A/N: Written for EaGLes41574, The Houses Competition. Drabble, Prompts: Surfing Pansy
Pansy Parkinson walked across the beach, keeping her head down and avoiding the gazes of the muggles she passed. They were beneath her. Despite the fact that muggles covered this beach like the plague, Pansy couldn't resist the crystal blue waters that crashed upon the peach colored sand. When reached the point where the waters met the sand, she stopped to stare out over the ocean. Waves rose and crashed into white foam, knocking surfer after surfer off of their boards like a cranky landlord trying to get teens off their property. Her heart beat against her chest as though it were trying to escape. Her hand tightened on her surfboard. The irony wasn't lost on her. One of her favorite activities was also one of the things she was most afraid of.
The thought of being swept away by the water, buried beneath it, unable to break free from it no matter how hard she struggled, always sent that same tingle of fear up her spine. It was exactly what she needed after the war had ended, though. Life grown too quiet. She'd grown numb with it. Ghosts of corpses scattered across the grounds of Hogwarts haunted her dreams, and yet, she wasn't afraid. The world, and everyone in it moved on without her, yet when Draco stopped talking to her, she didn't feel loneliness or regret. Her parents attempted to shake her out of it by lavishing her with gifts, yet she didn't feel happiness. No matter what anyone did, she couldn't stop…whatever this was.
Pansy stepped into the cold water, squeezing her toes against the sand. She could feel that. She could feel the cold seeping down towards her bones. The ocean was the only place she felt truly alive now. She moved deeper into the ocean, positioned her board, and waited for the perfect wave. She forced herself to start paddling, despite her racing heart and shaking hands. As she felt the wave pull at her, she leapt up onto the board. The wind tousled her hair. Her breath caught in her chest, and Pansy struggled to keep her balance. She rode the wave until it knocked her down, pulling her under and making her spin with the current. Her instinct screamed at her to swim for the surface. The surfboard tugged at the ankle it was attached to. Pansy held her breath and let it take her for as long as she could. She loved the way it made the blood rush through her veins. When, at last, she was sure her lungs would burst if she stayed under for even one more second, she kicked up to the surface and gasped for breath.
Let them move on, she thought. Let the entire world move on without her, pretending that horrible thing had never happened. Sometimes, it was better to feel fear than to feel nothing at all.