A/N: Ok, I couldn't stop myself. This started out as a Hansy prompt on twitter and then slowly turned into an idea for a multi chapter story.
Did I ever plan on writing a Pansy Parkinson/Harry Potter fic? Nope!... and yet here we are. *shrugs*
This is very much a work in progress and updates might be quite sporadic, but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway.
Trigger warnings will be added as we go.
TW for chp 1: swearing
ooo
"No fucking way." Pansy shook her head violently, as a cold shiver ran down her spine. "I am not staying here. It's disgusting."
"What did you expect. A mansion?" Harry asked, a haughty expression on his face. "Honestly, you should consider yourself lucky. Most people get a muggle tent for the first few days. This is nice."
"Nice?" Pansy scoffed. "Nothing about this is nice, Potter! First you take my wand, then you strip me down and ask me to wear this," she gestured at the worn-out muggle clothes that were hanging unflatteringly from her small frame. "And now you expect me to sleep in this mouldy old shack?"
Harry rolled his eyes in exasperation. "You'll get your wand and clothes back once we get to headquarters. If you make it that far." His eyes gleamed challengingly.
"And when will that be?"
He shrugged. "Ten days. Maybe more. As soon as we can be sure you're not an imposter."
"Imposter?"
She watched as the dark-haired wizard stepped further into the room and flicked his wand to light a small oil lamp which was sat atop a wobbly, old bedside table.
"Yes." He finally said, turning around to meet her gaze. "For all we know you could be a Death Eater in disguise. We have to give it enough time for any concealment charms or potions to wear off."
"Can't you just give me Veritaserum and be done with it?" Pansy whined. "I told you I will answer all your questions."
"Oh, we will." Harry affirmed, a determined look on his face. "But we have very limited access to it, so we won't use it unless we're fairly certain it won't be wasted."
Pansy huffed out a cold, unamused laugh. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"So, you put me through hell for ten whole days, just to see if I will break, and at the end of it all you'll force-feed me truth potion anyway? Regardless of the outcome?"
"Something like that." Harry smirked, and Pansy could feel herself grow angry again.
"This is bullshit." She snarled, shaking her head in disbelief. "You're all mad."
"Hey, if you don't want our help" Harry interjected, "I can apparate you straight back to our meeting point, and you can go back to daddy and his crazy Death Eater friends, and help them torture innocent people." He cast her a frosty glare. "I don't care. It would certainly save me a lot of trouble."
Pansy shuddered at the memory of her father torturing her old Divination teacher only last week. He had used the Cruciatus curse on the poor woman over and over again until she was on the brink of death. The image of her crumpled figure lying lifeless on their living room floor would be etched into Pansy's brain for the rest of eternity.
Her hands balled into fists as she tried to push down the wave of nausea that threatened to overwhelm her, and she shook her head.
Going back was not an option.
It would only be a matter of time until her father expected her to follow into his footsteps, and if she refused, she would probably end up like Professor Trelawney. Tortured to near death by her own father for disobeying his master's orders.
"I'm staying" Her voice was small and hollow, but carried resolution.
"Thought so." Harry muttered, stepping further into the small cabin. "Well," he sighed, waving his hand lazily around the room. "Make yourself at home."
Pansy wrapped her arms tightly around her waist and took a tentative look around.
"Are you staying?" she asked, eyeing the empty doorframe to the tiny ensuite bathroom. No door. Apparently, privacy was another thing they would take from her for the next ten days.
"Only tonight. Someone will come and pick you up tomorrow to take you to Location B."
Pansy nodded and carried on with her inspection of the room.
"There is only one bed." She said, stating the obvious.
"Having your own bed is a luxury you don't get when you're on the run." Harry huffed, as he dropped a tattered old duffle bag onto the floor. "The rules are simple. - You stay on your side of the bed and I stay on mine."
"Absolutely fucking not." Pansy piped up. He had got to be kidding. "I am not sharing a bed with you."
Harry glowered at her, his emerald eyes glittering darkly. For a moment Pansy thought he was going to fight her on it, the muscles in his jaw working dangerously, but then he shrugged and turned away.
"Fine." He grumbled. "Suit yourself."
He walked over to the bed, pulled off a blanket and spread it out on the floor. "You should try and get some rest. You are going to have a long day tomorrow." He dropped onto the makeshift bed and looked up to the small window. "There's a storm predicted for tonight, so attacks are unlikely, but if you hear anything unusual, I want you to alert me immediately, ok?"
Pansy swallowed hard, fear twisting her stomach into painful knots. "How likely is it that we will be attacked?" she squeaked, unable to hide the alarm in her voice.
"You tell me, Parkinson." The wizard growled. "The likelihood increases tenfold if you're a spy."
"I'm not a spy." She said, her voice barely more than a whisper.
"Yeah, because a spy wouldn't say that." Harry huffed, shaking his head indignantly.
Pansy let herself sink onto the bed and watched him while he tried to make himself comfortable on the moth-eaten blanket. He was different to how she remembered him. The war had made him cynical and untrusting; carefully calculating his every move. There was nothing left of the impulsive, big-headed teenager he once was.
Her heart clenched painfully when she studied his face, the bitter expression making his features look harsher and more defined. He looked like a warrior that had been to battle too many times. Someone who had seen more death and destruction than one single man could take.
She sighed heavily and let herself fall back into the old mattress, suppressing another shudder as she pulled a thin blanket over her shoulder and rolled onto the side, hoping she would find some sleep.
But sleep didn't come.
Pansy lay there for what felt like hours, nervously listening to the crashing thunder and howling of the wind, and hoping that the little shack wouldn't cave under the storm that was raging on outside.
She let out a shuddering breath, trying to ignore the icy chill that had crept through her clothes and under her skin. Closing her eyes, she willed her mind to grow quiet and let sleep take over, when a sudden roar of thunder caused her to shoot up.
Her whole body was trembling violently as she clutched her chest and let out a few deep breaths in an attempt to steady her racing heart.
"Potter?" her voice came out in a whispered hiss. "Potter, are you awake?"
The dark-haired wizard shifted slightly, but didn't look up. "Go to sleep, Parkinson. It's just thunder." He grumbled.
"I.. I'm cold." Pansy breathed, her teeth clattering noisily as she pulled the thin blanket tighter around her shoulders.
"Again, sleep will help." Harry repeated. "You can't feel the cold if you're not awake."
"But I can't." Pansy whined.
The wizard let out a disgruntled huff and sat up, a pained moan falling from his lips as he lifted his arms over his head to stretch out his aching back. "It's your own fault for making me sleep on the floor." he muttered darkly as he pushed himself up and got onto the bed.
"What are you doing?" Pansy squeaked, her body growing rigid as the tall wizard moved closer.
"I'm warming you up. Now go to sleep." Harry ordered as he wrapped a strong arm around her.
Pansy drew in a sharp breath, panic threatening to overwhelm her, as the man pulled her closer, pressing his chest flush against her back. For a split second she considered pushing him away and shouting at him for his insolence, but then the soothing warmth of his body finally seeped through her clothes and all of her resolve crumbled. She let out a deep sigh of relief and allowed herself to melt further into him, soaking up the comforting heat of his body.
Maybe it was just the fact that she was finally warming up, but something about the wizard's embrace made her feel safe and secure and she could feel her eyelids grow heavy as his arm wrapped tighter around her.
"This is so inappropriate. I'll file a complaint about you as soon as we get to headquarters." She mumbled, trying to sound angry at him, but knowing that she was failing miserably.
She could feel a low rumble in his chest as he chuckled. "You do that, Parkinson." He said, suppressing a big yawn. "Or you could just thank me." He whispered, as he pulled the blanket tighter around them.
Letting out an appreciative hum, Pansy felt her lips curl into a grateful smile and muttered a quiet "thank you" before she finally allowed herself to give into exhaustion and drift off into a deep, undisturbed slumber.
ooo
It was still dark when Pansy woke the next morning. She let out a small moan and pushed her hand out to look for the ratty old blanket that must have slipped off her body while she was asleep, when she suddenly realised that she was alone.
Sitting up quickly, she sucked in a shaky breath of the cold air around her, and cast a heavy-lidded glance around the room. Her heart filled with relief when she spotted the black-haired wizard in the adjacent bathroom and she let out a deep, steadying sigh. The feeling of ease, however, was quickly replaced by an embarrassed flutter in her stomach, when she realised that the wizard was half-naked; the upper half of his body completely exposed to the frosty air, while the bottom half was covered by a pair of worn-down, black jeans sitting low on his hips.
He was leaning over the small sink in front of the broken bathroom mirror, his bare back towards Pansy, as he splashed icy cold water onto his face and neck. She watched in silence as the taut muscles on his back rippled and flexed with every move, stretching his smooth skin across his broad shoulders and for a moment Pansy could feel heat creep into her cheeks and replace the frosty chill that had clung to her skin.
When he had finished his quick grooming routine he raised back up, blindly grabbing a towel from a large hook to the side of the sink, and began rubbing his face and chest dry. Pansy's breath caught in her throat as his eyes suddenly jumped up to the mirror in front him and found her reflection watching him. He paused for a brief second, his reflection's emerald eyes boring into hers, before the corner of his lips tilted up ever so slightly and he turned around.
Offering her a curt nod, he quickly scooped up his clothes from the floor and began to pull the baggy t-shirt and jumper over his head, followed by a pair of round glasses that he thrust unceremoniously onto his nose.
Pansy's eyes followed him nervously as he came back into the small bedroom and walked over to his bag from which he pulled out an apple and a packet of crackers that he threw haphazardly onto the bed.
"Breakfast." He said, gesturing at the meagre meal. "The guy who's picking you up should be here soon, so if you want to use the bathroom to freshen up a bit, I'd do it now."
Pansy nodded and pushed herself off the bed, rushing to get to the sink. The water was freezing, sending her whole body into shivers as she gave herself a quick wash and tried to make herself at least half-presentable; all the while painfully aware that the stoic wizard was watching her every move.
As soon as she had finished, she turned around to face him, awkwardly fidgeting with a loose thread of her top.
"I… " she hesitated, shifting form one foot to the other. "I need to use the loo."
Harry nodded and turned around to face away from the door. "Go ahead. I promise I won't peek." He said in a nonchalant, almost taunting tone.
Pansy felt annoyance bubble in her chest. This was starting to get ridiculous. So now he couldn't even go outside to let her use the toilet in peace?
Once she had finished her business and washed her hands, she walked back over to the bed and let herself sink onto the edge.
She watched as Harry packed his bag, before shrinking it down to roughly the size of a walnut and stuffing it into his pocket. He didn't speak, but Pansy knew he was observing her, ears sharpened and eyes flitting over to her in regular intervals, ready to whirl around and throw a well-aimed hex at her, should the need to defend himself arise. Pansy let out a small huff of irritation. As if she could do anything to him without her wand. The man was about twice her size.
"You know" she began, her voice quivering with suppressed anger. "I get that you have to be careful and all, but do you really have to treat me like a prisoner? You've already taken my wand from me. I am absolutely no threat to you."
Harry barked out a cold, humourless laugh. "Honestly Parkinson, if you think this is how we treat the people we have captured, then let's hope you've come to us with honest intentions and will never have to experience what it's really like to be one of our prisoners."
He stood to face her and crossed his arms in front of his chest, a mixture of arrogance and distaste on his face.
"As far as I'm concerned, you're the enemy until you prove that we can trust you. If you make it through the next few days without getting any of us killed then I'll start being friendly to you."
"Fine." Pansy huffed, mimicking his defensive stance by folding her arms in front of her and glaring at him. "So, what do I need to do to not get you and your friends killed?"
Harry's eyebrows twitched in surprise and for a moment she thought she could see the faintest glimmer of amusement flitter across his face, before he shrugged.
"Well, for starters, stop moaning about the way we treat you."
Pansy rolled her eyes, but swallowed down her retort.
"As long as you do as we say, you should be fine." Harry continued. "You're currently on what we call 'The Detox'. It's our initial introductory phase, where you'll be in a different place with a different guard every day to reduce the risk of being followed. Most things like Polyjuice Potion and transfiguration charms will have worn off by now, but there are a couple of things that could potentially last longer, so we generally do this for ten days. If everything goes well and you don't all of a sudden transform into a three headed monster you'll be taken to our headquarters. And once you're there -" He paused briefly, an impish glint in his eyes. "we'll interrogate you."
"With Veritaserum?"
"Yes." Harry nodded. "You're lucky we have someone to brew it for us now. Our methods used to be much…" he hesitated "harsher, before we got a good potions master to join the Order."
Pansy felt her heart quicken and she let out a small gasp. "Potions master? Is this – ?"
"No questions about Order members." Harry cut her off.
Pansy bit her lip, sending a silent prayer to the universe that the gifted potions master he had mentioned was indeed who she thought it was.
Draco Malfoy had disappeared from the face of the earth almost two years ago, which could only mean one of two things: Either he had defected and went into hiding, potentially joining the Order of the Phoenix, or he was dead. She really hoped it would be the former and that she would get to see him again. They hadn't been as close as they used to be in school, but his disappearance had hit her pretty hard nontheless.
She was pulled out of her thoughts by a couple of sharp raps on the door.
Harry jumped up immediately and pointed his wand at the entrance, ready to attack. With a quick glance at Pansy, he jerked his head towards the small bathroom, indicating her to go and hide.
She didn't need to be told twice. Heart pounding heavily in her chest she scrambled up and hastened to retreat into the corner of the dark room, her eyes wide with fear as a flick of Harry's wand caused the front door to spring open.
Pansy let out sharp gasp as the wizard behind it came into view. He was tall and lean, with fiery red hair that was slightly longer than Harry's. His face was pale and covered in freckles, the baby-blue eyes sparkling dangerously as he pointed his wand directly at Harry's chest.
"The last words Aberforth Dumbledore spoke to us, before he left after breakfast yesterday morning?" Harry asked, his voice a threatening growl.
"Stop fooling around with the food, boys. If you behaved like that in my pub, I'd kick you out faster than you can say eggs on toast." The red-head answered.
Pansy's brows furrowed as she listened to the strange exchange, and watched as the stern expression on the men's faces washed off and were replaced by identical, wide grins. Huffing out laughs of relief, they lowered their wands and gave each other a brotherly half-hug.
"Such an old grump that man." The freckled wizard chuckled as he let go of Harry and stepped into the room. "I bet his brother would have appreciated a bunch of dragon-shaped fried eggs floating around the kitchen. The kids certainly did."
Harry snorted. "I think it was the raw egg fight that followed, that really ticked him off."
The red-haired man grinned widely and shrugged. "Sometimes you just have to have a little fun."
"You always have fun." Harry retorted, his voice quivering with amusement. "Anyway, how are things at the Hive? Everything ok?"
"Fine." The other man said, waving a dismissive hand. "Although my darling wife is not too happy with me right now. She thinks I shouldn't have taken on another mission so soon after the last one." He rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated huff.
"She's just worried, mate. That's all." Harry said empathetically.
"I know. I told her that this one won't be dangerous though." The red-head's bright blue eyes flitted briefly over to where Pansy was standing in the dark, just beyond the bathroom doorframe, before they landed back on the wizard in front of him. "How is it going so far?"
Harry let out a deep sigh and shrugged. "She's fine. A bit of a princess, but nothing we can't handle."
Pansy didn't need to see his face to know that his mouth had split into a haughty grin, and she could feel renewed irritation rise in her chest at his infuriating smugness.
"I can hear you, you know?" She hissed, stepping out of the dark and into the main room of the cabin. The sun had begun to rise outside, dousing the little bedroom in a cold, grey-ish light that announced another gloomy winter's day.
"Yeah, we do know." The freckled man said, stepping further into the room. "Anyway, we best not hang around for too long. Are you all set to go?"
"Yes, she's ready." Harry answered for Pansy, before turning around to address her. "Normally we'd avoid big introductions during The Detox, but I'm sure you know who this is?"
Pansy nodded. The Weasley twins used to be quite popular during their time at Hogwarts, even with the Slytherins; and if there had been any doubt about it before, they had definitely made sure no one would forget them with their rather spectacular exit near the end of Pansy's fifth year at Hogwarts, when they dropped out of School and filled the entire castle with long lasting fireworks on their way out. Their then-headmistress had been struggling to get rid of them for days.
The man in front of her now was older and maybe a little more scruffy-looking than the two teenage boys she remembered, but the sparkling blue eyes and fiery-red hair were uncanny. Although she wasn't entirely sure which of the two she was currently looking at.
"Right, you should probably leave." Harry said, giving the Weasley twin a friendly pat on the shoulder, before turning towards Pansy. "I'll see you in ten days, Parkinson."
Pansy swallowed thickly and nodded, before walking across the room to join the twin's side.
Ten days.
That was nothing compared to the weeks and months she had spent planning her escape from her deranged family.
She could do ten more days.