Welcome back! Hope you're enjoying it! As always, love to Mcal, who so graciously gave of her time to beta this for me. She's the best, y'all! Any remaining mistakes are my own.

Also, I don't own any rights to Harry Potter and Co.

Chapter 14

She'd watched him for the last five minutes and couldn't let it go on a moment longer. He'd avoided her like she had Spattergroit for weeks now, and he was choosing to spend time with that pathetic bird?

And what was worse, were the tender looks he gave the vile little creature. If Pansy had not needed the bird, she'd have done away with it ages ago, but alas the filthy bird remained.

"Pansy?" She watched him rise to his feet, fidgeting with the large tome in his hands. "I didn't realize you were back, I was just…"

"You were just what?" She snapped, "Reading to that ridiculous bird?"

"I… well…," he hesitated a moment then drew himself up to his full height, "actually, I find I quite enjoy reading to your bird."

Pansy pursed her lips and drew a long hissing breath in through her drastically upturned nose. She exhaled, trying to calm her features, but she could feel the tension.

She took a slow step toward Draco. He moved the book from arm to arm, Pansy was thrilled she affected him. "You enjoy reading to the bird." The chill and challenge in her voice evident. "A dirty, disgusting, waste of fowl… and you quite enjoy reading to it?"

Never knowing Draco to back down, she was pleased to see him adjust his posture and don his mask of superiority. It was such a good look on him.

"Indeed I do." He turned to glance at the cage, his face softening. Why would he be so taken with that stupid bird?

The dam of tension building within her broke at that moment. With a scream of fury and frustration, Pansy drew her wand and sent a light blasting hex at the wall by the fireplace. Plaster and paper flew through the air as the wall began to smolder.

Draco whipped around, mouth gaping at her. "Just what the devil do you think you're doing?" He yelled.

The end table was the next to meet Pansy's wrath. "What is it about the stupid bird?" She seethed, her white knuckles pulsing around the shaft of her wand.

Holding a hand up in surrender, Draco edged in front of the cage. "I don't know why you're so upset, but you must realize these past few months have been difficult for me." His shoulders slumped. "I don't feel as lonely when I read to it." He finished on a whisper.

Pansy sneered and made a noise of general disgust. Her next words were spoken slowly through gritted teeth, "I've been right here… for months."

"You don't understand, Pansy..."

He was cut off by her scream and the shattering of the window from the blasting hex she aimed just left of his head.

"Are you crazy?" He bellowed.

The contorted mask of her face caused him to retreat backward; his hand slowly lowering toward his wand as he watched Pansy send slicing and blasting hexes around the room.

Downy feathers liberated from the sofa floated through the air, the silent ballet as they drifted downward a stark juxtaposition to the witch flinging hexes at everything stationary.

Wand firmly in his hand, Draco brought the tip up, aiming carefully at the enraged witch. But before he could fire a Stupefy, an errant spell left her wand and landed at his feet. The shock of it caused him to stumble back knocking over the bird cage with a loud clatter.

The clanging of the metal seemed to rise above the din of Pansy's rage. As Draco rolled to the side in what he felt was an impressive evasive maneuver, Pansy lurched forth attempting to throw herself over the cage, its filigreed door opened and its occupant flapping frantically. She landed short of the cage and began to crawl frantically toward it, but as her hand made contact with the ornate bars; the dove found freedom through the open hatch.

Screaming once again, Pansy scrambled to her feet, "NO!" She began to leap into the air, groping impotently. "Catch it!" Her face turning redder with each attempt. "Don't let it get away!" But her pleas were for naught as it flew through the window she'd smashed open minutes before.

Draco felt the dangerous tingle of uncontrolled magic and tried to scramble toward the door in his still supine position, but Pansy trained her wand on him, her eyes clouded with rage and her hair sparking violently.

"Look at what you did." She stepped toward him, her body visibly trembling. "How could you let this happen?" Her voice was low and dangerous.

He held his hands up, his wand discarded in favor of peaceable surrender. "Pansy…"

"SHUT UP!" She shrieked

Draco shut up, and tried to continue his trek toward the door as inconspicuously as possible.

"I didn't want it to come to this, but you've force my hand now." Pansy raised her wand, a true aim at Draco's chest. He closed his eyes and waited, but all he heard was a dull thud.

Peeking through only a slit in his eyelids he saw Pansy in a heap at his feet.

"Draco, darling… are you all right?"

Turning he saw his mother, wand still pointed at the stunned witch, her face pinched in fear he's not seen her wear since before the end of the war. He gave her a grunt of affirmation and returned to his feet.

Narcissa took one deep breath and then levitated Pansy into the bedroom, leaving her on top of her bedclothes. Returning to the destroyed sitting room, she flicked her wand and set the room to rights.

"Sprocket."

The elf landed at her feet with a soft pop. "Yes, Miss Narcissa?"

"Please keep an eye on our… guest." Her tone was unmistakable, the elf nodded once in agreement. "When she wakes, see that she has some… special tea. Something to keep her calm and help her sleep."

"As you wish Miss Narcissa." And Sprocket popped away.

I'd love to know what you think. Your reviews are appreciated and welcome!

Also, I'm pretty sure I mentioned it in the first chapter AN's, but this story is part of TheMourningMadam's Once Upon a Time Collection that was hosted as a fest on Facebook and originally posted on AO3. There are some amazing stories in the fest and I encourage you to check it out.

Happy reading, all!