Pansy was well aware of the chaos that they were about to be responsible for that night. The crowd at the Great Hall couldn't figure out if they should cry because their golden boy was off the market or raise their pitchforks because they lost him to Pansy Parkinson. Needless to say, Harry and Pansy had a long night ahead of them as their friends confronted them.

"Seriously, Harry?" Hermione would hiss at him, "You're really going to go through with this?"

"Go through with what? Being in love?" Harry replied saltily.

"Mum is not going to like this," Ginny muses barely containing the spite in her voice, "How do you think you'll integrate her with the rest of us? She's probably too stuck up to mingle with the rest of us, are you bringing her home for Christmas, Harry?"

"I don't know," Neville says quietly, "I think the Slytherins are alright. Ginny and Hermione raises as eyebrow each at the boy, and he blushes furiously excusing himself before they could fully turn on him. The three of them watch Neville scurry away through the crowd before Harry turns back to Ginny and Hermione.

"You dating that asshole Boot doesn't really give you a right to say things like that," Harry replies to Ginny, "Are you bringing him for Christmas," He was getting quite irritated by the moment as the women in his life starting picking apart his barely-there relationship.

Ron however surprised Harry when he finally speaks up, "I may not be fan of hers but, if you trust her, then thats good enough for me, mate." Ron always had his back when it was important. He may be resistant at first but in the end he always conceded to Harry's decisions about his own life. He understood that Harry will decide what Harry will decide and that he just needed to trust him.

"Thanks, mate," Harry says gratefully. He shoots Hermione and Ginny a pointed look before walking away to find his Slytherin, leaving the two women looking affronted. He and Pansy had promised to meet back at the end of the ball after calming down their friends. But it seems he had finished ahead of her. He sees the Slytherins lounging at the courtyard. Pansy's confrontation was going in a complete different direction as his did.

"Pay up, asshole," Daphne hold up her hand to Theo who grumbled under his breath as he slammed a couple of galleons in her hand.

"What the fuck you two. Seriously?" Pansy glares at the two who apparently have been making bets on when they would stop messing around and get together.

"You could have held out another two more months, Pansy. Why did I bet valentines day," Theo groaned miserably, "Forgot to factor in Gryffindor blind bravery"

"Not the point, Theo" Pansy says

"So you and Potter, huh?" Draco says slowly trying to process it.

"Yeah," Pansy blinks slowly realizing what they were now, "Me and Potter,"

"Damn, Parkinson" Blaise teases and Daphne smacks him on the head.

"Was he a good kisser?" Astoria pipes up then shrugs at Draco when he scrunches his face is disgust, "What? All the girls wanted to know back then too"

"Did you shag yet?" Daphne leans in excitedly. "Is that why you two are always at the library?"

"Please don't answer that," Draco says dryly.

"I can't decide if you people are the best or worst friends ever," Pansy says exasperatedly, "Are seriously none of you bothered by this?"

Theo shrugs, "Eh. We've done worse things,"

"Like Longbottom,"

"Fuck you Blaise," Theo shoots a look at the grinning Slytherin still draped around Greengrass.

"Seriously, Pansy. Unless you're joining another cultist serial killer, we won't really care what you end up liking. As long as you're happy," Draco says honestly.

"Wow, thank you," Pansy honestly is grateful for how everyone was taking it.

"Yeah, you do you, Pans" Daphne says, "Merlin know what hell we had to go through enslaved to our families. We know better than our parents...I hope"

"Speaking of doing you," Theo wiggled his eyebrows at Pansy, "Here comes your wonder boy," As if on cue, all six Slytherins turned around to look at the boy-who-lived approaching them with a steady gait. He stops in his tracks when they all looked at him, confused. Then he resumes his walk towards them. He greets the Slytherins cordially one by one then stops when he reaches his long time school rival.

"Malfoy," Harry stuck out his hand, and raised an eyebrow at him as if to challenge him.

Draco stares at the proffered hand, a smirk slowly appearing on his face, "Fuck off Potter," he was more amused than anything, "I told you I could've helped you with the right sort." Then he shakes his hand. The Slytherins all exchanged looks with each other, wholly confused about what was happening. They just chalked it up to two overly dramatic people meeting each other. Pansy gives Harry a questioning look as he slips in beside her but he just smirks and shakes his head at her.

"You lot seem...eerily calm," Harry says, "Too calm" He couldn't help but compare what he had just gone through with his friends. Compared to him, Pansy seemed to be having an easier time getting her friends onboard.

"No surprises there," Draco scoffs, "You Gryffindors are so needlessly defiant about everything,"

"We are not!" Harry says defensively

The Slytherins chuckles into mild, polite coughs. Harry gaped like a fish not knowing what to say next after just walking into that one.

"Pansy was just about to tell us how it was like kissing you," Daphne offered unhelpfully steering the Gryffindor from his misery. Harry subconsciously slips his hand around Pansy's and she lets her fingers intertwine with his.

"Oh?" Harry says intrigued.

"No, Pansy was not," Pansy says shooting her friends a look.

"Bore," Theo cajoles, then puts on a grin, "Let me tell you how it's like kissing Longbottom,"

While the Slytherins groan and beg Theo to stop describing his "extra-curricular" activities with Longbottom in painstakingly vivid detail, Pansy squeezes Harry's hand as if to ask if he was alright. Harry draws soothing circles with his thumb against hers as if to say that it was nothing he couldn't handle.

"Thank you for the nightmares, Nott," Draco drawled with disgust as the other snakes laugh then he turns to Harry, "So I guess this is the part where we threaten you to take care of Pansy,"

Harry snorted, "I'd be disappointed if you didn't"

Draco smirks, "Well since this thing is happening. This is your official invitation to Christmas at the manor. Pansy is already going, I imagine she'd want to bring you. Think of this as your test. How well you do with the rest of the snakes in Pansy's world,"

"Yeah," Blaise smirks, "Were the nice ones, Potter"

"Well it's more of Draco's world really," Pansy rolls her eyes, "I refuse to be around them unless absolutely necessary. Too much murder and stabbing in the back. Usual pureblood family bullshit." The pureblood society were the type of people who pretended to be your friends in the guise of pleasantries but would actively seek to destroy you behind your back if only to get ahead of you. Their world was of money, power and status and one always had to play the game to survive. This was something Pansy was more than willing to leave behind in her new life.

"Murders?-" Harry begins to ask, slightly concerned. After all, this must be just another Slytherin metaphor. Or also, it could be actual murders. He had so many questions.

"You chose this Potter." Theo chimes in, throwing his arm around Harry, "It'll be fun. Draco always serves the most expensive liquor, somebody always ends up shitfaced and half-naked." completely ignoring the fact that people may or may not be getting killed off in pureblood families.

"That was you, Theo" Pansy gives her friend a pointed look before turning to Harry,"You don't have to go. I'm only really going for these assholes. It's not that fun"

"I beg your pardon," Draco scoffs.

"No, it's okay, I'll go," Harry assured her, while shrugging off Theo's arm that had overstayed its welcome, "I want to go,"

Pansy looks at Harry and studied his face, "I don't believe you, but okay,"

"There's that Gryffindor bravery," Blaise smirks, "Maybe it won't be so bad this year if Potter is going to be there. It will certainly throw off the balance,"

"I am standing right here," Draco scowls, "Are you all honestly telling me that the parties at the manor are that bad?"

"Yes," the rest of the Slytherins replied in unison.

"Assholes. The lot of you," Draco glares at them.

"Good morning, assholes!" A cheery, grating, booming voice wakes Pansy up. There was a collective groan around her as she stirred from where she lay. She also releases her own groans of pain as she stirs and tries to remember where she was. What she did know was that she was on a carpeted floor in an extremely bright room. Her eyes were so sore from the blaring light.

"Malfoy you fuck. Did you poison us?" the person sprawled by her feet groans as he pushes himself up to a sitting position, but he immediately doubles over and empties his insides in the nearest vase.

"For fuck's sake Nott. Not my mother's vase," Draco tutted as he scourgifies the antique, "And no, I didn't poison you. I may have increased the alcohol contents in your drinks, but no it wasn't poison"

"Is this because we said your parties were bad?" Blaise's voice was muffled as his face was still buried deep in the leathers of the manor's armchair.

"It was personal," Draco says as he sips his coffee, "My parties are not lame"

"You take everything personally," Pansy could hear Harry grit out from above her head. She tries to look up and cracks open an eye to confirm that he too was curled up in pain on the floor like the rest of them. Pansy couldn't help but agree. Draco did not take criticism well. And if there was anyone pettier than her, it was him.

"Ah, Potter, glad to see you're still alive," Draco smirks, "You were the first one out. Didn't think you were a lightweight"

"I'm pretty sure you're all just alcoholics," the Gryffindor groans.

"Shut up. Shut up all of you," Daphne whimpers. She was currently draped over the sofa, her arm covering her eyes.

"What was that Daphne!" Draco shouts while standing a few meters away from her.

Another set of groans fills the room as they try to cover their ears from Malfoy's cheery, loud tones.

"I'm going to strangle you, Draco," Pansy hissed at the blonde. She was panting as she exerted too much effort getting up. She managed to sit up and lean heavily against the coffee table. She crawls over to Harry to check up on him. If she knew he didn't drink this much she probably wouldn't have let him take as many as he did. But her friends had cajoled him and Harry Potter had never backed down from a challenge before. She frowns as she sees Harry's bloodied knuckles and a forming bruise on his right eye, "Why the fuck does Harry have a black eye"

Malfoy snorts, "Don't you remember?"

"Obviously not asshole" Theo snarls, still clinging onto the vase.

"He went full-on muggle on Pucey because he tried to grope Pansy last night. Potter really bashed his face in," the only sober Slytherin drawls, "It was quite fun actually. I earned a few galleons from that"

Blaise's muffled laugh escapes the leather arm chair as he turns his head to its side, "Oh yeah now I remember. Pucey actually looked better with a bloody nose and a purple eye,"

"Oh god," Pansy groans as she remembers the whole ordeal. Harry and her had stumbled into one of the manor's studies completely intoxicated. She had practically been the one who dragged him in there, heavy petting may have been involved the entire way through. They ended up on the carpeted floors, her on top of him. She winces in embarrassment as she remembers wantonly trying to undress him. She remembers Harry flipping them over so now she was lying underneath him. She was begging him to take her right there and then but typical noble Potter refused her, saying he didn't want her first time to be when she wasn't even coherent enough to know what it was she was asking him to do. Instead, Harry pins her hands on either side of her if only to stop her from undressing him. He satiates her with kisses. When she calms down from her 'fever', Harry leaves her to look for something to sober them both up.

Pansy was laying so still on that carpet, completely content with what just happened when Adrian Pucey comes in. She can't remember exactly what he had said to her but she knew it was vulgar and angry and the next thing she knew he was on top of her and she was trying to scratch his eyes out despite the alcohol currently muddling her mind. That was when Harry came in and Pansy had never seen him so livid in her life. Harry practically tosses his wand on the ground to lunge at the Slytherin, mainly because he was too drunk to cast spells right now and he didn't want to accidentally hit Pansy. But mostly because he needed to feel the satisfaction of his fist connecting with Adrian Pucey's face. This would explain why Pansy's nails were bloody and why she had bruising around her neck.

"I got a good kick in or two," Blaise laughs lifting his head

"Me too," Nott says, his voice echoing from the vase

"Same here," Draco laughs as well.

"We all kicked him," Daphne exclaims, "Now, Shut. It."

Pansy watches as Harry rolls on his back and finally opens his eyes-or at least his one good eye. Aside from his eye, he also had a cut on his lip and cheek. Pansy gives him a small smile, "Thanks. For saving me last night,"

"It's what I do," he tries to smile but the pain from his face and hangover was making it very difficult.

"I should probably get you cleaned up. We still have that lunch with the Weasleys you insisted we go to," Pansy says as she tries to pull him up into a seated position. He groans as he sits up then leans heavily on her, and buries his forehead on the crook of his neck. Harry had never felt so miserable in his life. Last night was his lesson learned regarding partying with Slytherins. Pansy rubs his back as she turns towards Draco who was still leaning against the doorframe looking pleased as punch, "Give us some goddamn pepper up potion or something you dick,"

"That's no way to ask for favors, Pansy" he smirks at her.

"Okay," Theo shakily releases the vase, "I think I'm feeling better now"

"Are you kidding me, mate. I think you're going to die," Draco says amusedly at the state of his friend who no doubt drank the most that night. The Slytherin blonde laughs as he shouts for the house-elf earning another round of miserable groans from the room. The house-elf appears with a loud crack and the hungover group was in the verge of tears.

"Ah, there you are," Draco says cheerily, "Fetch my friends pepper-up potions and then apparate them home or wherever they need to be," He instructs the house-elf who only bows in response before tending to his masters' order.

"Gentlemen, Pansy. Good day," Draco raises his coffee mug as if to toast his friends before turning around and slamming the door behind him earning another pained cacophony of groans from the group.

"I hate it here," Harry says miserably.

"I told you," Pansy comforts him, "The murders"

By the time afternoon rolled over Harry and Pansy find themselves in slightly more decent states. They apparate to the apparition point near the burrow and started walking towards the Weasley home. The two were still nursing a throbbing headache but sober enough to show up to a family luncheon.

Pansy wanted to be anywhere but here but after what Harry went through for her with the Slytherins, she felt obligated to brave his side of the holidays. She wondered if it was too soon for introductions and volunteered to sit this one out and just go next time. But Harry insisted that he wasn't going to spend the holidays without her nor was he about to let her spend her holidays alone. And the last time they checked, all her friends were...indisposed.

She dressed plain today, just a simple black cashmere turtle neck, and loose, box-cut tan slacks that ended above her ankles. She wore her boots and her houndstooth coat and the biggest pair of sunglasses she could find.

"How's your neck." Harry looks at her with concern. Although they were able to vanish each others' bruising, the pain still lingered.

Pansy shrugs, "I'll live" her throat still dry from her night of alcohol. Harry reaches out for her hand and she automatically meets his. They both shared matching bandages on their hands. Harry's was wrapped around his entire palm to cover his knuckles, and Pansy's her fingers. The house-elf had wrapped a salve on them to prevent scarring from the cuts.

"Was that normal for a Slytherin party?" Harry muses

"Pretty much," Pansy snorted, "Draco usually throws them so these depraved pureblood children can act as improper as they want to away from the prying eyes of their parents. Sure it starts out as all pleasantries and business talk, but when the elders leave, thats when the real fun starts"

Harry laughs, "Well, I can promise that the Weasleys tend to be more sober in the holidays than your lot,"

"Good," Pansy groans, "My stomach is unhappy with me right now"

Sober was an accurate description for what she was about to face. Because despite the smiles plastered on the Weasleys' faces, Pansy could feel the coldness waft towards her. She wasn't welcome here, that much she expected. They greeted Harry warmly and just kind of ushered her in. Ron gives her short hello, Ginny only looks at her and Hermione merely gives her a nod. Thankfully Harry doesn't let go of her hand the whole time, something she noticed the Weasley matriarch glanced at a lot.

In fact the only people who seemed to treat her warmly was Bill Weasley and his wife Fleur. Pansy ended up sitting next to them at the table, she nestled between Harry and Fleur. Hermione Granger and Terry Boot seemed to be in attendance as well.

"You two look like you had an interesting night," Bill Weasley grins at the pair who was showing obvious signs of a hangover.

Harry groans, "Don't even go there Bill. I'm lucky I got out there with my liver intact" he says playfully while grinning at Pansy. She only rolled her at him.

"If you weren't too proud, you could've said no at any time," Pansy reminds him.

Harry scoffs, "And give Malfoy the satisfaction? Never"

"Pansy," Fleur chimes in, her accent only mildly affecting her english now, "And I mean this in the best way possible, but I have the most perfect eye cream for post-hangover puffiness. It's french," Fleur says kindly to her. Pansy couldn't help but notice Ginny Weasley snort it laughter at Fleur's words and she can't help but think that not even Fleur has been wholly accepted by this family.

"That sounds lovely, Fleur, thank you," Pansy says, "I look like a right mess, haven't gotten any sleep at all,"

"I'll grab it for you after," she squeezes her arm. Harry smiles at Fleur gratefully for accommodating his Slytherin.

"Well, I think it's time for my annual presents!" Molly Weasley claps her hands together and parcels float towards their intended recipients, her annual christmas sweaters. Everyone but Pansy gets one, which she already had expected, but she didn't expect the Weasley matriarch to be so catty and conniving about it., "Pansy dear, so sorry I didn't think you were going to be here today. I didn't have time for another sweater"

Sure bitch, Pansy says in head despite her nod and smile. It's not like she weaves them by hand the last time she checked.

"It's alright, Molly," Harry says as he unwraps his sweater, "She can have mine," Before Pansy could protest Harry had already slipped the sweater through the top of her head. When her head pops out from the sweater Harry kisses her nose.

Pansy raises an eyebrow at him and he grins smugly as he urges her to put her arms through the sleeves. She was Slytherin enough to know that Harry was marking his territory right now. He was quietly letting the people in the room know that he wasn't going to tolerate any disrespect right now.

"There, perfect," He says as he tugs the sweater all the way down to her waist, the H now written on her chest, "You look lovely in red"

Molly clears her throat, "Well how generous of you Harry" she says before sitting back down, the rest of the guests quietly putting on their own sweaters. Harry keeps his hand on her back to comfort her, while he turns back towards the table and cheerily eat the spread Molly had prepared. He's occasionally looks back at Pansy to send her a reassuring smile.

Pansy stares at him completely in awe of him. She wondered if it was appropriate to fuck him on the dinner table right now. She gathered that Molly Weasley would be less than pleased by that especially since dessert hasn't been served. She blushes at her thoughts and shakes them out of her head as she starts eating as well. Harry sends her the same quizzical look she gave him earlier and she just shakes her head at him as well. Pansy felt extremely warm at the moment, and she knew it wasn't the sweater.

After lunch the group find themselves ushered outside for a game of quidditch. Only the Weasleys would have enough players to actually get a decent game going. Pansy sits this one out for obvious hangover reasons. At the other end of the field she sees Hermione speaking with Mrs. Weasley, along with the rest who didn't join in the game as well.

Fleur joins her by the grass, handing her a warm cup of cocoa before sitting beside her.

"They'll come around," the French woman assures her, "Or at least they'll be better, because they love Harry,"

"I take it, you've had your own troubles with the Weasleys," Pansy replies.

Fleur laughs, "The boys are alright. It is Molly and Ginny I am having difficulty pleasing. All families have their prejudices, the Weasleys included. I am assuming you and I fall under the same category for them."

"What could they possibly hate you for?" Pansy says dryly

"I don't know, maybe my hair is too nice. Or my skin is too smooth," Fleur laughs before she gives her a serious answer, "They think I wouldn't be a good wife to Bill. They see me as too vapid or too superficial to be of any value to him. When Bill got his scar on his face, Molly was practically encouraging me to leave him saying that I wouldn't want anyone that looked so hideous. But I don't really care what they think. As long as Bill knows that I love him and that he loves me, I don't care for their snide comments and prejudices towards me"

Pansy eyes the Weasley matriarch as she fawns over Granger, "I'm guessing Granger is the favorite"

"You guessed correctly," Fleur's melodic tones replied, "Granger can have the Weasley's, I only want my Bill" The french woman winks and giggles at Pansy. The Slytherin couldn't help but laugh as well.

Pansy searches for Harry in the sky darting between the Weasley. He waves at her when he catches her watching him. Pansy raises her hand to wave back. Her other hand subconsciously traces the H on her sweater. As long as she knew Harry loved her...

"You're lucky," Fleur smiles at her genuinely, "Ginny really dropped the ball on that one by letting him go. That Terry Boot is god awful. Harry is one of the good ones, you don't need to worry too much. He usually means everything he ever says,"

"He is isn't he?" Pansy muses

A/N: one thing that had always peeved me about molly and ginny in the books was how unnecessarily catty they were towards Fleur. Which is I guess consistent with Ron's mean streak (especially towards luna). So I imagine they would have the same reaction and sentiment towards Pansy--who they have more reasons to dislike than Fleur.

PS: I am so so grateful for all the follows, favorites and love you all leave in your reviews!