A/N: One-shot, pretty sad… I was writing another HP fic, when I suddenly felt like writing this. It's the first time I've come up with this idea, so it's pretty spontaneous. It's about the relation between Draco, Ginny, Pansy and Blaise. I never thought I'd make such a combination. Oh well… I'm not really planning on a prequel, or a sequel… Unless I get a really good idea and suddenly feel like writing. If you have an idea, please do tell me! I'd love to write anything completing this, if I judge the idea to be interesting enough…
Well, enjoy!
Desclaimer: I own nothing ;;
His eyes traced carefully every single line of the painting. He knew them by heart. If he wanted to, he could paint it all over again, without a model. If he wanted to, he could build a statue to her image, without missing any detail of her delicate face.
But this was impossible, and he knew it.
The only reason he still had this painting of her was to remind him of better times. Of the future he could have had. Of her. It somehow kept him alive. Many times he had thought of joining her, but every time he gazed at the smile, occasionally shifting positions or waving, he didn't find the courage. It was curious. He couldn't join her in the other world, only because a last memory of her kept him with the living.
How happy had he been, when he was in her company. How miserable when he wasn't. She was everything he'd ever truly loved, after all. And she was gone. After so many years - were it four? Maybe five? - he still hadn't forgotten how he felt.
His thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on his door. He didn't answered, knowing what would come next.
"Master Malfoy, dinner is served. Mistress Malfoy is waiting in the dining room."
He could hear the paces fading away. It was the same thing everyday, after all. The same, dull voice announcing it was time to return to reality. Breaking his dreamworld filled with memories, he stood up, ready to face his wife again. Not that she was some kind of monster. She just wasn't her.
"You look beautiful tonight."
Pansy looked up as her husband entered the dining room. She smiled graciously, as she always did. She loved him dearly, she really did. Yet he wasn't the one she wanted… One couldn't always have what one wanted, right?
"You say that every night."
And that was very true. Of course, he wasn't lying to her. He said it sincerely, but it didn't mean much to neither of them.
There was only one man who could waken some kind of emotion inside her with a phrase like that…
"But it is true."
There was only one woman to which he would have wanted to repeat it a thousand times, over and over again. He was right, Pansy did look beautiful every evening. But as his heart belonged to his red-haired muse, hers belonged to a long forgotten friend: Blaise Zabini.
He knew this.
"You don't need to whisper sweet nothings to me every day, Draco. You know I don't need it."
It was a gentle remark, something an old schoolmate would have never heard coming from her lips. A wounded heart could change a person a lot.
Draco laughed a little. It seemed sincere, but one could never know.
"Funny how you call it 'sweet nothings'…"
"Why do you need to tell me things like these? Don't you realize I'm angry, Draco?"
She glared furiously at him, although there was already a hint of softness in her eyes. She couldn't stay angry for long - especially not if it involved him.
"Things like what?"
His tone was playful and teasing, and absolutely irritating combined to his trademark smirk.
"Those sweet nothings you always use to buy yourself a way out of trouble! But this time you've gone to far! Punching my-"
"So you do think it's sweet, do you?"
She froze at his reply, suddenly realizing she had made a mistake… Again.
"Oh please don't start…" Her voice was suddenly faint, as if she knew she wouldn't be able to resist him anyway. The smirk haunted her thoughts.
"I'm not starting anything… Besides, they aren't really 'nothings' you know. I'm really grateful I can say such things to you. If that wans't the case, then they would be sweet little nothings, as you said."
"Then it really does matter to you if I'm here or not?"
It was strange how she could sometimes switch moods in a matter of seconds. Now she was gazing back at him, expecting the whole truth. The truth didn't seem real though, even Draco himself only found out later how fataly true his words were.
"If you weren't here, Ginny, I wouldn't survive in the first place."
Ginny shook her head, as if she couldn't believe what he'd said. To hear he needed her to live was too much of a dream… Even after all they had gone through.
"Funny? Do you think? Maybe it is… I got it from a… friend of mine."
Draco smiled faintly, but not nearly enough for Pansy to notice. She stared into the dark horizon, her mind flying back to a long time ago…
"Oh come on! It would mean the world to me if you just told me what you think of this dress!"
She let out a cry of despair and looked at him, imploring for an answer. He wasn't cold or rude, she knew that. He was just too shy to tell her what he really thought. He didn't need words to explain his feelings.
Blaise watched her parade once more in front of him and shook his head.
"Why do you absolutely need to hear these sweet nothings from me? Don't you understand how I feel, Pansy? Why do you need a confirmation every now and then?"
He looked vulnerable when he said this, so vulnerable she knew she couldn't ask for more.
"I'm sorry Blaise… It's just that I still want to be sure you're happy by my side… I want to be sure this is what you want!"
Her eyes filled with tears, something she had hated since childhood. Filled with guilt, he stood up and embraced her.
"And I think you shouldn't think about it too much. Who knows, it is possible I have no tomorrow. Do you think I would be here if I didn't want to?"
Pansy gasped in shock as he said it, but understood he was right. Maybe there was no tomorrow…
Her sobs softened Blaise's heart even more, and not only guilt but also love pushed him to do what he had thought was useless…
"You do look beautiful though…"
Pansy glanced up again, only to find another man standing in front of her. But it almost didn't matter anymore. They were meant to spend the rest of their lives together, each mourning for their lost souls. What other option was there? What other choice did they have than to move on? Drag themselves through life until merciful death let them join the lost ones? She knew they couldn't choose to die right now… It seemed lame, and went against everything they had been taught. They would just have to wait…
In full knowledge of this painful truth, she gave him a smile and sat down elegantly, soon followed by himself. He too had realized what his life was all about. He made a sign towards a servant who went to fetch the wine. She kept on smiling, took a deep breath, and launched herself back into their daily routine.
"Now, darling, how was your day?"
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