Disclaimer-I don't own any of jkr's characters although I would like to own Draco Malfoy.

A/N- This is a companion fic to Bittersweet. I had been toying around with an idea and decided to write it down finally.

This was meant to be a oneshot but I think I'll have to add 2 more chappies.

This fic is about Pansy's life and why Draco joined the good guys.

Pansy-1

Pansy was the sole heir of the Parkinson family fortune.

The papers regularly published the doings of the Parkinson family. Pansy's father Hades Parkinson had enjoyed the attention immensely. He had made his fortune solely on risky investments. Pansy's mother Daisy had been in love with Hades from school and had agreed eagerly to marry him.

Hades, on the other hand had always loved money more and Daisy remained displeased with the fact. She became upset still when Hades had lost some money on a bad investment. He had assured her that it would be the last time that he lost .

It wasn't. Bad luck followed him and he lost almost lost all his fortune. Daisy had started to despise his gentle manner and lack of decisiveness.

He had only 50 galleons and a knut left. Reluctant to ask Pansy's father for help, he decided on a gamble and bet all the 50 galleons, he had kept the knut in his pocket for good luck.

He won.

Instead of apparating to his house he had apparated to a big field where he felt disoriented for a moment. Then when he tried to apparate back to his house, he realized someone had placed a spell on his wand because he couldn't move. He felt someone twist his arm and another hand squeezed his balls.

They found him dead with one hand in the pocket of his jacket, tightly clutching the knut and the other holding onto a cheque for 100,000 galleons in his hand.

At that time, Daisy was pregnant with Pansy . She never could forgive Pansy for her existence and for the fact that Hades had left the entire fortune to his unborn child including the manor. She had been tempted to abort her child but held back because of a law which stated that in case the beneficiaries of the will died prematurely, the entire money would go to the ministry.

'Pansy, would you like to learn how to dance?' her mother had asked.

She had been eager to please her mother and had readily agreed.

When she had come home, Daisy had demanded to see what she had learnt.When Pansy had shown her the waltz, Daisy snickered at her and said, 'I should have known you'd be ungraceful. Show me again.Clearly, you have not paid attention.'

Pansy was asked to show the dance again and again, till she collapsed on the floor. Daisy got up fro the gaudy looking couch and summoned the elf 'Tika' who magicked pansy to her room.

The same routine was repeated everyday till pansy's seventh birthday when she was informed by her mother that she was marrying again. Daisy became so busy with preparations for her wedding that she forgot to torment Pansy.

Daisy married Angus Lestrange, brother of Rodolphus Lestrange. Rodolphus Lestrange had lost out on the family money when he had been captured and Angus had been passed on everything. Daisy had finally got everything she dreamed of. Pansy was also asked to live in 'The Lestrange estate'. She asked for rooms farthest away from her mother. Her mother had stopped noticing her and she intended to keep it that way. Pansy was smart and realized very soon that her mother did not love her.

'Pansy, you are growing fatter day by day,no more sweets for you..' her mother scolded.

She was not allowed dessert or anything she was remotely fond of while her mother used to have huge servings of pudding in front of her.

'Try it Pansy, try to do it.' her mother had urged her.

Pansy screwed her eyes shut and tried hard to remember something happy, but she couldn't remember anything that had given her joy even for a moment.

'You are such a stupid child, you might be a squib for all I know. You don't deserve to be my daughter.'

The words had brought tears to her eyes. Her mother had looked at her coldly and instructed 'tika' to take pansy to her rooms. Pansy had been nine and she cried, asking Tika again and again, 'Why does mother hate me so?'

Tika had looked at her in the eye and said, 'Be brave, Miss Pansy.'

She stopped crying at once. Tika brought some pumpkin pasties for her that night. She relished eating them behind her mother's back.

The next day she had been able to produce thin wisps of smoke from her wand. Her happy memory had been the pumpkin pasties.

She was eight when she met Draco Malfoy at a party at the estate. She had thought he was the most beautiful creature she had seen. Those thoughts vanished abruptly when he called to his house elf and asked him to stand upside down. He must have noticed the look of pity on her face because he asked the elf to leave.

He had bragged to her about his 12 broomsticks. Pansy thought him to be silly.

It seemed that he had taken a liking to her company, because he started calling upon her from then on. Once,when he was explaining to her about the 'Wronski Feint.' Her mother had called her and had berated her in front of him calling her a 'useless ninny' for forgetting to wake her up from her nap when Draco had arrived. Draco had stepped in and lied smoothly,' Mrs. Lestrange, I had requested Pansy not to disturb you.'

When, her mother had left them alone, he had looked at her with understanding in his face and she knew she had found a friend.

At Draco's ninth birthday, she had witnessed a scene from a keyhole between him and his father that had made her mother's behaviour towards her seem like affection almost.

She had been horrified when Lucius Malfoy had taken a cane with and hit Draco with it. Draco didn't seem to be screaming, but when pansy saw his face she realized that he was screaming. Lucius had placed a silencing charm on the room.

She had been invited to stay at Malfoy manor on Draco's birthday and had wanted to give Draco a small emerald that she had charmed, so that it emanated heat when cold and made the bearer feel cool during warm seasons. She had begged Tika to teach her the charm and it had taken her a month to learn it. Her mother had given her a book with unknown information of his favorite quidditch players to gift to him. But the emerald was her gift. She had a great deal of pocket money and had requested Tika to arrange for a precious stone.

She had run to the next room when Lucius stepped out of his study with Draco in tow. Draco had looked fine and she realized that glamour had been placed on him.

Later, Pansy had gone to his room where a house elf was rubbing lotion on his back. He had stared at her and she had stared back. He told the elf to leave. Pansy had gone to him quietly and sat down on the edge of his bed.

'You can get more comfortable.' Draco had said quietly. She had nodded and lay down next to him. She gave him his gift then, he thanked her and gave her a hug. She hugged him back. Draco fell asleep with his arms holding her to him tightly.

Pansy had been unable to sleep and realized then, that the kind of childhood that storybooks spoke about would never exist for Draco and her.

Tika had come to fetch her at dawn,and with disapproving looks had apparated her to her rooms. Pansy explained to her and Tika had said nothing.

From that moment onwards, Draco and she had been each other's caretakers.

When Draco's and her letters had arrived from Hogwarts, they had been in her room playing exploding snap. Their families had celebrated. Draco had requested permission from his father to go to France with Pansy. Surprisingly, Lucius had agreed and had given both of them a strange look.

When they had returned from France, their mothers had seemed even friendlier than usual. Draco had eavesdropped on his parents' conversation and had told Pansy all he heard.

'They want us to get married? But we're only eleven.'

'Don't be dum Pansy, they want us to get married when we grow up.'

'I got that part…' Pansy snapped at him.

'But….'

'We are just friends, I don't like you that way…'she said firmly.

'Same here.'

'They are so stupid.'

'Tell me about it.'

They had made fun of their parents' and their silly dreams that day, giving no more thought to it.

At Hogwarts, they had gone their own ways. Draco usually hung out with Gregory and Vincent at his sides. She had found other friends in girls. Sometimes, he looked at her and smiled. Sometimes she waved at him. A part of her was annoyed with him for forgetting her and the other missed him so much that she thought she would be his best friend again if he just sat by her side and talked about quidditch.

He took a great deal of pleasure in tormenting the trio. She had no use for them. She had buried herself in schoolwork and desperately wanted to prove herself. When the monthly test results had come out, she was second in transfiguration and potions.But she had tied for first place in defence and charms. Overall she was third. She had been satisfied. Meanwhile Draco had reached the top rung in the Slytherin popularity ladder. Mainly because of the fact that he was a Malfoy and also because he had earned the favor of the Slytherin prefects Fiona Flint and Tristan Adams.

The ache for a lost friend dulled slowly and she found herself getting better marks but not enough to beat Granger. This fact irked her so much that she became vindictive towards the muggleborn.

First year went by and she found herself in the company of a few girls a year ahead of her during summer. They were far older in mind and body than her. But she found them more interesting than girls in her year. They talked about sex like they were talking about the weather and discussed blowjobs casually. Pansy wasn't surprised. She had learnt early on from 'All you wanted to know about slytherin house.' a lestrange family book that most slytherins were precocious.

She had been dismayed due to her lack of growth. At age twelve she was still skinny and gawky, while her classmates looked like Gryffindor fourth years. The fourth years of her house looked and acted like twenty year old women. She had never been looked at by boys and they had even lesser of a reason to look at her now.

She had been invited to Dracos' birthday. He'd looked handsome Pansy had admitted to herself.

Then she had seen him with his arms around Fiona's sister Persephone. He had his bare back turned to her, but she could tell it was him. His hair was a dead giveaway. She'd turned around and fled the room after muttering a hasty apology. She'd cried into her pillow, Tika had massaged her back and soothed her with words she couldn't understand.

Then he had showed her the photo of Hades' mother.

She had been beautiful, with deep blue eyes that stared into her soul, long black hair that fell to her waist ,a pert red mouth smirking at her and a slim figure.

Tika had said that she had looked like Pansy when she had been twelve.

Pansy soon found it was useless to cry over her looks, when she could use her brains to perfection. She'd worked harder, learnt newer , more dangerous spells at home.

Getting higher marks than Granger didn't seem to be an issue anymore. Her main aim became knowledge.

She had only a few friends like her, Fiona, Persephone, Sindra , Orion and Blaise.

The summer before her third year, her mother had been telling her how ugly she was. She had read about the fattening potion in a textbook and had brewed it. She'd secretly added it to her mother's food.

Revenge was sweet.

In her third year, Marcus Flint had asked her out and she had been so surprised she'd nodded before thinking.

Later when she had looked at herself in the bathroom mirrors, she realized that she had begun to look a bit like her grandmother. She had the same waist length black hair, deep blue eyes and lips. Her figure had the same slight curves.

She had to ask Sindra for help to get dressed. She'd chosen a tight figure hugging black backless shirt and a knee length black skirt with black heels.

Black brought out her complexion, Sindra had said.

Marcus' eyes had glinted when he saw her and she noticed to her satisfaction that many of the slytherin boys were gawking at her including draco.

They had kissed and groped each other under the dim lights of the three butterbeer's.

They had started going out regularly after that. She'd found him funny , of course the fact that he kissed very well was reason enough to date him exclusively.

She had been invited for Marcus' birthday ball at the Flint mansion. Flint had qualified his NEWTS and was going to attend a business school in the states.

She wanted to look the most beautiful witch there when she heard that the Malfoys' were also invited.

Tika had arranged for a ballgown the colour of her eyes. It had been her grandmothers'. She wore a small opal on her neck that looked as if it were attached to the hollow of her throat. She wore white gloves on her hands.

Marcus had been waiting for her at the stairs,he smiled when he saw her and pulled her in for a deep kiss, both of them were so busy with each other, they didn't hear the doorman announce their names. The guests turned to them. The doorman cleared his throat and they pulled away.

Some of the guests had noticed their display and had laughed, except Lucius who had looked angrily at Draco and Draco who glared at pansy.

Marcus had pulled her to the balcony after dancing once with her and started kissing her. She pulled away and told him she was thirsty. He went off to get champagne. She stood alone and took a long breath when she felt s hot breath at her neck and a warm hand on her back. She turned to smile at Marcus but saw Draco's amused eyes staring at her.

'What are you doing here?'

'Just want to ask you how you've been.'

'Why do you care?'

'We are best friends Pansy.'

'We ceased being best friends when you stopped talking to me at Hogwarts.'

'Come now, Pansy, Don't be angry.'

'I'm not.'

'You aren't?'

'I would have been angry with you , if I cared for you.'

She saw with satisfaction, the hurt in his eyes.

Then she felt guilty and her heart filled with pity when she saw his face. They knew each other so well, each wound and hurt that they had been burdened with, they had shared.

He turned and she placed a hand at his shoulder. She had apologized and explained to him how she had felt when he had ignored her.

Draco turned and pulled her to him.

Under the stars, they stood holding each other tightly. Then Draco kissed her lightly on one cheek and before she knew it they had started kissing. He was a good kisser, maybe all slytherin boys were she mused, then she thought of Marcus and all the nerves in her body started signaling her to stop. She pushed him away.

'What?'

'Marcus, I'm with him.'

Draco had nodded and turned away from her. She had stood alone and asked herself what she wanted. She wanted Draco, Draco,Draco.

Her heart had been repeating his name over and over.

Marcus came with a champagne and she blurted out she wanted to break up with him.