Hello everyone, this is a gift fic for queer-space-mermaid as part of the Gift Giving Extravaganza 2021, so I hope you enjoy it. Thank you to my alphabeta team Art3misiA and TheOnlyCeeCeeJ for helping me with this. I do not own any rights to Harry Potter; they belong to J.K. Rowling.
Pansy stood beside Theo in the private function room of The Leaky Cauldron. It was filled with the Weasley family and Ginny's teammates from the Harpies. She was nervous, holding a glass filled with a cocktail and waiting for Ginny – the star of the evening and light of her life - to arrive.
The moment the red-head finally entered the room to cheers and applause, Pansy felt a blanket of calm wrap around her at just the sight of her girlfriend.
When Ginny had received news of being promoted to Captain of the Holyhead Harpies, Pansy had been ecstatic for her partner. It was well deserved and she just knew Ginny would take the new role on with a comfortable ease to make a fantastic leader. When the discussion had turned to how to celebrate, that was when things had become tricky, or at least it had seemed that way at first. It was due to the fact that Ginny knew her mother would want to have a family gathering at the Burrow, but her teammates would want to celebrate, too. The couple had put their heads together, thinking of a solution when it hit – they could do both with relevant ease. It had been decided that there would be a party on the Friday at The Leaky Cauldron (which was now run by Hannah and Neville, with Theo working there as a barman and chef) a place which had become a comfortable haunt for Ginny, Pansy and their friends over the years. Then there would be a smaller, more intimate family gathering at the Burrow on Sunday.
The walls of the room had been decorated with banners in the Harpies team colours of emerald and gold with 'Congratulations' emblazoned across each one. There was a long oak table placed in the corner, upon which was a variety of different food while the rest of the room had smaller tables with chairs dotted around.
Pansy's voice joined the others in the shouts of "Congratulations," while her hands clapped along with the rumbling applause. She couldn't take her eyes off Ginny whose happy smile, along with her flushed cheeks lit up her face. It warmed Pansy's heart to see her so content as she moved around the room, being hugged and congratulated by each person in attendance.
When it was finally her turn to greet the fiery red-head who she had given her heart to, she stepped forward eagerly and wrapped Ginny into a warm embrace.
"I'm so proud of you, Ginevra," she murmured quietly into Ginny's ear, eliciting shivers down the red-head's spine. While in public, she called her Ginny or Gin, when it was intimate, she used her full name, which Ginny couldn't deny that she really liked from the way it fell off Pansy's lips, both a promise and a fantasy.
Pansy leaned in to kiss Ginny only to be rebuffed when she pulled away, shaking her head slowly in a gentle warning, sadness and fear in her russet-brown eyes.
"Please, Pans, don't. Not where my parents are, they don't…" she trailed off, feeling guilt for not having told them about the fact she was with Pansy.
Pansy finished the sentence in her mind with the last word – know.
Ginny's parents didn't know she was gay and in a relationship with her. She didn't know the reason why she hadn't told them yet – was it the fact she was scared to come out, even though her siblings and friends knew? Or was it the fact that she was afraid they wouldn't agree that she was dating a Slytherin? That their daughter, the apple of their eye, could do better? At that moment, Pansy didn't care what the reason was, because all she felt was a suffocating numbness, like she was being strangled from the inside and she couldn't do anything to stop it. She didn't know who this woman was before her, not anymore – it was almost as though she was looking at an imposter.
"I can't… I can't be around you right now," Pansy said, her voice cold while her jade green eyes burnt with anger and hurt.
Ginny tried to take her hand but Pansy stepped back out of her reach.
"Don't touch me!" Her words were like ice as she felt the temptation to put on the old Slytherin skin she had worn for so long until she had joined the DA all those years ago – when she had met Ginny properly and fallen for her. She had changed because of Ginny but now she didn't know why she had – she felt so betrayed.
"I'm just a dirty little secret, right? Just like our relationship. Was it all a joke?"
"No, Pans, you are not and of course it's not. Please, don't do this, we can talk about it later," Ginny said calmly yet urgently. She didn't want to air their issues at the party, not in front of her family but particularly her parents.
"Later." Pansy laughed darkly at the irony of it – Ginny not wanting to air her dirty relationship out in public. "Of course, can't ruin your clean-cut image now, can we? Are you ever going to come out, Ginny, or are you just going to stay in that dark hole forever?"
Ginny was about to answer but couldn't when Molly and Arthur had wandered over. Clearly, she had failed to keep the argument with Pansy quiet.
"Is everything alright?" Molly asked in her usual motherly tone, looking between the two, concern in her brown eyes.
"Everything is fine, Mrs Weasley. I was just leaving, work calls," Pansy answered with as much of a calm tone as she could muster, a smile gracing her lips though it failed to reach her eyes. Inside, her heart was breaking.
Turning to her girlfriend, she said, "Goodbye, Ginny." There was finality in the words which was clear from the slight widening in Ginny's eyes.
Without another word, she left the party and the pub, not daring to even look or go back. She couldn't. They were over.
Ginny stood rooted to the spot, her stomach churning. She felt sick with guilt. She'd just lost the love of her life and it was her own selfish fault. She could feel the tears prick at the corners of her eyes but swallowed shakily. She wasn't about to break down here at her own party, not in front of her family and friends.
"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Arthur asked gently, his dark hazel eyes studying her. He knew something was wrong, but he wasn't about to push her, he never had. Where Molly would sometimes badger the children to know what was going on if they had problems, he would wait until they came to them and be either a shoulder to cry on or someone who would listen and not judge, who would give them advice should they want it.
Ginny knew there was no point lying about it now that she could tell them, she had nothing else to lose.
"I've just lost the best thing in my life for not coming out, for not telling my truth," Ginny said, slumping down into a chair at an empty table, her head in her hands.
"Ginevra, my darling daughter, we know."
Ginny looked up at her parents, in shock and surprise at her mother's admission. How could they… "But I never…"
"You didn't have to. It was the way you talked about her, the way you looked at her when she came to the Burrow," Molly explained, a gentle smile on her face.
"We knew you'd tell us when you were ready," Arthur added, his eyes like his wife's – full of understanding and love for their little girl.
"I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid… that you'd be mad, Mum. I know you have expectations that we all have families of our own. I didn't know how you'd react if I told you that…" she trailed off as Molly pulled her up from the chair and into her arms, stroking her long, wavy red hair as the tears fell.
"Oh, Ginny, I would never be mad at you for who you love, never! The only thing I want for all of you is to be happy, grandchildren are an added bonus, I will admit. But don't you ever think I have expectations, a standard you have to meet, because I don't. I'm proud of you all."
Ginny held onto her mother, soaking in the love and comfort that was freely and unconditionally given, smiling when her dad wrapped them both into a bear hug. She knew the rest of the family and her friends and teammates would be watching but at that moment, it was as if time had stopped and they were the only three in the room, it was all that mattered.
When the three of them broke from the hug, Ginny and Molly wiping their cheeks and smiling, Arthur said, "Do you love her?"
Ginny nodded. "More than Quidditch, it was my first love until I met Pansy."
"Then I think you should go and get her back, love," Molly said, smiling at her daughter.
She hugged her parents once more before Disapparating on the spot, knowing exactly where Pansy would be – home. She just hoped that she wouldn't be too late.
Pansy stood on the beach barefoot, enjoying the way the sand tickled her toes as she looked out at the ocean. She had her arms wrapped around herself while the soft breeze lifted her black, glossy hair gently, like a soft caress.
They'd chosen the cottage by the sea a year ago. It was their piece of paradise they could come home to every day after work. She didn't turn when she heard the familiar pop of Apparition, just continued to watch the waves rolling in then rescind back as if unsure how far they could move in on the beach, the moonlight painting them a dark inky blue.
"Pansy!"
She heard the sure-footed steps crossing the sand until Ginny was before her, looking into her eyes.
"I have nothing left to say to you," Pansy stated, knowing Ginny would notice the red puffiness under her eyes where she had been crying. But the thing was, there were marks under Ginny's eyes, too.
A part of her wanted to reach out and take Ginny into her arms but she didn't, instead she began to turn away only for Ginny to take her hand in hers, grounding her.
"I have a lot to say, so let me speak, please." The pleading in her voice was another kind of torture completely for Pansy but she remained where she was standing on the beach.
"I know we've had arguments but nothing has come close to that, Pans. I'm sorry for hurting you. You're not and have never been a dirty secret, you're the love of my life. You're the woman I want to marry and have a family with if it's what we both want, and we have plenty of time to decide. You're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, I love you! Come back to the party, babe, please."
There was nothing but utter honesty, not just in Ginny's voice but in her eyes and Pansy could feel her heart beginning to slowly heal. Without Ginny, she wasn't whole.
"What about your…"
"They know. They've known for a long time and were waiting for me to open up. It was Mum who told me to come and get you back."
Pansy's eyes widened in surprise at that revelation and Ginny giggled softly at the look on her face. "I had the exact same reaction."
Pansy finally smiled and pulled Ginny against her body to kiss her deeply.
"You're right, you were a silly cow but I love you and I forgive you," she said when they'd paused for breath. She was very tempted to take Ginny inside and make love to her for the rest of the night, but that could wait. As alluring as the prospect was, they had a party to return to.
Stroking her hand gently, they returned to The Leaky Cauldron together.
The moment they appeared in the room, all eyes were on them and Ginny knew now was the right time.
"I'd like to make an official announcement. This beautiful woman next to me is my partner, and I'm proud to have her by my side. She means the world to me and I love her dearly."
The room erupted with whoops along with shouts of "About bloody time!" and more applause. When things had died down, they walked hand in hand over to where Molly and Arthur were.
"Mum, Dad, this is Pansy. Pansy, these are my parents, Molly and Arthur Weasley," Ginny said, making the introductions and smiled as they both welcomed Pansy with open arms.
"Welcome to the madhouse," Arthur joked, chuckling.
Pansy smiled at the couple before turning her gaze to Ginny. She caressed her cheek softly, such love and adoration in her jade green eyes for the red-head.
"She's worth it."
They kissed happily, finally back where they should be – together.
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I'll see you all soon,
S L Blake x