A/N: Hey y'all! This was written for Hogwarts/GGE. Because I'm going to actually write for that this year. :P

Spell Origins and Creations Task 1: Write a fic using both Lumos and Nox accordingly.

Word Count: 1000

GGE Prompts:

(pairing) PercyPansy, (trope) bed sharing, (genre) hurt/comfort, (dialogue) "This is real, [Name]. I'm here.", (dialogue) "You've changed." / "I hope that's a compliment.", (action) hand holding/hugs

For the lovely Angel, who is pretty much the only reason I'm still sane. XD

Thanks to Lizzy and Bex for betaing!

Enjoy!

Percy wakes up when something hits the back of his thigh. He lifts his head off the pillow, blinking disorientedly, and gropes for his wand on the bedside table. Muffled sobs sound from the other side of the bed, and the sound wakes him up a bit. His fingers meet wood.

"Lumos," he mutters. The bedroom floods with soft light, and Percy jams his glasses on his face before turning to his partner.

Pansy is sprawled on the mattress, her short, dark hair sweat-dampened and stuck to her forehead. Her face is contorted in fear and she's lashing out; she must have kicked Percy in her sleep. His heart twists at the sight.

"Hey." He grabs Pansy's arm and shakes it gently. "Pansy. Pansy, wake up."

It takes a few minutes, but he manages to wake his girlfriend. Pansy sits up quickly, not quite recovered from what Percy is sure must have been a nightmare. He's very familiar with them, having been haunted by them himself.

Percy doesn't hesitate before pulling Pansy into his arms. She's stiff at first, but as she becomes more aware of her surroundings, she relaxes.

"It was just a nightmare," he whispers to her. "Just a dream, love."

Pansy presses her face against his chest and slides her arms around his narrow waist. "I know—I know. But it just" —she flounders for the right words— "felt so real."

Percy knows the feeling. "The war?" he guesses.

Pansy is silent for a moment, but then she dips her head, confirming Percy's suspicions. Her long nails dig into the Gryffindor's hip as her grip tightens, but Percy doesn't flinch. "Yes," she says, her voice hoarse with emotion. "I didn't even fight in the battle." Frustration is clear in her tone, but Percy knows by now to wait until she's let everything out. "I can't stop seeing the Carrows, can't stop hearing… Merlin's beard. I participated in all of that, Percy."

She rips herself away from him suddenly, scrambling off the bed and hurrying over to the window. She hugs herself, her form barely visible in the light from Percy's wand; there is no moon to illuminate her tonight. "I honestly don't know how you can stand to be around me, sometimes," she admits.

Percy throws off the duvet and stands, but he doesn't move towards Pansy. He isn't great at comforting her; she's so concerned with being independent, sometimes, that she writes off any help he tries to give as condescending.

But she looks so small. Her shoulders are hunched, her face is turned away from his—this isn't the confident girl he's so enamored with. Percy runs a hand through his thick red curls, wincing when his fingers catch on a knot. The hardwood burns his bare feet, it's so cold, but he decides to walk forwards anyway.

He wraps an arm around Pansy when he reaches her. The air is cold, so he pulls her closer to him. "You've changed, you know," he tells her softly. "You're not the same girl I first met at Hogwarts."

Pansy snorts, but she still refuses to face him fully. "I hope that's a compliment."

"It is," he promises. "You're a better person now. And…" He struggles to find the words to express his feelings, which is unusual for him. Pansy has a way of scrambling his brain like no one else ever has. "And sometimes you just have to accept what happened and move forwards."

Pansy looks up at him, now. "That's a bit rich, coming from you." Then she seems to realize what she's said and shrinks away guiltily.

The words might have offended Percy, once upon a time. But now… now he's trying to be better, and owning up to his mistakes—and acknowledging them—is a part of that. "I know," he says with a small sigh. "But it's still true."

Pansy cedes him that point. They are silent for a minute, looking out the window at a starless sky. Then Pansy shivers and moves closer to Percy.

"Let's go back to bed," she suggests. "It's freezing, and… and it's one in the morning. Lovely."

A quick glance at the clock on the wall confirms her words. Percy grins a little and leads them back to bed. They snuggle together under the heavy blankets, and Percy buries his nose in his girlfriend's inky black hair.

Pansy cradles his neck with one hand, her cheek pressed against his chest. "Thank you for being here," she whispers. "Sometimes I can hardly believe that this is real."

Taking off his glasses and placing them back on the bedside table, Percy leans slowly back into the pillows, taking Pansy with him. "This is real, Pansy," he murmurs. "I'm here. And I'll be here as long as you need me."

He can't see her face in their current position, but he imagines Pansy rolling her eyes. "Cheesy," she teases, "but appreciated."

There's real gratitude in her voice, and Percy nods. "I love you, you know," he murmurs.

Pansy is quiet for so long that Percy begins to think she isn't going to respond. Finally, she says, "I know. Thank you." She turns her head to press a kiss to his collarbone. "I love you, too."

Percy hums in response, but his mind is far away. He wishes he could go back in time and save Pansy from her demons, but as she so often reminds him, she doesn't want a hero—she wants a lover. So if all he can do is comfort her after a nightmare… he'll take it.

"Well," Pansy says after a moment, "I'm shattered. Let's go back to sleep, Percy. Good night." Then her voice turns soft as she adds, "And… thank you."

Smiling to himself, Percy manages to grab his wand off the mattress. "Good night," he mutters. His lover gives him one last squeeze before closing her eyes. He waits until the sound of Pansy's even breathing has filled the room before raising his wand.

"Nox," he whispers.