BROKEN PIECES & GOLDEN SEAMS

XXIII

45. talking about experiments
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Percy does her odd dance to the Great Hall. Taking long steps when there isn't a need and skirting around something only she can see.

"What's on the agenda today?" Millie asks, matching her steps. "No Giant Squids?"

She hums, blinking at the castle walls.

Blaise flanks her other side, "Not provoking the pink abomination?"

Percy's frown clears as she gets accustomed to her surroundings. She shakes her head. "Above, breathing,"

She doesn't see the others exchanging looks among themselves. Nor does she notice it when Millie lets go of her arm that has been holding her up and slips away.

"Wh—?"

"Any plans for today?" Pansy poses the question as if it wasn't asked before.

"Nothing much," Percy is reassured that she hasn't missed much of the conversation. She surveys the castle floors and walls for the third time before she resumes walking, in a steady pace rather than her odd dance.

"It'll be the weekend soon,"

"Visiting camp?"

"Can we see Grover?"

Percy laughs at their barrage of questions. Draco shakes his head.

"Someday sure," Grover has become somewhat of a legend among their little group of friends spread across the houses. It wasn't hard for him to become a oft discussed topic with Percy speaking of him in her fond tone, making almost regular calls to him and his uncanny ability to calm her.

They voice their protests as Draco steers them to the grounds. They had decided to lounge there. A better choice to spend the weekend rather than the crowded and too cold Hogsmeade.

"Grover wouldn't be interested in your nails Pansy,"

Percy continues to laugh. "I don't know Blaise, he might be. He's too nice,"

As the conversation dies down, their arguments presented to convince her to see her best friend has become nonsensical. Blaise claims he could teach him exploding snap (he's the best after all and he's notoriously known for not helping anyone else, much less teach them) whereas Pansy wants to show off her nails.

"My nails are magnificent, thank you," she goes on to relay every second spent on it. It took three hours to do her nails.

Percy interrupts her, raising her hands, "I'll talk to him. Now, I have something I wanted to say,"

Draco and Millie give up their pretence of studying, inviting themselves into the conversation now that the pointless argument has died down.

"I'll teach you,"

"Was it all because of Steve?" Pansy asks after a long pause, unable to keep away her victorious grin.

"No," it's more of a warning as she says it.

Pansy blinks innocently at her.

"What is it then?" For once, Draco's not psychological profiling her. He would blame his curiosity for that.

"I want to." They expect some sort of explanation but she's never lived up to expectations. "I need a favour before that though,"

Before a scoff could be heard or a remark following it of how it's all for her own gain, she continues, "We need a new place to have the meetings,"