The Parkinson Family.
An affluent family affiliated with the 'Sacred 28' of Magical Britain. The political clout that stemmed from generations of monetary and marital alliances, historical figures and, of course, their pureblood status, allowed the Parkinson family to benefit from the pureblood agenda and propagate a subtle superiority in governmental affairs and elevation in their economic standing.
Gareth Alfredric Parkinson, current Head of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Parkinson, had three daughters. With his failure to produce a male heir, he could only resign himself to raise a competent heiress and hope his family lineage doesn't drown in the pits of her husband's.
Alas, his eldest daughter, Penelope, was exactly how he had envisioned an heir. At 8 years old, she's intelligent, driven, talented and the image of decorum. If she were male, she'd be perfect. This was a shameful pill for him to swallow.
For him to have a perfect heir but female, Gareth could only dwell in his utter discontent.
Until his wife, Adeline, finally had a son and all Gareth's plights and shame went away. His family had a perfect heir. That is all that matters.
*-*-*
Penelope Parkinson was raised superior. She, as the heiress of an ancient and noble house, had a duty. One that would sometimes cause her to sacrifice sleep and force her to swallow tears, but she felt it was worth it. She was her family's pride after all.
When her newest sibling came, this time a boy, her father changed. Not with her, though. He was still the same cold and distant stranger she had always known her as.
But with Jasper, he smiled and cooed, hovering over her brother as he learned to walk. Penelope had never thought he could smile, much less smile at a child that cried terror in the middle of the night.
But here he was, the perfect image of a good father. One that Penelope did not believe he was capable of being until the last year.
She could only swallow the sour emotions, as she had always done. Her father only frowned at her, was never happy with what she achieved above her peers.
But that didn't matter too much. She was still an heiress and she still had a duty. She had tutoring and etiquette class. She had to practice violin and learn to balance on one leg for ballet.
"Can you stop?" Mother hissed.
Adeline Parkinson had caught her daughter in the middle of a meltdown after a frustrating fumble through a violin piece for what felt like the thousandth time. She has often caught her daughter melting down lately. It reminded her of herself and slowly but surely she saw the pattern.
Penelope had frozen, glassy green eyes wide with fear and shock at her usually mild mannered mother's outburst.
"Can you not see the embarrassment you bring yourself? He isn't ever going to care. Cease this unnecessary need for validation."
Pureblood mothers are all like this. Harsh, snide critiques dosed with a taste of cruel reality. Normally, Penelope would not blink at the reprimand, merely apologise and do better.
But Adeline, for the first time ever, watched as her beautiful and already so very capable daughter crumbled under her cruel words and felt her heart break.
The small tears streamed down her cheeks and became a tidal wave of her emotion as a heart wrenching sob escaped from the back of the young girl's throat. Adeline caught her daughter before she collapsed and felt her harsh breathing against her chest. Penelope greedily took solace in her mother's embrace as she was rocked gently, a soothing hand rubbing her back, savouring this feeling of comfort.
"Oh my. I know. It's okay, we must never cry. Not for them. Never for them."
And it felt like she knew. To be a discarded daughter. A seen not heard. A near perfect but never actually perfect.
The moments that followed were calm. The two pulled away and the pair pretended nothing happened. Adeline gave her daughter a once-over then left and Penelope picked up her discarded violin and played the piece again perfectly.
Penelope's sour feelings were still there. They still burned her when she saw her father being a father but the pain reminded her of her resolve. Soon, it were as if nothing had happened.
The last thing Adeline Parkinson did for her was send her away. Her natal family had no stipulation for male over female heirs and as a trained heiress with a rightful claim, she gave Penelope to her cousin and Penelope… she never saw the Parkinson family again.
Good Riddance.