Date: Saturday, April 28, 2001
Time: Night
Location: Number 8 Ambrose Terrace, York
Characters Involved: Peregrin Derrick, Pansy Parkinson, invitation only
Rating: PG-13 (for the most part)
(
'It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.' ~Rita Rudner )
They'd talk about it later, perhaps. Right now he placed his hand on the mattress behind her and leaned closer, grinning. "Well sure, blow off my endearing attempt to make you feel better."
So was that why they were able to go from so violently opposed to quiet and close and perfectly at peace, just like this? This was the sort of interaction he'd never stuck around for as a teenager. He'd never cared to get past those surface levels; girls were good for sex and a few laughs. He didn't care to understand their quirks and emotions and inner psyche-he didn't even care to argue with them (and it sounded strange that a person should care to argue with anyone). The first sign of anything remotely annoying or uncomfortable, and Perry was ready to move on.
He'd stuck with Pansy for so long that even her most annoying traits seemed justifiable, because they were hers, and that made them his as well. In a very twisted way that he didn't understand or care to understand.
"Heh...." His grin was slow and for once, amiable. "I like that analogy." Their clothing rustled together in a muted and satisfying way as he pressed closer and dropped his lips close to her skin... and stopped short.
"So if I were to ask you properly." His voice wasn't much above a whisper. "What sort of answer could I expect? ...Out of curiosity, of course."
Reply
… God, but they’d have beautiful children.
Except Perry clearly didn’t want to talk about that right now. He had sidestepped the issue twice and with his body leaning into hers so that their clothes were nothing but several millimeters of annoyance, and the yelling receding into that old memory vault in the depths of Pansy’s mind, she told herself it didn’t matter. An argument for another day, to be warred over, torn apart, hidden away and forgotten. It didn’t matter now, when Perry was wearing a sweet grin of his own, and speaking softly inches away from her skin so that the air of his voice caressed its surface-
Pansy’s eyes drifted shut for a few seconds and stayed shut as she truly understood how much she loved this man. He was imperfect, flawed and scarred and closed off and impossible - and yet he was perfect and beautiful and open and right here and now, and after all the uncertainty and the fights for them just to continue along the same path. Here they were.
She opened her eyes and tilted her head, just looking at him even though he was so close he was completely out of focus. And then she smiled slowly and said, equally quiet, “I really don’t know. I suppose you’ll just have to ask me properly and find out.”
Reply
Not so very different from what they'd been doing... and yet Perry would never ask a more important question than this.
His mouth suddenly curved into a faint grin, as if sharing a joke between them. He was never very good at hiding anxiety, not from Pansy, anyway. A part of him wanted to think that this was too soon, too much for the both of them. But looking into a face he knew so well, having stared into her eyes like this before and kissed every inch of skin, knowing every curve and angle of her body and a great deal of her mind, from her silliest pet peeves to even the best concealed weaknesses, he really didn't care to ever know a person as well as he did her.
"Will you marry me?"
Reply
Things he’d leave her for?
Of course it was ridiculous. Of course he loved her, and he knew her better than anyone - but how well could one person know another? Pansy was reverting back to her old fears. At this pinnacle moment of the emotional express that was their relationship, everything was going too well and too perfectly for there not to be a catch. She loved him too much; she relied on him too much. This was all going to crack because that was how it always went, right? Love was always fucked up, in the end.
He asked her the question (The Question) and Pansy leant forward and hid her face against the side of his throat without responding. His pulse was drumming against her cheek, his heartbeat correcting hers like the deep base of a crowded nightclub against her chest. It seemed stupid but it was so steady and sure and certain. It was footsteps into the future; it was drum beats to a marching band. It was one small insignificant thing happening a billion times all over the world every minute and it was everything, as Perry was everything and he was here in her arms. And for all that Pansy had the reputation for being a spoilt Slytherin princess, still, how many times had she really been offered what she wanted?
And she did want this, and he was here and the thought- the it- it was in the air around them, dissipating. Fears were fears but this…?
Pansy smiled to herself, and then leant back again - not too far, just enough so that she could tilt her head and kiss him softly once… and then again. Her voice was very quiet as she said, “Yes, of course I will, Perry.”
Reply
This girl, apparently. Perry still wanted to ask her every now and then why she wanted him, but he was fairly certain she'd just start yelling. He'd done everything he could to push her away and be satisfied with his "lone wolf" fate, because if anything, the last thing his life needed was an emotional attachment. A chance to be manipulated and dropped flat, left alone without a second thought.
But for a few seconds his heart stopped, because here she was saying yes, and they were promising to never do that to each other. And dammit, he could stand a few fights here and there if she could. He leaned back as well and stared. He almost wanted to ask, Are you sure? Maybe I should outline just what you're getting into.... and he couldn't believe her smile, but it was slowly igniting a matching grin of his own. He laughed silently with relief. "Well, you could've said that in the first place." He kissed her again, then her cheek and neck as the other arm joined the first.
"Good." All the fear was gone... and quickly being replaced by a whole new wave of scariness. But it was both overwhelming and exciting at the same time.
"A werewolf and an ex-convict. The papers are going to have a field day with us, you know." He was still holding her tightly and grinning into her hair. "I hope you're prepared."
Reply
Leave a comment