Hello everyone, I am finally back with a new chapter! I am so sorry it has taken so long to get something up, it has been a busy busy period in my life and I have not always had the free flowing creativity that I need to write. If you are annoyed, you are not alone! My wife has made numerous comments about wanting to read Tied to You and Rise of House Fawley but not being able to! She has been on my case for you. We are nearing the end game for Tied to You and I have three chapters written that I am just working through editing so they should be posted soon. Thank you for all your support and sticking with me and this story!
'Harry? Hermione? Do you think we could talk?'
Harry and Hermione looked up and saw Ron standing nervously above them. It was the Saturday after they had destroyed the Horcrux and they were sitting in a corner of the Common Room reading.
Hermione glared at him, while Harry considered him for a moment. So far Ron had kept to himself after the incident. He and Lavender had broken up a few days ago to which Hermione muttered 'told you', under her breath. He had not tried to yell at Harry for what he had said and it seemed he had taken the words Harry yelled to heart.
'Have a seat Ron,' Harry gestured, deciding they should give their friend a chance to talk to them. They had been through a lot and he deserved it.
Hermione shot Harry a quick look, but didn't say anything. She crossed her arms and sat back into her chair.
'Thanks mate.' Ron said and sat down.
'Well?' Hermione snapped irritably at him.
Ron looked like he wanted to snap back at Hermione, but he stopped himself at the last second. 'I just wanted to say thanks, for protecting me. I know I could have ended up in Azkaban if it wasn't for you two.' He said sincerely.
'And?' Hermione prodded, expecting more from him.
'And I am sorry that I sent that curse. I didn't know what it would do, I know that was wrong, Harry explained it all to me. I was stupid and let my anger get the better of me. I am sorry you had to deal with it all.' He hung his head in shame.
'Is that it?' Hermione's voice responded harshly.
Ron looked up in surprise at the anger still in Hermione's voice. She was looking at him like he had never seen. He forgot all about Harry sitting next to her as he saw the intensity in her eyes.
Hermione was fed up. She could see that Ron's apology was genuine, but she couldn't bring herself to accept it. Especially when he clearly had no concept of the way he had treated her over their entire friendship. How he had belittled her, led her on, destroyed her date with Krum and so many other incidents.
After the way that Draco had been treating her, how he had shown her attention and care, respected her and sought her opinions and did not roll his eyes at her passions, she realised she didn't need Ron in her life and wasn't happy to just accept him back.
'What more do you want from me, Hermione?' Ron asked back, some anger showing in his voice. 'I apologised didn't I? What else is there? I know I shouldn't have thrown that spell, but in the end it's just Parkinson. Her and Malfoy are probably going to get marked soon and start killing others so it isn't like it was one of the good guys I hit.'
Ron didn't see Harry snap his quill in half when he mentioned Pansy, nor did he see the anger in his old best mates face at his response.
Hermione did, however, and quickly put a hand over Harry's thigh to stop him exploding. Despite her anger at Ron, she had enough sense to realise any fight in the common room over Pansy and Draco would raise far too many questions.
Harry, to his credit, kept his mouth shut, but Hermione could practically see the spells he was thinking of using on Ron at this moment.
'You know what Ron.' Hermione replied, 'I actually don't want anything else from you. There was a time in my life when I wanted a whole lot more, but I have just realised that it is never going to happen. You are who you are, but that person isn't someone I want to be around much anymore. If you don't get why, well that's your problem. I am not going to explain it to you.'
With that Hermione stood up, holding Harry's hand, and went to leave the table.
Ron, feeling utterly confused as to why this had gone so badly, saw their hands together and all his anger, frustration and sadness left his body.
'I get it.' He said quietly. 'Now that you two are together you don't need me anymore.'
'It's not like that Ron.' Harry replied, struggling between anger and sadness at his longest friend. 'Like Hermione said. We have both been waiting for you to get it, to grow up. But clearly that isn't going to happen. Sort your shit out mate. But leave us alone.'
And with that Harry and Hermione left a very dejected Ron sitting alone at the table as he desperately tried to figure out how his apology had gone so wrong.
-break-
The next few weeks passed in a flurry of training and duelling as Draco, Hermione, Harry and Pansy strove to be better at their magic. The horror of the corridor spurred them all into greater action. They had all vowed internally to never be that hopeless again and they threw themselves into mastering spells and adding new ones to their repertoire. They had also begun their extra training with Snape, which proved to be both a boon for their skills, but also painful and extremely tiresome.
While Snape was no longer sneering at Harry and Hermione or offering snide remarks, well not many anyway, he was still a hard teacher and an even harder one to impress. He would barrage their shields with all manners of Dark Curses and demand nothing short of perfection in their wand work. Despite some of the ill feelings they had felt towards after their first session, they knew that with Snape's instruction their chances of surviving the upcoming conflict would only increase.
The mood within the castle that had been continuously tense since the start of the year had become to grow far more lively due to one impending day of the year that made all teenagers a little bit silly. Valentine's day. It fell on a Friday and so the corresponding weekend was going to be a Hogsmeade weekend, and most couples would be using that for their dates. However, a conversation between two old rivals a few weeks earlier meant that at least two couples would be using the actual day for romance.
'Potter,' Draco stood next to Harry as the two of them were working on their spells. 'We need to talk.' He said conspiratorially, looking across at Hermione and Pansy who were working on the rune piece for the Cabinet.
'What about Malfoy?' Harry replied, looking at him suspiciously.
'Here, this is for you.' Draco said, handing Harry two Knuts.
'What is this?' Harry asked, confused as to what game Malfoy might be playing.
'Potter, are you aware of what day is coming up in two weeks' time.' Draco asked, starting to feel like he might be talking to an imbecile. Harry just looked at him blankly, yep, definitely an imbecile. Draco sighed and rubbed his brow.
'Potter, in two weeks time, on Friday, it will be Valentine's day.' Realisation dawned on Harry's face. 'Now, I know that you and Pansy haven't officially said anything to us or even to each other, but it is bloody obvious how you feel about each other. Despite her and Hermione being far different to many of the other girls at Hogwarts, they are still girls and Valentine's is important. They probably aren't expecting anything from us, but this is a chance for us to show them that we care. Okay?'
Harry nodded, getting what Malfoy was talking about. 'Yeah I got it. Do something nice on Valentine's day. But what is the coin for?' Harry asked.
At this Draco smiled and held up two Knuts of his own. 'Hermione isn't the only one who can figure out how to make a communication coin.' His smugness made Harry feel sick. 'I will be finding a way to slip one of mine into Hermione's possession before Valentine's day so I can message her and tell her where to meet me. You can do the same for Pansy.' He explained, obviously chuffed with himself.
Harry hated to admit it, but Malfoy had come through for him, 'Alright Malfoy, you're on.' He said with a smile and pocketed the Knuts.
'Excellent, so here is what I was thinking…'
And for the rest of that night, under the guise of learning spells, the two teenage boys came up with a variety of plans for how they would spend Valentine's day night.
-break-
On the morning of Friday the 14th, Hermione was surprised to find a small card at the foot of her bed, with an accompanying parcel.
Hermione had hoped that Draco would do something for Valentine's. She had only ever had one before and that was Victor. It had been a lovely day and so she had been secretly hopeful Draco would do something for the day, and she was delighted that he had.
She picked up the small present first. As she unwrapped it she found a small box which held a pair of small silver earrings. On the earrings were a snake coiled up in much the same way as the cufflinks she had bought him. She then opened the card and a Knut fell out. Confused, she read his simple message.
Dearest Hermione,
Happy Valentine's Day.
Meet me at 7pm at the Room.
Don't eat dinner.
Wear the earrings and dress muggle under your robes.
The Knut works like the Sickle.
Your serpent.
She fell back onto her bed, a happy smile on her face. She was already pleased with his present but to have arranged a date for the night was a huge bonus and her body was thrumming with excitement at what he had in store and that he had devised a way for them to communicate to each other.
She sent a quick 'Thank you' via the coin and it showed his reply almost immediately. 'My pleasure.' and then put the earrings on. Not wanting to deal with people asking why she wore snake earrings, she applied a small charm to hide the snake, but left the earrings visible to all. She may not be able to tell everyone of her relationship with the Slytherin boy, but she wanted to wear his present as proudly as she could.
After she got ready for the day, Parvati tried to make a few comments about Harry buying her such nice earrings, but she didn't reply. Just smiled happily and kept walking.
Lavender kept shooting her dirty looks, although she didn't know why, and just went about her day with a spring in her step.
Not even Ron, who had kept his distance since their uncomfortable conversation two weeks prior, could ruin her mood. He made a small grimace when she sat down at the breakfast table and conducted a weird shuffling motion with his pocket a few seats away. She had given up trying to figure out Ron's responses to everyday things, especially now that he was no longer playing a part in her life.
Pansy woke to find a similarly small card at the foot of her bed, but a significantly larger parcel.
She was surprised to find it there, but happy to wake to it. She had not dared to expect anything for Valentine's day. Her and Harry had only just started holding hands more frequently and despite how much she enjoyed it, she had no concept of where her and Harry stood on a more formal relationship footing. The fact that he had done something for Valentine's day made her heart warm.
She opened the package first and was even more surprised to find that he had given her his father's cloak and map. Unsure of why he would send her this, she opened the note to read it but a Knut fell out first. Holding the coin she read the message.
Happy Valentine's Day Pansy.
Use the cloak and map to meet me out by the Quidditch pitch at 7pm tonight.
Don't eat dinner.
Dress warm.
The Knut works like the Sickle.
H
Completely lost as to what he was planning, but happy that he had planned something and given them a way to communicate she sent a message to him 'I will be there.' to which he replied. 'Excellent.' The butterflies in her stomach were causing all manner of mayhem and she had to control herself before she got up for the day. She put the cloak and map inside her bag and placed many charms on it so that they didn't get lost. He had trusted her with two of his most precious possessions and she wouldn't let him down by allowing them to get lost or stolen.
The day passed by too slowly for the four. The boys were nervous about their plans and the girls were excited with anticipation. All kept looking at the time, but had to work extra hard to not look at each other as they walked the halls.
Finally the time arrived for them to go on their dates.
Pansy made an excuse to not go to dinner and instead got dressed into some extra warm robes, made sure she wore a few layers underneath and applied some warming charms to her clothes. Clearly whatever they were doing was going to be outside and despite the fact it had snowed today, Harry had indicated through the coin that the date was very much still on. February in Scotland was not a time to be outside unprepared
Once changed she slipped out of the Common Room, threw the cloak over herself, opened the map and made her way down to the Quidditch pitch. Looking at the map she found him standing inside the Gryffindor changing rooms.
She opened the door and stepped inside. Harry, she was happy to find, was wearing some new robes that he had clearly bought through Owl order. She appreciated the effort he had gone into looking nice for their date and it made her stomach do flips. He had his broom in one hand and a picnic basket in the other. She took off the cloak and greeted him.
'Happy Valentine's day Harry,' she said with a bright smile, her joy at seeing him with a clear plan in hand overrode her usual careful demeanour and she rushed forward and gave him a hug.
Surprised, but delighted Harry returned the hug happily and said 'Happy Valentine's day Pansy.'
After breaking the hug Pansy spoke. 'So, Harry Potter, what have you got planned for us on this snowy winter night.' She asked, handing over his map and cloak which he placed inside the picnic basket.
'I thought we could go for a fly and have a picnic somewhere.' He said with a grin, taking her hand in his and leading her outside into the cold night. He was clearly trying to come across as confident, but the blush in his cheeks showed how nervous he was.
Despite how cute she thought it was, she was a bit worried about flying in this weather.
'You want to fly while it is snowing?' Pansy asked, a bit concerned. 'I am not that great at flying, I am not sure I will be able to.' She finished, suddenly anxious that his plans would be ruined.
'That's okay,' Harry said, still smiling his embarrassed smile. 'Malfoy told me as much, so I thought we could share my broom?' her anxiety dissipated at his suggestion and she felt her cheeks warm up. He was trying to be smooth and was failing adorably.
'You want the two of us to share a broom, in this weather, while you take me to some secret venue that I have no idea about?' She asked, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrow, deciding she would have some fun at his expense.
To her surprise he did not fumble but replied with a cheeky grin, 'What's life without a bit of danger?' and with that he threw a leg over this broom and motioned for her to get on behind him.
'You have spent too much time with Draco.' She said with a knowing tone. Harry just smirked back and she laughed.
Pansy came over and climbed onto the broom behind Harry.
'You will need to hold on tight.' He said, turning to look at her, the wind blowing softly across her face and small bits of snow resting on her hair. His breath caught in his throat at how beautiful she looked in the moonlight. Her blue clip, ever present in her hair.
She wrapped her arms around his waist tightly so their bodies were pressed together. 'I can do that.' She whispered into his ear, which sent shivers down his spine.
With one hand on the broom handle and the other holding the picnic basket they slowly ascended into the air. As they got higher Harry heard Pansy's voice take in a gasp.
'It's beautiful from up here.' She said, admiring the view of the snow covered castle and the surrounding grounds. 'I can see why you like flying so much.'
'It's freedom in its purest form. No restrictions, no barriers, just you and the sky.' He said happily. She hugged him tighter as he spoke. He, like Draco, always carried so much on his shoulders and felt weighed down by the world and so it brought her joy to hear him speak with such a light tone.
'Are you warm enough?' Harry asked.
'Yes thank you. I applied warming charms to my robes before I came.' She replied back, touched that he had asked.
He didn't reply but started to head out over The Blake Lake. She appreciated that he wasn't flying too high or too fast but was allowing her to take in the sights. She also suspected he was making the trip go longer so he could have her pressed against him for longer, but she didn't mind. In fact she was hoping that this was the real reason for the slow pace. Turns out Harry was quite muscular under all his robes and she enjoyed the feeling his body gave her.
Eventually she saw a little island in the middle of the lake that seemed to have a small fire going. He had obviously come here and started it before she arrived. Harry landed and he got off first, before offering his hand to her and even though she didn't need the help, she took his hand.
'What is this place?' she asked.
'Just an island I discovered. I wanted to find somewhere where we could be alone for our date and not have to fear anyone finding us. I didn't want to be in the castle and Malfoy is using the room tonight, so I have been spending my mornings flying around to find somewhere, and I found this. Do you like it?' He asked, hopeful that what he had chosen was good.
'It's beautiful,' She replied, looking around. It was a small island, no more than 30 metres in width. It had a few tall trees and a large rock where the fire was located. Despite the snow falling the moon was still visible and she could see it reflected in the moonlight. Thankfully the wind was very light and with the rock as a barrier, it was incredibly peaceful.
'Come, let's sit.' Harry said, leading her by the hand to the fire. 'It's an enchanted fire. It will stay burning all night and will keep anyone within five metres of it safe and warm without fear of being burnt. I found it in Arcturus' spell book.' He explained.
He took out a blanket from the basket and lay it on the floor as well as some pillows that he propped up against the rock. They sat down next to each other and enjoyed the heat of the fire.
He pulled from the basket an array of foods that were still warm. 'The elves in the kitchens were excited to help me.' He said when he saw her look at the food with surprise.
'Should I be offended that you didn't cook it yourself?' She teased.
'I will cook for you one day.' He replied with an easy smile as he poured her some wine that he had managed to get from Slughorn. The man had been wary of Harry ever since, but due to him feeling under Harry's protection, he didn't say no to Harry's request.
'You can cook?' She asked, interested in how he had learnt the skill. In her house it had always been the elves' job. She had merely been teasing him, not expecting him to actually know how to do it.
'I can. My aunt made me cook from the moment I could hold a pan, so I have had lots of practice.' He replied simply, he didn't sound upset or angry about it, he just stated it like it was any other fact.
She felt awful hearing it, but based on the emotions she had felt in his head she knew that cooking was probably the least he suffered under those muggles. She decided instead of dwelling on things that he wasn't, she would try and keep this date positive.
'Well I would be delighted to have you cook for me. I will hold you to your word.' She replied with a smile. The one he shot her back made her glad she had decided to not dwell on what he had said.
They settled into their dinner, watching the fire burn, and just spoke to one another. It was the first time they had been truly alone together and despite the feelings they held for one another they had never really just talked. They began at the very easiest and most common topic, Hogwarts. Both described their years at the school and how they viewed the major events that had taken place.
They both found it humorous to hear the others' first impression of each other and how differently they viewed events like the Triwizard tournament year and various point gains and losses. It was a testament to how much they had begun to trust one another that neither got angry or annoyed at the others' interpretation of events. At some point during their happy conversation Pansy had rested her head on Harry's shoulder and slipped her arm into his. Harry had then gathered another blanket from the basket and laid it over the two of them.
'Would you like a smore?' Harry asked after they had been silent for a few minutes, both just enjoying the closeness.
'A what?' Pansy asked with a laugh as she moved her head slightly so she could look up into his face.
'A smore.' Harry replied looking back at her. 'It's a muggle sweet you have when you go camping.'
'Sure then.' She shrugged, still looking at him. 'What are they like?' She asked.
'No idea.' Harry said with a laugh. 'Hermione has mentioned them a few times before. I have never been camping, but always wanted to.'
'Maybe we could go camping together sometime?' Pansy asked, caught up in the moment and Harry's piercing green eyes. 'You could cook for us and we have as many smores as you want.' She offered.
He beamed at her. 'That sounds perfect.' they stared into each other's eyes, cheeks hurting from smiling at each other.
Harry leant forward so that their faces were only an inch apart. 'Is this okay?' he asked softly, his eyes fixed on hers.
Her eyes flicked to his lips and then back to his eyes and nodded. Harry closed the final space and pressed his lips against hers. They held that position for a moment before they moved into soft sweet kisses and revelled in the feeling they felt throughout their bodies.
They both broke apart at the same time and Pansy giggled.
'That was my first kiss.' Pansy said with a smile on my face.
Harry's grin faded a little. 'It wasn't mine. Mine was -' he began.
'Chang, and it was a disaster, or so I've heard.' Pansy interrupted, her eyes dancing in delight.
Harry groaned and placed his free hand on his face while Pansy just laughed at his reaction.
She moved out of his grip and knelt on her hands and knees so she was face to face with him. He looked up when she moved and looked into her lovely face and saw the joy in her face and he joined in her laughter.
'It really was a disaster.' he said much to her delight.
'And this?' she asked, moving closer to his face, her confidence building.
'Perfection.' Harry breathed out just before she kissed him again. This one, whilst still sweet, was less timid.
'I think it's time for those smores.' Pansy said a bit breathless as they broke apart.
'Okay', was all Harry could get out.
Moving their positions so they were back to sitting facing the fire they went through the motions of making smores. Laughing when someone burnt the marshmallows or had chocolate drip on their face. Both buoyed by the kisses they had shared, there were even moments of kissing the chocolate of each other's chins, lips and noses.
Despite the slow start to their relationship, this date had broken down all their insecurities and concerns around one another. These sweet kisses were precious keys unlocking walls and barriers and tying them to each other in ways they were not yet able to understand.
Once the smores were done they settled back against the rock, Pansy leaning against Harry's shoulder, staring into the dancing fire's flames and sipped wine in silence.
It was Pansy who eventually spoke again. Leaving her position and sitting crossed legged to face him, the blanket still wrapped around their legs.
'You're not alone, you know, Harry.' Pansy said, her cheerful mood replaced with something more serious.
'What do you mean?' Harry asked, concerned at her change in mood.
Pansy looked away toward the lake and blinked back a few tears, Harry reached forward and took her hand in his and waited for whatever it was she wanted to say.
'One of the reasons why I ran away after being inside your head is because some of those emotions were familiar to me.' she began, tears in her eyes as she turned back to look at Harry.
To his credit he didn't say anything, just let her speak.
'Not all of it, and certainly not as intensely, but I know what it is to wish for a family that loved you, that cared for you. I was raised by my matron, a half-blood witch whose family had owed a debt to my own. She was caring enough, but she was under strict instructions from my parents as to how they wished I would be raised. They were far too busy putting on a show for the world to worry about me. My father was focused on his business and my mother on society parties and events. They ignored each other, the marriage pure fiction.
I would be presented each week on a Sunday to them both. My mother would criticise my posture, my looks, how I spoke, saying I needed to become a proper lady. My father would ask questions about what being a Parkinson meant, the role of his heir and forbade me to ever embarrass him. I spent years trying to gain their approval by becoming that horrible stuck up bitch you knew. But I soon realised I was never going to gain it, and so I took it out on the world. Draco, my one true friend who had shown me any love was the only person I cared about. But this year, you and Hermione have changed all that. I just wanted you to know that you don't have to tell me everything you went through with those muggles, but that I am here for you and on some level, I understand what it is to wish for a real family.'
Harry drew her into a hug when she finished. Due to their positions she ended up sitting in his lap as he held her.
'Thank you.' He said into her ear and gathered his courage. He would honour her vulnerability with some of his own. 'There are, scars, on my back from my uncle's belt and burns on my arms and legs from my aunt. I hide them from people and no one knows they are there. Not even Ron or Hermione. There's more but-'
Pansy pulled back from his chest as he was talking and cut him off. 'It's okay, you don't have to tell me everything right now. We will have plenty of time in the future to share all our stories.' She said kindly. 'Right?' She added with hope in her voice.
'Right.' Harry said firmly, no doubt in his voice.
They both smiled watery smiles and Harry placed a gentle kiss on her lips.
The two moved and lay down on the rug and pulled the other one on top of themselves, facing each other, heads on the pillows.
'Can we just stay here for tonight?' Pansy asked quietly. 'I don't want to leave you right now.'
Harry gulped a bit at the suggestion, but knew it was an innocent request.
'Of course.' he replied quietly as he realised how sleepy they both were. The wine and the emotions of the night taking their toll.
'Good night Pansy.' He whispered.
'Good night Harry.' She replied and gave him a small kiss.
The two fell asleep holding hands, unaware and undisturbed by the snow falling around them. The enchanted fire keeping them safe and warm all night.