Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and
owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to
Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros.,
Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is
intended.
A/N: This story was written for the Fic Challenge at Madam Hooch's Broom Closet, but then I realised that both characters had to be Hufflepuffs, so I'll just post it here instead. I apologise for my prolonged absence, and the fact that rather than updating, I'm posting a new story, but this was mostly just an exercise, and maybe now I'll get back into the writing habit *grin* It's a one-shot, so no worries about me spending more time on this instead of my other fics. Enjoy! And please, please, review.
Warning: This story contains femmeslash. That means girls attracted to and/or loving each other. This story is rated G for a reason; there's no action, and I honestly feel that it's appropriate for people of all ages to read. If you don't like slash, that's okay, you don't have to read the story. If you flame me, I really won't care.
I will find myself watching the curve of a neck, or the arch of a slim wrist. Padma Patil's golden skin, the fiery highlights in Ginny Weasley's hair or the graceful way Lisa Turpin always walks, even when she's being pulled be a blast-ended skrewt. Small pieces of perfection. The flash of an ankle underneath swirling robes can pull me away from a Charms essay before I even realize what it is.
I hope it isn't obvious. It took me long enough to figure it out myself, anyway. But I wouldn't want any of the girls I've watched thinking I like them That Way, you know? Because they're just little perfect instants of beauty, and perfection isn't what I'm looking for.
I'm not even looking, really. I think I've already found it.
Hannah's pulling me down to Herbology now. I got lost in my thoughts again, between bites of mashed potatoes. I don't mind. She's in my class, the one I've found, and I have two whole hours to watch Her. It's different, watching Her, because when I watch other girls it's their perfection I look at, but She isn't perfect. I watch Her to find Her imperfections instead. She has a lot, but what most people don't understand is that real beauty comes from seeing whole person, everything that makes them real and whole and interesting. So in the end, true beauty is in the imperfections.
"Susan, do you want to be my partner?" It's Justin, and he really isn't very good at Herbology, so I'd rather not work with him, but I usually do anyway. He helps me with Astronomy, though, so it's all right.
"Sure," I say, and smile in the way only a true Hufflepuff can. I lead him to a table near Hers, just behind and to the left, where I can watch Her when I should be pruning my nightshade. Even not paying attention, I get better marks in Herbology than Justin.
"Susan, do we cut the stems, or just the leaves a bit?" Justin again. Next time I'm partnering with Hannah, even if it means I get a low mark in Astronomy.
"Just the new leaves, Justin. The plant needs to concentrate its energy on getting stronger, not bigger."
"Right." Justin always works with his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth. Hannah thinks it's cute. I'd rather watch Her shoulders, how they slope down, and the back of Her neck when She wears a ponytail. Her hair is loose today, so I watch that instead. It's very thick, not like mine, and falls straight down to the middle of her back. It's a bit frizzy at the ends; she needs to have it trimmed. Now She's laughing at something Parvati said, and flipping it over Her shoulder. She laughs a lot, which I like, and sometimes she snorts. Parvati has a beautiful laugh, but I think Hers sounds happier.
"Susan!" Justin pokes me in the ribs. I'm going to fail Astronomy for sure. "Susan, aren't you going to do anything? You've hardly touched your plant." I roll my eyes, but he's right. Professor Sprout will be coming around soon.
So I bend over my nightshade plant and prune industriously, so intent that I don't notice Her coming over until She's Right Here.
"Susan?" I freeze for a moment. Her eyes are the prettiest shade of blue, like cornflowers. Then I smile. Some people get nervous talking to someone they like, but I know She's human, like me.
"Hi Lavender." I wonder if I want Her to notice how I look at Her, how I can't stop looking at Her.
"Could you show me how far you're supposed to prune the nightshade? I always go too far, and last time I just about killed it." She laughs, and I do too because I'm so happy.
"Yeah, just down to about here," I show her. "It needs to reinforce the stalk, to make it stronger, but leave it at least a foot high."
She thanks me and smiles, maybe a bit longer than normal. Her teeth are very white and a little bit crooked. I push my short, dark hair behind my ears.
"Maybe next time we could be partners?" And even though I'm not nervous, I'm really not, I can't believe I just said that. But She's smiling!
"Yeah, that'd be great. I'll probably go up twenty percent." We laugh, and I remember how well She does in Divination. She goes back to her plant, and Parvati, but I don't mind. Next class I'll ask Her to help me with Astronomy. With any luck, we'll both fail next term.
"Susan, don't you want to be my partner any more?" Justin looks anxious as we pack up to leave.
"Why don't you work with Hannah next class?" I suggest. Hannah grins at me from across the room, and I grin back. I know she saw me talking to Lavender. Later we'll talk and giggle about it all, but for now I'm just happy, so happy, and when She smiles at me again, I think my heart might burst.
A/N: This story was written for the Fic Challenge at Madam Hooch's Broom Closet, but then I realised that both characters had to be Hufflepuffs, so I'll just post it here instead. I apologise for my prolonged absence, and the fact that rather than updating, I'm posting a new story, but this was mostly just an exercise, and maybe now I'll get back into the writing habit *grin* It's a one-shot, so no worries about me spending more time on this instead of my other fics. Enjoy! And please, please, review.
Warning: This story contains femmeslash. That means girls attracted to and/or loving each other. This story is rated G for a reason; there's no action, and I honestly feel that it's appropriate for people of all ages to read. If you don't like slash, that's okay, you don't have to read the story. If you flame me, I really won't care.
I will find myself watching the curve of a neck, or the arch of a slim wrist. Padma Patil's golden skin, the fiery highlights in Ginny Weasley's hair or the graceful way Lisa Turpin always walks, even when she's being pulled be a blast-ended skrewt. Small pieces of perfection. The flash of an ankle underneath swirling robes can pull me away from a Charms essay before I even realize what it is.
I hope it isn't obvious. It took me long enough to figure it out myself, anyway. But I wouldn't want any of the girls I've watched thinking I like them That Way, you know? Because they're just little perfect instants of beauty, and perfection isn't what I'm looking for.
I'm not even looking, really. I think I've already found it.
Hannah's pulling me down to Herbology now. I got lost in my thoughts again, between bites of mashed potatoes. I don't mind. She's in my class, the one I've found, and I have two whole hours to watch Her. It's different, watching Her, because when I watch other girls it's their perfection I look at, but She isn't perfect. I watch Her to find Her imperfections instead. She has a lot, but what most people don't understand is that real beauty comes from seeing whole person, everything that makes them real and whole and interesting. So in the end, true beauty is in the imperfections.
"Susan, do you want to be my partner?" It's Justin, and he really isn't very good at Herbology, so I'd rather not work with him, but I usually do anyway. He helps me with Astronomy, though, so it's all right.
"Sure," I say, and smile in the way only a true Hufflepuff can. I lead him to a table near Hers, just behind and to the left, where I can watch Her when I should be pruning my nightshade. Even not paying attention, I get better marks in Herbology than Justin.
"Susan, do we cut the stems, or just the leaves a bit?" Justin again. Next time I'm partnering with Hannah, even if it means I get a low mark in Astronomy.
"Just the new leaves, Justin. The plant needs to concentrate its energy on getting stronger, not bigger."
"Right." Justin always works with his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth. Hannah thinks it's cute. I'd rather watch Her shoulders, how they slope down, and the back of Her neck when She wears a ponytail. Her hair is loose today, so I watch that instead. It's very thick, not like mine, and falls straight down to the middle of her back. It's a bit frizzy at the ends; she needs to have it trimmed. Now She's laughing at something Parvati said, and flipping it over Her shoulder. She laughs a lot, which I like, and sometimes she snorts. Parvati has a beautiful laugh, but I think Hers sounds happier.
"Susan!" Justin pokes me in the ribs. I'm going to fail Astronomy for sure. "Susan, aren't you going to do anything? You've hardly touched your plant." I roll my eyes, but he's right. Professor Sprout will be coming around soon.
So I bend over my nightshade plant and prune industriously, so intent that I don't notice Her coming over until She's Right Here.
"Susan?" I freeze for a moment. Her eyes are the prettiest shade of blue, like cornflowers. Then I smile. Some people get nervous talking to someone they like, but I know She's human, like me.
"Hi Lavender." I wonder if I want Her to notice how I look at Her, how I can't stop looking at Her.
"Could you show me how far you're supposed to prune the nightshade? I always go too far, and last time I just about killed it." She laughs, and I do too because I'm so happy.
"Yeah, just down to about here," I show her. "It needs to reinforce the stalk, to make it stronger, but leave it at least a foot high."
She thanks me and smiles, maybe a bit longer than normal. Her teeth are very white and a little bit crooked. I push my short, dark hair behind my ears.
"Maybe next time we could be partners?" And even though I'm not nervous, I'm really not, I can't believe I just said that. But She's smiling!
"Yeah, that'd be great. I'll probably go up twenty percent." We laugh, and I remember how well She does in Divination. She goes back to her plant, and Parvati, but I don't mind. Next class I'll ask Her to help me with Astronomy. With any luck, we'll both fail next term.
"Susan, don't you want to be my partner any more?" Justin looks anxious as we pack up to leave.
"Why don't you work with Hannah next class?" I suggest. Hannah grins at me from across the room, and I grin back. I know she saw me talking to Lavender. Later we'll talk and giggle about it all, but for now I'm just happy, so happy, and when She smiles at me again, I think my heart might burst.