Clean

The Potionmaster

She slammed both hands on the desk in frustration. "I'm just trying to carry my things around, Malfoy!" she exclaimed loudly. "Are you really looking for reasons to get me in trouble?"

"I'm not!" he countered indignantly, surprised at her reaction. For a tiny girl, she had such an explosive temper. "I'm not going to tell on you, Granger, for fuck's sake. Give me a break."

"Well then what do you care?" she huffed, hands on her hips.

"I'm – I'm impressed, okay?" he stammered. "I thought that – I thought that would be obvious."

She made a face at him. "Of course it's not obvious, seeing as nothing you do is obvious."

"I mean, I know you're smart – " he stopped, seeing her roll her eyes. "Oh come off it, Granger, we both know that." He smirked. "You'd just be so much more interesting without that bloody sense of morality you're always lugging around."

"I'm not 'lugging around' my morality, Malfoy, that's ridiculous – "

"Well I suppose not," he said, smirking. "I mean, look at your illicit handbag. You're toeing the line of violent criminal."

She tried to suppress a laugh, and he fought back a smile.

"I'm not just – well. You know," she said, her tone shifting, "You don't know everything about me, either."

"Maybe not, then," he admitted. "Care to enlighten me?"

She was quiet for a moment, like she was considering whether or not she wanted to take his bait. She raised her hand to her lips, chewing lightly on her thumbnail, before finally opening her mouth. "I . . . I lied to Harry."

"About what?" Draco drawled obnoxiously. "Your feelings for the Weasel?"

She set her jaw, eyeing him coldly. "I told him that you were looking for something in the castle. I told him that's the task you were given."

He gaped at her. Hearing that she'd discussed him with Potter dealt him a hard blow, right to the chest. "Are you crazy, Granger, he can't know about – you don't even know – "

"He already knows, Malfoy, he already suspects!" she cut in anxiously. "He knows about the Mark – or at least he thinks he does – and he knows you have some kind of assignment – which, by the way, is your fault – "

He shut his eyes, trying to block her out. "I know that," he seethed. "I know."

"So I told him that I thought you were looking for something in the castle," she finished. "I thought that could buy you some time, if he thinks you're doing something else."

Draco set his jaw tensely, staring past her. She bit her lip nervously, seeking out his eyes.

"It was for you," she pleaded. "I – I had to."

He sighed heavily, the intangible weight of her words blanketing his mind and clouding his judgment. "I guess I can see why that would be a good idea," he pronounced slowly. "But – how long can that last? I mean honestly, what would I be looking for?"

"I don't know," she exclaimed, her eyes widening. "I just wanted to buy you some time – "

"I mean, what would – what would he want with Hogwarts?"

She eyed him carefully. "I don't know, Malfoy – like you keep reminding me, I don't actually know what it is you're supposed to be doing."

"Right," he said quickly. "Right."

"Though it's not like You-Know-Who wouldn't have multiple reasons for needing to get into Hogwarts, right?" she asked, her tone guarded. He suspected she might be trying to trap him into revealing too much information, and begrudgingly admitted to himself that she was probably smart enough to do it. No doubt she tricked Potter and Weasley on a daily basis.