Disclaimer: Not JK…

A/n: Written for the Forum wide challenge! The characters are Blaise Zabini (Slytherin) and Pansy Parkinson (also Slytherin)!

Chapter 2: Just another wedding

Blaise eyed the decorations around him with apparent distaste.

Weddings were never his thing.

Most of his memories of his mother were with her in a white gown and him in a tux. At a wedding.

He had seen one too many of his mother's, and all of them had been for nothing.

All the tears, all the emotions, all the love, gone to waste.

Though his mother had always told him, even on her deathbed, that his father had been her first and only love, a very noble and just creature, he did not have any recollection to support her claims.

That was the reason why he, Blaise Zabini, probably the most eligible bachelor in town, remained single.

A mistrust in marriages had led to a mistrust in love and consequently, in relationships.

He had been a true Slytherin, uncommitted, remote and unreachable.

He had managed to avoid several such, in his opinion, unfortunate events.

His mother's last but one marriage had been the last he had attended and even then, he had immediately disappeared after the ceremony.

He rolled his eyes as his friend let out a gasp seeing his fiancé come down the aisle.

As if he hadn't seen her face before.

Draco's wedding had come as quite a surprise to him. He had never known his friend's interest in the youngest Greengrass. Who was he to tell these things anyway?

He was more worried about the dancing that would ensue and the speech he would have to give about his friend and someone he barely even knew.

Then there was the problem with avoiding the eye of every lady present, lest they ask him to dance.

Not that he was a bad dancer; it was the motive behind it that irked him.

The waterfall began as the two said their vows, and he looked on unaffected, as the handkerchiefs began making their appearances.

There was one face in particular he had wanted to see, and he was surprised to find it among the bridesmaids.

He had to admit, he was impressed with her will power.

It had been no secret at Hogwarts that Pansy Parkinson had been in love with the Malfoy heir.

And everybody had naturally thought that they'd marry after school.

He'd assumed Pansy would disregard the marriage, stay in the manor and curse the couple for all eternity.

But there she was, proving him wrong, dabbing at her eyes, as a normal bridesmaid would have.

He thought he saw a flash of jealousy in her eyes, but it could have been a trick of the light for there was no trace of it in the next instant.

Maybe she wasn't as composed as he had fathomed afterall.

He moved out of the way as the crowd gathered to watch who caught the bouquet.

He had no interest in whose wedding he'd have to avoid next.

Slipping away from the crowd which was now moving towards the couple to congratulate them, he stood at the end of the dance floor.

He sat at a table, watching the bride and groom's first dance.

He took a glass of butterbeer from the table, sipping it as he watched the drama unfold.

Dancing had always seemed to him more like a full length play rather than a simple event.

To him, it was the place where a person's true identity was revealed, where no one could hide behind a mask. The place where emotions were laid bare for an observer to pick up.

"Not the dancing type either?"

"No, not really. I much prefer to be the audience"

"The backdrop, you mean?"

He shrugged in response, knowing there was no use in objecting.

She was right, anyway.

"So, is it this particular one, or marriages in general that you hate?"

"Second"

He did not feel upto enduring her questions today.

A few minutes passed and there were no more enquiries from her.

Looking up, he saw that her eyes were fixed on the two that were now dancing in the centre of the floor.

"You wish you were the one there?"

"Huh?"

"Before Draco. You wish you were the one dancing with him"

"No. It doesn't mean as much to me as it once did"

"The war changed your perspective of him?"

"Among the many things it did, yes"

"Because he was associated with the…"

"No, that wasn't it. I knew what he was doing long before the task was assigned to him"

"Then?"

"I think it none of your business" her stance was guarded and her response clipped.

"Are you trying to pique my curiosity?"

"The world is not always about keeping you interested, Zabini"

"As if I haven't heard that before"

"I'm sure this is the first time you're hearing it from someone who means it"

She stood up from the table, then sat down abruptly.

"You'll tell me?"

"No. I just didn't see the reason to go away from this table. You don't vacate a house simply because a bug annoys you"

"I'm a bug?" His voice was highly amused.

That was the first time anyone had compared to him to anything less than an angel. Or a demon. He wasn't bothered with specifics.

"A very irritating one"

"Why the sudden snappiness?"

"Why the sudden interest in my life?"

"Lack of it, you mean"

"You are no one to judge that, Zabini"

"And who is?"

"You'd better shut up. Weasley isn't the only one good enough with the Bat Boogey and I'm sure you know the effects"

"You wouldn't attempt it at a wedding"

"Wouldn't I?"

"Can I distract you from that notion with a dance?"

He offered her his hand, which she avoided.

Her eyes were sharp as knives as they pierced into his.

"You'd better go back to your disinterested state now. Infinitely better for your well being"

She did stand up now.

"You running away?"

"From the devil yes"

Were her parting words as she walked to the table a few places from his own, and began speaking with her friends there.

Her face did not turn towards him once, neither was there any indication that she even remembered his presence there.

For the first time in his life, Blaise had met a woman who confused him with her constantly changing emotions and her lack of attention.

To him, who had claimed to be an expert on the emotions and thoughts of women, she presented a challenge without knowing it herself.

He watched her again, trying to discern her feelings.

Either she was a good actress or she really was not interested in him.

He was willing to bet on the second, though it gave a hard blow to his own esteem.

Without wanting to, and without realizing it, he was giving her the notice he had declined to the rest.

He had never expected to be interested in a woman, much less Pansy Parkinson and he most assuredly hadn't dreamt of it happening at a wedding.

It wasn't that he was falling for her.

Her pug nose and freakily pale face made sure of that.

But there was something curious about the way her eyes had slashed through his when she had glared at him.

It was as if they were screaming at him to pay attention though her words said otherwise.

May be he could escape from this eternal boredom.

He sensed her eyes on him, and looked up.

He couldn't hold back a smirk as he saw her glower at him and turn away.

This was sure to keep him entertained for a long time.

A/n: Review!