Line: Harry Potter
Author: Cryla Moorin
Title: Shattered Briar
Chapter 3: Ron
Pansy Parkinson's frighteningly high voice pierced the cacophony of the Great Hall, "Draco!" All in attendence winced at the sound that never failed to grate on every one's ears. Running, she launched herself at her query. Whishpering in his ear, "They're coming." Loud enough for the table to hear, "Come on, let's go snog." She led him out, seemingly oblivious to the stares the recieved.
Draco merely shook his head. 'Hard to believe that sound and her face come from a spell.' He pulled her into the abandoned astrtonomy tower, "Alright, Pan. What's up?"
She shivered and looked out the window. "Draco, my parents are coming, here, to Hogwarts. They are planning an attack to kill the boy who lived. They are so crazy. Goddess, what are we going to do? We can't let them kill Harry." She sobbed into the boy she thought of as a brother's shirt.
Draco smoothed her hair, and rocked her. The Parkinson family had a disgrace in the family that kept them from attaining his father's place, as Voldemort's right hand man: Pansy. She had, despite her family's trtaining of her to be evil, turned out a proper little lady, innocent and caring. To combat her loveliness, outside and in, her father cast a spell to make her physically ugly, and her lovely voice to take on a shrill, grating noise. Because she hadf tried to save a young mudblood, she had been beaten without magick to the point of death. Her engagement to Draco was the only thing saving her from an agonizingly slow death.
Her parents always beat her, every time they came. She came back to his dorm painted in her own blood. He would clean her up and watch as she showed the person she really was, only to turn slowly back into the Pansy Parkinson the school hated, even the teachers. "I won't let them harm you this time, Pan. I swear this on my life."
"They may take it from you, Draco. I couldn't stand it if my only family were to be taken by thier greed. Please, if it looks like you'll get hurt, run for it. Promise me, Draco. Promise!" She clenched his arm, looking straight into his eyes. Her eyes shown with renewed tears and terro for him.
"Pan, I'll be fine. I am the smartest guy in Hogwarts, right?" He lifted her chin, before placing a small kiss on her nose.
At her giggle, her grinned. "Come on, let's go back to my dorm and do stuff." He wagged his eyebrows at her, calling forth a true laugh of mirth.
"You just want to talk about Hermione."
"Damn straight." He lead her out, in gentlemanly fashion.
Little did either know, but someone was listening in on thier private conversation. His hand clenched, at the mention of Hermione. As the couple exited, the listener pressed himself against the wall, until thier footsteps got furthur down the corridor. Stepping into the light, his red hair glinted in the uncertain light. Ron Weasley wasn't happy. "Malfoy. First Potter, Now Malfoy. I should kill them both, then she would fall for me." Anger tightening every feature, he followed the two Slytherins until they reached the courtyard. The Parkinsons stared at thier offspring.
Her father was the first to speak. "You little lady are a disgrace! You will not stand in our way!" He took out his wand to cast something at her.
"No, Father! I will not allow you to harm anyone here! There is nothing you can do. Go away!" Pansy's grating voicee seemed less so, as she stood unflinching before her father's wand.
"Have it your way, I should have drowned you, ignoring Malfoy's wish to wed you to his son." he aimed his wand, again. "Cruciatus!"
Ron watched in horror as Pansy fell to the ground twitching, tears streaming from her eyes. She never once screamed. Her father was joined by her mother, sister and brother. The spells intensified, but not a single scream left her tightly sealed lips. She opened her eyes to meet Ron's startled awe-filled ones. Her eyes pleading with him to leave her to the fate she had chosen.
He backed up, and ran to Malfoy's side. Taking out his wand, he murmured, "We should attack them together."
Draco's eyes widened. "You would do that for Pansy?"
"No one deserves this." Ron cocked his head towards the display of inhumanity before them..
"I agree. One three, One. Two. Three." Draco shouted.
"-Stupify-!" Both male voices filled the courtyard.
Mr. Pankinson whirled towards Ron, "Never interfere, young pup. Or I shall teach you some manners." Aiming his wand at Ron, he screamed, "-Cruciatus-!"
At that exact moment, Ron yelled. "-Stupify-!" The spells combined and in a flash of green light, Mr. Parkinson was on the ground. Dead.
Ron stared, blinking rapidly. "What happened?" Looking around, he noticed that the rest of Pansy's family had disapperated.
Draco called, "Ron!" He was kneeling next to Pansy, feeling her pulse. "Good, I think you'll live, sis. Don't ever scare me like that, again."
Ron looked up at his nemesis, "Sis?"
"Yes, Ron. The only thing that kept her alive until now was that she was engaged to me. It was my mother's idea. We grew up together; she's like my sister." A grin formed on his handsome face.
"But, all those times..." Ron trailed off. "You never snogged, did you?"
"No, mostly we would talk. Or do homework, away from prying eyes. Weasley, stay with her and I will get Dumbledore." Draco rose to leave, but stopped when another flash of light eminated from Pansy's still form.
Both men looked on in shock as Pnasy's body was wrapped in the bright light, as it changed colours her form changed. Her face lost its pug-like qualities, leaving it smooth and soft. It was eartheal, reminding Ron of a muggle depiction of a Wizardess from long ago. Next, a blue colour concentrated around her throat. Her mouth opened on a kareening cry so like her normal screams. As the blue became lighter, her cry became a song, a single note that touched ones heart and soothed the soul. As the lights faded, she once again rested on the ground. Her eyes fluttered open to reveal the most beautiful sapphire eyes, Ron had ever seen. Her voice was lilting as she asked Draco, "Is he really dead?"
Draco lifted her into his arms. "Yes, sweet sister. But, don't thank me. Ron saved you. It was his spell that killed Parkinson."
Pansy blushed and stammered a 'thank you'.
Draco sighed. "Pan, I have to get Dumbledore and tell him what happened, alright? Think you can live with spending time with your rescuer?"
"Yes." She blushed harder.
"Ron, think you can watch my sister, until I get back?" Draco looked him right in the eye.
Pansy intervened, "Draco, stop trying to intimidate the poor man. Go find, Dumbledore. We'll be fine."
"Fine, and Ron. Hurt my sister and Feel my wrath." With his warning stated, Draco exited the courtyard in a dramatic flurry of robes.
Pansy laughed, "He's too much like Snape for comfort, sometimes." She looked at Ron. "Thank you, for saving me. Even though it was unintentional. I know that I was horrible to you, I ahve no excuse only one reason: my family. I am not asking for forgiveness, just a chance to thank you." Her voice was serious, but Ron couldn't get over how lovely it really was.
"Pansy, why... what..." He fell silent, as Pansy motioned him over to sit beside her.
"My father always wanted to be Lucius Malfoy, even here in Hogwarts. He was evil enough, but no brains. When they had me, I was a fluke, a disgrace, as they put it. I never liked to kill, and was happiest helping others. I am a Gryffindor, but my family would have destroyed us all, had I accepted that from the Sorting Hat. So, I told the hat, I only wanted Slytherin. That's how I got my House. As the years went by, my father said that I should get physically closer to Draco, or Lucius, which ever I preferred. I was sickened by it. The first time it was purposed I was nine and I had started to grow my breasts. Draco saved me then, telling them that I already had been intimate with him. We were 12 at the time. Truth was, Draco has always loved Hermione; should his father find out, both of them would die horrible deaths. So, he has been horrible to her, only to keep her safe. To keep me from approaching you, as I would have loved to since first year, my father cast the spell to alter my appearance and my voice."
"Making you repulsive to all but Draco." Ron felt sick inside. So much had gone on beneath the surface with this lovely woman and she cared for him, she said as much. He had seen her when he was growing up, she had always seemed so lovely from afar, but up close, he only saw her in first year. He had thought her close to hideous. He placed his arm around this awe-inspiring woman at his side. "Pansy?"
"Ron, I...I love you." She looked straight into his eyes. Awaiting, calmly, his rejection or his acceptance of the love she felt. He smiled. "You deserve better than me, Pansy. Much better, but for some reason I can't seem to walk away." Leaning down, he claimed her lips with his own.
When they parted, Pansy looked at him again. "Ron, will you be my boyfriend?"
"Yes, Pansy. I would love to be your boyfriend." He hugged her close, reveling in the feeling of rightness coming from her leaning against his heart.
"I have one stipulation, though."
"What's that, love?"
"Call me, Pan."
He laughed and kissed her, again. Hermione had been right, some one had been waiting in the wings to take her place by his side and in his life. But, then isn't she always?
Author: Cryla Moorin
Title: Shattered Briar
Chapter 3: Ron
Pansy Parkinson's frighteningly high voice pierced the cacophony of the Great Hall, "Draco!" All in attendence winced at the sound that never failed to grate on every one's ears. Running, she launched herself at her query. Whishpering in his ear, "They're coming." Loud enough for the table to hear, "Come on, let's go snog." She led him out, seemingly oblivious to the stares the recieved.
Draco merely shook his head. 'Hard to believe that sound and her face come from a spell.' He pulled her into the abandoned astrtonomy tower, "Alright, Pan. What's up?"
She shivered and looked out the window. "Draco, my parents are coming, here, to Hogwarts. They are planning an attack to kill the boy who lived. They are so crazy. Goddess, what are we going to do? We can't let them kill Harry." She sobbed into the boy she thought of as a brother's shirt.
Draco smoothed her hair, and rocked her. The Parkinson family had a disgrace in the family that kept them from attaining his father's place, as Voldemort's right hand man: Pansy. She had, despite her family's trtaining of her to be evil, turned out a proper little lady, innocent and caring. To combat her loveliness, outside and in, her father cast a spell to make her physically ugly, and her lovely voice to take on a shrill, grating noise. Because she hadf tried to save a young mudblood, she had been beaten without magick to the point of death. Her engagement to Draco was the only thing saving her from an agonizingly slow death.
Her parents always beat her, every time they came. She came back to his dorm painted in her own blood. He would clean her up and watch as she showed the person she really was, only to turn slowly back into the Pansy Parkinson the school hated, even the teachers. "I won't let them harm you this time, Pan. I swear this on my life."
"They may take it from you, Draco. I couldn't stand it if my only family were to be taken by thier greed. Please, if it looks like you'll get hurt, run for it. Promise me, Draco. Promise!" She clenched his arm, looking straight into his eyes. Her eyes shown with renewed tears and terro for him.
"Pan, I'll be fine. I am the smartest guy in Hogwarts, right?" He lifted her chin, before placing a small kiss on her nose.
At her giggle, her grinned. "Come on, let's go back to my dorm and do stuff." He wagged his eyebrows at her, calling forth a true laugh of mirth.
"You just want to talk about Hermione."
"Damn straight." He lead her out, in gentlemanly fashion.
Little did either know, but someone was listening in on thier private conversation. His hand clenched, at the mention of Hermione. As the couple exited, the listener pressed himself against the wall, until thier footsteps got furthur down the corridor. Stepping into the light, his red hair glinted in the uncertain light. Ron Weasley wasn't happy. "Malfoy. First Potter, Now Malfoy. I should kill them both, then she would fall for me." Anger tightening every feature, he followed the two Slytherins until they reached the courtyard. The Parkinsons stared at thier offspring.
Her father was the first to speak. "You little lady are a disgrace! You will not stand in our way!" He took out his wand to cast something at her.
"No, Father! I will not allow you to harm anyone here! There is nothing you can do. Go away!" Pansy's grating voicee seemed less so, as she stood unflinching before her father's wand.
"Have it your way, I should have drowned you, ignoring Malfoy's wish to wed you to his son." he aimed his wand, again. "Cruciatus!"
Ron watched in horror as Pansy fell to the ground twitching, tears streaming from her eyes. She never once screamed. Her father was joined by her mother, sister and brother. The spells intensified, but not a single scream left her tightly sealed lips. She opened her eyes to meet Ron's startled awe-filled ones. Her eyes pleading with him to leave her to the fate she had chosen.
He backed up, and ran to Malfoy's side. Taking out his wand, he murmured, "We should attack them together."
Draco's eyes widened. "You would do that for Pansy?"
"No one deserves this." Ron cocked his head towards the display of inhumanity before them..
"I agree. One three, One. Two. Three." Draco shouted.
"-Stupify-!" Both male voices filled the courtyard.
Mr. Pankinson whirled towards Ron, "Never interfere, young pup. Or I shall teach you some manners." Aiming his wand at Ron, he screamed, "-Cruciatus-!"
At that exact moment, Ron yelled. "-Stupify-!" The spells combined and in a flash of green light, Mr. Parkinson was on the ground. Dead.
Ron stared, blinking rapidly. "What happened?" Looking around, he noticed that the rest of Pansy's family had disapperated.
Draco called, "Ron!" He was kneeling next to Pansy, feeling her pulse. "Good, I think you'll live, sis. Don't ever scare me like that, again."
Ron looked up at his nemesis, "Sis?"
"Yes, Ron. The only thing that kept her alive until now was that she was engaged to me. It was my mother's idea. We grew up together; she's like my sister." A grin formed on his handsome face.
"But, all those times..." Ron trailed off. "You never snogged, did you?"
"No, mostly we would talk. Or do homework, away from prying eyes. Weasley, stay with her and I will get Dumbledore." Draco rose to leave, but stopped when another flash of light eminated from Pansy's still form.
Both men looked on in shock as Pnasy's body was wrapped in the bright light, as it changed colours her form changed. Her face lost its pug-like qualities, leaving it smooth and soft. It was eartheal, reminding Ron of a muggle depiction of a Wizardess from long ago. Next, a blue colour concentrated around her throat. Her mouth opened on a kareening cry so like her normal screams. As the blue became lighter, her cry became a song, a single note that touched ones heart and soothed the soul. As the lights faded, she once again rested on the ground. Her eyes fluttered open to reveal the most beautiful sapphire eyes, Ron had ever seen. Her voice was lilting as she asked Draco, "Is he really dead?"
Draco lifted her into his arms. "Yes, sweet sister. But, don't thank me. Ron saved you. It was his spell that killed Parkinson."
Pansy blushed and stammered a 'thank you'.
Draco sighed. "Pan, I have to get Dumbledore and tell him what happened, alright? Think you can live with spending time with your rescuer?"
"Yes." She blushed harder.
"Ron, think you can watch my sister, until I get back?" Draco looked him right in the eye.
Pansy intervened, "Draco, stop trying to intimidate the poor man. Go find, Dumbledore. We'll be fine."
"Fine, and Ron. Hurt my sister and Feel my wrath." With his warning stated, Draco exited the courtyard in a dramatic flurry of robes.
Pansy laughed, "He's too much like Snape for comfort, sometimes." She looked at Ron. "Thank you, for saving me. Even though it was unintentional. I know that I was horrible to you, I ahve no excuse only one reason: my family. I am not asking for forgiveness, just a chance to thank you." Her voice was serious, but Ron couldn't get over how lovely it really was.
"Pansy, why... what..." He fell silent, as Pansy motioned him over to sit beside her.
"My father always wanted to be Lucius Malfoy, even here in Hogwarts. He was evil enough, but no brains. When they had me, I was a fluke, a disgrace, as they put it. I never liked to kill, and was happiest helping others. I am a Gryffindor, but my family would have destroyed us all, had I accepted that from the Sorting Hat. So, I told the hat, I only wanted Slytherin. That's how I got my House. As the years went by, my father said that I should get physically closer to Draco, or Lucius, which ever I preferred. I was sickened by it. The first time it was purposed I was nine and I had started to grow my breasts. Draco saved me then, telling them that I already had been intimate with him. We were 12 at the time. Truth was, Draco has always loved Hermione; should his father find out, both of them would die horrible deaths. So, he has been horrible to her, only to keep her safe. To keep me from approaching you, as I would have loved to since first year, my father cast the spell to alter my appearance and my voice."
"Making you repulsive to all but Draco." Ron felt sick inside. So much had gone on beneath the surface with this lovely woman and she cared for him, she said as much. He had seen her when he was growing up, she had always seemed so lovely from afar, but up close, he only saw her in first year. He had thought her close to hideous. He placed his arm around this awe-inspiring woman at his side. "Pansy?"
"Ron, I...I love you." She looked straight into his eyes. Awaiting, calmly, his rejection or his acceptance of the love she felt. He smiled. "You deserve better than me, Pansy. Much better, but for some reason I can't seem to walk away." Leaning down, he claimed her lips with his own.
When they parted, Pansy looked at him again. "Ron, will you be my boyfriend?"
"Yes, Pansy. I would love to be your boyfriend." He hugged her close, reveling in the feeling of rightness coming from her leaning against his heart.
"I have one stipulation, though."
"What's that, love?"
"Call me, Pan."
He laughed and kissed her, again. Hermione had been right, some one had been waiting in the wings to take her place by his side and in his life. But, then isn't she always?