Pandora's Box

Chapter Three - Pandora's Key

Wizarding culture did not dictate for clothes to be worn under robes, but these days everyone did anyway, even in summer. There was something about wearing nothing but underwear under one's robes that made it feel as if one was wearing a dress - especially when that warm summer breeze washed in to swirl around one's loins.

Teenagers were fickle and particular about what they wore under their school robes. Poor wizards like the Weasleys wore old trousers and Muggle T-shirts under theirs; Potter did too, even though he had the money to buy something decent. Pansy, Daphne, Tracey, Perdita and Sally-Ann liked wearing jeans and brightly coloured blouses. Crabbe and Goyle wore the boring brown trousers and white shirts their mothers for bought them. Nott, Zabini and Millicent wore black, black, and more black. Draco wore white.

He disliked dark colours because it made his skin look pasty and pink. White and silver brought out the best in him, and made him look like an angel besides. Plus, it set him apart from his housemates and in this he held some rebelliousness and independence. He owned white trousers, white-wash jeans, white clam-diggers, white shorts, white short-shorts. He owned white shirts in linen, cotton and silk, white cotton tees, white jumpers in wool, cashmere, cotton; there were turtle-necks, V-necks, boat-necks, round-necks; sleeves with elastic, sleeves that flared, some long, some three-quarter, some a normal length.

He had many white robes and cloaks too; but he at least had a few in colours.

The morning after the Welcoming Feast, Draco awoke early in his white pyjamas, under his white sheets. It was the first day of school. He smiled and yawned.

As Head Boy he had his own personal suite, now decorated in green and silver with snake patterns everywhere. One door led into the Head Girl's and Boy's common room, which was open to the school. Students were encouraged to come in and ask for help and tutoring. Another door opened to a passage that led to the Prefects' bathroom. Draco was chagrined to find he did not have his own en suite bathroom, but he had to make do with what he had.

He used the time he had to use the bathroom, shower, and the like. When he got back to his room, something was vibrating on his desk.

It was the little white velvet box that held the Veela egg - the 'Key', his mother had called it - was thumping and shuffling its way across the wood. Draco cautiously stepped forward and grabbed it.

It vibrated in his hands as he opened it. Inside the little pearl hued egg was rolling around the box restlessly like a marble during an earthquake. He snapped the lid closed, shoved the box in his book-bag and ran from the room.

It took him a few minutes to get to the Dungeons and then through the Slytherin Commons, now half full of students. He strode up the first few steps that led to the Girls Dormitories before the steps abruptly shifted and he slipped down them, landing on his bum.

Millicent Bulstrode slid down the slide. She grabbed Draco's T-shirt with a thick fingered hand and easily pulled him to his feet. He snarled at her and smoothed over his now creased top.

Four more Slytherin girls had slid down by the time he had composed himself. Millicent crossed her large arms over her buxom chest and waited for a 'Thank you' from Draco, which she would never get unless she beat it out of him. But she stood expectantly simply out of the principle of the thing. A Slytherin never took anything lying down, and they never walked away unless they had won.

First it was Perdita Moon. "Oh Draco, I love you!"

"No I love you more!" shrieked Sally-Ann Perks.

"Did you know I created the post-it note and discovered gravity?" Tracey told Draco with revered eyes.

They were coming forward with arms out-stretched to caress him. Draco tensed and let out a feeble whimper.

Daphne Greengrass was first to caress his hair. "How do you get your hair that beautiful silver colour? I've tried Madam Constantine's Super Hold Bleach Magic and it just hasn't the same effect!"

"Don't worry, Draco," said Perdita, caressing his chest, "I'm a natural blonde."

Millicent was looking on in amusement. "But Perdita, you've got black hair."

"Wheeeeeeeeeeee!" said Pansy as she slid down the slide. "Now which naughty boy tried to - oh no, Draco!"

"Pansy," he gasped, eyes squeezed tightly shut, "help!"

Millicent took pity on Draco, and grabbed Sally-Ann, who was gripping Draco's arse, and pulled her away.

Pansy was bobbing up and down anxiously. "How, Draco? I don't - oh wait! The Veela potion! But it's upstairs, Draco, and the stairs are all slippery!"

Millicent went to grab Tracey, but she was a little tougher as she squirmed and shrieked in the bigger girl's grasp. "Pansy," said Millicent, "you've got a wand for a reason; use it."

"Oh yeah, oops," Pansy giggled. "Accio Veela potion!"

The blue bottle came spiralling down the stairs, and Pansy grabbed it. She ran over to Perdita. "Here, drink this."

"Piss off!"

Draco opened his eyes. "If you want me to love you for ever and ever you'll drink it."

Sally-Ann pushed herself back into the throng. "Oooh, me first, me first!"

Draco was ignored for the moment as the girls scrabbled for the bottle. Eventually they all got a sip, and they each calmed down a bit, huffing and puffing.

Pansy picked up the bottle where it had been kicked around on the floor. She tipped it upside-down sadly. "It's empty! The bloody slags drank it all."

"Now go away," Draco told the four girls. They slunk off, embarrassed. He turned to Pansy. "But you drank it anyway; what's the problem?"

Pansy pouted a little. "Your mum didn't tell me how long it would last, and I wanted to keep some just in case I started picturing you naked again."

Millicent patted Draco on the shoulder. "Are you alright now, pretty-boy?"

Draco smoothed over his school robes and ran a hand through his chin-length hair. "Yes - no wait!" He turned to her with wide eyes. "You didn't take the potion, did you? How come you weren't affected?"

"Yeah," said Pansy, coming forward. "If you have some special secret I want to know about it!"

Millicent shrugged and grabbed her school bag, making to leave. "I'm a lesbian."

"Oh, poo," said Pansy dejectedly.

Draco tapped a finger to his chin pensively. "So," he deliberated to Millicent, "you weren't affected because you don't like boys."

Millicent shrugged again. "Yeah."

"So that means," Draco said slowly, "that I can attract not only straight girls, but sexually confused boys?"

She gave him a bored look in reply.

"So..." Draco gave Pansy a triumphant look. "This Veela attraction thing works as a kind of gaydar!"

"Listen, I'm hungry," said Millicent, "so I'm going to go down to breakfast."

Draco waved her away and she left. "This is fantastic news, Pansy," he told her breathlessly. He started to do a little dance.

"Uh-oh..." said Pansy.

"IT'S RAINING MEN, HALLELUJAH! IT'S RAINING MEN, AMEN!"

"So anyway," Pansy interrupted, "I take it you didn't try to get into the Girls Dorm for the vagina."

"Ew," said Draco, making a face at her, "bad image, Pan. Oh great, now it's stuck in my head - thanks a lot!"

She gestured for him to follow her to a coffee table surrounded by couches. When they had sat down, he riffled though his bag. "The Key thing, egg, whatever," said Draco, "started wiggling around."

"Oh nice, let's see."

Draco pulled out the little box and put it on the coffee table. It vibrated and moved across a bit. He flipped the lid and they both leaned forward to get a better look, accidentally bumping heads.

"Ow!"

"Oh sorry. Look Draco, there's a crack in the shell. It's hatching!" Indeed, there was a jagged crack down the middle of the egg. The crack branched off into several other fractures with soft, snapping sounds. Finally, a very small and slimy little head poked itself out from the membrane. Draco, unbreathing, held his finger out to it. This was the beginning of something great; he could feel it beating in his Veela blood.

"Yuck," said Pansy. "Congratulations, Draco, you've given birth to a worm."

The little creature caught onto his index finger and slithered itself wetly around it. "It's not a worm," Draco told her nastily; "it's a snake."

She squinted. "Oh yeah, it is too. Wow, look at that little fella go!" The baby snake, black with silver criss-cross markings and green eyes, was expanding and lengthening, growing itself right before their eyes. By the time it had slid itself to Draco's upper arm, it was about as thick as a finger and a little longer than Draco's forearm. Draco smiled and patted its little head. Its red tongue flickered out to taste him curiously.

Draco stared into its slitted green eyes. "Hello there, I'm your mummy."

"Hey, what's this?" A slip of paper had magically appeared in the box. She read it aloud: "'Congratulations Veela, you are now the sole owner of a rare Key, which both represents the shadow nature of, and will help you find, your soul mate.'" Pansy paused to raise an eyebrow at Draco. "'Species: Natrix Natrix Epimetheus'" she continued. "'Sex: Female. Provided by SC & Shroom Incorporated.' So I guess it's a girl, then. What are you going to call her?"

Draco untwisted the snake from his arm and held it up in front of them. "Pandora," he said conclusively. "I'm calling her Pandora because no doubt she'll open up a lot of trouble for me, but I love her anyway. Yes I do!" he added to Pandora in a 'coochie-coo' voice. "Yes I do! Mummy loves his little Pandora! You're a good whittle girly-whirl, aren't you?"

Pandora flicked her tongue out and tickled his nose.

- - -

With every bite of breakfast Draco took, he gave Pandora a tiny bit of egg. Pansy watched this with some disgust and a little jealousy. Down the Slytherin table, girls were cooing at Draco and his new familiar, while the boys looked on with envy.

Draco turned to her. "Are you looking out for sexually confused boys admiring my beautiful figure?"

"How can they? You're sitting down, in robes." But she looked around anyway. "I'm afraid to say, I can't tell whether it's you they like or your snake."

"Pansy, she has a name; call her Pandora. I don't want her feelings hurt." He pouted at Pandora. "She's didn't mean anything by it, darling."

"Schedules!" called the Slytherin prefects. The sheets were passed around messily in a pink flurry of parchment. Pansy managed to grab hers and Draco's.

"You know what I think?" Draco said to her softly. "That if Pandora represents the 'nature' of my soul mate - which by the way is absolute nonsense, but let's humour ourselves for a bit - then my mate is a Slytherin. I mean, she's a snake; how much more obvious can you get?"

Pansy moved a few plates away so she could lay the little pink slips of paper on the table top to compare them. "Mind you," she said, "in some cultures a snake represents intelligence and wisdom."

"Hmm, so it could be a Ravenclaw. That's not too bad," Draco added optimistically.

"Problem is," said Pansy, "there aren't many gay Slytherin boys around."

Draco appeared thoughtful. "Well, there's also ex-Slytherins, like Adrian."

Adrian Pucey was an older boy who had already left school. He had been Draco's only steady boyfriend. Pansy licked her lips, the only outward sign that showed she was getting irritated by the conversation. "I doubt it's him."

Draco turned his attention back to Pandora as Pansy studied their schedules.

"We've got Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms and Transfiguration together. Then I've got Herbology with the Ravenclaws, and you've got Arithmancy and Goblish. Goblish?"

Draco gave her a superior look. "Goblin language and relations."

"Looks like you've got a busy year," Pansy commented, "with five NEWT classes, an elective, plus you being Head Boy and Quidditch Captain."

"I don't actually have to take Potions for Curse-Breaking," Draco boasted, "but I've decided I want to keep with it. I'll use it as an academic back-up. And," he added with a sigh, "I'm not Quidditch Captain; I've had to pass that along to Margate Gold." He nodded to a thick-jawed sixth-year boy who was sitting down the table. "He'll be a good Captain. I've just no time."

"How bothersome," said Pansy sympathetically. "And with Potter as Gryffindor's Quidditch Captain…"

Draco straightened his shoulders. "Yes," he almost spat, "but I'm Head Boy, and that's better."

"Well I think this will be a good school year; it has to be, it's our last. But I'm determined to go into Healer Training."

"Good for you, Pan," said Draco.

As they headed for their first lesson - Potions - Pansy contemplated their futures. After that school year they would be off in separate directions; but would they even survive the year?

The fact was, there was a war. It was more a Cold one, battled with intelligence, but that was soon to change. Pansy had had discussions with her parents before the start of the school year and they had come to an agreement: that they would sit on the fence and not get involved. Pansy's father had started making arrangements for them to leave the country; Pansy knew not where yet because her father seemed to be keeping the information secret.

But if she left before the second Dark Lord War could get into full swing, she and Draco would get separated. Yet wouldn't they separate even if she stayed? She loved Draco - he was her best friend - but Draco had his own choices to make. Draco had been silent recently about the main issue that troubled her heart: would he become a Death Eater like his father? Lucius Malfoy was on the run now and Draco apparently had no contact with him. But when he re-established contact, Draco would be lost to her.

Pansy would never become a Death Eater herself, she knew that much. Her parents were conservative pure-bloods, yes, but they had never been interested in drastic action; they preferred to sit in the small world they had made for themselves, sipping tea and enjoying their retirement.

Pansy and Draco went into the Potions classroom and took their usually seats at the front. There was a great reluctance from the Gryffindors as they too came in as one big murmuring shuffle. As a NEWT level lesson, it was a small, but it meant that Snape could tutor students individually throughout lesson time. The Sytherins sat themselves in a tight bunch at the front of the room.

Snape strode in, slamming the door in his wake. He swivelled around after abruptly stopping at the front of the classroom. "Get out your things," he told the class bitingly. "There are four hundred potions in NEWT level; out of these the Ministry chooses a random fifty to test you on. This year we will get through two hundred. If you studied hard enough last year you would have memorised at least one hundred and fifty. Get through this year's assessment and your knowledge of potions should be adequate enough for your NEWT test in August." He glared around the room.

Pansy was pre-occupied. She looked over her shoulder, caught Ronald's eye and gave him a long, amiable, sexy smile.

The red-head looked momentarily confused, before giving her a hesitant smile in return. Pansy heard Draco mutter "Bloody hell" under his breath.

Professor Snape flicked his wand towards the board, and a set of instructions quickly wrote themselves along it. "Because we have a Veela in our midst," and here Snape paused to look at Draco, "we will be brewing the Veelannique Potion, which is also one of the four hundred Ministry allocated potions. It is a simple potion with the purpose of protecting the consumer from Veela attraction for a period of twenty-eight days. You will brew the quantity requested on the board. However, only a teaspoon full is needed to be imbibed for it to work. Feel free to take said amount at the end of the lesson if that is your wish."

He moved across the floor lazily and continued. "Due to past experience I will pair you off with whomever I see fit, as inter-House relations will ensure less chatter and more work is done. By Slytherin student, in alphabetical order: Bulstrode, Brown…"

Pansy turned to Draco, wide-eyed. "He's pairing us off with Gryffindors!" she whispered furiously. Her panic quickly subsided. "I hope I end up with Ronald."

"...Davis, Finnigan..."

Draco did not seem to be listening to Snape at all. He glared at her. "How could you fancy him, Pansy? Look at him! He's so hairy I can hardly see the freckles on his ugly, stupid face!"

Snape had probably noticed them talking by now, but had chosen to ignore it. "...Greengrass, Granger..."

Pansy turned and did look. She had to admit, he was kind of hairy; the bloke had long red hair tied in a loose pony-tail, and he had let stubble grow on his chin and upper lip. The scruffy look only made Pansy want him more.

"...Malfoy, Potter..."

"He doesn't even shave, for Merlin's sake!" Draco continued. "I mean, look at his side-burns - wait, did Snape just call out my name?"

"...Nott, Thomas..."

"You're paired with Potter," she said quickly. She was waiting for it... it was coming...

"... and Parkinson, Weasley. BEGIN!"

Pansy was the first to get up, almost squealing in delight as she gathered her things and moved up the aisle to sit in Potter's place. Draco covered his face with his hands and groaned.

She stood expectantly at the side of the work-station and glared at Potter. He glared back, but reluctantly gathered his things to move to his new place next to Draco. "I'd feel sorry for you Ron," he said, "but I think I'm in a worse situation."

"See you," said Ronald forlornly.

Pansy sat herself down, and beamed at him. "Hello, Ronald," she purred.

"Er," he dithered, "hi. I think I'll just, um, I'll get the ingredients." He got up.

"Ohh," she cooed, "you're such a sweetie-pie!"

He looked over his shoulder at her in dismay, and stumbled into a desk.

- - -

For the next half hour, Potter kept himself busy doing pretty much all the work, while Draco sat back and played with Pandora.

Potter was chopping the ingredients angrily, in a self-pitying 'I can't believe this is happening to me' kind of way. Every now and again he would pause and glance at Draco side-ways, then go back to preparing the potion. Draco liked watching the twist of his lips, and the tensing of his shoulders as he worked.

Potter spoke without looking at Draco. "Heard you didn't get chosen for Quidditch Captain, Malfoy."

Draco narrowed his eyes. "Then you heard wrong, Potter. I turned it down for Head Boy, actually." He sniffed. "Trust a Gryffindor to prefer simple brutality over academics; but then, you probably weren't in the running for Head Boy at all, were you?" Potter turned and glared at him. "You weren't even Prefect material."

Potter was staring at him funny again. But then Draco realised it was not he whom Potter was looking at, but Pandora. Draco frowned and hugged her to him protectively.

Potter picked up the small strand of Veela hair. "Perhaps we should cut your hair instead of putting this in," he suggested to Draco nastily.

"Don't be stupid, Potter," Draco snapped. "This Veela potion requires hair from a pure-blood Veela, and I'm only part-Veela. You put the wrong kind in and you'll stuff everything up!"

"Alright, calm down." He was looking at Pandora again, in an almost dreamy, meditative way. Then he parted his lips.

What Draco heard next was a bizarre hissing, like the spray of water through the air after a wave crashes. It was quiet, yet oddly sharp. Draco sat up. Potter was speaking Parseltongue! To his snake!

"Stop it!" Draco demanded.

The other boy blinked and looked up at Draco. "Malfoy, she - she said her name is Pandora, in case you wanted to know."

Draco sneered at him. "Of course I know; I named her, didn't I? Now put the Narcis in!"

Potter did, hiding his face with a veil of soft, wavy black hair. Draco may have imagined it, but was Potter blushing? "She's afraid," Potter said softly. He turned back to Draco, concerned. "She loves you, but she fears you'll never find your… um," he lowered his eyes and reddened more, "your mate."

Draco swallowed thickly and said nothing, but inside he was coming up with a plan.

Potter looked back at him. "What I mean to say is, she thinks you and your mate will never be together. So, what's it like?"

Draco blinked. "What's what like?"

"Being a magical creature, and stuff, and having only one person you're destined to be with. Are you scared you'll never find her?"

Draco was getting irritatingly uncomfortable. "Why would I be?"

Potter's eyes widened. "Because you could die if you don't find your mate soon. I heard that's why Veelas are so rare."

Draco opened his mouth to tell him to mind his own business, when movement behind Potter's shoulder caught his eye. Snape had just gritted his teeth and bent over his desk, clutching his arm. Most of the students had not even noticed, but Draco swivelled around in his chair and gave Pansy a panicked look. She mirrored his expression right back at him.

Snape took a deep breath and straightened. "SILENCE!" he bellowed. "I must go now on an errand. You are to finish your work in silence. If I am not back by the end of the lesson, bottle your potions and put them on my desk, clearly labelled." And then he strode down the aisle and exited.

There was quiet, before everyone exploded into chatter again, talking louder now no teachers were around.

Pansy was giving him a look. His Dark Mark flared, it said.

Draco nodded in return. Don't worry, he'll be fine.

Potter had his eyes narrowed at the door Snape had just gone through. "Psst," someone hissed from Potter's other side. Granger was leaning across the aisle, passing Potter a scrappy exercise book. As soon as it was loosely in Potter's hands, Draco snatched it away.

"Hey!" said Potter, reaching for it as Draco lifted his arms and held it away from his adversary. Draco quickly flipped through the pages. It was like a child's scrap book, filled with a lot of writing in three different hands, and a few photos, as well as cuttings from newspapers, magazines - even text books. There were plenty of sketches in pencil too; one particularly caught his eye: of a topless boy with large, imposing wings. My god, Draco thought, is that supposed to be me?

Draco laughed loudly as Potter was pressed up against his side, grappling for the diary. Both boys were almost out of their seats as they wrestled for it. Finally, Draco flipped open his robe with one hand, and shoved the diary up his white T-shirt with the other. He gave Potter a smug grin as Potter froze, blushed, and sat back down in his seat. He was staring at Draco's tee, which had navy writing across it that read: "Don't HATE me because I'm BEAUTIFUL".

At this point most of the class was watching. Draco drawled, "Now don't worry, Potter; I'll give it back. But only if you do me a favour."

Potter, Granger and Weasley were glaring. Pansy was cackling and shaking her head in wonder. Potter clenched his jaw. "Fine, Malfoy. What do you want?"

Malfoy held up a finger as a gesture of silence and patience. "You must promise that you will not repeat both this next question, and its answer to anyone, ever. If you do, I'll…" Draco racked his brains for anything bribe-worthy he may have found in the diary. As far as he saw, it was just boring chatter between three Gryffindors involving either Quidditch, Sirius Black, or where Voldemort was last seen. He decided to make something up. "I'll tell the whole school who Granger's secret crush is."

Granger gasped and paled. Behind him, Weasley growled and cursed under his breath. Potter glared even more. "Fine," he said through clenched teeth. Draco smiled triumphantly; he had inadvertently hit a nerve.

He nodded. "Good," he said, and leaned towards Potter.

Potter blushed and leaned back.

Draco rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to bite you." That only made Potter blush harder. Draco decided to ignore it.

He made a come-hither motion with his finger, and then he cupped his hands over Potter's ear. He leaned forward and whispered, "Ask Pandora who my mate is. And don't tell anyone who," he added quickly.

Potter pulled away and nodded. He looked to Pandora and spoke in Parseltonque. Pandora watched him, her head moving from side-to-side in an observatory fashion. She hissed.

Potter turned back and cupped his own warm hands around Draco's ear. Potter smelled of something sweet and fragrant... Draco could not put his finger on it... was it vanilla? Marshmallows, Draco thought, that's it. Potter smelt like marshmallows, and freshly-cut grass. Potter whispered, "She said you have to figure it out for yourself."

Draco pulled away and scowled at him. "Bullshit!" He leaned forward and whispered angrily in his ear: "She's my Key; she's supposed to know!"

Pandora was hissing at Potter again. He turned back and whispered to Draco, "She said she does know, but she says she can't tell you because you have to figure it out on your own. To, um, something about growth and love... er." He pulled away and shrugged apologetically.

It did not make sense to Draco; Pandora was supposed to help Draco find this soul mate or whatever, but she was being no help at all! He reluctantly pulled the diary from under his tee and handed it to Potter, just as the classroom door banged open.

Snape strode in once more, fully composed. "You should be finished by now! You have one minute left to bottle your potion and bring it to me."

There was movement as students did as instructed and packed up to leave. Draco and slumped in his chair and lagged behind, slowly packing and making to leave. When he was almost at the door he heard a snippet of conversation from the front of the classroom.

"I'm perfectly all right, Miss Granger, no need for you concern."

"That's good. I - I was just worried. So when are we going to brew the Anathema Draught? I have some notes here, and I was thinking - "

"Quiet, Miss Granger! We will speak of this only in absolute private..."

Draco frowned, feeling a sudden stab of betrayal. He walked out the classroom, telling himself that it was not as it seemed, it was probably just some extracurricular assignment Snape was helping Granger with... surely Snape hadn't sided with the Gryffindors, surely he and Granger weren't friends...

Pansy was outside in the corridor, her hands clasped behind her back as she swung from side-to-side in that flirtatious, girly way she had. She was smiling and giggling at a gobsmacked Weasley and Potter.

"Oh, ah..." Weasley stammered, "I don't know if, um. Anyway, aren't you going out with Malfoy?"

Pansy giggled again. Draco crossed his arms and watched the scene from behind the boys. "Who, Draco? Are you daft or something?"

Yes, Draco answered silently to himself, as a daft as a two-bob watch. How had Pansy gotten such bad taste in men? It was some sort of messed up Electra Complex, surely.

"Of course Draco and I aren't together," Pansy continued in mild surprise, "he's flaming pouf!"

Potter blinked. "He is?"

Draco walked forward and the three of them finally noticed him. "Geez, Pansy, don't be so rude!" he mock-reprimanded her playfully. He stopped next to Potter and tilted his head. "Where do you get such terrible language?"

She tilted her head right back at him. "I learnt from the best."

"Well," he put an arm around her shoulders and started to lead her away, "let's move away from here before you do something you might regret, like ask Weasley out on a date."

Draco heard Weasley splutter and cough behind them as they moved away.

"I didn't know Malfoy was gay," he heard Potter say as he steered Pansy around the corner. "Did you know that, Ron?"

Draco turned immediately serious. "Okay, listen, Pan, fun and games are over."

"Pardon?" She saw the look on his face and stopped them both. Then she gestured for Draco to follow her into a nearby empty classroom. "What's the matter? You look really pissed, Draco."

"Gee, thanks. Anyway, what do you know about the Anathema Draught?"

Pansy frowned pensively, and then shook her head. "I'm sorry Draco, I haven't heard of it."

He nodded. "I think I have; but I don't know where! And I don't remember what it does. Listen, I heard Severus and Granger talking about brewing it at the end of the lesson just now. What does it mean? I mean, why would they brew a potion together? They were talking like friends, or like equals, almost."

Pansy looked worried. "That does not sound good."

"No it's not. It's almost as if..." He trailed off and ran a hand through his hair, and started to pace.

"Hey," said Pansy, "don't get into a tizz about it. I'm sure there's a perfectly simple explanation; I mean, it might just be about a special program Granger's on. You know how she likes her special programs."

He stopped and stared at her. "But what if it's not? What if he's... what if he's joined the losing side?"

He watched Pansy quickly avert her eyes and look to the floor. Draco frowned; they rarely talked about the war seriously anymore, and now Draco had a feeling Pansy was hiding something, like an emotion or thought she did not want to reveal to him. Pandora slithered around his neck and tickled his ear with her tongue as if to reassure him that everything would turn out alright.

Draco knew it would not be so.

To Be Continued