New Beginnings

Chapter 47

Pansy looks even worse the next day. She's dead on her feet yet somehow manages to stay awake until dinner. It's impressive and concerning in equal measures.

Her and Blaise are technically talking, but any mention of something prefect related make both tense and avoid any form of contact. So they obviously haven't sorted things out. By the looks of things, they aren't even going to attempt to any time soon. 

Everyone notices the awkwardness and tension, however, no-one wants to step in. Even Theo just shakes his head when Draco mentions talking to them about it. Of all arguments the two have had, this is definitely the worst, which only serves to make Harry more curious about what normal arguments are like. He hasn't seen them argue the entire time they've been friends, although he has spent most of time around Draco and not all of them.

"Just leave them to it." Theo tells him. They'd ended up sharing a table in the library during a free period. It's one of the only times Theo and Harry get to talk without any of the others with them. Not that they usually talk that much. Both were content to get on with their own thing in comfortable silence.

"Can it get any worse?" 

Theo nods, "if they stop talking to each other at all, but I doubt that will happen. Most likely Pansy is upset that Blaise is right and is too stubborn to follow his advice. Blaise is upset that Pansy is hurting herself and being stubborn, which has turned into anger. They'll be upset at each other for a maximum of a week, maybe two, but no more."

"How do you know?"

"They think I'm a good person to come to for advice." Theo scoffs like he has no idea why they would think that when he's probably the smartest and most rational of five. "Blaise can't hold grudges well either."

"Can Pansy?"

"Yeah, she's great at it, but she won't hold one against Blaise."

Despite everything Theo has told him, Harry still isn't convinced. However, he isn't going to argue it anymore. He might step in if things got worse, but Theo seems pretty confident and he's known them for much longer.

Draco shares the same sentiment. He'd joined them in the library and then ten minutes later Theo had left silently.

"Generally when they argue, I'm either busy and don't notice or I act as a go-between." Draco scratches his head awkwardly. He's never been the one his friends go to for advice or comfort. He just isn't that kind of person.

Harry nods, he'd never really been that person for Ron and Hermione either, even when they were pretending. Hermione had been the logical one and Ron faired far better with emotions than he ever did. It's a little surprising it took this long for them to slip up, given how annoying Harry must've been. 

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Moody follows Harry sometimes. Not as often as Tonks had, he, at least, has some duties he also has to do. But Harry knows Moody doesn't need to be close with that eye of his. He could just stand a few corridors over and be able to spy on Harry.

It's really annoying having to police his every movement to make sure it's not suspicious. That there's nothing Moody can report on. Draco has gotten ansty too, eyes constantly flickering around. They're living in paranoia of that man and Vance has made it so worse. Instead of just one potential stalker, there are two. And Vance doesn't seem to care about her job at all.