| Puffskein
Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Canada
Posts: 1,335
Sixth Year |  Behind Her Mask Sa16 + || Ron Weasley & Pansy Parkinson || If You Just Realize Sa13+
CHAPTER FOUR: UNDERSTANDING
For the whole week, Pansy managed to avoid everyone and their confrontations, especially Harry Ron and Hermione‘s. She undoubtedly was questioning their actions and wondered how the three people she had been taught to hate while growing up were all of the sudden shielding her. It was true that she never did get to know them, and never planned on it, and she was realizing she knew nothing about them. She lingered on the thought that the Malfoy’s and her parents were wrong about Harry and anyone who associated with him. She had never asked herself this before, but she did now as she was starting to see the Order, and her old enemies through new light. She couldn’t explain to herself what she was feeling, particularity towards him. He was acting the strangest of them all. Every morning she would avoid breakfast and pretty much every meal they were eating. She would let herself into the kitchen way later in the day to quickly snack while the others were occupied. She’d hide out in her room while the Order were off searching and investigating.
Later that week, she made it to the kitchen after everyone had eaten breakfast, unseen and stared out the window. She grabbed an apple, having not eaten much since the arrival of her eccentric unwanted guests. She looked up to the sky, and started to sing lightly.
As if on cue, Harry Hermione and Ron entered the kitchen. She stopped singing.
“They’ve got you stalking me?” She laughed to herself. She looked over the hills to the only other visible house. Harry approached her, looking where she was looking, “Is that Malfoy’s?” He asked.
“Yeah.” She nodded. “They’ve got him as well.” She shook her head, “Good. Stupid bloke.”
It was true that everything changed between Pansy and Draco during the past year at school. They outgrew eachother. Draco had become more involed with the Dark Lord and his father. Pansy and her parents tried to evade them as much as possible.
Hermione laughed, “I never thought I’d hear you say that.”
Pansy turned around and looked at her, sort of smiling. “He deserves it.”
Ron was looking at her but she avoided his eyes, still not knowing what it was she felt for him.
“We..” Hermione said, looking down, “We know about your parents.” They all surrounded her.
She looked at Hermione, feeling anxious.
“We’re really sorry.” Harry told her.
Pansy finally built up courage and glanced at Ron, who was being silent. He was watching her, standing so casually, as if nothing happened between them. She wanted to roll her eyes and thought he was acting like the typical male. But maybe not talking to him was a better idea.
“They’ve got a great plan, the order..” Hermione said.
“They are blind. They can’t see what is going to happen.” Pansy said, turning back to the window and noticing storm clouds taking over.
Ron took a few steps and stood beside her. He was about to say something, or touch her shoulder, or.. Anything. He wanted to do so much, but Lupin broke his concentration.
“Pansy, can I see you for a minute?” He asked, standing in the door way, hands in his pockets.
Pansy looked at Ron, whose smile had faded because Lupin barged in. She walked past him and approached Lupin.
“We’re going out. We think we might know where Voldemort is hiding his victims. We need you to.. Entertain everyone. There must be something to do around here. None of you will be able to leave the house.” He told her, plainly. She nodded, regretting not running away sooner. He shot her a caring gaze and left the room. Lupin was a great wizard, and Pansy held respect for him ever since she met him at Hogwarts.
Pansy took a deep breath.
“C’mon..” She muttered to Harry Ron and Hermione, who were obviously listening to what Lupin had told her. They followed her down another hall in the gigantic house they never ventured down before. Lupin left the house, broomsticks in hand, with everybody except Mrs. Weasley and the kids. They were well protected by charms.
Mrs. Weasley and everyone else started to follow Pansy as well. She led them through the house, and opened a glass door. Inside was a grand pool with two hot tubs. There was a waterfall, flowing into the pool and it looked as if it was coming from nowhere, magically standing on its own. Everyone entered, amazed.
“How do you live like this?” Ginny asked.
Pansy shrugged, “You get used to it. There’s suits and towels in the change rooms.” She told them and everyone took off without words.
“This is perfect, Pansy.” Said Mrs. Weasley, beaming at the room as well. She went and sat down dipping her feet in the hot tub.
Ron watched everyone leave. Finally, he had a moment with Pansy. She turned to find him staring at her. She put her hands in her back pockets.
“What?” She said, noticing his grin. He wasn’t gawking at the room like everybody else. His eyes were locked on her.
“You’re really great, you know.” He said.
He was doing it again. His mood swings were making Pansy’s head spin. He was back to the man she didn’t know.
“I’m.. great?” She questioned and laughed.
“I mean you’re..” Come on Ron, beautiful, amazing, incredible.. All these things he wanted to tell her but they wouldn’t come out.
She waited for him to finish.
“Aren’t you going in?” He changed subjects, sighing.
“Oh.” Pansy looked at the pool, “No..” She tried to make everybody else happy, forgetting about herself. She felt exhausted with worry and stress, she didn’t feel like there was any time set aside for her. But he made her feel different.
“Come on.” He flashed her a brilliant smile. “Relax a bit.” He walked past her, nudging her shoulder with his arm. He disappeared into the boys change room after Fred and George.
She shook her head, wondering what he was up to. She went into the girls change room and put on a red string bikini.
“Pansy, these are all designer..” Ginny said in awe, wearing a blue tankini. She was staring at the shelves of unworn swim suits with designer labels.
“Yeah, so?” She forced out a laugh, knowing the family Ginny came from.
“This is so cool!” She commented and left with Hermione, who opted for a black one piece.
Pansy studied herself in the mirror, noticing her bruises were now faded and she looked pale and stressed. She sighed, moving away from the mirror and put her hair in two braids. She left the room. Everyone else was already splashing around in the pool. Fred nudged George who looked at Pansy, wide mouthed. Ron noticed them and turned around in the water to stare at her too. .
“Oh, boys!” Ginny said, splashing them with water. Her and Hermione were swimming around the waterfall, amazed. Ron made his way over to the stairs that led into the water, where Pansy was getting in. As he started towards the stairs, he was getting into shallower water.
Pansy noticed him more as well. His hair was wet and he looked playful. She had no idea that under the loose fitting Hogwarts uniform was a well built man. She couldn’t help but stare for a moment. She blushed as Ron caught her staring and he let out a huff of laughter.
“There you go.” He said, happy at the fact she was closer to relaxing. He watched her get into the water. He leaned down, emerging his body in the water, following her as she went deeper.
“Why are you acting like this?” She finally asked him, reaching the middle of the pool. The water reached above her ribs. She body felt soothed, except for the fact she confronted him.
“Acting like what?” He played around.
“So..” She stopped to think. “Un-Gryffindor-ish.” She laughed at her made up word.
Ron stood, the water now floating just under his chest. He looked her in the eyes, longing for her. His feelings were now evident to him. He cared about Pansy. The feeling that was growing in him was love. And the more he was around her, the more it grew.
“Like I said..” He approached her, getting close.
Harry nudged Hermione and they both looked at Ron. They exchanged grins.
Ron brought his hand up out of the water and placed it fondly on Pansy’s face.
“I want to protect you from everyone and everything that gets in your way.”
Ron didn’t care that the pool was filled with other people, or that his mother was on the other side of the room probably watching him. All he could see was Pansy. She was all that mattered to him.
Her eyes fluttered as she sighed. Wow.. She thought to herself. She had never heard such amazing words being said to her before. He said them in such a way that she could hear music in her head. Her whole body started to feel warm and fuzzy inside.
Fred and George snuck up behind Ron and without warning, pulled him down under the water, breaking the moment. Pansy laughed as Ron came back up, looking angry and started chasing his brothers around the pool.
Pansy got up and joined Mrs. Weasley in the hot tub.
“I hope everything is going okay..” She said to Molly, looking out the windows to the sky, concerned about the order.
Molly was beaming at her, “Don’t fret dear.” She told her, “The members of the Order are strong. They can face anything.”
“.. I’m so afraid.” She admitted to her, “I don’t want anybody getting hurt because of me.”
“This is not because of you, Pansy. You need to listen to us when we tell you nothing is your fault. If you can’t believe us..” She said and looked at Ron, “Believe him.”
Pansy looked at Ron who was still fighting off Fred. She smiled.
“He’s taken by you, Pansy.”
Pansy looked at her, feeling awkward. “I don’t think so. He’s probably just being nice.”
“I know my own son.” She said. “And why wouldn’t he be? You are smart and beautiful.. You have a good heart.” She then left the hot tub.
Pansy remained in it, looking at Ron, watching him. Mrs. Weasley’s words didn’t leave her mind. She felt as if she could see through Pansy to her deepest darkest inside and know everything about her, her fears and her dreams. Pansy felt that Mrs. Weasley could tell Pansy what she was feeling, even if she didn’t understand it herself.
Hermione and Ginny had gotten out of the pool and were headed for the sauna room they had just noticed. It was glass as well, but it was opaque to anybody on the outside. Nobody could see past the steam until they were inside. Pansy got out and joined them. The room was fair sized, and could probably fit twenty people. There were three different levels of wooden benches all around it, different heights. The steam appeared to be coming out of nowhere, by magic. She shut the door behind her, “Look, guys.” She climbed onto the top bench in the sauna opposite of them, feeling the heat hit her body. “I owe you an apology. Especially you, Hermione. For the way that I… And Draco have been acting.”
“Pansy, thank you.” Hermione said, accepting.
They flashed smiles at each other.
“So, what’s the deal between you and.. Harry,” Pansy asked, finding it difficult to say Harry instead of Potter. Hermione’s head bowed, she hid a smile.
“We’re.. friends.” She said and Ginny laughed, “Don’t pull that! I saw you snogging two days ago!”
Pansy’s eyes widened as Hermione laughed, not admitting to anything.
“Oh yeah, well, it looks like Ron’s got a thing for you, Pansy.” Hermione said, changing the focus to her, still giggling.
Pansy stopped. She thought about Ron. She felt her face blush and she was still unsure why.
“Yeah, it’s crazy.” Ginny said, leaning back. “I've never seen him act that way.”
The door opened, making them all jump. Ron and Harry walked in casually.
“Who act what way?” Ron questioned their conversation. Hermione and Ginny laughed, looking at each other. Pansy kept quiet, giving them warning glares, teasingly.
“I hate these things.” Harry said, taking off his glasses, which were now all foggy. “How can you breathe?”
Hermione got up to leave, “Yeah. I think I’m done in here.” She approached Harry. Pansy swore she saw Harry's arm go around her waist for a moment. Hermione then laughed at something Harry had whispered to her.
"Yeah.. It‘s really heating up in here.” Ginny said, snickering. She meant that as an innuendo towards Pansy and Ron, not just the temperature in the room. Her and Hermione laughed on the way out, leaving Pansy with Ron alone in the room.
“They’re crazy.” Pansy said, laying down on the top bench she was sitting on. Ron walked over to her and sat on the bench just below her, putting his arm on the bench she was on. She turned her head towards him, getting a strange feeling in her stomach again from being so close to him.
They seemed to stare at one another for hours, even though it was literally seconds before Ron spoke, “Can I tell you something?” He asked, looking at her and listening to the sizzling sound the water made dripping off his body onto the floor of the sauna. Her heart beat faster, looking into his eyes and she noticed the smile spreading across his face. She nodded, nervously.
“You are so…” His hand reached over her and he moved a strand of her hair away from her face, “Beautiful.”
She watched him speak, her head feeling dizzy. This was unreal. It was so unlike him.
“Ron..” She whispered in a sigh. The way he spoke to her made her believe every word coming out of his mouth. The way he stared at her made her feel like he was peering into her soul, trying to understand everything about her.
He leaned towards her, his lips closing in on hers. She breathed lightly and felt his face nearing in. Without resisting or struggle, she closed her eyes as he pressed his lips against hers. He lingered on her lips for a long moment and then backed away slowly, meaning every notion. Neither of them breathed. She opened her eyes to find him opening his. Both of their hearts were pounding. There was no describing what Pansy felt in that moment, other than pure bliss. In that moment she understood. She understood her feelings for him, and the whole messed up world seemed to make complete sense.
There was a loud knock on the sauna door and Fred poked his head in, “Oi! Better get out here now!” He said, with emphasis and worry. Ron and Pansy fumbled, slowly standing and getting up and out of the sauna.
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