Never A Memory

a/n: All right, so, my writing day is Monday because that's becoming my day off (usually, not always) and last Monday I couldn't bring myself to write anything that didn't make someone want to slit their wrists. (Sorry for the violent imagery) The Virgina Tech Massacre had me so out of it I couldn't sit still without ending up in tears or worrying myself into a knot.



The following days allowed me to write here and there and tonight, I was so angry at that Cho guy and his bullshit manifesto that I channeled that and used it to finish the chapter.



What I'm trying to say is, if there are strange, angry, or otherwise sporadic shifts of energy in the writing, it's because of what was going on in my heart while I was finishing the chapter. I've re-read it a few times and actually think it works for the tone I'm setting and it offers a very bittersweet aura to Pansy Parkinson whom I had promised to re-introduce into the story.



The quotes I selected for the opening of this chapter were selected with extreme care and hold a huge amount of meaning for the story and also a poignant, hopeful one for the trajedy on Monday.



It's not much, but this chapter has a dedication. For the grieving.











~Understanding Pansy~



“It breaks my heart, this illusion of separation. Look at what happened today.” ~Tim Randolph, watching the Massacre at Virginia Tech coverage. April 16, 2007.



“We are all angels with a single wing. It is only when we embrace one another that we can truly fly.” ~Anonymous, 1999. Graffiti painting in Korea Town, CA.



The next morning…

~*~



By ten o’clock, Harry was ready to strangle one Draco Malfoy.



Harry had risen early, before the sun had come up, and Apparated to the Ministry to get the necessary permission to move Draco. Even with the early start, Harry had been in high spirits.



Of course, Draco would never apologize for something as small as hurting Harry’s feelings, but, in his own way, Harry felt Draco did so silently when the blond had urged him to return to the bed they shared the night before, holding him sweetly until he relented. It made Harry smile, even as Scrimgeour lectured him on the necessity to take every precaution if Malfoy was insisting on visiting an old family friend, that Draco would feel the need to do…something to ease the near stifling tension that had sprung up between them the instant Pansy Parkinson’s name was mentioned.



Although, in all honesty, Harry had no real right to be upset that Draco would choose to confide his secret distress to his ex-fiancée. And Harry knew something was bothering Draco, it swam like murky water behind his gray eyes. Harry supposed it was a Pureblood thing. Perhaps whatever it was that upset Draco was only something that Pansy would understand. Or…maybe it was that Draco knew Harry wouldn’t.



Either way, after bartering Scrimgeour for the Portkey that would transfer them directly to the Parkinson estate Pansy and Pandora now lived and sending the Parkinson women an owl alerting them to a visit, Harry had cooled his temper and re-established his patience, knowing that anything that would happen, would happen, and that Harry could expect nothing less than the continual ‘touch-and-go’ until this whole mess was sorted out.



However, upon returning to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, Harry discovered Draco standing by the door with two brooms, insisting that they fly to the Parkinson estate.



“I haven’t been outside in two weeks, Potter,” Draco had said, setting his chin in that insufferable way. “I am going to milk it for everything its worth.”



Instantly, Harry’s black mood slid back into place and, with an exasperated sigh, he Apparated back to the Ministry, bartered once again with the Minister of Magic, had to endure yet another lecture, and returned to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place fairly steaming.



Wisely, Draco did not speak a word to the irritated young Auror until they were astride their brooms and flying smoothly through the air towards the countryside.



“Did you eat breakfast?”



Harry shot Draco a single baleful look before resuming his glower in the direction they were headed.



Pursing his lips, Draco leaned forward on his broom and twisted upside down, edging over until he was flying directly beneath Harry. “Look, Potter,” Draco said slyly, carefully locking his ankles around his broom and releasing his hands from the neck of the broom until he dangled beneath Harry, upside down, by his knees. “No hands.”



“Knock it off, Malfoy,” Harry muttered, trying not to grin. Truly, it was probably the funniest thing he had ever seen Draco do.



“Race me,” Draco demanded, pulling himself up and twisting again so that he flew parallel to Harry’s broom. Below them, the city began to shrink smaller and smaller and the clouds darted between them.



Harry snorted. “It won’t be much of a race.”



Draco sighed. “All right, I’ll be fair. You can have a head start.”



“Please; you haven’t flown in nearly three years.”



“Natural talent never dies, Potter.”



Harry laughed, feeling his terrible mood begin to recede. “You’re such a prat. Try to keep up.”



Suddenly, Harry leaned in and his broom surged forward. With a knowing smile, Draco followed, using every trick he knew just to keep the pace Harry was setting. They spiraled, twisted, dodged, and dropped, the race becoming more and more like a Seeker competition as the morning faded to midday around them. The air was cool on their faces and the wind just on the one side of harsh, but on they flew; relishing in their competition, their need to be first, their love for flying, and all the rest.



At one point, Harry paused in the air, glancing around him to gather his bearings. Draco reared in next to him, his impeccable hair wild and askew, his cheeks rosy and his eyes bright and alive. Finally spotting the Parkinson Manor, Harry grinned once at Draco before bending his angle on the broom and plummeting towards the ground in a sheer drop.



“Bloody show off,” Draco muttered, rolling his eyes, before following suit…albeit, at a much less severe angle.



~*~



Draco’s senses were overwhelmed the instant they stepped inside the manor. As they followed their House Elf guide—a likable little fellow with bright green eyes and trimmed ear hair—through the main hall, Draco was buffeted with memories of his own home and, Merlin, the way it smelled during times of mourning.



Around every corner, there were sticks of incense, heavy with the scent of frankincense and myrrh, lit and smoking, candles burning brightly, and the draperies black and deep, deep purple velvet, causing the trademark Parkinson gilded furnishings to bask in a wallowing, somber glow. The figures in the tall paintings of the main hall gazed down at them sternly, watching their passing with alert and thoughtful eyes. Draco could feel the grief in this place seeping into his skin and, glancing sidelong at Harry, he knew the young Auror was oblivious to it.



Yet, it felt like coming home.



The likable, green-eyed House Elf instructed them to wait inside a reserved sitting room near the back end of the East Wing, furnished in earthy tones of green and gold, and Draco wasted no time to find a gilded mirror and fix his wind blown hair. Harry strolled over to a small table and poured himself a cup of tea, hoping it would warm him from the chill of the wet spring outside and snickering a little at Draco’s vanity.



Minutes passed as they waited. Eventually, Harry frowned and became irritated. Pandora had never had him wait this long. Turning towards the door, Harry froze when he heard the sound of glass shattering and the distinct hiss of a woman’s gasp.



In the doorway, the light from the hall behind her illuminating her frame, stood Pansy Parkinson, her blue-black hair coiled at her neck and twisted into a loose caul and her dark eyes as wide as saucers.



Guiltily, Harry glanced towards Draco, knowing that in the letter he had sent the Parkinson’s, alerting them to their visit, he had not specified his guest. As far as Pansy knew, prior to this moment, her ex-fiancée was still in a coma at St. Mungo’s.



Draco did not return the look and gazed steadily at Pansy, waiting for her to process through her shock. He knew there was an enormous quantity of things that could be said, but some things should be left to the silence.



“Draco,” Pansy finally breathed.



Draco’s severe gray eyes softened a fraction and he inclined his head. “Hello, Pansy. You look well.”



In three long strides so quick, Harry barely saw her move, Pansy was in front of the Slytherin Prince and hitting him so hard across the face the sound reverberated through the room with a loud echo.



Shocked, Harry watched Pansy step back and observe Draco wipe the blood from his mouth with a knuckle, her intense glare like dark fire.



“You scared me to death!” Pansy hissed. “Why would you do something so stupid?”



Draco opened his mouth to reply but Pansy struck him again with equal force. Sighing, Draco turned his face back to her, his eyes stern and unrepentant, silently musing on how one week could have him being struck in face so frequently, as she continued to glare. Pansy raised her hand again, but this time Draco caught the blow by her wrist. A battle of wills ensued and on they stared, seemingly forever.



Then, without warning, Pansy Parkinson burst into tears and collapsed into Draco’s embrace. Draco held her tightly and stared straight ahead of him, the pain in his eyes wrenching.



Pandora, whom Harry had not seen enter the room, quietly touched Harry’s elbow and led him into the hall. Draco did not once meet Harry’s gaze.



Silently, Pandora closed the doors behind her.



~*~



The Gatherer was cold and wet as pale eyes watched the contact return to the Ministry of Magic, but did not feel it. The Gatherer could tell the spy thought it would be disconcerting to know their target was on the move. But, no.



Every mouse should have the chance to at least try and find the cheese.



Their chase hadn’t even really begun. At least not on The Gatherer’s part.



The Dark One, however, was already making His move.



~*~



Draco watched, half-interested, while the likable little green-eyed fellow of a House Elf popped in and swept up the broken glass of Pansy’s tea cup as the young woman continued to sob and tremble in his arms. His heart twisted, knowing that her relief was so bitter, it was nearly unbearable.



Draco knew he had been a coward towards his only two…somewhat friends. Not friends in the fashion one would usually consider, but, for a Pureblood Prince, they were the best money could by. It just happened that three of them grew fond of one another.



That is to say, Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson.



A coward indeed, Draco thought miserably as a shaking Pansy clung to the folds of his robes and buried her face in his neck. He had not confided in them his plan. He had simply disappeared, knowing that they both would persuade their families to hold him in the sanctuary of their homes had he asked…knowing that they would fear him dead and grieve him when he was gone. He had left for Asia without a note nor an owl.



And upon his return, Draco knew with utter certainty that he would not have to pay for the mistakes of his severed friendships because he would die a martyr and never, ever have to see the look of betrayal and pain on their faces.



Draco Malfoy believed himself to be an iconic fool.



Draco had avoided the subject of Pansy Parkinson since the second his memories returned to him for this very reason. And Blaise…



Well, Merlin save him if Blaise Zabini held a grudge.



Though, Draco mused as Pansy’s sniffles began to quiet and she relaxed her death’s grip on his robes, Blaise was of the loyal sort. And he was also of the eccentric sort, which might have a wild card hidden in there somewhere.



Perhaps that wild card may one day save their friendship. Then again, maybe Draco would never know.



Pansy gently stepped away, her eyes lowered, and dabbed at her face with a handkerchief until her tears were fully dried.



Then…she smiled at Draco in a quiet, muted fashion. “You’re alive,” she murmured.



“I am,” Draco said, and his heart nearly broke all over again.



“For how long this time?” Pansy’s voice was soft but her eyes were hard as stone. Pansy Parkinson can never be accused of being weak.



Draco smiled sadly, but to Pansy, it was the sweetest thing she had seen in many years. “You can never rid yourself of me, Pansy. I imagine that is what your tears are about.”



“You’re lying to me,” Pansy stated, her whole body suddenly becoming alert. Pansy peered at Draco through her dark, thick lashes. “You know I can always tell, Draco.”



“That’s why I’m here, actually,” Draco said quietly, holding her gaze in a way only Draco Malfoy could. “I need to tell you something.”



~*~



Pandora watched Harry feign calm for many minutes but caught his uneasy glances towards the door. Smiling in her alluring way, Pandora conjured a fire in a fireplace near the end of the hall and invited Harry to sit with her beside it.



Conceding silently, Harry continued to seem distracted by whatever thoughts raced through his head and around again. Pandora could see the shadows of those thoughts flickering behind the young Auror’s bright green eyes. Such lovely eyes.



“He’s smitten you already, has he?” Pandora said, breaking the silence with her melodious voice.



Harry snapped his head towards her, startled nearly out of his skin. “Excuse me?”



“Really,” Pandora said, leaning gracefully back into her seat, her dark blue eyes luminous and knowing. “It isn’t so surprising. You’ve been fascinated by him since he saved your life.”



Harry’s lips flattened into a straight line before he answered. “Pandora, don’t go opening your box of tricks. I’m trying to keep him alive.”



Pandora laughed, the sound like tinkling crystal. “No, dear boy. This isn’t about my box of tricks, is it?”



Confusion flickered through Harry’s bright beryl eyes and Pandora leaned forward.



“Tell me,” Pandora said in a throaty whisper, her smile deep and mysterious. “Has Draco been cruel?”



~*~



“Well, let’s see it then.”



“See what?”



“The Mark the Dark Lord branded your spine with,” Pansy said with an impatient tap of her foot.



“Why would that be important?” Draco asked as he slipped from his flying robes and set them to the side.



“’…The Marking of the Near-Man…’” Pansy quoted. “Maybe there is a reason why the Dark Lord had you Marked so young. Also, you said it hurts when you sleep walk and you can still see it when you look in the mirror.”



“”Why would me seeing it be strange?” Draco asked as he began to unbutton his shirt.



“The Dark Marks have faded, Draco,” Pansy said in a quiet voice. “When Voldemort died, when you killed him, the Dark Marks on Death Eaters began to disappear. That’s why it’s so hard to catch them all.”



“Really?’



“Potter never told you?”



“Oh, he may have,” Draco said with a slight smile as he shrugged out of his shirt and stood before Pansy bare-chested. “He says many things.”



“Are you fond of him now?” Pansy asked with forced nonchalance as she circled around Draco and observed his back.



“Would it matter to you if I was?” Draco inquired as Pansy pressed her cool fingertips between his shoulder blades and traced the tattoo with them softly.



“It shouldn’t, should it?” Pansy replied.



“I refuse to be the person to tell you how to feel, Pansy,” Draco said as Pansy removed her fingers and wrote something down on a bit of parchment. “But I stand by what I said to you at Hogwarts.”



Draco turned around and looked at Pansy, who refused to meet his gaze and stared unseeing at the parchment in her hands. “I will always carry a part of your heart,” Pansy recollected, her head bent and her lashes sweeping low on her cheek. “But I can never have the whole of it.”



Moments passed in silence before she finally looked back at Draco. Surprisingly, her eyes were soft but dry, the epitome of the brave face she always wore for him. But her voice, when she spoke, was hard and unwavering.



“Your honesty is crueler than your lies, Draco Malfoy,” Pansy said. “I almost pity the one you do give your heart to. You have yet to relinquish your hold on mine. Here.” Pansy handed the parchment over Draco. Draco took it and his eyes swept over the page.



Runes. Old runes like none he had ever encountered were written on the scroll. “What is this?” Draco demanded.



“They run the length of the coiling serpent,” Pansy explained before singling out some other markings. “These runes here are inside the eye sockets of the skull. I don’t recognize the markings, but I do know no one else’s Dark Mark had these.”



“You’re certain?”



“Yes, I am.”



A knock sounded and they turned in time to see Pandora pull open the gilded doors. She smiled sweetly and asked if Draco would stay for dinner.



Draco did not answer right away. His arm was frozen half way on its journey to retrieve his shirt and his eyes were locked with two icy green orbs belonging to one Harry Potter who stood some ten feet behind Pansy’s aunt.



Draco cursed himself silently, knowing Harry would come to a million conclusions for why he was without a shirt while alone with Pansy Parkinson before allowing him to explain. Draco took a deep breath and finished collecting and putting back on his clothes. It didn’t matter.



It wouldn’t, would it?



But then, that’s what Draco told himself about Blaise and Pansy before he left for Asia.



“No”, Draco said as he righted his robes around his shoulders. “Potter and I must pay a visit to Hogwarts before our return.”



The surprised look on Harry’s face was actually quite worth the sour mood his old school rival turned sometimes-lover immediately slipped into; at least, in Draco perspective.



~*~



a/n:



thrnbrooke: You're right, he is. Draco's playing the martyr again. This will also be a lesson to Harry too. I hope you enjoyed the update! Thanks for the review!



WeasleyWench: I am, apparently, notorious for cliffhangers, lol. I hope you enjoyed the update and thanks so much for your review!



snarrylover: They are so new in their relationship that it would not, at all, make sense for me to have them all lovey dovey already. So, I am relying a little on those little gestures to get them through this next challenge...and it will also explain the slight dissension between them to come. Foreshadowing? lol. Anyhoo, yeah, the Prophecy is not pretty at all. Thanx for your review and I hope you enjoyed the update!



darkless: THANK YOU! Wow, that made me feel really good about what I wrote. I really appreciate that. I certainly hope it keeps you guessing! I hope you enjoyed the update!



Soria: Lol, nah, I totally caught the sarcasm. It's actually hard for me to 'just write porn'. I'm always trying to put meaning and depth to the characters. It might actually be good practice for me to write a few PWP's. It may make my smut scenes saucier. *shrugs* Glad you're enjoying the story so far and thank you for your review!



rafiq: Thank you!



mariahs_fantasy: The Third Arch is sooooo yummy. Ha! But you'll have to get through the shockers of the remaining Second Arch. We have...checking...seven chapters to go. And it's gonna be a rollercoaster! Thanx for your review!



airagorn charda: Yeah, cliffhangers are a bitch, aren't they?



Draco's tantrum was so much fun to write. lol, I sat at the computer table and stared at the screen for nearly twenty minutes trying to figure out a good response for Draco to the Prophecy. Suddenly, by then extremely frusterated, I started writing Draco just throwing shit around and having a royal little fit. I loved it so much that I kept it. Really, though, it was inspired by my own temper at being uninspired. Twisted, huh?



Lol, thank you. I HAD to bring Ron back with a giggle. Maybe not a 'bang', but a giggle. Thank you for your review and I hope you enjoy the update!



ForgottenPrincess: *squirms* I sort of became an awful updater, didn't I? Ah well. Life happens. Thank you so much for your review and I certainly hope you enjoyed the update!



Heero Yuy: Aw, babe, I'm super busy. I'm, like, this big girl now with a job and responsibilities and school and all the rest. One day, when you meet the big bad world, you'll understand. Ha ha, Soria was right, sarcasm doesn't read well. Truth is, my comp at work doesn't have IM and, literally, I'm home MAYBE one day a week. I sleep in hotels more often than my own bed. Busy, busy, busy. Thank you for your review, though. I appreciate your unwavering faith! ^_^ And I hope you enjoyed the update! You rock!



Bella: Funny that you mention sexual tension between our two flyboys because the climax of the Second Arch sky rockets because of this very thing. The Second Arch was always intended to be the Smut Arch, if that makes sense. The real trick is going to be keeping that aspect of their relationship interesting in the Third Arch. Thank you for your review and I hope you enjoyed the update!



Draco_Harry_lover: So many great questions! Sadly, none of them were really answered in this chapter, were they? >_> They will be though! I swear! This chapter gave alot of information about the dynamic between Draco and Pansy, yet the actual reason why it was important for Draco to see her doesn't become truly apparant until the next chapter, though it is heavily hinted at. The rest weill be answered by the closing of the Second Arch. Much of what I have written since the prologue was for the climax of the Second Arch. You'll understand much soon. Thank you for your review and I hope you enjoyed the update!