"Wot?" Sally exclaimed in her ear, looking at her friend in betrayal since she had not told them she had even entered.
Pansy, however, was numb. This was the foregone conclusion of switching out her name with Cedric's, she had to take his place. She didn't move until Millie had bodily picked her up to place her on her feet. The lone Ravenclaw took slow steps, unable to look at her friends. Oh, Merlin. Were they all going to turn on her? While she might have set out to make friends just to keep her father off her back, it did not mean she had not come to cherish them.
"My dear, you have some visitors outside." Dumbledore smiled, his blue eyes twinkling and all she could do was stare. Students were leaning forward eagerly in an attempt to listen. "It seems there has been an emergency, so Filius will escort you."
"Come along, Miss Parkinson." The half goblin waved her towards the doors to the great hall as if the headmaster had not just given her a heart attack. Whispers started when she was not directed towards the antechamber with the other champions but she couldn't understand them. All she could hear was her heartbeat.
"And finally…again." Albus Dumbledore snickered, as if he had just made the best joke ever. "The Hogwarts champion is….Cassius Warrington!"
The doors slammed behind them after the headmaster's announcement and Pansy felt her legs give out underneath her. She would not be facing a nesting mother dragon. They would not kidnap her baby sister and hold her captive with merpeople. It was not Pansy fucking Parkinson who would have to face Voldemort at the end of the year. For a moment she wanted to cry tears of joy. Holy shite, she was not chosen.
"I'm so sorry!" Penelope Clearwater was suddenly in front of her, her eyes red from tears.
"Is it Prim?" Her voice was hollow, someone was dead and since her sister's governess was at the school rather than looking out for the eight year old…
"I'm so sorry!" Penny repeated but she was shaking her head. "She just…came out of nowhere! Then your mother! And I couldn't stop her!"
Pansy could do nothing but stare as the older witch broke down into sobs, falling to her knees. It was as if her heart had been ripped from her chest. The thought of her friends abandoning her was a fraction of the pain she felt. Was it her mother? Was that what Penny was talking about? Flitwick was talking but how could she continue on when her sister was dead? Looking down, she glanced at the ring on her finger that monitored her health. It had not warmed at all and the ruby still glowed with magic.
"Stop." Pansy rasped, finally looking up from her ring. "Where is my sister?"
"She won't talk to me!" Penny wailed, ignoring the charms professor who was practically begging her to follow him to an unused classroom or his office for privacy. "And you've got dungeons!"
"So, to be clear…my sister is alive and well." Pansy rolled her eyes, her heart finally beating in a normal rhythm.
"Well, she knows she's a squib."
"Professor, I'm going to take the weekend." Pansy informed her head of house, it wasn't like she would need parental permission. "My sister is obviously in distress and I'm needed at home."
Healer Brown was waiting for them in the receiving room, looking bloodied and tired. Pansy's heart dropped into her stomach but she clenched her fist and reminded herself that Primrose was okay. Penelope was still sniffling, something about how sorry she was. The Ravenclaw had left strict instructions that her mother needed to be kept away from her little sister, especially since every time Poppy saw either of her daughters she flew into a rage. It wasn't healthy and with her already fragile state, she left her care in the healers' hands.
"Tell them!" Primrose shouted when she raced into the room, looking red and exhausted. The little girl wrapped her arms around her waist, pressing her face into her clavicle. "Tell them, Pansy! I am a witch! I can't be a squib!"
"Prim, Prim, shhhh." She wrapped her arms around her sister tightly, her heart aching at how distraught she was. "It's okay, it's all going to be okay."
"No no no no." Prim started to sob and shake in her arms, forcing her older sister to hold her up. "I'm a witch, I felt the magic! I'm a witch! I'm a witch!"
"You're both excused, but please stay on the grounds." Pansy barely glanced at the healer and Penny, too focused on making herself and Prim comfortable on the lounge.
It took well over two hours before her sister stopped breaking out into hysterical tears, denying the fact that she was a squib. Pansy could do nothing but rock her sister in her arms. She was right, it wasn't fair. While she believed that being a squib was because of families inbreeding, there had never been any proof. If her father was to be believed it was marrying half bloods and muggleborns since they were known to have squibs too. Perhaps, it was just random. That didn't matter, only her poor sister mattered.
Until she finally fell asleep.
"I'm so sorry." Penelope whispered once Pansy left her sister's room with stern instructions to the elves that she needed to know the moment Prim woke up. "She just showed up in the family quarters! I didn't know what to do!"
"Who showed up?" Pansy couldn't help but frown in confusion, she had specifically locked down the receiving room wards so that any unauthorized visitors would be trapped until she could investigate. Only someone with Parkinson blood could travel directly into the family wing, not even her mother's healers had that privilege.
"She claims that she was your father's second wife and she was pregnant with your next lord." Penny tugged at the rich fabric of her robes anxiously. "I didn't know what to do, the elves eventually brought her to the dungeon. I had no idea there was a dungeon."
"Penny, we can talk in the morning once you've rested." Pansy was already panicking because who the fuck could cross the family blood wards? There was no second wife besides her mother mentioned in the journals. That was definitely something that Perseus would brag about. The man was especially cruel and would have rubbed it in her mother's face. "Sparkle, bring the woman claiming to be my father's wife into the office."
It did not take long to find herself staring at a young witch who was only a couple years her senior. If she had to guess, Pansy would think she only just graduated, if she did. It took a lot of stupidity or balls to barge your way into someone's ancestral home and claim to be pregnant with the next lord. The witch was pretty and had the Black bone structure so Pansy immediately knew who she was. Melody Crabbe, her father's much too young mistress who had dreams of becoming the next Lady Parkinson.
"So, Melody." Pansy let the girl sweat while she read through her father's idea of moving his mistress into the castle since he couldn't be bothered to floo to the townhouse.
An entire magical property that she had reset the wards on, making sure that only Pansy or her elves could get in. It wasn't the only home in Europe but it was the only one her father instructed the elves to care for daily. Where the witch had been was a mystery that she didn't particularly care to solve to be honest. It was late, she was worried about her sister and had yet to speak to the healer or Penny about the specifics.
"I know-"
"The things you know would barely fill out a muggleborn integration leaflet." Pansy cut her off, squinting her eyes suspiciously before waving her wand and dispelling the glamor. Her swollen belly flattened but faded, colorful bruises bloomed across her porcelain skin. "So, you've come for sanctuary but instead of asking for help, you thought a glamor could fool us?"
"Please." The older witch's voice broke and tears filled her bright eyes. "I-..."
"What was the plan here?" Pansy was not entirely without empathy but Melody lost a lot of sympathy points when she decided to lie and sneak into her home. "Also, the necklace. I'll be needing that back immediately."
"Please." Melody clutched the egg sized sapphire in her hands and started to cry desperately. "Please, it's all I have of your father."
"Let's not pretend that my father had any redeeming qualities outside of the galleons in his vault." Pansy snapped her fingers and like all family heirlooms, it was returned to her hand immediately. Tossing it negligently into one of the drawers, she decided to explain gently. "That is protection jewelry was set aside for mistresses or concubines. It was the only reason you were able to get into the family wing so you can understand why you couldn't keep it."
"It kept me safe." Melody looked up at her with wide, teary eyes. "Perceus loved me enough to make sure I was protected even when he was angry with me."
"No, it protected you from another wizard's magic." Pansy explained, looking pointedly at the yellow bruise on her cheek. "It also ensured that no one with Parkinson magic could get you pregnant."
"But." Melody clutched her flat stomach, her face taking on a slightly green sheen as if she would be sick at any moment. "I am pregnant, when I got my wand back I checked."
"Congratulations." Pansy smiled politely, feeling impatient and tired. "I wish you and your child's father a happy life. However, that baby is not a Parkinson."
"Your father.." The woman sobbed, clutching her stomach. "Please, don't send me back there. I was good."
"You are aware that depending on whoever the father of your child is…I may not have the capability to shelter you while you carry his child…or the child after it's born." She asked, looking away from the hysterical witch. "It's a grievous breach in the contract you had with my family that you are pregnant with another wizard's child. However, either his sudden death or whatever he said to the child's father allowed conception…"
"I'll do anything." The desperation in her voice made her cringe internally, Perseus was such a bastard. "Please, I was with your father for two years and we were happy together. The contract hardly mattered, it was only to secure my loyalty until…"
"Miss. Crabbe." Pansy sighed, feeling her eye start to twitch. The 'until your mother died giving birth' was left unsaid but was heard loudly. "You have no reason to lie, it only makes me less inclined to assist you. Perseus kept detailed notes of your liaison, I understand you were his mistress. In fact, he even kept the correspondence from your mother and great aunt before the arrangement started. I can see that the…wizard you moved onto is not a gentleman and I would like to help you. However, invading my home, upsetting my family, and claiming you're pregnant with the next lord has left me hesitant to do anything but call the aurors after obliviating you of any knowledge of my late father."
"I'm sorry!"
"Noodles!" Pansy was tired and was ready to speak to the healer before laying down. "Bring Miss. Crabbe to the yellow room, she is to be afforded every comfort of her station."
When they disappeared, she ignored the glowing smile on the other witch's face. Melody Crabbe had no station that her elves would recognize. She had upset their mistress and tried to take her away from them. Elves could be petty little bitches so she knew the older witch would have a lumpy bed and cold food. She would easily get lost for hours in the corridor and never find her way until one of them got around to helping her.
"My lady?" Healer Brown stepped into the room, looking very nervous. "We apologize for not being able to prevent young Primrose from finding out about her nature."
"Place your memory of the event in the pensive, please." Pansy was beyond tired and just wanted this day to be over.
Pansy found herself in her mother's new chambers, Poppy had become too destructive to leave her in such a cluttered space. The color had been almost leached from her senses inside the pensive, even sound had an echoey quality. She wondered if there was no way to give the artifacts some kind of better sound and picture quality? Even the current muggles had better resolution.
"Who ar-?" A house elf was squeaking in the hall before the door was thrown open by a beautiful young witch with a very proud smile.
"Hello, Poppy." Pansy recognized Melody's glamored form as she strutted into the room as if she owned it. Her temper flared at her audacity, feeling a well of sympathy for her mother who lost the little color she had in her face at the sight of her late father's mistress. "I wasn't sure if our husband had the time to tell you the wonderful news before…he passed."
"Our?" Poppy croaked, her shoulders curling inward at the other witch's words.
"Now, young lady I don't k-" Healer Brown was cut off by Melody's hand waving at her dismissively.
"You're fired." Melody Crabbe stated with all the arrogance that her word would be followed. "I'll be taking over Poppy's care, as my late husband would have wanted. I'm sure I can..."
"Miss not be Lady Parkinson!" Noodles exclaimed, looking only a little nervous at interrupting a witch but her elf was a brave little thing, glaring at the interloper fiercely.
"You little beast!" Melody reeled back in offense, barely sparing a glance at the pregnant woman who was having a panic attack in bed. Healer Brown decided that her patient was more important than whoever the intruder was. "Punish yourself, elf!"
"Noodles only obey Noodles' Mistress!" The elf spat back, breathing heavily but looked triumphant. If she could, Pansy would give the little guy a raise. Instead she would have to give them an extra trip to the storage rooms.
"-stupid mudblood!" Her sister's screech echoed through the walls and Pansy flinched at the vitriol in Prim's voice. "I'm telling mother!"
"Primrose!" Penny was just a couple steps behind her charge when they entered the room, looking around in confusion but Penny glared at Melody suspiciously. "Prim, come here. Who are you?"
"You must be Pansy!" Melody completely ignored everyone else to focus on the child who was watching her warily. "Your father always bragged about what a smart little girl you are! Come give your new mummy a hug."
"Bullshit." Pansy spoke to herself since none of the occupants in the room could hear her but her only concern was her sister who was quickly backing away in confusion.
"She'll take it!" Poppy was rasping loudly, pointing an accusing finger at her daughter while cradling her bump protectively. "Get her out!"
"Mother?" Primrose whimpered in alarm, allowing Penny to wrap her arms around her for comfort. "Mother, are you feeling better?"
"Get the squib away from me!" Poppy shrieked, tossing her bed pillows ineffectively towards the others in the room. "You'll not steal anymore of my magic, you abomination! You are not-"
"That's enough, Poppy." Healer Brown was waving her wand to send the pillows back to the bed while advancing on her patient. "You know that too much excitement isn't good for the baby."
"The squib isn't good for the baby!" Her mother's revelation froze everyone in the room, none looking as heart broken as her sweet little sister.
"No!" Primrose whispered from the safety of Penny's arms, her governess was slowly pulling her towards the door, keeping a close eye on Melody.
"My child is obviously a welcome salvation!" Melody smiled brightly, clutching her stomach in wonder. "Perseus would be so pleased if he was still with us! He was always so-"
"Shut up!" Poppy cried out, turning her face away from her healer who was holding out a potion vial with the patience of a saint. "I'm carrying my husband's last child, you whore! Get the squib away before she steals her brother's magic too! I am Lady Parkinson, I de-"
"There you are, dear." Healer Brown cooed when she shoved the bottle into the raving witch's mouth with a gentle smile on her face. "Down the hatch."
"Come on, Prim." Penny tried to coax her sister out the door and almost lost her balance when Melody rushed out with her hand over her mouth. "Your mother needs rest."
"No, Mother! Tell them!" The little girl suddenly got over her shock and was shouting at their mother but kept her distance.
All Pansy wanted to do was pull her sister into her arms. She knew she should have talked to her before she left for Hogwarts but she had been a coward. With her mother and sister separated, Pansy hoped she could have more time to sit down and explain to Primrose that being a squib wouldn't be the end of the world. Maybe she could introduce her sister to the muggle world and be with her while she comes to terms with her lack of magic. Now, she only had two days, four days if she used the time turner on her neck and she was unsure if squibs could use them safely. Many magical artifacts were powered by a witch or wizard's own magic and there was so much she didn't know about time turners.
"You are not my daughter!" Poppy's shriek was slurred due to the potion's effects but the healer just continued to fluff the pillows to ensure the witch's comfort. She wasn't paid to care about anything before Poppy Parkinson's health. "You stole my son's life and magic, changeling! No! No, let me go! Get her away!"
"I'm a witch!" Primrose howled, throwing herself at her mother's bed but Penny caught her, wrapping herself around the distraught child. "I'm going to be a Ravenclaw like Pansy! And I'm going to marry Cedric and be a great lady like my sister! No! Tell them, Mother! Stop lying! I'm a witch! I'm a witch! I want Pansy!"
"One of the elves was able to find Miss. Crabbe." Healer Brown explained once Pansy left the pensive with tears streaking her face. "She was trying to enter your solar, said something about having a word with your father's portrait."
"His portrait is in the ancestral hall." Pansy shook her head, sitting in her chair heavily.
"Yes, well…when your sister proved to be inconsolable without you, Miss. Clearwater decided that she would venture to Hogwarts to collect you." The older witch nodded, still standing in front of the desk and looking a bit aggrieved. "Might I suggest hiring more staff if something like this happens in the future? While your elves were quite efficient, it's very disturbing the way they imprisoned a fully grown witch without even touching them."
"I suppose next time I will allow one of the kobolds to manage my late father's mistresses." Pansy ignored the indignant expression on the healer's face, just silently waved to the door in dismissal.
Was it wrong of her to completely ignore her mother after hearing what happened? Pansy understood, she too would lose her shit if her late husband's mistress just barged into her house claiming he married and impregnated her. Well, she would probably do a lot more than scream and throw a tantrum. She had magic after all. Taking that anger out on an innocent child however, unforgivable. Poppy would be banished to her room and forcibly kept separated from her younger daughter with wards.
"Prim, come have breakfast." Pansy laid beside her silent sister, the little girl refused to move for hours. "Come along, I have a surprise for you."
Slowly, the silent child allowed her older sister to dress her in an unfamiliar outfit. Penny had been sent out for a few pieces of muggle clothes, knowing that they would inevitably make trips together. She thought of allowing her to take Prim out as her governess but Pansy wanted to be there the first time. The yellow plaid dress was cute but her little sister was used to the robes she had worn her entire life.
"I don't like it." Prim whispered, looking herself over in disgust before turning away.
"Do you want to look over some of the other outfits Penny picked out?" Pansy asked softly, hesitating briefly before resting a hand on her shoulder.
"No, I don't want to wear the muggle rags the mudblood picked out." The little girl snapped, glaring up at her as if it were all her fault. "I want to wear proper robes and learn proper lessons in magic and I want to be a witch!"
"Prim." Pansy felt her eyes start to water, how she wished she could give her sister magic and see her board the express in three years. "Sometimes, life isn't fair but I want to show you a kind of magic most wizards and witches never see."
"How?" Her sister pulled away, blinking away her own tears. "How could I, a squib, see anything special, anything magical, ever again?"
"The world is a big place." She sighed, Pansy had lived an entire life without magic but that was when no one else had magic either. How could she possibly understand her sister's pain? Being born into an entire world where magic made you normal and being without made you worthless. No, she could never understand her sister's pain but she was determined to show her the world outside of magic. "There are many wonders, let's go see them together."
Pansy may have made a mistake.
The Parkinson sisters were sitting in a muggle theater in London bawling their eyes out. Mufasa's death was just as devastating as the first time she had seen it in her old life. Maybe it was her fading memories, or maybe it was her bastard father's death. She was leaning on all the stress she had been under since the World Cup. Primrose had been enchanted from the moment the lights went out in the theater.
There was nothing like it in the wizarding world. Sure, they had some plays and concerts but they were not child friendly events. For a sheltered kid like her sister, this was just like magic. Pansy wasn't going to ruin it by explaining the animation process, she would sit back and eat popcorn and forget about all her troubles for just a couple of hours. By the end of the film, Primrose was humming the songs and bouncing in her seat, Mufasa's death forgotten.
"That was amazing!" Prim shouted, nearly running into a muggle woman who shot Pansy a very judgemental look. Like she cared, the little girl's excitement was contagious. "Can we see it again?"
"Maybe another time!" She laughed at her enthusiasm, wrapping an arm around her thin shoulders to keep her close. "There's more to see! Food to eat! Let's explore!"
The streets were still decorated for Halloween but Prim didn't understand the tradition. Perseus liked to appear traditional so it was all offerings and alters for their little family. Perhaps next year she could dress up with her sister and take her trick or treating? Pansy had not spent much time in the muggle world other than a few shopping trips the previous summer but her governess was a muggleborn, she would ask Penny. If all else failed she could get her elves into the spirit of commercial holidays to help.
"Why do the muggles have so many pumpkins?" Prims asked, pointing to a large staircase that had twenty or so smashed pumpkins.
"Muggle traditions." She paused to open the door for her sister to climb in. The hired car was nice and the driver barely glanced at them. Prim had a thousand questions since the closest the wizards had to an auto was carriage. "I'm sure your tutors will explain how it evolved from Samheim."
"How do muggles celebrate ou- magical traditions?" Prim faltered, her previous good mood visibly waning at the reminder she was not a witch. "I thought…"
"Muggles once worshiped the same gods, while magical religion is deeply personal and attuned to our own magic, their beliefs were a bit different." Pansy explained patiently, thinking back to all of her lessons where her family had once devoted themselves to the Greek gods. Well, Hecate but they acknowledged them through their patron Goddess. It slowly became less about Hecate and more about personal power and magic. "I'm sure that it will be covered in some of the lessons. Don't fret too much about the coming of Christ, my tutors droned on and on about the witch burnings but we all know that it was mostly innocent women and children who were caught. Muggles are much more skeptical and less superstitious nowadays."
"What will I do?" Her sister asked softly, twisting the fine fabric of her dress in distress. "Will you leave me like they did Petal?"
"Of course not." Pany shifted slightly so that she could pull her into a one armed hug. "It's the reason I've hired all new tutors and a governess. In a few years, we will find a good school for you to attend. You will always have a home in the keep but it would be selfish of me to keep you from better opportunities."
"Opportunities?" Prim drawled, her brows pinched together skeptically. "What possible opportunity could a squib have other than cleaning toilets or a…streetwalker on Knockturn."
"How in Merlin's name did you hear about hookers?" She pulled away to look at her innocent baby sister in surprise. "No, that doesn't matter. You will be limited in the magical world but there are endless possibilities in the muggle world."
"Like what? Scrubbing muggle toilets? Do muggles even have toilets?"
"You're really stuck on this whole cleaning toilets thing." She grumbled to herself but Prim was staring at her expectantly. "If you became a custodian, I would not love you any less but…I was thinking more along the lines of…maybe a photographer? You could travel the world taking pictures? A doctor, a muggle healer, or a teacher? A scientist? There is nothing-"
"What's that?"
"That's where we will be eating lunch." The car had stopped outside one of the shops near Kensington Park. Pransy was not sure of the best places to dine in London but she just advised the driver to pick the best place for fish and chips. They were in London after all.
"Who's he?" Primrose had stopped in front of a news stand and had snatched up one of the copies of Majesty, two adorable boys on the cover.
"That's Your Royal Highness!" The old man in the stand snapped, looking dreadfully offended. She glanced over her sister's shoulder, vaguely remembering the Princes from her past life. Being an American, she just didn't know much about them. "The Princes William and Harry. That's your future king, girl!"
"Sorry, she's been terribly sheltered in South Africa." Pansy explained absently, throwing some change down on the counter before she dragged her sister along into the shop.
"A prince?" Prim whispered in awe, staring down at the picture as if he were all what all her dreams had been made of. "A real prince, like in the stories? Why is he a muggle? Shouldn't a wizard be king?"
"A muggle king was the one who gave us our freedom to govern ourselves, Prim." She sighed, wondering if she had ever been as boy crazy in either of her lives? Perhaps there was that crush on some blond in a boy band but other than that she didn't think she had ever been as distracted as Prim. "Grindelwald tried to be the supreme wizard or whatever, but it's best that muggle and wizard have a certain degree of separation."
"Is that what's going to happen to me?" Prim asked once they sat at one of the tables after placing their orders. The little shop was empty besides the sisters and workers behind the counter so she relaxed.
"No, if you decided to work at home for the rest of your life and never go back to the muggle world, I would support you. However, I think you could be much happier if you see what's out there."
"Then…why wouldn't it be better if the muggles knew?" Her little sister asked innocently, twirling her straw absently. "Then, it wouldn't matter if I went to muggle school and you wouldn't forget about me."
"I'll never be able to forget about you. You're my baby sister." She wasn't able to say much more before a girl a few years older than herself dumped plates in front of them. Pansy had gotten used to food cooked by magic so looking down at the greasy newspaper her meal was leaking on was a bit nauseating. Prim had no such reservations.
"These are lovely!" The little girl slathered the already sodden chips into a gravy with a happy hum.
"Noodles, I need you to find me Kreature, the Black family house elf." Pansy informed her elf once she closed the door to her sleeping sister's room.
"Yes, Mistress." Noodles bowed before promptly popping away.
By the time they arrived home, her sister was exhausted but in better spirits. After lunch, she had brought Primrose to the Eye then spent the rest of the day at the zoo. It was fun but the child would have brief moments of grief where she would remember that she was not a witch. Pansy tried to sooth her but mostly she just held her sister until she ran out of tears.
The Ravenclaw flopped back on the overstuffed chair behind her father's, now her desk. She had not spoken to her mother or Penny, just focused on her distraught sister for the day. Primrose deserved it, more than but she felt like she had not slept in a week. How could she possibly go back to school when her sister was going through a crisis, her father's mistress invaded their house, and their mother was still losing her mind?
Pansy was torn from her thoughts by a couple of house elves popping into existence, mid struggle. She could do nothing but watch as they flashed around the room, knocking over books and nicknacks. It would have been funny if she wasn't so emotionally drained. House elves were surprisingly creative in their insults, after all.
"Enough!" Pansy snapped, slapping a hand on her desk when she felt the air was displaced next to her head. Both elves froze, still grappled together and looked at her with wide bulbous eyes. "Is this Kreature, Noodles?"
"Ye-"
"You is not Kreature's mistress!" The house elf interrupted but then did some kind of jerky dance before slamming his head onto the wooden floor. "Kreature be sorry! Kreature knows not to be-"
"Enough!" Pansy snapped again, making the Black elf freeze with his forehead pressed harshly to the floor. "I'm aware you are not bound to me but I have something that belongs to the house of Black."
"Ladies Parkinson have something of the great and ancient house of Black?" Kreature looked intrigued but kept his eyes and large nose averted before muttering under his breath. "Mistress will be so upset that Kreatures be leaving. Oh, how will-"
"I'm willing to give you something that will help you, Kreature." Pansy explained impatiently, she usually loved elves. They were so helpful and cheerful and knew when she just didn't have the energy to interact with anyone. Kreature's whining was grating on her already frayed nerves. "I will tell you how you can complete your master's last request but you need to take something back. Do you understand?"
"You's know about Master Regulus?" Kreature finally looked up, his long spindly fingers twisting themselves as if his bones were rubber. The witch couldn't help but shudder in disgust at the wet pops they made. "You's can't. Kreature never said! Kreature promised his master!"
"Yes, I know that your master was a hero!" Pansy cut him off quickly when she noticed the elf was tearing up. Noodles, ever loyal being he was, had moved himself so he could launch himself at the other elf if she was attacked. "I also know how to destroy the locket but I need something in return."
"Kreatures do anything!"
"You need to take Melody Crabbe back to Grimmauld Old Place." Pansy stated simply, watching as the elf curled into himself with his face twisted in disgust.
"Mutt master's bastard." She barely heard his grumbling but she waited almost patiently while he continued rambling about Sirius Black being a disgrace.
"Don't ignore my mistress!" Noodles apparently ran out of patience because he snapped first.
"Mistress won't bes happy." Kreature looked close to tears but Pansy felt relief blooming in her chest.
"Well, your mistress is a portrait." She explained indifferently, not feeling the least bit guilty at the way the elf flinched. "Melody is a living, breathing witch with Black blood in her veins. Her family doesn't want her back and I have no time or patience for my late father's mistress wandering my halls and upsetting my family."
"Why she be needing to be kept?" Kreature asked suspiciously but his eyes glimmered with a maliciousness that was disturbing.
"She's pregnant and the wizard was hardly a gentleman. Melody needs protection until she gives birth."
The wizarding world had its own kind of abortion but it was classed as dark magic. A witch or wizard's magic could protect itself even in the womb, the first spark happened at conception but its defenses would only hurt the mother. It led to a malicious virus that wrecked a witch's magical core, leading to magical instability, infertility, and insanity. Some speculated that Bellatrix Lestrange had aborted a child and that's why after she married, she spiraled so quickly. Squibs were safe to abort but it came with a stigma even if the child never breathed outside of the womb. So, healers came up with a way to safely transfer the unborn child into another witch. She wondered idly what would happen if they tried muggle methods?
Pansy shook her head, she didn't particularly care what Melody's decision was. She just wanted her late father's mistress far away from her already hectic household. Melody should consider herself lucky that she bothered to find her a safe place to hide away from the father of her child. She was still unsure of all the details but the contract was still magically binding so she was technically responsible for the pregnant witch. Luckily, there weren't clearly defined restrictions for the Parkinson Lord or Lady, only for Melody. Why the hell anyone would sign their life away like Melody did, Pansy did not understand.
"Black bastard still a Black." Kreature was mumbling to himself again and Pansy wanted him out of her office, away from her. Preferably with Melody after she signed a new contract with looser clauses. She did not think that it would amount to much since no matter what Melody Crabbe was essentially her…ward…until Pansy found her a husband…or sold her to… No, until she brokered a Merlin damned marriage like they were still feudal lords.
"We have a deal?" Pansy asked impatiently, when she was ignored. She was ready to throw him out of a window and had to take a deep, fortifying breath. If only elves weren't so small and cute, even the ugly ones. It was going to be a long night.