I love hating Pansy :)

Pansy cried in her little flat in muggle London. Her bed sheets were romped and she was curled into a tiny ball, she clutched the cream colored card in her hands and a new wave of tears washed over her. Realizing not that she just wasn't quite over him yet. Realizing that she wouldn't ever be over him.

Because he was the one for her. He was it, the man she loved undividedly, and she would never look at another the way she looked at Draco Malfoy.

But he wasn't looking back, no it was with another girl, he was in love with her, he was happy.

"Dracy!" She squealed, not noticing how he clenched up when she pulled him into a tight hug and didn't dare let him go.

They hadn't so much as spoken since the end of the war, since she had left the castle and him for her own safety, since she hadn't minded turning in a person for her own skin. And nothing had changed; she was the same person that she was before the war.

The only difference was that she no longer had parents, as they were in Azkaban serving life sentences, much like his own father, who was serving the same term in high lock down.

It had been two years, and she hadn't stopped thinking about him. But she was a coward, not wanting to turn up at him home and be rejected, or see him damaged, emotional. Not the Draco that was horrible and insensitive that she loved.

But this Draco, she saw him from across the ballroom standing regally speaking with some short girl, but Pansy didn't have the eyes for her at all, she only saw Draco, looking more handsome than ever, and not changed, hurt or damaged goods. She was elated.

Draco didn't return her hug though and she quickly let go, looking up into her face he was staring down at her confused and awkward. There was a loaded silence before she noticed the amused look on the girl standing next to them.

She vaguely recognized the girl as Daphne Greengrass's, a minion of hers back in school, sister. She was shorter than Pansy but it seemed to suit her.

She was smirking like she knew a secret and Pansy gave her a weary glare, the girl, who's name escaped Pansy glanced up at Draco and laughed, it was a light tinkling sound that made Pansy shrink in jealousy.

"I'm Astoria" she said simply when she made eye contact with Pansy again.

"Daphne's sister" Pansy said in the same simply tone, though her voice sounded scratchy in comparison to Astoria's.

Astoria sighed, "I'm going to grab a drink," she said, though there was still a half full glass in her hand. She whirled around and Pansy watched her near black curls bounce as she stepped away from them.

"Astoria is my date" Draco said, his first words to Pansy in two years and they cut her heart apart.

"What?"

Draco licked his lips, "She's my date. To this ball" he said, "And my girlfriend" he added, like it was an obvious fact that had just elapsed his mind.

"For how long?" Pansy asked, her voice was dangerously low.

"About a year. She didn't like me much when we first met" he said, scuffing his foot along the ground, a ghost of a smile appeared for a moment.

"Do you love her?" Pansy demanded harshly, and Draco's eyes snapped to hers and his smile left his face.

"Yes" he said easily, like there was nothing more natural than his love for the dark haired girl.

"Say it" she spit out viciously, unable o draw her eyes away from his until he said it and she could commit it to memory.

"I love her- I love Astoria" he amended when he saw her next demand.

Pansy looked furious for a second and Draco gave her a cold look, "You don't own me Pansy, we hadn't spoken in a year when I met her. I did nothing wrong"

"Did you ever love me?" She asked, betraying her sought after shield and opening up to show him weakness.

He hesitated, "I'm not sure. I was young, and arrogant, I'm not sure I knew what love was then. But I do now."

Pansy glanced over his shoulder to see Astoria laughing at a joke another man said, before he whisked her off to the dance floor and danced with her closely. Draco followed her eye line and then turned right back to her.

"You don't mind that she's practically on top of him. Some strong love you have for her" she scoffed, needed to be nasty in order to stop her tears.

"I doubt she would leave me for her brother-in-law" he said simply, "I'm sorry Pansy"

"No your not" she exclaimed a little too loudly, Astoria looked over and bit her lip, staring at them apprehensively, the man said something to her and she shook her head turning back to him.

He straightened up, "I am sorry" he said, "About everything in my life, and I was a monster, to you too. So I'm sorry. I'm going to go, I'll see you around" with that he walked out to the dance floor and the man dancing with Astoria relinquished her to him, and Draco's arms wound around her waist with practiced ease.

Astoria rested her head on his shoulder and murmured into his ear, he leaned down and kissed her gently on the temple then they continued to dance gracefully.

Pansy left after that. She cried for a week before she was able to pick up the pieces of her life somewhat and do things other than wallow about her lost love.

Now she was back where she started, sobbing into her hands for a week, holding the invitation in her hands. The beautiful calligraphy was smudged from her tears but she couldn't rip it up.

She couldn't tear apart something that had his name on it. Even if it was announcing his engagement to Astoria Greengrass.