The Ice Queen and the White Knight

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Astronomy, task 4: Write about a virgin

Word count: 858


Pansy Parkinson looked around the room in disgust and downed her firewhisky in one go. She grimaced as the aftertaste kicked in, but that didn't stop her from pouring another glass. She was going to need as many as she could stomach to make it through the night.

Parties at Malfoy Manor were always memorable; this one was no exception. All their Slytherin friends were there, not to mention a few gatecrashers from the other houses.

Everyone was having a great time, it seemed. Draco was dancing with Granger, of all people. Daphne Greengrass had pulled Potter away from the crowd and into a dark corner. Pansy vaguely wondered where the third member of the trio was. She hadn't caught a glimpse of his red hair yet, so maybe he wasn't here.

All around her were loved up couples and horny singletons looking for someone to hook up with. Though she'd rather die than admit it, she felt nervous around all the sexual energy.

Back at school, Pansy had pined for Draco, but he thought of her as just a friend. Pansy was stubborn and resilient, so she kept hoping. Now here she was, watching him dance with the bushy-haired brunette. The way he looked at her was like a slap to the face for Pansy. Her hope was gone.

Other boys had shown an interest in her, but she turned them down one by one. How stupid of her to wait when she could've been out having fun. Now, to her despair, she was a twenty-year-old virgin with a reputation as an ice queen.

She gasped when someone crept up and wrapped their arms around her waist. "If it isn't my favourite girl, Pansy Parkinson," Marcus slurred and swayed on his feet.

Pansy rolled her eyes and shrugged him off. Leave it to her to attract the drunk. "Hello, Marcus. I thought Millicent was your favourite girl."

Marcus tried to pull her towards him again, but she batted his hand away. "Nah, we broke up a few days ago. I saw your arse in that little black dress, and I couldn't take my eyes off it."

"You flatter me," Pansy remarked dryly.

"So, how about it? Why don't we sneak upstairs so you can console me?"

Pansy struggled to hold back a snort. "I don't think so."

Marcus frowned and gripped her arm tight. "Why not, Parkinson? Am I not good enough? In case you didn't notice, no one else is queuing up for you, sweetheart."

"I'd rather go home alone than shag you. Let go of my arm!" she hissed viciously, stung by the reminder.

Marcus glared and dropped her arm in disgust. "You always were a frigid bitch."

The music finished as he spoke, and to Pansy's horror, everyone turned to look at them. Usually, she liked being the centre of attention, but right now she wanted to shrink and find a hole to hide in. "Just leave me alone, Marcus!"

He swept a critical gaze over her body from top to bottom. Pansy stared back, defiant to the end and willing herself not to blush. "Gladly. I bet you're a scared little vir. . ."

SLAP!

Without thinking, she lashed out. How dare he embarrass her in front of everybody like this? Their audience gasped, and Pansy heard footsteps approaching just in time to stop Marcus from retaliating.

"I think it's time you left," Ron Weasley told Marcus firmly as he frogmarched him over to the floo. Pansy watched with a smirk as her redheaded defender grabbed Marcus by the collar of his shirt. They exchanged words, but Pansy was too far away to hear them. Ron let Marcus go, and the prat disappeared hurriedly.

Her friends came over to check on her, but she smiled and told them she was fine. Eventually, the music started up again, and everything returned to normal.

"That was some slap you gave the foul-mouthed git," a familiar voice said from behind her. Pansy whirled around to see Ron smiling at her. "Are you okay?"

They didn't know each other all that well, so his concern touched pansy. "I'll live," she told him as she returned the smile. Pansy had to admit that Ron looked good now his thin frame had filled out. Being an Auror agreed with him, and she'd always been a sucker for blue eyes. "Thank you for stepping in. I was close to getting my wand out and hexing him."

Ron laughed. "In that case, I'm sorry I didn't leave you to it. Harry says I have a White Knight complex, but that's a bit rich coming from him."

Pansy raised an eyebrow and considered him for a moment. She decided to take a chance. "Do you have a girlfriend, white knight?"

His eyes lit up. "No."

"Good. Would you care to escort an ice queen home?"

He laughed softly and looked in her eyes. At that moment, she was sure he saw through her confident act and could hear how fast her heart was beating as she waited for his answer.

"You're not an ice queen, but I'd love to take you home."