The Ball went well, there were many gasps from the audience as Hermione swept into the hall on Draco's arm but a small part of her enjoyed it. She'd always been so carefully well behaved it felt good to be gasped at. After the first three dances it seemed as though most of the hall were completely enamoured by the couple who had barely broken eye contact with each other all night.
She had eventually been pulled away to have a photo taken with Harry and Ron for the papers and Draco took a moment to contemplate the evening with a glass of Fire Whisky. He watched her from a distance laughing with a photographer and gracefully posing between the two boys who looked uncomfortable in the spotlight. Even he had underestimated her beauty and elegance this evening and he watched her completely entranced. He had never considered that he would ever feel genuinely lucky to have Granger as his and it was in that moment and he stood watching her that it dawned on Draco, he really did like her. It wasn't her beauty or even her popularity that had him so enamoured, he was impressed by her, she impressed him with what she had achieved. He still believed that generally the muggle born were inferior in ability to purebloods but Hermione was an exception to the rule.
When she re-joined him they spent a little while dancing slowly. He caught her starring over at Ron who was dancing with Pansy only a few yards away and without a second thought he wandered over. Ron eyed him suspiciously as he tapped his shoulder and spoke quietly "Mind if I cut in?" his tone was devilish as always but with a nod of his head Ron saw Hermione stood waiting and realised that Draco's interruption was more for her sake than his own. Mumbling in agreement he joined Hermione, it was awkward for the first few moments as they tried not to step on each other's feet. Draco watched them as she settled with each other and before long seemed at ease in a peaceful truce. It was much easier for him and Pansy, her body moved with his as it always had as she relaxed in his arms. "You look good with the weasel" he smirked at the disgusted look on her face and then brought his to a very serious expression she recognised immediately. He pulled her to him and spoke with a rasping voice into her ear, his breathe ticking her skin "You're playing your part perfectly, you're a credit to us Pansy. Good girl." The way he spoke her name almost reduced her to tears, she'd been in love with this boy since she was five years old and as the song ended and he moved away from her back to Granger he caught her eye with a smile. They both knew where they stood.
As the night came to an end Draco snaked his arm around her waist as they smiled for another set of photographers. Walking through the doors they headed for the staircase. As they were about to head back to their rooms he saw a sight that made his heart stop momentarily. Ron burst through the doors red faced and chasing a tearful Pansy. A few photographers followed but kept a reasonably respectable distance. Quickly he intercepted the Cameras using himself and Hermione as a barrier between the two but saw as Pansy stormed off toward her rooms she shared with the rest of their lost society. Ron threw his arms in the air in despair stormed the other way with Harry hot on his heels. He pressed his lips to Hermione's dipping her slightly in his arms as the cameras were quickly distracted from the scene unfolding behind them. She knew exactly what he was doing but she was happy to oblige she was as keen to keep Ron from embarrassment as he was Pansy. "Lord Malfoy, do you know what's happening with them?" one of the Journalists gestured to the hall Pansy had just stormed down. He laughed "I think there may have been a bit too much free champagne for some people tonight." Draco laughed as the Journalists happily moved back to the hall.
As they finally reached their rooms he wrapped his arms around her "I need to pop out, check that Pansy's ok and that someone's with her." She nodded but a pang of jealousy ran through her. I'll be back soon ok, wait for me, he smiled. Nipping into his room he threw off his dress robes and replaced them with his casual clothes. Before he left he opened the draw of this desk with his key and pulled out a small bottle of bright red liquid, slipping it into his pocket.
He didn't knock on the door but instead steamed straight through into the small common room where he found Blaise pacing back and forth in front of a tearful Pansy. Crabbe and Goyle laid out on the sofa half asleep, they'd clearly been woken to attend the crisis but had little plan to get involved and Daphne sat in the armchair a her face a mixture between sympathetic and angry.
The moment Draco arrived the room was silent, Crabbe and Goyle nudged each other sitting up. "What the hell was that?" he fumed as Blaise pulled out a handful of Papers trying to distract him. "Early copies of tomorrow's paper, they've printed exactly what we told them." Draco threw the Papers to one side seething at Pansy, "What happened?" she erupted into heartfelt sobbing and she explained that Ron had insisted she return to the Burrow with him for the two week break they were about to have and then again for Christmas "…And he just said ….. its not like there's anyone waiting for you at home Pansy, they'd kill em if your vile parents reappeared anytime soon." Pansy continued to cry face in her hands. As the rest of the group grimaced at the words. Even Draco couldn't help but wince the Weasel really didn't have a way with words.
"He's a blundering fool, he didn't think about what he was saying." Daphne scowled still deciding which side of the fence she was sitting on. Whether she felt sorry for Pansy's situation or angry that she'd put them all at risk. Blaise tried to soothe Pansy, "It's ok, it's not a big deal we can sort this out once you've calmed down." He looked to Draco "How much longer will I need to do this Draco?" Pansy was staring straight at him looking for an answer. Worried looks were exchanged around the room as they all knew what was about to happen.
He sighed, he knew this was coming. "Pansy" his voice was soft as he went to sit by her. Her eyes followed his as though they were the only people in the room, locked in their own little world. "You need to understand something. This has never been a quick fix plan. We aren't doing this to screw them over and run away together. We're securing our futures by building around them, using them as anchors for the great ships that are our industries." The room was silent, everyone had understood previously what Draco was now voicing but Pansy's desperate eyes suggested she hadn't wanted to believe it. Draco put his hand to her face gently "You will go to the Burrow when he asks you to, you will be there whenever he wants to cling to you, you will stay with him Pansy and eventually you'll marry him." Pansy shrieked and doubled over in tears onto Draco's knee "Please… please… I… I cant." Before she knew what was happening he had his arm around her neck holding her without flinching as she struggled slightly in his arms screaming in between her sobbing she struggled in despair. He held her to him and spoke in a strong gentle voice as he slipped the red bottle out of his pocket. Daphne flinched wanting to help her friend but Blaise raised his hand for her to sit back down and she did. "Pansy, listen to me, stop struggling." Her body went limp in his arms as she gave in. "I hoped it wouldn't come to this but I need you to listen to me. You don't have any other option. You need this, your family needs this and we need this. I care for you, this is the best thing and I don't like it any more than you. I won't watch you suffer though. I have a potion here that will take away all of the pain and make you happy with him. It's a strong love potion and it will make you love him forever." Blaise gasped at Draco's words not only were love potions illegal, they were basically unheard of.
Draco released Pansy who sat in front of him with Puffy eyes. "I'm going to give you the option to take it yourself, without anyone forcing it on you." Tears rolled down her cheeks as she opened the bottle and raised it to her lips her eyes still locked with Draco's she muttered "I love you Draco" as she tipped the contents onto her tongue. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips to her forehead "I love you too" she swallowed the liquid and lay there for a moment with him holding her before she fell into a deep sleep. As he walked back to his own rooms a deep sadness sat within him, he hadn't lied when he said he loved her. Pansy was like his sister and tonight the girl who'd grown up by his side, who he once thought he would marry and who shared so many of his firsts had died in his arms. There was a horrible uncertainty, he'd never seen the effects of a love potion so until she woke they wouldn't know how much of their Pansy was left behind.
He creaked the door open to his bedroom and saw Hermione there laid twisted in his bed sheets, warmth ran through him as a smile spread across his face. If when Pansy did finally wake up she was able to feel even half of this way about Ron then what he had done to her would be worth it.