Permanent Scars

Chapter eighteen

Draco ran back to the castle, tears falling from his eyes. He didn't stop running until he got to his room. He went in, closed the door, and lay down on his bed.

The thought that Potter had touched his face, felt the hideous scars under his fingers, was too much for Draco. He felt humiliated, devastated. He never wanted anyone to touch his face, to actually feel how ugly he now was.

Draco was also confused about Harry's feelings. Harry had said he was gay, and then he'd stroked Draco's face. Did that mean that Harry liked him? Could Harry possibly have feelings for him?

Just then he heard a knock on the door.

"Malfoy, it's me. Can I talk to you, please?" Harry pleaded.

"Go away, Potter. Haven't you humiliated me enough?"

Harry begged, "Let me in; we need to talk. Please."

Pansy was on her way to Draco's room when she spotted Harry in the hallway pounding on Draco's door. She could hear Harry pleading with Draco, to PLEASE forgive him and open the door. Wondering what the hell was going on, Pansy approached Harry.

"What are you doing here, Potter? What's going on?" demanded Pansy.

Harry ignored her and kept pounding on the door.

Draco, having heard Pansy's voice, opened the door for her. She scurried in, and then Draco quickly shut the door before Harry could come in too.

Harry knew that it was useless to try to talk to Draco, now that Pansy was there. Despondently, he turned and walked down the hall, back to the Gryffindor common room.

The first thing Pansy said to Draco when she got into the room was, "What in the hell is going on here? Why was Potter pounding on your door? What happened?"

Draco walked over and sat on the couch. Clearly upset, he dropped his head into his hands and sighed.

Pansy quickly went over, and putting her arm around his waist to comfort him, said, "What's going on?"

Draco looked at Pansy, and could saw that she really wanted to help.

Taking a deep breath, he answered, "Potter told me he was gay. And... I think he likes me."

Pansy sat there in stunned silence for a few minutes, then asked, "How do you feel about that?"

Draco looked surprised at the question, and then replied, "But I'm not gay."

Pansy replied, "I always thought there was a possibility that you might be. You seemed to get off more on the violence than on the actual sex."

Draco said, annoyed, "Don't you think I would know if I were gay?"

Pansy thought about it, and then said, "Not necessarily. Being a Malfoy, certain things have always been expected of you. Like being a Death Eater; there is no such thing as a gay Death Eater. It is unimaginable. You also know that you have an obligation to marry and have children. I think it's possible that you have been out of touch with how you really feel about things for a long, long time."

Draco looked at Pansy gob smacked. Could he really be THAT out of touch with his feelings? Was it possible that he was gay, but that he had never realized it?

Pansy continued, "If you think you might like Potter, why not give him a chance? You don't have anything to lose by it. Then, you would know one way or another."

"Pansy Parkinson! Are you actually suggesting that I start seeing a Gryffindor?" Draco's head was spinning from this turn of events.

Pansy looked earnestly into Draco's eyes, and said, "Draco, all I want is for you to be happy. That's it. And if Potter turns out to be the one that makes you happy, then I say, go for it."

Pansy got up to leave. "I better be going; I have a ton of homework. Think about what I said, okay?"

She hugged Draco, walked to the door, waved and was gone.

Draco dropped on the couch, completely dumbfounded. Should he do what Pansy suggested? Should he give Potter a chance?