Redemption

Back to School

The flight back was uneventful. Pansy took Dudley to the Manor by side-along apparition and they spent the night together. Her house-elf gave her the Hogwarts letter which had arrived during their voyage. Dudley assumed he had a similar letter from his school at his parents' house.

"Can I escort you for your school shopping?" he asked Pansy.

"Of course!" she smiled at him. Despite having passed through Diagon Alley a few times, Dudley had not visited any of the shops and she knew how much he wanted to.

"We must still go to your house first. Your mother is waiting," she reminded him.

Dudley felt ashamed that he hadn't really missed his parents. He had used his mobile phone to keep his mother from worrying too much, but he wasn't looking forward to the interrogation about the trip to Canada, which she would surely subject him to. He was also finding it more and more difficult to hide the fact that Pansy was a witch. He dreaded letting it slip, yet he was sure this would happen eventually, and not too far in the future.

They used the car to reach Privet Drive. It wasn't very far, really – less than two hours on the road. "I can apparate us both, but your mother may become suspicious of not knowing how I come and go, especially since she knows about the magical world," Pansy said.

Petunia welcomed them both with hugs and kisses before looking them over. "You both look wonderful! This trip has done you good, I'm sure," she said. "How are your parents?"

"They're going to spend a few more weeks in Canada, until the weather there becomes too cold."

"Will you let me know when they come home? We need to meet them now that you're engaged."

Dudley really hoped this could wait for some time. "We're not going to get married until next summer. Why hurry?"

Petunia smiled at him as if he was a small child. "Wedding preparations take time, you know. I'm sure her parents would like a fancy wedding for their only daughter."

"I was actually thinking of a very modest wedding with only the parents and a handful of close family and friends – less than ten total," Pansy noted.

"Have you talked with your parents about it?"

"Not yet. We both still need to finish school before setting the date, you know. Besides, we can just live together until we want children."

This was not the kind of answer Petunia was expecting from a well-bred, high-class young woman and her shock was visible.

"Why, have you not lived with your husband before getting married? I know you had Dudley less than a year after your wedding," Pansy commented.

Petunia changed colors. She couldn't deny the facts, even if she would have liked to. She just nodded and turned to make some tea, grateful that she had an excuse to not show her face until it returned to its normal color.

As expected, Dudley found a letter from Smelting. It was practically identical to the one he got a year earlier and he already had most of the items on the list. He only needed to buy two books, which were different than the previous list, and update his school wardrobe.

Pansy didn't need much either. She only needed the books for Muggle Studies and for DADA, as these were not really taught by the Carrows. She didn't need a wardrobe update either, as her measurements had stabilized about two years earlier.

Dudley enjoyed accompanying Pansy for her shopping. He could never have enough of the fascinating views seen at Diagon Alley, although he was no longer overwhelmed by them. Pansy repaid by accompanying him for his shopping. The muggle world was still fascinating for her, despite the months she had already spent in it.

The last day of the summer vacation never came so quickly. The two lovers decided to spend the whole day together in Pansy's manor.

"I'll miss you," Dudley told her.

"I'll miss you too, and I don't know how to keep in touch with you. Owls will be too conspicuous at your school and I can't use the cellular phone at Hogwarts. Well, maybe Hermione can help me with that."

"Are you friends with Hermione?" Dudley wondered.

"We've been practically enemies before the war. I never though I would associate with her. Now she seems to be much closer and I really hope we can become friends. Well, I never thought I'll fall in love with a muggle, and Harry Potter's cousin, to boot."

"I never thought I'd fall in love with a witch either, especially considering my parents, yet here I am, planning to marry one." Dudley smiled, love shining in his eyes.

"Can I come and visit you at school during weekends? You'll need to show me where it is, though, before I can do it."

"We can drive there." Dudley no longer had any hesitations about driving, after having driven so much in Canada.

"Do we have enough time to do it now?"

Dudley glanced at his watch. "Sure! It only takes about an hour driving from here."

After they parked near the Smelting High School, Pansy took a good look at all the side alleys, eventually finding a place which seemed secluded enough to allow apparition with minimum risk of discovery. Dudley also confirmed that it wasn't used by students to hide, as it housed mainly trash bins of various sizes, giving off a very unpleasant smell.

"So, if you don't mind the odor that may stick a bit, I can visit you almost every weekend," Pansy smiled.

"I'll love it!"

They parted in front of 4 Privet Drive, both feeling a bit down.

Dudley found it difficult to fall asleep alone in his bed, after becoming accustomed to Pansy's constant presence at his side. Although it had been merely hours, he already missed her badly.

Platform 9¾ was much quieter than normal. Pansy missed some of the excited noise. She couldn't say she missed some of her classmates, though. Among the boys, only Malfoy arrived, looking extremely subdued. His arrogance was gone completely and he seemed hesitant whenever somebody passed close to him. Most of the girls arrived, though, with Millicent being the exception. Pansy wasn't surprised. Millicent was the worst student in their class. She would have been sent away long before, if it wasn't for Snape. Now, without her protector and with her family name disgraced, she had no reason to come to Hogwarts.

Yet Pansy was looking for other faces. Her eyes landed on a group of reporters. They were surrounding a young man with black hair and green eyes, who seemed to be extremely annoyed. She didn't think much as she made her way to Harry's side. "Please leave Lord Potter alone!" she said in an authoritative tone. "He will give interviews when he will feel it was right, not a moment earlier!"

Harry seemed both surprised and thankful for her interference. Some reporters weren't easily deterred, though. "What authority do you have to say this?" one asked.

Pansy didn't have to think. "I'm his public relations manager. If you need to know anything about Lord Potter, you should contact me first."

As if to emphasize her words, she grabbed Harry's arm and led him to the nearest compartment in the train.

"Thank you, Ms. Parkinson," Harry said to her.

"No need for thanks, although you really seem to need some help in your public relations. And please call me just Pansy. After all, we're going to be related soon."

Harry smiled reluctantly, some surprise evident in his expression. "Dudley proposed?"

Pansy showed him her ring. "Well, that looks serious," Harry said. "Do his parents know you're a witch?"

"We didn't dare tell them until now. Your aunt is quite smart, though. I won't be surprised if she suspects it."

"Well, that can be really interesting."

"Will you stand by us if we need it?" Pansy wasn't so sure about it, despite her ameliorating relations with Harry.

"I will, although I'm not sure I can help much, considering how much they hate me." His bitterness was evident.

"I don't think your aunt hates you. There's something else there, something I don't yet know."

They were interrupted as Hermione and Ron came into the compartment. Ron's expression turned furious as he saw Pansy, but a sharp gesture from Hermione made him shut his mouth before he had a chance to say anything.

Hermione hugged Harry, as usual, and then turned to Pansy. "I wasn't sure if you'll join us this year. I've heard rumors you left the country."

"Dudley and I went to visit my parents and my grandparents in Canada, but we both need to complete our formal education," Pansy explained.

"So, you're still together?"

"And intending to make it for the rest of our lives." Pansy showed her ring to Hermione, who gasped in surprise.

"I would have never thought you'd marry a muggle!"

"Neither would I," Pansy agreed, "yet here I am, engaged to Harry's cousin."

This was too much for Ron to keep quiet. "You're engaged to that pig?"

He knew immediately he was in trouble, as both girls turned to face him with cold fury in their eyes. For a moment, Pansy looked and acted just the way she had been before the war. "For your information: my fiancé is a big and strong man, not a pig. If you ever insult him again, I'm going to turn you into a pig."

"Sorry! Please forgive me. It's just that the only time I saw him he really looked and acted... that way."

"He came to give last honors to Fred," Harry said quietly, "and so did Pansy."

Mentioning Fred was like an icy shower for Ron. His face turned sombre and his eyes became dull. "Sorry. I was in no state to notice anybody at that time."

Their conversation continued. Ron overcame his dark mood after a while and joined it. Seeing Hermione accept Pansy made him accept her presence as well, although reluctantly.

Pansy's association with Potter seemed to be the hottest topic for the first week of school. The two former enemies seemed to be on very good terms with each other. They could be seen doing homework together, usually with Hermione as well, or just talking amiably. Ginny didn't understand at first. She thought Pansy had stolen Harry from her, until Hermione told her, "She's engaged to Harry's cousin and is trying to learn some more about his family and about the muggle way of life in general."

"Why isn't Harry with me, then?"

Hermione sighed. "Ginny, you've parted after Dumbledore's funeral. I know he likes you, but not as a girlfriend. He prefers to see you as a little sister." Ginny frowned. "Well, maybe not so little, but still a sister, not a lover."

"But why?" Ginny was almost whining.

Hermione shrugged. "I don't think even he knows why. Human beings are quite complex, you know, and the way Pansy has changed is just another indication of that."

The first weekend, immediately after breakfast, Pansy apparated to Smelting as soon as she left Hogwarts grounds. The secluded ally seemed even more deserted than when first seen, and she had no problem reaching the Smelting entrance, where she asked to see Mr. Dudley Dursley.

She needed to wait a few minutes, yet Dudley came running. "I didn't expect you so early," he smiled at her.

"I missed you," she said plainly. "I came here as soon as I could, and you know that traveling my way doesn't take long."

"I missed you too. I'm glad you came early. Do you have any plan?"

Pansy shrugged. "Just being with you." She then smiled seductively, "We may find a hotel room in town and..."

He hugged her tightly. "No need to bother. I have my own room here and am allowed to bring in visitors, as I'm of-age already. We only need to be discreet."

Pansy smiled happily. Dudley led her on a short tour of the Smelting school and grounds, before inviting her to his private room. Pansy used her wand to silence the door and the walls. She then turned it to his bed, making it wide enough for two.

They skipped lunch, preferring to bask in each-other's company in lieu of eating. They only left his room shortly before dinner. Dudley accompanied her out and they shared a long kiss before Pansy grabbed her wand and disappeared.