Harry's POV

He looked so beautiful.

His lilac shirt collar was peeking over the top of his black robes, which were drifting in the wind in the kind of way they do in Muggle fashion ads. There was a flower crown on his head, I didn't know all the different types but they were blue and delicate – just like he looked. The light shadows from the slowly darkening daylight softened his features and made his hair seem to gleam brilliantly. He looked ethereal, unreal, unnatural.

His lips looked soft too, and his mouth was open, caught off guard. His eyes were wide and for a moment he was vulnerable, emotions creeping into his face that felt too invasive to analyse.

And then his face shuttered. It was as though he had clanged down a metal gate over all of his raw edges, exposed only briefly, and his face turned impassive and cold.

I had tried to explain. "It's not – really Draco it's not what you think I – " But he shut me off with a cold stare and a slightly raised eyebrow. "It's not any of my business what you and Pyre get up to, Potter." I couldn't help the way my heart beat a little faster – and in a good way this time – when he finally spoke to me, albeit his tone did not promise much. He moved to go and so I tried again.

"Draco, I – "

"Potter," He cut me off again, scoffing, "Do as you please, it's not as if it's any of my concern if you're gallivanting around with the school slut." I tried to muster up any amount of motivation for defending Pyre, but none came. He paused for a moment, considering his words before looking me straight in the eye and managing to give away no emotion. "Although, I'd prefer if you didn't shag in the dorm. Wouldn't want the stench of wherever he's been stinking up the place."

And then he walked away.

"You won't even let me in the dorm!" I yelled after him uselessly, it probably didn't help. But his arse looked wonderful, even through the swishy robes.

I sighed and looked up to Hagrid's hut. My motivation drained, my good mood burned to the ground. I watched as a sleek black crow flew down and perched on the roof of the hut, pecking and squawking at the other crows swooping in from the forest. I kicked a stone and watched it skitter away. It wasn't nearly as satisfying as I had hoped. I need Hermione, I thought, and then I need to find Pyre and put him in the hospital wing.

Draco's POV

"Fuck, Marry, Kill: Longbottom, Finnigan, Potter." Pansy said, grinning as she stirred a second lump of sugar into her coffee. I leaned back against the counter and accepted my own mug with an eye roll. "Pansy I'm not going to – "

"Let me guess." She said with a wicked grin and a bat of the eyelashes. "You would...fuck Potter," She pretended to think about it, "Then you'd marry Potter," She leaned forward smirking and whispered, "Then you'd kill Potter." Pansy took a sip of her scolding coffee and nodded, tilting her head. "That's how it works with you two, right?"

"Why am I here?" I asked. "Why do I even know you?" I added with dramatic flair. She reached over and flicked the end of my nose with her pointy black nails. It hurt quite a bit and I think she knew it. "You've known me since you were in nappies and you have no other friends." She answered. Pansy took another sip of her coffee. "I also make great coffee."

"I think I'd marry Longbottom, he seems like the husband type." I say. Pansy huffed out a breath, annoyed at the subject change but didn't say anything. "And it would be immoral to fuck Finnigan when he's so obviously devoted to Thomas, so he'd probably have to die." Pansy hummed. "Draco Malfoy – paragon of virtue."

"Pansy Parkinson – renowned pervert, makes good coffee." I reply. She raises her eyebrows. "You know that means you'd have no other choice but to fuck Potter, right?" She countered.

"You know that you just proved my point, right?" I shoot back. Not willing to give her any more information, I try to dismiss the topic lightly. "I think I'd be willing to make the sacrifice."

Pansy gasped. "I'm swooning. What a hero..."

"Ew," I laughed, "No hetero, Parkinson." She laughed too, a proper laugh. She threw her head back and let out a genuine cackle, almost spilling her coffee in the process.

"Right, naturally. All homo." She grinned. I sipped my coffee, it was still a little too hot and I wondered how Pansy had almost finished hers already. "Speaking of homo," I said with a matching grin as hers disappeared, "How's Hermione?"

Pansy's face flushed pink and she opened and closed her mouth, lost for words for once. Soon, she regained her grip and swatted my shoulder. "Oh fuck right off." She said eloquently. I cackled.

"Psst, Python." A voice whispered not so quietly from the doorway of the kitchens. "The Raven is in the cage. 'Sex Goddess' is there too. Bring the Sloth." It added, possibly getting louder and I looked at Pansy, bewildered. She was trying not to laugh. "Affirmative, Cocksucker." A loud and irritated huff came from the doorway. "Request to change code name? Also 'Sex Goddess' had requested the same thing." The voice - that was most definitely Blaise – asked. Pansy only just managed not to laugh. "Denied, and denied." With a grumble, Blaise left and I silently asked Pansy what the fuck that was.

"Come on Sloth," She grinned, "Let's not leave them waiting."

///

"I think I hate you." I said as I entered the common room. Either Pansy had chased everyone out, or everyone had stayed clear of Pansy because there was no one else other than Blaise, Hermione and Potter.

"Aww, that's sweet darling." She replied, not quite paying attention. My eyes immediately went to Potter, and then immediately away from him because he was looking right at me. He was also looking unlawfully attractive.

Potter was sat with Hermione on one of the sofas and Blaise was lounging in an armchair, grinning at Potter, whose face had just flushed red at something I hadn't quite caught.

Pansy remained standing, positioning herself beside the mantelpiece and I chose to lean against the bookshelves next to her. I didn't want to get too comfortable in case I needed to bolt. "Do I have to be here?" Blaise asked. Pansy eyed him, pushing out her lip in consideration. "Legally, no. As a friend, yes." He stuck his tongue out at her but made no move to leave.

Pansy grinned. "Everyone ready?" She didn't wait for a reply. "Good. This won't take long." She moved in front of the mantelpiece and began. "Intervention Two commence. Draco." She addressed me and I nodded back. "Pansy."

"Pyre is a creep, a bit of a stalker and none of us like him. Especially not Harry. Got it? Good." She said clearly. I grumbled but nodded. In the grand scheme of things, I really shouldn't care what – or who – Potter choses to do in his spare time, but I still do. And the thing with Pyre had stung and I didn't want to think about why, I still don't. So I suppose, according to my newly adopted (and not-quite-working-yet) mind-set this doesn't change anything. I was over Potter. Potter was just a guy, he didn't matter, and I didn't care. It wasn't working though. I channelled all of my apathy and Pansy continued.

"Harry." She started and he nodded – no, he does not look adorable when he's nervous – "Draco is arrogant and dramatic and terrible with emotions. If you can't handle it, don't bother." I looked away, I didn't want to see their exchange, and I didn't particularly want to hear it.

"All good?" Blaise asked cheerfully from his chair. I saw Hermione squeeze Potter's hand and ignored the part of me that craved for that closeness. Pansy must have nodded because Blaise grinned some more. "Perfect," he said, "I'm starving."

///

In the Great Hall, Potter slid wordlessly into the seat next to me. I looked away, but passed him the pumpkin juice. He smiled into his pie and I definitely wasn't watching.