Draco Malfoy Gets a Life Coach

You Read My Mind

Mother refused to tell me anything about their lunch date, and it was beyond maddening.

Thankfully, I had the distraction of Theo and my potions planning to keep me occupied. Pansy, Greg, and Blaise stopped by as well the following day. Granger hadn't sent any of them owls. Somehow she had correctly assumed Theo to be my closest friend, and knew that a letter to him would be sufficient to alert the others. Still, the fact that she had done so was not missed.

"Did you say that Hermione Granger sent you an owl?" Greg asked Theo as we all sat lazily around the parlor Thursday afternoon.

Pansy came out from behind the Muggle fashion magazine she'd had her nose buried in and said, "Goody goody Granger? What's she up to these days?"

"Keeping Draco in line, mostly," Theo said with a grin, and I had to hold back a growl.

"Is that right?" asked Blaise, swirling his Firewhisky and looking dangerously curious.

"She's working in Muggle Liaison and overseeing my case, that's all," I said to the room at large. I knew I'd sounded a bit too defensive when Pansy raised an eyebrow at me.

"Bit protective, are we?"

In my periphery, I could see Theo grinning, more than ready to have this conversation. Again.

I didn't speak because I knew that I would only sputter and give them more to think on.

Greg's perplexed face caught my eye, which spurred him to speak. "Why would she owl Theo for you?"

I answered without looking up from the thread I was playing with on my trouser seam. "Part of her job, I expect."

This seemed to satisfy the newcomers, but Theo was not going to let this go. I sent him a glare intended as a warning. My threat from the previous day was still in effect as far as I was concerned.

Apparently, he had planned an entirely different tack this time.

"Parkinson, you ran into her at the Ministry, didn't you?"

Pansy put down her magazine once again and sighed. "I did. Just after badgering Shacklebolt. We rode the same lift. She was actually really decent to me, considering..."

"And what was it you said to me after? Something about how good she looked in Ministry robes?"

I looked over at Pansy and saw her face grow red, throwing daggers at Theo.

"Fuck's sake, Theo, are you really outing me right now?"

I looked over to Theo and he shrugged, the same shite-eating grin on his face. "He was gonna find out one way or another."

"Yes, well I would have preferred to choose to do it on my own terms, thanks a lot!" she said, throwing her magazine at Theo's head. He ducked and it skidded across the polished wood floor.

Blaise laughed. "On your own terms, like making out with Tracey Davis in front of all of us at the Leaky one random evening?"

"Yes, Zabini! That was the exact definition of my own terms!" Pansy growled back.

Greg sat watching the interaction about as dumbfounded as I was. "Wait... how did I miss this?"

Everyone turned to look at Greg.

"Greg, Parkinson and Davis have been an item for the past six months. You've been out with all of us, seen them snogging, how are you confused?" Blaise asked.

Greg shrugged. "Just thought it was one of those things girls do when drunk?"

Everyone made groans of exasperation, but my eyes sought Pansy and I raised a brow at her. "Davis, huh?"