"There's a One O'Clock Gun tonight," he said, lazily twirling his fork in the air.

A collective murmur of interest swept through the table. All except Draco, whose thighs tensed beneath hers. She dragged her fingers through his hair, rubbing circles in his scalp like he'd done for her their first night here.

The phrase was familiar, but she couldn't place it. It seemed like a military expression.

"I love dinner and a show," Flint said, and the table erupted into laughter.

Draco's hand squeezed her hip — shivering her skin pleasantly. She caught herself, refocusing. She had more pressing concerns, like whether this new event would cut into her time to find the strawberry-blonde.

Feeling eyes on her, she turned to find Giuliana Bravieri staring at Draco's hand on her hip with gleeful curiosity. Hermione frowned at her, trying to decipher what the girl was thinking. Her brown eyes flickered up to hers, and just before the girl looked away to stare submissively down at the tablecloth again, she lifted her brow at Hermione — a perfect arch — and sent her a mischievous smirk — one born from years of practice, years of superiority and status.

Hermione felt her breath stutter in her chest.

Pansy.

Could it be? It was too much of a coincidence that this broken fourteen-year-old could conjure a smile like that.

Hermione caught herself staring, and closed the book on Pansy, shoving it away. She turned her eyes back to the table, and opened her ears again.

It was a rather uneventful evening in the dining room, despite the hours they sat there talking and laughing. Pucey was bringing up past memories of notable Quidditch games at Hogwarts. She heard Harry's name several times, and she felt the pages of his book shiver and rattle until she forced them to settle in her mind.

A chiming, amplified throughout the dining room, cutting off the music playing and silencing the voices in surprise. Hermione looked up, searching for the source. The clock on the wall read quarter till one.

The boys cheered, grabbing their drinks and gripping their girls close, rubbing their hands together.

Draco peeled her off of him, all tension returning to his body. Zabini shared a look with Giuliana — Pansy.

"What is it?" Hermione whispered to Draco.

He shook his head at her in warning and followed the others as they descended the spiral staircase into the Great Hall. She kept her eyes open for the strawberry-blonde, searching the crowd of people as they headed to the exits into the courtyard.

Her hand reached for her collar to adjust it, and she caught herself.

"She has to use the loo," Draco announced. "I'll join you at the Mills Mount."

Pansy snapped her head to them, looking out from Giuliana's brown eyes. Hermione turned up to Draco as he steered them toward the hallway. Her mouth opened to ask—

"Don't," he hissed. "Just trust me on this."

She felt her heart pounding in her ears as Draco led them around the crowd, suddenly cutting left to the fireplaces.