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The Paths We Take	By : Luckycharms Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 18436 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. That right goes to the AMAZING JK Rowling. No profit is made off this story. Shout out to Scorpia11 for being my awesome Beta!!

Chapter List
- 24
- 25
- 26
An: Don't worry all, Hermione's response to Draco will come next chapter. This just has to come first :)
“I'm bigger than my body
I'm colder than this home
I'm meaner than my demons
I'm bigger than these bones
And all the kids cried out, "Please stop, you're scaring me"
I can't help this awful energy
God damn right, you should be scared of me
Who is in control?”
Control- Halsey

Chapter 25- Hidden Monster
Friday, May 15^th, 1999
Elizabeth paced back and forth across the length of the iron colored rug, in complete shambles while holding the sides of her temples with the tips of her fingers as all the adults in the Library watched in puzzlement. The muggle mother was officially overwhelmed as Kingsley Shacklebolt stood in front of the map, eyeing her curiously, and she began to panic and hyperventilate.
“What in the bloody hell are you people doing in here?” the dark-skinned Minister questioned with narrowed brows. “What sort of game are you trying to play, Minerva?”
“It’s not a game, Shacklebolt!” Narcissa cut in crudely before the Headmistress had a chance to answer as she helped Elizabeth lean against a bookcase and catch her breath. “You show up out of the blue, drawing fear into the poor woman, who thinks you’re here to arrest her and take her to Azkaban!”
“Azkaban? She’s a muggle! She can’t go to that prison!”
“We know that!” the former Slytherin Queen snapped, causing Kingsley to sneer while flicking his eyes over her.
“Look, Minister” Thorfinn chimed in calmly, “we tried to handle the situation and…well it-”
“Clearly is not handled!” the head wizard stated sternly. “A rich former Death Eater slash criminal, never showed up to his meeting with his parole Auror, forcing me to investigate the matter only to find out four students are trapped in the past! Do you even understand the severity of this situation? The amount of stress I am now under to create a lie in order to protect all of you and keep my job? You have no idea what you people have done! And you, Minerva…” he turned towards the Headmistress, who kept an indifferent expression upon her face. “I thought better of you…If it were Fudge instead of me, I-I could understand, but it’s not. We have always been on the same side…and then you go and keep this from me as if-as if I’m not your friend.”
“Which is exactly why I did not tell you…” she replied firmly. “I’m sorry, Kingsley I really am, but as a member of the Order of Phoenix and as your friend, I could not risk the backlash of favoritism. Half the people in this room are members, whereas a majority of the Ministry was against the Order single-handedly taking on Voldemort when they would have rather us handed Potter over like a pig to slaughter. We are a group of people who simply prefer to do things on our own. You know this.”
“What does that have anything to do with what is happening now? Favoritism? How could you say something like that? Trusting me to help you is not favoritism.”
“It’s not?” Tilting her nose downward while peering over her spectacles, Professor McGonagall eyed the wizard curiously before walking over to the map and studying it. “How exactly is it not favoritism when every one of the Ministry employees knows you would take my word or advice over theirs?” she asked as her eyes drifted over Europe. “How is it not favoritism when we banded together to fight in the shadows during both wars? How is it not favoritism when you personally informed the Wizengamot that they would no longer have a say in how things were run at Hogwarts after everything they pulled over the last three years?” she questioned while turning around, keeping her back straight and her head held high. “I did not want to involve you because we don't need any more animosity between the Order and the Ministry, Kingsley. Any more trouble and they'll look into replacing you sooner than you think.”
“I can handle my own, Minerva!”
“And I was just supposed to trust and assume that you could? Yes, four students are missing and yes, one of them happens to be a former criminal, but please, Kingsley, this is not the worst or even the strangest thing we have had to deal with in our lifetime.”
“And what of the Dark Magic that was used in this home?” he inquired while crossing his arms and tilting his head condescendingly.
“Dark Magic?” Molly gasped in horror while worryingly glancing at her husband.
“Yes, Molly,” Kingsley affirmed sternly, “Dark Magic. You people honestly believe that something as ancient as the magic you used, inside a parolees’ home I might add, wouldn’t come across my desk? There have been countless spells put on this Manor since Draco was put on house arrest, to prevent him from leaving over the summer and to notify us if forbidden magic is used. I don’t know what you people think you’re doing but you have acted like children! It’s unacceptable to go as far as you have!”
“Unacceptable?” Elizabeth queried with fire in her eyes as her gaze shifted from the floor she was now sitting on, and up at the Minister for Magic. “Unacceptable?” she repeated roughly as she scrambled to her feet, pointed a finger at the dark-skinned wizard while she marched towards him, and began to berate him. “How dare you! How dare you come in here and tell us what is unacceptable and what isn’t!” she scolded, causing the African wizard to back up in fear. She reminded him so much of Hermione and even though she didn’t have magic, he now understood where the fiery witch got her bravery from. “Do you have children, Mr. Shakebull? Hmm, do you?”
“Shacklebolt” he corrected while lowering his hands; however, Elizabeth didn’t seem to care. “And no…ma’am.”
“Then how can you waltz in here, into this-this wonderful home, and tell us that what we did to find our children and bring them back is ‘unacceptable’? You have no idea what it’s like to have your child lost in the past! You have no idea the pain or-or the nightmares that plague a parents’ mind knowing that your child is undergoing horrendous tasks and you can’t do anything to protect them! I would give my life to any sort of Dark Magic if it meant that my daughter, and Ginny, a-and those poor boys, could safely return home unharmed! How dare you! You know, Hermione has told me a lot about you, Mr. Shackybutt; about how she looked up to you and couldn’t wait to one day work under you, and this is how you behave? The only reason you are acting like a gormless knob head right now is because your feelings are hurt due to not being included! My-daughter-is-missing! I could care less about your damn feelings! If you want to arrest us, then do it! If not, shut-up and listen!”
As McGonagall held back a smile and Robert awkwardly tapped at his watch, Thorfinn exhaled a large puff of air through his lips, vibrating them as he glanced around the room. Spotting an ordinary candle on the desk next to him, he quickly picked it up and began to examine the wax with pursed lips as Arthur pretended to be interested in the cover of a book. Narcissa bit her bottom lip while gazing at the floor before looking to a shocked Molly standing next to her.
“Molly,” she whispered with a faux smile, “dear, I love your dress, is it new?” she queried, causing the wide-eyed red-headed witch to inelegantly smile and nod her head, understanding that everyone felt awkward and unwilling to stop the muggle mother. Elizabeth on the other hand, continued to angrily stare down Kingsley, who gulped slightly due to a loss of words, as tears formed in her brown eyes.
“If you want to punish anyone in this room for the use of the forbidden magic, then punish me” Elizabeth continued, although in a softer tone. “I’m the one who encouraged Theodore to convince Harry to try the ritual by tapping into his guilty conscious. If I hadn’t, then Harry wouldn’t have connected to Draco and he wouldn’t be having random visions.” She paused while staring off to her left, lost in her own mind before panic started to sink back in. “Visions that come with pain a-and torture…at random times, on random days, with no clues as to when, that are now changing, and now poor Molly’s daughter has to face Jack the Ripper in 1888-”
“Wait, what?” the red-headed wizard spoke in surprise, although Hermione’s mother kept going through her single breath rant, ignoring the now terrified father.
“-and who knows what that Blaise boy is going to have to face, let alone what the last era contains or the fact that their former ancestor was a Confederate soldier guiding them through Gettysburg and oh my God, we don’t even know what Harry will have to suffer through if Draco gets hurt again or-or what he might see in the coming hours, or days, or wee-”
“Liz,” Narcissa swiftly cut in through the woman’s fear-induced word vomit, before clearing her throat and holding up a finger; all the while throwing a quick awkward smile towards Kingsley. “Too much…”
“What…” Kingsley began with wide eyes and narrowed brows, “have you people…done…?”
“Okay, it’s…it’s not as bad as it sounds” Thorfinn stated while slowly lowering the candle in his hand.
“Not as bad as it sounds! Have you lost your minds?”
“We have it under control” the blonde countered rather quickly. “If we have anything under control, or at least somewhat under control, it’s that. Yeah, we don’t exactly know when the Potter boy is going to have a vision or what he’ll see and encounter, but we have someone watching him at all times. He’s never alone, and…Salazar, Kingsley, you know him. Which means you know that he and his friends would have done the ritual with or without help. But without the damn thing none of us would ever know what is happening to those children. No one could have predicted this; and was it wrong to not tell you, of course, it was!”
“You all just expect me to be okay with this?” the Minister asked with a small scoff. “There is a reason all the time-turners have been destroyed.”
“And I told you that I have been searching for that fucking amulet for years! I even got a job to watch over it when I finally found it!”
“And what good did that job do for you?” Kingsley snapped. “What exactly was your plan, Thorfinn…Watch the thing until you die? Then what? Did you even plan to tell the Ministry about finding it oh, I don’t know, maybe before four students found themselves trapped within its grasp!”
“Come on! This isn’t about you or the Ministry!” the former Death Eater argued with furrowed brows of anger.
“Oh, ENOUGH!” Molly screamed with a stomp of her foot, causing everyone to go silent and turn their attention to her. “I have had enough of this back and forth, bickering and bantering, arguing over who is in the wrong and who is acting like a child! I raised seven children and even during the worst years of their teenage lives they behaved better than this! We are the Order of the damn Phoenix, for Merlin’s sake!”
“Molly-” Arthur spoke softly.
“No!” she firmly declared with a raised finger pointed at her husband and tears brewing in her eyes. “I am not about to have anyone tell me what to do right now! Fred is gone, Percy hardly visits, Bill is still managing the werewolf traits from the war, I haven’t seen Charlie in months, George is a mess, Ron is away at school, and now my baby girl has to fight her way through one of the most grueling times in London’s history without me! No one, and I mean no one, is going to stand here harshly debating over who is right and who isn’t! We are adults! And as a mother-” she choked while trying to hold back her sobs, before inhaling deeply, doing her best to contain her wild emotions. “As a mother, who has lost more than any of you will ever know, I am tired…of all the fighting” she wept, allowing the heartache surrounding her soul to take over. “I’m tired of it. Life is far too short, too precious to start ripping each other’s throats out. Mistakes have been made and we are paying the price, but my Gods…this-needs-to-stop. We need to move forward, and we need to do it fast…for our children’s’ sake, for our sake…Otherwise, we won’t survive this…”
Silence engulfed the Malfoy home as Arthur quickly drew his crying wife into his arms and everyone else left in the room, lowered their heads in a mixture of sadness and shame. They all knew Molly was right and they were all well aware that they let their egos get the better of them. It was time they began trusting one another to the fullest extent, regardless of job position or social status. They needed to forget the misgivings and work together.
“What…” Kingsley began in a somewhat shaky voice, cutting through the still air and causing almost everyone to gaze up at him. “Ehem, uh…Wh-what is your plan?” he questioned with sorrowful eyes. “I need to know everything that was done up until this point and everything you plan to do with Harry Potter to keep him safe and his vision hidden from the students at Hogwarts.”
“We can do that” Narcissa claimed gently.
“Good. Let’s start from the beginning. Minerva, you were about to show me the map, yes? Let us go over that for now. Then I’ll return to my office and file some paperwork before alerting Auror Thomas that Draco’s under my watchful eye and has not broken his parole. We can then discuss the situation in further detail in the morning after everyone has had time to rest and has had time to gather their thoughts. Does that work for everyone?”
“I have a few things to take care of in the morning; however, I should be able to return after lunchtime” McGonagall disclosed with a deep sigh. “I trust that everyone here can fill you in on the rest until I arrive.”
“I’ll go put on some tea…” Narcissa stated with a deep exhale. “This is going to be a long day.”
XX
Saturday, May 16^th, 1999
Pansy sighed in annoyance as she stood over Luna, whose left hand was hanging off the bed while drool dripped from the side of her mouth as she laid on her stomach, debating on how to wake the Ravenclaw for breakfast. She had already tried yelling the girls’ name, which only caused Luna to roll over into the position she was now in, and poking her ribs, which simply caused the blonde to giggle for a moment and then fall back asleep. Inhaling a sharp breath and exhaling it slowly, the raven-haired Slytherin’s lips turned up in a devilish half-grin, before she grabbed the pillow from under Luna’s head, and began to promptly hit her in the face with it, causing the Ravenclaw to shriek in confusion.
“Jumping Juniper Nougats!” Luna yelled in surprise while quickly sitting up, her hair in shambles as a line of drool ran upwards across her cheek. “What was that for?”
“Wow. I was at least expecting some sort of curse word in there but…that…Wow…”
“Why did you hit me, Pansy?”
“You wouldn’t wake up” she replied while throwing the pillow onto the bed. Walking over to her closet to pick out her loungewear for the day, the raven-haired witch clicked her tongue while trying to decide on one of two long-sleeved loose fitted shirts. “Didn’t want everyone to be waiting on us when we head down for breakfast, and I did try almost everything. You are one heavy sleeper, you know that? Not even Blaise or Theo are that hard to awaken. Did you take a Sleeping draught or something before bed?” she chuckled as Luna wiped the spit off her face and frowned. When the blonde hadn’t answered, Pansy stopped looking at the shirts in her hands and turned her gaze to the girl sitting solemnly on the bed. “Luna, I-I didn’t mean-”
“That’s alright” the blonde waved before standing up and putting her slippers on. “You didn’t know. It’s rare that I take them, but every so often when I can’t fall asleep, I do. Also, for future reference, can you please use an alarm next time? It’s less startling.”
“Sorry…”
“It’s okay, Pans, honestly. This is your room, I’m just a guest; you don’t need to apologize. And after shaking away the shock, I think it’s actually pretty funny how you chose to wake me” she giggled lightly. “I shouldn’t have expected anything less really.”
“Well get dressed. I have a feeling we’ll have to wake the boys for breakfast as well.”
“Ooo, can we hit them with pillows too?” the Ravenclaw inquired cheerfully while Pansy raised a brow and smirked before finally choosing the white off-the-shoulder shirt, which she then tossed on to her bed and returned the other to her closet.
“How about we do something a bit more…staggering, jolting.”
“Like what?” Luna asked as Pansy walked over to her dresser and pulled out a pair of cream-colored cropped leggings.
“Let’s do…I don’t know, something that’s…wet?”
“You want to wake them up with something wet…? You do know they’re going to want to retaliate?”
“Bring it on. A Slytherin loves a good challenge. Plus…I have your brains to help me” she winked. “Those boys don’t stand a chance.”
XX
While sitting on the couch, Pansy curled up against the arm and began to read the history book she had borrowed from the Manor in complete silence. She was never a huge fan of reading before unless it was a romance or a mystery novel, but lately she had found herself wanting to learn more about things that have actually happened in real life. However, in this moment, she wasn’t exactly reading for pleasure.
Hanging above the outside of each of the boys’ doors, was a bucket filled with ice-cold water. Smiling while biting her lower lip, Pansy quickly glanced up at Luna crouched outside of Ron’s bedroom, and waited. The blonde winked before quietly pulling out her wand and transfiguring the snow globe in her hand, into a moving tarantula. Gently setting it on the floor, she spelled the creature under the entryway and then quickly ran down the stairs. Plopping herself on the couch opposite the Slytherin, she beamed happily while picking up a book next to her and began to read.
They didn’t have to wait long however, when a loud blood-curdling scream, that sounded a lot like a female, reverberated through the entire Common Room. It was even less time until Theo, Neville, and Harry rushed to open their doors in a panic, only to find themselves drenched from head to toe and shivering.
“Good morning, boys!” Pansy chirped with a wave of fingers. “Sleep alright, yeah?”
“What the bloody hell is this?” Harry shouted in a mixture of confusion and anger.
Licking his lips, Theo began to scowl menacingly while Neville glanced up at the tipped over bucket magically hovering above his head, when Ron suddenly opened his door, ran out into the hall in terror, only to meet the same fate.
“WHAT THE FUCK!” he screamed as the girls below giggled.
“This was you?” Harry questioned in surprise while looking over the railing.
“Of course, it was!” Theo asserted before Pansy had a chance to open her mouth. “Though, I didn’t expect Lovegood to be in on it! You do know what this means, Pans?”
“Oh, I know” she smirked.
“It’s four against two, we outnumber you! And the last time this happened, Draco, Blaise, and I wiped the floor with you!”
“Outnumber? What in skipping stones is going on here?” Neville inquired while holding his hands across his arms to try and stay warm, until the conversation was over, and he could change his wet clothing.
“Outnumbered, yes,” the Slytherin Princess continued while slowly closing the book in her hands, ignoring the perplexed Gryffindor, “but unlike last time, my dear friend, you now only have Gryffindors on your side. Draco and Blaise aren’t here to help you.”
“That just means the wilder and more courageous my squad will be!”
“True…” she ticked with a wicked grin. “However, Theo, you’re missing one vital detail…I…have a Ravenclaw on my team.”
“Shite…”
“Team, what team? Why the fuck would you do this, Parkinson?” Ron scowled while shaking his hands to remove the water from his skin. “What the hell did we ever do to you?”
Standing up, Pansy adjusted her loose top that hung off her left shoulder, exposing the thin white spaghetti strap underneath, and cleared her throat, signaling Luna to follow her lead.
“You have done plenty to me, Weasley, and I to you over the years; let’s not start now by pretending we haven’t. But we have all lived in this Common room for months fighting and arguing over bullshite. It’s time we steer the stress, and fear, and anxiety, and focus it on something…a little different. It’s time that you gentlemen, get to play Slytherin’s most devious game. Get your thinking caps on, boys, and welcome…to our Prank War” she winked with a devilish smirk, before turning on her heel and walking out the portrait door with her blonde Ravenclaw in tow.
XX
“Do you think we took things too far?” Luna questioned as she and Pansy walked into the Great Hall for breakfast and stopped near the end of the Slytherin table.
“It was a harmless prank, Luna. Trust me, once the boys realize what they’re in for, things are going to escalate, and we’ll have to pull out some big punches to top them.”
“No one’s going to get hurt, right?”
“No, it’s-it’s just a game, Lu; healthy even. It brings us all together and it’ll stop us from fighting over foolish things and worrying about our friends in the past. After everything we’ve been through these last few weeks, we…we need a distraction from it all. I also think it’ll prove to everyone else in the school that nothing is wrong, and we are carrying on like normal.”
“As long as we don’t lose any friends when this is all over. Speaking of which…when will it be over? Who decides the winner?”
“Whoever does the best prank that can’t be topped” she shrugged before hearing rambunctious laughter coming from the Gryffindor table near them.
Both girls turned their gaze to see two seventh year Gryffindor’s sitting on the table while two sixth year Ravenclaws huddled around them. One of the students, a female Claw, appeared to be exceptionally interested in the joke one of the boys on the table had said and practically drooled over the guy, reminding Pansy so much of the person she used to be. “I wonder what’s so funny…”
“Most likely nothing” Luna claimed as she watched her former housemate playfully shove the Gryffindor in the chest. “That’s Striker Dendron” she pointed to the male Ravenclaw. “A Quidditch Chaser and Captain of the Wizarding Chess team, and the person next to him…well that’s Ember Sterling. Brilliant girl, but completely twitterpated when it comes to men; especially when it comes to Houston Night. He’s a seventh year and apparently Gryffindor’s popular new Seeker since Harry could no longer play due to now being an eighth year.” Raising a brow, Pansy gazed at Luna strangely before shaking her head and looking back to the group.
“I really need to start getting used to the words you use…” she stated before turning around to continue talking to her friend. However, Houston’s mate, Daniel Hawks, caused Pansy to halt her movement as he laughed Harry’s name aloud.
“And you should’ve seen the way Potter reacted in class yesterday!” he howled while shoving Striker, who was standing in front of him. “Bloke had lost his bloody mind; I swear to it!”
“You would think for being the ‘Wizarding Savior’,” Houston added with a prideful smirk, “the man would have a little bit more grace when putting out that non-existent fire! That posh, Parkinson, had to escort him out of the room with Weasley!”
“You gotta admit though, Parkinson is one fine slag I wouldn’t mind sinking my dick into!” Dan laughed while pretending to spank the air as he distastefully stuck his tongue out. “Hit and quit it, I say! Add another notch to her bedpost!” he chuckled as Pansy’s hands turned into tight fists.
“Ignore them, Pans” Luna spoke gently while touching the Slytherins’ arm. “They aren’t worth it.”
“You know what” she stated while exhaling a sharp breath, “you’re right” she scoffed loudly. “They’ll eventually get what’s coming to them when they leave this school and realize there’s nothing except coldness left out there. Plus, Daddy would be more than happy to please his little girl by making sure they never get a good job!”
“That’s the right attitude!” the blonde pipped with a warm grin while Pansy’s scowl tightened. “I think…” she frowned for a moment before shaking the idea away and went back to blissfully smiling.
“Wouldn’t be surprised” Houston continued, “if Potter wasn’t already shagging that. Although his experience with women is most likely limited. Then again Parkinson would be considered an upgrade, I supposed, compared to Weasley’s sister and that Chang girl who never returned after the war. Must have scared her off with his wee pecker!”
“That’s it!” Pansy declared through a clenched jaw. “It’s one thing to talk bad about me, it a whole different story to talk bad about Harry! I mean who does that prat think he is?”
“Pansy, no! If you create a scene, things could go from bad to worse” Luna begged. “The Headmistress is right there. Do you honestly want to get detention for shouting at a few underclassmen?”
“They’ll need a much larger punishment for when I’m through with those tossers!”
“Pansy…Please. Don’t…”
As Luna continued to plead with the Slytherin Princess, Harry, Neville, Theo, and Ron entered the Great Hall after drying themselves off and changing their clothing, causing Pansy to loosen her fists and inhale a deep breath. She did her best to think about how Harry would handle the situation and instead of shouting at the group being impassive and revolting, she chose to swallow her pride and tune out the gits causing her demons to surface.
Taking in another deep breath and letting it out slowly, Pansy smiled and waved at the Gryffindor Prince, who had glanced in her direction, but it seemed Harry either didn’t see her or was looking past her. Frowning and slowly lowering her hand, the Slytherin narrowed her brows in a somber confusion before weakly smiling at Luna.
“I uh…Do-do you wanna have breakfast with me?” she asked the Ravenclaw rather quickly, completely catching her off guard. “I um…I-I don’t really wanna eat alone right now.”
“Of course! I was going to eat with Neville at the Gryffindor table. Would you like to join us?”
“Would…would they allow me to do that?”
“I don’t see why not. After the war, most houses haven’t really eaten at their own tables anymore.”
“No, I-I mean would they let me…” she inquired while pointing to the rest of the Gryffindors seated at the long table. “I’m a Slytherin, Luna…it would be a first for one to sit there. It would cause everyone to talk.”
“Pansy…” Luna tilted her head and produced a warm smile, “no one cares anymore. The past is in the past…Let’em talk. Besides, Theodore is already sitting there, so really it would be a second…not a first. Come on! I’m sure Harry would enjoy you sitting with him.”
XX
After an hour of having to awkwardly sit at her former enemy’s table and endure watching as Harry practically ignored her while some random female underclassman flirted with him, Pansy paced back and forth in her bedroom as she tried to understand what was going on. First, she had to listen to those awful Gryffindors bad mouth both her and Harry, and then she had to deal with the raven-haired wizard practically ignoring her for no reason. She couldn’t figure out if he was purposely trying to hurt her as revenge for the prank, she and Luna had pulled that morning, or if her fears of him no longer liking her, or even worse, pretending to ever like her, coursed through her mind.
She knew she should calm down because things never seemed to be as extreme as she thought they would be and tried to reason with herself that she was simply overreacting. But after her boyfriend, or whatever he was, began to flirt in return with the stupid nameless Hufflepuff at breakfast, she almost snapped and flipped the pile of eggs into the girls’ face.
Pansy knew she was the type of girl with a temper, although she had been trying for so long to reign in her demons and manage her anger. However, without Healer Marcum around to help calm her with a therapy session until the following day, she feared she may end up losing all control before she had a chance to show Harry how much she had changed. That is…if he even still wanted to go out to dinner with her that night. She had no idea anymore because he had barely said two words to her all day.
“Pansy?” Theo called from outside her door, stopping the Princess momentarily from destroying the area rug she had repeatedly walked over. “Hey Pans, you in there? Lovegood said you were up here.”
“What do you want, Theo?” she asked as nicely as she could, although he could hear the bit of anger in her voice. If anyone knew Pansy and knew her well, it was him; and he could tell that something was bothering her, he just couldn’t figure out what.
“Could you open the door?”
“No! What do you want?”
“Pansy, you either open this door or I’ll break it down. Your choice.”
Huffing angrily through her nose, Pansy stomped her foot in frustration before quickly opening her bedroom door. While producing the worst faux grin her housemate had ever seen, Theo studied the witch’s face for a moment before crossing his arms and giving her a knowing look.
“Okay…what’d he do?” he asked after sighing heavily.
“What? Who? What are you talking about?” she questioned with a hint of panic in her eyes. Realizing that his friend didn’t want anyone to know just yet who she was apparently dating, the brunette Slytherin raised a brow and smirked.
“Well, I figure it’s either the guy you’re seeing is being an utter arse or it’s a guy you want to see but is being an utter arse. Which is it?”
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about” she claimed with her head held high.
“You know, Pans, you’ve learned a lot of traits being around Draco all these years but lying is not one of the many talents you picked up, so spill. Who hurt you so I can beat the ever-loving shite out of them in order to make you happy again?”
“No one hurt me, Theo. A-and I appreciate you caring, but I can take care of myself.”
“Oh, I know you can. But I’d rather get detention for kicking the blokes’ arse than see you having to clean the first year’s cauldrons for three nights straight.”
“I’m fine, Theo…”
“Says almost every woman…ever. Listen, I know shite has been chaotic the last couple of weeks and you want to start this prank war to distract us all, and that’s great…but that doesn’t mean you should allow some muppet to hurt your feelings…not even me. Which by the way,” he crossed his arms and put his hands in his pockets while exhaling a deep breath through his nose, “I never actually apologized to you for the other day. I was a right git for arguing with you…and an even worse friend for calling out your stage fright in front of everyone. I was still really pissed off but that’s no excuse for hurting you. I’m sorry, Pansy.”
Softening her features while looking the brunette up and down in bewilderment, the raven-haired witch inhaled a sharp breath and relaxed her shoulders.
“I’m sorry too. You know…for starting the fight with you.”
“You know you can tell me anything, right?” he stated with a small tilt of his head, hoping that she would entrust her secret with someone and not keep it locked inside, where it will end up doing more harm than good for both her and for Harry. “You can trust me, Pansy.”
She looked like she was about to say something, finally reveal the person she had grown to care so much about, but Pansy just weakly smiled as she rubbed her right arm with her hand and gently bit her lower lip.
“We’re going to be late for lunch and I know how much Luna wanted to study for the N.E.W.T.s coming up.” Folding his lips inward in defeat, Theo nodded his head and removed one of his hands from his pocket before offering the witch his arm in order to escort her down the stairs.
“Then let’s not make her wait.”
Entwining her arm through his, Pansy walked down to the main area of the Common Room and greeted Luna with a warm smile as she did her best to not think about the events of that morning. Releasing his friend, Theo nodded once before turning his attention to the guys waiting on the couch.
“Took you long enough!” Ron expressed while kicking his feet off the cushions they were resting on and stood. “If I don’t eat soon, I may starve!”
“Why are you always so over-dramatic about food, Ron?” Harry inquired before glancing briefly at Pansy.
For the second time in the day, the Slytherin witch had smiled warmly at him, causing his nerves to shoot into overdrive. Quickly looking away as fast as he could, after giving her a half-assed polite grin, he pulled his focus back to Ron, who was now scuffing up Neville’s hair. Pretending to laugh at whatever was happening, Harry began to follow his friends out the portrait door as Pansy began to discreetly scowl in annoyance so Luna wouldn’t catch on.
As the girls carried their books through the corridors, Luna suddenly ceased their steady pace after she had rounded the corner, and swiftly held out an arm to stop Pansy from going any further.
“What the hell, Luna?” Pansy questioned as one of the tomes in her hands fell to the stone floor.
“Uhh, you know what, Pans, I don’t think I’m hungry anymore.”
“What?” she queried with narrowed brows as she picked up the book she had dropped. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’ve been complaining since breakfast that you didn’t eat enough and couldn’t wait for lunch because if you didn’t eat the correct amount during the day to help keep you ‘positive’, then the Wrackspurts would fly through your ears and cause you momentary confusion.”
“Well, I just realized I did eat enough and no longer need food to make me happy.”
“What has gotten into you? You’re a terrible liar, you know that? And you’re acting really strange” she claimed before shaking her head and walking off. But as she rounded the corner that led to the Great Hall, Pansy instantly stopped walking and finally understood what had her newfound friend acting so odd.
Standing just outside the grand doors, were their four male housemates talking and laughing with a few younger Hufflepuffs. Any other day the encounter would seem normal and friendly, however, the longer she remained fixed on Harry, the more she saw the sixth year nameless Hufflepuff drooling over every word he spoke. She could handle other women flaunting and hanging themselves all over the Golden Boy, but what Pansy couldn’t handle, was watching the guy she was secretly seeing, carelessly encourage the girl by flirting as well.
Her blood began to boil as an uncontrollable rage filled her heart and soul, and the raven-haired witch finally realized how much Harry didn’t care about her and how he had lied about everything he had told her. She wanted to scream at him, cry, break something, but instead chose to take a deep breath and not let the Gryffindor get to her anymore. If he wanted to act like she didn’t matter, then she was going to do the same.
“Do…Do you want me to just grab some food and bring it back to the Common Room…? To avoid them…” Luna sweetly queried as she watched her dormmate try and hold back the tears welling in her hardened eyes.
Pansy was silent for a long moment as she continued to stare ahead of her, before Harry and the rest of the students surrounding him, walked into the Great Hall without even looking in their direction. A small gasp could be heard from the Slytherin’s porcelain lips, resulting in Luna feeling even more empathetic to her situation. She knew Harry and felt there had to be a logical explanation for his sudden avoidance of the girl he had passionately kissed, more than once. However, the heartbreak and anger residing in Pansy’s’ features made her realize just how much the witch cared for her friend.
“No…” Pansy declared firmly, finally breaking through the sadness that had enveloped her. “I am not going to allow him to win. If he wants to pretend like I’m a stranger, then I am going to show him that it doesn’t affect me.”
“Are you sure? We can just grab something to go and I can try and talk to him later.”
“I said ‘no’, Luna!”
“Okay…” the blonde replied in a slight whimper before following the very pissed off Slytherin to lunch.
Entering the Great Hall. The girls went left towards the Slytherin table, doing their best to avoid even looking in the direction of Harry and his friends, and were about to take a seat at the end when the sound of Houston and Dan laughing caught their attention. Glancing up at the boys entering the room, followed by the two Ravenclaws from earlier, Luna frowned when she noticed the foursome make their way over to the eighth years beginning to dig into the fried chicken.
Ron didn’t seem to care about the new arrivals and continued to eat the chicken like it was the last meal he would ever have, but as Harry looked up and scowled menacingly at the ‘popular’ kids standing across from him, Pansy knew something was wrong. Theo looked back and up at the boys towering over him as he sat next to Neville and raised a brow before turning his gaze to Harry in confusion.
“Merlin, Potter,” Dan chuckled while slapping his friend in the arm with the back of his hand, “Parkinson not giving out so you moved on to men?” he laughed as Houston sneered, reminding everyone in the vicinity so much of Draco, except with dark brown hair.
“Nah, Dan…Parkinson’s too good for him. He could never get into her knickers if he was the last man on earth. However, I think Nott is over here for a very specific reason.”
“And what the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?” Theo snapped. “Who the fuck are you anyway? Go sit with the other underclassman where you fucking belong, you little shite.”
“Oh, ho, ho!” Houston laughed while grinning at his friends. “Someone’s got a lip on them, don’t they?”
“Malfoy isn’t here, Nott” Dan fake pouted. “He can’t stick up for you.”
“Doesn’t seem to stop you from trying to be like him, huh?” Theo sneered with a small scoff.
“You know, Hue…” Dan continued while pretending he didn’t hear Theo, “I haven’t seen Zabini either…”
“You know you’re right…Where are they?” Houston questioned while tapping his finger on his chin. “I mean, you lot disappear for almost a week and then return to school without Granger, Weasley’s sister, Malfoy, or Zabini. Did you lot murder them because your hero complex got the better of you and you needed someone to take your nightmares out on to feel like you saved the world again?” he scoffed callously.
“It’s none of your damn business, Night!” Harry claimed while standing up and pressing his hands firmly against the top of the table, causing Ron to suddenly stop eating and finally look up at the boys smirking and laughing. “And for your information, Hawk, Theo is over here because he is ALL of our friends! If you have a problem with that, then you can speak to Professor McGonagall. If not, then kindly fuck off!”
“Well, well, well…Someone has a temper too, I see” Dan ridiculed. “Poor Potter, he’s run out of people to be friends with and has turned to a slimy, no-good, insignificant Slytherin, who sits at our table thinking he’s some sort of tough shite!”
Having had enough of the boys ruthlessly taunting them, Theo quickly stood and was now inches from Dan’s face as he glowered threateningly, ready to take the group on single-handedly. But as the brunette Slytherin was dangerously close to punching or hexing, he hadn’t decided yet, the clown in front of him, Pansy quickly stood from the bench with rage in her heart. She was sick of the bad day she was having and after hearing the boys ruthlessly taunt one of her closest friends…she had finally had enough.
Allowing resentment, acrimony, and enmity to overtake her, Pansy began to walk towards the Gryffindor table but suddenly felt a strong hand grip her bicep, stopping her from pressing forward.
“Pansy, don’t. Please just let it be…” Luna asserted with beseeching eyes, but Pansy…was no longer listening. Shaking the blondes’ hand from off her arm, the Slytherin Princess’s irises grew dark as all care…left her body. “Pansy, stop!”
Theo heard the sudden shout from their Ravenclaw housemate and quickly turned his attention to behind Dan. Seeing Pansy storming towards him with black eyes and sparking hair, caused a fear he had never felt before, to settle in the pit of his stomach. Swiftly side-stepping, which resulted in the younger Gryffindor to coldly laugh, Theo watched as Pansy rapidly reached up with her right hand, grip the boy by the back of the head, and slammed his face hard into the mashed potatoes left on the brunette wizards’ plate.
Harry, Neville, and Ron all gasped in utter shock as the latter immediately stood in horror, and the rest of the Hall went eerily quiet. Professor McGonagall rose from her seat with widened eyes and abruptly began to gather her dress robes in order to stop the assault happening in her school.
“You think you’re some brave little lion, huh?” Pansy whispered sinisterly into Dan’s ear as he cried out in pain. “You have no idea the horrors of the world, you manky little shite. You have no idea the pain and the suffering, the torture we had to go through so that your pathetic arse could come back to this school.”
“Get off him, you crazy bitch!” Houston yelled while seizing Pansy’s upper arm, a mistake he would end up wishing he had never made. Grasping the Seeker by the throat while still holding Dan against the wooden table, Pansy turned her dark uncaring eyes towards Houston, instilling a fear deep within his soul and causing him to begin wetting his pants.
“And where…the fuck…were you?” she questioned as he clawed and hit her arm repeatedly to no avail, but to his astonishment, the Princess never once winced or showed any sort of concern for the pain he knew he was causing her. “Oh, I know…You were hiding at home because your poor mum couldn’t stand to see her sweet innocent son hurt during the battle, while the rest of us watched as people were slaughtered and raped in front of us. We had to remember what we were fighting for while you played Wizarding Chess with your mates safely tucked away. You’re a coward…” she spat through gritted teeth as the Headmistress quickened her pace down the aisle between tables and the rest of the Professors hastily followed.
“That’s enough, Ms. Parkinson! Release those boys this instant!” she demanded with her wand firmly in her hand, before seeing the black in Pansy’s irises, forcing her to halt her stride and those of the Professors behind her. “Oh, dear Merlin…!” she gasped with a hand clasped against her chest. “No one touch her! Everybody stay back!”
“Pansy!” Harry began to plead with a heavy breath while disregarding what McGonagall had said and leaned forward to get closer to the pissed off girl. “What are you doing? Stop…Let them go…please, Pansy…” However, the Princess simply ignored the people around her and turned her attention back to Dan crying into Theo’s lunch while releasing her hardened grip around Houston’s throat. Inhaling sharply while stumbling backward into the stunned Striker and Ember, the dark-haired wizard, terrified of what the witch before him could do, immediately ran from the Great Hall, leaving a lingering odor of fresh urine in his wake.
“Seems your friend isn’t really your friend after all” she chuckled wickedly. “I thought Gryffindor’s were supposed to be brave. Looks like you both were sorted into the wrong house…” she ridiculed. “You disgust me.”
“What do you want from me?” Dan whimpered, his tears falling into the potatoes as the left-over chicken bones scattered off the plate, resulting in Pansy shoving his face harder into the food.
“What do I want?” she questioned malevolently. “What I want, worm, is for you to keep your damn nose out of other people’s business! But seeing as you don’t seem capable of doing that on your own, it appears someone has to show you the hard way. Still wanna put your dick in me?” she queried venomously. “That is, if you even have one now that the whole school can see how much of a naff coward you and your friend really are. How’s this for ‘hit it and quit it’?” she asked through gritted teeth while pressing harder on his head. “By the way, Danny…it takes a lot to frighten a Slytherin. Our minds are like a deadly disease you could only dream of understanding and our demons…are so much more terrifying.”
“Pansy, that’s enough!” Harry shouted while pulling out his wand. “You’re scaring everyone-”
“You’re scaring everyone” she mocked while tilting her head back and forth. “Gods damn right, they should be scared of me!” she claimed strongly before lifting her gaze to Harry’s; however, he didn’t flinch like she expected him to, causing her anger to rise even further. “And you should be too…” she alleged before pushing off Dan’s face while simultaneously withdrawing her hold, all the while never removing her blackened eyes from the man, she felt betrayed her trust. Nevertheless, the anger she felt towards the Boy-Who-Lived, pleading with her, wasn’t enough for her to want to hurt him, and she suddenly felt a bit calmer while staring into his gaze, causing the darkness in her eyes to slowly disappear.
Turning on her heel as her long raven-colored hair whipped through the air, Pansy stormed out of the Great Hall as Dan stood up and McGonagall rushed to his side to check on him. Luna quickly chased after the Slytherin witch while the rest of the Hall began to murmur in an indistinct chatter.
“Blimey…” Ron stated in a mixture of shock and confusion. “Godric, I knew loyalty was big in all houses, but holy hell did she take it a step further…That was terrifying…and hot!” Looking to his red-headed friend in a mixture of disgust and disbelief, Harry scoffed once before hurrying out of the room, leaving Ron holding up his hands in bewilderment. “What? What’d I say?”
Theo crossed his arms and smirked at the redhead before turning towards Dan, sitting on the bench as Madam Pomfrey looked him over for any lasting injuries. Walking up to the crowd of Professors, speaking about what had just happened and what they should do, Theo glanced down at the seventh year and tilted his head.
“I would say be glad it wasn’t me, but watching you cry like a little bitch after a girl showed you up…Priceless…”
“Theodore Nott!” Pomfrey began to scold as Theo chuckled slightly.
“I would also say ‘I’m sorry’, Madam, but that would be a lie, cause I’m definitely not” he claimed firmly before reaching out, swiping his finger over Dans’ cheek, and tasting the potatoes left over from his lunch. “Needs butter…” he laughed before walking away as Dan’s bottom lip trembled and fresh tears began to fall from his starch-covered lashes.
XX
“Can someone please explain to me what the heck just happened at lunch?” Neville inquired after he had stopped his pacing in the middle of the eighth year Common Room and glanced back and forth at everyone standing around in worry. “What was that, Professor? Why did her eyes do that? Is she dangerous? Do we have to keep an eye on her too?”
“No-” Headmistress McGonagall began, but was quickly cut off as Theo began to argue with Neville. Luna tried to reassure the boys that Pansy was not a threat, but it seemed that no one would listen.
However, while Pansy stayed locked in her room and listened from the other side of her door, dejected and alone, Ron remained quiet the entire time his housemates argued, although watched as Harry every so often, glanced up at the Princess’s room in hopes that she may emerge. He didn’t exactly know what drew his best friend to become close with the Slytherin, but as he continued to keep an eye on Harry, the more he realized the raven-haired wizard wasn’t angry or confused like the rest of them. He actually appeared to be more upset and worried about Pansy than anything.
“Is she going to end up being the next Tom Riddle?” Neville shouted over everyone as concern filled every inch of his body, forcing a silence to engulf the room. “What happened back there?”
“A result of war…” McGonagall declared in an almost whisper after a few seconds of silence, resulting in the students to all gaze at her with troubled eyes. “You all have it in you…Those who fought…Those who suffered tremendous loss…I had hoped none of you would show symp-”
“What is it?” Harry cut in with a cracked voice.
“A anima mea denigrata…”
“I’m sorry, a what?” Theo questioned with furrowed brows of confusion and a raised hand.
“A blackened soul…” Ron answered sorrowfully with his arms crossed.
“And how the hell do you know that?” the brunette Slytherin asked incredulity.
“Because of George…” he admitted softly. “The first time it happened was the day we buried Fred…that day made everything real for him, I guess. Mum didn’t know what to do and took him to St. Mungo’s after he had calmed down some, which is when they told us.”
“So, you’re saying it’s like…like some sort of disease?” Neville questioned woefully. “And it can happen again?”
“It’s not a disease, Mr. Longbottom” McGonagall replied as Ron lowered his head, took a seat on one of the couches, and stared at the ground. “When a person…like all of you…has gone through extreme stress, stress usually caused by a war, but not always, where loss of the ones you know and love…” she trailed off as silent tears began to well in the eyes of all those listening. “One’s magic will…fluctuate…when angered or saddened beyond a persons’ control. It runs wild and cannot be tamed until it has run its course. Manifested blackened eyes is the magical signal, along with the sparking of magic through the hair or fingertips. When in that state, a person can be remarkably dangerous. I do not wish to go into details, but there was only one instance I can recall during the first Wizarding War, where a person’s entire body had flared and an explosion of magic burst through them; killing several muggles and injuring multiple wizards within a fifty-yard radius. It’s not the same as raw magic and nor is it the same as an Obscurial; however, what I had feared for you all has come to pass. If Ms. Parkinson has shown signs of a anima mea denigrata, then the four trapped may as well.”
“But…” Theo began while unseeingly staring at the coffee table in front of him. “But Blaise never fought in the war. He wasn’t there during the Battle of Hogwarts, so does that mean he won’t…you know?”
“I’m afraid we won’t know unless Mr. Potter sees it in a vision or until they return home. Although, the group has seen many deaths, I feel it would take a very specific event to cause Mr. Zabini to lose control. From what I know of his character, he is more reasonable and able to contain his emotions better than the others, I feel he won’t break until his own trial; whatever and wherever that may be.”
“Wait…” Harry expressed with a raised hand as he removed his gaze from off of Pansy’s door. “One of them already did…”
“What do you mean, Harry” Ron queried, finally lifting his eyes from the floor. “Who?”
“Draco did…when he saved ‘Mione. I-I didn’t see his eyes because well, I was in his head, but…I could feel it. It-it wasn’t like anything I had ever felt before and I have felt a lot of dark power in my life. It was like…” he paused for a second and licked his lips while looking off to his left, trying to think of the right words. “Like pure untapped hatred a-and anger was running through my veins and I couldn’t get a handle on it. Like the emotions were taking over and I had no choice but to let it happen. But it had a direction, you know? His magic knew who it wanted to target, it was focused; and as soon as ‘Mione spoke, it was as if a giant weight lifted off me…off him…The same thing I think, happened with Pansy.”
“Her eyes did go back to normal after she looked at you…” Ron claimed with narrowed brows of concentration. “Maybe her anger wasn’t fully focused on you. I mean, she did seem extremely pissed off at you, but…I think Theo almost getting in a fight is what caused her to snap.”
“What’s going to happen to her, Professor?” the Gryffindor Prince questioned concerningly. “Are you going to expel her?”
“No…” McGonagall smiled warmly. “This was something beyond anyone’s control. I think the poor dear has suffered enough already. Although, Mr. Hawk and Mr. Night will think she has been given a week’s worth of detention for her ruthless attack on them. They will, however, receive detention of their own for starting a fight and points will be taken from both Gryffindor and Slytherin House. I will ask that you all keep a close eye on your housemate. If she, or any one of you, shows signs of this sort of magic, please inform a Professor as soon as you can.
“It is critical that you also keep everyone at a safe distance until help arrives. There is not much we can do to stop the process, but with enough of us to produce a protective shield around the person, we can contain the magic. Wizards cannot die if a burst is to happen, although you can be seriously hurt. Do not try to take matters into your own hands, do you understand? I know how you lot are. Madam Pomfrey has enough on her plate as it is, she does not need a room full of injured students to tend to as well. Now I must head back to Malfoy Manor to tend to a few things. I am trusting that you will give your friend the space she needs to reign in her emotions before trying to speak with her.”
“Of course, Professor” Luna answered sweetly as Harry went back to gazing at Pansy’s door and everyone else remained quiet.
“Very well. If you need me, you know how to contact me.”
With that being said, Professor McGonagall bowed her head and exited the Common Room, leaving the group of students alone with their thoughts. After an hour had passed and Pansy denied anyone except Luna, to enter her room, Ron paced back and forth in front of the lit fireplace and thought about how crushed Harry was that the Slytherin refused to speak with him. While the raven-haired wizard was still unaware that the redhead knew something was up between the pair, and hid away in his own quarters pretending he was upset about what happened with Houston and Dan, Ron decided to take it upon himself and cheer his friend up the only way he knew how.
Exhaling a deep breath, Ron raced up the stairs and nervously knocked on the door of his once former enemy. The entryway cracked open after a moment of no answer, and Luna poked her head out with a small smile upon her lips.
“Oh hello, Ronald” she asserted while stepping out and closing the door behind her. “How are you doing? Is Harry alright?”
“Hi, Luna…Can-can I speak with Parkinson for a moment?”
“Oh…No…” she replied sweetly. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. She seems exceptionally upset right now. I think that Wrackspurts have entered her mind because of her saddened spirit and are causing her to create these silly notions in her head. She believes she’s cursed and that everyone now hates her.”
“Luna…I know about her and Harry. I need to talk to her…Please.”
“H-how do you know about-”
“I figured it out on my own really” he cut in while placing his hands in his pockets and shrugging. “Look, she doesn’t have to worry, Harry didn’t say anything, and I won’t tell anyone. He doesn’t even know that I know…But I have to talk to her. You understand, right?”
“That’s very nice of you, but Pansy doesn’t need you yelling and threatening her right now, Ronald. I have seen how you used to treat Ginny’s boyfriends and even Hermione when she briefly dated Krum. I know you have grown up since then, but I don’t want to risk her having another episode because you’re trying to protect your best friend. However, she is now my best friend and her state of mind is fragile at the moment.”
“Luna,” Ron stated softly, “you have my word…I just want to talk to her. I promise, I’m not going to yell or freak out. It’s important.”
“Well…” she ticked while thinking strongly about his request. “If it’s important…You swear you won’t hurt her feelings?”
“I swear. You said it yourself, I’m protective of Harry. And right now, he is a mess and is worried about her. I hate seeing him like this. I think he just wants answers and if she won’t speak to him…”
“Alright...I’ll allow it. But if you hurt her, you’ll leave me no choice but to inform the Headmistress. ”
“I won’t, Luna. Please just trust me.”
“I trust you, Ronald. It’s just your temper that is cause for concern. Very well, if you need me, I’ll be downstairs reading my father’s latest article on Blibbering Humdingers. They’re outstanding creatures, you know. Would you like the latest copy of the Quibbler?” she asked with a tilt of her head.
“Uhh, sure…You can leave it in my room, I suppose.”
“Okay! You’re going to love it! Father even mentions Gulping Plimpys, which are-”
“That’s great, Luna,” he quickly interrupted with a faux smile, “and I’ll read it later” he lied, knowing he had no interest in reading about the imaginary creatures the Lovegood’s believed in. “Can I go in now?”
“Oh, yes!” she beamed before stepping aside and allowing the red-headed Weasley access to the dorm. “I’ll see you later!” she waved while skipping to the stairs as Ron raised a brow and shook his head.
Without thinking about it beforehand, because if he did, he was sure he was going to regret ever thinking he could pull this off, Ron grasped the handle on the dark wood door, and slowly began to open the entryway. Anxiously stepping inside the neatly decorated room, he spotted Pansy curled into a ball on her bed and facing the wall. She didn’t know he had entered nor was she aware that he could hear her soft sobs as she cried into her pillow, making Ron suddenly feel overwhelmingly bad for the girl. Taking a step forward, he exhaled a gentle breath before taking a seat on the edge of her bed.
“Please leave me alone, Luna…” she whimpered while pulling the second pillow in her arms closer to her chest. “I don’t want to talk about it…”
“It’s a good thing I’m not Luna then” he claimed kindly, causing the raven-haired witch to quickly jump up in a panic and hug the wall with her back. Wiping at her face, smearing her mascara across her cheeks, she grasped the pillow tighter in her arms and gazed at Ron like he had just insulted her.
“Merlin saggy left tit, Weasley! What are you doing in here? Where’s Luna? I told her to not let anyone in!”
“Calm down, Parkinson, I’m not here make you anymore upset…I just wanted to talk to you.”
“Why?” she questioned skeptically as she slightly lowered the pillow tightly tucked against her chest.
“Because,” he sighed heavily “you’re a mess, Harry’s a mess, Theo is worried, Neville thinks you’re going to be the next Dark Lord, and if we don’t talk about what’s going on, then I’ll be forced to read the Quibbler and have no excuse as to why I didn’t when Luna asks me about Blibbering Humdingers.”
“What?” she breathed out in confusion.
“Nothing…Listen um-”
“I know everyone’s terrified of me…” she admitted sorrowfully while fresh tears began to brew in her dark brown eyes.
“What? No, they-”
“It’s okay, Weasley, I know they are. I don’t blame them. I…I-I scared myself too…I knew what I was capable of and…it’s not the first time that’s happened to me. I-I don’t want my friends to be scared of me…” she spoke sullenly while turning her gaze to the crisp white sheet she was sitting upon. “I didn’t mean to hurt them…” her voice cracked as her jaw began to quiver, “I just wanted them to stop talking.”
“Pansy…” Ron spoke with a hint of perturbation in his voice while getting more comfortable on the mattress by bringing his left leg up and turning towards the Slytherin to see her better. “Do-do you mind if I call you…you know?” After she had shaken her head, he continued. “Pansy, I-I know we aren’t really friends, let alone close, but sometimes talking to someone who doesn’t really know you that well is easier…I know what you’re dealing with because I have faced it before with my brother. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is, well ask really, is what led you to get that angry? What happened after you and Luna left the Common Room this morning?”
“It’s stupid…” she confessed, but not willing to reveal exactly why she allowed her magic to run wild.
“It’s not stupid…” he stated with a small tilt of his head. “Was it because of Harry?”
“Why would it be about Harry? Why does everything have to be about him?” she snapped while gripping the pillow tightly in her hands.
“Because it’s Harry” he chuckled, causing her to meet his gaze. “And I know he’s got a thing for you, even if he doesn’t know that I know.”
“H-ho-”
“I have eyes, you know…and I’m not as dumb as I look either” he shrugged. “A klutz, yes, lazy, absolutely, but stupid…no. I’m not against it. We’ve both matured a lot over the year and I know I can’t control who he dates and who he fancies, but you have to tell me…What exactly did he do, Pansy, to hurt you enough to want to rip out those guys throats?”
“He…” she lowered her gaze while thinking about how foolish it would sound saying it out loud. She knew she overreacted but that still didn’t stop her from feeling hurt and betrayed. “He avoided me…all day” she admitted with a small shrug. “It sounds ridiculous, I know, but…after he kissed me and asked me on a date back at Malfoy Manor, I-I thought I finally found someone who could understand what I went through. And told me about how much he liked me and…and we talked for almost two hours about everything the other night…But for him to just ignore me and then flirt with that…that girl…”
“He made you feel like he used you…” he finished, and she nodded her head in confirmation before he raised his lips into a half-grin. “He didn’t use you, Pansy…He was nervous. He’s been acting strange since yesterday and it’s been driving me barmy wondering what was wrong with him. I-I’m assuming the date he asked you on is tonight, isn’t it? It would explain why he’s been acting like a pillock.”
“Yeah…well…it was supposed to be…”
“I’m sure it still can be. Look, if anyone knows Harry better than Harry, it’s me. He’s fancied less than a handful of women in his life and hasn’t exactly gone on a lot of dates. Cho was an absolute disaster because she was still pining over Cedric, may he rest in peace, and Ginny…well with Ginny they mostly hung out as friends with a wee bit of romance thrown in there. It’s one of the reasons they broke up. As for that girl you saw him with today, he wasn’t flirting with her. She was hanging all over him and he was just trying to be nice. Mate is clueless as to what flirting actually is. But he did ask her repeatedly to stop in the hall and was doing his best to try and not yell at her. To be honest, she was beginning to annoy all of us.
“If Theo didn’t lie and tell her that Harry was gay and they were in a very intense relationship, she probably would have tried to snog him in front of all of us. Now that I think about it, it’s probably a good thing she didn’t because if you saw that, I’m sure it would be the end of both her and Harry’s lives” he chuckled as Pansy just stared at him. “Ehem anyway, listen, I’m going to tell you this in confidence since you seem to be so good at keeping secrets…Harry really likes you. I’ve never seen him fancy someone as much as he fancies you.”
“What?’ she queried with narrowed brows. “Wait…if-if he didn’t tell you-”
“His actions speak louder than words, Pansy, I’m sure he’s mentioned that to you. The fact that he ignored you showed how nervous he was to take you out tonight. He even went as far as to laugh at my pumpkin pasties joke, which I know for certain he hates and gives me shite for. And adding in the fact that he is willing to keep your relationship a secret for you, shows just how much he likes you and doesn’t want to mess anything up. I know you’re worried about his feelings for you after what happened at lunch, so I should also mention that out of everyone in the Great Hall…he was the only one to show that he wasn’t scared of you. He cares about you, Pansy, and it’s none of my business as to why or even how this came about, but the bloke is hiding out in his room upset because you won’t let him in. He can be a sensitive guy at times and has lost so much in his life…Don’t let him lose you too.”
“Everything I touch…breaks…” she claimed with a small wince as a tear slipped down her cheek. “I’m afraid I already ruined my chances with him.”
“I don’t think you did. If anything, you just showed a side no one’s ever seen before. A frightening yet intriguingly hot side, I’ll admit” he chuckled, causing Pansy to giggle slightly. “We all have our flaws, Pans, and though you may have ruined mashed potatoes for me for a while” he laughed lightly again, “we all understand that none of us are perfect. Give him a chance; I’m sure he’ll surprise you.” Standing up and walking over to the door, Ron grasped the handle but didn’t open it just yet and instead turned back to face the Slytherin Princess now sitting on her bed hugging her knees. “Pansy…?” he began. Pansy lifted her gaze to the man she could have sworn hated her guts and bit her bottom lip gently as she waited to see if he would suddenly change his mind about being nice to her and instead threaten her to not hurt his best friend.
“Y-yeah?” she anxiously choked out.
“I’d liked to be your friend too…if you’ll have me? I don’t ever want to be like the old Ron and…if you ever feel like you have no one to talk to, or you just want someone to grab a Butterbeer with and shoot the shite, or even just sit around the Common Room to gain Intel on Harry…I want you to know that you can always come to me.”
Pansy’s eyes widened in surprise as the words he had spoken were nothing close to what she thought he would say, and for a moment she felt utterly speechless.
“I-I…You mean it?”
“Well on two conditions. The first being that you have to put up with me and guy talk, which seeing as you have more guy friends than girls, that shouldn’t be a problem…”
“And what’s the second?” she questioned apprehensively.
“You don’t tell Harry that I talked to you…I want him to be able to come to me and tell me on his own terms. I don’t want him to think that he messed up by breaking your trust…because he didn’t betray you. He just acted like a guy and didn’t know how to properly express his feelings. I may have the emotional range of a teaspoon, but at least I have a range, and I know that he didn’t mean to hurt you. It was never his intention. So, can we keep this between us? At least until you give him permission to tell the world of your relationship…” Inhaling a deep breath as a small smile spread across her lips, Pansy nodded her head while wiping a fallen tear from her face.
“You have a deal, Weasley…”
“You can call me Ron, you know. We’re friends now, which also means that if anyone starts anything with you, you tell me right away and I’ll shut them up faster than you can say Quidditch.”
“Okay…Ron” she smiled warmly with a small chuckle. “And…thank you…for talking to me.”
“If we’re going to be honest with each other, I have to confess that I did it mainly for Harry.”
“I figured as much.”
“But you’re welcome, Pansy. I’m glad this worked out the way it did actually. If not, who knows if we would have ever come to an understanding” he stated as a small huff escaped through his nose. “I’ll see you later, yeah?”
Softly nodding her head, Ron smiled once more before turning back to the door, opening it, and walking out as Pansy couldn’t help but feel relief wash over her. She began to laugh at herself for being so stupid and getting mad at Harry before even trying to talk to him first, when a sudden realization dawned on her. Scrambling out of bed, she quickly charmed her face clean, fixed her make-up, and spelled the wrinkles from her clothing before rushing out of the room.
She had frantically pounded on the Gryffindor Prince’s door for what felt like forever before realizing he was no longer in his room. Luna stood up from the couch she was sitting on, and raised a brow at Pansy before finally telling her that Harry had gone to the Quidditch Pitch to try and clear his mind. The blonde didn’t even get a chance to say another word as Pansy swiftly ran down the stairs and out the portrait door just as Theo and Neville walked into the Common Room.
“Where the hell is she going?” Theo questioned as the portrait slowly closed behind him.
“To fix something she feels she broke” Luna vaguely claimed through her beaming smile before taking her seat once more and continued to read the magazine her father worked so hard to write.
Racing down the halls, that were thankfully empty, Pansy never once stopped running until she made it to the Quidditch Pitch and had to catch her breath. She called out for Harry in the Changing Room she knew she shouldn’t be in, before sulking her shoulders when he didn’t answer. Turning on her heel and rushing out to the field, she spotted the Gryffindor hitting Bludgers with a Beater’s bat in the center of the oval grounds and smiled while exhaling a deep alleviating breath.
“HARRY!” she called out while rushing over the turf that was charmed to stay flat and short. Harry immediately turned while ducking to avoid being hit by one of the Bludgers and gasped in shock to see Pansy jogging towards him. “HARRY, I’M SORRY!” she yelled.
“What?” he inquired in confusion, not able to fully hear what she had said, before flicking his wand to halt one of the iron balls he was hitting. Stopping just short of running directly into him, Pansy breathed heavily before repeating her words.
“I’m…sorry” she stated through rough panting. “I thought you were ignoring me all day and I let it get to me…then,” she swallowed while still trying to catch her breath, “then those daft dick shites had to go and say those horrible nasty things about me and-and you, making me even angrier, and then they tried to get to you at lunch, and then Theo almost got into a fight, and-”
“Pansy, stop…! What are-” he began but cut himself off as the second Bludger, flew through the air above and behind her.
“I’m trying to say I’m sorry for shutting you out a-and for being such a bitch, and…and I was wondering if you would…would still like to go on that date with me…tonight?”
“Uhh, Pansy this is not a good-”
“Are you saying ‘no’?” she asked regrettably through her slightly calmer labored breathing. “You…you don’t…you don’t want to?”
“No! I…” he paused again as he tried to keep his eye on the iron ball zooming through the air but still remain focused on the girl in front of him. “I most definitely want to still take you, I just…Pansy, this is-” He tried to explain again the danger she had just placed herself in, but was swiftly interrupted as he felt the Slytherins’ lips suddenly pressing up against his while her arms wrapped around his neck.
However, the sudden impact of her throwing herself on him, caused Harry to lose his balance when he stepped back in shock and fell to the ground with a hard thud. Instantly snaking his arms around the raven-haired witch, so she wouldn’t get hurt when they landed, Pansy briefly broke away from the kiss and smiled happily as a beautiful laugh escaped her throat. For a moment, Harry had lost himself in the sound of her voice, before quickly pulling his attention back to the Bludger hurtling down at them at an unimaginable speed. Gripping the Princess tightly in his grasp, Harry hastily pulled her off him, and in one quick motion, pointed his wand at the iron ball, and shouted ‘Bombarda’…shattering it to pieces.
“You could have told me there was a fucking Bludger coming at us!” she shrieked while raising her upper body to rest on her forearms as fragments of iron rained down onto the green field.
“I did try, actually…Twice” he grinned while turning his focus back to Pansy, who giggled sweetly and shook her head before laying back on the grass. “So…” he breathed out in relief. “About that date…I’ll pick you up at six then, yeah?”
“Don’t be late” she grinned from ear to ear as Harry got to his feet and helped her up.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Joyfully beaming and refusing to upset his witch by asking her about everything that had happened in such a few short hours, Harry took Pansy’s hand in his and walked her back to the castle; all the while, feeling even more nervous about their date that night.
@Saxman- Thank you! I'm sorry for being terrible at replying to you. It's just been hectic lately. Please still love me!
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The Paths We Take