"Men stumble over the truth from time to time, but most pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened." Winston Churchill (1874- 1965)
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EXCLUSIVE: Pandora Pansy's quest to corrupt our very own Harry Potter!
Six years ago at the battle of Hogwarts, Harry Potter (now successful Auror) triumphed over you know who for the second time in seventeen years to bring peace once again to the Wizarding World. The day that good overcame evil is a story so legendary that it needs no introduction.
Another witch that needs no introduction is one who freely and selfishly offered our saviour's life in exchange for her own. Pandora Pansy (Parkinson) moved back to England from France a mere four weeks ago and the wicked vixen took no time in getting her claws into Witch Weekly's Number One Bachelor.
Pictures (bottom right and next page) show the unlikely couple out for dinner at the stylish Juniper restaurant in Diagon Alley. Eyewitness reports state that Mr Potter and Miss Parkinson were seated at a cosy table for two however, it wasn't long before the duo were the centre of attention and the wrong kind at that.
Mere minutes after being seated, Ronald Weasley (best friend of Harry Potter and brother to Mr Potter's ex-girlfriend Ginevra (Ginny) Weasley) entered the restaurant with date Gianna Levy (model for fabulous witch wear *ITCHES). Like many, he was driven by strong concern over Mr Potter's well being and tried to intervene but this reporter has it on good authority that his anxiety was unwanted. Heated words were exchanged between the two best friends, during which a rumbled Miss Parkinson took the time to flee from the scene.
"It's like she had him under a spell." said Mr and Mrs Pumpernickel who were sitting two tables away from the volatile duo when the drama kicked off. Another eyewitness, who wishes to remain anonymous, supports this hypothesis by telling this reporter that "It looked like she had fed him Amortentia. He was acting very strangely."
The outcome of the drama remains unsolved after a clearly bewitched Mr Potter, ran out of the award-winning restaurant in search of Miss Parkinson. Harry Potter has not been seen since he left Juniper on Saturday evening and worries are growing over his safety. Wild theories on what tragic pain Mr Potter has since suffered at the hands of such a heartless witch have begun circulating, with rumours that the unforgivable Imperious curse has been cast over the boy who lived.
All this reporter can hope for is that the Aurors are able to locate Harry Potter before he can be further harmed and that in the future, he is more vigilant against those who clearly wish him harm.
For further information on the Battle of Hogwarts see page 6 and for the in-depth story on Harry Potter's relationship with Ginny Weasley see page 8.
Hourly updates on the situation as it unfolds can be received by quik-e-message for a small price of 10 sickles for each message.
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04/07/2010 08:11 Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire
Draco scraped butter onto his toast and sipped the hot tea that had just been efficiently delivered to him by the Malfoy's newest house elf. Droopy had been packed off to Hogwarts (house elf waiting room) and Spinky had been purchased by Draco in replacement. His wages were higher than Droopy's but it was worth not having to wait ten minutes for a simple task to be carried out.
His eyes skimmed over the front page story of the Prophet and impatiently ran through the rest of the pages in an effort to find a newsworthy story that didn't mention the names Pansy or Potter. Merlin, the publication was heading downwards if they thought anyone cared about Pansy and Potter's date. Draco had seen the headline and sneered; why people would waste their time on reading such drivel was beyond him.
If Draco was quite honest with himself, he wasn't all that surprised that Pansy had gone after Potter. As much as she may have pretended in Hogwarts to only be staring at him from across the Great Hall because she hated him and was silently wishing up ways in which to maim him, Draco had known she was lying. A glazed look is not one usually associates with evil intentions. Just like Blaise, Pansy was soft and he'd often debated on whether the hat had teetered on the edge of placing the two of them in another house before marginally selecting Slytherin to better suit them. He himself, had been proud of the fact that the hat had barely touched his head before screaming out Slytherin. In his opinion, anyone who took longer than a few seconds to be placed in his house didn't fully belong there.
Although to be fair, Blaise had shown his Slytherin nature by running away and hiding in Italy with his mother when the war started to breach the walls of Hogwarts and Pansy had gone one step further by offering up Potter on a silver platter. Maybe they did belong in Slytherin after all, he mused idly.
Finding little else to occupy his mind within the paper, Draco slammed it down on the breakfast table in disgust and instead began to mentally plan through his day. He had another meeting with Mr Lufkin to get the permits for his business, which shouldn't take more than an hour maximum, then there was his appointment at Madam Malkin's to replace all his old robes with brand new ones then there was-
"Draco?"
Draco stopped and turned towards his mother. "Yes Mother."
Draco watched her glance at his father before continuing, "Your father and I were discussing your new business yesterday evening."
Draco raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He had been wondering when his father would stick his nose into affairs that had nothing to do with him. His last meeting was over a week ago. Frankly, Draco was surprised that his father had managed to wait this long.
"Setting up a new business in such a competitive field is very difficult, regardless of whether there's a gap in the market for you to take advantage of. The Malfoy name isn't all that…respected anymore," another glance at his father, this time an uneasy one, "and it could be problematic trying to persuade others to do business with you."
Draco had considered the problem that his mother was referring to but had seen fit to dismiss his momentary worry. His company would undoubtedly be successful and financial backers would be drawn to his money like moths to a flame. What was there to be worried about?
"I understand now that you've inherited the money from your disowned great aunt that there is no need for you to be seen with Miss Granger but think about the situation Draco. Being seen in a relationship with someone like Miss Granger would be great publicity for you and the business. People's opinions of the Malfoy name would change; after all, who would go against the opinion of Miss Granger?"
Draco considered her words carefully.
"Once the company has been established then you and Miss Granger would break up. I'm sure you could spin it to make it look like a civil break up." Lucius said haughtily.
Draco spent a minute going through possible scenarios whereby having Granger by his side would be invaluable. Not only would his name suddenly go back into the public good books but Granger was fairly attractive and unquestionably intelligent. She was the kind of woman that would make him look good in front of other business associates. There was also the fact that he enjoyed playing with her. Maybe it wouldn't hurt if he carried on using her for a little while longer.
Draco smiled. "I suppose you are right mother. Thank you for the idea."
Narcissa's face lit up. "So you're going to go ahead and start a relationship with her?"
"You could sound less enthused Cissa; the woman is still a Mudblood." Lucius drawled.
Draco watched his mother's face blank so it was devoid of emotion, though he could see the hint of anger in her eyes at Lucius's words. Draco knew Narcissa had never been all that into the pureblood mania like his father was and the fact that even now, in this supposed new world, he still made no effort to change his views, angered her. Over the last few years, Draco had slowly come around to his mother's view on things. Muggleborn's may not be the useless Mudbloods he had once thought them to be but they were still muggleborns and therefore slightly inferior to him.
After all, pureblood witches were dwindling in numbers and Draco hadn't yet found one that he wanted to repeatedly invite into his bed. Ultimately he knew that his wife, should he ever decide to marry, would be of pureblood lines but that didn't mean he couldn't sow his wild oats on a broader populace of females.
Returning to the matter at hand, he decided his mother's idea held merit and he would make the necessary arrangements to put it in motion this morning. He cleared his throat before taking another sip of tea in the hope of easing the tension that was suddenly pressing down on the room. When no-one spoke for the next three minutes Draco took one last bite of toast before standing to leave.
He didn't want to leave his mother alone with his father but he couldn't stand to be in the room anymore. Lucius sucked the happiness out of everything and everyone and Draco still seemed powerless to stop it, just like when he was younger.
"I best get ready for my meeting. If you'll excuse me mother," he said to Narcissa. He waited for her smile before ignoring his father and walking out of the room.
Checking his watch, he saw he still had a good fifteen minutes before he planned to leave. That was just enough time to pen a letter to Granger telling her that Jennifer was going to be at a party to which he had been invited to but a good friend had told him that she still found him to be unapproachable and therefore Draco would very much like one last helpful dinner meeting.
Surely Granger wouldn't begrudge him that? As for how he was going to get her into a relationship with him whilst supposedly being smitten with Jennifer Rouge, Draco decided to cross that hurdle when he came to it.
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04/07/2010 08:30 Potter Cottage, Godric's Hollow
Harry heard the tapping of the owl delivering today's Daily Prophet and moved towards the window to let him in. He absentmindedly took the paper from the owl's beak and searched his pockets for seven Knuts. Putting the coins in the pouch attached to the owl's leg, Harry unfolded the paper whilst making his way into the kitchen.
Before he glanced at the front page, he flipped it over to the sports section at the back. The Chudley Cannons had played a game against Puddlemere United yesterday and despite knowing the Cannons had won, Harry was looking forward to reading the blow by blow account of the match. Usually he would have been at the match to cheer Ron on but since their argument on Saturday evening, Harry had thought it best to avoid Ron in person. He had sent a letter asking him to please keep quiet about his and Pansy's date until he told the Weasley's himself. Harry hoped that the lack of response was Ron's way of reluctantly obliging.
After satisfying his curiosity on how the match had been won, he turned the paper over and his gaze landed on the huge caption that took up most of the front page. If he had been taking a sip of pumpkin juice he was sure to have spat it out or choked on it in shock. Instead, he settled for his heart skipping a beat and he quickly straightened the paper to read the article.
Oh Merlin, this was not good. How in Merlin's beard had they managed to take a picture of this? The picture showed him and Pansy inside the restaurant but as far as Harry could remember, Juniper had a strict policy on not allowing any reporters into the restaurant. How in Merlin's name could this picture have been taken?
Forcing his eyes off the picture, Harry lowered his gaze to read the rest of the ridiculous article and ridiculous it was. To think he had been slipped a love potion or that he had been kidnapped and was currently being tortured was ludicrous! Harry finished reading the article and his furious gaze searched for the small print of the reporter.
Of course. Rita bloody Skeeter.
Harry desperately wished that he had squished the beetle when he'd had the chance. Hermione's hope of Skeeter curbing her acerbic tongue in the year she wasn't allowed to write had been in vain. A year later and she seemed to be back with a furious vengeance. She had even gone as far as to register herself as an Animagus with the Ministry so she couldn't be blackmailed again.
Thankfully, it seemed less and less people seemed to read her rubbish anymore. Only this wasn't just a gossip column was it? There was a picture to go with the article as proof. A picture of him and Pansy.
Oh Merlin, Pansy! How was she taking this? Harry had been so taken up in his anger that he'd completely forgotten that out of the two of them, Pansy was the one who came off worse. He didn't have a clue where she lived and sending her an owl would take longer than seeing her at work in half an hour. He'd just have to wait and talk to her when she came in.
Harry's mind then went over who else would have read the paper and he groaned again. The Weasley's! If they didn't know how he felt about Ginny before then they definitely knew now! Harry could just imagine the hurt expression on Molly's face and he shut his eyes to block out the image. He would have to go over today evening after work and explain things to them. They deserved that much.
He sighed and re-opened his eyes. The paper was still in the same position in front of him and Harry immediately grabbed it and chucked it into the bin. Moving quickly into his bedroom, he grabbed his Auror robes and put them on before apparating away. Hopefully he would be able to talk to Pansy before everyone came in for the day.
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04/07/2010, 09:01, Ministry of Magic, Level 2, 117 Euston Road, London
Pansy had her head bowed as she stepped out of the lift and onto the department's floor. It was partially due to habit, after all if her head was bowed then there was less chance of her catching someone's evil glare but it was mostly to hide the large grin that refused to remove itself from her face.
Ever since Saturday night and her wonderful date with a certain Mr Potter, the smile had been fixed in place and it hadn't wavered once. This was despite the slight pain in her cheeks and her numerous attempts at arranging her face in a more masked expression.
She couldn't wait to see Harry today. Various conversations had played out in her head on how she would act and what she would say when she saw him this morning. Should she let him make the first move? Should she initiate the conversation? Pureblood manners dictated that she act aloof but since leaving France, Pansy had made a vow to disregard everything her mother had taught her when she was growing up.
Her stomach fluttered nervously and instead of hating the feeling she welcomed it. She was happy. She was actually happy! She had left France for this very reason but she could have never believed that she would feel such happiness in such a short time. She didn't just feel happy…she felt giddy! Oh Merlin.
She walked to her desk and even the piles of haphazard papers lying in every which direction couldn't dampen her mood. She merely put her bag down and got to work, her mind once again replaying the events on Saturday evening.
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04/07/2010, 09:23, Ministry of Magic, Level 2, 117 Euston Road, London
Twenty minutes later and Pansy was still ignorant of the glares and not so hushed whispers that were being directed to her. She was in her own little world and didn't realise that papers and files were being dumped on her desk with more harshness than usual.
It wasn't until a shadow fell across her and her nose smelt the cologne she associated with Harry and their date that she looked up.
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Harry saw Pansy look up at him and the blinding smile she gave him was enough for him to momentarily forget the worry and slight anger he'd been feeling for the last hour. Harry shook his head to get back on track. Merlin, she had smiled at him like that a few times throughout their date but he still wasn't used to how different she looked from the surly pug faced girl he remembered from Hogwarts.
"Have you seen the Prophet this morning?" he asked her urgently.
He saw her smile falter at his tone and berated himself slightly at how rude he just was.
"No…" she answered as her eyebrows knit together in confusion at his tone. "Why?" she asked.
Harry gave out a harsh bark of laughter that caused Pansy to take a step backwards. "That Skeeter cow's written an article about us. She's got a picture of us inside Juniper and it's front page news." he informed her.
He heard her take in a quick gasp of breath and her mouth opened to say something but she ended up looking like a fish as no words came forth.
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Pansy didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to think! How could this have happened? Merlin, they'd only gone out once and now the whole wizarding population in England knew about their date. What did this mean?
She wished she still had a subscription to the Prophet but it seemed like a waste of money when she could read someone's discarded copy in the tea room. If she had her own subscription then she would have seen the article before she'd come in this morning. Merlin, she wouldn't have bothered to come into work at all!
She took in a deep breath and asked the question she was dreading the answer to.
"What did it say?" she asked Harry quietly.
Her question seemed to infuriate Harry further because he practically spat out an answer. "It was all Hippogriff shit on how you kidnapped me or poisoned me with Amortentia. It's all complete rubbish."
There was silence for thirty seconds as Harry tried to control his anger and Pansy bit her lip in order to stop the barrage of questions she wanted to ask him; the silliest being whether or not they'd referred to her as Pandora Pansy.
She turned her head to the side and her eyes now saw the looks her colleagues were sending her. She quickly turned back and lowered her head in a practised fraction so her hair fell forward to cover her face.
Oh Merlin, why wasn't Harry saying something? What did this mean? She needed answers…not silence.
When it didn't seem like he was going to say anything she hesitated before speaking herself. "What are you going to do?" she asked him.
Please don't leave me.
"I don't know. I'll have to go and talk to the Weasley's tonight. They deserve to hear things from me rather than reading trash in the paper."
That's not the question I was asking.
Pansy nodded her head stiffly. "What are you going to say?"
Please stand up to them.
"I don't know." Harry sighed.
That's not the answer I was looking for.
Pansy once again found her head bobbing in response to his words. "What about when they bring up Ginny?"
Please don't go back to her.
She saw Harry shrug his shoulders.
Oh Merlin…
"Auror Potter, have you seen the file that is being requested by the Chinese Auror Office?"
Pansy snapped out of her own thoughts and turned to face Kingsley. When her eyes met his, he gave her a small smile before moving his gaze to Harry.
She heard him clearing his throat from beside her. "I believe Auror Hastings had it last." He replied.
Kingsley nodded his head before glancing between the two of them. "I just received some information from the Australian Auror Office that might interest you." He said to Harry.
"Oh?" he said ineloquently.
Pansy took satisfaction at the blankness in his tone. He hadn't given her any answers to any of her questions. He deserved to have his thoughts scattered everywhere.
"The files are in my office." Kingsley said and with that he turned around and walked towards his office. She watched him walk away expecting Harry to follow him. When he kept his place next to her, she turned to look at him. She caught his eye and the stormy look in them caused her to immediately look away again.
"I'll send you an owl?" He suggested.
Pansy nodded stiffly and kept her face turned as he left her alone. He'd send her an owl? Is that all he was going to say to her? Her stomach fluttered again and this time there was no happy feeling to come with it.
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04/07/2010, 12:00, Flat 2, Above Silver Serpent Bar, Diagon Alley
Pansy apparated into her flat and resisted the strong urge to crumple and break down now that privacy allowed her to do so. She dropped her bag and sat down heavily on the lone sofa in the stark room. As soon as she rested her weight on the soft material, her body seemed to have a mind of its own and in the next second she was curled up in a little ball as her head rested on the armrest.
Oh Merlin how had everything gone so wrong?
Today it seemed all the progress she had been making over the last two months was null and void. The looks and whispers were the same, if not more vicious than when she had first stepped into the Ministry on her first day at work. Everyone had just about been getting used to her presence and Merlin; she didn't even care if they ignored her unless they wanted something from her. It was better than the way they had acted today.
Whoever said kids were cruel had never been in her shoes. At least children outright told you they hated you. Pansy had to deal with everything occurring behind her back. Cowards she thought angrily. The lot of them were cowards. And Harry Potter was the biggest coward of them all!
Oh Merlin why did she agree to go on a date with him? She let out a small bark of laughter. Her mother was right. She attracted trouble and caused trouble wherever she went. In this case it seemed both were occurring.
She had never been so glad that it was finally lunchtime. That morning she had made her usual cheese sandwich because she knew how to make little else. She had stupidly thought that maybe Harry would invite her out to lunch and if he didn't, she would shrug it off and eat her packed lunch in her usual spot.
Well, Harry hadn't invited her to lunch and the thought of eating in front of a stand selling Daily Prophets in the Ministry's Atrium had caused her to rush to the ladies bathroom so she could compose herself.
Merlin, this morning her biggest worry had been where she was going to eat lunch and now…now she was wondering if she'd made the biggest mistake of her life in thinking she could do this. Live her own life how she wanted to. She couldn't stay in England if every day was going to be a repeat of today. It would be better for her to return to France. Back to her mother and the plans she'd been making for her life.
For the last three hours the alarm bell in the back of her mind had been ringing non stop.
Run. Run. Run. Run.
So far she had ignored them but in the desolate silence of her flat, the sound was louder than ever. Taking a deep breath, she righted herself and shifted slightly to reach for a piece of parchment and a quill. She quickly scribbled a letter to Kingsley and sent it through the floo.
It wasn't running away she told herself. She just couldn't deal with spending the rest of the day at work. She would take today to regroup and tomorrow she would be able to look at the situation with a clear head.
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Pansy didn't know when she fell asleep but when she woke up, the sun was beginning to set. As she looked outside the window, it wasn't the sunset that caught her attention but the owls flurrying on the other side of the glass.
Who would be writing to her?
With slightly trembling hands, she made her way across the room and undid the latch. As soon as a fraction of glass opened, the owls instantly dropped their letters before scurrying away.
Pansy picked up the first letter in the pile and opened it. Inside was a picture of her and Harry from this morning's paper. Confused, she set the scrap of paper on the table and carefully reached inside the envelope for the remaining note. She had a horrible feeling she knew what these were.
YOU DON'T DESERVE A MAN LIKE HARRY POTTER. GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM WITCH. WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE.
Run Pansy. Run.
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04/07/2010, 12:17, Ministry of Magic, Level 4, 117 Euston Road, London
"So is Blaise picking you up for a romantic lunch then?" Hermione asked Padma.
Padma looked up from the report she was working on to glance at Hermione, puzzled at her strange wording.
"Romantic lunch? No?" she said warily, wondering if she'd forgotten something. Her mind had been so caught up with Benji's recuperation from his recent illness that she'd had little time for anything else. Add to that the horrible way in which she was avoiding Blaise in order to ease her guilt, she very much doubted that a romantic lunch was on the menu.
Hermione seemed to find her confusion funny. "Ahh so it's a romantic dinner then?" she said with a knowing smile. "If you want me to look after Benji I'd be more than happy to." She offered.
"Mione I don't have a clue what you're talking about." Padma said with a smile.
"Your anniversary of course." She replied.
Padma felt like she'd been struck by lightening. Her eyes darted to the calendar on her desk and saw that today's date had been circled in pink. Oh Merlin…
"Don't tell me you forgot." Hermione laughed. "You and Blaise celebrate every anniversary with so much heartiness. Don't tell me it only lasts for four years! You're supposed to be giving me hope for when I meet someone who I can stand for more than a year."
Padma laughed half-heartedly. How could she have forgotten! Merlin, Hermione was right. Not once in the last four years had she ever forgotten any of their anniversaries whether it was a big one or a little one and now…today…she had forgotten the biggest one of all.
What was she doing? Why was she doing it? Merlin, Blaise deserved to be treated so much better than the way she had been acting around him recently. Disgust filled her and for a moment, Padma thought she was going to be sick.
No more she vowed to herself. She loved Blaise with all her heart. And tonight she was going to make sure he knew it.
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04/07/2010 17:03, 14 Rosebush Way, London
Hermione stepped through her fireplace and swept down her robes. Crookshanks who had previously been dozing underneath the table, saw his owner had arrived and lazily uncurled his body before padding out to where she was standing. Hermione reach down and absent mindedly rubbed behind his ears as he walked through and around her legs.
Her eyes landed on a letter in her mail box outside her window and in her rush to get to it, she nearly tripped over Crookshanks. She was rewarded with a sharp hiss and a view of his tail as he walked away from her but her mind was still on the letter.
She had wanted to talk to Harry ever since she saw the article in the Prophet but when she'd tried to find him in her lunch break, Kingsley had informed her that she had just missed him. Down trodden, she had uncertainly asked if Pansy was busy. However it seemed that it just wasn't her day as Kingsley informed her that Pansy had taken the rest of the day off because she wasn't feeling well.
Crestfallen at the fact she didn't have any answers and had wasted most of her lunch break in search of her best friend, she had grabbed a quick sandwich and spent the rest of her work day hoping that Harry would have gotten hold of the letter she had sent him and a reply would be waiting for her when she got home.
She quickly opened the letter and was once again disappointed when she realised that it wasn't Harry's writing on the parchment. Her eyes dropped to the bottom of the letter and she froze when she read Malfoy's name.
What in Merlin's name was he writing to her for?
Her eyes went back to the top of the page and she read through his words, annoyance levels rising with each passing sentence. Merlin! She had only agreed to help him once as a favour to Blaise. She most definitely didn't sign on to become his blasted dating coach! She sighed as she reached his signature and then groaned out loud.
He sounded so desperate…No! She still hadn't entirely forgiven him for their last dinner meeting. She had helped him as much as she could and frankly, she didn't want to keep meeting up with him. She dug a quill out of her bag and quickly wrote a note back to him saying that she wished him luck with his endeavor but her work schedule was set to become incredibly hectic and it would be too difficult for her to take nights off in order to meet up with him. Hermione signed her name and studied the letter from all angles. That should be enough to put an end to this absurd idea he seemed to have gotten into his head.
With one last confirmatory nod, she dropped the letter into her bag and went to give Crookshanks his dinner.
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04/07/2010 18:13 The Burrow, Devon
Harry stepped through the fireplace and was quickly assaulted by Molly's arms. She squeezed his body tightly and before Harry could reciprocate, she was already moving away from him. She didn't move far however and her hands lifted up to cup his cheeks.
"Oh dear. How are you? How was your day? We read that rotten article in the Prophet this morning. How that Skeeter woman can get away with writing such codswallop?"
Harry froze at her words. Merlin, did Molly think that this was one of Rita Skeeter's fictional stories?
Before he could ask her anything else, she had already turned around and started bustling away into the kitchen. Harry followed her nonplussed as he listened to her continued diatribe.
"One day that woman is going to get into serious trouble with one of her stories. Honestly…printing bare faced lies is one thing but manipulating pictures is another!" she said before turning over her shoulder to look at Harry who was now standing in the door jamb.
Mistaking the look on Harry's face as worry instead of confusion, she added a placating sentence. "Don't worry dear. Anyone who knows you well knows that the whole thing is completely absurd. Pansy Parkinson indeed. Merlin only knows what else she'll come up with next."
Molly turned her head back around and furiously began peeling potatoes. Harry watched the skins fly in every direction and he was struck still. This is what his life would be like. If he took the "easy" way out he would be stood here in ten or twenty years watching Ginny do exactly the same thing as her mother. The image had once filled him with warmth and happiness but he knew the truth now.
Did he really want Ginny or did he really want her family?
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Molly moved onto peeling the carrots even though she was certain she didn't need them for tonight's dinner. She merely had to peel something!
Her anger hadn't abated and it was in fact building up to reach dangerous levels now. That complete and utter…bitch. Yes, there was just no other name for a witch such as Rita Skeeter. It was bad enough that she had to read her articles when her children (Harry and Hermione included) were at Hogwarts but to have her ruining their lives again was one step too far.
She was thankful that Ginny wouldn't hear about the news. Romania had their own newspaper and Charlie rarely bothered with the Prophet. Oh maybe that's why Harry looked so worried. She quickly turned back to face him.
"Don't you worry about Ginny dear. The chances of her catching wind of this whole debacle are very slim. You know how Charlie doesn't subscribe to the Prophet. And when Arthur gets home, he'll know what to do. Maybe one of his friends in the Magical Law Enforcement Squad will be able to put a stop to all this slander."
She watched Harry slump slightly and release a heavy sigh. "It wasn't." he said.
Molly's eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry dear?"
"It wasn't slander."
Molly laughed. "Oh Harry dear. Of course it's slander. It's not only Miss Parkinson's reputation that she's ruining; although I could care less on what that woman writes about that particular witch, but to ruin your good name with it!"
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Harry heard her words and a flush of anger erupted inside him. What was it that Pansy had said to him at the party? She didn't want to go out with anyone who was ashamed to be seen with her. Harry had apologized for mistakenly letting her think that he thought that of her. Only isn't that what he was doing now?
Ginny had been gone for years and he was still very much a part of the Weasley family. He knew better than to think one went in hand with the other.
"The article's true. I did have a date with Pansy on Saturday night and no, she did not have to put a love spell on me and as you can see, there was no torture involved." He said.
He watched the carrot peeler fall from Molly's hands and it clanked on the wooden floor. Molly looked completely shocked at his words and Harry found himself standing straighter with his chin out, ready to take whatever reaction she might throw his way.
He was expecting anger and so when he saw her lower lip tremble and her eyes fill with tears, his body slumped again and his heart twitched uncomfortably.
"What d-dear? I- I don't think I understand."
Harry sighed, hating the fact that he had to say the words again and deliver a second blow.
"I went out on a date with Pansy."
"Pansy!" Molly screeched in a high pitched voice.
"I'm sorry Molly. I know how much you wanted me and Ginny to pick up where we left off but I don't think I can. It's been so long since we've last seen each other…" Harry tried to explain.
He was once again surprised at Molly's reaction when she gave out a short relieved laugh and began mopping at her eyes with her apron.
"Oh silly me! Of course you'd be worried about seeing Ginny again. Anyone would be. Like you said, it has been a long time since you've talked to one another. But you don't have to worry about a thing dear. She hasn't changed one bit and I'm sure when you see that then you'll realise that you've been worrying about nothing."
But I have changed Harry thought mentally. He opened his mouth to reiterate his point. "It isn't just that Molly. Ginny left me and she didn't get in contact with me. I'm not sure that I can get past that."
Molly moved towards him and reached out to touch his arm. "Oh Harry, I know how much she hurt you but is going out with that witch just to get revenge on Ginny doing you any good?"
Harry sighed. "I didn't go out with Pansy because I wanted revenge on Ginny. I know the reasons behind her leaving and I can't blame her for it. I just- I think it's too late for us. I think we both need to move on."
"But you will be moving on! Ginny's coming home soon! You can move on together!" Molly said doggedly with a clear hint of desperation in her voice.
Harry shook his head and removed his arm from under Molly's hand. "I'm sorry but I think it's too late."
The two stared at each other for ten long seconds, neither speaking. Eventually Harry decided it would be best to leave.
"I'm sorry Molly. I have to go home. I have some work that needs to be done for tomorrow."
Molly shook her head, still in shock.
"I'll see you on Thursday?" Harry asked hopefully.
This seemed to snap her out of her daze and she quickly rushed to assure him that he was still her son and she expected him to be at their weekly dinners. Harry gave her one last smile and hug before apparating away.
ooo
04/07/2010, 18:29, The Burrow, Devon
Molly watched Harry disapparate and she knew what she had to do. With a quick wave of her wand, she charmed the dinner to cook itself before hurriedly moving through the kitchen and into the front room. She quickly found an old quill and parchment and sat down to write an urgent note to her darling daughter.
Harry feared it was too late for the two of them and every day that Ginny was in Romania was another day lost for her to salvage this situation. Ginny needed to come home urgently so they could start planning on how to get Harry away from that witch's evil clutches.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Until next time, Curiositykils