Title: Winter
Pairing: Percy/Pansy
Rating: T
Warnings: Angst, Mentions of War and Death
Note: Written for the "Pairing a Day Challenge" and the "50:50 Competition." The rating is just to be safe. On a side note, this is the first het pairing that I've written in this collection!
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She looked out at the frozen lake, watching the snow fall softly. She loved winter; it was beautiful and peaceful, and it reminded her of a simpler time – a time when she wasn't one of the most hated human beings in the Wizarding world. Everywhere she went, people still looked at her in disgust and hatred. It wasn't fair.
She had made a mistake when she was younger – barely 17 – and no one would let her move past it. It was like that one decision had defined her for the rest of her life. Her parents had been part of the army that was attacking her own school, and she was scared; she just wanted the stupid war to be over.
If handing over one person could end it, then didn't the ends justify the means? Sacrifice the one to save the many; she certainly wasn't the only person thinking it. Unfortunately, she was the only person dumb enough to actually voice her opinion, and that one moment had haunted her ever since.
She sighed, her breath visible in the cold air. She heard someone approaching her, but she didn't have to turn around to know who it was. He was the only one that didn't judge her; the only one that didn't keep rubbing her mistakes in her face. He was also one of the only people to tell her that he was sorry that she lost both of her parents that night. He stood beside her in silence, knowing that she didn't feel like talking yet.
Percy knew what it was like to make a mistake too. He had trusted the wrong people; chose the wrong side. He even left his family because he was too naïve to see the truth. The difference was that Percy was smart enough to redeem himself before the end.
He had been forgiven, but it didn't matter, because he couldn't forgive himself. Percy probably hated himself as much as everyone else hated Pansy – maybe more. She would never understand why he believed she deserved redemption and forgiveness when he did not.
If someone had told her five years ago that she would find a kindred spirit in the annoying, pompous Percy Weasley, she would have laughed hysterically. But the world had changed a lot in the past five years. She finally looked at him, feeling warm when he gave her a gentle smile.
He put his arm around her and pulled her close as she leaned into the embrace. She felt safe in his arms; it was the only place that she was accepted and belonged anymore. The whole world may hate her, but she could handle it, because Percy's opinion was the only one that really mattered to her now.
They watched the snow together in a peaceful silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Pansy couldn't help but think about all the flowers and trees that were now buried beneath the white blanket. Winter seemed so harsh sometimes – killing plants and freezing people who can't find shelter - but it was also a time of renewal.
It got rid of the old in order to make room for the new. It had to kill the old flowers and leaves so that they could regrow better and more beautiful in the spring. As she looked up at her lover, she realized that even though she seemed stuck in her own winter, it was slowly but surely turning into spring.
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A/N: Reviews are always appreciated.