Apparently, Albus Dumbledore had been trying to convince the castle elves to wear a uniform for over fifty years. The closest they had gotten was old pillow cases with the Hogwarts crest stitched onto them. He had been very hopeful when he found a free elf with an unnatural love of socks but Dobby enjoyed choosing his own wardrobe. It had turned into a yearly tradition that the headmaster would design some gaudy mismatched monstrosity to present the head elf. It would be denied and Albus Dumbledore was once more humbled, as Professor Flitwick informed her.

"Honestly, I just told them that the were Parkinson elves and they should dress like it." Pansy was still smiling at the thought of the Hogwarts elves denying the great Albus Dumbledore. "I explained that it wasn't clothes, they would be making their own uniforms from old cloaks that had been sitting in storage for centuries."

"Really?" Professor Flitwick appeared shocked that it was so easy. "You don't need to buy them new fabric?"

"No, they don't want new fabric." Pansy shook her head, thinking back to the many conversations she had with her nanny elf. "They want to feel close to those they bonded to, it's the reason they use our old linen. The thought of wearing something that's been owned by their family for centuries? They were ecstatic."

"I never knew." He looked away, his brows drawn together and his mustache twitching.

"Nanny was my first friend, she was very patient with all my questions." Pansy nodded in understanding. There weren't many books on house elves but the ones she had read were mostly wrong and wholly biased.

"I have to say, I've met you father many times and I know I told you that I was happily surprised by your sorting." Professor Flitwick paused and she held her breath, she would toss him through the floo and cry herself to sleep if he was about to compare her to that rotten bastard. "However, I can't help but be surprised at how...different you are from your parents."

"You've met my mother?" She asked stupidly before shaking her head, of course he had taught his mother, he had been teaching since the sixties. "Silly question."

"Yes, she was a Slytherin. She wasn't the most dedicated student but she enjoyed flying." Flitwick nodded absently, looking away towards the fire deep in thought. "Excellent chaser, Horace used to rave that she would definitely play quidditch professionally. No one knew what happened to her until your birth actually, just disappeared in the middle of the term."

"Yes...my mother is a difficult subject." Pansy wasn't about to spill her secrets immediately, it didn't seem as if he were exceptionally close to her anyway. "I'll have to bring in full time healers while I'm away at school for both her and my sister."

"I do hope it isn't anything serious." He looked appropriately concerned and disappointed and if he knew her father at all she was sure he had the right idea.

"Mother's pregnant, again." She admitted, rolling her shoulders in agitation at the reminder. "Primrose....she gets ill a lot, always catching colds. Father never bothered beyond the basic healing potions and elf care."

"Well, hope-" The door to the study was thrown open and her mother sneered at them both suspiciously.

"What are you doing in your father's office alone with a...man?" Poppy demanded in a snide tone, her looks of derision at her professor spoke volumes.

"Mother, what did you do to Sparkle?" She panicked when the elf appeared before her with a piece of porcelain in his stomach. "What the fuck! Neddles! Get the healing potions!"

"Oh my!" Flitwick jumped to his feet and started waving his wand over the injured elf just as another elf came in with a trunk.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Pansy cast without thought when she saw her mother lunging with another jagged piece of porcelain in hand. "Strumpet! Get Primrose, if she is uninjured, bring her to her room and keep her there."

"Miss. Prim is fine Mistress, her tutors are still in the manor." Noodles fiddled with his hands, tears leaking from his large bulbous eyes.

"Dismiss them for the day." Pansy sighed in relief when she saw that Sparkle was healing after Neddles used her magic on him. "The last thing I need is for my hormonal mother out attacking the tutors. Sparkle, how are you feeling?"

"Sparkle is feeling better, Mistress." He croaked and Pansy sighed sadly wiping a weary hand down her face.

"Neddles please take Sparkle to the servant wing and make sure he rests." Pansy said before levitating her mother onto the uncomfortable chaise lounge. Her professor was kind enough to clean up the blood and take his seat, not mentioning her use of underage magic. "Noodle, please bring mother to the green guest room. From now on all elves will ignore her orders explicitly and bring her to me if you feel it is a dire situation. All cutlery is to be dulled and her dinnerware will be made unbreakable. No sharp objects, I'll have to keep her there until we get a couple of private healers."

"I'm sorry, dear girl." He said emphatically, pouring himself a cup of tea while she gathered herself. She went to the desk and wrote a quick note for her sister letting her know that their mother was ill and would be confined for the time being. If she were to see her roaming the halls, she was to call Strumpet immediately. With a tap of her wand, the parchment folded itself into a crane and flew out the door.

"Sorry about that." Pansy sighed as she relaxed back in her seat, happily surprised that he knew how she liked her tea.

"May I ask?"

"Honestly, that is so far removed from the woman I knew as Poppy Parkinson that I want to have her tested for polyjuice." Pansy shook her head in confusion, her mother was docile and rarely spoke other than to spit bitterly about her daughters' looks and gender.

"It must have been a heavy blow for her to lose your father." The professor patted her hand in sympathy, however, it was obvious in his tone that he did not like either of her parents. She could not blame him. Being a half goblin, she was sure they had done little to endear themselves to him even with his stellar reputation as a duelist.

The next couple of hours passed with much less stress, Filius Flitwick even coached her through what to expect from her appointment at Gringotts. He advised her to get her O.W.L.s out of the way since she could easily take them again in fifth year with her class if her grade wasn't sufficient. It would get ahead of anyone with even a drop of Parkinson blood from trying to claim her seat before she could name a proxy. Even though she had the ring and the title, she could still not sit on the Wizengamot until her twenty-fifth birthday.

Fortunately, she would get to keep her time turner even after finishing three O.W.L.s because of the conflicting schedules. Hogwarts did not have a precedent for advancing years so she could be unable to join the N.E.W.T. classes even if she qualified. She thought it would be a waste of time to continue on with her year group in astronomy, muggle studies, and history of magic for the next two years. The headmaster may insist she continue because he was meddlesome like that and definitely favored Gryffindors.

"Thank you so much for your time, Professor." Pansy smiled gratefully after he handed over a list of recommendations of former Ravenclaw healers. Her class may be filled with back stabbing bitches but apparently, house loyalty becomes a thing after graduation.

"Of course, dear girl." Flitwick patted the tin of biscuits Noodle brought for him absently. "If you need anything else, I'm only an owl or floo call away."

She was left alone in her father's office after the flare of green fire, heaving a great sigh. Owls had arrived while she was talking with her professor she still needed to read. Pansy knew that witches and wizards would be calling over debts after the aurors confirmed her father's death. Already, she had gotten a perfunctory letter from the Malfoys offering their assistance in such trying times. Even her brother in law sent some barely legible nonsense about Perseus naming Theodore Nott his heir. Too bad for him, she claimed her title.

Sitting down and reading through the pile of letters was an occlumency exercise she never wanted to repeat. No less than ten houses claimed that her father promised her their hand in marriage to some second son or cousin. All of them stated that their sons or nephews or grandsons would become Lord and blah blah blah. If she had not read her father's most recent musings about her, she would have believed he had done it just to fuck with her. They were all minor, poor families. Not Weasley destitute but close enough. While the Parkinsons couldn't hold a candle to the Malfoys they were in the top ten of Wizarding Britain.

"Where's Mother?" Primrose asked as soon as she entered the dining room. It was one of three in the castle and had the smallest table, which comfortably seated twelve. "I went to her room and she wasn't there."

"I thought I made it clear that you needed to stay away from her until she was feeling better?" Pansy couldn't help but ask while she buttered a roll, pleased with her helping of roast and vegetables.

"Yeah, then I wanted to know if she wanted to join us for supper since...Father-" Her little sister's breath caught and tears filled her eyes. Perhaps, she should have spent more time with her the day after their father died but she had to get ahead. She had little more than a week before she returned to Hogwarts.

"I'm sorry, Prim." She leaned over in her seat to cup her cheek, absently rubbing her thumb along her cheek bone. "I've been so busy getting everything prepared when I should have been with you. How were your lessons?"

"They didn't last long after lunch, Noodles came to dismiss them." Primrose shrugged, narrowed her eyes back at her. "You didn't answer my questions, where's Mother?"

"The healer thinks she needs less stress since she's pregnant and left a very long list of recommendations for treatments until we get private healers assigned." She sat back, thinking about her mother's new feelings regarding them.There was no way in hell she could let Primrose be alone with her before she sat her down to explain that she was a squib. How long could she put it off? It would be much easier if she could have more time at home with her while she came to terms with it.

"Mistress, you has visitors in the receiving room." Noodles announced, looking rather anxious.

"Who?" Pansy asked before the door to the dining room slammed open to show Milicent Bulstrode in all her six foot glory.

"Why did I have to find out about your father's death in the Evening Prophet?" Millie demanded, barely sparing either sister a glance before sitting down at the table. Noodles was quick to make up three more plates, much to her confusion. "Honestly, I was shocked so were the girls. Loony and Sally met me in the reception room but they have patience to wait."

"Oh, I wouldn't call it patience so much as manners." Sally drawled as she swept into the room and plopping herself into the seat next to her sister. Luna was right behind her, large blue eyes taking in the molding with interest.

"I hope there's pudding." Her fellow Ravenclaw said absently while patting her sister on the head the same way they would a well behaved dog. "Lovely to meet you Rosie."

"We are here to help our friend through her tremendous loss!" Sally hissed, not bothering to keep the sarcasm from her tone while she chided Milicent. "Not for eating their dinner!"

"Oh, yes because Perseus Parkinson's death won't be well celebrated in his own home!" Millie snapped back snottily, moaning after shoving a heaping spoonful of roast and vegetables into her mouth. "This is much better than anything Pat makes at home!"

"Millie!" Pansy snapped when her sister fled the room crying hysterically. "My sister was still convinced that our father wasn't a right bastard. So, thank you for your generous condolences! Enjoy the dinner, I have to go!"

"Oh, she had to realize at some point that our parents are shit." Millie grunted, not looking the least bit apologetic while her other two friends nodded in understanding. Well, she thought Luna might have but she was pulling out her weird pink glasses again to look at the crown molding.

"Prim?" She asked quietly when she opened the door to her sister's room. Primrose was huddled on her bed holding an old picture of their father. That made her wonder if his actual portrait had woken up yet. It had been commissioned before his second marriage and she had no idea if he ever updated it before his death.

"Why would your friend say such a thing?" Primrose sniffled, looking down at the smiling face of their much younger father. It had been taken before even her mother was born and he was holding his first born, Paris. His first wife Posey looked exhausted but proud, waving at the camera in the background.

"Prim, you know that father wasn't the most dedicated parent." Pansy sighed, gently taking the photo from her hands to let it sit on her end table. "There are a lot of things you don't know about him yet and people will always have something negative to say."

"He wanted to spend the night with me." Primrose's lower lip trembled and she looked up at her with watery eyes. "Maybe if i had stayed with him like he wanted he would still be here. Why did you have to give him dreamless sleep? We could have-"

"My beloved flower." She sighed, pulling her into a comforting hug, glad that there were no accusations yet. "I've had fourteen years with our parents and do you know how many times either of them pulled me aside to spend time with me?"

"Probably a lot." Primrose pouted, pulling away with a look of betrayal.

"Once." Her words shocked her little sister, making her fall back in despair. Pansy knew that her little sister snuck into their mother's rooms many times in hopes to spend time with her. It never worked out the way she hoped, Poppy was always too bitter and tired. Their father barred her from his office altogether. "The night before I left for Hogwarts, Father decided that I would need clear instructions. For two hours he explained that I would be a Sytherin and find a wealthy husband. I won't bore you with the many different ways he could repeat himself but that was the longest I spent in his presence."

"But, you're his heir!"

"Only because some minor pureblood claimed that their grandson would go to the Ministry or claim it by magic or some nonsense." Pansy shrugged, not feeling the least bit upset that she wasn't chosen despite how hard she worked.

"I thought you got private lessons to be a Lady?"

"Books and tutors, just like you." Pansy shook her head, wondering how her sister came to that conclusion. "You know that Father only ever cared about having a male heir, the only reason that I wasn't betrothed was because his first attempt fell through."

"Really?" Primrose perked up in curiosity, leaning forward eagerly. "Who?"

"Apparently, our older sister Peony had a son." She grumbled indignantly. "He is a Slytherin in my year and I've never even spoken to him."

"We have a nephew? Is he handsome?"

There she went, all tears forgotten because of a boy. She had no idea when her baby sister had grown so enamored with betrothals and marriage, it was weird to her. It was barely touched in her lessons, they mostly focused on propriety and keeping a vestal virgin image because no wizard would want a ruined witch. Her chastity necklace had been bonded to her on her eleventh birthday so it wasn't like she could ruin herself even if she wanted to.

"He's betrothed to Daphne Greengrass." Her sister's smile fell into a scowl, obviously disappointed that her nephew was already attached. "From what I've seen they're both very quiet, she only speaks when spoken to and has ridiculous occlumency shields. The few times I've worked with her her face was completely empty, it was creepy."

"When will I start my occlumency lessons?" Primrose asked curiously, twisting her blanket between her fingers. "You had already started your magic lessons at seven but I haven't gotten any of the wands to work for me."

"When exactly did you get your hands on the legacy wands?" She demanded, her heart nearly beating out of her chest. If the tutors offered her a wand and it didn't get a response, their parents would know she was a squib.

"I ordered Strumpet to bring them to me." Primrose looked a little nervous, unable to meet her inquisitive gaze. "She didn't want to but I told her I was her Mistress and if she didn't then she would have to close her fingers in the door."

"Never order another elf to punish themselves." She spoke slowly and seriously, grasping her sister's chin so that she would meet her eyes. "I mean it, never again. The elves make our food and serve our every whim. If I ever hear of you ordering them to hurt themselves or find out you hurt them, you will never be able to order anything again."

"Why?" Primrose ripped herself away, looking mutinous. "I'm their mistress and they have to do what I say! It's the proper order of things that they are punished when we witches are displeased!"

"So, I apparently have to have a word with your tutors if they are teaching you cruelty to beings weaker than you." Pansy stood from the bed, clenching her fists at her side, her hazel eyes blazing in anger.

"Are you a blood traitor?" Primrose asked, looking scandalized and scared.

"Let me tell you a story about a beaten house elf who dreamed of freedom." She did not move closer to her sister, instead stood at the foot of her canopy bed. Making sure her sister's eyes were on her, she slowly explained the story of Dobby so far. Edited of course because she wasn't about to explain how she knew intimate details of Malfoy's or Potter's life. "So, this elf could disobey his master's commands he just had to punish himself after. Imagine, Prim, if one of our elves became a little too disgruntled, one humiliation too far? They have access to us all the time, our schedules, our homes, our food. It is a special thing to have command over an elf. If you can't appreciate the privilege, you won't have it."

"I've never heard of an elf that disobeyed their master!"

"How about the Smith elf who killed her mistress back in the fifties?" Pansy folded her arms over her chest with her hip cocked to the side. "Apparently, Hokey didn't appreciate her Mistress throwing tea in her face. Magical creatures are dangerous, down to the cutest of bowtruckles."

"Fine, I won't punish the elves." Primrose pouted adorably but Pansy was filled with dread at the new attitude. During the past summer she had noticed that there was a certain arrogance and prejudice that grew in her sister. She was only eight and the year before she understood that Ladies had to have a particular graciousness for beings considered beneath them. Now, she's sneering about mudbloods and punishing the elves. "Shouldn't you be getting back to your friends?"

"Not if you need me." Pansy stated plainly, very aware that her friends had no idea what to do with children so they opted to ignore her sister. It bothered her but it wasn't as though they were frequent guests. The few times they had come to her home was so they could head to Diagon Alley together.

"I don't!" Her little sister said mulishly, flopping down in her bed and pulling the blankets over her head.

"I'll come get you for Father's entombment." She finally moved around the bed to lean over her and place a loud kiss on her sister's covered head.

Of course, she was ignored so she made her way back to the dining room, knowing her friends would still be waiting for her. They had always complained that she never invited them over, it was only after meeting her father that they understood. Perseus was older than her friends' parents, much older but he had a nasty reputation. It had even been rumored that he had spied and tortured his countrymen for Grindelwald. It was false, just like the rumor of being a death eater, he sacrificed his brothers to Grindelwald.

"Sorry." Milicent said as soon as she stepped into the room to find her friends eating pudding and cake. Sally nodded before looking up at Pansy with compassionate eyes, Luna was looking at her ear with her glasses on.

"You're clear of wrackspurts at least." Luna hummed before turning back to her own pudding with a little dance.

"Thank you for coming." Pansy drawled sitting primly in her seat, her dinner still hot thanks to her elves.

"Well, we couldn't let you grieve alone, now could we?" Sally asked with a simpering smile, displaying her excellent table manners. "Unfortunately, Padma is with her family in India and you know Madame Bones would come in with a troupe of aurors if she found out Susan came. You know they adore you but well, the less said about your father the better."

"Don't remind me." Pansy finally relaxed back in her chair, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, between my mother and sister you think the old leche was a saint. Mother is raving that this pregnancy is definitely a wizard and my sister thinks that if they just had more time he would have loved us both."

"So, when are-you did it?" Sally exclaimed seeing the ring on her hand, the large black diamond shimmered when it sucked the light from the room.

"Holy shite, look at that rock!" Millie explained with a mouth full of pudding, expertly not wasting a drop. "I knew you were loaded but even the Malfoys ring doesn't have gems, just the crest."

"Father's was a bulky iron thing, not sure if it went back into the vault or the safe in his office or maybe vanished with him." Pansy looked down at the feminine ring on her hands in thought. She had barely glanced at it when it came to her the night before, too distracted by the family magic filling her. "Not sure there has been a Lady Parkinson for centuries, I like it."

"Even dark things shine in the light." Luna nodded sagely, wiggling in her chair doing her pudding dance.

"So, your first act as Lady?" Sally asked with a coy little smile, moving around the table to sit beside her.

"Confining my mother to a barren guest chamber and a million other things to do before we go back to Hogwarts." She shrugged her shoulders, wondering how honest she could be with her friends.

Her hatred for her parents was something they all had in common, other than Luna but even she was a little resentful since the man was always gone. Sally and Millie were raised by a governess, like her. Padma's parents preferred her twin sister and did nothing to hide it, they had even offered her to an Indian wizard as a concubine to sweeten the betrothal offer of her sister. Luckily he had chosen his childhood sweetheart rather than waiting another seven years for her to reach adulthood. Last was Susan but she was a Hufflepuff orphan with an Aunt who was always at work.

"What are you going to do about them when you go back to school?" Sally asked curiously, laying a delicate hand on her arm in concern.

"I have to hire a couple of private healers so Mother can have round the clock care. Then I have to find more tutors because the ones we have are focusing more on her place in society than her agreed upon lessons." Her knife scraped across the china plate with a little too much force.

"It must be difficult educating your sister when she doesn't have magic." Luna said with a commiserating smile, shocking everyone else at the table.

"Your sister's a squib?" Millie's spoon fell onto her bowl, spilling her desert all over the table. Sally wasn't much better, frozen in place.

"Thank you, Luna." She drawled sarcastically, throwing down her own cutlery and losing her appetite.

"Primrose is still your sister even though she doesn't have magic." Luna stated baldly, as if it were not something most families hid with shame.

"I'm aware of that, it's a pain to find anyone to tutor her in muggle things since I'm not going to obliviate and dump her like the past squibs in my family." She stared her silent friends down defiantly. For the past three years, they had all been for the most part neutral in all things blood purity. However, she had heard Sally loudly complain about her roommate Granger and Millie, well, she wasn't sure about her thoughts.

"You poor thing!" Sally reached over and hugged her tightly, making her still in confusion. The Gryffindor wasn't the most affectionate of her friends, the only touching they did was link their arms together when they walked down the halls.

"My brother was a squib." Millie said lowly, staring down at her ruined desert with her head down. When she looked up at Pansy, her eyes were filled with tears. "My family doesn't let our squibs live."