Pansy goes to Draco and Tori's house looking for Daphne who isn't answering her texts. When she knocks on the door an enormously pregnant Tori answers, an ugly teal shirt stretched tightly across her stomach. She frowns and leans her hip against the door frame. Pansy smiles artificially. She's acutely aware of her unwashed hair and day old makeup. She adjusts her low cut dress awkwardly, staring right at the woman who was better than her. Tori looks impatient, dark blond brows drawn down in a scowl.
"What?" She snaps.
"I was just- I just- Is Daphne home?" Pansy asks. She feels off balance, like she always does when she talks to Draco's wife. Awkward. Silly. Slutty. Tori is always so put together and judgemental and just plain nasty to Pansy. She thought that after all that time in Italy she would be more confident about this, but just like always Tori decimates her with a look. She can't stop glancing at Tori's huge belly, thinking about how that's Draco's baby, the baby she always wanted to have.
"Yeah, she is. Why?" Tori says shortly, looking as if she wants nothing more than to slam the door in Pansy's face.
"I just wanted to talk to her. She didn't answer my texts. I haven't heard from her in a while-"
"Oh, right. Your little jaunt to Italy. It wasn't enough to taint this country, you had to ruin Italy for me." Tori glowers, hand on one hip.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Pansy's shocked that Tori actually said that. Normally she's more passive aggressive. "I just want to see your sister, you don't have any right to pass judgement on-"
"Oh please. Stop the innocent act, you whore. I'm just surprised it's taken you this long to make another play for Draco. He's never going to take you back. He never actually loved you, you were just too stupid to see that. Can you imagine? A Malfoy actually choosing you?" Astoria's blue eyes are vindictive, and every word is low and venomous. Pansy's chest feels tight, hearing Tori spit out her own secret thoughts, late at night, after a bottle of wine and a bucket of tears. She swallows hard, wanting nothing more than to hit Astoria right across her smug face. Her ears are ringing and she feels silly and fragile, like a china doll, like one more nasty word will break her open and her blood will drench the steps. Awful truths, ticking like time bombs deep inside her mind. The fragility, the haziness, the shock of the moment. Astoria Malfoy shouldn't get to see her cry. Doesn't deserve to see her break. Her head is pounding, and she no longer wants to see Daph.
"Just tell Daphne that I came by." She says lowly, turning slowly around. As she takes the first step down, she hears Draco's voice and stops like she's been shot.
"Tori? Who's at the door?" She turns halfway, and sees him drape an easy arm around Astoria. She also sees the moment when he sees her, and the light goes out of him. He sighs and runs a hand through his pale hair.
"What do you want, Pansy?" He says resignedly. That stings more than Astoria's words. That he is actually disappointed to see her. That he doesn't want to see her, but also that he doesn't try to hide his distaste.
"I just wanted to see Daphne," She says quietly. "I understand when I'm not welcome though, so I was just leaving."
"Oh Pansy. Daphne doesn't want to see you. She told us that. Didn't you guys have a fight?" Draco replies, awkwardly. Pansy blinks slowly. Then nods.
"Yeah, yeah we did, but I just thought, I just, I miss her and I thought maybe we could talk," She trails off, and gives her head a little shake. "No. Right. Anyway, yeah. I'm leaving."
"Good." He says coldly. That one little word fills her with anger. Tears, but also fury. How dare he?
"How could you?" She asks him pointblank. "How could you do that to me? You dumped me, you turned all my friends against me, you married this icy bitch, you gave the Prophet awful information on me, and you keep reeling me back in and hurting me again and again. What the fuck gives you that right? How fucking dare you?"
He stares at her. Then he snaps.
"Pansy, you aren't quite right in the head. I worry about you, I really do, but I can't be part of your life anymore. And frankly, I think Daphne's right to get off your crazy train while she can. Before you careen off a cliff. Because one day you will realize exactly what you are."
"What am I, Draco? WHAT. AM. I." She almost shouts, hands clenched into fists at her side, Astoria fucking Malfoy looking at her with the snippiest little head tilt known to man.
"Psychotic." He says quietly. "Obsessed."
A tear rolls down her cheek and she stumbles away from him. She actually feels sick to her stomach. She swallows hard. Draco always wins. Now she understands. He doesn't love her.
"Okay." She says, the word almost a sob. "Okay. You win."
She holds her head up high as she leaves, despite the wet mascara sticking to her cheekbones in clumps, determined not to shame her father further. A photographer snaps a picture and she thinks distantly that she might make the front page again. She feels numb, distant, but also like she's flying. She feels like she has dropped a pile of expectations and disappointments and pain and she feels light as air. She may have lost the vital organ that was Draco's love, but maybe she doesn't need it. Maybe she can finally be done with him. She throws her head back in the middle of the street and laughs, slightly hysterically. It has just occurred to her that if he doesn't love her, then she doesn't have to love him. She's obligation-free. She turns back to where Draco stands in his doorway and she smiles, wide and easy.
"You know what? Fuck you, Draco! I'm over it! I'm done with you!" She doesn't sound angry, she is almost elated, incandescent with the intoxicating thought of her own freedom. She's free. She's fucking magic.
A/N: Yeah Pansy! You go, girl! Draco is now officially out of the picture! Who's having a little party?