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PREDISPOSITIONS

Pansy plunked herself, in a most unladylike fashion, into a seat, throwing her bag onto the table. It was a moment before she actually looked around the library, still moody. It was late that Wednesday evening, and nearly the entire library was empty, all of the students gone or leaving. At the table next to her she spotted Potter, who actually didn't look too happy either. Surprisingly, he was alone. It was a rather odd sight…usually there was at least one of the other Gryffindor tag-alongs there. He appeared to be reading intently also unusual for him.

Harry was reading so intently, in fact, that it took him awhile to notice Pansy. At first he ignored her, but after a few minutes it began to irritate him. In an attempt to drive her off, he began to slam his books around, but it didn't faze her. Finally he growled as looked up at her and snapped, "Parkinson, is there something I can help you with?"

"I highly doubt it, Potter," she sneered. "You seem as if you have enough to do yourself. I imagine Granger is up with Weasley somewhere…"

Harry raised an eyebrow, surprised at her words. "That actually sounded polite, Parkinson. I didn't think that was possible. And in case you hadn't remembered, Ron and Hermione are Head Boy and Girl. They have responsibilities that take up much of their time. Besides, I'm perfectly capable of doing things by myself."

Pansy rolled her eyes as he finally finished his mini-speech. As a Slytherin and Draco's former girlfriend, she was used to witty, succinct replies. "Oh yes, and I'm sure without Granger you would have passed all of your classes."

"I'm sure I would've passed," he replied stiffly, and then thinking of History of Magic, amended himself, "I'll admit I may not have done as well, but believe it or not, there are some classes where I'm better than Hermione. I just don't care as much as she does- but why am I telling you this? I have too much to do to sit around defending myself to you!" And with that he turned back to his books in a dismissive fashion.

"And what could that possibly be?" Pansy asked in amusement. "Besides Potions I'm fairly sure I have the same classes as you, and we've hardly had any homework."

Harry stiffened at that; she was getting awfully suspicious, snapping irritably, "Never you mind that, Parkinson."

"You know, I'd be careful, Potter," Pansy warned thoughtfully. "Someone might think you're up to something. That certainly isn't some romance collection you have…all of those are from the Restricted Section, aren't they?"

"I'm doing extra research for Defense Against the Dark Arts," he replied as nonchalantly as possible. "That's my best subject."

The sudden indifference instead of irritation didn't get past Pansy. "Potter, although that's a good excuse, you never do extra research." Gazing at the titles of the books she could see from her table, she noted, "And I don't believe The Four Hogwarts Founders goes under Defense Against the Dark Arts… that's History of Magic."

Heaving a great sigh of annoyance, Harry said through clenched teeth, "Parkinson, you don't know me, so don't start making observations about my behavior. Why the sudden interest in me anyway?"

"Not you, Potter," Pansy scowled in distaste. "What you're doing." Lifting her eyes from the books, curious to see his reaction, she spoke again, "I don't see how the Founders fit in with the Dark Lord."

Harry's eyes narrowed, and as he responded he wasn't very successful in controlling his flaring temper. "What makes you think this is related to the Dark Lord, Parkinson? Do you know something I don't? If you're here to spy on me, you're not being very subtle about it."

Pansy actually laughed at this, and when she saw Harry's surprised expression, laughed even more. "That's right, Potter; I'm here to spy on you. Because, you know, all Slytherins are future Death Eaters."

He stared at her for a moment, wondering about her mental stability, before saying, "I just can't think of any other reason a Slytherin would be interested in me… or what I'm doing."

Pansy shrugged, and silence fell between them once more. She looked at her books for mere seconds before deciding that Potter was more interesting today. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a particularly curious-looking tome. Taking out her wand, she summoned it to her. "What's this, Potter? Soul magic? That's rather dark reading…nothing for you Gryffindors, I'm sure."

As Harry snapped out his wand and summoned the book back, he said coldly, "And I'm sure you know all about Gryffindors, just like I know all about Slytherins."

"Well, you are all rather easy to read. You wear your hearts on your sleeves."

Hearing Snape's comment repeated by another member of the Slytherin House was the last straw. "Oh, really?" Harry said savagely as he snagged the book out of the air and slammed it on top of his pile. "It must be a house trait to think that way, but I don't think people of any house are easy to read."

Despite her confusion regarding Harry's comment about house traits, she continued, "Well, they are. Like right now, you're irritated that I'm sitting here and wondering why I'm even talking to you, and you can't get back to work because you want to know why."

Harry wasn't surprised at her explanation; after all, it wasn't exactly hard to tell those things since they were rather vague. "Although I would like to know why, that isn't why I can't get back to work. I can't get back to work because you're bothering me. And if you aren't going to tell me why, then I don't care. It can't be that important, and I really do have important things to do."

Pansy was feeling amused and couldn't help but continue, "Then why are you still listening and replying to whatever I say?"

"Because if I can't work, then I have nothing better to do. Every time I try to ignore you-"

But before Harry could really get going on his rampage, Pansy broke in with, "So what's this momentous task you absolutely have to do anyway?"

Harry looked over at her, obviously wishing very much to be rid of her. "Parkinson, you aren't going to annoy me into telling you. It's none of your business."

She pouted for a moment before remembering who it was she was talking to and switching tactics. "What if I wanted to help you?"

Harry's head shot up from the book he had been half-heartedly skimming. "Why would you want to help me?" he asked, the tone of his voice more shocked than suspicious.

"Because I can. I know things you don't." She shrugged a little.

Harry raised his eyebrows at the last part, both suspicious and disbelieving. "Like what?"

Pansy became serious, and there was a flash of sadness in her eyes before she replaced it as she spoke with a dignified tone, "I know a lot of things. It's just no one thinks I'm smart enough to listen if it's serious or about the war."

"Well, do you ever give people a reason to suspect you might actually be smart?" Harry winced when he realized what that sounded like.

Pansy abruptly stood up at her table, gathering her things and glaring at him. "Like anyone would care if I was. Goodbye, Potter."

He sighed, watching her start to leave, before speaking out, "Parkinson, wait. That actually wasn't meant to be an insult. If you were only acting stupid, then it could be taken as a compliment!" When she paused, he couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Girls."

Finally she turned around and stalked over to his table, her eyes narrowed. "Don't try to act like you care, Potter. It's obvious you don't care about anyone other than the people who will join your precious Order, whether they believe in Voldemort or not."

"You know about the Order?" Harry asked in surprise and then realized something else. "You call him Voldemort? Not the Dark Lord?"

"Only in good company," she replied. "And yes, I know about your little Order."

Harry was perplexed at this interesting new development. "Why? And how? What else do you know?"

Pansy hesitated at Harry's genuine attempt at a real conversation before slowly sitting down across from him. She paused a moment before speaking, not sure if she really wanted to tell him. At last she did, figuring it couldn't hurt. "My parents are always ranting about the Order at home, though it's not very complimentary."

Harry wondered exactly how much they knew about the Order. Because of Snape, it probably was a lot. Then something else she had said previously hit him. "Wait, so does that mean you consider me good company?" he said in surprise. Then he flushed and said hastily, "I mean, for that anyway." There was a brief pause before he said softly, "We really don't know all that much about each other, do we?"

Pansy nodded shortly, opting to only respond to the first question. "I don't think you're going to report to Voldemort if I call him by his name. Some would."

Harry gave a short laugh filled with irony. "Oh yes, Voldemort and I have civil conversations all the time." After another pause, Harry asked, "Pansy, why are you here, after all this time?"

Noting Harry's use of her first name, Pansy responded softly, already knowing the answer, "Because if I had come earlier, would you have listened? After last year I figured I might have a better chance."

Harry nodded in confirmation. He hesitated a moment before querying, "But that's not the only reason, is it?"

"Well, no," Pansy confessed. "But everyone has their own reasons for fighting."

Harry nodded, and they were silent for a moment while Harry thought it over. He was still trying to get over the shock of this new Pansy Parkinson. It was definitely a side of her he had never seen before. Of course he had also never REALLY talked to her before… Finally, he sighed. "You understand you'll have to earn my trust? I have to be careful to avoid making any more fatal mistakes," he finished bitterly.

"Potter, how am I going to earn your trust?" she doubtfully asked.

"Help me," he replied simply. "If your information proves to be correct, I'll know you're not leading me into a trap. Of course, you could do all that to gain my trust and then betray me at the last moment, but we'll work on it. Okay?"

Pansy hesitated and then nodded in agreement. "Alright."

Taking a deep breath to prepare himself to make his second great leap of trust of the year, Harry quickly performed Muffliato on the few people even remotely close to them. Pansy watched, unsure as to what he was doing, but when he finally spoke again, he seemed to be semi-confident they wouldn't be overheard. "Do you know anything about Horcruxes?"

"No," Pansy replied, shaking her head. She didn't outwardly display the surprise she felt that Potter was obviously involving her so soon.

"A Horcrux is made when a person splits their soul by committing murder and places it inside an item. This is important because… Voldemort has, or had, six of them. He can't be killed unless those Horcruxes are destroyed." He paused once more before continuing, "Do you know anything about the real details behind the Chamber of Secrets in our second year?"

"Just that Voldemort possessed Ginny Weasley," Pansy shrugged.

"But do you know how?"

Pansy shook her head and then stopped when she suddenly remembered something. Biting her lip, she said slowly, "No… I thought I heard Draco talking about his father and a diary over the summer after, but…"

"The diary was one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. If he had succeeded in killing Ginny, he would have come back to power. That one has been destroyed. And then Dumbledore-" Harry got a lump in his throat as he always did every time the now deceased Headmaster's name came up. He cleared his throat and then continued, "Dumbledore destroyed another. That leaves four."

"But wouldn't a piece of his soul still have to be inside him?" Pansy asked thoughtfully.

Harry was surprised at her cleverness but didn't dare say so out loud again, knowing how sensitive she was on the subject. He had forgotten to mention that part… "Yes. So even if we kill him as he is right now, he could just come back because of his Horcruxes."

Pansy gestured at the many books spread across his table. "So that's what all this is for. You have to find what he's hidden them in. I'm assuming the Founders' books are because you suspect he's using relics from them."

Harry nodded, once again impressed by her astuteness. Pansy continued, "But if he's using things from the Founders, isn't the only thing Gryffindor has is that sword?"

"And the Sorting Hat. So we know it's probably not something of Gryffindor's. We know he did find something of Slytherin's and Hufflepuff's. It's possible he found something of Ravenclaw's, and Dumbledore- Dumbledore suspected that Nagini, his snake, may be one."

Pansy didn't know what to say but wanted to show she was listening, so she just nodded and remarked, "That would account for all of them."

There was a brief silence before Harry came to a decision. "The night Dumbledore- was killed…" Harry swallowed before emphasizing, "You have to understand you are one of the very few whom I'm telling this… Dumbledore and I went to a cave and retrieved a locket of Slytherin's. But someone else had been there before us and taken the real one…"

"Who?" Pansy asked. She was confused but still rather encouraged that he was trusting her so much. If it had been almost any other person, she was sure they wouldn't have dared.

Harry shook his head. "The only clue we have to their identity is the initials R.A.B."

"Do we know if they're a pureblood?"

For a moment Harry's eyes narrowed at her, but he answered anyway, "Well, all I can figure is they must be a Death Eater. Who else would've known so much about the Horcruxes? Not all Death Eaters are purebloods…"

But Pansy was already caught up in thought, not paying that much attention to him. She was biting her lip and was resting her chin on the back of her hand, her elbow propped up on the table. She was obviously thinking aloud to herself when she spoke, "But most of them are…"

Harry shrugged, not really wanting to think about how he knew so much about Death Eaters.

"R.A.B…" she trailed off again. It didn't occur to her she was behaving rather relaxed around this Gryffindor who had long supposedly been her enemy.

"Hermione did some research before we left last year. But the only people she found were Rosalind Antigone Bungs and Rupert 'Axebanger' Brookstanton, and they didn't have any obvious connection to Voldemort," Harry told her, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"But what if it was just because she was looking at books where they only mention people who have done something worth writing about, and this person didn't do anything of note? What would be better is something along the lines of a wizarding line… if this person was a pureblood, that would help."

Harry thought this was somewhat of a stretch but figured it couldn't hurt. "Yeah… I just don't know much about pureblood families, not even mine…"

"It's simple really," Pansy said. "All of the prominent wizarding families have their lines published… I'll try and find out who could have those initials."

"Yeah, but they also remove those who 'taint' the line." Harry frowned and then looked away. It was hard to think about all of this… Sirius, Dumbledore… he was trying as hard as he could to focus on this research, but there were constant reminders of them everywhere he went. "The fact that the note was still there with the fake… Voldemort might not know the locket is missing," he said finally.

Pansy jumped at his sudden input, caught in her own thoughts, and then thought it over before nodding also. "That would give you a humongous advantage. If you can destroy the rest of them and make sure he doesn't find out… you'll be on even ground when you face him next."

"Exactly. That's why I'm here doing research… which I believe you pointed out isn't usually my forte," Harry said, ending with a small smile.

"Well, you have to admit it isn't," Pansy said, though she sounded slightly sheepish.

Harry grinned at this, surprised how easy it was to talk to her. "I know. It's alright."

Pansy gave him an odd look as he grinned at her and glanced at the clock. By her expression Harry could tell she was surprised at the time, and she started to gather her things. "Well, they aren't going to have books on the pureblood lines in here… after all, I doubt Dumbledore would have wanted to offend anyone. I'll Owl home about it. I'm sure I can make up some story to cover."

"Thank you," Harry said gratefully. "Owl me when… if… you find something."

"Owl you?"

Hearing the questioning tone in her voice, Harry looked up to see her eyebrow cocked inquiringly. He flushed as he tried to explain, "I just thought that would be easiest? Unless you don't mind our… interaction… becoming public knowledge?"

Pansy let out a little laugh at his embarrassment. It was rare that she actually got to talk to guys that were self-conscious. It wasn't something she would have expected from Harry Potter. "Potter, I honestly don't care either way. People don't bother with us Slytherins anyway."

"But what if Malfoy finds out?" Harry asked, puzzled. He was surprised, however, when her expression hardened and her jaw set. "What about him? Besides, Potter, it's not like we're going out or anything."

"I just don't want you to get in trouble," he said, surprised by her sudden change of moods. It looked like Malfoy had broken up with her. Ever since they had returned to Hogwarts, Harry had been expecting such a thing.

"Malfoy does not care what I do; he has made that very clear," she snapped at him.

"Okay, okay," Harry said in an attempt to calm her down. "So how do you want to handle things?"

She shrugged, starting to calm down. She liked being asked her opinion for once. "It's up to you, Potter. You're the one with the reputation to uphold."

"My reputation has never been a sure thing. It sways with the public opinion, as you know. I just thought maybe your parents wouldn't be happy if they heard about it," Harry explained.

Pansy frowned for a moment, not only at the severe truth of that statement but also because she was unused to someone being so concerned about her, before lightening up when she came up with a solution. "Well, yes, that could be a problem if I wasn't going to tell them that I'm simply 'winning over the enemy'."

Harry couldn't help but look rather wary at this. After all, it was something that she could easily be doing already. She watched him, her brown eyes looking amused before she became serious again. "So why are you doing this anyway, Potter?"

Although Harry could have played dumb about what Pansy meant by 'this', he knew what it was she was asking and wondered what she thought. "Why do you think I'm doing it?" he asked, gazing at Pansy solemnly.

"I honestly don't know," she said, sounding sincere. "If it was me, I'd be doing it for revenge. However, I'm not sure about that 'Chosen One' thing either."

Harry paused, absorbing her words, and then responded casually, "After all that Voldemort has done to me? It's revenge." It wasn't the entire truth, stepping around her statement about the 'Chosen One', but it wasn't a lie either.

Pansy narrowed her eyes suspiciously but let it go. "I see. Well, that still doesn't answer the question of what we're going to do."

"Unless you have an idea of how long your side is going to take, then you'll just have to let me know when you have something."

"Well, it shouldn't take that long. So I suppose I'll Owl you then?" she asked.

Harry forced himself to not point out that he had previously suggested just that. He wearily agreed and then said, "Good night, Parkinson."

"Good night, Potter."