if one of them is dead.

chapter twenty-two.

Pansy.

Pansy Parkinson was really starting to hate her choice after Lilith and Cassius Warrington had broken up.

She knew that she shouldn't have stopped talking to Lilith. Pansy knew what it was like to break up with someone, but Lilith had looked like she was taking it relatively well. Minus the short and darker hair.

He had liked it long.

But after everything, the breakup, the death, the aftermath, Pansy was regretting every decision she had made.

She didn't even know why she had stopped talking to Lilith. But Lilith hadn't seemed bothered by it, she made no effort to talk to Pansy.

But she still had no idea. Was it because she knew that people would shut Lilith out, even though she was decently liked? The others on the other hand, people didn't try talking to them a lot. Sometimes Draco, but more Blaise. And people were scared of Mattheo anyway.

Was it that she just needed a break from Mattheo and Lilith's constant bickering, and she just never came back from that 'break.'

They had sorted out their bickering over Christmas, apparently.

Draco looked defeated after his fight with Mattheo in the common room that day, but Tracey Davis had warned Pansy not to go over to him.

Accusing people for murder was one thing. Accusing the boyfriend was also something, especially when that boyfriend was Mattheo Riddle, son of one of the most powerful dark wizards of all time. Also the dark wizard that showed no mercy on anyone, no matter who it was.

Mattheo couldn't blame people for thinking he had something to do with it. But he could be mad about it.

He did seem to love her.

But she had started acting— different this school year, anyone could see it.

But that didn't mean she didn't love him, because anyone could see that too.

Pansy thought that a few people had tried to figure out who would have wanted to kill Lilith.

Severus, Pansy, Mattheo, Draco, Blaise, Hermione, Ginny, Harry, and others.

Though, some thought longer and harder on it and had different motives to do so.

And no one could figure anything out. Like, who would have really wanted to do it? Why? What the hell was she hiding? Why was she hiding it? And how the hell did that have anything to do with why she was killed?

Which also brought Pansy back to the fact that they didn't even have a funeral.

It was April, and they hadn't had a funeral for her. Nothing. There was just the 'meeting' that the whole school had had. And Dumbledore hadn't said much.

Pansy thought Mattheo would have been up in arms that they hadn't done something— anything.

Pansy thought about all the different things Lilith could have been keeping from them. There were so many things—

"Pansy," Davis snapped, "pay attention."

Pansy shook her head and raised her brows. "Sorry, what?"

Perks rolled her eyes. "We were talking about Mattheo. He's hungover again."

"Again?" Pansy asked.

It was becoming a normal thing at this point. No one ever commented on it, especially not to him.

Pansy suspected he had been getting drunk a hell of a lot longer than people had known, and she thought she was right.

But lately Mattheo had been getting drunk regularly. And, at this point, he wasn't really trying to hide the fact.

"Yes, again," Astoria said, sighing. "See, this is what I mean when I say everyone around her goes to shit. I mean, he's been going crazy since she died, and now it's taking full affect."

"I don't know if I would say that," Pansy said. "I dont think anyone would take their girlfriend's death lightly."

"But it's been like five months," Astoria said.

"Five months," Pansy repeated. "That's hardly any time, but it feels longer for people, Astoria."

Astoria shrugged. "Maybe I could take his mind off of it all..."

Pansy scoffed. "He wouldn't fuck anyone in this room. In his mind, he's still dating her. Whether she's gone or not, it doesn't matter."

"What crawled up your ass, Pansy?" Davis asked, crossing her arms. "You don't feel bad for him, do you?"

"Of course not," Pansy lied quickly. "He's an asshole."

She would have cringed at how bad her lie was, but the others hadn't seemed to notice. Draco was right about one thing, Lilith kept her secrets from them all. Pansy just wasn't as good of keeping hers as Lilith was.

After a moment of Pansy zoning the others out while they started talking, she spoke up again. "Hey, guys, I think I need to do something really quick. I'll be back later," she said, standing up.

"Where are you going?" Astoria asked, tilting her head to the side.

Pansy paused momentarily, but shook her head and started walking towards the long table behind one of the couches. "I have to set things straight," was all she said as she continued walking.

She stopped behind Draco and tapped his shoulder lightly. He stopped running his hands through his hair to turn around. He sneered.

"What the hell do you want, Parkinson?" he snapped, narrowing his eyes at her.

She cleared her throat. "I need to talk to you."

Draco scoffed and shook his head. "Well, that sucks for you, Parkinson. I'm busy, and I don't feel like talking to you at all. So, go away."

Pansy sighed. "Draco, I'm being serious. It has something to do with Lilith."

That got his attention.

"What is it?"