Resisting Temptation

To resist temptation is difficult for most. To resist love is even harder.

Word Count: 1238

Summary: 'To resist temptation is difficult for most. To resist love is even harder.' Pansy and Daphne set each other a task at the start of their sixth year- to get someone to fall in love with each of them before Christmas. The only twist: they cannot fall in love themselves.

Author's Notes: I was looking at the master ship list and discovered a ship that really intrigued me. I imagined how it would come about (as it's quite AU) and had this idea. I love writing Pansy and Daphne's friendship and so Daphne was easily incorporated into this and a match found for her too. It's different, so I'm not sure whether people will enjoy it, but I'm going to continue it for a while nonetheless. Sorry about not continuing any of my other projects; I do mean to, but I've got writer's block so when inspiration for something comes, I use it.

Prologue

It was early on the first Saturday morning of the Autumn Term and at the Slytherin table two sixth year girls were sat eating breakfast. Since their very first year, it had been tradition for Pansy and Daphne to always eat breakfast together on Saturdays before setting out for a stroll around the grounds, and today would be no exception.

Daphne had just taken a sip of tea and was staring over the rim of her cup with a pensieve expression. She had been sat like this for the duration of breakfast, not having touched her cornflakes or spoken in hushed whispers to Pansy about Millicent Bullstrode's new hairstyle, but Pansy was not perturbed and cheerfully ignored her too. Suddenly Daphne's eyes widened and she grinned.

"That one," Daphne said decisively, pointing across the hall, a hint of laughter in her voice. She was clearly very excited about the thing she was pointing to.

Pansy looked up from her wand, which she had been examining and rubbing against her cloak sleeve. "Which one?"

Daphne took Pansy's hand and guided it to where she was pointing. "The blonde one, a bit snooty looking, sat next to the fat redhead."

"A Hufflepuff?" Pansy spat, taking in the table at which the boy was sitting. The boy was blonde, and very much so; his hair was like spun gold. He was quite tall, taller than Pansy but not, she couldn't help noticing, as tall as Draco. With a square jaw he had quite chiseled features although there was some boyish roundness to him. All in all, he wasn't bad to look at, Pansy concluded, but still, a Hufflepuff? She turned to glare at Daphne. "Seriously?"

Daphne raised one slender eyebrow. "You're protesting? And I thought it was your rule that declared that protesters where cowards and thus deserved a month extra?"

"You wouldn't," Pansy said, eyeing her best friend carefully.

Daphne smiled. "Of course not," she said amiably. "But see to it that I don't have to, won't you?" she whispered, and Pansy looked at the boy again, taking in the way his hands fluttered as he talked. Already, something other than the fact he was a Hufflepuff annoyed her.

"Who is he, anyway?" Pansy asked, nudging Daphne in the ribs to stop her laughing. The boy had a dribble of yellow egg running down his chin and the fat redhead he was talking to was cringing away from him.

"Zacharias Smith," Daphne said in a clipped tone. "He's in fifth year, apparently moderately intelligent but very conceited. Pureblood, naturally," Daphne added with a knowing nod.

"He's younger than me?" Pansy spluttered, outraged. "Daphne, this is not fair. I cannot believe you would do this to me!" She resisted the urge to bang her fist on the table and have Daphne call her a baby.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Daphne reprimanded, laying a hand on Pansy's arm. "Is that protesting I hear? And technically, he's not that much younger than you. You'll come of age in March, will you not? He'll be sixteen in October, so for three months of the arrangement you'll be the same age."

Pansy scowled. "Fine. But trust me, when I get round to deciding your suitor, you will be in a far worse position than I am," she said, and standing up, she flounced out of the hall. Daphne watched her go, a hint of a smile on her face.

-

It was ridiculous. Pansy couldn't even remember why she'd agreed to this stupid task, and she certainly did not want to take part now. She rummaged in Daphne's box beneath her bed, looking for the rules they had written together in early summer.

Finally, her fingertips curled around the roll of parchment tied with a green ribbon and she pulled it from the box. She replaced the lid of the box and then pushed it back into its place under the bed, then she stood up and lay down on her own bed, drawing the hangings shut around her so that she could read the rules in peace.

The first rule was simple: select a suitor for each other. Daphne had just done so, and meanly, but Pansy was sure she could find someone worse. After all, there was one worse house than Hufflepuff in this school. The second rule was Daphne's idea, as she was a romantic at heart: the suitor must be made to fall in love with you. Pansy, however, was not, and had immediately stipulated, that while their suitors were allowed to fall for them, neither Pansy or Daphne were allowed to fall for their suitors.

There were other rules about what could and could not be done to make the suitors fall in love with them (no sex, Daphne had vehemently insisted to Pansy's displeasure) and also a time limit. The suitors had to fall in love with the girls by Christmas, giving them roughly four months.

Now that Pansy thought about it, she knew this game was in the bag. Stupidly, Daphne had given her a Hufflepuff, who were by far the stupidest and most trusting individuals of the entire school. Also, the fool was younger than her, and every young boy wants an older woman. It would be easy. First she would gain his attraction by bumping into him at some point; she'd play dumb and take him on a date to say sorry, then she'd snog him passionately down some alleyway and he'd confess instantly that he loved her. The task would be completed within a week.

Now all that remained would be to decide someone for Daphne, so that she could easily win her on fair footing. But who to choose... The most easy choice would be an idiot Gryffindor, a proud, 'brave' Potter follower that Daphne could never gain the trust nor love of. And yet- Daphne was her best friend, maybe Pansy should give her a better chance than that. She thought about suggesting another Hufflepuff but decided against it; it was just that bit too fair.

Pansy knew that the Ravenclaws would be all too easy for Daphne as her sister Astoria could be easily used as a tool to get to know whoever Pansy chose, so that was again, too fair. This left Pansy with only one other house: their own, Slytherin.

Pansy laughed as she thought of inflicting Crabbe or Goyle on her best friend and then sat up with a start, thinking of a better idea. Why had she not thought of this before? He was quiet and bookish, as sometimes was Daphne; although very shy and so definitely difficult to open up to the idea of love. He was average looking so Daphne wouldn't have a problem with that- but the tip of the iceberg, the jewel in Pansy's grand plan- he and Daphne were friends and Pansy knew it would take little effort for Daphne to fall in love with him herself.

And falling in love with Theodore Nott in this particular game was most definitely not allowed.