Lunch was in full swing at Gulliver's. They were seated outdoors on the patio, and the crisp fall air nipped at their faces, making the girls' cheeks pink and their eyes bright. Even Pansy was in a good mood, having come out of the three week long temper she'd been in. They both felt carefree, happy and the feeling was reminiscent of the times they'd shared at school, before everything had turned dark.



"...and then he tripped, dropped every one of his packages and landed on his arse in the mud, swearing. It was brilliant, darling, you would have died laughing," giggled Pansy, dabbing at the corners of her eyes with a serviette." Her laughter subsided and she smiled at Tracey. "I'm so looking forward to the Halloween festival you've done up. I'm sure you'll be surprised at who I'm coming with." She glanced at her friend mischievously. "I actually haven't told you anything about that whole situation, have I? I think I'm going to start dabbling in politics," she finished secretively.

Pansy watched Tracey's face fall into apprehensive nerves. "Shush, now, I know how you feel about brandishing our kind of politics in public, regardless of how lippy you can be in private, but I just feel like the Ministry deserves some public comeuppance for the brand of shite they've been serving us for years. So I'm going to try to fix it, I think."

"Do you think they will want to listen? I'm sure they aren't too keen on former Death Eaters trying to turn their happy little world upside down." Tracey's face was grim. She had a whole new set of reasons to resent the Ministry, number one on her list was Theodore's family estate. "What can you possibly do to turn them up on their ears? And what does that have to do with who you're attending the festival with?" Her eyes narrowed and a suspicious grin spread across her face. "Spill it, you can have no secrets from me."

Pansy grinned. "I have a few, darling. And I know the Ministry won't listen to me. You do remember me screeching like a banshee the first dozen times they took the quarterly penalties from my account for the Department of Mysteries, don't you? If no one listened to that racket, I seriously doubt they'd want to hear my politics now. No, it won't be me. I've a Gryffindor on the payroll, Trace. It's the most brilliant idea I've ever had, and that includes when we figured out how to charm Blaise's trousers to keep his little harem unhappy in fifth year, do you remember? It was hilarious seeing him run around trying to figure out why he couldn't get it up." She giggled.

"You don't! How did you manage that? You didn't curse someone did you? Imperio them into doing your bidding?" Tracey couldn't hold her smile, the idea of Pansy taking the law into her own hands was hilarious... and scary. "Who is the poor Gryff laid waste to your devious devices?"

"You introduced me to him, actually. Cormac McLaggen. He's turned into quite the project, actually." She waved the waiter to take away their plates. "I don't know how long it will take, but you'll see his name on the ballot for Minister of Magic one day." She winked at her friend. "We've a contract. His loyalty is to me and me alone." Politically, anyway.

Tracey chuckled. If there was a contract involved she really did feel bad for poor Cormac. "He seemed like just a nice bloke, so sad to see him broken."

Pansy smiled. "I don't think he'll break that easily, Trace. He seems to be made of sterner stuff than that." She looked at the tablecloth for a moment. "And besides. I think I may fancy him the tiniest bit."

"Pansy Parkinson fancies someone. The world has turned on it's head. Though, not really if you're managing to fancy him and still use him for your nefarious purposes." Tracey grinned into her glass. "So, this has been since when? Since that first day? I'm impressed."

"Well," Pansy mused, "physical attraction has definitely been there since the first day. I mean, you have seen him, haven't you?" She cocked her head to the side. "But there's more than that. I can't put my finger on it. But it's not just what he can do for me. Professionally, anyway," she finished, smirking. "Not that I'd even know about the other."

Changing the subject, she rounded on her friend. "But what about you, little Miss Tracey Davis? She fancies someone and evidently shagged them, as well, and how does her closest girlfriend find out? In a frantic, hysterical owl," Pansy said.

Tracey flushed. "I hadn't meant to spill that so carelessly. It's not like I'm the shag-and-tell kind of girl. In an owl. Honestly, what was I thinking? And it was an owl about Greg! I do have a good excuse though. I was worried for him. Considering the details in my owl before, if he'd been all right then he never would have just ignored it. I was expecting a bloody howler from him. If he were in his right mind he would have had me carted away to a convent or something. Thank you for being there for him." Tracey's eyes clouded as she thought of him. "I knew that if anyone would be able to stop him from doing something drastic it would be you. You always were the strong one, out of all of us." She suddenly felt very inadequate sitting with her friend.

Pansy sighed. "I'm not quite as strong as you think I am Trace," she said, sitting back in her chair. "A bitch, yes. But strong?" She shook her head. "I was very weak just a fortnight ago." She pulled a face. "Merlin, I hate to even think about it."

"Sweet Salazar, what did you do? You never regret. I'm quite frightened now." Tracey's lip quirked in amusement and she motioned to the waiter to bring the cheque before turning a serious eye to her friend.

"A chapter in life that I thought had closed reared it's ugly head." She pondered for a moment. "He's not even ugly. Filled out nicely since school, but that's beside the point. I shouldn't have done it. Too much frustration and too many gin and tonics equal a one off with an old flame." She furrowed her brow. "I didn't even want to do it, really, but Cormac and I still haven't, and he was there, and it was just... easy." She shook her hair and flipped it behind her shoulder. "It certainly isn't going to happen again." She smirked. "If McLaggen plays his cards right, tomorrow evening could be a very happy time for him."

"Now, you can't leave it like that. You haven't...'been' with Cormac yet? I was sure you had. And then an old flame? When have you had the time with all your plotting for world domination to knock knickers with an old flame? Which old flame? You have lots." She asked animatedly as they exited the restaurant and headed toward the portal into Muggle London. Another experiment in Muggle shopping awaited them and both women were quite excited.

"No. Cormac and I haven't "been" as you so sweetly put it. It's not from want of trying, believe me. Departmental memos, rabid owls, naked paintings, stray curses..." She sighed. "It's no wonder I slept with Theodore. The temptation for release was too great, and there he was." She pursed her lips and shrugged. "Enough. Harrod's again, then? I deserve some shoes."

It was hard not to laugh at her friend's horrible luck, but Tracey controlled her laughter until the rest of what Pansy had said sunk in and then it just seemed reduntant. She was not one to laugh insanely when her world started falling apart. Blanching, she stopped and nodded absently. "Yeah, shoes." She ran her fingers through her curls and flipped it over her shoulder before continuing quietly, "Pansy, do you mean Theodore Nott? From school?"

Pansy nodded, distracted. "You don't think badly of me, do you? I used to go to him in school when things got to be too much with Draco. I knew at the time it wasn't a good idea. But then one night I was having a drink at Grendell's and there he was." She rolled her eyes. "He certainly hasn't owled, either. The whole circumstance is unfortunate. Maybe I'll look into being obliviated," she teased.

Pansy noticed her friend was swaying slightly. Laying a hand on her arm, she asked, "Trace? Are you all right? I knew you shouldn't have had the Blancmange. I told you, it's foul."

Breathing in sharply, Tracey planted a smile on her face answered sweetly, "I'm fine, Pans, honestly.Thank you for worrying. You may be right, no more funny French desserts for me. When did you manage to bump into him? Hasn't it been years?"

Pansy nodded. "Five years, actually, til a few weeks ago. Maybe it'll be another five before I see him again if I'm lucky," she replied.

Tracey felt like she was going to be sick yet her smile stayed where it was. She may not have been as talented as Pansy was at hiding her feelings, but she was smart enough to know when to excuse herself before falling apart. "You know, dearest, I've suddenly remembered something that I neglected to ask River to do for the party tomorrow. Can I beg off this afternoon? We'll do Harrod's next week?" At the other woman's confused nod, Tracey smiled again before turning and Apparating out of sight.

(Summary: Pansy and Tracey resume their weekly lunch date. This week's main course: Confessions of several sorts.)