The Floo deposited them in average sized apartment. What it lacked in dimensions it made up in the elegant furnishing. Unfortunately said furnishing were covered in various items that make up a successful party. Elegant ashtrays were strewn everywhere, half full, with the prerequisite trays of finger foods alongside them, at a safe distance. Glasses of all shapes and sizes were the predominant element all around. They were on the various tables, under chairs and if Bill saw correctly there was even one upside down on the candelabra.
Ms Parkinson seemed unconcerned with the mess and simply headed toward the equally messy kitchen. Five minutes later Bill was no longer wondering at his host's nonchalance. After depositing his burden, she had simply whipped her wand out and began casting. Bill could just stare as everything seemed to order itself out quickly and obediently. The lady of the house quite clearly was extremely talented with a wand. No pun intended of course although that was a though.
After
making sure everything was as it should be, Pansy Parkinson, heiress
to the Parkinson fortune and cosmetic manufacturer extraordinaire
simply turned to him and asked in a perfectly serious tone.
"Tea,
Mr. Weasley? Or would you prefer something stronger after the chill
outside?"
Bill could only blink but noticing his host's
increasingly more annoyed expression he quickly answered.
"Thank
you, tea would be lovely, with a drop of Firewhiskey in it if
possible. And please call me Bill, my father is Mr. Weasley."
"And
you may call me Pansy if you wish. Have you eaten?"
Not waiting
for a response she began to collect some ingredients and in no time,
they were enjoying a plate of delicious sandwiches. Finishing his
first sandwich Bill wrapped his hands around his mug of strong tea
and sipped at it. He sighed as it warmed him from the inside out, the
sweetness lingering on his tongue pleasantly.
He resumed eating after Pansy shot him a warning look. Surprisingly it reminded him of his mum. But he though it would be best not to mention that to Pansy. As they set about finishing the sandwiches, the talked about all the inconsequential things strangers usually talk about. The rubbish that the Daily Prophet was, how bad the new Minister was at his job, the new apothecary in Hogsmade that just opened. As they moved to the living room they continued chatting about their respective jobs.
They were both shocked, pleasantly so, by
the similarities in their lives. They had both began their careers
being very good at their jobs. They were both now bored with said
jobs but didn't have a clue what else to do.
They had both
married young, with people they had though perfect for themselves
only to end in divorce. Pansy's divorce had caused quite a scandal,
even though neither party ever gave the press any interviews. It came
as a surprise that Bill's divorce had passed without a fuss.
"It was only because it happened right after the Final Battle, Pansy. There were very little subjects more important or even equally important than that. In a way I'm glad it happened then, less fuss than it could've been. And I don't mean just the press. We could have had children and my mum would have never recovered if she'd lost her grandchildren. The weird thing is I though we were stronger because of what we'd gone through with the war. Apparently not"
A
prolonged silence ensued when Bill stopped talking. He stared into
the fire, not really thinking about much. He could feel Pansy's
assessing gaze on him and after a while turned to find her looking
pensive into her empty mug.
"So, How come you and the Malfoy
split up? I'm sorry, it's really none of my business . .
."
"You're right, Bill, she smiled, it isn't any of your
business but if you really want to know I left him".
"Why? I
mean he is handsome, rich and . . ."
"Yes, well, all beauty is
flawed anyway but the real reason is that he is gayer that I am"
Bill took a moment to let it sink in, before he burst out
laughing. There was one thing he hadn't counted on, and that was
the wench having sense of humor. Problem was she wasn't laughing,
since smirking doesn't count.
So she was either serious,
which would mean Draco would be the last Malfoy. And weren't the
Malfoy ancestors spinning in their graves right now. Or, and this
would be funnier, she had finally had enough of spending less money
on clothes than her husband did. He could see it in his mind's eye
so clearly that he was sure his face would have a permanent grin from
now on. Course, there was nothing wrong with being gay, but the way
she'd phrased it had his mind playing scenario after scenarios of
female indignation.
It was well past one in the morning when they
realized the time. It had begun to snow outside again and it was
working itself into a snowstorm. Not the kind of weather you would
send a puppy outside clearly. As Bill scrambled to grab his coat, a
small hand landed on his arm. He looked up into Pansy's face to see
an amused smile there.
"Whatever makes you think I'd let you
leave in this awful weather I really don't want to know. It's
late so you should just crash on the sofa. No, Weasley, I don't
mind. I'll just get you a quilt."
Bill just shook his head at
the headstrong, petite beauty that glided through the door to return
a few minutes later.
Again the wand was out and before Bill
could register what had happened the sofa was longer and broader and
he was dressed in green pajamas. A pillow and a quilt were arranged
on the Transfigured sofa before he was pushed under the covers and
tucked in.
"By the way, Bill? As he looked up, he noticed her
in the doorway, framed from behind by the light in the hall, the
bathroom is just down the hall of you need it." With that she
turned around and closed the door behind her.
Fifteen minutes
later, one Weasley and one Parkinson were still wondering at the
surrealism of their day. Finally sleep took them and both fell asleep
with a half smile on their faces.
