The Three Broomsticks

"Fifteen years? I'm a big girl now, and already all knowing about one subject. Please, I can do another in five." She grinned at him, taking a quick bite of her pasta. "I suppose I will. Astronomy will always be my favorite, but you can only get so much enjoyment of reading the same things over and over. I guess it is time to try and find myself something new to master, I'm just not sure what. I don't think it'll be potions though, unfortunately, so you're going at that one alone."

Draco laughed and finished up his chips. "You're going to leave me all by myself? I thought you missed me." He flopped dramatically against her shoulder, kissing her on the cheek as he did. "I feel like you're going to go blow your whole inheritance on books now and yet I somehow feel like it won't be a waste."

"Oh, so you can wander off and leave me but I can't wander off and leave you? Now that's hardly fair, is it?" She grinned however as he kissed her cheek, laughing because he was probably right. "Well, what better way to spend it than on something to make me smarter? Besides, I might as well spend it while I still have it. Once I get all packed up and ready to jet, I'm out of here, and most likely will be disowned before I'm out of the country." She laughed softly at the thought of her mother raging about the house after news of Pansy running away, just after she had picked the perfect suitor, just after arranging the perfect wedding with the perfect connections and perfection perfection perfection, and her daughter topping it all off by running away. It was a sight Pansy would only be half upset about missing.

Draco made the face and stayed silent for a moment. After a few seconds he sneakily tightened his arm around her and his other arm was not so sneaky as it wrapped it's way around her too. "You can't actually do that. You can't just up and leave me here." All things considered he might be doing the worst job ever at pushing her away but when she suggested something like this his heart stopped, he wouldn't know what to do without her. Even if they couldn't ever get married and live happily ever after that didn't change the fact that she was always going to be in his life.

Pansy smiled softly, and a little sadly, at him. "Draco, you know I've been talking about this since I was fifteen. It's my plan, it's what I want to do, and it's what I'm going to do. As much as I'm expected to just listen to my parents and get married to the boy they pick, I'd rather incur their wrath by running away and living my life my own way instead of sticking around here and turning down every snot nosed heir they bring into our house. They'll lock me up and then what?" She rested her head lightly on his chest, his arms comfortable and warm around her. "I'll always let you know where I am. I promise."

Draco shook his head, "Not good enough. I'm telling you I was serious about locking the future lady Malfoy in the basement and you and I can have the run of the manor. If you're parents have already disowned you then what's the worst that can happen." He pressed his face against her hair, kissing the top of her head.

"Worse? They learn that I'm there, show up and kill the both of us. That'd be fantastic, wouldn't it?" She smiled sarcastically at him. "No, it's better if I'm far from where they can get to me. It'll have to be good enough. You'll have to settle for regular updates and a tireless owl. Portkeys when I can arrange for them so you can visit a bit before I gypsy on to some new place."

Draco kept his arms around her and as they were in a booth he slid he over so she was pretty much in his lap though with the table it looked as though they were just really close. "Well you'll have to give me warning before you go haring off okay? And I expect a visit at least once a week." He held her as close as he could and pressed a kiss to her neck. He really didn't know what he would do without her, pushing her away for now to keep her safe was completely different to what she was proposing.

Pansy adjusted, sliding her legs to rest over his in their little round booth. "I'll let you know when it's closer to the time for me to leave, I promise." She didn't however, promise to tell him exactly when she was leaving. It would be easier that way, without him begging her to stay or any teary goodbyes or any of that mess. Nope, she had it all planned out, perfected for her to leave in the middle of the night sometime, disappearing without a trace as if she might not have been there at all. "Those visits will be up to you to make happen." She looked up at him a little bit. "And you may want to invest in a really fantastic speedy long-distance owl."

Draco really really hates that plan. Hates it. He would just like to mention one more time that he hates it. Yep. When she looked up at him he gave her a sad look and instead of replying he pressed his lips to hers. He knew that right now there was no point in trying to persuade her otherwise. For now. He would try to change her mind at a later date when he thought he had more of a chance of success.

Draco clearly has no authority over her life, or else she'd probably have been locked away to his bed forever by now, huh? So like a ghost in the night it is. Instead of arguing it though, she just melted into his kiss for a few moments before she pulled away. "You know you won't convince me otherwise. I know you're planning to try. It won't work." She made a very serious, but somewhat sad, face at him, hoping he would believe her and know that attempting to make her stay would be wasted efforts in the end. She wouldn't be sticking around here to get hitched with some random heir. She wanted to travel the world, and she would do it.

Draco doesn't care how wasted the effort is, he'll make it anyway. Draco made a seriously sad face in return, "I have to try Pans, I won't let you go easily." He hugged her closer, not caring who saw, not when he realized she was seriously still taking this course of action. He knew she was going to travel but always assumed that would be something she figured out with her parents to get married when she came home, not that she planned on getting herself disowned.

"Draco, please." She snuggled her face into his neck. "One day you may have to. You can't just deny it until it happens. It's only worse if you pretend it's not going to." She reached up and wrapped her hand around the other side of his neck. Disowned or not, she had to get away and out on her own. She refused to live a charade if she was expected to be a good perfect little pureblood girl with a husband chosen for her. She was getting out before she was in too deep, and not even Draco asking her to stick around despite it all could keep her here.

Draco kissed the top of her head and sighed, holding her close. There was no real point in talking about this because neither of them was going to have a change of heart any time soon. Instead he held her close for a few more moments before gently pulling her off and sliding her next to him to wave over the waiter for the check, his arm still around her, fingers running up and down her arm.

Pansy sighed as she moved from his lap, sitting close to him and resting her head lightly on his shoulder as the waiter took their plates away. Her hand lifted, wanting to grasp his, but the one was busy tracing along her arm, the other one taking the check from the waiter, and her hand eventually landed softly on his knee as she pouted silently. She didn't want to leave him, not really, but she knew she would in the end. Nothing would stop her from her plan, she'd already gotten it too perfect to back out now.

Draco paid the bill and gave Pansy another quick kiss before slowly sliding out of the bench, "So is there anything else you want today? Chocolates?" Not that Draco is hinting at a trip to honeydukes. Nope. Not at all. He picked up their bags and slid her book bag into his own to make it easier to carry then carefully picked up his ingredients and offered her his arm.

Pansy followed him from the booth, putting her hand around his arm as she followed him out the door. Unlike myself, Pansy loves candy and chocolates and the suggestion of getting some was quite exciting. Her face lit up almost immediately at the idea, the sad thoughts of her runaway plan slipping away as they stepped out into the chilly air of Hogsmeade. "Honeydukes it is." She grinned, dragging him down the street and into the sweets shop, where you can post next.

Ron walked Melanie to the Three Broomsticks and held the door open for her. What a gentleman. He spots a table in the back of the crowded pub and grabs Melanie's elbow and steers her over there before someone else can claim the spot.

Melanie looked around at the place Lucius had brought her and took her upstairs to a room. She followed Ron to the back and sat down when they got to the table. She looked around and her eyes widened slightly. "Wow....It definitely was not this busy when I came here last time."

"Well that's strange," Ron comments. OH yeah I forgot to mention that Ron pulls out the chair for Melanie. So much for emotional range of a teaspoon. Doing stuff like that shows he cares. Right. "One minute," Ron says excusing himself. He makes his way over to the bar and pays for two butterbeers before bringing them back to the table and setting one down in front of Melanie.

Melanie nods slightly. "Yeah, it sure is different with lots of people in here." She said looking around. It was probably because Lucius brought her here at night like the creep he is. >.> "Okay." She says with a soft smile and then smiles up at him when he comes back. "Thanks, Ron." She said, taking the butterbeer and taking a small sip.

Lucius is a super creep. Super creep. HE'S SUPER CREEPY. OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH.
Ahem.

"Yeah, it would make a difference," he replied. "And no problem. It was my pleasure." He took a sip of his drink and asked, "So what do you think of Hogwarts so far?" Ron asked. He was interested to know if her reaction had been anything like those of the first years who came through every year.

"I like it a lot." She said with a large grin. "I went to an all girls school before Hogwarts so it is really different having guys in the same school as me." She said nodding. "But I love it here! Everyone is so nice and friendly!"

"An all girls school, huh?" Ron asked, raising an eyebrow. "Dunno how that could get boring. Kidding," he added quickly, seeing the look on her face. "I'm just joking. And yeah, most people are pretty cool. And the castle itself keeps things exciting."

Melanie grinned at him and winked. "Natalie Portman went there. It. Was. Awesome." But for reals. Melanie laughed lightly and grinned at him. "Yeah, out of the few people I have met they are all really cool. The teachers are all super nice too." She said with a wide grin. "The castle. Oh my gosh it's huge compared to my old school."