CHAPTER FIVE: Last Goodbye

This is our last goodbye

I hate to see the love between us die

But its over, just do this and then I'll go

You gave me more to live for

More than you'll ever know

This is our last embrace

Must I dream and always see your face

Why can't overcome this and more

Maybe it is just before I didn't know you at all

Last Goodbye – Jeff Buckley

Authors Note: So originally in this chapter I was planning for Draco and Pansy to hook up and have a little shag. But the closer I came to writing that particular section, the more I just really didn't want to write it and I realized it would just be stall the inevitable. So, since I don't want this story to be a 30 chapters long, here's the different version.

Is she dead? She's not moving?

Don't be stupid she's just tired. And no wonder, I heard her come in at 2am last night.

2am? Where in the world was she?

I don't know, but she came in and she was smiling.

Pansy smiling? Maybe she was out with Draco?

Can't have been, Draco was off with that Ravenclaw.

The voices slowly drifted into Pansy's conscience, pulling her rudely from her relaxed sleeping state. Not wanting to wake up, Pansy buried down deeper into her covers.

"This is fascinating" came a loud whisper; "you see the way the teenage girl digs deeper into her burrow to shield herself from the elements."

Pansy frowned and rolled over ignoring the giggles around her. She'd be damned if she allowed her roommates to wake her up so early on a Saturday morning.

"Now ladies and gentlemen" the talk show host whisper continued, "human beings are brilliant creatures, do you notice how upon waking up they are in quite an untidy state. No, that is not a birds nest on top of her head, and do not mistake her for a panda, it is quite simply…"

Pansy gave up, "guys" she groaned, "stop."

The girls laughed, and Pansy slowly opened her eyes to see Millicent and Helena standing over her. Rubbing her eyes, Pansy frowned, "I hate you."

"We love you too" Helena replied with a grin before settling herself down at Pansy's feet, "so tell me dear one, because we want gossip. Where were you last night?"

Pansy sighed, "no where."

"No where!" the girls chorused excitedly.

"Oh its one of those" Millicent laughed grabbing her pillow and smacking Pansy with is, "whose the boy Pans?"

"Honestly you guys need to get out more" Pansy grumbled, pushing herself into a sitting position, "if you must know I was out with Potter and we were working on our project. Nothing more and nothing less than that."

"Well that's boring" Helena replied with a frown, "you could have at least made up some exciting tale of kidnap with a long and hard fight for your life. Where you were nearly at the edge of death, when the handsome boy comes to save you" Helena swooned dramatically.

Pansy stared at Helena, "sometimes I worry about you."

Helena laughed, "oh well, at least you've made a start on the project. Me and Finnegan can't decide on an animal."

Millicent groaned, "urgh do we have to talk about the project?"

"I agree with Mill. And I'm starving, when's breakfast?"

"You missed it" Helena replied standing up and walking over to Pansy's closet, "its lunch time now and we figured we'd wake you. So get dressed." Helena picked up Pansy's cloak from the floor and went to toss it to her when she froze.

Ignoring them Pansy rolled slowly out of bed and pulled her hair into a ponytail. She had grabbed her towel and was walking towards the bathroom when a noise from Millicent stopped her.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" Millicent crooned in amusement, "what do we have here?"

Pansy turned around to see Millicent and Helena holding Harry's cloak between them like a banner.

"Oh Pansy and Potter sitting in the tree" Helena sang, swinging the cloak around her shoulders and prancing around the room.

"K.I.S.S.I.N.G" Millicent joined in grabbing the cloak before stopping in awe, "oh its lovely and warm. Pans I don't think you should give it back."

Pansy sighed heavily, "I'm going for a shower."

"Oh no," Helena protested dramatically, "we need to hear all the details how you ventured outside, and it was so cold that he offered you his cloak."

Millicent laughed and dropped to her knees, "Oh Pansy" she said mistily looking up at Helena in adoration, "take my cloak you need it more than I do."

"Oh yes Pot… uh I mean Harry" Helena responded, "Lets get married"

The two of them dissolved into giggles.

Pansy rolled her eyes and slammed the bathroom door.

The two of them pranced around for the rest of the day, taking the piss at every possible moment until after dinner they grew tired of teasing Pansy and reverted back into their normal selves. Pansy was inwardly relieved because aside from it being annoying, rumor spread like wildfire that herself and Harry had made wild passionate love in the middle of the forest. Luckily Pansy was able to put a stop to that rumor before it traveled any further than the Slytherin common room.

In order to escape everyone's derisive questions Pansy escaped to the library, where she was currently sitting buried deep within the shelves, sketching an Iclandra from memory. She was actually rather proud of it, since it was looking a lot more realistic than she originally thought it would. Pansy had just completed the smaller detail on its face, when a body slid into the chair across from her. Pansy looked up and was not surprised to see Draco there.

"Draco" she greeted.

"Pansy" he replied with a small smile, "so rumor has it you stole Potter's virginity last night."

Pansy sighed, "I'm not having this conversation with you."

Draco shrugged, "what's that?" he gestured to her paper.

"It's a Iclandra" Pansy replied, turning her paper and pushing it towards him, "what do you think?"

Draco wrinkled his nose, "reminds me of Granger without hair."

Pansy chuckled, "speaking of Granger. How's your project with her roommate coming along?"

"Uh" Draco scratched the back of his neck, "that's what I wanted to speak to you about."

Pansy raised an eyebrow.

"She… well she and I kind of…you…"

Pansy looked down, "your sleeping with her," she supplied quietly.

"Yeah" Draco admitted.

Pansy looked up, "are you crazy Draco? She's a Griffindor."

"I know."

"If your father finds out…"

'I know!" Draco burst out. He sighed and looked around before leaning forward, "its… its different."

"Don't tell me you actually like her" Pansy huffed, "Draco you don't like anyone."

Draco looked offended, "that's not necessarily one hundred percent true."

Pansy chuckled, "you're a Slytherin Draco, you don't give a damn about anyone about yourself."

'I care about you" he replied seriously.

Pansy looked horrified, "you're not getting mushy with me are you? Bloody hell"

"No" Draco chuckled, "I'm just saying that we're good friends right, and I wouldn't want to fuck that up."

"Your asking my permission" Pansy asked flatly, finally understanding.

"Well yeah" Draco replied sheepishly, "I mean, come on Pansy, I'd hate for us to…"

"Draco" Pansy cut in, leaning forward as well, "you can do whatever you want. We never promised each other anything. Yes, we had an agreement and yes it was working well, but you never promised me you'd be there forever. I knew eventually you'd finally find someone you liked better than me."

"So are we good?"

"We're good" Pansy smiled, "friends?"

Draco nodded, "so uh, you'll understand if I call off tonight?"

Pansy laughed, "I'm sure I'll survive."

"Fantastic" Draco got up and made to leave.

"And Draco?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't fuck this up."

Draco smiled and nodded, "oh and also, Potter's cloak is currently hanging like a flag from the ceiling in the girls bathroom. Just thought you should know."

"Shit."

The next few weeks passed in a blur. After successfully saving Harry's cloak from the bathroom and returning it to him, the Care of Magical Creatures project kept everyone extremely busy. Pansy found her sleeping habits becoming as nocturnal as an Iclandra's as her late nights in the forest with Harry finally caught up with her. Stumbling into the great hall every morning was like rising from the dead, and she barely made it through her classes each day without falling asleep. Her coffee addiction had grown to the extent it was almost rivaling Blaise's, and she was smoking more than ever.

"I don't know why you just don't give up," Harry commented one afternoon.

The two of them were sitting out by the lake enjoying the first rays of sunshine in weeks. Scrolls, books and papers with facts and diagrams on Iclandra's were spread around them weighed down with stones to stop them flying away. Pansy who was currently smoking her forth cigarette since they met glared at him.

"Those things will kill you" Harry continued, "and if they don't kill you first, a teacher will when they catch you."

Pansy sighed and threw her butt at him, "oh shut up Potter, a girl needs to indulge in something."

Harry picked up the butt and put it out against a rock, "I thought you indulged in drawing"

Pansy shook her head, "drawing is my thing. Not something I indulge in. Now smoking, drugs and alcohol, they are things you indulge in."

Harry chuckled.

"And what about you Mr. Potter, what do you indulge in?"

"My friends"

Pansy smirked, "I thought you said Granger wasn't up for the sex."

"That's not what I mean" Harry replied patiently, with no trace of a blush, "I mean, being around my friends is an indulgence to me. It's something that makes me happy."

"Weasley not up for it either? Red heads are horny buggers you know?"

Harry shook his head, "you're going straight to hell."

"Why?" Pansy questioned amused, "Yes I smoke and drink. But its not like I steal or kill people. I'm a little rough around the edges, but I'm not completely evil."

Harry surveyed her quietly, "well your certainly different to what I expected you to be."

"Oh? And what did you expect?"

Harry shrugged, "a miniature Malfoy I guess."

"He'd be pleased" Pansy grinned.

Harry smiled back.

Authors Note: The title of this chapter belongs to a Jeff Buckley song. Sorry, not much Harry/Pansy in this chapter. But it's getting there slowly but surely.