Let the Darkness Become You

Let the Darkness Become You

*~*

Chapter Three

There were so many people! I looked about me in amazement as I followed my parents through the crowds of Platform Nine and Three Quarters. I didn't recognize any of them, a fact that would soon need to be amended. It was important to always be aware of who everyone was, whether they were worth knowing or not.

I stopped, clasping my hands together expectantly as my parents turned to bid me farewell. My black robes were immaculate, my unruly hair twisted into a thick braid and a new cloak draped over my shoulders. No Parkinson could be seen in public as anything other than what we were... wizarding superiors.

"Remember, Pansy," Mother began, "you now have a name and reputation to maintain. I know that you will do your best to bring pride to the family."

She kissed the air above my head in her idea of a motherly embrace, even that small gesture showing a little too much publicly. I noticed a nearby group of students that I didn't know watching us intently, whispering.

Father immediately drew me from my thoughts as he added, "Be careful in how you choose to represent yourself, and be wise in your choice of friends."

My father had never been a subtle man and his last comment was intended as a reminder that I was only to consort with those of my own status... purebloods. I carefully let my face slacken, not allowing the surprise I felt at his words to show in my expression- did he honestly expect me to do otherwise?

"Victor."

I was surprised at the interruption, and turned to stare up towards a handsome man that looked oddly familiar. His face was finely chiseled to perfection, with long white blonde hair falling past his shoulders; it was his eyes that gave him away, however. The intruder could be no other than Lucius Malfoy.

As if to prove my thoughts Father nodded at him, blue eyes sweeping to glance towards those around us. There was now a clearing surrounding us, people not quite avoiding us, but none of them meeting our eyes and none within ten paces.

Mother pursed her lips in irritation at Lucius before turning towards me with a faked honeyed smile reserved for those of lesser "intelligence".

"Go and board the train now, Pansy," she ordered. "Your father and I will see you at Christmas."

I nodded, turning away just as Lucius Malfoy said, "We need to talk."

"Now?" Father snapped in irritation. The rest of the conversation was quickly absorbed in the din of the crowd as I made my way towards the train.

The train was almost completely full, students filling and blocking the corridor. I sighed as I waited impatiently for the crowd to clear. Some boy had a creature in a box, which was causing a large crowd to grow in front of his compartment door. I couldn't believe that something so mundane would honestly attract that sort of attention.

"Pansy!"

I turned at my name to smile at Millicent. In the year since I had first met her we had become good friends, owling each other religiously. Her oval face was flushed with excitement, strands of hair falling around her face as she wove between crowds of students towards me.

"We have a compartment in the back," she said breathlessly as she reached my side.

She also gave the crowd a derisive sneer. "Come on," she urged, leading me away from the crowd to squeeze through the mass of people now assembling behind us.

"Hey Jordan!" a red haired boy beside me shouted, practically in my ear.

I scowled darkly at him, causing him to smile, before weaving between the crowd. "What've you got now?" I heard him ask as I continued away from the crowd.

We had hardly left the murmur of the crowd behind before Millicent turned towards me. "Have you heard?" she asked me, brown eyes glinting.

"Heard what?" I asked absently, peering into compartments we passed.

She sighed. "Harry Potter is on the train!"

I stopped in the corridor, events clicking into place as I remembered Lucius Malfoy's serious face and Father's irritation. It would make sense...

Dark Arts was something that ran in my family, something that ran through all prestigious pureblooded families. Harry Potter had been the one that stopped the Death Eaters from conquering the wizarding world with the Dark Lord, and now he was here, on this very train. For some reason it felt strange to me.

"How do you know?" I wondered out loud, continuing to move on down the aisle.

She shrugged. "Word travels fast. Someone saw him, you know, with the scar and all. Ah, here it is."

Our arrival at the compartment prevented me from questioning her further as three heads looked up at our entrance. I smiled at them, hiding my nervousness with composed skill.

"Hello," I said.

The boy to my left nodded, his eyes roaming over me in an intense study of my features. He was skinny and pale with a mop of black hair and beady eyes. The two girls on my right smiled with more warmth.

"Hi," the honey blonde on the right said, hazel eyes questioning. "I'm Tracey Davis."

I nodded towards her. "Pansy Parkinson," I replied.

"I've heard of you," the other girl said with a frown. "Didn't you get engaged last year?"

"That was my sister Zella," I corrected her. "She's a sixth year."

She nodded, brown hair falling in a curtain around her. "My parents were there for the announcement." At my blank look she added, "Greengrass? I'm Daphne."

I knew the Greengrasses. In his younger days Father had been a beater for Slytherin, Gregory Greengrass was his partner.

Millicent placed herself next to the pale boy, motioning for me to sit across from her. His eyes followed me predatorily; I felt like an insect in that emotionless gaze.

"Theodore," he finally said, his voice surprisingly deep.

I looked at his proffered hand in surprise before accepting it, and was even more surprised when he lifted it to kiss.

"Already flirting, Nott?" a voice drawled lazily from the door.

I tensed, claiming my hand back and turning only to look up into the grey eyes of Draco Malfoy. His eyes met my own, as he nodded in greeting before turning back towards Theodore, lounging against one side of the door. "Millicent will start to get jealous."

The blonde blushed, to her apparent frustration, muttering something as Theodore grinned at her in amusement. "Not married yet, are we?" he declared, inviting them both to join in on the joke.

I wasn't aware of my jaw dropping. "You're engaged?" I blurted without thinking, protocol entirely forgotten.

I instantly snapped my mouth shut as they all stared at me incredulously before laughing. Millicent merely grinned, however. "Betrothed," she explained. "We'll be engaged in our fourth year."

It seemed almost ludicrous for someone our age to even be betrothed, I could barely imagine the concept.

Zella was only fourteen, a part of me spoke up, almost mockingly. I immediately crushed the thought, focusing on the light conversation that had followed my stunned words, uncomfortably aware of Draco's eyes on me the entire time.

*~*

Another Parkinson, isn't it, hmm?

I barely suppressed a flinch as I heard the voice of the Sorting Hat, muttering in my ear.

Yes... yes. Ambitious, smart, relentless, there is no doubt you will go far. As far as your parents, I'd bargain. I know just where I'll put you -

"SLYTHERIN!"

A loud cheer erupted as I went to join the house that all the others had been sorted into, all of them waiting for my approach at the end of the table. Zella gave me a congratulatory wink as I seated myself next to Tracey, at a table that generations of my family had sat at since before I was born.

I watched closely as the next student to take my place upon the stool stepped forward. There didn't look to be anyone else of much importance in the quickly thinning crowd, except for that Potter kid. I immediately didn't like him- he was rude, self centered, and far too proud of the fact that he was famous. He hadn't even shaken Draco's proffered hand of friendship. I sniffed with disdain, he certainly wouldn't make Slytherin.

As if to prove my opinion correct, when his turn came the hall fell silent with anticipation. It seemed to last forever until the Sorting Hat finally announced "GRYFFINDOR". The noise from that side of the hall was deafening.

Good riddance, I thought in scorn, noticing that the rest of my friends who had witnessed Draco's humiliation seemed to think the same. I noticed that Draco in particular seemed intent upon glaring at the back of that raven head, an expression of loathing apparent among his features.

Once the cheers had settled we started to chat amongst ourselves, not caring who got sorted into the other houses.

"You and your sister don't look anything alike," Tracey commented, looking down the table.

It was not the first time I had heard that. "She takes after our mother more," I answered, watching as Zella laughed with her friends. Neil, as always, was a constant presence at her side. They were never without one or the other these days, as the time for their wedding neared.

"SLYTHERIN!"

I looked up in surprise, as did everyone else at the table; we had assumed that all our people were sorted. The boy that the hat revealed was no one I knew and apparently was a complete puzzle to the others.

"Who is that?" Daphne whispered as he neared our end.

"Blaise Zabini," Theodore answered.

Draco who sat on the other side of me, raised a brow. "You know him?"

The boy shrugged. "Somewhat," he admitted with a frown.

As he neared I studied him with interest. His brown hair was ruffled, curling around his ears and shading his hazel eyes as he sat near us.

"Hello," he said in greeting, attempting a smile.

We all replied dutifully as manners dictated we must before falling in among our own conversations once more, leaving the new boy to the mercy of Theodore and Draco as they questioned him curiously. If there was one thing all of us had been taught more than others it was that enemies could lurk even in your presence.

Unfortunate for Blaise he was unknown territory, and that made him an enemy.

*~*

Hogwarts was different to the way I had first thought it would be. Especially from the perspective I got as a first year Slytherin. I quickly learned that Gryffindors were the favourites not only among the professors but even with the headmaster.

I was scandalized to realize that most of Hogwarts thought us rude and arrogant when it was completely the opposite way around. When we talked quietly in class or answered questions without hesitation it wasn't because we were showoffs or arrogant, but for the simple reason that we had had tutors for three years prior to Hogwarts.

We also weren't rude to other houses without provocation; their instant bias against us merely placed us on uneven ground that forced the members of my house to demean them publicly in order to make us equal once more. If the other houses simply had more backbone and manners, I doubt many of us would have fought at all. The Ravenclaws weren't all that bad truly, except that they didn't like being put to shame by us, the Slytherins who - in their opinion - should have been as stupid as the other two houses.

There was one group in particular that I noticed this in the most. We had dubbed them the "Dream Team" since they were hardly ever apart. This pathetic little group consisted of Potter, with his sidekick Weasley, and that irritating little Mudblood; Longbottom would occasionally tag along as well. I couldn't imagine why he'd want to. The others hardly noticed his presence.

I rolled my eyes as I watched Granger's hand go up in Transfiguration for the umpteenth time. As usual McGonagall called upon one of her favourite students. I scowled as she was awarded five points for answering a rather basic question on Switching Spells.

McGonagall then set us a task and frowned towards our side of the classroom as my fellow house mates and I continued our conversations from earlier. We didn't need to practice something so simple as a Switching Spell. Instead, I rather enjoyed watching Longbottom screw up his spell.

Millicent shook her head. "Pathetic," she muttered, having followed my gaze.

I spared her a grin. "Still going to Rome for Christmas?"

She nodded. "We go every year. It's a family tradition now."

Tracey, who sat before us turned around. "What are you doing, Pansy?"

"Probably another boring ball," I replied. "We have one for every other occasion. Why not Christmas?"

Daphne now looked over at us in interest from her conversation with Seamus Finnigan, a Gryffindor. Unlike the rest of us, Daphne went out of her way to associate herself with the other houses, determined to show them Slytherin was not as vile as all the rumours said. I personally thought that she was wasting her time.

"Will Neil be there?" she inquired, brown eyes widening in interest.

All of the females in Slytherin, from first to seventh year, had a particular interest in my soon to be brother-in-law. He was hard not to notice, not only for his breathtaking good looks, but the fact that he was a Lestrange. He was practically a Slytherin celebrity as far as everyone else was concerned.

We all knew that his second uncles, Rabastan and Rodophus Lestrange, had been faithful servants of the Dark Lord and now were in Azkaban, awaiting his return. Even though many of us were uncertain of our own families' statuses in such areas Neil was still famous within our house for his family name. A name much feared. And if there was anything Slytherins loved more than wealth and respect, it was to be feared.

I pursed my lips in thought. "No... I think Zella said something about him having to confer on something with his father."

"A pity," Daphne sighed, since she was probably going to attend the ball with her family.

At our age most of us were deemed mature enough to finally be allowed in public without shaming our parents or our name.

A loud voice cleared from behind us, and much to my irritation I jumped in surprise. "Ladies," McGonagall's eyes pierced into each of us. "Have you all accomplished a suitable Switching Spell?"

"Of course, Professor," I replied, expression obedient.

She raised a doubtful brow that made my jaw clench while the Gryffindors around us snickered.

"Then you will have no problem in showing the rest of the class," she added.

I sighed but turned towards my button and shell without further ado. "Selarum," I commanded, with a point of my wand.

The button and shell immediately changed into the image of each other; the button taking on the pearly iridescence of the shell while the shell transformed into a small black button.

McGonagall's face tightened imperceptibly as I smirked up at her.

"Five points from Slytherin for being cheeky, Miss Parkinson."

I shrugged, annoying her further as she returned to the front of the classroom to resume the lesson. I knew that we would get it back in Potions tomorrow; one of our only fair classes.

Not exactly fair, my mind reminded me.

But Snape only evened the scales somewhat between ourselves and the other houses. I already knew that the remainder of my year would be spent much in this manner, as my house combated the ridicule and rumours of the others. We couldn't help that we were different or even superior; we had been born to it. They were just jealous