Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. And I can't wait until July!
Chapter 7 - Thank Merlin It's Tuesday!
"What do you mean he's not in?" Pansy was thoroughly nonplussed."I'm sorry, Miss. He spends every Friday performing site visits with various businesses requiring applications."
Pansy walked in a circle, trying to find the logic of Percy being out of the office. It was the morning after the dinner at Millie's, and she wanted to get matters cleared up with him before things got out of hand.
Returning to the desk, she asked hopefully. "Can I please have his home address then? It's quite important."
"I'm sorry, Miss. I can't release that information to the general public."
"I'm not the general public. I'm… I'm Mr. Weasley's girlfriend." Pansy reeled, slightly offended.
Phyllis simply stared at her for the longest moment, clearly gobsmacked. Suddenly, the old witch began to cackle uncontrollably, her whole body going into wracking convulsions. After about a minute of this, she tried to calm herself down and speak when a new fit seized her unexpectedly and carried her into another spell of giggles.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry." She managed through her waning laughter. "Did you say you were Mr. Weasley's girlfriend?"
"Yes." Pansy answered, unimpressed.
"Mr. Percy Weasley?"
"Yes." She replied, a little more adamantly.
"You'll forgive me but I find that very hard to believe."
"Why?"
"Well, you're… you're…" the woman motioned vaguely to Pansy's body and face and overall appearance, "you're you, and he's… well… him."
"As eloquent as your thoughts on the subject appear to be, they hold very little meaning in the grand scheme of things."
Not liking the little princess' tone, Phyllis grew sour. "That well may be. But dearie, I don't rightly care who you are, or who you say you are. I am not going to give you Mr. Weasley's personal address. It is prohibited under the statutes set out by the Ministry. If you are so bent on seeing him, then you should come back on Tuesday."
"What? Why Tuesday? Why not Monday?"
"Mr. Weasley is in meetings all day on Mondays, and cannot be disturbed by… social calls. That's something I would think his 'girlfriend' would know."
Pansy had had enough of the crazy old witch. She clutched her purse tightly, releasing all of her aggravation and anger into the defenseless piece of leather, and marched from the reception area.
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Sitting one legged crossed over the other with her hanging foot pulsing angrily, Pansy was brimming with impatient indignation. It had now been a full five days since she'd seen Percy and she was about ready to have a fit. That cow of a secretary had wasted precious time by refusing to tell her where he lived.
Throughout the weekend, Pansy had formulated her line of attack. She would reprimand him fiercely for abandoning her regardless of what he thought he saw, and then she would threaten him with breaching their agreement.
True she had Draco in a very good position. He was angry and jealous, but that did not mean he was ready to marry her. Nowhere near in fact. And Percy had made her look like an utter fool by bolting so early in the game. Once she had him properly cowed, she would insist that the plan was still on and inform him of the next step.
Suddenly, a voice cut through her musings. "Miss, Mr. Weasley will see you now."
Pansy's head snapped up and she pinned the elderly woman with the most vicious glare she could fathom.
Standing up smoothly, Pansy uttered a scathing "Thank you". Then glancing down at the nameplate bearing the woman's moniker, she purred. "Phyllis."
The old witch shivered slightly at the veiled threat in the young woman's voice but tried to return to her work otherwise unaffected. Pansy drove her nose into the air and proceeded through the door.
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As the slight woman stepped into his office, Percy glanced up to take her in before sending his eyes back down to his work. Although he thought he was prepared for this encounter, he still wasn't ready for the anger pouring off her in waves or how absolutely stunning she looked in dark blue. Thank Merlin Phyllis had given him the message that his 'girlfriend' had been by on Friday to see him. That the girl had even gone so far as to ask for his address, but Phyllis had flat out refused. He'd have to remember to recommend her for a raise.
At present, he could feel Pansy's eyes boring into him as he continued to work but he refused to give her the upper hand. As entertaining as Thursday evening had been, he wasn't sure he wanted to continue with her scheme no matter how much money she was willing to pay him. He'd made a few realizations that evening that he wasn't altogether comfortable with or happy about.
"Are you going to look at me, you coward?" she finally spat out viciously.
Percy stiffened, but knew it was only a ploy to get him to look up. "Have a seat, Ms. Parkinson." He responded coolly, without giving her the satisfaction of visual acknowledgment.
"I will not sit down." She fumed.
"Suit yourself."
Pansy growled in aggravation. He was being incredibly cavalier toward her. "I want an explanation." She barked arrogantly.
Slowly bringing his gaze up to meet hers, he removed his glasses and fixed her with a look screaming of indifference. "I'm afraid you'll have to be a little more clear, Ms. Parkinson. What exactly would you like me to explain?"
"You damn well know what this is about."
"Actually, I don't. Please, enlighten me."
Was he purposely trying to egg her on? "Don't you sass me!"
"I wouldn't dream of it, Ms. Parkinson. Are you sure you wouldn't like to have a seat?"
"No, you silly man, I would not. I would, however, dearly love a full account of why you left me stranded at Millicent's Thursday evening. I have never been so embarrassed or humiliated in my life."
"Then you need to get out more." He mumbled mostly to himself.
Without warning, she placed both hands on his desk and leaned forward, bringing herself dangerously close. "Listen you little prick, don't you fuck with me."
That was Percy's undoing. Of their own accord, his eyes skimmed over her flushed features until finally sliding down to her mouth, and he swallowed hard. Something about her proximity, the fire burning in her eyes, and her use of foul language had him feeling incredibly warm. Of all his misgivings, it was his body's unexpected and unwelcome reaction whenever she was near that was giving him the most concern.
Seeing his eyes glaze over as he stared hungrily at her lips, Pansy felt her nipples harden at the suggestion of his gaze. Shocked, she stood back up, crossed her arms in front of her chest, and began to pace.
After a few laps in order to gather her wits, she finally managed. "The evening was going so well, and then you had to go and ruin everything."
Percy shook his head to clear the haze. "Exc… Excuse me?"
"You stuffed everything up royally with your need to flirt with that bint."
"What in heaven's name are you talking about?"
"Daphne. She was all over you, and you were loving every minute of it."
"She was not… I was not…" Percy sputtered.
"You made me look ridiculous. I had no other choice but to go for a walk with Draco."
"Daphne was not all over me!" He shouted as he stood and came around to the front of his desk.
"Please. You're even using her first name, and I'm back to Ms. Parkinson."
"Pansy…"
"I had to play the jealousy card. Anyone who knows me would also know how I would react to seeing my lover flirting with another woman."
"Pansy, I wasn't flirting with her."
"I know what I saw."
"Obviously you don't."
"Are you saying… How dare you!"
"You're the one who went for a walk with the ferret."
"Oh, and about that, why didn't you come after me? I thought you were a Weasley. Aren't they all about being possessive? Any of your other brothers would have stormed out there and knocked Draco's block off. But you… No, you scurry off with your tail between your legs."
"I did not scurry off. I just didn't see the point in staying any longer. You looked quite content in Mr. Malfoy's company. I didn't want to disturb you." He was nearly shouting by this point, seething with rage and something else he didn't want to put a name to.
Ignoring him completely, she continued her line of attack. "You're gutless. You call yourself a Gryffindor. Merlin, you can't even kiss properly."
"What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh please. I kissed you that first time."
"I kissed back."
"You did nothing of the kind. You just stood there and took it. You barely even participated. And the second time was merely a brush of the lips. I wouldn't even really call it a kiss."
"So what you are saying? That I'm a lousy kisser?"
"I wouldn't go that far. It's more that you have no passion. Perhaps if you…"
In one swift, angry motion, Percy wrapped his left arm around her waist and speared the fingers of his right hand into her hair. Pulling her fiercely to him, he claimed her lips in a bruising kiss, effectively cutting off her words. Pansy went stiff at first, too shocked to respond. But as the current of magic coursing between them began to hum and purr, she melted into his tall frame and sighed into his mouth. The connection reverberating through them was so overpowering and addictive that all either could do was bend happily to its will. After a few long moments, they reluctantly eased apart from the heady kiss, and panted deeply through the jittery swell of emotion, their breath mingling in an invisible dance.
Eyes still closed, Pansy whispered breathlessly. "Draco."
It was only one word… one name, but it did more damage than the worst of hexes. Percy swallowed hard, becoming painfully aware of how he'd lost control of himself. Severing their connection, he dropped his arms unceremoniously, and stepped back and away from her, driving his eyes downward.
Still disoriented by the fog of lust hazing her brain, Pansy stumbled forward a bit at the abrupt removal of support. She looked at him in confusion until the realization of what she had said… whose name she had uttered, tore through her like a knife.
Pansy stared at him desperate to say something that would make the terrible awkwardness disappear but she was drawing a complete blank. Why did she even say Draco's name? He had never been further from her mind. Was it merely a case of second nature?
"Percy, I'm…" She pleaded.
"As you can see, Ms. Parkinson, I am not without some passion" he cut her off in a clipped manner.
He moved around to the other side of his desk and sat down in an effort to put some distance between them before continuing. "So much so that you mistook me for someone else entirely. If that's any indication, I'd say I'm quite capable."
With great flourish, he put on his glasses, grabbed for his quill, and resumed his work. Still shaken by the spin tingling kiss, Pansy looked down at him speechless, marveling at the man before her. Although Percy seemed intently focused on his work, his curls were playfully tousled and his lips red and swollen. Pansy felt herself growing incredibly hot at the sight.
Shaking her head and grabbing hold of her composure, she was finally able to relocate her voice. "Well… well, that may be, Mr. Weasley but it hardly makes up for your premature departure last Thursday night. Yes, the evening was fruitful, but there is still a great deal more that needs to happen before I can safely deem this plan a success. As for the next step, I propose we have dinner together in a very public establishment. How about this coming Friday?"
"Sorry. Friday isn't good for me." He stated coolly without looking up.
"Saturday then?"
"Actually, I'm away all weekend at a magical business co-operation conference in Paris."
She perked up at the prospect of a shopping spree. "Can I come with you?"
Percy's eyes shot up in a flash, and he snapped a desperate "NO!"
Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself. The kiss had really scrambled his brain. The idea of being alone with this woman in Paris for an entire weekend was doing some disturbing things to his body.
"No, this is a business conference." He continued as he looked back down to his work. "I will not have time to be flouncing about, playing your stupid games."
Pansy scowled at him for kyboshing a potentially wonderful opportunity and crossed her arms. "Next week sometime then. Tuesday perhaps."
"I work late on weeknights."
"Friday next then." She huffed loudly, becoming severely annoyed.
The muscles worked themselves tensely in Percy's jaw before he muttered a quiet. "Fine."
"Where would you like to meet? Toparis is supposed to be quite nice."
"Whatever you like." He offered in a mindless monotone.
"Is eight o'clock suitable for you?"
"Fine." He droned.
She glared down at him, seething at his apparent need to make her work so hard for his company. How dare he make her feel beneath his notice? How dare he dismiss her like she was nothing?
"Oh, and get yourself something presentable to wear." She sneered. She then threw a large sack of galleons onto his desk, landing just in front of him. "You look ridiculous in those shabby clothes. I absolutely refuse to be seen in public with you like that. It's bad enough your hair is such a disgusting shade of red." Pansy instantly regretted the words as soon as they left her lips.
Staring at the emerald green velvet pouch before him, Percy was flooded by a mixture of shame, mortification, and sheer loathing. Never had he felt so worthless or small in his life.
Seeing his shoulders sag ever so slightly, Pansy was swamped with guilt. Why did she always let her temper rule her words?
"Well, I should be off." She tried to supply lightly.
Unable to look up, Percy cleared his throat and offered a curt nod. He then pushed the sack of money away with the back of his hand and tried to resume his work.
Staring down at the top of his bowed head, she watched him closely, hoping that he would glance up and show her he was not as affected by her words as she feared. When he made no other move to acknowledge her continued presence, she knew she had to push for forgiveness. "Walk me to the door?"
"No." He muttered quietly, staying completely focused on the document before him.
"Walk me to the door." She insisted in a near whine.
"I said no!" He growled, looking up fiercely into her dark, shining eyes. "I have more important matters to attend to than paying heed to the likes of you." He gave her a withering glance up and down.
"You will walk me to the door now and you will kiss me goodbye or you can forget about being paid." She growled, being drawn into his furious energy.
Standing, he forced his chair back sharply, causing it to scrape on the ground. The look of burning hate boiling in his blue eyes made Pansy reel back slightly. He stalked to the door, and throwing it open, glowered darkly at her.
She regarded him standing at the door and was caught by how the moment mirrored their first meeting. This time, however, she was not pleased at how things had developed. Her bruised ego had made her overreact. She wouldn't be surprised if he didn't show at all for their dinner date.
Forcing her chin up and puffing her chest out in mock pride, she strutted toward the door with as much pomposity as she could muster. Once outside in the reception area, she turned on her heel and offered him her cheek, waiting in fearful hope that he wouldn't reject her in public.
Percy stared at her in awed disbelief. The woman's audacity was boundless. He briefly considered his options: He could slam the door in her face for the sake of his trampled pride and risk losing the opportunity of this financial windfall. Or he could do as she had bid, and relinquish any respect he still held for himself. Neither was an appealing prospect. Suddenly, a third option began to push itself forward in his mind. Although, it was excessive, it still fell in line with her need for very public displays of affection and allowed him to regain some power back.
Without considering the sanity of this idea any further, Percy stepped into her and snaked his left arm around her waist. Pulling her flush against him, he roughly grabbed her jaw in his right hand and pulled her face around to meet his gaze. He saw a whisper of fear flit over her eyes as he towered over her. In the next moment, he leaned in and captured her lips in a searing kiss. His hand loosened its grip on her chin and moved to cup her cheek. Pansy whimpered softly in appreciation and apology as he gently deepened the kiss.
Quite suddenly, Percy pulled his lips away and looked down at her. "Friday next then?" he murmured softly.
"Hm… what? Oh, yes… right… Friday next." She mumbled distractedly, clenching fistfuls of his shirt in her small hands as she focused on his lips.
As Percy stepped away from her and grabbed for the door to shut it, he called to his secretary. "Phyllis… Phyllis!"
The old woman, still clearly shocked at having witnessed her very straight laced boss snogging one of the infamous pureblood princess' senseless, snapped her eyes to him. "Yes, Mr. Weasley."
"I need the Ainsley application. Have it on my desk in fifteen minutes."
"Yes, Mr. Weasley."
With that, Percy quickly closed his door, leaving the two women to their shocked silence.
Throughout this entire exchange, Pansy had been lightly tracing her buzzing lips in a daze. Originally she had thought that kissing a Weasley was going to be the major drawback of her little scheme. She couldn't imagine anything more revolting. She hadn't anticipated how diverting Percy's lips could be. Perhaps she could convince him that more snogging would make Draco even more jealous.
Abruptly, Pansy became uncomfortably aware of a pair of bespectacled eyes ogling her. She glanced over to find Percy's secretary gawking at her.
Straightening her disheveled appearance, Pansy muttered a quiet "Good morning" before striding purposefully from the room.
A/N: And the saga continues...
IHeartMCR: Draco has his reasons for being such a jerk, and it's not what you might think.
Miss Anthrope: There is definitely a reason for Draco's nastiness. I don't believe people act like that for no good reason. There's more going on beneath the surface than what is apparent.
Avanell: Yeah, there are a few things going wonky on this site. Hope your dissertation went well. Things have been sheer madness on this end. I'll drop you a line about it later though.
kaededainecalwyn: YYAY!!! I've converted another one... lol.
anonymous Thank you so much :)
namelessxfreak: I'm going to give you a wee bit of a spoiler and own to you that it's not Pansy that Draco is remembering, although he does care deeply for her.
