Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters.
Chapter Seven
Draco looked at himself in the mirror, as he did quite often, and tried to figure out what was wrong with him. I'm good looking enough, he thought, inspecting his white-blonde hair that hung loosely over his mystical gray eyes, his full lips and his lean arms. I'm popular, he thought. The thing was, these things didn't reassure him. Pansy had never really seemed particularly interested in bragging about Draco's good qualities—she didn't pine over him as other girls wished they could do. The only thing he knew for sure was that Pansy had been his girlfriend ever since first year, but they had known each other since they were babies because their parents were such good friends. Once they entered Hogwarts, they hung out together the most; Pansy was his first real friend, and it just seemed natural that they be together.
A tear leaked down his cheek. How did she expect him to live without her now?
"God damn it!" he yelled, his voice echoing through the bathroom, his fist slamming down onto the ceramic sink. He winced in pain and grabbed his hand just as a loud splash! sounded from one of the bathroom stalls.
"What's wrong, Draco?" a familiar voice asked.
"Nothing, Myrtle," Draco muttered, sinking down onto the floor and looking up at the gray ghost. She frowned and floated down to him.
"Now I know that isn't true," she said. "I can tell when you're upset."
"Shall I call it a woman's intuition?" Draco asked, frowning. "You're going to make me talk about it, aren't you?"
"No," Myrtle said. "But you always do."
Draco sighed. "Why are you the only girl I can trust, Myrtle?"
Myrtle shrugged and removed her glasses, rubbing the lenses with her shirt.
"It's Pansy," Draco said, frowning at her name. He had been frowning for the past three days, since her name was the only thing on his mind.
"What happened?" Myrtle asked.
"She dumped me."
Myrtle screeched. "Why?"
Draco scowled. "I don't know. She didn't give me a reason."
"Well I never liked that girl," Myrtle pouted. "You're better off."
"You don't understand," Draco said, shaking his head. "I won't be. I can't be."
"Oh, poor Draco. There are other fish in the sea."
"But she's the only girl I've ever liked. The only girl I've ever kissed. The only girl I've ever…"
"…ever what?" Myrtle asked suspiciously.
"Nevermind," Draco said quickly. "Myrtle. I love her."
"Do you?"
"Yes. I do. I love her. I love Pansy Parkinson with all my heart." He put his face in his hands. "How could she do this to me? Doesn't she know that she's killing me?"
"Hm…"
"What?"
"Does she know that you love her?"
"Of course she does!" Draco scoffed. "How could she not? We've been together forever."
"That wasn't my question," Myrtle said, floating closer to Draco. "My question is, does she know that you love her?"
Draco looked up at Myrtle gravely.
"Have you ever told her that you love her?"
"Yes!" Draco said, but he was trying to think hard of a time when he had said the words 'I love you' to Pansy and he couldn't. "Maybe not," he said, frowning guiltily up at Myrtle.
"There we go," Myrtle said.
"I am an idiot."
"No," Myrtle cooed. "I never thought Pansy really appreciated you, anyway."
Draco shook his head. "How do I get her back?"
"You want her back?"
"Yes!"
"Hm…" Myrtle said. "You forget that I'm dead, Draco. I'm not exactly a love expert."
"I know, but you're the only person I can talk to about these things," Draco said. "Besides, you're a girl. You must have some ideas."
"Hm…let me think about it. I might be able to come up with a few."
---
"So, how's your double life going?" Fred asked. Pansy shook her head and smiled, laying down on the couch. Fred had taken her to the room again, and it had turned into exactly what Pansy needed right now—a place to relax. Fred looked a bit reluctant to walk into a room with Pansy that had a resting place, in case Pansy freak out at its "potential", but she just sighed and fell onto the couch.
"Fine," she said, curling her knees up to her chest as Fred shut the door. "Yours?"
"Splendid."
He kneeled down beside her, peering into her eyes. They electrified Pansy, the deep brown irises bright with jubilance.
"Do you miss him?" Fred asked. Pansy frowned.
"Who?"
"Draco."
"Hm…I haven't really thought about it."
"Good girl. Don't. But if you do, eat this." Fred handed Pansy a pink and purple muffin. She raised an eyebrow at it.
"What is it?"
"A Love Eraser. Of course, it doesn't erase love. It just makes you forget about it for a while."
Pansy took a small bite of the muffin. "Maybe I could use a little bit of it."
Fred chuckled and twirled a piece of Pansy's hair in his fingers.
"Are you sure it doesn't create love?"
"What?"
Pansy smiled. "I don't hate you as much today."
Fred grinned and kissed Pansy on the cheek. "You're a sweet girl." He stood up and headed toward the door.
"Where you are going?" Pansy asked. Fred stopped, his hand on the knob, and looked back at her.
"I can't stay here."
"Why not?" she asked, sitting up.
Fred smirked down at her. "Trust me. You don't want me to stay." He looked her up and down. "You don't know what it's like to be a guy."
"Oh, please," Pansy said. "I've dealt with worse. Besides, I don't want to be alone." She crossed her arms and shook her head, wondering if Fred being there would even help.
"You're not alone. You have your muffin."
Pansy snorted and set the muffin down. "Gee thanks."
Fred sighed and sat down next to Pansy.
"I'll stay for a little while, then. Lay down."
"Why?"
"Please?"
Pansy lay down hesitantly, resting on her side but looking up at Fred suspiciously.
"Roll over onto your stomach."
"What!" Pansy said, starting to sit up again, but Fred playfully pushed her down and dug his hands into her back.
"Just a little rest and relaxation," he said. Pansy felt weird at first, having Fred's hands touch her in such a soothing way. Massages were a little too intimate for Pansy, but she was really stressed and decided to just keep her mouth shut and try to enjoy it. She twitched a little when his fingers found their way under the bottom of her shirt and touched her skin.
"You're freezing," he said, rubbing his hands on her to warm her up.
"Your hands are just really hot."
"Your whole body is freezing," he said, feeling her arms and the back of her neck. He grabbed her waist and sat her on his lap, putting his arms around her. Pansy sat stiffly for a moment, not sure of what to do. Fred nuzzled her hair.
"You smell like vanilla," he said.
"Er…thanks."
"Loosen up," he said. "I'm not going to bite."
She crossed her legs and sat Indian-style facing him, leaning her head down to touch his. "That's unfortunate."
Fred grinned. "For some reason I'm getting the sick image of all Slytherins being sado-masochists."
Pansy laughed. "Sick? You wouldn't enjoy it?"
She felt his fingers trace her spine as his eyes fell on her, the warmth of his body circulating through hers, his smile, like always, sending her heart racing.
"I don't know," he shrugged.
"It wasn't a serious question."
He cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, I take sex very seriously."
Pansy blushed when he said that word, if only because she was sitting on his lap. Being in such close proximity with someone discussing sexual acts would make anyone feel flustered.
"You're burning up, now," Fred laughed. He laced his fingers in hers and bit her neck unexpectedly. Pansy winced and tried to break free, his teeth biting down a bit harder than she would expect.
"Sorry," he said as Pansy rubbed the red teeth marks. "I told you I shouldn't be here with you."
"What's the worst that could happen?"
Fred locked eyes with Pansy and she froze. He leaned into her, their lips centimeters apart. His breathing grew more rapid, his expression more feral, and his fingers stroked her soft locks gently. Hesitantly, Pansy put a hand on Fred's arm, moved it up to his shoulder, delicately traced themselves down to his chest where she found herself unbuttoning his sweater. Fred looked down at her fingers and shrugged off his sweater, wearing nothing but a white wife beater underneath. The muscles in his arms flexed and he grabbed Pansy's waist. Pansy gasped as he pulled her down and lay her on the couch, his body on top of hers. His lips grazed her neck, his hands crawling beneath her shirt, his fingertips gently tracing her skin. He placed a warm hand on her back.
"Heh," Fred murmured, and suddenly he stopped, sitting up, leaving Pansy flustered and shocked all at the same time.
"What the hell?"
"I told you."
"But—"
"Pansy," Fred said, looking serious. He was sitting on his knees now, staring down at her. "Do you really want me to do what I want to do?"
Pansy shook her head, confused. "I don't know."
"Exactly." He stood up and walked toward the door.
"You don't want to?" she asked.
"I want to," Fred said, chuckling gravely. "You have no idea." He opened the door. "But I won't, not until you're sure."
---
Fred had never had worse blue balls in his life.
"Jesus Christ," he muttered, strolling into the Gryffindor Common Room at ten.
"What are you doing out so late?" the Fat Lady had asked upon Fred's arrival. He gave her the password and crossed his arms.
"None of your business."
"Hmph," she said, and swung open the door, muttering something to herself about "nymphomaniacs" and "naughty boys…"
"Fred!" Katie yelled, her eyes flashing with anger. Shit, Fred thought. He had a tendency to forget all about Katie. "Where the hell were you?"
Fred ran a hand through his hair and shrugged. For once he had nothing to say. He had to get to his room to take care of his "problem." He rushed away from Katie, who stood staring dumbstruck at him with her arms crossed moodily across her chest, and ascended the stairs to the boys' dorms.
"Sausage in your pants?" Hermione said, stepping out of no where when he reached the fifth years hallway. Fred smirked.
"You would know."
"Ouch," she said, smiling naughtily at him. "Where were you?"
"Why do you care to know?" Fred asked, walking past her and toward the next hallway. Hermione followed him.
"I don't. But it gets really annoying having to listen to Katie all the time."
"Oh?"
Fred opened the door and walked through the sixth years hallway, Hermione still in his wake.
"Yes, you really need to start telling her where you are." Fred finally got to the seventh year hallway and opened the door to his dorm. He turned back to Hermione and raised an eyebrow.
"Do you mind?"
She cocked an eyebrow at his erection. "Not at all." And she turned on her heels and left.
Fred shook his head and smiled. He missed that girl. Oh well, he sighed. He lay on the bed and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Pansy smelled so sweet, and he loved the way she fit in his lap, how she was so dainty and fragile but could snap at him at any moment. A fierce beauty, he thought. Truth be told, he had never been so tempted to make love with anyone as much as he had tonight with Pansy. She was just lying there, smitten in his arms, something that took him by surprise and excited him at the same time. Was it possible that she could have feelings for him? Or was she playing a game? It was all so confusing. Well, even the dirtiest pranksters meet their match, Fred knew. But Pansy wasn't just some girl he was playing with. He had known all along that she wouldn't be. He cared for Pansy in every way. His heart leapt from just being in the same room as her. She was everything he wanted, because she was everything he had never expected he would want.
---
"I love you, Pansy," Draco muttered. "I love you, Pansy. I love you Pansy…" he sauntered through the crowded hallway, his head down, his eyes closed. His heart was beating so quickly. He planned to tell Pansy during Potions. He had actually planned to tell her last night when he had gotten back from seeing Myrtle, but she didn't get in until after ten, and by then Draco had lost his nerve, anyway. He walked into the dungeon, nodded at Snape, and sat down.
"What's wrong, Draco?" Snape asked, peering down at Draco.
"What do you mean?"
"You look a little…" Snape raised his eyebrows. "Green. Not to mention, you're here so early…"
Just then the other students began to enter, including Potter, whom Draco sneered at but generally did nothing to because he was not in the mood. Snape glided away to the front of the classroom and Draco's calm became clammy when he saw Pansy walk in and sit beside him, as they were lab partners and she had to sit beside him even though she hated him right now.
"Today you will conduct a Poppy Potion for me," Snape said, flicking his wand at the board to reveal the ingredients. "You have until the end of the period. You may begin."
Pansy stood up immediately and walked to get her ingredients from the cupboards and Draco watched her sadly. She looked awfully pretty today with her hair tied back in a loose braid and her skirt freshly pressed. A week ago that was mine, he thought morosely.
"You look nice today," he said to her when she came back to the table. She cast him a sideways glance before pouting and staring up hard at the board. "Did you do something new with your hair?"
"No," Pansy said, and began to mix the first ingredients. "Well are you going to help me or are you going to just stand there like you usually do when we have to make something in class?"
Draco begrudgingly glanced up at the directions, but his eyes were blurry from lack of sleep and too many spilt tears to concentrate.
"I can't," he said.
"What do you mean, you can't? You can't do any of the damn work?"
"I can't," he said, hanging his head. "I'm a wreck."
"Get a hold of yourself," Pansy said, pouring some sort of orange dust into her cauldron. Draco acted like he was going to add a greenish-purple liquid to the mix and let his hand brush up against hers. She felt so soft. He wanted to lean over and kiss her, to grab her and know that she was his again. He had never realized before that he could so freely do that, and he regretted every moment that he hadn't.
But Pansy pulled her hand away. "Stop it Draco."
"Stop what?"
Pansy sighed and raised her hand. Snape came over to the pair.
"Yes?" he asked.
"I need a new partner."
"Why?"
Pansy glanced at Draco. "Personal reasons."
Snape sighed. "As much as I would like "personal reasons" to be an excuse to stop doing things Parkinson, I'm afraid it's too late to change partners now."
"But Professor—"
"Just do your assignment."
He glanced at Draco, who shrugged and pretended to look at the board, before walking away.
"Mature," Draco said.
"Please, just don't talk to me."
"Fine," Draco said through gritted teeth. "I won't say another fucking word."
"Fine then." Pansy stirred the mixture, sighing. Draco watched her lips quiver and felt his own begin to do so. He scooted closer to Pansy, who didn't move away, just hung her head and stopped paying attention to the potion. Draco bit his lip, trying not to say anything, just as she had asked. Maybe you need to start listening to her, Myrtle had suggested, even though Myrtle was reluctant to give any advice if it involved Draco winning Pansy back. Myrtle had a bit of a thing for Draco, which was sweet, but weird, because Myrtle was dead and that was something that even Draco wouldn't touch. He took the stirrer from Pansy, their fingers grazing, and began to stir it for her.
"Counterclockwise," she muttered. Draco simply nodded and began to stir the other way. He saw a small tear fall from Pansy's beautiful violet eye and took a deep breath. He didn't know why she was crying. He wanted to hold her. He wanted to ask her. But maybe she wasn't even crying over him. Maybe she had something else entirely on her mind and wasn't even concerned with their break-up. How could she not even care? Draco thought. How could she stop loving me so suddenly, when she has loved me for so long? Suddenly, he remembered what he had planned to say to Pansy, and turned to her sheepishly. She looked up at him.
"What?" she asked.
"Pansy, I—"
"Time is up," Snape said. "Bring your potions to me."
"Shit," Pansy said, standing up and shooing Draco's hand away, scooping what they had of the potion into their phial. Draco gathered her things for her while she was gone and handed them to her. She looked at him strangely before taking them.
"Thanks," she muttered, slinging her backpack over her shoulder.
"No problem," said Draco, grabbing his own things and hurrying after her. "May I talk to you now?" he asked when they had reached the hallway.
"Okay," she said, and stopped to look up at him. "Whatever it is you want to say, just say it quickly so I can leave and get on with my life."
"Is that what you want to do?" Draco asked. "Get on with your life?"
"Yes."
"A life without me?"
Pansy sniffed. "Yes."
"Fine," Draco sneered. "I suppose both of us are better off."
"Yes, I suppose so!" Pansy growled, and shoved past him. Draco watched her walk away before running into the nearest restroom; once there, he ran into a stall and sat on the floor, where he began to weep uncontrollably into his robes.
---
"I'm sure," Pansy said, grabbing Fred by the arm and leading him outside, peeking over her shoulder to make sure no one was looking. The hallway had been pretty deserted and she had just happened to hear a bit of mischief in the form of two redheaded boys when she decided—this was not a coincidence. She needed to talk to Fred. Now.
George gave Fred a knowing look and smirked, turning to Pansy.
"Hey, sure about what?" he asked. Fred elbowed his twin in the ribs and George took this as his cue to leave—but not before winking at Fred. Fred rolled his eyes and stopped walking, turning to face Pansy.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, smirking in the same manner as his brother, only a bit of confusion twinkling in his eyes.
"You know," Pansy said, biting her bottom lip and edging toward him. "I'm sure."
Fred laughed. "All of a sudden?"
"Yes!" Pansy's eyes flashed—she knew how unattractive this kind of pressuring was, but she didn't care at the moment. She needed to distract herself. She needed anything to make her feel in control. It's not like she was using Fred—she did rather like him, enjoyed his company most of the time—but right now, he was her convenience rather than her companion.
"I don't think you are," Fred said, his expression hardening.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, have you thoroughly considered the consequences?"
"What consequences?"
Fred raised his eyebrows. "Your offer is quite personal."
"You want it, don't you?"
A tear leaked from Pansy's eye and she wiped it away quickly, but not before Fred noticed.
"What's wrong, Pansy?" he asked, his voice low and gentle. She sniffled, planning to hold back, but before she knew it she was falling into Fred's chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her, stroking her hair and back soothingly as she cried into his shoulder.
"It's—it's—h-him!" she wailed.
"Who?"
"Fucking Draco!"
"Shhh…" Fred whispered. "What happened?"
Pansy shook her head, backing away to look up at him.
"I just need him to leave me alone."
Fred stroked her face with the side of his hand. "He will." He looked around. "Come on, let's go somewhere where we can talk."
Pansy nodded, her throat sore from choking on salty tears, and let Fred hold her hand and lead her down the familiar halls that lead to their special room. However, when they got there, a door was already present.
"Shit," Fred said, gazing at it frustratingly. "It looks like someone else requires something at the moment. Do you mind if we go somewhere else?"
"Where?"
Fred looked pensive. "There's an abandoned girls bathroom that we can go to."
"What?" Pansy asked, but Fred was already smiling and dragging her along by the arm.
"It's perfect, no one ever comes here because of Myrtle."
"Oh, I've been here before," Pansy said, peering up at the bathroom door.
"Yeah, she probably won't have any interest in talking to us," Fred said. He put his hand on the door, about to push it open, when he looked down at Pansy, his eyes gleaming.
"Pansy, I have to tell you something," he said.
"Okay."
He leaned down and put his mouth beside her ear. "Don't tell anyone, because it's a secret."
His lips brushed her ear and he put a hand on the small of her back, drawing her nearer. Pansy's heart skipped a beat when she felt his hot breath on her cheek, his soft lips trailing across her jaw. He paused in front of her, eyes closed, his lips barely touching hers, and then finally he lowered them into a deep kiss. Pansy gripped his arms and he pushed her up against the bathroom door, which swung open and they fell inside, causing Fred to glance up in alarm at their sudden entrance, catching the wall with his hand to regain balance—but when he looked up, what he saw shocked the hell out of him.
"Hermione?" Fred exclaimed. He stared open-mouthed and wide-eyed at Hermione, her skirt hiked up to her hips, her shirt unbuttoned and her lips locked with no other than Harry Potter. Hermione broke away from Harry, whose glasses fell off and left him terribly confused, and stared back at Fred, blushing uncontrollably.
"Fred!" she exclaimed, smoothing her skirt back down. By now Harry had thrown his glasses back on and he was turning to look at who had entered.
"Fred?" he asked, looking a bit shocked.
"Harry!" Fred said, equally surprised. Then Harry and Hermione noticed who was wrapped in Fred's arms.
"Parkinson?" They both exclaimed, the shock never ceasing to erase from their faces. Pansy cleared her throat and backed out of Fred's embrace, standing awkwardly beside him.
"Oh, my God," Hermione said. "Fred, how could you do this to Katie?"
Harry sneered. "To Katie? How could he do this to any Gryffindor—fooling around with a Slytherin!"
"Shut your mouth, Potter," Pansy growled. Fred shushed her and stepped forward.
"Don't tell anyone," he said. Hermione sighed.
"You have to tell Katie."
Fred ran a hand through his hair. "I know…but what about you two! You know, Ron's been in a right state wondering where you two have been off at!"
Harry looked guilty and opened his mouth to say something but Hermione got there first.
"It's just a thing," she said, pulling on her blouse and buttoning it—she had no shame, standing here in front of two boys half-naked. Fred was quickly reminded of how hot Hermione was, but pushed it out of his mind.
"Fred," she continued. "You need to break it off with Katie."
Fred shoved his hands in his pockets. "I will."
Hermione crossed her arms. "Tonight."
Fred rolled his eyes. "Fine."
"Thank you," Hermione said, gathering her things.
"This is really going to mess up her game, you know," Harry said, shaking his head. "Bloody brilliant."
When Harry and Hermione left, Fred and Pansy remained in the bathroom for a few moments.
"Do you really want to break it off with Katie?" Pansy asked, a slight nastiness to her tone. Fred looked at her. Finally, he smiled.
"Of course," he said, brushing her cheek. "I want to be with you."