Not so Different

Despite the rumours that circled the castle, Pansy Parkinson was a smart girl. Students from other houses, and even some from her own, would brand her as a sidekick of the infamous Draco Malfoy. She was that girl who was on the arm of Draco for most the year but ended up being pushed away and dumped. A pureblood Slytherin, sixth year Slytherin girls who would strut around the castle with their heads held high and bitchy comments on the tip of their tongues. Daphne was her right-hand girl, not the smartest girl in the school while to her left would walk Millicent who was also not the smartest girl.

Within arguments amongst the three, Pansy would spit out harsh insults about how they weren't the brightest apple in the bunch. Her comments were like a bite from a poisonous snake; deadly. It was easy for students to assume that she, Pansy Parkinson, was also not intelligent. Jealousy, people would claim, jealousy that she were not as smart as those she insults. Those she hurts. But that is of course not the case, each insult; each nasty comment is carefully crafted in her brain to make a maximum impact causing the victim doubt about something they are already doubtful about.

Such as Lavender last week, fresh tears still in her eyes from her recent break up with that red headed blood traitor. Everyone and their owls knew she believed he left her for the mudblood know-it-all. Base of the insult was made, drama could also be created. Gears turned within her brain, Pansy smirked as it clicked.

"Hey Daphne, I heard the blood-traitor left that Lavender girl for the know-it-all mudblood. Hu, I guess when you constantly hang around the best friend of the blood-traitor you can pull a few favours"

Daphne of course began to talk about all the rumours she heard, but Lavender didn't stick around for that. The second Pansy's sentence had finished the broken hearted idiot jumped up and stormed out the room; her fists were clenched ready for a fight. That smirk on Pansy's face just grew wider. A fight between Lavender and Hermione eh? Drama, good drama to mock and gossip about. Oh, how fellow students would bow at her feet.

But back to the situation at hand.

Pansy was reading in the library, studying potions for the test which Professor Slughorn would be issuing. She wanted to be top of her class, if she were in the same class as the Gryffindors then she would surely work harder to meet that mudblood at least one class. Yeah, Pansy was smart. She would study for tests, she knew how to create the perfect insult rather than the typical overused filth and of course she knew how to start trouble from a line or two.

People would call her ruthless, nasty, a bitch. She called it being ambitious, something which Slytheirns were. To get where she wanted in this life she would need to study and get top results, it was obvious. Simple. People who did not realise this would get nowhere in life, and if they did it would be due to pot luck or the people they know. She may be a Pureblood girl but she still needs to work to get somewhere.

So that is why she was sat alone in the library after hours, today she was not on duty as other prefects were. Draco was however, he with a Hufflepuff boy and a Ravenclaw girl. Granger was also on duty from what she assumed, probably searching the school for anyone out of the common rooms.

She had just reached the fifth chapter which revealed methods of how to cut the time in harder potions when the door opened. Without even lifting her eyes off the page, the raven haired girl spoke in a loud directing voice.

"You should not be in here, go back to your common room before I give you a detention for ruining my peace" She assumed whoever it was had left when the double doors slammed shut creating a light vibration through the library. She scowled. Noisy son of a...

"Abusing your powers as a respective prefect? I should have expected it from you Pansy"

Her eyes lifted off the book to see Hermione Granger walking over to the table with her hands placed firmly on her hips. Rolling her eyes, Pansy placed down the book grabbing her book marker and sliding it into the page. Closing the book shut, Pansy raised her eyes to look at Hermione before letting a small smirk dance onto her lips.

"And you haven't snuck into the library after hours for a bit of light reading?" Hermione was taken aback by this comment, her mouth parted slightly and a confused yet intrigued look appeared upon her face. Her eyes glanced to the book, it was the type of book she could get through in a day or two while the others would claim it would take them months. But what may have shocked Hermione more was the use of words.

A bit a light reading? A phrase she herself had used within her first year which Ronald mocked wondering how it could be light. These words had escaped Pansy's mouth, who was now rolling her eyes and slamming the book shut pushing herself from the table in a dramatic fashion. Walking closer to the table Hermione glanced at the title of the book, it was a potions book. She was studying potions. Studying. Pansy Parkinson, a girl people claimed had the brain of a troll.

"You are studying potions? I didn't think you were the sort" Pushing her chair under the table, Pansy looked up raising an eyebrow at Hermione's comment. Scoffing slightly, Pansy pushed a piece of hair which was covering her view behind her ear. Reaching down and picking up the heavy book, Pansy held the cover to her chest with one arm while the other just fell at her side.

"Well you obviously thought wrong." Pansy spat back walking past Hermione bashing her shoulder against the mudblood's keeping a straight face. Spinning around quickly and glaring to the Slytherin, Hermione let herself glare.

"Why are you such a bitch? Just because you feel we are not worthy of your presence doesn't mean you need to insult us and start drama where it is not needed" Pansy stopped in her tracks, turning her head around her eyes met with Hermione's. After staying in that position for a few moments, Pansy let herself smile just a little. It would be barely noticeable if she were not stood under a bright light. Turning around fully, the two girls faced one another.

"Drama is entertaining, and they are not just insults. They are thought out to give maximum impact" Pansy took a few steps forward, the gap between the girls became smaller and the glare from Hermione didn't seem to be letting up.

"You see, we aren't so different you and me. We are both smart, both enjoy reading, both ambitious. If we want something we go out and we get it.

You are little miss perfect, queen of Gryffindor you could be called. While I am the queen of Slytherin, which is not being little miss perfect. You need to show your dominance, take control and bring yourself up by putting others down.

Everyone is a bitch, even you. I'm assuming you have spoken foul words of a fellow Gryffindor when she was prancing around with the blood traitor"

Hermione stood in a stiff position, her eyes did not shift from Pansy who seemed to be smirking. Shadows were defined under the light, she seemed to be glowing. She expected evil to emit from the girl's body, but that did not happen. Instead intelligence through her words and her way of thinking jumped from Pansy's face and lips.

"Thought so. You are a muggleborn Granger, while I am a highly thought of Pureblood. Our worlds are completely different which changes many things about us. However, we are the same in some ways. Weird ways.

I think if we were to be within the same house, from the same background, we could possibly be friends." Stepping back quickly, Pansy turned around letting her ponytail whip around hitting just below her shoulders as she walked towards the door. Hermione watched the girl walk towards the door, slight confusion entered her brain as she began to work out what Pansy meant.

But then it jumped out, like words jump right out of the page to create a story or a scene. They were similar; however Pansy was the bad one of the two while Hermione was the good. At war with one another over certain beliefs which are from different situations. Hermione developed her beliefs while Pansy was raised with them unable to work out her own. Almost as if she were manipulated into thinking a certain way.

Pansy got to the door, holding onto the handle she hesitated for a moment. Glancing over to Hermione, Pansy let another smirk onto her lips as she pulled open the door.

"Lovely talking to you Granger, but now I must get back to my duties of being a bitch."