This is being cross-posted from Ao3. It was originally posted on 31 December 2020.
Huge thank you to GaeilgeRua for allowing me to use her Grammarly! Any other mistakes are definitely my own..
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling, Bloomsbury, and Warner Bros. No copyright infringement is intended.
Prompt: Draco Malfoy + Time Stood Still
Ten
...years ago, Pansy thought that she had everything she ever wanted. The war was behind her, and with her apprenticeship at Madam Malkin's, her goals were within reach. Even with her parent's disapproval of her dreams, Pansy at least had her freedom. Giving up everything that was promised to her for the sake of her career choices had been hard.
Growing up, Pansy had always been told that she was destined to marry Draco Malfoy. That's just what her parents always wanted for her. Only, that wasn't what she and Draco wanted. Pansy wanted to be a fashion designer, and Draco wanted to work for Gringotts. If they allowed their parents to force them into marriage, then that would never happen.
Nine
...years ago, Pansy's father had a heart attack and passed away, leaving her mother alone. Pansy tried to reconcile, but the witch still didn't want anything to do with her. Heartbroken, Pansy finished her apprenticeship and went to work in a smaller robe shop in northern England. Wanting to just get away from London and everything that defined her, Pansy thought she
"Pansy?"
Glancing up from folding robes, Pansy was surprised to find Draco standing there. "Draco? What brings you here?" she asked, setting the robes aside and smiling at her old friend.
"I was 0n my way to visit Theo," Draco explained before a frown settled on his face. "Look, I know I didn't make it to the funeral, but I was sorry to hear that your father died."
Pansy sighed and tucked a strand of her dark hair behind an ear. "Thank you," she replied. "Honestly, though, I'm fine. He hated my life choices, so…" She trailed off, shrugging.
"I can understand that," Draco said, smirking. "Anyway, I stopped in because I saw you through the shop window. Next time you're in London, we should hang out or get drinks. It's been ages."
"I'd like that," Pansy said quietly, suddenly acutely aware of how long it had been since she hung out with friends.
After Draco had gone, Pansy stood staring out the window until realizing she had work to do.
Eight
...months later Pansy ran into Draco again. This time she was visiting Daphne Greengrass and her sister Astoria. They were all having drinks at the Leaky Cauldron when Draco, Theo, and Blaise wandered into the pub. Pansy immediately spotted him and smiled, waving him over.
"Draco," she said as he came up to the table. "Fancy meeting you here."
He laughed, grey eyes lighting up at her words. "I come here all the time, Pans. It's great to see you down this way, though. Are you in town for long?"
"Just a few days," Pansy explained as she slid out of the booth. She missed the knowing glances her friends shared behind her back.
"You ought to open your own shop in London, or maybe buy Madam Malkin's," Draco said as they walked to the bar to order some drinks. "I heard she's finally selling the place."
"Really?" Pansy said, sliding onto a barstool. "I've thought about moving back this way, but I'm not sure I can afford it right now."
"You should really think about it," Draco said as their drinks were set in front of them. "I work at Gringotts. I can put in a good word for you about a loan if you'd like." He blushed a bit as if knowing it would embarrass Pansy to ask for a loan.
It would… Pansy worked hard, but she was a bit short when it came to being able to afford a shop of her own. Without her family's money or prestige, people tended to treat her as a regular witch. That's what she wanted, though, so she had a hard time complaining.
"It's fine, Draco," Pansy told her friend, patting his arm. "I'll figure something out eventually. I'm still not sure what exactly it is I want to do right now."
She and Draco stared at each other for a few seconds before they parted ways and returned to their friends. Every once in a while, their eyes would meet across the pub though, and they'd share a secret smile. It made Pansy's heart skip a beat and a pink tint to appear high on Draco's usually pale cheeks.
Seven
...days after running into each other at the Leaky Cauldron, Pansy received a letter by owl.
Pansy,
I know you'd never ask, and I respect that, but I wanted to do this for you anyway. Consider it a gift. You can pay me back by designing robes specifically for me or something of the like. Whatever you decide, please don't change your mind. I'll see you soon.
Yours,
Draco
Opening the letter further, Pansy discovered that Draco bloody Malfoy had bought Madam Malkin's shop for her. Stunned, Pansy fell to the floor, kneeling, and cried tears of joy. Later that night, she began designing the Dragon line, which she planned to gift entirely to Draco after the grand opening of her shop.
Six
….months was all it took to get her shop to be featured in Witch Weekly. It was a dream come true, and it was all Draco's doing. Only, after the grand opening, Pansy hardly ever ran into him. Gringotts sent him all over the world on business, but Pansy tried to get together whenever he was home. After all, he was her number one investor, and she owed him all her success.
Knowing she needed to make sure that she could thank Draco properly, and maybe talk to him about how she was feeling, Pansy sat down to write Draco a letter.
Draco,
I owe you more than I can ever repay. Please, attend the Ministry Gala at Hogwarts with me? Or, at least, save me a dance if you already have plans of being there.
Yours,
Pansy
Five
….months ago Pansy reconnected yet again with Draco at a Ministry Gala. They'd shared a few owls as well as the random encounters over the years, but this was different. This time, Pansy had realized that maybe there was something more to her and Draco's friendship. As if on cue, they found themselves alone together outside of Hogwarts, where the event was taking place.
"I'm glad I always have you to talk to at these events," Pansy told Draco, as they wandered down to the Black Lake to get away from the many Gala attendees.
"Me too," Draco said, smirking. "I hate how stuffy these events are anymore." They were both quiet a few minutes before Draco spoke again. "Do you ever feel like time is just sort of, I don't know, standing still?" Draco asked, staring out into the darkness.
Pansy thought about it for a moment and then said, "Yeah, actually. Sometimes I feel like I spent so much of my life running from certain things, only to find myself wanting them in the end."
At this, she glanced at Draco, who grinned. Then, without even thinking about it, Draco and Pansy leaned toward one another and shared a kiss. They had to head back into the Gala, but for a little while anyway, it felt like they were the only ones there.
Four
...weeks was all it took for Draco and Pansy to find the perfect place to live. It took them longer to pick out the perfect colour paint for the bedroom and curtains for the hall than it did to agree that they were better off together than apart. Thinking that now would be an excellent time to make amends with her mother, Draco helped Pansy write a letter to her, only to be returned unopened.
Joining her on their bed, Draco curled Pansy into his side as she cried quietly into the crook of her arm. "I'm sorry, Pans," he murmured, kissing the top of her head. "I thought she would be more open to a relationship with you now that we're together."
"If it wasn't on her terms, she didn't want me to be happy," Pansy muttered into her pillow before rolling over. She kissed Draco once before sighing. "I'm okay, I promise. It just hurts to be reminded that your mother wants nothing to do with you."
"Forget her," Draco said, smirking and brushing her hair away from her tear-stained cheeks. "My mother loves you, Lucius, too. My family will be there for you even when yours cannot."
"Thank you, Draco," Pansy said, snuggling close to him. He made her feel safe and whole.
"Anytime, love. Anytime."
Three
...months ago Draco told Pansy that his mother had taken ill. The Healers had done everything they could, but time would be short for the witch. Pansy sat with Draco in their townhouse until the early hours of the morning when the owl arrived informing them that she'd passed peacefully in her sleep.
Without a word, Pansy kneeled with Draco on the floor, letting him cry for the mother he had lost knowing that her mother wanted nothing to do with her. That didn't matter, though. She loved Draco and would do anything for him. Time was fleeting, and she and Draco had lost enough time over the years.
Whatever happened next, Pansy knew one thing was for sure, she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Draco.
Two
...minutes ago, Pansy saw Draco walking toward her in the crowded room. She'd smiled as their eyes met, reminded of the time long ago when there were just starting to get to know one another again. No longer children trapped in a war that was forced upon them by their parents and mad wizards, they were able to grow into their own.
After the war, Pansy had thought she and Draco would never be together. They'd done everything to change that by going their separate ways, but somehow life had brought them together anyway. After working so hard, Pansy had almost everything she wanted in life. Standing there as Draco walked toward her, Pansy knew that...
One
...thing was for sure, though. Everything had changed, and Pansy was ready for the forever kind of love Draco offered her. As the countdown to midnight drew to an end, and Draco dropped to one knee before her, Pansy felt as if time was standing still. All those moments flashed through her mind knowing that this next year and all the years moving forward would bring nothing but happiness for both of them.
"Pansy Parkison, I love you more than anything in this world," Draco said, staring up into Pansy's eyes. "Please, marry me. I can't imagine life without you."
"Of course, I'll marry you," Pansy gushed, tears streaking down her cheeks as people celebrated the New Year around them.
Draco stood and slipped the simple emerald ring onto Pansy's hand before pulling her in for a kiss. Sound and time seemed to return to normal as the newly engaged couple kissed to ring in the New Year. The party continued around them, but Draco and Pansy only had eyes for each other.
"Happy New Year, Draco," Pansy whispered as they danced, eyes drifting closed as dreams of their future.