"So where were you guys last night?" Draco casually dropped in the question over breakfast, watching in amusement as Pansy, Blaise and Theo all choked on their food, glancing at each other sheepishly.

"Erm, around. Why do you ask?" Pansy sniffed, digging into her scrambled eggs with renewed vigour so she didn't have to meet Draco's questioning gaze.

"Well, I looked for you guys all over, and I couldn't find you. I mean if you weren't in the common room that late at night, where were you?" Blaise and Theo shared a worried look across the table.

"It was all Pansy's idea," Theo stated, pointing an accusing finger at the brown-haired witch, ignoring the incredulous look she was sending his way. "We told her it was a bad idea, but she wouldn't listen."

"You little shit, I cannot believe you. So much for loyalty," Pansy scoffed.

"I loyally stand by my penchant for dobbing people in," Theo shrugged, eating a spoon full of beans with a grin. Pansy looked away disgusted.

"What're is he on about Pans?" Draco muttered darkly, and Pansy gulped, widening her eyes innocently.

"Okay hear me out," she stated, letting her knife and fork drop onto her plate with a clatter. Draco slowly placed his own down, resting his chin on his palm. "You've been acting weird, disappearing for long periods of time, not really talking, and well, we were worried about you."

"You were worried about him," Blaise pointed out, "Theo and I, we couldn't have cared less about you."

"Much appreciated Zabini," Draco muttered.

"Any time, mate." Blaise grinned.

"Anyway," Pansy continued, scowling at Blaise, "we may or may not have - for your own good of course - followed you a little bit," She muttered the last part down into her plate.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that, it almost sounded like you said you guys were following me." Draco laughed sarcastically, pausing when his friends smiled at him sheepishly. "You have got to be kidding me?"

"Not of our own volition, I may hasten to add," Theo pointed out, taking a sip of pumpkin juice, "Pansy was the mastermind."

"That I can believe. Do tell Parkinson, what were you hoping to achieve by following me, apart from robbing me of what little privacy I have surprisingly managed to retain whilst being acquainted with you." Pansy winced as he used her second name, knowing that she was on dangerous ground.

"I don't know," she shrugged, flicking her hair over shoulder, "maybe find out where you've been disappearing off to. Anyway, officially it was Goyle's idea." Pansy pointed a long finger at the large bulk of Slytherin at the other end of the table, who was tapping his Potter stinks badge over and over, chuckling to himself.

"You cannot have stooped that low, Parkinson. Blaming Goyle of all people? I mean look at him." Pansy begrudgingly had to admit he had a point, especially when the boy started dribbling.

"I hate to support Miss Snoops-a-lot, but it was 'officially' Goyle's idea," Blaise conceded.

"I didn't even think that was possible."

"Neither did we."

"You had to be there," added Theo, nodding his head slightly.

"Either way, we did it because we care about you, Draco."

"Well don't."

"But where have you been going? It's not - it's not like you."

"Pans, I'm not sure how much clearer I can make this for you, but my business is my own, and in spite of your best snooping, it's going to stay that way." He pushed himself out of his seat and stalked away from his bewildered friends.

"Well I think that rules out any chance of him possibly telling us in the future, don't you?" Theo muttered

"It's your fault, why did you have to tell him?" she spat, taking a swipe at the boy from across the table. Theo dodged it quickly and smirked.

"Come on, Pans, this is Draco Malfoy we are talking about, guaranteed he'd already worked out you were onto him and orchestrated the whole thing to warn you off the scent."

"That or he was actually in the broom closet we found," Crabbe muttered. All three Slytherins turned to him in shock, having forgotten that the large boy was sat by them.

"I know I've made this point, but what the fuck? Am I dreaming?" Theo asked.

"It would explain why dumb de dumb," Blaise pointed at Crabbe and then at Goyle sat at the other end of the table, "are having good ideas." Pansy leant forward excitedly.

"If he was in that closet, that means that he's hiding something, something big."

"No," Blaise stated.

"What?"

"No and again, no."

"But I haven't said anything."

"No, no, no, no. whatever grand idea has popped into that teeny little head of yours, count me out."

"And me," Added Theo, "Malfoys are scary when prodded, like rabid animals."

"So you guys are scared of Draco then?" Pansy teased.

"Yes, absolutely." Blaise nodded.

"I mean come on; you'd be stupid not to. Have you seen him in a morning? Like a bleached demon." Theo shook his head slowly, "Honestly Pans, I'm saying this with as much care and love as I can muster,"

"So not much then," She muttered, resting her head in her hands as the boy spoke.

"Leave well alone, step back, cease all plotting and planning. He doesn't want us to know, so," Theo shrugged, "let's just leave it."

"But what if it's to do with a girl?" Pansy asked, glancing around the Great Hall, as if the girl would make herself known.

"And?" Blaise shrugged.

"What do you mean and? A girl, Blaise, as in our little Drakey has a love interest." Blaise didn't react, blinking slowly as the witch sighed in exasperation. "A love interest that he doesn't want us knowing about."

"With good reason, I'd say. I mean look at you." Pansy gave Blaise a dangerous look.

"And what's that supposed to mean, Zabini."

"What it means, Snoopy, is that the idea of not knowing something has you frothing at the mouth. And well, ladies need privacy, need coaxing. You give them that, and they're dropping their knickers faster than you can say Evanesco."

"Evanesco, nice." Blaise nodded, high-fiving his friend from across the table.

"Eww you guys disgust me, and by the way, you're not fooling anyone, I guarantee whatever action Draco is getting, its ten times more than either of you."

"I am offended you would think so little of my sexual prowess, Pans," Theo muttered in mock hurt, clutching his chest dramatically.

"I tend not to make a habit, of thinking about your sexual prowess," Pansy snorted.

"Perhaps you should," Theo wiggled his eyebrows, sobering when he saw the evil look Blaise was giving him from across the table, his face like thunder. "Anyway slightly off topic there, leave alone Pansy. Leave."

"Okay, okay." Blaise looked at the brown-haired witch and sighed, they definitely hadn't heard the last of it, of that he was sure.