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Part Two | Pain & Fire

Twenty-Eight. The End of the Earth


The week running up to the Christmas holidays was busy and stressful, yet thankfully had the odd pleasantry thrown in for good measure.

Alecto Carrow seemed intent on ruining any semblance of festive cheer. The female Death Eater had forbidden any form of Christmas decor, handed out Crucios to anyone she happened to hear discussing the holiday and had doubled the amount of homework they had to complete; Pansy could only fathom that it was the fear that Alecto believed she instilled in the students that kept her from setting them essay after essay on the defamation of Muggles and Muggle-borns alike, considering she had yet to actually mark one. Most students, of all Houses, had taken to completing the unorthodox homework by using the medium as a way to rebelliously state exactly what their thoughts of the new Muggle Studies lessons were.

As much as Alecto had tried to dampen the air of the castle even more, Pansy had found herself forced to hide the uncharacteristic smile that threatened to take over her usually impassive face even more so this week than previous ones. One particular time she'd had to work harder to hide said smile came after a chance meeting in a deserted corridor. After a risky, drawn-out kiss had seen Pansy, giggling and dragging an eager Neville behind her, rushing towards the first empty classroom she could find.

He spoke between kisses. "You're insatiable, do you know that?"

She didn't reply, instead choosing to nip the side of Neville's neck, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from the Gryffindor. She placed a lingering kiss on the area she'd just bitten down on, and, using his tie as a leash of some sort, pulled him forwards, as she walked backwards, and perched herself on top of a nearby table. Once she was seated, she continued to pull him in closer and wrapped her legs, which were mostly bare, around his waist.

"Gods," Neville groaned into Pansy's mouth as he placed a series of kisses over her lower lip.

She felt, rather than directed, her hips push against him. "Fuck," she said breathily as she felt Neville push his own hips forward, into hers.

"Shit!" The school bell interrupted their intimacy, and Pansy groaned against Neville's mouth. "I have to go," she mumbled.

"Since when did Pansy Parkinson care about being late?" Neville replied huskily as he trailed his fingertips over the sides of her hips.

"She cares when it's her best friend she's late for."

Neville pressed his forehead against Pansy's. "He'll understand."

Pansy pulled Neville close to her. "He? What, no. Not Draco. It's Daphne, she practically begged me to meet her this morning, and I couldn't, so I agreed to, well, now."

Neville's brow furrowed in recollection. "Is she okay? I saw you both at breakfast, she was upset."

Pansy bit her lip. "I hope so."

Neville kissed her again, this time less full of lust and more of longing. "I wish we could stay here, though, when will I see you?"

Pansy giggled as his fingertips tickled each side of her waist. "Soon!"

He planted one lingering, solitary kiss upon her mouth. "Okay, baby."

Pansy hoisted herself from the table and straightened both her shirt and skirt on her short walk to the door. Carefully, she peered into the corridor. "It's alright, it's deserted already, there's no used classrooms in this hall, we can leave together, well...sort of together," she wrinkled her nose at yet another reminder of the dangerous situation that was their relationship.

Neville's voice was oddly strained. "No, it's fine, you go ahead."

"I really don't think anyone-oh!" Pansy turned to look at a sheepish Neville, who was standing with a bright red face and two fists clamped and positioned very deliberately over his crotch.

"I hope you know that this is entirely your fault," he said, haughtily, glowering at Pansy, who had all but collapsed in a fit of laughter.

"Well, I'll leave you to, calm yourself down, or...relieve yourself, whichever works."

"Oh, yes!" Neville hissed in an obviously sarcastic drawl, "I'm really going to have a quick one in here by myself, you'll be gone but there re some nice, shapely pieces of chalk over there."

Pansy sighed through her nose, forcing her laughter back inside, which was no mean feat considering Neville's face was only deepening in colour the more she antagonised him, and walked quickly back towards him.

"I want you to close your eyes," she whispered in his ear, "and think about me, okay?"

He groaned. "You're going to be the death of me, Parkinson."

Pansy jogged back to the door and opened it slightly, the urge to laugh was back but she held it, instead she bit her bottom lip and drew the back of her skirt up for the briefest moment, flashing Neville a quick, but almost entire view of her behind. "See you later!" she cried cheerily, and promptly left the classroom, cackling in spite of herself at the throaty cough that she'd come from Neville as she'd pulled the door closed behind her.

The walk through the castle was, for the most part, deserted. Were it a regular year not controlled by the Carrows, the halls would be jolly, even during class time, for even the portraits and ghosts usually acted more jovial during the festive period. Now, however, even the non-human inhabitants of the castle were all but silent.

Pansy's pace was quick and her thoughts sad.

I've got Neville. And Daphne and Draco. I've still got Theo and Blaise...and Millie - I hope.

She repeated the thought three times, as though it were a mantra, which, she reasoned, she supposed it was.

She replayed the conversation she'd had with Daphne earlier that day. She'd hoped that the blonde would be able to help her order Neville's Christmas present, but Pansy had found Daphne in something of a hysterical state, which, considering they were at breakfast, was beginning to draw attention.

"Daph, what's-"

"Not here!" Daphne had hissed, "are you free now?"

Pansy had frowned. "I'm actually not, but I can be during third period."

"Okay," Daphne had replied as she tried to regain her composure, "can we meet in the Slytherin common room then?"

"Of course."

Upon entering the Slytherin common room, Pansy spotted Daphne sitting around a table with Draco and their other friends. Frowning, she made her way towards the group. Daphne hadn't mentioned the others that morning.

At her approach, Daphne stood, and silently strode towards Pansy, arms wide. Pansy, bewildered, returned the blonde's hug instantly. "Daph? What's going on?"

Daphne swallowed against Pansy's shoulder. "Pans," she said with a sob.

As though as one, Draco, Theo and Blaise all arose. Blaise placed one of his hands on Daphne's back, the corners of Theo's mouth twitched, as though he couldn't quite bring himself to smile, even reassuringly and Pansy felt Draco's hand pat her arm. Her eyes darted between each of her friends faces in return. Only Millicent had remained seated, her eyes darting nervously, not focussing on anyone- or thing, in particular.

When Pansy spoke, the wobble in her voice was unintentional. "What's going on?"

The entrance to the common room suddenly opened and a number of students piled in. Daphne turned to meet Blaise's eyes, "I thought it'd be quiet here, and that it was before we knew...everything, but now I think we need to go to Draco and Pansy's?"

Pansy frowned, everything of what?

"Everything of what?" she repeated the thought, this time aloud.

"I agree, that'd be best," Blaise replied, and beckoned the five others to follow.

Pansy knew the walk was quick and yet it felt agonisingly long, especially considering they walked in silence. And Pansy realised, that this wasn't going to be a fun talk, in any way, she knew she had reason to be frightened.

As they reached the familiar cow field picture, Pansy let out a sigh of relief, as horrible as whatever her friends needed to tell her undoubtedly was, this not knowing had to be worse.

"I'll be right back," Draco said, and Pansy noticed a shared, knowing glance between him, Theo and Blaise, and with a squeeze of her arm, Draco began to stride up the corridor. Pansy watched him for a second before leading the others inside her living quarters.

Once inside, Pansy settled as best she could despite her anxious impatience in her usual spot as Daphne took a deep breath, and then another. The four had all sunk into various seats, Theo and Millicent next to Pansy whilst Daphne and Blaise occupied a nearby armchair.

Daphne took in a final, lengthy breath. "Show her, Theo."

Pansy's eyes narrowed in on Theo, who let out a sigh, before pulling two pieces of parchment from his pocket. "Earlier," he began, "I was called to the Amycus's office, where he started banging on about a load of shit, most of it irrelevant, but the gist was that I'm to be next to be prepped to take it."

Pansy swallowed. She knew she didn't need to ask, but did anyway. "The mark?"

"The Mark," Theo repeated, "but...that isn't all." He handed Pansy the first piece of parchment. Her eyes met his momentarily before she flipped the page over. A list of names were scribbled upon it.

Seventh Years - Slytherin

Draco Malfoy - done

Theodore Nott - Jan

Vincent Crabbe - Jan

Gregory Goyle - Jan

Blaise Zabini - Jan

Pansy Parkinson - Apr

Millicent Bulstrode - Apr

Daphne Greengrass - Apr

"Theo," Pansy's breathing had become raspy as she prepared to ask yet another question she needed no answer to, "what does this mean?"

Theo cleared his throat, his arm had found its way around Pansy's shoulders. "It means," he began, "that things are moving quicker than we thought, quicker than Draco thought. It means that me and Blaise are expected to take the mark in a month, and you, Mills and Daph in four."

Pansy's mouth was dry.

She heard Daphne cough, and raised her face to meet her best friend's. The blonde's eyes darted first to Blaise's and then Theo's and Pansy saw Blaise give his girlfriend a reassuring nod before he threw Pansy a comforting smile.

Pansy braced herself as Daphne began to talk "Pans, that's not the only thing, there's another thing that Theo found, that he hadn't had a chance to properly look at until just before you got to us."

Pansy looked round at Theo, who was still beside her, his arm still resting comfortably around her shoulders.

"I thought it'd be to do with the list," he said, his voice was shaky and so unlike Theo that Pansy had to stare into his face for a second to make sure it really was him. This isn't going to be good. He handed her the second parchment. This one was a handwritten note with no list. She recognised the handwriting instantly, its owner having been her head of House for years.

If all efforts to convert those discussed are unsuccessful by the beginning of January and you are confident that the one leading their resistance group under your incompetent noses is indeed Neville Longbottom, you have my permission to dispose of him by whatever method you deem fit.

Pansy had never before been so aware of her own heartbeat and it rung in her ears like a siren.

Somewhere, from what could have been miles away Pansy heard a door, and footsteps and felt Daphne's hand close over the fist enclosing the note that Pansy had been unaware she'd made,

"Theo," Pansy gasped and for the second time asked an entirely unnecessary question , "what does this one mean?"

Theo's grip on her shoulder was fierce. "It means we're leaving."

"Leaving," Pansy repeated his last word aloud.

"Yeah," Theo spoke, "us, and...and Longbottom, are leaving."

Pansy's face was betraying her, her usual nonchalant expression long gone. "He won't, he won't leave, their fight means too much to him."

Another voice broke through the sudden quiet of the living room. "That's not entirely true."

Pansy stood and whirled around, her eyes passing in disbelief over the faces of Draco and Neville in turn. Neville nodded briefly to each of the Slytherin's in turn as he took the steps needed to cross the room and reach her. Her eyes took Neville in, greedily, not knowing whether to believe it was really him.

"You still don't know," he said, in barely more than a whisper.

Pansy swallowed. "Know what?"

She felt his fingertips come to rest on the side of her face as he pushed a few loose strands backwards. "That without you, I don't have much of a fight."

"I don't-"

"My main reason for fighting now, is you."

Pansy's breaths were short and rushed. "You'd leave with us?"

The ghost of a smile flickered across Neville's face before he placed his hands on Pansy's shoulders before pulling her into his chest. She felt his arms encase her shaking frame and his lips press into the side of her head. When he spoke it was a whisper against her ear. "I'd go to the end of the Earth if you asked."