Pathos | A Pansy Parkinson Fanfiction

n i n e t e e n

As she wandered through the castle, Maeve found herself ending up at the place she always did - the Black Lake. For reasons unknown - no matter the time of day, it always succeeded in calming her down. 

As upset as Pansy was, she was thankful the blonde git hadn't outed Elizabeth as well. Or maybe that was just because he'd blacked out before he could. Either way, she wouldn't have wanted anyone else to be in her place - not even Draco himself. 

She sighed, lying down on the grass. The fall had made it slightly sharp and tickly to sit on. Her eyes widened as she looked over at a figure looming above her. 

She up straight at once. 

"Pansy?" 

"Hi." the Slytherin offered a small smile, "Mind if I join you?"

Maeve turned back to the lake with a shrug. 

"I'll take that as a yes." Pansy mumbled and Maeve felt the grass next to her shift.

"That was a complete dick move by the way - what Draco did." Pansy sighed after they spent about five minutes in silence.

"I should've seen it coming." was all Maeve responded with before she took a deep breath and turned to face the short-haired girl. "Why are you here, Pansy?" 

The girl bit her lip, before looking down. "I tried to find you after you left and Theo told me you'd left him. I figured this is where you might be."

"That doesn't answer my question." Maeve replied monotonously. 

"I... I wanted to say sorry." Pansy answered confidently, looking into her eyes. "I didn't know what I was feeling. I still don't know what I was feeling. What I do know though, is that I handled it in pretty much the worst way possible."

"Yeah, you did." 

Pansy nodded, expecting the Hufflepuff to ease the situation. "Anyway, I realized that I pushed away one of the closest friends I've ever had. And I miss you, Prissy. I know I said it already, but I really am, sorry. You have no idea how much." 

Maeve looked at her and quirked a brow. "This isn't out of pity after what happened tonight, is it? Or do you mean it?" 

"I mean it. I really do." Pansy protested. "And I don't know if you're comfortable with it, but Daph, Blaise and Theo managed to catch on that we weren't hanging out as often before the summer and I ended up telling them what happened after the Yule Ball. We all decided I should apologize." 

Maeve blinked, a faint smile making it's way onto her lips. "I told Theodore tonight too. And I was going to tell Blaise and Daph tomorrow but looks like I don't need to. So I guess, thanks... in a way." 

Pansy laughed. "I'm here trying to apologize for a major fuck up and you're thanking me. Of course." she giggled, digging her face into her knees as her shoulders shook with laughter. 

Maeve looked at her, appalled, before she gave in and joined the fit. 

"Well at least I have one less thing to worry about." Maeve grinned once the laughing had subsided. 

"My pleasure, Prissy." Pansy smiled, and Maeve noticed the familiar gleam show up in the girl's eyes once more. "Also... Theodore said something about Ilvermorny just now..."

"Right. That." Maeve nodded, looking ahead. "Headmaster Dumbledore offered to send me to Ilvermorny for a year... just to get some time away from Cedric and Hogwarts." she sucked in a deep breath. "He said that if I liked the place, I could finish my education in America." 

"But you said no?" Pansy asked; her face expressionless.

"Yeah." Maeve nodded. 

"Why?"