The Parkinson Maid
AuthorsNote/Disclaimer:A Story Based on "Ever After" …which was based on "Cinderella"…which I altered to create a Harry Potter Fanfiction Story. Horray. And I'll just say my disclaimer now: I own none of the characters in any of the books/movies mentioned above.
Wednesday, August 17th. Hermione Granger woke up to a loud shriek that shattered the peacefulness of the sunlit morning. "Parkinson" she grumbled to herself, willing herself not to fall back to sleep. No sooner than 10 seconds later, a near platinum blonde (hair dye, mind you) with a pug-like face and protruding breasts (magically altered to "enhance figure") ran into her bedchamber, looking very scared.
Hermione frankly didn't care, but was obliged to pretend that she did. "Yes, Ms. Parkinson?" she said, slightly bitter and fighting to hold back a fit of yawns.
Pansy Parkinson's water-drenched hair dripped on her floor in puddles. This was inconsiderate, but most likely deliberate. However she looked confused and disgusted, which pleased Hermione greatly. "There is a huge spider in the tub, Granger! I want it removed at once!"
Hermione was angered, she was just woken up by a shrill screech of the world's biggest bitch and ordered to remove a silly spider. What a ridiculous request! "Don't you have any common courtesy that it's 6 AM and I was sleeping?"
"NOW, GRANGER!" she hollered
"Right" she said quietly "Silly me, that was a stupid question". With no further a-do, she followed Pansy throughout the luxurious Manor. All the portraits of the pureblooded wizards cast her nasty glances.
"It's the mudblood maid again!" hissed an elder portrait to the other one. They weren't very quiet. They never were. But honestly, it's not like she was PROUD to be the hired maid of the prestigious pureblooded Parkinson family. She didn't really have much of a say in the matter. Her mother, God Bless her soul, died in Hermione's 6th year at Hogwarts… muggle accident. Left her traumatized, especially since her Dad couldn't quite cope with the disaster. He was tossed into manic depression, and was prone to suicidal thinking. Finally, Hermione submitted him to a long stay at a state of the art Mental Insitution in France, where they would try and help him recuperate.
So Hermione was all that was left, she couldn't afford extra schooling to get a great job. All of the money went to Dad's treatment and keeping up the house for when he was better. She didn't grow up and become an Auror like Harry, nor did she become a teacher like all the Gryffindors predicted. She became just a lowly little maid, in her lowly little robes, shining the shoes of the people she always felt superior to. When she put herself on the market to be hired, she didn't think Pansy would be cruel enough to convince her mother that "the charming brunette looked like a good responsible choice". Bull shit. Supposedly Pansy never got over the harmless "permanent hair dye" prank that she organized 7th year of Hogwarts, then Malfoy turned her down that night saying "I don't sleep with neon haired girls". How sad was it that Pansy was still resentful?
"Keep up, slave" Pansy drawled. It was obvious that the only reason she was hired was for her own humiliation. As if being a maid wasn't humiliating enough for her?
"Right away, you're Highness"
Pansy acted overly offended "I don't appreciate your mockery, Granger"
"Like I appreciate yours?" Hermione said, in a mocking voice, that only she heard.
On the way to the "scene of the spider" the two enemies passed Pansy's Mother. "Good Morning, Mother!" cooed Pansy as she embraced her lightly and placed two kisses on each cheek. Mrs. Parkinson was a tall, widowed woman with long brown/gray hair and sinister looking eyes that seemed to look like she was thinking evil things. Her hair was always almost pulled back into a low bun, and her smile…well should not be revealed unless for horrific purposes..(It wasn't the most pleasant sight imaginable). "Hello Granger" she said coldly, looking at Hermione.
"Good Morning, ma'am"
She continued to address Hermione in her cold tone of voice "See to it that you remove that appalling spider in my bathtub"
What the hell is with everybody and that spider? It's only a SPIDER (although Ron would think differently)can't they just drown the silly bugger?? "I..." Hermione started, but was interrupted by Pansy.
"She was juts on her way to do that, I had already placed those orders." she smiled smugly "Where is Melinda?"
Her mother let out a disappointed sigh. Melinda wasn't her favorite child, because in Mrs. Victoria Parkinson's eyes, Pansy was all aspects of perfection. Ew, much! "Your sister is still fast asleep. She's just not as dedicated as you are, love" Mrs. Parkinson sighed "However fear not, that'll only higher your chances at the Ball next weekend." Not that Melinda ever had a chance anyway, she was only 12.
"Ball?!?!" Squealed Pansy in delight. "Do tell me more, mother! Will I be wed?... Or is it just one of those bogus charity funds that the ministry feels appropriate to invite us to?"
Victoria Parkinson gave a crooked smile at her daughters excitement "I do not know all the details yet, I have only heard rumors, but as soon as Mrs.Bullstrode owls me I'll have all the information I need. I'm sure, no matter what kind of ball it is, you'll do me proud."
"Of course I will, Mother" Pansy said as her mother patted her shoulder, gave Hermione an evil glare, and then huffed off down the hallway.
"Did you hear that Granger? I have good chances!!!" Pansy gloated. Hermione who only barely listened to the mother-daughter conversation, had little idea what the heck she was talking about.
"Good chances for what??" Hermione snarled, not in the best of moods this morning.
"Good chances for a stunningly rich and good-looking husband" she gloated "Those fancy, pureblooded affairs are always about that kind of thing"
Hermione remained serious, but laughed to herself. "Are you implying that something would actually marry you?? You've gone bloody mad this time…"
"Stuff it Mudblood, do you want to be fired?" The pug-nosed girl wavered threateningly.
Nonchalantly, Hermione replied "Actually yeah, would you mind firing me? Please, do it for a friend?" Hermione laughed at the thought of her and pansy as friends, gossiping and painting nails. Ew.
"Hah, did you actually think I was serious? Don't you know we can't fire you? Didn't you read the contract you signed, you're stuck with us for a year…unless…"
"I quit?" Piped in Hermione willingly.
"No, you can't do that either. Re-read the contract. Unless you get married and belong to someone else." Great, either way I'm property. The only benefit to the marriage is that it comes with sex. Thought Hermione as she only barely listened to Pansy "But lets get real Granger, the day someone marries you will be the day Hippogriff's fly."
Hermione couldn't hold her laughter in on this one and she let out a loud snort. "Parkinson. . . Hippogriffs DO fly."
"Whatever, Granger. You knew what I meant." They finally reached the bathroom door, although it seemed like it too them a much longer time. "Stupid Know It All" Pansy huffed "Now Go remove that spider, and I'd like my laundry done, and Mum's orders were to have breakfast prepared promptly there after. Is that understood?" Pansy gave her no time to respond so Hermione just shrugged and approached the spider that had been clinging to the bathtub.
"Hey there big guy" she said as she captured the spider into a tin. "Let's go play Hide and Go Seek in Pansy's room" Hermione said happily. Pansy had never specified where to remove the spider to. She might as well have a little fun with this. She knocked on Pansy's door but got no response. Must have gone to finish up bathing in another one of the bathrooms. "Here you go, Buddy" said Hermione as she lightly placed the large arachnid into Pansy's lingerie drawer, smiling innocently.
Next, Hermione continued her morning rounds, spotting robes galore scattered next to the golden wall mirror. Hermione's hair had tamed out a bit since Hogwarts, but it was still recognizably wavy, dull and unexciting. Her eyes were a muddy brown, and they reeked of loneliness and unforgotten memories. "You are a Strikingly beautiful woman, Pansy. Don't change a thing!" echoed the magically automatic wall mirror. It was rather annoying, because every time someone passed a certain area on it, it would respond back with a flattering remark about Pansy. All of which were certainly not based on truth.
Hermione bent down in her plain ivory robes to pick up Pansy's silk ones. "Any guy would consider himself lucky to have one night with you, Ms. Parkinson!" echoed the mirror again, in its same flat meaningless tone.
"Playing with my mirror again?" came the voice of Pansy from the doorway. She was adored in a satin green bathrobe and her hair was tied up in a towel. "At least the mirror is truthful"
Hermione looked disgusted at the thought of that thing's words being honest. "You programmed it you dumb-arse. Now if you don't mind I'll be doing your laundry now"
"Be my guest"
"It's not like I have a choice" Hermione whispered and stormed out of the room. When she walked down the side stairwell to the backdoor, Hermione reached the outside laundry area. It was a little shed past the air-drying station and the Hippogriff stables. Conveniently it was next to the Broom storage, where her sacred Cleansweep was kept. She was forbidden to ride it, but she loved to see it. Her mother and father had brought it for her the summer before her mom's accident. She threw Pansy's laundry to the dusty ground, hoping critters made their home in the soft satin material. Reaching into her knapsack she pulled out her new favorite romance read "On The Edge of Love" and began to get lost again.
Well...until she heard a "zoom" sound nearby. As the noise came closer she realized that it was the unmistakable sound of her Cleansweep. Ohh, Parkinson has SOME NERVER flying my cleansweep! Thought Hermione with a growl. As the figure got closer she realized that it was even Pansy at all, in fact, the bandit wasn't even female. "THEIF!!!!" she screeched into the air, the culprit heard her, but merely gave a friendly wave. Hermione grabbed a rock from the ground and hurled it into the air. The broom swerved away in time. She aimed again and this time it hit the flyer. Her satisfaction rose when she heard a loud "Bloody hell!"
The man on the broom tried to lower himself to get off, but Hermione felt vengeful so she threw another. How dare they steal her broom! That was the only thing she had left of her mother! This time the rock threw the flyer off balance and she realized that his falling could cause serious damage. Not that she cared, she just didn't want murder charges on her record. "ACCIO FEED BAGS" she called as she pulled out her wand. Immediately several feed bags padded the ground and moments later a "thud" was heard and the man's body was sprawled over the bags of Hippogriff feed. Hermione rushed over to him, making sure he hadn't died.
"Bloody good throwing arm, woman" Came the smothered voice of the light haired man who still remained face first in the bags. "Not many people have been able to unseat me from a broom... especially from the ground. . ."
Hermione cut him off "Well, Mister, I wouldn't have needed to if you hadn't stolen MY broom!"
"Your broom?" he said, getting up to face his attacker.
Before she could respond to anything broom related, she paused, mortified. "MALFOY????"
The man looked her over, confused at how the woman knew his name "What??? How..." Then he took a better look at her, and became equally mortified "Oh Merlin! Ugh! It's GRANGER!" His horrified expression seemed sincere. "Since when did you become the Parkinson's new house elf?" Malfoy said with that same old smirk that never changed.
"It's a hired house maid, thank you very much. And 2 weeks ago. But that is beside the point, why are you stealing my broom?" She felt very flustered and angry under his annoyed gaze at the moment. It was very penetrating, and powerful. It was annoying.
"First of all, I was going for a joyride, but if I had known this piece of crap belonged to you I surely wouldn't have touched it to begin with."
How dare he call it a piece of crap. Bastard. "Well... don't do it again, and get the hell off this Property! You're trespassing!" Hermione shouted, really wanting him to leave.
"Not exactly. The Parkinson's granted me permission, seeing that now that the Dark Lord and his minions are gone, I'm the pureblood God now." He laughed at his own vain humor, that wasn't remotely humorous.
"So you're the next Voldemort"
"Of course not, did you see how he ended? I'm just the most respected, admired and lusted after pureblooded wizard in all of England. Bow to me."
"I will do NO such thing" Hermione insisted. He needed major ego-reduction, and fast. Malfoy was the same Malfoy, light hair, slicked back although sometimes he let it loose... today was not one of those days, his eyes were still gray but no longer possessed an evil spark. They had a powerful spark. A Confident spark. An annoying spark. She assumed he was in good shape, because according to him everybody wanted a bit of that Malfoy-Love-Making (Hermione was happy to report she was the exception to that rule)
"Fine, don't bow to me." Malfoy drawled "But don't mention this little broom thing to anybody, and I wont mention your rock throwing . . . deal, Granger?" He held out his hand.
Hermione however, didn't accept. "Maybe" she said with a slight smile, leaving both Malfoy and Pansy's laundry outside. On her way back in she took Melinda's clothes off the line and proceeded replaying her events with Malfoy OVER AND OVER AGAIN she kept thinking of witty things she could have said, or all the ways she wanted to choke him. Maybe it had stuck her as most unusual because she hadn't technically had any interaction with the opposite sex since working at this hell hole. Oh well.. Hum I definitely should have thrown a larger rock at him Concluded Hermione as she trotted inside the Manor.
Already running behind schedule, Hermione still had to wake Melinda up and then prepare breakfast. No doubt was she going to get a lecture for this one. She walked down the corridor and up the stairs to find the third largest bedroom, haven of 2nd year Ravenclaw, Melinda Parkinson. Yes... Ravenclaw. That means her mother hated her, her sister couldn't stand her, and Hermione loved her to death. Without knocking, Hermione entered, she knew well enough by now that Melinda would still be fast asleep. Hermione opened the curtains and allowed the sunshine to seep through "Good morning Sunshine" she said dully as she shook the younger girl.
"Eh...'Mione? Is that you??" Came a voice smothered in pillows. Melinda was tall for her age and had dusty blonde hair, her eyes were green and she had a giggly feminine voice, and spent most of her time ignoring her family and writing poetry.
"Yeah, it's only me" said Hermione "I brought your laundry up"
"Aw, you remembered! Oh no. . . did you ditch Pansy's robes in the dirt again?" Melinda giggled wildly, she loved it when Hermione trashed her sister's things.
"Of course I didn't, Mel!" she proclaimed, sounding overly innocent. Although they both knew the correct answer. "Get Dressed, you're late for breakfast, which I should have been preparing awhile ago. . ."
"Then stop reading! I don't want them to get rid of you, you're the only decent maid we've had here. . .and about the nicest person to ever walk through these doors and actually include me!"
Aw. Isn't Mel so cute?
"I wasn't reading . . . too much! I ran into that wretched Malfoy!" Hermione whined, now back to reminiscing the scene. . . he had the NERVE to take that broom. He hadn't changed one bit since his school days, except that he no longer worshiped dark evil things. Now a day he seemed to strictly concentrate on "self-worshipping".
"Wretchedly gorgeous I'd say!" Melinda chuckled, apparently rather stricken by the strapping young gentleman.
Hermione just chortled "I'm guessing you've never met him personally then"
"No, but I'd still shag him!"
"Melinda! You're only 12!"
Melinda started to laugh as she pulled socks onto her cold feet "So what? You're telling me you wouldn't shag Draco Malfoy?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. Just the thought of it is so . . . repulsive! I'd much rather eat a bucket of live flobber worms!" Hermione cringed at the thought of doing both of those things. . .thankfully Melinda interrupted her thoughts.
She cast the older girl a suspicious look as if she couldn't believe that someone dared say that they wouldn't bang the infamously powerful Draco Malfoy "We'll see about that"
"Whatever." Hermione laughed at her naivety " Go get dressed your Mother is most likely flipping out." Melinda did as she was told, and did it quickly. Within moments she was in presentable robes and a braid in her hair. They proceeded down the stairs with no further talk of Malfoy (Thank Merlin), and separated at the kitchen doors. Melinda went to eat food, Hermione went to serve it.
On a slightly unhappier note:
There were many more exciting hours of pure hell to follow.
Welcome to the life of The Parkinson's maid.
I'd appreciate your feedback, and I'd probably hate your harsh criticism. So if you're going to be super mean; don't. It's just a respect thing. this is my second draco/hermione story and I tried to make it seem like Ever After as much as I could, but also added a unique Harry Potter spin to it. Did I accomplish that? And are they in character? I tried my best to make it so it all worked out... well whatever just leave it in the feedback