April 27th

It wasn't anything really. It was a look as they passed one another along Diagon Alley. A glance that lasted that little bit too long. Watching eachother up until the point where it became that little bit uncomfortable. Just enough to leave an imprint on their minds and a question on both their lips. What was that?

June 12th

At Luna's wedding he walked over, smiling and clutching Hermione's hand in his with Harry and Ginny following. As soon as he saw the other occupants of the table his smile faded but his gaze landed on her. There is was again. That look.

He was seated next to her. Pansy thought it was bad luck - or fate. She hadn't yet made up her mind.

Hermione sat to Ron's left where Pansy had Cassius on her right. Harry broke the silent tension first, striking up a conversation with Draco which seemed to break the awkwardness for everyone else around the table. Blaise, Theo and Ginny started to discuss Quidditch and the comedic debate that ensued made everyone loosen up.

Later, she passed Ron the potatos and his finger brushed her hand as he took the plate from her, mumbling a thank you and keeping his eyes downcast.

Hermione was engaged in what Pansy could only descibe as a heated debate with Blaise about some new law or something. She turned to Ron who was watching Hermione's animated face as she spoke loudly across the table at Blaise who was being as equally loud in his disagreement. So, Pansy took a breath and a chance.

"Theo tells me you work at your brother's shop?" Ron turned to her, his eyes widening as he scanned her face.

"I wasn't exactly cut out to be an Auror." He said, turning his eyes down to the table.

"It must be a lot of fun." Pansy urged, desperately wanting him to look at her again. His eyes were such a lovely shade of blue and she wanted to see his face again. An urge to subtely count the freckles on his nose.

"It is."

"You always had a knack for making people laugh." He looked back up and smiled warily at her.

"Did I ever make you laugh?"

"Once or twice." She smiled.

"When?"

She thought for a moment, then remembered. "Your first match as Keeper." She said nodding.

"Excuse me." He said turning his body to her and placing his arm on the back of his chair. "I did good in that match."

"You did!" Pansy urged quickly. "It wasn't a Ha-Ha laugh." His nose wrinkled. Nine. Nine freckles on his nose. "It was different. You were so confident and it was different and it made me laugh... I dont know why."

He chewed his lip, watching her. As if he didn't quite understand what she was saying. Neither did she really, but his face made her cheeks blush. She looked at the table this time, fiddling with the stem of her wine glass.

"That time you made yourself vomit slugs was also another of my favoirites." She said, trying to act normal.

"Well..." He started. "I suppose it's a weird sort of compliment that I've left such a lasting imprint on your memory." He was smiling now. A large smile that drew right up onto his cheeks, wrinkling the nine freckles on his nose again. Her stomach jumped.

She smiled back for a second, then turned to her right to watch Cassius and Theo discussing Quidditch. She heard him turn back to his friends. "Hey, remember that time I threw up slugs?"

Later that evening when Cassius had lead her to the dance floor and his hands were round her waist, his body pressed against hers - she couldn't help but find him.

He was swinging Hermione around the dancefloor, despite the slow song playing. Hermione was laughing loudly and they were being cheered on by everyone around the dancefloor. It made Pansy smile. He looked so animated. So care free and most of all, so happy.

Eventually he pulled Hermione into him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he threaded his arms around her waist and they swayed on the dancefloor like everyone else. Step by step, sway by sway until he lifted his eyes a few minutes later and found Pansy looking back at him.

Her stomach lurched. She dipped her eyes and rested her head against Cassius' shoulder as they continued their methodical slow dance to the music.

She couldn't resist the urge to look again. Just to make sure she wasn't going mad. Her hips were swaying alongside her fianceè's but her eyes locked with his again.

It was nothing. It was nothing. Pansy told herself that over and over again over the next few weeks, convincing herself it was just a few looks. It was a wonder then that she kept thinking about it. It caught her in the strangest of times. Making coffee, in the shower. Strange... given that it was nothing after all.

August 18th

The first thing Ron did when he walked into the room was look for her. He had been contemplating the same thoughts since the wedding and he couldn't stop himself. He shook hands with Seamus, then Dean hands him a beer - clapping his hand on his back. A minute later he finds what he is looking for.

She smiled at him and raised her hand to say hello. He raised his beer and nodded his acknowledgement back to her. Two hours later they had still not spoken but he could see everynow and then that she would look at him. Mainly because he kept looking at her.

The beer had gotten to him. He laughed loudly. The more he drank the more his inhibitions loosened. Hermione wasn't there telling him not to get too drunk and embarassing so he drank and laughed and looked to his hearts content.

There was nothing wrong with looking after all.

"Having fun?" Pansy said walking over to him later that night, a glass of Champagne in her hand. She had on tight black trousers and a pair of red peeptoe heels that seemed to make her legs look even longer than they were. Her hair was down it its usual bobbed style, resting at the shoulders of her white silk shirt

"Yeah." Ron said. "Are you?"

"Yeah." She nodded, looking around the room. "Where's Hermione tonight?"

"Shes in America." He said waving his hand in an awkward drunken way. "Some Auror meet up or something."

Her head tilted showing him the soft pink skin of her neck. "Why didn't you go?"

"The shop. George needs me."

"How very noble of you." She sipped her Champagne, watching him as he scanned his eyes around the room.

"Where's Cassius?" Ron asked casually sipping his beer.

"Business in the Cayman Islands."

"Why didnt you go?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Something more appealing keeping you here?" He winked. Shit. Was he actually trying to flirt?

"Something like that." She said smirking.

They barely left eachothers side for the rest of the night. They pulled up a seat and a bottle of Firewhiskey and sat back drinking and watching their friends. They talked for hours and reminisced about all the stupid things they did in school. She touched his leg when she laughed uncontrollably and punched him softly on the arm when he openly told her he used to call her pug-nosed. He quickly told her that he liked her nose now and she just looked at him, sipping her glass.

After the Firewhiskey kicked in, they spoke softly about the War and at one point her heard her whisper sorry behind her glass. He just shook his head ignoring the comment and re-filled her glass, which made her smile. He liked seeing her smile.

It was only when Ron glanced up and saw Dean struggling to pick Seamus up off the floor, did he realise just how late it was and just how long they had been talking for.

"I should give him a hand." Ron said beginning to stand from his seat next to her.

"And leave me here?" She said in fake offense, holding her hand to her chest.

"You not bored of me yet?" He said quickly.

She shook her head. "Funnily enough I feel completely the opposite."

A loud laugh stopped any response he was about to give. They both turned to see Luna, Neville, Dean and Seamus rolling about laughing on the floor.

"How are you getting home?" He asked her once he had pulled his drunk friends to their feet.

"Portkey." She nodded over to Theo and Draco who were propping up the bar with a row of shots still to drink in front of them.

Seamus had regained consciousness. Ron and Pansy watched as Dean slung his arm over Seamus's shoulder and walked him out of the bar.

"Listen." Her hand rested on his forearm again. His ears buzzed. "My Nephew is turning eight in a few weeks and I'm not good with gifts for boys. If I come by the shop someday, will you help me pick something out?"

"Yeah!" He said excitedly. "I mean... Tuesdays are the best day. I'm there all day, George has the kids and it doesn't tend to be busy."

She smiled again. "Goodnight." She said reaching up and placing a kiss on his cheek.

His face burned as he watched her walk over to her friends.

"Night."

September 4th

She didn't come. That first Tuesday after the party he had expected her to turn up. He was dissapointed. He could feel it in himself. Hermione noticed his mood. He lied and said he wasn't feeling well.

The next week he waited again. He even waited a few hour after the shop had closed, just in case but she didn't come. So he resolved that she would not come and tried to put her out of his mind for good.

He had a word with himself. Told himself to snap out of it. That he was being disgusting - thinking about someone else like this when he had Hermione, looking after him, taking care of him and loving him.

He was glad she wan't coming. Really.

So when third Tuesday since the party came around - he was not expecting her. She arrived at the door in a rush, just as he was about to shut up the shop.

"Am I too late?" Her cheeks were a rosy pink.

His stomach lurched. Heat rising into his cheeks.

"No... I just didn't think you would come."

"Well, im here." She smiled.

He stepped back and let her inside, locking the door behind them and turning the sign on the door to Closed.

"So what are you looking for." He said guiding her away from the front door, just in case anyone walked by and saw them.

She shrugged. "That's why I asked for your help." She seemed more reserved than normal, crossing her arms protectively across her chest.

"Right. I mean what does he like doing?" Ron urged.

"Annoying people." She said confidantly.

"Not a fan of children?" He chuckled, leading her deeper into the shop.

"I like them... but I appreciate them more when they are quiet."

He walked her around the shop and picked out a random selection of noise makers, extendable ears, sweets and peruvian darkness powder. The more he spoke to her, the more relaxed she seemed to be. She uncrossed her arms and laughed a few times.

They were still on the shop floor - people could still see them if they looked hard enough.

"George has made some new gift paper that changes colour that he wants to trial. You fancy giving it a go?"

She nodded. He lead her into his office at the back of the shop where they couldn't be seen. His heart was thumping. He could hear the blood pounding in his ears.

"Take a seat." Ron ushered to a large pile of paperwork by the door. He was panicking, not knowing what to do next. "Do you want a drink?"

"Im fine." She said sitting down gently.

.x.

"Do you often work late on Tuesdays?"

"Every Tuesday... I do the paperwork - George isn't good at that part."

"So you wont be missed tonight?"

He looked up from unrolling the new wrapping paper.

"No." He said after a while, then he looked back down at the paper, his cheeks brushed with a slight pink hue.

She watched him as he wrapped her gifts carefully, his large hands using way too much spellotape for the small packages. His khaki linen shirt was rolled up to his elbows, highlighting his toned forearms.

"There." Ron smiled and looked up at Pansy. She stood up and walked over, stopping at his side and looking down at the presents. Her arm brushed carelessly against his. No, purposefully.

"It's perfect. Thank you." She placed her hand on his arm. He looked at her - straight into her eyes and Pansy's stomach jumped, even moreso when she stretched to her tiptoes to place a kiss on his cheek.

Her lips lingered for a moment on one of the freckles she had previously counted. When she finished she sunk back onto her heels but stayed close to him, keeping her hand on his arm.

"Where does your fiancèe think you are?" He whispered into her hair.

"Shopping." Pansy whispered back as she felt his hand lightly press against her waist, burning. She looked into his blue eyes, made darker by the low light of the room.

"I'm with Hermione." He whispered down at her, watching her lips.

"I'm with Cassius." She whispered back, placing her hand on his chest.

She swayed into him, watching his thick red eyelashes close.

"I..." He started but then all the words were lost, taken from his mouth and replaced with her lips.

September 18th

"It can't happen again." She said firmly to him. She came by the shop two weeks later on a Tuesday, knowing he would be alone again.

"I'm engaged. It was a mistake." She said firmly again, half stamping her foot on the floor.

He looked at her across the office, arms folded protectively over his chest. "Why are you really here?" He snapped.

"To tell you... that it can't happen again."

"And that it was wrong?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"And that you're engaged."

"Yes." She nodded again.

Ron unfolded his arms and jabbed a finger her way. "You were the one that kissed me."

"I know - but.."

"But what!" He snapped again.

She opened her mouth to say something... anything. Because I cant stop thinking about you! Her heart screamed, hoping he would hear it so she didn't actually have to say it herself.

"I shouldn't have come." She finally resolved.

"Then leave."

She was going to. Her brain was screaming at her to pick up her legs and walk out of his office and out of the shop and away from him but she didn't budge.

She didn't want to leave.

She didn't want to walk away from him.

The seconds ticked past, the silence in the room speaking louder than any words she could have said to him at that moment.

Ron stepped around his desk and walked over to her quickly. "Why aren't you leaving?" He said angrily grabbing her arms. His blue eyes were glistening and she could feel him shaking as he held onto her. She lifted her hands warily, placing them gently on his chest. She circled her fingers across his jumper then slid them up to his neck, to his face, stroking the freckles across his cheeks.

He pushed her back against the wall of the office. Excitement coursed through Pansy's body as her back hit the wall and he pushed himself into her. His hands ran up her arms and pressed against her neck, his thumb caressing her jaw line. "Is this what you want?" He whispered, his leg pushing between her thighs. His eyes searched hers, to make sure. He looked how she felt. Desperate.

"Yes." She whispered back, gripping his shirt and pulling him closer. He dipped his head and kissed her.

She had been teetering on the edge for the past two weeks ever since their first kiss. As if she were looking out over a tall cliff, waves crashing against the rocks below - flat and steady grassland behind her. Just waiting for her next step.

It felt like she had jumped and fallen into those crashing waves. A rush - a hot rush running through her body - the lines between right and wrong now completely blurred.

September 25th

Pansy pulled back from his lips, resting her hand against his chest, feeling his heart thumping under her finger tips.

"We're bad people." She whispered. Tears filling her eyes.

He let go of her hand and stepped back from her.

"It's just a few meaningless kisses." He whispered.

"Then we should stop." She said resolutely. "Before it goes any further. It isn't fair."

October 9th

"Maybe we just don't kiss anymore." She said, sitting on the pile of paperwork across from his desk.

"What would we do then?" Ron asked, confused.

"If I don't touch you, then it's fine right?" Pansy said, leaning forward.

"So..."

"So if I said I wanted to kiss you but we didn't kiss."

"Right." Ron said, nodding.

"And how I want to touch you."

Ron leant forward on his desk, his hands tightly grasped together.

"Where?" He asked quietly.

"Everywhere." Pansy whispered back.

His mouth opened. For a second he looked as if he were about to stand up but he sat back in his chair. His eyes darker than she had ever seen them.

"Your neck." Ron nodded towards her. "I want to kiss it."

Pansy pulled her hair away and stroked her finger along her slender neck. "Where else..."

"Your chest." Ron said resolutely.

Pansy dragged her finger from her neck down the neckline of her blouse. "Here?"

"Yep there..."

"How about here?" She popped two buttons so he had a better view of the curve of her breasts. She dipped her hand inside of her shirt to touch them.

"Yes... there." He gulped. "I want to kiss them, put my mouth around your nipples... tease them." She pinched her nipple between her fingers, imagining it was his mouth.

"I want to put my hand in your trousers." Pansy said quietly "I want to touch you."

"Here?" Ron said, sitting back in his chair and placing a hand on his crotch and rubbing.

"Yes." Pansy said, resting her back against the office wall and sliding her other hand down her trousers.

He watched carefully as she began to touch herself. Wetting her fingers from her opening then rubbing slowly against her clit.

Ron did the same, putting his hand in his trousers, grabbing his dick and massaging it as he watched her eyes darken.

"I want to touch you, put my fingers inside you." He whispered as she rubbed het clit faster.

"I want you inside me." She whispered as he stroked himself faster, not taking his eyes off her. "I want you to take me on that desk."

"The desk... against that wall."

She came as he whispered bad things to her across the room and his groans came soon after.

He watched as she removed her hand from her trousers, pulling out her wand and cleaning herself up. She hid her face from him when she picked up her coat from the floor. As she picked up her bag she felt his hands snake around her waist, pulling her back into him - holding her there as if she were going to run away, which she very nearly did.

Pansy relaxed, resting her head back against his shoulder, her face turned into his neck.

"Sometimes I feel like giving up but I just can't." She whispered, wrapping her arms over his and holding onto him tightly.

October 30th

"I'm sorry I'm late." She said as she stepped into his office just after six.

"We don't have long." He said earnestly as he wrapped his hands around her waist.

"You have plans?" She asked as he dipped his head to place heavy kisses on her neck. He guided her back to his desk until her legs hit the wood

"Dinner." He rushed as he pushed her blazer off her shoulders. Pansy nodded. Her chest aching.

"With her?" Pansy managed, swallowing back a lump as his hands cupped her face.

"Yes." He whispered, pressing his lips to hers to silence her quickly. She kissed him back but she wasn't all there. Thinking about her. Hermione. How she would be hugging him, holding his hand, kissing him, taking him home, getting into bed with him, being naked with him.

Ron was pulling at the buttons on her tight white shirt, fighting to get to her skin but Pansy was fighting back the bile in her throat.

"Maybe we do this another time." She said grabbing his hands and pushing him back.

"Why?" He asked as she buttoned up her shirt, walking past him and grabbing her coat.

"Hey, wait..." He said reaching out for her arm.

"I don't want..." She snapped pulling her arm out of reach, "you rushing off to your girlfriend right after we..." The words caught in her mouth. "It doesn't exactly scream romance for our first time."

"Romance?" Ron said, his brows knitted. "What did you think was going to happen?" He said raising his voice. "That we'd have sex and spend the night together?"

"No." Pansy said quickly.

"You have a fiancee and I have a girlfriend."

"I know that!" She said before he could even finish.

"Either way we would be going home to someone else tonight!"

"I know!"

The tears stung her eyes.

"I..." She began. "I can't do this anymore." Ron looked at her unmoving. "The longer this goes on... the more..."

"The more what?" He breathed. "Say it." He whispered, stepping towards her and pulling her into him. "Say it." He cupped her face in his hands, forcing him to look at her.

She looked up into his blue eyes and let out a long breath. The longer they carried on the harder it would be to stop - and then what? Ron walked her slowly back until her bottom was perched on his desk. She should stop this now, before it wasn't just only her feelings that were hurt and before anyone else found out. She knew she should have never let it get this far but something about him made her stay. Ron dropped to his knees in front of her.

"Don't." She whispered as this hands stroked her bare legs, pushing a hand under her skirt to stroke the sensitive skin on her thighs. Pansy was shaking, distracted by how good his hands felt on her skin to care anymore about what he would be doing without her later. She let her eyes fall closed as his fingers stroked at the thin lace of her underwear, coaxing her, teasing her, just how she liked it.

She heard a bell ring from another room and her eyes snapped open at the same time Ron pulled his hands from her skirt.

"Ron?" Hermione's voice called out from the depths of the shop.

Pansy's stomach dropped. Ron's eyes widened with fear too but before she could think he had grabbed her coat and her bag and was ushering her into the cupboard at the back of the room. He placed a finger to his lips, telling her to keep quiet.

"Ron?" Hermione's voice called again just as he shut the door to the cupboard.

Pansy stood in shock for a a few seconds before the realisation hit her. She pressed her hand to her mouth to stifle the gasp that escaped her lips. It was fine when they didn't think about anyone else. When it was just the two of them in his office. She pressed her back against the wall of the cupboard trying to stay as quiet as possible. Her heart was beating so loudly she wondered whether they would be able to hear it in the next room.

Time seemed to pass in slow motion. She could barely hear anything over the thundering of her pulse in her ears but she heard his voice, muffled and soft. She waited and waited in the darkness, guilt radiating from her bones the longer she was left alone. She imagined the look on Hermione's face when she pulled open the cupboard door and saw her hiding. She imagined Ron trying to explain away the situation, telling Hermione that it was nothing, that she meant nothing to him and that it was a stupid mistake.

Eventually, in the distance she heard the shop bell ring, relieved that she didn't have to go through the scenes she had imagined in her head. She stayed hidden until he came back and opened the door, his eyes looking to the floor. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

"No." Pansy said shaking her head. "I'm sorry." She walked out of the cupboard and darted for him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Silent tears filled her eyes as he wrapped his arms around her waist - pulling her as close as possible into him. He was shaking, deeply breathing into her hair and gripping onto her so tightly she thought she felt her feet leave the ground.

"I'm going to go." She whispered a minute later into his ear. She felt her feet touch back to the ground and his hands loosen their grip. She took a step back from him and he crossed his arms over his chest protectively.

"Bye." She whispered, smiling as best she could despite knowing that bye meant more than just for tonight. That, that bye was really a goodbye. She could tell he knew it too but he smiled back, his bright blue eyes glazed with tears.

Pansy grabbed her things and made quickly for the door, fearing if she walked slowly she would end up stopping completely - so she pressed on. Walking faster and faster until she was sprinting down the cobbled street, her feet pounding loudly and echoing all around her, matching the pounding of her heart in her ears.

December 16th

Ron was shutting up the shop for the night. Turning the sign to closed and pulling the door behind him, locking it silently with a wave of his wand.

He pulled his coat around him tightly, trying to fight the chill in the air as he made his way down Diagon Alley, towards the pub where he was meeting Hermione for dinner. As he turned the corner of the street, he saw Pansy at the end of the road. Her arm around Cassius's waist, smiling up at him with her red lips and dark eyes and heading right in Ron's direction.

He stopped in his tracks, his stomach dropping to the floor. He hadn't seen her in weeks. The last time had been just that, the last time. However much his heart hammered at the sight of her, how much he longed to have one more kiss, one more hold, one more touch. He felt it then just as he felt it now. Right in his chest.

He started walking, knowing he could probably reach the pub before they saw him. He didn't want her to see him. He didn't want to have to be polite and talk to them. They were still a way off - if he picked up the pace he was sure he could make it.

He sprinted quickly across the cobbles and made safety of the door but he didn't go in. He stopped, listening to her heels clicking along the street. He didn't know what made him do it but he chanced one last look at her. That's when she saw him.

She didn't smile or fully acknowledge him, just held his gaze for a few seconds until they passed the pub. Then she turned her attention back to Cassius and continued down the street. He watched then walk away until they had turned the corner and were out of sight before he allowed himself a breath.

A pound of his fist on the brick wall of the pub, another few deep breaths, then he pushed the door open and walked inside.

A/N: Written for Sing me a rare vol 2. Based on Shawn Mendes's amazing song 'In my blood.' The original is on AO3 under my Penname ElleVine but I've added extra on here. It just didn't feel quite finished.

I may not have won any category or been a runner up but I loved writing this piece and I'm falling in love with Ronsy!

Please let me know if you enjoyed the story by leaving me a review :)

Elle x