Disclaimer: Recognize it? Not mine.

Closer to Freedom

Pansy was horrified when she first toured the landmarks of magical New York City, and discovered that there was no way of differentiating witches from muggle women.

Four years later, she was forming part of that horde of unrecognizable witches, with her cute flowery summer dress and that sun hat her coworker Mandy had given her for her last birthday. Only this time, she wasn't in New York City - she was in Hogsmeade, and she could tell that her appearance was causing quite the scandal.

She couldn't bring herself to care.

England had rejected her four years earlier because of her actions during the war. In New York no one cared that she hadn't fought in the Battle of Hogwarts. It was the other way around - they almost respected her for it. Smart girl, they'd say. Not meddling into problems that aren't your own. And that was big city life - it seemed to be made especially for her. No one really cared, and very few pretended to.

When you omit snippets of the truth, reinventing yourself is quite the refreshing task.

So that was Pansy Parkinson now - wearing muggle clothes, working a chic job at a magical publication, well-liked because of her 'fancy' accent and still managing to work her way into the most prominent Pureblood circles in New York City. With such a desirable stand, there was little to nothing that brought her back to England. Nothing, except her family, her few remaining friends, and the social obligation of watching her friend's little sister getting married to her own ex-boyfriend.

If only Blaise didn't work here, she said to herself. I have no business here in Hogsmeade other than him.

She stood in front of Madame Puddifoot's, clutching her purse with both hands. She'd often wished, in her schoolgirl years, that Draco would offer to go there. Now that Blaise had asked her to show up in the infamous tea shop, she was filled with a sense of dread.

This is not a date, silly. You know Blaise Zabini all too well to think such a thing...

"I almost didn't recognize you." The man's voice reached her ears, startling her. But she didn't give herself the time to question his appearance outside the shop, and simply turned around to hug him. "Oi, Pansy. This is not America."

"I'm sorry, Blaise. I'm just very glad to see you."

"You're early," he pointed out.

"I'm right on time."

"I thought you'd aim for the fashionably-late approach."

"I thought you'd aim for the ten-minutes-early approach, not to make a lady wait." He dedicated her a fleeting smile. "And I wouldn't make you wait, Blaise. I've missed you so much!"

Their friendship had always worked like that. Pansy was the open one. Blaise was more guarded, but managed to show his appreciation with smaller gestures. Pansy reveled in knowing that Blaise liked her better than he liked basically anyone.

"No, I certainly wouldn't like to make a lady wait," he said. "Shall we walk in, then?"

She giggled, not bothering to answer and leading the way instead. It felt so foreign - back in the States, coffee shops were all the rage. Tea shops were something she wasn't used to anymore. True, she had lived only four years in the States versus the eighteen years she'd lived in the United Kingdom.

But she had just wanted to forget so badly.

Pansy was in such a daze, that she let Blaise order for her. She was looking around the place with curiosity. She'd wanted to go on dates there, but once she'd finally made it, the tea house had partially lost its charm. She would've liked The Three Broomsticks better - warm Butterbeer and a friendly chat with Blaise was all she could've asked for.

But she kept such thoughts to herself, and they didn't say a word until the drinks were brought to them. When she was brought back to reality, she realized that Blaise had been examining her minutely.

For some odd reason, Pansy was grateful that she was looking her prettiest.

"I see that the States have had an influence on you."

"I pride myself on being able to adapt to my surroundings."

"Next thing we'll know, you'll bring Muggle-loving scum home."

She laughed hysterically. "You're funny, Blaise. As it turns out, they're less keen on equality than they'll have you believe."

"So no boyfriend?"

"Oh, Merlin's pants! I was taken for the best part of my teenage years. Let me enjoy single life, will you?"

Blaise offered a noncommittal smile.

"So what brings you back to England?"

"Malfoy's wedding, strangely enough."

"Yeah, I heard he's marrying Astoria Greengrass. Are you still in touch with Daphne Greengrass?"

"Well, of course." She raised her eyebrows. She didn't say that Daphne was the only one of her Slytherin clique that still wrote to her. "Speaking of weddings, how's the fiancee?"

"We already got married." Pansy coughed, trying to hide her surprise. It was like Blaise not to tell her about a wedding - he never cared for such social formalities. But it still stung. "It was a very private ceremony," he excused himself.

"Well, congratulations."

"She died a month afterward."

"Sorry to hear." Her tone was nonchalant, indicating she wasn't the least sorry. This didn't go lost on Blaise, who raised an eyebrow. "Just like your mother, aren't you?" She offered shamelessly.

"Florence was a lovely girl."

"A lovely woman six years your senior, who happened to be very sick and very rich."

"You can argue that I made her very happy for last months of her life."

Pansy was glad he didn't try to pretend that he'd loved Florence Dervish. Her death had left him in position to become the sole owner of Dervish and Banges in the long run. As it was, he had a delightful job and was receiving a nice slice of the profits, enough for him not to depend on his mother's considerable fortune.

"So what innocent girl are you preying on now?" Pansy asked with amusement. "Astoria Greengrass is taken by my dear ex-boyfriend, and Daphne I've warned for years against your charms..."

"I was thinking about you."

She almost spit her drink. So that's why he cited me to this place, and not The Three Broomsticks! He's trying to persuade me!

Deep down, she was panicking. The proposal took her by surprise and she didn't know how to react. But she tried her best to make her face remain neutral. Blaise would immediately read her if she showed a hint of emotion.

Blaise was her best friend, and their friendship had never had any sexual implications. While she recognized all of his attractive qualities, his marked flaws were enough to drive her away. There was a time when she could've wanted him, but that time was long gone.

Still, she couldn't help but wonder. Was he preying on her father's fortune? Or did he really intend of settling down with her? Was he making his decisions with his heart or his head?

"Why me, Blaise?"

"I'm not my mother, Pansy." His low voice indicated his seriousness. "I don't need more than I already have, other than a suitable companion. You're my best friend and I want you by my side." He took a sip from his tea, and looked at her in the eyes when he put the cup down. "Besides, I can't have you looking and acting like a muggle..."

"How dare you!"

"I meant no offense," he quickly recanted. "But this is the place for you. I can make you happy."

"Of course you didn't mean to offend me. Well, " She smiled tiredly." It's flattering to know I'm pretty and interesting enough for you." Her hand went to her purse and she pulled away from the table. Blaise narrowed his eyes, getting the hint that the conversation was about to be cut short. "You're forgetting that I'm not foolish enough for you."

She got up and walked away, leaving behind her the echoes of her footsteps and her words, and her half-finished drink. The summer breeze welcomed her back in the streets and washed away all her discomfort. To her surprise, she felt hopeful.

That's one thing less that ties me to this place, she thought with a smile. I'm one step closer to freedom.

Notes: For the Hunger Games Fanfic Style Competition. Used the pairing, word, emotion, phrase and setting prompts. Also for the Broaden Your Horizons Challenge, cathegory: Muggwumping (A pairing I'm on the fence about - I think I like them now. I really do. They're a bit like Rhett and Scarlett from GWTW...)

Thanks for reading!

-Karyn.