Disclaimer: I own nothing HP

Chapter 22 – With Or Without You

Pansy sat at the frosted window in her father's study, staring out mindlessly at the world rushing past. She did not see the many witches and wizards making their way through their day, or the odd owl soaring with its message, she was even blind to the tall, thin figure standing stalk-still across the street.

Her mind was obsessively bouncing between the events of her final night with him and the plan that was now taking shape in her mind. She couldn't stop berating herself for letting such a wonderful opportunity pass her by.

She really should have seen the whole situation coming and been prepared. If she were being honest, she had known how she felt about Percy for at least a month. She knew she didn't want to be with Draco anymore, that whole idea seeming utterly ridiculous to her now. And, in the back of her mind, she had always known it was only a matter of time before her father returned from his extended business trip. Why she hadn't foreseen this nightmare was beyond her. She'd let herself become so completely consumed by being in love that she had lost her ability to hatch a proper scheme when necessary.

But she couldn't waste time dwelling on that now. What was past was past. She had a plan now; all she had to do was convince her father to put off the wedding for a while. A year would be ideal, but knowing him, the best she could hope for was six months. She could rely on Draco not to bear any resistance with the postponement. He was just as anxious as her to avoid the inevitable.

Next… this was where her plan became vague. She had stopped taking the monthly contraceptive potion. Now it would become a matter of visiting Percy at just the right time. She would have to beg and plead with him… break down into gut-wrenching tears, if need be, to have him relent and take her back just for that night. As demeaning as it all was, she only had to think of her life without him and the crushing, overwhelming pain of that existence brought on the tears and heavy sadness in spades. It had only been a week since she'd seen him… talked to him… touched him, and the withdrawal was excruciating.

Once she convinced him to take her, well, he was a Weasley so she'd just let nature take its course. Hopefully it would take the first time round. Pansy was caught by the idea, and felt herself grow hot and jittery as the images of him making love to her and ultimately spilling his seed inside her tore through her mind. The visions were both exciting and terrifying.

If she was being honest with herself, she wasn't quite ready to be a mother, but this really was the only way. Draco would be able to dissolve the engagement contract due to her "indiscretion". And although Percy would in all likelihood be hurt, he would get over his anger soon enough, if not immediately, and marry her. The Weasleys were notorious for taking care of their own, so there was no concern there. The only uncertain variable lay in her father. He would be livid. Probably disown her for shaming him. But if she played it right, she might be able to win him over eventually. She was his only child, and what with her mother having passed away when she was seven, her father would have no other family than her and this baby. Perhaps she would be able to appeal to his instinctual need to know his only grandchild.

Finally sensing a set of eyes on her, Pansy pulled her focus from her own inner musings and focused her sights back out onto the grey world outside. For the briefest of moments, her eyes lit upon the man across the street. Her mind had only begun to piece together his identity when her father's abrupt entrance into the room startled her, drawing her attention away from the window. When she glanced back, the man was gone. Was he truly there? Or was it just her hopeful heart playing tricks on her mind yet again? She was seeing him everywhere.

Her father's voice cut through her search and tugged at her. "Petal, come away from the window. I have a matter I need to discuss with you."

Pansy scanned the street one last time for him but gave up her hunt when it became clear her imagination had gotten the better of her.

"Yes, Daddy," she finally responded sullenly.

"So," he began crisply, examining his daughter's far off expression. "Am I to understand that you are now officially engaged to Draco Malfoy?"

Pansy snapped out of her distraction, and gave her father a sharp, wide-eyed look. 'He already wants to discuss the wedding?' she panicked inwardly.

"Yes, Papa," she managed.

"When did this happen?"

"Pardon?"

"When did you two become engaged?"

"Oh… Two weeks ago."

"Really?" he mused almost to himself. "And you've already made the announcement in 'The Prophet' and held the engagement party?"

She could only manage a nod in the affirmative. Her father was quite obviously checking off the necessary steps in order to hurry along the nuptials. She gave herself a swift mental kick up the arse for helping him to speed the process.

A long, heavy silence settled between them, as he seemed to consider the situation before he finally responded. "Why didn't you wait for me?"

Pansy was thrown by this question. He actually sounded slightly miffed. "I… What?"

"You knew I was returning shortly. Why didn't you hold off on the announcement and engagement party until I was home?"

"I… Well, I knew how anxious you've been for the two of us to get on with it. I thought you'd be pleased."

"Of course you did," he muttered to himself. "Pansy dear, you've been far too impetuous and careless lately, especially where Malfoy is concerned."

Pansy felt her body tense up and her face flush. What was he implying with that statement? Had he heard about her widely publicized affair with Percy? Did he know of their agreement?

"A marriage contract," her father continued as her thoughts ran rampant, "is not something you should just rush into or toss around lightly. There are several factors that need to be considered, Petal."

"Yes, Daddy."

Her father eyed her for a moment, searching her face for what she did not know. "Have you and Malfoy set out any conditions that I should be made aware of? Has he made any requests?"

Pansy's mind instantly flashed to Draco's proposal that they each keep a lover but thought better of sharing that particular piece of information with her father.

"No, Daddy," she responded meekly.

"How far have the negotiations gone then?" he demanded coldly.

"Negotiations?" Pansy was thoroughly confused.

"Really Pansy, don't be so dense. Such things as your dowry and his entitlement to a portion of my holdings still need to be finalized. Don't you remember? I told you all this when you came of age." Her father huffed out a frustrated sigh and walked around his desk to claim the large leather bound chair presiding over the room. Once comfortably situated, he restarted his reeducation of his child. "Your husband would be required to join my business, eventually becoming a partner with the expectation of assuming leadership of the company when I chose to retire."

"Oh. Yes. Of course." Pansy muttered.

This whole marriage contract business was far more complicated than she had initially believed. She vaguely remembered having a conversation along those lines with her father, but she had zoned out when he got into the minute details. Why had she not paid closer attention? She was completely out of her depth now. Her father seemed eager to get things straightened away. There was no time for her plan now. She had to do something, and fast. She didn't care about being poor anymore. What good was money if it couldn't buy the life and love she really wanted?

"I don't love him, Daddy," she blurted out, seemingly from nowhere.

"Excuse me?"

"Draco. I… I don't love him. And… and I refuse to marry him."

"I beg your pardon. Did you just use the word 'refuse'?"

"Y-yes," she stammered.

"You do understand, Sweetness, that we have a contract with his family?"

"Yes," she managed with a little more conviction.

"And what brought on this sudden burst of defiance might I ask?"

"I'm in…" Pansy began but stopped herself when she thought better of making that declaration. "As I said, I realized that I don't love him."

"That never stopped you from pursuing him before."

Pansy studied her father closely. His calmness with this bombshell of hers was eerie and disturbing. Something wasn't right.

"Yes, well… things change."

"Really? How so?" Her father narrowed his eyes dangerously. He was becoming alarmingly more curious.

"I…" Pansy stammered.

"There's someone else," he leveled at her more as a statement. "Who?"

"I never said –"

"You didn't have to," he cut her off unceremoniously. "Who is it, Pansy?"

"Now Daddy…"

"Out with it, child. Now!"

"Percy…" she paused and drew in a long, tortured breath before uttering the name that she knew would be her undoing. "Weasley."

The moniker hung in the air, threatening to steal all the oxygen from the room.

"A Weasley!?!" her father finally exploded, bolting straight out of his chair. "A bloody, sodding Weasley? Merlin's socks Pansy, have you lost your mind? They've got lots of respect to be sure but that's about all they have."

"Papa…" she pleaded.

"Don't you 'Papa' me young lady. Do you have any idea…" He stopped himself abruptly from continuing his rant. "Which one?" he hammered at her.

"What?"

"Which one? I'm assuming he's one of Arthur Weasley's sons." He spat the name out like a bad piece of cod and came around the desk quickly as if to interrogate her. "There are six of them if I'm correct. I can't tell them apart, nor do I have the time or inclination to even try. They're all just tall, awkward messes of ginger hair to me. So which one is it?"

"Um…"

"It's not that crazy dragon tamer, is it? Pansy, that boy's not right in the head."

"No, it's not him."

Running his right hand through his salt and pepper hair, Robert Parkinson began to pace like a caged animal. "And I hope it's not Potter's friend. What's his name? Don? Doug? He's engaged to that Mudblood, Granger. She would hex you into oblivion if you even went near him."

"No, Daddy. I just told you, it's Percy."

"What does he do again?"

"He works for the Ministry, Daddy."

Her father stopped his agitated pacing, and simply stared at her dumbly, something in what she said having struck him.

"In what capacity?" he finally rejoined.

"He's the Deputy Minister, and head of Business Affairs and Applications."

"Really?"

"Yes." Pansy answered plainly. There was no point in sugar coating it or playing up his job. Nothing would change the fact that Percy was a Weasley.

"I remember him now. I had to all but beg him for that Winston merger application to be pushed through. He's a bit of a stuffed shirt, Sweetheart."

Flying to Percy's defense, Pansy bit out sharply. "No, he's not. He's brilliant… just a little self-conscious."

"Of course he is. How could he not be with that ridiculous hair?" Seeing his daughter's quickly darkening expression, Parkinson cleared his throat and averted his eyes as if moving on with his thoughts. Pansy was normally a very easily cowed girl, always searching for praise and acceptance. But she had a dreadful temper when provoked, and the look of warning clouding her features at that moment told her father to navigate the rest of their conversation with care.

"Now, is he in love with you as well? Or is this a one sided crush?" he queried, trying another tactic.

"Daddy, please. He loves me." Pansy spouted confidently.

"And how did all this come about?"

"Pardon?" she sputtered.

"I'm sorry, Petal, but you don't seem the likeliest of couples."

"I… well…" Pansy sighed out the breath she was holding. She knew exactly what her father meant. Under normal circumstances, she and Percy would never have come together. Glancing back up, she met her father's pointed gaze, and realized there was no use keeping the truth from him. If there was one person in the world she'd always been honest with, it was him.

"In a manner of speaking, I hired him to… to make Draco jealous."

For a moment that seemed to stretch to eternity, her father goggled at her like a fish out of water. Suddenly, and without any warning, he broke out into gales of hysterical laughter.

Finally catching his breath, he managed through gasps. "You did what?"
"I hired him, Daddy. Draco was never going to settle down, and I was tired of being a laughing stock."

"Right. So, this Mr. Weasley of yours agreed to… to what exactly?"

"Be my companion."

"Your companion. What, in heavens name, possessed him to do that?"

"I offered him a lot of money." Pansy answered bluntly.

Losing his good humour instantly, her father sobered. "How much? You know what, don't tell me. I'm sure I don't want to know. How long was this supposed to go on?"

"We hadn't really set out a timeline. Until Draco was jealous enough to try and win me back I suppose."

"Right. And somewhere along the way…"

"Yes," she cut her father off before he could finish the thought.

"So, I assume now that you're engaged to Draco, this… thing with Weasley is over?"

Pansy nodded her head and drove her eyes downward to hide the tears pooling behind her lids.

"Have you paid him off yet?" her father asked quietly.

"He's refusing to accept the money," she forced out through gritted teeth, quickly losing the battle with the lump in her throat.

"Ah! Right. As I said before, they're an honest lot, those Weasleys, but they'll starve because of it. So… why did you become engaged to Draco in the first place if you were oh so in love?" he asked teasingly, obviously prodding at her.

"You were coming home," she responded in brutal honesty.

"I see," was her father's only response.

Suddenly, a knock came to the study door, interrupting their conversation. Parkinson studied his daughter for a moment then turned his sights to the door.

"Enter!" he called. A small, but distinguished house elf peeked his head in the door. "Yes Archibald, what is it?"

"A young gentleman is here to see you, Master. Says he has an appointment. Says it's important business."

"Yes, of course. He's a little early though. Anxious little bugger that one." Her father chuckled lightly to himself. "Please, show the gentleman in, Archibald."

"Yes, Master." And with that, the elf was gone.

Pansy fidgeted slightly, feeling awkwardly out of place. "I should leave you to your meeting."

"No! Please stay, Petal. I think you'll find this highly intriguing, if not thoroughly entertaining."

She cocked a questioning eyebrow at him, but nervously took a seat on the settee by the window. Not a moment later, a knock came to the study door, and a gentleman was ushered into the room. Pansy's brow scrunched up in confusion as warning sirens blared in her head.

'What, in Merlin's name, is he doing here?' she ranted inwardly.

"Please, have a seat," her father addressed the man cordially before continuing, "You know my daughter, Pansy."

The man gave her a curt nod and stiffly took the proffered chair and a deafening silence stole over the room.

"Now, you said in your owl this was a matter of some urgency." Her father's mouth then twisted into a large, knowing smile. "How can I be of assistance, Mr. Potter?"

xxx

A/N: Hello all! Well, one more chapter left. I'll try my hardest to get it to you as soon as possible. Thank you to everyone for the wonderful comments and support.

pop-pop-bananas: lol. Thank you so much. But who really are the baddies in this? Harry's been quite an ass to Draco. And I love the Percy/Pansy pairing. They're oddly wonderful together. lol.

mjrkrantz: Thank you, Monica. I love these two. They just have such wonderful fodder to work with.

peealasbut: Wow. Thank you. I'm blushing :)

QueenoftheClumsyDorks: Thanks :) I hate leaving loose ends. Everyone, regardless if they're a subplot or not, has to have their fates tied up.

Angel Rayne: Yep. Just one more chapter to go. Obviously Pansy is still trying to scheme her way out. But daddy beat her to the punch. Harry has issues when it comes to the public knowing his private life. But he got past them to keep from losing Draco.

Don't you worry about the happy ending. I'm a sucker for them :)

kalira: lol. Hope that was a happier chapter for you. :D The harry/draco thing was actually clarified at the end of their scene on the terrace. Draco calls him Mr. Potter and then storms away. Unfortunately, Harry doesn't die. But he does suffer a great deal in terms of "public awareness" in the next chapter. I have another fic idea. Two actually. They're both horribly angsty. One is fun. The other a little sadder. Oh, and both are still Percy/Pansy. I'm still obsessed with them. lol. If you message me, you can help me choose which one to pursue and then I'd love for you to beta. And I love the rambling reviews not because of the ego boost. But because they let me know you better and give me a greater sense of commitment to updating. :)

stoneofpurity: Fair warning. Not all the slash and odd pairings fics out there are good. Be prepared for some crap.lol. I'm working up a one shot for your Ron centric fic. Just want to get this one done first :)

Avanell: Thanks Lady. No worries about reviewing. You've always been so supportive :) The little lady is good. She's still a little piglet though.lol. Almost 14 lbs. now.

charma10: Keep rooting for them. They're not done yet. lol.

SMichaelM: I agree completely... lol. Sorry this took so long. I did have it planned but my little lady wasn't very good with me splitting my time from her ;)

autumnlover: Thanks :) Yeah, she's a beautiful little girl, baby o mine. And I'm completely unbiased. lol. I felt the h/d thing was pretty obvious. And if anyone can wrangle Blaise, it would be Ginny.

Miss Anthrope: hahahahahaha!!!! Well, in terms of control, Pansy never accepted having none before. She's not about to start now. Always scheming, that girl.

welshgenie: Thank you :D She's actually a fantastic little girl. She's a dream schedule baby that eats, sleeps, poops. But not necessarily in that order. lol.

ginger28: Hey Lady, yeah those boys are fun. lol. Have you seen my new profile picture on crack book?

I am Green: Wow. Thank you. I can't believe I made your heart hurt. I'm oddly proud of that. lol.

gingerale22: Thank you :) I wanted to try something different with H/D. I've never done slash before.