Pansy's grip on Draco's arm hurt to the nine hells, so he walked as quickly as he could - nearly dragging her into his room. He closed the door, and Pansy rounded on him. "What happened to you?" She demanded.

Draco Malfoy paused, honestly collecting his thoughts. So many things had happened today... it was almost impossible to know where to start.

"Draco Abraxas Malfoy!" Pansy shrieked, in that shrill tone that made his ears ring, "You'll tell me now or so help me you'll regret it!"

Some things never change. Pansy Parkinson was the single most impatient person Draco Malfoy had ever met - bar none. Granger at least could hold her tongue when someone was dangling answers in front of her.

Draco nodded, "Of course, Pansy," he said somberly, and began to cast privacy spells. Up to this point, anything that someone might have eavesdropped was just run of the mill behavior for both of them. As were the privacy spells, truthfully. If Draco Malfoy lingered a little on the spells, just to aggravate Pansy a little more, well...

"She's here" Draco Malfoy said, "at Hogwarts, I mean."

Pansy's blue eyes got big as saucers, as she asked, "She is? Who? Tell me she's not Romilda Vane... and don't even try to tell me it's Cho Chang."

Draco smirked, "Hermione Granger."

Pansy's eyes seemed to attempt to bulge out of her head - "But she's... not anything like you described..."

"Apparently even Gryffindors have masks," Draco Malfoy said, "And glamours aren't that difficult."

"Would have figured that bitch'd be too proud to use one, honestly," Pansy said with a bit of a sniff. Draco didn't take the slur as an insult, as that was just Pansy being Pansy. She didn't mean any harm by it, so why take offense?

Draco frowned, pensively, "Me too..."

Pansy twisted a lock of her hair, saying shrewdly, "Other than that, when you think about it, it makes a good deal of sense. Who else would you know in a Muggle Bar in the middle of London?"

In an eyeblink, Pansy was in Draco Malfoy's arms, giving him a full (nearly-tackle) hug. "I'm so happy for you! I knew there was something different about you, from the moment you stepped into the Common Room!"

Draco relaxed into the hug for a moment, before saying, quietly, "I guess this is what happiness looks like."

"Oh, Draco!" Pansy said, rubbing her head on his shoulder - just like a cat, before pulling away.

"There's... there's more." Draco said, a bit more hesitation in his tone.

Pansy sat there calmly, her gaze reflecting his like a cat who wouldn't blink.

"I discovered who I'm engaged to, today." Draco Malfoy said.

Pansy's look turned expectant, the cat who knows she'll be getting cream. And will slash your hamstring if you don't, so do it quick

"Hermione Granger." Draco Malfoy said, "I'm engaged to Hermione Granger." The words came out dry, like a man who hadn't had a drink of water and had just crossed the Mojave.

Pansy's mouth dropped open, and worked silently for a moment or two. It was amazing to see, honestly. Pansy prided herself on her decorum, and letting her jaw drop like that was the height of looking like a fool.

"Your parents couldn't have - wouldn't have - to a Mu-Muggleborn?" Pansy said.

Draco smirked, looking more like a cat than Pansy did, "Who said they had anything to do with it?"

Pansy tried to say something, but it was as if the words caught in her throat. Several times, in fact. "I'd have believed that one, if you were Goyle, or especially Weasley. But Draco Malfoy?" Pansy dissolved in giggles.

"I'm not joking, Pans," Draco said softly.

"Oh, I know." Pansy said, her mirth disappearing like mist in noontime sun. "It's still the wildest tale I've heard in this place, and that includes the one about Hagrid's Dragon."

They exchanged smiles, remembering what it'd been like to be that young, that innocent - and that particular version of helpful that is quintessentially Slytherin.

"Figured something else out, too, today." Draco Malfoy said, putting his hands in his pockets and trying to look a little nonchalant. "Looks like Potter really does have a brain, even if he's often liable to forget that fact."

"Not surprising, given who he's friends with." Pansy said, and as she saw Draco start to stiffen, she hurriedly continued, "Weasley, I meant Weasley."

Draco nodded, looking contemplative, and then said, "I think you have the right of it. Weasley gets upset when anyone does better than him at anything, and he's not exactly Mr. Smart Guy."

Pansy just looked smug.

Draco Malfoy said, quietly, "This next bit doesn't clear this room, no matter what happens. The rest? You could gossip about, and I'd just send you to eternal sleep. It's just a matter of reputation, after all. "

Pansy had stilled, looking at him quietly.

"If you breathe a word of this, outside these wards, I'll make you scream for death. Lives depend on it. Houses too." Draco Malfoy said, and because he said it, it was true. Both he and Pansy were ages beyond making threats that they wouldn't follow through on. And Draco wouldn't have breathed a word of any of this if Pansy was a malicious gossip. (Oh, sure, she did like gossip, but her tall tales were so wild and crazy that no one truly believed a single one.)

"I think... I think there might be some hope for us, after all." Draco Malfoy said, his eyes sparkling like quicksilver.

[a/n: I love Pansy. Leave a review? What do you think Draco is talking about? ... reupdating chapter as ff is bork.]