It wasn't fair.

Penny had known through school that there was still a lingering prejudice against muggle borns. Some of her Slytherin yearmates spat at her and even her housemates weren't shy to point out how unfortunate her birth was. However, she ignored them. They didn't have her drive and determination to prove their place in this new and fantastic world. Not like her.

So, that was what she did, with help from her head of house, Penny was soon ranked at the top of her year. It didn't help with some of the prejudiced wankers but at least there was peace in Ravenclaw. Professor Flitwick came down on the upperclassmen like his goblin ancestors, terrorizing any blood purist stupid enough to open their mouths in front of witnesses. Of course, once she got ten O's on her owls, she had gotten a different kind of attention.

Her roommates cooed over her, teaching her cosmetic spells and traditions, all the while whispering about how unfortunate it was that she didn't have a magical mother to look out for her. Penny learned to hold her tongue but she was offended on behalf of her own family. They had drifted since she had started Hogwarts but she never doubted they loved her. Her three siblings were all a little resentful since they did not have magic but they had found their own pursuits while she was in Scotland.

Then there was Percy Weasley, a boy who had been just as focused on classwork as her. She had noticed him when they were both selected as prefects. Sometimes they even had patrols together and he was always a good partner to review for classes. When he first started asking her to meet her in unused classrooms, Penny had not thought much about it. Her classmates had warned her, saying that any good pureblood wizard would court her openly, properly. However, the Weasleys were blood traitors so they didn't follow traditions like other families.

"I just…don't want this to distract us from what's really important." Percy had tucked a blonde lock behind her ear, looking at her as if she were the most precious treasure. "Our future."

Penelope believed him.

His older brothers never had any serious girlfriends, just a few dates and had left right after graduation. She had worried he would be the same but Percy assured her that he planned to join the ministry after N.E.W.T.s, that they could both work and finally be together. Not that they weren't exclusive, he reassured her after a particularly disappointing valentines day. The defense professor had hired dwarfs to dress up and deliver valentines. She had received three, none of them from her own boyfriend. Percy on the other hand, was harassed the entire day with prank poems and songs from his brothers.

"They know." Percy had ignored most of her letters after they left school for the summer. It was only after she had assumed they were no longer together that he invited her to join him in shopping for their supplies. "Ginny…I assume she saw us."

His little sister who, if rumors were to be believed, set a basilisk loose on the school. She didn't want to believe it, there was an entire wing in the library dedicated to the histories and bloodlines of magical families. There was never even a rumor of a Weasley being a parselmouth. It was much more likely that it was Harry Potter and the school was simply covering it up with false rumors as a smoke screen.

"How is that a bad thing?" Penny felt dread build in her stomach when Percy greeted her with a polite kiss on the cheek after checking that no one was looking. "We're heads this year, neither of us will let anything get in our way of getting amazing scores at the end of the year."

"You're right of course, darling." He sent her a shy smile that melted her heart, he so rarely allowed his guard to drop even around her. "I just worry about my brothers harassing you now that they know."

"I can handle your brothers." She said confidently, smiling brighter when he reached across the table to hold her hand.

Penelope Clearwater wasn't scared of a couple of fifth years.

"Make way!" One of the twins had shouted before she found herself being pressed between her boyfriend's brothers.

"Bow before the queen!"

"Very important witch!"

"What are you doing?" She laughed, meeting Percy's enraged gaze in the crowd. He was trying to elbow his way closer but his brothers were stirring the students into a frenzy.

"Just escorting our-

Wondrous-

Fantastic-

Mystical-

Future

Sister to the great hall." Her head whipped around quickly as they spoke after each other in sync, that would get annoying.

"None of that!" Penny could feel her face heat with the force of her blush. She and Percy had never talked of marriage but they planned to live together after getting jobs at the ministry.

"Well, who are we to argue with the only witch fearsome enough to put up with our bighead brother?"

"Or insane enough?"

"She seems like a right nice bird, brother of mine."

"I don't know, brothermine, could it be a spell?"

"Perhaps a potion?"

"Perce did get an exceeds expectations on his potions O.W.L.s."

"I like your brother." Penny cut them off, scowling at them in offense. "We've been dating for over a year, I think a spell or potion would have worn off by now."

"And he hasn't made an honest witch out of you?"

"Why, we must tell mother, slightly less good looking brother!"

"Yes, how our unchivalrous brother was ever sorted into Gryffindor remains a mystery!" The ginger paused for a moment before looking gravely offended. "We all know who got all the looks, Gred."

"Yes, Forge." He grinned and after a moment Penny had to blink because when they turned to her, they really did look identical. "Well, future sister? Who is the most handsome Weasley you've had the pleasure of meeting?"

"Don't worry about our git brother's fragile ego, we won't tell him!"

"Promise!"

"Cross our-"

"Hearts!"

"Well, sorry to burst your bubble, boys!" She said smugly, watching their faces fall into dismay and taking a step away from her in alarm. "I really do think Percy is the most attractive ginger I've met!"

"Potion!"

"Spell!"

"Head injury!"

Penny had not understood Percy's embarrassment. He had ranted for hours about the little time they spent studying and how his mother hounded him with owls to watch out for his siblings. She really felt they had grown closer while she supported him through his guilt and frustration. With his sister being possessed for nearly a year, the headboy felt responsible and she couldn't blame him but she tried to be sympathetic. It had been seven years since she felt close to her own siblings, they had their own lives that she felt very separated from.

It was not until graduation that she understood that Penny had been much more serious about their relationship than he had been.

"You must understand, Penelope. I've worked so hard to get this position with Mr. Crouch and I can't let anything get in the way of that, even you."

His letter was burned into her memories, forcing her to reevaluate their entire relationship. Purebloods were so bloody weird that anything she had felt suspicious of, she had simply blamed it on cultural differences! Penny had loved Percy Weasley as only one can love their first, she truly believed that they would leave Hogwarts and take the Ministry by storm together and make beautiful little ginger witches and wizards…eventually. There was no way she would be staying home like his mother. Both her parents worked and she fully intended to make sure her voice was heard in the wizarding world.

Unfortunately, her worst nightmare had come true….

She was a nanny.

A live in, on call at all times, bonafide governess to actual child of peerage.

"No, Mudblood." Primrose turned her nose up at her and closed her book, again.

The girl was so sweet for the two days that her sister was home before Hogwarts. Since they returned from the platform, it was one tantrum after another. The girl used Strumpet to hide from her and threw her things in the greenhouse. Since the castle had four, Penny had spent hours in tears while she searched for the photo album her grandmother had made for her as a graduation gift. It was an entire week before Noodles took pity on her and began to help wrangle the child.

"Yes, Primrose." Penny stated firmly, once again flipping open the history book to the correct page.

"I haven't given you leave to use my given name." The child glared at her but Penelope was at the end of her patience. "Know your place."

"Primrose." She said deliberately, sitting up straight and giving her the same disapproving look she mastered as a prefect. "I am your governess, your sister hired me to teach you these things…if you don't want to cooperate, I will have to send your sister an owl letting her know that the subject is much too difficult and we have to use the remedial lesson plans."

"I don't need to know muggle history!" A little fear shined in the little girl's eyes at the thought of disappointing her sister but she was stubborn. "I'm a witch, I'll go to Hogwarts and marry a rich and handsome pureblood lord! I should be learning magic!"

"Your sister-"

"My sister was already learning magic when she was my age!" Prim threw her book towards the fireplace. Penny ignored it for now, she had learned her lesson and already charmed it. "I'll write to her myself and-"

"Enough!" She snapped, using her wand to summon the book to her hand before slapping it down on the table. "I don't know what your old governesses were like but your sister gave me a lesson plan. She claimed you were a bright child who was well behaved and sweet but apparently, you like making her out to be a lia-"

"My sister is not a liar!" Prim stood from her chair, her face red in anger. "You're just a mudblood! I'm a pureblood witch, a Parkinson and my sister h-"

"Then sit down and complete your lessons before I inform your sister exactly what your behavior has been like!"

"I'm telling my mother!" The girl was gone before she could even pick up her wand.

Pansy Parkison had left explicit instructions for her sister's care. Primrose needed to be caught up to muggle children her age because she would be sent to a boarding school, one of the best in the country, if not the best. However, she would be woefully behind if this was the rate she would be learning. There was also the minor detail of the girl not knowing she was a squib, a detail Pansy had her sign on multiple NDAs in her contract. It must have been hard but Penny had lost a lot of empathy when Primrose's attitude did not improve.

The most important rule however, was that Poppy Parkinson was to be kept away from her daughter at all times. Penny had talked with the healer and she knew the older witch was unwell and the healer didn't have a nice thing to say about her.

"Prim, come back here!" Penny rushed after her, ignoring the elf who was wringing their hands and looking distressed.

"Old Master's whore be-" Well, that sounded important but not nearly as dire as Poppy Parkinson breaking the news to Primrose if she didn't hurry.

"Primrose!" Penny was just a couple steps behind her when they entered the room, she saw a beautiful witch that was smiling smugly at the bedridden Poppy Parkinson. "Prim, come here. Who are you?"

"You must be Pansy!" The stranger opened her arms as if to hug the child when Penny got a shock that Prim turned to her for safety and comfort. "Your father always bragged about what a smart little girl you are! Come give your new mummy a hug."

This was not in her contract.