What is love?
Draco sank into the luxurious royal green silk sofa in the dimly lit Slytherin common room, emitting a small but noticeable exhale as he settled down. He shifted his weight, crossing his arms in front of him while leaning back against the soft cushions, hoping to grab Pansy's attention.
"What is it now, Draco?" Pansy's voice cut through the quiet ambience of the room as she arched an eyebrow in his direction.
"It's nothing," he grumbled, his gaze turning towards the crackling fire in the nearby hearth.
"Okay then," Pansy responded, her expression betraying her scepticism.
"Okay, fine, I'll tell you," Draco relented, taking a deep breath before posing his question. "Pansy, how do you make someone fall in love with you?"
Pansy's features morphed from confusion to shock as she processed his inquiry. "Uh... Why? What did you do?"
Draco nervously gnawed at his lip, avoiding Pansy's piercing gaze. "Oh, Merlin... Draco, what did you do," she prodded, her tone now tinged with impatience.
"I may have started a tiny little bet with Potter," Draco admitted reluctantly.
"Pardon?" Pansy's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You heard me," Draco confirmed, his voice tinged with frustration.
"WHY?" Pansy's voice rose in astonishment.
"IT JUST HAPPENED, IT'S NOT MY FAULT!" Draco shot back.
"Draco, it's always your fault!" Pansy scolded, shaking her head in exasperation.
"SHUSH," Draco retorted, silencing her.
"Okay, just tell me what the bet exactly was," Pansy pressed, her curiosity piqued.
Draco took a moment to collect his thoughts before explaining, "Well, I said that I bet he would fall in love with me by the end of the project, and he was like, 'No, I won't. I'm the famous Harry Potter, and I would never fall in love with someone beneath me.'"
"I doubt he said all that," Pansy interjected, sceptical of Draco's account.
"That's how I heard it," Draco asserted, his tone defensive.
"And you are delusional," Pansy pointed out, unimpressed.
"I am not!" Draco protested.
"Are you planning on actually winning this bet?" Pansy inquired, her gaze piercing into Draco's unsettled expression.
"Obviously, I'll do anything to humiliate Potter. It's not like I'll fall for him," Draco replied with determination.
"What will you do if he does fall for you?" Pansy probed further, her scepticism evident.
"I'll win the bet, then break his Gryffindor heart," Draco declared, his tone tinged with cold determination.
"And what is the plan to make him fall for you?" Pansy pressed, expecting a detailed response.
Draco hesitated, and Pansy let out a resigned sigh. "Of course, you don't have one. Well, lucky for you, I actually have a boyfriend, so I can help. Wait—do you even know if Potter likes boys?"
Draco's reply was hesitant as he struggled to come up with an answer.
"Wow, I really thought you would know from all the research you do on him," Pansy remarked, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
"I don't research him," Draco insisted, although his tone lacked conviction.
"I know fully well you were very obsessed with him last year and the year before and the year—" Pansy started, only to be cut off by Draco.
"I get it," Draco interjected, irritated by Pansy's relentless teasing.
"Good. But seriously, I know you two are 'enemies,' but do you really have to be so obsessed with him all the time?" Pansy prodded, her voice tinged with exasperation.
"I'm not obsessed!" Draco insisted, his voice raising a few octaves in defence.
"Where is he right now?" Pansy questioned, her tone challenging.
"He's in detention with that new teacher Umbridge," Draco answered, his thoughts momentarily drifting to Harry.
"Obsessed," Pansy remarked, shaking her head in disapproval.
"What!?" Draco protested, taken aback by Pansy's accusation.
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Meanwhile, as Harry made his way back from his detention, he winced as he brought his hand to his forehead to soothe the pain from the scar etched on his skin. "'I must not tell lies'—what a load of BULLSHIT" he muttered under his breath. "That woman knows I'm telling the truth. She's simply too cowardly to believe it. Starting the day with almost getting detention and ending with actual abuse... This place is messed up."
Harry sought refuge in the bathroom, the cold water providing a temporary respite as he splashed his face, trying to wash away not only the physical discomfort but also the emotional turmoil. Removing his glasses, he leaned over the sink and turned the tap, the sound of running water providing a comforting background noise as it splashed against the porcelain basin. As he glanced at his reflection in the fogged-up mirror, all he could see was a blurry image staring back at him. Using the sleeve of his robe, he wiped the droplets of water from his face, his thoughts consumed by the day's events.
Leaving the bathroom, Harry's obscured vision caused him to realize that he had left his glasses behind. Annoyance crept into his tone as he muttered under his breath, "Oh, damn it, my glasses." He pivoted on his heel and retraced his steps back to the bathroom, feeling a surge of frustration at the unexpected inconvenience.
As he adjusted his glasses onto his face his focus drifted to voices around the corner.
"What is love?"
his curiosity got the best of him and Harry decided to eavesdrop. The voices sounded oddly familiar.
"Have you never been in love?" the girl asked.
"How do I know if I have been in love?"
"You just know when it happens. It's like a sort of sinking feeling of desperation but not a bad one, well it depends on the situation."
"How do I make Potter fall in love with me?"
What? Is that seriously- he was being serious about that bet? I shouldn't be listening to this... or should I?
He hears the voices grow louder queueing him to leave.
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Harry decided not the listen to the conversation anymore, he had heard more than he really needed right now.
Draco Malfoy wants me to fall in love with him. I should've just remembered my quill.
"Harry, are you okay? you look a tad bit startled," Hermione said with her natural ring of concern.
"I'm fine," That's what I always say.
"That's what you always say." Hermione examines Harry to see if anything has happened.
"What's that on your hand?"
His heart did a skip, if Hermione finds out about the mark she's going to go on a rampage.
He gulps. "What hand?"
"Don't be daft." She grabs his hand.
"I must not tell lies... Harry, did she do this to you?"
"Maybe."
Hermione's eyes narrowed, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Harry, this isn't just some schoolyard prank. This is serious."
Harry pulled his hand back, tucking it into his pocket as if that could make the scar disappear. "Hermione, it's fine. It was a long time ago. I'm dealing with it."
Her expression softened, but the worry in her eyes deepened. "You shouldn't have to deal with this alone, Harry. What Umbridge did... it wasn't right. And now this with Malfoy—"
"Please, Hermione, just... drop it," Harry interrupted, his voice harsher than he intended. "I can't—" He paused, exhaling sharply. "I can't handle everyone trying to protect me. Not now."
Hermione studied him for a moment, her concern evident, but she nodded slowly. "Alright, Harry. But if you ever want to talk about it, you know I'm here."
Harry nodded, offering a faint, grateful smile. "I know. Thanks, Hermione."
But even as they started walking towards the Great Hall, Harry couldn't shake the feeling that everything was spinning out of control. The mark on his hand burned slightly, a reminder of the past he couldn't escape. And now, the added confusion about Malfoy... He didn't know what to think, but one thing was clear: he had to be careful. There were too many people watching him, waiting for him to break or to take a wrong step. And he couldn't afford to let that happen. Not now.
As they entered the hall, Harry tried to focus on the present, pushing all other thoughts to the back of his mind. But deep down, he knew that things were only going to get more complicated.