𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓

Chapter 15

Mother Knows Best

Chapter Fifteen

Identified

Harry dragged himself into English Lit that Monday afternoon just as Professor Lupin started taking roll. Head hung and hands stuffed into his uniform jacket pockets, he looked for all the world like a defeated hero. Lifting his head, he raised a brow when he saw the stranger sitting in Remus's chair. A well-built young man with his left arm in a sling. Harry pursed his lips, but figuring he'd find out who the man was soon anyway, didn't say anything. He gave his excuse and apology to his professor, then scowled on his way to his seat when he saw Draco give him that smirk. That 'I know why you're so grumpy and I think it's hilarious' smirk that made Harry want to ruffle his hair just to see him wrinkle that pointy little nose.

He ignored the concerned look Remus gave him when he dropped his head down onto his desk with a thunk.

"Why so blue, Hare-bear?" Seamus questioned once Lupin went back to attendance, putting a consoling hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Dumbledore grounded him," Draco answered for him amusedly, still smirking when the raven turned to give him a grudging, suspicious stare.

"Snape told you, didn't he?" It wasn't a question, but Draco nodded smugly anyway. Harry huffed, crossing his arms in front of him, and aside from the stubble that said he had yet again forgotten to shave, it made him look quite childish. "Figures he wouldn't know the meaning of student/teacher confidentiality."

Draco laughed. "Neither do you."

"Wait. You knew before I did, but you didn't think to tell me?"

"No, I thought about it and decided to go with the 'ignorance is bliss' concept and let you enjoy what was left of your freedom. It was for your own good," Draco claimed righteously.

"I bet," Harry snorted, not buying it.

"What's going on?" Ron asked, his roommates conversation completely lost on him.

"Potter's under Hogwarts arrest," Draco explained. Potter's punishment amused the hell out of him now, but he had almost freaked when he had first found out that Potter couldn't leave the school.

Since Saturday night, the press had been on his story like lions on a gazelle and TDP was having a field day with it. They had practically been given gold, and Draco had been planning to exploit their attention while it was still focused on him, but then he found out Potter was essentially grounded and those plans were ruined. Draco was pissed and frustrated to the point of pouting like an eight year old that didn't get their way, but when he really thought about it, being seen with Potter directly after the paparazzi feeding frenzy would make it seem like he didn't care if he was caught and that was the exact opposite of what he wanted.

Draco knew from years of his fathers narrow-eyed, calculating looks that came right before being punished that Lucius could read expressions like an analyst and pick out lies even before they're told. So, if his father had seen any of the publicity circulating the tabloids and web pages, which Draco was sure he had been looking for on a daily basis since the first one was presented on TDP, then he would see his highly-disheveled son huddled up to the raven-haired boy, a surprised, camera-shy expression that Draco so carefully had in place at the time, and predicatively read that look how Draco wanted him to.

However, if Draco were to have another 'wild night out with his boyfriend', as the tabloids were calling it, right after the first one, Lucius would immediately know that he was milking attention and photo opportunities from the press, or at least have that kind of suspicion. That would lead to him finding out the truth, that his son was doing all of this on purpose, and Draco really didn't want him to.