Pansy Parkinson had always thought of herself as a woman not to be trifled with. She had fought hard to perfect that image, and had punished those who interfered. Or at least she had tried to punish them; for one or two people, the punishment did not always go as planned, but those few hardy, stubborn people had been the only ones to really circumvent Pansy’s wrath.

But nothing had prepared Pansy for this Spring evening, traveling on the Muggle subway with Draco, expecting him to finally ask her to come home with her that evening–and having him turn to her, his eyes a very cold gray, and say the words she had hoped never to hear.

“Pansy, I’m through with you.�

Pansy stared up into Draco’s chilly, light-colored eyes. This could not be happening, not after all they’d been through together. “Draco...�

“No, don’t even bother. I’ve tried to let you down gently, but you stick like a burr on a dog’s butt. I’m through with you. I’m in love with somebody else, and you’re getting out of my life.�

“Draco, please, don’t...� Pansy could feel the panic rising in her.

“And don’t bother with the weeping, either. It won’t work. It didn’t work last time; you only thought it did because I shut up.� Draco drew himself up to his full height. “I’ve told my parents already, and they will not be letting you in the house to talk to me again. Neither will the servants. I only went to the concert with you tonight because I wanted to hear the band anyway. I don’t know why you can’t figure out that when I shake you off, I want you gone. I’m getting off at the next stop. You’re staying on this... this subway-thing. And you’re not going to go into hysterics. But if you decide to anyway, then you’re going to deal with it by yourself. I’m through with you.�

“No! Draco, you can’t. We’ve been together for years now!� Pansy clutched at Draco’s Muggle jacket. “We’re–I’m your–Draco...� Memories of Draco with his head in her lap on the Hogwarts Express, of Draco pulling her close in the empty common room and kissing her passionately, of their stolen moments in an empty classroom, of going to parties on Draco’s arm–this could not be ending this way! “Draco, I love you,� Pansy gasped out in desperation.

“Don’t even bother.� Draco shoved Pansy away from him. “This is my stop. Stay on this subway, Pansy, or I won’t be responsible for what happens to you.� Draco’s eyes glittered harshly down at her. “I hope you understand that. Good bye.� He turned just as the subway doors opened, and he walked out.

Pansy stared numbly at his gray-clad back until he disappeared into a crowd of young Muggles dressed in shabby jeans and new trainers. The subway door slid shut, leaving her inside the Muggle subway car, alone.
Only, of course, she was not alone. There were five other people sharing the subway car with her. The middle-aged couple gave her matching looks of sympathy before they resumed their conversation. The elderly man studiously ignored her and continued to look out the window. The young woman in Indian clothing who had just gotten onto the subway sighed and sat down near the doors. And the large young man with the sandy hair looked directly at Pansy with blue eyes warm with empathy.

With a gasp, Pansy turned her back on all of them and stared out into the darkness of the tunnel.

Pansy had no idea how long she stayed on the subway, nor whether she went beyond her planned stop. It hardly mattered; she would be Apparating back home anyway, no matter where she got off. She heard people get off, people get on, and finally, at one stop, many feet treading out the door. When the door slid shut, there was silence.

Perhaps she could now just disapparate. Were there any cameras in this car that would catch her? Did she even care now? What if the Ministry for Magic did catch her? What could they do? They could haul her in and warn her not to do magic in front of idiotic Muggle cameras ever again, and she would agree, pay whatever stupid fine they told her to pay, and... and what? Die? Waste away of wretched loneliness for the only man she had ever loved–the only man she ever could love?

“Miss?� A low male voice startled her. “I’m sorry; I don’t mean to scare you. But I know you got on the tube at Hammersmith station; I was already on. I went to the same concert you did. You missed Hammersmith station. It was two stops ago. I should have said something, but you...� the voice faltered, then stopped.

Pansy turned around. The large young man with the empathetic eyes had seated himself two rows away from her and now looked at her soberly, almost protectively. His hands empty, huge and callused, one on each knee, spoke of some kind of manual work.

“I don’t care what stop I get off at,� Pansy answered. Her voice was rough. It hardly mattered; all those years of making her voice alluring, of eating practically nothing so she would not gain weight, of trying to be exactly what Draco would want to marry, were for nothing. Who cared what her voice sounded like? Who cared if her makeup was now smeared and run down her face? Who cared if her heart was not only broken, but completely smashed?

Who, indeed, but this young man with his huge callused hands and his sad, warm blue eyes? Nobody.

“I’m sorry. I just had a very bad...� Pansy stopped.

“You just had a very bad breakup with your boyfriend of many years.� The young man nodded. “It’s enough to make a train wreck of you.� He made a swift face. “Pardon the pun. It wasn’t intentional.�

It took Pansy a moment to realize that the man had made a comment about a train wreck while they were traveling on the train-like subway. She gave a shaky, teary laugh, and the young man smiled, looking self-conscious.
“I hope I didn’t make too much of a scene.� Pansy thought of Draco’s cold eyes.

“No, not at all. You were quiet. I don’t know but that he was hoping you’d lie down on the floor and howl, but I’m glad you didn’t give him the pleasure of watching you do that. Will you be able to get home all right?�

“Yes. I’ll call my dad when I get off. He’ll drive to whatever station I get off at. He’s waiting for me anyway.�

“Need to use a cell phone?� the young man asked, proffering a little gray box to her.

“No, it’s all right. I’ll call when I get there.�

“All right. Just stay near the security guards, all right? And don’t go in the washrooms at this stop. I think there’s been some drug dealing going on.�

“Thanks.� Pansy smiled wanly. “Do I know you?� she asked pointlessly. She didn’t know him, of course, but it seemed she ought to say something, as the next stop hadn’t arrived yet.

“No.� The young man shook his head and put his little gray box back into his jacket pocket. “But I’ve seen you on the subway several mornings when I’ve been on the way to work.�

“Really? I haven’t seen you.�

“You’re usually reading.�

Yes, she had usually been reading on the subway, because she’d usually been on her way to the Ministry for Draco’s hearings, and she had been reading “Winning the Wizarding Man.� So much for that book and its worthless suggestions. The Wizarding man had just marched himself right out of her life and left her with nothing but a handbag, a few half-used lipsticks, and her wand. Well, and a sad-eyed young Muggle man.

“My girl left me pretty much the same way,� the young man said softly, turning his eyes to the door. “Wasn’t on the tube, though. We were out to dinner. She waited ‘til I’d paid the bill. We were in the entryway of the restaurant. She had the other guy there to pick her up.� He sighed. “She went away with him.�

“He ought to have paid the bill for you,� Pansy answered absently.

The young man snorted. “Would have been nice, seeing as how she was bad company all through dinner. Well, people do mean things sometimes. Here’s your stop.� He rose and gave Pansy a short, old-fashioned bow, of the sort only her grandfather made. “Mind the gap,� he said with a grin, echoing the recording that played at every stop.

Pansy laughed, surprising herself. “Thanks, I will.� She hopped out the door and over the gap. But before the doors slid shut, she turned around. The young man gave her a smile and seated himself, facing the door.

“What’s your name?� Pansy asked.

“Dudley,� the young man answered.

“Thanks, Dudley,� Pansy called as the doors slid shut. And as the subway slid away, she looked thoughtfully after it. “Thank you, Dudley,� she said again more softly.