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


Sunset

At sunset, Pansy found herself curled up in the window of the Gryffindor boy's room watching the sky change a thousand colours. With Ron in the shower, she found herself alone and though it unnerved her, she knew nothing would come of her in Ron's room; not with Neville studying on his own bed just feet away from her. At least, Neville had convinced Ron of that and that was good enough for her. If Ron trusted Neville, then she should trust Neville because of a single reason – Ron hadn't let her down yet.

Her mind wandered in amazement as she thought about the earlier trip to Hogsmeade. She hadn't anticipated enjoying the trip into Hogsmeade as much as she had. Especially the time they had spent at the Three Broomsticks with Harry and Ginny. Pansy had expected it to be awkward, that she would be the fourth wheel but she never felt like that. Not once. Ginny and Harry, it appeared, to have gone out of their way to make sure she was included in every conversation though she had kept quiet the entire time they were there.

She was glad that she had gone for no other reason than to have seen Ron smile earlier. He had been by her side unwavering since the beginning and she was afraid that it was taking its toll; he didn't seem to smile as much as she vaguely remembered him doing before. It hadn't struck home that he may have been affected to until yesterday as they sat out by the lake. When he had muttered to her about not having to hide from him too – it struck a chord in her.

When she had spun her head to look at him, she saw the hurt in his face and in turn, that had hurt her. That hurt was the final motivation she needed for her to finally ask him for his help, though she knew she needn't have. It had been there from the beginning but she had been to proud to verbalize the request until that moment; the very moment when she knew she was not the only one scarred from that night. It surprised her that the simple gesture of just asking for his help, gave her that little something she needed and could cling to as she really started to move on with her life.

"Thanks for coming out today. I know it had to be hard on you," an unfamiliar voice broke her from her thoughts. Turning her head around, she saw Harry take a seat on Ron's bed as he said, "But it really meant a lot to Ginny."

Pansy was surprised. She had figured that the invitation was Ron's sake and not Ginny's.

"It's just that she worries about him more than any of her other brothers," Harry explained. Pansy realized she must have had a confused look on her face because he continued, "He's probably the most independent of the Weasleys though you would never guess it. He thinks of everyone first and has this tendency to forget himself and what he wants and needs."

Pansy felt horrible at Harry's confession. She had never thought that she was tearing him away from his family. Tears welling up in her eyes, she stumbled over what she was trying to say, "I'm sorry, I never..."

"No, no, I didn't mean to make you feel bad," Harry said quickly. "It's that you've become his priority and that's fine – you need him – we get that. In a way, I think he needs you too...but we just want to make sure he takes care of himself, so he can be there for you."

She found herself unable to speak but nodded instead. Gathering her wits as best she could, she whispered, "Why?"

"Why what?" Harry asked perplexed.

"Why are you being so nice? I've not been a nice person or a good person all these years to you and your friends?" The question had been on her mind for some time but Ron would never give her an honest answer. In fact he kept avoiding the question when it came up..

"Because almost three weeks ago, I witnessed my best mate walk into our dormitories in a blood soaked tie and shirt, no cloak, and dried blood on his face and hands. I had to pull Hermione off him just so he could get to this room. When I came to bed later, he was wide awake in his bed sitting, starring out that window, still covered in blood."

"I don't think he ever went to sleep that night because of the way he looked at breakfast. I asked him where he had been since he wasn't in the dorm when I woke up and he told me that he had gotten up early to check on you. He said he had to make sure you were okay."

"Pansy, if you matter that much to him, you matter enough for the rest of us to care regardless of what happened anytime before that night; none of his friends or family are going to let anything happen to you because of him."

Pansy didn't know what to say, even if she could find her voice, articulate her thoughts, or move her lips and tongue.

"Hey, what are you two talking about?" She spun her head to look at Ron who was dressed in his bed attire, his hair soaking wet. For the second time in two days, bleary-eyed, she launched herself at him. She felt him take a couple of steps back as she wrapped her arms around his neck before his arms wrapped around her waist. The tears she had been fighting, started to run down her face and his neck.

She let him rock her as he tried to soothe her in his arms. Pansy felt him try to move her but she clung to him harder until he finally sighed and swung her legs up and walked somewhere to sit down. He continued to rock her until she finally feel asleep.