Hellew there. Yes, I know. I have updated! I've no excuses for taking this long. I know. Also, this fic turned a year old about two months ago. Yay. I hope you enjoy! Thanks to all the new reviewers! Hope you like it so far! Feel free to let me know what you think about this new chapter. Much love, Makbee.

Disclaimers: yeah HP characters aren't mine. This story makes no profit whatsoever. I do it for the DM/PP shippers of the world!!!

Inevitable! Merlin's beard he had the gall to say it was inevitable!

Pansy was in bed, trying to sleep but it was no use. She was seething with fury, tossing and turning, replaying that moment over and over again in her mind. Oh, no. He wouldn't ruin her revenge. Did he think he could get her back so easily? As if she was some toy he could discard and then pick up whenever he wanted?

What was he up to? She was almost one hundred percent sure he was playing some game with her, putting her in her place. Maybe it was some masochistic thing with him. If he even harbored hopes of getting back with her now, which Pansy thought was highly unlikely, she wouldn't make it so effortless on his part.

She tried reasoning it all out in her head. Why was he acting this way?! "He must be trying to get back at me for that Blaise thing," she murmured under her breathe. But did he actually find out that she had kissed Zabini, or was he just mad at the subtle flirting?

She looked out the window by her bedpost and saw a clear night sky. The stars were like the eyes of the sky, twinkling with mischief as if to say they knew what Draco was thinking.

The sleeping sounds of her roommates were soft and muffled, because girls didn't snore. They just breathed heavier than normal sometimes.

It was giving Pansy a headache trying to unravel the thought process of the Draco Malfoy. But now, more than ever, Pansy was resolved to see her plan through.

The next day, Pansy was in a rush. She had overslept a little and so left her room looking like the veritable tornado had hit it. She was practically sprinting down the dormitory stairs when she caught sight of Draco Malfoy at the bottom of the landing. And he was engaged in a conversation with none other than Aurelia. Pansy rolled her eyes as she bolted right past them.

What a slimeball, she thought. He practically announced to everyone in their house that he was going to marry Pansy, and there he was, openly flirting with another girl. Revolting.

Yeah, she could just imagine their so-called life together as a married couple. And it looked like hell.

But Pansy's thoughts were cut short as she felt a strong hand close around her left arm and stop her short of her marathon.

"What the—" Pansy was ready to sock the imbecile.

It was Draco.

She shouldn't have been so surprised. He wheeled her around and pulled her close, so close that stray blonde hairs were tickling her forehaed. The fact that she was once again this close to him unnerved her.

"Why don't you ever try using words you smarmy bastard!" She was getting tired of all the close touching.

"You and I both know it wouldn't have worked. You would have just ignored me and kept on running," he retorted smugly.

"Ah, so you do have the mental capacity to learn from your mistakes," she said sarcastically.

Her comment seemed to have hit a point because his face scrunched up just the tiniest. It would have gone unnoticeable had it been any other girl but Pansy. Well, thought Pansy, what was that all about?

"What do you want, Malfoy?"

"How 'bout walking with me to the Great Hall to get some breakfast, friend," he said.

"Aurelia looks like she's dying to go with you," shot Pansy.

Oh, dung, thought Pansy. That seemed to feed his ego. She watched as his face glowed with satisfaction.

"Are you jealous, Pansy? Because I was talking to her?" There went the smirk, as if on cue. Dear Salazar, I will give you my mother's precious antique teapot collection if you could just smack that smirk off his face, she thought.

"Of course not you idiot! Why would I be jealous?" she cried incredulously.

"You can admit it if you want. She is quite attractive now that I think about it," he said, his voice just above a whisper.

Her green eyes flashed with just the tiniest spark. But he met her glare with amusement in his eyes. Oh how he loved it when she was mad.

"If that's the case, then marry the damn girl," spat Pansy, in a whisper that matched his own.

"Ah, ah, ah Pans. That honor is reserved for you."

Pansy stuck her tongue out like a petulant child. "I'd be more than willing to part with such honor," she spat.

She saw his face banish all traces of amusement and go blank; back to the cold, hard exterior that was reserved for everyone else but Pansy. And something inside Pansy, somewhere deep down, couldn't bear it. It made her feel like a stranger to him. But she ignored it.

Instead, she mentally reminded herself about THE plan and turned her attitude the opposite direction.

"I mean, you haven't promised me a villa in Spain yet," she said flirtatiously, with a wink.

She watched the familiarity (and warmth? Can you even say that about Draco?) slowly return to his face. This acting stuff was getting harder.

He huffed and rolled his eyes. "I'll buy you five of the blasted things," he said confidently.

Pansy's eyes went wide with shock. Did he just take her seriously? "Uh, er, okay. ." More words of intellect. Wouldn'y her dear mum be proud.

But before she could even think of something better to say, Blaise came down the stairs, as if on cue. Pansy felt Draco tighten his arms around her.

"Zabini, you're up rather late," Draco said rather dryly.

Blaise responded with a yawn and a wave as he reached the bottom of the staircase. "I hardly ever attend my first class. We're almost out of this place so it matters very little if I go or not."

He eyed Pansy and observed her current predicament. Pansy willed herself from blushing. Although why she would care what Blaise thought was beyond her.

"Am I interrupting something here?"

"Not at all," said Draco as he released Pansy from his embrace but kept one arm wrapped around her waist.

"Ah, we were just on our way to grab something to –"

"We're on our way to class," said Draco. "Catch you later, Zabini."

Draco steered Pansy away from Blaise and out their common room.

"Malfoy, I thought you said you wanted to get something to eat? Why are we going to class now?"

"We're not going to class. I just didn't want Zabini tagging along with us."

"Why? I thought you two got along well enough?"

He stopped them in their tracks and gave her an annoyed look.

"Why are you so interested in whether Zabini comes with us or not?"

The question caught her off guard. She really was just curious why Draco was distancing himself from Blaise.

"No reason. I was just curious," she retorted.

"Hmph. Well don't be when it concerns Zabini."

Pansy cleared her throat.

"Draco," she said with a coy smile on her face, "are you jealous?"

She grabbed his hand and pulled him closer.

Draco's mouth opened like that of a fish. With all the dramatics he could pull, he made a disgusted face.

"Absolutely not! Of that idiot? Give me some credit. I just don't think you should be throwing yourself at him when you obviously don't deserve him."

"Who do I deserve then, Draco?"

He stared at her for a while, becoming lost in the emerald forest that was her eyes.

"The best." He felt some guilt at admitting it. Maybe for the way he discarded her. Because it made him feel as if he wasn't the best. But that's absurd. Draco Malfoy was THE best. Still, doubts echoed in his mind. You may be the best, but are you the best FOR HER, it taunted.

No, he thought. I'll make it up to her. I'll make her see. How could I have known the mistake I was making, he argued mentally. I'll tell her. But no. That itself was a lie. How could he admit he was wrong when he knew his pride wouldn't let him? And what's more, how could he tell her how he felt now when he had no idea how to? How do you tell a girl that you really, really do love her and that you're really, really sorry? Do Malfoys even do that?

"Draco?" Pansy scrutinized his face. It was full of concentration as if he was in the midst of an internal battle. That or fantasizing about something really perverted. Gross.

She let go suddenly, and the movement caused him to return to her presence.

Pansy felt uncomfortable. She wasn't sure exactly why, but she knew it had something to do with Draco. Just keep your eyes on the prize, she told herself. She picked up the frayed end of her scarf and started fiddling with it. She glanced up to find Draco staring at her again. But this time he seemed more aware of his surroundings and less lost in thought. She reverted her gaze back to her scarf.

Green, she thought. My scarf is green. Just like my socks. My eyes too.

Her thoughts were interrupted.

"Is that my scarf?"

Pansy looked up at him, and then at the scarf.

"Uhm." She tried to remember. She flipped one end over and saw his initials stitched minutely at the corner, near the frays.

"So, it is," he said, smugly.

"Well, I didn't know that! It was still in my trunk and I was in a hurry this morning!"

He waggled his eyebrows at her.

"Are you sure you didn't just want to give it back? To keep something of mine?" he teased.

She felt her cheeks turn red. Of course she wouldn't do that! She wasn't desperate!

"No! I forgot! And you never asked for it back, so how was I supposed to remember!"

She unwrapped the scarf hurriedly from her neck and threw it at him. He caught it easily. Then she turned and started walking away from him.

He caught up with her and gently placed the scarf back around her neck. She tried to refuse but he placed a hand over her mouth before she could even say anything.

"No. Keep it, I insist. You'll probably catch a cold."

She merely nodded her thanks. He flashed her a small grin. A grin! Not a smirk or a pout! Pansy could have hugged him. COULD have, but she wasn't going to. He was so difficult anyways, so he didn't deserve the hug.

This time, he took her hand. He laced his fingers around hers. He looked at her face to check for signs of disgust or disapproval. He found none. Instead, it was the face of the shy girl he asked out a few years back.

Slowly, he led her down towards the Great Hall.

"You know, Pans. When we get married, you can't go around wearing ALL of my clothes."

"Malfoy, IF we ever get married, then what's yours is mine, and what's mine is mine," she said, humoring him. A little.

"That doesn't sound quite right," he mused.

She started swinging their interlocked hands to and fro.

"Okay, then how about you just get me anything I want, so I won't have to wear any of your clothes. Yes, Draco?"

"Pansy, if you were my wife, that would already have been a given," he replied firmly.

Oh ho, she thought. Right in the palm of my hands. Never mind that she was enjoying their little banter. Or the fact that they were holding hands down the hall like they used to. It was all part of her plan.

She decided to push it a little more, just to see.

"And the villa?"

"Five of them. In whatever country you wanted."

"What about –"

"Pans, I would make Harry bloody Potter your maid if that's what you really wanted."

She gave him her biggest smile, and to her surprise, it was genuine.

Get a grip Pans, she thought. These are just whispered sweet nothings that will be exactly that in the end. Nothings. He'll promise you all this and still leave you, she scolded herself.

She remembered the pain, and then asked with all the spite she could muster. "And when you tire of me and leave me for another woman, will I get to keep those villas?"

Gotcha!

But her remark didn't have quite the reaction she was expecting.

Instead he grasped her hand tighter and then faced her. He matched her spite with all the seriousness he could muster. "If that ever happened, you can keep the villas. And I'll marry Weasley."

"Which Weasley?"

"Does it matter? They're all hideous."

Her mind raced frantically. What was she supposed to say to that? It was the perfect answer to the question she had meant to chastise him with. Instead, she felt like she was the one who got scolded. Gods, this snake could charm another snake.

Their trek became disconcertingly quiet.

"And if you left me Pansy, what would I get to keep?"

Pansy didn't even think about an appropriate answer. She blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

"Why, a broken heart of course."

He flinched at that remark. But somehow Pansy didn't get any satisfaction from it.

"I wouldn't let you, you know. I'd chase you down and hold you tighter. You won't ever get away from me." Then as an afterthought, "Again."

Pansy swallowed a bitter pill. So this was revenge? Here she was plotting to tear his heart into pieces, while he was slowly worming his way back into hers.

But the Slytherin in her won out. She was going to see this plan out. She would come out of this intact, with all her pride.

"And children Pansy? Would you give me a son?"

She nearly broke out in tears, barely holding herself in check.

"Yes, Draco, but only if he doesn't grow up to be a smarmy bastard like you."

He rubbed her palm with his thumb, like how he used to in the past, unaware that he'd picked up the habit once more.

And Pansy felt her heart die, all over again.