A.N I'm sorry for the long wait, took me far too long to get this out, and there is no excuse for that, so I'm sorry.

Ginny

It had been weeks since Pansy had been admitted to the Infirmary after collapsing and seeming to go into a kind of trance, but she hadn't said a word about what was going on. I didn't expect her to tell us everything, but she had been utterly silent about the whole thing, not even Emmaline was saying anything, even after spending the night by Pansy's side.

Pansy was, however, back to her old self, and had us training day in and day out until it finally came to the day before the first Event. I knew my friends were getting frustrated over the fact that they barely saw me anymore and the various cuts and bruises that were continually appearing on my skin was getting them nervous. I kept telling them not to worry about it, but I could feel that something was brewing, could see in their eyes that they weren't going to let it slide for much longer. I just hoped that the way my team performed was enough to deter them from doing anything too rash.

Everyone was a jumble of nerves and excitement, and it could be felt especially during breakfast as almost everyone had risen as early as I usually did. Some sat silently poking at their food rather than eating while others talked and laughed loudly as they slowly ate. Hiding their nerves, trying to show that they were confident and knew they were going to win. Then there were the few teams who just got on as usual, like Hermione's team, who were acting normally because they just didn't much care for winning.

I was sitting with what had become my usual group, Hannah and Emmaline were chatting animatedly, Emma having opened up much more in the last few days. I was sat next to Pansy again, having calmed down considerably after my realization the day that Pansy had collapsed. I still occasionally had flashes of doing various things with other girls, but I just assumed that was normal for someone my age, especially after hearing how much Ron and Harry talked about girls. They honestly bordered on the line of creepy sometimes, especially when they didn't think anyone could hear them.

I looked over at Pansy and could see that the girl was troubled, of what, I wasn't sure, but it was something big, as she noticed me blatantly staring at her and didn't so much as scowl at me. I thought maybe she'd share if I'd ask, and as I looked at Pansy, her brown eyes staring back at me, I quickly worked up the courage.

Leaning in close so no one could hear us I started to whisper, "Are you okay? You seem a little… Not yourself."

"You mean I'm not acting like a bitch, right?" The dark-haired girl snarled, "Just leave me alone," She said before turning back to the still full plate of toast and scrambled eggs.

I was taken aback by Pansy's tone, not from the bite but from the subtle shaking that could have easily been me mishearing, but I didn't believe that to be the case. I found myself wanting to help Pansy, a very stark difference to how I felt about the girl when we first became team members, but Pansy still just thought of me as someone she could bully.

I huffed in annoyance at the girl and angrily got to my feet, I fixed the girl with a glare, "I'm done, there's no point in sitting here day in and day out with you when all we do is eat. I'm going to sit with my friends." I spat at the older girl.

Pansy stood slowly, brushing her robes down as she rose from her seat, I stared her down as she looked as if she wanted to say something. But I already knew what it was going to be, some annoying, mean taunt meant to goad me into a fight, but I was finally fed up enough that I didn't allow her to speak.

"No! You don't get to talk to me anymore, I've had it up to here with your bullshit, and I am not doing it anymore! Win the bloody Competition by yourself, I'm out."

With my piece said I swiftly left the Great Hall, leaving a stunned, murmuring crowd of students behind as I strutted through the double doors with my head held high. Hiding my nerves behind bravado until I knew I was no longer in sight of anyone else before breaking into a sprint. I just had to get out of there, I knew how close I was to truly erupting and starting a fight that there was just no way that I would have been able to win.

I sighed as I leaned against a wall, breathing deeply as I tried to recover my breath after my run, looking around I realized that I had somehow run to the Library. I gladly walked into the large room, knowing that very few students, if any, would be inside at this time of day. I nodded softly to Madam Pince with a Smile as I walked passed, unsurprisingly she didn't even acknowledge my presence as she instead busied herself with fawning over the many books that were piled on her desk.

Absentmindedly I walked through the massive stacks of self-organizing books, not really looking for anything. Just happy that I could be alone for a time before I needed to go out and face my peers, friends and worst of all, my Pansy. I needed to find a way to apologize while still letting her know that we couldn't keep on like this. The first Challenge was tomorrow after all, and we couldn't be at each other's while trying to beat the other teams.

I shook my head as I pulled an old, heavily worn and weathered book from the bookshelf, without even reading the title I took the book and sat at an empty table, of which I had ample choice, and opened it to a random page. Without reading the words I allowed my eyes to skim along the lines of text, my eyesight beginning to blur as I was overcome with a sense of dread, I didn't want to go to class, didn't want to see anyone.

I felt embarrassed and ashamed over how I'd reacted and shook my head as I began muttering to myself, "I can't believe I just did that… How the hell does she do it?" I asked myself. "How does she treat everyone like shit and not feel this way all the time?"

"She can't help it," I almost jump out of my skin as the voice echoes through my mind.

"P-Professor! You scared me half to death," I complained as I sat up in my chair gasping.

Professor Dumbledore smiled sorrowfully at me before he continued speaking, his tone solemn, "Pansy has had a… Rough time of it in the past. Tell me, what do you know of her family?"

I opened my mouth to speak before I realized, I knew nothing of her family, hadn't heard any rumors about them or anything, "Nothing. Aside from the fact that her family is one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight."

Dumbledore sighed, I'm sure he knew that that was what my answer was going to be but he still seemed upset about it, "I need you to know, you and Pansy being paired together was no coincidence. I don't know why you are together so don't ask, but the charms on the goblet were designed to pair up people that would be good together." The Headmaster shook his head as he started to walk away, stopping short he turned back to me, "Just… Don't let this chance slip through your fingers."

"Wait Professor I-" But it was too late, the old man had already disappeared, "Chance?" I asked myself, confused by the Professors wording.

Pansy

I was pacing quickly in my dorm as I cursed myself, I should've been quicker, maybe even just Cursed her right there. "No, NO!" I yelled cursing myself for thinking it, I shook my head dangerously as I scratched at my face, "She's my teammate… I shouldn't… But she-" I didn't allow the words to leave my mouth. I glared at the reflection in the mirror before me, "I'm not you," I whispered, as I gripped my wand tightly in one hand, "I'M NOT YOU!" I screamed flicking my wand, the mirror smashed into pieces, and I smiled as they spilled onto the floor.

"I'm not you…" I repeated as I walked over the pieces of glass, feeling as the shards embedded into my feet.

"PANSY!" I heard someone yell from the door to my dorm, raising my wand I looked over at the door and saw a worried look set in Adelaide's features. "What are you doing?" She asked as she rushed inside.

I smiled at the younger girl, "Nothing," I stated as she grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me away from the glass covered floor.

"It's not nothing, your bleeding!" The girl shrieked as she pointed to the bloody footprints that I had left on the carpet.

"It's nothing Adelaide, just a few cuts."

"A few cuts that you put into yourself intentionally," Professor Snape's dull voice filled my ears from the hallway. The usually stern man held a worried look on his face as he shooed away a group of gathered Slytherin's.

"I'm fine," I spat at the man, "Nothing's wrong with me!" I yelled as I shook my hand free from Adelaide's grip.

"I never said something was wrong with you," Snape tried to defend himself but I could see through him.

"DON'T LIE TO ME!" I roared at the man, "I can see it in your face. But luckily for me, I know exactly where all this crap is coming from." I huffed before trying to storm away from the man.

"Where is it coming from then?" The Professor challenged me as he caught me in a levitation charm, effectively stopping me from getting away.

I growled as I pulled out my wand which was quickly blasted away by the much more experienced Wizard. I watched as my wand flew away from me and into the waiting hands of Adelaide who stood off to the side, tears now running down her cheeks,I felt my heart twist a little inside at the sight, but the pain was quickly driven out by anger.

"I'm waiting," Snape said as crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently.

"You… All of you are just trying to get into my good graces because of who my family is, all of you want to get close to me because of the status that I can give you!" I yelled.

The Professor seemed dumbfounded as he looked at me with sheer disbelief in his eyes, "You think people are just getting close to you… Because of your blood status?" The Professor asked.

"YES! That's all you care about, that's all any of you care about!" The rest of the Slytherin's had finally regathered after being shooed away by the Professor earlier and standing at the front were my so-called friends, and I could see on their faces the pain and disbelief that rocked through them.

They stood silently as Snape quickly started yelling, but he didn't address me, "ELVES!" He roared, summoning a good twenty House Elves, "Search Miss Parkinson's room immediately."

"Yes, Sir," One of the many House Elves said in a scratchy voice, "What should we be looking for, Sir?"

"Anything with the stench of a curse, clearly that letter wasn't all that had been sent," Snape sneered causing the Elves to quickly scurry into my room. The Professor then turned my floating body around and flew me out of the Slytherin dorms. I stayed silent as I was carried through the halls, slowly becoming less irritated by the situation, I could hear the footsteps of multiple people behind me, but none of them spoke a word, merely following behind the Professor.

Before long I found myself floating in front of the Infirmary, Madam Pomfrey had been roused and was standing by the door with a worried look on her face. "What has happened Professor?"

"The Curse is back," I looked at the Professor bewildered by what he had just said.

"What curse?" I asked but was ignored by the two Professor's as a murmur came from the group of students behind me.

"I thought we got rid of -"

"Both of you hush," Professor McGonagall interrupted as she too made an appearance, "You have an audience if you didn't realize, I'm not sure if Miss Parkinson wants her friends to hear this."

"They're not my friends," I mumbled under my breath.

With the flick of her wrist, Professor McGonagall silenced me with Langlock jinx before sending the group of students behind me away.

"Minerva they are Pansy's friends, they just wanted to make sure she was alright, I'm sure of it," Professor Snape said softly, but Professor McGonagall ignored the man. She walked through the doors to the Infirmary, Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape followed behind her which in turn had me going inside against my will.

Ginny

I was sitting at the large table eating Breakfast with Emma and Hannah, after my outburst yesterday and my not being able to work up the courage to leave the Library all day to the point that I had actually slept in the Library, I thought maybe I could apologize to her at Breakfast. But as I sat here waiting, I realized that there was a peculiar energy amongst a lot of the Slytherin girls. Looking around the room I quickly saw that every other student was acting normally, some nervous, others excited and the rest somewhere in between. And if all of that wasn't strange enough, every single Professor was sitting at the Professor's table, and that almost never happened at breakfast.

"Hey did you hear?" Hannah asked me over the table in a hushed tone, "Pansy went crazy and was dragged out of the Slytherin dorm room last night." I shook my head at the blond girl. Dumbfounded as I listened to her, "Yeah, not only that but the House Elves were in her room for hours searching for something, but nobody knows what it was." There was a long pause as a worried look settled on the girl's face, "I hope she's okay…"

I nodded, feeling the same, Pansy was a nightmare to deal with at times, but I couldn't help feeling worried for the older girl. Pushing my for ever-changing feelings aside I turned my head towards the Great Double doors, hoping that the girl in question would enter and shed some light on what had transpired. But before she came, if she was even going to, Professor Dumbledore called for our attention.

"I am sure by now many of you must have heard some rumor or another about the young miss Parkinson. I would kindly ask for you to not come up with your own stories about what may have transpired, Miss Parkinson will tell you herself if she wishes for you to know. However, I can tell you this, she will still be participating in the First Challenge today. Speaking of which, I will now welcome Ludo back to the podium to explain what the First Challenge will entail."

The Headmaster before gesturing to the approaching man with a warm smile, Mr. Bagman graciously accepted the podium before turning to address us. "First of all, I am glad that Miss Parkinson is still able to take part in the Competition, and I look forward to watching all of you try your hardest to make this a success. Secondly, the ministry has sent delegates and Aurors to observe and to be used as extra security for the event. Also, a young reporter, who I'm sure you've all heard of, will be conducting interviews and writing an overview of the Competition for the Daily Prophet, please help me in welcoming Miss Rita Skeeter."

A round of applause went out for the woman, I joined in with my fellow students even though it was clear she was only here to provide some good press for the Ministries newest work. The woman had worked her way up to where she was by pandering to the Ministry after all, and putting the best spin that she could on anything that went wrong within in the Ministry. Rita smiled and waved happily at the applauding students, eating up the attention like she was a starved rat that had found its way into a pantry.

"Now, onto the Challenge itself, The first Challenge is straightforward and will cut the number of teams competing in half, from two-hundred and forty-six to one-hundred and twenty-three. Put simply, each team will need to duel another team, to win the duel you will either need to disarm each of your opponents or make it so none of them can continue fighting anymore."

"For safety reasons each match will have two Auror referee's who are authorized to intervene if they deem the Duel is getting out of hand and will call the winners of each duel as it finishes. Of course, we will not be able to hold every duel today as we have limited time, but over the coming days each team will receive a notice on whether or not you will be participating."

As he finished speaking a small piece of parchment appeared before Hannah, Emma and myself, I picked up the paper and became a little frustrated as to what it said. Our team was going to be fighting today, I looked towards my teammates frustratedly, "What the hell? We don't have a full team." I complained.

As if she had heard me Pansy's head appeared in between the double doors to the Great Hall, a frown set deeply on her features as she moved to sit beside me. "Sorry I'm late," She spoke quickly, "What did I miss." She spoke softly, seeming to be trying to hide pain behind her voice.

"Nothing much, except for the fact that we are fighting today," I said, not bringing up the pain that I could see and hear that Pansy was in, afraid she'd attack me again.

"Okay, that sounds good," She spoke softly once again, making me wonder just what had happened to her last night. But still, I ignored the pain that I could hear, not wanting to set the girl off.

Hannah on the other hand quickly spoke up, "Pansy… Please don't get angry with me but are you okay? You sound a little…"

I watched as Pansy bit back whatever spiteful comment was on the tip of her tongue, "Don't worry about me," She said, looking pointedly at each of us, "I'm fine, everything is fine… Now." I had to hold myself back as I almost instinctively asked what she meant when she said 'Now' but to my surprise Emma spoke up this time, unperturbed by what had happened with previous attempts.

"What do you mean now? Please Pansy, tell us what happened, we're your teammates and after all, can't we just get along?" Emma asked sincerely.

Pansy sighed as she looked between the two pleading girls, "Alright, I'll tell you, but later when we're alone." I frowned as the girl spoke, quickly becoming irritated with the fact that whenever I tried to be friendly with her, she either ignored or attacked me.

"Fine then be friendly with them," I grumbled before standing and leaving the Great Hall, deciding against eating breakfast for the second day in a row.

I'd barely made it two steps out of the Great Hall before I heard Pansy calling after me, "Ginny! Wait up!" I turned quickly at the sound of the Slytherin's voice, disguising my own pain behind a mask of stone as I glared at the girl.

"What?" I asked bluntly.

Stopping just in front of me, Pansy ran a nervous hand through her hair, "I just, I need to speak with you… Could we maybe go somewhere? I asked the others to meet us by the Quidditch pitch for the Duel."

I fought back a blush as the usually very annoying Slytherin was for some reason acting all shy and abashed, and I couldn't help but find it extremely cute. I motioned for the girl to lead the way, unable to trust my voice as the Slytherin had me in a bit of a mess.

Pansy led me to a quiet and discrete corner of the Coble-stone Courtyard, the short walk unfortunately not nearly enough for me to calm down but at least she was the one that wanted to talk. I sat and waited patiently as Pansy seemed to be gathering herself, in the silence I couldn't keep myself from looking closely at the brunette's face. From her small nose to her dark brown eyes and hair and even the slight dimple in her chin seemed to entrance me.

"Firstly, I wanted to apologize," I was shocked out of my starring as Pansy started to speak, she was looking nervously at her wrenching hands, confusing me even more than the fact that she had just apologized. "I… I wasn't really myself, ever since the new year started… Or maybe I was more myself than I had been in a while, I'm not really sure which it is."

I looked at the girl, utterly bewildered by what she was saying, "What are you talking about?" I asked as she still wasn't looking at me and wouldn't be able to see the question written across my face.

Pansy sighed and scratched the back of her head, "On the first day of the school year I received a letter from my parents. Which was impossible because they are in Azkaban, but I went against my better judgment and read the letter anyway." I looked at the girl in surprise as I wondered just why she was suddenly so forthcoming, why wasn't she just berating me like she usually did.

"To cut a long story short the letter wasn't actually from my parents and to top it off it came with a curse, a curse that brought out a specific side of me and turned it even uglier. I'm sure you can guess which side of me that was. It also contributed to when I fainted almost a month back, but I wasn't told about that at the time. But apparently, the letter wasn't the only thing that was cursed which is why with its destruction I was still acting out much worse than usual."

I nodded as I turned what she had just divulged to me over in my mind, "If it wasn't from your parents then who sent the letter?"

Pansy shook her head, "That's the thing, I don't know, and neither do the Professor's, I can make guesses, but I've made plenty of enemies over the years. Not to mention the enemies of my parents who would love to get at them through me."

I could hear the pain in the Slytherin's voice as she mentioned her parents and watched as she withdrew into herself even more as she struggled with the topic. I reached out with a shaking, tentative hand to the girl, afraid she'd lash out again if the effects of the curse hadn't entirely worn off yet, and placed it on her wrenching hands, effectively halting their movement.

I smiled what I hoped was a comforting smile as Pansy looked up at me questioningly, "It's okay Pansy, you don't need to say anything more and… I forgive you. I mean, how can I not when you were acting under the influence of a curse." I blushed as I fought furiously against a comment that seemed to just need to come out. I bit my tongue in one last futile attempt to keep it inside, but before long my mouth was moving as if I was no longer in control of it, "And when you're acting this cute how can I not forgive you?"

Immediately my face turned beet red as I jumped to my feet, "Sorry!" I yelled before running off towards the Quidditch pitch, "I'll see you down there!" I said as I left a blushing and bewildered Pansy behind.

"Crap, crap, crap, why did you say it? Why did you have to say it?" I asked myself as I ran towards the Great Lake, I knew I needed to get to the Quidditch pitch sooner rather than later, but I couldn't face Pansy right after a comment like that, I had been far too obvious.

Panting as I leaned against a tree, I enjoyed the sight before me, drinking in the image of the sunlight as it danced against the small rippling waves of the Great Lake. I smiled as I watched a hunting bird swoop down towards the shimmering water of the Great Lake. It scooped an unassuming fish into its mouth with ease before flying back towards the Forbidden Forrest.

"Wow…" I whispered as I simply watched the scenery and waited for the right time to head towards the Quidditch pitch.