It was awful. So many died, so many were injured, so much blood everywhere… And what for? The Dark Lord was finally dead, his followers dead or imprisoned and Harry Potter was now the hero of magical Britain. Again. It didn't make sense. At all.
Pansy sat on the floor, cuddled in the corner of that abandoned classroom, not far from the Great Hall. She'd been there for hours, trying to understand what had happened; trying to find what she should do next; trying to come to terms with reality.
The sounds coming from the Great Hall changed. There was no more cheering for the victors and no more mourning for the dead. The silence made Pansy rise from her corner and go out. She peeked into the Great Hall, seeing nobody there. The house elves were taking the last bodies of the dead to someplace else while another group was repairing the damages, trying to restore the place to its previous state.
Pansy felt her stomach grumble. She looked at her watch. It was past noon. The last meal she had eaten was supper. No wonder her stomach was grumbling. Yet she didn't feel hungry. She felt confused and somewhat betrayed, although she couldn't say by whom. She just walked out to the grounds, her feet taking her closer to the lake.
"Go away! I want to be left alone!" she heard as she came closer to the shore.
Pansy looked around. The voice came from what looked like a pile of worn cloth under one of the trees. She needed to look again to see that there was a person there. The voice sounded familiar, yet she couldn't really place it. Her curiosity pushed her forward.
"Please, Hermione. Ron needs you now more than I do and I need to be alone, to think it over." It was Potter's voice. He didn't sound like a victor, like somebody who was rejoicing in beating his enemy. If anything, he sounded more defeated than usual.
She refrained from letting what had been known as her normal attitude take over. The-Man-Who-Conquered was not one to talk to that way, even if he looked harmless at the moment, yet she needed to say something. "I'm not Hermione," she said, "and I'm just looking for a place to be by myself, just like you, Potter."
Harry turned around, his wand jumping into his hand as if by itself. Pansy was startled by the speed of his reaction. She lifted her hands in surrender, showing that she was not holding a wand, yet walked closer nevertheless.
Harry seemed to relax at her sight. He lowered his wand and pointed to the grass nearby. "There's plenty of room around. You may sit wherever you like."
Pansy came closer, sitting down just a few feet away from Harry. "I thought you would be celebrating by now," she commented.
"What's there to celebrate? We've lost too many innocent lives and failed to redeem too many others…"
"But you still got rid of the Dark Lord and his followers," she said.
He looked at her, as if not believing his ears. "I thought you were…"
"I was never a follower. I had to pretend, like all Slytherins. Then, I've been entered into a betrothal contract with Malfoy when I was still a baby. I had to act my part or else… I think you know what I mean."
Harry nodded slowly. He was no longer surprised. Nothing was really the way it seemed. At least it was somewhat comforting in this case. He thought about her words. "Why are you here, then?"
She shrugged. "Probably for the same reason you are here, to try and put some sense into all that has happened lately; to see how I fit into this new situation."
It was refreshing to talk with Potter this way, as equals, with no concern for what others might say. She looked at him furtively while he was thinking, hugging his knees and looking at the lake. He was too thin, that was the first thing she noticed, almost sickly thin. After being on the run for almost a year, this was not really surprising. His clothes were torn and dirty, yet his face, on which some stubble was showing, was serene and handsome. Well, she had always known him to be handsome, although she would have never admitted it before, yet there was a certain maturity in his features and some strength that she had never noticed previously.
"Did you take part in the fight?" she heard him ask.
"No. I'm no fighter and I really didn't want to join any of the sides. I loathed the dark side and nobody would have trusted me on your side."
"You could help at the infirmary," he noted.
"With my talents? I'm only moderately good at brewing potions, and a battle is not the right time to engage in such a delicate activity. Most other fields task my core to its limits. I'm not a powerful witch, you know…" It wasn't easy to admit her shortcomings, especially for one raised in Slytherin house, but it was surprisingly refreshing.
"Isn't that interesting? You were always pretending that pure-bloods are much stronger magically than the others," Harry chuckled humourlessly.
"That was what Malfoy said and had everybody repeat, yet even he needs some boost with a rune stone for most of the stuff. Besides, I'm not really a pure-blood."
Harry turned towards her. "You're not?" he asked, surprise evident in his voice.
"My mother keeps it secret, but she really is a half-blood. She pretends her mother – my grandmother – is a squib."
"And your father knows?"
"My father knew from the start. That's why they spent the first few years of their marriage in Canada, where I was born. They only returned to England after the demise of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
"You could say 'Voldemort', or use his given name – 'Tom Riddle'. It's not a taboo anymore."
"Tom Riddle – that's a muggle name."
Harry chuckled. "Yes, the great supporter for the pure-blood cause was a half-blood, born to Merope Gaunt and Thomas Riddle, a muggle."
Pansy sighed. "Well, Potter, you seem to turn everything on its head. I don't think this was ever common knowledge."
"It wasn't. Tom got rid of almost everybody who knew, trying to depict himself as the ultimate pure-blood."
Pansy thought for a while. "Well, Dad never liked him or his followers."
"He didn't?" That was certainly a surprise for Harry.
"He didn't. He probably paid with his life for that. A few weeks after the ministry fell, some Death Eaters came to his office. He left with them and never returned. The Head-of-House ring appeared on my finger a few days later." She was holding her hand for him to see the ring.
"Yet you still stayed with Malfoy," he noted.
"Not really. The choker I was always wearing, symbolizing my belonging to him, broke apart at about the same time. Draco had lost interest in me a year earlier, when he became a Death-Eater. It was actually better for me, as I didn't have to continue spreading my legs for his friends."
"He raped you?!" There was fury in Harry's voice which surprised and frightened her.
"Not really. It's common for pure-blood girls to entertain the friends of their betrothed. It starts as soon as the girl has some boobs and usually ends when she gets married, unless she isn't prudent and gets pregnant prematurely. In that case, she's disowned by both families."
"That's awful! Nobody should be subjected to such barbaric treatment!" Harry protested.
Pansy shrugged. "It's the way of life for me. A few times I even managed to enjoy it. Not very often, though."
Harry yawned, unsuccessfully trying to hide it. This seemed to be contagious, as Pansy yawned a moment later, with just as much success at hiding it.
"You seem to be tired. Why don't you take a nap?" Harry asked.
"I don't dare go back to my dorms. I've stayed hidden since it all started until I've come here. They may not be very understanding. Why don't you get a nap, though? You're certainly more tired than I am."
"I tried. I fell on a bed in my dorms, but sleep wouldn't come. Once I closed my eyes, I only saw scenes from the battle. It's not very relaxing, you know."
An idea blinked into existence in her mind and she decided to act on it even without thinking. "I can make you relax, if you agree," she said suggestively.
He frowned, completely missing her subtle attempt at temptation. "How would you do it?"
Pansy smiled teasingly. "How would a woman lull a man to sleep?" She removed her outer robes and set them on the grass as a kind of bed sheet.
Harry's mind kicked in and he understood. "Are you sure about it?" he asked her. "Please don't do anything you may regret later."
She smiled at him. "I may only regret not doing it long ago."
Pansy started unbuttoning her uniform blouse. This pushed Harry into action as well. He took his wand and cast some privacy wards around them, ones he had practised just too well during the hunt. Pansy looked at him, admiring his knowledge and his powers. She knew for certain that he was exhausted, yet his casting was precise and powerful, as if he was fresh from a good rest and most of the charms he was using were new to her.
"What have you done?" she asked when he finished.
"Just some privacy wards, so nobody will see what we're doing."
This made Pansy more decisive. She removed her blouse and her skirt, staying in only her underwear and moved closer to Harry, who was still gazing at her. It took Pansy only a moment to free him from most of his clothes as well, leaving him in his boxers only, whose front was already tenting nicely.
"Do you mind removing my underwear?" she asked, moving her body sensuously.
The moment was marred by some loud grumbling of her stomach.
"Sorry," she said, feeling a bit humiliated, betrayed by her own body.
"I can take care of that," Harry said. "Kreacher!"
A soft pop was heard as the house elf materialized in front of them. Pansy didn't seem to mind being seen almost naked by it.
"Can you bring us some food?" Harry asked.
"Yes, Master. Wouldn't it be better if I take you to your apartment and bring the food there? The Headmistress had allotted the Royal Apartment for you."
Harry frowned at the honour, but he felt too tired to protest. He stood up, helping Pansy to rise as well, and then he shrunk all their clothes, except for the robes, and put them in the robes' pockets. He helped Pansy into her robes and put on his. When they were both covered, he waved his wand at the wards, making them collapse and then let Kreacher pop them to that apartment.
\/\/\/
Harry would never remember the details. After they ate, it all turned into a pleasant blur, as their naked bodies touched each other and became one, their lips kissing, their hands roaming and their privates connected. Some time later, both still panting, Pansy whispered, "You certainly are 'the wonder boy'. I've never enjoyed it as much as this time, and you didn't even try."
Harry just smiled, his head resting on her bosom as they both drifted to sleep.
He woke up when Kreacher shook his shoulder lightly. "Master should wake up. Dinner is now served in the Great Hall and everybody expects to see Master."
Harry felt too comfortable to comply. A soft and warm body was pressed into his and his hand was cupping something round and warm and… He suddenly understood what he was holding and shook awake with a bit of panic. He saw that he'd been sleeping cuddled with Pansy and his hand was grabbing her tit. Pansy was already awake and smiled at him. He was surprised to see a genuine smile and some affection on her face. He had been used to seeing her scrawl and frown at him or smile malevolently. None of these was evident on the face of the naked girl at his side. She even looked quite pretty when smiling, which also was a pleasant surprise.
"It looks like my remedy worked. We both slept very well," she said, stretching cat-like at his side, seemingly ignorant of her nudity.
"Yes, we did," he said, too conscious of her naked body so near him.
She glanced at his crotch. "I can see you're willing to continue, but we really should get out now. It wouldn't be right for The-Man-Who-Conquered to hide in his bed."
He grimaced at the new name.
"Kreacher has put some clean clothes on the dresser. Master should get dressed now," the elf insisted.
They took a short shower each. Pansy would have liked to shower together, as that would have probably turned into another pleasant experience, but this was clearly not the right time. She was actually wondering what made her think in that direction. They were already clothed and heading to the door when Pansy asked, "Will you take me under your protection?"
Harry frowned. "What does that mean?"
Pansy smiled, noticing that it was probably another aspect of the magical world that Potter had never encountered. "It means that I become your ward, practically part of your family and protected by your family magic. I can repay by aligning my house to yours, becoming allies, and giving you any services you may require, like… helping you get your sleep." There was a tone of mischief in the last few words.
"You mean, you become my sex slave?"
"Only if that's what you want me to be. A more appropriate position would be a concubine, if you agree."
Harry's stomach grumbled. "I think we should talk about this after dinner, if you don't mind."
"Fine. I only need to know if you agree in principle. The details can wait."
Harry frowned. "What do you need protection from?"
She smiled bitterly. "What not? As I've not taken part in the battle, most of my house-mates despise me and would gladly inflict some harm on me; the others don't trust me, considering me as bad as the Death-Eaters' spawn. I've also taken part in the discipline squads that the Carrows started. I didn't do much, really, but that is cause enough for more people to hate me."
Harry sighed. "We shall need to talk some more about it, but I'll take you under Potter's protection nevertheless. Now, let's have dinner."