Exploit
The next day, whispers flooded the halls of Hogwarts like wildfire. A professor had been fired — dismissed for inappropriate relations with a student. It was all anyone could talk about, a scandal so juicy that even the portraits seemed to murmur about it as students passed by. The news was still fresh, and though no one had openly confirmed it, it didn't take a genius to piece together who the student might have been.
Juliet Van Der Hart was still missing.
Pansy had been a wreck ever since Juliet had disappeared. Her normally composed exterior had crumbled, and the bags under her eyes were a clear sign of the sleepless night she had endured, fretting about her best friend. Draco, though outwardly composed, was quieter than usual — too quiet. There was something sharp in his expression, like he was balancing on the edge of something dangerous.
The group — Pansy, Draco, Daphne, Blaise, and Theo — sat in a corner of the Slytherin common room, their usual banter gone, replaced with an air of urgency.
"We need to find her," Pansy said, pacing back and forth. Her voice was tight with worry. "Before anyone else does. It's only a matter of time before people start pointing fingers."
Blaise, sprawled out on the couch, frowned. "You don't think... the rumors are true, do you?"
Pansy shot him a glare that could cut glass. "Of course not! But it doesn't matter what we believe. If she's linked to this, they'll use it to ruin her. As if she hasn't already made it easy enough by having the reputation that she does and running away," she muttered the last sentence to herself.
Draco leaned back against the armchair, arms crossed, his eyes narrowed in thought. He hadn't said much since the news broke, but his silence was unnerving. On the inside, a myriad of curse words crossed his mind. He believed the rumours — Juliet had slept with a professor. It wasn't like she was enough of a mess as it is, she had to bring it a step further and include a professor in her little game.He exchanged a brief glance with Theo, who looked equally tense.
"What if... what if she's hiding?" Daphne suggested, her voice softer. "Somewhere we haven't thought of?"
Pansy stopped pacing and turned to face them all. "We can't just sit around waiting for her to show up. We need to act." Her expression was resolute. "We'll split up. I'll check rehab facilities."
Draco finally spoke up, his voice cool and calculated. "I'll speak to her parents. They'll know something."
Blaise, always the smooth talker, grinned despite the tension in the air. "I'll ask around Hogwarts. Someone's bound to have seen her, or at least heard something."
Daphne and Theo exchanged a look before Theo nodded. "We'll talk to Dumbledore. See if the professors know anything more."
Pansy looked around at them, determination flashing in her eyes. "If Juliet's in trouble, we'll find her. And we'll get her out of it."
With their roles set, they stood, the weight of their task heavy on their shoulders. None of them knew what they were walking into, but the thought of losing Juliet — whether to scandal or something worse — was enough to push them forward.
As Draco made his way to the Van Der Hart estate, his thoughts were clouded with frustration. Despite his usual disdain for Juliet's reckless behavior, something about this situation didn't sit right with him. And if it turned out she was involved with that professor, well... he didn't know what he would do.
It was one thing to be famously known as the school slut, but a professor?! She really had done it this time. And he was sure that nothing — no amount of money or charm — could save her from the outcome. The gravity of what she'd done was too much for even Dumbledore to look past. However pessimistic he'd viewed the situation, he had to keep an open mind for Pansy. If she loses it, he will lose his mind.
There was too much at stake now.