Gossip {Sherlock Holmes/Harry Potter}

Chapter Thirty Two

"You realize you totally just blew your chances to sweep Granger off her feet, right?" Nancy looked at Pierce like he was the dumbest thing on the face of the Earth as they walked back to the Ravenclaw Tower after the Ball.

Pierce shrugged. "That wasn't the appropriate time to do anything, it was clear that Hermione is upset. That leaves her in a vulnerable state. If I were to try anything in that moment, it would just make me feel like a predator going after prey. It wasn't the right time." 

Nancy's face softened for a minute before she gave a slight frowned.

'You really like her, don't you?"

He gave another shrug of his shoulders as he tucked his hands into the pockets of his dress robes.

"She's one of the few intellectual beings that walk the corridors of this school. Far too often I'm approached by some of these girls that could talk about the same thing for hours on end and I could be okay with that, if the discussion wasn't about gossiping about other people in the castle. I can't stand that for the life of me."

"I'm sure you're sick of that considering you've practically grown up with it...haven't you?" Nancy asked.

"I have. I had a few moments of saving grace when I spent time with my grandparents or some summers with my father but eventually he just stopped caring enough to even allow me to escape to his flat on Baker Street. So I spent all my time around Rita."

"Do you really call her Rita...to her face?" 

"I do." Pierce said proudly. "I wouldn't give her the title of Mum or Mummy..I haven't since I was probably about five years old. I realized early on that she wasn't very motherly. She cared more about her job than me. I remember being left alone in the house for hours at a time wondering where she was, she'd come home and...gah..I don't want to bore you with any of it. It doesn't matter anyways, complaining about it isn't going to magically make it all better. The fact is...I don't like my parents and they don't like me."

"I don't think that's true. I think they care about you, I'm sure they just don't know how to go about showing it very well."

"Well, I don't care. Once I turn of age, I'm going to get my own place somewhere far away from them."

"And do what?"

"I don't know. I'll shock everyone and become a cartoonist or something."

Nancy laughed before shaking her head. "No offense to any cartoonists but that would be a waste of a brilliant mind like yours, Pierce."

"Oooh Miss Drew, if I didn't now any better I would assume you're flirting with me." 

"Don't flatter yourself." she said with an eye roll as a slight shade of pink developed on her cheeks.

'But ..but I love to flatter myself so.." he said running his hands over his chest and through his hair dramatically.

"That was weird and now I'm uncomfortable." Nancy said trying to hide her smile. "Perhaps this is why we haven't spoken much before, Mr. Holmes."

"Well, I don't do much talking to begin with, Miss Drew."

"So I should be honored that you're talking to me?"

"I didn't say that."

"Were you implying it?"

"Not intentionally if I was."

The two exchanged a smirk before they reached the eagle knocker. Nancy turned to him to provide the answer for the riddle, but Pierce placed out his arms.

"Ladies first."

"So you and Nancy Drew..." Julius asked as he came into the boy's dorm that evening after walking Vanessa to the Slytherin entrance.

Pierce glanced over from his bed. "What?"

"I'm just saying, she's really pretty too and I heard she's one of the smartest girls in the school besides Granger. At least, that's what Vanessa said."

"And I've only spoken with Nancy for the first time face to face for more than a minute , this evening, so what are you implying, Julie?"

"You know I hate it when you call me that."

"I do. But you know I hate it when people assume things based on one action."

"Okay, okay, my fault." Julius raised his hands and walked over to his bed. "I was only making mention of it because Hermione seems to be caught up with Krum."

"I don't have any problems with patience, I can wait." Pierce said.

"But it's one girl, Pierce-"

"It's not just one girl, Julius. When you find something you like about a person, it sets them above others. Plain and simple."

Julius frowned before blowing out of a puff of air.

"Okay, fine. But let's just say for the sake of saying it, that Hermione doesn't like you in that way? Are you just going to continue to wait around?"

"No, I can busy myself with other matters, such as reading a book." He held up the book in his lap. "See? Problem solved. Case closed."

"No,not case closed, Pierce."

Pierce let out a groan before throwing his head back. "Look Julius, I'm obviously not going to wait around forever. Should the event happen and Hermione develops feelings for me? Great. Should it not? It doesn't happen. I won't dwell on it and I won't make it my main priority in life. Just because a member of the opposite sex approaches me on the evening of the ball, it does not make her my destined soulmate. I won't change my mind that quickly and get over Hermione just because another beautiful girl with a brilliant mind spoke to me."

"Beautiful girl with a brilliant mind? Haven't heard you use that to describe any other person in this school besides Hermione.." Julius grinned.

Pierce tossed the book onto his night stand and turned off his light by his bed. 

"Good night!"

"Pierce is about to be caught in a love triangle!" Julius sang.

"Shut up Julie!"

"You shut up...Pierce...Pierce...shut up!"