Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Nor do I make any money.


Taste

After another emotionally draining day, they sat at the end of the nearly empty Slytherin table for some peace and quiet in the otherwise loud Great Hall. Neither said much as they silently ate their meals. Occasionally one of Pansy's Slytherin housemates would start to approach but would quickly turn away and return to their seat.

"I'm a pariah," she whispered, her face hanging down as she stopped eating after Tracy Davis' approached and then turned away at the last minute. Ron turned to look at her and saw that her face had become hidden behind her curtain of hair again.

"No you're not," he told her, pulling her hair back and tucking it behind her ear so he could see her face. "Your housemates are just...well they are..."

"Arseholes?" she supplied, looking up to him.

Ron tried to find another word but finally agreed, "I was going to go with...well...yeah actually..."

What he was going to say next became lodged on his tongue when he saw his sister approach and take a seat across from him and Pansy.

"I was wondering where the two of you were hiding. I've been looking for you since classes ended," she said cheerfully. Grabbing the fork out of Ron's hand she took a bite off of Ron's plate, ignoring the stunned looks on both Ron's and Pansy's faces. They had both become accustomed to the standoffish behaviour of their classmates since everything had happened that neither one knew what to say.

Ginny didn't appear phased at all. Handing the fork back to Ron, she asked, "You're right, the trifle does taste better with raspberries. Anyway, that's not why I've been looking for the two of you for the last three hours. Harry and I were going to go to Hogsmeade tomorrow for butterbeers at the Three Broomsticks around lunch. Do you two want to join us?"

Ron just continued to stare at his sister, still speechless while Pansy hung her head.

"I'm going to take that as a yes," she said standing up. "Be ready by eleven. Harry and I will meet you two in the eighth year common room. Don't plan to avoid us," she added with a wink, directed at Ron, "we will find you."

Ron just watched his sister scamper back off to the Gryffindor table and take a seat between Harry and Hermione. His eyes briefly caught Hermione's. He felt sick to his stomach as he watched her eyes water before she ran away from the table and the Great Hall.

"Is your sister serious?" Pansy asked, as she played with her food. With her head still down, she didn't see Hermione run out of the Great Room crying or Ron watch her do so.

Shaking his head, trying to erase the guilt he was feeling that he didn't want to go after Hermione, Ron replied, "Unfortunately. Are you up to the Three Broomsticks? If not, I can call Ginny off."

Ron turned his attention to Pansy, watching her as she just sat there. He started mentally planning on how he was going to throttle his sister later for even thinking that Pansy would be ready for something like that. Pansy struggled with just attending classes, since she had only been released from the infirmary two days ago. He figured he would spend tomorrow with her, where ever she wanted to go.

"Do you want to go?" he heard her whisper.

Stunned didn't begin to describe what he was feeling, finding himself also speechless at the moment. So when she turned to look at him, he watched a small smile form on her face but he found himself unable to respond; even to question where that smile was coming from.

"I guess we are going then," she said casually before turning back to her food.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "Absolutely, positively sure?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes," she said exasperated, turning her face to look at him.

"Are you sure?"

"You've already asked that."

"You know you don't..."

"Just because I've become a pariah to my friends doesn't mean you have to."

"Pansy..."

"Stop it. We are going."

Ron did a double take – for a moment, he thought he saw the Slytherin Ice Princess again. He just couldn't believe that made his day.

A/N: The next chapter won't be up until Tuesday. I start back at work on Monday from my summer vacation.