Lansy One Shots

The Future Uncertain

Summary: War can shake down a foundation, and build a new one.

Ship: LunaLovegood/PansyParkinson

All credit goes to LesbianKJ on Ao3

-----------------------

The war brewing outside never felt real to Pansy Parkinson until her 7th year. In fact, Pansy knew that something would bring the war inside when Dumbledore lay unnaturally still in the courtyard. Yet, she could not fathom the true horrors of Professor Snape and the Carrow Twins taking over the school. Even when her parents reassured her, with their alliance, that she was safe, she, for once, worried about the students who didn't have that protection.

How underwater she felt as she moved through the school year, keeping her head low, and remembering, if nothing else, her parents' devotion to the Dark Lord was keeping her safe. And when the time came, somehow Pansy wasn't ready. Her parents' letters had warned her, the whispers and plotting in the walls had informed her, the grim look of Draco's eyes had confirmed it, and yet-

They can't be trusted because they are Slytherins, with family members a part of the Dark Lord's side. It doesn't help that with Pansy's big mouth of hysteria and fear taking over, she suggested they just give Harry Potter up to avoid this. How quickly classmates and professors turn on them as if they had not spent the last seven years together, and all but push them down the stairs.

The other Houses had thrust them into the dungeons, behind bars. Magically locked they heard the loud thuds of Hogwarts structure being destroyed and crumbling, how somehow the screams were the loudest things during the battle. It was psychological almost, hearing so much and not seeing anything at all. Left with thinking the worst, the unimaginable, praying to a God that would listen and hope whatever body lay stiff in the halls was not someone you knew.

And god the crying. Being cramped in with Slytherins of all ages, no spell that has been taught to free them of their prison, and Pansy, the type to not comfort, wanted so badly to tell the younger students to shut the hell up. It wasn't just wizards roaming these halls, fighting to the death, and with them so vulnerable who knew what those cries could bring to their cell?

It was nothing short of a miracle when the place quieted, and they stirred from their sleep at footsteps. It was only Neville, bloodied, tired, and limping with the Ravenclaw. . . .Luna Lovegood at his side.

"The war's over," Luna's voice soft but loud enough to carry. "Voldemort is dead."

And then, ridiculously, embarrassingly , the shorter girl pulled out a key and freed them.

'What you're about to see out there-" Neville paused, grimaced, and stared at the young students. "I'm sorry."

And this time, Pansy had nothing to say about the crying because all she wanted to do was collapse to her knees and sob at the sight.

So many bodies, so many grieving people. She could only move in a fog, she barely felt Millicent squeeze her arm or Daphne screams for her unnaturally still father. Her thoughts were fragments, distorted, floating too far away for her to properly process what she was seeing. Her fingers couldn't snag the memory of her last letter from her parents. Did it say that her father would not fight at this battle, did it say that her mother had finally gone to Spain without her father. . . had her aunt, uncle. . . anybody at all fled London when they could?

Bodies.

Bodies.

More bodies.

She supposed she should have been relieved that on the first two floors, there were no Parkinsons anyway. But she couldn't not really, when she had left Daphne and Astoria Greengrass grieving over their father; Goyle- Gregory sobbing over Vincent, the wand that was left behind since his body was consumed by his own Fiendfyre; Millicent stoned-face as she looked at the shredded remains of Lavender Brown, the girl she must've been secretly seeing. And even if Draco still had his father and his mother, who held him close, they all shared an expression of vacancy, of tiredness. . .of hauntedness.

"Who are you looking for?" The soft tone of Luna's voice broke through her fog.

"Any family at all," Pansy said, dimly aware of the tears spilling on her cheeks.

"I'll come help you look."

It was kind of her after the year they had. Of Pansy not understanding the vocalness of Luna and her friends, how no amount of torture the Carrows Twins bestowed, they never back down. The late nights of catching Luna sending secret letters and yet never saying a word as the two exchanged looks, and walked their opposite ways. In their last conversation, just before winter break, just before Luna and her father were kidnapped and sent as prisoners into the Malfoy Manor's basement.

"Why must you protest when you know that you will be punished?" Pansy demanded. "Why take the punishment of others when you can remain safe, why-"

"Why not?" Luna cut in, her voice steely, surprising Pansy at the firmness. "Why not fight for what I believe, protect those that do not deserve their suffering? Why would I just sit aside and do nothing at all when I know what's wrong? That I have the voice and power to change even the smallest things of good, instead of standing around and doing nothing at all."

Such bravery of a Ravenclaw, such wisdom, and Pansy felt something akin to grief when Luna didn't return from the holidays.

Luna offered her hand, and Pansy took it, and though Pansy knew to assume the worst. . . she appreciated having Luna Lovegood at her side.