Slytherin Legacy

The Slytherin Legacy

By A. Bornhorst

Chapter Ten

Pansy's News

***

Kate was glad to leave Azkaban because even though the dementors didn't get to her, the looks on other peoples' faces, their little kids crying, and all the unhappiness was getting to her. The Malfoys plus Kate said a quick good-bye to Bellatrix and hurried back to Malfoy Manor where they had a luncheon.

"Uncle Lucius?" Kate asked, during the luncheon in his moments alone.

"Yes, Kate?"

"I was wondering if I could have my friends over tonight, just a sleepover."

"I suppose."

"Thank-you!" Kate said, and ran over to Diedra.

"He said I could have some friends over!"

"Just a minute, let me go ask my mum."

Diedra went over to talk to her mum, who was wearing a lavender afternoon gown.

"We promise to behave, Mrs. Dolohov!" Kate said, smiling.

"All right, I suppose."

"Okay, thanks, mum. We're going to go over to our house and pick up my stuff and then go get the girls."

"All right, but behave yourselves, both of you."

"We always do, mum."

Kate and Diedra took the floo to Diedra's manor house. It wasn't as extravagant as Malfoy Manor but it was richly decorated and furnished and Kate liked how casual Diedra's room was with posters hanging on the walls and her canopy bed unmade. Diedra packed a few robes, some jeans and t-shirts and pajamas.

"You'd think you were staying over for the week."

"I have to have a variety of clothes to wear just in case!" Diedra squeaked.

They took floo back to Kate's house and dropped her clothes off in her bedroom.

Then they took off to the next house.

***

Meanwhile Pansy Parkinson curled up in her corner in her room. Tears streaked her face and her hair was more mussed than usual.

He had done it again. Her mother had done it again and now all was going to be hell. They had finally decided to call it off. Pansy knew her parents' marriage was a full blown disaster. They led separate lives, only had polite conversations, and were beyond yelling and screaming at each other.

Pansy woke up this morning and her mother already had a muggle beer in her hands, her eyes already blood shot and she just sat there, staring at the window. The house elf Henri fetched her more beer.

"Mother what's wrong?"

Her mother threw a beer bottle at the wall. Pansy winced at the crashing sound.

"Your father's a bastard, Pansy. He's a son of a bitch and a bastard," she screamed.

"What happened?"

Isabella did not even look at her daughter as she talked.

"He left for that woman. He left for that whore Cassandra Patil."

All was silent and then her mother screamed,

"I hate her. I wish both of them death. How could he have done this to me? How? Why? Why did he do this to all of us?" =

Mother, please don't cry, Pansy thought. I can't bear to see you upset. Put your beer down and go to sleep. It's all just a dream. Father wouldn't dare leave you for her... He wouldn't leave us. Mother please say it's not true. I don't want to have a broken family. I just want to be a part of a normal family.

"Pansy, go upstairs. I don't want to see your face. You look like your father. That twisted liar!"

She had been up there all day, staring at the wall and trying to sleep.

And then there was a knock on the door.

"Pansy?"

"Go away, mother. I do not want to talk to you."

"No Pansy, it's me, Kate."

Pansy jumped up. A sign of life from Hogwarts! She ran to embrace Kate and held her tightly.

"Pansy, what's wrong?"

She wiped away a tear.

"I'll tell you later. This isn't the place. What are you doing here?"

"Well... Aren't you happy to see me?" asked Kate who was worried about Pansy's tears. Pretty insensitive, isn't she... I like it.

"Of course I am," Pansy said as she smiled sadly.

I never had noticed how much I missed my friends. How much I need them. They are my true family... Not my drunken mother or lying father. Kate, Diedra, Blaise, and Eve are truly my family. The Parkinsons are not.

"Well, I was wondering if you'd like to spend the night at Malfoy Manor?"

May I stay for the rest of Christmas vacation?

"I think that I would be allowed. I'm not even going to ask my mother, as she is not herself right now. I'll leave her a note."

Dear Mother,

I am with Kate Riddle at Malfoy Manor. I do not know when I will return. Please don't come for me. I will come back home when I want to.

Pansy Pansy's what... eleven, twelve? Trust me- after going through that, I doubt she'd want to run away with her friends.

She refrained from putting the venom into the words that she wanted to. Pansy wanted her mother to know how much she hated her for doing this to her; not only her mother, but her father to. He was the one who left for Cassandra Patil.

"Are you going to pack?"

"Nah, I'll just wear your stuff... If that's all right?"

"Yeah, of course it is. Come on. Diedra's getting Blaise and we're meeting at Eve's house to pick her up and then we're going to Malfoy Manor."

"All right, let's go then."

They headed through floo to Eve's castle.

"Hi guys," she said cheerfully, "Pansy, what's the matter?"

"I'll tell you later."

Kate shrugged her shoulders.

"All right, but Pansy do tell me later. You look so upset. Diedra and Blaise are already here. They are talking to Will.

Diedra, Blaise, and Will came down the Grand Stairway.

"Are you guys ready yet?" Eve asked.

"Can we just stay a little while, or can Will come over to Malfoy Manor for a little bit too?"

"I suppose, but guys, Pansy needs to tell us something."

Kate was a little irritated that Diedra and Blaise were so quick to forget Pansy, whose eyes were red from crying.

"Pansy, what's the matter?" Diedra asked.

"I'll tell you later," Pansy said, irritated.

"Maybe it's not such a good idea for me to come over," Will said. "Anyway, I'll probably do something with my friends."

It was clear he never wanted to go over and hang out with first years, anyway. Kate was glad.

They arrived at Malfoy Manor and the five of them hurried as Kate led them to her room. They situated themselves.

"Pansy what's going on?" Blaise asked.

"I-I don't know where to start."

"What's going on Pansy...? Just tell us."

"Well, you see, Father left today," Pansy burst into tears. "He left for some woman... Some Patil woman and mother was so drunk... I think they are going to divorce."

"Oh, Pansy," Kate whispered giving her friend a hug.

"Patil - do you mean Padma and Parvati Patil's mother?" Eve asked curiously.

"I hope not," Pansy wailed.

"Of course it's not, Pansy... it's going to be all right. I promise. Things get better with time," Blaise comforted her.

"Yeah, let your dad go for the good for nothing bitch. You don't need him Pansy. You don't have to see him if you don't want to," Eve said.

"I know... But I don't want to have to stay with my mother either! All she'll do is get drunk."

"I wish I could adopt you," Kate said as she put her shoulder around Pansy. Her -shoulder-? That must take some doing. Try arm.

"I don't want to go back home. I told mum that I would come back when I felt like it. She probably won't even bother and look for me."

"Don't say that Pansy, your mom loves you very much," Diedra whispered.

"I'm sure the twins and Paige will want to go live with Dad. Then I'll be all alone."

"You don't have to be all alone. If it gets bad at your mom's house, then go to your dads," Kate suggested.

"It's not that simple!" Pansy wailed, "You don't understand. Your parents were never divorced."

"Pansy, calm down. Kate doesn't even have parents. It's all right. You're just getting over excited."

Eve bit her lip. She had no idea how to calm her down. She had never been through a divorce and wasn't exactly sure how to comfort Pansy.

"Kate," Eve whispered, "Go get Draco. You know how she is when he's around."

Kate raised her eyebrows and went downstairs where Lucius's guests were mingling. She felt out of place in her jeans and long sleeved t-shirt, but she found Draco.

"Draco," she whispered to him.

"What?"

"Pansy's here. She's really upset."

"What happened?"

"Her parents are getting a divorce."

"No way!"

"Yes way, now can you talk to her? You always make her happy."

"Yeah, I'll see what I can do."

Draco got up and followed Kate to her room.

"Hey Pansy. How's it going?"

"Not so good. My parents are getting a divorce."

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure. Can we talk alone?" Pansy asked.

"Sure, we'll get out," Kate walked out motioning for Eve, Diedra and Blaise to come too.

"Just like Pansy to want to talk to Draco alone," Eve remarked.

"Hey! Come on she's going through a very emotional and tragic time. If she wants to talk to Draco then by all means she can talk to Draco."

"And besides," Kate laughed, "You're the one who suggested that I go get him."

"True, true," Eve said.

"So what do you think? I mean can you believe it - the Parkinsons are getting a divorce?" Diedra asked.

"Actually I can sort of believe that," Eve said.

"How?" Kate asked.

"I mean look at Pansy. Her mother's a Slytherin and her father's a Gryffindor."

"Yeah, Diedra and I were talking about that yesterday," Kate said.

"Well, yeah, and she's the only Slytherin out of their kids. It has to be hard for her. I mean, everybody in my family is in Slytherin. Everybody, and I have a huge family," Eve said, "Pansy's mom is the only one who's in Slytherin and she's too drunk all the time to care about Pansy's feelings."

"That's so sad," Kate whispered.

"I know it is," Diedra said. "Poor Pansy. I wish we would actually have the ability to be able to do something."

"There is nothing we can do, and we should probably just try to be there for Pansy."

***

"So how was your sleepover?" Narcissa asked cheerfully the next day at dinner.

"Pansy's parents are getting a divorce," Kate said.

"Well that's hardly a surprise," Lucius said dryly.

"She's pretty upset," Draco added.

"That poor girl."

That's all they had to say on the subject.

Christmas was quite exciting and Kate received plenty of gifts including plenty of spell books and reference books and plenty of clothes. She thanked her aunt and uncle for their hospitality, but in the end she was looking forward to going back to Hogwarts.