Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter.
A/N – Written for pphpficexchange on LJ. Thanks to both csi-tokyo3 and persephone33 for their beta efforts.
Prompt – DH-compliant. Something brings Pansy to Harry and they must work together. Doesn't have to be anything big. Nothing higher than R
While the rest of the upperclassmen were heading off for another Hogsmeade weekend, Pansy chose to remain behind in the Slytherin dorm and pretended to be under the weather. Curled up in one of the leather armchairs underneath a heavy blanket, Pansy just smiled politely as her so-called friends told her they were sorry and hoped she felt better soon. She knew better; and that behind her back they were thinking there was less competition for the attention of the boys.
As soon as they and the rest of the students had left for the Wizarding village and the underclassmen were off doing what ever it was they spent their time doing, Pansy quickly gathered her cloak and left the dungeon. Before heading towards the main doors and the outdoors, she made a quick detour to the castle kitchens where she gathered a few apples, putting them in the pockets of her cloak.
Emerging outside through the main doors, Pansy took a deep breath of the brisk air, and an actual, genuine smile appeared on her face. The past few years had been draining, and for the first time in awhile, Pansy felt more at ease than ever before. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, and perhaps it was best unknown.
Maybe because now I don't have to pander to that sniveling little wimp, Pansy thought as she heard the snow crunch underneath her boots. Following the path that wrapped around the castle, Pansy headed towards Hagrid's cabin.
Before the war, the Malfoy family had been one of the most prestigious pure-blooded families in the Wizarding World, and it would be a coup to become part of the family. When Draco and Pansy had been infants, their families entered in to a contract, betrothing them. But that was then; there had been a contractual clause stating that if either one of them did something that would mar their family name or cause a great embarrassment, the contract would became null and void. The clause had been a traditional means of escape, originally placed by Lucius Malfoy should he choose that Pansy was no longer a proper fit for his son or his own plans.
But the clause was used by Pansy to get out of the marriage. Following the war, while not as bad as some parties, the prestige that surrounded the Malfoy family had lost some of its luster and had become tainted. It was a bit hard to put a good spin on repeatedly trying to kill your Headmaster and ending up as an accessory to the actually killer, not to mention the fact that the two most prominent males of the family were suspected of being Death Eaters.
At some point, Pansy believed that she actually did love Draco and cared about him. She even molded herself in to what she thought Draco wanted in a girl: a pretty little thing that hung on his every word, stroked his ego, and that he could show off on his arm. But no matter what she did, the illusion was still that: an illusion. Pansy saw an opening, and for the first time made a decision in her best interests alone.
Reaching Hagrid's hut, Pansy pushed those thoughts to the side and glanced around to make sure no one was around or following her. Making sure Hagrid was inside his hut whittling something out of a piece of wood and not paying attention to the outdoors, Pansy slipped in to the Forbidden Forest.
While Pansy was making her way across the grounds and in to the forest, Harry stood in Great Hall's courtyard, watching as the students milled around in anticipation of going to Hogsmeade.
"Sure you won't change your mind, mate?" Ron asked, flanking him.
"Nah," Harry answered with a small grin. "I just have no interest in going."
That, and I'm not giving up the chance for some quiet time. It'll be nice not to have any one bugging me every five minutes, and I can do what I want.
Ever since the end of the war, demand for Harry's time had risen to a whole new level. Outside of Hogwarts, everyone under the sun wanted a chance to sit down with the Savior of the Wizarding World. Then, inside Hogwarts, his duties and responsibilities as Head Boy and Gryffindor Quidditch Captain took the rest. What little free time he had left, he used scrambling to finish his class work in.
Lowering his voice so only Ron would hear, he quickly added, "Besides, if I ever need anything, I have my ways."
Ron gave a choked off snort and smirked as his girlfriend, standing on Harry's other side, reprimanded him. "I hope you're not abusing your privileges as Head Boy, Harry." She then lowered her voice, like Harry just did, "Or the freedom the Headmistress has granted you."
"Of course not, Hermione. I'll be up in the tower studying for N.E.W.T.s," Harry told her with a sarcastic grin and laughed as Hermione gave him a look as if to call his bluff. "Now, take your boyfriend, go to Hogsmeade, and enjoy your date." Even though they had been together for months now, Harry still enjoyed teasing them about it. Especially after all the grief they gave him.
"Come on, Hermione," Ron said taking her hand and pulling her away as the crowd was beginning to depart.
After bidding his friends goodbye, Harry wandered back into the castle. Reaching in to an inside pocket on his robes, Harry drew out a folded copy of the Daily Prophet.
The paper was folded in to fourths, and snapping it open so it was simply folded in half, Harry reread the headlines again. Sighing softly, Harry tossed the paper on to one of the Great Hall's tables. "Rubbish."
Is Former Auror Kingsley Shacklebot qualified to be our next Minister of Magic, by Rita Skeeter. Honestly, why am I not surprised? Should've squashed the beetle when I had the chance.
Harry stood in the midst of the tables, and looked around a moment. There was maybe a handful of younger students sitting here and there, and he could tell they were starting to become aware of his presence. Even when we win, we still have to defend ourselves.
Can't wait to see what happens when her book comes out, he thought sarcastically. Should be good for a laugh.
Beginning to hear the all too familiar whispers, Harry glanced up. Maybe it's time to put things in to motion. Except that means I'll actually have to not only talk to her, but find a way to do it. Of all the annoyances in my life, why does she have to be the best candidate?
Deciding he no longer wanted to go back to the tower, he thought Maybe I'll go visit Hagrid. I haven't seen him since around Christmas. Harry quickly doubled back out in to the courtyard.
Descending the hill from the castle towards Hagrid's, Harry had an excellent view of the surrounding grounds. Lost in thought as he walked, Harry noticed something moving about Hagrid's hut, thinking, Hagrid must be outside.
But then, realizing the figure was too small to be Hagrid, Harry watched as they walked away from the hut and headed in to the Forbidden Forest. What now? Harry asked himself rhetorically, with a little irritation. Probably an underclassmen trying to prove something. Why can't these little brats just follow the rules?
As soon as he thought that last statement, he heard Hermione's voice in his head reminding him that it could very well have been him. Hitting level ground, Harry headed off towards where the footsteps disappeared in to the forest.
Following the war, and in attempt to promote cooperation, the Centaur herd had cleared out most of the danger, making a few small pockets of the Forbidden Forest safe. In these pockets, under proper supervision, students could enter the forest. But even with the herd protecting those areas, it was still a dangerous place.
After entering the woods and trudging through the few inches of snow on the ground, Pansy came upon a small clearing. She walked slowly out in to it and for a brief moment, all she could hear were her own footsteps. Soon, she heard the crunching of other footsteps.
Turning to the sound, Pansy watched as a small Thestral cautiously approached her.
"Hello there little one," she said softly, lowering down into a crouched position. "Remember me?" she asked the little winged horse. Slowly drawing her hand in to a pocket of her cloak, she withdrew one of the apples she had taken and held it out to the young Thestral.
Either recognizing the young witch or smelling the food, the young horse galloped forward the remaining few meters to the apple. Pansy watched as the creature cautiously lowered its head, never taking its eyes off her, and took a bite of the apple. As Pansy reached forward with her other hand, the Thestral backed up, afraid.
"Easy. I won't hurt you," she told it, making a show of how the other hand was empty. The winged horse slowly crept back to the apple and took another bite. This time, the creature simply stiffened as Pansy reached out with her other hand.
Gently stroking the smooth but boney hide that covered the little creature, Pansy watched as it quickly devoured the apple, wondering at the animal's texture. Feels almost like scales.
Wonder where the rest of the herd is? she mused as she slowly scanned the tree line. Usually wherever the young ones where, the adults weren't too far away. A soft neighing and a warm nuzzling of her hand brought her attention back to the young colt.
"Hungry aren't we?" she asked rhetorically as she withdrew another apple. "At least some one appreciates me," she muttered softly.
When Pansy had first come back to Hogwarts, she had been startled to find out that not only were these huge, ugly, winged horses pulling the carriages from the station to Hogwarts, but that she could also see them. After giving away her initial horror, Pansy kept quiet about it as she dove in to researching them; it was probably the first time in her life that she did academic work for her own interests. She quickly found the connection between being able to see them and witnessing the death of her mother during the war.
After Hagrid's slip of the tongue regarding where the creatures lived, Pansy searched the Forbidden Forest for them over the course of a few days late in the autumn.
In her first few attempts, she seemed to find everything but Thestrals. Then, one late November evening, Pansy found a young colt wandering around lost. Fighting her repulsed reaction to the sight of it, Pansy tucked away the nauseous feeling and followed the little creature.
After a few minutes of walking in one direction, it stopped and headed back the way it came. Following it, Pansy came around a corner and came face to face with a dead, decaying Thestral. Upon sight of it, Pansy emptied her stomach and ran off.
The old Pansy would've stayed away after that sight, spending hours complaining about it. But she kept quiet, for more reasons other than having to explain she was doing out there in the first place. Even though she found the creature ugly and disgusting, she felt a connection. Pansy felt that it too had lost a parent, if not both, and would die if nothing was done. It was a revelation that never would've occurred to her before.
A few days later, Pansy forced herself to return with some stale bread she got from the House Elves. Leaving the bread where she had last encountered the little colt, she hid a few yards away waiting to see if the colt would take the bread. It did, and Pansy returned every few days with something else, with both Pansy and the colt getting bolder and more comfortable with each other. Time passed and before Holiday break, Pansy had discovered the small heard of Thestrals, and lead the young colt back to them.
Once back from holiday, Pansy checked on the young colt once every other week or so, bringing a small treat for him. To her horror and a bit of amusement, she had grown attached to the little guy.
As she reached into her other pocket for another apple, she heard more footsteps. Looking up, she eyed the herd approaching, investigating what the young colt was doing. But the noise of the herd had overshadowed the approach of someone else coming from the other direction.
"I wouldn't believe it if I weren't seeing it with my own eyes," Harry said as he came out of the tree line behind her. Perfect. See where this goes.
Pansy jumped to her feet in surprise, dropping the apple. As the young Thestral munched happily on the apple, Pansy felt her heart pumping. "What are you doing here?" she snapped breathlessly.
"Could ask you the same thing," Harry countered.
"I'm a Prefect," she told him, her nose in the air. "What's your excuse?"
"If I remember right," he mocked her, "being Head Boy out ranks you. Correct?"
"Stupid Potter," Pansy muttered to herself.
Why is Pretty Little Pansy wandering about the woods and hanging out with Thestrals? Harry wondered to himself. "I knew you and the Ferret were having trouble, but even I wouldn't have guessed you would prefer the company of a Thestral."
"Leave him out of this," Pansy said a little too defensively, stepping between Harry and the young colt.
Pansy had figured if any other person at Hogwarts else could see the invisible horses, it would include Harry. But as a seasoned veteran of manipulation and the games people play, Pansy easily turned the tables. Quickly trying to regain control of the situation, she asked, "And yet you're here, and the little Weaslette is where? Trouble in paradise, Hero?"
Harry shrugged. "Ginny's her own woman and can do whatever she wants. She doesn't need to report to anyone, much less me. You see Pansy, some women are independent enough they don't have to be clinging to their man every waking moment."
"I see," Pansy replied sarcastically. "So it doesn't bother you that she's probably having a snog with Longbottom somewhere?"
Harry chuckled softly. He had moved on since realizing that he and Ginny no longer felt the same way as they once had, and turned out to be genuinely happy when Neville finally got the courage to ask Ginny out. "Certainly not as much as it does you with Draco and Greengrass. How does it feel to know your supposed best friend set up your man with her younger sister?"
Arching an eyebrow when she smirked back at him, he was intrigued by her answer.
"I haven't been with the sniveling idiot since September. Best decision I ever made. If some little girl wants to take the role, let her. I have more important things to take care of." Just as she finished, the young colt whined softly, pushing his head against the back of her leg, looking for another apple.
"Speaking of which," Harry joked as he watched Pansy take out the last apple. "You still haven't answered my original question." With Pansy pretending to ignore him, Harry stepped closer to her. He kept a close eye on the Thestral herd around them as they grazed for new grass. At the moment, they were tolerating the two humans around the young colt. "Why are you caring for a young Thestral? Of all the creatures in the world, this is one of the last ones I thought I'd ever see the Pink Princess showing any affection to."
Pansy looked up at him and glared. "Because he had no one until I came around. Thanks to the stupid war, he lost his mother. I cared for him when no one else gave a bloody damn. I made sure he survived long enough to put him back with the herd," she answered him in a low, dangerous voice. "Tell me Potter, do you know how someone can see a Thestral?"
"Of course," Harry answered hotly. "If a person has seen someone die and they're not in shock or mourning, they can see them. I know they scared me when I first saw them after Cedric died… Oh, I see.
"Lost his parents did he?" Harry asked lamely.
Pansy placed the half eaten apple on the ground for the colt to finish, and stood back up. She wasn't surprised that Harry knew about her mother; it was the Order who had killed her. The same Order that existed to help and protect Harry defeat Voldemort. With her back to Harry, "You idiots didn't give a damn about anything. We were all just inconveniences to you, expendable, as you fought the greater evil." Spinning around, she closed the gap between them, and began shouting, aggravating the Thestrals. "It's because of you that I lost my mother! She had nothing to do with Voldemort, Death Eaters, or any other stupid part of the war. But that didn't stop your little friends did it, Potter? She didn't even get a chance to say anything before they cut her down!"
While Pansy ranted, Harry watched her closely. "So that's why you were ready to give me up to Voldemort last year?" he asked rhetorically. Now wasn't the time to fight her charges that the Order killed her mother in cold blood. He knew there had to be more to the story.
"Yes!... No… I don't know," Pansy said frustrated. "I just… I wanted you to pay for my mother. If you hadn't fought back, she'd still be alive today."
"Maybe," Harry said, and knelt down. Pansy was surprised as the colt stepped right up to him, to investigate the new creature. "But if I hadn't, think of all the others that would've been killed, and who's to say your mother wouldn't have wound up being one of them? Voldemort wasn't exactly kind, even to his own followers.
"I'm sorry you lost her, though," he told her. "I guess it's not easy losing your mother at any age."
Sighing, Pansy ran a hand through her shoulder length black hair. Knowing they were far from finished with this topic, Harry decided to at least change subjects for the moment. "You let your hair grow."
"Draco liked it short," she told him, as she self consciously inspected her hair. "I guess when an actress dives in to a role, she goes all the way in."
"Actress?"
Pansy gave him a tiny smirk. "What, Potter? Do you actually think I normally act like a brain dead, sniveling, clinging, little bitch?"
"Well… yeah."
Letting out a real laugh, Pansy rolled her eyes at him. "I gave Draco everything he thought he wanted, and for what? Some money, and perhaps for a little prestige to rub off on me. Draco was nothing but a poor imitation of his father. Now there's a true gentleman."
Harry snorted, which drew Pansy's glare. "Lucius is many things, but not one of them is a gentleman," he said, standing up.
Pansy and Harry stood there for a moment, lost in their own thoughts. By now, the other Thestrals had grown as curious as the young colt, and a few drifted over to investigate.
I can't believe I'm actually having a conversation with Pansy Parkinson, in the Forbidden Forest, with a herd of Thestrals, and am kind of enjoying myself. What the hell? Harry thought to himself.
Having similar thoughts of her own, Pansy pondered, Why are the Fates testing me like this? Off all the people to find me out here, it has to be the second coming of Merlin. But, I guess it's not too bad.
Noticing one of the larger males was stepping by him; Harry reached out and gently stroked his back. "Ever fly a Thestral?"
"Uh?"
Harry grinned a little. "Have you ever flown on one of these things?"
"No," Pansy said shaking her head, while dusting some dirt and snow of her cloak. "I much prefer to have my two feet firmly pressed to the ground."
"Ahh, you don't know what you're missing. There's nothing like the feel of flying."
"Hmph, or the feel of crashing."
"It's not as bad as it looks," Harry said sarcastically, mocking himself a little. "But really, there's nothing like that freedom, up in the clouds with no one else around."
"I can barely manage a broom, doubt I could handle a living obj-, being." Pansy watched as the young colt, realizing no more apples were forthcoming, scammed off to play near some of the herd. "I never understood the lessons anyway."
"That's because you've never had a proper teacher before," Harry said with a wry grin.
Pansy regarded him with an odd expression, before finally saying, "Be careful Potter. Someone might actually think you were proposing something."
"Well, then I better be careful," Harry fired back. "Wouldn't want there to be any misunderstanding between a Gryffindor and Slytherin. Could get dangerous."
"Since when are you afraid of a little danger, Hero?" Pansy teased as she started to head back. "Makes life interesting, don't you think?"
Harry gave the herd one last look before catching up to Pansy. "Funny you should say that," he told her as he fell in to step with her. "I know your family is having some… trouble."
Many of the so-called old blood families were now finding it hard to do almost anything, as the hint of suspicion hung around them. All someone had to do was whisper a rumor about a family and the Aurors would investigate. Having such close ties with the Malfoys over the past few years, the Parkinsons had been the continued target of these whispers, even if nothing could be proven.
Mr. Parkinson, once a successful businessman, could barely find anyone to give him an interview, much less work because of this. If things didn't change, it wouldn't matter if they had any prestige as they wouldn't have any money.
"Your point, Potter?" Pansy said dangerously.
Harry smiled, more confident about his idea. "I was trying to figure out how to approach you, so I guess now is a good a time as any. I have an offer for your father, well, actually, for both of you."
Pansy stopped and turned to face him. "What game are you playing?"
"No games," Harry told he, holding his hands palms up toward her, as if showing he was hiding nothing. "Just because someone can't find work doesn't mean they can't do the work anymore. I've been reading up, and your father was very successful knowing who and where to invest. He made quite a fortune before people started talking behind his back."
"I'm still waiting to hear your point."
He grinned a little. There was something about riling her up that he enjoyed. "As you may already know, I have a bit of money now, and I want to do a few things with it. But I need someone to actually do the work for me, and teach me how to do it. My knowledge of even the Muggle world is painfully small. I need someone I know can do what I ask."
"Like what?" Pansy asked skeptically.
"I'm not going to reveal everything," Harry replied dramatically. "But, for an example, I intend to turn the heat up on the Daily Prophet. See how they react to a little competition."
Pansy did not like her family being indebted to Harry and she was very reluctant to even agree to ask her father. But still, these were times of change, and the Parkinsons needed to adapt to survive. "What's in it for us?"
"Typical Slytherin," Harry said sarcastically as they started walking again. "But, in addition to giving your father work, I'm willing to help take the heat off him."
"What?" Pansy asked him, confused at the saying.
Harry grimaced and shook his head. "It's something stupid I got from one of my cousin's movies," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I'll use my pull in the Ministry and the Order, to get the Ministry to back off of your family.
"Provided neither of you does anything stupid," he finished.
"Like you can do that," she fired back sarcastically, trying not to get her hopes up. Family meant everything to her family, and this seemed too good to be true.
"You'd be surprised what kind of pull being the Savior of the Wizarding World can have."
"I'll talk to him," Pansy finally and reluctantly agreed. "I don't guarantee anything," she cautioned, "but I'll talk to him."
As they neared the castle, "Oh, there is one more detail," Harry said, causing Pansy to glare at him.
"What?" she asked impatiently, with a small huff.
"You."
"Me?" she asked incredulously.
Stopping once again, Harry stepped close to Pansy, making her shift uncomfortably. "Even though the Light won, this world isn't all safe and happy. There are still fights yet to be had, and I'm going to be dragged in to them whether I want to be or not."
"Isn't that what your handlers are for?" she asked him in a sarcastic tone.
Harry simply grinned and shrugged. "They are set in their ways. McGonagall is too busy rebuilding the school. The Weasleys, while good people, are hardly the right people."
"What about the Mudblood?" Pansy shivered a little at Harry's cold glare when she mentioned his friend.
"While Hermione could make beautiful words flow from my mouth, and tell me all about the theory and history, she is not the… fighter I need in my corner with me."
"And I am?" she asked with a laugh.
"Why not? I've seen you; you almost seem to enjoy playing the game and you don't seem to mind getting your hands dirty from time to time. Tell me," he whispered. "How much would you enjoy knocking the Malfoys down a few pegs?"
"If I didn't believe my ears, I would never guess you were a Gryffindor." Though she had to admit it was enticing to pay back old grudges. Too good to be true?
"Well," Harry said nonchalantly. "I do have a bit of Slytherin in me. The Sorting Hat gave thought to putting me there, but I talked the battered old thing out of it." He smiled as Pansy laughed at him.
She wasn't sure which one she had harder time picturing, the Golden Boy in the Slytherin House or arguing with the Sorting Hat about where he was going to be placed.
"So? Do we have a deal?" he asked.
Pansy sobered, and gave him a thoughtful look. "I'll think about it," she said finally. Sensing his impatience, she sighed softly. There is so much he needs to learn, especially if he wishes to play the game. "Think about it; you trust me about as much as I trust you. This is a lot to take in, especially given our… history."
"We'll just have to work on our trust issues, won't we?" Harry said cockily.
Pansy shifted uncomfortably again as Harry leaned in too close for her comfort.
This close to Pansy, Harry had a spur of the moment thought. Ah, what the hell? Besides, it'll piss the Ferret off to no end, if he ever found out.
Before she could react, Harry quickly closed the gap between them and kissed her lightly. Then, just as quickly, he backed up. "Think about what I said," he told her softly before making a quick retreat in to the Castle. "But don't take too long, I'm notoriously impatient," he shouted over his shoulder.
She had seen him coming, so it wasn't like she was caught unaware. But for whatever reason, either choosing not to move or being unable to move, she let him in. It was definitely an odd experience, but not a completely unpleasant one. Though, just because he got to kiss her, didn't mean he was going to get away with it without any kind of repercussion.
"Potter! Get back here!" she yelled as she began to give chase.
Maybe it is time to get rid of old clichés. The rules have changed, those you can not adapt, don't survive. But we'll do it when I want, and how I want, Pansy thought to herself with a smirk as she chased Harry through the hallways. At least it should be a fun ride.