Treacherous - Theodore Nott

Chapter Four

I'm seated between Blaise and Astoria on our favorite plush couch in the common room. Mia is lounging between Lorenzo and Theodore, the latter with his arm propped on the couch behind her. Draco and Mattheo share a loveseat across from them, snickering about a letter some Hufflepuff passed Lorenzo in Transfiguration earlier today.

"Unreal this is," Draco chuckles, "a Hufflepuff with no shame. What a find. How'd you respond?" He looks at Lorenzo expectantly.

"Turned her down, naturally," he replied, laughing along.

"Oye, she's fully propositioned herself and you just turned her down?" Blaise shakes his head. "Brutal, mate."

I elbow him in the side, "Be nice. I'm sure she's a lovely girl."

Our eyes meet and we burst into laughter, everyone joining in. Everyone but Theodore.

As the laughter dies down, a comfortable silence settles into the room.

Our silence is promptly broken by a pair of shoes clacking on stone.

"You guys didn't tell me you were hanging out," a shrill voice whines.

I can practically feel everyone's annoyance rising as we all turn our heads to the voice.

"Pansy," Astoria hisses.

Pansy smiles down at her, mockingly. She makes her way to the love seat that has little room left, and manages to squeeze between Draco and Mattheo.

"Wow, Pansy. It's a miracle you managed to fit there. I'm pretty sure that's seats meant for two people," Blaise says to her.

"Well, I'm just so small. I can fit practically anywhere."

It's a battle to keep the groan from escaping my throat.

"Actually, I just remembered, I have something I need to work on," Draco says, standing up. "Violet, do you think you could help me on this, uh... project real quick?"

"Sure thing," I say standing to join him, "lead the way."

To Pansy's obvious dismay, we escape to the far side of the common room and choose a small table shoved between a bookshelf and the stone wall, the silencing charms blanketing us.

"What do you know about poison?" Draco begins.

"What? Like poisoning someone?"

"Uh, yeah. Potions homework."

"Well, I suppose I don't know much on the topic," I apologize.

Draco has an anxious look plastered on his face. "What about, well, say it's mixed with alcohol, right? How detectable do you think it would be?"

"Sorry, what's the topic of this paper again?"

"Oh... It's the art of disguising poison, I think. Or something like that."

"Interesting topic," I look to him suspiciously. "Well, I do know that the stronger the alcohol, the easier it is to hide whatever poison you're attempting. Say you poisoned a butter beer- that would be easier to distinguish than say, poisoning a bottle of mead. Does that help at all?"

"So, you're saying that mead would hide poison well?"

"Yes. Now, Draco, you're not planning on poisoning anyone... are you?"

He scoffs. "No. If I wanted to kill someone I certainly wouldn't do it by poison. It's a project, is all."

I throw my hands up in surrender. "Sorry I asked."

After Draco takes a few notes, and I offer up a few pointers, we make our way back over to the seating area where our friends wait. Draco opts for an armchair; the farthest one from the loveseat currently occupied by Mattheo and Pansy.