White Lies

The Real Deal

"You idiotic, pathetic excuse for a specimen of the human male species, I ought to castrate you where you stand –"

While in the middle of eating his food, Blaise shrugged at Draco. "She's really mad, mate."

Draco rolled his eyes. Obviously. Still, the light around Pansy turned black, so he wasn't really worried about losing his equipment to a woman's wrath. Thus, he decided it was safe to sigh exasperatedly. "Pansy!" he shouted firmly, which effectively shut the girl up, just like it always did. She settled for glaring at him instead, fuming in her seat. He raised one royal eyebrow. "What in Merlin's bloody name are you talking about?"

"You!" she shrieked furiously. "What was up with that?"

Draco regarded her coolly. "With what?"

Pansy's eyes narrowed. "Don't you 'with what' me. You know exactly 'with what'," she said, before dropping her voice into a low hiss. "What was up with you practically ignoring Potter's existence? He looks like a dog being deprived of his master's tender love and care."

Later, maybe Draco could fantasize about Harry being utterly dependent on his love and care, but now he had reality to attend to.

"You exaggerate, Pansy," he scoffed, waving a hand. The light around Pansy was gold. He didn't know if it was funny or sad that she seriously thought that Harry looked like a dog being deprived.

"He's looking at you right now."

Draco's eyes automatically glanced up, trained to spot Harry amongst the sea of Gryffindors. He quickly turned away, and scowled. "It's merely a Gryffindor, guilt-trip thing."

Pansy sighed exasperatedly. "Will you then please tell me what's got your knickers in a bunch?"

Draco pulled a face at her. "My knickers?"

Pansy shrugged. "Morgan's been going around telling everyone what it meant. It's a Muggle thing apparently."

"And you're using it?" Draco said dryly, regarding her with a deadpan expression.

"Don't change the subject, darling."

Draco's shoulders drooped.

Blaise's eyebrow quirked up as Harry Potter became visibly agitated from the Gryffindor Table.

"It's just that..." Draco started, lips pursing in frustration. "He's such a Gryffindor." The last word was said with defeat more than with distaste.

Pansy merely flipped her bangs away from her eyes. "You love him for that."

Draco scrunched up his nose in reply. "That's horribly Hufflepuff of you to say."

Pansy paused. "It is, isn't it?" she said worriedly. Then her eyes widened and she glared at Draco. "Bloody hell, stop changing the subject!"

Suddenly, a commotion overtook the Gryffindor Table and they watched curiously as Harry Potter hastily retreated from the Great Hall. Weasley and Granger merely followed him with their eyes as he left, before resuming their breakfast.

Well, that was peculiar.

"Aren't you going to follow him?" Blaise commented casually.

Draco's eyebrow quirked upwards. "Why should I?" he muttered sulkily, to which Pansy and Blaise rolled their eyes at.

They all knew why Draco should follow him.

One, Snape had excessively told Draco and Harry that they were not to be separated unless during meal times or for personal hygiene. Two, although Pansy and Blaise did not yet know of this, Lupin had told them the same thing.