Title: Time Unraveled

Pairing: Hermione/Pansy

A/N Please note that this is my first time writing fan fiction so be gentle. Reviews are greatly appreciated of course. This is mostly for fun and a little for skill development.

Chapter 1

Pansy waited ever so patiently for the sound of her mother's footsteps to fall silent. Would she never disapparate? As she waited she thought about what she was going to get up to tonight. There were so many places she wanted to go. After all, she had been stowed away inside the Parkinson manor for a solid month now. Her mother told her it was for her own good; that to be out in Wizarding Society after the war ended was to be putting herself in decidedly unforgiving and dangerous company. The thought made her throat tighten and gave her momentary pause. Should she really be doing this?

While pacing back and forth in her room, a normal occurrence now that she'd become a ward of her parents, she became aware of a sudden stillness. She was alone in the house at last. Her feverish need for freedom came rushing back and brought a slight blush to her normally ashen features. She threw open her door and ran down to the study. Behind her father's desk was a seemingly humdrum bookshelf. Pansy stared it down with bold intention and whispered the incantation she carefully overheard her father use so many times, "Aperire occultis meis".

The bookshelf opened wide and she slipped in, a little too eager as she tripped over something in the dark study. "Bloody hell", Pansy said as she pulled out her wand for some light.

"Lumos"

As soon as she spoke her eyes caught sight of what she came for. It shone in the light brilliantly and she knew then it was worth the trouble. There, at the back of her father's not so secret room, was the most magnificent piece of jewelry she'd ever laid eyes on, a Time-Turner. Sure there was a crack running down the hourglass but Pansy felt it made it all the more appealing. Her father was an Unspeakable who she knew worked in the Time Room. After the Battle in the Department of Mysteries all the Time-Turners had been destroyed beyond recognition save this one, which he furtively brought home late one evening.

Pansy was not an idiot; she didn't plan to use a broken Time-Turner. Who knows when she'd end up. She only wanted it as an alluring and, perhaps more importantly, distracting accessory for tonight's fun. Maybe if people were not focused so much on Pansy and her past indiscretions and more on the piece of jewelry around her neck, she might be able to have a fairly hassle free night.

She slipped the turner around her neck, adjusting it so that it fit with her sleek black and white ensemble. Poised in front of the mirror, she couldn't help but admire the artifact as it lay on her chest. It made the outfit; there was no doubt of that. Suddenly filled with pride and confidence, she disapparated before she could change her mind.

When she landed in Knockturn Alley, she lurched unceremoniously forward and slammed into a grimy brick wall. Pain radiated through her shoulder and down her spine. "Bloody fucking hell!" she shrieked before she could stop herself. Her face paled and her body stiffened as she recalled where she was and the precarious position she had put herself in. Pansy glanced about expecting a dingy wizard or two to be eyeing her up and down, but mercifully there was none.

At first relieved by her aloneness, it soon became evident that Knockturn Alley was not what it once was and her stomach turned. The shops were completely empty, with broken windows and angry words etched in wood and stone. Those who fought opposite Voldermort apparently took out their rage on the places they deemed to be in favor of him. She picked this place because she thought it would be the safest choice, out of sight and filled with those who were either indifferent to, or sided with her. Pansy's eyes burned and she felt small.

There was no way she was going back now. She did not care if she was hexed into oblivion. She realized being away from the manor made her feel alive again. For the past month she felt like she was suspended in amber, waiting for the world to start turning again, even if that meant it would be spinning out of her control. When she was finished contemplating the wreckage, Pansy marched herself out to Diagon Alley with her head held high.

Not much had changed since she had last been here. The comfort of that thought calmed her nerves and allowed her to finally exhale. As she visited several shops in the area, namely Twilfitt and Tatting's for some new apparel, Pansy kept her eyes glued to the floor or the objects she purchased. Even with this precaution, at one point she felt someone's hardened gaze upon her and without investigating further, left the shop abruptly.

There was one last store she wanted to visit before apparating to her favorite wizarding club. As she entered Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, she felt a surge of calm tranquility flood her. She would never admit it out loud, but the Weasley's shop was one of her favorite places to be. Laughter echoed off the walls, and sounds and smells of all varieties blitzed her senses in a way that pleased her. It wasn't just the atmosphere she came for today however, she was in desperate need of something to keep preoccupied at home. After all, there was no way of knowing when she would get another opportunity like tonight.

At the back of the store, in a section meant for premium items, Pansy located the Patented Daydream Charms. She had tried one only once before and it transported her for a brief time to a tropical island paradise, without the torturous mosquitoes and humidity. While reminiscing about how the hot sand felt between her toes, her sense of joyful ease dissipated. There was someone standing behind her, within mere inches of her back. The hairs on her neck prickled as she prepared for the inevitable confrontation of whoever was waiting to engage her. Pansy spun around with as much courage as she could muster, and came face to face with the last person she was hoping to see: the Know-it-all Mudblood Hermione Granger.