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Part One | Strike the Match
Five. Some Things Need to be Faced Alone
The next few days passed in a Daphne-tinted blur. A daze of shopping, alcohol, and taking advantage of the end of the summer rays at the Greengrass' holiday home - a lodge situated on the Dorset coast, filled the remainder of their summer. Millicent, unlike Pansy, had opted to spend the rest of the holidays with her family and had bid the girls farewell after their afternoon cocktail catch up, and so Pansy spent the remainder of the summer with Daphne, and Daphne's sister Astoria. Both sisters were now an impressive shade of golden brown, and even Pansy, whose skin usually had a tendency to annoyingly stick to a cycle of white, burnt, peeling burnt, and then back to white, had a healthy looking glow, compared to her usual paler-than-pale colouring.
"Ugh! I can't believe it's the last day of the holidays tomorrow," Daphne commented. The bikini-clad blonde was laying atop a striped green sunlounger, her long hair framed her face in two long plaits, her eyes were covered by a pair of oversized gold-framed sunglasses.
"I know," Pansy had rather got used to being close to water, which was her favourite place to be; especially from living in the Slytherin dungeons for six years. She'd loved it, from the very moment she first entered her common room.
"We're in the dungeons, mostly under the lake. It is believed most of the rock naturally eroded leaving the bulk of the room which became our common room-" Pansy hadn't really understood what the fifth-year prefect girl was talking about. "-the area was expanded, the dormitories were then created by Salazar Slytherin himself. They all feature windows directly into the lake, just like the common room does."
Wait! What? Pansy had managed to understand something in all that drivel, their windows looked into the lake.
The lake has always been called 'The Black Lake', the prefect continued, turning to lead them down a staircase, "but it only appears black if you look at it from a distance. In reality, as you'll see, it's quite clear; the merpeople make sure of that.
Wow! Merpeople? For reals?
The small group had come to a stop in front of a seemingly blank stretch of wall, Pansy and Daphne glanced at each other, eyes wide.
"Sanguinem," the prefect declared. One more glance at Daphne showed she was just as baffled as Pansy was. The stone wall began to move.
Oh!
The shuddering wall revealed a stone archway, big enough to walk through and the new Slytherin first years trooped into their common room for the first time. Pansy hadn't been quite prepared for the sight that greeted her - walking through the maze of the Hogwarts dungeons, she had felt shivery, and, though she'd never admit it aloud, a tad scared. But, luckily, the Slytherin common room was a stark contrast to the cold, plain stone corridors she'd walked down only moments ago. The large, roughly circular room still had dark grey, stone walls, but these walls were different; they were almost glistening, almost glittering, Pansy thought in amazement. There was a large fireplace which seemed to serve as a main focal point over to the right of the small group. The fireplace itself seemed to be made of a single, huge piece of cut dark green marble which housed a roaring fire. The floor was not, as Pansy had imagined, made of the same stone the floors of the dungeon corridors were, but of a deep, walnut coloured wood. Comfy looking, yet elegant couches stood at various points. The lighting was dim, the fire radiating a fair amount of both heat and light, yet Pansy realised the main source of light came from the windows. Even though it was now night time, the prefect had been right, the windows were enormous, so massive in fact, that each one simply replaced the wall it was situated on. Moonlight streamed into the room from all sides through the clearest water Pansy had ever seen. Her eyes greedily attempted to see as much as she could as she spotted a shoal of small silvery fish dart past a window-wall to their left.
Sitting up, Pansy watched the waves of the English Channel lapping continuously onto the sand in front of them.
"We'd better go," Daphne interrupted Pansy's reminiscent thoughts. "Think dinner will be ready? I'm starving."
"Doing fuck all definitely works up an appetite," Pansy mused.
"Doesn't it just?" Daphne agreed. She grabbed her towel and bag, and picked up her wand before casually checking no muggles were nearby. "You ready?" Seeing Pansy's nod, Daphne continued, "Okay, see you there," and the blonde apparated away with a small pop. Pansy looked towards the waves again, allowing herself to become momentarily entranced. She gave the water a brief, slight smile and apparated back to the lodge herself.
"Good day, girls?" Freyja enquired. All Pansy and Daphne could do was eagerly nod, their mouths stuffed. Every time Pansy thought Freyja, or more accurately Tula, had served the best version of a meal Pansy had ever tried, somehow she was always proven wrong. The steak pie on her plate was indeed the best steak pie she'd ever eaten, despite knowing she'd claimed that the last time she'd eaten the dish. Freyja smiled, looking from Daphne, to Astoria and finally to Pansy. She looked the picture of happiness surrounded by what she called her girls, the sentiment having always extended to Pansy as well as her own daughters. Daphne's father tended to be absent more than he was present, and the three young women knew Freyja was happiest when she was surrounded by her girls.
"Pansy dear," Freyja began, "your mother-" her eyes narrowed as she spoke the word; her and Lilith having always held very different ideals on the subject of motherhood, "-owled again this morning. The letter is on the dresser in your room." Oh, fantastic.
Pansy sighed, smiling at the Greengrass matriarch. "Thanks, she's probably wondering if I'll be going back at any point before Hogwarts."
Astoria snorted, "For what, one day?"
Pansy swallowed a mouthful of mashed potatoes. She didn't want to spend the short remainder of her holiday having the same debate she always ended up having. "I might go for an hour or something tomorrow. There is some stuff I want to pick up as well."
Freyja nodded, her eyes kind. Astoria regarded Pansy sympathetically and offered a comforting smile; Daphne wrinkled her nose, shrugged, then quipped, "Rather you than me, but, you know, with me if you need."
Pansy sniggered. "It's alright Daph, I won't subject you to such horror."
Daphne's expression changed to one of concern, "I really will come if you want-"
"It's fine, honestly. I'll be okay." Pansy smiled at her best friend, not really feeling like smiling at all, but she knew Daphne wasn't lying, and she would have come. Daphne would have spent all day alone with Lilith if Pansy needed, but she didn't. Some things need to be faced alone. Things like she-hags.
"Okay, just let me know if you change your mind."
The rest of Pansy's evening passed in a sleepy, relaxed, and for the most part, happy mood. Daphne had declared the end of the day was best spent with copious amounts of wine, much to the agreement of the other three. Freyja included herself in the face masks, nail painting and drinking games and actually giggled as she declared, "Because you all know I'm still a girl at heart."
A few hours and many glasses later, Daphne emitted a loud scream and promptly ran away after removing a towel from Pansy's head. The 'fun experiment', or at least that was what Daphne had called it, included a certain something the Muggles called 'bleach'.
"Daphne..." Pansy's eyebrows were raised. "What's wrong?" Daphne didn't answer, and instead attempted to hide in the washing up bowl in the sink.
"Hiya Pans," Daphne slurred through intermittent hiccups, a dopey smile etched on her face. "You know you're pretty, right? Hey, can you help me get my bum out of this bowl?"
"Daphne!" Pansy repeated, eyebrows still elevated, and eyes wide as she stared at her reflection in the mirror.
"Yeah, babe?"
"Why is my hair fucking green?"
Please tell me there's Sober-Up. Pansy awoke the next morning with a start. Was that a roar? Pansy had a horribly dry mouth, a pounding head and conflicting, nausea-inducing knowledge that she needed to both throw up and eat a fry up: in that order. Turning carefully to her right, she didn't yet trust her body would be able to handle any sudden movements, Pansy observed the seemingly comatose body lying beside her. Daphne, usually the very image of perfection was lying, eagle spread, in the shape of a five-point star, in the very centre of the large bed. Well, thank fuck it's a king size. Daphne's mouth was not only gaping wide, but emitting snores that were, for one, heinously loud, and two, seemed to last around 30 seconds each. That explains the roar. Her blonde locks, which usually fell down her back in an impeccably stylish mixture of sleek with a hint of Daphne's trademark messiness, was currently strewn over the bedcovers. It was impossible to tell where it began or ended. Good grief, Daph. Your hair could rival Granger's.
Pansy sat up tentatively, the light that was attempting to permeate the heavy curtains was slight, but had already forced the pain in Pansy's head to worsen. Gah! Nope, shouldn't have done that. Tipping her head forward, Pansy placed her forehead in her hands and let out a very audible groan. She remained there, perfectly stationary, for the better part of what felt like ten minutes, before deciding that whatever symptom this hangover felt inclined to present her with, it would more than likely be an improvement over the absolute earache caused by Daphne's cave-bear-esque snoring. Moving her hands slowly away from her forehead, Pansy felt parts of her hair falling in front of her face. She knew she was risking her headache pounding even harder by opening just one eye and allowing any form of light to penetrate her eyeballs, but then again, she weighed up the alternative. The roars of the she-beast here aren't helping my head, anyway. Braving the impending sting she knew was going to grace her sight, Pansy slowly opened her eyes. What the fuck!
What Pansy had not expected was to be met by streaks of a luminescent bright green, and what she really hadn't expected was a memory that washed over her all at once like a sort of remembrance tidal wave. Why is my hair fucking green? "Oh no. Oh fuck. Oh no! Daphne! DAPHNE!" The blonde exhaled loudly, grunted, and propelled herself clumsily onto her side, facing away from Pansy and her bright green head. Oh no you fucking don't. Grabbing her wand, Pansy cast a quick silencing charm over the bedroom, before pressing the length of walnut against her throat, staring daggers into the back of Daphne's head. "Sonorus," she muttered with narrowed eyes..."DAPHNEEEE!"
The reaction to the amplifying charm was instantaneous, and, to Pansy, hilarious. It had been more than worth heightening the effects of her sore head to see Daphne literally jump three feet into the air above the bed.
"WHAT THE- WHAT!? PANS? MUM! ASTORIA! ARE YOU THERE? WHERE'S TULA? TULAAAAA!"
Daphne stopped shouting long enough to look around, wide-eyed, her face the picture of alarm. She dropped her gaze to Pansy, who had, in turn, fallen onto the bed and was crying with the loudest and most booming laugh a very confused Daphne had ever heard. Pansy sat up, attempting to keep her face straight.
"LOOK AT MY FUCKING HAIR, YOU BITCH!" she managed to gasp, or because she hadn't yet lifted the amplifying charm, a more correct description would have been she managed to blare.
"Turn your voice down you crazy fuck!" Daphne screeched, borderline hysterical.
"OH, RIGHT. OKAY I'LL DO IT NOW, WHAT'S THE COUNTER CHARM AGAIN?" Pansy boomed some more.
"You're so not funny," Daphne retorted, grabbing her own wand, aiming it at her emerald-haired best friend, and said, "Quietus."
"Oh yeah, that's what it is."
"Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha." Daphne stuck her tongue out. "So, you look nice. Brings out your eyes that colour does. You're welcome."
"Oh yes, thank you so-" Pansy enunciated the words to emphasise her sarcasm, "-so much."
Lying back down, Daphne yawned. "Can I go back to sleep now?"
"You can fix my hair now."
"I meant it, it suits you. Night." Daphne's eyes closed.
Picking up a large pillow, Pansy raised her arms above her head, and brought her arms over in a large arch, promptly hitting Daphne in the side of the head.
"Nnnnnahumph! What was that for?"
"Get up, Daphne."
"Ugh, fine. Did you know you can be a total drama queen?"
Pop!
Pansy opened her eyes, still reeling slightly from the apparition. I'll never get used to that. She scanned the living room. It was a space which had encapsulated so much of her lonely childhood, until she'd become inseparable from Daphne, of course. The room looked little different, as though everything within its walls, from the expensive floor covering, to the very mantelpiece Pansy had taken down her sixth birthday cards from, had become frozen in time; the last eleven years merely a blip on the tapestry of this room's own timeframe.
Pansy almost wished she felt sad, grief even, for the fact that this area no longer felt like any kind of home; it hadn't for a long time. No more did she feel any sense of joy that she had essentially managed to leave her dismal upbringing behind her.
In fact, Pansy felt very little for the place in which she now stood. Her disinterested expression echoing her emotional detachment. As a child, Pansy had grown increasingly good at pretending to be happy. In the few long weeks she'd spend back in her parents house at the beginning of the month, during which she'd overheard her father and Rabastan Lestrange discussing their sinister pastimes, Pansy had quickly realised she'd lost her ability to mask her utter disappointment that radiated from her every wretched second she spent confined to the Parkinson homestead.
Click.
Clack.
Click.
Clack.
The sound of Lilith's trademark high heels approaching caused Pansy's eyes to snap shut once more. She debated silently whether to simply apparate away. She knew her mother would already know she was here.
The door that connected the living room to the hallway suddenly pushed inwards. Lilith Parkinson was standing in the doorway, her posture poker straight, her face perfectly emulating Pansy's own indifferent gaze.
"Your father and I would like to speak to you. He's waiting in his study." Oh, well it's nice to see you too. Lilith was regarding her daughter with a cold disinterest. Pansy was half-wishing she had waited until after this little family reunion before she'd gotten Freyja to glamour her hair back to it's regular ebony shade. Daphne, it transpired, had ended up proving herself to be incredibly useless in correcting her bleaching experiment. You'd be looking even more disappointed if you'd seen me this morning, Mother dearest.
"Right, fine." Pansy strode towards the door, not bothering to look at Lilith a moment longer than she needed. Lilith stepped backwards, allowing her daughter to march haughtily past.
Pansy's stride didn't falter as she navigated the wide hallway. She glanced at her surroundings immediately. This place, this house, felt wrong somehow, just like realising a once-familiar person is now a stranger. Pansy didn't stop until she found herself in front of the door leading to Cassius' study.
Hearing the same click-clacking which indicated her mother was approaching her rear, Pansy took a deep breath before knocking on the door once, curtly. Not seeing any need as to why she should wait for an answer, Pansy opened the door and entered the study.
Cassius' study was a room that had, throughout Pansy's life, remained off-limits. The room, whilst not exactly large, could definitely be described as grand. Dark wood panelling covered the lower half of the walls, and the corresponding upper half was painted a decadent, deep moss green. The dark wood flooring matched the wall panelling perfectly, which in turn matched the furnishings, all of which were the same espresso coloured wood.
Pansy, however, noticed neither the wall panelling or the flooring. She didn't see the furniture or the deep green walls. Her eyes opened wide and remained staring, unblinking, at a smiling, familiar face. Breathing suddenly ragged, Pansy realised, despite the warmth of summer still residing around her, she felt an uncontrollable shiver creep its way up her spine. Why, oh Gods, why? Is Rabastan Lestrange here?