Author: Mrs. Cheney
Rating: R
Summary: Paired together for a Care of Magical Creatures project, will Pansy and Harry learn to tolerate one another, and possibly even like one another?
Spoilers: None really, this story doesn't follow cannon.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I borrowed it all, and I don't think I want to return it.
Authors Note: So this is my first fiction I have ever A: completed and B: posted online. Feedback would be much appreciated. Why Pansy/Harry? Quite simply, I got sick of Draco/Hermione. Plus bad girls are always fun, especially when they are such a bad influence on good boys. Enjoy:)
CHAPTER ONE: Emotion SicknessErupt again ignore the pill
And I wont let it show
Sacrifice the tortures
Orchestral tear cash flow
Increase, delete escape defeat
That's all that matters to you
Cotton case for an iron pill
Distorted eyes
When everything is clearly dying
Emotion Sickness - Silverchair
Pansy grimaced down at her bacon and eggs; the very look of them was making her stomach churn uncomfortably. Across the table, Millicent had her head resting in her hands as her fingers massaged her temples, and to her left Blaise actually appeared to be asleep with his head resting on his tanned forearms.
Beside her Draco sighed and pushed his plate away, "I'm going back to bed."
"You can't," Millicent protested looking up, "its Monday morning, we have potions first thing."
"I don't think Professor Snape will appreciate all the Slytherin 5th years turning up hung over anyway," Draco replied, "I mean look" he gestured down the table and Pansy and Millicent followed his gaze.
Pansy sighed and grudgingly had to admit Draco was right. The 5th years looked like they'd all been through hell and back. No one seemed to understand the concept of a comb, and each individual appeared to be wearing the same clothes as yesterday. Everyone had a distinct green and yellow tinge to his or her skin. Except Draco whose skin was the exact same color as the porridge in front of him.
Pansy wondered briefly how bad she must look; she hadn't chanced a look in the mirror before she left the common room that morning. Only detangled herself from Draco, rolled out of bed and stumbled up to the Great Hall to get coffee before she died. Hesitantly she reached up and touched her hair. Oh gods Pansy groaned mentally as she touched her bird nest hair, I look like Granger, kill me now.
"We're better off all going back to bed and sleeping," Draco persisted, "Professor Snape will understand."
"I don't think he will" Pansy murmured as she hastily shoved her hair into a messy bun, "we weren't exactly quiet last night."
"He approved the party," Draco argued.
"Yeah but he didn't approve the fire whisky" Pansy replied.
"Or the over sized speakers," Millicent put in with a grin.
"And I vividly recall him saying the party had to wrap up at midnight, which was about five hours before we all got to bed." Pansy finished smiling at Millicent in amusement.
Draco sighed, "fine. So we go to potions, but we are definitely ditching Transfiguration, or we'll never make it through the day."
"I don't know," Millicent murmured as she dug through her bag and pulled out her schedule.
Pansy peered at the schedule upside down, "I'd prefer to ditch Care of Magical Creatures. I don't think I can stand one more moment in the presence of that oaf."
Draco chuckled appreciatively.
"That wont work either, cause we're getting paired up for the winter assignment remember?" Millicent replied.
Pansy glared at her, "don't burst my bubble Bullstrode, you could have given me at least a minute in the lovely world where Care of Magical Creatures doesn't exist."
Millicent grinned at her, "Oh shut up Parkinson you drama queen."
Pansy tossed a slice of bacon at her.
Draco rolled his eyes, "I'm going."
"Where?" Pansy questioned watching as he stood up and gathered his things.
"To get at least fifteen minutes sleep," he leant down and pecked her cheek, "see you in class."
"See you" Pansy responded, watching as he walked out of the hall before turning her attention back to Millicent, "I'm going for a walk then. Fresh air might be good."
Millicent nodded, "make sure your back in time. If your late one more time even Professor Snape is going to have to start taking points."
Pansy waved her hand dismissively, "yeah yeah. See you later Mill."
Outside, the cold air hit Pansy with the force of a brick wall and she shoved her hands into her pockets as she crunched through the thin layer of snow that had fallen the night before.
Despite the freezing cold weather, it was a gorgeous day. Dark gray clouds covered every inch of periwinkle blue sky, an icy breeze was rattling the treetops of the Forbidden Forest, and snow was falling lightly settling in Pansy's hair and on her eyelashes. Yes, this weather suited her mood perfectly. It was the ideal weather for curling up in bed and sleeping the day away, which unfortunately was a luxury Pansy could not indulge in. Not today anyway.
Pansy fished through her pockets, and pulled out a cigarette, disregarding all school rules she lit it up with her wand and took a deep drag. Pansy smiled feeling the smoke slightly burn the back of her throat before exhaling, watching the smoke drift away with the breeze. She shoved her spare hand into her pocket and scuffed the toe of her shoe on the rock before her.
She was just taking another drag when a stern bossy voice sounded from behind her.
"What are you doing Parkinson?"
Pansy closed her eyes, took a drag and exhaled, before turning to see the golden trio approaching. Great, this was just what she needed. Not only did she have the hangover from hell, she was also tired, and possibly still drunk. And now here came the mudblood, the weasel, and the boy who unfortunately lived, to bring a little ray of sunshine into her life.
"I said what are you doing, Parkinson?" Granger repeated, eyeing her cigarette in disgust.
Pansy scowled at her and took another drag, "what's it to you?"
"Smoking is banned from the grounds," she replied sternly, "I'd think that as a prefect you would know that."
Pansy rolled her eyes and flicked some ash onto the ground. Granger was always so bloody predictable. "Your right, I do know that, 10 points to Griffindor."
Granger's eyes narrowed, "if you think that you…"
"Oh shut up, Granger" Pansy snapped, "you think I'm going to listen to anything you have to say? Save your breath."
"Professor Dumbled…" Granger began.
"Gave me permission" Pansy snapped. Well that wasn't exactly true, but Granger didn't need to know that, "so why don't you keep your ugly nose out of other people's business?"
"Speaking of ugly noses…" Potter began quietly.
"Shut up Potter" Pansy snapped. Although there was technically nothing wrong with her nose anymore, old habits die-hard.
"Aw what's wrong Parkinson?" the Weasel cut in, "the ferret doesn't love you anymore."
Pansy smirked, too predictable, "actually judging by his performance last night I'd say he loves me just fine." Pansy took a drag and let her meaning sink in.
Ron turned red.
"Your disgusting," Potter snapped.
Pansy rolled her eyes; this whole thing was actually quite fun. It was definitely lifting her mood, "Potter just because you act like your eight years old around girls, doesn't mean everyone does."
Potter's face now matched Ron's. Pansy wished she had a camera.
"You do realize cigarettes are made by muggles?" Granger questioned nose in the air.
"Yeah I do," Pansy took her last drag and exhaled it in her direction, "the only good thing mudbloods are good for," she finished with a smirk.
The reaction her words got were even better than she expected. Granger turned brick red; with anger or embarrassment Pansy did not know. Ron immediately made a movement to either strangle her or grab his wand. Pansy never found out since Potter seized his friend's arm and glared at her.
Pansy tossed her cigarette down at Granger's feet, "now if you don't mind, get the hell away from me."
"C'mon" Potter muttered tossing Pansy one last look of contempt before dragging the other two off.
Pansy glared after them, before chuckling in amusement. Oh how she loved to annoy those three. Feeling marginally better than before, Pansy practically skipped off to the dungeons to grab her books before taking all the short cuts she knew, and strolling through the Potions classroom door with plenty of time to spare.
Dropping down beside Draco who was looking worse than ever Pansy smiled cheerfully at him.
Draco raised an eyebrow, "what happened to you?"
"Oh I don't know," Pansy replied lightly, "throwing Granger's origins in her face, embarrassing the Weasel and making fun of Potter's lack of sex life" Pansy sighed happily.
Despite himself Draco chuckled, before turning and smirking at Potter as he walked through the door, Granger and Weasley in tow. "Hey Potter," he called loudly, "I hear your romantic conquests are coming along in leaps and bounds. Chang still wont bend over for you?"
The Slytherin's laughed. Potter looked murderous, and it took the combined efforts of Ron and Hermione to drag him to his seat. Typically at that point Professor Snape chose to enter the room, and ignoring the state of the Slytherin 5th years proceeded to take 20 points from Griffindor for Harry's temper.
Pansy smiled at Draco, who smiled back. Yes, the day was coming along rather well.
Authors Notes: The title of this story comes from a line in a Radiohead song 'Fitter Healthier.' And the title of this chapter comes from a Silverchair song on their album Neon Ballroom. Long live Australian music!
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