Work Text:
She was immune. Pansy told herself this every day, but the comments kept on coming. Two years had passed since the Battle of Hogwarts and people were still recovering from their grief. Voldemort was gone, and their world was changing for the better, but they still needed someone to hate. Unfortunately for her, Pansy fit the bill perfectly.
Today it was Parvati Patil who'd tutted as she passed her by. She had lost her best friend—and if the rumours were to be believed, she'd also lost her girlfriend. Pansy believed the rumour, but she didn't know what she'd done to deserve the tut. She was not to blame for Lavender Brown's death. Pansy had looked down her nose at Parvati and sneered before walking away with her nose in the air.
Pansy sighed with relief when she Apparated into the sitting room of Parkinson Manor. She was the only one left as her father was rotting in Azkaban and her mother had abandoned them. Cressida Parkinson had never been able to take the heat when things got tough, so when Pansy had found her parents' once cluttered bedroom empty, it hadn't come as a surprise.
She pulled out her flask and took a sip, savouring the bitter taste of firewhisky on her tongue. It was a new habit of hers that nobody knew about, but she could give it up anytime she wanted. Pansy gazed at the silver flask as she ran her fingers over the ornate pattern. She clutched the flask tightly and brought it to her mouth, taking a big glug.
The liquid warmed her throat on its way down, bringing energy back to her tired body. Pansy smiled and put the flask back in its hiding place. Draco would be coming round soon and he'd have no reason to go looking in the cabinet by the door.
Pansy headed upstairs, focused on looking good for when he got there. She opened her wardrobe and her eyes landed on the green dress that Draco had bought her during a weekend away in Paris. That weekend had stopped her from walking away from their relationship. It gave her hope that one day they wouldn't have to sneak around.
A few minutes after she'd dressed, Draco Apparated into her bedroom. He glanced around the room, smiling when his eyes landed on her. "You're wearing the dress."
"Of course I am," she murmured, walking over to kiss him on the lips. "I know it's your favourite." Draco was looking handsome as ever in smart black robes. Since the war, he'd started to grow his hair long and tie it back. Lucius and Draco had never looked more alike.
Draco tried to deepen the kiss, but Pansy pushed him away. She'd invited him round for a reason and that reason would be forgotten if she allowed him to distract her. Draco sighed as she wriggled out of his grasp and sat down on the couch by her bed. As a rule, Draco held all the power in their relationship, and they both knew it. Being a well brought up pure-blood witch, Pansy rarely tried to grab control. She had her limits though, and right now Draco was toeing the line.
"What's wrong, Pansy?"
"I wanted to talk about our plans." She patted the space beside her and looked at Draco, watching his reaction with her sharp blue eyes. He responded in the way she'd expected.
He swallowed and avoided her gaze as he moved to sit next to her. His fingers undid the button on his collar, loosening it and giving himself a much more casual look. Pansy preferred him like this. He was down to earth and on her level—instead of on the pedestal she'd placed him on in their third year.
"Pansy, you know I want to be with you more than anything." He looked her in the eye and gave her a smouldering look that always made her melt. As he leaned in for a kiss, she pushed him away.
"Stop trying to distract me, Draco. You want to be with me more than anything—so why do I feel a 'but' coming?" Pansy stood up and faced him, her eyes never leaving his.
Her lover ran his hand through his hair as the silence lingered between them. Finally, he spoke. "But, you know I have other responsibilities.
She scoffed. "Astoria wouldn't be your responsibility if you hadn't married her." The youngest Greengrass girl had sunk her claws into Draco after the war, and try as Pansy might, she couldn't pull them out. Seeing the Malfoy ring on Astoria's pale, bony, finger was like a slap in the face every time Pansy saw her.
Draco's grey eyes darkened as he stood up and walked over to her. He stopped in front of Pansy, cornering her against the wall. "I had to do what's expected of me. Our name was dirt after the war and marrying into a respected family has given us a chance to restore it."
Pansy pushed him away as fury bubbled up inside her. "Screw responsibility, screw respectability, and screw you if you don't want to be with me." She fought against the tears threatening to slip out. No matter what happened, she refused to cry in front of him. "You promised me, Draco. Me, you, and France. Our families are in a mess that they created for themselves, but we don't have to go down with them."
The look of amazement Draco gave her washed all her fury away. Pansy both hated and loved him for this ability. "You always were stronger than me. I love you for that."
"Is that a yes?" Draco held all the cards, and he could make her dreams come true or let them come crashing down. She held her breath as she waited for him to make his decision.
"Yes. Give me time to store some money away. I want to be with you, Pansy." He stepped closer and kissed her tenderly, reminding her of all the kisses they used to share back at Hogwarts.
"Then be with me, Draco. I've sold some furniture and I have the money ready for us. I can sell Parkinson Manor once we've got away. We can do this." The happiness in her voice was alien to Pansy after years of living without it. This time, she would grasp it with both hands and never let it go again.
"No. I want two months' to save up properly. A Parkinson and Malfoy must live in luxury, Pans. Let me provide us with it." Pansy looked in his eyes, trying to detect a lie. It seemed like her excitement was rubbing off on him, so she backed down with a smile.
"Okay. In two months', we're doing this." She wrapped her arms around him and backed him towards the bed, pushing him down on it. He laughed as he pulled her down with him.
"You bet we are."
Two Months' Later
She was immune, and this time, Pansy meant it. Almost all of her furniture had been sold and Pansy had made a small fortune from selling the luxury items. Once they added Draco's galleons to the fund, they'd be able to find a beautiful new home in France.
This time, it was Hannah Abbott who tutted at her as she passed. Pansy was too busy decorating her dream home in her head to pay her any attention. Who cared about the opinions of a Hufflepuff, anyway?
Pansy snapped out of her thoughts long enough to find the Muggle pub they'd arranged to meet in. The Green Snake wasn't far from the Leaky Cauldron, so Draco wouldn't be out of his comfort zone by much. Also, the name was too good for the proud Slytherins to pass on.
Glares in the Leaky Cauldron sometimes got a bit much for Pansy, so she visited Muggle bars instead. Pansy walked in, surprised by how at ease she felt. The pub had a green theme, and the bar had a large snake engraved on it.
Draco had arrived before her and grabbed a table in the far corner. She smiled at him as she headed over, casting a Muffliato charm just to be safe. Her smile disappeared when she realised Draco wasn't smiling back. "What's wrong?"
He looked a mess. Strands of hair had slipped out of his usually neat ponytail, and the buttons on his robe were done up wrong. "Astoria had a miscarriage."
"What! She was pregnant and you didn't tell me?" Her dreams were fluttering out the window, leaving her choking on the dust. He was still sleeping with her while making plans to leave. Pansy felt like such a fool for believing his lies when it came to his marriage. He cared about Astoria more than he let on.
"We didn't know until she lost it," Draco said, raising an eyebrow at her. "Is that all you've got to say?"
"Oh, I'm so sorry—where are my manners? Next time I pass Malfoy Manor, I'll bring flowers and a card. I'm sure the new Mrs Malfoy will love that. Why are you still sleeping with her, anyway?" The green monster inside of her was scrambling to get out, and it all hinged on Draco's next words.
"She's my wife, Pansy. I didn't want her to get suspicious." Draco's cheeks were slightly pink as he avoided her glare.
"Oh, I'm sure that must have been so hard for you." Pansy picked up the glass of wine Draco had bought her and drank it in one go. He watched her with wide eyes.
"You knew I was married when we started this affair." They stared at each other in silence until Draco looked away. Pansy grabbed his glass and downed it just to spite him. "Give me a little longer, okay? I want to make sure Astoria is alright before I leave."
Pansy grabbed her bag and stood up, feeling a little dizzy. "I'm tired of hearing your excuses, Draco. Do what you want to do, but don't expect me to wait."
He didn't even try to stop her from leaving. That was what hurt her the most as she walked through the Leaky Cauldron and made her way along Diagon Alley. As soon as people saw her, the whispering started. Pansy ignored them and reached into her bag, looking for the flask. The wine had taken the edge off, but it wasn't enough.
She lifted the lid, unaware of Sally-Anne Perks glaring at her as she walked by. The Muggleborn witch stuck her foot out and caught Pansy's leg. Acting on instinct, Pansy held her hands out to protect her body from the fall. Her flask fell out of her bag and dropped to the floor with a loud clunk. The firewhisky spilt out onto the cobbled floor, filling the air with the strong, bitter smell of her favourite tipple.
Pansy watched in despair as the firewhisky stopped flowing from the flask. It had drained out unexpectedly—just like her life. From the most popular girl in Slytherin to this.
The laughter and the whispers started. Pansy was not immune. She hated this place and all the people gathered around it. They'd seen her at her peak and now they all revelled as she fell into the dirt. The snooty Slytherin princess had fallen off her pedestal, but she wouldn't give them the pleasure of seeing her fall apart in front of them.
Pansy attempted to pull herself up. As she did, her hand landed on a piece of parchment with a picture of a roaring dragon on it. Curious, Pansy picked it up and placed it in her bag.
She got to her feet and picked up her flask. Most people had moved on, but Pansy smoothed out her clothes and walked away with her head held high. Those low lives would never beat her. She would get even one day.
Her eyes lingered on the flask as she headed to the nearest floo network. Her desire to drink from the flask had brought on humiliation at the hands of Sally-Anne. It added nothing to her life but drunken mistakes and misery.
Pansy took the parchment out of her bag and glanced at it. She couldn't explain why, but Pansy felt like the parchment had come into her possession for a reason.
She held the two objects in her hands, and she made her decision. Pansy threw away the flask, never looking back. It was time for her to make a few changes.
2 Days Later
Romanian Dragon Sanctuary looking for volunteers
Do you love dragons and have a thirst for living dangerously?
Or are you just wanting to get away from your miserable life?
Either way, we're offering an opportunity to learn everything you need to know about dragons and maybe get close to the magnificent creatures.
If that's not enough to tempt you—look out the window.
If you're tired of the same old rain, why not join us in sunny Romania?
If interested, send an owl to Doris Dedalus and request an application form.
See the address below.
Romanian Dragon Sanctuary
Carpathian Mountains
Romania
Pansy had laughed at first. She had no interest in dragons, but she did want to get away from her miserable life. The rain trickled down her window, and Pansy wondered if the writer of the article had a window to her mind. It could be a disaster, but it could also be just what she needed. Draco could find her easily in France. He'd have a harder time looking for her in the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary.
Pansy looked around the almost empty room. What did she have to lose? More importantly, what reason did she have to stick around? Draco had made it clear she was at the bottom of his list of priorities, and being last wasn't good enough for her anymore.
She grabbed a quill. "Accio parchment."
It wasn't what Pansy had in mind, but she'd found a new escape.