"Pansy?"
Hearing her name made her jump.
"Draco?" She responded tentatively.
"Do you love me?" he asked, walking toward her, then resting his hands on her shoulders.
"No." She responded, pulling away from him.
"That was quick." he shot, "Don't even want to think on it?"
"No."
Pansy spun around and began to walk to her dormitory. She was tired and didn't want to deal with this. She just wanted to sleep the night away and wake to Harry in the morning...
"Stupefy."
She couldn't move. She fought to, but her limbs betrayed her. She tried to scream... nothing came.
She screamed.
"Pansy?" Pansy had sat bolt upright, shaking violently and crying, the occasional trace of screaming between sobs.
Harry held her in his arms as she continued to quiver. He tried as best he could to comfort her, rocking her gently back and forth while she sobbed.
"Pansy," he susurrated, "It's okay, I'm here, Pansy. It was just a dream."
She sniffed and spoke, her words choked-up by her crying,
"It think..." she cried, "I think it was a memory."
"A memory?"
"I've had a huge gap in my memory since the accident. I remember kissing you goodnight.. and then waking up in the Hospital Wing." she rubbed her face into his chest, wiping the tears from her cheeks. She was not only a Slytherin, she was the girlfriend of the Boy-Who-Lived. She had to be strong.
"Yeah, Madam Pomfrey said it was amnesia from the..."
"I'm not so sure." she mumbled.
"Hmm?"
"I think it was a memory charm." she explained, "But a poorly performed one. I think it's breaking." she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him closely. She was still sore from her injuries, but she desperately needed his comfort.
"What did you see?" Harry asked, caressing her cheeks.
"I was fighting with Draco." she broke into sobs again, "And then he stunned me." she shivered, "And... and tha... that's when I woke up... Merlin it's cold out here."
Harry looked up to see the distinct hooded form of a Dementor. Thinking quickly, he whipped out his wand,
"Where is he?"
"Crucio!"
The pain was so intense, she wished she could die then and there.
"Where is he?"
Blood raced from her pores, she fought a losing battle to retain consciousness. She needed to be able to shout if he came... when he came. She knew he would.
"Where is who? What is this? Who are you?"
The villainous form of Lucius Malfoy emerged from the shadows. His face was contorted with rage and frustration.
"Crucio!" Pansy screamed again, "Have you no pureblood dignity?" he slapped her, "He's a half-blood. Draco..."
"I don't love Draco!" she spat, "And pureblood dignity can kiss my..."
"Crucio!" he yelled kicking her jaw as the spell let up, "Hold your tongue."
Pansy involuntarily released another ear-piercing scream. In the distance, she could hear him, she was going to be saved...
"Expecto Patronum!"
From the top of Harry's wand flew a silvery wisp that quickly took the form of a shield, casting the Dementor away.
"Pansy?" he shook her gently, "It was a Dementor." he pulled her to his chest and kissed her forehead, "Pansy, are you okay?"
He let her cry herself to sleep. He remained awake the rest of the night, keeping watch for any wandering Dementors, or, for that matter, anything else that could torment his Pansy.
"Pans?" asked Hermione at breakfast the next morning, buttering her pancake, "Are you ill?"
"You really don't look too good." said Ron, looking at her with a hint of concern.
"Still a right sight better than you, bro." said Fred and George in unison. Ron scowled.
"She had a rough night last night." said Harry.
"Rough night, eh?" laughed Ron. Hermione elbowed him in the stomach, hard, he dropped his roll. Harry glared at Ron.
"First she had a nightmare... or memory... I'll explain later... Then we.. she... was attacked by a Dementor."
"Dementor?" squeaked Hermione, dropping her knife and fork. "They're not supposed to be on school grounds!"
"It was there, nonetheless." said Harry firmly.
"Do you think that... maybe...?" began Harry quietly, looking side to side for eavesdroppers.
"Yes." said Hermione simply, "We think he was involved in the attacks."
Harry and Hermione took it in turns to explain their reasons behind believing that Draco was behind the kidnapping and the Dementor attack.
"We're going to have to protect her." Harry said, a lightly sleeping Pansy turning in his arms.
Ron looked at Harry and smiled,
"I've got an idea."