Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor do make money.

73. Glory

She had thought it was going to be a good day. However, she had never been so wrong in her life.

After deciding she was tired of hiding and went out for the first time in her life without a single glamour, breakfast soon became a study in being an animal on display at a Muggle zoo. Everyone was pointing and whispering; mainly behind her back because evidently no one had enough courage to actually do it to her and Ron's face. The bint Romilda Vane came very close to finding herself in the middle of the lake when she wondered quite loudly if one of Pansy's parents had been a dementor; the only reason she didn't was because Ron held Pansy back while Ginny hexed Romilda from the scene.

Then to have the Head Boy tell her that she needed to report straight to the Headmistress' office after breakfast to be interviewed by the Aurors regarding the attack and assault on her and Hermione, she knew she should have stayed in bed. Ron had only been allowed to go with her to the gargoyle that guarded the entrance to the Headmistress' office before he was forced by the Auror guarding the doorway to stay behind as she went up; Pansy got her revenge that time but sealing the Auror's lips shut which made Ron laugh.

Unfortunately those two incidents were nothing to what waited for her in the Headmistress office: not only were there four Aurors there to question her but the Minister himself, the Headmistress and Professor Slughorn. She gritted her teeth and stepped into the light of the circular office, using her best calm and unaffected voice she said, "You asked to see me alone Minister?"

She received no response though as the six people just stared at her.

Waiting for several minutes, she asked, "So may I at least know why you wanted to see me alone? If it was to stare then you could have done that like everyone else did in the Great Hall."

"Ms. Parkinson, what do you think you are doing with those markings?" Headmistress McGonagall sharply asked pointing at her arms.

"I decided I was tired of hiding," she responded with a matter-of-fact tone. "I want the world to see just what Zacharias did to me in the astronomy tower."

"That is not what I am talking about young lady," the Headmistress snapped. "What are you doing drawing those markings on your hands?"

"They aren't drawings Headmistress."

"But you aren't a Weasley," the Minister retorted stepping closer to her.

Looking at him like he had grown a second head, she smiled sweetly and explained, "I beg to differ. As both Headmistress McGonagall and Professor Slughorn could tell you, I am a Weasley now. I married Ron over Christmas hols."

"But..."

Sighing, Pansy interrupted the Minister from going any further, "Why don't we save ourselves a lot of trouble so we can move onto more important issues than me being a Guardian -- summon Arthur Weasley and Lucius Malfoy, they can confirm it."

"They know?"

"Of course they know," Pansy huffed, taking a seat on an available chair. "They were both present when Ron and I were married with the bands." As she waved her right hand, her wedding band glittering in the early morning sun.

She rolled her eyes as they continued to stare at her. Sighing, she asked, "If you are going to stare and try to work this concept out, can Ron at least join me and he can help keep me calm and occupied?"

"Minerva," the Minister said fairly low but Pansy heard him just the same, "this changes everything."

"I know," she whispered back.

"So do you care to explain why me being a Guardian changes everything? I hardly know what it means except the basics."

Pansy waited but no response came in her direction as the Headmistress and the Minister seemed to have a silent conversation while the other five just stood there evidently deaf, dumb and mute. After a few minutes, she tried again, "So are you going to explain what is going on to me or not? I'd hate to get the information, let's just say other ways."

Finally, the Headmistress turned away from Kingsley as he ventured towards the Floo in her office and said, "There are special laws protecting Guardians, Mrs. Weasley."

"And?" Pansy pressed, wanting to know exactly what the Headmistress was eluding too.

"Depending on the statements you and Ms. Granger give regarding the most recent incident, those in combination with you and Mr. Weasley's statement will more than likely cost Mr. Smith his life."

Pansy felt the colour drain out of her face as she leaned back into the chair. She hadn't expected strongthat/strong.

This had to be the worst day of her life.