Author's Note: This is for Round 2 of alyssialui's Twister Challenge. In this round we had to choose from a list of characters to write about. The character we choose has to be a major character in our fic. I chose to use Pansy Parkinson.
Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black had been an arranged marriage, but they had grown to love each other long before they had been married. They knew, though, that love rarely happened in Pureblood arranged marriages; and they didn't want to risk their beloved son Draco being stuck in a loveless marriage.
Lucius and Narcissa preferred for Draco to marry a Pureblood, even after the events of the Second Wizarding War (it is hard, after all, to completely let go of tradition). But what the two Malfoy parents really wanted for their son was for him to marry someone who would love him. Love had kept the Malfoy family together when they had been under Voldemort's reign of terror, and the family was not naive enough to believe that there would never be another war during their lifetime. The point of all this being, Lucius and Narcissa wanted Draco to be married to someone who would stand by his side even in the worst of times, just like Narcissa had done for Lucius.
Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson, for the reasons discussed above, had not been an arranged marriage. However, it was still assumed by most people that Draco and Pansy would eventually marry each other. After all, during their years in Hogwarts, they had often been in each other's company. If that didn't signify a future marriage, then what else did?
But it turned out that Pansy was nothing at all like Narcissa. Pansy, in fact, proved herself to be a fair-weather friend/lover.
It was no secret that the Malfoys had fallen from grace during the Second Wizarding War. Doubly. They were no longer respected by either those that had supported the Dark Lord or by those that had supported the Order of the Phoenix.
Even though Voldemort was dead, Pansy was still a stronger supporter of his. She had been well-taught by her parents.
Draco was worried that Pansy was sick or something worse when she didn't respond to any of his letters. And it didn't help to calm Draco's nerves when he didn't hear anything from her parents either.
Draco would never say that he loved Pansy (at least not like Lucius and Narcissa clearly loved each other), but the Malfoy heir definitely did care about Pansy's well-being. Draco knew that all Purebloods that had not fought against Voldemort were having it tough after their side had lost the war, and it was no secret that the Parkinsons had been strong supporters of the Dark Lord (even though none of them had ever taken the Mark). The point of all this being, Draco felt the need to check on Pansy and her family.
Draco did not know how long he stood outside the gates that led to Parkinson Manor, but he did know that he had to stand there for quite a while (definitely much longer than he was use to). Then, the gates finally opened, with a cold, harsh voice telling him to enter.
Pansy was waiting for Draco at the manor's entrance, but (for the first time in her life) she didn't appear happy to see him. Draco also noticed that she was alone. This was different as well. On all of Draco's previous visits, at least one of Pansy's parents (usually her mother as Pansy's father was often working at the Ministry) had always been there to greet Draco warmly along with Pansy.
"Thank you for letting me in," Draco managed to say politely. He was annoyed that he had been kept waiting for so long; but his Malfoy pride had not yet completely recovered, and he was accepting more insults against him than he ever would have before his family's fall from grace.
And it was definitely an insult to keep any proper Pureblood waiting outside the gates for such an extended period of time.
And Draco, despite everything that had happened, still considered himself a proper Pureblood.
"What do you want, Draco?" Pansy snapped, not even attempting to hide her annoyance. "I have more important things to do than to speak with you."
Draco was too befuddled to be angry. Who was this girl? This girl surely could not be Pansy Parkinson. This girl surely could not be the same Pansy Parkinson who had always worshipped Draco.
"Are you all right, Pansy?" Draco asked, with clear concern in his voice. "Are your parents all right?" Draco could understand Pansy not being polite if something was wrong with her parents. Draco knew that he would be rude and obnoxious if something was wrong with his parents.
"I would be much better if I didn't have to talk to you," Pansy sneered.
Draco was now starting to get angry. "What's going on, Pansy?" he asked. "Why are you acting this way?"
"Shouldn't it be obvious? You're not exactly good company for me, you know. Don't you think I deserve the best, Draco?"
Draco was still angry, but the befuddlement had returned. "Of course I do, Pansy. You are a Pureblood, after all, and Purebloods always deserve the best." Even though Purebloods had lost the war, Draco was still proud of his blood (it is hard, after all, to completely let go of tradition).
"And you're no longer the best thing for me," Pansy said. "Don't you understand, Draco? Your family is a disgrace, to both sides. You're nothing but traitorous cowards, especially that mother of yours. She cost us everything by betraying the Dark Lord. She's no better than a Blood Traitor."
"Leave my mother out of this," Draco snarled.
"And let's not forget your father," Pansy went on, ignoring Draco. "Just as pathetic as you are. And to think the Dark Lord use to hold him in such high regard. What a disappointment your father proved to be, and you're no better. Both of you are not good enough to even be considered Blood Traitors."
"Leave my father out of this."
"Your family was too pathetic to fight for either side," Pansy continued, once again ignoring Draco. "Your family doesn't understand loyalty. Your family is nothing, Draco, nothing. No one with any sort of respect for themselves would want to have anything to do with the Malfoys. Now leave. I have already lowered myself by taking the time to actually speak with you."
"You have lowered yourself by speaking with me?" Draco growled. "Don't you understand, Pansy? The Dark Lord lost. Times have change. We have to change if we want to survive in this new age."
"We shouldn't have to change," Pansy snapped. "We are Purebloods. We are better than everyone else."
"You're wrong, Pansy," Draco said sadly, most of his anger now gone. He understood now. Pansy didn't understand anything.
"You didn't see what I saw," Draco continued. "Being a Pureblood meant nothing to the Dark Lord. He would have as soon killed a Pureblood as he would a Mudblood, a Muggle, a Half-Blood, or a Blood Traitor. You didn't see what he did to me and my parents, especially to my father. My father tried his best to take the beatings meant for all three of us. The Dark Lord treated him like some common Muggle, and my father is as pure as any Pureblood could ever hope to be."
"Your father deserved everything that he got," Pansy spoke in a cold voice. "He was nothing more than a failure, a mistake."
"My father was no mistake," Draco snarled. "He did a lot more for the sake of blood purity than your father ever did. Your father was too much of a coward to even take the Mark."
Pansy was stuck speechless. Angry, yes, but unable to form any words.
"I am the one lowering myself by taking the time to speak with you," Draco continued. "You are the pathetic one, not me, not my father, not my mother. You are the one that's nothing. You say my family doesn't understand loyalty. I say it's your family that doesn't understand loyalty." With that, Draco turned and left Parkinson Manor, never to return.