CONSUMED!
Yeah, finally. In which Pansy has dinner with the Weasley fam. *grins* I can't even tell you how much fun I had writing this chapter.
Pansy supposed she ought to be grateful none of them were staring at her, but her capacity for gratitude diminished as she’d focused all her emotional energies among seething at Draco, being relieved that Ron was nowhere to be seen, and trying to determine how she would play this one off gracefully.
It shouldn’t have been too difficult to turn on the charm, as she was surrounded by people who were, in some way or another, completely beautiful.
But they all… looked… like Ron.
Except for Draco, Pansy thought, shooting him a saccharine smile tainted by the poisonous look in her eyes. He didn’t look like a Weasley.
“So, Miss Parkinson,” Arthur said, careful to keep his eyes on Pansy’s face. He didn’t want to give Molly any reason to be sore at him, and the young woman looked, to Arthur’s way of thinking, designed to be a bit troublesome. "What do you do?"
“You name it,” Draco muttered. The twins snickered, Bill slid back in his seat with a small smile on his face, Charlie reddened and cut his eyes to his mum, Percy groaned and ducked his head, and Ginny pinched the back of her husband’s hand nearly hard enough to draw blood.
Molly shot Draco a look cool enough to freeze lava, and Arthur, of course, was confused.
Pansy smiled at Arthur, surprised at how genuinely she felt toward him. He was a sweet man-a bit addled, she thought, but sweet-and he didn’t seem at all to judge. “I make certain your son-in-law does nothing stupid or illegal in regards to his business.” The smile turned to a crocodile grin as she looked across the table at Draco. “I think it’s sufficient to say I stay fairly busy.”
Molly passed a bowl of mashed potatoes to Pansy and watched appreciatively as the witch took a second helping. It helped Molly to warm a bit to the girl, but she didn’t care a whit for the appreciative way she was sizing Arthur-and every one of the boys-up.
And she’d be cursed if she didn’t think the girl was looking at her in the exact same way.
“And you’re single?” she asked, though she felt the answer was obvious.
“What?!” Draco shouted, glaring at his wife, who had just kicked him squarely in the shin. “I had nothing to say to that!”
“Only way to live,” Pansy said, taking a sip of water and winking over the rim of her glass.
Molly made a hmph noise in her throat, completely missing Bill returning the wink and raising his glass a bit in appreciation of his own bachelorhood.
But it was either Pansy’s imagination, or Bill was not quite as irresistible as she’d found him at Ginny’s wedding. Nor were the other men of the Weasley family.
Way to go, Ron, you bloody stupid prat, you’ve gone and ruined my taste for ginger.
“You’ve just not found the right man,” Molly concluded, smacking George’s hand as he reached for salt.
Pansy raised an eyebrow. Now here was an interesting topic, and one she didn’t particularly mind a fight about. It was an ignorant statement, if she said so herself. She didn’t appreciate being consigned to marital bliss by default. “Or woman,” she said coolly.
Another round of reactions circled the table as Bill coughed to cover a laugh, Charlie dropped his fork with a clatter, the twins looked to their mother as though waiting for her riposte, Percy choked, and Draco chortled.
It was Ginny’s turn to bury her face in her hands, and Arthur, bless his soul, was confused.
Molly narrowed her eyes and pointed her fork at Pansy, an action which immediately made the twins shrink a bit in their seats, knowing what sort of blast could be forthcoming. “I do hope you don’t think you’re fooling anyone with that comment. I know what you’re implying.”
“Implying?” Arthur piped up. “I believe I may have missed something.”
“And moreover,” Molly said, on a roll not to be stopped, “I do hope you don’t think you’re shocking anyone. I know plenty of witch-loving witches, and you, my dear, are not one of them.”
“I beg your pardon?” Pansy said, eyes wide. She actually enjoyed Molly Weasley’s fire and respected it, and she loved knowing just where Ginny got it. But she didn’t enjoy being told what she did and did not prefer.
“Witch-loving witches?” Arthur repeated.
Draco crossed his arms and sat back to watch the show.
“Mum,” Ginny groaned, but she knew it was no use. She might as well have tried to stand in front of the Hogwarts Express and stop it.
“So it wouldn’t shock you to know I fancied your daughter a bit?” Pansy purred, the tone belying how naffed off she was. “After all, I’m no witch-loving witch.”
“Pansy,” Ginny groaned, trying to stop yet another train.
Molly sat back a bit, her eyes narrowing even farther, her hair seeming to get just a little fuzzier, bristling around her in her righteous indignation. “I think you may have confused wanting to shag someone and loving someone.”
“Mum!”
The single word was a shouted chorus from all the children present, and Arthur could only say “Oh, my.”
“I’m sorry, is there a difference?” Pansy asked, crossing her arms over her chest and giving all the men at the table a rather interesting view of her cleavage.
Molly stared at the young woman for a moment and then visibly deflated. “Oh, dear,” she said, her voice suddenly sad. “That’s terrible.” How could anyone think that? It was beyond Molly, and suddenly she felt very angry at any kind of family who couldn’t have taught a young woman any better than that. “You poor thing.”
Pansy felt a lump rise in her throat, something akin to panic, and she shook her head, trying not to lose control. “Don’t be sorry, darling,” she said, but her voice was stilted. “I’m not.”
“You’re a beautiful young woman,” Arthur spoke up, nodding emphatically and hoping the comment was helpful.
Grateful for the interruption, Pansy gave him a little grin, shaky though it might have been. Just nerves, she thought, annoyance at being pitied, of all things. “Thanks, Art, you’re not so bad yourself.” From the corner of her eyes, she saw Ginny rise and let out a long, relieved breath. Perhaps they were leaving. That, Pansy thought, would be smashing.
“I have an announcement to make,” Ginny said loudly, her voice stringent and a bit desperate. For the love of Merlin, she thought, she hadn’t intended that. She’d simply wanted Pansy to see the happiness of a family, the products of commitment, the satisfaction that stretched years instead of minutes.
Instead, she’d gotten high theatrical drama.
Draco looked up at her, shaking his head. “Come on!” he said pleadingly, pulling her hand. “Obviously tonight is not a good night.” He wasn’t a fool; he was more than a little scared Molly Weasley would skin him alive if he so much as breathed wrong. He hadn’t missed the look she’d given him earlier, and in his estimation, he’d much rather try to take on all the Weasley men without his wand than even slightly cross paths with the matriarch.
He didn’t think he wanted to know how Molly-and her brood-would react when they found out he’d gotten their princess pregnant. Married or no, he wasn’t sure they were ready to welcome a Malfoy-blooded grandchild into the family.
“Let’s just let Pansy talk some more,” he suggested.
Ginny clamped her fingers tight around Draco’s and pulled, bringing her unwilling partner to his feet. “Now,” she hissed, and he amended his list of fears.
She was so much scarier than the rest of them combined, it wasn’t even funny. After all, she was the only one who could deny him sex.
“Speech, speech!” Fred called, raising his glass. For a moment, he’d been afraid-or hoping, he wasn’t really sure which-his Mum was going to leap across the table and physically row with Parkinson.
He’d been mentally counting the Galleons in his pocket and wondering if anyone else was up for a bit of friendly wagering.
“The reason you are all here tonight,” Ginny said, massaging Draco’s fingers a bit-after all, she had use for those hands-“Is because you are my family.” She looked meaningfully at Pansy, then turned and looked at her siblings and her parents, feeling a bit of a heaviness in her heart that Ron couldn’t be there. “And I know Ron’s not here, but he’s usually a bit behind, anyhow.”
Pansy worried at the inside of her lip to keep from smiling at the truth of the statement.
“Draco and I wanted to tell you we’re moving.”
Blank stares greeted her from all around, including a singularly confused gape from Draco himself. “That’s all?” he asked. “Brilliant.”
She ground her heel into his instep and he hushed immediately.
“Because,” she continued, “The flat isn’t going to be big enough for the three of us.”
She let the statement sink in, saw her mum’s eyes widen and start to shine, and then her father spoke.
“Is Miss Parkinson moving in with you?” He’d only been half-listening, to be truthful; he’d been watching Molly and thinking about how much he loved his wife when she was angry.
Draco rolled his eyes, wondering how odd his in-laws could really get. “For the love of Merlin,” he said, putting his arm around Ginny, “She's pregnant!”