A/N: Hey everyone! Summer is officially here for me, which is good news for you ). I love all of you for your support on this story, your kindness is inspiring. My chapters will be longer now then they have been, since the story is gaining momentum now.
Disclaimer: Any quotes you might recognize from OotP belong to JK Rowling.
A million different thoughts surged through Pansy's head at that moment. Had she really just said yes to be Theodore Nott's girlfriend?
'What the hell did you just get yourself into?'
She had no clue what possessed her to say yes. She didn't want a boyfriend, she didn't want commitment, and she certainly didn't want Theodore Nott.
She became aware of everyone's eyes on her, not noticing that everyone had been listening. She had no choice to but to act on her word. She grabbed Nott and kissed him full on the mouth, much to his delight. She heard the catcalls and wolf-whistles from the boys in the crowd, likely because Nott was finally "getting some" as they liked to say. Pansy thought the whole thing was ridiculous, but she aimed to please.
Her eyes traveled to Draco, who was leaning against the wall in the corner of the room, staring at her with his eyebrows raised in amusement.
Once the attention had been diverted from her and Nott, she pulled on his hand and led him up to the boy's dorm. Nott looked like he was in his glory.
She threw open the door to the dorm and threw him on the bed. She began kissing him, taking off his tie.
"I have to say, Miss Parkinson, I'm honored to be in this position. You usually save it for Malfoy, right?" he winked playfully.
She gave him her best fake smile. "Malfoy who?" she shrugged and continued to kiss him. She tried to get the picture of herself with Draco out of her head, and focused on the boy underneath her.
"I've wanted this for so long," he murmured. She smiled and nodded appreciatively, but she couldn't say the same for her. She really didn't want it at all, and she never had. She only wanted one boy, but she knew she couldn't really have him. The boy she wanted was far too detached and cold and only interested in sex.
At least she could hide with Nott. She would never admit that she suddenly wanted Draco Malfoy as more than a sex buddy, and now she wouldn't have to.
She slowly unbuttoned his shirt and desperately tried to push the image of Draco underneath her from her mind.
"Are you alright?" Nott asked uncertainly.
"Why do you ask?" she mumbled, focusing on undoing the buttons on his shirt.
"You seem distracted," he said.
She stopped playing with his buttons. "You know what, baby, I am pretty tired. Do you want to pick this up another time?"
He looked disappointed but agreed. She rolled off him and he got up, buttoning his shirt back up.
"I'm sorry," she said, and she actually meant it. "I'm just not into it tonight, it wouldn't be that fun for you. Just wait till I'm recharged," she smirked suggestively.
"I can't wait," he said honestly.
"I know you can't baby, and you know I want it too, right?" she lied, trying to reassure him so she didn't blow her cover.
"Of course," he said, kissing her cheek. "I'll see you back downstairs,"
"Actually, I think I'm just going to go to bed for the night. I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow," she said.
"Oh, alright then," he said, and he shut the door quietly.
Pansy went back to her own dorm and flopped down on the bed. She groaned at her current situation.
'Deception always catches up to you, Parkinson. Always.'
She rolled over and tried to drift off into sleep, but instead she tossed and turned.
About 20 minutes after Nott had left, she heard the door open again. She figured it was one of the girls, so she pretended to be asleep. The last thing she wanted to talk about was what didn't happen with Nott.
"That was a nice little show you put on, Parkinson," said a familiar cold drawl. Pansy immediately sat up and whipped around to look at the door.
"Malfoy, what the hell? How did you get up here?" she asked in astonishment.
"If you skip the first two steps going up to the girl's dorm, you can avoid the charm," he smirked. Pansy suddenly felt violated.
"What do you want?" she asked angrily. She was never polite when it came to her beauty sleep, no matter how good looking the boy was who was interrupting it.
"Oh, nothing really. Just to ask what the hell you think your doing?"
"What are you talking about?"
"What do you think, Parkinson? You're not seriously going out with Nott are you? Lowering your standards a bit, I'd say," he shook his head.
"Hmph. I wouldn't exactly say lowering," she glared at him.
"Watch yourself, Parkinson. Just so you know, if you're his girlfriend now, then our little arrangement is off," he said calmly, spitting out the word 'girlfriend' like venom.
She had expected this. "Fine by me. You were getting boring, I need new meat" she said, studying her nails.
"Likewise," he shot back smoothly.
"Just curious, why are you so anxious to end it? You have affairs with people's girlfriends all the time," she asked.
"I won't touch anything that Nott has, including you. You're damaged goods to me now," he said, turning to leave.
Luckily for Pansy, she was too tired to give in to her lust for him, so she didn't argue.
"Try not to miss me too much," she smirked, only half-joking.
"That won't be a problem," he smirked back, closing the door behind him.
She rested her head back on the pillow, a million thoughts running through her mind. He would replace her easily, and she would just have to move on and bury whatever she had felt for him, even if it was just lust. Her drowsiness soon kicked back in and she fell into an uneasy sleep.
--
Several months had passed since the party. Pansy was still going out with Nott, and she found she actually liked him. It hadn't hurt her reputation as bad as she thought it would, and it boosted his. He at least proved to be a reliable distraction from Draco.
She was proud of herself for going three whole months without cheating on him. She didn't know if she could do it, but now that Draco had found a new plaything, it became easier.
She knew inside that Draco was trying to one-up her, and she was trying to do the same to him. Whenever she saw Draco with his new replacement for her, Astoria Greengrass, her insides burned with jealously and she would make a show out of whatever she was doing with Nott.
She still couldn't believe that Daphne's little sister, a THIRD year no less, had taken her place as Draco's number one squeeze. She almost felt betrayed, but then she remembered that Daphne never really knew that anything went on between Pansy and Draco.
When she would hold hands with Nott, she could feel Draco's eyes burning into her. They hardly spoke to each other. For Draco, it was probably because he didn't care. For Pansy, it was because it hurt too much to talk to him.
So instead, she sucked up all her anguish and channeled it into sex with Nott. Her mother would be appalled if she saw her daughter now.
Their prefect patrols were usually silent, except for when Draco would sneer and ask "How's Nott doing?"
She would respond with something like "Better than you," and drop the conversation. She never asked about Astoria, because she didn't want to hear whatever bile would spill from his mouth or hers. She knew Astoria was beautiful and mature for her age, but Pansy had always remembered her being terribly boring and quiet.
One day, she was approached by her new favorite teacher, Professor Umbridge. Umbridge wanted to appoint her to the new Inquisitorial Squad she was forming, in support of the Ministry and to keep everyone in line.
Pansy accepted, since her father worked for the Ministry. As a bonus, she would get to dock points off other prefects, preferably Hermione Granger.
Of course, Malfoy had been chosen as well. No surprise there, since Lucius Malfoy was one of the biggest names at the Ministry. 'Was' being the key word. And God only knows why, but Crabbe and Goyle were also chosen.
Pansy wasn't exactly thrilled at the prospect of working with Malfoy and the two bumbling idiots, but she never passed up a chance to be in control of people.
She found it was similar to being a prefect. They basically patrolled during their free periods, making sure people were in line. She loved having double the authority, which meant double the points she could knock off Gryffindor.
She tried to persuade Nott to join with her, but he said he wasn't cut out for that kind of thing like she was.
By the time the first patrol had rolled around, they were already back from their Christmas holiday, and it was the middle of January.
Pansy would gleefully strut through the hallways, docking points off people who were considered "breaking the rules", even though Pansy broke many of the rules on a daily basis. She could get away with it of course, because she was Pansy Parkinson.
During the first week of February, Hagrid had returned after his leave of absence, much to the dismay of the Slytherins. Pansy and Daphne walked together down to the woods for their first Care of Magical Creatures class without professor Grubblyplank.
"Oh god, the oaf is back is he?" Pansy scrunched her nose in disgust.
Daphne did the same. "I thought they sacked him,"
"Well, if Umbridge does her job, he won't even last past April," Pansy smirked.
Hagrid informed them all that they would be working in the woods, since whatever they were working with 'preferred the dark'. Pansy didn't do 'nature' or 'wilderness'; that was for poor people, like Hagrid or Potter.
"What did he say prefers the dark?" she heard Malfoy ask Crabbe and Goyle, sounding rather panic-stricken. He always was a big chicken.
She rolled her eyes as the class descended into the Forbidden Forest. Malfoy, of course, was full of interrogation.
"And you're sure they're trained? Only it wouldn't be the first you've brought wild things to class…" he said, the panic in his voice more prominent.
"'O Course they're trained!" Hagrid huffed indignantly.
"What happened to your face then?" Malfoy demanded. Pansy rolled her eyes, he could be so childish.
Hagrid yelled at him to stop asking stupid questions and mind his own business. Malfoy just smirked and continued to follow the class into the woods.
Pansy scrunched her nose again as she entered the Forest. Daphne grabbed her arm to steady herself, quietly yelping when she heard a noise in the distance.
Pansy heard rustling in the bushes as Daphne clutched her arm tighter. She even saw the bushes moving, but nothing emerged from them. Harry Potter's eyes seemed to widen at the bush, and they were following something.
Pansy, along with most of the class, was thoroughly confused.
Hagrid addressed Harry and Neville, asking them if they could see 'it'.
As usual, Draco said out loud what was on everyone's minds. "Excuse me, but what exactly are we supposed to be seeing?" he sneered.
Hagrid pointed at some sort of carcass that appeared to be eating itself. Pansy felt like she was going to throw up. Daphne was cutting off the circulation in Pansy's arm and covering her own mouth.
Hagrid went on to talk about these invisible creatures called "Thestrals". He went on for a good ten minutes before he was interrupted by the tell-tale "hem, hem" of Professor Umbridge.
Umbridge talked to Hagrid very slowly, articulating every word as though she were talking to a child. Pansy giggled.
Umbridge began writing crude notes on her clipboard as Hagrid attempted to explain what they were learning about in the class.
Pansy giggled harder and louder, and Malfoy got an excited look on his face after overhearing what Umbridge was saying.
Umbridge approached Pansy next. "Do you find it difficult to understand Hagrid?" she asked Pansy.
Pansy laughed cruelly at this. "Well no, it sounds like…grunting most of the time," she answered.
Hagrid began babbling about telling Thestrals what direction to go in and that they will listen.
"Assuming they can understand you, of course," said Draco loudly.
Pansy couldn't help another wave of giggles that passed through her. Malfoy looked at her, probably surprised that she was laughing at his joke. She was surprised herself.
Umbridge smiled at them and continued to make rude comments, leaving Pansy in a silent giggle fit while Malfoy sniggered maliciously.
After the class finally ended, Pansy made her way back up to the castle for lunch. She walked with Daphne and Blaise, managing to dislocate Nott from her hip for once.
"That Hagrid is SUCH an idiot, I hope Umbridge sacks him right away!" Daphne huffed.
"He should have been sacked two years ago," Blaise agreed.
Pansy was about to ascend the stone steps to the castle, when she saw Draco leaning against a wall in the courtyard with Crabbe and Goyle.
"Er, I think I dropped my quill. You guys go on, I'll meet you in there," Pansy lied.
Daphne and Blaise just shrugged and continued towards the Great Hall.
Pansy sauntered over to Draco and his cronies.
He looked up when he felt a presence and smirked when he saw it was her.
He glared at Crabbe and Goyle. "Beat it," he ordered sharply.
The two left without hesitation, and Pansy was left alone with him.
"Took you long enough," said Draco.
"Well, we've both moved on, there was no reason for us to interact," she shrugged indifferently.
"Speaking of, how is darling, dull Astoria doing?" she continued sweetly.
Draco shrugged. "Better than you'd expect, actually. She's a rather dirty little girl," he smirked.
"Draco, she's thirteen," said Pansy in disgust.
"So what? Are you jealous?" he smirked knowingly.
"Don't flatter yourself. And you thought I lowered my standards," she laughed bitterly.
"To each is own, Flower," he said, giving his eyebrows a quick lift.
"Are you going to get her anything for Valentine's day?" she asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.
"Are you serious? No," he scoffed.
"Nice," she said, rolling her eyes.
"Well, what's your precious boyfriend getting you," he sneered.
"We're going to Madam Puddifoot's since it's a Hogsmead weekend," she smiled triumphantly. He rolled his eyes.
"For God's sake, the two of you are bloody sickening, really," he scrunched his nose.
"Jealous?" she asked in a sing-song voice.
He just shook his head, smirking. "Not on your life, Parkinson,"
"Right. Well, nice talking to you, Malfoy. Good to know you're still an insufferable ass," she smiled, and strutted away.
He watched her go, shaking his head and smirking.
"When are you going to just admit it?" he called after her.
She whipped around. "Admit what?"
He raised his eyebrows. "Ah, still in denial are we?" he asked smugly.
"What are you talking about, idiot?" she snapped, her patience wearing thin quickly.
He scoffed at her impatience. "You want me so bad, it's killing you,"
She stopped, feeling like her blood had run cold. Did he really know, or was he just being his usual, cocky self?
"You know it's not as good with Nott. You know it, Pansy," he continued.
She scowled at him. "You don't know anything,"
"Oh, but that's where you're wrong. I know a lot of things," he said, looking at the expensive silver band on his finger.
"You don't," she argued, walking away.
She couldn't believe how arrogant he was. She also couldn't believe how right he was. But she wouldn't give in, because she was Pansy Parkinson, and Parkinson's never gave in to anyone, no matter how rich or good-looking.
Well, maybe if they were really rich.
A/N: Bear with me you guys, I'm trying to kinda get through 5th year quickly, because 6th year is when all the action is, and I want that to be more of the focus. But don't worry, things are definitely heating up next chapter. (:
