Hardened: [Draco/Parvati]
Title: Hardened
Author: heron_advocate
Rating: PG
Pairing(s): Draco/Parvati, Draco/Pansy undertones
Character(s): Parvati Patil, Pansy Parkinson, Draco Malfoy
Summary: Pansy comes to Parvati for help.
Prompt(s): #23, 'shock,' for lions_serpents.
Word Count: 542
A/N: For iikhushi86ii. Hope you like. :)
There wasn't much that could shock Parvati anymore. She felt strangely old for her age. She didn't blink upon discovering that Draco had been trying to murder Dumbledore at the end of their sixth year. Nor did she flinch when she heard Hermione whisper that it was Snape who had done the deed.
When Pansy showed up at her doorstep, begging her to take Draco in, however...she'd needed to sit down after that one.
"I've always thought that you were the smartest Gryffindor, Parvati," she said, from beneath the hood of her concealing cloak.
Parvati didn't think she was lying. Strangely, she'd always been on a first-name basis with the girl, even if they weren't exactly the best of friends. They acknowledged each other's existence, and that was about the extent of it. Kind of an unspoken respect. Well, until now.
Even if she was lying, she sounded so desperate that Parvati couldn't bring herself to shut the door on her. Pansy was daft if she thought that everyone didn't know that Draco was in trouble - big trouble. Neither side wanted any part of him, now. And yet here she was, practically begging for her help.
"You must really need help to come to me," she blurted.
Pansy looked up then, and for the first time, Parvati saw her eyes. She looked tired, worn. Much older than she should have. Parvati sighed, a sigh of defeat.
"He can stay," she conceded. "On my terms."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
One week, and Parvati was ready to throw him out.
"Is this all the food you have?" he asked, turning his nose up at the bowl.
"Supplies are short," she responded succinctly, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice. He grimaced.
"Eat it, or starve. I don't care."
"You could at least try to be hospitable, Patil."
"I'm being more than hospitable. I'm not stupid, Malfoy. I know what kind of people are after you. Personally, I don't think you're worth it."
Draco paled. "Then why?"
"Because someone I respect was willing to risk her neck for you. I suppose she sees something in you worth saving."
He grew silent, staring down at the bowl in front of him. He began to eat - slowly, deliberately. Parvati turned to leave; his voice stopped her.
"She did risk her neck for me, didn't she?" he said thoughtfully.
"You know better than I what could happen to her."
He fell silent again. Just when Parvati was sure that the conversation had ended, he started again.
"And you are, too," he said in a confused tone.
"It's not as if I were safe without you here. Don't look too much into it," she said brusquely, waving her hand in dismissal.
His brow furrowed, as if struggling with something. "Well, thank you," he said quickly, with such an air of arrogance that she wondered if he was serious. Still, Parvati raised her eyebrows, surprised. She almost asked him about it, but she thought it better to not ruin the little bit of gratitude he'd shown. Instead, she left, acting as if he hadn't said anything at all.
As she walked away, she thought that perhaps there was a thing or two that could shock her, after all.
Author: heron_advocate
Rating: PG
Pairing(s): Draco/Parvati, Draco/Pansy undertones
Character(s): Parvati Patil, Pansy Parkinson, Draco Malfoy
Summary: Pansy comes to Parvati for help.
Prompt(s): #23, 'shock,' for lions_serpents.
Word Count: 542
A/N: For iikhushi86ii. Hope you like. :)
There wasn't much that could shock Parvati anymore. She felt strangely old for her age. She didn't blink upon discovering that Draco had been trying to murder Dumbledore at the end of their sixth year. Nor did she flinch when she heard Hermione whisper that it was Snape who had done the deed.
When Pansy showed up at her doorstep, begging her to take Draco in, however...she'd needed to sit down after that one.
"I've always thought that you were the smartest Gryffindor, Parvati," she said, from beneath the hood of her concealing cloak.
Parvati didn't think she was lying. Strangely, she'd always been on a first-name basis with the girl, even if they weren't exactly the best of friends. They acknowledged each other's existence, and that was about the extent of it. Kind of an unspoken respect. Well, until now.
Even if she was lying, she sounded so desperate that Parvati couldn't bring herself to shut the door on her. Pansy was daft if she thought that everyone didn't know that Draco was in trouble - big trouble. Neither side wanted any part of him, now. And yet here she was, practically begging for her help.
"You must really need help to come to me," she blurted.
Pansy looked up then, and for the first time, Parvati saw her eyes. She looked tired, worn. Much older than she should have. Parvati sighed, a sigh of defeat.
"He can stay," she conceded. "On my terms."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
One week, and Parvati was ready to throw him out.
"Is this all the food you have?" he asked, turning his nose up at the bowl.
"Supplies are short," she responded succinctly, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice. He grimaced.
"Eat it, or starve. I don't care."
"You could at least try to be hospitable, Patil."
"I'm being more than hospitable. I'm not stupid, Malfoy. I know what kind of people are after you. Personally, I don't think you're worth it."
Draco paled. "Then why?"
"Because someone I respect was willing to risk her neck for you. I suppose she sees something in you worth saving."
He grew silent, staring down at the bowl in front of him. He began to eat - slowly, deliberately. Parvati turned to leave; his voice stopped her.
"She did risk her neck for me, didn't she?" he said thoughtfully.
"You know better than I what could happen to her."
He fell silent again. Just when Parvati was sure that the conversation had ended, he started again.
"And you are, too," he said in a confused tone.
"It's not as if I were safe without you here. Don't look too much into it," she said brusquely, waving her hand in dismissal.
His brow furrowed, as if struggling with something. "Well, thank you," he said quickly, with such an air of arrogance that she wondered if he was serious. Still, Parvati raised her eyebrows, surprised. She almost asked him about it, but she thought it better to not ruin the little bit of gratitude he'd shown. Instead, she left, acting as if he hadn't said anything at all.
As she walked away, she thought that perhaps there was a thing or two that could shock her, after all.