Cover Up
"What the—" expressed Juliet as she shuffled to regain her balance.
"Juliet, we're screwed," Pansy said, her voice shaking as she pinned the tall blonde against the wall. She kept glancing around as if Snape himself was about to appear. "A second-year told Snape it was your idea to throw the party!"
Juliet froze. "What? How? Who—?"
"I don't know!" Pansy interrupted, her voice rising. "Snape's been interrogating everyone, and now it's out there. You know how much he despises you. One slip-up from someone, and that's all he needs to pin this on you. You're going to be expelled!" Pansy's words tumbled out in a frantic rush.
Juliet closed her eyes, trying to stay calm, but inside, her stomach twisted into knots. The recklessness of last night — the drinking, the noise, the boy who had fallen down the stairs and ended up in St. Mungo's — was now crashing down on her.
"Okay, okay," Juliet said, taking a deep breath, though her heart pounded furiously. "I'll fess up."
Pansy's eyes widened even more. "What?! No, Juliet! You can't! Do you know what that means? You'll get expelled. You'll be ruined!" Pansy was shaking her head furiously, gripping Juliet's arm like a lifeline.
"Yeah, well, someone has to," Juliet replied, her voice quieter now. She couldn't run away from this forever. "Besides, Snape already hates me. It's only a matter of time before he pins this whole mess on me anyway."
Pansy stared at her like she was insane. "You're really going to go in there and sacrifice yourself?"
Juliet met Pansy's gaze and, for the first time in a long time, felt the weight of everything she had done. "This was my idea. The party, the drinking, all of it. I'm not going to let anyone else get expelled for something I caused."
Pansy's lip trembled. "But... you don't have to! We can come up with a plan! Lie, deflect — anything!" She was desperate, her panic rising again.
Juliet shook her head, her expression softening. "There's no plan, Pans. I've run out of tricks."
Pansy started to babble again, panic overtaking her once more, but Juliet placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'll go to Snape, okay? It'll be fine."
"You can't!" Pansy cried, gripping Juliet tighter, her voice almost breaking. "What are we going to do without you? Who's going to—"
"I'll handle it," Juliet interrupted, forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Just... don't worry. I'll figure something out."
Pansy stared at her, disbelief and fear warring in her expression. "Please don't go in there, Jules."
Juliet hesitated, but she knew what she had to do. She squeezed Pansy's hand gently and nodded. "I'm going."
Pansy watched helplessly as Juliet turned and made her way toward Snape's office. Juliet felt her stomach twist with every step, her mind racing with a million thoughts. Is this really how it ends?
Juliet stood frozen outside the wooden doors of Snape's office, suddenly washed over with sentiment. She'd spent a lot of time at Snape's office. The very first time was when she'd skipped Potions class in the first year and laughed during the entirety of their discussion. Snape tries his hardest to intimidate her with threats of contacting parents and failing, but Juliet remained headstrong on her decision to skip class. Besides, her parents would've simply paid a charitable endowment to Hogwarts to keep Juliet from consequences.
She couldn't stand to think that it had begun from skipping one class, to a young boy in a coma for an illegal party she was responsible for. She'd started to really reflect in it: was this really who she'd become?
Better get this over with now, she thought, not wanting to delay the impossible.
Just as Juliet was about to knock on Snape's door, it swung open, and Draco Malfoy walked out. His face was unreadable, and for a moment, Juliet froze. She wanted to ask him why he was there, but the words wouldn't come. Draco didn't say a word as he brushed past her, his expression cold and distant.
Juliet's heart raced as Draco walked past her, not even sparing her a glance. She stood there, watching him disappear down the hallway, wondering what exactly had just happened. Her mind was swimming with questions. She sighed, knowing that Draco strived to deepen the coffin she was already in by ratting her out to Snape as well.
The door to Snape's office loomed in front of her. She took a deep breath, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on her chest. There was no turning back now.
Juliet stepped into Snape's office, her palms clammy and her throat dry. The room was dimly lit, the shelves lined with jars filled with unsettling creatures, and the air smelled faintly of potions and damp stone. Snape sat behind his desk, his cold, calculating eyes fixed on her as if he'd been expecting her.
"Miss Van Der Hart," he said, his voice low and dripping with disdain. "What brings you here?"
Juliet swallowed hard, trying to steady herself. "I... I came to take responsibility for the party," she managed to say, her voice shaky. "It was my idea. I planned it."
Snape raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair with a look of mild surprise, but he didn't seem convinced. "How noble of you," he said sarcastically. "However, your confession is no longer necessary."
Juliet blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Snape's gaze narrowed. "Mr. Malfoy has already taken full responsibility for the incident."
The words hit Juliet like a ton of bricks. Draco?! She stared at Snape, her mind reeling. Draco had already confessed? But why?
"That can't be right," Juliet stammered. "Draco didn't—"
Snape cut her off, his voice cold and final. "Mr. Malfoy has admitted to hosting the party and claimed full responsibility. As far as I'm concerned, the matter is closed."
Juliet stood there, speechless. Draco took the fall for me?
"Return to your dormitory, Miss Van Der Hart," Snape said, waving his hand dismissively. "And do try to stay out of trouble for once."
Juliet hesitated for a moment, her mind still spinning, before turning and leaving the office. She felt a rush of relief mixed with confusion and guilt. Why would Draco take the blame for something she did? It didn't make any sense.
As she walked back toward the Slytherin common room, her thoughts were a whirlwind. Draco hates me. He thinks I'm reckless and irresponsible. So why would he lie for me?
When she reached the corridor leading to the common room, she spotted Draco on the couch reading over a book which she'd noticed he'd been reading every time she'd spotted him in the common room.
"Draco," she said, her voice soft but filled with questions.
He didn't look at her right away. His expression was cool, unreadable, but there was something beneath the surface — something guarded.
"Why did you do that?" Juliet asked, stepping closer. "Why did you tell Snape it was your party?"
Draco shrugged, his tone casual but laced with annoyance. "Don't read into it, Van Der Hart. I just couldn't stand listening to Snape drag on about it any longer."
Juliet frowned, not buying his dismissive attitude. "That's not it, and you know it."
He sighed in annoyance and finally met her gaze, his grey eyes hard and cold. "Maybe I did it because I can afford to take the fall. Unlike you. You screw up again, and it's over for you."
Juliet's breath caught in her throat. He was right. With her reputation, another major infraction could mean expulsion. But that still didn't explain why Draco, of all people, would cover for her.
"You didn't have to do that," she said quietly, her voice tinged with a mix of gratitude and confusion.
Draco scoffed. "Consider it a favor. But don't think I won't hold it over your head when the time comes."
Juliet's eyes narrowed. "So that's it? You did this so I owe you?"
A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Precisely."
She rolled her eyes, the initial gratitude she felt starting to fade. "Of course. Should have known it wasn't out of the goodness of your heart."
"Trust me, Van Der Hart," Draco said, stepping closer, his voice low and cold, "there's nothing good in my heart when it comes to you."
The words stung more than she expected, but she didn't let it show. Instead, she straightened her shoulders, meeting his gaze with defiance. "Fine. What do you want, then?"
Draco's smirk widened slightly, though there was something darker behind it. "We'll see. When the time is right, I'll collect. Until then, try not to destroy everything around you."
Juliet glared at him but said nothing. She watched as Draco walked away, disappearing around the corner. The strange weight of his favor hung over her like a cloud, and she couldn't shake the feeling that things between them had shifted — whether she liked it or not.
As she made her way back to the common room, her mind kept going back to the look in Draco's eyes when he had covered for her. There was something more than disdain and arrogance there, but she couldn't quite place it.