Hi, hello, I'm back. :)
I'm afraid this next chapter is quite long and a bit heavy/dark, so please bear with me as I'm trying to move the side plot along a bit. I promise we will return to our Dramione agender in the next chapter. :)
Emotions in this chapter run high and several unpleasant topics are discussed. I tried to break it up a little with some friendly banter, but it's still a tough chapter to get through, so please mind the TWs, take it slow and be kind to yourselves. 3
TW:
- alcohol abuse
- physical and verbal abuse
- depression/PTSD
- mentions domestic abuse
- mentions ED/unhealthy relationship with food
- mentions torture/death
ooo
Draco swallowed hard, suppressing an overwhelming feeling of nausea, as he walked down the Ministry corridor with purposeful strides.
He had been sitting in his kitchen, nursing a big cup of peppermint tea, when a grumpy looking owl with sharp beak and piercing amber eyes had delivered an urgent note from the Ministry of Magic.
"Dear Mr. Malfoy," the missive had read.
"According to ministry records, you are currently the only registered emergency contact for Miss Pansy Parkinson.
Please report to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Level 2, the Ministry of Magic for your immediate assistance.
Sincerely,
Elenora Bones, DMLE
Draco's heart had dropped the second he had read the note, panic flooding his chest as he had jumped up and, without stopping to summon his robes, had lunged himself into the emerald flames of his hearth, calling out his destination in sharp and hurried syllables.
Considering the late hour, the DMLE was busier than he had expected and it was taking him a tremendous amount of self-control not to drop his cool mask of indifference and begin to run down the narrow corridor towards the front desk. Instead, he concentrated on his breathing, eyes stubbornly directed ahead, as he walked past the sea of small office cubicles, ignoring their solemn looking owners, as they sighed and rubbed their tired eyes while filing reports and working on their cases.
When he finally reached the front desk, he cleared his throat uncharacteristically loudly.
"Good evening." He said, addressing the witch behind the desk politely. "My name is Draco Malfoy. I am here as the emergency contact for Pansy Parkinson."
The secretary, a middle aged witch with curly, black hair, a long, straight nose and crimson red lips, looked up, eyebrows slightly raised as she gave him a judgemental once over. Letting out a deep sigh, she nodded. "Of course." She drawled, and Draco had to try hard not to wince at the chill in her voice. "I will let them know that you have arrived. Please take a seat."
"Is Pansy alright?" Draco blurted out, unable to help himself.
He needed to know what the heck was going on here. Why would they summon him at such a late hour? And where was Pansy?
The witch scoffed, scrunching up her nose as if someone had dropped a particularly nasty sample of dragon dung on her desk.
"She's as well as she can be, considering her current state." She said pointedly "Now please sit down, Mr Malfoy. Someone will be here to speak to you shortly."
And with that she turned on her heel and disappeared through a plain door behind the desk.
Draco sat, hands clenched into fists to keep them from shaking, and waited.
After what felt like a lifetime a second door to Draco's right opened and a tall, broad-shouldered man with ebony skin and tight black curls stepped into the reception area.
"Mr. Malfoy." The wizard greeted "I'm Constable Dean Thomas, head of the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol. If I could ask you to step into my office, please."
Draco stood to shake Dean's hand, trying hard not to roll his eyes at the unnecessary formalities and followed the tall wizard into his office.
The door shut with an ominous click and Draco instantly felt like the scared, hopeless teenager he had been at the end of the war, when he was held for questioning while awaiting his trial.
He swallowed hard, slowly clenching and unclenching his hands to calm his nerves, but with little success.
Dean gestured at an uncomfortable-looking chair in front of his desk. "Please, take a seat."
He did as he was told, silently waiting for Dean to tell him why in Merlin's name he had been called to the DMLE so late on a Friday night.
"As you know." Dean said, and Draco's stomach clenched as he realised that Dean was looking anywhere but at him. "The DMLE has contacted you as the emergency contact for Miss Parkinson."
"Is she okay?" The blonde interrupted, unable to hide the urgency in his voice.
"She is as well as she can be in her current state." Dean echoed the secretary's words, effectively snapping the last few strands of self-restraint that Draco possessed.
"Oh, for Merlin's sake." He snapped, glaring at Dean with gritted teeth. "Drop the formalities, you pompous prick, will you? You've known Pansy and I since we were eleven years old, Thomas. Just tell me what happened."
Dean fell silent, the muscles in his jaw twitching dangerously, and Draco was filled with instant regret as he watched the man with bated breath. He had overstepped a line. How uncharacteristically bold, not to mention stupid, of him to shout at an officer like this.
The constable didn't speak for several painfully long seconds, until he finally raised his chin and looked directly into Draco's eyes. His gaze was stern, but there was no hatred in his eyes. Dislike maybe, but Draco could deal with that, almost welcomed it. After all, he wasn't too fond of the former Gryffindor either.
"She's okay, Malfoy." He finally said, and Draco let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding. "She just got herself into a rather unpleasant situation."
"What situation?" Draco's brows furrowed.
"Two of my officers were out for patrol tonight, when they came across a group of disguised wizards who were…" Dean hesitated "- harassing Pansy."
"Harassing?" Draco asked, dumbfounded.
"Yes." Dean nodded "She was held against her will. Pressed against the wall with an Immobulus charm, while the members of the group hit her with minor Stinging and Slicing jinxes and called her slurs. She had a few minor cuts and bruises that we treated as soon as my men brought her in, but nothing too serious."
Draco could feel anger rise in his chest, burning his insides and causing his hands to ball into shaking fists.
"She was attacked!?"
"As I said," Dean looked nervous now. "she's fine, Malfoy. My men are sufficiently trained at healing spells and patched her up the second they released her."
Draco couldn't believe what he was hearing. Sufficiently trained at healing spells? Pansy shouldn't be needing healing spells in the first place!
"What slurs?" he growled, changing direction.
He watched as Dean's eyes widened with panic, and he swallowed audibly. "Slurs, Malfoy." He said, quietly, unable to look Draco in the eyes. "I hardly think I need to repeat them to you."
"What slurs, Thomas." Draco repeated, voice dangerously low. His patience was slipping and he had to fight hard to remain seated.
The constable's eyes snatched up, finally meeting Draco's, as he gave him a long, searching look. "They called her a … uhm …slut." he muttered quietly, looking uncomfortable. "scum, disgusting lowlife, and a… uhm," he hesitated, his voice barely a whisper as he spoke the last two words. "Death Eater."
Draco's nostrils flared, as his entire body began to shake with suppressed fury. "Who were they?" He snarled, his jaw clenching so tightly that it hurt. "Tell me, Thomas!"
Dean winced and Draco didn't blame him. He could hear the threatening rumble in his voice. Aware that he was directing his anger at the wrong person.
"I…" Dean began, sweat breaking out on his temples. "We don't know." He dragged his hand across his face, looking defeated. "They escaped. All of them. My men tried to go after them, but they disapparated before they could catch them."
"You lost them!?"
"Temporarily." Dean insisted. "We are going to find them."
"Right," Draco panted, "So... so what do we do? How do we find them?"
Dean's dark eyebrows raised, half puzzled, half indignant. "We..." he said, his voice growing stern. "won't do anything, because you are not part of the investigation, Malfoy."
"What do you mean, I'm not part of the investigation?" Draco hissed. "Something needs to be done about this. Pansy is my best friend and you really think I will -"
"Yes," Dean interrupted. "Something needs to be done about this, but not by you."
"Excuse me?" Draco asked, looking incredulously.
"You heard me, Malfoy." Dean pressed on. "You're not part of the DMLE, so unless you want to land yourself in Azkaban again, you'd best keep your nose out of it."
Draco shot up, slapping both hands flat on the table as he glared down at the dark-haired wizard. "Are you threatening me?" His voice was barely a whisper, but sharper than a Diffindo charm, causing the other wizard to shudder.
"No." He glared back, clearly fighting to keep his voice even. "I am warning you."
He stood up, not quite reaching Draco's height, but impressive nonetheless. "Listen Malfoy –" he said in a hushed voice. "There are people out there that want you and your friends punished and they are getting more impatient every day. What happened tonight was only the beginning, so if I were you, I would go home and stay low until the dust settles. And keep an eye on Parkinson, will you? She got off lightly tonight, but if she continues to act like a foolish child she will end up getting herself into serious trouble."
Draco stared. Chest heaving and pulse throbbing. "And what about you?" he finally said.
"What about me?" Dean asked coolly.
"You agree with them, don't you?" he spat. "You want to see us punished just as much. You'd love nothing more than to put us all behind bars."
He didn't know why he was so angry with Dean. He vaguely recognised that the man had done nothing to warrant his outburst, and yet, the white-hot fury prevailed.
There was a long silence in which they glared at each other, frigid slate-grey against stubborn, coffee-brown, until Dean let out a deep sigh and dropped his gaze to the floor.
"I warned you, didn't I?" he said, voice calmer than before, "And anyway... I'm here to do my job. My personal opinions don't matter."
That dampened Draco's anger a little.
Yes, Dean had warned him. But what did that mean? Draco's thoughts flitted back to that night at the Leakey Cauldron, the memory of a very drunk Seamus Finnigan attacking him and his friends still fresh on his mind. He knew Finnigan was one of Thomas' best friends. The two had been practically inseparable for the entirety of their time at Hogwarts. It was hard to imagine that Thomas didn't share at least some of Finnigan's sentiments.
Either way, Thomas seemed determined to not let his personal views influence his work, and Draco appreciated the level of professionalism.
Schooling his features into a more placate expression he nodded. "I would like to see Pansy now, please."
Deans jaw muscles twitched as he swallowed, and for a moment Draco thought he would refuse, until he finally nodded.
"Fine." He said, walking over to the door. "Maybe you'll have more luck with her."
"Luck?"
"Yes." Dean pulled his face into a painful grimace. "We tried to question her, but she's… well… she's highly intoxicated and refused to take the sober-up potion we provided. She seems to believe that we are trying to poison her." His mouth pulled into a narrow line, clearly affronted by the accusations.
It took every bit of self-control Draco possessed, for him to not sigh and roll his eyes. Of course, Pansy was going to be shitfaced on a Friday night. He should have expected as much.
He gave Dean a curt nod. "Fine. I'll try to get her to take it."
Pansy was not in a cooperative mood. It had taken Draco several attempts until she finally agreed to take the sobering tincture.
He had tried bribing her "If we get this done quickly, we can order takeout from that Korean muggle place you like", ...pleading "Pansy, please just take the damn thing. It will make you feel better." And even light threats. "I'm counting to three. If you haven't taken it by then I will go to your home and confiscate the old quidditch jersey you love so much." – Well, it looked like the Jersey she had stolen from him in sixth year would finally be his again, because Pansy did not budge.
In the end it was his appeal to their friendship that made her give in.
"Pansy, look at me." Pansy raised her blurry eyes, struggling, but trying to meet his gaze. "I'm your best friend, aren't I? And you trust me?" her reaction was slightly delayed, but eventually she nodded. "Ok. I promise you this potion is not poisoned. I checked it myself. All they want is to ask you a few questions and they need you to be sober for it. Please take it, so we can get this over with, and get out of here."
By the time they had finished questioning her, it was approaching midnight and Pansy looked as exhausted as Draco felt. Without even asking her what she wanted to do he announced that she was to stay with him for the night, unceremoniously pulling her into the department's fireplace and calling the name of his home.
Pansy remained quiet for the entirety of the journey and most of the time it took for Draco to prepare the guest room for her. It was only when she was curled up on the roomy three-seater sofa, wearing one of Draco's much too big jumpers, and cradling a steaming mug of chamomile tea, that she finally broke the silence.
"Well, that was fun."
Draco ignored the comment and sat on the sofa next to her, eyes directed at the floor. He didn't have the energy for his friend's sarcasm right now.
"Are you okay?" He asked instead.
Pansy heaved a sigh and shifted slightly to pull her feet underneath her, white fingers clutching the mug in her hand like a lifeline.
"I'm fine, Draco." She said, voice sounding eerily hollow. "Takes more than a bunch of gormless bullies to bring me down, you know this."
Draco nodded, but didn't feel convinced. He raised his gaze to finally look at her and instantly felt a wave of sorrow wash over him.
She looked broken. There was no other word for it. Not even the best glamour charm in the world would hide the fact that she looked frail, her pale skin pulled too tightly over bony limbs, face sunken in, the heavy eye makeup smudged and unflatteringly blending with the dark circles under her eyes.
And yet, despite all of it, she still held herself with the grace of a true lady, radiating bold confidence. - a type of confidence that would have made fifteen-year-old Draco swoon. Adult Draco, however, knew that it was all a façade, and that below it all she was insecure and self-deprecating. And it showed. She clearly hadn't been looking after herself.
He felt a twinge of guilt that made his stomach ache. A great friend he was. Too caught up with his own problems to realise that one of his closest friends was spiralling again.
"How have you been, Pansy?" he asked tentatively. "Just in general."
The witch's expression instantly darkened. "Oh, fuck off, Draco." She spat. "I told you I'm fine."
Ah… Draco's heart sank. Immediately jumping to defence. That was never a good sign. Pansy had a tendency to overreact when she was feeling vulnerable. The fact that she took offense by a simple question like this meant that she wasn't coping nearly as well as she led everyone to believe.
He got up, considering his next words carefully. "I was working late tonight." He said, voice deliberately light and cheerful. "I never got to have dinner. Are you hungry?"
Pansy took her time to reply, which meant that she was debating whether to answer honestly or keep up her tough façade. He had seen this internal struggle play out on her face many times before.
She leaned forward and carefully placed her cup of tea on the coffee table in front of her, before sinking back into the soft cushioning of the sofa and hugging her legs against her chest.
"I said, I'm fine." She repeated. "Stop doting on me."
Draco let out a heavy sigh and let himself drop back into the seat next to her. There was no point in pushing her any further. They were both exhausted and she clearly would not allow him to take care of her right now. Not in her current frame of mind.
So, he just sat there. Hoping that his presence would offer her at least some form of comfort.
He didn't know how long exactly they had stayed like that, but it was Pansy who eventually broke the silence.
"Did you know Daphne is getting married to Ernie MacMillan?" she half-whispered.
Draco nodded, but didn't say anything. His casual arrangement with Daphne hadn't exactly been a secret, but he'd never openly admitted to it either. He was sure that his friends had a vague idea of what said arrangement had entailed, but there was no point in bringing it up now that it was over.
"She asked me to help with the wedding preparations." Pansy added, fidgeting with the hem of the oversized jumper Draco had lent her.
Draco nodded again. He already knew this.
"Will you do it?"
She took a moment to mull over her response, carefully considering the question before she finally shrugged and nodded. "Maybe." She sighed, looking conflicted. "I'm almost certain that she only asked because she feels bad for me, so I was inclined to say no… out of spite." Her face turned bitter. "I don't need her pity."
Draco had to stifle a sigh. Of course, Pansy would take it like that.
"But,..." She continued, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. "I don't think I could live with myself if I told her to find someone else. Daph deserves to have the wedding she always dreamed of, and no one knows her like I do. If she asks anyone else, they will almost certainly botch the whole thing and I would blame myself for it. So...yes," she sighed, "I will help her plan her wedding."
Draco exhaled with relief.
"Good." He declared. "Because she didn't ask you out of pity." He quirked a pale eyebrow at the witch as if to say 'you know I'm right!' - "She asked, because you're the best person for the job. You have exquisite taste and Daphne knows that."
Pansy smiled. A small, but grateful smile that almost, almost, reached her eyes.
"Do you ever wonder what our lives would look like if our parents were still around to dictate us?" She asked after another moment's silence.
Draco couldn't quite suppress the snort that escaped his lips. The short answer was 'No.' He never thought about what life would be like if his parents were still a part of it. He had no interest in ever speaking to his father again, and his mother? Well, he knew that she cared deeply for him, but she was happier in France; far away from the ghosts of their past, and Draco believed that it was best for her to remain there. He missed her dearly sometimes, but he understood.
"We probably would have seen the same fate as Daphne." He finally said. "Married off to someone they deemed suitable. Someone with the right blood- and social status."
Pansy slung her arms around her waist in a tight embrace and nodded. "Probably."
Her gaze went blurry for a moment, her wide, contemplative eyes staring into space as she chased her own train of thought. "You know..." she finally declared, chewing her bottom lip nervously. "I used to be so jealous of Astoria growing up."
Draco's eyebrows furrowed, unsure of what to make of this statement.
"For being betrothed to you." the witch clarified.
His stomach dropped, a sad, hollow sort of feeling spreading in his chest. He'd thought they had moved past this.
"Pansy…" He began, feeling very awkward all of a sudden, but Pansy shook her head to cut him off.
"No Draco. I don't mean it like that." she put in. "...It's just." Her lips quivered as she drew in a shaky breath. "You always felt safe, you know? I think," another sharp inhale "You…you would have treated me with kindness." She finished quickly. "Even in a loveless marriage. You wouldn't have hurt me."
Draco's mouth went dry and he had a hard time swallowing the thick lump that had formed in his throat.
"I would never hurt you." He rasped, his voice fiercer than intended. He stopped himself from grasping Pansy's hand, knowing that she was feeling too vulnerable for any physical reassurance and settled on meeting her gaze instead, hoping to convey his utmost sincerity as he stared into her eyes and repeated "Never."
Pansy nodded, a sad darkness in her eyes as another glaring silence settled between them.
"Pretty fucked up, isn't it?" she said after several minutes of staring into space.
"What is?"
"Wanting to marry someone, just because you think they wouldn't hurt you."
Draco felt his chest tighten again and he nodded.
"Yeah." He croaked, avoiding Pansy's gaze. "Pretty fucked up."
And it was. They were. Children of the war. Raised to always expect dark motives behind people's actions, to never trust, to expect to get hurt and mistreated, even by their kin.
Pansy sniffled, her whole body shaking, and Draco didn't have to look at her to know that she was crying. He could practically hear the hot tears rolling down her cheeks, one after another, as they painted wet streaks across the pasty skin on her face.
He remained silent, staring at his own hands and pretending that he hadn't noticed, because he knew, that if he showed even an inkling of empathy or support, even just a reassuring gaze or a warm hand on her arm she would immediately shut him out and become unapproachable.
Pansy hated to cry. Especially in front of others. She stoically insisted that crying was a waste of time and something she had given up a long time ago. For someone to suggest otherwise was reason enough for her to hex them into the next decade.
Draco knew this wasn't true of course. He had seen her cry plenty of times, but she was already in a fragile frame of mind and he didn't want to push her buttons any further. So, he kept his gaze stubbornly directed at his hands, determined to give her the time and space she needed to find composure and become her usual, bristly self again.
After a little while the quiet sobs subsided and the witch's breathing evened out, so he carefully tilted his head to take in her appearance.
The tip of Pansy's nose was pink, her eyes red-rimmed, but dry. She had stopped crying.
Deeming it safe to approach her again, he flicked his wand and conjured a handkerchief of pristine, white silk, embroidered with the letters D.L.M. in a delicate, charcoal grey.
He handed it to her with, what he hoped, was a light-hearted manner.
"Sort your face out, Parkinson. You look a mess." He teased, the words harsh, but his tone soft and full of affection. He even managed to quirk his lips into a teasing smirk. Playful banter had always been their coping mechanism in difficult situations and he knew the game like the back of his hand.
The witch snorted and rolled her eyes, but looked thankful as she accepted the little piece of luxurious fabric and carefully began to wipe the crusty streaks of smudged makeup from her cheeks.
"Right." The blonde said, once Pansy's face was sufficiently cleaned. "How about we go get some rest? It's been a long day and you're still drunk. Sober-up potions only make your mind less foggy, but they don't remove the alcohol from your blood. You'll still wake up with a horrific hangover, I'm afraid."
Pansy sighed. "You would have thought you'd have developed a proper cure for drunkenness by now, Mr.-I'm a fucking potions prodigy-Malfoy." She smirked at him, stirring a feeling of warm accomplishment in him. She had caught on to his attempt of friendly banter. An evidential sign that her dismal mood had improved tremendously.
"I'll work on it." He chuckled, ignoring the floodgate of ideas her comment had opened up. He would revisit it later. Right now, he needed to take care of his friend.
Keeping up the playful back-and-forth between them, he coaxed the exhausted witch towards the guestroom, guiding her to the spacious bed and staying with her until she was settled comfortably between the expensive sheets. He was reluctant to leave he alone and had her promise, no less than three times, that she would call upon him if she needed anything. And even then he was still hesitant to leave, until Pansy affectionately told him to 'Fuck off' and get some sleep himself.
But Draco didn't go to sleep.
He was in his study. Pacing up and down in front of his desk, the soft Persian rug under his feet stifling the sound of his agitated strides.
He felt restless. The nagging feeling in his stomach becoming more and more prominent.
His friends were in danger and he couldn't help but feel like it was all his fault. None of their families had been as involved in the war as his family had. None of them had taken the Dark Mark like he had. And yet, people associated them with war criminals and wanted to make them pay for crimes they hadn't committed. People associated them with him.
"Fuck." He hissed, knowing that he was about to do something stupid.
But there was no way around it. Something needed to be done.
Letting out a deep sigh, he walked around his desk and settled in his velvet-cushioned, mahogany chair.
"Fuck." He repeated, unfurling a fresh roll of parchment and flourishing his favourite, raven-feather quill.
Thirty minutes later he was pacing again. The pattern of his restless back-and-forth now visible as deep indents on the expensive rug.
Letting out an agitated groan he came to a halt, arms crossed tightly in front of his chest as he glared down at the three neatly rolled pieces of parchment that lay on his desk, expectantly staring back at him, - as if they were mocking him for his cowardice, daring him to get his shit together and post them.
Draco swallowed, ignoring the ominous feeling in his gut.
He had come to a decision. He would send all three of them first thing the following morning.
Two out of the three wore his family crest and initials. Those were the ones that were addressed to Theo and Blaise and merely contained hastily scribbled invitations (Well, maybe more of a demand than an invitation) for breakfast the following morning. Nothing to be concerned about at all.
It was the third letter, however, that caused a sinking feeling in is stomach every time he looked at it. It was sealed with a plain wax seal, - no crest, and spelled with a nifty little glamour charm to ensure his anonymity, because Draco knew that if the wrong people found out about this letter, he would be a goner.
Painfully aware of the danger he was about to put himself in, his throat went dry as he read and re-read the recipient's name over and over again:
"Head Auror H. J. Potter, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Ministry of Magic."
~Pansy~
Pansy woke up feeling like the Knight Bus had steamrollered over her several times. Head throbbing and limbs aching she sat up, taking in her surroundings through the narrow slits of her eyes. This was not her bedroom.
Of course! she thought. - The events of last night slowly coming back to her. She was at Draco's.
Letting out a low groan that set her throat on fire she began to look around for her wand and found it lying on the bedside table next to a big glass of water, a small vial and a note.
Moving very slowly she picked up the note first and immediately recognised Draco's elegant scrawl.
Had to pop out to run some errands, but will be back in time for breakfast. Theo and Blaise are coming too.
I left a bottle of hangover-cure out for you. Figured you'd probably need it after last night.
Please, make yourself at home. You know where everything is.
Be back soon.
Draco
Pansy let out a deep sigh and reached for the little bottle labelled 'hangover-cure', uncorked it and knocked it back in one big gulp.
The effect was immediate. Warmth spread through her stomach and into her veins, quickly turning into a blazing heat as the potion coursed through her body and burned the last traces of alcohol from her blood. She let out a deep sigh as the horrible throbbing in her head subsided and the aches and pains in her limbs disappeared. Soon all that was left was the familiar feeling of emptiness that she had become so accustomed to, accompanied by a faint feeling of nausea and a little light-headedness, which, she knew, were due to the fact that she hadn't had any solid food in… she faltered. When exactly had she last eaten? She had a vague memory of wolfing down a banana before she had left her home at noon the day before, but had forgone dinner entirely and decided to get drunk instead. She bit her lip guiltily and let out a small sigh. She had been doing a miserable job at taking care of herself lately, and she knew it.
Placing down the big glass of water after she had emptied it in one single draught, she finally forced herself to get out of bed, a broken groan tumbling form her lips as she spotted her reflection in the ornate full-length mirror on the opposite side of the room. She looked like a cross between a banshee and one of those muggle scarecrows that seemed to only attract birds, rather than scare them off.
This simply wouldn't do.
"Posey." She said into the empty room as firmly as her raspy voice would allow.
A loud crack whipped through the air, followed by the appearance of Pansy's most loved and trusted house elf. Posey was wearing an olive green, pleated skirt and a dark purple blouse, which made her big, bottle-green eyes pop. They were as wide as dinner plates as she looked around the room, before she spotted Pansy and pulled her face into an angry frown, which wrinkled her cute button nose in a rather adorable way.
"Mistress is not coming home last night. Posey is being very worried." The elf squeaked furiously, and Pansy had to push down a wave of guilt.
"Oh," she breathed, hesitating briefly. "I …uhm.. I ran into Draco last night and decided to spend the night here. I'm really sorry, Posey. I should have owled."
She offered Posey a kind, slightly rueful smile, which seemed to pacify the elf immediately. As soon as Pansy had offered her apology, Posey's big, bat-like ears sagged slightly and the angry wrinkle on her forehead disappeared to make way for wide eyes and a rather hesitant smile.
"I could really do with something clean to wear, though." Pansy carried on, feeling encouraged by the elf's change in demeanour. "Would you be a darling and bring me a fresh change of clothes? And I'm going to need the ingredients for Draco's favourite lemon and poppy seed muffins. I will be staying for breakfast."
Posey's eyes grew even bigger.
"Mistress is baking again?" she squealed, practically bouncing with excitement. "Mistress is not been baking in a long time. Posey is thinking Mistress is too sad to bake, but I is very happy that Mistress is feeling better now."
Right. Pansy's stomach clenched uncomfortably. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite that simple, but there was no point in correcting the elf and causing her to worry again, so she arranged her face into another friendly smile and nodded.
"Well, I can't very well call upon Master Malfoy's hospitality without giving anything in return, can I? You know he has a sweet tooth, so it seems like a suitable way to repay him for his kindness, don't you think?"
"Yes, Mistress. Posey is getting everything Miss is needing for Master Malfoy's favourite treats." And with another loud pop the excited elf disappeared, leaving Pansy torn between affection for her little friend and guilt for having worried her so much.
It took Posey less than two minutes to return with Pansy's favourite charcoal trousers, a black cashmere jumper and a whole basket full of baking ingredients.
Promising the elf that she would be home by noon, Pansy grabbed the change of clothes and disappeared into the small En Suite bathroom to have a quick shower, before she would get to work in the kitchen.
It was almost 10am when Draco reappeared. Theo and Blaise were already there, both sitting at the kitchen table in silence, cradling big mugs of coffee and watching Pansy flit around the kitchen with tired eyes.
"Lemon and poppy seed muffins?" Draco smiled, placing a quick peck on Pansy's cheek in greeting.
"'Course." She nodded, "Sit down. They're almost ready."
Draco walked over to sit with his friends, flicking his wand to summon a mug and pour himself a cup of coffee.
"I see you two have made it out of bed before noon." He smirked at the two tired looking wizards.
"Mate," Blaise groaned, rubbing his stiff neck "It's Saturday morning. What could possibly be so important for you to summon us at this unholy hour?"
Draco shrugged, a sly smile spreading on his face. "Just thought it would be nice for us to get together. It's not my fault that the two of you decided to get hammered last night."
Theo let out a big yawn which quickly turned into a pained groan as he rubbed his forehead grumpily. "I'm only here, because you promised some of your hangover cure." He rasped, squinting at Draco over his half-empty coffee mug.
The blonde rolled his eyes, but waved his wand nonetheless, causing two small vials of potion to appear, which Theo and Blaise accepted gratefully. They simultaneously knocked them back, both shuddering for a moment, before letting out identical sighs.
"Much better." Blaise acknowledged appreciatively.
"Yeah," Theo agreed. "You do make the best quality hangover potions in the country. Thanks, mate." He grinned widely, before turning to Pansy "Ok, I think I can stomach some food now. How about one of those muffins, Pans?"
"Good timing," Pansy said, casting a quick cooling charm on the freshly baked goods, before placing them on a tray and giving them a light dusting of icing sugar. "They're ready."
She walked over to the table and placed the tray amongst the array of jams, toast, croissants, scones, juice and a giant fruit platter, that Posey had insisted in putting together for them.
"That's quite the spread, Pansy, thank you." Blaise said, grabbing one of the still steaming muffins.
"Don't thank me." She interjected, waving a dismissive hand. "This was all Posey's doing. She was kind enough to prepare this for us when she heard that you lot would be coming for breakfast." She turned to Draco and gave him a pointed look. "I don't know how you can live without a house elf, Draco. It's barbaric."
The wizard's lips drew into a haughty smirk. "I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself, thank you." He said, helping himself to some freshly squeezed orange juice. "Besides, it's rather satisfying to cook and clean for myself. Not that I don't appreciate Posey's hard work. Do give her my sincerest gratitude."
Pansy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I'll let her know." She sighed "You know she loves fussing over you. You're practically family."
"Yeah, tell her thanks from us too." Theo said, grabbing not one, but two muffins, and added them to the croissant and the two slices of toast that he had already piled onto his plate.
Blaise nodded in agreement. "I'm sure she'll be happy to hear that at least one of us is eating her food." A small crease formed between his eyebrows as he looked at Pansy's empty plate. "Aren't you joining us?"
Pansy shifted uncomfortably on her chair, lifting one of her shoulders into a half-shrug. "You know I prefer to keep it light in the morning." She said, a new twinge of guilt causing her stomach to clench. She really should try and eat something. She knew that. She just didn't know if she could stomach any food just yet.
Ignoring Blaise's watchful eyes, she grabbed a slice of grapefruit from the fruit platter and began to pick at it.
She could feel Blaise's gaze linger on her, looking like he was seriously considering to argue with her, but to Pansy's relief he didn't press the matter any further, shrugged, and took a big bite of his muffin instead.
His face fell the instance his teeth made contact with the baked good, his mouth pulling into a disgusted frown as he chewed the confectionary tenderly, seemingly considering whether it would be too rude to spit it out.
In the end he decided to swallow the bite with a heavy gulp, suppressing a light shudder as he placed the rest of the muffin onto his plate. "What did you do to it?" he asked, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "It's so chewy…and, uhm…" he let out a small cough. "a bit salty maybe?"
"What?" Pansy spluttered, snatching the muffin off his plate and giving it a thorough sniff. "It can't be. I did exactly what I always do."
She took a careful bite, bracing herself for the offensive taste, and had to stifle an indulgent moan the second the buttery treat hit her tongue. It practically melted in her mouth, bursting with flavours of sugary sweetness mixed with the subtle tanginess of lemon and the earthy notes of poppy seed, as the flaky treat crumbled on her tongue and set her taste buds alight. She let out a low hum, revelling in the way the baked good tickled her senses and caused her to feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside, before raising her eyes towards the ceiling to cast a quick prayer to whoever would listen. This was delicious.
She took her time to finish her bite, happily smacking her lips after she had swallowed, and raised her eyebrows at Blaise.
"I don't know what you're talking about." She said, casting him a haughty look. "It's perfect."
At that, Blaise's face split into a wide grin that showed off his perfectly white teeth. "Yes, they're rather good, aren't they?" he drawled, looking much too pleased with himself as he grabbed another muffin from the middle of the table. "I think you should probably finish that one, though." he added, pointing at the half eaten treat in Pansy's hand. "Just to make sure."
Pansy froze in mid bite. She hadn't even noticed that she had gone in for seconds until he had said something.
Her jaw dropped as she let out a small scoff, gaping at Blaise in disbelief.
"You slithering... conniving...bastard!" She hissed, tossing the muffin onto her plate and crossing her arms indignantly. All three men around her broke into animated laughter as they looked at her dumbfounded expression. "You just said that to get me to eat, didn't you?"
"'Course I did." Blaise grinned, a smug expression on his face.
"A very Slytherin move." Theo put in, patting his friend on the shoulder. "Well done, Mate."
Pansy clicked her tongue and shook her head in disbelief . "Why do I even spend time with you lot?" she chided, trying hard not to pout. "You're impossible. The whole lot of you."
"Oh, come on Pans," Draco interjected, offering her an apologetic smile. "We're just trying to look out for you."
She let out a small huff and glowered at him, torn between annoyance and affection for her ridiculous friends.
"Yeah, well, I can look out for myself." she grumbled darkly, giving them all a stern look. "So quit worrying you three, okay?"
Draco raised a pale eyebrow at her, looking like he was going to say something, but Pansy shook her head.
"I'm serious." she insisted, fixing the blonde with a pointed look. "I am not starving myself. I promise."
A new wave of guilt overcame her, which had nothing to do with enjoying the deliciously sweet treat, and everything to do with the fact that she knew she was lying. She hadn't been avoiding food on purpose. It was not like all those years ago when she had hoped that if she stopped eating everything else would stop too.
She had just been… busy? Too caught up with all her other demons, to focus enough on this particular one.
Taking another determined bite of the baked good she promised herself that from thereon, she would be more careful about what she put in her body and when. The table fell quiet as everyone returned to their breakfasts and Pansy's own thoughts began to wander as she nibbled on the muffin with newly found determination. She chewed slowly, eyes fixed unblinkingly at the plate in front of her, as she tried to rearrange her mind and gather the courage to address the erumpent in the room.
She knew that Draco had invited their friends for a reason, and she had grown tired of waiting for him to breach the subject himself. The way she saw it, they could all carry on tiptoeing around the issue, feeling awkward and feigning politeness, until one of them cracked, ...or she could just face it head-on and get it over with.
She took a few deep, steadying breaths and focused her gaze on the three men before her, determined to make this as quick and painless as possible.
"So..." She began, pushing her plate away and sitting up straight. "Are we going to talk about it?"
"About what?" Blaise asked, brows furrowing lightly.
"The real reason you're here." Pansy pressed on. "I mean, let's be honest. You're not just here to watch me eat, are you?"
Theo let out an exaggerated sigh and shook his head. "I don't believe we are, no." He raised a questioning brow at Draco, his hazel-blue eyes shimmering with concern. "Having us over for breakfast is all good and well, but I assume your invitation had an ulterior motive?"
Draco shrugged, feigning indifference. "As I said. I just thought it would be nice to get together. We haven't done this in a while."
"Oh don't give me that." Pansy scoffed. It was a nice sentiment, sure, but she knew it wasn't true. "We both know that you are worried about what happened last night. You just want to make sure these two idiots are in on it, so that I will never get a chance of leaving my flat again, without one of you acting like you're attached to me with a permanent sticking charm."
"What happened last night?" Blaise and Theo asked simultaneously.
Draco ignored them and scowled at Pansy instead. "Can you blame me for it?" he asked, eyes boring into hers. "Imagine how I felt when I received and urgent letter from the DMLE last night, requesting my 'assistance as your emergency contact'. No other information. Just a 'your friend's in trouble, so you better get your arse over here'."
Pansy let out a low groan and rolled her eyes.
"They were overreacting." She grumbled, feeling like a petulant child as she abandoned her half-empty coffee cup and let herself sink against the back of the wooden chair, arms crossed tightly in front of her chest. "I have been in worse situations before and always managed to find my way home somehow."
"You were attacked, Pansy." Draco spat, anger flitting across his handsome features. "I dare say that justifies Thomas' decision to contact me."
"What do you mean, she was attacked?" Theo piped up. Both he and Blaise were wearing identical expressions of shock, - their breakfast long forgotten on their half-empty plates.
"I wouldn't call it attacked." Pansy murmured darkly. "More of a drunken harassment, I guess. It really wasn't that bad."
She dropped her gaze and shrugged, hoping to convey nonchalance.
Blaise cursed under his breath and ran a hand over the tight curls at the back of his head. "You're not making any sense." he chastised, casting a severe look at Pansy and Draco. "Can you please start at the beginning and tell us exactly what happened?"
"Fine." She huffed, taking her time to pour herself some more coffee. If they were going to do this, she would need more caffeine.
"Okay…," she sighed wondering where in Merlin's name she should begin. "As you know, I went out partying last night." She gave the three a scathing look as if to say 'don't you dare start lecturing me about this again.' before she continued. "Everything was fine for a while. I had fun, I danced, snogged a few handsome strangers – "
"A few? Pansy, what the -" Theo cut in, but Pansy instantly silenced him with one of her infamous death glares.
"Don't interrupt Theodore, it's rude." She snapped, looking at him pointedly. "And anyway," she lifted her chin in a haughty manner. "who are you to tell me how many people I can, or cannot, kiss? You're a bigger slut than any of us."
Theo looked affronted at this, opening his mouth to retort, but then thought better of it and shrugged. "Fair." He said, waving his hand at Pansy. "Please, carry on."
"Right." Pansy said, feeling like she had lost her momentum. "So, I was dancing and flirting with people... and, well, I guess I got treated to a few too many drinks, because it didn't take very long for me to…" she hesitated, heat creeping into her cheeks. "Fine, I was plastered, okay? Don't judge." She admitted, ignoring the way her stomach clenched with embarrassment.
Luckily the three men knew better than to comment on this, and waited patiently for her to continue her story. She shifted lightly in her chair, kneading her hands in her lap, as she steeled herself for the next part. This was where the evening had taken a turn for the worse, and she wasn't looking forward to recounting the happenings to her three best friends.
She squared her shoulders and took in a deep breath, her gaze fixed on the table in front of her, as she continued to talk.
"I got bored pretty quickly," she explained, trying to hide the quiver in her voice. "-so I decided to leave. I went outside to find the next apparition point –"
"You were going to apparate?" Blaise interrupted, his voice almost a growl. "Merlin, Pansy, do you have a death wish or something? You could have got killed!"
Pansy scoffed and narrowed her eyes at him. "What did I just say about interrupting someone who is trying to tell a story?" she snapped.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Blaise fired back. "You can't just expect us to ignore the fact that you would have willingly put yourself at danger of getting splinched beyond saving."
Pansy's stomach churned as she met the wizard's gaze, a new wave of guilt washing over her. He looked livid. - As if he couldn't believe that she would willingly subject herself to such danger.
For a moment she didn't know how to react, surprised by her friend's anger as a sense of shame mixed with gratitude and a small twinge of sadness spread in her chest. Deciding that she didn't have the energy to pick apart her feelings and figure out how to handle the onslaught of emotions that Blaise's sincere reaction had caused, she opted for anger instead, readying herself to go into defence.
"Well, what was I supposed to do?" she burst out, throwing her hands up in question. "It's not like I didn't try to get you three to come along. But Draco always works late, and you two – " She gestured wildly between Blaise and Theo "- have made it very clear that you prefer to stay at home and get drunk in your own living room. And I don't want that." She huffed, throat feeling painfully dry. "I want to go out and have fun." She put extra emphasis on the last word, her lips quivering as she sucked in a deep breath.
"So yes, Blaise," she added, glowering across the table at him. "I would have tried to apparate home, because how else was I supposed to get there?"
All three men stared at her, looking thoroughly taken aback by her little outburst. Blaise's eyes were still sparkling with anger and she could see the muscles in his jaw twitch, clearly working up the courage to fight back, but in the end he thought better of it and remained silent.
Pansy bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from another outburst. She was feeling rather emotional all of a sudden, - angry with her friends and annoyed that they apparently thought she couldn't handle herself, but at the same time touched by their level of devotion and concern for her. Mortified, she realised the prickling of fresh tears in the corners of her eyes and swallowed heavily, desperately trying to rein in her feelings, before taking a heavy gulp of coffee to distract herself from the urge of bursting into tears. Crying was out of the question.
When she finally felt ready to continue, she schooled her face into something that, she hoped, bordered on indifference, and raised her chin in an arrogant manner.
"So,..." she began, relieved to find that her voice was steady once more. "I wanted to leave and went outside, and…" she hesitated for a moment, closing her eyes as the memories of the night before came flooding back into her mind.
"Look what we've got here." The words echoed in her head. "Death Eater's spawn. Don't you know that scum like you isn't welcome here, you dirty little slut?"
Pansy shuddered.
"There was a group of people." She continued. "They... they seemed pretty angry about something." She added vaguely, determined not to go into too much detail. "And before I knew it, I was held against the wall with magic and they started firing curses at me." Her last words had come tumbling out of her mouth at an unnatural speed, causing the three men to stare at her for a moment, while they digested the unpleasant news.
"What?" Blaise and Theo shouted simultaneously when the meaning of her words had finally sunk in.
"And where was your wand in this scenario?" Blaise asked, straining to keep his voice calm. "You didn't think to defend yourself?"
"As I said." Pansy hissed. "I was drunk. I wasn't quick enough to react." She shook her head. "Anyway, I don't think they were out to hurt me. It felt more like they were trying to teach me a lesson or something.
"And what lesson would that be?" Theo snarled.
"That we're bait." Draco answered quietly, and everyone's heads turned to look at him. He was staring down at his coffee cup, his fingers clutching the warm mug so tightly that his knuckles stood out white as snow. "Think about it." He reasoned. "The same thing keeps happening, again and again. People want justice and they think they can get it by attacking the likes of us. We are the children of Death Eaters." He gave the other three a meaningful look. "They are trying to lure them out of hiding by attacking their kin."
Theo scoffed. "That's bullshit." He balled his hands into fists, eyes flickering dangerously at his friend. "Our parents are already locked up in Azkaban. And anyway, do they really think my father would come and rescue me?" His mouth pulled into a bitter sneer. "That man wouldn't give a rat's fart about me. For all he cares, they could hang me up-side-down in the middle of Diagon Alley and crucio me until I lose my mind. He'd probably just cheer them on."
Pansy shook her head, a sinking feeling in her stomach. "I don't think they get it." She whispered thickly, unable to look at the wizard in front of her. "Their families would come. ...Their families would try and save them, so they think ours would too."
"Yeah, because they have no idea what kind of hell we went through." Theo spat angrily. "It's all about their suffering, isn't it? It's about how many people they have lost and what they were forced to do," he paused briefly, his whole body shaking with suppressed fury, as he let out a hollow, humourless laugh.
"But none of them know pain and loss like we do." He continued, his voice growing eerily quiet. "They didn't have to live with the Dark Lord residing in their home for a year." He cast Draco a sorrowful look. "They weren't tormented and abused by their own family. They weren't..." his breath stuttered. "they weren't forced to hurt, to torture...to... to kill." He spat out the last word as if it caused him unbearable pain, nostrils flaring as he tried to steady his breath. "They don't know shit."
Pansy stared at him with wide, red-rimmed eyes, desperately trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill from the corners of her eyes. Her heart was breaking for her friend. Out of all of them, Theo had had the worst upbringing. Yes, all of their families were corrupted by greed and false ideologies, and all of them had suffered for it, but even Draco, who had to live with Voldemort in his home for an entire year, had at least known his mother's love.
Theo had had nobody.
Her chest constricted painfully as she tried to suppress the urge to comfort him. She wanted to get up and give him a hug, tell him that he was loved, that she was part of his chosen family, and that he would never have to be alone again. But she knew it would be unwise. Ample experience with Theo's outbursts had taught her that they were best ignored until he calmed down, anything else would only make it worse. They were quite similar in that matter.
So, they all sat in silence, hearts aching and throats dry, while they were waiting for Theo to regain control of his feelings. Pansy knew it wouldn't take long. He was almost as good at occluding as Draco was.
"So, what did they say at the DMLE?" Blaise said, when Theo's expression had finally turned blank and he deemed it safe to speak again.
"What do you mean?" Pansy asked, confused.
"Well, are they going to do something about it? Did they get any of the people who attacked you?"
Pansy let out a deep sigh and shook her head. "No, they couldn't catch them."
Blaise's eyes grew wide. "None of them?"
"Of course, they didn't." Draco interjected, his face was even paler than usual. "This whole situation is way above their heads. It's a case for the Auror Department, not a bunch of patrol officers. And anyway, it would be much more productive to focus on catching actual criminals, not a bunch of idiots that want revenge." he ran his fingers through his white-blonde hair and blew out a heavy breath. "If Potter and his team could round up some actual Death Eaters, it might pacify the magical community and the situation would probably defuse. ...but that's not going to happen if the Ministry keeps him occupied with all that Chosen One business. How is he supposed to do his job, when he's busy pleasing the crowds as The Boy Who Lived?"
"Bloody useless." Blaise agreed, shaking his head gloomily.
"Oh, I don't know." Theo chimed in, not a trace of his emotional outburst left on his face. Instead, his hazel-blue eyes were sparkling with mischief. "I wouldn't call him useless." He added, smirking at his friends. "I could think of a number of things I'd like to use him for."
"Ew!" Pansy exclaimed, but couldn't suppress a giggle. She was thankful for Theo's attempt to lighten the mood and happily latched onto his bait. "You're such a horny git."
Theo scoffed, feigning indignancy. "Don't you ew me." he said, a superior look on his face. "Potter's hot and you know it."
Pansy clicked her tongue in response and shook her head. "You're completely missing the point! We're talking about his abilities as an Auror, not whatever you had in mind." she rolled her eyes dramatically and gave the brunette a challenging look. "And besides," she added "Weasley is obviously the better looking one of the two. Without a question."
"Aha!" Theo exclaimed, glee spreading across his face. "I knew you had the hots for him!"
"I do not!" Pansy shot back, appalled. A Parkinson showing interested in a Weasley? What a ridiculous notion.
"Of course, you do." Theo smirked.
"Do not." she insisted stubbornly.
"Hey, I don't blame you." Theo soothed, raising his hands in a pacifying manner. "Given the chance, I'd have it off with either of them."
"Oh, you're disgusting." Pansy chided, frowning at him with distaste, but internally rolling her eyes at herself. She should have known better than to rise to his bait. "All I'm saying is that Weasley's better looking than Potter. That doesn't mean I find him attractive."
Theo looked like the cat that got the cream, as he casually leaned back in his chair, one arm draped lazily across the back, as he raised a knowing eyebrow at her. "Then why are you blushing?" he asked, a cocky grin on his face.
"I'm not." she hissed, despite feeling heat rise into her cheeks.
Theo laughed. "Now, that's just an outright lie." He chastised, voice shaking with amusement. "Your complexion is betraying you, my dear. I haven't seen this much colour in your cheeks in weeks."
Pansy clicked her tongue and threw a piece of toast at him. "You're a prick." she muttered, glaring at him.
"Rude!" Theo exclaimed, looking scandalised before muttering "bitch" under his breath.
"Wanker." Pansy countered, narrowing her eyes.
Theo laughed and cast around for another insult to hurl at her, when his lips drew into a wide, self-satisfied grin.
"Strumpet." He said, in his most obnoxious, pure-blood accent, looking rather pleased with his choice of slur.
At that Blaise slapped his hand on the table, causing them both to jump.
"Will you two stop bickering, for Merlin's sake!" he chided, and both of them snapped their mouths shut. "This is serious and you two can't get your heads out of the gutter."
"Well, there's not much we can do about it, is there?" Pansy protested, she had grown rather tired of the subdued mood at the table and wished they could all just move on and enjoy their breakfast together. "As Draco said. It's the Auror's job to fix it. Not ours."
"Yes," Blaise agreed, "but I would have thought, that after last night you – "
"It doesn't matter." Draco interrupted, causing everyone to look at him in surprise. "I'm sure they'll catch someone soon."
The other three stared at him, eyes wide and eyebrows raised.
"What makes you say that?" Theo asked bluntly, but Draco only shrugged.
"Just a guess."
Pansy shifted nervously in her chair. Something about Draco's statement had made her feel uneasy. She studied his face for a moment, his expression instantly filling her with dread. It was completely void of emotion. - He was occluding, and there was only one reason why Draco Malfoy would occlude around his friends. He was hiding something.
"Draco." She said, voice trembling warningly. "What did you do?"
The blonde shrugged again, realising his mistake and schooling his face into a more amicable expression. It was almost convincing. Except Pansy had already caught him occluding and knew he was faking it.
"Nothing." He said, running a hand through his platinum hair. "I just think that eventually scar-head is bound to get lucky and catch someone, don't you agree?"
"You know something." It was a statement, not a question. She watched his face with hawk-like eyes, searching for even the slightest hint to confirm her suspicion, but Draco held her gaze seemingly unfazed.
"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean." He said, voice even, and with his signature smirk firm in place.
"What's going on?" Theo asked, his eyes flitting back and forth between the two as if he was watching a fast-paced duelling practice.
"Draco's done something stupid." Pansy explained, keeping her eyes fixed on the tall blonde.
"Like what?" Blaise asked, sounding thoroughly confused..
Draco quirked an eyebrow, his smirk growing wider. "Yes, Pansy. Like what?"
"I don't know." She said slowly, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. "But I'm sure we'll find out soon."
Draco squared his shoulders and returned her gaze with a friendly, casual sort of smile. "Think what you like." He drawled, reaching for the tray of muffins that was sat forgotten in the middle of the table. "I'm just going to sit here and enjoy one of these." He said, picking up the sugary treat. "You can either join in and enjoy the lovely breakfast that Posey so kindly prepared for us, ...or you could keep guessing and wreck your brains in the process." He lifted a shoulder nonchalantly. "Up to you."
There was a moment of silence in which the three friends seemed to contemplate their options, wondering whether it would be worth to discuss the matter any further, before they unanimously shrugged and returned to their plates of food.
Pansy let out a deep sigh as she picked up the muffin she had abandoned earlier and took another bite.
Whatever Draco had done, she was sure they would find out sooner, rather than later.
ooo
Phew! That was quite the chapter, I know. Well done, if you made it all the way through!
I must say I feel bad for dropping such a heavy chapter after such an extensive break from posting, but this IS a post-war fic after all, and I think it would be unrealistic to assume that everything went straight back to rainbows and unicorns as soon as the war ended. Our poor characters are bound to struggle a little as they are trying to find their place in this new and unknown world, but I promise that everything will work out eventually.
I'm hoping to post the next chapter soon, which won't be quite so dark, so keep an eye out for that.
As always, thanks for reading! xx
K.