Im back with chapter six! It's a bit longer than the last chapter, so I hope that makes up for a very short chapter five!

I just want to preface this chapter with a small reminder: this is a slightly AU fic, so whole the characters are the same, no one new being introduced into the HP world, I do want to let everyone know that I have bended the timelines of canon a bit, and I might not have the ages of certain characters correct-according to canon. So please do not come after me with pitchforks and torches telling me that I have ages wrong, or that I have fudged the timelines. I know, it was done on purpos for the sake of the story :).

As always, a huge thank you to Lady Ylla for her amazing support and ideas. She is simply the best, and everyone should also go and read her fic SSpellthief!

also a huge thank you to everyone who have favorited, followed or review this fic! Y'all give me life!

Mending

Chapter 6

At 5:30 that evening Pansy apparated to the small cottage just outside of Ottery St Catchpole. Taking a deep breath and wondering if it had been a mistake to agree to dinner, she raised a fist and knocked lightly on the door.

Ron answered, looking irritated. "Parkinson," he said, nodding slightly and stepping back to make room for her to enter the foyer.

"Wea-erm...Ron," she said as she passed him.

The red headed man look startled by her use of his first name, but shrugged it off, closing the door behind her.

"Hermione is in the kitchen," he said, pointing to a door on the left. "Probably still arguing with Rose."

"Arguing?" Pansy asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah," Ron sighed, rolling his eyes. "Rose wanted to stay at Hogwarts this weekend, use the library to get more studying in. I swear, she's more like her mother than she will ever be like me,"

"Hmm," Pansy said, not knowing how else to respond, but following Ron across the foyer and into the kitchen all the same.

"'Mione, Par-uh, Pansy is here," He looked uncomfortable using her first name as well, but Pansy was relieved that he was at least being cordial.

"Pansy! Fantastic!" Hermione exclaimed. "So glad you could make it!" She turned to Ron. "Will you please fetch Hugo? We need to leave, I promised we wouldn't be late this time,"

Ron nodded and made his way to the narrow staircase at the back of the kitchen. Pansy looked around her, and noticed a girl of about thirteen standing next to the stone fireplace, clutching a book and glowering into the flames that leapt merrily in the grate.

"Rose?" Hermione said, stepping closer to who Pansy assumed was her daughter. The girl had Hermione's bushy hair, but instead of brown it was a bright, fiery red. "This is Pansy, one of my coworkers," Hermione said.

Rose looked Pansy up and down, muttered a barely audible "Hi," and went back to glaring at the flames.

"Oh, to be 13 again," Hermione sighed, rolling her eyes and walking back over to Pansy just as Ron came back downstairs followed by Hugo.

"Ready?" Ron asked, pulling a jar from the top of the mantle.

"Yes, I think so," Hermione said. "You can floo with me," she added to Pansy.

Pansy nodded and stepped up to the hearth as Hermione grabbed a pinch of the glittering powder in the jar.

"The Burrow!" Hermione cried as she and Pansy stepped into the now emerald flames.

Pansy barely had time to be surprised before she was spinning along beside the bushy haired witch. She caught glimpses of sitting rooms and kitchens as she spun, being careful to keep her elbows tucked tightly against her sides.

Suddenly, the spinning stopped. Pansy stumbled out of the fireplace, and right into someone with untidy black hair and round glasses.

"Careful, now," Harry Potter said, gripping her upper arms lightly as she regained her balance. "You ok?"

"Yeah, thank you," she said, stepping away from him quickly and looking around.

She was standing in a small but tidy kitchen, with a scrubbed wooden table taking up most of the space. Sitting around the table were some of the last people Pansy had expected to see.

It looked like most of the Weasley clan and their spouses were crammed into the small kitchen. Bill and Fleur smiled politely at her, as did Mr Weasley and George. Ginny however, pushed her chair back with a loud scraping noise and stood up.

"So this is what we're doing tonight?" She asked, stalking past Pansy and Hermione.

"Gin," Harry started, reaching a hand out towards his wife.

"Don't." She hissed, sidestepping him and coming to a stop in front of the sideboard. "Anyone else want a drink?" She asked, pouring herself a considerable amount of firewhiskey.

"Doesn't sound half bad," Angelina muttered standing up from beside George and joining Ginny at the sideboard.

"I guess I'll mind the kids tonight, then," Harry sighed, walking out of the kitchen pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Looks like there is an empty seat, then!" Fleur chirped. "You can sit by me!"

Pansy slowly made her way around the table as the hearth erupted in green flames again and Ron, Hugo, and Rose stepped out, brushing soot of themselves. Pansy sank down into the empty chair, but kept her back straight and shoulders tensed.

Conversation began again, and Soon Fleur was telling Pansy all about the small cottage by the beach where her and Bill lived, and how her dining room table was covered in the seashells that her youngest son Louis liked to collect.

"Where does 'e think we are supposed to eat?" Fleur laughed, shaking her head.

Pansy tried to smile, but the muscles in her face felt tight. She was still in shock that this woman had taken to her so quickly.

"Hermione! Ron! I'm so glad your finally here!"

Pansy jumped out of her seat at the sound of Mrs. Weasley bustling into the kitchen as if she had been given an electric shock.

"Oh...hello dear," Mrs. Weasley smiled at Pansy. "Please don't get up on my account!" The older woman laughed merrily.

Pansy looked around guilty as she sat back down. She hadn't jumped up out of respect, but out of fear. Being blindsided by so many welcoming and smiling faces was doing a number on her nerves.

"Molly, you remember my colleague, Pansy Parkinson?" Hermione asked, squeezing her way around the table to take the armload of carrots and potatoes out of Mrs. Weasleys hands and place them in the sink.

"Oh yes! I remember you telling me about how great she is at the hospital!" Mrs Weasley exclaimed. "It's so nice that you could join us tonight!" Ginny harrumphed behind her mother. "We are all glad that you could make it," Mrs. Weasley went on, throwing a stern look at her glowering daughter.

"Thank you for having me in your home," Pansy said.

Mrs. Weasley smiled softly at her. Pansy realized that the older woman understood exactly what she meant: It wasn't just thanking her for the invite to dinner, it was thanking her for allowing Pansy into her home, around her family, and accepting her as one of them, instead of being suspicious about her actions.

"Well," Mrs. Weasley said, clapping her hands together. "Dinner will be ready soon. George? Bill? will you boys help me get the potatoes and carrots ready?"

Chairs scraped and conversation broke out again as Bill and George helped their mother and the rest of the family made their way to the sitting room where screams of childish laughter could be heard.

"Mrs Weasley?" Pansy called, coming to stand beside her at the stove. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Oh, no, dear!" Mrs. Weasley said, poking her wand at a saucepan of water causing it to begin boiling. "We got it covered here! Thank you for the offer, but you're a guest tonight! Go on and join the others in the sitting room, make yourself at home,"

"Thank you" Pansy said. "Again,"

"You're welcome here anytime, dear," Mrs Weasley smiled.

Pansy smiled back and made her way to the sitting room. This room was as packed as the kitchen, but where there had been only adults around the table, the sitting room was crawling with children. Pansy had never been very good with children, and often found that children didn't like her very much either.

Hermione noticed her standing in the doorway and took pity on her.

"Hey," she said. "Sorry to spring everyone on you like this, but I thought you might refuse if you knew where we were actually going,"

"You're right, I probably would have," Pansy sighed.

"I told everyone you were coming," Hermione explained. "And when I explained how much you have accomplished since Hogwarts, everyone was eager to meet you. Well, most everyone," she amended, glancing at the corner where Angelina and Ginny sat sipping their whiskey. "Harry backed me up. Actually, he spoke very highly of you..."

"Saint Potter saves the day again," Pansy mumbled with a wry grin.

"Yeah, he tends to do that doesn't he?" Hermione chuckled. "Anyway, some introductions. You've met Rose and Hugo," she said pointing at Rose, who was curled up in an armchair by the fire, nose in a book, and Hugo who was playing exploding snap with a girl who had the same silvery blonde hair as Fleur. "That's Victoire with him, Bill and Fleur's oldest. The other little redhead is Louis," she said, pointing to a boy of about eight who was sitting on the floor leaning against his mothers legs. "Dominique is their middle child, but she is visiting her grandparents in France this weekend," Hermione explained. "That's Freddie and Roxanne, George and Angelina's two," she said pointing to a boy of about ten and a girl of about seven who were listening to Ron and Harry telling a story of one of their many Hogwarts adventures. "James is Harry and Ginny's oldest, but he stayed at the school this weekend, something about quidditch practice. Lily is the little one Mr. Weasley is holding, she just turned three, and this," Hermione smiled at the young boy who shyly edged his way over to them. "Is Albus, Harry and Ginny's middle one. Albus, this is Pansy, she works with me at St Mungos,"

"Nice to meet you Albus," Pansy smiled, awkwardly lowering herself to the same level as the boy.

"Nice to meet you," Albus replied, grinning.

"And how old are you?" Pansy asked.

"I'm six and one quarter!" He grinned wider, showing a missing front tooth.

"Six and one quarter! That is a fine age indeed!" Pansy exclaimed.

Albus giggled, covering his mouth with his hands.

"Albus." Ginny called. "Will you come here?"

"Bye miss Pansy!" Albus called as he skipped over to his mother.

"She's afraid I'll corrupt her kid," Pansy muttered.

"Ginny will come around," Hermione assured her. "Let's sit down,"

Pansy followed Hermione to a small sofa next to Fleur, who smile at Pansy again as she sat.

Pansy listened to the conversations around her. She still felt tense, sitting in the middle of a group of people who, fifteen years ago, wouldn't have trusted her in the same room as them, let alone joining them for dinner. Hermione and Fleur did their best to stay on topics of conversation that Pansy could join in, and she was grateful for the inclusion. Little Albus soon edged his way back over to them and sat on the floor in front of their sofa, playing with a toy model of a quidditch pitch, complete with small moving players and balls.

"Gin is hoping he will play quidditch like his brother when he gets to Hogwarts," Harry's said, coming to stand beside the sofa.

"Well, with his parents being who they are, of say there is a very good chance he will be on that pitch his first year," Pansy replied, smiling at Albus when he looked up at the sound of his fathers voice.

Mrs. Weasley called everyone to dinner then. Children where scooped up or herded from the sitting room to the small kitchen. When everyone had settled in, Pansy was surprised to find herself sitting between Mr Weasley and little Albus. The small boy seemed to be quite taken with her, and blushed every time Pansy looked at him. Ginny looked furious that her son chose to sit next to her and kept throwing glares in her direction, as if it were Pansy's fault.

Mrs. Weasley sat the last of the food on the table and Pansy's mouth began to water despite her nerves. The scrubbed wooden table groaned under platters of lamb chops, large bowls of mashed potatoes, steaming piles of honey and brown sugar roasted carrots and boats of gravy. Elder flower wine flowed freely, and soon, Pansy's defenses came down enough to engage Mr. Weasley in a conversation about muggle medicine.

"Pansy, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked from across the table as rhubarb crumble was being passed around for dessert. "Hermione says you have been helping Neville with his therapy, how is he doing?"

The bright conversation around her dropped instantly. Ginny, who had loosened up and had actually asked Pansy to pass the basket of rolls (albeit through gritted teeth and without looking at her), flushed with anger again.

"He is doing excellent," she said, sitting down her spoon. "We have only had three sessions and he has already progressed faster than we could've hoped,"

"We sure do miss him," Mrs Weasley smiled fondly. "He's usually here for these dinners," she explained.

"That's nice," Pansy said, unsure of what else to say.

"He will probably be absent for quite a while, mother," Ginny sneered. "Since our own dear Hermione has seen it fit to assign this incompetent snake to his care,"

"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley gasped.

"The sneaky bitch is probably prolonging his pain, making his injury worse!" Ginny accused, her face red and splotchy from anger and alcohol.

Pansy had had enough of the woman's lies. Enough of her unsolicited anger and accusations. Enough of still being treated like the daughter of a Death Eater and a frightened seventeen year old Slytherin all these years later, when she had proven herself over and over again to everyone.

"Sneaky bitch, am I?" Pansy asked quietly, her voice shaking with barely concealed rage. "Must I remind you whose fault it is that he is under my care in the first place?"

"You don't know what you're talking about," Ginny said stiffly.

"Don't I?" Pansy asked. She could feel the frostiness creeping back into her voice. "Do you think Hermione so incompetent that she can't even file a injury report correctly? Or are you accusing Neville himself of lying?"

Pansy could feel the weight of the stares of everyone in the kitchen. She vaguely noticed little Albus looking from her to his mother with wide eyes. A small voice in the back of Pansy's mind whispered to be careful; but she ignored it.

For some reason that was utterly foreign to her, she felt the strangest desire to defend Neville, to protect him from the waspish words of his so called friend.

"What is she talking about, Ginny?" Mr. Weasley asked, authority in his tone.

"It's nothing, dad," Ginny said quickly.

"It sure sounds like something, Gin," Bill said, eyes narrowed as he looked at his sister.

"It was a joke," Ginny said, pinning Pansy with a hateful glare. "I was poking fun at Neville's flying abilities, and James and Hugo might have repeated it around Nev. Nothing was meant by it!"

"And I am just trying to do my job!" Pansy yelled, standing so quickly her chair fell over, her anger and frustrations the last few days finally getting the best of her. "You are supposed to be his friend, Ginny Potter! You shouldn't have made fun of him in the first place! And now that he is seriously injured, you should be happy that he is under the care of a professional who actually knows what they are doing, and who actually cares about his wellbeing!"

Ginny snatched her wand out of her pocket and pointed it at Pansy's face.

"Ginerva Weasley, you will put that wand away, and you will put it away right now," Mrs Weasley said quietly, also standing up.

The entire kitchen was silent and looking between Pansy and Ginny with wide eyes.

"NOW!" Mrs. Weasley shouted.

"Are you seriously taking her side?" Ginny asked in disbelief, yet lowering her wand all the same.

"We all care about Neville," Mrs. Weasley said. "If Hermione thinks Pansy is the right one to be taking care of him, that should be good enough for everyone. Including you!"

Ginny glared at her mother for a few moments before turning and kicking the back door open and marching out into the garden.

Harry scrambled from his chair and followed her outside, their raised voices floating into the small kitchen like a rumble of thunder.

"I'm sorry, dear," Mrs. Weasley sighed, sitting down and wringing her hands.

"No, I apologize, Mrs. Weasley," Pansy said, picking up her fallen chair and pushing it back under the table. "Please forgive me for ruining dinner. If it wouldn't be any trouble, I'll just floo back to St Mungos from here, there is some paperwork that needs my attention,"

Ignoring Mrs. Weasley's protests and skirting Hermione's outstretched hand, Pansy grabbed a pinch of floo powder from the ceramic flower pot on the mantle and tossed it into the flames.

And there is chapter six!

chapter seven might take a bit to post, as I am still working on it, and my muses aren't exactly cooperating

i can be found on tumblr as kendrasowlpost!