Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy (POV)
Well, now I'm standing outside of Neville's house, debating whether to ring the doorbell, or to run away and hope he never saw me.
Before I could come to any decision, the door opened and Neville himself appeared in the doorway.
"Hi" he grinned, "What can I do for you?"
"You could let me in" I said, "and let me tell you all about my leaving Draco"
His eyes widened; "You left him?"
"Of course, you didn't think I was going to stay with him when I knew he was screwing someone else did you?"
"I guess I did" Neville shrugged.
"Gee thanks" I rolled my eyes, "just insult me a little bit more"
"Come on in" he said, and stood by to let me through.
I went in and then we went in to the living room.
"Can I get you anything?" he asked, when I'd sat down on the sofa.
"No thanks. I just need to tell you what happened" I said.
"Okay, spill"
So I told him everything; about how I had confronted Draco when he came home, how Draco had taken it. Everything.
"...and then he slapped me" I said quietly.
"He did what? Neville yelled, making me jump.
"He hit me" I said again, "but don't worry; I socked him one back"
A grin spread across Neville's face as I said that.
"You did?" He asked, "Nice"
"Oh it was, trust me. He sank to the floor like a sack of cement"
"Um, Pansy?" Neville asked several moments later, "Why did you come and tell me all of this?"
"You're the only person who knows about Draco's affair" I said simply, "and I wouldn't trust anyone else to keep it that way"
"It's nice to know you trust me."
"It's nice to know I can."
There was a silence, and the longer it drew on, the more awkward it felt.
"I'd better go" I said finally, standing up, "I've got to pick the kids up from my mother in law's"
"Draco's mother?"
"Yeah, Narcissa's great; she loves them" I said.
When we reached the door, Neville held it open for me. He's so sweet.
"See you later Neville" I said, turning to go.
"Yeah see you Pansy" he said.
I was almost on the street when he said;
"If you need somewhere to stay, my door is always open"
I smiled, "Thanks." I said, "For everything."
So then I really did go, and for some reason, I was happy. I'd thought that leaving Draco would've made me depressed or, at the very least, a bit emotional. But no, I was content. Maybe telling someone about my problems was a good thing.
And Neville is just so wonderful; he knows the right thing to say and when to say it. If I wasn't just coming out of a long marriage, I could seriously consider getting with him.
Okay, so the next stop is Blaise's. I know I said I was going to pick my kids up, but I think seeing my old friend is more pressing.
I know where she lives; back when we still talked, she sent me a letter with her new address on. As far as I know she hasn't moved.
Oh, and as for Blaise being engaged, I only just remembered when I left Draco that note. If my darling ex-husband has found it yet, I know he'll be livid. Just what I was hoping for.
When I arrive at her house, I don't dawdle and I ring the doorbell.
A few moments later, it opens and Potter answers.
He looks at me, trying to remember who I am, and when he finally gets it, his eyes darken in suspicion.
"What the fuck do you want?" he asks in a hoarse voice.
Poor Potter, he looks like he's been through hell. His face is pale and drawn, and he looks as though he hasn't slept in ages.
"Is Blaise there?" I ask in my most polite voice.
"Why, does Malfoy want to know?" he asks venomously.
"Oh, so you know too then?"
"Know what?" he says.
"That Blaise is sleeping with Draco" I say, wondering if I haven't just landed Blaise in it.
"I know" he says and I cringe internally. "I asked her to do it!"
"Excuse me?" I say quietly.
"I'll let her explain it"
From the way he says 'her' I can tell Potter and Blaise have had some sort of fight.
Blaise appears in the doorway now, and she looks just as bad as Potter did.
"Oh" she says when she sees me. "Pansy."
"Yes, it's me" I say cheerfully, though I'm feeling far from cheerful, "surprised?"
"Yes. You'd better come in" and she lets me in her house.
She leads me into the kitchen; from where I was standing at the door, it looked as though her fiancé was sleeping on the couch.
"So," Blaise says when we're seated at the table.
"Let's get straight to the point" I say bluntly, "you slept with my husband. Why?"
"First of all" she says quickly, "it was for ... the Order. You know about the Order, right?"
I nod.
"I was asked to do it. I didn't want to, but I did." She pauses, "And it meant nothing. Honestly Pansy, I wish I hadn't done it."
"Don't say that" I say "I'm glad you did"
"Well, at least someone's happy" she mutters.
"What d'you mean?"
"Harry thinks I enjoyed it" she says dully, "we had a fight. He slept on the couch last night. Some of the things he said ... they were awful ..."
And she starts to cry. I know then that Blaise never wanted it to happen; that she was caught by the fact that she'd known Draco at school. I feel sorry for her all of a sudden; something which I'm surprised I can still feel.
"I'm s-sorry" she sobs, "I'll tell Draco tomorrow and you can go back to being one big happy family"
"Please don't" I say, and she looks at me through tear filled eyes.
"W-what?"
"Draco and I have split up. I left him" I say frankly.
"I'm so sorry"
"You don't have to be. It's the best thing to happen to me"
"Huh?" Blaise looks terribly confused now and I feel I have to straighten things out.
I explain what happened and she alternates between shame, anger and pity.
"That bastard!" she keeps saying, when she hears about Draco's reaction, "I can't believe he did that to you!"
"Yes, well, I'm beginning to realise that" I say, "So what about you?" I ask her.
"I came home yesterday" she begins, "after seeing Draco, and I just felt so worthless that I told Harry I didn't want to do it again. He was really sweet, telling me I didn't have to, and then we went out to dinner. Everything was going fine, until he suddenly just snaps at me. And then it just blew up from there. I don't understand it" she added, frowning, "he just went off it and started saying all sorts of stuff. It's not like him"
I listened in silence as she told me what Potter had said. It was quite shocking actually, the things he called her.
"Sounds to me" I say, "like he was jealous. And paranoid. He thinks you liked sleeping with Draco."
"But why? I said I was sorry, I told him I didn't like it. Why does he still think I did?"
"It's the male ego sweetie" I tell her, "men don't like to feel insecure. When they do, they get all shitty and blame everyone but themselves."
"Why thank you for that analysis Pansy" a sarcastic voice says behind me.
I look round and Potter is stood in the kitchen doorway.
"Oh," I say, "it's you"
"What did you come here for?" he asks me, angrily.
"To find out why your fiancé slept with my husband." I tell him, "And to tell her that we've split. Is that a problem for you?"
"I'm not so sure I have a fiancé anymore" he mutters and Blaise inhales sharply.
"Oh really?" I say, "Well I think you do. And the both of you have some explaining to do for each other"
"No Pansy," Blaise says suddenly, "if he wants to break it off, let him. I don't think I want to marry an asshole"
"I'm an asshole? I don't think so!"
"If you listened to me, then you'd know how I really felt! But no, you're just so happy thinking you're right!"
"WELL AT LEAST I DON'T SCREW ON COMMAND!"
"I don't know Harry," Blaise says calmly, while I can only watch them trade insults, "If Ginny says screw, your trousers are already at your ankles!"
"That's not true and you know it!" Harry says dangerously.
"And you know I hated sleeping with Malfoy!" Blaise says despairingly.
There was a long, long silence, in which I sat awkwardly looking from Blaise who had stood and stormed up to Potter. I could feel the tension in the air.
Then suddenly, they took one look at each other, and just started the biggest lip lock right there in the kitchen.
"Urgh, get a room!" I protest.
They pull apart and grin sheepishly, "Sorry, don't know what came over me" Blaise laughs.
"Sure you don't" I smile, "It looks like everything's okay here. I think I'll go, before I witness another gross PDA."
"PDA?" Potter asks, confused.
"Public display of affection" I explain.
"Oh right"
"I'll see you two ... some other time" I say, standing up, "I'll show myself out, don't worry"
When I'm in the living room, I take a last look back, and sure enough, Blaise and Potter are attached from the neck upwards. It's quite sweet, in a hormonal sort of way, and I feel a wistful pang as I think of how Draco and I used to kiss as passionately as that.
But that's all in the past, and I'm going to put it behind me. And who knows? Maybe I'll find someone else...