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TEN MISTLETOE AND HOLLY
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HOLLY ALMOST MAKES IT out of her dorm room before Pansy gets a hold of her, firmly wrapping her hand around Holly's wrist. Holly turns around, mentally preparing herself to defend her side. She likes to think she has a damned good reason for being pissed off — and she likes to think she can argue, she spent all of yesterday in the Wizengamot listening to professional arguers speak.
"Holly, I'm sorry—"
"Are you?" says Holly.
Pansy frowns. "I really am," she tells her, and Holly nods, but she isn't convinced. Something feels off. "Look, I've really missed you, and something happened with Flo, and—"
"I don't believe you," says Holly.
"You don't believe me?" says Pansy, her eyes widening.
Holly shakes her head. "I don't think you know why I'm angry with you," she replies. Pansy looks confused, and Holly shrugs. "This whole thing with Suze — I get it, it's not that big of a deal. But the reason you told Flo about her wasn't because you trusted her — which is why I told you, and why I told Harry — but because you didn't want someone to think you were crazy for talking to seemingly nothing. You told someone my secret because you wanted to save your own skin — and again, OK, whatever, it's not the biggest secret, but you know what is?"
Pansy doesn't respond, waiting for Holly to answer.
"Who my dad is," says Holly. She snatches her wrist away from Pansy, and she begins to pace up and down their dorm room, grateful that the other girls are still in the common room. "You've seen the way the world's changing. Soon, that secret could kill me — it could kill my dad. And—And I can't have that... I love you, Pansy, but I can't risk my dad for you—"
"I bet you'd say otherwise for Potter, though," says Pansy.
Holly feels her heart jolt, like Pansy physically shoved a knife into her chest. She stops pacing, and she turns to her, trying her hardest not to shout.
"That's different," says Holly.
"Is it?" says Pansy.
"He's the one that's going to stop Voldemort," says Holly, her hands shaking with anger. "I don't see you making any contribution."
And, with that, Holly turns on her heel and leaves the dorm room before Pansy can say anything else. The door closes behind her.
She can feel her hands shaking still as she leaves the dungeons, trying to calm herself down. This was supposed to be a nice evening, where Holly could spend time with her boyfriend, poke fun at the Slug Club, and eat fancy Christmas food. Her dad used to have Christmas parties at the clinic he worked at, and since they were open to every employee's family, Holly always got to join him and Eugene. And she and Eugene would try all the posh food from the expensive caterers whilst her dad talked about plastic surgery stuff, stuffing themselves silly with a strange rendition of pigs in blankets, or mince pies.
