ℒℯ𝓈𝓈ℴ𝓃 ℴ𝒻 ℒ𝒾𝒻ℯ 𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑠ℎ

❀ 𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉ℯ𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓇𝓉ℯℯ𝓃 ❀

❤︎𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓪𝓼𝓴𝓼 𝓯𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓹, 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓾𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻? 𝓯𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓹 𝓪𝓷𝓼𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮, 𝓲'𝓵𝓵 𝓭𝓻𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓼 𝔂𝓸𝓾'𝓿𝓮 𝓬𝓪𝓾𝓼𝓮𝓭❤︎

As I stepped out into the dimly lit corridor, my path was intercepted by the graceful presence of Pansy, her delicate fingers catching my arm in a fleeting embrace to avert my stumble. "I offer my gratitude and extend my sincerest apologies," I murmured, a veil of melancholy coloring my voice.

"Are you unscathed? Your tear-stained face betrays you, and you emerge from the chambers of Snape," Pansy inquired, her eyes sharpening with perceptive curiosity.

A torrent of panic swelled within me as I sought an adequate pretense, yet my mind, a barren wasteland, failed to produce a fitting fiction.

"Ah, indeed, a cauldron of spanked wolf potion met an explosive fate within our classroom. Alas, Snape became the unintended recipient of its wrath," I improvised, hoping to deflect her scrutiny.

Pansy regarded me with a gaze laden with incredulity, as though witnessing an apparition materialize before her eyes.

"And you, with audacity bordering on insanity, ventured forth to witness the aftermath? This is Professor Snape, renowned for his lack of amiability, particularly towards Gryffindors. Even a Slytherin would scarce contemplate engaging him in discourse whilst under the influence of a potent Wolfsbane Potion."

Shrugging nonchalantly, I averted my gaze down the corridor, avoiding the penetrating scrutiny of the Slytherin.

"Pray tell, what plagues you further? I sense a lingering disquiet," she probed, her intuition piercing through my fragile facade.

Blast! The art of dissimulation had never been my forte, and in this agitated state, Occlumency offered scant refuge, especially with Pansy, whose intimate understanding rivaled even that of Draco. Desperation clawed at my being as I strove to banish thoughts of those black eyes, those pursed lips that had tantalizingly hovered within an inch of mine. Emotions surged within me, a tempest threatening to engulf reason itself. Uncertainty gnawed at my core, leaving me adrift in a sea of conflicting desires.

"Pray, refrain from weeping," Pansy entreated, her voice a soothing balm, as she enfolded me within her compassionate embrace, allowing me to surrender to the deluge of my emotions.

In that desolate corridor far away from Snape's sanctum, I wept unabated, the tears flowing freely, releasing the weight of despair that burdened my soul. Oh, how cathartic it felt, to relinquish control and be consumed by the tempest of my sorrow. Minutes passed, the world still, as I surrendered to the solace of tears.

Gradually, I disentangled myself from Pansy's tender embrace, offering a fragile smile, my gratitude for her steadfast presence evident in my teary gaze.

"You possess my eternal gratitude, for you are a confidante without peer," I whispered.

"Confide in me, for there is naught that shall erode the foundation of our bond," Pansy assured, her gaze unwavering, a testament to the unwavering loyalty that defined her house.

"Consider the qualities we Slytherins prize, and know that no revelation, however dire, shall compel me to forsake you. Indeed, you hold no reason to forgive the deeds of my kin, of Draco, of my parents, and yet, you extend your hand in acceptance. How, then, can I condemn you for any truth you share? Your burdens find solace within my heart, as do the shadows that weigh upon you."