Pansy Parkinson walked quickly back to her common room. It was well past her curfew and she wasn't patrolling tonight, so she had no excuse for being out so late. She really couldn't afford getting caught roaming again. The last time it had been by that pathetic mud-blood Granger, she had been patrolling with Draco but he couldn't even help her out, Miss. I-must-always-follow-the-rules would have probably written him up too. If only it was just Draco, then it would have been fine, but no. The head boy and girl decided that they had to mix houses when patrolling, it was pure hell. Last year it had been okay, she was able to spend more time with Draco. Now it sucked.
Well, maybe she only thought that on Monday when she had to patrol with Ron Weasley. Wednesday with Anthony Goldstein wasn't bad, he was so damn quiet. And Friday was fantastic, but she wouldn't ever tell anyone that.
Friday she patrolled with Ernie Macmillan, the cute blonde Hufflepuff boy. Pansy couldn't stand him at first. He was so talkative and open about everything. He had no concept of a secret. After a few weeks, though, he started to grow on her. Something about him made her giddy and she soon started looking forward to Friday's even more. Of course she didn't have anyone to confide in about Ernie. She was a pure-blood Slytherin, daughter of a death eater. How could she even think of perusing a member of the biggest blood traitor family there was before the Weasleys?
Pansy also didn't have anyone to confide in ever, really. Draco was her best friend and that was crumbling more and more every day since they decided dating each other was a good idea. Pansy loved Draco, but he didn't love her. That was simple and Pansy had come to accept it, but that didn't mean she wouldn't try as hard as she could to win him over. She also had Blaize but he was way too close to Draco and wouldn't hesitate to tell him about his two-timing girlfriend. Draco barley talked to her anymore, but he had to maintain a shining public image. Not even just at Hogwarts, but to his father. Dating a Parkinson was good for him, it didn't matter if they spoke at all.
If word got around that she cheated on Draco, a Malfoy, He'd be forced to break up with her and she would become a disgrace. Not really worth it.
Pansy reached her common room. She hated how cold the dungeons were during the winter. She swore she could see her breath. She bypassed most of the common room, there wasn't anyone she wanted to talk to. When she reached her dorm, Daphne Greengrass was laying on her stomach on her bed, flipping through a magazine. She only briefly looked up when she heard Pansy come in.
"Why are you so flushed?" Daphne asked, looking for conversation and most likely, gossip. Pansy didn't trust Daphne at all, if she knew something, it was only a matter of time before everyone knew it too.
"I had to run to get back here, lost track of time in the library," Pansy waited for Daphne's response, hoping she didn't see through the obvious lie.
"Studying is boring. I just borrow Theo's notes before exams. Much easier." Daphne twirled a strand of her blonde hair around her fingers. Pansy breathed a sigh of relief, though she wasn't sure why she was so worried. Daphne was a pretty girl, but she was a slut. A dumb slut. She would never have been able to figure out what she was up to. It was a wonder how she managed to get into any N.E.W.T classes at all.
"I don't think that will work too much for me," Pansy said, laughing, "Draco hasn't been focusing much on school lately. I'm worried about what he might be up to, but he wont tell me and I don't want to pry."
Daphne, who didn't really care, but wanted to seem like she did, gave Pansy some advice for "wooing" Draco and getting their sex life on track. Pansy pretended that one existed, and she was sure Draco did too, but in reality they hadn't gone farther then some heavy snogging. Pansy preferred it that way, Draco not so much. She suspected he's been sleeping with other girls, but wasn't completely sure. Then again, Pansy wasn't one to talk. She did just come back from a "date" with Ernie.
Their dates weren't exactly dates. As neither of them could bear to be seen with the other, they had to go somewhere nobody else would go. Most of the time they chose the room of requirements, but sometimes, like that night, they would sit in the back corner of the library where nobody but Granger ever goes. It was the part full of muggle stories and books. Mostly the two just talked about anything and everything.
But today they talked about something very different.
As Pansy laid down in her bed, preparing to go to sleep, she allowed her thoughts to drift back to the conversation they had today.
"Hey, Pansy," Ernie said as she came into their secret spot. She smiled at him and he stood up from his chair to greet her with a hug. She kissed him on the cheek.
"Hi, Ernie." He lead her back to the table he's at by the hand.
"Miss me?" He teased.
"Always," She promised. "What are you reading now?" She asked, seeing the muggle books he had laid out. He was always reading some new book, she found it funny, he didn't understand why.
"It's called The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. It's about this kid who gets taken by some muggle serial killer, or something." Ernie said. Pansy rested her hand on his.
"Why would you want to read something like that?" Pansy asked, a little applaud by the type of things muggles wrote about.
"I don't know. I like muggles." He said, a little vaccinate. She could tell he wanted to talk about something.
"What's wrong, hun?" She asked, using a pet name, something she would never do for Draco.
"I was thinking today. I was wondering how long you want to keep this secret." He said after a few moments of silence.
Pansy didn't say anything for a while. She knew this would come, but still wasn't ready for it. Telling people about this was social suicide. Not to mention what her father would do.
"I don't know, Ernie..." She said, trailing off. He immediately jumped in.
"What's the point in waiting any longer?" He asked. "Unless... you are planning on telling people, right?" Pansy couldn't bear to see him look so upset. She knew she had to do something.
"Yes," She said. She takes a moment to build up the courage. "Who do you want to tell first."
Ernie broke out in a huge smile. " I was thinking about that today. I figured we could start with my best friend, Hannah. She's the happiest person in the world and I don't think she would ever judge anyone ever."
Pansy could only laugh. "Okay!" She shouted. They hugged and continued their date. Pansy smiled at the memory as she fell asleep.
"Are you ready, baby?" Ernie asked Pansy while they were waiting in the library for Hannah to come.
"I think so," Pansy said quietly. They sat in silence.
"Hey, Ernie!" Hannah said happily as she walked into the library. She didn't notice Pansy at first, but when she did her cheeriness disappears and her look becomes stone cold, "why is she here?"
"Hannah," Ernie greeted, standing up to meet her, "This is Pansy Parkinson, my girlfriend."
"I know who she is," Hannah started before hearing everything he said, "wait... girlfriend?!" She screeched when she fully understood. "You have got to be kidding me, Ern! She's a mother fucking DEATH EATER! They murdered my mother!"
Pansy was completely taken aback. Hannah always seemed like a quiet, sweet girl. Pansy did remember that her mother had been killed at the beginning of the school year. Actually, she remembered hearing about her father killing one of the Abbott families. Had her father killed Hannah's mother?
"Hannah... Hannah! Calm down," Ernie said. She had started crying and Pansy wasn't sure what to do so she sat there silently.
"Why would you do this, Ernie?" She said quietly after he had calmed her down a bit. Ernie looked at her sadly.
"I don't know, Hannah. I don't know why. I just really care about her. I want you to understand that." He pleaded. Her sobbing slowed down in to a few sniffles.
"My mother..." Hannah said, "They killed my mother..."
"You have no idea how sorry I am for that." Pansy spoke for the first time. Hannah looked over at her, speechless. Pansy continues, "If there's anything I can to do help, I will."
"She's not as bad as you think," Ernie said to Hannah, "why don't you sit down with us? We can talk everything out. I know it will be difficult, but you're my best friend and I need you to be okay with this."
Hannah, without speaking, sat down next to Pansy.
"Do-do you r-really c-c-care about her?" Hannah asked, starting a conversation that Pansy was sure would be the longest conversation, most awkward conversation of her life. But it was worth it. Ernie was worth everything to her.