Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Do not those who feel betrayed by their emotions experience a special kind of pain where there is first rage against the once-desired one for causing such anguish followed by rage against oneself for being foolish enough to hope that there was a chance, and is this not succeeded by the thought that there might be a fault in oneself but the fault comes from the capacity for great romance and, even though this may be a fault, it is a forgivable failing that will have to be accepted, whereupon, recognizing one's own weakness, the conclusion is that measures must be taken to protect one's vulnerable inner core and the first step is to distance oneself from the previously desired person who caused such turmoil and this distancing has such priority that rude, even hostile, behavior erupts, for is not all now subservient to the urgency of ending this ongoing agony.

"What's that?" asked Biff as he and Theo arrived at the office and noticed something shiny on Biff's desk.

"It's a sovereign, brand new," said Theo, "with a note from Cho. It says, 'Sensitivity coin. Flip it, you prats.'"

"That's not necessary," said Biff. "The senior writer accepts his responsibilities willingly."

Pansy woke and greeted the day like a wolf cub emerging from the den for the first time to observe a whole new world before her. Her elation dampened a bit on realizing Remus hadn't made any plans to meet her, but she braced up with the thought that theirs was a calm and mature relationship that didn't need constant reassurance. Besides, it was early days, and exploring a new world should not be rushed.

Taking her last thought about caution to heart, she disguised herself and proceeded to a breakfast diner known to be frequented by law enforcement types. She would sift through their gossip for possible revelations. To her surprise, the gossip was about her. Remus had been seen with her, and some officers were stating that they always knew Remus couldn't be trusted. Others were arguing that Remus was being clever, that he was playing the outlaw Pansy to learn her secrets. Those arguing for Remus reminded everyone of his heroic past, and all the officers finally agreed that Remus was acting honorably and he would be the one to finally capture that slippery witch.

Pansy was as devastated as a wolf cub that has crawled into a brand new world to discover she had lost her mother.

Biff, his sensitivity completely spent, leaned back and groaned. Theo took him to the Caffeine Palace for restoratives.

After they left, Cho scanned the story to date. The boys left themselves wide open. Now, we can reveal the true Pansy.

She had to tell him how she felt, what he had done to her. But wait, did not girls have their pride, and did not a Parkinson have it in abundance? Hence, he had to know without her telling him. It should be obvious to him. But wait, it would have been obvious to anyone with an ounce of sensitivity, but she doubted that that changeling berk fell into that category. In fact, it was obvious he did not. Just look at what he had done to her: played with her, led her on, toyed with her feelings. He was a man – if man he was, not some creature found under a damp rock – who possessed cruelty beyond comprehension, cruelty that no decent person could possess, cruelty she vowed to pay back many fold. Pansy brightened. He had hurt her as no one professing to be human would do. She would hurt him worse.

She sent an invitation to a smuggling gang whose operations had been damaged by the vigorous actions of Remus and Alastor. When they met, she told them that she could set up Remus Lupin in a spot convenient for an ambush.

After Biff and Theo returned from their break, Theo flipped the sensitivity coin, declared it 'heads,' and took up the gauntlet.

It is true all those jealous thoughts swirled through Pansy's head, but it was only as an amusement because she had heard other girls utter such things. She was reminding herself that she was a Parkinson and above such petty nonsense. In an elevated moment, she recognized that a fully mature Pansy wouldn't have needed any reminder, but she also recognized that she was still young and this was her first broken romance. Meeting disappointment with aplomb took time and experience.

But, as young and inexperienced as she was, as hurt and wounded as she was, she would show her true mettle. She had lured the smugglers into revealing themselves. She only had to inform Remus and Alastor, and at last, they could round up that gang. It would be a feather in Remus's cap, a feather put there by her. Her inner self glowed at the coming triumph of the most marvelous man she had ever met even though she never wanted to see the despicable fiend again.

Theo paused to take a deep breath.

"Time for a break," said Biff. "This sensitivity stuff is best done in easy stages."

Cho had read the latest entry. Cho was pounding her desk. "Pansy is the essence of mean girl. The boys are writing her as noble because they're fantasizing that she has a set of impressive knockers. But she doesn't. No where in canon does it say, 'Pansy Parkinson had a great rack.'"

How deluded are those who underestimate the fury of a girl set aside. Having managed to trick both Remus and Alastor into an ambush, for was not Alastor a co-conspirator in her humiliation, Pansy realized the ambushers needed more firepower, and she contacted the remnants of the recent, failed rebellion. They were more than happy to eliminate two major agents of the opposition.

Biff rubbed the sensitivity coin for good luck and began pounding the keys.

Our poor reader, like someone seeing a Shakespeare play for the first time, might have trouble following the schemes that Pansy was bringing onto the stage of the unfolding drama, but these plots were well within range of our dedicated heroine. Assuming an air of dignity in the face of crushing betrayal and affecting an indifference which she did not feel, our Slytherin Princess relayed the information to the law-enforcement division that the smugglers and rebels had formed a temporary alliance and her Remus, a brave soul willing to be the bait in a sting operation, needed more than Alastor for backup. There would be a grand roundup of miscreants at the chosen place, an abandoned building that once served refreshments during a wilder time in our history.

Thus was set in motion the Wand Fight at the OK Coffee and Tea Emporium which has reached legendary status among generations of story tellers.

Some claim that Pansy observed the battle because she wanted to witness the downfall of Remus and Alastor, and these people even claim that she entered the fray at the last minute to save them because she would not yield the privilege of finishing them off to another, but the more sensitive souls among us realize her motives were different. She wasn't confident in the prowess of the law officers and she was there out of fear for the safety of Remus. It was well that she was present since Remus and Alastor were about to be overwhelmed. She sprang into action, and there is no fury like a girl beside her besieged one. Howling with rage, her wand cut a swath through the attackers.

Too well was done the deed. The band of assailants turned their attention to the banshee in their midst. She was deflecting the incoming curses, and her defenses were collapsing when Alastor and Remus appeared by her side and, once again, dragged their little muffin to safety, dragged her kicking and screaming that she didn't need any help.

By the time they had shifted her to the periphery, she had regained her moxie and was ready, willing, and eager to whale on anybody in her way, but the field was empty, and the three of them were the ones left standing.

She was about to complain that she could have taken out more opponents if they hadn't interfered, but they were telling her that she was a brave girl for coming to their aid. The unfamiliar experience of being accepted stayed her tongue.

Cho was glaring at Biff and Theo. "You're ruining everything."

"That's not possible," said Biff.

"Right, not possible," said Theo, "we used the sensitivity coin."

"It was wasted on you," declared Cho.

The editor realized she needed to save the group and the story, and she realized how she could do it.