Pani Mydnite Black was leaving. She didn't know where she was going to stay when she got there but right now she didn't care.
Pani stood at about 1.6 metres tall (1.7 in her boots). Her dark purple hair hung around her shoulders framing her soft Italian features elegantly. Her dark blue eyes that were usually sparkling with mystery and mischief were now threatening to over flow with tears. Her white halter neck dress came down just past her knees and emphasised her curvaceous form hugging her in all the right places, her breasts being the centre of attention.
Pani was a witch. She was best friends with the world's saviour, Harry Potter, daughter to a man accused of a mass murder he didn't commit, Sirius Black; and good friends with most of her graduating class. She graduated top of her class despite everyone believing her good friend, Hermione Granger, would be honoured with that title, as she had been the previous six years and all her Professors expected her to do great things. She had dated (even if somewhat briefly) two of the most successful wizards of her generation, Fred Weasley and Oliver Wood. And it was seldom known that she was partially responsible for the international success of 'Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes'.
She glanced at one of the Wizarding photos on her nightstand. She had her arm around the shoulders of a curvaceous but lean red headed witch. Ginny Weasley was a good friend of Pani's, that is until Pani found out that Ginny was cheating on her boyfriend with his childhood rival (who is Pani's second cousin once removed or some crap like that). Ginny was cheating on Harry with Draco Malfoy, which infuriated Pani. What upset Pani more was when she found out how long this illicit affair had been going on for. Six months. And from what Pani understood, Ginervra had no plan to put a stop to either relationship. In a sudden fit of blinding rage, Pani snatched up the photo and threw it bodily across the room, causing the glass to smash.
Pani blinked several times before pulling out her wand and repaired the broken picture. 'Breaking things isn't going to do any good' she thought. Sitting on her bed, she looked at another one of her photos. Her laughing as her then boyfriend, Ron Weasley, spun her around the dance floor at the graduation ball. They were so happy together…then. She and Ron had been together since Christmas, until Harry's birthday last month.
...Flashback...
It was the perfect summer's day and Harry's party was in full swing. Pani was dirty dancing with Ron, Harry and Ginny had snuck off to some dark corner and Hermione was making out with Dean Thomas by the bar. All of a sudden the music stopped and the lights went up. Several people shouted and groaned. "Stop that now" came the playful voice of Lee Jordan "Now as it is Harry's party I'll leave it up to him, but a very good looking pair of people suggested to me that we play seven minutes in heaven. Now Harry, what do you say about that?"
"Nah Lee not now." came Harry's voice from the crowd "Let's play truth or dare" The whole room cheered at that suggestion and everyone had soon arranged them selves in a circle. Pani stepped into the circle with an empty firewhisky bottle in hand.
"This bottle is enchanted. When I put it in the middle of the circle it will spin until it decides to stop, when it stops it will flash the person's name above it and spin again until it stops on someone else. The second person has to choose truth or dare. Which ever they choose the first person will have to come up with either a question for them to answer or a dare for them to do. If you pick truth you have to answer truthfully or the bottle will rise from the floor and belt you around the head until you tell the truth." Pani placed the bottle on the floor when she finished and squeezed in between Seamus and Harry. The bottle began to spin. It stopped abruptly.
'Lee Jordan' was flashed in a red light above the bottle before it began to spin again. It spun longer this time before stopping again
'Harry Potter' was flashed.
"Truth" Harry chose "Knowing you Lee you'd dare me to do some thing embarrassing" Lee thought for a moment before asking "Who was your first kiss with?"
"Cho Chang" he responded confidently. The bottle spun again.
'Ginny Weasley' flashed in red light for a moment. The bottle resumed spinning.
'Hermione Granger' Ginny smirked wickedly.
"Dare" said Hermione calmly.
"I dare you to spend the rest of the game with your knickers on your head" Ginny challenged.
"Ok" Hermione agreed. She left for a moment and returned with a hot pink lacy g-string on her head. Pani tried hard to stifle her laughter as Colin Creevey snapped a couple of pictures. Hermione returned to her seat and the bottle began to spin again.
'Fred Weasley'
'Pani Black'
"Truth" was all Pani said
"Ok 'Ni, If Dear little Ronniekins wasn't with you who do you think he'd be with?" asked Fred.
"No-one." Pani replied. The bottle started to spin again.
'Seamus Finnegan'
'Ron Weasley'
"Truth" muttered Ron
"Alright then Bluey" Seamus started "Do you think you really love Pani and she really loves you? If not who do you really love and who do you think she really loves?" Pani punched Seamus in the arm. She heard Ron take a deep breath. She looked at him and he closed his eyes. "Ron we're waiting for your answer" Harry said irritably.
"No" came Ron's answer. Pani gasped, tears welling in her eyes. "I don't think Pani really loves me, I think she's really in love with Harry" Ron opened his eyes to look at Pani, but she turned her head, stood up and walked to the door. "Happy Birthday Harry" she called her voice cracking. She opened the door, stepped outside and shut it softly behind her. Apparating to her flat, she fumbled with her keys. She backed against the door, slid to the floor and broke down.
...End Flashback...
Dean had returned to the flat not long after she had and opened the door before picking her up and taking her inside. He lay on the bed with her just holding her as she cried. When she stopped he still held her until they had both fallen asleep. He didn't ask her anything when they woke and never spoke of the party.
She hadn't spoken to Harry or Ron since the party neither of them had bothered to try and contact her either so it looked like the cold shoulder on all ends. She had found out from Dean later that Ron admitted to not really loving her and that he really loved Hermione. Fred and George had stopped by the next day for a business meeting but they were told by Dean that Pani didn't want to talk right now even if it was just business. Hermione, Neville Longbottom and Seamus arrived for a chat within the rest of the week but left again when no-one answered the door. Ginny caught her one morning and tried to talk to her but they ended up arguing and Ginny left.
Pani stood from the bed and opened her wardrobe. Shrinking everything in it she packed it in her suitcase. She did the same with all her books, photos and other personal items making sure the all fit in the one suitcase. Closing the case with a flick of her wrist she sank into the chair by her vanity. She stared into her reflection remembering the day after the final battle two years ago today.
...Flashback...
She sat in front of the dresser in her room at Grimmauld place; it was decorated in bold reds and soft golds compared to the dull blacks and greens it was before. Remus Lupin was standing behind her.
"You should tell him Pani" he said reproachfully. Pani continued to brush her hair, pretending her Godfather hadn't spoken. She placed the brush on the dresser tied her hair into a messy bun. Remus placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Padfoot would want you to tell him" he muttered softly tucking a stray stand of hair behind her ear.
"You don't know what my dad would have wanted." Pani snapped. Remus recoiled his hand at her tone. Sirius had only died a few months ago so he was still a sensitive topic for both Harry and Pani. Pani slid an opal stoned silver ring over the ring finger on her left hand
"And anyway I'm not telling him. I'm like a bothersome big sister to him, he doesn't see me the way I see him. Besides the war just ended I don't want to shock him anymore than he already is." she finished. She picked up the silver crescent moon necklace and looked at it. She undid the clasp and reached around her neck to do it up. Remus took it from her and fastened it.
"I gave this to your mother in our sixth year. You look more and more like her everyday Pani." he told her leaning down and smiling into the reflection before him.
"I know" agreed Pani smiling softly. "Now don't we have a party to go to?"
...End Flashback...
Pani sighed heavily and tucked her wand in the thigh holster she'd been wearing for three years. Why was life so complicated? She stood, grabbed her trunk and apparated to The Burrow.
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She set her suitcase down by the back door and knocked. Molly Weasley opened the door smiling. "Oh Pani dear, how are you?" she asked in the motherly tone she used with almost everyone. "Fine thanks. Is Harry around?" Pani answered.
"He's been upstairs with Ginny all morning……" Pani felt a little disappointed "…Do you want me to go get him?" asked Molly
"No thank you. But can you tell him I dropped by please?"
"Of course Dear" Molly replied. Pani stepped back outside, picked up her case and apparated to Grimmauld Place
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"Remus?" Pani called as she sat her suitcase in the long hall. Remus' head poked in from the kitchen. Oh Pani." He greeted cheerfully "Come in Dora is just putting Teddy to bed for a nap"
Pani smiled for the first time that morning. She walked past the portrait of her writhing Grandmother. They leave the curtains open now thanks to a permanent silencing charm. "Pani!" cried Nymphadora Tonks from the top of the stairs. She hurried down and pulled Pani into a fierce hug. Pani almost cried. She hadn't been greeted like this in a long time. Tonks pulled away from her a little "You will always be welcome here, don't forget that" she whispered. Pani nearly cried, again. She knew Tonks loved her like a sister. She followed Tonks down the hall knowing she had spotted her case in the hall.
Leaning against the kitchen door, Pani watched the couple exchange whispers knowing they were talking about her. "Have you reconsidered moving in here?" Asked Tonks as she and Pani sat opposite each other at the scrubbed kitchen table.
"No when I get back from my travelling I'm still going to live with Dean" she replied. Remus placed a steaming cup of tea in front of her before placing one in front of Tonks and one for himself. "How long will you be gone for?" Remus asked. Pani sipped her tea.
"As long as I feel necessary" she replied evasively. To be perfectly honest she didn't know how long she was going to be gone for and Remus knew it. Seeing that knowing smile on his face reminded her of the one night the upper-class students got to stay in Hogsmeade overnight.
...Flashback...
She was sitting in the Three Broomsticks suite she was sharing with her cousin, Draco Malfoy, and their friend, Blaise Zabini "What's wrong Draco?" Pani asked slightly concerned. "You've been distracted all night" Draco merely shrugged and continued to stare out the dark window. She glanced over at Blaise who simply shrugged and sat sipping his drink. "You can talk" Blaise sneered. "The only way to distract you from your distraction is if the object of your distraction is mentioned." Pani glared and pouted at him, she knew what he was talking about, so did Draco but she wasn't going to take Blaise's bait. "Just tell him already Black, get it off ---."
"No!" she interrupted. "He's Happy with Ginny. Why would he want me?" She finished in a defeated tone, one arm under her breasts supporting the other crossing her chest and gripping her shoulder. Blaise gave her a knowing smile and started on a list of her attractive qualities.
...End Flashback...
Pani looked down to see she had no tea left. "Pani will you stayfor lunch?" Tonks asked gently.
"No thank you, my flight leaves at 1:30 seeing as it's twelve I have a little left to do before I go check in" Pani replied as she stood. Remus moved swiftly and pulled her into a bone crushing hug. "You'll be missed" he whispered hoarsely. A few hot tears fell down her cheeks as she hugged him back and whispered "Only by some" He pulled away slightly and studied her face
"You are most definitely your parent's daughter"
"And your god-daughter" she added with a slight laugh. Tonks pushed Remus away and hugged Pani gripping her as if she was a life line. Pani broke away tearing out of the kitchen before she lost her nerve to leave. She grabbed her suitcase and disapparated.
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Pani found Dean in his undersized studio near the centre of London. The heels of her boots clicking on the tiled floor alerting him to her presence. Throwing a sheet over his work he turned to face her. She took one of his hands and placed her keys to the apartment in it. "I'm going away for awhile" she told him "Take care of the apartment for me please. I'll be in contact as often as I can. I'm writing to you and only you."
"OK. need a lift?" he asked not questioning any of it.
"That'd be nice. Oh and a couple more things If any one asks how I am you tell them I'm fine, especially if it's Tonks or Remus. And No-one is to enter my room." she replied. Dean picked up his car keys and wand from the table just inside the studio door as Pani walked out. Locking the door behind him Dean knew this wasn't going to solve her problems but it might help her think clearly.