24.
Pansy:
Give me an L. Give me an O. An S,
an E and an R too.
COME ON, RON WEASLEY!
At last they were already in the last days of February! All the Hogwarts students had been looking forward to this moment, the second Quidditch match of the year. Well, some anticipated it more than others... Slytherin was out of luck this year. After losing to Gryffindor early in the year, they were beaten again, now by Hufflepuff. Sophie was unbearable, much of her house was. The only thing that seemed to cheer them up was that they could still unleash some poison on Ron Weasley, making him nervous with the song "Weasley Is Our King" during Gryffindor's game this afternoon against Ravenclaw.
Pansy had escaped from Sophie and Rachel as soon as she had a chance and now she was walking down the hallways, to the Great Hall. When she walked in, the smell of the food woke her up a bit, she would bet they were lucky enough to have hot chocolate on the table that day. House elves were not used to abusing this drink, since giving chocolate every morning was bad for growing young people. Wasting no time she sat at one of the edges of the Slytherin table, and grabbed the drink that from the entrance was making her salivate, as well as a sweet bun filled with jam, to vary the toast or cookies of her typical mornings.
As she ate, she inspected the Great Hall. A couple of Hufflepuffs were pacing from one end of their table to the other, doing who knows what. A Ravenclaw, when she thought no one was seeing her, picked her nose as fast as she could, to hide it. Pansy had to stop eating breakfast for a few seconds, thinking, "Besides devouring books, she eats snot." When she got bored with the rest, she turned her gaze to the Gryffindor table. A smile escaped her when she saw Ron Weasley paler than death. Hermione and Harry, as expected, were looking at him worriedly, eating slowly and talking to him a lot. Ginny Weasley moved one of the plates, pulling it closer to her for something to eat. Luna Lovegood was there too, despite being a Ravenclaw, absentmindedly playing with her own hair. Pansy drank some hot chocolate, amused. But the situation did not change much by the time she finished eating, everything was still the same at the lions' table; or even worse, because of a Slytherin who went after the Weasleys and said something, which was probably the song to unnerve him.
Pansy stretched out lazily in her seat, wondering what to do next. They didn't have classes, Hermione would be chasing Weasley all day wiping his tears, and Rachel and Sophie would spend all their energy teasing Gryffindor, which she didn't have much interest in that day (not to mention, though she refused to admit it openly , that she didn't feel like getting into a big mess with Hermione). In conclusion: she was not quite sure what activities she had left to choose from so as not to die of boredom.
She got up from her seat, deciding it was better to return to her Common Room. Perhaps she could take advantage of the fact that everyone would be on the Quidditch pitch to do some school work comfortably in bed and in total silence. That sounded ten times better to her mind than doing it in the library, with those wooden chairs that wrecked her back. She walked slowly, because she was not excited to go study either, and just a few meters from the door, an orange streak passed too close to her, almost carrying her away. She recoiled in reaction, somewhat dumbfounded, and as she tried to understand what she saw, Hermione passed in front of her as well, running after that thing.
"Ron!" She heard her scream, before she sped down the hallways.
Out of the corner of her eye she noticed another presence approaching, so she turned to face it. Harry Potter was walking towards the door at a slower pace, luckily for Pansy, although when he noticed her there too, he paused for a second, hesitating.
"Good morning," she greeted him, trying to be polite, when she recovered and walked over to him.
He gave her an awkward smile in response. It was strange interacting together, not having Hermione as an intermediary.
"Something happen?" She asked, still looking down the hall where the Gryffindors had run past.
"Ron jumped up and ran away... I think."
"What a Gryffindor," Pansy laughed. At Potter's angry glare, she retracted, "I mean... not that he's a coward, err," she hesitated, and clicked her tongue before continuing. "You know what? I do not care. It was a simple joke. Get angry if you want."
Potter turned a little red, but didn't argue.
"He went to vomit," someone said behind their backs. When they turned around, Luna was there, smiling. The other Weasley followed a few steps behind her.
"I wonder how this is possible, today was one of the few days in my life when I saw him in front of a plate without swallowing it like an animal," she commented.
"Do you think, Luna?" Potter asked. "It didn't seem like…"
"I was sitting next to him," she interrupted him. "I'm sure I heard him gag."
Pansy clenched her jaw, avoiding laughing at Ron Weasley's misfortunes.
"We should...?" Potter groped.
"Go see him throw up? Pass," the redhead agreed. "Come Luna, I'll look for some paints in the Common Room to put on your makeup."
"Why are you going to do her makeup?"
"I mean paint it red and yellow, Harry. For the game."
The girl did not wait for an answer from him, starting to walk towards the exit. Luna with a smile hurried to catch up with her.
"Come on, Gryffindor!" She shouted with joy, drawing the attention of those who passed near her.
"Um," Potter stammered, being alone with Pansy again, "you ... will you do something before the game?"
"Do I have a Gryffindor face or a Ravenclaw tie?" She mocked.
"I thought you would go," he muttered. "Hermione mentioned it."
One of Pansy's eyebrows went up, as she thought "That I would what?"
"We never talked about going to the game together."
"No, she didn't say that. But she mentioned that she would use the game to talk to you."
She felt some reluctance to imagine her, a Slytherin, in the lion stands. She was about to say that it would kill her reputation, but of course, at this time of year it was questionable if she still had it...
"Or are you going to sing that stupid song with the rest of your house?" He accused her.
A smug smile spread across her face.
"What do you care, Potter?"
The boy clenched his mouth and his fists in anger. Before he could insult her, Hermione reappeared. She was panting from running. She looked too exhausted, her face worried and stressed. And not even half a day had passed yet!
"Harry, could you...?" Her words hung in the air, realizing that it wasn't just them. She wasn't expecting at all to find her with her best friend. Pansy.
"Good morning to you too," she replied, glad to have her attention.
A hint of a smile appeared on the other as well, but did not fully form. Hermione, serious, decided to focus on her friend, who was quiet and still pissed off with Pansy.
"Ron went into the ladies' room by accident," she said quietly, afraid someone would overhear. "He is vomiting."
Pansy tried, really tried not to be the seed of discord, but failed miserably, letting out a hearty laugh. Both Gryffindors glared at her. But they decided to ignore her and keep whispering:
"I'll go find Ginny to help me."
"She should be in our common room, she was with Luna," Potter said.
"Good." She took a breath, more relaxed. "You must prevent the twins from seeing it. They are not exactly an aid to Ron's self-esteem, the last thing we need is for them to make it worse…"
"And the other Weasley, yes?" Pansy got in.
"Ginny wants Gryffindor to win over everything." At the mocking look she gave her, she added. "I'll see to it that she doesn't disturb him."
"Maybe I …"
"Can you come into the girls' bathroom with me, Harry?" Hermione asked, as she shook her head. "We need to get Ron out of there."
"I could help by guarding the door, prevent someone from entering ..."
"And who would take care of the twins? We planned out yesterday that we would watch them together. But of course we didn't have Ron's stomach to contend with!"
Potter's eyes, for a millisecond, drifted to Pansy. Both best friends fell silent, thinking.
"Pansy," Hermione began, with a sweet, coaxing smile.
"Oh no!" She exclaimed. "I'm not going to get into your trouble."
"Please," she begged.
Pansy hesitated. And she hated herself for it. "Damn Granger" she cursed in her mind, trying not to fall before that look. She tried to resist inside, tooth and nail, but Hermione didn't disconnect her pleading eyes from her and...
"Fine," she spat, staring at the wall. Angry with everyone. With Hermione, with Potter, and with the entire planet.
"Oh thanks!" She squealed with glee, taking a step toward Pansy and freezing at the last second, her arms half-extended in the air, a clear hint of a hug. She could easily read the terror in her eyes, the words big and in a very strong red: "I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT HALL." It was hilarious to watch. "Tha… Thank you," she stammered, staring at the ground as she crossed her arms. She took a deep breath and dared to face Pansy again. "It won't be complicated. You just have to talk to them, avoid them approaching the women's bathroom or Ron in general until it is time for the game."
Pansy nodded, a little reluctant. Was she becoming a worse student since she was with Hermione Granger? It was quite unexpected, but everything pointed to it. She paid less attention in class when she was around her, and even less focused when they weren't sharing the room and she invaded her mind by accident. Hermione, the proper student, let her copy her homework so they could hang out one weekend too. And now, the cherry on top, had practically told her "Don't go to study, you better bait the clown fish."
"You're the best," she flattered her. "See you at the game."
And so the Gryffindors left, to take care of that red-haired mess they called friend. Pansy cocked her head, confused at herself. "Did I just agree to spend the day with the Weasleys and commit to going to see that boring Quidditch match?" To top it all, she realized she had no idea where the twins might be.
"Damn it, Hermione," she lamented.
. . .
So what's the best way for a Slytherin to approach Gryffindors they don't know? That was the unknown Pansy faced.
Fred and George Weasley were sitting in the window frames in the hallway. Angelina Johnson was with them, leaning against the wall. Lee Jordan, the match commentator, was also there, sitting cross-legged on the hallway floor.
Once more she cursed her luck and headed for them.
"Hey," she greeted them.
The four of them looked at her strangely.
"A small snake seems to be lost," commented one of the Weasley twins, beginning to smile.
"Small? Does she look like a first year to you?" The brother continued, already with a complete smile. Pansy had no idea who was who.
"Well, you can't expect early maturation from Slytherins..."
"Oh, sorry!" Exclaimed the other, interrupting the dialogue and turning his head towards Pansy, her eyes widening in an exaggerated way. "Were you listening to us?"
"I'm going to murder Hermione" she thought as she clenched her jaw. The twins' mocking tone was more irritating than their words.
Johnson rolled her eyes, before joining the conversation:
"You need something?"
"Oh my, how mature she is, how responsible," one of the twins spoke mockingly again.
"Well of course! She's from Gryffindor. Not Slytherin," the other Weasley concluded.
Lee Jordan laughed at the siblings' witticisms. "One, two, three" she said loudly in her mind, "Patience, you're doing it for Hermione. You will make her return the favor." She focused on Johnson.
"I." Pansy frowned, stopping talking. Why would she go to the trouble of making up an excuse for fool Weasley? All they asked of her was to keep talking to them until the game. She needed to distract them. But they didn't tell her how. She fixed her eyes on the twins. "I came to distract you so that you won't disturb your little brother."
That seemed to confuse the annoying siblings, as their smiles faltered.
"And do you distract them by telling them that you are distracting them?" Asked Johnson, who now seemed to be the one amusing herself in the conversation.
Pansy shrugged.
"So far it's working for me. They're here and not in the women's bathroom on the first floor," she said with an innocent smile, as if she hadn't given away Ron Weasley's whereabouts.
"Why is he in the ladies room?" Johnson asked, her brow raised.
"Something about throwing up or crying because he's going to lose the game, I can't quite remember what Hermione said. Maybe both," she explained, exaggerating the information.
The twins and Lee Jordan began to crack with laughter. On the other hand, Johnson, as the captain of the Quidditch team, was not happy learning about it.
"We should go too," said one of the twins, but he didn't quite finish speaking.
"No." Johnson crossed her arms, threatening them.
"Right," Pansy supported her words. "You can bother him after the game. Otherwise you will lose."
"Why did you tell them about Ron and now you're trying to stop them from doing something that will ruin our game?" The woman questioned her reproachfully, now she was looking at her, suspecting her intentions.
"I didn't offer to help Weasley. They volunteered me for it. So if a little information leaked because I didn't have enough time to think about what to do, well that could happen to anyone…"
Johnson shook her head, muttering "Slytherin."
"What a friend Hermione has!" Lee Jordan said, amused.
"Well, I'm already liking her," said one of the twins.
"Really?" The boy on the ground straightened up, perplexed.
"Anyone who helps us upset our little brother is our friend," the other brother explained.
Pansy concluded that her "job" was done, so she was about to say goodbye, but the lions spoke to her again.
"Won't Hermione be mad at you?" Said Johnson.
"Technically, she always gets mad," she teased, though in part she was beginning to worry.
Not that she was scared to see Hermione angry, but she didn't want her to ignore her for at least a week. Besides that she would have to apologize. "Damn, I didn't think this through," she lamented. She had blurted out too much in the irritation of the moment.
"Are you going to be very cruel to him?" She asked the twins, trying to gauge the seriousness of the matter.
"Is it fear that I hear in your voice?" Said one of the twins, ignoring her words. "Trouble in paradise, Parkinson?"
A grimace of annoyance escaped her.
"They won't do anything serious," Johnson replied. "They are not going to scare my keeper away, not today or tomorrow."
"You know? I agree with Angelina," Jordan put in. "You've made fun of him enough on this topic already. At this rate they are going to be known as the brothers of the worst Gryffindor player of all time."
Johnson snorted, putting her hand to her temple.
"I'm supposed to be the team captain. And I can't fix this! He was the best of the tests, and it is obvious that if he was not about to pass out while flying, he would be a very good player."
"I don't think it's our fault," one of the twins complained.
"We helped a bit, we admit it... But this is all Slytherin's fault."
And then, after the two brothers' words, all eyes were on Pansy. She laughed awkwardly, trying to lighten the mood.
"Is it a good time to mention that I wasn't the one who wrote the song?"
"It must have been Malfoy, of course," Lee Jordan said.
"I think it was group work," Pansy clarified. "And I insist, I do not include myself in that group."
"What, you can't write songs?" Said a Weasley.
"Of course I can. What kind of idiot can't rhyme?"
"She's friends with Hermione. Obviously she wasn't going to bother Ron," Johnson spoke up.
"Wasn't it because everyone in Slytherin hates her?" Jordan countered.
"The song was written before my friendship with her," she clarified. "And they don't hate me." Pansy hesitated but corrected herself under her breath. "Not all of them …"
"Weren't you singing with them that day?" Jordan asked now. "I didn't seem to see a single silent Slytherin."
Pansy had to look away slightly, feeling trapped. How wrong would it be to admit that she did do it in front of Gryffindor players? Or rather, how suicidal was it to do it?
"You have to admit it's catchy," she ventured to confess.
After a few seconds of silence, the twins couldn't resist singing:
"Weasley cannot save a thing..."
"He cannot block a single ring..."
"Weasley was born in a bin..."
"He always lets the Quaffle in..."
"Should we be offended by this?" One of them interrupted.
"According to our mother, we might as well be the neighbors across the street rather than part of the family... So no."
Angelina Johnson shook her head, as a smile fought to escape her lips. Lee Jordan was laughing and Pansy was laughing too, but hers was lower. One of the twins smiled at her and patted the free space in the window frame, between them, while the other spoke:
"You have to distract us until game time, right?"
Pansy hesitated, but ended up complying. What did she have to lose? The twins moved even further to the edges, to give her space to sit between them.
"So...?" One of the redheads tried, trying to be nice. "Can you rhyme?"
Pansy raised an eyebrow at the stupid question.
"Angelina doesn't know, so I guess she's an idio... Ouch!" He complained, raising his hands to cover himself from a possible second blow from the woman.
"The real idiots here are you," she growled, then studied Pansy with her gaze, saying nothing.
The Slytherin prayed inside that she was thinking things that didn't threaten her person.
"I'm surprised she asked you for help," Lee Jordan said. "Don't take it personally Parkinson, but …"
"I know, everyone hates me and I'm a Slytherin," she cut him off.
"Hermione told us you changed," a Weasley began.
"Sure. Plus Parkinson gave her a book, that's something," the other Weasley recalled, then looked at Pansy suspiciously. "We almost lost a bet because of you."
The conversation flowed then, as the three boys were talking on and on. Pansy and Angelina Johnson did nothing more than narrow down or comment on some detail, but were attentive listeners. Time passed, surprisingly, quickly. She learned several things from those Gryffindors, such as that the Weasleys were working on selling of joke objects of their own invention (she turned them down when they offered to sell her something, not completely trusting the quality of what they sold), and that Lee Jordan against all odds, read Witch's Heart magazine just like she did.
"You're coming to the game, right?" Fred asked, getting up.
The twins now had names in her mind. Mainly, because now that she knew them, she liked them. They both enjoyed teasing and teasing right and left like her, as well as having a fixation on teasing Ron Weasley.
"Looks like it," she murmured, leaving the edge of the window as well.
"Because of Hermione, right?" Angelina asked with a smile.
Pansy understood why that woman was Gryffindor, she was so brave and imposing that you couldn't help but respect her. But she had a sharp gaze that felt more dangerous than most Slytherins she knew. Boys probably did not notice that detail, that almost imperceptible form of insinuation behind her words. Angelina had no doubt that Hermione was not just a friend, she knew she cared without even asking her directly. Pansy gathered strength not to sound vulnerable, invaded ...
"I didn't want to, my house isn't playing this match after all. But Hermione assumed I would go and…"
"You didn't dare say no to her," she helped her finish.
She recognized, then, that she had not realized until this very moment that she was smaller than her. She was talking to seventh-year students, two years older. Angelina's tone was relaxed. Behind her was the experience, an "I understand you, it happened to me more than once." It was comforting.
"So will you be in our stands too?" George asked, holding back a laugh.
"I wouldn't be surprised at this rate," she lamented.
Everyone laughed at her words, including herself.
"Someone will have to lend me one of their scarves," she joked. "I'm sure I'll even be singing, instead of the original song, something like…" Pansy paused to think for a few seconds. "Weasley is our king / Weasley is our king. / He didn't let the Quaffle in. / Weasley is our king."
"That's genius!" Lee Jordan exclaimed, laughing.
"Did you make that up just now?" Fred asked, delighted.
"Why did we just start talking to her now?" George said to his twin. "We should make up a song for ourselves. For our joke products!"
"It's true! How did we not think of it? What better publicity than a song?"
"And it would serve to mislead Filch. A harmless song. Among students they would know where it came from. But the teachers? It would miss them completely. Like a password."
"Pansy," Angelina called, putting a hand on her shoulder and ignoring the brainstorming chatter the Weasleys were immersed in. "That's it."
Pansy cocked her head, not understanding her.
"We can modify the song."
She raised her eyebrows in response, still surprised that a foolish change in one word had led to all of this.
"Come on," Angelina ordered everyone. "We have work to do, and little time".
. . .
When she got to the Quidditch pitch, she saw Hermione, alone. She walked towards her as quietly as possible.
"Boo!" She blurted out next to her ear.
Hermione jumped, taking a few steps forward, and then turned, staring at her with wild eyes. When she processed the information, her face turned red.
"Moron!" she shouted.
Pansy smiled innocently, showing her teeth.
"Did you miss me?" She asked her.
"No," Hermione growled, crossing her arms.
They looked at each other in silence, in a battle of wills.
"Easy, Gryffindor, I won't tell anyone about this," she teased her.
Hermione sighed, shaking her head.
"And Weasley?"
"With Luna. They are finishing her face."
"I meant the other one."
"Oh. Sorry. I thought…" Pansy cut her off in the middle.
"That I wouldn't be interested in whether Ron Weasley ended up slipping on his own vomit or not? It offends me that you think that. I tend to be very interested in the misfortunes of others."
Hermione was frowning, but didn't scold her.
"Tell me what happened?" She insisted, speaking more seriously now, no longer with a mocking smile.
"Okay," she murmured, starting to walk. She nodded for Pansy to follow her. "He felt a little better after Ginny told him 'So what if you lose? There's not much to ruin anymore.' It relieved him. I wish someone had thought of saying that from the beginning…"
"Hermione, you are losing me. Why is there nothing to ruin? Ravenclaw can win."
"But even if we lose, we are not disqualified. We aren't depending on this game, because we had already won one and lost another. Instead, you …"
"Slytherin lost both," she said, and, seeing the start of discomfort in her for saying that the defeat of her house was a positive thing, she tried to calm her. "I don't care that we lost."
"Are you not interested in Quidditch?"
"Deep down, I'm happy that Draco and the others lost." Pansy considered a detail then, and fixed a sharp, menacing gaze on Hermione. "Of course we will not allow you to win the House Cup."
Hermione's eyes sparkled, showing her competitive streak.
"We won't let you win either."
Upon reaching the bleachers, Hermione climbed them. Pansy froze on the ground and swallowed hard. Was she really going to come up to support Gryffindor? A part of her resisted the idea.
"Pansy?" She called her doubtfully.
Her face was too expressive. And she didn't like it when she showed negative feelings. If she listened to her, would she be happy? The Slytherin sighed, understanding that it was useless to resist, and went up the stairs. They were soon joined by Weasley and Luna. Pansy was hunched back in her seat, wondering what Sophie would do if she saw her on those bleachers, while the other three girls spoke cheerfully at the chances of a Ron Weasley with a steady stomach. Even the sky seemed to say "Everything will be fine", it was already less cold than last week.
The game started. Lee Jordan presented all the players with great energy. When everyone from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw was on the field, Weasley spoke to them:
"Harry can't stop looking at her."
"He certainly likes Cho," Luna confirmed.
"Potter interested in... That one?" Thought Pansy. Cho was a Ravenclaw who really disliked her. To Pansy's shame a couple of times that girl had managed to twist her words and make her look bad in front of other people. Also, her clothes were ridiculous. Only someone who is blind wouldn't notice! Was Potter's eyesight bad or...? Well, yes it was. That explained too much.
"I play better," Weasley commented. "They will see next year."
Pansy did not miss Hermione's face looking worriedly at the redhead. She didn't have time to speak, as Lee Jordan's scream forced her to focus her attention on the field. Suddenly she remembered why she didn't like Quidditch, so uncomfortable to watch...
She did not listen too closely to Lee Jordan's narration, staying more with what she saw for herself. A big man dodged Potter who had shot forward like he was a demon. The quaffle crossed the field through passes between ... Pansy was bored with that part so she looked for something else, and a smile escaped her when she got it: Cho was having trouble with her hair while flying; watching, like a flawed eagle. "That's what she gets for trying to fly with her hair untied" she teased, "thanks windy day." Lee's shout of Ravenclaw scoring (along with a swear word, and McGonagall's scolding echoing through the microphone) made her look at Ron Weasley. The Slytherins were quick:
Weasley cannot save a thing
He cannot block a single ring
Pansy searched Angelina with her eyes, she couldn't see her facial expression, but she certainly didn't seem happy. "They just need a chance, huh" she thought with a half smile, remembering what they had talked about "The point is to get it."
"Come on Ron, you can," Luna murmured, squeezing her hands.
Weasley stopped watching the game to focus on Luna, clearly surprised in her gesture.
"I didn't know you liked him so much," Pansy commented.
"I just bet with the twins."
All the girls turned to see her better, incredulous.
"They think Ron will make a fool of himself again. I told them that even a broken watch tells the right time twice a day."
"Did you just insult Weasley or am I wrong?" Pansy asked with a hint of a smile.
"What did you bet?" Hermione spoke up.
"They will give a 'Quibbler' magazine in every sale they make with their business."
"What if you lose?" Pansy prompted her to continue when Luna got distracted watching the game.
"I'll pay them a hundred galleons."
"A hundred what?!" Weasley screeched, almost jumping out of her seat.
"Galleons."
"I heard you," she growled. "How did you bet that amount? You are not thinking of paying, are you? Do you even have that much money?"
"What are you worried about? I will not lose."
Weasley gasped desperately. Hermione was just as outraged, but doing nothing, petrified. Pansy couldn't help but think how funny it was that Luna was so confident about her power as a human good luck charm.
"I'll kill them," Weasley said in a sigh, looking straight ahead again, arms crossed.
All the girls followed suit. The twins were just exchanging high-fives for having hit the ball successfully. Angelina swooped down, trying to avoid the other Ravenclaw players to go to the opposing hoops. Pansy yawned. She looked up at the sky, seeing that there were many more clouds than before. "Will it get cloudy for dinner?" she mused. A joint groan in the lion stands called her back into the game, noting that Ravenclaw was on offense again. Even Potter stopped his search for the snitch to see this play, surely more nervous than the Gryffindor keeper himself. The opposing team threw the ball with all their might and ... they didn't score.
"DID YOU SEE THAT?" Yelled Lee Jordan. "Ron Weasley made an exceptional play!"
Again a song was heard:
Weasley is our King
Weasley is our King
Weasley, Hermione, and Luna looked back, confused.
"Why are they...?" Hermione muttered, not finishing her sentence when she saw that her own house was the one singing.
He didn't let the Quaffle in
Weasley is our King.
"Wow. Did they change it? What a surprise," Pansy said, as if her own handiwork was unknown to her.
Weasley can save anything,
He never leaves a single ring,
That's why Gryffindors all sing:
Weasley is our King.
"It can't be," gasped Ginny Weasley with a laugh.
"Come on Ron!" Luna yelled, even more convinced that she would win the bet.
The rest of the match didn't make much sense from Pansy's perspective, as she was only seeing Hermione smile, happy for her friend. As Lee Jordan recounted the passes, Pansy's eyes darted like them, from one side to the other, from her mouth to the Gryffindor's neck, making surprising movements every so often towards her eyes. When she let out a squeak and mini jump in her seat because Weasley saved another Quaffle or the Lions team scored, Pansy's heart leapt, just as rampant.
"Look!" Weasley warned them.
They all obeyed. Potter was just dodging Cho and caught the snitch in front of her own nose.
The stands roared. Everyone was clapping and yelling as loud as they could. The redhead even jumped up saying "Yes!" happily. Hermione grabbed Pansy's arm, holding her against her body in excitement. It was a fluffy sensation, Hermione was so warm that she felt nothing but the pressure of her grip. Still she shuddered from head to toe, not daring to move, as if time also stopped; preventing this second of jubilation, and more importantly, this hug, from ending.
Pansy was beginning to find Gryffindor winning to be very good news.