A/N: Hey everyone and welcome to another short, this one is for Weather Report!
For those of you interested in my other works, I currently have three stories in progress with the pairings of those being Harry/FemVoldemort, Harry/Delphini and Harry/OFC
As usual, a big thanks to my Beta's and Discord Staff - Alec, Alpple, Babo, CalamityXx, Champ, DorianGray, O'Neill, Seventh Son, SinisterFox and Xevier!
Feel free to join my Discord for updates, a chance to request your own short story and information; link on my profile. Without any more rambling from me, I hope you enjoy the story!
(Sorry if you don't like this!)
September 1, 1996
Sunday
"Pansy, you're so lucky that your parents took you to France this summer, mine refuse to go anywhere because of the Aurors constantly watching us," Millicent Bulstrode — Pansy's best friend if one existed — whined as the girls made their way down the long, twisting corridors of Hogwarts; a school that'd slowly begun losing its appeal with how lax the admittance was.
"Obviously," Pansy replied to Millicent with a roll of her eyes, "Daddy won't let the Aurors get anywhere close to us, not with the contacts he has and the positions he holds."
Millicent nodded along with her, "I wish my father had half the gall that yours did."
"Don't take it personally, not even my darling Draco's father has what it takes to stand against the Ministry's dogs," Pansy laughed as she recalled the most recent scheme her father included her on, it included a Junior Auror and their instructor getting caught in an affair while within the DMLE. Neither Pansy nor her father could fathom how the two caught were so inept to check their food or drink before ingesting it, nor the incompetence of all the others to check for such a thing considering the decoration of the Senior Auror in question.
Amortentia was such a lovely invention.
"Speaking of Draco, will you two be getting married right out of Hogwarts? I must admit, the idea of marriage to a boy as handsome, connected, and wealthy as him is more appealing than anything else in life," Millicent stopped in her tracks and looked thoughtful for a second, "Almost anything," she corrected, making forward progress again after doing so.
Pansy sighed at the question.
While she was of the opinion that they should already be engaged, with marriage coming right outside of Hogwarts and a child one year later; Draco wasn't. His family wasn't any more fond of the idea than he seemed to be either, while hers was pressing for it at every chance they could find.
Why wouldn't they want to join two ancient bloodlines, both being wealthy and true to the ways in which they needed to stay?
Seeing that Millicent was looking at her with an intrigued expression considering her silence, Pansy put on her most confident smirk and replied haughtily.
"If I wish it, yes. Draco's enraptured with me, always trying to get me to lay with him or do some other act of intimacy while outside of wedlock — it almost makes me wonder if his family raised him as they should've," Pansy realised she should be more polite in regards to the object of her 'affections', especially in public considering the ears Hogwarts had, "Still, House Malfoy is strong and true, something that can't be said for a majority of families."
Millicent nodded with her words, "They ar-" she abruptly stopped speaking when out from the far corner of the hall emerged Harry Potter and his two chief followers.
In an instant, Pansy and Millicent put on matching sneers as they stayed in the centre of the hall marching onwards towards the dungeons — neither girl would give ground to people who were anything but their peers.
Potter spotted them first, his face initially softening before recoiling in contempt, disgust or some other equally stupid-looking expression. Weasley's was always the best in that regard, the ginger boy always looking on the verge of starting something he'd seriously regret. Granger was simply no fun, ignoring the two Slytherin's as she continued speaking with her friends as the distance closed, but then it happened… they walked past each other.
Pansy needn't sneer at them and Millicent wouldn't.
At the same time, the 'Golden Trio' as they'd been coined, wouldn't do anything that'd risk their status unless somebody else fired the first shot.
Once the Gryffindors had gone down the hall and made their turn, the two Slytherin witches who were moving at a much more casual pace laughed.
"Have you come to love their expressions as much as I have?" Millicent questioned as they neared the corner.
Pansy shook her head, "No, more so I'd imagine." She then led the duo around the corner and that was when she saw it.
Draco, her Draco… the stupid blond boy who was supposed to be as invested in her as she was in him, snogging and groping some unnamed whore a year or two below them.
Millicent reacted immediately, pulling Pansy back around the corner they'd come from while simultaneously reaching for her wand in case anything devolved from the situation currently at hand.
Fortunately for the taller girl, Pansy was too stunned by the betrayal to act — her confidence had been bashed, the certainty of her future dashed and her anger flamed by a wind that knew no end.
She did know one thing for certain, thinking it even over the constant words Millicent was trying to speak to her in hopes of ceasing any rash or stupid actions.
Draco would rue the day he decided she wasn't enough for him; oh yes, she'd get back at him in the most delicious way possible.
September 7, 1996
Saturday
"Pansy, just think about this for a moment, will you? Draco made a mistake, a foolish, stupid mistake that boys so often make. I'm sure if you'd just speak to him rather than follow through with this pig-headed plan that you could come to some sort of agreement that wouldn't potentially wreck your entire future." Millicent finished her passionate speech to her friend with a ragged breath, that attempt marking the seventh she'd made on this evening alone — it was for good reason too, considering tonight was the night Pansy decided she'd catch Potter out of bounds since she'd heard he was meeting with the Headmaster tonight.
Turning to Millicent while adjusting her Prefect badge, Pansy smiled, "Millie, relax, I'll not be doing anything rash like giving that half-blood my maidenhead." Both girls shivered at the thought of Potter doing anything remotely sexual with them, "I'm simply laying the groundwork for my plan to get back at Draco, once that's done, everything will go back to the way it's supposed to be. Besides, I don't expect this date to actually be enjoyable for me considering how he treated whichever Patil twin that'd been. "
Millicent sighed at Pansy's words, knowing that whatever petty revenge Pansy wanted, she would get regardless of the cost.
"If you're certain I can't talk you out of this, then fine, go chasing after Potter so you can get over this incessant need for revenge." Pansy scoffed at Millicent's words, not at all used to the larger girl speaking to her like that. If she wasn't such a pushover during all their other conversations too, she might've started thinking of her more like an equal rather than somebody who needed companionship.
"It'll be fine, you'll see — the worst-case scenario for me is… let's not talk about that just yet," Pansy desperately wished to avoid telling her friend about Plan B, or rather, Plan Z.
Ronald Weasley was nowhere near as handsome, powerful or wealthy as Potter.
Shaking her head, Millicent said, "That doesn't make me feel any better about this," but she'd already resigned herself to being unable to stop Pansy.
Pansy for her part didn't roll her eyes or say anything condescending, instead, her action was a simple wave and reminder to wait up for her return so she could share news of what ended up transpiring, be it good or bad. Saying that, she left the room and began her 'patrol' for the evening, keeping herself busy by reading a romantic book Daphne had given her during the summer until Potter made his exit.
After a few hours had passed with her getting progressively more anxious and doubtful, she heard the telltale signs of the Headmaster's door activating.
Without a single moment of hesitation, she bolted out from the door she'd been ducked behind, ran around the corner and ran straight into… nothing?
Wait! Masculine groaning and the lower body of some boy was visible!
Pansy whipped out her wand while the figure staggered to his feet, "Stay still! Lift your cloak!" she barked out as orders, keeping the figure at wand point as it slowly listened to her.
"Parkinson." an all too familiar voice spat as the face of Harry Potter became visible, "Waiting to catch me out after curfew to make Malfoy happy?"
Instantly she scowled at the mention of the stupid blonde boy, "I'm not doing this for Draco, I'm doing it for me." Pansy glanced back in the direction of the unoccupied room she'd been using, a plan formulating in her mind now that she had her prey, "Come with me, Potter, I'll be questioning you before bringing you to Filch."
"No."
Pansy scowled, sizing the boy-who-lived up, "I wasn't asking, scarhead, I'm a Prefect."
"And I have permission from the Headmaster to be out past curfew," Potter then held up a note with written permission from Dumbledore, it bore the old man's signature and all.
Anger getting the better of her, Pansy cast a quick "Evanesco" at the small paper Potter had been holding; much to her pleasure Potter, the fool that he is was left staring where his permission slip had been only a second prior.
But that didn't make him buckle or submit as she might've thought.
In response to her doing that, Potter got his wand out far faster than she'd have thought possible for a jumped-up half-blood such as him, and faster still, he disarmed her. While it was incredibly impressive and all, she wasn't nervous in the slightest — Dumbledore's apprentice wouldn't do a single thing to harm her, bloody fool that he is.
"Give it back and come with me." Pansy's voice sounded as haughty as it always did, the girl going so far as to hold her hand out for her wand while tapping a manicured finger against her hip.
Harry laughed in a manner that flamed her anger as he backpedalled in the direction from whence he'd just came.
"Tell you what, you can have your wand back when we go see the Headmaster to describe your abuse of power — maybe he'll finally remove you as Prefect."
Pansy flushed red, embarrassment and the potential shame of such a thing happening getting to her.
"Potter!" He stopped, turning to face her, "I wanted to speak with you, alright?!" Pansy stomped her foot in place as the prior embarrassment replaced the anger — she couldn't believe she was having to explain herself to someone like him.
Her words had worked, however, the Potter boy stepping towards her again with an inquisitive mask on his face as he rolled her wand between his fingers.
"What could you possibly want to speak to me about? Better yet, why would you think forcing me would work?"
Sighing, Pansy gestured towards the classroom one last time, "Could we speak somewhere I know is private at the very least?"
"You could've trapped it," Harry said, looking at her as if she were stupid.
Again, Pansy stomped her foot, and this time she'd started swinging her fists at her sides; the tactic always worked on her parents and would likely work on Potter.
"Fine, you git! I wanted to go to Hogsmeade with you, happy?" The embarrassment and frustration she'd put into those words were real, though the reason behind her asking him would be something he'd never gain the knowledge of.
"What?"
Potter's one-word response with his furrowed brows and half step back amused her, but seeing him look anywhere but at her, wasn't. He should've at least been wizard enough to check her out after saying such a thing; her Pureblood lineage and looks were a deadly combination in her very humble opinion.
"You. Me. Hogsmeade," Pansy said in as few words as possible, hoping that by doing so she'd get this over with faster.
"Why would I go with you?" Harry looked more confused than anything, her earlier actions forgotten with his staring.
"I'm an Heiress to a Pureblood family, have a vast amount of wealth and am beautiful to boot," Pansy sneered when Harry snorted at her last point, but she didn't lash out — risking her revenge wouldn't be worth it… but neither would too much self-embarrassment if Potter was too daft to accept her generous offer.
"You've listed two things that I don't care about, and sure, you're pretty outwardly," Harry paused for a moment, Pansy's victorious smirk making him shake his head, "Doesn't really matter to me though, I'm not going to Hogsmeade with a girl like you," she could see him holding in laughter as her smirk was washed away and with a single nod from his head, made to leave without having said goodbye or without having given her wand back; neither of those facts improved her mood.
"I'll make you a deal Potter," Pansy didn't know why she blurted that out, but it'd been enough to make the boy-who-lived pause in his walking away.
"What sort of deal, Parkinson?"
"You've been watching Draco — don't deny it either, more than a few of my housemates have noticed. I can tell you Draco doesn't care in the slightest what you think he's up to either," Potter's face started to morph into anger at her words, Good, she thought, hopefully her rousing him up by way of mentioning his rival would make her coming offer worth the date, "What if I were to help you? Don't think I'll be risking life, limb or status; I wouldn't do that for you and even if I claimed I would, you'd not believe me. What I mean is a simple favour in return for your agreeing to the date."
Harry walked towards her with two wands still in his right hand, one of them hers.
That alone reminded her how careless she'd been, and how unprotected she currently was.
Only a few feet before he'd walk into her, Potter stopped and spoke, "How do I know I can trust you?"
Pansy blanked… she didn't think he'd ask that, and worse, she didn't know how to answer it definitively.
"What could I do that'd have you believe me?"
She nearly winced the second after she'd asked that, the question being so open-ended that she feared he'd ask something impossible from her; a vault key, her wand or something that boys like far more being at the forefront of her mind.
Harry looked thoughtful, his face scrunching up until he snapped his fingers with a smile on his face.
"You'll let me and my friends off whenever you catch us past curfew, additionally, you'll tell us any changes in the schedule or routes — I know you and Draco don't always go by the plan in hopes of catching people with Prefects as friends."
Pansy sighed in relief.
What he was asking for wasn't nearly as steep as she'd been expecting even if she did lose something she enjoyed doing — that being catching Potter or his friends out after curfew — and truth be told, it was one of the smallest prices she could think of.
"Fine," Pansy held out her hand for him to kiss, "I'll not send you or those that you know, to that filthy squib for punishment again until our date passes and in addition to that, I'll assist you once with something small."
Harry grasped her hand with one of his, shaking it and speaking while Pansy scowled, "Wicked, in return I'll treat you to a date at Hogsmeade, pleasure doing business Parkinson."
He made to leave but she stopped him with a firm grip around his collar and an expectant look when he met her eyes.
"My wand, Potter."
"Oh, yeah."
October 26 1996
Saturday
"Come on 'Mione, he's clearly been dosed with love potions or gone mad! Why else would he be taking Pugface Parkinson on a date?"
Pansy had been sitting around the corner where Harry'd been waiting for her as directed for nearly five minutes now — initially, the reason was her not wanting to arrive first so as to avoid appearing overly eager, but when Potter arrived with his two loyal pets at either side? She couldn't resist the chance to listen in.
A loud smack followed closely by a male groan told her somebody had taken offence, but that 'somebody' surprised her when she heard the mudblood's louder than usual words.
"Harry hasn't gone mad and he's not ingested any amortentia or something similar, Ronald. There's a reason he's doing this, one that you don't need to know considering it's his reason," a frustrated sigh from Granger made her think of the stupid face the Weasley spawn was likely pulling, "Seeing as you're too immature or daft to understand, we'll be leaving so I can explain it in detail back in the common room; good luck with your date Harry."
Pansy heard the crunching of snow from two people, waited an additional minute so Potter wouldn't be suspicious, and then made herself known.
"Potter," she greeted, taking in the boy's appearance; his hair looked far from its normal self, the rugged nature of it being well brushed to present a more kept appearance at the same time his clothing looked to accurately fit him. Even the colours of said clothing didn't clash in the slightest, black, grey and his Gryffindor accessories worked well together.
"Parkinson," Potter greeted back, looking her over just as she'd done with him; the only difference was she'd dressed to impress under the large coat she was wearing to hold off the cold — she couldn't wait for his reaction to her clothing, it was the latest and most daring fashion.
"Don't stand there without direction, Potter," Pansy walked a few feet closer to him and held out her arm, "Escort me to our reservations."
His slightly sour look from her commanding tone only added to her thrill when she felt the warmth from his arm when he did as instructed.
"Will you be this… demanding, all afternoon?" Harry chose his words carefully and it was a good thing too, she'd not want to cause a scene with the boy-who-lived.
Oh, the scandals she could think of to smear his image if he didn't treat her right, there were an almost endless amount of possibilities.
"Not completely, I'd find it incredibly boring if you allowed me to lead the entire afternoon into the evening," Pansy expected Potter to act more bullheaded or confident, not so whiny and meek.
"Evening?"
Pansy smiled up at him, "Evening," she affirmed with her free gloved hand coming up to caress his face.
"I di-"
"You agreed to a Hogsmeade date, don't complain about the length of it when that was something you'd left out of our agreement," Pansy's tone was sharp — something she hated most in life was people attempting to, or succeeding in going back on their word.
Magicals weren't any better than Muggles if they couldn't stick to what they'd said!
"Fine," Harry huffed, the two continuing in silence until they made it to the restaurant, whereupon arrival they were ushered into a private room with an assortment of snacks already laid out for them.
Harry immediately looked over to Pansy and raised an eyebrow, no doubt he was surprised with the level of thought she'd put into the 'date' for the evening — truthfully speaking, Pansy did it more for herself than she did for him, but he didn't have to know that.
With a grandiose gesture around the upscale room, Pansy said "We'll not be bothered unless we call for service," She then made her way towards the singular couch in the room with an exaggerated motion, hoping to draw his attention towards one of her better features to satisfy her ego.
As for the rest of the space in the room, it was being used for table room, cabinets or artwork, which meant the boy-who-lived would have to sit beside his date practically brushing knees.
Pansy didn't mind it all that much, figuring she could string him along all day until Draco was spotted, at which point she'd snog him senseless — it really didn't matter to her when or where so long as her foolish Malfoy would see her doing exactly what he'd done, with any luck he'd feel the same possessive nature and finally sign the engagement.
If all else failed, at least she'd have Potter after today.
Pansy shook her head at where her mind had gone, Malfoy was definitely the better option.
"Pansy?"
Potter's face was only a few inches from her.
"What?"
Harry pulled back from her as if he'd only just realised how close their lips were only once she'd fully turned to face him.
"I'd asked why you picked somewhere so, well," he gestured around awkwardly, from artwork to burning scented candles, "Romantic."
Rolling her eyes while he'd still been looking away, Pansy figured now would be as good a time as any to begin playing him, thus she slunk closer and removed what little space had remained between them.
Harry turned back to face her, his face filled with suspicion as his right arm was moving — likely going for his wand she thought — and in reaction to that, Pansy gave him a saucy smirk.
"Just because you'd only agreed to the date for personal gain doesn't mean I won't be enjoying it as much as possible," she caressed his face the same way she'd done earlier, only this time gloveless; the feeling of his skin under her fingers joined with how his eyes searched hers and the conflicting emotions he was likely feeling because of the lover-like touch was absolutely exhilarating.
"Will you stop that?" Harry's words came out quiet, choked almost, but the threat he thought she posed wouldn't allow him to stop looking directly at her.
Pansy briefly questioned why he didn't move away from her if it made him so uncomfortable, but then she realised the depraved lion was likely enjoying the fluid slithering motions her fingers were doing on his face and neck.
"I don't think I will, not unless you have a reason that I'll accept?" Maybe Potter had a secret girlfriend… Pansy snorted at her thinking, as if any bint would keep that a secret.
"You're playing me."
Harry's words came out stronger than before, his confusion and meekness were gone in an instant as his hand grabbed the wrist of her offending one.
Pansy leaned forward, her forehead resting against his as she stared into Potter's eyes.
"Is it working?"
He opened his mouth to retort, likely aiming for an insult that Weasley had used earlier or one she'd not heard before, but nothing would come out. When he'd opened it a second time to the same results, he pulled far enough back that their heads no longer touched and shook his head.
"Unfortunate," Pansy said aloud, more so to herself as she pulled further away, a foot of distance now between their faces, "I'd hoped that you'd have been more acceptable to my advances, what with all the Gryffindor girls you've probably hooked using your mantle as the boy-who-lived," Pansy swiped her tongue across her lips and decided now to finally remove her coat, revealing the black dress with green trim that dipped dangerously low into the valley of her breasts.
When she chanced a look at Harry, his eyes had immediately gone towards one of her more self-conscious assets. All that mattered to her was the fact they wandered, it was proof enough that no matter his opinions on how she'd acted in the past or present, he found her body attractive.
"I don't," he blurted out, his eyes slowly going back up to meet her own.
This time, it was Pansy that didn't fully understand, the confusion breaking her from the game she'd been playing.
"What, Potter?"
Way to ruin the mood, golden boy. He didn't even compliment my dress as Draco would've done.
"I don't use my 'mantle as the boy-who-lived' to get witches."
He was probably lying, any wizard would've had his pick of witches if he were half as important as the boy she was sharing the room with.
She inwardly shrugged at her deduction — if he wanted her to play innocent, he'd picked the wrong girl.
"I see… have you done anything with a witch?" she tossed aside her coat and closed the distance again, her stocking-covered knees brushing his suited ones, "Had one on her knees maybe? Snogging? Maybe a light kiss?" when he shook his head at all of those and turned red, Pansy couldn't help but giggle, "Aww, maybe if you make this enjoyable I'll take care of one of those for you," she opened her mouth and bit down softly on a finger in mock thought, "or all of them if you're especially good."
Finally, Harry seemed to have enough, he jumped from his seat and moved to the farthest edge of the room.
"Why're you doing this? Did Dra-"
Pansy spoke over him, reclining in her seat while continuing with her portrayal of confidence even if she wanted nothing more than to cover herself with the coat now crumpled in a heap on the floor.
"Don't mention Draco, Potter — it's just you and I in here, okay?"
He nodded once but reiterated his question.
Her reply wasn't an answer to his question, but one of her own.
"Does it matter for what reason I'm doing this? I offered to snog you, I've set up a whole day at all the most expensive places in Hogs-"
Harry shook his head and cut her off as she'd just done but a moment earlier, "I don't care about how many Galleons you've spent," his eyes met hers again and finally, he could see the water rising to the surface. Shaking his head again, Harry walked over to her and picked up her crumpled coat, laying it over her body. Once he'd done that, he retreated to the furthest edge of the room where he'd been, "Will you tell me why?"
Pansy wanted to rebuke him for acting as he was, she wanted to demand he return to her side and continue with how she'd planned the evening.
She didn't, instead, she told him the chain of events that led up to them being in the room. After she'd finished the entirety of the story and explained her elaborate, stupid plan, she'd expected him to leave her without a second thought.
Potter did the opposite; he sat down beside her on the couch and pulled her flush against him as she let the tears fall from her makeup covered face — hours of work towards being presentable washed away in minutes while she let years of frustration out in the arms of a boy she'd insulted since her first few encounters.
Draco wouldn't hold you like Potter is, he'd send you away for being too emotional.
That thought struck her, making the sobbing that'd been close to dying down return in full force. Not because she'd wasted all that time with Draco, not because her plan would fail; because it was true.
Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived and figurehead of all things light was better than Draco Malfoy, an heir to a house with vast amounts of wealth and power.
Why couldn't it be the opposite?
"Potter?" Pansy questioned into his chest, the emotional outburst now as over as her thoughts of marrying the Malfoy Heir.
"Yeah, Pansy?" His hands stopped rubbing her back and smoothing her hair as they'd been doing.
"Could we… could we continue our date? I understand if you find me unappealing or have some other form of negative opinion of me after everything I've said to you, I wou-"
Harry shook his head.
Her stomach dropped in response, her outburst had cost him one of the only good bo—
"I don't think negatively of you, not really, you were just trying to impress that git," Harry looked for any sign of anger at his referencing of Malfoy, but she didn't give any, "Honestly I've always thought you were pretty — I thought when I'd said that to you when we spoke last that you'd tease me for it. I guess I, uh, well," he sighed and collected his thoughts, "I didn't think we'd ever actually go on a date to Hogsmeade, being who we are to each other."
"Were," Pansy corrected, her hand seeking one of his out as she smiled honestly for the first time since being near the wonderful boy, "I know that everything I've heard about you is wrong, and I know that what I've said to you is equally so."
Harry smiled and met her eyes, his gaze flickering down to her lips for all of a second but her seeing it alerted Pansy what he wanted.
He'd seen her at her absolute worst, a feat none but her mother could say; now he'd see her at her best, something nobody could say.
Pansy leaned in towards his face, her breathing getting quicker as she'd go in for her first ki— her stomach rumbled.
Harry looked startled at the loudness and Pansy immediately jumped back. Embarrassment was too soft a word to describe what she was feeling, she wanted to apparate away without returning to Britain.
"Pansy?"
Potter's voice shook her from her negative thinking and when she looked towards him, he had a strawberry on a fork.
Her thoughts raced and a plan quickly formed in her devious mind.
"Could you grab the big one? Near the cheese and grapes?" when he found the one she wanted, he started removing the other from the fork, but she shook her head, "Use your fingers."
Harry swallowed at her words, but did as requested, grabbing the large strawberry and holding it out towards her.
Pansy made eye contact with him as she leaned forward and bit the strawberry, swiping her tongue across his bottom finger as she did so.
His face changed to that of one she'd seen on many a man when looking at her.
Lust.
Pansy shivered as another thought struck her.
This day was most definitely salvageable.