Indebted [Blaise/Pansy - R]
Author: scarletladyy
Title: Indebted
Prompt: #122 Submitted by: thilia
Pairing: Blaise/Pansy
Rating: R
Warnings: Prostitution, lap dancing, stripping
Word Count: 6,305
Summary: When Draco offers Blaise a freebie at his establishment, Heavenly Bodies, he was not expecting to find his old friend Pansy amongst the girls.
Notes: Thank you to my beta.
Indebted
"Evening," Blaise said calmly as he sat down next to his best mate. "How's business?"
"Booming," Draco smirked, nodding towards the many men that were lined up. "I just got in four new girls, and everyone wants to give them a try."
Blaise cast his eyes around the room; there were posters of the new arrivals on display, and he had to admit, they were gorgeous. He didn't know how Draco did it, but he always seemed to get the best of the best for his establishment. "Do you still get many Death Eaters?"
Draco nodded. "But they come in through the back door, obviously. They don't get much skin when on the run, you know."
"I'm not surprised," Blaise snorted. It had been two years since Draco had first opened his business, an elite and expensive brothel, and part of the reason it did so well was that it preserved anonymity, if required. According to Draco, there were many surprises of those who'd turned up; he just wouldn't name them.
"If you want, I‘ll give you a freebie," Draco offered, leaning casually back in his seat. "It must be hard since Daphne dumped you. Not any of my new girls, mind."
Blaise shrugged. "Perhaps. I'm not sure about this prostitute business, Draco."
"Oh come on," Draco smirked, "that's Daphne talking. She was forever poisoning you about this place. I'm here to provide fun -- what's wrong with that?"
"Hmm," said Blaise, unconvinced but intrigued and horny as hell. "I suppose I could see what you've got to offer."
"Atta boy," said Draco, smiling as he got up and led Blaise through a series of corridors. When they finally stopped they were in a very long room with ten long glass boxes, and upon a click of Draco's fingers, the doors at the back of the glass boxes opened and naked women started walking through.
Blaise stared in disbelief for a few seconds, before his attention was caught by the girl in the first box. She was a pretty blonde, but her desperation was so raw that Blaise just wasn't interested. As he made his way down the line, all the women trying to impress him so he'd choose her, he found himself drawn to a dark haired woman. She was the eighth one along, but she didn't seem to have her heart in it as much as the others did. She was smiling, but it wasn't genuine, and she looked weary and tired, as though she didn't want to be there.
There didn't seem to be any way for Blaise to take his eyes off her; she was so different and unlike the rest that he liked the simplicity of her. He watched her for a few minutes, but when she looked him in the eye he got the shock of his life. "Pansy?"
Draco nodded behind him. "Yes, that's Pansy. She can't hear you, though."
"What's she doing working as a prostitute?" Blaise was utterly gobsmacked; he'd expected Pansy to walk straight out of Hogwarts and become a social butterfly, not a prostitute. It was so... beneath her.
"She owed me," Draco said casually, as though it didn't seem to matter to him.
Blaise turned around, feeling anger in the pit of his stomach. "Owed you? Owed you for what? She was our friend. Heck, she was your girlfriend, Draco!"
"So?" Draco shrugged. "It's none of your business, anyway. Now, which one do you want?"
"Pansy," Blaise said without thinking, turning back to her. In school he'd always had a soft spot for her, but she never seemed to notice him as she was so absorbed in Draco.
"Fine, here," said Draco as he passed Blaise a key card. "Room number three. You can have her for the whole night. She's not exactly popular with that face on her."
Before Blaise could say anything back, Draco had left the room, as had the women. He was feeling a little anxious as he hadn't seen Pansy in a couple of years, and under these circumstances it would be even more difficult. He persevered, though, and found himself standing outside room number three only seconds later. He wasn't sure whether he should knock or not, so he tapped lightly before using the keycard.
"Hi," Blaise said softly.
Pansy nodded to acknowledge his presence, but she didn't speak. She was smoking, a habit she didn't have back in school, and he had to admit he didn't find it attractive. It seemed to distract her, as she made patterns with her fingers when she blew out the smoke. "How would you like it?" she said after a few minutes silence.
"Sorry?" Blaise had forgotten why he was there.
"How would you like to fuck me? Or do you just want a blow job?"
The way Pansy talked about it was so obvious and crude; there was no subtlety at all and it was as though she just wanted to get it over and done with. "Perhaps we could talk first?"
Pansy stared at him, the rest of her body frozen. "Talk? Why would you pay to talk to me?"
"I miss you," he smiled at her. "Besides, I'm not even paying."
"What? You're not paying? Great. Now I don't get a cut towards my debt to Draco," Pansy said angrily, glaring at him.
"Sorry?" Blaise asked, confused as to her meaning.
Pansy sighed and rolled her eyes. "For every client, 30% of my earnings go towards my debt to Draco. If you're not paying, this is time I'm wasting when I could be getting my arse the fuck out of here."
"Oh," Blaise said quietly, realising Pansy really had been forced into this situation. "Why do you owe him?"
"Nevermind," Pansy said, shaking her head and putting out her cigarette. "So what do you want?"
Blaise chose to ignore her question and tried to talk to her as though they were in a pub or back at school. "How are you? Been up to much?"
"Are you serious?" Pansy said, laughing at him. "This is my life -- how do you think I am? And it's not as if I can do much with Draco keeping constant tabs on me, is it?"
Blaise shrugged.
"Look, what do you want?" she said fiercely, stubbing out her cigarette. "I'll do anything, but make it quick."
"I never really came to see you for sex, Pans. I can go if you'd like..."
"Yes," Pansy snapped, pointing to the door. "That would be lovely."
Blaise didn't say anything as he left, taking one last look at Pansy, but she was staring out of the window. She was so tense and different compared to the girl he knew at school, and yet he still felt drawn to her like a moth to a flame. He didn't want to stay any longer, for it was obvious he wasn't wanted, and he didn't want to cause her any more distress than she was clearly already in.
The next few days Blaise spent away from Draco, which for him was rather odd, as he usually made a point of seeing him every day. However, with everything that he'd seen from Pansy, he wasn't sure seeing Draco would be beneficial to anyone. He desperately wanted to see her again, to find out about the debt and if there was anything he could do to help, but ironically, Pansy had always been a proud woman. If he offered her money, she'd take it as an insult, and that was the last thing he wanted.
"Hello?"
Blaise turned around as Draco came out of the living room Floo. "It's rude to come unannounced," Blaise said tersely.
"Since when have you cared?" Draco asked, settling himself comfortably on Blaise's sofa. "What's wrong with you? I haven't seen you since the weekend."
"Observant, aren't you?" said Blaise. "I've been busy."
Draco snorted. "Of course. Anyway, I came here for a reason."
"What is it?" Blaise didn't really want this conversation; he wanted Draco out of here before he ended up punching him.
"I'm holding a show night," he said proudly. "A collection of my older and newer girls are ready to perform next week. Everything from stripping to lap dancing. It'll be quite the extravaganza."
"Quite," Blaise replied. "And why are you telling me?"
Draco shrugged. "I thought you might like to come, being single and all."
"Being single doesn't mean I don't get any sex, Draco," Blaise sighed. "Besides, it's not the end of the world if I didn't."
"Speak for yourself," Draco snorted, and then, after a moment of silence, "Pansy's in it."
Blaise looked Draco in the eye, wondering why he'd done that when Pansy clearly hated the place. "Why?"
"Hey, don't blame me," Draco said comically, holding up his hands, "she requested to be in it."
Blaise rolled his eyes. "Don't lie."
"I'm not," said Draco earnestly. "She wanted to do it because of the pay she'll get for it."
"Oh," Blaise said quietly, looking at the floor. That was why she was going to subject herself to such degradation, not just for the satisfaction of one man this time, but for a whole roomful. "I'll see."
"Good." Draco picked himself up off the sofa and walked over to the Floo. "And make sure you're out of that bloody bad mood by then -- it's next Saturday."
There wasn't any time for Blaise to have a go at Draco, or even to explain exactly why he was off with his best mate, as he was soon gone into the fireplace. He thought carefully about whether to attend, wanting to see Pansy and knowing he could support her by going, though he worried it might put her off if she saw another familiar face. He poured himself a small shot of Firewhiskey and downed it in one before heading to bed.
*
"Glad you came," Draco said as Blaise entered Heavenly Bodies. The place was packed, and he'd just arrived as the first show seemed to have started. "Here, have a program. Pansy isn't on for about half an hour, but after that, she's in nearly everything. Hopefully she won't have a face like a slapped arse for once, I mean, it really doesn't help her case."
"Neither do you," Blaise retorted.
Draco shrugged. "She owes me, mate. What was I to do?"
"Waiver it!" Blaise almost shouted, and Draco glared at him as several clients turned around to look at them. "You two were so close. What happened?"
"Life did," Draco said, and for the first time, Blaise felt a sense of pity at the second of sadness that crossed Draco's eyes. "I've got to go and greet some VIP clients. I'll catch you later?"
Blaise nodded as Draco disappeared into the crowd, his temporary pity already gone. He squeezed past the many men around him, walking further into the club, until he found an emptier area, further away from the stage. He ordered a drink from a passing waitress and set himself down at a table near the back. From there he had a good view of the women on the stage, knowing that they wouldn't be able to spot him.
The place was booming with music and catcalls while Blaise was waiting, and the time passed quicker than he'd thought it would. All of a sudden, the place went completely dark and there was silence. He looked up from his drink as a spotlight highlighted a woman on the stage. She was dark haired and scantily clad, and it didn't take Blaise a second to realise it was Pansy up there.
"Hey boys," Pansy shouted into the crowd. "Ready for some fun?"
Blaise watched the crowd go wild as the music came blaring out and Pansy started to dance. There was a pole at the side of the stage, which she seemed to have great fun twirling herself around. He hadn't known she could pole dance, but she seemed quite good at it. As she got down from the pole and started to strip in time to the music, he felt himself grow hard. She looked absolutely amazing, and she looked as though she was enjoying herself immensely, though he was convinced that wasn't true.
When her number ended, she winked sexily and blew the crowd a kiss, who were going absolutely crazy as she waggled her now naked form as she walked off the stage.
"I think that was her best performance yet."
Blaise turned and saw Draco had sat next to him, Firewhiskey in hand. "It was something," he remarked.
"At least she's got that face off," Draco said. "Perhaps she'll start earning a lot more now."
"How much does she owe?" Blaise asked tentatively.
Draco turned and stared at Blaise. "Why?"
"Just curious," Blaise shrugged, knowing he didn't want to show too much interest into Draco and Pansy's dodgy dealings.
"A lot," Draco said casually, and then started talking about a tantrum one of the newer girls had had. He whistled on for quite a while, Blaise nodding where it was needed, until the music changed, and on Pansy came again.
"I've got a treat for you," she said into the microphone. "Who here wants a free lap dance?"
The crowd went absolutely crazy for this, seemingly everyone and anyone putting their hands up and trying to attract her attention. Blaise didn't offer his, not wanting to put her off her game.
"Over here!" Draco yelled as loud as he could, and Blaise was about to turn around and ask why on earth he would want it when he owned the place, only to realise Draco's hand was pointed over his own head.
"What? No, Draco, don't," he said urgently, but Pansy was already making her way across the room. The crowd parted like the red sea for her, all with their tongues hanging out of their mouths. When Pansy got there, she looked surprised and a little taken aback, her smoldering smile disappearing for a moment, before it came back in full vengeance.
"So you want a lap dance, eh?" she said into the microphone. "How nice of your mate to ask for you. What's wrong, never had a real woman before?"
The crowd snickered, and Blaise turned bright red, though you could hardly tell in this place. He turned to his side to glare at Draco, but the bloody git had already fucked off and left him in it. Pansy was wearing a different set of clothes now, though he reasoned you could hardly call them clothes as most of her body was showing. She started to sway in front of him, soon moving into contact and pressing her breasts into his face.
"Relax and enjoy yourself," she whispered. "You're so tense."
She was right, he was tense, but only because the situation was so awkward.
"Where are you from?" she said into the microphone, pleasing the crowd as they watched her dance in front of him.
"You know where," he replied quietly, avoiding the gazes from the men that were staring at them.
"Aww," she mocked. "He's shy!"
Embarrassed not only for himself and Pansy, he shot up, almost knocking her to the floor. "I'm off," he said, taking one look at her stunned and hurt face before he headed for the door. The crowd were droning and booing him, but he didn't care, he just had to get out of there. It was all too much, and seeing Pansy like that distressed him. That wasn't her, and it never had been.
*
Blaise sat on one of the benches in Knockturn Alley, watching the people walking past him. It was cold and he could see his breath in the air, for it was nearly the end of November. People watching had always been a favourite past time of his, and it was something Pansy used to take the mickey out of him at Hogwarts for. And there he was, thinking about Pansy. Again.
"Oh, Pansy," he said quietly, sighing to himself.
"Yes?"
Speak of the devil, Blaise thought, as a woman nearly unrecognisable as Pansy sat down next to him. In spite of the cold, she wasn't wearing very much, just a short woolly jacket over a cropped top and a skirt with tights. "Aren't you cold?" he asked at last.
Pansy nodded. "Yes. What did you want? I heard you say my name."
"You weren't supposed to," he replied. "I was talking to myself, and I didn't expect you to be out, let alone right behind me."
"Me neither," Pansy laughed. "Draco hates me straying from the establishment. Worries I'll take my money and run. I wouldn't have put it past him to have someone follow me here."
"Is there a reason you're out?"
"I'm doing Draco's Christmas shopping," she sighed. "Everything from gifts for his parents to decorations for the club. He's either too lazy or too busy to do it, and between you and me, I think it's the former."
"Agreed," Blaise said.
"Oh well," Pansy shrugged. "It's not my money."
Blaise smiled at her. "You should buy something for yourself, a treat or something."
Pansy shook her head. "He'd notice. He checks the receipts against everything."
"Stingy bastard," Blaise muttered.
"That's Draco for you," chuckled Pansy, and they both went silent. They sat there for several minutes, not talking to each other and hearing the conversations of those who wondered past. It wasn't awkward, it felt comfortable, and it was like old times. "I'm sorry..." Pansy finally said.
"About what?" Blaise was confused; he didn't think she of all people had anything to be sorry for.
Pansy gulped. "The way I treated you when you first came to see me."
"Oh," Blaise said quietly. "Forget it, that was a mistake on my part."
"Either way," Pansy shrugged and lit up a cigarette. "I was just embarrassed and defensive."
Blaise didn't blame her, but he didn't want to insult her by saying that either. She was starting to appear like the girl he once knew, on the inside of course, and it was as though she was letting a part of her out that nobody had seen for years. He placed his glove covered hand on her near frozen one, and though he expected her to take her hand away, she didn't.
"You're warm," she said softly.
"You should have worn something weather appropriate," he noted, though he didn't want to lecture her.
Pansy took her hand away. "I don't have much anymore. I sold a lot of my clothes when I thought I could pay off the debt with them. As it turns out, they weren't worth very much."
"Why are you in debt with him? What happened?" Blaise couldn't help but ask, though he worried it might scare her off. It didn't seem to, as she smiled and opened her mouth to speak.
"It's a long story," she said quietly. "And not a nice one either."
Blaise smiled softly. "I've got time."
"When Draco and I broke up... it was messy. Really messy. Everyone, including our parents, thought we were going to grow old together, and along the way marry and have children. Well, I didn't want to." Pansy paused as a group of people walked past them. "I threw the engagement ring he gave me into the river, and it turns out it was worth a hell of a lot."
"He's making you be a whore for him because you chucked away an engagement ring? Wait, sorry about the crude language."
"You're missing the point," Pansy said sadly. "It was his engagement ring, and you know what he's like about his possessions."
Blaise sighed; Draco was protective of everything he owned, even if he didn't like it. "How much do you owe?"
"A thousand galleons," she said meekly, and Blaise gasped -- it would take Pansy a long time to save up that much money, especially with only 30% of her cut going towards her debt.
"How close are you?"
Pansy shrugged. "Draco won't tell me. He says he'll notify me when the debt is cleared. I wish he would, though, I mean, I've been working there for two years and I want to know how much more time I have left."
"Bastard," Blaise found himself muttering. "He's a slimy git, that one."
A sad expression formed across Pansy's face, and she looked away from Blaise as she spoke. "Why do you care?"
"I’ve always considered you a good friend. Besides, anyone with a heart would care, Pans." He looked at her, and for a moment he thought he saw a flash of something in her eyes, but then it was gone. It was as though... no, it couldn't be. She didn't think he cared because she thought he fancied her, did she?
"A good friend?"
Blaise's suspicions were confirmed, and he wasn't sure how to respond to that. He thought she looked fantastic, and he'd always had a soft spot for her, but that was all it was, surely. And even if it wasn't, he highly doubted she'd ever want more, so he didn't really want to entertain the idea. "I've always had a soft spot for you," he shrugged. "You know that."
Pansy nodded. "I'm sorry I never paid any attention to you. I was too fixated on Draco to care about anyone else back then."
"We were teenagers," he said sadly, as though that excused all their actions. "The only trouble is, Draco's still acting like a very spoilt one."
"Oh well," she sighed. "There isn't much we can do about that."
Feeling sorry for her, Blaise leant in to give her a hug, but she seemed to get confused about what he was doing, and sloppily kissed him on the cheek instead. He pulled away, completely taken aback, and she looked very embarrassed.
"I'm sorry, I thought..." she started, but she was soon wrapping her coat as tightly around her as she could and standing up. "I've got to go."
"Wait --" Blaise tried to say, but his voice was lost in the loud windy air, and soon she'd disappeared around some corner or other. He wanted to tell her he didn't mind, and had he not been so surprised by it, he would have reciprocated. Lord knows it was something he'd thought about a lot as a teenager.
*
Ever since the misguided kiss, Blaise hadn't been able to get Pansy out of his head. He replayed the situation over and over, and in most of them, he kissed back, enjoying it. He even started to imagine how it would feel and what she would taste like, surprising himself at how much he was obsessing over her again. When he'd got together with Daphne, all thoughts of Pansy had flown out of his mind, but now he was alone again and she was back in his life, he wasn't able to spend a waking moment without thinking about her.
It had been several days, and though he'd wanted to chase after her that afternoon, he realised she probably needed alone time to get over the embarrassment she likely felt. Blaise felt the only way he could get Pansy out of his head was if he saw her, and tried to straighten things out, to see where they stood with each other. At least if he found out she didn't like him like that -- perhaps her kiss was out of loneliness - then he could try and move on, but with him constantly going back and forth, he didn't know what to think.
That's why he found himself entering Heavenly Bodies that night, Draco smirking at him when he walked in. He saw Draco shoo away the receptionist, and turned to tend to Blaise himself.
"What can I do you for?" he said casually, as though he sold bottles of wine or Quidditch supplies.
"I think you know who I want to see," Blaise said darkly, feeling terribly uncomfortable around Draco since they'd stopped seeing each other daily.
Draco nodded. "Of course. She's been quite popular since the show night."
Ignoring this, Blaise took a handful of galleons out of his wallet and started to hand them to Draco. "Here. I'm sure this is more than enough, but make sure it all goes to her, okay?"
"Certainly," Draco smiled, though Blaise didn't trust him as far as he could throw him. "She's in room number three again, you can have her for an hour."
"No," said Blaise firmly, taking a few more galleons out of his wallet. "I want her for the whole night."
Draco didn't look pleased, and Blaise knew he rarely did this sort of thing, but Blaise was offering well over twice the amount it would cost to have Pansy for a night, and money had always been what had driven Draco. "Fine, but don't make a habit of it."
Nodding curtly, Blaise made his way to Pansy's room, composing himself slightly before he knocked on the door.
"Come in," a soft voice said, and he obeyed. She was laying on the bed, showing off her body to its full potential, but when she saw who it was, she hid under the duvet. "Blaise!"
"Sorry," he said, blushing and worried she might spot the growing erection in his trousers. "Don't worry, I've paid this time. I have you for the whole night."
Pansy looked a little miffed, probably because she was being talked about like that, and though he felt bad, he didn't want her to think this was another freebie. This whole situation was a touchy subject matter, and he was sure to offend her accidentally, so he made himself say what he felt, rather than skirting around issues.
"I'm sorry about the other day..." Pansy started, but Blaise shushed her.
"There's no need," he said boldly. "I came here mainly because I want to know where I stand, where we stand. I can't stop thinking about you, and I knew if I didn't come I'd drive myself crazy."
"I thought you were kissing me," she said softly, avoiding his gaze.
"And how did that make you feel?" Blaise prompted, feeling quite like a psychologist. "I mean, you reciprocated what you thought was a kiss, so... do you like me?"
Pansy sighed. "Why do we have to have this talk? It's not important."
"It's important to me," he replied.
"It's not as if it makes a difference to anything," she said, standing up and walking over to him. "I'm a whore, and you hardly want that as a girlfriend. Especially after a high society woman like Daphne..."
Blaise gulped, unsure of how to handle the situation. "I don't care what you do, or who you do, for that matter," he joked, then realised his mistake.
"This isn't a laughing matter." Her voice was raised and her eyes were stony. "This is my life. If you don't care, then why are you here?"
"No, don't get me wrong," he said quickly. "I care about you, I just meant... oh, nevermind. It's not worth it."
Pansy looked fuming. "What's not worth it? Me? If it's so not worth it, why don't you fuck off out of here then?"
"I've already told you," he said haughtily, losing patience with her growing anger. "If you'd just listen..."
"No," Pansy said firmly. "I want you out of here. Get out. Get out!" she screeched, pushing him against the door. He stared at her in disbelief for a moment, and then, out of nowhere, they both leant in and passionately kissed each other. He ran his fingers through her hair and she kept him steady against the door as she tugged on his trousers.
"I..." Blaise started to speak, but Pansy placed a finger on his lips.
"Not now," she said, grabbing him by his tie and leading him towards the bed. "We can talk later."
*
Blaise awoke the next morning by the winter sunshine coming through the blinds. He squinted a little at the brightness, slightly confused as to where he was, until he remembered the night that he'd had, and looked over to notice Pansy. She looked so peaceful in her sleep, breathing lightly in and out, and she looked truly happy. Blaise only wished he could make it so she was like that in her real life.
When he moved out of the bed to put his underpants and trousers on, Pansy stirred and turned to look at him. "Sorry," he whispered towards her, and she smiled at him.
"Morning," she said in her tired voice. "Last night was amazing."
Blaise smirked. "It sure was something."
"You're not going already are you?" she asked as he started to put his shirt and tie on.
"I have a few things to take care of," he replied, a plan forming in his head as to how to help Pansy. He knew he couldn't just give her the money to take care of the debt, not only because she didn't know how much she still owed, but also because she was a proud woman and he knew she wouldn't accept it. So, he'd decided he'd go to Draco, find out how much she still had left to pay, and pay it off for her. Then, after a couple of weeks, he could get Draco to give her the good news that she'd paid her debt off, and she'd never know about his help.
"I'll see you soon?" There was so much hope in her voice that Blaise didn't dare to say no, not that he'd planned on it anyway.
"Of course," he nodded as he leaned down to kiss her before heading out the door, slightly worried about how he was going to get Draco to keep schtum. With it being early in the morning, it was very quiet, and he checked Draco's usual haunts in the establishment, but couldn't find him. Eventually he knew he'd have to try the receptionist, though he didn't really want anyone knowing he was looking for Draco.
"Have you seen Draco around?" he asked quietly, and she shook her head.
"Sorry," she squeaked. "But feel free to wait in his office, he should be down soon."
Blaise obliged, making his way across the hall and shutting the door behind him. He took a seat opposite the luxurious one Draco usually occupied, and rolled his eyes; Draco always had cared more about himself than anyone else.
While he was sat there, he couldn't help nosing around, especially since Draco seemed to be taking his time. There were accounts and figures on the desk, and since he'd always been curious as to how much Heavenly Bodies made, and the exclusive clients that came, he looked over the parchment in front of him. He was surprised to see Bellatrix Lestrange as one of the clientèle, especially being a woman and supposedly dead, and it appeared she was one of the most frequent, too.
As he scrolled down the list, he noticed Pansy's name near the bottom. Confused, he took a closer look and was baffled by what he saw. It read "Pansy: 1,000 Galleons Original Debt, 5,423 Galleons made in the last two years." He looked over it again, sure he'd made a mistake, but he hadn't... it was right there. Pansy had paid her debt five times over, and Draco was keeping her there.
Suddenly the door opened and Draco greeted him with a smirk, and there was nothing Blaise could do to stop himself punching Draco in the face.
"What the --?" Draco called as he fell to the floor, clutching his face with blood now running down it. "What the hell do you think you're playing at?"
"Me?" Blaise scoffed. "Me? What about you?! Pansy has paid her debt five times over, yet she's still here and thinks she hasn't! Why? Why would you do that to her, Draco, why?"
Draco picked himself up off the floor, glaring at Blaise with venom. "I'll keep her here as long I bloody well like."
"No you fucking won't," Blaise spat, grabbing the parchment with Pansy's information on it and stuffing it into his pocket. "If you try to stop her leaving, or come after her at all, I'll release the names of all your anonymous clientèle. I'm sure the public would be very pleased to know Bellatrix Lestrange is still alive and a regular visitor."
"You wouldn't," Draco said darkly, though Blaise knew he wouldn't want to take the risk. If Blaise did release the names of the anonymous customers, they wouldn't want to come back because they'd been outed, and new customers wouldn't visit because of the Death Eaters. It would be the scandal of a lifetime, and Draco's business would come to an abrupt halt.
Blaise smirked. "Try me." There was a long pause as both boys glared at each other, Blaise seriously restraining himself so he didn't do anymore damage to Draco's smug face.
"Fine. Go." Draco said at last, scowling with all the muscles in his face. "I wouldn't want to keep that dirty tramp any longer, anyway."
This was too much for Blaise; a comment like that was too far below the belt, and he couldn't help but punch Draco in the face again. This time there was a lot more force behind it, and blood was running down Draco's face like a waterfall. As Blaise swiftly left his ex friend in a crumpled heap on the floor and made his way up to Pansy's room, he knew he wouldn't be bothered by him again.
Before entering, Blaise tapped on the door lightly. "Pansy?" he called as he stuck his head round the door. It appeared she'd fallen back to sleep again, as she was startled by the shutting of the door. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."
"Don't worry about it," she said quickly as she saw the time. "I need to be getting ready for work."
Blaise shook his head as he smiled at her. "No, love, you don't."
"I do," she stated blankly as she pulled a top over her head. "I'm due to start at nine o'clock."
"Not anymore you aren't," Blaise said, grinning at her like an idiot. "As it turns out, you paid your debt off a long time ago. In fact, you've paid your debt off five times over."
Pansy stopped in her tracks. "Five times over? What do you mean?"
"Here." Blaise passed her the parchment and watched as her face turned into a mixture of both delight that she was now free, and horror that Draco would do this to her.
"I can't believe --" she started to say, but sighed. "Actually, yes, I can."
"Come on," Blaise said as he got his wand out his pocket. "Let's grab your things and go. I'm not sure you want to spend a minute longer here than you have to. I'll do this half of the room, you do your clothes."
Pansy nodded, spelling all of her garments, which weren't all that many, into a trunk that appeared from under the bed. With magic, it only took them minutes to pack and be ready to go, and soon they were in standing in Knockturn Alley, outside Heavenly Bodies.
"You can stay with me for a few days until you get settled," Blaise said, leading her through the streets until they came to his first floor flat. "I have a spare bedroom, it's just through the living room." He pointed towards it as he opened the door, but she stayed frozen in the hallway. "What's wrong?"
"I'm not sure about this," Pansy said half heartedly, dropping her stuff. "I like you, but... I was a whore, Blaise. How can I ever be the kind of woman you want?"
"I've already told you, that doesn't matter to me." Blaise put down her things and leant against the doorjamb. "And do we have to have this conversation here, now?"
Pansy nodded. "Yes. I don't think it's fair of me to move in when I know nothing else can happen between us. That night was a mistake."
"But I think... I think I might..." Blaise knew what he wanted to say, but it just wasn't coming out.
"Love me?" Pansy shook her head. "No. Nobody could love me."
"Don't say that," said Blaise quietly, staring at her with despair in his eyes. "That's not true."
"Yes," Pansy said firmly, "it is." She spelled the bags that were by his side into her hand and picked up her own. "Thanks for the offer, but I'll find somewhere else to stay."
"Pansy, wait --" he shouted after her, but she was soon out of sight. "I think I love you," he whispered into the empty hallway, knowing he lost the love of his life for a second time.
Title: Indebted
Prompt: #122 Submitted by: thilia
Pairing: Blaise/Pansy
Rating: R
Warnings: Prostitution, lap dancing, stripping
Word Count: 6,305
Summary: When Draco offers Blaise a freebie at his establishment, Heavenly Bodies, he was not expecting to find his old friend Pansy amongst the girls.
Notes: Thank you to my beta.
Indebted
"Evening," Blaise said calmly as he sat down next to his best mate. "How's business?"
"Booming," Draco smirked, nodding towards the many men that were lined up. "I just got in four new girls, and everyone wants to give them a try."
Blaise cast his eyes around the room; there were posters of the new arrivals on display, and he had to admit, they were gorgeous. He didn't know how Draco did it, but he always seemed to get the best of the best for his establishment. "Do you still get many Death Eaters?"
Draco nodded. "But they come in through the back door, obviously. They don't get much skin when on the run, you know."
"I'm not surprised," Blaise snorted. It had been two years since Draco had first opened his business, an elite and expensive brothel, and part of the reason it did so well was that it preserved anonymity, if required. According to Draco, there were many surprises of those who'd turned up; he just wouldn't name them.
"If you want, I‘ll give you a freebie," Draco offered, leaning casually back in his seat. "It must be hard since Daphne dumped you. Not any of my new girls, mind."
Blaise shrugged. "Perhaps. I'm not sure about this prostitute business, Draco."
"Oh come on," Draco smirked, "that's Daphne talking. She was forever poisoning you about this place. I'm here to provide fun -- what's wrong with that?"
"Hmm," said Blaise, unconvinced but intrigued and horny as hell. "I suppose I could see what you've got to offer."
"Atta boy," said Draco, smiling as he got up and led Blaise through a series of corridors. When they finally stopped they were in a very long room with ten long glass boxes, and upon a click of Draco's fingers, the doors at the back of the glass boxes opened and naked women started walking through.
Blaise stared in disbelief for a few seconds, before his attention was caught by the girl in the first box. She was a pretty blonde, but her desperation was so raw that Blaise just wasn't interested. As he made his way down the line, all the women trying to impress him so he'd choose her, he found himself drawn to a dark haired woman. She was the eighth one along, but she didn't seem to have her heart in it as much as the others did. She was smiling, but it wasn't genuine, and she looked weary and tired, as though she didn't want to be there.
There didn't seem to be any way for Blaise to take his eyes off her; she was so different and unlike the rest that he liked the simplicity of her. He watched her for a few minutes, but when she looked him in the eye he got the shock of his life. "Pansy?"
Draco nodded behind him. "Yes, that's Pansy. She can't hear you, though."
"What's she doing working as a prostitute?" Blaise was utterly gobsmacked; he'd expected Pansy to walk straight out of Hogwarts and become a social butterfly, not a prostitute. It was so... beneath her.
"She owed me," Draco said casually, as though it didn't seem to matter to him.
Blaise turned around, feeling anger in the pit of his stomach. "Owed you? Owed you for what? She was our friend. Heck, she was your girlfriend, Draco!"
"So?" Draco shrugged. "It's none of your business, anyway. Now, which one do you want?"
"Pansy," Blaise said without thinking, turning back to her. In school he'd always had a soft spot for her, but she never seemed to notice him as she was so absorbed in Draco.
"Fine, here," said Draco as he passed Blaise a key card. "Room number three. You can have her for the whole night. She's not exactly popular with that face on her."
Before Blaise could say anything back, Draco had left the room, as had the women. He was feeling a little anxious as he hadn't seen Pansy in a couple of years, and under these circumstances it would be even more difficult. He persevered, though, and found himself standing outside room number three only seconds later. He wasn't sure whether he should knock or not, so he tapped lightly before using the keycard.
"Hi," Blaise said softly.
Pansy nodded to acknowledge his presence, but she didn't speak. She was smoking, a habit she didn't have back in school, and he had to admit he didn't find it attractive. It seemed to distract her, as she made patterns with her fingers when she blew out the smoke. "How would you like it?" she said after a few minutes silence.
"Sorry?" Blaise had forgotten why he was there.
"How would you like to fuck me? Or do you just want a blow job?"
The way Pansy talked about it was so obvious and crude; there was no subtlety at all and it was as though she just wanted to get it over and done with. "Perhaps we could talk first?"
Pansy stared at him, the rest of her body frozen. "Talk? Why would you pay to talk to me?"
"I miss you," he smiled at her. "Besides, I'm not even paying."
"What? You're not paying? Great. Now I don't get a cut towards my debt to Draco," Pansy said angrily, glaring at him.
"Sorry?" Blaise asked, confused as to her meaning.
Pansy sighed and rolled her eyes. "For every client, 30% of my earnings go towards my debt to Draco. If you're not paying, this is time I'm wasting when I could be getting my arse the fuck out of here."
"Oh," Blaise said quietly, realising Pansy really had been forced into this situation. "Why do you owe him?"
"Nevermind," Pansy said, shaking her head and putting out her cigarette. "So what do you want?"
Blaise chose to ignore her question and tried to talk to her as though they were in a pub or back at school. "How are you? Been up to much?"
"Are you serious?" Pansy said, laughing at him. "This is my life -- how do you think I am? And it's not as if I can do much with Draco keeping constant tabs on me, is it?"
Blaise shrugged.
"Look, what do you want?" she said fiercely, stubbing out her cigarette. "I'll do anything, but make it quick."
"I never really came to see you for sex, Pans. I can go if you'd like..."
"Yes," Pansy snapped, pointing to the door. "That would be lovely."
Blaise didn't say anything as he left, taking one last look at Pansy, but she was staring out of the window. She was so tense and different compared to the girl he knew at school, and yet he still felt drawn to her like a moth to a flame. He didn't want to stay any longer, for it was obvious he wasn't wanted, and he didn't want to cause her any more distress than she was clearly already in.
The next few days Blaise spent away from Draco, which for him was rather odd, as he usually made a point of seeing him every day. However, with everything that he'd seen from Pansy, he wasn't sure seeing Draco would be beneficial to anyone. He desperately wanted to see her again, to find out about the debt and if there was anything he could do to help, but ironically, Pansy had always been a proud woman. If he offered her money, she'd take it as an insult, and that was the last thing he wanted.
"Hello?"
Blaise turned around as Draco came out of the living room Floo. "It's rude to come unannounced," Blaise said tersely.
"Since when have you cared?" Draco asked, settling himself comfortably on Blaise's sofa. "What's wrong with you? I haven't seen you since the weekend."
"Observant, aren't you?" said Blaise. "I've been busy."
Draco snorted. "Of course. Anyway, I came here for a reason."
"What is it?" Blaise didn't really want this conversation; he wanted Draco out of here before he ended up punching him.
"I'm holding a show night," he said proudly. "A collection of my older and newer girls are ready to perform next week. Everything from stripping to lap dancing. It'll be quite the extravaganza."
"Quite," Blaise replied. "And why are you telling me?"
Draco shrugged. "I thought you might like to come, being single and all."
"Being single doesn't mean I don't get any sex, Draco," Blaise sighed. "Besides, it's not the end of the world if I didn't."
"Speak for yourself," Draco snorted, and then, after a moment of silence, "Pansy's in it."
Blaise looked Draco in the eye, wondering why he'd done that when Pansy clearly hated the place. "Why?"
"Hey, don't blame me," Draco said comically, holding up his hands, "she requested to be in it."
Blaise rolled his eyes. "Don't lie."
"I'm not," said Draco earnestly. "She wanted to do it because of the pay she'll get for it."
"Oh," Blaise said quietly, looking at the floor. That was why she was going to subject herself to such degradation, not just for the satisfaction of one man this time, but for a whole roomful. "I'll see."
"Good." Draco picked himself up off the sofa and walked over to the Floo. "And make sure you're out of that bloody bad mood by then -- it's next Saturday."
There wasn't any time for Blaise to have a go at Draco, or even to explain exactly why he was off with his best mate, as he was soon gone into the fireplace. He thought carefully about whether to attend, wanting to see Pansy and knowing he could support her by going, though he worried it might put her off if she saw another familiar face. He poured himself a small shot of Firewhiskey and downed it in one before heading to bed.
*
"Glad you came," Draco said as Blaise entered Heavenly Bodies. The place was packed, and he'd just arrived as the first show seemed to have started. "Here, have a program. Pansy isn't on for about half an hour, but after that, she's in nearly everything. Hopefully she won't have a face like a slapped arse for once, I mean, it really doesn't help her case."
"Neither do you," Blaise retorted.
Draco shrugged. "She owes me, mate. What was I to do?"
"Waiver it!" Blaise almost shouted, and Draco glared at him as several clients turned around to look at them. "You two were so close. What happened?"
"Life did," Draco said, and for the first time, Blaise felt a sense of pity at the second of sadness that crossed Draco's eyes. "I've got to go and greet some VIP clients. I'll catch you later?"
Blaise nodded as Draco disappeared into the crowd, his temporary pity already gone. He squeezed past the many men around him, walking further into the club, until he found an emptier area, further away from the stage. He ordered a drink from a passing waitress and set himself down at a table near the back. From there he had a good view of the women on the stage, knowing that they wouldn't be able to spot him.
The place was booming with music and catcalls while Blaise was waiting, and the time passed quicker than he'd thought it would. All of a sudden, the place went completely dark and there was silence. He looked up from his drink as a spotlight highlighted a woman on the stage. She was dark haired and scantily clad, and it didn't take Blaise a second to realise it was Pansy up there.
"Hey boys," Pansy shouted into the crowd. "Ready for some fun?"
Blaise watched the crowd go wild as the music came blaring out and Pansy started to dance. There was a pole at the side of the stage, which she seemed to have great fun twirling herself around. He hadn't known she could pole dance, but she seemed quite good at it. As she got down from the pole and started to strip in time to the music, he felt himself grow hard. She looked absolutely amazing, and she looked as though she was enjoying herself immensely, though he was convinced that wasn't true.
When her number ended, she winked sexily and blew the crowd a kiss, who were going absolutely crazy as she waggled her now naked form as she walked off the stage.
"I think that was her best performance yet."
Blaise turned and saw Draco had sat next to him, Firewhiskey in hand. "It was something," he remarked.
"At least she's got that face off," Draco said. "Perhaps she'll start earning a lot more now."
"How much does she owe?" Blaise asked tentatively.
Draco turned and stared at Blaise. "Why?"
"Just curious," Blaise shrugged, knowing he didn't want to show too much interest into Draco and Pansy's dodgy dealings.
"A lot," Draco said casually, and then started talking about a tantrum one of the newer girls had had. He whistled on for quite a while, Blaise nodding where it was needed, until the music changed, and on Pansy came again.
"I've got a treat for you," she said into the microphone. "Who here wants a free lap dance?"
The crowd went absolutely crazy for this, seemingly everyone and anyone putting their hands up and trying to attract her attention. Blaise didn't offer his, not wanting to put her off her game.
"Over here!" Draco yelled as loud as he could, and Blaise was about to turn around and ask why on earth he would want it when he owned the place, only to realise Draco's hand was pointed over his own head.
"What? No, Draco, don't," he said urgently, but Pansy was already making her way across the room. The crowd parted like the red sea for her, all with their tongues hanging out of their mouths. When Pansy got there, she looked surprised and a little taken aback, her smoldering smile disappearing for a moment, before it came back in full vengeance.
"So you want a lap dance, eh?" she said into the microphone. "How nice of your mate to ask for you. What's wrong, never had a real woman before?"
The crowd snickered, and Blaise turned bright red, though you could hardly tell in this place. He turned to his side to glare at Draco, but the bloody git had already fucked off and left him in it. Pansy was wearing a different set of clothes now, though he reasoned you could hardly call them clothes as most of her body was showing. She started to sway in front of him, soon moving into contact and pressing her breasts into his face.
"Relax and enjoy yourself," she whispered. "You're so tense."
She was right, he was tense, but only because the situation was so awkward.
"Where are you from?" she said into the microphone, pleasing the crowd as they watched her dance in front of him.
"You know where," he replied quietly, avoiding the gazes from the men that were staring at them.
"Aww," she mocked. "He's shy!"
Embarrassed not only for himself and Pansy, he shot up, almost knocking her to the floor. "I'm off," he said, taking one look at her stunned and hurt face before he headed for the door. The crowd were droning and booing him, but he didn't care, he just had to get out of there. It was all too much, and seeing Pansy like that distressed him. That wasn't her, and it never had been.
*
Blaise sat on one of the benches in Knockturn Alley, watching the people walking past him. It was cold and he could see his breath in the air, for it was nearly the end of November. People watching had always been a favourite past time of his, and it was something Pansy used to take the mickey out of him at Hogwarts for. And there he was, thinking about Pansy. Again.
"Oh, Pansy," he said quietly, sighing to himself.
"Yes?"
Speak of the devil, Blaise thought, as a woman nearly unrecognisable as Pansy sat down next to him. In spite of the cold, she wasn't wearing very much, just a short woolly jacket over a cropped top and a skirt with tights. "Aren't you cold?" he asked at last.
Pansy nodded. "Yes. What did you want? I heard you say my name."
"You weren't supposed to," he replied. "I was talking to myself, and I didn't expect you to be out, let alone right behind me."
"Me neither," Pansy laughed. "Draco hates me straying from the establishment. Worries I'll take my money and run. I wouldn't have put it past him to have someone follow me here."
"Is there a reason you're out?"
"I'm doing Draco's Christmas shopping," she sighed. "Everything from gifts for his parents to decorations for the club. He's either too lazy or too busy to do it, and between you and me, I think it's the former."
"Agreed," Blaise said.
"Oh well," Pansy shrugged. "It's not my money."
Blaise smiled at her. "You should buy something for yourself, a treat or something."
Pansy shook her head. "He'd notice. He checks the receipts against everything."
"Stingy bastard," Blaise muttered.
"That's Draco for you," chuckled Pansy, and they both went silent. They sat there for several minutes, not talking to each other and hearing the conversations of those who wondered past. It wasn't awkward, it felt comfortable, and it was like old times. "I'm sorry..." Pansy finally said.
"About what?" Blaise was confused; he didn't think she of all people had anything to be sorry for.
Pansy gulped. "The way I treated you when you first came to see me."
"Oh," Blaise said quietly. "Forget it, that was a mistake on my part."
"Either way," Pansy shrugged and lit up a cigarette. "I was just embarrassed and defensive."
Blaise didn't blame her, but he didn't want to insult her by saying that either. She was starting to appear like the girl he once knew, on the inside of course, and it was as though she was letting a part of her out that nobody had seen for years. He placed his glove covered hand on her near frozen one, and though he expected her to take her hand away, she didn't.
"You're warm," she said softly.
"You should have worn something weather appropriate," he noted, though he didn't want to lecture her.
Pansy took her hand away. "I don't have much anymore. I sold a lot of my clothes when I thought I could pay off the debt with them. As it turns out, they weren't worth very much."
"Why are you in debt with him? What happened?" Blaise couldn't help but ask, though he worried it might scare her off. It didn't seem to, as she smiled and opened her mouth to speak.
"It's a long story," she said quietly. "And not a nice one either."
Blaise smiled softly. "I've got time."
"When Draco and I broke up... it was messy. Really messy. Everyone, including our parents, thought we were going to grow old together, and along the way marry and have children. Well, I didn't want to." Pansy paused as a group of people walked past them. "I threw the engagement ring he gave me into the river, and it turns out it was worth a hell of a lot."
"He's making you be a whore for him because you chucked away an engagement ring? Wait, sorry about the crude language."
"You're missing the point," Pansy said sadly. "It was his engagement ring, and you know what he's like about his possessions."
Blaise sighed; Draco was protective of everything he owned, even if he didn't like it. "How much do you owe?"
"A thousand galleons," she said meekly, and Blaise gasped -- it would take Pansy a long time to save up that much money, especially with only 30% of her cut going towards her debt.
"How close are you?"
Pansy shrugged. "Draco won't tell me. He says he'll notify me when the debt is cleared. I wish he would, though, I mean, I've been working there for two years and I want to know how much more time I have left."
"Bastard," Blaise found himself muttering. "He's a slimy git, that one."
A sad expression formed across Pansy's face, and she looked away from Blaise as she spoke. "Why do you care?"
"I’ve always considered you a good friend. Besides, anyone with a heart would care, Pans." He looked at her, and for a moment he thought he saw a flash of something in her eyes, but then it was gone. It was as though... no, it couldn't be. She didn't think he cared because she thought he fancied her, did she?
"A good friend?"
Blaise's suspicions were confirmed, and he wasn't sure how to respond to that. He thought she looked fantastic, and he'd always had a soft spot for her, but that was all it was, surely. And even if it wasn't, he highly doubted she'd ever want more, so he didn't really want to entertain the idea. "I've always had a soft spot for you," he shrugged. "You know that."
Pansy nodded. "I'm sorry I never paid any attention to you. I was too fixated on Draco to care about anyone else back then."
"We were teenagers," he said sadly, as though that excused all their actions. "The only trouble is, Draco's still acting like a very spoilt one."
"Oh well," she sighed. "There isn't much we can do about that."
Feeling sorry for her, Blaise leant in to give her a hug, but she seemed to get confused about what he was doing, and sloppily kissed him on the cheek instead. He pulled away, completely taken aback, and she looked very embarrassed.
"I'm sorry, I thought..." she started, but she was soon wrapping her coat as tightly around her as she could and standing up. "I've got to go."
"Wait --" Blaise tried to say, but his voice was lost in the loud windy air, and soon she'd disappeared around some corner or other. He wanted to tell her he didn't mind, and had he not been so surprised by it, he would have reciprocated. Lord knows it was something he'd thought about a lot as a teenager.
*
Ever since the misguided kiss, Blaise hadn't been able to get Pansy out of his head. He replayed the situation over and over, and in most of them, he kissed back, enjoying it. He even started to imagine how it would feel and what she would taste like, surprising himself at how much he was obsessing over her again. When he'd got together with Daphne, all thoughts of Pansy had flown out of his mind, but now he was alone again and she was back in his life, he wasn't able to spend a waking moment without thinking about her.
It had been several days, and though he'd wanted to chase after her that afternoon, he realised she probably needed alone time to get over the embarrassment she likely felt. Blaise felt the only way he could get Pansy out of his head was if he saw her, and tried to straighten things out, to see where they stood with each other. At least if he found out she didn't like him like that -- perhaps her kiss was out of loneliness - then he could try and move on, but with him constantly going back and forth, he didn't know what to think.
That's why he found himself entering Heavenly Bodies that night, Draco smirking at him when he walked in. He saw Draco shoo away the receptionist, and turned to tend to Blaise himself.
"What can I do you for?" he said casually, as though he sold bottles of wine or Quidditch supplies.
"I think you know who I want to see," Blaise said darkly, feeling terribly uncomfortable around Draco since they'd stopped seeing each other daily.
Draco nodded. "Of course. She's been quite popular since the show night."
Ignoring this, Blaise took a handful of galleons out of his wallet and started to hand them to Draco. "Here. I'm sure this is more than enough, but make sure it all goes to her, okay?"
"Certainly," Draco smiled, though Blaise didn't trust him as far as he could throw him. "She's in room number three again, you can have her for an hour."
"No," said Blaise firmly, taking a few more galleons out of his wallet. "I want her for the whole night."
Draco didn't look pleased, and Blaise knew he rarely did this sort of thing, but Blaise was offering well over twice the amount it would cost to have Pansy for a night, and money had always been what had driven Draco. "Fine, but don't make a habit of it."
Nodding curtly, Blaise made his way to Pansy's room, composing himself slightly before he knocked on the door.
"Come in," a soft voice said, and he obeyed. She was laying on the bed, showing off her body to its full potential, but when she saw who it was, she hid under the duvet. "Blaise!"
"Sorry," he said, blushing and worried she might spot the growing erection in his trousers. "Don't worry, I've paid this time. I have you for the whole night."
Pansy looked a little miffed, probably because she was being talked about like that, and though he felt bad, he didn't want her to think this was another freebie. This whole situation was a touchy subject matter, and he was sure to offend her accidentally, so he made himself say what he felt, rather than skirting around issues.
"I'm sorry about the other day..." Pansy started, but Blaise shushed her.
"There's no need," he said boldly. "I came here mainly because I want to know where I stand, where we stand. I can't stop thinking about you, and I knew if I didn't come I'd drive myself crazy."
"I thought you were kissing me," she said softly, avoiding his gaze.
"And how did that make you feel?" Blaise prompted, feeling quite like a psychologist. "I mean, you reciprocated what you thought was a kiss, so... do you like me?"
Pansy sighed. "Why do we have to have this talk? It's not important."
"It's important to me," he replied.
"It's not as if it makes a difference to anything," she said, standing up and walking over to him. "I'm a whore, and you hardly want that as a girlfriend. Especially after a high society woman like Daphne..."
Blaise gulped, unsure of how to handle the situation. "I don't care what you do, or who you do, for that matter," he joked, then realised his mistake.
"This isn't a laughing matter." Her voice was raised and her eyes were stony. "This is my life. If you don't care, then why are you here?"
"No, don't get me wrong," he said quickly. "I care about you, I just meant... oh, nevermind. It's not worth it."
Pansy looked fuming. "What's not worth it? Me? If it's so not worth it, why don't you fuck off out of here then?"
"I've already told you," he said haughtily, losing patience with her growing anger. "If you'd just listen..."
"No," Pansy said firmly. "I want you out of here. Get out. Get out!" she screeched, pushing him against the door. He stared at her in disbelief for a moment, and then, out of nowhere, they both leant in and passionately kissed each other. He ran his fingers through her hair and she kept him steady against the door as she tugged on his trousers.
"I..." Blaise started to speak, but Pansy placed a finger on his lips.
"Not now," she said, grabbing him by his tie and leading him towards the bed. "We can talk later."
*
Blaise awoke the next morning by the winter sunshine coming through the blinds. He squinted a little at the brightness, slightly confused as to where he was, until he remembered the night that he'd had, and looked over to notice Pansy. She looked so peaceful in her sleep, breathing lightly in and out, and she looked truly happy. Blaise only wished he could make it so she was like that in her real life.
When he moved out of the bed to put his underpants and trousers on, Pansy stirred and turned to look at him. "Sorry," he whispered towards her, and she smiled at him.
"Morning," she said in her tired voice. "Last night was amazing."
Blaise smirked. "It sure was something."
"You're not going already are you?" she asked as he started to put his shirt and tie on.
"I have a few things to take care of," he replied, a plan forming in his head as to how to help Pansy. He knew he couldn't just give her the money to take care of the debt, not only because she didn't know how much she still owed, but also because she was a proud woman and he knew she wouldn't accept it. So, he'd decided he'd go to Draco, find out how much she still had left to pay, and pay it off for her. Then, after a couple of weeks, he could get Draco to give her the good news that she'd paid her debt off, and she'd never know about his help.
"I'll see you soon?" There was so much hope in her voice that Blaise didn't dare to say no, not that he'd planned on it anyway.
"Of course," he nodded as he leaned down to kiss her before heading out the door, slightly worried about how he was going to get Draco to keep schtum. With it being early in the morning, it was very quiet, and he checked Draco's usual haunts in the establishment, but couldn't find him. Eventually he knew he'd have to try the receptionist, though he didn't really want anyone knowing he was looking for Draco.
"Have you seen Draco around?" he asked quietly, and she shook her head.
"Sorry," she squeaked. "But feel free to wait in his office, he should be down soon."
Blaise obliged, making his way across the hall and shutting the door behind him. He took a seat opposite the luxurious one Draco usually occupied, and rolled his eyes; Draco always had cared more about himself than anyone else.
While he was sat there, he couldn't help nosing around, especially since Draco seemed to be taking his time. There were accounts and figures on the desk, and since he'd always been curious as to how much Heavenly Bodies made, and the exclusive clients that came, he looked over the parchment in front of him. He was surprised to see Bellatrix Lestrange as one of the clientèle, especially being a woman and supposedly dead, and it appeared she was one of the most frequent, too.
As he scrolled down the list, he noticed Pansy's name near the bottom. Confused, he took a closer look and was baffled by what he saw. It read "Pansy: 1,000 Galleons Original Debt, 5,423 Galleons made in the last two years." He looked over it again, sure he'd made a mistake, but he hadn't... it was right there. Pansy had paid her debt five times over, and Draco was keeping her there.
Suddenly the door opened and Draco greeted him with a smirk, and there was nothing Blaise could do to stop himself punching Draco in the face.
"What the --?" Draco called as he fell to the floor, clutching his face with blood now running down it. "What the hell do you think you're playing at?"
"Me?" Blaise scoffed. "Me? What about you?! Pansy has paid her debt five times over, yet she's still here and thinks she hasn't! Why? Why would you do that to her, Draco, why?"
Draco picked himself up off the floor, glaring at Blaise with venom. "I'll keep her here as long I bloody well like."
"No you fucking won't," Blaise spat, grabbing the parchment with Pansy's information on it and stuffing it into his pocket. "If you try to stop her leaving, or come after her at all, I'll release the names of all your anonymous clientèle. I'm sure the public would be very pleased to know Bellatrix Lestrange is still alive and a regular visitor."
"You wouldn't," Draco said darkly, though Blaise knew he wouldn't want to take the risk. If Blaise did release the names of the anonymous customers, they wouldn't want to come back because they'd been outed, and new customers wouldn't visit because of the Death Eaters. It would be the scandal of a lifetime, and Draco's business would come to an abrupt halt.
Blaise smirked. "Try me." There was a long pause as both boys glared at each other, Blaise seriously restraining himself so he didn't do anymore damage to Draco's smug face.
"Fine. Go." Draco said at last, scowling with all the muscles in his face. "I wouldn't want to keep that dirty tramp any longer, anyway."
This was too much for Blaise; a comment like that was too far below the belt, and he couldn't help but punch Draco in the face again. This time there was a lot more force behind it, and blood was running down Draco's face like a waterfall. As Blaise swiftly left his ex friend in a crumpled heap on the floor and made his way up to Pansy's room, he knew he wouldn't be bothered by him again.
Before entering, Blaise tapped on the door lightly. "Pansy?" he called as he stuck his head round the door. It appeared she'd fallen back to sleep again, as she was startled by the shutting of the door. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."
"Don't worry about it," she said quickly as she saw the time. "I need to be getting ready for work."
Blaise shook his head as he smiled at her. "No, love, you don't."
"I do," she stated blankly as she pulled a top over her head. "I'm due to start at nine o'clock."
"Not anymore you aren't," Blaise said, grinning at her like an idiot. "As it turns out, you paid your debt off a long time ago. In fact, you've paid your debt off five times over."
Pansy stopped in her tracks. "Five times over? What do you mean?"
"Here." Blaise passed her the parchment and watched as her face turned into a mixture of both delight that she was now free, and horror that Draco would do this to her.
"I can't believe --" she started to say, but sighed. "Actually, yes, I can."
"Come on," Blaise said as he got his wand out his pocket. "Let's grab your things and go. I'm not sure you want to spend a minute longer here than you have to. I'll do this half of the room, you do your clothes."
Pansy nodded, spelling all of her garments, which weren't all that many, into a trunk that appeared from under the bed. With magic, it only took them minutes to pack and be ready to go, and soon they were in standing in Knockturn Alley, outside Heavenly Bodies.
"You can stay with me for a few days until you get settled," Blaise said, leading her through the streets until they came to his first floor flat. "I have a spare bedroom, it's just through the living room." He pointed towards it as he opened the door, but she stayed frozen in the hallway. "What's wrong?"
"I'm not sure about this," Pansy said half heartedly, dropping her stuff. "I like you, but... I was a whore, Blaise. How can I ever be the kind of woman you want?"
"I've already told you, that doesn't matter to me." Blaise put down her things and leant against the doorjamb. "And do we have to have this conversation here, now?"
Pansy nodded. "Yes. I don't think it's fair of me to move in when I know nothing else can happen between us. That night was a mistake."
"But I think... I think I might..." Blaise knew what he wanted to say, but it just wasn't coming out.
"Love me?" Pansy shook her head. "No. Nobody could love me."
"Don't say that," said Blaise quietly, staring at her with despair in his eyes. "That's not true."
"Yes," Pansy said firmly, "it is." She spelled the bags that were by his side into her hand and picked up her own. "Thanks for the offer, but I'll find somewhere else to stay."
"Pansy, wait --" he shouted after her, but she was soon out of sight. "I think I love you," he whispered into the empty hallway, knowing he lost the love of his life for a second time.