Hogwarts’ Beast Tamer

“Ugh…” I moaned, my head still spinning, now even worse as the train began to move. My only recourse was that I was laying down, resting my head on Pansy’s lap she offered to help me in my sickness. I was still feeling a massive migraine even a week after my beast had been woken up twice in the span of a few hours, so much so that even my stomach was doing backflips. “It’s alright. I’ll take care of you.” Pansy gently spoke, her every word like music to my ears as she slowly combed through my hair.

“I think I’m gonna be sick…” Draco muttered in the seat opposite of us, holding back a slight gag. “What I have, isn’t contagious, Draco.” I sighed, annoyed that this wasn’t a cold I could just cure with a potion. “That isn’t the reason I’m getting sick.” Draco rolled his eyes, unable to look at the two of us any longer. 

***

“Quiet, Draco! Or I’ll use the silencing charm to make you quiet.” Pansy’s eyes flashed dangerously, Draco flinching from her unnerving glare. Over the past week had been amazing for her, and she wanted to enjoy every portion of it. Lucas had gotten a large migraine that sent him for a loop, leaving her to take care of him and Val while he rested. Over the past week she was by his side, slowly bridging the gap between them both little by little, creating so much progress in such a small amount of time. Resting in his bed beside him, feeding him, and now giving him a lap pillow, all things couples would do.

At first there was some push back from his cute nervousness, but she wore him down along with his sickness pushing him further into her arms. ‘Now this is normal. Being close to me like this is now normal.’ She thought, her smile widening at him turning his head to face her, burying into her stomach, using her to block out the bright light from the window, proof that distance between them had shortened once again. 

As she continued to comb through Lucas’ hair, he slowly wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her as he rested. Pansy held back a giggle of glee, instead just continuing to care for Lucas silently, enjoying petting his hair as he wriggled his face deeper into her. She couldn’t help but reminisce the first time she had tried to get him to rest on her lap.

Lucas, tossing and turning in his bed, throwing his pillows around to try and find a good position. Finally with a grumbled yell throwing the pillow at the end of his bed. “Lucas, you need to rest.” Pansy reminded him, turning around in her seat at his desk, Val hissing his worry behind her. Lucas sighed, shaking his head with his arm covering over his eyes. “I know! I don’t know why but these pillows are just insufferable right now!” He yelled, his already sickened state ruining his mood. 

Pansy held back a methodical grin, not wanting to reveal the reason why his pillows were in such a state at that moment. Instead, creating a worried frown to showcase as she sat down on his bed. “I understand. Here.” She sat up further on his bed, patting her lap twice, trying to act natural in her ‘innocent’ offer. Lucas moved his arm to glance at her, his eyes widening with shock and anxiety after discerning her words. “Wh- No. No, I don’t want to burden you in such a way.” He muttered, placing his arm over his eyes, trying to hide his reddening face.

Pansy grinned, but quickly forced her trembling lips back down into seriousness. “Lucas… You have done so much for me. Helping me every day with my studies, potion making, even being a shoulder for me to lean on when I was tired.” Lucas frowned, she understood why, he still felt guilty at keeping things from her, the real reason why he was sick like this right now. She knew for a fact that he held her as something more than a friend, his internal struggle killing him. She didn’t know what he was keeping from her, but it began mattering very little to her now. All that mattered to her was knowing Lucas held her dear.

With her one desire fulfilled, she no longer needed proof of his nervous affection. However, he still sometimes felt guilty over holding secrets. Pansy knowing that it wouldn’t go away without some atonement, she now instead used some of that leverage to get him closer, pushing him closer to her for his own conscience. “With all that you do for me, please let me repay that favor. I want you to lean on me whenever you need a hand.” She scooted a bit closer to him, rubbing his arm held over his eyes. These words were all true, she did want all that and more. She cared for him more than anyone else, she just wanted to make him see that, and rely on her more because of it.

She waited in silence as Lucas’ dazed mind pondered her words. Hissing from Val’s enlarged tank made Lucas wince, Val saying something that struck Lucas somewhere she knew Lucas would never explain. Taking a deep breath, removing his arm over his eyes, Pansy watched Lucas’ piercing blueish green eyes squint at her, his face reddening with each word he uttered. “Just… Tell me when you need a break.” Pansy smirked, nodding in agreement as she helped Lucas move his head over her thighs. “I will.” She chirped, knowing full well she would never need a break from this, her heart already swelling in excitement.

Lucas gulped, facing his head away from her, virtual steam emitting from his cheeks. Slowly she began to caress his hair, shushing him before he could kick up a fuss at her actions, telling him to just relax. Only after he had slowly drifted off to sleep did she secretly reach for her wand. “Finite Incantatem…” She whispered under her breath, the pillows thrown at the end of the bed suddenly softening.

Back in the present, Pansy sighed as she pet Lucas’ hair, content with the progress she had made with him. Even the other few times she had given him her lap he didn’t rest this readily into her like he was now. “Can you be honest with me for a moment?” Draco asked, waking Pansy from her own mind. She looked up to meet Draco’s serious gaze. “When are you finally going to tell him?”

Pansy’s smile fell along with her gaze, looking down at the sleeping Lucas in her lap, a dejected smile resting where her large gleeful grin used to be. It was quite obvious to Draco and all the girls in Slytherin that Lucas was taken. Pansy had made sure of that, hidden meanings behind her words, her close actions with Lucas, always being by his side, even in his room for much of their free time. It was clear to everyone, except Lucas himself.

***

“When he is ready for me.” She responded, continuously tussling and petting his hair as she spoke. “Snakes are patient hunters. We wait for the perfect time to strike. Only when we are certain our prey won't escape our grasp.” Draco couldn’t help but gulp at the particular way she was describing her infatuation for Lucas. He had seen it grow to a maddening degree, and it worried Draco to see Lucas stupidly miss her unbearable affection she had for him. With so much built up emotion she was unable to release, it was only a matter of time before she would make a love potion to ensare Lucas.

Draco understood it was good for her to grow Lucas’ affection for her back, going so far as to give her leeway and alone time. Because if there was one thing he learned from his own mother, it was that nothing good came from scorning a woman. If all that affection blackened into something else, she might really fall into insanity if Lucas were to reject her. Draco stifled a shiver that ran up his spine, slowly rubbing away the goosebumps along his arms, trying to keep his composure. “How much longer might that take?” He asked, seemingly uncaring with his words, trying to hide his worry.

***

Pansy thought of Draco’s question as she studied Lucas, the answer in which she could not say out loud. ‘When he bares everything he is to me, is when I shall do the same.’ She knew him well enough to know that he would reject her if he felt he was keeping secrets from her, not wanting to lie to someone he was dating. She couldn’t say her feelings, all of her abounding feelings she was overflowing with right now. Not until he spoke of everything he had been keeping from her, the moment he did that, he would be hers, and she would be his, and they would finally be together.

***

Draco shrunk back ever so slightly seeing the slightly maddening smile Pansy grew just looking at Lucas. “However long it takes for him to wake up one morning, and speak his mind. ‘Patience is the best tool for those in Slytherin’ as my mother says.” She chuckled, her gaze rising up to the window, watching the passing scenery.

With her sudden sharing, Draco was given a glimpse of the teachings and ideals Pansy had been given by her mother. He gulped, sharply blinking eyes with the sudden sting of sweat piercing his retina. Releasing the bated breath he held, he was just glad that he was safe from her methodical planning and preparation, as if she was at war for Lucas. ‘Goodluck Lucas…’ Draco sent over his prayers to Lucas, looking at his sleeping back, unknowing of the looming war surrounding his friend to come.