Hermione instructed Pansy to wait on the park bench while she went to get some food. She came back shortly after with two wrapped sandwiches and a bottle of water.
"Why are we back here anyway?!" Pansy complained.
"I think we should stay here one more night. This little park is kind of secluded, hardly anyone passes trough and I think moving right now only increases the chances of us bumping into one of their patrols. Make sense?"
"Well, I can't say I have a better idea… But we have to sleep outside again, right?" Pansy realized.
"Afraid so, but we'll surely find a better place by tomorrow night."
"Alright." Pansy accepted reaching for her sandwich. "So what's the plan beyond tomorrow?"
Granger stopped mid way to a bite to wipe the drool off her lip. "I'm not sure yet..." She sighed. "I just know we should avoid train stations and such places 'cause they'll be expecting that. If we just lay low, we have a better chance of getting out of the area. Isn't just staying alive good enough for now?"
"I suppose it is." Pansy said not sounding very convincing.
"You're free to leave anytime, you know?" Hermione reminded her.
"I know. I bet you'd like to be rid of me?!"
"I wouldn't mind." Hermione smirked biting down on her sandwich.
"Likewise…" Pansy retorted bemusedly trailing off into distance. She wondered why she even asked about tomorrow. It'd make her sad to think past a day or two, especially now when the future looked so dreary. Snapping out of it she started eating to catch up with Granger who already had her cheeks full.
They sat there in silence till the late hour when a cold fall night fell upon them in the empty park. Pansy couldn't sleep even though she tired stretching out on the bench. She was shivering.
"Told you so!" Hermione came around form behind and took a seat next to her. "I knew you'd be cold in that when the night falls."
"I know, I know, I just couldn't pass it up." Pansy said sitting up to fluff the frilly edge of her dress.
"What's so special about that dress?" Finally succumbing to her curiosity, Hermione asked.
"Well… It reminds me of the one I used the have when I was little. I never had any pets or stuff like that, you know?" Pansy turned to see if Granger was listening. "I was much more attached to inanimate objects." She explained egged on by Granger's sudden interest, but only a moment later she sighed scolding herself for thinking aloud. Pansy realized how desperate she must be to share this with just anyone. For sure she'd never tell this to her fellow Slytherins, lest they thought her weak and sentimental.
Granger didn't laugh or mock her though. She appeared to be thinking about it. "Objects, inanimate and impersonal, why'd you think that it?" She asked in a rather cocky way that made it sound like she knew the answer.
"You tell me than…" Pansy propped up on the bench. "…since you seem to know everything."
"I suppose I could guess, but why don't you tell me."
Pansy sighed again. "Well, objects… you know they never change, at least seemingly, and I suppose anything worth a damn is based on the idea that things…"
"…won't ever change." Hermione finished the sentence quite perfectly.
"Right." Pansy looked back.
The unexpected understanding quickly became uncomfortable, so Hermione looked down on the gravel where she made lines with the heel of her scruffy sneaker. "I have to say, I didn't guess right."
"What?! Must be a huge let down for your ego." Pansy teased.
"No. I don't idolize myself… or anything anymore." Hermione admitted.
"You could have fooled me." Pansy snickered coaxing out a smile from Hermione as well.
Almost a pleasant conversation, Hermione concluded after a few silent moments. There was still some of that prodding and rivalry, but it was as if the outcome didn't matter this time. Was there more to Parkinson after all, Hermione wondered, or was it just her own mind weaving webs again? She'd rather not get caught in her own imagination again, Hermione decided. She took another gander at Parkinson who gazed up at the lamppost where numerous moths made tapping sounds in an otherwise soundless night. Though she looked rather innocent at the moment, there was a second, self-preserving nature to all of us, Hermione reminded herself. Perhaps Parkinson couldn't really be blamed for that, but she was capable of deceit and deeds highly questionable and dishonest, and ultimately, she couldn't be trusted, Hermione decided.
"I think I'll try to sleep now." Pansy suddenly announced and curled up on the bench as best she could.
"Ok." Hermione stood up to give her space to stretch out. No reason not to see this trough politely, she thought tossing her hoodie over Pansy's exposed legs.
"Thank you." Feeling instantly warmer Pansy smiled.
"Yea…" Hermione managed a forced smile, though the sudden pleasantness started to disturb her. "Just till you fall asleep, alright?!" Hermione remarked. "I'm not keen on freezing either."
"Thank you still, you've done so much."
"I know…" Hermione realized, and once again she had a sense that Parkinson was trying to manipulate her with these gentle words. "Not that you deserve it, the way you left those people back there, but I just can't see anyone suffer." Hermione elaborated, more to herself than anyone else.
Hearing that Pansy kicked off the shirt and watched it splatter across the gravel path. "Aren't you a real saint!? I don't need your damn pity, and no, I didn't leave anyone behind, no matter what you think!" She insisted.
"Whatever you say…" Hermione picked up her hoodie and went back to sit on the wall. She felt more at ease now that things where back to normal, more or less. Provoking such a reaction was certainly better in the long run, Hermione assured herself. The sooner she was rid of Parkinson and the air cleared, she could go find her parents or a place to hide if that fails. A good deed never goes unpunished anyway, she thought glancing on the bench where Parkinson shivered under a cold breeze.
Pansy was already regretting saying anything. It was that damn Parkinson pride that got in the way again, that didn't serve her too well in the past neither. Pansy wasn't brought up to bow down to anyone, but now the whole world seemed to be above her. Pansy soon stopped with the self-pity, she didn't want to use up all of her sleep time so she decided to think of something nice and naughty, as she usually did to lull herself to sleep. She tried, but her thoughts where plagued with helplessness and cold. Mostly the cursed cold cutting its way into her limbs and chest, cutting into any other thoughts she wanted to amuse herself with. She'd so love to have Granger's stinking shirt back as a blanket, she could probably still get it, but then again she'd rather freeze to death than give her the satisfaction.
Pansy managed to fall asleep eventually, but she was rudely and prematurely awakened when her time ran out. Coughing and red-eyed she limped over to the wall where Hermione had waited her turn to finally sprawl across the bench herself. She did so pleasantly yawning.
When Granger went still Pansy limped over to take a look at her stupid, self-righteous face. The image of herself that she so clings to had to be full of holes by now, Pansy figured, but surely she's plugged them all with ignorance and it may not be long before she decides she paid her due. Perhaps it'd be best to leave right now? Pansy considered. She could steal the food and leave. But where would she go? Stranded in the Muggle world alone Pansy didn't have a clue, and Granger may yet have a plan that she didn't divulge.