Aurelian (Dramione)

Chapter 37: The Fay Stone

"I can't thank you enough for doing this, Pansy," Draco said sincerely.

"Oh, shut it, Draco," Pansy replied moodily. "I don't even know why you're here."

"Because I need your help," he answered.

"No, Granger needs my help. I don't understand why you need to be here at all," she said, sticking her nose in the air. She stroked the brush through her long black hair one last time before twisting it all up into a clip at the back of her head.

Draco's shoulders slumped in exasperation. "Oh, don't be like that."

"Be what? Bitter?" she said derisively.

"Overdramatic," he corrected with a look of distaste.

"Overdramatic? Overdramatic?" she snapped incredulously, swinging around from her bedroom mirror. "You think that I'm blowing things out of proportion? Gods, Draco! You showed up one night with Potter and said nothing! My father confined me to the house and all I got from you was an owl that said that you were working with Potter and couldn't say anything else! Two bloody sentences! Now my whole family is ordered to stay here and I still know nothing! I figure we're in some kind of danger, but I have no idea what from, and you think I'm being overdramatic?"

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't say anything! I can't say anything!" Draco shouted in return.

"I'm sure you could say more than you have," she argued. "Granger, for example."

"What about her?" Draco asked.

"Damn it, Draco! You won't even say anything about that?" She scowled with disdain, but he could see that she was hurt more than anything. She walked over to her desk and threw a magazine onto the bed for Draco to see. It was a copy of Witch Weekly and on the front cover was a picture of him and Hermione at the banquet. With all of the things that had happened in the past few days, he had completely forgotten about the banquet. He tried to read the headline but Pansy snatched it away. "Imagine my surprise seeing that? I had to force it out of Blaise that you are seeing her, that it wasn't just a onetime date like the others. How could you tell him and not me?"

"I just…" Draco was fishing around for an excuse, but Pansy wasn't done ranting.

"And Granger, Draco? How did that happen? Granger. That's the girl you've hated since the first time you set eyes on her," Pansy reminded him.

"I didn't know her then," he answered, feeling a bit guilty again.

"Then? You were whining to me just a month ago because you'd have to work with her concerning the International Magical Cooperation. I have no idea when you started working with her and Potter on this – this, whatever it is," she said, waving her hand dismissively while rolling her eyes.

"Things change."

"Not that quickly," she argued.

"They have, actually. She's not who I thought she was. Now that I know her…"

"Not who you thought she was? You mean she's not a swotty, annoying know-it-all?" Pansy smirked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Draco returned her smirk, "Not the annoying part."

"Not the know-it-all either, it seems, as she's coming here for education," she said with tittering laughter. Her mood wasn't as sour anymore, at least for the moment. "I just wish you would have told me. And I still wish you'd tell me something now. I'm scared Draco. What's happening?"

"I love you, Pansy," Draco said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're one of my dearest friends. I would tell you if I could. Just trust me… please?"