Pansy smiled and waved to Hermione and Ginny who sat a few lanes over from her. She wished she had been put in their group as hers was an odd mix. She'd somehow found herself on a team with Fleur and Bill Weasley and Draco. They played against Parvati, Theo, Lavender and Seamus. When she saw Ginny get up to take her turn, Pansy turned back to her own group and caught the end of Draco and Lavender's conversation.
"Her parents are dentists with their own practice, Malfoy," Lavender said as she tossed her hair irritably out of her way. "They can afford to pay for the cars!"
"I didn't mean..." he began only to be cut off by the irate woman.
"I know what you meant! You thought because she is muggleborn that she must also be poor. Well, let me tell you..."
"Hey! I just wondered how much it all must have cost is all!" he defended himself. "I wasn't attacking her or her family!"
"Yeah, right!" Lavender sniffed. She'd never been very close to Hermione, but the war had changed her just as it had everyone else. She didn't feel they would ever be true friends, but her loyalty was to her fellow Gryffindor and one of the three to save their world.
Pansy sighed as she stepped between them, "Draco, it's your turn." When he huffed and stepped up to bowl, she turned to Lavender and said softly, "Give him a break, will you?"
"Why should I?" Lavender persisted in a whisper. "It's not like he ever gave Hermione one! And, now what? We're all supposed to just forgive and forget? I don't think so! I know those guys think he's changed, fallen for his 'I'm so sorry' act, but I'm not buying it! He will show his true colors sooner or later, and I will be there to catch him!" With that she flounced off to the other side of the lane and plopped down heavily next to Seamus.
Pansy sighed and closed her eyes for a moment to rein in her anger. She reminded herself of Hermione's words a few weeks back. People will come around or they won't. You can't control that. With another heavy sigh, Pansy opened her eyes once more and found herself looking at Bill Weasley. He gave her a puzzled smile and she felt her cheeks go warm. Even with his scars, he was a handsome, roguish man. It didn't help that he reminded her quite a bit of Ron. When Pansy felt her neck starting to flush as well, she quickly turned away and took her seat once more.
Moments later Draco sat next to her and crossed his arms. She saw the lingering anger on his face and reached out to put her hand on his knee. "Don't let her get to you."
He snorted, "As if!" Then, one hand tunneled through his hair and he added, "I wasn't surprised by them having money, dammit! I was just shocked they would spend so much on one day, what with the party, the cars, the dinner and all."
"It's her birthday. Of course they would," Pansy said. "Ours would do the same."
"I guess," Draco conceded. Then sighed, "But, not for the same reasons."
Pansy looked at him and saw he was staring over at Hermione as she concentrated on her shot. Hermione took three steps and wiggled a little when she bowled and Pansy was amused to see Draco tilt his head for a better look.
"What do you mean?" she asked, pulling his attention back to her.
"Huh? Oh, um, well, they're doing it just for her, is all. I mean, they're tossing their money about just to make her happy. Ours would be tossing it about to make sure others knew how much they had."
Pansy nodded at his insight and looked around once more to find Ron. "True, but throwing money around doesn't mean you love someone. Look at the Weasleys."
"I try not to," Draco quipped. But, when she narrowed her dark blue eyes at him, he added, "Kidding, Pans."
"Uh huh," she said with a raised eyebrow, before she turned back to watch Ron bowl. Then she said softly, "I never knew you could physically feel love, Draco. Like a warm wind crossing your skin, you know? But, I feel it when I watch Hermione and her parents. I feel it when any of the Weasleys talk about or to each other. Even when Gin and Ron get into one of their shouting matches, you still know they love each other."
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Struggling Through New Beginnings
FanfictionThis is a story of longing, desire, friendship, and ultimately, of love. Just not with the expected.