Chapter Three

Pansy

Platform 9 3/4 always had a way of making her feel alone. Ever since her first visit, when Peter said goodbye as he rolled away with a wave. And later, when it was her turn for Hogwarts, her parents chided her for sobbing and pushed her onto the train with embarrassed looks.

It was scary to leave your home and jump into the unknown. It was lonely. But this year was even worse. Pansy's father had to work and neither her mother nor her brother would wake up.

Pansy's eyes darted from family to family now, some hugging, some crying, all loving with each other. The sight made her feel isolated and jealous. Still, her proud chin never fell. The shining silver and green prefect badge was pinned to her chest for all to see. Somewhere near the front of the train, she and the other prefects would be meeting with Graham and whoever had been chosen for Head Girl. Though the thought of seeing her boyfriend was even worse than standing among the gushing families, she passed her trunk along to be loaded and began winding her way through the thick crowd to try and board the train.

"Watch it," she muttered, running straight into a tall boy and nearly toppling over. First she saw the pin on his chest, just like hers except scarlet instead of green. Then she looked up and saw it was Ron Weasley. Pansy had to bite back an insult, realizing his parents were there. And she was alone - she was far more outspoken in the company of her fellow Slytherins.

"Sorry," he muttered, stepping aside to let her pass.

"Oh, look, another prefect! Ronald, is this a friend from school?"

Oh, this was awkward. Pansy's face was caught somewhere between a smile and a grimace when the Weasley's drab mother grabbed her hand and gave it a tight squeeze.

"Er," Ron said, eyes darting to Granger for help. Mr. Weasley offered Pansy a warm smile, oblivious to the tension.

"This is Pansy Parkinson," Granger offered, her uncomfortable tone making Pansy's smile grow more stiff, though she wanted nothing more than to scoff and be rid of the lot of them. Sure, at school she could be a right terror, but Pansy's parents taught her how to act in front of adults, no matter their class. A political family always had to maintain that rosy hue in public and so her smile stayed glued into place. "She's a Slytherin in our year."

Recognition crossed the older woman's eyes. Even Mr. Weasley's smile faltered. Of course they knew. Everyone knew about her father's affair - it had been the front page of the Prophet for nearly a month. Even the Weasley's, who probably couldn't afford the paper, would have heard the talk. And didn't Mr. Weasley work for the Ministry?

How humiliating.

"Well, I'm Molly, dear," the woman told her, warmth in her eyes and tone. Pansy did the most un-Parkinson thing and broke her reserve, ducking her head at this embarrassment. A fucking Weasley, of all people, was feeling sorry for her. A Weasley.

"Pleasure to meet you," she muttered, recoiling her hand before anyone saw. Knowing her mother would be prodding her to smile, she looked back up to Mrs. Weasley and forced the edges of her mouth up, though her eyes were void of any emotion. "I've…got to go meet my boyfriend, if you'll excuse me," she continued, the woman giving her a reassuring rub on the shoulder and a kind nod.

"Of course, off you go," she answered with a smile, the warmth in her eyes overbearing. Pansy didn't dawdle a moment longer. She brushed past Potter and the twins, not daring look at them, especially the latter two after the run-in at Flourish and Blott's the day before. Pansy wasn't sure which one was which, but she wasn't taking chances. Last night when she'd been in bed, she scolded herself for acting out the way she did. Being a Slytherin and a prefect, she knew she would probably be dealing with them a lot this year. And they were like Peeves, but worse. Bullies, the both of them. "See you in class, snake brat," one of them had said. Every time she recalled him saying it, the words seemed a bit more threatening. All Pansy could hope was that it wasn't an indication of the type of year she'd be having now that she was prefect. But, she knew she wanted to stay clear of them or at least not on their bad side.

Free of the Weasley's, she put one foot up on the train when she heard their mother utter, "Poor thing."

Despite her better judgement, her head whipped toward them, embarrassment burning across her cheeks. Mrs. Weasley had her back to Pansy, but a few of the others didn't, their eyes finding hers. She turned her head and stepped into the train with such a rush that she wasn't sure who had seen her look back. Granger for sure, but the others she didn't catch.

The prefect compartment was empty when she got there. It was larger than the rest, built to hold 30 people comfortably. Pansy sat in the far corner with her humiliation, hoping the train ride and feast would pass quickly so she could be done with Graham for the night. And anyone else, for that matter.

People began to file in - sixth and seventh year students that she knew by face and not name. Hestia Carrow, a Slytherin girl a year older, entered and sat in the corner opposite her, as neither knew each other very well. When Weasley and Granger entered, Pansy looked back out the window, seeing that they were pulling away from the station. But then she felt someone sit next to her.

"Your hair has grown quite a bit, it looks nice."

No matter the awful things Pansy may have done in her life, she didn't think she deserved Granger actually trying to start a conversation with her.

"Don't give me a fucking pity party," she muttered, not wanting the others to overhear or even think she was associated with the girl. She never once looked away from the moving scenery outside the window.

"It's not!" Granger protested. "You've lost…quite a bit of weight, too."

It was the tone she said it in - conversational, yet laced with a hint of concern and judgement. Pansy clamped her teeth together and said nothing.

"I just think we got off on the wrong foot," Granger said in that matter-of-fact tone that drove Pansy mad. "We're prefects together now, we should at least be civil."

"I'm not going to be your friend," Pansy muttered. "And if you want me to be fucking civil with you, I suggest you stop acting sorry for me and go sit somewhere else."

It seemed to do the trick. Thankfully, too. If Granger hadn't of moved after that, Pansy may have made a scene on her first day as prefect.

Like that mudblood made a point to mention her weight. Holier-than-thou Granger would be clever enough to know she'd of had to half-starve herself all summer to look as she did now. Who was she to judge? Granger had never had that annoying baby fat cling to her. And Viktor fucking Krum had practically stalked her the whole year before. What did she have to worry about? It was acceptable to grow up and let herself go like that baggy Weasley woman, but Pansy had Graham. Pansy had expectations she had to meet.

Speaking of Graham, he'd apparently entered while she glared out the window. When he started the meeting without even telling her hello, she knew he was still cross with her from the party.

Pansy tore her eyes away from the window pane to see the compartment now filled, all familiar faces, though only a few of which she knew their names. Draco sat with the other Slytherins in the corner Carrow occupied, but he offered her a smile which she couldn't make herself reciprocate. She was too busy looking at Hestia Carrow, who wouldn't tear her eyes away from Graham, a small smile playing on her mouth.

Alicia Spinnet, who had been named Head Girl, was talking now and Graham hardly seemed to be listening, eyes glued on Carrow with a smirk.

Pansy tuned out the rest of the meeting. Her sight had shot back out the window to hide the way her eyes were stinging and her mind was too furious to make any sense of the things being said.

The meeting dragged on for ages, but when she noticed others beginning to stand and head for the door, the meeting apparently over, Pansy shot up and out into the corridor before either Graham or Draco could stop her. The trolly was ahead of her, boasting several dozen different sweets. Pansy's stomach gave a loud growl and she decided that right then, she didn't feel like telling it no. As she approached, her hand pulled out several gold coins from her robe pocket, her mouth watering while she formulated the plan in her head.

First a Chocolate Frog, a licorice wand, and a cauldron cake. Then she'd dart off to the back of the train, find an empty compartment, and play the avoidance game while she downed her sweets. Eventually she would have to find Draco and figure out what they were supposed to do as prefects since she hadn't paid attention, but right that moment all she could think of was reaching the damn trolly and disappearing in case Graham decided to follow and witness how weak her willpower was.