an: somewhat inspired by Hawksong. I've loved this idea for a long time and I'm finally embracing the idea of putting it up for others to read as well. I know this isn't the most popular pairing, but it's definitely my favorite.
The death of Astoria Greengrass was marked as a huge tragedy by the aristocratic Pureblood society. She had been betrothed to Draco Malfoy just after the end of the war, which was only just a year ago. So much had happened since then. They had not been in love, but the death of one of their own was tragic in itself.
"It appears that we've fallen from the good graces of even the Lord," said Narcissa Malfoy bitterly as she grasped a tall glass filled to the brim with Firewhiskey. It wasn't like her to drink, but it wasn't like a Malfoy - like a Black - to be all but tossed from society. True, the Malfoy fortune had hardly taken a dent during the course of the war, but what with Lucius being held in Azkaban for another nine years and the disgrace of being on the losing side of the way had definitely damaged their image. In the end, Harry Potter had begged a pardoned Draco and his mother for their affiliation, saying that Draco had no other choice and that his mother saved his life. But a claim from The Boy Who Lived wouldn't save the Malfoys in this society.
"There was no way that you could have prevented her death, Narcissa." Alistair Greengrass had always been somewhat of a stern, no-nonsense man, but his aura of self-importance diminished gravely since the death of his youngest daughter. The Greengrass family had not chosen a side during the war and were a rather respected family. Most of the old Pureblooded families wished to have either Daphne's or Astoria's hand in marriage, and although Alistair wasn't as keen on having his daughters thrust into the marriages of Death Eater related families, he was less keen on having his bloodline produce less pure children. "There was no way any of could have known."
There was a long pause in the overly large room that was known as the Greengrass's Study. Vivian Greengrass sat in a large, ornate maroon sofa, mindlessly combing through her remaining daughter's platinum hair as she sat at her feet. Daphne's eyes were red and puffy, but her face was void of any emotion and as pale as the white frost of winter. Draco could hardly bear looking at Daphne. They had gone to school together and had been in the same year. He knew first-hand that Daphne and Astoria had been very close siblings and he felt sorry for her, as well as for himself. He had never known the love of a sibling; he'd been an only child and he had always been very solitary, even during his years at Hogwarts.
"What will you do?" Vivan finally asked, eyes flickering towards Draco for less than a second before gazing upon Narcissa's sorrowful eyes.
"What can we do?" Narcissa replied sullenly. "Draco needs to marry someone whose family we can trust. I don't want him marrying some Half blood or Muggleborn off the street who will use him for his resources. After an incident like this, Draco deserves love, but I cannot allow him to marry outside of our society."
"I hear that the Bulstrode's are still looking for a suitor for Millicent, but I hear that Gregory Goyle has peaked her interest," said Alistair, a small, minorly amused smile playing on his lips before disappearing as quickly as it had come.
"She's hardly worth a Malfoy, dear." Vivian was glaring at her husband. The Bulstrode's were not a bad family, but they were neither the best family. True, they had not fallen from grace as the Malfoy's had, but Vivan and Narcissa had been very good friends for years and she would hardly wish Draco to be tied forever to a lumpy girl who had about as much brains as a mop closet when his mother believed that he deserved love.
"I was simply listing a still somewhat available bachelorette, darling," Alistair defended, tilting his head slightly to his wife as if he was tired of all of this talk already. "There are the Carrow twins, but I hardly think that you, Narcissa, would take a liking to them."
The Carrow family had fallen from society, but they were still young, Pure-blooded girls who had yet to find a proper marriage. Two of their suitors perished in the Battle of Hogwarts, though there were rumors that a Zabini was taking an interest in one of them. Narcissa scoffed at his words, not having the energy to glower at him.
"Is there no way you can break Daphne's betrothal to Theodore?" asked Narcissa, something short of pleading in her eyes.
"Daphne is...happy with the idea of marrying him," Vivian answered, "and I cannot deny her happiness after such a tragedy."
"Of course," replied Narcissa, glancing at her son, who was sitting quietly as he stared out of the windows of the study. He appeared so alone and it made her heart clench.
"There is always the Parkinsons," Vivian offered with a small, hopeful smile.
"Hmmmm." Narcissa brought her index finger to her lips as she rested her head on the palm of her hand.
Draco flinched. It had been a while since he had last seen Pansy, but the memories of the last two encounters were painful ones.
May 2, 1998
The night was cold and dark, but nobody had expected more than that. The Slytherin's had been rounded up in the dungeons, but Slughorn eventually let them out to join in on the battle. Most of them went to their dormitory right away to prepare, either to fight or to flee. Crabbe and Goyle followed Draco as he left the boy's dormitory for the last time.
"Wait here," he said to them as he spotted a familiar sight of glossy black hair that fell like a waterfall down her back. Draco rushed to grab hold of her elbow and she entered the common room, just off from the girl's dormitory. "Pansy."
"Draco," Pansy acknowledged coldly, yanking her arm out of his grasp. Draco flinched.
They had hardly spoken since the beginning of sixth year, but that was almost a year and a half ago. He had spent all of third year working up the year nerve to ask her on a proper date, but hadn't managed until the Yule Ball during their fourth year. He managed to ask her to be his girlfriend before too long and they managed a wonderful relationship until the middle of the summer before sixth year. They kept arguing and he would never talk to her. He was always so secretive and shied away from her every time she asked where he went or what he was up to. She thought he had been cheating but she hadn't the heart to break up with him. The day before their sixth year started, things were beginning to look better. He began spending more time with her, and kissed her with more love than he'd ever shown her. On the train he put his head on her lap and afterwards he told her he loved her. But that was the last time they talked to one another. He began avoiding her again. He left her all alone with no idea what she had done wrong and the next thing she knew, he had killed Dumbledore. All of a sudden he wasn't the boy she knew anymore, and it was killing her.
"Will you..will you stay here? Be careful?" he asked hesitantly. Despite whatever Pansy thought, Draco knew that she didn't know the whole story. She was hurt and he understood that.
"Since when did you care how I felt?" she sneered bitterly, meeting his grey eyes for the first time. He knew that she would be angry, but he had never seen her so filled with rage. Her eyes were the same amber ones as the girl he'd fallen in love with years ago, but they were unrecognizable through all the anger and sorrow he saw now.
"Pansy," he pleaded quietly, gently placing a hand on her wrist as her eyes moved away from his once more. "I didn't want you to get hurt. I know that you're angry, but give me time. I can explain everything to you later. I just...I cared about you too much, just like how I care about you too much right now to let you march off into battle when people from both sides will be attacking you. I love you still."
She responded with silence, staring off into an unknown corner of the Slytherin common room as she crossed her arms in front of her body.
"Please," he begged, putting his hands on either side of her waist as he moved closer to her. It's been so long, he thought.
"I can't stay, Draco," she answered solemnly, her eyes meeting his again. "I'm not going to let you leave again only to never come back."
"This time I promise that I'll be back for you," Draco said vehemently, tugging her hands into his, but she turned to face him sourly. Her glare was something that Draco had never gotten used to, especially when it was used on him. If anybody belonged in Slytherin, it was definitely Pansy Parkinson. When she glared at someone, they froze entirely, almost unable to think, because her eyes were as hypnotizing as a snake at times.
"You can't be sure that you're going to survive tonight," she scoffed, yanking her hands away from him. "Nobody can. You know that I don't like to be lied to."
"I understand that you're bitt-"
"Understanding," Pansy hissed, "is different from experiencing how I felt when you walked away from me, left me alone, in the dark. You can have spoken to me all of this year. You didn't have to wait so long. And quite frankly, it's much too late now."
"I thought you needed time-"
"Time?" she screeched, her voice so full of anger and longing that Draco was driven backwards. Pansy had always been a bit temperamental, but she had never made him feel like this. "I had time. Just leave me be."
Pansy pushed Draco out of her way as she made her way to the door of the common room, slipper her wand out of her pocket as she did so. Draco wanted to rush to her, kiss her, hold her, and apologize, but he knew that she would never accept it. Before she escaped through the magic door, she turned to him.
"Danger or not, I was in lo-" she stopped mid-sentence, seeming to think better of it and continued. "You left me high and dry with empty words, Draco Malfoy. I wish you the best in life," Pansy spat, her face contorted into a dangerous scowl, "if you survive this night."
Draco stood there dumbly for a second as he watched her exit through the magical door that kept the Slytherin dungeons hidden from the rest of Hogwarts. He wanted to beg her to stay safe, but he knew that she would become reckless if he tried again. With one last longing glance at the place where Pansy had just been, Draco turned away to summon Crabbe and Goyle.
December 4, 1998
Madam Malkin's must have been filled to the limit with witches (and young wizards who had been dragged in by them). Madam Malkin just announced that everything on the store was on sale in preparation for the Christmas holidays, which were weeks away still. Draco, on the other hand, was being dragged behind his future Mother-In-Law and fiance to have his dress robes for his wedding prepared. Draco stopped. His wedding. The thought was something that Draco had not yet come accustomed to.
"Draco, are you alright, love?" asked Astoria, whose bright, green eyes gazed over him with concern.
"Yes, of course," Draco answered quickly, taking her arm as her dutiful husband-to-be. He glanced around the room and pulled at the neck of his shirt. "It's just really, really hot in here."
"There's far too many people in here," Mrs. Greengrass stated bitterly as she, too, looked around the room. Disdain was displayed obviously on her face. "They'll do anything for a sale."
"Perhaps we should come back another time, Mother," said Astoria with a bright smile. "I'm sure Madam Malkin will always be able to make room for us."
"No, it's quite alright, Astoria," Draco responded, offering her a small smile. "Right now should be just fine. Ah, there she is."
"Hello!" Madam Malkin chirped happily. She seemed very pleased with the outcome of her announcing a sale. "This'll be your second appointment; it's just the see if the dress robes you picked out the first time fit you and compliment you well. This is for the Malfoy wedding, am I correct?"
"Yes." Mrs. Greengrass was very direct, and very impatient. She believed that it was very obvious what they were there for.
"Please, follow me."
The trio followed Madam Malkin as and weaved through the sea of people that separated them from the dressing rooms.
"Draco, if you'll accompany me to the dressing and fitting rooms, the Greengrass family can sit and wait outside while we put these robes on you," said Madam Malkin. The trio complied.
Draco eyed the paintings that lined the walls down the hallway to the dressing and fitting rooms. He noticed that some of the rooms were occupied with their curtains shut and dark shadows moving behind them hurriedly.
"Wait here while I go upstairs to grab your robes," Madam Malkin commanded. She left very quickly and Draco slid his dress jacket off and hung it on a golden hook inside one of the rooms before stepping out again to sit on a bench outside of the room he selected. Beside him, a curtain rustled open, but he didn't look up.
"Did I just hear Madam Malkin?" asked a familiar voice warmly. Draco looked up and felt the air rush out of his lungs. The girl was tying the curtains back in place on the sides of the doorway with her back to him, but he knew who it was immediately.
"Pansy?" he asked breathlessly. Draco felt his heart flutter and saw her freeze, letting the curtains bunched in her hands fall back in front of the door's small frame. Slowly, she turned to him.
"Hello, Draco," she said, all of the warmth gone from her voice. Her cold, amber eyes met his grey ones and they stood there wordlessly for a moment.
"What brings you here?" he asked, breaking the silence between them. He could have sworn that he could feel the temperature in the room dropping rapidly, but that was probably just him.
"Shopping," she replied simply. Her face was emotionless and and she narrowed her eyes at him. Pansy did not look very pleased to see him. It had been months since that night in the common room. He had been longing to see her again, but she ignored every owl that he had sent.
"Do they sell dresses like that here now?" Draco eyed the dazzling crimson dress that she was clutching in her arms. "Going somewhere special?"
"No, Madam Malkin's simply fitting it for me. She's a friend of the family," Pansy replied in monotone. Draco felt as if he were talking to a corpse the way that she was speaking to him. "But I'm going to a Ministry event."
Draco frowned. "Are you going with someone?"
"What's it matter? You're dating Astoria, aren't you?" Pansy snipped. Her eyebrows knit together angrily and he could have sworn he saw disgust on her face. Draco guiltily twisted the silver ring on his right hand.
"Something like that," he answered. Draco wanted to tell her that it had not been his idea to begin a new relationship. He wanted to tell Pansy that his mother thrust him into a marriage with a 'well-mannered, well-respected, Pure-blood girl from a notable family' and introduced him to an old friend named Vivian Greengrass, whose daughter was looking for a suitor. Pansy noticed his actions and dropped her eyes to the ring he was twisting. Pain flickered across her features.
"Excuse me," Pansy said, barging through him and toward the exit. Draco gave chase and grabbed her arm just before she reached the doorway.
"Pansy please," he begged. "I had no choice."
"You could have told your family about us," replied Pansy, her voice going flat once more, but Draco could hear the rising emotion in it as she continued. "You could have confided in me. We were together, Draco, but we were still friends. Danger or no, you could have told me what was going on instead of leaving me. Alone. With no idea of what you'd been doing or where you'd been going. You let me think horrible things instead of telling me the truth. 'Pansy, I was forced to become a Death Eater,' 'Pansy, I'm afraid I'll fail,' 'Pansy, just come sit here for a while.' I would have done it all for you, Draco, but I've learned from that. I've learned from you. You told me that you loved me two years ago and I was happy. And then you just took it all away from me like...like I was nothing and like I wasn't worth anything in the world. You ran off and you left me, Draco, and it was hard. Then you made me watch you hurting, you made me watch you being alone. So alone. And you pushed me away. And then you come back and tell me that you care about me, that you still love me? And you tell me 'One day, Pansy, we're going to be married and we'll be so happy' and I believed you." Pansy's eyes were glassy and Draco could feel his heart in his throat. He was feeling so much, wanted to say so much, but he knew that Pansy wouldn't let him get a word in. He wouldn't want to. Everything that he had to say sounded like a bunch of pathetic excuses. "And then you show up out of the blue and you fiddle with a little ring, trying to hide it from me, but you just made it more obvious. It's been seven months since the end of the war - since you told me you still loved and cared about me - and you're already getting married."
"I just-"
"You disgust me," Pansy sneered, not wanting to hear anything that he had to say. She wrenched her arm out of his grasp. "I don't need this in my life."
She began to walk away again and before Draco could chase after her, Madam Malkin appeared in front of him and rushed him into the dressing room. He couldn't help but look back at the quickly retreating figure of the girl he once thought he was going to marry and he began to feel bitter. Draco was beginning to hate himself, as well as the girl that was making him feel this way. Why couldn't she just stop talking for one moment and listen to him? Why couldn't she just understand?
"Pansy, isn't it?" Narcissa asked Daphne, who she assumed must have been friends with the Pureblooded girl during their schooling.
"Yes," Daphne answered hollowly.
"There was an incident with her at the Battle, but her family carries no official ties to darker influences," Vivian contributed. "I think that she would be your best best. And I've heard that she has not any suitors chasing after her after she denied the Zabini boy."
Draco bit his cheek and tried to ignore the two women. Thinking about marrying Pansy hurt him, but thinking about telling his mother 'no' would be equally as bad. He didn't know how much longer his mother would last in the state that she was currently in, especially with his father being away at the moment, and he knew that she wanted to be there for his wedding. It would certainly make her happier, especially if he seemed particularly happy about the idea. Narcissa had been rather fond of Astoria, and she appeared very stricken when she heard news of her death.
"I'll arrange a meeting with Cepheus," Narcissa said finally, a small smile reaching her lips for the first time since the night began. "Draco, what do you think of Pansy Parkinson?"
There was a pause and for a moment, he thought he was going to tell his mother that she would be a horrible choice.
"She sounds lovely, Mother," he answered blandly. Draco, however, was hardly convinced that Pansy would say yes.
an: anddddd that's it for this chapter! please review! i love constructive criticisms and i love hearing feedback from my readers!