THANK YOU: Natalie (CLUMSYTONKS) and PENSELN for Your reviews! Knowledge that someone is actually reading this story makes my work so much more enjoyable and easy:)
That day luck wasn't on his side. From the moment he appeared in Malfoy Manor Harry sought the chance to talk with Pansy, but every time something or somebody- mainly Ginny- stopped him.
Instead of talking to her he busied himself with watching her trying to grasp what drawn him to her. She was attractive, lovely even, but there was also something else in her. Something more. She was extremely talented, pretty much declared the best healer at , dedicated to her job and her patients. He admired her strength, her pride and even her stubbornness. She didn't care what others thought about her, focusing only on her work and taking into consideration only opinion of those which she called their friends. She was a lady, a real lady, and it had nothing to do with her full-blooded status.
When Hermione started unpacking the presents the company gathered round her admiring clothing, toys and other trinkets.
He was slightly nervous about his present, but Hermione with a broad smile and a kiss on his cheek assured that miniature clothing in Gryffindor's colours were excellent choice on his part, so Harry was confident, in spite of the Draco's annoyed grimace. When it came to unpacking Ron's present everyone burst out laughing at the sight of the plush bouncing ferret - one of the first exhibit items of Freddie's anew opened shop.
" Here, this from us" it was Pansy turn and she passed Hermione a small box.
Hermione slowly untied the carefully tied bow and her hand flew to her mouth "Oh! " she leaned and hugged the black-haired witch clutching a carefully made frame "Thank you "
" You're welcome" Pansy reciprocated hug and smiled fondly.
Here, in this house, surrounded by her friends she felt really good. She would have felt even better if she didn't have to watch Ginny constantly smiling and talking to Potter. Honestly, could that girl have been any more obvious?
"Here have a look" Hermione turned the frame boasting the present. The frame was wood craved, clearly old and divided in three parts. On the left and right side were photographs by in centre was an empty place with the newly made "Baby Malfoy" signature.
"It's us in Hogwart!" Ron found fixing his eyes on photograph on the left. It was the whole golden trio laughing carefree. Harry couldn't remember when it had been taken.
Photograph on the right-hand side presented Draco with Blaise and Pansy. But unlike Draco Harry had met at school the boy on the photograph was smiling at his friends. Two trios of happy friends. Two families baby Malfoy would always relay on.
"Now is my turn " Ginny broke off and gave her present. It was nifty and very expensive set of sleepyheads
"It's the newest collection" she stated proudly going deep into the retail description of every pattern.
Harry felt the Blaise's eyes on himself. Shrewd Slytherin just finished whispering something toward Narcissa and winked at him knowingly .
"Pansy, darling, could you check what happens with drinks? " Narcissa asked "Tipsy should already bring them"
If that kind of had request appeared in the mouth of anybody other Pansy would have immediately sensed the deceit, but Narcissa Malfoy had no interest in separating her from the rest of the group.
Harry gave her exactly 10 seconds before getting up following. He could tell that Ginny was staring at his back, her eyes burning a hole right through him, but he ignored it.
She felt that somebody was standing behind her and turned in a flash to meet Harry's uncertain gaze.
He shifted his weight from foot to foot.
" What do you want? " she asked harshly measuring him with the cold look. Merlin, he looked great in his shady shirt hugging strong muscular shoulders and dark blue jeans on long legs. Lay off! She reprimanded herself.
"I didn't use Silencio!" she added brusquely "so you shouldn't have any problems with your voice"
" I'm sorry" Harry said
" That's all? " she asked ironically " I'm sorry? It is really all you could say? " Pansy knew that she was rough even unfair, but the last days had been hard. She didn't want to make it easier for him. Had anybody ever made anything easy for her? No!They had only jugged her and gossipped about her.
" No, it's not" he said firmly "I behaved like an idiot. You were right, your relationship with your husband is not my business" he admitted.
Pansy bit her lips, could it be so easy? She missed Harry, she missed their talks, passing touches of his hand, sidelong glances. She missed the way he had made her feel, like a women, beautiful desirable women.
"I miss you Pansy, I miss my friend" he confessed reaching to the pocket for the tiny object which he had bought on an impulse days ago and clenching it " I promise I would never ever act like that"
"I have to grant you that much, you are talented in both pissing me off and apologising "
" Does it mean peace? "he asked stretching out the hand in which he hid the tiny trinket taken out of his pocket.
Pansy smiled a little. Keeping grudges with Potter wasn't a smart move, plus he apologised- she justified dragging her hand out.
"I believe so "
Something touched her hand. Slipping out the hand from his grip Pansy looked down and found herself staring at small violet star.
" So that you know that I'm really sorry " he stammered out suddenly uncertain whether the present would appeal to her. For him the colour of the pendant seemed almost identical with the colour of her eyes, but now he wasn't sure whether he had chosen well. Perhaps he should have bought something more expensive, or more significant.
"It's beautiful" she admitted moved with his gesture.
" I'm glad to hear that"
" But honestly Harry do you buy jewellery every time you apologise? " she joked
" No, with Ron I usually got away with firewhisky"
Pansy laughed at that and Harry chuckled, they were fine, he needed to make clear one more thing " Pansy, I want you to know, that whenever you'll be ready to talk I'm here. I won't ask or judge, just listen"
" I know, and I'll remember" Pansy hesitated
" It's OK, I can wait" he said reassuringly " So see you tomorrow on the lunch?"
"You bet Mr Potter," Pansy answered " but you're buying"
" No way I clearly remember it's your turn" they continued discussion walking toward the kitchen unaware, that behind closed doors, Blaise and Narcissa exchanged satisfied looks, and Hermione smiled mysteriously.
Hermione accepted the chair offered her by Arthur with grateful smile.
"Thanks to Hermione's inestimable help we know more about the sphere" Arthur announced "it's a portal which let the user transfer to different location"
" So it's a portal, what's so strange about it? " Ron asked not quite understanding what the fuss was about
"Not quite, the sphere doesn't exactly transfer the physical form like a normal portal, but image of it, essence. It is a very old magic, ancient even" Hermione explained
" So it's not dangerous?" Thomas guessed "if it only transfer the image"
"Theoretically yes, but " Hermione continued with her explanations clearly excited " but this sphere together with the image of the user transfer also a part of his magic. Like I told you, it let the spark of a given person transfer along with the image. I think, but these are only my speculations, that the amount of magic transfered depends of the user strength "
"So the user can use the magic in the place his image appears without being there" Harry completed
"Yes, even more without leaving any trace of the presence in place! But we must remember, that the power of the user is only transfer partly. In practise I think he can use most basic spells "
"Avada isn't a basic curse, so I don't think we should worry" Ginny, until now being silent decided to speak. Hermione's lecture bored her. She had heard enough of it at school, now as an Auror, Ginny wanted to act. She craved action, battles, rather than the boring literary and completely useless knowledge.
"Unfortunately you are wrong " Hermione declared annoyed by interruption "this sphere has one particularity feature which makes it extraordinary. Using the sphere it is possible to get through every known ward, it's possible to transfer into any place including the Ministry and this room, without being noticed and leaving no traces of the action"
Aurors looked at themselves alarmed. That thing in wrong hands could be indeed very dangerous.
"Why didn't we hear about it before?" Ron demanded
" Because there were only few spheres, forbidden a long time ago, they were regarded too perilous and destroyed" Arthur explained "everyone believed that they were gone "
"But one somehow outlasted " Harry frowned
"Two" Arthur corrected reaching for yellowed papers " we sought out at archives. One of them ended up in hands of the Nott family and the other for over three hundred years remains in hands of the Goyle. "
" Well, that surely explaining the symbol on it, marvellous two well-known Death Eater families " Ginny groaned, winning the number of disapproving glances from other Aurors as well as from Hermione.
"I don't understand one thing, if this sphere is so great why our murderer left it behind " Sean asked
" Perhaps he didn't leave it willingly. He could have lost it" Ron was thinking aloud " first Aurors appeared very quickly alerted by neighbours, the sphere was hidden deep inside the house. It's possible that the murderer didn't have time to get it back "
"So he made a mistake" Harry summed " I think you can be right. Since he lost the sphere he could not move freely and had to change his way of functioning. Maybe that explains the difference between those two attacks"
"But we still don't know who he is" Ron sighed heavily. The silence followed Ron's bitter statement.
„ Well, I leave it up to you. I'm sure you find him soon enough " Hermione got up heading for the exit accompanied by Arthur.
" Find out? But isn't that obvious! " Ginny cried out as soon as door closed behind Hermione.