Hmm… well, that plan to consistently update sort of fell through, didn't it? I'm only human! Still, I'm going to be getting back into the swing of things and hopefully this time I can maintain some semblance of consistent updates! For those of you who have stuck with this since the Prologue, thanks for sticking around, and for those who have just shown up, welcome! On that note, let's stop my ranting and start watching the Order's reaction when they find out just who Hermione has brought into their midst!
Chapter 2: Lavender
Pansy was Side-Along Apparated with a quiet crack in the night, and upon opening her eyes (she had never been able to stay calm enough to be able to keep her eyes open during Apparition) she saw that she had been brought to what was surely the Order of the Phoenix's safe house. They were just outside a small series of dilapidated apartments, bricks fading from the weather and ivy crawling up the sides.
Well, she thought wryly, I suppose there's not much else to expect, what with them having to go underground for years.
Hermione handed Pansy a piece of parchment, still biting her lip at her traitorous behaviour, and silently urged her to open it. Complying, and attempting to give the girl a grateful half-smile, she unfolded the scrap of crumpled parchment. The phrase inscribed upon it seemed to glow as her mind absorbed it.
Suddenly, there was a loud, scraping noise, and Pansy watched as the two apartments closest to them were pushed apart, and Pansy recognized the importance of the parchment- a well-executed Fidelius Charm. Pansy found herself leaning forward eagerly in anticipation. So they weren't really hiding in Muggle shacks! However, when the apartments stopped moving, and the clouds of dust cleared, Pansy was shocked to see a path through a garden of lavender. What in Merlin's name was this?
Turning, she gave Hermione and inquiring look, but the brunette merely gave her a mysterious, and surprisingly Slytherin smirk before walking down the path. Pansy followed behind, taking in the scent of the lavender, which stood on either edge of the path, the purple blooms like hundreds upon hundreds of sentries. She spotted Hermione stooped over up ahead, and observed her lifting a latch buried in the ground, revealing a small hole in the earth. The girl stood and turned to her.
"Well, it's good that you made it this far," she mused with pursed lips. At Pansy's questioning look, she continued. "The flowers have been spelled to turn orange at any sign of distrust," she explained, and Pansy gave the plants a more thorough once over, eventually spotting a swirling feeling of magic around them. Nodding, impressed at the spell, she turned back to Hermione.
"This will take you into Headquarters. I'll go first. Just stay behind me, try to answer all the questions honestly, and please, for the love of Merlin, do not touch your wand, let alone cast any spells, unless instructed to. I've no idea how this is going to play out, but any retaliation on your part will only make their distrust for you grow."
Pansy nodded silently, understanding how important proper decorum was going to be over the next few weeks, if they even accepted her at all.
Hermione stepped back from the hole, took a deep breath, and glanced at Pansy. "Wait thirty seconds before following me, and remember that your name is Rose!" With that, the girl leaped forward and disappeared down into the hole with a small 'Pop!'
Pansy began counting in her head, tugging a disguised blonde curl absent-mindedly. On the one hand, she couldn't believe her luck. Her escape was risky, and the odds of her finding Hermione, perhaps one of the only Order members who wouldn't kill her on sight, and managing to convince the girl to give her a chance at redemption was nothing short of a miracle.
(Six…seven…eight) On the other hand, this inquisition she was about to endure to prove her loyalty was likely to be anything but pleasant, particularly once they had discovered her true identity.
(Fourteen…fifteen…sixteen) However, loathe as she was to admit it, Gr-Hermione, she corrected- was said to be one of the cleverest witches of her age, and if she had believed that she was trustworthy, and that the Order would accept her if she behaved herself, then she would have faith as well.
(Twenty-two…twenty-three…twenty-four) If this little encounter went wrong, she'd probably be tortured if not killed outright, potentially used as a hostage, at which point she'd be killed either by the Order or Death Eaters, or turned away, where she'd be killed by Death Eaters eventually anyway. Bloody fantastic, but anything for Draco and Blaise.
Having reached thirty, Pansy leaped into the hole, briefly noticing that the latch had replaced itself above her head, and fell into darkness. Her descent was strange, as she felt that she was free-falling while the magic around her was working to soothe, giving the appearance that her fall was controlled. Eventually, she slowed, landing on the stone floor lightly. The entrance was empty save for two torches on either side of a plain wooden door. Bracing herself, she walked forward cautiously and turned the knob.
~ARBAON~ARBAON~ARBAON~
What in Merlin's name am I thinking? Hermione asked herself incredulously as she Apparated Pansy outside of the Order's Headquarters. Willingly transporting a known enemy to Headquarters because they'd said they'd had a change in heart? If Pansy was even allowed in, and did anything wrong, Hermione would be slaughtered by dozens of Order members all fighting to get their wands at her at once.
Still, Hermione surveyed the disguised girl. She had said she was looking for Draco and Blaise, her two very best friends, who had been missing for months now, held captive by the very side they seemed to support. If that had been her, and she was looking for Ron and…she broke off her train of thought as her heart filled with mourning for her lost friend. If she had been in Pansy's position, she would turn traitor in a heartbeat. And, she pondered to herself as she handed Pansy the Fidelius protected scrap of parchment, even without Pansy's story, Slytherins had proven to be very surprising over the years.
Leading the girl through the newly revealed field of charmed lavender, Hermione kept ahead of Pansy as she led the way to the latch. The flowers were both a sign of love and devotion, as well as one of caution and distrust, and they were appropriately charmed to identify anyone wanting to pose a threat to someone protected by the Order. Bending to lift the latch off the ground, Hermione turned, pleasantly surprised to see Pansy behind her, the lavender flowers still their standard shade of purple. After voicing her congratulations at Pansy's apparent trustworthiness as determined by the blossoms, she gave the girl a brief set of instructions and warnings about what to do when inside, told her to wait half a minute and to remember her new identity- Hermione reminded herself to remember the girl's disguise as well- and then leaped into the hole.
Grimacing as she landed at the other end of the vertical tunnel- she had never enjoyed this entrance to the Headquarters- Hermione entered through the door. Inside, dozens of Order members were bustling about, strategizing in five places at once, dodging George's firecrackers (which would actually be an excellent bit of equipment once finished), and mumbling over Molly's cries of "who's staying for supper?" Upon spotting her, Ron, Ginny, and George ambled over with greetings. Hermione took a deep breath and hoped that this would go well…or at least not too horribly.
"'Lo, 'Mione," said George. "Where are the jabberknoll feathers?" Cursing, and only now realizing she'd never completed the errand which had sent her to Knockturn in the first place, Hermione cut right to the chase.
"Actually, I didn't manage to get them. I ran into someone else instead. Someone who wants to join us," Hermione explained. George reached into his pocket, eyeing her curiously all the while, and produced a small handful of what looked to be beans. Raising them to his mouth, he whispered something at them and then cast them to the floor. The small group of beans began hopping around all the legs of the Order members in different directions, each searching out a different Order member to deliver the whispered message.
"Where are they?" Ginny asked tiredly, and Hermione's heart went out to the girl, knowing just how painful it was to have people you cared so much about go missing. She knew the Order was trying hard to plan a rescue mission, but as things had been a bit tense lately, with the suspicion of a traitor amongst them, their strategy sessions were few and far between, and progress hadn't been made yet.
At Ginny's comment, the door behind Hermione swung open, revealing Pan- Rose, she reminded herself sternly. The girl stepped forward timidly, looking as innocent as a newborn, and Hermione applauded the woman's acting skills.
"Everyone, this is Rose. Shall we get right on with it then?" Hermione asked in the most cheerful tone she could muster, grasping the girl around the shoulders. Hopefully the friendly contact would help establish trust with the girl, whose shoulders tensed only slightly at her touch.
The crowds of Order members parted as the beans returned with those they'd been set out to find: Molly, Arthur, and Bill Weasley, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Remus and Tonks Lupin, and Fleur Weasley with her young daughter Victoire in her arms. All seven were staring at the girl as if attempting to see through her, and Hermione was pleased with the woman's strength as she remained innocent while refusing to lower her eyes to their inquisitive looks.
At a gesture from Arthur, the group turned and walked down a hallway, followed by Ron, George, and Ginny, and entered a room. With a reassuring smile, Hermione tugged Pansy along, hoping everything would turn out for the best.
~ARBAON~ARBAON~ARBAON~
As the door closed behind her, Pansy felt a massive wave of trepidation. The room was small and made of stone, with the door behind her acting as the only exit. The room was empty save for a plain wooden table and chair and was almost overflowing with occupants, and as Hermione led Pansy by the arm and sat her in the chair, the Order members pressed themselves closer together, forming a solid barricade between her and the door, their looming presence overwhelming as they faced her. With the exception of Hermione, every face was neutral and judgemental, and the feeling of being on trial weighed her down heavily. Kingsley and Remus stepped forward.
"Name?" Shacklebolt asked.
"Rose…" panicking, as they hadn't established a last name for her, she looked to Hermione, whose eyes were wide. Glancing at the woman's hair, which had got her here in the first place, she thought on her feet. "Rose Bru….Brunette."
"Allegiance?" Lupin inquired, looking far more exhausted than he had while teaching her all those years ago.
"The Order," While it technically wasn't true, she knew it was what they wanted to hear. Plus, she sure as hell wasn't following the Dark Lord anymore, so what other option was there? If this Gryffindor-led secret society was able to help her find Draco and Blaise, then so be it.
"Where were you prior to locating Miss Granger?"
"…Trapped, by the Death Eaters. They were plotting against my life, they took my friends who may be dead for all I know, and while they never laid a hand on me, what they've done to my mind and heart is far worse than anything they could have done to me physically." The looks of compassion and sympathy that crossed the features of many in the room encouraged her, and she saw Hermione smile, confident with her answer. The woman turned to her allies, brandishing her wand, and smiled at them, causing Pansy to have a sudden sense of dread. It was too soon to reveal her true identity! That was the only reason she could think of for Granger interrupting the proceedings, at any rate.
"Look, you all seem to believe her, and as far as I know, everything she has told you is true. The only lie that I know of-" the Order members' faces became worried at this, "- is the one that I told her to tell." With a wave of her wand, Hermione removed the illusion spells.
Pansy flinched, feeling as though a warm raw egg was dripping down her head, and struggled to keep her hand off her wand, knowing how much worse things would be if she drew it against them even in self defense. There were gasps, before a shout erupted.
"Parkinson? What the hell are you doing here?!" Ron roared, mouth agape, before he turned to Hermione. "What were you thinking? She's one of the elite followers of You-Know-Who! She can't be trusted!"
"Please, let me explain!" Pansy begged, struggling to keep her voice calm. Bill and George were physically restraining Ron, who was trying to leap at her. Despite strongly believing the man was nothing short of an idiot, she was terrified as he growled and spat curses at her.
Seeing movement from close to the floor, Pansy worried if some creature wasn't about to be set on her. As the movement moved through the adult's legs, she saw that it was Victoire, clutching a bouquet of lavender in her tiny hand and tottering over to her. Everyone froze, including Pansy as the little girl made her way over to where she was seated in the chair, and surveyed the girl. After a brief pause, the girl beamed up at her, giggling madly and offering the bouquet of flowers. Pansy timidly smiled back and slowly outstretched her hand, allowing Victoire to place the flowers into it.
"See, the flowers aren't turning orange!" Hermione said excitedly, her tone a little desperate.
"So? You're going to trust your stupid flower charm over common sense?" Ron yelled, glaring at her.
"Hermione, I'm afraid Ron is right," Arthur said in a tired, disappointed tone. "You should not have brought her here, especially without consulting others." He turned to Pansy now. "As for you, Miss Parkinson, while proper protocol has not been enforced, that does not mean you've been lying. Still, proper precautions will need to be taken. Place your hands on your head and slowly stand," he requested, pausing when she had done so. "Where is your wand?"
"In the inner pocket of the left side of my cloak," she replied promptly. While this hadn't gone ideally thus far, she hadn't been cursed at (magically, anyway, she thought, glancing at Weasley), and there was still hope for her. Regardless, she didn't have any other choice at the moment.
Hermione came bounding up to her, reaching into her cloak and procuring her wand, her lower lip worried between her teeth and tears in her eyes. The brunette passed her wand on to Lupin, who pocketed it.
"We will have to keep you in a holding cell while we decide what to do with you," Remus replied, and Pansy nodded sharply.
Two Order members she didn't recognize entered the room, grabbing her arms at the elbows, and she was hit with a temporary Blinding Charm to prevent her from seeing where she was going.
As they marched through the Headquarters, Pansy stumbling between them, she heard shouts of outrage and shock as various Order members recognized her. After a while, she heard one of the guards mutter a quick Protego, should someone try to curse at her, while the guard on her other side drew the hood of her cloak over her head, concealing her from those that hadn't spotted her yet.
They eventually reached the holding cell, held deeply underground without the protection of Warming Charms, she assumed as she was shivering even under her layers of clothing. Her sight was restored and she was pushed none-too-gently into the cell. A series of locking charms were performed (not that she would have tried to escape anyway) and the two Order members retreated back upstairs. The cell was tiny, dark, and cold, completely empty, and made of solid metal bars.
Sighing, Pansy leaned against the stone wall and sank to the floor, exhausted after the events of the night. It had only been several hours since she had been at the party, but so much had happened and her emotions more than anything were taking a toll on her. Slumping her shoulders, she murmured a quick thought to herself before drifting into uneasy sleep.
"Draco…Blaise…I love you. See you soon?"
~ARBAON~ARBAON~ARBAON~
"Oh for heaven's sake, Ron! Could you pull your head out of your arse for one moment and open your mind a little?" Ginny hissed vehemently, struggling against the urge to smack her brother. "She saved Hermione's life, for goodness sake!"
Those who had been present for Pansy's initial inquisition had remained in the room while Pansy was moved to a holding cell and after listening to Hermione's detailed account of events had been debating about the best course of action. While Ginny didn't trust the woman yet, she was willing to at least offer her a fair inquisition to give her a chance. Plus, she had heard enough about the true side of Pansy, not the Slytherin façade, from people she trusted with more than her life. Ronald, however, was proving as stubborn as always.
"It could have been staged! Why the hell would Parkinson give a damn about Hermione?" Ron seethed, his face starting to resemble his hair in colour.
"Because she needed someone to help her escape! To gain some of our trust to prove that she really was against Voldemort!" Ginny hissed, struggling not to laugh as her brother flailed around at the mention of You-Know-Who's name. "Look, I'm not saying we all accept her with open arms, but what's the harm in giving her the chance to tell her story before we decide whether or not we toss her out?"
"We've accepted people into the Order for doing far less than saving a member's life," George added, thinking along the same lines as his sister.
"They weren't Death Eaters!" Ron erupted, furious.
"We don't know that she's a Death Eater, Ron," Hermione pointed out, trying to keep the scolding tone from her voice. The short tempered redhead looked murderous, but as his siblings and Hermione seemed to be on the same page, he attempted to keep quiet.
"There are ways that we can ascertain her true allegiances," Kingsley added, attempting to placate Ron. "We have lost too many through fighting and especially through the leak in the Order… who has now been identified." The room went still.
"SLYTHERINS!" Ron exclaimed, triumphant.
"No," Kingsley said somewhat harshly. "Lavender Brown."
Incredulous looks crossed the faces of everyone in the room, none more so than Ron, who looked ready to be sick. "Lavender? There's just no way…" he croaked in disbelief.
"She was spotted in Diagon Alley on the arm of a known Death Eater, with the Dark Mark, offering important knowledge about the Order," Remus reported, having been the one to spot the woman. "We have not requested any members to go undercover in quite some time, and as you all know, we have rules against those who attempt to do so without permission. Regardless of whether or not she is attempting to gain information from their side or whether she has actually abandoned us, we now must view her as an enemy."
"We are in the process of gathering a team to find her and deal with her appropriately," Kingsley replied. "Rest assured, no one that went to school with her will be in attendance." With that, the occupants of the room left, save for Ron, Ginny, and Hermione.
"She was probably seduced by a Slytherin," Ron muttered under his breath.
"What is with you and condemning Slytherins? Are you still in grade school, Ronald?" Ginny asked, seething.
"Ginny, they're all Death Eater scum! Look at their parents!"
"Look at my boyfriends, you twit!"
"I am!" he roared. "Who knows what they might really be up to!"
Ginny took a step back from her brother as if he'd struck her. A look of heartbreak washed over her features before she turned on her heel and stormed out the door, slamming it shut.
"Why would you say that, Ronald?" Hermione said, hurt crossing her own face before she too left, leaving Ron alone in the inquiry room.
/Flashback - 4 years ago/
Ginny ran from the Burrow, tears streaming down her face, and didn't stop until she had crossed the wards, Death Eaters be damned. Collapsing onto the grass she sobbed openly, her shoulders shaking. She knew that it had to be a lot for her family and the other Order members to take in, but she had never imagined such vehement opposition to her being in love.
Hearing twin sets of footsteps beside her, she tensed, even as she knew it was them. She found herself being pulled into a sitting position, leaning back against a solid chest. Arms wrapped around her waist and she felt the top of her head being peppered with reassuring kisses. Blaise was very much like a large teddy bear, always up for cuddling her and reassuring her that she was very much loved. The other member of their little trio was always a bit colder, though more direct, and he sat in front of the pair of them now, taking her hands in his.
"It's going to be alright, Gin," Draco consoled, his grey eyes locked onto hers.
"I'm just so sorry!" she wailed. "They said such awful things to you!"
"They'll come around, love," Blaise said, tightening his hold on her. "We managed to win you over with our charm, we can do the same with them!" He smiled against her hair as he felt her shake slightly as she managed to laugh through her tears.
"We're not going anywhere, no matter how much they loathe us, we promise," Draco added.
"I adore you both," was her only reply, and the only one they needed to hear.
/ end flashback /
~ARBAON~ARBAON~ARBAON~
Pansy woke up to the slam of a door and loud footsteps approaching her. Scrambling back to the corner of her cell, she feared the worst, as those steps sounded anything but friendly. However, as the source of the noise reached her, tip of her wand aglow, she identified the person as an irate Ginny Weasley.
The girl's hair was a mess, as if someone had been tugging at it, and her eyes were red from crying. The woman slumped down onto the floor in front of her, her head in her hands, the bars the only thing separating them.
Pansy approached the girl slowly. Ginny had always been strong, smart, and powerful, traits that Pansy noticed even during her days as a spoiled Slytherin at Hogwarts. To see her like this was startling to say the least.
"Weasley? What's wro-"
"I trust you."
Well, that she hadn't been expecting. It certainly didn't explain the woman's current devastated state at any rate.
"Why?"
The redhead snorted. "You're locked up in a cell in a place filled with people who distrust and even outright loathe you, and you're questioning someone's declaration of trust?"
Pansy couldn't help the small laugh that tumbled from her lips. "Fair point. But, really, why would you trust me?"
The woman took a deep breath, running a hand through her long hair. "Alright, I'm going to tell you something that is going to stir some…interesting emotions in you, I'm sure. Not that you could right now anyway, but…just promise me you won't hex me or try to attack me, and at least hear me out, okay? This isn't the way they would have wanted you to find out, and not how I'd want you to find out either."
Pansy stiffened, very on edge. Just what did Weasley know that was going to affect her so much? How could Ginny presume to know how she would react? She didn't even know her! And who were the "they" she was referring to? The Order?
"I'll do my best," was the most honest reply she could offer, and Ginny nodded.
"I'm engaged to Draco and Blaise."
Pansy couldn't help the laughter this time. She laughed harder than she had in months, trying to ignore the slightly hysterical tone behind the giggles. Ginny was looking amused, her lips quirked in a smile, suggesting that she had expected this reaction from her, but her eyes were sad. Pansy quickly sobered up.
"Don't be an idiot, Weasley. They're gay."
Ginny sighed, producing a pocket Pensieve. Quickly, she raised her wand to her temple, briefly closing her eyes as she took out a memory, the white wisp falling obediently into the Pensieve, which the woman then offered to her. Pansy hesitantly took it, still not believing the girl, and dove in, her eyes glazing over.
Moments later, the memory being short, she blinked several times, returning to reality. Ginny was watching her hesitantly through the bars, gaging her reaction. She saw the mixture of love and loss in the woman's eyes that she had seen in the Pensieve, and Pansy found herself unable to deny the truth in the memories she had seen, and that realization sent a swirl of mixed emotions throughout her. Anger and betrayal at the secret they had kept from her, happiness at the completion they felt with Ginny, and above all, a jealousy towards the redhead in front of her, which gave way to a gut-wrenching pain at the thought that she hadn't been chosen.
"I'm sorry you had to find out this way," Ginny's voice drifted softly through the bars, and Pansy released something that was half-laugh, half-sob. Looking up, she saw the woman reading the mixed emotions in her face. "Are you going to hurt me?" the woman asked bluntly, her voiced laced with both amusement and trepidation, and Pansy laughed outright, tears streaming down her face. Slumping against the bars, she faced Ginny with half a smile.
"I don't hate you," she began, deciding to be as honest as possible. If Draco and Blaise trusted Ginny, and she truly made them as happy as she felt them being in the memory, she would trust her as well. "I don't love them like that, I'm not jealous, but…" she drifted off, trying to figure out her emotions, "I wish I did. I want to love them, and for them to love me. It'd be easier. I could've helped them. No offence meant towards you, of course," she added hastily as Ginny raised an eyebrow at her.
"They do love you," Ginny offered. "They spoke of you constantly. You're loved as more than a sister, more than a best friend, and they absolutely hated hiding our relationship from you. They said it was to-"
"- to protect me?" Pansy finished, smiling wryly. "That has been their excuse more than once before. If it's any consolation, I understand why they love you. You've always been lethal, even at Hogwarts, and they've always been…drawn to that."
"I originally thought that they'd made you up to be someone I'd like," Ginny admitted sheepishly. "I knew we would eventually go public and that we'd have to be friends, and I thought they'd lied so I would like you. Apparently they were being honest about you though," she mused, giving Pansy an appraising look.
"Approval from a Weasley? Just when I thought my day couldn't get any more normal," Pansy muttered, and Ginny snorted, rubbing briefly at her still puffy eyes. "Why were you crying?"
The redhead glared at her briefly before sighing, running a hand through her tousled hair. "I was trying to defend you," she began, and Pansy's heart leapt at the thought of someone fighting for her. "Ronald was being as dense as always, but my other brothers, and Hermione, seem to be on our side… or at least not as opposed to the idea of accepting you as Ron seems to be. It was a similar reaction to when I told them about Draco and Blaise. The others seem to get over their initial shock quickly and then trust my judgement, but Ron… he's just so stubborn. He refused to open his mind to our way of thinking, and said something terrible about you, and them. I couldn't take it anymore and left." Taking a deep breath, Ginny closed her eyes and tried to compose herself, her eyes opening after a minute or two. "Speaking of leaving, what happened, Parkinson? Why did you leave the Dark Side now, or at all, for that matter?"
"I couldn't take it anymore. Life amongst Death Eaters was nothing like I thought it would be, but escaping didn't seem like a possibility. After Draco and Blaise…disappeared after I was attacked, I had no reason to stay. I left to find them. But, since you shared with me, I think it's time I shared with you," she trailed off, eyeing the Pensieve. After only a brief moment of hesitation, Ginny relinquished her wand, passing it through the bars to Pansy, who returned it after placing a memory into the Pensieve. The pair exchanged a nod, then the trapped woman watched as Ginny's eyes glazed over.
/Flashback - 4 years ago/
Pansy burst through the door, managing to fall to the toilet before retching, followed immediately by an irate Draco and Blaise, who were trying to leash their emotions. Draco stood guard at the door while Blaise moved to soothe, holding Pansy's hair and rubbing the small of her back comfortingly as she choked back sobs, collapsing on the bathroom floor. Draco silently performed a cleansing charm, helping the girl only slightly as the horrors they had witnessed had tainted more than just her body.
"That was despicable," she spat, anger burning through the disgust plaguing her as images of what had transpired swirled across her vision. "How could they?" she croaked, trembling even as Blaise wrapped his arms around her.
"They've crossed a line. Blood purity agenda or not, they're approaching a genocide," Blaise growled, holding Pansy tightly as if afraid she would be taken from them.
"I was all for purebloods ruling our world, but slaughtering innocents is barbaric," Draco added, unable to abstain from their embrace any longer and clutching the pair for dear life. "We cannot support this anymore."
"How would that even be possible? The moment we wavered from our loyalty we'd be attacked," Pansy questioned, refusing to even consider the possibility of a less treacherous life.
"We'll figure something out, Flower. No matter what happens, we will stay together."
/ end flashback /
Pansy watched sadly as Ginny's eyes refocused, knowing what the woman had just witnessed. Blinking several times to clear her sights of the memory, Ginny looked over to Pansy with a sigh. "What happened that night?"
"Some of the more highly ranked Death Eaters, our parents included, had successfully located a large underground group of Muggleborns and sympathizers and decided to show them their rightful place while reminding the younger generation of ours. Their methods were…indescribable," she finished, trying not to retch at the memory. The pair locked eyes, coming to an unspoken truce, before Ginny stood.
"I'm going to go back upstairs and assist my more reasonable brothers in convincing the Order of your allegiances," she announced, looking down at the woman in the cell with determination in her eyes.
"Thank you…Ginny," she began. "I just have a question…you said that you were engaged to them. Where are they?"
"Taken captive by Voldemort after they rescued you. And 'Gin' will work just fine, Pansy," was her crisp reply as she turned and marched back up the stairs without a backwards glance, leaving Pansy in her cell with only that revelation for company.
Well, there you go! Once again, sorry for the wait for those who have been waiting, and I hope you enjoyed! The next chapter should be up a week from today! Thanks for reading!
