Struggling Through New Beginnings

Chapter 33

Pansy watched Draco and Hermione from her seat next to Luna. She saw Draco turn and say something to Hermione that made her blush, and Pansy grinned widely.

"Well, would you look at that!" Ginny laughed. "After all this time, all it took was a muggle children's game to get them to spend time together."

Pansy laughed, "I can't wait to hear Hermione's reaction to this."

"She'll be inwardly crazed, but will try to appear as if she's not freaking out about it," Luna predicted. "We all saw her face in Charms. She's at a loss."

"I know," Ginny agreed. "It must be so weird for her."

"What do you mean?" Pansy asked as she reached for a piece of chicken.

Luna forked up some peas, "She's used to being in control and knowing everything. She's completely out of her element with men, though. Like being a nargle expert in a room full of wrackspurts, I expect."

"What's a nargle?" a young Slytherin girl asked from beside Ginny.

Ginny laughed, "Oh, uh, just a small creature, nothing to worry about. So, tell me about yourselves."

Each of the students at their table took turns introducing themselves, but Pansy tuned them out as she saw Ron's table. She looked at each of the people and saw a pretty blonde fourth year she recognized as a Ravenclaw quidditch player, a pair of dainty and dark-haired twins from Hufflepuff. Then, to her horror, Lavender Brown and Padma Patil. Realization brought on despair.

"They're all girls!"

"Who's all girls?" Ginny asked in confusion.

"His whole table!" Pansy answered indignantly.

Knowing Pansy's fixation on Ron, both Ginny and Luna looked around quickly trying to locate Ron's table.

"Ugh! Lavender?" Ginny exclaimed.

"The twins are very pretty," Luna added.

"Thank you, Luna. I hadn't noticed!" Pansy snapped.

Luna smiled benignly, "You're welcome."

Ginny rolled her eyes and stretched to look at the rest of the people at Ron's table. "Well, at least the rest are children."

Luna took up a bit of her potatoes before she added, "If it helps Cindy and Sandy are both gay and Ron really can't stand Marietta. She always scores on him and rubs it in. Not to mention she betrayed the DA back in fifth year."

Pansy turned to Luna with hope in her eyes, "And, the blonde?"

Luna shrugged, "No idea."

Ginny reached out and patted Pansy's hand, "She can't hold a candle to you, Pans."

"Thanks," Pansy mumbled, her eyes trained on Ron.

A third year Hufflepuff at their table interrupted to ask Ginny a question about gaining and losing house points and Luna had started to hum to herself. Pansy sighed and pushed her food around her plate dejectedly.

A few moments later Luna leaned over and said softly, "Actually, I don't think you have anything to worry about. He's too busy watching Draco and Hermione's every move to pay any attention to the pretty, little blonde."

Pansy turned to see that Luna was right and smiled when she noted the sheepish look on Hermione's face and the pleased look on Draco's. Then, as if attached by magnets, her eyes were pulled back to Ron and she sighed heavily.

xxxxx

"So, when are you going to stop staring daggers at your last ex and focus on your first?" Lavender purred beside Ron.