I Beg Your Pardon, Potter?

Chapter 18

Later in the evening, the party was in full swing. Parvati had invited her sister, who invited some of her fellow Ravenclaws, one of whom had invited Ernie MacMillen who had brought some Hufflepuffs along. And thus, almost the entirety of the sixth year were gathered in the Room of Requirement, few to none of them completely sober. Seamus had been right to bring his entire larder of liquor.

Hermione found herself tending bar with Blaise and Pansy, marveling at the fact that she was voluntarily spending time with Pansy Parkinson. Pansy and Blaise were keeping up a steady stream of commentary on a variety topics, not least of all was what the sundry members of the school were getting up to in their different parts of the room. Hermione had been tuning in and out of their conversation, depending on what interested her.

"Were you aware of the fact that Justin Finch Fletchley and Seamus Finnegan have an on again off again somewhat relationship?" Pansy asked. The two in question were sitting on one of the sofas that were scattered about the room, Seamus with his arm around Justin's shoulder. Their faces were very close together.

"I think everyone knows that, Pans," Blaise said.

"Ok, so it's common knowledge," Pansy groused. She looked disappointed that she had not been the first to know. Then she shrugged and turned her gaze elsewhere.

"I'm starting to think Draco might be making friends with Potter," Blaise said. Hermione straightened up with a start, suddenly acutely aware of the conversation.

"Starting to think?" Pansy asked. "Please, are you blind? I think there's something more than friendship going on between them."

"More?"

"Yes, more," Pansy snapped.

"As in?"

"As in, do I think they're secretly fucking? Yes." Pansy suddenly seemed to remember that Hermione was on the other side of Blaise and looked uncomfortably over at her. Blaise's mouth had fallen open into a small o and Hermione was doing her best to keep a straight face as she stared back at the both of them. She wasn't going to be the one that gave Harry and Draco's secret away, although she was unsurprised that other people were starting to notice that there was something between them. They were being remarkably sloppy at keeping it under wraps. Someone really needed to teach Harry that the best way to convince the school that they were still enemies was not to make googly eyes at Draco from across the Great Hall.

"What do you think, Granger?" Pansy asked. She glanced over at Harry and Draco who were sitting in a booth in a dark corner of the room. "Are they friends? Or what?" Hermione shrugged.

"There's certainly been a thawing," she said carefully. Pansy snorted.

"How diplomatic of you. How much do you want to bet something happens between them before the end of the year?" The Slytherin girl asked. "I'd wager ten galleons they at least make out before Christmas." Hermione fought to keep her face impassive.

"I bet it's before Halloween," she said, failing to keep a small smile off of her face.

"Do you know something we don't know?" Blaise asked, grabbing her arm and looking intently at her. Hermione flushed. She shook her head, not daring to speak for fear that her voice might give something away. Blaise let his hand drop. He turned back to Pansy.

"What about their fight the other day?" he asked. Pansy shrugged.

"Bump in the road," she said. "Look at them now." The three of them leaned over the front of the bar to ogle at Harry and Draco, but the pair didn't notice them. They were too wrapped up in whatever it was they were talking about. Pansy leaned back again and shrugged.