its all about blood - angelrider93

Chapter 25 - A Moment of Underatanding

It had been two days since the New Years Eve party and Classes were due to begin the following day. The Hogwarts grounds were splendid in their glory, fresh snow had fallen overnight and the pristine white grounds sparkled in the midday sun that the weather had graciously bestowed upon them for the last day of their Christmas holidays. The grounds were teeming with students all enjoying the rare mild day and sunshine. Groups of friends had snowball fights, couples strolled along by the frozen lake. First years tapping on the ice at the sleeping giant squid beneath the frozen water, a couple of brave fourth years were ice skating on the frozen lake. Everywhere there was laughter and shrieks of happiness, but in among the joyful banter and fun, a lone figure sat on a boulder, watching as a group of six played in the snow.

Pansy Parkinson felt tears gather in her eyes again as she watched Draco and Hermione play together in the snow. The couple were having a snowball fight with Theo and Lavender and Blaise and Ginny who had become an official couple the day after the party. Pansy watched broken hearted as Draco chased Hermione through the snow, a smile on his face and laughter escaping his lips as the blonde tackled his laughing girlfriend into the snow, repaying her for the snowball that she had managed to shove down his back. Lavender and Ginny were making snow angels, while their respective boyfriends threw snow at each other. Pansy's tears fell as she watched Draco kiss Hermione before he rose to his feet and helped her up, tenderly brushing the snow off her robes and out of her hair.

"It's hard isn't it?" a male voice asked softly from just behind her. Pansy swiveled in surprise, not having heard the person approach her solitary boulder. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw that it was Ron Weasley who had spoken to her, she was about to snap a biting remark when she noticed the look on his face as he watched the six of them playing.

"What's hard?" she asked, remembering his question as she surreptitiously wiped the tears from her face. Ron noticed but didn't comment, instead he replied to her question.

"Watching the person you have feelings for, being happy with someone else" he clarified. Pansy sniffed as she nodded.

"Yes, and it hurts" she responded. Ron nodded his own head in understanding before taking a seat beside her on the boulder.

"So why do you torture yourself by watching them?" he asked once he was settled. Pansy sighed.

"Because I keep hoping that he will change his mind and want me instead of her" she finally replied. Ron nodded.

"I can understand that" he responded.

"Why do you?" Pansy asked suddenly. Ron turned towards her with a raised eyebrow.

"Why do I what?" he asked,

"Why do you watch them? Are you hoping for the same thing I am?" she explained. Ron shook his head.

"No, I may not be the smartest bloke, but I do know that if she hasn't shown any sign of wanting to be with me before now, then she isn't going to while she is with him" he answered quietly.

"Then why do you watch them?" Pansy asked again perplexed.

"I like seeing her happy" Ron answered with a shrug "Even if it's not with me" he added softly. Pansy was silent as the two of them watched the couple. Hermione had just sprung onto Draco's back, the laughing blonde had caught her legs behind her knees and bent over to steady himself as the brunette kissed his neck, holding a camera as she took a picture of the two of them. The happiness on their faces was a sight to behold as she took a couple more pictures, one with them both smiling at the camera and one with Draco twisting his head to place a kiss on her cheek. Then when the other four started teasing them, Hermione shrunk her camera, put it in her pocket, then took her wand and sent a flurry of snowballs towards the other two couples who ducked out of the way. Draco took off with his girlfriend on his back, the two of them laughing madly. Ginny was quick to leap onto Blaise's back and sent him after the laughing duo, her own wand sending a shower of snowballs towards them. Draco and Hermione dodged the attack, as Lavender, with Theo's urging, pounced onto his back and took off after the other four. What followed was a piggyback snowball fight that had them dropping to the ground exhausted.