_ _ _ _ _ _ Vendetta

_ _ _ _ _ Chapter 2: Fate of a woman

This chaper is dedicated to Verena, a good friend who helps me with feeling less like a freak. It´s better to do weird things together and I thank you for that.

A/N: Thanks for those reviews. They mean alot to me and I am thankful you took the time. Croaker: Thank you, but I already got a beta-reader. (always wanted to communicate with readers this way, it looks so cool.)

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"Hermione, I need your help"

Hermione was once again surprised, she seemed to make a habit out of that. She had known that Pansy came for a special reason, but this was, well, surprising.

She eyed the other woman couriously, suspecting her to shout any second:"BOO! WHY ON EARTH SHOULD I ASK A MUDBLOOD LIKE YOU FOR HELP?"

But nothing came, Pansy was just lighting another ciggarette. So Hermione started weakly: " My help? What for? In what way can I possibly help you?"

"Well, you didn´t get all Os in your Newts for nothing. You are the mastermind I need. You´ll be the nemesis of Draco Malfoy"

Hermione hadn´t thought about that, in fact her new habit (surprise) was paralyzing her appraised brains and famed mind pretty well. "How?" was all she could bring out.

"I need you to take revenge. He´s made me suffer more than anyone else ever had, he´s nearly ruined my life. That man took my heart, ripped it out of my chest, tore it slowly into a thousand pieces and trampled it. I cannot even begin to describe the depth of my hate."

Hermione shrank back as she caught the expression on Pansy´s face, combined with the bitterness and hate in her voice it was the picture of a broken woman. Her eyes held a hard expression and her lips were tightened from the held back emotions. The facade of the self confident, serene woman was gone, the mask had fallen.

What had Malfoy done to her?

She voiced her question aloud. Pansy inhaled the smoke deeply, then started to speak with an emotionless voice:

"I´ll go back to the very beginning, you have to hear it all to understand. In Hogwarts me and Draco went out together, because our parents had made clear they strongly approved of such an alliance. In the beginnging I thought that Draco was the ideal partner for me, you know being pure- blooded, rich and Seeker."

Well, thought Hermione, that was not exactly her idea of her prince charming, she fancied the dark and brooding type, but she held her silence as Pansy continued.

"He was so nice and caring, trying to overcome the akwardness our parent´s matchmaking had caused. In no time I was head over heels in love with him."

Hermione somehow couldn´t get rid off the impression that Pansy did read too many sappy love novels.

"So you did love him, then?"

"Yes, I did. You know this had all happened in our fourth year, I was young and he was my first love. But it wasn´t only that, you know, those years were the happiest of my life."

Damn, she was only nineteen and talked as if she was a granny talking to her grandchildren. Did she really think her problems with Malfoy were the end of her world. How pathethic, really. Hermione would never give herself up for a man, especially one like Malfoy.

"Then the war started". She stopped lost in her thoughts. Hermione took the opportunity to lose herself in her own (she was a good conversationalist).

The war had changed the wizard world forever. Voldemort had lost no time over the sixth year and put up a global network of Deatheaters. He had wanted to take over the planet, and many lifes were sacrificed for that plan. Luckily most Hogwarts students survived, for the castle had not fallen, but the fronts were cleared. Deatheaters had themselves declared openly for Voldemort, they had been that sure of his success.

Some students, especially of Slytherin and Rawenclaw, had left the castle to fight with the Deatheaters, others joined the battle on the other side. It would have been a slaughter if not for Harry, who managed to defeat Voldemort in the night before the battle. The plan to reach him had been more than risky or merely dangerous, russian roulette was safe against it. But it had worked out, also because Draco Malfoy had contributed all his insiderknowledge, when Snape´s spying was discovered.

Herself and Ron went with Harry to protect him during the duel. She was ready to die that day.

"Oh, yes we were all real heroes in that time." mumbled Pansy, then continued. "You know, it was the time during the war when I realized I could trust Draco with my life. He was the one who convinced me to hold up my rebellion against my parents, not to give in and join them. I didn´t want to kill and thanks to him I kept my innocence. We supported each other, not daring to leave Hogwarts for two full years. Without him I would have broken under the pressure, and he probably without me."

Hermione had known that of course. Others had followed Malfoy´s and Pansy´s example, the resistance of the Deatheaters to be was now in every contemporary history book. She admired all of them for their courage, although some had paid a high price for it.

"When Draco led our little rebellion I was the woman at his side, the one he could always trust and rely on. Our relationship had reached a new level at the end of the war. He was the love of my life and I knew it. Moreover he proposed to me near the end. The seventh year was long over, but we had to take our Newts, since they were delayed nearly a year by the war."

"I know, I was there" commented Hermione dryly. "If I hadn´t learned what real fear is, I would have freaked out because we had had no time to prepare ourselves."

"Oh yeah, that was always your greatest concern, wasn´t it? Anyway Draco and me planned to marry right after that, but since his parents were arrested he had to take over Mafoy Investment. We agreed that we would wait a year, since then I could take over Parkinson Incorporated and give it to him. He of course had to study Economy at Spellcraft, since he didn´t trust his management entirely"

Another consecquence of the war had been a change of generations. Since many of the older generation were killed, the young adults had to take over. Malfoy was not the only one facing the leadership of the family business, trying to safe and rebuild what had been left or to start anew.

"So we moved together to Malfoy Mansion and that´s were the Malfoy genes started to come through. When I was at home refurnishing the manor, trying to erase the memories of the not so friendly former occupants and changing it into a place where one could live not just spend one´s time, he was busy. Always busy."

Pansy´s voice sounded strangled with regrett, Hermione was touched by her openness. Never had anyone confided in her like that, normally she had to pry secrets out of people. Her sharp wits and amazing power of observation had helped of course, but it was nice to be told something voluntarily for a change. Even if this was Pansy.

"What went wrong?" Hermione tried to sound concerned, as not to interrupt Pansy´s constant flow of words.

"I truly don´t know, in the beginning I thought I was too plain for his new role. So I did anything to transform myself in a true society queen, I began spending more time on my looks than on my cooking for him, just to please him."

Hermione could see now where this would lead, the woman had abandoned her life for Malfoy. God, had emancipation never taken place among those pure blooded inbreeders?

"But he just drifted more and more apart from me, there was nothing I could do to break through his coldness. The boy I knew was gone, he was replaced by a cold and serious businessman. I just couldn´t adapt anymore, everything I did brought us apart even more."

Obviosly not, answered Hermione her question silently.

"I had been the obeying housewife to the bone, always focusing on whether Draco liked the things I did and wore or not. But I put up with him treating me badly, I loved him I had no other choice."

Once again Hermione surpressed the urge to shake the other woman hard and long until all those wrong and twisted ideas were out of her head. She repeated her mantra about violence not being the solution to everything, when Pansy slammed her hand on the table violently.

"That goddamn son of a bitch, he never cared how I coped with my new life, that I contemplated suicide, because he hadn´t touched me for over a month. No, he was busy, and then I found out how busy he had been.

He cheated on me, nearly every night. Always another girl, always another place. Sometimes it had been a professor at Spellcraft or a business partner, that had helped him alot of course. The manwhore slept with everything that was female, but he never wasted a thought on me!"

Pansy´s lip quivered, tears of rage and anger flowed down her cheeks. Hermione did not know wether she should offer her a handkerchief or a sandbag, but she was glad to see Pansy´s spirit return. Maybe she should stick a picture of Malfoy on it, that would surely help her.

"Need that, Pansy?" she asked, offering the other woman the handkerchief. It just seemed more appropriate, but next time it would be the bag.

"Thank you, I always get so angry when I think about it. You could think that was all, but no, he had had more in store for me. Our marriage was drawing nearer, we planned it for may, when I became nineteen. One day, I was just looking for the wedding dress he sent me an owl. I have it here, so you can see for yourself"

She handed Hermione the letter, she took it and began to read:

Dearest Pansy,

As you may have noticed our relationship does not work out very well anymore. I am very sorry it had to came this way, but I can´t marry you under that circumstances. I hereby break our engagement and ask you to stop any preparations for the marriage. Regarding ParkIncorp I have to tell you that in less than a year the company will go bankrupt. Malfoy Investment is not willing to invest any further money into your company, but I hope dearly others will. This of course implies that Malfoy Investment has stopped any negotiations about the planned fusion.

I expect you to move out of the mansion as soon as possible, you will recieve an allowance for your live costs for half a year.

Yours sincerly your exfiancé Draco Malfoy

"He did not do that. " she exclaimed shocked. This was the coldest, most heartless and hardest break ups she had ever heard of and being single and in university she did hear of a good many tings.

Pansy laughed, not a pleasent laugh, and broke anew into tears. "The bastard threw me out of the mansion before I could blink. Do you know what it´s like to be heartbroken, poor and homeless?"

"The company is bankrupt already?" asked Hermione, it was the only thing she could think of. Pansy had to rely onto something and her clothes didn´t look like she was a beggar.

"No, not yet. The managers say we could continue at least three or four months, but in that time we would need new investors. It´s just too much for me. First I have to take revenge. I want to see him bleed, just like I did. Do you know that in the course of three months I took on 30 pounds and lost them again? I was so close to either develop an eating disorder or to become an alcoholic, the only thing that held me up was the thought of revenge. He´ll suffer just the way I did, more than I did and you are just the one I need."

"Me? Yeah, I know my brains and all that stuff, but there are other smart people out there. People you could trust more than me, we were enemies at school." This was really a bizarre situation and she wanted to know what exactly Pansy was trying to pull her in.

"You are perfect. First you are muggle-born. He does not like them, Voldemort down or not. Second he hates you for Potter. Wonder boy stole him the show since his very first day in Hogwarts and Draco is a little Drama Queen. He loves the spotlight, but you were better than him in school, so he couldn´t even get this. Third you are pretty enough for my plans."

"No need to flatter me, I have done well without such compliments, they´ll have no influence on my decision." Did Pansy really doubt her social capability so much, if she thought she could manipulate her so easily. Damn, that was not a good sign, being underestimated by Pansy. No wonder people in University didn´t take her serious. But that was another matter.

"You do not understand me, I need you for a very special plan." she said with a suggestive raised eyebrow. Oh my god, what is she aiming at, thought Hermione furiously. She had gotten in quite a few aquward situations when going out in London, some of them had had Ginny laughing for days. Hermione slowly backed away from the blonde, she didn´t believed she wanted to get involved into that sort of plan. Though Ron would surly approve.

"Ahem, what do you mean?" "Well, it´s as easy as that: You seduce Draco, making him love you and then you ruin him emotionally and financianally. Don´t worry about your appearance, we´ll do a nice littly make over and the payment will be superb."

Ok, Pansy did read too many sappy books, with a very very bad plot. Or had she recently discovered the joys of cable tv? Even soap operah writers were more original, after they used that kind of plot over a thousand times in various adaptions. Remarkable was also it almost never worked out. The victim and the executer always fell in love then there was a really dumb misunderstanding that stretched the plot for weeks and then somebody either married or got killed. She wanted no part in that, although thinking on it death was a nice alternative to Malfoy. She was about to tell Pansy exactly that, when her newly charmed cellphone rang.

"Mione? It´s me, how are you? I was wondering if you could come to my little party tomorrow night, everyone we´ll be there. Please ?" Ron, of course. No one was speaking so rapidly on the mobile, he always had three calls at once and he spoke with a speed that made sure he got all three. He was a true businessman now, she thought proudly.

"I´m fine, Ron, thank you" she answered slowly. Just because he was stressed out it didn´t mean she had to play along.

"Listen I see what I can do, I have got tests coming up" "But you always do. I know it´s not easy there, but that doesn´t mean you have to abandon social life for the iditots." "How little is that party of yours exactly?" she asked suspiciosly. "Oh, just a dinner party with a few business partners and their companions. About 300 people I´d say." "RONALD WEASLEY, you know I hate it when you do that" she screeched into the cell phone.

"I have nothing to wear to such occasions, and you know that very well." "Does that mean your´e coming?" he asked hopefully "Buy something nice, you earned enough over the last holidays, if you haven´t spent it all on books already. See you tomorrow at eight o´clock at my penthouse in the inner city. Harry will come also and he´s really anxious to see you. Bye"

With that he hung up, leaving a somewhat indignated Hermione. "So the inseparable trio is still together?" "We´re inseparable, as you just pointed out." answered Hermione with a smile. They had been through worse than separate working and living places, a petty reason like this would never come between them. Though her friend´s lovers threw jealousy tantrums constantly, but they weren´t here to stay anyway.

"Will you do it?" she changed the topic apruptly.

"Pansy your plan is crap. He knows who I am, he would never fall for that. He may be mean, cold, heartless but he is not stupid. Can you imagine how suspicious he would be if I tried anything? Besides I have no intention to get involved with ferret boy, much less sleep with him. Urgh, the mere thought is disgusting."

" As much as I hate to admit it, he does look good. But I don´t have another plan, other than breaking his pale little neck. But as he is much more stronger and I don´t plan on joining his parents in Azkaban, this is out of the question."

Hermione felt pity for the other woman and frantically thought of a way to help her. And because she wasn´t a smartass for nothing she began:

"Ok, Pansy, I´ll help you. But not in the way you want me to. I won´t go near Malfoy, or hurt him in any other way. I know he made my life at school harder and I hated him back then. He does not have so much power over me nowadays. I rarly see him and the occasional exchange of insults is more a Hogwarts revival than hurting.

But you are driven by the thought, and you have to direct your anger into something useful." She silently thanked all the supporting books that Ginny read, they were good for something. Pansy looked doubtful, so Hermione launched a full You-are-worth-someting- and-can-do-anything-without-him speech (she was very good at those, a year of being in college-dating hell had helped her)

"Listen Pansy, you let Malfoy control your thoughts too much. He has now as much power over you than then, because your hate is so intense. Don´t let him, he doesn´t deserve it. You have to concentrate on other things, like gaining a life of your own and you don´t need him. You are a beautiful, intelligent woman and he is not worthy of you.

And I know exactly on what you will set your mind. You want revenge? You´ll get it. Later. Wait. Let him forget. And then strike out!

How?

ParkIncorp!"

"But it is nearly bankrupt, and I know nothing about business."

"Nothing? Are you sure? Did you never help Malfoy with his studies, were you told nothing about Malfoy Investment?"

"Come to think of it, I did. I was even a bit interested, it was very lonely at the mansion. I began to read his textbooks for fun."

"I know that feeling. You see you are more than qualified to save your family´s company. And you have something as important: You know your enemy. There won´t be many people that will know better about the secrets of Mafoy Investment than you. Believe me."

"But I have no money. All the investors are gone and the Parkinson fortune is non existant. And I can´t see finding new ones."

"That´s were I come in. I´ll do you a favour. But you owe me Pansy, never forget that. You owe me."

Pansy laughed out. Hermione raised again an eyebrow, but Pansy was so shooken by fits of hysterical laughter, she never saw the expression on Hermione´s face.

"You will lend me money? Look at you, you can´t even aford a decent flat, much less financing a huge company. Really, the visit was worth the amusement."

"Better. I won´t give you money, but contacts. Important contacts to be exact. I´ll give you a meeting with Ronald Weasley."

Pansy choked. Weasley had a reputation in the business world for never losing even a knut at investments. Where he led others would follow. Hermione knew that of course and she allowed herself a few little dreams of the favours Pansy would do her. (Get your mind out of the gutter, will ya? Thanks)

"You would do that? Would he give me a chance? Although he disliked me all my life?"

"Be well prepared. Ron is a hard bargainer and he´ll rip you into pieces before you even begin to present your concept, if you´re not knowing what and how you want it. I would start with the management if I were you. You have to trust your crew, before you do business with Ronald Weasley and I suspect some managers may not be entirely trustable."

"Hermione Granger you´re a genious. I see your plan and am entirely convinced of it. Malfoy will bleed and I will become the head of one of the best companies ever."

To Hermione´s surprise Pansy didn´t doubt her plan anymore. A feverish light shone in Pansy´s eyes as she stood up and declared: "I thank you. I owe you my life. Let me know when you need something. And now excuse me please, I have to take lead at my company. Malfoy will regrett the day he was born once I´m finnished."

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A/N: Plot thickens, finally. Took long enough, didn´t it? Ok, the usual procedure: Criticism, praise or suggestions are feeling very good, if they are inside the review-thingy. So go ahead and help ´em! They´ll appreciate it !