2. The Question
Hangover notwithstanding, Pansy remembered her resolve to stop the wedding of Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger with absolute, painfully throbbing clarity. It was the only thing that could convince her to get up from the bathroom floor, hunt for an extra-strong Sobriety Potion and continue about her day as if nothing was wrong. And as the headache receded, her resolve only strengthened.
She laughed and joked and made her usual sarcastic comments and it was just mind-boggling that none of her closest friends seemed to notice that it was all fake, that she was broken and just putting up a front. Either she was a better actress than she'd imagined or they were all oblivious idiots. She knew her laughter came a fraction too late, her comments were a little too sharp, her movements a little too measured. Nobody else did.
The dreaded weekend came and passed, and when she received an owl from Draco with just the one line - She said yes! - she managed not to incendio it on sight. It was a lot harder to restrain herself when she received another note, this time from Hermione - using Draco's owl - asking her to meet for a chat one afternoon.
That was how Pansy found herself sitting at a table at Fortescue's trying hard not to glare at the sapphire and diamond ring on Hermione Granger's finger as the woman across from her kept a steady stream of chit-chat going, emphasizing her words with quick and snappy gestures that irritated Pansy beyond belief. Can't she keep her hands still for once?
"But anyway, that's not why I asked you to come here today." Hermione Granger clasped her hands together nervously, fiddling with the ring she clearly wasn't used to just yet. Pansy quickly avoided looking at it by concentrating on the menu in front of her.
"Have you tried the Firewhiskey, orange and mint flavour? It sounds strangely enticing."
"Pansy…"
"Or maybe the Dragonblood mix? I'm sure they're not using real dragonblood but they don't actually say…"
Hermione put her hand over the menu and pushed it down on the table, forcing Pansy to look up at her in annoyance.
"Pansy!"
"Honestly, Granger, why invite me out for ice cream if you're not going to let me order anything?"
"Can we talk first? Please? I need to get this out of the way."
Pansy shrugged and leaned back in her chair, studying the woman she now hated more than anything in the world. Her hair was atrociously wild as ever - how could Draco look at this every day? Her clothes were serviceable but hardly enticing or even flattering. She wasn't wearing any makeup or glamours, which made it all the more frustrating that her dark skin was simply glowing and her brown eyes were bright and brilliant and… Fine. Maybe I can see how he can look at her every day. But honestly, the woman is so irritating. She's playing with that sodding ring again. How vulgar to draw attention to it like that.
"Shoot, Granger, I'm listening," she sighed, her own hands folded demurely over the menu and motionless.
"We never really got along," Hermione began.
"And there are seventeen Sickles to a Galleon."
Hermione narrowed her eyes and twisted her lips in irritation.
"Oh, sorry," Pansy said breezily, "I thought we were stating random facts. Pray continue."
She refrained from making a dramatic sweeping gesture with her hands just because she could and schooled her face into an almost-kind smile.
Hermione closed her eyes for a moment and rubbed one hand over her forehead. Then she shook her head and put both her hands over Pansy's. The platinum band of her ring pressed on the back of Pansy's hand, burning every nerve ending and sending needle pricks up her arm.
"Look, Draco and I are getting married. You're his best friend. We never really made an effort to get along in the past two years, but now… I'd like to get to know you better, for Draco's sake. You're so important to him, he loves you like a sister. So please, can we leave the past behind and try to become friends?"
Pansy's face remained carefully unchanged. She stared down at the ring, the darkest blue gem she'd ever seen with only a hint of purple, absolutely flawless, and then looked up again into the too-trusting eyes of Hermione Granger, who had continued talking, though Pansy hadn't heard a word after 'loves you like a sister.' She'd thought her heart had shattered when Draco told her he was going to propose to Hermione. She'd been wrong.
But in that humiliating pain burned a fire, a determination, a solid promise to herself. She'd do whatever it took to get Draco to herself.
"Of course," Pansy interrupted. "Of course we should be friends. I will admit I kept my distance before because I just couldn't see the two of you… I mean… But here you are." She let out an affected laugh that sounded so fake she almost flinched. "Let's just forget the past and focus on the future, Gra… Hermione."
Hermione tightened her hands briefly over Pansy's and sent her such a brilliant smile that Pansy, for just a moment, thought she looked absolutely beautiful. She quickly quashed that thought.
Hermione picked up her own menu, then put it down again and trailed her fingers over her ring. She smiled absently as she looked at it, her face a picture of happiness, love and innocent wonder. Pansy realised with a pang that the woman really did love Draco, and that her own plans would cause a lot of heartbreak.
But it can't be as painful as what I'm going through right now.
"So then I have one more question before we order," Hermione said with an anxious smile. "I discussed this with Draco and he's all for it, and since the wedding preparations will be such a busy time, it would help us get to know each other as well. And because you're so important to Draco you should have an important role in the wedding. So will you?"
Pansy blinked at the incoherent rattle. "Will I what?"
"Will you be my maid of honour?"
Of all the things Pansy could have expected to discuss, this certainly wasn't one of them, and she couldn't help her mouth falling open in surprise.
"But… Me? But we… I mean… Don't you… Wouldn't you prefer someone else to take that role? Like the Weaselette. One of your own friends? We hardly know each other."
Hermione shook her head.
"I want Ginny to be one of my bridesmaids, of course, but I'm asking you. Please, Pansy. It would mean so much to both Draco and myself."
Pansy stared at Hermione, her thoughts running through her head faster than a Firebolt in flight. It would be excruciating to see Draco and Hermione so happy together and planning their special day and being part of it, but what better position to sabotage the wedding? What better way to make sure this horrible event would never take place? So she smiled another insincere smile and nodded.
"I'm honoured," she murmured.
Hermione squealed and jumped up and enveloped her in an uncomfortable hug that made Pansy inhale too much of that untameable hair. It smelled like roses. Pansy hated roses.
"Oh, I'm so happy you said yes! We have so much to plan! I'm so happy you'll help me! Let's order ice cream and drinks and we can get started."
Pansy tuned out the incessant chatter and congratulated herself on keeping a cool head.
A waitress passed by their table, for the third time since they'd sat down, and took their order with an irritated look. Their desserts were soon brought to their table and Pansy stared at Hermione's order.
"Are you really going to eat all that?" Pansy asked, eyes innocently widened in surprise. "I mean, you'll be trying on wedding dresses soon."
Hermione, who had been about to put her spoon into the enormous ice cream sundae in front of her, froze and eyed the delicious dessert uncertainly.
Pansy gasped, one hand flying to her mouth in dismay. "Oh dear, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to imply… You're not fat, of course you're not. You have nothing to worry about, not at all. Besides, the wedding is a few months off, at least. You've got time."
Pansy let Hermione prattle on and made agreeing or disagreeing noises at just the right times. When they left, she noticed Hermione hadn't finished even half her sundae. She smirked at Hermione's back. That woman would soon learn that those who cradle snakes to their chest risked a poisonous bite.
AN - Special thanks to Chiseplushie who beta'd this whole story. Any remaining mistakes my own.