Pansy had a distinct list of things she liked and tolerated. She liked pearls even though they were old-fashioned. She liked drinking cider, especially when it was brewed with pears. She liked her hair to be no longer than her sharp jawline and it always had to be jet black, even if this meant occasionally charming her roots now and then. God forbid if anyone ever found out she was naturally a brunette. However, the thing she liked most was girls - or more specifically a girl. Ginny Weasley. This in turn meant she’d had to add something to her list of things she tolerated - Ginny Weasley’s large family.
In truth, she liked most of them. Molly was humble about her talents for cooking and that was something that Pansy admired. She was warm - often enveloping her in a hug whenever they saw each other - and she never pried into her and Ginny’s relationship, something Pansy was especially grateful for.
Arthur was funny, in his own way. He was desperate to keep up with the times and his love of all things muggle often meant that he’d managed to educate her in topics she’d never even heard of. His latest hyper fixation was Muggle supermarkets and he took great pride in quizzing her about the supermarkets he’d found himself roaming that week. Sainsbury's was his new favourite - she wouldn’t be surprised if the staff knew his name by now.
Ron was usually alright to talk to when he didn’t have his mouth full, which was a rare occurrence. George had welcomed her to the family with open arms and promised to share embarrassing stories from Ginny’s childhood - the ultimate seal of approval in her eyes. Percy kept to himself but had bought her a lovely pale pink cashmere scarf for her first Christmas at the Burrow, which she supposed made him alright with her.
Individually, the Weasleys all had charm and several other semi-redeeming qualities. Together, however, they were a nightmare. She couldn’t get a word in edgeways.
Every Friday at the Burrow, she found herself losing track of the eighteen conversations that were happening around her. Ginny would try to draw her in, asking her opinion or posing a question to keep her involved - but it was no use. Pansy was too used to the stereotypical Pureblood family dinners, which consisted of keeping quiet and getting through it. This was too different.
“Pansy, do you see Malfoy often?” George had asked, drawing her from staring past him to the clock on the wall behind him.
“Uh, yes. I see him and Granger for dinner once a week. With Ginny obviously. Why?”
“I’m looking for new investors for the shop and wanted to set up a meeting with him - is that something you could ask him? Don’t think he’d take too kindly to me dropping by unannounced asking for galleons.”
“Hmm? Yes, that’s fine.” She took a sip of her cider and scratched her neck. Ginny was looking at her strangely, so she tried to continue eating the steak pie in front of her and cause as little attention to be drawn to her as possible - a trait she’d only recently mastered.
When dinner was over and it was time to head back to their flat, Ginny had hugged every member of her family, while Pansy stood awkwardly, appearing deep in thought. As they’d apparated into their living room, Pansy had immediately made her way to the bathroom, hoping to avoid any further conversation for the evening.
“Pans, are you alright?” Ginny came parading into the bathroom, unzipping her dress and stepping it out of it. Pansy’s eyes lit up at the sight of her witch in her underwear but attempted to shake that thought from her horny brain.
“Yes. I’m fine.”
“You’re not. What’s bothering you?”
“Nothing, it’s-” Ginny met her eyes and she bowed her head. She couldn’t lie to her. “It’s silly and you have to promise not to laugh or think I’m being stupid because I will just storm out of here and go and stay with Draco for the night and possibly interrupt date night just to avoid an argument and-”
“Pans, take a breath please.” Ginny grabbed her face and pecked her on the lips. “Much better, now tell me what’s wrong.”
“I’m struggling to be around your family.”
“What?” Ginny asked, clearly ready to be offended. Great.
“Please hear me out before you think this is me saying I don’t like being around your family because I do. I love them all and they’re great but-”
“But what?”
“But they’re your family, Gin. And that hurts.”
“What do you mean?”
“Look, all my life I’ve tolerated my family right? My father was an arsehole - may he rot in Azkaban and I don’t remember mother much, but from what I’ve heard she wasn’t much different. I spent years growing up spending time with every family in Slytherin, doing the Pureblood daughter act, being polite and quiet and just trying my hardest to fit in. And I never did.”
“Pansy-”
“Let me finish. I need to get this out.” Pansy whispered, trying to keep her voice steady “I hated my family and everyone else's family and most of my friends were the same - it was the norm. But you,” she paused, wiping a tear which she was sure was cascading down her cheeks in a black smudge. “You actively enjoy spending time with your family. They love you and you love them. And it’s hard. Because that’s what I’ve always wanted - and they’re trying to give me that too, but they’re your family. Not mine. And I don’t care if this makes me a horrible person - it makes me hate them for it.”
“Pansy, why didn’t you say anything?” Ginny reached out to brush her fingers against Pansy’s cheek.
“This. This is why,” Pansy snarled, swatting Ginny’s hand away and taking a seat on the stool in front of their vanity. She opened the drawers and brought out cotton pads. Soaking the pad, she brought it to remove her blackened eyes, hissing when her eyes began to sting. “I hate when you pity me. I don’t want your pity.” Ginny sighed and left the bathroom, leaving Pansy sitting alone with her thoughts as she took another pad to remove the residue from her red-stained lips.
She heard a commotion from the bedroom, and she jumped up at once, abandoning her makeup removal to investigate. As she entered, she watched Ginny frantically removing the contents of her bedside drawer, before moving to the chest of drawers and throwing clothes across the room in a clear search for something.
“What are you doing?”
“Nghh, where is it?” Ginny groaned, before hitting Pansy with a rolled-up pair of socks.
“Gin, what’s going on?” Pansy inquired gently.
“Ah-ha! Found it!” She whipped away from Pansy, signalling for her to close her eyes.
“Whatever you’re doing, Ginny, I’m not in the mood.” Pansy sighed but closed her eyes regardless.
“Open!” Ginny called and when Pansy blinked her eyes into focus, she found her girlfriend down on one knee, still in her underwear, holding a velvet box. Inside was a green emerald ring. “Pansy Parkinson. I have loved you from the minute I met you.” Ginny paused, before loosening her collar. “Actually, that’s a lie because you were a right minx at school and we certainly were not friends, but nonetheless. I have loved you from the minute I met the real you.”
“Gin-”
“Shut it!” Ginny chibbed. “Let me finish, woman. I know that you come with baggage but so do I - there’s enough Weasleys in this world for a lot of people. But for me, there’s one less than there should be. Marry me Pans, and take my last name. Be a Weasley.” Pansy raised a hand to her chest. “You know you want to,” Ginny added with a wink.
Pansy brought Ginny to her feet and kissed her with bruising force. She could taste her own tears as their lips moved in tandem and when she finally pulled away, she stared into her beautiful witch’s eyes.
“Yes, Ginny. Just-” She wiped her tears and folded her arms across her chest in an attempt to regain her composure. “Yes.”