Defiant Blood - Blood and Bone Saga

Chapter 7

Warning: Detailed threats of violence.

Pansy was walking the long and winding country roads within the Hamlet of Conkwell in Wiltshire. The roads were long and twisting, large hedgerows either side, formed boundaries across the expanse of farmland across the hillside. It was early evening and already the darkening skies were dimming the light on the countryside quickly.

She was heading to Carpenters Nook, her family residence just outside the Hamlet where they would soon enter the boundary of her once thriving family farmstead. The gravel underfoot crunching in a chorus of two was the only signal that she walked accompanied by anyone. Particularly as her companion began to blend seamlessly with the darkness as Snape walked, as ever, in a symphony of black.

Pansy pulled her cloak tighter to her face, it draped her with a warm embrace with use of the charms she'd learnt to use from watching the Gal's. It was needed in the frosted evening air, the countryside was blanketed in a light white for miles around.

Concern bit at her mind, worry for the task at hand and concerned for her boyfriend after all he'd told her. A fantastical tale that her logical mind was desperate to disbelieve. But she couldn't.

"And what Ronald has told you", Dumbledore said, replaying their earlier conversation in her mind, "this mirrors what you saw in your dream state, yes?"

She had requested another meeting to go over everything for Ron, he hadn't asked as much but she knew he wanted her to relay everything rather than retell it to someone other than her. Dumbledore had sat fascinated by the tale, having patiently waited to hear this himself.

"Yes Sir, he described exactly the same as what I saw through the frame, and so much more", she continued to tell him of the expanse of time that passed for him in a place that had no true concept of it. How he became confidently aware of the natural law within the place he named the Night Realm. And how, as he met Corvus, he became aware of the manipulation he had over the place.

She went on to detail the adventure he'd shared with the strange creature that she couldn't shake a fear of. "But Sir, he speaks of him as if he were talking of Charlie, or Bill, he speaks as though they were brothers. His eyes were so hurt when he spoke of never being able to see him again, I just think it's strange".

"Strangeness has been a companion to all of us of late", Dumbledore said kindly, "could you have imagined that in such a short time your feelings for Ronald could have soared to the hights of which they are now? Ronald was gone from us for hours, but to him he desperately clings to a belief that he has been gone for longer than either of us will ever live. And the two found each other, from across the boundaries of worlds, only to find they were both lost. Both battling their understandings of their own universes to uncover the where's and why's. Bridging the gaps of species and language to find commonalities to not only find solutions to their plight, but from what you told me, to work dedicatedly for each other".

Dumbledore smiled kindly as she took all this in, "I believe you're seeing similarities to how fondly Ronald speaks of his brothers, because Ronald has left this, Corvus, feeling that same closeness and brotherhood as he feels with Harry, or his blood kin".

"Blood kin, she looked up into the older mans sparkling blue eyes, "Dearest Blood", her hand reached for the spot of her dagger again absently. "Sir…", she said nervously, "he told me more".

She went on to the part that has chilled her, when Corvus had claimed to see that Ron had the mark of Death's Dagger, visible only to his eye. The explanation that the Night Realm was the creation of death, to watch over the dead daughters who paid the debt peacefully as they slowly gave up pieces of their essence until their soul's release to the next great beyond. The overwhelming stem of fear and relief on hearing that the duty was real.

"Blood and Bone truly must always be paid", she said with a tear in her eye and the swell of relief she felt showed in her face. "My sacrifice will mean Paris made it to the peace of the next life".

It was a revelation that made Dumbledore halt their meeting as he summoned a tray of Tea for her and went to gather an ornate box of tissues. He used no magic while doing this, instead embracing a moment of silence as he left the room. Allowing a tear to fall for his dearest Araina, knowing that thanks to her own Dagger, he could believe she was in a place of peace because of it.

After Pansy finished, Dumbledore had heard everything. The Shadow Realm where Corvus worked to collect the bodily parts of a soul's debt and accounted for each. The debt, the Dagger, everything. Then Pansy dropped a smoking wand on his desk, the proverbial smoking gun as the muggles enjoyed saying. A wad of leather, tired and ancient looking that folded around the decrepit remnants of a page and shard of purple and blue crystal.

"The book?" he breathed looking at her, "and the cloak?"

Pansy nodded as Dumbledore examined them carefully, with a look that blended the edges of wonder and fear, as beheld the truth of the story in his hands. "Yes Sir, I scarcely believe it all myself, but I do, with all my heart I do. Those… things, they have magic in them, powerful, but they feel like they don't belong here".

"I feel it too", he said in astonishment, "he gave these to you?"

"He gave me the book, said he always wants me to carry it, but he wanted you to see them both".

"I feel no malice in them", Dumbledore assured her feeling she might have her reservations. He passed the book back to her, "if he's asked you to keep it with you then do so, if you'd allow me to examine this more, I'll make sure it's returned to him".

"Sir", Pansy addressed Snape as she came out of her head, "when was the last time you saw my father?"

"Some years", Snape said coldly, she didn't know where the edge came from in his voice, but she'd heard it enough from people when speaking of him.

"And my mother, your aware of her…", she trailed off.

"I am", a definite warmer tone in his words now, almost a condolence he aimed at her. "I knew your mother in my youth, I always found her to be quite remarkable. The news… pained me".

Pansy had never heard him speak like this before. There was a bitter honesty in his words, as though the memories ate at him. She caught his gaze drift to her, and she looked forward as the house came into view, deciding to move past the awkwardness.

The road became uneven as if the closer they got the more dishevelled the place became. It was frightening to behold her home like this, in a way she always hated coming back here and being close to her father, but this time was different.

"Once I've spoken with them, I only have a handful of things I need, I won't be taking the rest", She said quietly. This was the last time she'd be coming home to them both, she was leaving. She didn't want to speak to Arachnus, but her mother, she needed to say goodbye to her.

"I understand, but… this is final Pansy", he stopped and turned to her, "he will not suffer you to enter again, you should take what time you need. I guarantee no harm will come to you".

They walked on when an obviousness came to her, "it's in darkness", she said looking up at him.

"Could they be elsewhere?" Snape asked.

"No Sir, mother hasn't left the house for years and farther… Arachnus wouldn't. Only Dotty ventures out". She saw his face, "our house elf sir, but she's very old".

Pansy hardly noticed her pace quicken and the dread she'd been feeling ramp up at the unfamiliar sight. It wasn't until they were feet away that she saw the front door ajar, her feet skipped each step as she half ran in blind panic, "something's wrong!" she hissed out, her hand found her wand.

"Pansy!" Snape shouted, his own wand out now, "wait!"

She came through the door to the complete darkness of the main hall. Snape was behind her now, his hand on her shoulder halting her as he forced her back, behind him.

"Wait outside!", he hissed quietly, his nostrils taking in the scent in the air.

But Pansy was no stranger to the dark, to the thing's other children were shielded from. "No", her voice trembled. She knew the scent of putrefaction; she had seen it firsthand. She knew that it hung in the air, clinging to one's clothes, staying with them. Unable to shed the smell of death that lingered like the stain of blood.

Snape had already gone his wand raised, the brilliant light of his wand tip now purposely, tactically dimmed. He disappeared and slowly, tentatively she followed at a pace dictated to by the trembling of her legs as her spine shook with fear.

There was a noise, an intake of breath. It was a reaction to something powerful, something bodily hitting Snape, but also a shock, something had visually hit at him too. It was enough, her feet found themselves and she stormed down the hall, following the trickle of light.

"Pansy no! Don't come in here!" he shouted too late.

Her breath caught, as Snape's had done seconds before. She too was hit bodily by the punch of decay that struck her senses before her eye's could focus on the horror she registered. Her father sat slumped in a dining room chair. His mouth covered, his head lay hanging to the side, arms tied behind him. The purple and black of his face, that surrounded the crusted dried blood that had spilled from his mouth and facial wounds told her he'd been dead for days.

"Pansy please wait for me outside", Snape said with a voice that only echoed distantly in her head. Her eyes widened with shock and true terror as her voice broke and the thought crashed out, "mother!"

"Pansy no!" the voice rang out in pleading.

But she was already hurtling down the hallway to the stairs, "Lumos!" she cried in desperation as her feet pounded the staircase. She crashed to a halt as she came to the sight of Dotty's lifeless body at the top of the first-floor hallway. Her hand covered her mouth desperately in sight of this, but the panic only pushed her on as footsteps thundered behind her, shouting after her as they approached.

She flung herself down onto the handle of the bedroom door as she hopelessly prayed her mother was safe. She staggered in as the door opened, forcing out a new wall of scent to hit her. A sweeter, sicklier smell engulfed her from that of downstairs, but it was only traces that masked the presence of death.

Pansy slowed to a stop at the foot of her mother's bed where she found her lifeless body, peacefully lay, her arms crossed with a shrine of flowers encircling her. Pansy's cries crashed out of her as a primal scream erupted from within. She never heard it, only the silence pressed in on her now. The guttural cry wasn't one of shock or fright but desperation. She'd known, as soon as she saw Arachnus, that her mother was gone.

Snape had entered, she barely felt his hand on her shoulder.

On toes that gingerly stepped on, one in front of the other her vision was transported as she walked. Pansy's view, some feet lower in hight, the world seemed so much bigger as she walked to her mother's bed where she saw her sat reading alone.

"Pansy", her mother admonished, "you know that this is your bedtime".

"Mother", her tiny voice addressed her formally, as she was raised to always do. "I can't sleep, I'm scared!"

An infrequent moment of delicateness graced Parisa's beautiful face, "you know this is naughty don't you!" she warned. But she opened the blanket on the bed, "come, sit with mother as I read".

The rarity of such a treat quickened her pace and she desperately tried to climb the bed, too great an obstacle, Parisa leaned down to pull her tiny girl up. Pansy crawled into place, sitting in the crook of her arm she leaned into her mother as the blanket was tucked around them both.

The shock and unfamiliarity of the intimacy quickened her little heart. She took a moment to take in her mother as she looked up at her. Her hair, like her own was as black as raven's feather, her skin as white as the moon glowed in the night sky. She was so pretty; she wondered if she would grow up to be as beautiful as her mother was. Only her eyes were different, an oddity within the family, her mother's beautiful green, nor her father's pale silver matched Pansy's amber.

"Settle yourself now Pensèe", Parisa said, and Pansy recognised it as warm and delicate, not cold and instructive as she was used to. "Let mother read and I will allow you to sleep here with me. But you must go to sleep".

"Yes mother", she said, and she leaned into her as her heart quickened again, Parisa's arm enveloping her as she lifted her book to continue reading. "This is one of mother's favourite books she read as a young lady. Your uncles used to tease mother for enjoying her love stories. But your grandfather always bought mother new ones, so I was never bored when they were away in school and I was lonely, missing them dearly".

Parisa's hand softly caressed Pansy's face while Pansy stroked at her own ear, her comforting self-soothing she did every night. She felt an unearthly tingle as her mother began to read aloud the words, she scarcely understood but found her voice beautiful all the same. "Sleep now my darling…And so, I walked the narrow path as it curved out in front of me. Following not the route of my head, but the dictations of my heart, I ventured on the darkened road, knowing he would be there waiting for me…".

Pansy looked down from taller eyes, her mother's gaze had grown gaunt over the years, like a haunted shadow of her once self. Her tears flooded her eyes as she took in the sight of her, she couldn't hear the moans as she sobbed. Her heart was scattered to the winds as she saw her face so at peace, a look she had forgotten the sight of in her mother's face. She looked so peaceful, so happy as she'd waited for death's embrace.

"What… what pain were you in… that you were this happy to die", Pansy moaned out. Times bitterness had attacked her as she too had begun to decay, but her face was thankfully unchanged. She felt a magic over her, something keeping its bite at bay. "Who did this", she whispered to her. The stains of the scented rose oil circled her with the flowers, the empty vial at the foot of the bed. "Who preserved you like this".

Trembling hands started to reach out, "Pansy!" she heard the soft warning behind her, but she didn't care. Nothing mattered to her in this moment, only her mother's peaceful face, the smile that lingered from the moment she'd passed.

"I love you Mother", she whispered, "you'll never leave me". She leaned down, a gentle hand over her heart, she dared to trace her lips across the callous coldness that surrounded her skin.

She turned leaving the room.

Snape left the Magical Law Enforcement Sergeant. He had arrived after the first officers had attended and confirmed Snape's report to them. He confirmed his account of their arrival and after leaving all details they were satisfied that he could take Pansy away, though they couldn't go inside while it was classed as a crime scene.

He joined Pansy who was stood with Minerva, she arrived as soon as Snape's patronus informed her. So far Pansy hadn't spoken a word. She sat with her back to them, head down with slumped shoulders, motionless on an old and decrepit rope swing that hung from a large oak in the yard.

"Why is it always these two Sev!" Minerva said, her voice sad and low, "we can't expect her to take much more of this".

"I…", Severus seemed lost for words, "I don't know how to approach this", he met her eyes.

"We haven't a choice, she's our charge and right now, she has no one. She's officially the last of her line, we can't fail her any more than she has been already". She gave him a look, "besides, she's very taken with you".

Severus's eyes widened with a mild revulsion, "surely not!" he breathed.

"No, you clot", Minerva rolled her eyes, "I believe it's more a case of a lack of any male figures in her life, he was hardly worth anyone's time", she added the last almost at a whisper. Pausing she turned to stand closer, avoiding his eye as they spoke, "it's murder then?"

"Without doubt, he's been tortured before executing", Severus said in a low voice.

"And Parisa?"

Severus bit his cheek as he replayed the image, "killed yes, but her murderers tried to… preserve her, tried to hold off the stem of decay, she lay like a shrine".

"Arachnus?" Minerva suggested, "he killed her then someone offed him?"

"I don't know", Snape pondered, "I don't believe theirs was a love that stretched to revering her like she has been up there. And who will have murdered him in turn. The only family is Pansy, unless you count the Lestrange's".

"It's not beyond any of them".

"No it's not, but…why?" Snape let the question hang.

Moments of silence past, their breath fogged the night air in white clouds against the cold. "It's going to be a while until I'm rid of the memory of her going in there", his eyes were fixed on Pansy's silhouette.

"Sev", Minerva said slowly, "I don't like to bring this up, but you've been where she is, you've seen through her eye's". She met his gaze, "you have commonality, that's enough".

He turned back to Pansy, her head still low. They weren't too far from her and no sounds were floating over from her in the night air.

Pansy's mind was filled with thoughts and feelings that only revolved around her mother, she couldn't even register that she had no feeling of loss for her father. But the pain of her mother sat festering in her gut, her hand was there, as was usual.

"I should have you both here with me, she could have brought you back to me", she thought sadly, "I've lost so much, and I've not had either, the universe is only concerned with taking from me, never giving".

"I need him", her mind wept, "I need to feel something!"

"You need to remember your promise", her unconscious now spoke up as If Dumbledore had pushed her back into her mind. "You didn't do it soon enough and you lost her, now you'll lose him". She bit back the well in her throat and the bitterness in her eyes.

"I can't", she thought in pleading.

"You must, and you will", her mind replied, "because all the reasoning you need is right there, in your hand. You've known it from the moment you found it on the doorstep".

Her tear's finally fell, onto the page in her hand. Looking back down she read the two worded note that had forced more fear into her than the sight of her dead parents.

"He's next".

"Should you wish to talk with me Pansy, I need to stress that I am here for you" Snape said carefully after they crossed the grounds, having apparated as close to the school as possible.

Pansy turned to him with a measure of strength that was visible. "I'm fine Sir, my father a was pig, I shouldn't speak ill of the dead but there it is. My mother was very ill, I can only hope she's happy, with Paris in the next place. I'll see them both again one day".

Her forwardness, lacking any anger or despair was unnerving to behold. "Pansy, you don't need to do this!" he tried, "it's not too late, I'm willing to escort you to see Weasley".

"Thank you, sir, but I'll see him tomorrow, I need to be alone".

He took her shoulder, grimacing as he did, he disliked contact with the students, more so with the females. "If there's anything you need from your home, the sergeant said he'll notify me when we can enter for you".

She felt the hilt of her ceremonial Dagger in the pocket of her cloak, she'd gone back to retrieve it and nothing else from her bedroom while Snape was occupied. "I've no need for anything, it can all be burned for all I care". She turned to leave and again he stopped her, his eyes now pained by what he was witnessing, "Sir… I'm ok!"

He stood locked with her eyes for a moment until he looked away. Pulling a small rectangle object out of his cloak, he pushed it into her arms, "at least take this!" he said giving her what he'd pocketed.

Pansy opened the fabric wrapped around the small shape; her eye's widening when she saw it. The lump returned and she bit it back. Parisa sat with a young Pansy stood by her side. Pansy was looking at the camera then back at the bundle in her mother's arms. The image of Parisa, Pansy and Paris were the only one taken. The only image she ever enjoyed, that gave her a fond memory in the house. It always sat on her mother's bedside dresser".

"You can't reveal you have this", he said with a mild shame, "she had it clutched under her arms, held tight to her chest. I thought it important you have it".

Clutching it to her own she didn't speak, nor did she care for the consequences or the hiss of shock and dislike that escaped his lips. She fell forward, silently wrapping her arms around him, she only stayed for seconds, relieving what she knew he couldn't enjoy and left for her room.

Pansy made down the stairs to the dungeon, but didn't continue on down to her and Tracey's room. Instead, she made to the Common Room where she knew she'd find him.

"Where's Draco!" she stood looking down at Blaise, Hester and the others. They ignored her as though she was nothing. "Incendio!" she spat, the space in between them on the couch ignited. Screams of shock rang out and the few that were present in the Common Room at this time turned to look in astoundment.

"Are you fucking mad!" Hester shouted.

She grabbed him around the neck and pushed him against the wall with the weight of her wand tip pressed into his Adams apple. "Where?"

"Out…Follow-through".

"Anyone follows me, their dead", she breathed into his face. She moved back and turned to leave, turning back she watched them stare after her as they stomped the flames out. Deciding to punctuate the threat she fired a stunner at Blaise who collapsed a heap on the floor.

"Draco if you don't start making sense, I'm going to Snape", Pansy heard Millicent pleading through the mist.

"I told you not to… not to…" Pansy stilled as she registered Draco's voice, he was crying. "Stop getting in my head, you keep planting voices in my head".

"Draco please come with me to the hospital wing".

"I'll kill you bitch".

"Draco stop it, please", again she pleaded, Pansy's concern for her rose but she only sounded pained, not scared. It made her hold back as she listened. "Please stop these threats, its me, your best friend, why don't you remember".

"I'll kill him, then her, then you, then me!", he screamed the last like a wild animal and her breath caught, she heard Millicent's cries now.

"Draco", she cried out, "please!"

There was a thud and Pansy found herself edging through the fog to see what she was hearing. She realised she'd been holding her breath, she focused, trying to release it silently. The hairs on her neck stood to attention and her hand gripped her wand tightly as she felt a fear overcome her.

"Millie", she heard the pitiful cry, "Millie please… I'm sorry!"

Pansy started to make out the shape but remained a foot inside the swirling mist. She could make out Draco, slumped to the floor, his back to the wall. Millicent was leaning over him now, her hands holding his head to her chest.

"Please Draco", Millie begged, "you need help, I can't do this any longer!"

"Millie! I'm sorry… I can't keep going like this, I keep seeing things, hearing things, since I… since I did".

"Did what?" Millie asked, "you keep saying this but you won't tell me what you did".

"Yeah!" Pansy said as her anger got the better of her, she stepped out, stalking forwards, making them both jump. "What did you do Draco, time to confess!" she spat, her wand aimed at his head.

"Pansy no!" Millie said, she turned, leaning her back onto him, trying her best to shield him from her. "Pansy he's so ill, I tried to tell you but he's gotten worse!"

"You know who else is in pain, my betrothed?... my boyfriend", Pansy ground through her teeth.

"Shouldn't have stuck his big nose in other people's business", Draco spat, though his voice was weak.

Pansy stepped forward, her eye's dark, her only thought was the piece of magic they all studied for so long in a book years ago, she had to mean it, to want to make it happen.

"Please Pansy", Millicent begged, "you're making this worse, he keeps lashing out, he's only just calmed down, please just go!"

"Did you blow his arm off, or were you too much of a coward?" Pansy said in disgust.

"He doesn't know anything!" Millicent shouted, her anger flaring.

"I know nothing!" he agreed.

"See!"

"Except the cripple deserved it, your to be my wife!"

"Draco please, Pansy just go".

"Not even the bollocks to admit it!", Pansy was shouting now, "Take his other arm, he's still more of a man than you. He'll still make me moan out his name before I utter yours".

"Pansy, please", Millicent found a composed strength as she stood, still blocking him she walked over to her. "We can still save this, we can get him help, we can patch this. I'm sorry about Weasley, but it wasn't him".

"And my parents Draco… was it you that killed them, or did you just leave the note", her voice was unnervingly even now, she tossed the paper she'd found in the doorway of her home. The paper with the handwriting she'd recognised straight away.

"What?" Millicent stepped towards her, seeing no lie in Pansy's eyes, her hand came to her mouth, "Pansy no!" she breathed, "I'm… I'm so sorry". She looked from her and back to Draco, "you can't be serious, you don't honestly think he could ever be involved".

"No", the dangerous even tone back in her voice, "you couldn't be involved could you Draco, you just cry off to mummy and daddy and uncle Dark Lord-…"

"Pansy!"

"And piss and moan for what ever it is that you want. You will never compare to a boy who grew up with nothing, with all the advantages you've had", her eyes dared to trail down his body, "you'll just never measure up to him".

He stood now, face sad, a look of broken pleading. "I'm so… so sorry for your loss Pansy", he sighed.

She shook her head not believing a word she was hearing, it felt like a dare, like a push to bring her over the edge. She took her wand in both hands, her sight trained down its length as she aimed for his head, "have to want to kill!". But her hands started to tremble, the edge in her gut, tipping her to do it dulled and she quickly deflated, arms dropping down her sides.

She turned, leaving them both, revolted by the sight of him.

"No!" his voice rang out. It wasn't a plea or a pained cry, it was a warning.

Slowly she turned back, this was what she'd truly come for.

"No, I don't want his other arm", Draco stepped forward, standing over her, Millicent recoiling from him as she saw this chilling change in him. "I don't want his arm; I'm going to take his fucking head". He saw her eye's flicker with a fear, knowing the idea had just flashed in her mind, he pounced on it. "I promise you, the next move I make against you will be to go down to St Mungo's and separate that freaks head from his shoulders. I will gladly walk the gardens of the Maner with his severed head, wiping it in every bit of dirt I find. And when I'm done, I will send it to that fat muggle loving bitch of a mother of his with a note that says he died like a dog".

"Draco!", Millicent whispered.

He took a step forward, "then I murder that bitch Davies and that little ginger rat toy of hers. Then I'll send you the pieces I don't want to play with anymore. Followed by Light, then Wren, Then Redmond-Reed, after I've defiled each of them. Then, once I've finished with them, I'll force myself inside your pathetic little soul, put a baby in you. Then butcher anything you produce in front of you until you give me my male heir!"

Pansy found her back to the wall, unsure when she'd moved. The horror of his words clung to her, but this was what she expected, what she'd come for. Defeat took her, he was too smart to admit to any crime, threats were only so damning, and he knew this.

"Then you win!" she said flatly.

Her hand pulled the dagger from its sheath hidden in her belt and drove it forward's. Her aim was his eye, it was true as the blade made straight for it. She'd waste no time in contemplation, he had to die.

Her arm was struck with a stinging hex that forced the blade from her hands, it clanged on the floor. Looking to Millicent her wand in hand, trained on her, eyes wide. Her hands came up to her mouth as her reactions had brought the spell out of her automatically as she protected her best friend. "Draco", she whispered, "please let's just go".

Draco's hand struck Pansy around the face, hard and stinging she fell forwards but stood back up, determined not to let him see her pain. He bent low and picked up her ceremonial version of her Death's Dagger, spinning it in his fingers. He raised his arm and pushed her back to the wall, hand around her gripping her hair, he placed the blades point at her neck. Twisting the blade, it nicked, and one solid droplet of blood welled.

"Draco please", Millicent begged, "stop this!"

"I'm sorry about your parents", he said evenly, without remorse, "they were a necessary price you needed to pay". He left her against the wall and walked over to Millie, her face relaxed as she thought a sense was coming back to him. She gasped as he gripped her around the neck with his hand, choking her.

"No!" Pansy pleaded for the first time, the pain and fear in Millicent's eye's wounding her instantly. "Please don't".

"I love her Pansy, she's my oldest dearest friend", he pulled the blade to her throat, "but I will kill her, slit her throat and watch the life leave her if I need to show you any truth to what I've said".

"Draco, please!" Pansy said as forcefully as her breaking spirit could allow.

"Pansy!" he smiled. His elbow raised, his grip on the knife hardened, his eyes looking down at her throat as he moved.

"Ok!" she screamed, "I… I yield for the promise of no more bloodshed".

"I can't guarantee that they won't be slaughtered by the end of the war to come", he smiled.

"No more resistance! I swear it".

Draco pulled the knife away, Pansy's heart stopped as she thought the movement was to commit. She breathed in release as he let go of Millicent. But it hitched again as he came back to her. His confidence showing as he passed her the blade back, laying it on her palm.

He loomed, his grey eye's had a darkness to them she'd never seen, like a sickness of the mind was visible through the windows. He smiled, leaning down to her, his lips threatening hers. Something inside her begged, pleaded for her to stop him, it felt like a betrayal to the natural order of things.

He stopped, opening his eyes to hers, "I don't think so", he smiled, "I can smell his filth over you, come the day your cleansed by the bonding, then you can receive me".

He straightened, turning he walked away. Millicent stilled as he placed a hand on her shoulder in passing. As he disappeared Millie stared hard into Pansy, she was shaking, and she noticed the darkness that ran down the knees of her jeans. Pansy didn't fight the urge; she crossed the distance and took her in her arms.

Pansy opened the door to Ron's room, it was late, some time after midnight, she'd waited for the school to settle into its beds before she made for the flu that had been set up to allow them all here.

She entered carefully, her heart sank as she realised, he was asleep, soundly so too. She noticed the pain relief potions by his bedsides, they would aid in keeping him deep in whatever Realm he dreamed in tonight. "I hope their dreams of us", she made to whisper as silently as she could, "I needed you to be asleep, there's no other way I could say goodbye, but I wish you were awake, I wish I could kiss you". She leaned down now, daring a hand on his chest as it rose and fell, deep resonating breaths that told her he was dead to the world.

"I'm so sorry my love", she stroked his face, barely touching him, barely making a sound. "I don't have a Lion's courage like you, or the strength of a Dragon…". She paused as tears streaked her face, her hand over her mouth to stop her sobs. Being too bold she lifted his hand, placing it to her belly. "We were so close to this", she breathed, "but I've known since… well, she's gone now, she was just a dream". Struggling through more silent tears she turned to go, stopping when she couldn't.

"I know I shouldn't, but I wish…", her hand stroked at her stomach again, "you would have been amazing". She closed her sight to him, breathing through the pain, "I feel her Ronald. I feel Death's eyes on me and where I'm going, I'll welcome her, but I can't risk you, I just can't".

"Stop it now, tear it quick, stop ripping slow!".

Forcing her eyes to shut out the tears she bent low over him, her lip's finding his forehead, she stayed there for long moments, fearing their forever goodbye.

"Sea", he breathed, eyes still shut, dead to the world.

She left the letter she'd wrote by his bedside table and fled the room silently. Casting a silencing ward over his door as she entered the corridor her pained cries erupted from her in long drawn-out sobs.

"Pansy!"

She looked up in fright, her wand drawn, free hand rubbing at her eyes in the dark. "M… Molly".

"Pansy what are you doing here", her heart tore as she saw her face, "I'm so sorry my darling, I'm so…so sorry about the news, Minerva sent word". She made to close the distance but stopped when the girl backed away, "Pansy!" She took in the image as one, things slotting into place. "Pansy why do you have your trunk?"

"I'm sorry Molly", she breathed in defeat, "I'm so sorry for what I've done".

"What have you done?" Molly said in concern, "I'm worried for you".

"I never want to hurt him, but if I don't leave him, they'll kill him", Pansy moaned softly.

Realisation hit her, "Oh love, no… no one's getting to either of you I promise".

"They will!" Pansy screamed wildly, she marched up to Molly, her wand dropping to the floor as she grabbed at the woman's knitted cardigan. "Malfoy will kill him Molly!"

The reaction stunned her into a paralysis as all she could do was stare down at her, then her eyes widened as she saw a truth in her eyes. "But you can't Pansy, where will you even go!"

"To them, until they die… or I do".

"Don't say that!" Molly now had hold of Pansy's shoulders with a fierceness, "you don't say that!" She tried to compose herself, but found the only thing that could do it was to hold the girl. She pulled her in tightly, feeling the strangest of outpouring love for the girl, she could be holding Ginny for all the difference she felt.

Pansy didn't fight it, "I love you", she murmured into her as more tears spilled, "you can't know the things I've heard, what I've seen, he'll murder them all if I don't. How can I fight that, when he's already murdered my mother".

Molly's eyes showed the terror of what she was hearing. Pansy's fear was all encompassing, and it rolled over her like a poison, eating at her biggest fears. The visions she saw, the deaths of her children, she couldn't fight against anything that prevented that. She knew there must be another way, but she couldn't see it. "I don't want you to leave", she cried into her neck.

"I love your son, I can't lose him like that, I can only save him like this", she shuddered through tears.

"But the baby!", Molly pulled back from her, finding her eyes.

Pansy shook her head, her hand absently going to her belly, "there never was a baby Molly, only the universe's cruelty. And my stupidity, fifteen and wishing it was true, wishing I carried his child. My whole life's been one failure after another, only he's been my light".

"I have to stop you", Molly sobbed.

"I wish you could", Pansy kissed her cheek, their faces sopping with tears. She turned and picked up her wand, gathered her trunk and walked away, unable to look back at the woman who stood with her face in her hands and the broken heart in her chest.

A/N

Ouch, this one stung me, I'm a terrible story but it can't all be sunshine and rainbows for them.

I have a very literal sense and belief system with death, because of my work I can end up with people passing in front of me aftermaths of horrendous scenes or finding poor souls long since decayed. It's something that never leaves you, the smell, the sight, nothing can be more powerful than the physical reactions. I think I could write very clear and detailed descriptions of that, but you start to head into gore.

If this has sat on a more perfectly poetic side to the description, then brilliant. If what would feel better is more of the worst, then I can go deeper with the description as I have those personal experiences that I can draw of in an overall tone. Saying that though, this was her parents and there's only so much you need sometimes before things are distasteful.