Disclaimer: I don't own J.K. Rowling's world, I just like to mess with her characters on occasion

Author's Note: Apologies all around for the delay in posting this chapter, which was written two weeks ago. I was agonizing over how short it is, and trying to figure out how to make it longer, and finally decided that it works as-is. My thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far and is keeping up with this piece, and of course major kudos to my beta bookaddict19 who's responsible for Lavender's profession.

Part Four

A persistent chirping noise roused Pansy later on in the day, and it tookher most of a minute to realize that someone wastrying to reach her by mirror. Wondering who could possibly be calling her at such an ungodly hour, she flailed a hand in the bedding until she located the offending bit of artifice, flipping it open and growling, "What?"

"Pansy, darling, where are you?" The voice of Lavender Brown, premiere gossip columnist of the wizarding world, was entirely too chipper, and Pansy cracked an eye open to glare at her friend.

"I'm in bed. What do you want, Lav?" Memory was starting to return, slowly, and it occurred to her that the hour may not have been quite as ungodly as she'd originally thought. "What time is it?"

"It's four in the afternoon, sweetheart, what /are/ you doing still in bed?" Lavender peered closer at the mirror, her expression one of open admiration and curiosity. "Long night with Francisco? Should I call you later?"

Francisco. So /that/ was his name. Pansy shook her head, throwing off the covers and getting up, the mirror still held in one hand. "No, it's fine. You were right, by the way. He more than made up for his lack of linguistic skills. I sent him home yesterday."

Lavender sighed theatrically. "That's a shame. I don't suppose you happened to get his number?"

"I'll owl it later," Pansy replied, smirking. Lavender's profession all but gave her a license to party, and she was a notorious flirt, but at the end of the day her heart belonged to Seamus Finnegan, and all of her closest friends knew it. Pansy was a witness when the two were married (in true romance novel style, no less), and for all that Seamus' career as a sportswriter for the Daily Prophet had him traveling a fair bit (and flirting at least as much as his wife did), he was completely devoted to Lavender. "Was there a reason you were calling?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, of course, how silly of me." Lavender gave herself a shake, then she smiled wickedly at the mirror. "I have a bit of gossip for you, from the Potters' party last night. Another baby shower for Ginny, of course."

"Of course." Pansy rolled her eyes at the mention of the baby shower, thinking it was a wonder Ginny still had some sort of figure even pregnant with her third child. "Something interesting, I presume, or you wouldn't be calling me about it."

"Luna dumped Ron." There was a note of glee to Lavender's tone, but then she never did forgive Ron for dumping /her/, back in school.

"And why is this interesting?" Pansy inquired, feigning boredom. Inwardly, she was convinced Lavender couldn't spill the details fast enough, but she didn't dare let the other woman know about her new fascination with Weasley, or she'd never live it down.

"Pansy!" Lavender cried, her voice a bit shrill with excitement. "It's positively delicious! I mean, really, no one ever expected Luna Lovegood to date anybody, and then she somehow fell in with Ronald Weasley, which I'm still trying to wrap my head around. Then she declares, after /two years/ of dating, in front of Merlin and everybody, that the wrackspurts and nargles have told her that they're just no good together and she can't date him any more."

Pansy just stared at the mirror. "Wow. Breakup by fairy tale creature. That's got to be a new low."

Lavender laughed, then shook her head. "Even for Ron, it's a new low. I heard he went out drinking after leaving the party, but there's been no word from him at all today. I expect his firm will be putting out some sort of official statement, at some point, damage control, that sort of thing."

"I'm not so sure," Pansy said, with a shake of her head. "He's terrific at managing everyone else's image, but I don't know that he ever really bothers pruning his own." It was, in fact, one of the things she liked about Ron, though she'd sooner die than admit it aloud.

"Yes, well, you might have a point there, actually. More's the pity. If anyone could stand to have his image improved, it's Ron Weasley. I still find it hard to believe that he's managed to be as successful as he has, given his lack of talent in other areas." Lavender shook her head, frowning at the mirror.

"Oh, come on, Lav, he can't have been that bad, surely?" Pansy asked, siezing the opportunity to do a little grilling about her friend's experience with Weasley. "You two dated for what? Two months, back in school?"

"Merlin, don't remind me," Lavender groaned, rolling her eyes. "I try not to think about those days, you know."

"Humor me," Pansy requested, with a faint smirk. "I'll admit to some... vague curiosity. Why Weasley?"

Lavender heaved another theatrical sigh, and Pansy waited, knowing she'd won but that her friend was basking in the moment of undivided attention. "Honestly? At the time, I thought he was cute." Pansy nodded at her to go on, but Lavender needed no such prompting, once she'd begun. "Of course, we all know Weasley could never compete with the likes of Draco, or even potter, but he's still sort of cute. I think it's the freckles."

Pansy laughed at this, tossing her head. "Point. After the thrill of dating Potter's best friend wore off? There must have been something else, to keep you dating."

"Hormones," Lavender replied, her tone matter-of-fact. "Well, that and the size of his hands."

"Lav!" Pansy feigned shock, but it's entirely for show, and they both knew it. "And here I thought Seamus was your first."

"Oh, he was!" Lavender protested, with a laugh. "Ron wasn't a great kisser, honestly, but he could do wonders with his hands. Of course, we never went all the way, not in two months' time, and never below the waist, but not for lack of enthusiasm." She smirked, adding, "Ron was always willing to make up in enthusiasm what he lacked in experience, which is probably why he and Granger didn't make it. She strikes me as the type to appreciate skill."

"I refuse to speculate on her current relationship," Pansy said, rather firmly. "Not even off the record. Sorry, Lav," she added, upon seeing her friend's crestfallen expression. "I promised him I'd leave them alone."

"The most controversial couple in the wizarding world and you have no comment?" Lavender sighed again and shook her head. "Tragic. Well, I'd best be going, Seamus is home tonight and I have plans."

"Page 235?" Pansy inquired, with a knowing smile. Her wedding gift to Lavender had been a wizarding copy of the Kama Sutra, and she often picked a random page to tease her friend with.

"324, actually," came the reply, and Pansy tried not to laugh at the rush of color in her friend's face. "So I need to get ready. We should have lunch later this week, though, and catch up. Friday?"

"Can't, Lav, I'm seeing the family this weekend. Next week, though, I promise. Maybe Wednesday? I've got that meeting with Weasley in the afternoon, I could do with a fortifying lunch beforehand."

"It's a date. Enjoy the countryside. Ta, darling." The mirror's surface darkened as Lavender hung up, and Pansy closed it with a sigh.