Shifting Perspectives

Chapter Four

Dawn the next morning found Harry sitting in the common room, finishing the last inch of his Charms homework. Ron was there as well, complaining loudly about the length of the assignment. "How can anyone write six inches on common properties of household cleaning charms? I only have four inches."

"Include as many examples as possible," Harry said absently. Had he mentioned the Scourgify Charm yet? He jotted down a paragraph about the similarities of the Scourgify Charm and the Dust Removal Charm. Was it six inches long yet?

"Do you think Hermione would let me look at her homework?" Ron mused.

"When does she ever?" It was barely six inches, but it met the requirement. Satisfied, Harry put down his quill and blew gently on the parchment to dry the ink.

Ron grimaced. "True," he said, looking put out. "Maybe Hermione will make an exception this time."

"Make an exception for what?" came Hermione's voice from the staircase to the girls' dormitories.

Ron's neck snapped around in Hermione's direction. "Hermione! Could you help us with our Charms homework? I know you wrote ten inches."

"Why didn't you do it before?" Hermione inquired. "I wrote mine at least a week ago."

"I was busy!" Ron defended.

"Well, if you want, I could lend you the book on household charms I borrowed from the library," Hermione offered.

"Can't you just lend me your paper?"

"How will you learn?"

"But I have a whole two inches to write before Charms! How can I finish in time?"

"Well, next time, why don't you start earlier?"

"How will that help me now?"

Hermione sighed and sat down next to Ron. "What do you already have?"

Ron handed her his paper. Hermione flipped through it, muttering underneath her breath. "It looks like you haven't covered Pot Scrubbing Charms or Anti-Lint Spells. Why don't you look them up here?" she suggested. She produced a thick book from her bag.

Ron groaned. "Hermione, can't you just tell me what I need to know?"

"No," Hermione said firmly. "Try the index. Harry, do you still have the handkerchief you got from Parkinson?"

He nodded his head. "Yeah."

"Well, then shouldn't you return it?"

"I guess," he said. "I'll give it back to her the next time we have Potions."

Hermione looked relieved. "Okay."

"Why does it matter whether Harry gives it back or not?"

"Do you really want to keep a handkerchief used by Malfoy?"

Ron shuddered. "Good point. It probably has his filth all over it."

"Ron," Hermione said warningly.

"What?"

"I wish you wouldn't refer to Malfoy as filthy."

"How do you know I was referring to Malfoy as filthy? Hermione, the point of having a handkerchief is blowing your nose. Anything blown out of anyone's nose is filthy."

Harry felt alarmed. "Parkinson stuffed that thing into my mouth!"

"It looked pretty clean when I held it," Hermione reassured him.

"That's disgusting," Ron said, revolted. "Even if it has been cleaned recently, he still used it."

"That makes me feel so much better."

"Sorry, Harry."

"You do realize you still have to finish your Charms homework?"

Ron moaned and reached again for his quill.

* * *

Draco was avoiding her.

From what Crabbe and Goyle had said, she gathered that Draco had left the dormitories early. When she checked the Great Hall, he wasn't there.

He wasn't in the dungeons. Nor was he on the Quidditch Pitch, in the library, out by the lake, or in the Arithmancy classroom. She began checking the other classrooms as well.

When she checked the Great Hall for the third time, she decided it was time to take a break. Pansy took a seat by Daphne. "Good morning."

"You're normally here earlier," Daphne commented. "Where have you been?"

"Did you hear the news?" Sally-Anne asked excitedly.

Pansy blinked. "What news?"

Sally-Anne leaned forward and whispered quickly, "Chang broke up with her boyfriend!" She dissolved into giggles.

"I'm not surprised," Daphne replied. "For Merlin's sake, has that girl got over her boyfriend yet?"

"She just broke up with Corner," Millicent put in.

"Not Corner, the dead one, Diggory."

"Such a shame that he's dead, don't you think?"

"He was so good looking," Daphne sighed.

"He was a Hufflepuff, though," Tracey said distastefully.

Daphne waved that aside. "Dating Hufflepuffs is looked down upon, but it's not nearly as bad as dating Gryffindors."

"Who would want to date a Gryffindor?"

"No self-respecting Slytherin, anyway."

Pansy resisted the urge to hex Sally-Anne underneath the table.

"Anyway, who do you think is the most dateable boy in Hogwarts?"

"Adrian," Tracey said firmly. "He's influential, well connected, rich, and comes from a very respectable line."

"You always say Adrian."

"Well, what were you going to say?"

Daphne blushed. "Theodore."

"See? That's the same answer you had yesterday."

"That's different!"

"Perhaps if you didn't play the same game every morning, you wouldn't have arguments about repeating answers?" Pansy pointed out dryly.

Sally-Anne rolled her eyes. "Just because you don't like playing doesn't mean you can spoil it for the rest of us."

"Why doesn't she like playing, anyway?"

"Well, she's stuck with Draco, isn't she? The poor thing probably doesn't want to think about being stuck with him."

"Excuse me?" Pansy waved in front of their faces. "I'm right here! There's no need to talk about me like I'm not here."

There was a pause while they digested this.

"Good point," Daphne said finally.

"She is indeed here."

"I never would have noticed if she hadn't told us."

"Don't make fun of me," Pansy said, annoyed.

"But we're your friends," Sally-Anne whined. "We have a right to tease you."

"What else are friends for?" Tracey said, grinning.

"Now, now, girls," Daphne mock admonished them. "Pansy must be feeling excluded. Why don't we let her have the next turn?" She turned to Pansy.

Suddenly all of them were focused on her. "That's not necessary," Pansy protested.

"We insist," Tracey said.

"I'd rather not go, if it's all the same to you."

"We know her answer already. It was Draco, wasn't it?" Daphne asked Pansy.

"Of course it was," Tracey said dismissively. "Draco and Pansy are practically engaged."

"Speaking of Draco, where is your boyfriend this morning?" Millicent asked coyly.

"He isn't my boyfriend," Pansy denied.

"Oh, so you broke up then?"

"You broke up with Draco? Why didn't you tell us?" Daphne said with fake hurt.

"Does that mean he's available now?" Millicent asked eagerly.

"Draco and I are not dating! We've never dated," Pansy stated forcefully.

Sally-Anne sniffed. "A likely story."

"It's true," Pansy insisted.

"What about the time you two went to the Yule Ball together?"

"We went as friends. It wasn't a date."

Daphne winked at Pansy. "Sure."

"If you say so," Tracey added.

Pansy gave up on changing their minds. "Well, if you want to think that, I can't really stop you."

"You're right about that. You can't stop us."

"Fine. But can we talk about something else now?"

"Did you hear the other new rumor?" Sally-Anne wanted to know.

Daphne and Tracey shook their heads eagerly and leaned in to hear more about Hannah Abbot's exciting love life.

After listening to Sally-Anne describe the love lives of three more students, Pansy decided that she had finished eating breakfast. She stood up. "I'm going to look for Draco," she told them.

Millicent nodded wisely. "Solving your lovers' snit? Go talk some sense into him," she advised. "If you want, I could come along and give you some advice."

Had Pansy been eating something at the time, she was certain she would have choked. "Thank you for the offer, but that isn't necessary. And it isn't a lovers' snit."

Daphne was shaking uncontrollably with silent laughter, Tracey buried her face in her hands to muffle her chuckles and Sally-Anne watched closely, as if memorizing the next gossip item. Which probably was exactly what Sally-Anne was doing.

Millicent seemed disappointed. "Are you sure, Pansy?"

"Yes."

"Oh, all right then. Go on."

Pansy nodded and escaped.

* * *

As Pansy stepped out of the Great Hall, she caught a glimpse of familiar white-blond hair. "Draco!" she exclaimed, running up to him. "Where have you been?"

Draco didn't even try to run, though perhaps that had something to do with the fact that she was only a foot away from him. "Hello, Pansy," he said wearily. "I've been walking around the castle."

"You've been ignoring me," Pansy accused. "Haven't you?"

"If I say yes, will you go away?"

The comment stung, though she refused to let it show on her face. "No. Have you made a decision yet?"

"I knew you would ask that question."

Pansy refused to be sidetracked. "Well, have you?"

"I won't betray my father, or my fellow Slytherins."