Written for:

Hogwarts: 365 Prompts
Prompt - Perfume

HPFC: Ship Til You Drop Challenge
Pairing - Pansy/Luna

HPFC: Rubiks Cube Challenge
Orange: typewriter

Unexpected Culprit

Pansy stared at the antique typewriter. With all of her money, it seemed odd she would have something so old. It wasn't something that was common knowledge, but Pansy loved antiques. She loved looking at them and touching them. Antiques of all kinds and sizes brought her peace.

And right now, what she really needed was peace.

She took a shuddering breath and closed her eyes, willing the tears to stay away. If she cried, she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to stop.

She left the typewriter and went back to her daughter's room. The bed was messy. She sat down and breathed deeply, catching a slight fragrance of perfume in the air. It was familiar, but she couldn't place where the scent was from.

"Michelle, please come back," she whispered.

Things had been going so great. Of course, she was newly separated, and she missed her estranged wife with a vengeance, but at least she had custody of their daughter. And she still hoped that her and Luna would be able to work things out with time. But now, Michelle was gone, taken from her bed in the middle of the night.

Pansy had so many people who hated her. Other sons and daughters of Death Eaters hated her for turning her back on the Dark Lord. And ones that were on the side of the light never trusted Pansy and didn't think she was good enough for Luna. The culprit could be anyone. She didn't think the Light would hurt an innocent child, so Pansy leaned more towards it being the son or daughter of a Death Eater.

She had left a message with Luna, but the blonde hadn't come by yet. Pansy felt like she was twiddling her thumbs, forced to wait until something bad happens. The only reason the Aurors even listened to her was because Michelle was Luna's daughter as well.

She laid down on the bed, hugging Michelle's pillow and trying to catch a whiff of her smell. The lingering scent of perfume was still there, and Pansy's eyes popped open, realizing why the scent called to her.

She quickly got up and raced to the Floo. She grabbed a handful of powder and threw it into the fireplace. "Luna Lovegood," Pansy clearly stated, stepping in and going to the one place she hadn't thought to check.

What she saw when stepped into Luna's small apartment stopped her in her tracks. Michelle was playing on the floor. Luna sat on the couch, tears in her eyes.

Pansy glared at the younger woman. She had never been so angry in her life. "How could you?" she asked.

"Mama," Michelle yelled, dropping her toy and racing into Pansy's arms.

Pansy hugged Michelle for all she was worth, pressing a kiss to the raspberry blonde hair. "How's my little girl?"

"Good."

Pansy forced a smile on her face. "That's great. How about you take your toy and go play in your mummy's room for a bit?"

Michelle nodded and eagerly left with her doll.

"Do you have any idea how scared I was? If you wanted to spend time with Michelle, all you had to do was ask. I wouldn't have said no. I thought she was kidnapped. I was thinking the worst was going to happen to her. Do you care at all how you made me feel?"

"I'm sorry."

Luna's quiet voice didn't appease Pansy. "You're sorry. That's all you have to say for yourself?"

Luna looked at her hands. "I didn't think it was fair you were granted custody of Michelle. I thought it was only because you had more money than me."

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Most of the people that presided over that hearing, hate me. If they could, they would have made sure I never got to see Michelle again. I got custody because my place is bigger, I work from home, and that is where Michelle is familiar with. I offered you the house, and I could have found an apartment. You said no, so don't blame me. If you had stayed in the house, Michelle probably would have been given to you."

Luna bit her bottom lip. "I meant to call you this morning and let you know I took Michelle, but you had already discovered her missing, and…"

"And you thought you'd give me a heart attack?" Pansy sarcastically asked.

"No. And I got scared. I should have told you right away, but I didn't what to admit what I did, afraid you'd think the worst of me when all I want is to be a family with you and Michelle again."

Most of Pansy's anger left her at that. "You still want the three of us to be a family?"

Luna nodded.

"Why not just tell me?"

"Pride."

Pansy could understand. She had problems with that affliction as well. "What do we do now?" she asked.

And silence greeted her.

(word count: 824)