Poison Ivy || Draco Malfoy

57 - The Sister Code

I sensed something wasn't right the moment I opened my eyes.

I couldn't explain it, I just had this feeling.

Rolling over, I placed my hands on my ever growing stomach, trying to ignore the horrific feeling that consumed me.

I still hadn't come to terms with the fact that I was carrying a child. I wanted to love and appreciate it but found I could not when there was a possibility it was Percy's.

I felt like an awful human being. And it didn't help that Pansy seemed oddly enthusiastic about becoming an aunt whilst still having no idea that the baby might be her ex-boyfriend's.

She'd started buying essentials for the baby and generally taking over everything ("A baby is just what this place needs! And thank Merlin I don't have to wreck my body to get one. No offence, Ivy; I'm sure you'll simply be a natural. You are the one with the hips, after all.").

She had even appointed a room for the nursery, started talking names and insisted on accompanying me to the hospital to see a midwife. She was basically acting as if she were the baby's father.

The guilt was eating me up and I kept trying to tell her, but I found I just couldn't bring myself to hurt her. And the selfish part of me was afraid she'd turn her back on me, and right now I needed her support more than anything.

It turned out, however, the decision to tell her myself was taken away from me.

And it was that morning, when I woke up with an uneasy feeling, did everything finally come out.

I made my way downstairs, the ache in my back causing me to shuffle slowly. It had only been two weeks since Pansy had 'saved' me, and I still wasn't feeling one hundred percent.

I tried my best to tug my lips into a smile as I approached the kitchen, knowing that Pansy was starting to become weary of my depressive mood. Her lack of empathy wasn't exactly her fault because of course she didn't understand why I was so sad, assuming my gloominess was all down to Percy ("As I keep saying, stop wasting your fucking tears on him. Just know he's going to hell one day and enjoy it.").

But what greeted me though, as I stepped into the kitchen that morning, was my sister sat at the table, stiff and upright, and glaring at me as though she had been waiting.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" She snarled before I could even open my mouth, her voice dangerously fierce. "Or were you just going to wait until you spat a platinum haired brat out of your twat?"

I felt winded, as though I'd just been punched in the stomach.

"Pansy, what-?"

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about, dear sister," she abruptly cut in, her top lip curling up in disgust, "you've been fucking him, haven't you? You've been fucking my ex-boyfriend."

Lights dotted my vision, as I tried desperately to think of how to respond. I realised there was no point denying anything. "Did- did Harry tell you?" I asked shakily, not knowing how else she could have possibly found out.

"Potter?!" She spluttered, her face enraged. "So that's what your little cosy chat was about when he ordered me out of my own kitchen, then! Let me guess, he threatened you with it? Made you drop the rape allegations or else he lets slip that you're nothing but a backstabbing bitch?"

"Pansy, please," I choked, starting to feel the panic rise in my chest and slowly close in on my throat, "the last thing I wanted to do was hurt you!"

"Oh, I'm not hurt," she scoffed, followed by a small bark of laughter, "just disappointed to be related to such a pathetic cow. I always knew you had a thing for him; always standing in the corner watching us with that sad, pitiful face of yours when he was choosing to shove his tongue down my throat."

"Don't," I whispered, casting my eyes downwards and feeling horrifically ashamed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I making you feel uncomfortable?" she mimicked cruelly, before raising her voice, "You have broken the sister code! And for what? For an idiot who seems completely incapable of thinking before he acts; which his last little escapade evidently proves!"

"What do you mean?" I couldn't help but ask as fear trickled down my spine. "What little escapade?"

"Take a look for yourself," Pansy said, slamming down a newspaper onto the table so that the front page was facing my way.

A coldness squeezed around my lungs and I suddenly found I couldn't draw breath. I clutched at my throat, panic consuming me.

For on the front page was a picture of Draco looking fierce and snarling, his wrists handcuffed together. In contrast, next to him was a picture of Percy, who looked prim and proper as his medal shone out brightly from where it was pinned on the breast pocket of his chest.

But it was the headline above them that caused terror to course through my veins:

DEATH EATER SENTENCED TO THE KISS AFTER HORRIFIC ATTACK ON WAR HERO

"Now correct me if I'm wrong," Pansy said, her voice dangerous and low as her eyes burned into me, "but people don't just go around trying to kill people for just anyone. Clearly you had your claws well and truly sunk into him."

I was too horrified about the headline to answer her, instead, I snatched up the newspaper from the table, scanning my eyes over the article, my heart racing at the horror that was engulfing me.

The article said nothing about why he had gone for Percy, simply painting Draco as a deranged monster who went around attacking war heroes for no good reason.

My eyes kept frantically searching for the thing I couldn't find. The thing I was desperate to know.

"Have they done it yet?" I choked through my sobs. "Has he still got his soul? Please tell me they haven't taken it. I can't- I can't-"

Tears blurred my vision and I could no longer read it. My hands were shaking so much causing the newspaper to rustle in my fingers.

"Jesus fuck," I heard Pansy mutter as she noisily scraped her chair back and got to her feet.

She marched around the table towards me, brusquely pulling out a chair. "Sit, will you," she demanded, "and sort your fucking breathing out before you pass out."

I did as she ordered, putting my head between my knees as I waited for the panic to pass.

Moments later, a loud bang on the table caused me to jump. I looked up to see that Pansy had placed a glass of water right next to me.

"And in answer to your pathetic splutterings, no he has not yet had the Kiss," she said, her voice flat and cold as she stood glaring at me, folding her arms crossly over her chest, "and despite the fact that I'm mad as fuck at him for possibly impregnating my little sister, I too don't want him to lose his soul."

Relief flooded me, there was still time to save him. But how, I did not know.

"He doesn't deserve this," I sobbed, as tears rolled uncontrollably down my cheeks, "he doesn't deserve any of this."

Pansy watched me carefully, silently; her eyes narrowing as they studied me.

And when, eventually she spoke; her cold hard voice contained the slightest hint of compassion that wasn't there before.

"You love him."

I nodded as more tears splashed down my face.

Pansy let out a heavy, wearied sigh; and I could almost sense the anger leave her as her shoulders sagged resignedly.

She said nothing, but instead stood with her hands on her hips, her forehead furrowed as though she was contemplating something; cogs whirring as she tried to come to some sort of decision in her head.

And then, without explanation, she marched across the room where she grabbed her bag from the side.

"Where are you going?" I asked as I watched her move brusquely towards the door.

"To sort this thing out once and for all," she stated, giving me a defiant look over her shoulder as she wrenched open the door. "It's about time someone had a proper chat with Potter."

*****