Disclaimer:I do not own Harry Potter.

Written for shyath for femmefest on livejournal. Shyath asked for an au setting, where the Harry Potter characters go to a normal high school. This is set in the United States.

Pairings: Hermione/Fleur, Pansy/Ginny, Pansy/Draco, Harry/Luna

Hermione didn't know how she had gotten into this situation. Well, she did. But she hated to admit to it. One Harry Potter had looked at her with his bright green eyes and asked. And like the friend (fool) she was, she had caved. At least this was better than helping his friend Ron with his homework, a task she had agreed to in their first year, before realizing that Ron meant for her to do all his work rather than simply tutor him. (After discovering Ron's definition of tutoring, Harry had come to her and apologized for asking her help in the first place. He had blushed so prettily that she had forgiven him.)

She wasn't sure if she would forgive him this time, wasn't sure if she even understood any of what was going on right now. But then, all rational thought fled her mind as one fashion-model gorgeous Fleur Delacour leaned closer to her, delicate arms embracing her, full breasts the envy of nearly every girl at school pushing against her own, and… kissed her.

Warm lips that tasted faintly of cinnamon nipped delicately at her own. Hermione breathed in, parting her lips slightly and nearly squeaked as Fleur took advantage, her tongue slipping through and tasting her mouth. Almost without conscious thought, Hermione pulled Fleur closer to her, her hands gently stroking Fleur's back and feeling the heat from her skin through her shirt. Fleur's had one hand holding Hermione close to her while her second gently stroked her hair. For once, Hermione didn't have a million thoughts running around her head; instead, she just concentrated on feeling.

Reality intruded when the door to the closet Fleur had dragged her into abruptly opened.

"Oh!" Harry exclaimed, blinking in surprise. He held the hand of his girlfriend, Luna. Clearly he had hoped for some quality time with his girlfriend. "Um… sorry," he apologized sheepishly. "Should I…?" he offered delicately.

Fleur huffed. Hermione just stared at everyone in slight shock, not quite certain what had happened - or rather, not quite able to believe what had just occurred. Fleur took a peek at her watch and sighed. "No, Harry," she drawled. "Practice starts soon." She turned towards Hermione, running a delicately tipped finger down Hermione's face. "Ah will see you soon, 'Mione," she promised huskily, her Southern drawl causing Hermione to shiver. Hermione nodded weakly in response and watched helplessly while Fleur flounced out of the closet and down the hall.

"Oh dear," Luna interrupted. "It looks like someone's head is in the clouds."

"Luna, honey…" Harry began helplessly before gulping and shutting up.

"Harry James Potter!" Hermione hissed. "Just what is going on?"

"Uh…" he stuttered. He looked panicked. Next to him, Luna giggled, her grey eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Sorry, Hermione, Harry has to go now," she informed the two of them, before dragging Harry off with her down the hall. Hermione barely restrained herself from stomping her foot in frustration, eyes narrowing in anger and confusion as she watched her friend and his girlfriend disappear.

Just what the hell was going on here?

***

Earlier...

Fleur couldn't identify the exact moment she started to look at Hermione Granger with different eyes. She had known Hermione - had even hung out with her on occasion because of Harry - but she wouldn't quite call her friend. It was a simple fact of life: Fleur was the queen of the school - head cheerleader and all that entailed; Hermione, on the other hand, was the class nerd - the brain. In the normal course of things, Fleur wouldn't have ever acknowledged Hermione - except if she needed something done, like homework. But Harry had befriended the girl, back in his first year. He had seen something in her that no one else had, and refused to allow others to bother her. It said something about Harry's own popularity (read family influence) that everyone actually paid attention and let her be. Well, not everyone. But most people did.

So, Hermione had existed, on the edge of Fleur's radar. Someone she acknowledged, but not someone she socialized with on purpose. But also, not someone she was cruel to, because then Harry would get upset - and that wasn't something anyone wanted. And so, that it had been: Fleur had her friends, and her boyfriends, and her little intrigues, and games of one-man-upships, and Hermione had her books, and Harry, and her drive to succeed, and be someone.

But then. Sometime in the last year or so - Fleur couldn't point to an exact date, much as she tried - something changed. Hermione changed. Emerging from her cocoon into something more than a frizzy-haired nerd with big teeth. Hermione wasn't classically beautiful, but there was a certain elegance to her that Fleur could admire and, apparently, wanted.

It was all very confusing.

She found herself staring at Hermione for no reason she could discern, admiring the way the light hit her hair as it streamed through the library windows. Or sometimes, she smiled in response to one of Hermione's little lectures about schoolwork - something that used to annoy her. More than one friend or acquaintance had commented on that and Fleur had been hard pressed to provide a believable answer. How could she explain what she did not understand?

"See something you like?" Harry whispered in her ear, nodding with his head towards the object of her obsession. Fleur started, flushing as she met Harry's knowing gaze.

"Ah don't know what y'all mean," she whispered furiously, her Southern drawl emphasized in her agitation.

"Of course you don't," he agreed, chuckling quietly and returning his attention to his homework. She frowned at him, wondering just what he saw. It wasn't as if Harry was the most observant of people. It was a great source of amusement amongst their group of friends, that he and Luna had gone on several dates before he realized they were dating. If he could see something… than who else could?

"Don't worry, Fleur… everyone else still has clouds in their eyes," Luna airily informed her, sitting next to her boyfriend. "We can help you clear it all up…"

"What?" Harry asked, sounding panicked.

"We can help," Luna pronounced.

"But… Hermione will kill me!" he whispered.

Fleur frowned in confusion. Just what were the two of them talking about? "What are y'all talkin' about?"

Luna turned her wide, dreamy grey eyes to Fleur. "Your crush on Hermione, of course."

Fleur swallowed. "My what?" she asked icily. Harry shrank, happily hiding behind Luna.

"Fleur, you really shouldn't worry so much. It will all work out." She patted Fleur on the shoulder, before turning to her boyfriend. "Come on, Harry. I want to show you some picture proofs for yearbook."

They left Fleur staring blankly at her book, wondering if maybe Luna had the right of it after all. Did she have a crush on Hermione? She risked a glimpse across the aisle to where Hermione sat, completely oblivious to what had just happened. A somewhat goofy smile crossed her lips, and she sat back with a groan. Luna was right. She did have a crush on Hermione.

So what to do? She tapped a finger against her book, her eyes narrowed in thought. She might be more known for her looks at Hogwarts than her brain - and she certainly couldn't compete at Hermione's level, but she also had learned intrigue at the knee of her Mama. Mrs. Delacour was an acknowledged grande dame in Atlanta society. And in the tradition of many Southern belles, she had insured her daughters had the same skills she had learned at her own mother's knee. Mama had taught her how to go after whatever - or whoever - she wanted, and now? Fleur wanted Hermione. Or at least to see what they could have. Oh yes, time to bring those skills learned at Mama's side to the fore.

Hermione Granger would have no idea what hit her.

***

At about the same time...

Pansy sighed as Draco waved a hand in dismissal. She forced a simpering look on her face before leaving him in the company of the rest of his gang. As soon as she walked out of eyesight, she cleared her expression and hurried down hall, wanting to get outside. She needed to clear her head, to try and figure out how the hell she could get out of the arrangement her father made with Draco's. She could scarcely take being Draco's girlfriend; she couldn't imagine marrying him, as everyone had seemed to agree she would do.

Once outside, she breathed deeply and headed towards the lake. Maybe staring at its glassy and murky surface would bring her some answers… or at least some peace. She honestly didn't know what she was going to do with her life. Her parents had made it very clear what they expected from her. Time was running out - if she wanted to break free, she needed to take her chance - and soon.

"What are you doing here?" a strident voice asked of her. Pansy looked up and met the gaze of one Ginny Weasley. She forced herself to remain calm, to not let the redhead bother her. But it was a difficult task: for some reason, Pansy was attracted to the girl - and she had no idea why. It wasn't like the girl had ever encouraged Pansy's interest - had done the exact opposite in fact.

"It's a free country, Weasley," Pansy sneered, her gaze raking the other girl up and down.

"Whatever," Ginny snorted. She huffed, arms folded under her breasts, a foot digging into the earth.

Pansy wondered why she didn't just leave, but she wasn't going to ask. Instead, she concentrated on her own problems. Namely, getting rid of Draco Malfoy as a boyfriend - without getting cut off from her parents' money.

"Where's Malfoy? I thought you didn't go anywhere without him."

"You know, Weasley, I've never been anything but polite to you. Why are you being so bitchy?" Pansy asked. It looked like she wasn't going to get any peace and quiet anytime soon. Maybe, she would be better off returning inside and hiding in the library. God knew that Draco hated going to the library - mostly because Potter and his friends had more or less claimed it as their own. She rose to her feet, brushing her skirt free from dirt, and headed back towards the school.

***

Moments later…

Ginny watched as the black-haired girl strode back to the school. She heaved a sigh, already feeling bad for the comments she had made. She didn't really know Pansy Parkinson; just knew her as Malfoy's girlfriend. And considering the strength of the rivalry between Malfoy and Potter - and thereby their friends and associates, she thought she had reason to feel wary of the other girl. Except…

Pansy was right. She might be Malfoy's girlfriend and act the snob when around him, but as soon as she was not near him, her entire attitude changed. Hermione had even spoken to her a few times in the library and claimed she was nice when not around her boyfriend. And Ginny hadn't really meant to snap at Pansy; she just hadn't expected to see the other girl sitting in one of her own favorite spots. It had startled her, when all she wanted was some peace and quiet.

She sighed. She was procrastinating. She had received a letter from her parents this afternoon, asking about her choices for summer internships. The Weasley's might not have the money that most of the other family's who attended Hogwarts had, but they did have the background that opened doors for her that would be closed to others of their economic level. Her mother wanted her to accept a position with the Potters, or one of their close associates, like Mr. Black or Mr. Lupin. Her father didn't have an opinion, which meant he supported her mother's wishes when it came to something like this. Ginny loved her mother, but she was very pushy, wanting Ginny to closely align herself with the Potters. Ginny thought it was because her mother still had hopes that Ginny would date the Potter heir. She didn't seem to understand that Harry was quite happy with Luna - never mind the fact that Ginny had never felt particularly attracted to Harry as it were.

But then, her mother didn't really understand her, did she?

***

A few days later...

Once again, Pansy slipped outside and headed towards the lake. Draco had decided to have another "boy's only" night, which meant she didn't have to act the simpering fool. The more she considered her future, the more she wanted to break free from the life her parents had planned for her. The question was, could she do it?

And that, she didn't know the answer to.

"Malfoy not want you tonight?" a snide voice asked, interrupting the quiet.

"What do you want, Weasley?" Pansy asked, not really wanting to start a fight.

"Just making conversation," she replied. Pansy tilted her head to look at the other girl.

"Right," Pansy scoffed. To her surprise, Weasley sat down next to her. "You've never done so before."

"You were right, you know."

Pansy frowned in confusion. "I'm right about many things. What are you referring to?" she finally asked.

"The other day," Ginny said, picking up a stone and skipping it across the surface of the water. "When you said you've always been polite to me. You always have."

"Oh." Pansy didn't quite know what to say in response to that. "Um… okay."

Ginny laughed. She tucked a strand of her hair behind an ear. "God. I don't even know why I came over here to speak to you. I guess I just wanted to apologize."

"Well… apology accepted," Pansy said. They fell into a comfortable silence, something that surprised her. Yes, she had spent time with Potter's crowd in the past - almost impossible not to considering they were almost all in the same year and shared classes together - but she normally just ignored them. This… this was different.

***

Meanwhile…

Once Fleur decided on her course, she embraced it wholeheartedly. She had already decided to recruit Harry and Luna - they were in the know after all. But she didn't even want to implement her plans until she had at least a reasonable idea that Hermione returned her own feelings. Hermione hadn't actually dated anyone during their years at Hogwarts - at least not that Fleur had noticed. Fleur, by contrast, had dated any number of boys. Such was the burden of head cheerleader.

First, she took to sitting next to Hermione. At the library, at mealtimes, when they all had free time... Unfortunately, all that did was gain her curious looks from her friends. After frowning in confusion at her new preferred seat, Hermione hadn't even bothered to ask why Fleur had chosen to sit next to her.

"Look Fleur," Harry began, looking a bit embarrassed. "Hermione wants to know if you need tutoring or something."

Fleur looked at him aghast. She might not have the grades that Hermione had, but she certainly scored in the top ten. Harry knew that and shrugged. "She just asked me. Wanted to know if you were too… embarrassed or something to ask her for help."

She dropped her head into her hands. "No. Harry…" she whined.

"Hermione isn't going to just know what you want," Luna commented, looking up from the yearbook layout she was working on.

"But why not?" Fleur asked petulantly, even though she already knew the answer. It didn't take a genius to understand what Luna meant: in the almost seven years they had been classmates, Fleur had never shown an active interest in Hermione. They had spoken to each other, but only about general things. That they even did speak to each other was solely because of Harry. So yes, Hermione wasn't likely to simply discern via osmosis Fleur's interest.

Especially given Hermione's rather clueless nature when it came to people hitting on her. Yes, Hermione hadn't had many dates, but it wasn't all because of her position as class nerd. Rather, she never seemed to understand that people were hitting on her - unless it was obvious. And Fleur? She had never had to work to get a date before.

"Fleur?" Harry asked. "If you're serious about this… I'll try to help. But if you're not? Then please… Hermione doesn't deserve to be hurt." He slipped away as soon as he saw how his words impacted Fleur, wincing as she flinched in response to what he said. She wanted to yell at him for the hurtful words, but couldn't. He looked out for his friends, and Hermione was his best friend. The whole school remembered how he tore into Ron Weasley after he had insulted Hermione last year.

She couldn't blame him for the words, but she also didn't know how to answer. She was 17 and she had no idea where would be living in the fall. Mama and Daddy wanted her to go to Vanderbilt, or Emory, or even Duke - acceptable Southern schools. From the comments Hermione had dropped, Fleur knew that she was headed to the Ivies. Long distance was difficult - especially at their age. But… she dreamed about the other girl. "I don't know what to say…" she whispered.

"Maybe you're asking the wrong questions," Luna answered. Fleur peeked up at her.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… maybe you're going about this the wrong way. Ask yourself why Hermione, and then whether it's worth it."

"Whether what is worth it?"

"You know," Luna replied mysteriously. No matter how much Fleur tried to get another answer from her, her friend remained quiet.

Sometimes, she hated her friends.

***

The next day…

"Okay, look. I told Hermione that you want to be a study partner for English," Harry informed her, speaking very quickly.

Fleur looked up at him in surprise. After last night she hadn't thought he would help her. She needed help - that much she knew. The dream she had had last night had certainly proven that.

…soft lips caress her own, shaping, molding - tasting. Fleur moans and arches into the embrace of the girl holding her, feeling her breasts tighten and push against those of her partner. Her hands trace patterns on Hermione's skin, her legs shift restlessly against silken limbs and she feels herself grow wet. Hands drift across her body, learning her skin and shape, learning what causes a moan or a groan or an arch of the hips. Hermione explores her body, painting her skin like a canvass. Fleur touches and tastes the other girl, holding her on the edge until… with a flick of her tongue, she sends the other girl into ecstasy, screaming her name as she comes…

"Thank you, Harry," she said, her voice soft.

"Well, you know… you're my friend too," he replied. He grinned at her crookedly.

She smiled at him before going to find Hermione. She had a study partner to seduce.

***

A bit later…

It surprised Pansy how well she got along with Ginny Weasley. While they didn't hang out in front of others, they did meet up in empty classrooms, or hidden corners of the library, or when the weather remained nice, by the lake.

"What do you want to do when you grow up?" Ginny asked one night. They had been quietly doing their homework and it took Pansy a moment to bring her attention from physics to the question.

"Oh… um. Probably law. Or maybe business," she shrugged.

"Really? I thought you'd be married to Malfoy," Ginny stated, sneering slightly at the mention of Pansy's boyfriend.

"Yeah, well…" Pansy said. She couldn't tell Ginny that already she was trying to figure out a way to bypass the future her parents wanted for her. Between the various trusts her relatives had left her, she could go to college where she wanted. As long as she lived frugally, she wouldn't have to depend on her parents. She had never been so thankful that her grandparents and great aunt had left someone other than her parents as trustees. She had written to the people in charge of her trusts and discovered that they could pay for her education.

It made her happy. Now, if she could only find the courage to act.

Another night, Ginny surprised her with another question. "Why Malfoy?"

Pansy snorted. "Why so curious? You want to date him?"

"Oh god, no!" Ginny responded quickly. She gazed at Pansy with an expression she couldn't read. "I just don't understand."

"Understand what?"

"Why you would date someone like him."

Huffing, Pansy gathered her things. "Sometimes, Weasley, we don't have much of a choice," she said and left the red head alone. She didn't need this.

Things got better after that. Ginny didn't ask her about Draco, and she tried to figure out how to tell her parents her decision to not follow through with their plans. She avoided Draco as much as possible, a task made easier by his determination to best Potter before he graduated. It was futile, but he wouldn't listen to anyone, so certain that he had the right of it. From day one, he had set himself up as the rival to Harry Potter. And from day one, Potter had ignored him.

"I think Fleur's interested in Hermione," Ginny confessed one rainy day.

"What? Really?" Pansy asked, shocked that the pretty head cheerleader would be interested in any girl, never mind Hermione.

"Yeah… she's been flirting with her. Unfortunately, Hermione is pretty oblivious to it all."

Yeah, Pansy could see that. THe smartest girl in their class did seem not to notice things, unless it was a book "But, why?"

Ginny shrugged. "Who knows? Harry might, and maybe Luna. But no one else does. And everyone is too scared of Fleur and Harry to actually say anything."

It never failed to surprise her how much sway Harry and Fleur held over the rest of the student body. Sadly, Pansy couldn't even complain that they used their popularity to lord it over others. Maybe Fleur had, but Harry didn't. He was used to the influence his family held, but unlike Draco - who liked to threaten people with action by his father - Harry preferred to accept people based on who they were. If you were nice, and didn't bother his friends, you were likely to be accepted into his circle of friends. This resulted in Harry's friends getting help from Harry's family and their friends - but it was genuine help, not something done with the expectation of future services to be repaid.

It was not something that Draco understood. Pansy should know - she had listened to him rant about it enough.

***

Earlier…

"Fleur needs a study partner for English," Harry informed Hermione. "I think she's too intimidated to just ask you."

Hermione raised an eyebrow in question. Harry fidgeted before her. "Is that why she's been sitting next to me?" She had wondered why the prettiest, most popular girl at Hogwarts had suddenly decided that sitting next to or near Hermione was her primary goal in life. Harry shrugged and shifted again. Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure it's a study partner she wants? And not for me to do her homework?"

"Hermione!" Harry admonished, stilling. "Look. She's not like Ron. She's really smart. And you've said yourself that it's better to study English with others."

"I know," Hermione admitted, a little shamefaced. She sighed. "Okay. Tell her to meet me at the library after dinner. We can start then. But, Harry? If this is a joke? I'm not going to be happy."

"It's not. I promise you!" Harry assured her, before rushing away.

True to his word, Fleur appeared next to her after dinner. And to Hermione's surprise, Fleur had actually read what they were supposed to for class. She found herself enjoying the discussion they had about Billy Budd and the various symbolism engendered within the text.

Slowly, Hermione found herself becoming actual friends with Fleur. It surprised her. She had never really thought that Fleur thought much of her. Tolerated her, yes. But that was because of Harry - or so she thought.

"You should come with me this weekend. Mama and Daddy are taking Gabrielle and I to New York for the Met. They have a new exhibit that you'll probably love," Fleur invited her.

"But…" Hermione frowned. "I don't want to just barge in with you and your family."

Fleur waved a hand dismissively. "They won't mind."

"Are you sure?"

"Oh, yes. I already asked. They said yes."

"Oh, okay." Hermione just wished she knew why Fleur had suddenly decided to befriend her, but accepted the invitation.

She cornered Harry and Luna as soon as she could. "What is Fleur doing?"

"What? What do you mean?" Harry asked nervously. Hermione zeroed in on him. He knew more than he was saying.

"Harry James Potter! What is going on?"

"Nothing! Really!" he insisted. He looked towards Luna, as if she could help him. "Fleur's just being friendly."

"Right." Hermione couldn't help but feel skeptical. "After practically ignoring me these last six years, she's suddenly decided she wants to be my friend?"

"Maybe she got to know you better," Luna said. "We all have to grow up sometime."

"Fine. But if I find out this is all some sort of joke and you're in on it?" She turned away, rather than finish the threat. Of course she wouldn't really cut Harry out of her life. They were too close of friends for that. But still… It would hurt terribly, if all of this was a joke and Harry had known and done nothing to stop it.

***

A week later...

"When are you going to tell her?" Harry cornered Fleur before she could join Hermione for their now daily study sessions.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, Fleur. This is Hermione. She knows something is going on. If you… if you want something more than friendship, you need to tell her. She's convinced that you're playing a trick on her!"

"What?!" Fleur asked, a bit hurt that even after all the time they had spent together, that Hermione would think she would do something like that. Harry ran a hand through his messy hair.

"You know she doesn't have much luck when it comes to relationships. And you have to admit that until recently, you've shown no interest in her. So yeah. She's going to be suspicious. Just… I know you like her. Just - ask her out already."

Fleur thought about it and realized that Harry was right. She couldn't keep doing what she was. Time to act.

"You're right," she told him.

"Wait? I am?" he asked, a bit shocked that she had actually decided to listen to him.

"Yes. I have to go." She turned and scurried away. Time to enact the plan. Whatever that was. She hadn't every really decided on which one to do.

***

The beginning…

Which is how Fleur had grabbed Hermione, and dragged her into a closet. She decided kissing her would be the best way to let the brunette know her feelings. But she also didn't want to kiss her in public - at least not until she knew whether her own feelings were returned.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked as Fleur grabbed her by the wrist after English class and dragged her to a closet.

"You'll see," Fleur enigmatically replied. And then, they were there and Fleur embraced Hermione and lowered her head.

The kiss was as wonderful as Fleur had dreamed. Despite her surprise, Hermione responded.

And then, Harry had to ruin it by opening the door.

***

Later that day…

To Fleur surprise and pleasure, Hermione did not disappear and refuse to meet her for their normal study session.

"I wasn't sure you would be here," she commented as she dropped her bookbag in to the seat next to her.

Hermione shrugged. "I finally got what you were trying to say." She smiled shyly at the other girl. "I'm a bit dense, sometimes."

"That's okay," Fleur whispered, leaning close to her. "I like dense." This time, Hermione was the one to move forward. Their lips met in a gentle, almost chaste kiss. It didn't last long, but when they broke it - both blushing a little bit - Hermione grabbed hold of Fleur's hand, and squeezed it gently.

"I think it's all going to be okay," she said. And Fleur couldn't help but agree.

***

A while later…

Pansy hadn't had a chance to meet with Ginny for a while, as Draco had suddenly decided he need her with him all the time. She barely had a moment for herself - and it annoyed her greatly. Glancing over to where Potter and his friends sat, she could tell that Fleur had finally done something, since she and Hermione never seemed to be away from each other. If not for the kissing and hand holding, they could just be friends. But no. It was very clear from their actions that they were more than friends.

It drove Draco nuts. "Why the hell does she want that nerd?" he had asked more than once. Pansy had just shrugged. She had no answer for that.

To her surprise, Pansy had found that she actually missed her conversations with Ginny. To the point where she dreamt of the other girl. And, shifting in her seat, Pansy had to acknowledge - at least to herself - that not all of those dreams were platonic. She flushed a bit in remembrance of the one she had last night. She didn't really understand why she was having them, but it made it all the more difficult for her to want to remain with Draco.

Not that he noticed her inattention - he was too busy trying to figure out yet another plot designed at "showing up that Potter idiot!" Of course it wouldn't work. None of his amateurish plots ever did.

"Pansy! You're not paying attention to me!" Draco's whining voice cut into her thoughts. Her eyes narrowed. She had had enough.

"Enough," she told him.

"What?" he stuttered, looking at her in shock. Never had she spoken back to him.

"You heard me. I'm tired of listening to your whining. Face it, Draco. You will never best Potter. And it has nothing to do with who his father is, or even who he is. It's because you're a slimy, idiotic, spoiled little boy, who has had his father give him everything. Grow a fucking pair," she told him. To her embarrassment, the entire dining hall had grown quiet as she had spoken.

"Shut up," Draco ordered, voice strangled as he flushed red in anger. "When my father hears about this - oh and your father too!"

Pansy stood up abruptly from the table, her chair clattering to the floor. "I don't care about you, or your father! Enough! I was only dating you because my father told me I had to. You're pathetic and I'm not doing this anymore." She shifted her gaze to look over her schoolmates, trying to find a particular face in the crowd. To her relief, Ginny Weasley had a huge grin on her face, and meeting her eyes, Pansy could see the encouragement in them. Suddenly, Pansy decided that she might as well go for broke. She had already burned her bridges with Draco. Time to grab her courage and try for that brass ring.

She shrugged off Draco's arm and strode across the room to where Ginny sat. The other girl smiled at her, meeting her gaze confidently. Everything seemed to narrow, nothing else seemed to matter as Pansy looked into Ginny's brown eyes.

"It's about time," Ginny murmured just before Pansy kissed her. And Pansy realize just how right Ginny was. Figured that the other girl would realize before her.

None of that mattered anymore - not Draco's screaming, or Ron's rants, or the whoops of delight from the males in the room. Only Ginny and her lips and this, the breaking free of the shackles did.

***

The end…

Draco had gone straight to his father, who had then gone to hers. Despite the shouting and the threats, Pansy stood firm and refused to follow the future they wanted. She didn't know if she could have, if not for Ginny. But she stood by, supporting Pansy as she fought it out. In the end, her parents couldn't force her to remain with Draco and that was that. To her greater surprise, Potter welcomed her into his group of friends. She couldn't ask him, but she did ask Ginny why.

"You make me happy," Ginny replied. "He likes his friends to be happy." So simple, yet so different from what she normally expected.

"You'll get used to it," Hermione advised, her chin resting on Fleur's shoulder, embracing the other girl from behind.

To her surprise, she did.

/fin