Disclaimer: I certainly do not own Harry Potter. I wish that I did. None of the pairings would be the same. :)

This is my first story. Hope you enjoy.

Harry Potter has always been surrounded by the rumours and speculation of the wizarding press.

When he was a baby there were rumours about the defeat of He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. How did he do it? Why did he survive the killing curse? Was there any way for the Dark lord to return?

While he was at the Dursley's they speculated about why Dumbledore had sequestered him away. Was he dangerous? Where had Harry Potter gone? Was it even legal to hide away the Saviour of the wizarding world?

As he approached his years at Hogwarts there were debates about which house he would be placed in. Who would he make friends with? Which subjects would he be partial to? Who would be is favorite professor?

What did he look like?

How large was his Gringotts inheritance?

What was his favorite color?

His favorite food?

The list goes on and on.

Over the years the rumours got worse. He was accused of being deranged. Misguided. Suicidal. Power-Hungry. Crazy. Conceited.

Everything about Harry Potter fascinating the wizarding world, but one topic held particular interest: Who would become Mrs. Potter?

It started in forth year with Hermione Granger. His bookworm friend who had been with him from the beginning of Hogwarts. They had been on adventures together, supported each other, and saved each other multiple times. There was nobody he trusted more; nobody who stood by him more faithfully. She was completely loyal. Really, it only made sense that they would end up together. Everyone expected it.

But then Hermione arrived at the Yule ball on the arm of Viktor Krum. She laughed, and danced, and kissed the Bulgarian seeker. To everyone's surprise, Harry did not seem the least but concerned. He smiled, and joked, and socialized with his friend and her date. If anything, the Weasley boy seemed much more upset.

Only one person wasn't surprised by the lack of romance between the pair. Pansy Parkinson knew that Granger was Potter's best friend. But it takes more than friendship to develop a relationship. Just look at Pansy and Draco. Best Friends, but never anything more. No. Hermione Granger would not be Mrs. Harry Potter.

So the attention turned to the girl Harry had brought as a date to the Yule Ball. Parvati Patil. She was sweet, and charming, and a Gryffindor. She smiled at Harry and seemed to genuinely care for him. She was charming and innocent. They would make a wonderful couple!

But then the second task happened. It turned out that Harry Potter' most precious possession was his best friend rather than his supposed girlfriend. Parvati sat with her friends in the stands, seemingly fine with the fact that she was not important to Harry Potter. She laughed and joked and cheered as each contestant emerged from the water. She showed no preference for Harry Potter.

Pansy knew better than to be surprised. Harry Potter needed someone he could trust to keep his secrets. Parvati might be a charming girl, but she had always been a gossip. No. Parvati Patil would not be the next Mrs. Potter.

The rumour mills quickly found a new target for their gossip. As Harry Potter pulled a small French girl from the water he was met by an enthusiastic French veela and promptly kissed both his cheeks. Fleur Delacour was enchanting. She oozed beauty and appeal. Men fell at her feet. Naturally, Harry would end up with someone like Fleur. He was a powerful wizard and she was a veela. It was only natural.

Unfortunately, the two did not meet up for secret trysts in the night, or communicate in torrid live notes. In fact, they seemed to completely ignore one another for the rest of the tournament. It seemed their relationship was non-existent.

Pansy was not surprised. It would take more than a pretty face to ensnare Harry Potter. She might be beautiful, but a marriage needs more than attraction. No. Fleur Delacour would not be the next Mrs. Potter.

When Harry Potter started seeing Cho Chang there seemed to be an actual reason to talk. He took her on a date to Hogsmeade. The world was aflutter with gossip. It was an innocent romance. She was mourning the loss of her first true love and needed someone to support her. Harry would be able to save the damsel in distress! It was only natural that her pain would bring them closer together.

Soon, however, Harry Potter was seen avoiding Cho Chang. He seemed to want to be as far away from her as possible.

Pansy understood. Potter had spent his entire life protecting those around him. He needed someone to heal his wounds, rather than someone who needed to be healed. No. Cho Chang would not be Mrs. Potter.

Next, Harry Potter asked Luna Lovegood to be his date to a Slughorn's dinner party. Luna surprised the world. She was offbeat, unique, and unafraid to be herself. She believed in odd things and said all the inappropriate things. Around her, Harry Potter would never be bored.

Somehow their relationship remained platonic and the world was perplexed. Luna went off to study strange creatures with her father and Harry went off to fight a war. And somehow, that was alright.

Pansy wasn't surprised. Harry Potter needed someone dependable, someone he could predict. He needed stability. No. Luna Lovegood would never be Ms. Harry Potter.

Ginny Weasley had loved Harry unconditionally for as long as she could remember. At first, he only thought of her as a friend. She was his best friend's little sister. The girl with the freckles and the long red hair. But Potter's had always loved the girl with the red hair. Harry began to notice Ginny, and the world was pleased. Ginny Weasley was perfect for Harry Potter. She was loyal, and charming, and unique, and certainly a damsel in distress. Ginny Weasley was everything that was perfect for Harry Potter.

So when they broke at the end of Harry's second year the wizarding world was confused. Harry Potter went to fight the wizarding war and Ginny Weasley stayed behind to protect those left at Hogwarts.

But Ginny Weasley was different.

She was everything that Harry Potter could possibly want. She was the family that he had never had. With her, he could be happy. With her he could be normal.

So after the war, they started to see one another again. The world was alight with gossip. Where did they have dinner? Were they moving in together? What did he buy her for Christmas? Were they in love?

When Harry got down on his knee during the middle of a Quidditch match, nobody was surprised. Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter were perfect for each other. They supported each other and loved one another and were destined to be. Yes. They were sure Ginny Weasley would be the next Harry Potter. The ring on her finger was proof.

Pansy Parkinson was unconvinced. Ginny Weasley may have been everything that Harry Potter wanted, but she was nothing he needed. Harry Potter needed someone brash and cold, someone who could handle when the press turned against them. He needed someone fierce who would protect their family above anything else. He needed someone who was unafraid to stand up for what they believed in, even if the whole world was against them. He needed someone who would support him through his nightmares, but not see him as weak. He needed someone to push him out of his spells of depression; someone to push out his Slytherin side.

In short, he needed Pansy.

That's why she was unsurprised when Harry Potter turned up on her doorstep in the middle of the night. The world would not understand why he had chosen the small, ugly girl, from Slytherin. She was mean, she was cold, and she was manipulative. She was friends with Harry's enemies and enemies with Harry's friends. She had tried to turn him over to the Dark Lord. She represented the elitism that he despised.

Pansy Parkinson was nothing that the world expected. Yet, she had always known. Yes. Pansy Parkinson would be Mrs. Harry James Potter.