Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor do make money.

70. Transformation

The jostling of the bed woke Pansy. Slowly she stretched and tried to open her eyes but the sleep was still heavy within them.

Softly, she asked, "Ron is everything okay?"

"Yeah," he replied quietly, kissing her on the forehead. "I was trying not to wake you."

"Where did you go?"

"The Manor with Draco and Blaise," he whispered, pulling her body into his. "Now go back to sleep."

She didn't have a clue as to how he expected that, after that bit of information. Pulling out of his arms, she rolled over to face him and asked, "Why did you all go to the Manor?"

"Can we talk about this in the morning?" he yawned.

"No. Why did you go to the Manor?"

Sighing, she couldn't see his eyes that clearly but she knew he was rolling them before he replied, "Because Smith's father went to Lucius about help getting Smith out of trouble."

"And?" she tentatively replied, unsure of not only the feelings that were cascading through her insides, but her reactions to this bit of information.

"He was basically told where to stick it. Quite colourfully from Lucius and Draco."

"And?"

"That was about it. He got the point very quickly after seeing me and left."

"That was it?"

"That's what I said. It was more of a visual threat then anything else," he yawned again. "So is there anything I can do to convince you to go to sleep and we will talk more in the morning?"

Caressing his face, she leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Whispering, she told him to go to sleep and turned over on her side. Instantaneously, his arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her into him. She lay as still as possible as he nuzzled her hair and whispered, "Good night beautiful."

She smiled and sighed at the familiar good night blessing.

She laid awake in his arms wondering if the answer to her parents' letter hadn't been in front of her all along.

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The bed felt strangely big when Ron woke in the morning. Reaching over to pull Pansy back in close, he realized that she was not only not next to him, the sheets on her side of the bed were cold. His eyes snapped open and confirmed what his hand had already told him. Sitting up so quickly that his head spun, he looked around the room and found her sitting by the fire on the floor wrapped in his Cannon's ragged quilt; the offensive letter still clenched in her hand.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, wondering when she had gotten up.

She turned to look at him. He watched as a soft, beautiful smile grew on her face before she replied, "Not at the moment, but it will be."

He was about to ask what she meant, but instead ended up watching her as she stood up. The soft way she moved as the quilt fell away from her shoulders; revealing his Cannon's kit and nothing else. Ron found himself mesmerized as he could see the calm and peace flow over her as she lightly fingered the letter. He had never seen her more beautiful than in this moment of quiet realization in front of the roaring fire. The warm colours of its wave playing across her face as a single tear rolled down her face.

Ron watched as she laid a gentle kiss on the un-open letter before tossing it into the fire. He knew shock was written over his face but she didn't say a word when she turned to him and smiled brightly: instead she just picked up the quilt and started to make her way back to him. Leaving the quilt at the end of the bed, her glowing hazel eyes never left his as she climbed into bed beside him. Crawling up next to him, she rested on her knees before caressing his face and whispering, "You are my future."

Hearing those words, seeing that smile, and for the first time seeing true and genuine happiness in her eyes, Ron couldn't stop himself from pulling her into a kiss. Because words no longer expressed what his heart felt at seeing her finally at peace.