Harry had managed to avoid a conversation with Pansy for a week ever since
she made a crash landing into his life. This was no small accomplishment.
Ever since that fateful day and dinner, she had been visiting house number
4 almost on a daily basis. It was quite disheartening to see that the
Drusely's were taking quite a liking to Pansy. This almost due to the fact
she was rich and bad-mouthed Harry, which is almost always a prerequisite
for any friend of the Drusely's.
Also, Harry noticed, much to his chagrin, that Aunt Petunia's was making veiled attempts to push Pansy and Dudley together. romantically. Harry almost always involuntarily shuddered at the thought, the thought of those two together made him want to hex something.
To make matters worse, Dudley was obviously feeding Pansy lies and often exaggerated stories about the embarrassing things Harry did as a child. He never really heard the stories being told, but their obvious pointing and laughing made it completely obvious.
It was possible that Pansy was regaling Dudley of all the stupid things he did at Hogwarts, but then again, she would have to tell him she was a witch. This didn't seem to be the case, since Dudley was still treating Pansy like a human being.
He was intent on avoiding her all summer, until one night, while he was laying his bed, he could hear sobs coming from outside. It was well after midnight, when Harry climbed out his window, and shimmied down using the wall-mounted trellises.
He made his way toward the crouched figure sitting on the curb. Even though the person's face was buried between her knees, he could recognize the dark hair, with brown highlights.
"Pansy, is that you?" he said, mildly concern, but more than anything amazed.
"Oh god." She looked up at him with her mascara running down her face. "Leave me alone, Potter."
He winced a little, as much as he hated to admit it, he liked being on a first name basis with her. "Wow, it is you. I guess the rumors aren't true. You are human."
"Not funny." She inched herself away from Harry a little when he sat down next to her.
"I'm sorry. You and I both know we are not friends, maybe even enemies to some degree, but do you need someone to talk to?" Even though she always took the chance to ridicule his friends, and any Gryffindor in sight, he could not just a leave a girl, even Pansy Parkinson, alone at night.
"It's a nice thought Harry, it really is, but I'd rather not." Pansy sounded annoyed, but noticed with a start that she called him Harry instead of just Potter.
"You called me Harry." He said, looking at her with a smile.
She made goggle eyes at him, at then realized her mistake. "I called you hairy, as in having a lot of hair, it was an insult." She tried to cover up, but it was no use.
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I guess so, but truthfully, I take it as a compliment." He said.
She huffed in exasperation. "Shut up. I don't want to talk to you."
"You're talking to me right now."
Pansy was too tired and exhausted to banter anymore with Harry. "Well then, I just won't talk."
"That's fine. I'll just sit here till then, cause I am not going to leave you alone."
Pansy tried to keep herself composed, but it was too hard. She hugged her legs and sobbed into her knees. She cried for five minutes, and didn't even have the energy to bat back Harry when he started to run the small of her back comfortingly.
She looked up at him. "How do you do it, Harry?"
"Do what?"
"I am probably the most horrible person in the world and yet you can still care? I don't get it. What did I ever do to deserve that?" She wiped the tears from her eyes while she spoke.
"Pansy, we're all human. Part of that is knowing when people need you, and when you need them. I just think you needed somebody right now. And I am not going to leave alone, sitting here in the middle of the night, bawling. Who knows might happen. We may not be friends, but I couldn't just let something bad happen to you." Unconsciously, he reached over and brushed the stray strands of he hair covering her face.
She had felt electricity run through her body when his hand touched her cheek. Pansy never known anyone so considerate before, and this confused her. Her feelings were jumbled mess, she wanted to thank him, and thump him at the same time. He was getting too close.
They stared at each other eyes, and Harry noted with a shock, that her eyes had quickly hardened. "I'm a grown witch, Potter and I can take care of myself. Besides you don't even have you wand with you, what would you have done? Pretend you're a dog and scare him with that shaggy mess, you call your hair?"
She stood up and walked down the sidewalk toward what looked like a bus stop. "Don't follow me." She said without a looking at him.
Harry sat back in shock. He thought was getting through to her, but apparently not. Her stone eyes told him everything he needed to know. She didn't like him, or wanted to be his friend. "Once a slytherin, always a slytherin." Harry muttered to himself.
Also, Harry noticed, much to his chagrin, that Aunt Petunia's was making veiled attempts to push Pansy and Dudley together. romantically. Harry almost always involuntarily shuddered at the thought, the thought of those two together made him want to hex something.
To make matters worse, Dudley was obviously feeding Pansy lies and often exaggerated stories about the embarrassing things Harry did as a child. He never really heard the stories being told, but their obvious pointing and laughing made it completely obvious.
It was possible that Pansy was regaling Dudley of all the stupid things he did at Hogwarts, but then again, she would have to tell him she was a witch. This didn't seem to be the case, since Dudley was still treating Pansy like a human being.
He was intent on avoiding her all summer, until one night, while he was laying his bed, he could hear sobs coming from outside. It was well after midnight, when Harry climbed out his window, and shimmied down using the wall-mounted trellises.
He made his way toward the crouched figure sitting on the curb. Even though the person's face was buried between her knees, he could recognize the dark hair, with brown highlights.
"Pansy, is that you?" he said, mildly concern, but more than anything amazed.
"Oh god." She looked up at him with her mascara running down her face. "Leave me alone, Potter."
He winced a little, as much as he hated to admit it, he liked being on a first name basis with her. "Wow, it is you. I guess the rumors aren't true. You are human."
"Not funny." She inched herself away from Harry a little when he sat down next to her.
"I'm sorry. You and I both know we are not friends, maybe even enemies to some degree, but do you need someone to talk to?" Even though she always took the chance to ridicule his friends, and any Gryffindor in sight, he could not just a leave a girl, even Pansy Parkinson, alone at night.
"It's a nice thought Harry, it really is, but I'd rather not." Pansy sounded annoyed, but noticed with a start that she called him Harry instead of just Potter.
"You called me Harry." He said, looking at her with a smile.
She made goggle eyes at him, at then realized her mistake. "I called you hairy, as in having a lot of hair, it was an insult." She tried to cover up, but it was no use.
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I guess so, but truthfully, I take it as a compliment." He said.
She huffed in exasperation. "Shut up. I don't want to talk to you."
"You're talking to me right now."
Pansy was too tired and exhausted to banter anymore with Harry. "Well then, I just won't talk."
"That's fine. I'll just sit here till then, cause I am not going to leave you alone."
Pansy tried to keep herself composed, but it was too hard. She hugged her legs and sobbed into her knees. She cried for five minutes, and didn't even have the energy to bat back Harry when he started to run the small of her back comfortingly.
She looked up at him. "How do you do it, Harry?"
"Do what?"
"I am probably the most horrible person in the world and yet you can still care? I don't get it. What did I ever do to deserve that?" She wiped the tears from her eyes while she spoke.
"Pansy, we're all human. Part of that is knowing when people need you, and when you need them. I just think you needed somebody right now. And I am not going to leave alone, sitting here in the middle of the night, bawling. Who knows might happen. We may not be friends, but I couldn't just let something bad happen to you." Unconsciously, he reached over and brushed the stray strands of he hair covering her face.
She had felt electricity run through her body when his hand touched her cheek. Pansy never known anyone so considerate before, and this confused her. Her feelings were jumbled mess, she wanted to thank him, and thump him at the same time. He was getting too close.
They stared at each other eyes, and Harry noted with a shock, that her eyes had quickly hardened. "I'm a grown witch, Potter and I can take care of myself. Besides you don't even have you wand with you, what would you have done? Pretend you're a dog and scare him with that shaggy mess, you call your hair?"
She stood up and walked down the sidewalk toward what looked like a bus stop. "Don't follow me." She said without a looking at him.
Harry sat back in shock. He thought was getting through to her, but apparently not. Her stone eyes told him everything he needed to know. She didn't like him, or wanted to be his friend. "Once a slytherin, always a slytherin." Harry muttered to himself.