Disclaimer: Not mine.

Chapter 3 - Let the games begin

For her own part, Millicent stared on utterly gobsmacked. Before her stood her best friend happily kissing a rather captivated Weasley. The two not only seemed content to be in each other's arms, but blissfully ignorant of the show they were putting on. The sight was beyond surreal.

Suddenly, Pansy instigated a deeper kiss, and Percy released something between a whimper and a sigh in response. Both then cinched the other closer decreasing the already limited space between them. To the young hostess' horror, they seemed to be settling in for a good, long snog.

Gaining her wits, Millicent firmly set politeness aside, and barked. "Excuse me!"

The two offending parties abruptly pulled apart in abashed surprise. Percy, panting fiercely, set his eyes fixedly on the ground, while Pansy swiped at her mouth with her thumb to clear away the spittle. She offered a pleading look of apology to her best friend marred only by a slight smirk teasing across her swollen lips.

"Really! Get a hold of yourselves. This is my front foyer, not some boudoir." Millicent railed.

"So sorry Millie. I just haven't seen my Percy for so long!" Pansy cooed as she sidled up to him. "He works so hard and for such long hours, it's a wonder I get to see him at all. When I do, I really can't help myself."

As she spoke, Pansy wrapped her right arm about Percy's waist, and coyly began to play with the buttons of his cloak. She even went as far as to stroke his cheek with a sole finger as she gazed at him lovingly.

With each playful gesture and simpering word, Percy grew more and more uncomfortable. No woman, not even those he had been intimately involved with, had ever touched him so affectionately. It was incredibly distracting. He had no idea that this was what she meant when she'd said 'romantically involved'. He was seriously going to have to reevaluate whether he could participate in this plan of hers.

Millicent eyed them both with a disgruntled air before finally allowing the moment to pass.

"Well, at least your Mr. Weasley is well mannered enough to come bearing gifts."

"Really?" Pansy's affectionate pawing of him ceased as her eyes shifted to her friend. She then asked cautiously. "And what did my love bring?"

"A bottle of vintage DeNeuve." Millicent supplied, still a little surprised by the token, especially considering it came from a Weasley. "Lyle, can you take this to the kitchen and decant it? It will be served with dinner."

The servant dutifully obliged without so much as a second glance to the three.

Astounded, Pansy turned her gaze back to Percy. No wonder he was so late in arriving. Obviously he had made the effort to not come empty handed. She'd have to remember to reward him handsomely for his foresight.

"Well that is my Percy. Ever the thoughtful gentleman." She quipped as she gave him a loving squeeze around the middle.

"Yes, I'm sure." Millicent mumbled as she rolled her eyes at her friend's sugary sweetness. Pansy always was too clingy in her affairs. Perhaps Weasley wouldn't mind her needy tendencies too much.

"Pansy love, I really must be getting back to the other guests. If you two can behave yourselves, you are more than welcome to sit at my dinner table."

As she left the grand front hall, both Percy and Pansy watched her leave until her retreating figure was completely gone.

Unceremoniously, Pansy dropped her hands from around him as well as any pretense of affection, and moved brusquely away.

"Well played Mr. Weasley. The wine was a very nice touch. Please include its cost when remitting for your compensation."

"Remitting?" he gaped at her in confusion.

"Yes." She drawled slowly. "I will want a record of your expenditures so that I can reimburse you."

"Right. Of course." Percy was instantly reminded of the fact that theirs was quite clearly a business relationship. He shook his head slightly to clear his mind of the lingering fog before continuing. "Along those lines, Ms. Parkinson, I will require more notice if you are to be so… exuberant with your affections. Not that they affected me…" he sniffed coldly before continuing, "but such displays can be quite shocking if no warning is given."

"I did warn you. I distinctly remember saying…"

"That is not what I meant, Ms. Parkinson. If I am to play the part of the ardent lover properly, I will need to know exactly what you plan on doing right down to the timing and length of each kiss. It is too late for tonight but if we agree to continue with this, I believe a strategy meeting before each event will be necessary."

Pansy was in awe of this man. His calculative, conniving nature nearly rivaled hers. She really had chosen well.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Mr. Weasley. Will you, however, be able to follow my lead for tonight? We will need to appear quite devoted to each other."

A rising swell of anxiety nearly overtook him at the prospect of being touched so intimately by her again. It was very disconcerting that this woman could elicit such a reaction from him - namely his mind going completely blank - by merely a kiss.

"Yes, but if we could refrain from any unnecessary public displays of affection, it would be much appreciated." He requested coldly.

Pansy felt deeply affronted by the snub of her attentions. Kissing him had not been altogether unpleasant. He did have full lips in his favour and he certainly knew how to use them not to mention his tongue. In fact, she had not planned on snogging him so long or so deeply, but it had served her cause well. Millie seemed quite convinced of their relationship by the performance.

But why was he so averse to kissing her? Was she so completely and wholly repulsive that he couldn't bear to touch her even when paid to do so?

Forcing down the hurt, she sneered at him maliciously and leveled him with an icy glare. "Unfortunately Mr. Weasley, as loathsome as this activity is, there is still one person I would very much like to witness the ardor of our supposed attachment."

Percy stiffened at her intentional cruelty, and turned away under the guise of removing his cloak. In truth, he wanted to hide his response to her obvious disgust. He knew he wasn't the handsomest of blokes, but she didn't have to be so vicious about it. Flustered, he fumbled with the buttons.

Confused by the wash of guilt flooding her senses, Pansy mindlessly stepped forward and reaching up, settled her hands upon his shoulders. He stilled completely but did not pull away. Her intention she told herself was to help him remove his cloak but her hands slowly smoothed over his shoulders and down his arms, coming to rest on his biceps.

For all the discord between them, instead of this motion causing more tension within him, Percy felt oddly soothed by the gentle, almost caressing touch. Pansy was also not insensitive to the calming energy this physical contact seemed to bring. It was slightly disturbing that such an action with a man she barely knew could make her feel so centered.

Shaking her head a little, she pulled the cloak off of his shoulders then made a beeline for the closet.

"Are you ready?" she muttered distractedly on her way back to him.

Snapping out of his daze, Percy offered her his arm. "Yes… Yes, of course."

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As they strode into the study, Pansy steeled herself for the reaction she knew was about to come. She glanced briefly to the man at her side and marveled at him. Either he was incredibly brave or incredibly stupid for putting himself in such a position. She reasoned it was probably a bit of both.

They stood in the archway of the study for only a moment, but that was all it took. The room fell deathly silent as the other guests became aware of their presence.

Percy had never felt so unwelcome or out of place in his entire life and after his time at Hogwarts, that was saying a lot. He'd been hated before, but never with such ferocity.

Suddenly, Pansy began to slip her hand out of the loop of his arm, and a deep, crushing panic set in. Yes, she was a shallow princess, but she was also his only line of defense against this room of venomous purebloods. The anxiety he experienced before from touching her was nothing compared to the paralyzing fear of losing that connection.

He tried to clench his arm to his side in a bid to detain her, but her hand was already sliding down his forearm. Quite suddenly, he felt her small hand slip into his, her tiny fingers lacing with his in a tightly knit, intricate pattern. As relief coursed through him, he swallowed down the knot in his throat and allowed himself to release the breath he was holding.

With a gentle shove, she moved him to the corner of the room where they would not be the main focus. As much as she enjoyed being admired and watched, this kind of attention made her nervous.

"Would you like something to drink? A Firewhiskey perhaps?" she asked in a lowered voice.

"No, thank you."

"Are you sure?"

"I don't drink."

"You don't drink? Anything?" she asked, disbelief clearly evident in her tone.

"I may have a little wine with dinner but generally speaking, I don't normally partake. I find it clouds my judgment."

"Well, how about I get you a water then? I know I could certainly use a drink right about now."

She began to walk away but found her progress stayed, as he had not released her hand.

She looked back at him curiously and quirked a questioning eyebrow. "Mr. Weasley, I will require my hand if I am to fetch us both a libation."

He reeled her reluctant form back to him, and muttered. "Do you think you might hold off until…"

When he didn't continue, she pressed. "Until?"

"Um… until I have become a little more comfortable in this environment?" He whispered, somehow ashamed of the request.

The insecurity lacing his voice caused a very foreign feeling to well up inside her.

A/N: Oh, what fun. I'm having such a good time writing their dialogue :)

Miss Anthrope: Yeehah! Welcome to the dark side... lol.

Clumsy Tonks: Oh, don't let Pansy fool you. She's still just as manipulative as ever. She just learned you get more flies with honey.

IHeartMCR: I wouldn't really call it a first date... although they both love to plot and scheme, so who knows. Yeah, Percy's a blusher. He has so little experience with women, and Pansy is such a bombshell.

Avanell: Yes, that kiss... lol... But there will be more to come ;-)

stoneofpurity: lol... I'm glad you find them as entertaining as I do :D

namelessxfreak: Thank you. This pairing just snuck up on me one day and haven't left me alone since.