Too Much?

22

Third Saturday of March, the Hufflepuff-Gryffindor match is up in the Hogwart's Quidditch pitch. Pansy left the common room with Daphne to accompany her in the hospital wing before she proceeds to watch the match. "I tried asking Blaise to come," she said as they walk in the corridors. "But Ulysses would not just let him. That prat insists him to watch the match from beginning to end in order to observe how the Puffs play."

"I understand," replied Daphne, smiling. "Ulysses is so hard when he's in the Quidditch Captain mode. Besides, I am more surprised that you agreed to visit my sister."

Pansy gave a humorless laugh. "Well, I realized I'm pretty enough to be the only girl in Draco's life."

They entered the hospital wing quietly and saw that Astoria is sleeping. Madam Pompfrey is stirring something in a cup beside her bed when they approached. Daphne smiled at her as a greeting but Pansy found it hard to do the same.

They stayed there for minutes that felt like hours to Pansy. She feels guilty for not being able to tell her about Draco's conflict, for she's the only friend of his who doesn't know. But whenever she heard Daphne sound worried about her sister, she was able to convince herself that she's doing the right thing.

Daphne chose to stay in the hospital with Astoria so she left the hospital wing alone to proceed to the Quidditch pitch. She was heading to the giant oak doors when Anthony Goldstein jumped in front of her, causing her to give a wild start.

"BLOODY MERLIN!"

"Hello, Parkinson," said Anthony, panting. "I'm sorry."

"No."

Pansy pivoted in her place and started walking away. To where she is going, she doesn't know, and she doesn't care. Anywhere is better without Anthony Goldstein.

But she was suddenly stopped dead in her tracks when silver threads began coiling around her tightly from shoulders to her knees and she was nearly knocked over if she did not fought to retain her balance. "What the-"

"Nice balance."

"Let me go, you son of a-"

"Tut tut, watch your language, Parkinson," said Anthony as he strided towards her side. "I said, 'I'm sorry.'"

"And I said 'no!' Now, let me go!"

"Then I shall say 'no,' too." Anthony pointed his wand at her, with a smile she would gladly wack off with hers. "Locomotor, Pansy."

Pansy Parkinson shrieked loudly when she suddenly hovered with her face inches above the floor. Then she felt herself floating forward, shadowed by Anthony Goldstein in her side. She twisted her neck to look at him, some of her hair still covering her face as she did so. "How-dare-you! Put me down! This is witch-napping! Let me go, I'm gonna scream!"

"You're already screaming, Parkinson," said Anthony with a chuckle as he casually strided along the corridors with his wand still pointed to her. "Besides, who would hear you? All of the staff and the students are outside watching the match-even the ghosts are there."

Pansy blew some of her hair away from her face. "Then why are you here?"

"As a matter-of-fact, I was outside, waiting for you," replied Anthony, still smiling. "And it took you so long to come out-I'm freezing down there. It was a blessing in disguise though, I was able to catch you alone-ah, here we are!"

Pansy faced the front and struggled to raise her head to see where they stopped. They're in front of a plain wooden door and a bronze eagle knocker. Pansy has never been in this place, but judging by the looks of the situation, she assumed that he brought her to the Ravenclaw tower.