This is being cross-posted from Ao3. It was originally posted on 14 February 2022.

This story was written as part of the Draco's Den My Sweet Valentine event as a gift for SquarePeg72! I'm so glad to have received your prompt and i hope you enjoy this little tale! Happy reading! xxDustNight

Huge thank you to GaeilgeRua for allowing me the use of her Grammarly subscription to read this over. Any other mistakes are definitely my own.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling, Bloomsbury, and Warner Bros. Marvel belongs to Disney. No copyright infringement is intended.

Prompt: Cherry Yum Yum + Pansy Parkinson/Sam Wilson

#ExcelsiorBingo21 Square I4: Sam Wilson

DD RaD May 2021: Pansy Parkinson/I Won't Say I Am in Love (Hercules)


Having your heart broken right before Valentine's day will certainly do a number for you. For Pansy, that fateful day nearly five years ago now did just that. When Draco told her he was leaving her for someone else mere days before they were set to take a romantic Valentine's holiday sent her reeling. Since then, she'd been fighting her way back from the heartbreak and working on finding her true self once more.

That's how she ended up in the States. Potter, Granger, Ron and Ginny Weasley had told her they were leaving to work alongside the Avengers, and she'd asked if she could tag along. This was about three years ago, and she hadn't returned to the UK since. The excitement of New York City and everyone involved in the Avengers was enough to keep her tethered there. Then, of course, there was the Falcon.

Sam Wilson.

He'd caught her attention the very first time they'd met, but Pansy was adamant about never falling in love again. She'd learned her lesson the hard way that love was not meant for her, but each and every time she spoke to Sam or saw him, something inside her chest tugged just the tiniest bit. Unfortunately, Pansy also thought of the endless nights she'd cried her heart out after Draco had shoved her aside for someone else.

Pansy had wandered into the main room of the Avengers facility, where a bit of a Valentine's party was going on. Everyone had brought something to eat or drink, and Pansy found her gaze straying toward Sam, who was talking to Bucky and Ginny. Sighing heavily, she ran a hand through her short, dark hair as she tried to decide whether or not to flee the party.

"I see the way you look at him," a voice muttered confidently behind Pansy, causing her to jump.

Whirling about, Pansy found herself glaring at Hermione. "Look at who?" she countered, not wanting to fess up to what her friend was insinuating.

Laughing, Hermione shook her head and playfully swatted at the dark-haired witch. "Sam, duh. I'm pretty sure I am not the only one who sees it either. You like him."

"Don't you 'duh' me," Pansy replied, rolling her eyes. "And I definitely do not like Sam. He's just a friend."

"Oh, come off it, Pans," Hermione said, giggling as she linked her arm with her friend's and practically dragged her from the room so they could talk more easily without being overheard. "You and Sam find each other in a crowded room any chance you get. His eyes always seek you out when you arrive, and I know for a fact that you've searched him up on the computer way more than once."

"I mean this in the most loving of ways," Pansy began, disentangling herself from Hermione as they entered the kitchen, "but are you stalking me?" When Hermione scoffed, she added, "It seems you are much more attune to my actions than I am of Sam's."

"I'm going to choose to ignore that," Hermione said playfully, glaring at her friend. "For real, though. You should go for it. I think the two of you would make a perfect match."

"I don't know…."

Hermione took hold of Pansy by the shoulders and stared into her eyes. "Look, I know what you're thinking, and Malfoy was a long time ago. He was an idiot who took you for granted. We don't know if Sam will work out, but you can't keep punishing yourself forever. So give him a chance, and if it's not love… It's not love. What do you say?"

Taking a deep breath, Pansy tried to anchor her thoughts. Letting the air slowly out of her lungs, she removed Hermione's hands from her shoulders and said, "No chance… There's no way I am going to admit to you or anyone else that there might be something there between Sam and me."

"Have it your way," Hermione said with a wink as she picked up a platter of mini sandwiches to take to the main room. "But sooner than later, you're going to have to admit you have a thing for the Falcon."

As Hermione left her alone, Pansy gathered her thoughts and reentered the party. She was a grown witch, and no one, especially Hermione, was going to make her second guess her feelings. Even if she did have a sense that Sam held a bit more attention than a regular friend would. The Falcon was still in the same spot he'd been before Hemrioen dragged her from the room, so Pansy waited for him to make a move.

Biting her lip in thought, Pansy watched as Sam left Bucky and Ginny to head toward the food table. Refusing to pretend that she wanted anything more than a bite to eat, pansy too headed toward the table, coincidentally reaching it the same time as Sam. When he smiled at her in greeting, her stomach flipped, and she nearly ran in the other direction.

"Hey," Sam said, not noticing her nervousness. Or, if he did, he chose to ignore it.

"Hi," Pansy said, glancing away and tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. Suddenly she wasn't so sure this was a good idea…

"Cherry Yum Yum?"

At Sam's question, her head snapped up, and she found herself face to face with a plate of cherries and whipped cream. "What in the bloody hell is that, and what am I supposed to do with it?" Pansy asked, staring at the plate in front of her. Her cheeks flushed at her little outburst, but she tried to pretend nothing was wrong.

Sam laughed and picked up a fork from the table. "This is called Cherry Yum Yum… Well, that's one of its names. My mom used to make it for my sister and me when we were kids." He scooped up a bit with the fork and held it out for Pansy. "Here, take a bite and see what you think."

Nervously, Pansy leaned forward and accepted the bite from Sam. She closed her mouth around the dessert and found her taste buds coming alive. It was sweet but also tart and exceptionally delicious. She chewed the treat slowly to savour the flavour before swallowing and meeting Sam's patient stare. Her cheeks flushed pink from the attention, but she managed not to lose her calm demeanour.

"This is surprisingly good," Pansy said slowly, reaching for the fork. "My mother never cooked a blessed thing for me. The house-elves did all the cooking. They did a fine job, but this is… This is something else completely."

"I'm so glad you like it," Sam said, handing her the plate so she could eat some more. He cut himself a piece of the treat and took a bite too. "I haven't had it for years and thought I'd make it for this little party. It's easy and a crowd-pleaser."

Pansy giggled and ate some more of the dessert. "I wasn't sure you were going to be here tonight…." She trailed off, realizing how that sounded. Thankfully, Sam didn't call her on it, and they silently finished their treats.

Sam took Pansy's empty plate and set it aside with his own. Then, turning back to the witch, he said, "Look, I know we've never really had a chance to hang out on our own, but I was wondering if maybe you'd like to get dinner with me tonight. Everyone else will be going out for the holiday, but maybe we could grab a pizza and hang out at your place, or even mine. What do you think?"

Pansy felt her heart skip a beat with excitement, staring up into his eyes. "Are you sure?" She waited for him to answer, all the doubts from her previously failed relationship flashing through her head and heart. She held her breath in anticipation, wishing with all she had that Sam was being sincere about wanting to have dinner with her.

"Absolutely," Sam said, reaching out and taking her hand. "I've wanted to ask you out for a while, but I wasn't sure you'd want to go out with me."

"Sam," she said, smiling at him and enjoying the way his hand made her feel warm and safe, "I've been wanting nothing more."

A smirk of success appeared on Sam's face, and she said, "Perfect. Shall we head out now then?"

"Sure," Pansy answered, thankful he didn't drop her hand. "Let's go."

As they walked toward the door, Pansy caught Hermione's gaze. The bushy-haired witch sent her a bright smile and two thumbs up. Then, shaking her head but unable to keep the grin from her lips, Pansy waved goodbye to her friend and followed Sam out to his car.

Whatever this turned out to be, Pansy would be happy knowing that she at least took a chance.