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"Thanks, Pansy."
The blonde smiled as she hovered the last box upstairs. "Will you stop thanking me? Sheesh! That's gotta be like, the millionth time."
"No, I will not. You helped me move when you had other plans. And I'd still thank you a million times if you didn't have plans. So deal with it." She stuck her tongue out at Pansy, and they burst into giggles.
"And accept goodies!" George said, bearing a tray of scones and tea.
"Oh Georgie, you're the best," Ginny groaned, and took the tray. She put it on the tea table and plopped down on the couch. "Come, Pansy. Eat. Drink. Enjoy."
"Alright, but only for a few minutes. If I know Draco, he'll be pouting around his apartment and Blaise and Theo won't know what to do with themselves but watch." Ginny giggled. "Where should I put this?" she asked about the box she was holding.
Ginny pointed to the floor. "There is fine."
Pansy sat and reached for a scone. "George! These are delicious!" she exclaimed after swallowing her first bite. "You made these yourself?"
George smiled. "Thank you! It's our mum's recipe, with a twist."
"I guess I can't get it from you, then."
"You'll just have to come over more often!" George said with an odd look in his eyes.
The blonde smiled, her heart very happy with the suggestion. "I like the sound of that."
Ginny was too focused on her own scone to notice anything.
One cup of tea and a devoured scone later, Pansy stood. "Thank you so much for the goodies, as George put it. I must be going, though. I can only imagine what Draco is putting those boys through."
Ginny stood and hugged her. "Thanks again, Pansy. So much. It means a lot to me. I'll return the favor someday.
Pansy smiled. "You're welcome. See you tomorrow for lunch?"
"Definitely."
Pansy apparated to Draco's apartment building and rang his bell. The door buzzed and she walked inside. When she got upstairs to Draco's flat, she knocked and Blaise answered. He gave her a grim, half-hearted smile and let her inside. "What's wrong?" she quietly asked him. All he did was shake his head. When she looked around, her eyes widened. "Well, you guys look like you had fun without me."
There were beer bottles on the table and the guys were lounging on the sofa.
"Oh, you know, just another crazy night," Theo said, grinning. "The hookers just left; you missed all the fun."
She laughed and cracked open a beer. "I'm sure it was absolutely riveting." She sat on the sofa between Theo and Blaise and sighed. "Why the sour face, Draco?"
"I don't have a sour face."
She gave him a look. "Your face is so sour, I could mistake it for a lemon."
"He's just being moody because he didn't get his way earlier," Blaise explained.
"Shut up," Draco warned.
"He's jealous because you chose Ginny over him."
"Blaise!"
"Seriously?" Pansy asked. "That's what you're giving me sour looks for?"
Draco glared. "I needed you."
"She needed me more. Don't be such a baby."
"I'm your brother! I should come first!"
Pansy jumped out of her seat in rage. "YOU'RE the one who made her need my help by making her lose her job over you being an ass, resulting in her getting kicked out of her apartment! She needs a friend more than you right now and I STILL came over here after, FOR YOU, even though I have work in the morning! Yes you have problems and they're just as valid and real as anyone else's, but at least you have money. She has none and she doesn't have anything to fall back on. You need to stop being a moody little three year old, get your head out of your arse, and get your priorities straight!"
Draco shot out of his seat to face her. "You think I'm just being MOODY?!" he roared. "You think this is just some passing thing?!" Pansy quieted and her eyes widened; Draco's voice cracked, which meant he was really hurting. "This isn't just some problem, Pansy! I'm supposed to take over the fucking throne! KING! I am going to be the fucking KING! She has a loving family that will always care for her no matter how stubborn she may be. She has options! Loving family or not, I DON'T! I'm goddamn sorry I got her fired, okay? I didn't mean to! But godDAMNit I can't worry about her! She may need friends to help her move and be there for support, but I need mine, too! She doesn't have to take over wizarding Britain! She doesn't have to marry a noble who'll probably be a blood-sucking bimbo! She has the option to fall in love! I DON'T!"
Draco couldn't talk anymore. He took a rushed breath of air and fell back onto the chair, shoving his head into his hands. He was so ashamed that there were tears in his eyes even though he knew his friends didn't care and wouldn't judge. He felt hands cover his and saw Pansy's legs kneel in front of him.
"I know. I'm sorry." She put her forehead against his. "I never meant to make it sound like your problems and feelings are silly." She wrapped her arms around him. They stayed like that for five minutes without anyone speaking, giving Draco time to control his emotions. "I don't know if this will make you feel better or not, but I found you a roommate."
He wiped his eyes ashamedly and looked up, interested.
"You found someone who can handle him?" Theo asked incredulously. Draco shot him a look.
"Who is the lucky guy?" Blaise teased.
"Girl."
They all stared at her with wide eyes.
"A girl?" Blaise began. "Most guys can't handle him, and you think a girl can?"
Pansy glared viciously. "What's that supposed to mean? I'm a girl and I handle him ten times better than either of you can. So yes, I do believe a girl can handle him, especially this particular girl." The boys shrank away from the venom dripping from her voice.
"You know, I am sitting right here. I'm not an object."
Pansy turned back to him. "Of course, darling." She patted his shoulder mockingly, the venom gone while addressing him. "So sorry."
Draco scowled. "But really," he said to Blaise and Theo, "she does handle me better than you." They shrugged, looked at each other, and nodded their agreement.
"So you're okay with living with a girl?" Pansy asked. "I figured you would be if you were willing to live with me."
"Yeah, I guess. If she really can handle my high expectations."
"And superiority complex," Theo snickered.
"And OCD," Blaise muttered.
Draco glared at them, but then he heard Pansy snorting while trying to hold in her giggles. "You, too?"
She let go and laughed. "I'm sorry Drake, but you are incredibly hard to live with. Any sort of mess, and you go insane. Anything out of place, and you go bonkers. Anything off schedule, and you climb up the wall. Anything-"
"I get it."
She shoved him and stood to sit herself back on the sofa. "Alright then, I'll arrange a meeting."
"Who is she?" Draco asked.
"Not telling."
"What? Why?"
"Because if I tell you both who the other is, you'll have preconceived notions about each other. You'll find out when you meet at my apartment on an agreed upon night."
"Pansy, that's not fair!"
"Yes it is, my little five-year-old."
Draco pouted and crossed his arms. Then he crossed his legs. He started fidgeting; they could all tell this bothered him greatly. Draco hated surprises. "Do I know her?" he blurted out after about thirty seconds.
"Obviously," Blaise commented. "If you didn't, Pansy wouldn't make such a deal about telling you her name."
Pansy smiled. "Smart. But I'm still not telling. Draco, tell me what nights are good for you and I'll ask her, as well. Then I'll let you both know."
"Can I at least be at your place first?" Draco asked.
"Sure."
Ginny rang Pansy's doorbell three days later and took a deep breath. She wasn't sure why she felt nervous; Pansy said they'd be perfect roommates. The door opened and the women hugged.
"Hi!"
"Hi, Pans."
"Are you ready to meet your new roommate?"
"You make it sound like it's already final."
"That's because I'm sure it will work. Come in!"
Ginny hesitantly stepped into the short hallway of Pansy's flat. "Is he here, or am I first?" Instead of answering her, Pansy took Ginny's coat and walked into the living room, asking her if she wanted tea. "Uh, sure, thanks," came Ginny's unsure reply.
As she walked in, Pansy said, "Ginny, you know Draco."
Both Ginny and Draco stared at each other. Then she turned to Pansy. "Why is he here? I'm meeting the person I'm supposed to live with; I don't want him distracting me and making me lose my temper in front of this person. That'll give a horrible first impression."
"Maybe you should learn to control your temper then," came his curt reply.
She fumed. "See?! This is what I'm talking about! Pansy!"
"Oh calm down, Ginny. He won't make you give your roommate a bad first impression."
"But I thought I was meeting him here. Aren't I?"
"You are. You both are."
It took them a few seconds to realize what she just said. Pansy, who was visible in the kitchen with her back to them, was wincing slightly, waiting for the explosion. Both of them spoke at once. "Pansy," came Ginny's growl. "Pansy Cordelia Parkinson," came Draco's equally angry growl. Then they said in unison, "you'd better not mean what I think you mean."
She turned to look at them. "See? You're already thinking the same."
"Pansy!" they shouted.
She stepped out of the kitchen to fully face them. "Guys, I knew you were both going to jump down my throat for this but it's not a joke. I'm not playing games. I know you hate each other, but you are the perfect roommates for each other. Oh and Draco, using my full name isn't going to help your case."
"This is madness!" he yelled. "She's bonkers, AND, as you said, we hate each other! How can you possibly think we'd ever live together, even if we were the last people on earth?"
"You're just as bonkers, Drake, and you can learn to be civil. You just choose not to be. You know what sets her off and you do it on purpose all the time. Once you stop doing that, I'm sure you two could be quite pleasant."
"Are you insane?!" Ginny finally screeched. "He's been torturing me and my family and Harry and Hermione for years! He's a monster! A horrible human being to anyone he doesn't view as a friend!"
"Actually," Pansy countered, "he's very nice, polite, and quite wonderful to people he doesn't know. He's just a huge prat to people he hates and he knows how to get under your skin. And you let him. If you two can figure out how to not argue and stay away from each other on bad days, you would at least be okay with your living situation. You both have similar habits, taste, cleanliness, and your schedules differ enough so that you won't get in each other's way. You're both nearly impossible to live with, you're crazy in different ways, your OCD and tics compliment each other, you don't mind living with the opposite gender; in fact, you prefer it, and last but most importantly, for different reasons, neither one of you can afford to be picky. So either deal with your current situations, or suck it up and accept this roommate situation. Tea?"
They took a moment before nodding mindlessly, and she went back into the kitchen to prepare it. Ginny sighed very deeply and practically fell into a chair, resting her head on the headrest. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing while Draco eyed her curiously. She really couldn't refuse; her brothers were driving her nuts and she needed her own room, her own space, and time away from them. She loved them dearly, but she couldn't live with them any longer.
She took another deep breath, and with her eyes still closed, said, "Okay."
Draco's eyes widened for what seemed like the hundredth time in ten minutes. "Pardon?"
Pansy peeked around the corner.
"Okay," Ginny repeated. "I'll do it."
"Wow, you must really be desperate if you're willing to live with me," he said genuinely.
"So must you."
"Well you'll never know why, so don't bother wondering."
She finally lifted her head and opened her eyes to look at him. "I never asked, and I won't ask, as long as you keep your nose out of my business. Though I must admit I'm curious. It is strange, you being out of money and options."
Pansy cringed; her friend was unknowingly treading in very dangerous waters.
But, "I'm not," was all Draco said. Pansy was thankful he reigned in his temper.
Ginny raised an eyebrow. "How can that be true if you need a roommate so badly?"
"I thought you weren't going to ask questions," he snapped. "It's complicated and personal, so butt out."
"Fine, I understand that. In any case, if we are going to live together, I have some rules."
"I never agreed to this."
She ignored him. "Number one. Don't bother me and I won't bother you." He raised an eyebrow; already, this sounded like it could work. "Number two. We don't talk to each other unless we need to." Alright, it would definitely work... if they could adhere to that rule. "Number three. Mind your business and I'll mind mine. Number four. If my door is closed, don't bother me for anything unless the world is ending." He rolled his eyes. "Five. Clean up your messes and I'll clean up mine. I won't be responsible for your shit."
"Six," he interrupted, causing her eyes to widen in mild surprise. Pansy, who was hiding behind a pillar, smiled. "No leaving your hair all over the bathroom, including the shower. Seven. No tampons flushed down the toilet; I will not deal with a clog I didn't cause. Eight. No blood or anything else on the toilet seat or surrounding area."
"Including your piss," she added.
"Nine. No hogging the bathroom. Unless you or I are sick, there will be a time limit of twenty minutes during peak hours."
Her mouth dropped open. "I don't take as long as most women, but don't you know how much women have to do? It's not just showering and brushing teeth. There's drying our hair, brushing it, putting it up, doing makeup, etc."
"You can do your hair in your room, and you don't need makeup. So there's no need to waste time on it."
Ginny was shocked at the compliment, even though he didn't mean it as one. So naturally, she didn't know how to respond to it with anything but awkwardness, and continued with the rules. "Uh, okay, well, ten. If you bring a girl over, sex and other things are to remain in your bedroom. Everywhere else is off limits."
"Aw, even if I want to get kinky and do it on the tea table?" He smirked.
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, even then, you horny git."
He smirked again. "What about shower sex?"
"No!"
"You're kidding me! Have you never had shower sex?" She blushed angrily, but didn't answer. "Oh man, Weaslette. You haven't lived if you haven't had shower sex."
"Unless you want to spend money on building your own bathroom, NO SHOWER SEX!" Pansy had to cover her face with her hands to stop her snort. "NUMBER ELEVEN! Put a tie on your door for that so I'm aware!" His laughter infuriated her.
"You're a riot, Weasley. I think I could get used to this."
She ignored him. "Twelve. I walk around in my underwear and there's nothing you can do about it."
He raised an eyebrow again. "Seriously?"
"I'm dead serious. It's my apartment as well as yours, and I'm going to lounge around in my undies whenever I want to, unless there's company over. So don't freak about it."
"Fine. But don't freak about seeing me in my 'undies', either."
Her eyes bugged. "You do that, too?"
"Of course. Who doesn't?"
"So you won't make a fuss about me?"
"I just told you I won't. Why would I if I do it, too? I have no control over what you wear."
"My brothers think they do," she grumbled.
"Ahh, the truth comes out. You can't live with them, huh?"
"Number three; mind your business."
"Fine, fine. Shall we seal the deal with number thirteen?"
She looked thoughtful. "There are a lot more rules I can think of, but they're all small and fit into the ones we already made."
"Then we should make this one really big."
"How about whoever has to get up earlier gets to cook dinner first so they don't have to go to bed too late."
He nodded. "That's pretty big. Deal."
"I'm so proud of you two!"
They turned to Pansy, who was bringing in a tray with cups and a teapot. They rolled their eyes, their pride too big to just say thank you and accept her praise.
"Whatever. Blah. Thanks for the tea, Pansy," Ginny mumbled. Then her eyes flew open wide when she saw the teabag in her cup. "Earl Grey!"
Pansy smiled. "Of course. You think I don't know my best friend's favorite tea? Come on."
Ginny grinned up at her. "I really needed this after the twenty minutes I just went through. You're the best."
"Hey, I thought I was your best friend!" Draco complained, more than a little miffed.
"You both are. Just as Theo and Blaise are, too. People have more than one best friend, Draco. Notice what I gave you, yet?"
His mouth twitched; he was trying hard not to smile. "Earl Grey."
"Also your favorite," she reminded him. "You two have much more in common than you think. At least you can split a box of tea instead of having to buy your own separate boxes, hm?"
They grumbled and she laughed. "Let's drink. To finally finding a roommate for each of you, the hardest people to find a roommate for!"
They lifted their cups.
Thank you!