A/N: Hey people! I'm back! I hope you'd still be reading this fic…even after the long hiatus! Well, this is the next chapter…however, I've made some changes to the original version which I've sent you in the official notice (if you don't know what I'm talking about, it's okay, just read)! So, to get things started, let's have Pansy!

Mourning

"Sometimes, teas are a sign of strength. Sometimes, tears ease your pain."

Someone, she did not remember who, said once.

But Pansy never cried. Because tears had never helped. And they wouldn't help her now.

So she sat. Motionless. Anticipating. Waiting for what could not be. The sun rose. The sun set. People came; and people left. Time passed so easily. Life was moving on. Into a new year without Draco.

She'd rarely left the security of her room, only attending the Dark Lord's meetings where her bleeding heart was shredded once again with the announcement of Draco's death. She'd barely remembered what'd passed in there –only catching broken sentences of Blaise's 'new position' and the Dark Lord's new regime to 'strengthen them'. Her eyes had shifted back to the empty place beside the Dark Lord time after time again. Until it wasn't empty anymore. Until she could not tell herself that Draco was only on a long errand for the Dark Lord– because Blaise stood there now.

Other than the meetings, she retreated into her room, where she could not be hurt anymore.

Blaise had sat there by her. Watching her mourn. Lament. Hide from life.

They didn't converse. Barely any words had been exchanged since that morning. They stood on a delicate sheet of glass. Another step in the wrong direction, and the glass would break…

xxXxx

She was once again staring out of the window. What she was looking for, she did not know. But she sat stoically on the adjoining balcony. Sometimes, she could not believe that she was wasting away like this. A certain part of her yelled for her to go on. Yet she could not bring herself to any action at all.

She couldn't bring herself to face reality. She couldn't bring herself to react or to show emotions.

Emotions were a weakness.

"But so is the lack thereof." Blaise's voice said.

She turned around. But the seat that he had occupied for the last week remained empty. She must be losing her mind. To be hearing his voice at the oddest moments.

Blaise was not in the room. He'd left last night when his mark burned. He had inhaled sharply, which had attracted her attention in their solitude. Feeling her gaze, he had smiled and without another word, and just holding the part where she knew the dark mark lay pulsing, he'd left her room.

Slightly earlier than he would have when he was…Blaise. Just Blaise. It was that moment, when a part of the truth that she had been trying to deny, seeped in. The truth was like a fine hairline in their glass. So thin and small…but so deadly.

Click.

The sun was setting now. Disappearing into the horizon, bringing the physical darkness into her room. It was then, Blaise entered again with heavy footsteps.

"You're late." She commented.

"I was delayed." He replied in a raspy voice.

"Something happened?" she asked with mild interest as she looked away from the red sky.

"My family died." Blaise said with tormented eyes, unshed tears lurking dangerously.

She looked at the man before her and analyzed. His dark hair was unkempt. His eyes were red from crying. His normally tanned skin seemed grey under the fading light. He was a mess. But who was she to judge?

She was a mess too.

"I see."

"My Lord killed yours too."

"So?"

"Don't you care?" his voice was more constricted than she had ever heard.

She shook her head.

Then again, an uncomfortable silence dwelled in the room.

"When did you become so uncaring?"

"Do you want me to be weak?" Pansy asked monotonously, ignoring his question. "Do you want me to cry? Expect me to cry? Like you?"

She looked away from the window and glared at him.

Click.

"Pansy," Blaise said, his eyes continued to shine. "Sometimes, it is not a weakness like you think it is."

"To me, it is." She retorted, gaining a wisp of her former vigor. But it was lost before long. "You wouldn't understand. Draco wouldn't have wanted me to be weak. Draco would have-"

Suddenly, it was as if some restrain in Blaise broke. A fury she had yet to encounter was born in her presence.

"WAKE UP, PANSY!" he shouted, frustration and possibly anger evident in his voice. "You can't go on like this. He's dead, so what? You've still got me!"

She snapped suddenly. The horrid truth was once again slapped heavily into her face.

Click.

"I KNOW HE'S DEAD! I KNOW IT TOO WELL! AND WHO THE HELL ARE YOU? WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN HELP ME?"

She heaved after her shouting. It was as if a load was lifted from her heart. She wanted to thank Blaise for letting her shout and putting up with her…but when she heard what he said next, she wished she hadn't had her outburst.

"Because I love you, Pansy." He whispered.

"Don't joke, Blaise." She said hoarsely.

"I'm not. I do love you, Pans." He said with all seriousness. His eyes never wavered once as he made his declaration.

She turned away abruptly, unable to face the man in her room. Her heart belonged to Draco. Only Draco. It didn't have a place for anyone else. Not in the past. Not now. Not ever.

"Please go, Blaise." She whispered in the now quiet room. "Please. My heart belongs to Draco."

"Won't you give me a chance?" he choked out.

"It's just a passing phase." She dismissed, quietly. "Just a passing phase"

"Is it?"

She nodded.

"I don't think so." His voice had changed as he said that. The pained tone suddenly became strangely determined. As if he was certain that he could change her mind.

"I won't change my mind." Pansy told him, and telling herself that too.

She heard him turn. There was a clear 'Click.' in the back of her mind. She didn't know what it was, but for an unknown reason, her eyes blurred. Wetness trailed down her cheeks. She swiped at her eyes hesitantly.

Click.

"Will you ever let your heart heal?" Blaise asked.

"Maybe." She answered as the footsteps echoed and the door opened. "Maybe after I've avenged Draco. Maybe after I've killed Potter."

"…Potter didn't kill Draco." He paused at the door and said. "He came upon another fate. One worse than the Killing Curse."

With that, he left.

The door closed softly but surely.

Click.

She could hear the glass shattering.

A/N: YES! I've updated! Please don't let me lose any reviews or readers! So please review! I'll be updating constantly from now on since my exams are over! Do look forward to the next chapter! As a certain someone would come! (evil smiles)! So REVIEW! (Only Secret is currently under the post-exam hyperness!) REVIEW! I love all of you who read my fic!