And Then He Was Gone

One Night

"Can one night really change the world? Hell no, but it can make it a lot more interesting."

~Ashley LeeAnn Fredrick

"All we need is mud and a camera and we're good to go."

~Justin McClure (8^th grade GT)

It was raining again, the third time this week. It seemed even the weather knew something was coming. The puddles on the pavement made his feet drag beneath him. The end of his cape was soaked and weighing him down. Harry knew it was coming; the final stand.

No one was out and about this time of night. It wasn't safe anymore; it hadn't been for a long time. But at least people could still sleep; for Harry sleep was not an option. He didn't know where he was going until he found himself, hand raised, right in front of her door. He needed to talk, and right now she was the only one he wanted to talk to.

"Harry?" she asked opening the door before he had a chance to knock. "You're soaking, Potter, come in. If you drip on my carpet I'll hurt you, so keep it on the mat," she shouted at him as she walked off down the hall to get him a towel.

Harry hadn't been in her house in a while. The last time he was here was when they had moved her in three years ago, right after they graduated from Hogwarts. That was a year before Dumbledore was killed, Harry remembered. It had been a long war and a lot of lives had been lost, but none as great and as important to Harry as Dumbledore.

"Here," she said handing him a towel.

"I could've just used my wand," he said just now thinking of it.

"It's too risky. You know this area isn't as well protected as where you all live," Pansy said sitting herself on the couch and trying not to laugh at him struggling to dry himself on in the doorway.

"We told you we'd all feel better if you'd move," he said sitting beside her after drying himself.

"No, I'm too stubborn to move my ass out of this place. This is my home, Harry; no one is taking me away from here. Besides, I like it when you all invent excuses to come and check up on me; it's very entertaining, on my part."

"It's almost here," he said changing subject. "You can feel it, everywhere. Even mother nature knows it's coming," he said signaling out the window.

"I know," she said looking out the window at the pouring rain. "But one day the sun will come out again. Isn't that what you Gryffindors always say?" she asked turning back to him.

"You should go live in a dungeon; it's so much like your personality. Just make sure you take Malfoy with you."

"Harry James Potter!" she screeched tossing a pillow from the couch at him. "Take that back."

"No, I don't want to," he said laughing.

"Take it back," she insisted offended.

"Oh, come on," he sighed straightening his glasses. "Like you Slytherin lot care what people think about you anyway."

"Of course we care what people think of us, that's what Slytherins care about! You've got it all mixed up, Potter."

"Whatever, Parkinson," he said leaning back on the couch.

"Are you ready for all this, Harry?" she asked a moment later.

"I think. I mean, I've been training for it."

"That doesn't mean you're ready to just go and kill a person. And, not matter what theory you believe, You-Know-Who is a person, Harry; a living, breathing, human being."

"Yes, but I've been brought up these past years to despise him. He killed my parents," he said turning to look at her. "He's the enemy, Pansy."

"Well, Malfoy was raised his whole life to hate everyone, but I saw him holding back emotion the day Blaise died. Just because you trained for it doesn't mean you're ready for it."

"There's nothing I can do about it. I'm the only one who can bring him down."

"Just don't do anything stupid, Potter. If you die before he does we're all screwed," she scolded.

"Would you murder me if I did something stupid?"

"If you weren't already dead, yes," she replied. "And if Granger didn't get to you first. You're very important to the cause, Harry. And a hell of a lot of people care about you, that's for sure. Just follow your instincts, they can't lead you astray."

"Follow my instincts, that's your advice?"

"It's the only advice I have to give."

"It's not bad advice. Sometimes...when you get...err...caught up in the moment you can't think straight. So, following you're...you're instincts...would work rather well."

"Do people get caught up in the moment a lot?" she asked noticing the atmosphere of the air change around them.

"I don't know," he said. Before either could think about it they were intertwined on the couch in an addicting kiss. Harry's lips were soft to the touch, just like Harry. He took it slowly at first, and then, as more passion heatedly filled him, he kissed with more force. Pansy was so caught up she let all thoughts of the war slip from her mind. That night the two allies spent in ecstasy; away from the pain, the grief, and the war.

When they awoke in the morning, before the truth of what they had just done sunk in, they both felt at peace. They knew that the war could mean freedom; freedom from being inside before dark and making sure who you were associating with wasn't under Polyjuice. If they won, they could bring life back into the wizarding world. And Pansy thought of how glad she would be that she chose the right side if they won. And they will, she thought turning to look at Harry, I know it.