Pansy Recommendations

Out of the Shadows by @dirigibleplums
Length/Completed: 7483 words / 1 chapter (complete)
Pairing(s): Pansy Parkinson/Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy/Hermione Granger, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley
Genre(s): Angst, AU, Dark/Horror, Drama, Romance
Summary: Pansy Parkinson's world is changing; there are Mudbloods in the ballroom and Purebloods in coffins. And then there is Ronald Weasley.
Reasons for Recommendation: This story is absolutely stunning. It is truly one of the best I've read, for reasons that I'm happy to expound upon. First off, Plums does an insanely good job with the tone throughout this story. It's not just mysterious, it's dark and heavy and will make you desperate to know what will happen next. The plot is enthralling and wonderfully original: it's a murder mystery with a serial killer who's targeting purebloods, and I've never read anything like it. Somehow, Plums is able to keep ramping up the intensity as the story goes on. Paragraph by paragraph, things get more dire. And through it all is Pansy: a character who, when I first read this, I wasn't used to liking, but this story started my love for her. Her emotions are so real and she has such depth and resonance. She struggles with aligning her dark past with what she wants from the future, and Plums doesn't shy away from that struggle. This story is just so, so good. 

the evolution of pansies by @dirigibleplums
Length/Completed: 5674 words / 1 chapter (complete)
Pairing(s): Draco Malfoy/Pansy Parkinson, Pansy Parkinson/Daphne Greengrass
Genre(s): Angst, Drama
Summary: 
"It's a very Greek idea, and a very profound one. Beauty is terror. Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it." - The Secret History, Donna Tart
A crown of pretty pansies is all she's ever wanted - and then she realises that they're splattered with blood.
Reasons for Recommendation: I'm in absolute awe over Plums' writing in this story. It's lyrical and vivid throughout, and her ability to write Pansy's character is unparalleled. The story begins with the premise that Pansy's privilege will open doors for her, but she discovers at a young age that that isn't always true. In many ways, that same privilege becomes what chains her to certain choices and those choices then lead to scrutiny that shapes her life. This story in no way shies away from the darkness of the second wizarding war. Draco and Daphne as side characters go through the breadth of emotion and experience, and you can't help but hope they come through the war with enough left to pick up the pieces. The emotions that Pansy herself feels throughout Voldemort's rise are so realistic to how a teenager would feel when faced with forces far beyond their control and that helplessness bleeds into her thoughts as the war intensifies. Finally, Plums' ability to so flawlessly write in the second-person point of view is insanely impressive. It brings you so close to the story and the emotions within it that the highs seem elating and the lows devastating. And through it all you're rooting for Pansy Parkinson.

Grow by @mydearfoxy
Length/Completed: 228 words / 1 chapter (complete)
Pairing(s): N/A
Genre(s): Fluff, Hurt/Comfort
Summary: Pansy had never expected to enjoy Herbology, and yet here she was.
Reasons for Recommendation: For something completely different, please read this lovely little story by the darling Renee. It's a post-war story that captures the beauty of healing in the wake of trauma. Renee takes Pansy, who is a chronically underappreciated character, and makes you hope that she'll find peace. And in this story, that peace begins in the softest of ways. I'm really into gardening, so reading a story where plants begin to help someone heal...ugh. I'm so here for it. And this story leans into that. It's honest about the trauma that our characters faced during the war (you know: the war they fought when they were children) and shows that there is grace in moving forward. One of my favorite things about this story is that it implies that Neville has found it in himself to forgive Pansy and teach her about herbology...because he is a gem and must be protected at all costs.

of trolls and nifflers by @just.a.willow.tree
Length/Completed: 3116 words / 1 chapter (complete)
Pairing(s): Cho Chang/Pansy Parkinson
Genre(s): Fluff
Summary: Cho has no idea what she's doing when it comes to Pansy.
Reasons for Recommendation: And now for one last fluffy story!! This one is precious beyond compare. I've never read a story where I loved Cho Chang, but this one made me. Because Cho is an absolute disaster, and Pansy loves it. Eva is the type of author who takes what you think you know about a character and turns it completely on its head. This story gifts us with a brilliant characterization of Pansy as a sassy, silly, and straight-forward girl who's starting to make friends beyond the circle she grew up with and finding that she quite likes branching out. This version of Pansy is a girl whose bed is covered in cute stuffed animals—and I cannot possibly explain how much I love that. Pansy deserves a softer characterization every once in a while, and this story absolutely delivers. And somehow it will also make you think, "Obviously Cho and Pansy would be perfect together," a thought that had never ever crossed your mind until you read this story.