It was a rare sight—Snape hesitating.
That flicker of uncertainty looked almost out of place on a wizard who was always so cold and controlled.
Faced with Astoria's sudden intervention and Draco's steady, serious gaze, Snape—who had moments ago looked ready to throw them out—finally let the sneer fade from his face and took a seat.
Watching him sit there quietly, actually listening, made Astoria wonder if she had somehow encountered a counterfeit Snape.
...
"Greengrass, what's wrong? You look miles away."
The moment Pansy stepped into the Slytherin common room, she spotted Astoria sitting on the sofa, staring blankly ahead.
Draco, who should have been with her, was nowhere in sight. Perhaps he had already returned to the dormitory.
"Oh? You're done?"
"Mm. I'm exhausted."
Pansy dropped onto the seat opposite her without the slightest hint of elegance, which said everything about how draining the training session had been.
She took a bite of a sweet biscuit to replenish her energy and asked between chews,
"Did Draco go back to rest? Weren't you two going to see Snape for the potion? How did it go?"
Despite her fatigue, she still remembered to ask about Astoria.
Pansy and the others were well aware of the Blood Curse Astoria carried.
What they didn't know was that it could threaten her life.
Not wanting to cause unnecessary worry, Astoria subtly shifted the topic.
"Draco… wanted to make something clear to Snape."
"Make what clear? That he blasted that Head Boy across the room?"
Astoria gave a faint, helpless smile before leaning closer and whispering into Pansy's ear,
"Draco told Snape that he's a Dragontongue."
"What?!"
Pansy nearly choked.
"What happened? Didn't you stop him? You know how serious it is if that gets out!"
"Stop him?" Astoria sighed softly. "I didn't even know beforehand. I had no idea he was going to say it. And what gave you the impression I could stop him?"
"… "
Around Draco, Pansy could be adorably foolish. But ordinarily, her mind was sharp.
She understood perfectly well that Draco being a Dragontongue was the greatest and most guarded secret of their Draco organization.
No wonder she had reacted so strongly.
Astoria wasn't surprised. Even now, she still felt a little dazed herself.
After a brief silence, she lowered her voice.
"You know Snape better than I do. Do you think… it's all right? I'm not saying he's our enemy. I just…"
"If it's Snape…" Pansy hesitated. "Maybe we can trust him. After all, it was Draco's decision."
Her tone lacked complete certainty, but thinking of Draco's judgment steadied her slightly.
And no matter what, Snape was Draco's godfather.
Still, that only made Pansy more curious.
What exactly had they talked about in that office?
Early in the morning.
Draco had only just taken his seat and hadn't even managed a bite of breakfast when Hermione hurried over, clutching the books for today's lessons and breathing slightly fast.
"I heard from Parkinson—you yesterday—"
"We'll talk about that later," Draco cut in calmly. "For now, look at this."
"St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries… critical condition… Arthur Weasley?!"
The information Draco handed her was what he had exchanged with Snape the night before.
It clearly hadn't appeared in the Daily Prophet. It seemed to have been deliberately suppressed.
Hermione instinctively glanced toward the Weasley table.
If this was true, it would explain why they had been unusually quiet lately. That wasn't like them at all.
But more than their change in mood, Hermione was curious how Draco had learned of this.
Seeing the question in her eyes, Astoria poured herself a glass of pumpkin juice and answered on Draco's behalf.
"Snape told us."
"Snape? Why would he—"
"Maybe he thinks Draco is someone he can trust."
Astoria's reasoning earned a nod from Pansy. Even Hermione couldn't immediately refute it.
After all, once Draco revealed that he was a Dragontongue, it meant they had shown Snape their greatest secret.
That level of trust was heavy—and dangerous.
Hermione's concerns mirrored Pansy's, perhaps even more so, since she understood Snape the least.
Returning to the matter at hand, she asked again,
"Are you certain Snape isn't on the Dark Lord's side? He was once… a Death Eater."
Her worry was understandable. Not every wizard had the courage or strength to defy Voldemort the way Lucius had.
Most answered the Dark Lord's call and returned to him.
Wizards like Lucius were the minority.
Draco, however, answered without hesitation.
"As long as our Savior stands with Dumbledore, Snape will be our strongest ally."
"Potter? What does he have to do with this?"
Draco's certainty made the three girls exchange looks.
They hadn't expected his confidence to hinge on Harry Potter.
Or rather—
As long as Voldemort continued to focus on Harry Potter, Snape would guard this secret and offer them support.
Because if Snape wasn't a fool, he would never place all his hopes on a single wizard.