Chapter 1

"I hope you've got your coat on," Pansy called out as she breezed through the Ministry office door. "I'm absolutely starving."

The smile dropped immediately off her face at the sight of her former housemate scribbling furiously on a piece of parchment. "Blaise, I can't believe you're not ready!" she said, her displeasure made clear by a small stomp of one well-heeled foot. "Need I remind you how difficult it was to get these reservations?"

Her former housemate barely spared her a glance. "Sorry, Pans. Got to finish this report for Shacklebolt before we can go." His quill bobbed rapidly for a few more seconds before he exclaimed, "Done!" He finally looked up, a wide grin creasing his handsome face as he took in her appearance. "Well," he said approvingly as he leaned back and ran admiring eyes from the top of her elegantly coiffed head to the gleaming metal stiletto heels. "So much for not making a statement."

"Oh, this old thing?" Pansy trilled, her hands smoothing over the dress clinging enticingly to her curves, its neckline plunging deeply to a point just below her breasts. She twirled around for greater effect, showing off the shockingly short hem and an almost embarrassing amount of skin exposed in the back.

A chuckle escaped from Blaise. "I suppose Nigel should see what he's missing." His features softened for a moment. "He's a bastard for leaving you, Pansy. And then announcing his engagement after only a month? The papers still can't stop talking about it." He shook his head in disgust. "The offer still stands. Just say the word." For emphasis, he aimed his quill threateningly at an alarmed portrait occupant just behind her.

"It's okay, Blaise. I can handle him quite well on my own. Believe me, he'll pay." Her dark eyes twinkled with a wicked gleam that promised great retribution for the humiliation heaped upon her.

"I'm sure you will." And because her friend knew exactly what she was capable of, he returned her smirk with one of his own. He glanced over at the clock in the corner and started. "Shacklebolt's leaving in 10 minutes," he said as he scrambled to his feet. "I'll be right back. Make yourself comfortable." He vaguely waved his hand in the direction of the nearest chair. "Just not," he added firmly, "on Potter's desk."

Rolling her eyes, Pansy scooted away from the aforementioned desk and instead, perched herself at the edge of Blaise's. Picking up a letter-opener emblazoned with the Slytherin crest, she scrutinized her reflection in its shiny surface, making sure that her lip gloss was still perfect. "So what's it like working with the Boy-Who-Saved-Us-All? Still nasty to all former Slytherins?"

"He's alright," Blaise replied absently as he gathered up several rolls of parchment. "Once you get to know him." His arms full, he dashed to the door, shouting behind him as he closed it. "Remember, don't touch anything on his desk!"

"I won't!" Pansy shouted back in exasperation. However, as soon as Blaise's footsteps faded away, she wandered over to Potter's desk. Unrolled pieces of parchment, news clippings from The Daily Prophet, and random dusty objects were scattered all over the surface. Just like his hair, she sniffed haughtily, absolutely no attention to detail. She idly poked a teetering pile with her finger, causing the papers to shift and reveal a pair of shiny bracelets. Never one to ignore pretty things, Pansy fished one of them out, admiring the way the light reflected off the bright gold. She noticed some delicate engravings along the inside edge, but no matter how hard she squinted at them, she couldn't make out their meaning (Ancient Runes was never her best subject). Undeterred, she slipped the bracelet onto her wrist. Immediately, a prickling sensation spread up her arm, making the hair on her skin rise. The damn thing's enchanted! Pansy realized belatedly, a sickening feeling pooling in the pit of her stomach. She tried to slip it off, but the bracelet seemed to have shrunk and wrapped itself tightly around her wrist. No amount of pulling or tugging could loosen it.

"What are you doing, Parkinson?"

Pansy's heart almost jumped into her throat. In her panic, she didn't even hear Harry come in. Quickly, she grabbed the other bracelet and composed her face into a familiar sneer before spinning around to face him, careful to keep both items hidden behind her back.

"Nothing, Potter. Just admiring your filing system." She started edging slowly away from his desk, hoping to gain the safety of Blaise's own, but her behavior immediately attracted his attention. Suspicion flared in his green eyes. "What's behind your back?" he demanded as he took a step toward her.

"Nothing but my hands!" She flashed him a wide, and hopefully disarming, smile. "I'll just wait for Blaise over there if you don't mind—"

Pansy didn't know that he could move so quickly. In the space of a few seconds, Harry had crossed the office and trapped her against the desk. His arm snaked around her, and she could feel his fingers, rough and calloused, pressing painfully hard into the soft skin of her wrists.

"Make it easy for me, Parkinson. Give it back," he said, his voice almost a low growl against her ear. The threat implicit in his words made her heart race even faster.

"I- I can't," she babbled nervously as she tried twisting away from him.

"You mean you won't," he snarled at her as he snatched her arm from behind her back. They struggled against each other, Harry nearly bending her in half as he tried to pry her fingers off the bracelets. He'd managed to grab one just as she lost her grip on it. The bracelet slid easily onto his wrist, and from the look on his face, she could tell that he'd felt that same magic coursing up his arm. Harry staggered away from her, his gaze dropping to the gold now adorning his arm. For half a second, Pansy entertained the thought of sneaking around him while he was distracted, but he recovered before she could even take a step in the direction of the door.

"What did you do?" Harry shouted as he jerked her roughly toward him. His fingers dug painfully into her shoulders, nearly making her cry out in pain. She was about to retaliate by stabbing her heel into his foot when an alarmed voice called out from behind them.

"What's going on here?"