"Unmasked"

An hour had passed since they'd lost themselves in the moment, and Harry lay on the bed, spent but content. Pansy still lay beside him, her naked form curled up against his side, her ear pressed to his chest as she listened to the rhythm of his heartbeat. He couldn't help but think how beautiful she was in that moment, more beautiful than he'd ever seen her at school. It was as if she'd been hiding her true self, masking it behind a façade of poise and arrogance. As he gazed down at her, Pansy stirred, her eyelids fluttering open as she smiled up at him. "I feel amazing," she whispered, her voice husky and satisfied. "Being with you like this, free from all expectations...it's like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders." Harry's eyes locked onto hers, and he smiled, feeling a sense of connection with her that he'd never experienced before. Pansy's gaze lingered on his, and then she spoke again, her voice quieter, barely above a whisper. "I wasn't the only one, Harry." Harry's expression turned concerned, and he felt a spark of unease ignite within him. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice low and gentle. Pansy hesitated, her eyes darting away from his as she seemed to collect her thoughts. Harry waited for her to speak, his patience a testament to the connection that had formed between them. "It's just...being a pure-blood daughter, I was raised to be a piece on a chessboard," Pansy explained, her voice laced with a hint of sadness. "Never truly free, I was sold and traded as was convenient for my father's success in deals and alliances. My life, my choices, they were all predetermined, controlled by the needs of my family." As Pansy spoke, her words painted a picture of a life Harry couldn't imagine. He'd always seen her as a spoiled, entitled Slytherin, but now he saw a different side of her, a side that was vulnerable and trapped. "My parents chose my friends, my enemies, even my romantic interests," Pansy continued, her voice cracking with emotion. "I was never allowed to be myself, to make my own choices. But with you, Harry...I feel like I can be free, like I can be me, without the expectations and the pressures of my family weighing me down." Harry's heart went out to her, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "You are free, Pansy," he whispered, his voice filled with conviction. "You can make your own choices, be your own person. I'm not going to judge you, or try to change you. I just want to be with you, to get to know you."