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Prompt 34 - Tremble

"What didn't you tell me?"

Ron's voice firm and determined. Pansy couldn't help but shrink away from him – not out of fear but out of shame. Shame that she didn't have the courage to tell him exactly her family's plans were for her when he had been the only one there for her from the beginning.

"Pansy," his voice was gentle this time as he moved towards her with every step she took back, in a vain attempt to maintain the distance between them.

Eyes watering, her voice crackled as she rambled, "I'm so sorry but it's just they told me to come home and I didn't want to because they were going to cast the spell that would cast me out of the Parkinson's for good this time, making me mute and a Squib and then they would send me to my aunt Asteria who was cast out the same way for refusing to marry someone she didn't want to and I'll be trapped like her for the rest of my life on the family's private island amongst the Orkney Isles and I didn't and don't want to be sent away, I don't want to be thrown away not after everything I've been through, so I told them I wasn't coming home, that I would stay here for Christmas and I didn't want to burden anyone with everything else with this because I know I'm such a burden to you and to everyone and I don't want to be a burden, I hate being a burden to everyone so I thought I could handle it myself and..." her voice trailing off as her tears started to come down harder; her breathing descending into gasps – she was hardly able to take in air, let alone be able to speak.

Still backing away from Ron, she blindly found herself hitting a wall hard. Shaking, she slid down to the ground. Her body falling forward with her sobs; her hands barely catching her before she went face forward into the the floor.

"Pansy," she heard her name whispered.

"I'm so sorry," she gasped, her head hanging down. "I don't know why you put up with me. I'm nothing but trouble. I've been nothing but trouble since I was ten. I'm not good to anyone. I'm broken; used goods; disowned; a ki-..."

"No, you're not. You're beautiful, amazing, and talented," he whispered interrupting her. "I have never 'put up' with you. I have been here because in the beginning I needed to. I needed to know that you were going to be okay. But now I just want to be here. I want to be here with you, for you."

Her head popped up to stare at him in disbelief, she tried to continue, "But you deserve better than me. I'm no good for someone like you. You are good, kind..."

"You've got that wrong," he softly said, reaching out to her; caressing her face. "You deserve better than me. I'm hard-headed, hot-tempered, have this incredible knack for sticking my foot in my mouth, notorious for saying the wrong things at the wrong times. I have four older brothers who are smarter, more talented, and better looking than me and a little sister who is better at Quidditch. If either one of us have nothing to offer it's me."

"But I'm the one who tried to sell your best friend out to Voldermort. I'm the one who terrorized you and your friends for years. You have stood up to my friends and family. You have protected me. You have cared for me. I've done nothing to deserve anything you have done for me."

"Yes you did," he whispered. "You survived. I didn't do that. You did that and anything I do for you is to thank you for doing that."

"Why?" she mouthed unable to make any other sound.

"Because I think..." his voice trailed off before he leaned in and softly kissed her lips.

Pulling away, he didn't say anything but kept his hand on her face. She searched his eyes for any clue as to what he was going to say but she could see nothing she recognized.

"Come home with me for Christmas," he asked tentatively, though his eyes were pleading with her. "If you want to stay here then fine we'll stay here, but I'd like it if you would at least consider it."

"Why?" she whispered

"Because I want to spend Christmas with my family and you. I want to leave this place for a bit with you," he said very quietly, his thumb grazing her cheek before whispering, "Please do this for me. For us."

Closing her eyes, she nodded and whispered, "Okay," before reaching out and wrapping her arms around him unable to tell who was trembling as she held onto him.