"That's enough, Pans." His voice was cold and cutting.

"Just trying to lighten the mood. Well, I guess I'll be going." Pansy strolled to the fireplace. "Looks like you two have loads to talk about."

Pansy winked, tossed the Floo powder, and disappeared.

The shock that had frozen her for the past few minutes was fading to a fiery churning in her stomach, spreading outward and lighting up every nerve ending on her skin. Hermione felt Draco's presence next to her, but she refused to look up at him.

"You took Pansy Parkinson to Edinburgh. In my body."

She heard his throat click.

"It was the easiest of options."

She scoffed, whipping around to glare at him. "Easiest."

"Yes, easiest. For both of us." He ran a hand through his hair. "Pansy had experienced the effects of Flint's potion. She knew what it did. I brewed an antidote, like you suggested. And she mimicked the effects."

Fury burned in her bloodstream.

"The point of breaking down the potion, was for me to take the antidote so I could return to Edinburgh—"

"And the point of me asking Pansy was to spare you from that." His eyes finally met hers. His mask perfectly in place except for the spots of pink on his cheekbones. "We put on a convincing show. The boys should be appeased for now."

Rage choked her, her breath growing shallow as she thought about her own body in Pansy Parkinson's hands, moving over him.

"What kind of 'convincing show," she hissed, stepping closer to Draco as he retreated.

"I did it for your own good, Granger."

"You violated my body—"

"Your body was going to be violated either way," he snarled, holding his ground. "This way, you didn't have to be in it."

Her arm moved quickly, slicing through the air and slapping him across the face. His head scarcely moved despite the angry, red handprint on his cheek. His eyes were hot on hers as they panted in each other's faces.

"Did you have sex with her in my body?" she demanded, hating the way her voice shook.

His eyes dragged across her face, lips pressed together firmly until he answered, "No."

She felt something untangle in her chest, loosening like a rope. She looked away.

"If you put on such a 'convincing show,' then I assume they won't force you to use the potion again," she said, her voice deadly calm.

"No. But you've been seen twice in a row now. I won't need to bring you again—"

"You will bring me." She stared into his eyes, demanding to be heard. "You said it yourself — they already suspect something is off. The other girls go every week with their masters, and so will you and I." She tilted her chin up and watched his gaze drop to her mouth and back up to her eyes. "We will continue to appear at Edinburgh Castle. And you'll stop treating me like a child who's unable to navigate this new world."