"It's this one!" Harry said pointing to an old wooden door.

"A simple Alohomora was enough to open it. Isn't it magic?" He asked still amazed looking at the girl behind him.

"Sometimes I doubt the seriousness of our school." Said Pansy disappointed by the very professional security systems of the Headmaster.

They opened the door without any difficulty and Pansy reacted with a facepalm.

They found themselves in front of a gigantic empty classroom, except for debris, a few chairs and desks thrown in confusion in the corners.

"This was the room to access it, look, there's still the trapdoor!"

They approached a small wooden door located in the center of the floor, different from the other tiles. They opened it but inside there was a tiny hole covered with other stones and various debris.

"...and this was the famous trapdoor that the adorable Fluffy used to protect. Inside there was a passage but they've closed it now..." Harry explained a little sadly.

"You can't show me but you could tell me. Would you like?"

Harry slammed the trapdoor shut.

"It's a bit complicated..." he answered scratching the back of his head.

"I have all the time in the world." She answered promptly, sitting down on the floor, leaning against an empty side of the wall in front of him.

"Don't be shy, Harry."

The boy nodded hesitantly. He sat next to her, not too close because he still hadn't gotten used to displays of physical affection.

"Okay but first, why don't you tell me a little about yourself?" Harry on one hand knew he was stalling but on the other hand he really wanted to get to know her better.

Pansy seemed to understand his plan and she scrutinized him with raised eyebrows.

"I can't just talk about myself and my exploits, I really would be a megalomaniac like Malfoy."

Pansy huffed.

"Uuurgh, alright. Actually I don't have much to say about myself, some used to call me the Gray Queen but luckily they stopped calling me that right away, it was a ridiculous nickname."

"Why the Gray Queen?" He asked curiously.

"They thought I was duplicitous because I never took sides in the silly arguments of the house and because my father, even though he was a pureblood Slytherin, kept and keeps contacts with companies where muggles also worked. It's a stupid thing, just because a person is a slytherin doesn't mean it has to be evil."

"Yes, that's stupid." he added.

"I like reading but I hate studying, I like unicorns and making fun of those Gryffindor braggarts even though sometimes that attitude backfires."

"Why?"

"For example there is a roommate of mine, DaphnemissyprissyGreengrass who put a rumor that I was interested and loved Neville Longbottom because he is one of those who i always tease."

"Who?" he asked Who didn't remember this name at all.

"The guy of the remembrall, with the toad and the face of a fool."

Harry had a sudden flash in which he remembered his friend's face, and then burst out laughing.

"Yes, now I remember." He admitted amused.

"She made me mad, he's not my type at all! Ewk." And he made a very theatrical gesture with her fingers to pretend to vomit.

"Draco didn't say anything about it?"

"It's a bit complicated..." she answered, lowering her gaze.

"I have all the time in the world."

He was using her own tactic against her and it made her smile.

"Okay, okay. The truth is that I'm not really his friend, I pretend to be with him and his group just to feel safe and secure among the popular kids. The reality is that he doesn't consider me at all, he's too busy thinking about his adorable Daphne. Luckily I'm not interested in him romantically. Yep, he's on Neville's level." And she repeated the gesture with her fingers from earlier, causing Harry to burst out laughing.

"You don't need protection from idiots like that." He answered her shortly seriously.

"Funny, that's the same thing my best friend Blaise always says to me. You and him are the only ones I've ever said this to, or have a normal discussion with. I don't have many friends in my house… Well other than Daphne's little sister, Astoria, who is nice even if very shy and reserved and Tracey, even if she's a little nutty, I overheard her last night talking about doomsday or something."

"But now enough about me, I'm not a diva Harry, that's you." She said pointing her finger at his chest.

"Now it's your turn."

Harry sighed and, now surrendered, began to tell everything about the night he retrieved the stone.

He didn't remember all the details, like the professor who didn't believe him in the imminent danger or the names of his two friends.

"Granger and Weasley." She said to help him with a disgusted face.

She didn't interrupt him during the rest of the story, she was following closely and was limited to only a few sporadic questions, which spurred Harry to be more precise and remember better.

He had told her of all of his challenges but now the last was missing, which he choked up talking about.

"And then i found out that the one who wanted to steal the stone was Professor Quirrell..." he said.

"You know I didn't think he was the type to do that? It must have been a shock to you."

"Well, the worst part was Voldemort's face behind his head."

Pansy shivered.

"That still doesn't explain his awful turbans." She added a little later, snatching a short laugh from him.

"And how did you defeat him? Why didn't he take the stone?"

This was the hardest part for Harry to explain.

"Professor Dumbledore had placed a mirror in the center of the room, he called it the mirror of desires. According to the professor, it shows whoever stands in front of it what everyone really desires from the bottom of his heart. I discovered the existence of the mirror before he they carried it away and I saw my parents inside, while my friend uesby..." "Weasley." She corrected him softly. "Yes, sorry Weasley, he saw himself as a Quidditch champion or something."

"The usual narcissist..." she commented acidly. Harry had either interrupted himself, lost his train of thought, or was simply afraid to continue.

"Go ahead, don't be afraid." she urged as she moved closer to him.

"The stone was hidden there, inside the mirror. Only those who wanted to protect it but not use it could take it, so Quirrell and Voldemort couldn't take it."

He inhaled deeply.

It was difficult for him to tell about that night, about Quirrell's twisted plan, about Lord Voldemort's demonic voice, about how he had miraculously saved himself.

"It doesn't matter, they couldn't get it and Quirrell tried to kill me in vain because he couldn't touch me and he crumbled." The young man ended abruptly, but Pansy was not satisfied.

"You're keeping something from me. What did you see in the mirror Harry?" she asked, hitting the point that the boy didn't want to reveal.

"No, it's too embarrassing. I don't think you want to know..."

He was visibly uncomfortable and embarrassed to avoid eye contact.

"Let me guess, have you seen someone you like? Have you seen Granger make googly eyes?"

she taunted.

"No, it wasn't her."

"So I guessed it! There was a person, right?"

His silence indicated that she was right again.

"You can tell me, really. I promise I won't make fun of you…unless she's Granger."

"Okay, I'll tell you, just... just to stay between us."

She nodded in response

"I saw you. You were behind me putting the philosopher's stone in my trouser pocket and whispering in my ear not to give it to him."

There was an uncomfortable silence.

Pansy was too shaken by the revelation to say anything.

"W-why didn't you ever tell me before?"

she finally asked embarrassed.

"I don't know, really. I suppose I didn't have the courage, just as I didn't have the courage to apologize..." he revealed with his face turning red.

They were silent for a while longer.

"I-I think we should get out of here." Harry said standing up.

"I agree. Good story, by the way." She added getting up too.

"And you want to tell me that the headmaster only limited himself to giving you meager points for your house to reward you?"

"Yeah, at least he saved me from being lynched." He smiled at her as she shook her head at his modesty.

The boy was about to open the door when someone held him back.

Pansy was hugging him, with her hands clasped on his abdomen and, on tiptoe, she rested her head next to his neck.

He wasn't used to such sudden physical affection.

"You'll never have to wait for a stupid mirror to see me again, Harry." She whispered softly into his ear.

After a while she loosened her grip and let him mechanically open the door and the girl couldn't see hia smile on his face.