The Royals

Chapter 14: Let Me Save You

Walks by me every day

Her and love are the same

The woman that's stolen my heart

And beauty is her name

I'm hoping I can make you mine

'For another man steals your heart

And once this beauty is mine

I swear we will never be apart

-Dru Hill Beauty

For the next couple of weeks things were rather tense.

By the next morning everybody had heard about the fight and how poor sweet innocent Susan Bones was brutally ganged up on by an impulsive Gryffindor and an evil Slytherin. No one mentioned the fact that both Pansy and Ginny had been antagonized by Susan herself, and how it was she who started the whole fight by smacking Pansy first. The only people that believed the truth was Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall, which is why Pansy remained Head Girl.

I broke things off with Sue after I found out that she was starting to spread rumors about both Pansy and Ginny. I couldn't very well stay in a relationship where my friends that stood by me were being torn down by a girl who fawned over me as if I was a piece of meat.

In breaking up with her, the rumors about Pansy got worse. There was a rumor that I was imperiused by her and ordered to break up with Sue, that Pansy paid me a thousand galleons to leave, and my personal favorite, I had gotten Pansy pregnant and I told Susan it was better for my relationship with my kid to not be with her.

Eventually the rumors died down but one thing that didn't was Dean and Pansy's relationship. That was still going on strong, much to my disliking.

I had started to feel a change in the friendship of Dean and I. He used to be a very kind bloke to me, but now he would snap at me at times, challenge me and my authority in Quidditch, and he would always glare at me whenever I was too close to Pansy for his liking. The days were starting to be a bit stressful.

The nights however, usually were mine.

Due to the fact that Pansy and I did indeed live together, l was always the last person she would interact with before she would go to sleep. And while I knew I shouldn't have taken advantage of that fact, I couldn't help it.

Ever since that night that we talked and kissed, Pansy had opened up to me more about her woes when it came to her family. Especially her mum. Her mum had always taught her to act as if the world was beneath her, something that she had ceased doing in order to be the person she wanted to be. She would tell me about how both she and Malfoy hated what their families were making them do.

And then she shown me the letter.

I was furious for her. Not only did she have to marry someone she had no feelings for whatsoever, she was being rushed because she just wanted to live her life the way she wanted to for a while. I found myself actually feeling sorry for Malfoy when it came to him and Ginny.

"There can't be anything done about it?" I asked.

Pansy sighed and let the letter fall to the floor. "I've tried to rip, tear, cut, burn, and hex this letter, and it comes out looking brand new every time. Just like that contract, it can't be destroyed. The only ones that can null and void it are mine and Draco's parents and the only one that wants to out of them is Mrs. Malfoy."

"Well she is his mother so since it's not a unanimous decision, can't it be overruled?" I asked thinking about situations in a muggle court. As if I even knew anything about that aside from the TV show Law And Order.

"It doesn't work that way, darling. I really wish it did." said Pansy.

"There has to be something. This can't be the final say. I'll ask Hermione to see what she can find."

"I don't want to waste anyone's time Harry."

"Oh no it wouldn't be a waste at all. Hermione loves things like this to research and prides herself in finding loopholes. This would be like a project for her." I said rubbing her shoulder.

Pansy managed a smile. "Thanks Harry. You're a great friend."

Friend. I hated that word sometimes.

"I try to be." I said feeling myself blush like a bloody git.

"Why Harry Potter, you have rosy cheeks." joked Pansy poking my left cheek, her touch causing me to do it even harder.

"They aren't rosy, they are flushed." I said laughing.

"Oh yes Harry. That certainly sounds manlier." said Pansy poking at my other cheek.

"Damn you woman stop it." I laughed grabbing her hand and holding onto it and squeezing it gently. She did the same back and then hesitated.

Pansy gave me an apologetic smile and moved her hand out of mine. "How do I tell Dean?" she asked.

Well there went that moment.

"Show him I guess." I said trying not to sound annoyed.

"I don't know Harry. What if he gets upset and doesn't want to date me anymore? What if he's like what's the point?"

I could have said many things. Like how Dean would probably very well do that. Or for her to just break up with him so that wouldn't happen.

"Dean isn't that kind of bloke." I said truthfully. "He would more than likely try to help find something too, and not just to have you."

It was weird feeling bad for telling the truth. Especially when I wanted to be with her.

I had really grown to love the girl in the short time we had lived together and gotten to know each other. I felt as if years were potentially wasted, that maybe we could have looked over the whole Gryffindor/Slytherin thing way before now.

But in the end, it was whatever made her happy that mattered to me the most. And if it was Dean, then I just had to deal with it.