𝐀 𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍 𝐒𝐋𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍 ↬ 𝔡.𝔪𝔞𝔩𝔣𝔬𝔶

02 | s p y

{"H} ow?" My mind was spiraling at the thought of another incident.

"I don't know, she must have had her friends do it or something."

"Did she threaten you with them?" 

All of a sudden, Draco was very interested in his shoes, "Maybe."

I sighed, "You should have told me."

"I'm telling you right now." He looked up cautiously, trying to read my expression. "What are you going to do?"

"Honestly? I don't know." I plopped on the bed, my mind buzzing with ideas. I tried to push down the raging anxiety threatening to unearth itself. "Maybe I should tell the teachers. Maybe I should hex her into oblivion. I need time to think."

"Yeah, I'll get you something to eat." 

"No." I said quickly, "Don't leave me."

Draco stopped abruptly, turning around with his eyebrows raised slightly in surprise. He knew I usually distanced myself from everyone whenever something like this happened. Without a word, he sat beside me, leaving his hand open on his lap.

I smiled at the unsaid invitation. I held his hand, and it was like a lifeline of support. 

The next hour or two, we sat together in silence, and I was comforted by his unshaking presence. 

"I got it." I blurted out, after hours of organizing my thoughts, I had come up with a solution. 

Draco smirked, "Of course you do."

"Lily Cawthrone. The Cawthrones are known for their association to the newspaper, right?" 

"Yeah, wasn't it the Daily Prophet?"

"And remember when we did research on Fluke?"

"His sister was Mary Cawthrone. They're related?" Draco said in a disgusted tone, his nose scrunching up. 

"Close. Meredith Cawthrone." I laughed at his face, "Okay, so now I need to know if Fluke is in on this, too. Because I know I can take this case up to the Ministry and possibly halt his career. I also need evidence, the pictures-so they don't leak-and I need you."

"Me?"

"She trusts you not to say anything, because she thinks she's got you wrapped around her finger. Just continue the act, and then we can talk in the common rooms after. That's going to buy me time for a plan of some sort..."

"Why not just go tell Dumbledore? Don't you think he's got the authority to do something?" 

"Well, yeah, but it's not like Cawthrone is going to come clean. It's going to be our word against hers and she's still going to have the pictures." I sighed, "And I don't want this to turn into a whole investigation or anything, I want to end her myself."

"One more thing, is who's helping her in the school? There's no way she could have gotten into the common room by herself, right?"

"I guess. I didn't know you were so smart, Potter." Draco teased.

"You make it seem like I'm dumb," I raised an eyebrow.

"Never." 

"Can we eat now?" I asked, my stomach grumbling, "I'm hungry."

"No, we can't be seen too close remember?"

I frowned, "Oh. Right. This is going to be harder than I thought. But, I guess we could eat together since we're with Pansy and Blaise, right?"