And Then He Was Gone

Regret

"When someone makes fun of you remember,

It takes 49 muscles to frown,

But it only takes 4 to reach out and bitchslap them."

~Anyone on an off day

"Then, you sort of know the rest. The three lost Slytherins and their trail to glory, or death, as fate might have it," Pansy sighed sitting back against the chair.

"But I never saw anything between you and Malfoy, besides maybe friendship," Ginny put in after a long pause and some throat clears.

"Didn't want anyone to know I suppose. Besides, I'm not sure what it was; we never made it official. Something...more...just happened every once and a while."

"Then how do you know you loved him," Ron put in a bit bitter. "I couldn't imagine anyone loving Malfoy."

"And I couldn't imagine me ever being friends with all of you, but things change. I always thought of Malfoy as a spoiled brat in his younger days, too. I never thought I'd go around snogging him."

"If I thought it was the food making me sick before, now it's the image of that," Ron said dramatically.

"Oh, Ron, stop," Hermione scolded him. "I think it sounds sweet, Pansy; you and Malfoy were perfect for each other. And, if this insufferable git over here would have taken the time to get to know Malfoy, even a little bit, he would've figured out he's not so bad."

"I don't think he's dead," Harry spoke up for the first time.

"He's dead, Harry, or he would've come back," Charlie put in as well.

"I think he was frightened and he used the war as an excuse to run. I don't think he thought he was good enough for you," Harry said taking a sip of his champagne.

"Oh come off it, Potter. You make me sound like some saint, and I'm not. If he didn't come back, and he is still alive, it's because he didn't want me," she said, her conscience hating her for sharing so much with them.

"I never thought I'd see the day a Slytherin called themselves below someone's standards," Ginny put in pointedly.

"Malfoy wasn't just anyone," she sighed. "Listen, I'm perfectly content with how my life is. I don't want to mess it up, and I don't want to be the cause for messing up yours either."

"Oh come on," Harry said. "Like we've got anything else to do? We need excitement and adventure back in our lives; I'm going crazy without it."

"Then you do what you like," Pansy said stubbornly standing. "I will not take part in it nor will I acknowledge his presence if you found him and he did come back! Now, go, you've all got work in the morning and I'm tired of this bickering."

"Are not," Ron accused. "You're a sodding Slytherin, you love to bicker!"

"Ron, perhaps she's right. We've taken our toll on her for the night. Besides, we found out what we wanted to know; she misses Malfoy," Hermione said getting up and taking Ron's arm gently.

"I do not miss him," she said following the small party to the door.

"Then why can't you move on with life?" Hermione sneered at her.

"Well, the war...." she started.

"Oh, the war my arse," Ginny said as she made her way out the door. "We are not in Hogwarts anymore, Pansy. You're not controlled by you're parents; you are allowed to have feelings. You're allowed to fall in love."

"How can you love someone, Ginny, when you don't know what love is?"

"You know what it is. It's staring directly into your eyes. The only problem is that you're too stubborn to open them and look straight ahead of you," Harry said helping Ginny out the door.

"Pansy, as much as I want to back you up on this, they're right. Except for maybe Ron," Charlie said heading out the door as well.

"You all are complete thick-headed nitwits if you honestly believe me to miss someone. You could fall off a cliff right now and I might just consider going to your funeral," she said outraged. "What Malfoy and I had was a brief outbreak of hormones and lust, nothing more. Ignore what I said because I must have been insane. Try and mind your own damn business from now on," she screeched slamming the door in the five startled faces.

The cloaked figure watched from the corner as the five left the house. The figure couldn't help but smile at the fact that she had slammed the door in their face, just like old times. Hastily, the figure Apparated unnoticed and appeared down from an old block of buildings, time for the moment of truth.

"Damn you, bastards," the figure whispered shaking his head before entering through a rotten door.