Work Text:
"Good morning! Welcome to Leaf Me Alone! Let me know if there is anything I can —"
Slamming down some pound notes, and muttering under their breath, Hermione was shocked to recognize the person beneath the black hair and seething eyes in front of her.
"How do you say 'up yours' in flowers?"
"...Pansy…"
"Ha! Pansies! Of course. My name is—"
"Pansy Parkinson, what are you doing here?" Hermione interrupted
Pansy froze, hand still pressing the bills down on the counter, as she tilted her head up to look Hermione in the face.
"...Granger? You work in a muggle plant shop?"
"No. I own a muggle bookstore. Why are you here?"
"This was supposed to be a flower shop. The ladies down at the cafe said that Leaf me Alone had the best plants. I swear."
"I have lovely plants. But as you can see, this is a bookstore that has plants in it, and not a flower shop, so if you would please excuse me."
Hermione dismissed her with a look and bent back down to continue working in her ledger, with hands that were only slightly shaking.
When Pansy made a gurgling sound Hermione looked back up and leveled her with the coldest stare she could.
"What?"
Pansy sucked in a deep breath and said in a rush "You're last on my list."
"Excuse me?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"My list... of people I have wronged…"
Pansy scuffed her shoe against the floor and looked down.
"My healer suggested I make one, and that after my house arrest, go and apologize in person to everyone I could. I thought he was absolutely mad until Drake said he did it and it helped. And well you disappeared and no one could find you. So, you're last on my list and I need to apologize. For everything. I was in an impossible situation at home and in my life and I went blindly and… and I'm sorry."
Seeming to deflate after her confession, Pansy met Hermione's eyes again and repeated "I really am sorry. I hope one day you might forgive me."
Turning on her heel to leave, she was about halfway to the door before Hermione's voice rang out.
"Yellow carnations. Use yellow carnations"
Reaching the door, and with one hand on it she turned just enough to send a tentative smile in Hermione's direction, before nodding and walking out of the shop, into the sunshine.