Without You.

Chapter12: Blood

Pansy Parkinson was not the kind of girl to lose her temper easily. Brought up in Pureblood, she knew how to keep a calm mask in all circumstances. She never panicked, shouted, cried only rarely. She knew how to handle any situation with an unbounded detachment.

Since she was a child, she had been brought up to be a perfect housewife, a model wife who would royally lead her next home, commanding house elves, organizing balls and receptions. An iron hand in a velvet glove.

Her father had repeated Parkinson's principles about a hundred times, making sure they remained rooted in her until she died. Her mother had never really loved her, she was cold with her, showing him how high-ranking ladies should stand.

And she had held. Without shedding a tear, without feeling sorry for himself. As a reward she had integrated Slytherin with all her friends, whom she had known since wearing diapers. It had been the best day of his life.

The second best day was when she went out with Theo. Although her father had already found the "ideal husband", she had ignored all protests and had found Theo who had made his home with Blaise, since his family was neutral. They had all refused the mark. Three days later, his father and mother were found dead.

Strangely, it had not managed to disturb her too much. She had concealed the news as she would have done if it had been announced that her owl had passed away. She had not flinched, had not shed tears.

Do not be weak.

The sound of his footsteps echoed in the empty corridors at this hour. Everyone had to be in the big hall, eating their fill, discussing the day that had just unfolded. She herself was eager to find her comrades.

Little already, she did not like being alone, it reminded him perhaps too much every hour she was locked alone in his room. Since her first year at Hogwarts she always made sure she had someone with her.

And then, she wanted to see Harry. It was strange to say that the Gryffindor had missed him that day. Since he was not part of the greens and silver he could not be with them all the time, but Pansy had become accustomed to seeing him accompany them ever since Draco was dating him. Secretly, she really liked Harry. However, she would deny until her death to have thought that.

With a shuffle, she turned left while humming a music of Bizarr 'Sisters. What she loved above all else was the bouncy belly of the Boy-Who-Had-Still-Survived. To think that a little baby was growing inside of him was a strange pleasure. For the past few months, she had been able to see Harry's dazzling smile, and it must have been the fact that made her happy.

Like everyone else, she did not know what had happened at the beginning of the year. Overnight Harry had found himself eating on their table when they were supposed to hate him, Draco had started to worry about him while Draco was not worried about anyone. But when Pansy looked in the green eyes she always realized that, finally, she did not want to know. They were so haunted, so dull. So sad. Never before had she seen anyone so sad, although now he seemed to be getting better. Much better.

And as Harry's happiness went hand in hand with Draco's happiness, she could more easily see the smiles light up his friend's cold face.

Now that the war was over, all the Slytherins seemed to be happy. Draco with Harry and Professor Snape, Blaise thanks to his precious Loufoca and herself with Theo. Everything was going well in the best of all worlds.

Except ... except perhaps for Goyle. Since Crabbe was languishing in Azkaban, the Slytherin was only a shadow of himself. He no longer spoke, did not laugh anymore. He stayed there, with them or alone in his room, appearing in his thoughts at any time of the day. Losing weight quickly, no longer feeding. It was weird to see him that way.