It Started With an Insult (Hermione x Pansy Parkinson)

Pansy Parkinson's Lie

"Let me know how I can support you." Professor Flitwick reassured me. "This wouldn't be the first time a student has struggled in charms." He smiled in what he probably thought was a reassuring way, but really just looked fake, and slightly comical. I smiled tightly back, only to be polite. Draco and I might have made fun of him when his back was turned, but he was a professor, and I didn't dare show any disrespect to his face.

It was comical, really, how he stood on his desk during lectures, or used cushions to prop himself up when sitting at his desk chair, as he was doing now. I felt awkward and lanky because of the height difference. I towered over the small wizard.

He had called me to his desk just as he dismissed class. I had gulped nervously, and approached him, a pained smile frozen onto my face. He had proceeded to let me know that I was in danger of losing my prefect position if I missed anymore assignments. I had nodded, doing my best to look as earnest as possible. Merlin.

My stomach sank as he spoke to me, and eventually I tuned him out, my eyes glancing every few seconds to my wrist watch. Professor Flitwick sighed, apparently taking notice of my glazed eyes and realized I hadn't been paying attention.

"Very well, Mrs. Parkinson, please be sure to turn in your essay on summoning spells by next week." He smiled gently at me, and I looked away, uncomfortable with his forced kindness.

I left the classroom as quickly as possible, my step determined and brisk. Today was a Wednesday, and it had been 3 days since I'd helped smuggle Granger back into the castle. Since then, we had met in the library twice, (we only met on weekdays), both silent as we etched last minute details into our notes about amortentia. Halloween, the deadline of the competition, was looming closer by the minute, and Granger and I had decided to start meeting on the second floor girls bathroom from now on. The purpose of this was to get a start on brewing the potions. 

When she had first proposed the idea, I had rejected it. I explained that since it was a competition, it would be best if we brewed the potion separately and then compared after we had finished. Granger had considered my idea, but eventually disagreed. She had reasoned that there was nowhere else in the castle secluded enough to brew a potion undisturbed, and that we needed to share the book anyway.

I had sighed in defeat, before realizing that it had actually been a good thing, as it would allow me to sneak peeks at her potion every now and then and see how she brewed it. My stomach buzzed with nervousness as I thought about tonight. I had studied the book for hours, and then my notes, when I hadn't had access to the book. I had gone so far as read the entire book from cover to cover, some chapters multiple times.

I had found myself staring at a particular page for an extended amount of time, the page containing information on polyjuice potion. Add three measures of boomslang skin into your cauldron, the book had said. I found myself imagining Granger drop a scoop of the slimy stuff into her cauldron, measuring the amount perfectly, to the last drop and all. 

I headed toward the library now, hoping to pick up a few more books on the subject of amortentia. Granger had informed me that the only books that contained instructions on how to brew the love potion were located in the restricted section, but that didn't entirely mean that there weren't books about the potion at all.

I arrived at the library, observing it for the first time during the late afternoon. I rarely visited the library on my own accord, and never during this time of day. There were a few groups of students sprinkled here and there, all from varying houses and various age groups. I couldn't help but notice the few seventh years in the library were noticeably more hunched over their work than the others, surely preparing for their NEWT exams.