I know it has been foreverrrr! I'm so sorry! I've been out of the country and without my computer for a long time.
Hope you're all still reading haha
HERMIONE
Ginny and Pansy had left some time ago. The library was dark, save for the light of my candle, and the only sounds to be heard were the rustling of paper and my heavy sighs as yet another book failed me. I wasn't even sure what I was looking for.
"Pansy wants to know why we are in the library." Ginny said, resting her back against the shelf.
"Well we need to find her body and since we have no leads I thought a spell might be helpful."
"What kind of spell?"
"I don't know," I admitted quietly. "But there has to be something in here."
Hours had passed since that conversation. I was beginning to agree with what Ginny had said as she left, "This is pointless." My eyelids felt heavy and my back was stiff, I longed to be in bed. I refused to admit that it was my own stubbornness that prevented me from leaving.
"Do you know what hour it is?" The voice startled me so, I nearly fell from my chair.
"Some time around midnight?"
"It's 2 o'clock." Draco said as he closed the book in front of me. "You should be in bed."
"Yes father," I sighed and I broke into a vicious yawn, further proving his point.
He grabbed my small pile of books with an amused look, "Come on, I'll even carry your books." At his words my heart melted into a mushy pile that made my blood run slightly warmer than normal. Oh yea, this is why I've been avoiding the Slytherin dungeon.
"Y-you don't have to do that,"
"Come on Hermione," He started off, paying no heed to my protest. I blew out the candle and followed him into the corridor. Though we were out after hours we both knew we wouldn't be bothered, rules like that just don't apply when you recently won a war. Draco's strides were long and even, if he was tired, he didn't show it.
"What are you doing out so late?"
"I could ask you the same," He replied.
"I was reading,"
"Obviously," He lifted the books for emphasis. Silence fell between us as we walked, him with a content smile on his face and me with a queasy stomach. It was borderline ridiculous, the way I was behaving. Draco had always elicited strong reactions from me but something about admitting my attraction (even if it was only to myself) had multiplied those feelings by tenfold. "Are you alright? You look like you might be sick."
"Fine." I said quietly, quickly averting my eyes from his searching gaze.
He took a nervous breath and slowly exhaled, "I know why you've been so quiet; it's hardly a secret."
I literally stopped breathing, What? How? Oh well here it comes… The cordiality was nice while it lasted, prepare for the most embarrassing moment of your life. ""You know?" I managed to squeak.
"It's me, right?" To this I couldn't form any sort of answer. He took my silence as affirmation. "I'm sorry, I know this must be… strange." To say the least! "I thought after… well all that has happened recently… but I understand. I'm just glad I have your forgiveness."
"Wait what?"
He looked at me, pain etched into his features, "You said…"
"I know what I said! And you do have my forgiveness-"
"I suppose after everything I put you through it's too much to ask for any kind of friendship."
"Draco-"
"I knew I was pushing it, Millicent even warned me. I'll just put these books on your bed and get out of your way."
"Do you ever shut up?" He was instantly quiet and, to my amusement, a small blush bloomed on his cheeks.
"Sorry." He said weakly.
"Look Draco I don't know what you are thinking but I don't want you to 'get out of my way.'"
"You don't?"
"No!" I laughed, scarcely believing my luck.
"But you been so quiet around me lately."
"I've had a lot on my mind," I said, heat rushing to my neck, and quickly redirected the conversation. "The point is that I want you around. I m-mean, I like having you as a friend." His face broke into a small smile.
"Friends, I like the sound of that." I couldn't help the way my heart sank a little. Of course… friends.
PANSY
Ginny was nervous and I could hardly blame her. We had somehow managed to avoid everyone, with the exception of Granger, all weekend but here it was Monday morning and classes had to be attended. Well Ginny's did. Neither of us wanted to think about what would happen when I didn't show up to any of mine.
"Please stop thinking about that," she begged.
I can't! And stop talking aloud, people are looking at you funny.
She cringed and lowered her head. With her fork she began pushing her food around the plate. "Hello Ginny," A frail looking Ravenclaw stood clutching her books, her eyes focused on something off in the distance.
"Oh hi Luna."
"Hello Pansy," Ginny's fork hit her plate with a terrible "clang." Both of us froze in shock, ignoring the stares from her housemates.
"W-w-what did you say?"
Luna didn't even bother to look at her, her distant gaze unfaltering. "I was just greeting Pansy, seems only polite."
What the fuck is going on?
"I'm going to find out!" Ginny grabbed Luna by the elbow and frantically dragged her into the hall.
"Gin-"
"Who told you?"
"Told me what?"
"That Pansy is… you know…"
"Trapped inside your head while her body roams the school grounds?"
"Yea!" Woah what? "Wait- roams? You've seen her?"
Luna nodded. "Just this morning. That's how I knew. My father wrote an article about this just the other day. You must have been bitten by a kippledurt, Pansy; their spit has zombification powers you know."
You really do have poor taste in friends. Ginny rolled her eyes.
Aren't you the least bit interested in finding your body?
Of course I am! But you really think this one can help? She believes in zombification! A flash of memories surged before me, ones pertaining to Luna. Alright I get it! I called off the mental attack. Force-feeding me her opinions via memories was an annoying skill that Ginny had become particularly fond of. She's goodhearted. She's still nutters.
"Luna I- we need your help. We have to find Pansy."
"Well that-"
"GINNY! GINNY!" Hermione was running full speed for toward us, hair bushy as ever, face red from exertion.
Gross.
As she approached her shoes slid and she struggled to stop herself. "Woah!" She wobbled, steadying herself on Luna's shoulder. "Thanks," She panted. "G-Gin we…need… to talk!" Hermione clutched her chest. "I just saw-"
"Pansy's body running around?" Ginny supplied.
Hermione looked stunned. "Yea! How did you know?"
"Luna saw her this morning."
"I think it's a kippledurt bite, very rare."
Hermione barely spared a glance in Luna's direction. "We need to go get her! Before someone tries to talk to her."
I snorted and to my surprise Ginny did the same, "We're thinking that won't be a problem."
"Ginny," The brunette reprimanded, "Pansy has friends! What if Daphne or Blaise or someone tries to talk to her?"
Daphne? Blaise? Since when are they on a first name basis? Ginny's thoughts were similar.
I have no idea, she said before shaking her head. We'll deal with that later.
Agreed.
"Alright Hermione take us to where you last saw Pansy."
Hermione stopped walking about a hundred feet from the edge of the forest. "She was right here."
"Here?" Ginny asked, looking around at the empty grounds. "There's nothing here!"
"How did see her all the way out here?" Luna asked, staring distantly into the forest.
"Through that window," Hermione pointed back to the castle. "She caught my eye because… um, well it's a bit embarrassing," She said blushing. "She was kind of… crawling?"
What? I asked deadpan.
"What?" Ginny asked giggling.
"Well not so much crawling as… I don't know, kind of like," Hermione squatted, put her hands on the ground, and began to walk like some sort of ape, "Like this."
Ginny and Luna burst out laughing, I on the other hand was less than amused by the thought of my beautiful body in such a disgraceful position.
"She did seem a bit hunched when I saw her," Luna said once she'd stopped laughing.
It's not funny, I grumbled and tried to force my irritation on Ginny like she so easily forced her humor on me.
It doesn't really work like that, she laughed. You have to admit, it's pretty funny.
It's nothing of the sort! And you tell Granger and Loonybins over there to stop laughing or I'm going to take over this wimpy excuse for a body and-
"Alright guys we have to stop laughing or she'll never shut up." Ginny grumbled. "Let's find this damn body."
"I think we should split up, we'll cover more ground that way." Hermione suggested.
"What about classes?" Luna asked.
Hermione bit her lip. "Fuck it."
Ginny grabbed her heart in mock pain, "Hermione! I can't believe you just said that, I might be having a heart attack! What has gotten into you?"
She smirked a little; "You don't spend this much time with the Slytherins without picking up a few of their habits."
We split up; Hermione and Luna headed for the castle while Ginny and I searched the grounds.
"So if you weren't in your body where would you go?"
….Are you kidding me Weasley?
"What? I'm running out of ideas here." She grumbled and continued walking. Her eyes swept back and forth, searching for any sign of my body. There was nothing to be seen except a group of third years participating in what seemed to be a less than interesting Care of Magical Creatures class in the distance.
"This is hopeless," Ginny wailed and sat down in the grass. "We are never going to find you and you're going to be stuck in here forever!"
Your optimism is inspiring.
"I'm serious Parkinson! What are we going to do? I have a life! I have a boyfriend and friends-"
What and I don't? You think I wouldn't rather be stuck in here than out there with them?
She was quiet, I could feel her thoughts swirling as I tried not to focus on them. I caught bits and pieces; laughing at Ron, Hermione helping with homework, the feel of Harry's arms around her, the way he smelled after… I tried to force myself to butt out but Ginny's emotions were so strong. Everything she was feeling, I felt.
It's going to okay.
"How can you say that?" She asked, tears filling her eyes.
I just… Do you remember this time last year? A flash of bitter memories told me that she did indeed. Then how can you not have hope? This isn't the worst thing that's ever happened to you. This is nothing compared to the shit you went through last year! Her silence left me surprisingly uneasy.
"You're right," She said at last. "Okay," Ginny stood and shook herself out, "We can do this."
Thanks. She thought.
Yea, yea. Merlin, I am going soft.
HERMIONE
"It must be hard for them," Luna said, running her fingers along the rough walls. "Can you imagine having to share your every thought with someone?"
I thought of Draco and shuddered at the idea of sharing something like that with anyone. "That would truly be horrible."
"Did you see that?"
"What? Where?"
Luna pointed to the top of the staircase. "I think I saw her."
"Well come on then!" We hurried up the stairs and looked around.
"There!" Luna shouted. I followed her line of vision to a staircase, two flights up. Pansy was leaning on a railing, staring down at us. A thin line of drool dangled from her bottom lip. I began to move when she growled angrily and took off.
"What is that?" I asked in horror.
"Pansy's body has reverted to its primal status." Luna said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Right," I said slowly, "Let's go get her before something worse happens."
Review plz :D
