Part 5
Something that Draco prided himself in was his unwavering ability to talk himself into and out of absolutely anything and everything... that is, until now.
He stared blankly at Pansy as she stared right back waiting for an answer to her question.
Pansy did not like to wait.
“Draco, darling, I will repeat myself only once and I expect an answer. What the bloody fuck is that?”
She was looking at the jumper he was wearing with a look of abject horror.
He didn’t know what to do, if he didn’t answer her she’d probably curse him. If he did answer her but lied, she would curse him (because she always knew when he was lying). If he told her the truth... well she’d curse him.
“Well Pansy, sweetheart, it is a jumper.” He was so screwed.
She smiled sweetly at him, and with a quick flick of her wrist sent a stinging hex at him.
He flinched slightly – she didn’t really try very hard. But he knew the next one would be stronger if he denied her any longer.
“It is red... and gold. Draco, is there something I need to know?” Her voice and words were pleasant, but the look in her eyes was not.
“I look good in it.” Fucking hell – so screwed.
“You look good in anything darling, you’re a Malfoy. But that does not mean that you should wear anything.”
“Well, if you didn’t barge into the boy’s dormitory at such an ungodly hour then you wouldn’t have even seen me wearing it and therefore, you really shouldn’t even be asking me about it.”
“So, there is something I should know…”
Draco stuck his nose in the air and turned his back on his best friend, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“It’s Potter’s, isn’t it?”
It took absolutely everything in Draco to not whip around in panic to face her. How on Earth did she know that?
He turned slowly with an eyebrow raised, “That is a completely ridiculous conclusion.”
Pansy smirked at him and (Draco couldn’t believe it but,) she waggled her eyebrows right back at him. “Is it?”
Draco – very unMalfoy like, spluttered.
“Honestly, what would even prompt you to make such an outlandish claim?”
“I have my sources.” Was her only comment as she turned on her heel and walked out of the room.
Draco stared at her back as she left, he could feel the panic rise through his entire body until he was shaking. Fuck fuck fuck. Pansy always knew when he was lying, and he wasn’t even close to convincing just then.
As soon as she shut the door behind her Draco threw himself back towards his dresser, pulling Harry’s jumper off and hiding it at the bottom of a drawer. He quickly dressed for the day, using a mouth cleaning charm instead of his usual teeth brushing and raced out of the dorm.
He caught up to Pansy just as she was leaving the common room. He followed her through the portrait and towards the Great Hall for breakfast.
“You need to relax. I’m not going to tell anyone that doesn’t already know.”
That did not, in fact, help Draco relax at all. “What do you mean that doesn’t already know, who knows?” He will not admit that his voice came out a little panicked.
Pansy stopped walking and gently nudged him into a small alcove. “Draco, you are my absolute best friend in the world. I have known you’ve been obsessed with Potter since the first day on the train in first year. Before that even. Do you honestly think I wouldn’t have noticed when the way you spoke to and about him changed?”
He blinked rapidly at her, he didn’t think it had changed.
She smiled at him, this time in a calming way. “You say the same words but it’s the way you say them now, and it’s the same with Potter. You’re not doing it to get a rise out of each other or to get the other in trouble any more. I can hear the fondness in your voice and Potter always looks like he can’t get enough of it.” She put her hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye, with the most serious expression he had ever seen her wear. “I don’t care that he’s a Gryffindor or that he’s the Golden Boy or any of that utter rubbish. He makes you happy, he makes you feel Draco. And I couldn’t be more overjoyed for you. I saw the way you were in the stands, watching him in the first task. I knew then that you were smitten and when he looks at you when he doesn’t think anyone is paying attention, it’s clear that you are immeasurably important to him.” She squeezed his shoulder, “I will not let anyone or anything take that from you. You deserve a love like that and as your best friend and a Slytherin, you have my word on that.”
Draco couldn’t breath. He leaned in to her and crushed her to him. “You are the best, most amazing, fantastic best friend anyone could ever ask for.”
He was definitely NOT crying.
They pulled away as Pansy said, “right. Enough Hufflepuff sentimentality. I’m hungry.”
Draco laughed and they walked to the hall arm in arm.