DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Harry Potter or any of its characters. I also do not make any money from this.

WARNINGS: Yaoi (male x male), Yuri (female x female) adult topics, swearing, sexual scenes and violence.

This has not been Beta'd.

PAIRINGS: Ron x Hermoine, Blaise x Cho, Neville x Ginny, Saito (OC) x Draco

'text' is thought

"text" is talking

Hidden Element

Chapter 19: Through An Open Door

Elementals:

Ice and Void – Draco Malfoy

Fire – Pansy Parkinson

Earth – Blaise Zabini

Nature – Cho Chang

Light – [Name]

The Forgotten:

Electricity – Saito Blackstar (OC)

[Element] – Carsly Hendricks (OC)

[Element] – [Name]

Water - Yasmin DiAngelo

Wind - Miya Hendricks (OC)

After a few days of being back home, both healing and recovering from the shock of things, the Order had asked to hear Pansy's story. She accepted with the only condition being it was to be told in the living room. Which is where the group of semi-adults currently found themselves situated in. The night was cold and dreary, yet the fire was aflame with heat and comfort. When Pansy was the centre of attention, it was hard not to appreciate the details in her physique that had changed from years at Hogwarts.

She wasn't solid-looking like Blaise, but radiated, something akin to power and strength. Her skin was more tanned than previous, and obvious muscles laced along the once larger than average body. Yet looking at the power that threaded underneath her skin, it was easy to forget she wasn't an insecure female, and that certain questions would lead to tempered answers.

"When did you first learn about your ability?"

"I feel like I'm in therapy," Pansy snorted. "Fifth year. I'm the one that caused the explosion in the charms corridor."

"When did Dumbledore approach you?" Ron asked softly.

"Just around two days after the explosion. Dumbledore had known it was me. He offered me help."

"Did you take it straight away?" Blaise asked hesitantly. She smiled at him.

"No. Stubborn to the end. If I went with him, he was sure to bring up some family problems. You didn't either, did you?" Blaise shook his head in answer.

"Why did you go to Dumbledore in the end?" Hermione asked curiously. Pansy looked at Cho wearily, who merely squeezed her shoulder.

"I had no choice," she gritted. Blaise glanced at her in surprise, but quickly hid it behind a thick layer of indiscreetly being half asleep on his wifes shoulder.

"Did something happen?" Hermoine asked in concern.

"Yes," Pansy forced out "But I'd rather not tell if that's fine with you."

"Pansy, you have to understand," Neville begun almost timidly. "Dumbledore trained you all after specific times and with specific people. We were thinking about it, and maybe there's a reason why he did so. If so, wouldn't it be best to find out why? Knowing more about these situations could lead us to what Dumbledore had been thinking."

Those certain questions leading to volatile answers? This had been one of them. Only, the height of its aggressiveness had increased by the mere fact that Blaise had stepped in to answer it instead.

"It's your time to listen, and listen closely," Blaise growled. "Finding our abilities was a horrifying and confusing experience. Just because I talked about it, doesn't mean everyone else will. Dumbledore was a pleasant man, kinder than any person we know. We looked up to him as a father. Shut up Potter," he growled warningly as Harry moved to open his mouth.

"You should feel ashamed to think he had any other motive than to help us curb our problem, us finding him, or the other way around, is a private issue, much like your own meetings with him have been. He wasn't trying to use us, if that is what you're implying and nor we using him. What matters is that he was the only one in the world at that time that understood us and tried to help us. We all got there in the end, that's what counts. He helped us not only to utilise our ability, but was always available when we needed someone to talk to. We confided in him, told him our secrets, ambitions, and he asked nothing in return but to let us help him give us students a better life.

"So don't assume we were trained to be used! When the war came closer he found out about the others, protected us, and still asked for nothing. We were the ones that begged him to let us fight and like I'd explained before, he said no. He had his reasons for each of us, but when he agreed, he told us to wait, that they might never come, but to be prepared. Our first houses and countries we lived in had been issued by Dumbledore. After all we'd been through, he wanted us to have some semblance of normalcy before we would probably loose everything.

"He knew he was going to die, yes we knew! He told us that we would be in danger later on, people would want to use us, not ask for our respect or help. Yet, there was one person to know right from wrong, to be trusting and caring. That person was you, Potter. We were helping because the man we would have loved to call father died to protect us when no one else could give a damn about our existence without ever having known us!"

"I'm sorry," Neville whispered in admittance. "I'm sure he wasn't using you, I meant no offense by it. Hearing the words echo in my own mind, however, I could see how it would sound bad. Allow me to retract my words?" Blaise nodded deftly with a slight snort.

Harry sighed and started to speak.

"I know none of this is your fault, but I've been having a rough time lately and just want answers so I can get this second war over and done with. I believe you're not Death Eaters, I believe that you've changed, or at least allowed us to see who you truly are, especially how your elements have become a part of you, and I appreciate that. I'm not going to deny that its the gaps in the stories that make me doubt and distrust you, but I'm aware that those fillings come with time.

"I'm just impatient as I always am and wanted answers without thinking about the consequences. I would very much like to get to know you, and would be honoured if you got to know me in return. We do need your help, but I've had too much pressure, too much anger, sadness and disappointment to demand something of someone not of their own will. So, what do you say? Care to start again in a non-irritable state?" Harry looked up hopefully, surprised to see fond smiles staring back at him.

"He was right," Pansy smiled softly. "You do know how to make someone feel wanted..."

"And admit when you're wrong... Damn I owe him five pounds!" Blaise cringed.

"Who?" Harry asked tentatively.

"Draco of course," Pansy chatted. "Never did believe him when he told me stubborn Potter knows how to calm down a fight." Blaise glared at her and she shushed, turning then to glare at Potter instead.

"I still don't, there's one fight he's not willing to listen to." Harry sighed.

"Don't make me hate you..." Blaise growled. Pansy sighed and pulled Blaise shakily back onto the floor again.

"Draco is off topic, and will remain so until a time when it's really needed. Our response, however Potter, is that you see one thing, while we see another. Even if we didn't know of certain situations, we still would have supported him because we're friends. To avoid this new... friendship we've created from ending drastically, the word Draco and/or Malfoy will never leave your lips, nor ours.

"Moving on, I trained with Dumbledore alone. I wondered why, there was already another, but apparently needed no training because she was born with it, and was more advanced than the rest of us." Hermoine elbowed Harry angrily, now was not the time to find lost loves.

"Did you remain on your own?"

"No." Pansy smiled softly. "It was an accident really. I leaked profusely when I was younger.. .that's another story, but it led me to my ultimate cool source. I found Ice and used his ability cool myself down, neither of us knowing how. Dumbledore found him then, and since both of us were new to it and leaking, were to be trained together."

"Pansy, will you join us in our quest?" Ron asked proudly. She smiled softly at him, which soon turned into a frown.

"I don't know if that's safe. The reason Dumbledore wanted me out of battle in the first place was because I was leaking. It can't always be controlled, and even then, being in a big crowd is danger, I could kill thousands of the good side without having wanted to! I'm a ticking bomb!" she shouted unhappily.

"But there's a chance it could work Pansy, you're one of the strongest, if anyone will kick ass in this war, it'll be you." She could merely smile in return. She was scared to control, but yes, she really would wipe the floor with one or two of them.

Pansy had been up the minute the door bell had rung. She had, of course, asked the rest of the Order to stay pu, as they needed to know if this was really what he wanted, not really explaining what was going on or who it was. They were getting used to it by now.

Opening the oaken door, a gust of chilled wind swept through the hallway, leaving a whitely cloaked figure in its wake.

Draco took a deep breath, of course, Blaise and Pansy had tried to stop him, and he probably should have listened, but he owed it to Dumbledore to show some courage.

"Are you sure? You can still go if you want."

"No Pans, I'd like to think I was more grownup than that." Pansy nodded hesitantly and led him to the kitchen.

"I'm not sure I want you to..." Slowly, a pale hand reached out to lift up a hesitant chin so they were at eye level

"I have you and Blaise, always have and always will. You'll protect me no doubt, whether I need it or not."

"Wait here a second." Pansy walked through the closed door to the lounge, her hands nervously playing with the hem of her black lace top.

"He's here, Blaise," She whispered. Blaise stood up slowly and turned to the rest of the group, clearing his throat to get their attention.

"We have a guest tonight, and I want no trouble, especially from you Potter."

"Wha...?" Harry stammered.

"What guest?" Hermione interrupted.

"One that you would want to see, just know that." With a nod from the man of the house, Blaise finally bestowed an ecstatic smile at Pansy.

"Ok Pans, bring him in."

Cloak removed, Draco stepped into the light of the fireplace, and into a gasping living room.

XxHushHushxX: I'm glad you like the pairings! Harry/Draco love will start creeping in soon.