9The last day of exams. Pansy knew it had to come, but it still shocks her how quickly the time passed by. Walking up to Harry's slightly ajar door she watches as he packs up his belongings. Taking a deep breath, she knocks on the door and pushes it open.
"I thought your last exam wasn't over until…" he begins, a smile on his face. Looking up, Harry's smile instantly vanishes. "What do you want?"
Wringing her hands Pansy replies, "I don't know. I just wanted to see you, talk to you." A hopeful smile tries to make its way onto her face, but it falters at Harry's glare.
"We don't have anything to talk about. You made that quite clear," he says sullenly turning back to his packing.
"Please, just…"
"Just what?" he angrily retorts.
Voice trembling she asks, "Can you look at me? Please?"
Sighing heavily Harry once again turns towards her. "What?" he harshly asks.
Pansy stands there frozen, unable to reconcile the person in front of her with the person she's grown to know.
Shaking his head Harry continues, "I don't have time for this. For you."
"I thought we had all the time in the world," Pansy says. "That's what you told me," she whispers.
Scoffing at her statement Harry replies, "Yeah, I did say that. But then I found out your parents were shipping you off to the middle of nowhere!" His fury bleeds through his words.
Eyes narrowing in anger Pansy retorts, "You think I'm happy?! You think I want to leave?"
"I haven't heard you complain."
Moving closer to Harry and invading his personal space she says, "You haven't let me near you since you found out. I've been trying to explain, but you keep shutting me out."
Looking straight into her eyes Harry asks, "Did something change? Are you suddenly not leaving?"
Pansy stares silently at him, forcing herself not to break.
Nodding his head Harry says, "That's what I thought. I have to finish packing." Turning his back on her once more he says in a steady voice, "You should leave."
Pansy is left staring at the back of his eternally untidy hair. Tears stream silently down her face, tears that she ignores as she knows they won't stop flowing. Leaving a note on the side table Pansy leaves, unaware of the tears silently falling down Harry's cheeks.
Harry never realized just how out of shape he had gotten since taking a break from rugby. He curses his lazy self as he sprints through the busy train terminal, pushing and shoving passerby much to their annoyance. Briefly checking his watch, Harry's eyes widen as he forces himself to move even faster. Approaching track 9 Harry finds he no longer has to fight against a tide of people. Searching all around for jet black hair, the loudspeaker announces the departure of the 1305 train. With a horrifying realization, Harry punches the wall closest to him.
"No. Nonononono. Bollocks!"
"Sir, is everything alright?" the information desk clerk asks.
"I missed the bloody train. Shite!" Harry exclaims.
"What train did you miss?" the clerk calmly asks.
"The 1305 to Edinburgh Waverley. How could I have missed it?!" Harry angrily cries. "All I had to do was get here in time and I was too late."
"Sir, you didn't miss the train," the clerk informs him.
Harry turns to face the clerk and asks, "What did you just say?"
"The train to Edinburgh Waverley hasn't left yet. It was delayed and had to be placed on a different track. It's leaving in ten minutes," the clerk continues.
Eyes alight with new hope Harry grabs the clerk's shoulders and demands, "What track is it on?"
"Track 25," the clerk replies.
"Where is track 25?" Harry quickly questions.
"It's on the other side of the terminal. You'll have to run if you wish to catch it," the clerk tells him.
With an absent nod and wave, Harry turns and begins to once again race through the train terminal. Checking his watch again—and the track signs—Harry pushes himself harder as he thinks, I have to get there in time.
Looking around the bustling train station, Pansy tries to squash down the hope that a certain raven-haired male will appear. With a huff of anger directed at herself—and her parents—Pansy distracts herself momentarily as she once again counts her luggage to make sure she still has everything. Her parents—who have no problem sending her away but heaven forbid they accompany her to the train station to see her off—are probably already planning their next vacation to Majorca. Perhaps it is better this way; less of a chance a screaming match and a public humiliation will occur.
The 1315 to Edinburgh Waverley has now entered track 25.Please proceed to the platform.
Searching the crowd once again, Pansy deflates as she starts to gather her luggage. Just as she picks up her last piece she hears an older woman cry, "Watch where you're going, young man."
"I'm so sorry. Let me pick that up for you."
Freezing at the familiar voice, Pansy turns towards the commotion. Walking over slowly, Pansy's eyes widen as they land on a head of unruly hair.
"Harry?" she asks.
When he turns, Harry's face is beet red and sweaty. "Oh, thank goodness you're still here," he pants.
Staring at him in confusion Pansy asks, "What—What is going on?" She pauses and then continues, "And why are you out of breath?"
Legs bent with his head hanging and his hands on his knees, Harry breathes heavily from exertion—or possibly nerves—and wheezes, "Had to…find you. You…can't leave."
Gaping at him Pansy sputters out, "What?"
"You can't leave," Harry repeats. "Me. You can't leave me," he continues.
Pansy shakes her head as she tries to process what is happening. "I don't understand," she finally says.
Standing up and staring straight into her eyes Harry says, "Run away with me."
"What?!" Pansy shrieks.
"Run away with me," he repeats unwaveringly as he places his hands onto Pansy's shoulders.
Moving out of his reach with a nervous laugh Pansy replies, "You're barmy."
Harry takes a step closer to her and grabs her hand, "So what?"
Pansy pauses and really looks at the young man in front of her. "You're—you're serious," she gasps in wonderment.
Pulling her closer to him Harry whispers, "Come with me. Don't think about it. Just do it."
Looking everywhere but at Harry, Pansy stutters, "But…"
Placing his forehead gently against Pansy's Harry murmurs, "You don't want to go where your parents are sending you and I don't want to go anywhere that you're not. We can be together, just not here. What do you say?"
Lifting her head, Pansy once again looks into Harry's eyes; his beautiful, green, hopeful eyes. She blinks once, twice, three times before she answers him.
Setting the frame down on the mantelpiece, Pansy takes a step back to look at it. Frowning slightly to herself, Pansy rearranges a few of the other picture frames before becoming satisfied with the layout. Taking another step back, Pansy smiles at her collection. The door opens and the smell of Thai wafts in.
"Pans, I've got take away from that place down the road. The bloke gave us an extra helping of pad thai…if it's good it might be enough to make us stay for awhile."
With one more glance at her collection of pictures, Pansy lets out a sigh of contentment. "An extra helping of pad thai, you say?" she asks with a giggle as she walks towards the kitchen of her new home.