Cigarettes After Sex

Chapter 7

Draco had become a shell of whom he once was, she saw that now. It was different when he was with Daphne and Astoria, as if he leached off of their purity, and it satisfied some of the emptiness within him.

Pansy and Draco were too alike, too much hostility and rage and pent up emotions. They were like ticking time bombs, pacified by the company of their friends, but when left alone, destined to blow up and destroy everything in their wake. They had let the malevolence seep into them, they'd encouraged it, and now they had to pay the price together.

Together

She almost laughed.

Thinking about their promise, thinking about how it meant nothing now. Because everything was easier before. Before the war, before the real damage had been done.

Now there was only the aftermath, and how they could possibly redeem their tainted souls.

Pansy did what she does best, and looked away from the boy in front of her. She allowed herself a momentary distraction, and took in her surroundings. It was at that moment when she recognized where the amoritentia led her. On the opposite wall, there hung an impressively size-able tapestry. It depicted a beautiful pearly white unicorn, happily trapped within a fence.

Pansy had always loved the tapestry, in many ways she felt a kinship to the imprisoned magical creature. She had been trapped, in one way or another, her whole life.

Cassius Parkinson had only ever wanted an heir, a son. Since the moment she was born he had resented her, resented her gender, resented her inability to carry on their family name. The Parkinson title would end with her, and he hated her for it. Alexandria Parkinson demanded perfection, a goal Pansy would spend her entire life trying to obtain. Her mother only valuing Pansy's beauty and ability to secure a wealthy, pure blooded, husband, sent her on a hunt to find the perfect match. Her parents of course, friends of Narcissa and Lucius, were pleased when Pansy and Draco began seeing each other during their fourth year. The relationship was flawed, anyone in their vicinity could see that, but pleasing her mother, and finding validation anywhere she could, shadowed the toxicity and left her pining after him, set on making their romantic connection last.

And she was brought back to Draco, present Draco, the one standing in-front of her, blocking her exit.

But she knew where they were, 

she was in control

"Draco, look " she said, motioning with her head, towards the wall parallel to them.

He turned his head reluctantly, pausing to run a hand through his hair.

"Merlin," he exclaimed, releasing her from the confinement, taking tentative steps towards the tapestry, towards the opposite wall.

She watched as he took in the tapestry, running his hand down it, gripping a scrap of the fabric, pulling it away from the wall, exposing a wooden door.

He rapped his knuckles against it three times, until the door swung open.

Draco looked back at her, a slightly bewildered expression on his face, as though he hadn't expected the door to open, but instead disappear.

"Are you coming?" He questioned

Pansy let her actions speak for her, but truly she wasn't in control. One look into Dracos expectant eyes and she knew she had no choice.

Pansy ducked her head, stepping into the room.

It hadn't changed, it looked the exact same as it had the last time she'd been there. The last time before everything had changed.