother you?"

"Why should it? He's my best friend. We've known each other since we were kids, we're not serious enough about each other to date, so we just shag instead. I'm there for him and he's there for me, no strings attached. It's a good deal."

"Are you always so open about your sex life, or is it just me?"

Pansy laughed, "sex isn't a big deal for me. Maybe if I were in love with Draco, then yes what we did in private would stay private. But it's all just a bit of fun. And besides I'm not delusional enough to think Draco keeps everything to himself."

"You have quite the reputation in the male bathroom" Harry put in.

Pansy smiled, "am I good or bad?"

"According to Seamus your amazing" Harry replied, sitting up, "you haven't slept with Seamus have you?"

"I've only ever been with Draco and Blaise" Pansy responded, plopping herself down on the soft grass across from him, "I don't know why Draco sticks around though, he could have anyone in this school, but he keeps choosing me. Its interesting really."

Harry scoffed, "I highly doubt Malfoy could have anyone."

Pansy smiled, "you underestimate him. He's not as bad as you think he is."

Harry rolled his eyes, "Malfoy is every bit as bad as I think he is."

"Yeah but you thought I was a first grade evil bitch, and we seem to be getting along ok."

"I still think you're a first grade evil bitch. But you're different."

"Why?"

Harry looked at her thoughtfully, "Malfoy would never put aside our differences long enough to sit down and have a conversation."

Pansy shook her head, "if you sat down to chat with him, you'd be amazed at how similar you are."

"The day Malfoy and I sit down for a chat, will be the day hell freezes over," Harry replied firmly.

Pansy shrugged, "so what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Well you still haven't told me about your sex life. But I gather you're a virgin."

Harry flushed, but nodded.

"So who do you like?" Pansy prompted.

"Well… uh… I did like Cho," Harry mumbled.

Pansy racked her brains, "Cho? Cho Change? The Ravenclaw seeker?"

Harry nodded.

"What happened there?"

"It didn't work out."

"What about Granger? Has anything ever been between you two?"

Harry shook his head; "it's not like that with Hermione. She's… well she's just Hermione."

Pansy nodded understandingly, "so no chance of you two being shag buddies?"

"No!"

Pansy pushed herself off the floor, "well its something to ponder while in the shower I guess."

Harry looked horrified at the thought.

"Well let's go then, fifteen minutes is up, and if you don't mind, I think I'll be the man on the way back," Pansy said with a cheeky grin.

Emerging from the forest half an hour later was like walking outside all over again. The warmth trapped inside the trees disappeared immediately and Pansy found herself clutching her cloak close as she tramped through the snow with Harry beside her.

"Listen do you think we should start this assignment soon?" Harry muttered.

Pansy nodded, "as much as I hate the thought, I think we'd better. From the looks of things everyone else has made a good start."

"Well how about we meet in the library tonight after dinner?" Harry suggested, stopping and turning to face Pansy, "if we can at least choose an animal it might be a good start."

Pansy nodded, "ok, around seven?"

Harry nodded, "alright I'll see you then. Nice talking to you Parkinson."

Authors Notes: Thanks for reading! Hope you like it so far, all comments appreciated. The title of this chapter comes from my favorite Muse song in the world! Again, shout out to Yana for her good taste in music.

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