〘 chapter xxv: PANSY'S INTERVENTION〙
Pansy was standing in front of Harry, smirking as if she knew something. "Can I do something for you Parkinson?"
"Yeah, you can actually." Pansy said with an air of snark. "You need to apologize to Draco and shag him if necessary if he refuses to accept it." Harry's jaw dropped wide open as his brain tried to restart itself. What did she just say? Harry knew he had told Hermione and Ron but... Nobody else should know about his relationship with Draco unless... Draco had told Pansy himself. Draco never said he had done that though. Then again... When was the last time Harry had talked to Draco? "Do I need to repeat myself? Pansy asked.
"Pansy, what the absolute fuck?" Harry whispered. Pansy rolled her eyes.
"Oh please. I'm Draco's best friend. You think I haven't noticed how happy he is?"
"Draco's happiness is no concern of mine." Harry said. And it was the truth. Draco's happiness wasn't something he tried to think about anymore. Harry could see that he was unhappy. Hell, the happiest he had seen him in days was when he had first opened his eyes in the Forbidden Forest and Draco was leaning over him, trying to use warming spells on him. Pansy laughed.
"Yes it is. You're in a sour mood, he's in a sour mood. He's happy, you're happy. Honestly, if you two aren't fucking behind everyone's backs then I think..."
"Pansy! Bloody hell!" Harry exclaimed.
"What? It's true isn't it." Pansy said looking at Harry with part innocence, part know-it-all attitude.
"I... I don't know what the hell you're talking about." Harry said, starting to walk away from her. Pansy followed though.
"Oh but you do. Like I said, Draco's my best friend and..." Harry grabbed Pansy's hand and dragged her down a different, empty hallway and she yelped as Harry pulled her into a deserted classroom. "Don't get any funny ideas Potter! You're not going to convince me you're not shagging Draco if you try to kiss me."
"I... What!" Harry shouted. "You're just being loud! I don't want people to hear."
"If none of it's true why does it matter to you if I'm being loud?" Pansy demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Because I don't like people fucking talkin' about me! It's bad enough that I always have the press breathing down my neck, everyone waiting to see what I'll do next. Waiting to see what'll happen. I'm tired of being front page news Pansy and I don't think Draco would appreciate you spreading rumors about us." Harry snapped at her. Pansy pursed her lips.
"It's not rumor if it's true." Harry ground his teeth and threw his hands in the air, walking away from her.
"You're unbelievable!"
"Yeah, I am pretty unbelievable but I'm right. I know it."
"You don't know shit." Harry shouted at her, voice echoing in the room. Pansy huffed.
"There's no need to shout Potter." Harry clenched his jaw. "Look, all I'm saying is..." Pansy sighed. "I was the first one Draco told when he realized he was gay. It was while we were still dating so it kind of hurt but I got over it. I could tell he wasn't that into me." Harry huffed.
"What's your point?"
"My point is Harry is that I was also the first person Draco told about his feelings for you." Harry narrowed his eyes at her. "Granted he was drunk off his ass but... He still told me." Harry said nothing. "It was over three summers ago. I had been trying to get Draco's mind off of... Everything. I was trying to get him ready for the coming school year and the conversation went a little... Sideways. Mind you, I hate talking about my feelings but I knew Draco needed to let some things out."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Hush up." Pansy said. Harry rolled his eyes. "Draco needed to let some things out and I don't know how we got on the subject exactly but..." Pansy paused. "Harry, Draco basically told me that he believed the only way he could ever be happy ever was if he got even just one kiss from you. One kiss and he felt that... All of his troubles would melt away." The tension in Harry's shoulders fell and the expression on his face became one of bewilderment.
"He... He said that?"
"Yes." Pansy said firmly. Harry knew she wasn't messing with him right now. "And believe me, I was so shocked I nearly threw up but..." Pansy paused. "Draco wears his heart on his sleeve. It may not be obvious to you but it's obvious to me. That's why he's so... Why he's so fragile now. The stitching is coming undone, the stuffing is coming out and.."
"Sewing analogies, yes I get it." Harry interrupted. Pansy frowned at him.
"Point is Harry. He's been happy. Happier than I've seen him in a long time and I couldn't figure out why and then suddenly... He's back to his old self and I don't want that for him Harry. I refuse to let you do this to him."
"I'm not doing anything." Harry said through his teeth. "We're not together."
"Look me in the eyes and say that Potter and if I think you're telling the truth then..." Amazingly, Harry watched Pansy's eyes begin to water. "Then I don't know what I'll do." God, she even sounded choked up. Harry looked Pansy dead in the eyes and couldn't bring himself to say a damn word. He had broken up with Draco in his mind but his heart still refused to believe it. It wouldn't let him speak. "I knew it." Pansy whispered and then suddenly, Pansy was hugging him, her arms wrapped around Harry tightly.
"I uhhh..." Harry patted her back lightly.
"I knew you were fucking gay!" Pansy said.
"Bisexual."
"Oh whatever." Pansy said, letting go of Harry and wiping at a stray tear under her eye. She breathed in deeply and smirked. There was the Pansy Harry knows. "Now, what the fuck did you do to him?" Pansy said, shoving his shoulder. Harry stumbled.
"You already know what I did! Everyone knows." Harry said with a scowl, eyebrows arched down angrily. Pansy arched an eyebrow at him. "Sixth year. A dark curse. Any of that ring a fuckin bell?" Pansy's eyes lit up.
"Oh my god." She murmured. Harry let out a frustrated scoff.
"He told me it wasn't a fucking big deal Pansy but that's insane. I almost fucking killed him! I almost killed him and he forgives me? I don't even forgive me. I can barely look at him without picturing the way he looked bleeding out on that bathroom floor." Harry hadn't realized he was shouting until the silence hit. "The only time I use a dark curse and it's thrown at him? Not even that bastard Voldemort? I try to kill Draco? God I can't even..." Harry rubs at his eyes, hot angry tears spilling down his cheeks. It's something he's been trying to avoid doing for over two weeks. He hates crying and he especially hates that he's crying in front of Pansy Parkinson of all people.
"Okay stop. You're making me uncomfortable." Harry looks up at her to shout some more but she's holding out a handkerchief to him and he pauses. Slowly, Harry takes it from her, staring at her initials stitched in green on the square fabric.
"Thanks." Harry muttered. Pansy took a deep breath.
"Look... I... Your guess is as good as mine as to why... Why Draco thinks you're still worth something even though you tried to kill him."
"You're shit at making people feel better." Pansy rolled her eyes.
"I know but shut up." Harry sighed and wiped at the tears on his cheeks with her handkerchief. "I found out he still liked you... Not that long after the incident and when I asked him why he just... Shook his head and said, 'I don't know how to do anything else'. He's just that stupidly infatuated with you Potter. Can't you see that?" Harry could see that and he needed to know why. Why him? Why after everything?
"I don't understand."
"And you won't understand unless you bloody talk to him." Pansy snapped at Harry, taking her handkerchief back and stuffing it into the pocket of her robe. "You need to go talk to him, apologize, fuck him. Not necessarily in that order." Harry rolled his eyes, scrunching up his nose at her in slight disgust. He didn't like hearing Pansy talk about him and Draco like that. She made it sound... Dirty.
"He won't want to talk to me."
"All he wants to do is bloody talk to you! It's all he can think about! You're going to make him fail seventh year, again." Harry was pretty positive he was going to fail as well. "Now will you just fucking talk to him." Harry swallowed hard and began to head out of the room. "Harry!" Pansy shouted, stamping her foot.
"I'll think about it." Harry said and before Pansy could call him a prat, he slipped out of the room.