Who's To Blame?
Astoria Greengrass was the first to be interrogated. Unlike her older sister, Daphne, she wasn't into the party scene and had simply been dragged into the mess for the party being hosted in the common room. The interrogation was no joke and Snape had obviously taken serious consideration of all strings possible to get Astoria to confess. But Daphne had threatened her. No word, no knowledge.
The Slytherin common room is somber, waiting for Astoria to return and give them some pointers to keep their stories straight. Whispers dart across the room about the boy in St. Mungo's after his fall, and Professor Snape's impending investigation. Draco, sitting in his usual corner, scowls as he watches Blaise, Pansy, and the others discussing what to do next. His mind is whirring with annoyance and irritation at how stupid the whole situation has become.
Juliet stumbles into the common room, her hair still wild, eyes carrying the last traces of her hangover. She'd been drinking by herself all night. She tries to act unbothered, but there's an unmistakable tension in the air.
Draco, his icy gaze locking onto her, sneers. "Well, look who it is. The star of the disaster. Come to check on your handiwork, Juliet?"
She narrows her eyes, irritation flashing across her face. "I didn't force anyone to do anything, Malfoy."
"No, but you sure set the stage for it," Draco retorts, crossing his arms as his voice takes on that haughty tone. "You think throwing parties and getting everyone plastered doesn't come with consequences? You're so wrapped up in your privileged little bubble, aren't you?"
Juliet's temper flares, but she masks it with a casual shrug. "It's not my fault everyone wants to have a good time. They make their own choices. And since when did you forget that you also have privileges for being a Malfoy?"
Draco stands up, walking toward her, his tone cold and cutting. "You're a walking catastrophe. And now, you've got us all dragged into this mess with Snape breathing down our necks."
Juliet stiffens, trying not to let his words get under her skin, but they do. "Why do you care? You're not in trouble yet, Malfoy."
"Yet," he snaps, stepping closer. "I care about my name being dragged into some reckless party you threw. Snape's going to start looking for someone to blame, and it's not going to be long before he figures out who the ringleader was."
Juliet raises an eyebrow, her mask of indifference slipping for a moment. "And what do you propose, Draco? What's your brilliant idea?"
"Alright!" Pansy yells, interrupting the ongoing battle between Juliet and Draco. "I've had enough with you two going at each other's throats every single minute of the day. We can't come up with a plan unless you two work together."
"Don't talk to me," started Draco. "I'm not the one hungover yet again."
"Oh, you are so full of it, Malfoy," rebutted Juliet, having had enough of Draco constantly on her ass.
"Opposite sides of the room!" yelled Pansy once again. "Both of you!"
Draco rolled his eyes and proceeded stand in the corner beside Blaise as Juliet walked over beside Pansy.
"Now, we have to wait for Astoria to come back before we can start any plan of action," said Blaise, elbows on his knees with his hands clasped together. "You know, technically, it was Pansy."
Pansy gave him a shocked look with her mouth agape. "Oh, no way, I'm not getting blamed for this. I did it as a favour. Juliet would've thrown a party either way."
Juliet's head snapped toward Pansy. "I was recovering from an overdose! I would not have thrown a party."
"You would've thrown a party for recovering for an overdose. You threw a party the day you came out of rehab!" interrupted Daphne.
"If I remember correctly," spoke Draco with his face turned toward Daphne, "you planned the party because you wanted to get with Cedric."
"If you mean, I helped a friend whose idea it was to throw a party for our other friend who wanted the party," Daphne scowered around her brain for an excuse, "then I hypothetically was an accomplice."
"Wait hold on," Blaise expressed in confusion. "So Daphne planned the party, but the host name was on Pansy, but the idea was on Juliet?"
"Technically," added Pansy, "Theodore supplied the alcohol."
Theodore raised an eyebrow comedically. "You mean the alcohol that you, Juliet and Daphne harrassed me to get?"
"Okay, hold on," said Daphne, swiping her hands through the air. "Who told people about the party?"
"Draco did," Blaise pointed.
Draco shook his head. "I told people because Pansy told me to! She said she needed to help Juliet get ready and asked me to spread the word!"
"Did you invite Cedric?" asked Blaise.
"No, Juliet did," Daphne said.
"Because Pansy told me he was the guest of honour for saving my life!" defended Juliet.
"So we all had something to do with this party," finalized Pansy.
"I never did anything," Blaise begged to differ, sitting back on the couch and laughing.