A/N: Its been hard getting the chance and inspiration to write nowadays but stumbling onto old stories can really put s spark into an idea. Growing Pansies has been pretty much in storage for about 2 years and only being opened to have little snippets added. It was only just today (when I was supposed to be writing an essay) that I managed to be satisfied and complete the first chapter. There's no real serious plot to the story and its more of me having fun with both Pansy and Draco and their relationship. I don't have much to say except I can't guarantee quick updates. I'm really bad at those given my track recored on here:P So, enjoy!
GROWING PANSIES
Chapter One
It was another 1st of September morning; the sky was grey, the weather dismal and the train ride out of London familiarly uneventful as I sat alone in one of the small compartments that rattled continuously throughout the journey. I had managed to stay in the same position since the moment I sat down, with my chin on my palm and my head turned toward the transparent glass and watching the never ending spatter of rain crashing against the window. Although utterly bored, I had no intention of setting off to find the others, their business wasn't any of my concern and even if I were the least bit interested there was no means for me to look. I already knew where they were; it was the same every year and this year proved no different, hence my lack of curiosity.
As if on cue, the compartment door rattled open, an eruption of amused chitchat and noisy conversation filling my ears as I turned to see Blaise, cold and aloof as ever, walk in first, his dark eyes setting on me, head nodding in subtle greeting before seating himself beside me. Next entered the two idiots that were Crabbe and Goyle, both annoyingly pudgy and putridly smelling of cake icing as they huffed their way into the opposite seat, arms filled with freshly bought snacks. Looking at them and their obvious lack of mind made me roll my eyes. They truly were a pathetic pair.
I turned my attention back to the door, just in time to see Daphne, my supposed best friend, walk in, wheat coloured hair shining and tangle free, eyes bright and smiling from ear to ear, giggles erupting from her pert mouth, looking flushed and overly enthusiastic.
I raised a brow suspiciously, wondering what on earth was so funny and finding it slightly odd and very out of the usual. But as I looked on I felt my heart tighten, lodge itself in my throat and then drop back down into a mess of mixed fluttering sensations. Walking in behind her, latched by the arm and doing nothing whatsoever about it, was Draco, the one boy I despised and yet loved to see.
I forced myself to swallow hard in an attempt to rid of the bundle of nerves welling up inside of me as I watched, dumbstruck, at the sight of them both, looking completely at ease with each other as they parted ways to their opposing seats, Daphne placing herself next to Blaise and Draco respectively sitting next to the two goons he called minions, who both grunted at him through mouthfuls of chocolate frogs.
As was routine, I forced myself to look smug and completely in control of my own emotions, putting on my most convincing expression of disinterest, but I couldn't help but falter at the sight of him smiling in her direction. It caused a sickly feeling to stir within the pits of my stomach and my left eye to twitch with irritation and oncoming envy. What in the name of Salazar was going on?
Not wanting to look like a deer caught in the headlights, I turned away, feigning interest back at the dreary sight outside, my heart still recovering from aftershock, my mouth dry and my breaths stiff and short.
"So, how was everyone's summer?" I heard Daphne ask, her sprightly voice making me wince and grind my teeth together to stop from making a face. It was amazing how seeing your best friend flirting with your crush made you want to slap and choke said best friend.
"Okay." Blaise answered first, imperturbable as ever and not going any further other than giving a slight shrug to show his disinterest in the whole matter. I didn't answer and instead remained focused on the scenery, wishing at that very moment I had brought along my cell phone despite the rule that no muggle technology was allowed on school property. I heard the happy grunts of Crabbe and Goyle who were still ploughing their way through their armfuls of sugary snacks and let out a small groan at the dreadful sight. The sudden need to hand them a boxful of tissues compelled me but instead I gave them a disgusted look.
"Pansy how was your summer?" Daphne asked, obviously having missed the fact that I had remained silent for a reason. I slowly turned my gaze toward her, inwardly cringing at the sight of her bright green eyes shining in my direction with an expectant smile. Forcing back a few spiteful words I gave a small shrug and pretended to pick dirt out from under my fingernails.
"Nothing to brag about." I said, trying to sound bored and faintly ominous at the same time. It didn't hurt to give a sense of mystery to my holiday, especially when in truth, nothing interesting really did happen because my trip to France had been cancelled over a small financial dispute.
"So you didn't go to Paris then?" It was amazing how Draco could read me like an open book. The fact that he knew me better than I knew myself was all the cause of our childhood days when things were much more pleasant then they were now. My eyes darted towards him, sending him a warning glare but only getting a self-righteous smirk in return.
"I decided not to go." I said, rather defensively than I would have liked which caused his smile to widen even further.
"But it was all you could talk about for weeks." I noticed a falter in Daphne's smile as he said this, no less perturbed by the thought that Draco and I had spent more than enough quality time together than she would have liked. I bit back the urge to smile in satisfaction.
"I really don't need to justify myself to you. Plans change." I said giving him another hard stare before crossing my arms and turning my gaze back out the window. As much as I was content that Daphne seemed jealous, I was still annoyed at their sudden intimacy and I had no intention of pleasing Draco further by showing him I was affected by it all.
"Well, I had a fantastic summer." Draco bragged as I saw him stretch his arms behind his head and fold his long legs together from the corner of my eye, the tip of his polished black shoe swiping the end of my robe.
"As if we would want to know." I scoffed.
"You can tell me." Daphne said her eyes wide and glazed over like a child who was requesting for a bedtime story. I almost vomited.
"We do have a long ride ahead of us don't we?" Draco sighed, sarcasm dripping from his infuriatingly perfect lips as his eyes darted toward me, a glint of sheer satisfaction and torment swirling in the blues of his eyes. My lips tightened, forming into a thin line as I saw Daphne nod giddily and rub her foot against his leg. The sight of it all made me feel as if I were being sanded raw and the image of smug plastered on Draco's face told me completely that he was purposely trying to irk me.
I turned away, my whole body shifting with the force of my motion as I bit my lip to fight back the hot tears that were threatening to spill down my face. The tempting urge to stand up and leave filled me but I forced myself to remain seated, reminding that if I left, it would mean defeat and unrelenting torment on Draco's part.
And so, the rest of the train ride went by with me remaining utterly silent, Blaise consumed in his floating musical headphones, Crabbe and Goyle snoring in their sleep, Daphne batting her lashes before all that exercise had rendered her exhausted and Draco, who, besides having talked about his smashing summer in Vermont and had a book open on his lap, kept on giving me looks I could not, as much as I wanted to, figure out.
When we arrived at Hogsmeade Station I was the first to exit our compartment, having grabbed my one carry on bag and barged out as calmly as I possibly could before I allowed myself to look at Draco again and hear Daphne's sickeningly sweet voice. As I walked down past the rest of the train compartments that were now a buzz with students from every year, I caught sight of Tracey, another close friend of mine who was not as sugary sweet as Daphne was. Behind her stood Flora and Hestia, identical twins that hardly ever spoke and always looked completely rigid as if they were supported my sticks. Immediately I felt relieved, reassured that I could ditch my old group and partake in another.
"Well if it isn't Pansy Parkinson." Tracey said, smiling my way as I approached. "I almost couldn't recognize you. Did you grow your hair?" she raised what seemed to be an approving brow as I self consciously touched my brown hair that had grown well past my ears and now lay in tumbled waves on my shoulders. "It looks good."
"Thanks, as if I don't already know that." I said, rolling my eyes but smiling all the same at the compliment. Tracey has always been my toughest critic and when it came to looks she was painfully honest. "You don't look half bad yourself." I grinned as I noticed the subtle change of her appearance over the holidays. Her skin, which was usually milky and enviously fair, was tinted as if sun kissed by endless days spent tanning on the beach. Her charcoal black hair fell in long, choppy layers that ended near her shoulder blades, much different from her usually un-styled, stick straight hair from last year. Her eyes seemed bluer; lips redder and she seemed to have grown despite claiming her growth spurt ended when she was fifteen.
"America does things to a girl." She teased, white teeth gleaming and ocean eyes implying something more as we both hopped off the train, found our suitcases and magically hauled them over toward the self-pulling carriages. We settled ourselves on the less than comfy seats, where both Flora and Hestia quietly sat opposite us. As we awaited for the remaining two seats to be filled I heard the sound of Daphne's high pitched laugh and found myself looking and watching as she emerged, clung onto Draco like a puppy on a leash. Again he seemed happy to lend her an arm and as they approached closer to our side of the carriage, our eyes met, his gaze holding the same look I could not fathom. And however brief it was it sent a tingling jolt up my spine and into the tips of my fingers where my stomach erupted into a million butterflies leaving my palms sweaty and my mouth dry.
"Is that Daphne?" Tracey asked, raising a slender brow perceptively as she followed my gaze to the carriage beside us where Daphne erupted into a fit of giggles which, I noticed, seemed to irritate Blaise who sat beside her and wrinkled his nose.
"Who else could it be?" I said, annoyance in my tone.
"Hmm, you would think she'd sit with her friends." Tracey said a slight bit venomously, friends meaning us.
"Not when she's stuck to Draco like glue." I said, turning away, unable to watch on any longer.
"When did that even happen anyway?" Tracey too turns away and looks at me, a mixture of concern, curiosity and expectancy in her eyes.
"Like I would know." I rolled my own and shook my head, not wanting to talk about anything associating the likes of Daphne and Draco's sudden relationship. "Who cares, as if it'll last." Even though I said it, I didn't believe it and at the back of my mind I knew that Draco and I whatever we were or were not, was about to be tested, which kind of scared me.
A/N: Reviews will be very much appreciated!:)