Chapter 1
Tensions in the castle are high. Neville and Seamus get beat up so bad not even Hannah can heal everything. Ginny doesn’t sleep.
Luna’s still missing, and even though they know she’s not at Malfoy Manor, they’re all worried about her.
Pansy knows whatever’s going to happen will happen soon. Something’s going to snap. And when it does, they all have to be prepared for it.
The snap comes weeks after Easter. The passageway to the Hog’s Head opens while Pansy and Seamus are playing chess.
Ginny, Lavender, and Neville have placed their bets on who is going to win, but Pansy doesn’t really care if she wins or not. It’s just nice to have some semblance of normal.
But the passageway opens and their game is forgotten. Neville stands up, drawing his wand.
“I think Aberforth has company,” he says softly. With a glance at the others, he heads over to the passageway. Before he can do anything, they see two figures coming through. Limping through, really. As soon as the figures are close enough for the light of the RoR to hit them, Seamus is scrambling to his feet, choking out something between a laugh and a sob.
The first one is Dean Thomas.
Or at least, Pansy assumes it is based on the way Seamus practically throws himself at the newcomer as soon as he steps out of the passageway.
The newcomer barely even stumbles with the force of Seamus’s hug and hugs him back tightly. They’re both crying.
Since getting to know Seamus, Pansy has heard lots about his boyfriend. Or, the boy Seamus claims isn’t his boyfriend since they never had the chance to actually date, but who might as well be since they have a mutual understanding that they’re in love with each other.
The other figure slips out of the passageway behind them, and suddenly Pansy feels like crying, too. Because Luna’s back.
Ginny’s the one to throw her arms around the girl first.
Neville puts his wand away again as the four of them hug. When Ginny finally lets go of Luna, Pansy finds herself getting a hug from the girl. Merlin, she’s missed Luna.
Luna lets go of Pansy and hugs Neville next. Pansy sees Dean and Seamus are standing side by side, arms around each other and tears still drying on their faces. Dean reaches out and squeezes Ginny’s shoulder in greeting.
“It’s good to see you again, mate,” Neville says to Dean when he and Luna finish hugging.
“You too, Neville,” Dean says. His gaze falls on Pansy. “Er, hello?”
“Don’t worry, Dean,” Seamus tells his unofficial boyfriend. “She’s all bark and no bite.”
“Maybe the first thing you should tell him is that she’s on our side,” Neville mutters. “Just a thought!” he says when Seamus sends him a look.
“Are you?” Dean asks Pansy.
“Yes. And we won’t have a problem unless you hurt Seamus, okay?” she says, giving him the glare she’s perfected. Dean gulps and nods, but Seamus rolls his eyes.
“Again, all bark and no bite. She’s more of a healer, really,” he tells Dean.
“I’ll believe that when I see it,” Dean mumbles. It’s Neville’s turn to roll his eyes.
“Why is it everyone thinks you’re scarier than me?” he mutters to Pansy. She stifles a laugh.
“Because I’m a Slytherin, Nev. People should fear me, because I’ll grind up their bones if they make me mad,” she teases, wiggling her fingers at him like the Muggle versions of witches who do wandless magic. “Fee fi fo fum, etcetera etcetera,” she says. Neville laughs.
“How much did I miss?” Pansy hears Dean whisper to Seamus. Seamus just laughs and kisses his cheek. A faint blush darkens Dean’s cheeks.
“All you missed is Seamus pining over you,” Ginny says. “But then, I think you’re used to that by now.”
“Ginny I will kill you,” Seamus tells her. This time it’s Dean’s turn to laugh and Seamus’s turn to blush.
“I’d like to see you try!”
“As entertaining as this is,” Neville says, “I’m gonna go check on Aberforth. The tunnel should have closed by now.” He turns to the room at large.
“Everyone!” he yells. The quiet chatter in the RoR is silenced as everybody turns to him. “Something is happening. It might not be what we’re waiting for, but be ready anyway. I’ll be back in a bit.” With that, he leaves through the passageway.
Everyone’s quiet and they look at each other, at a loss for what to do. Pansy looks around at them, seeing that they’re all scared.
She squares her shoulders and stands up.
“You heard him!” she says. “Find your accountability partner and make sure they are here. If they’re not here, wait. Come tell Ginny or Luna and we’ll figure out what to do, yes?”
Accountability partners are something Luna had come up with. Everyone had a person they needed to communicate their location with, and they had to know where the other person was. It was also a good way to see if anybody was missing at times like this.
There’s a flurry of movement as people find their partners. Seamus looks over at Pansy from his place next to Dean.
“Look at you, taking the lead. That’s positively Gryffindor of you,” he teases. Pansy rolls her eyes and messes up his hair. He shoots her a mock glare as Parvati comes and stands next to him.
“Hi, accountability partner,” she says. “Hi, Dean!”
“Hi, accountability partner!” Seamus says back. Dean gives her a wave.
“Pansy, where’s your accountability partner?” Parvati asks, a wide smile on her face. She finds the concept funny since it’s something people would do for little kids.
“Oh, off risking his life, like usual,” Pansy says. To the rest of the room, she says, “Alright, now that that’s done, don’t go far. Make sure you have your wands on you.”
The wait for Neville to come back is agonizing. They all sit down again, Pansy and Seamus picking up their chess game again. Theo and Hannah join them.
Dean makes comments about Seamus’s chess ability and about how wizard’s chess is ‘so strange’.
“Most things in the wizarding world are,” Seamus shoots back, glaring at the board.
“Shouldn’t it make more sense for the people who grew up with them?” Dean asks.
“Nope,” Pansy says, taking Seamus’s knight. “Some things, yes, other things, not at all.”
“That clears it up, thanks,” Dean says drily.
“You’re welcome,” Pansy grins. “Checkmate, Seamus.”
“What?” Seamus stares at the board. “Oh, come on! Not again,” he groans but sticks his hand out for a handshake anyway.
“How are you so good at this game, Pansy?” Hannah asks. Pansy and Theo exchange a glance.
“Oh no. Not another strict pureblood child thing?” Ginny asks.
“You guessed it,” Theo sighs.
“When you have to find quiet ways to entertain yourself that are still seen as good uses of time, you get good at the few things that match those criteria real quick,” Pansy tells them.
“The more I hear about pureblood society, the more I wonder how any of you make it to 17,” Seamus mutters.
“It’s a struggle,” Theo deadpans.
"I think I'm gonna like you," Dean tells him. Theo grins.