Chapter 7: An End to a Hard Beginning

(A/N: Thought I'd flip it a bit. This chapter's going to give you a short glimpse into Draco's point of view. Just a tiny bit though. )

Draco stormed angrily into the common room which immediately hushed to silence.

"Where is she?" he growled to the frightened students. When none replied he smashed his fist on a table and turned, cape flowing behind him, and stalked up the stairs to his dorm. No girl had EVER turned him down. How dare she embarrass him like that? He saw that look in her eyes when she first looked at the ring. Now the box was clutched in one hand so tight his hand it started going numb. He loosened it a bit. She had feelings for him he knew. So why was it so damn hard to get to her now? Why had she held back this fierceness until now? And why the hell was she making him feel this way? Seeing her with that Potter. Wonderful Potter.

In the doorway he paused. He had to find her and talk some sense in her. With her new found pride, she might just have the courage to get herself out of this marriage and he couldn't have that. One year ago he would have despised the thought but now. He shuddered and closed his eyes.

Without thinking, he turned and strode back down the stairs and out of the common room. There was one place he knew he could find her.

Out on the Quidditch field he saw Pansy talking quietly to Potter. A sudden urge to turn around and leave made him hesitate. He never needed to chase after a good and he sure as heck didn't need to now. She was his anyhow because of their parents so why not let her little fire with the scar boy burn out?

Pansy took a deep breath and looked at Harry. He had seen her enter the Pitch and had come over when they were done with practice. She took a deep breath but before she could say anything Harry began,

"I'm sorry. I don't like you just because you're beautiful. Not that, that isn't a plus. When you spoke up that day, started talking and saying things for yourself, and showed me your strength...that's why I like you." His hand reached out and brushed a few locks of hair from Pansy's face. She took in a sharp intake of breath.

"Harry, were you at lunch today?"

Harry tilted his head slightly. "No, I had to call a quidditch meeting. It was the only time everyone could meet. Why?" He looked concerned. Pansy knew she should tell him since he would just find out soon enough anyway. She bit her lower lip, a habit she had developed with all the tension lately.

"Nevermind. It's not important." Her eyes trailed along the field and then the rest of the stands, falling on the retreating back of a blonde head down the steps. Pansy scowled. Had he followed her here? She thought he would at least go and sulk in his room a bit first before coming to tell her off. Not that it mattered anymore. Her attention focused back on Harry. She looked at him long and hard until she saw he was getting uncomfortable. With a shocking awareness she realized that though she didn't hate him as before, her attraction to him had lessened sufficiently.

"We don't work do we?" she asked with a soft smile. Harry looked confused.

"What do you mean? We're in different houses, yes. We have people who don't want us to be together, yes. But that doesn't mean we don't work." Pansy could tell it took a lot for him to say things like this. He was normally shy around girls he didn't know well such as Hermione. This caused a distinct lack of courage when it came to voicing what he though in terms of relationships.

"I mean because we're not completely comfortable around each other. You know it as well as I do. I like you a lot Harry," and she was honest as she said this, seeing now that it could not be and that he would...mesh, better with another girl.

"So what are you saying? That we should just give up?" He scooted closer to her, his face barely a foot away from hers. She felt torn. But in her heart she knew that it wasn't mean to be.

"I'm saying I don't think we were meant to be together in that way. Friends, yes. A bridge between the two houses...possibly. But more..." her voice trailed off as a tear rolled down her cheek. She hadn't thought it would be this hard. Why had her life turned so heartbreaking so fast? She had sworn to herself she would not get tangled up like this and yet fate seemed to have other plans.

They sat there in silence for some time. Harry kept his eyes on the field, Pansy watching his face trying to guess his thoughts. Finally he turned back to look at her and without hesitating, he kissed her softly. Immediately her eyes closed and she kissed back, loving the sensation. The world seemed to melt away for a few precious minutes while they sat there. Her arms eventually found their way around his neck as his pulled her closer. Finally she pulled back, keeping her eyes closed a moment before looking at him.

"I'm going to miss that," she said breathlessly. Harry frowned.

"You don't have to you know."

Her smile was forced and barely noticeably as she squirmed her way free of his arms reluctantly.

"I hope we can stay friends though I don't think Bobo and Frizzy would like that."

Harry raised an eyebrow and laughed, "You mean Ron and Hermione?"

"Ah I suppose I should call them their usual names now eh? Fine. But I don't think they would like it anyway."

"I choose my friends, not them."

"Goodbye Harry."

"Goodbye Pansy."

"Darling!" Pansy had just walked through the door to the common room when she heard the calling of the people she had least expected to see. Her mother came and gave her a large swooping hug while her father stood, eyes gleaming with the reflection of the flicker of a dying fire.

"W-what are you doing here?" she asked incredulously. Her mother's smile vanished as she checked around to see the last of the Slytherins leaving the common room to go to afternoon classes.

"How dare you speak to us like that in a letter young lady. You've known since your first meeting with Draco that you and he were to be married when you got older."

Pansy's face hardened. She would not be pushed around like this. "As I recall, you never once told me I would be forced to marry him. I hate him and I refuse to marry into such a horrible family. I would rather die."

Her mother's lower lip trembled slightly as if wanting to say something. Instead however, she looked up to Pansy's father waiting for his opinion. His face was flushed with anger.

"You will do what I say you little brat. I am your father and you will marry who I say you will marry. The Malfoys are good friends of ours and we do not want to disappoint them now do we?"

"Then have another daughter. I will not marry him. I will marry who I want, when I want."

The last thing she remembered was her father coming closer, a sharp pain to the side of her head, and then darkness.

(A/N: Hey guys, I just figured out we have this handy dandy new editor thingy. It got me all hyped up to write another chapter and so I have. Don't ask me where this story is going because I only have a rough idea. But it might be a week before I get the next chapter up because im working on getting my other fic a couple new chapters. I hope you enjoy this one though. I'll try to get on it as fast as I can though. I'm hoping to have more reviews though. Ah and of course thank you everyone for the reivews i've gotten. I would give you each and individual thank you but im really tired and hoping to get to bed really soon. Love you all!)