Written for the Quidditch league fanfiction competition. Round 5
Team: Puddlemere United
Position: Beater 2
Task: Poppy (as inspired by Madam Pomfrey): Write about a character being treated, or treating someone, as a consolation prize.
Prompts:
3.(dialogue) "I wish you had told me before I… " / "What? Before you what?"
8.(word) difference
Word count: 1616
Impossible
i.
Her face is pale and her eyes wide. Parvati's lips barely move as she whispers,
I wish you had told me before I… ""
"What? Before you what?" Her father cuts her off abruptly and she knows there is no room for argument.
"The Pavars are very well-respected and wealthy family. Believe me, you are very lucky to be chosen by them." Her mother says.
"Chosen!" Parvati suddenly shrieks. Her shock mingling with the repressed fury. "I am not an object on auction to be Chosen!"
She dearly wishes Padma to be here. To take her side.
"There are to be no arguments about this, Parvati."
"The date of the functions have already been selected. We just needed to consult you."
Consult. They had hardly consulted her.
"I don't even know this bloke…" she tried again.
"We have a flight to board in two days for India." Her father answered. "Samar, your future spouse is currently there. Your wedding is going to take place in India."
"Don't I get the say in any of this, Ma?" Parvati turns her attention to her mother.
"Hush dear, you are arguing too much. Such manners are not acceptable."
Parvati wants to retort rather boldly again but a glare from her father silenced her and she fled away from the living room.
ii.
It feels wrong. It feels wrong to stand in the wedding attire wearing heavy gold necklaces and earrings in front of a person who she had just met a couple of weeks before. Parvati tries her best to not squirm against the intent gaze which was directed to her by her soon to be husband. She doesn't feel like the bride. Her smile is more of a frown and her feet are just frozen unable to move.
Her mother whispers encouraging words to her and prompts her to move along. Padma squeezes her hand in a reassuring way.
Her anklet makes the soft tinkling noise but it is unheard amongst the guest and traditional music playing. Her hands clutch the hem of her dupatta which has intricate gold designs embroidered. Her wedding lehenga feels too heavy to walk and her eyes burn in effort to stop the tears that threaten cascade down her fake rosy cheeks. She tries to bite her lip to lose the urge to scream in frustration but she refrains from biting her lip to prevent her dark red lipstick from smudging. Her earrings are too heavy for her ears, her necklaces seems like its choking her neck and her bangles look like cuffs. Her tight and neat braided bun seems to feel like the reason of her headache.
The anklet continues to jingle with each step she takes. The occasion doesn't feel auspicious. The event doesn't feel like it's a wedding.
A hand grasps hers. Strong and firm as if to prevent her from running away. Her mother and twin step back and Parvati's silent protests fade away. Just like the tinkle from her anklet.
iii.
Parvati very much wished she could wipe away the bloody smirk from his husband's face. She wants to hex him but refrains herself as muggles too are part of the wedding. She doesn't care he is her husband. He is a stranger, for goodness sake!
Padma waves at her and mouths to her to smile while giving her own grin in return.
She gives all of them a fake smile and suddenly stiffens as he slides a hand down her waist and pulls her closer.
Bloody showoff!
She shakes hand with strange unknown face and laughs when her husband cracks a lame joke while introducing her to his friends. She hugs her weeping Aunts who didn't exist until today and tries really hard not to squirm away from Samar's hold.
This wasn't even a wedding she had wished for. No friends were here. Except her parents and sister along with a few faces she knew no one.
She could imagine what Lavender would say if she had attended.
You need more spice in this wedding love. Where is the romantic staring and kisses?
She managed to hide her snort in a cough.
Parvati could only wonder how she would manage her rest of the life with him.
iv.
Two months later now they live in a quite modest two-story house in India. Friends and family members visit occasionally. Frequently.
They didn't go for a honeymoon or had shared any conversation the night they got married. They just got on. She woke up and made breakfast. He ate it and was on his to work.
Just like that. No hugs or kisses.
It all went like that. Her mother-in-law will visit occasionally to see her son and sometimes would be accompanied by her snotty little sister-in-law.
Life was boring. She didn't have anything to do except work. She felt like an effin' housemaid.
She was miserable.
v.
He brought friends home that night.
That night. The night when the first fight broke over between them.
She had dressed up suitably, happy to have some company over, she had prepared a posh meal for them. For the first time she was having company over other them her in laws. She was excited.
She served them meals and drinks with welcoming smile and even had the courage to kiss her husband. She wanted a good impression.
She was just going to sit on the chair near Samar when he spoke up.
"You can go now, Parvati. I don't need you."
She didn't need him either. But the words still hurt.
He looked at her and hissed her to go away.
"You are a foul git!" she had screamed and rushed upstairs not caring that his friends were listening.
Later when all the guests had gone home, Samar stormed into the room with fury.
"Do you have any idea what you did back there?" he hissed moving closer toward the bed.
"I said the truth." She replied glaring with the same ferocity.
"What the hell were you going to do sitting there with us?"
Parvati blinked back the tears already failing to keep them at bay.
"Maybe sitting there and being a part of my husband's life!" She yelled.
"You are just a wife. Nothing more." He had defended.
"Just a wife. Just a wife? Why don't you hire a freaking housemaid then! I think she will do a better job than me."
The tears freely flowed down her cheeks and she hastily went to wipe them away. When getting no response from her husband she fled from the room clearly in distress.
…
She was preparing some tea in the morning when arms wrapped around her waist and she felt a soft kiss pressed against her cheek.
It made her stiffen. Why this sudden affection?
"You didn't come back to bed last night." He whispered.
"I didn't sleep." She replied stiffly turning around.
He pulled her hand away from the kettle and gestured her to sit while pouring the tea in two cups.
"You always seem so uncomfortable around me." He murmured placing the cup of tea in front of her and taking a seat in front of her.
Parvati tried not to flinch away at his touch this time. But she did.
"See! Can we cut that out from now own please?"
"I don't do it on purpose. I don't know anything about you. We haven't had any decent conversation until now. Don expect me to forget last night and shower you with kisses." She snapped still not looking up.
She heard him sigh and walk away.
vi.
He told her there was a company event they had to attend.
She wore an off-shoulder dress which showed her bare shoulder and back.
"What is that?" he asked and Parvati noticed that he was eyeing the thin scar that ran from her shoulder to her back.
"It's a scar. Some death eater threw a cutting hex on me." She replied turning her attention back to the mirror.
"Hide it."
Parvati spun around to face with narrowed eyes.
"Excuse me?"
"It's hideous." He shrugged. "Where did you get it?"
"Well you know there was war going on in England a few years back or have you been living under a rock?" she replied snidely.
"Well, I don't care about that but wear something else to hide it. Or else I'm not taking you."
"I'm not a doll! What are you playing at?"
Parvati didn't go to the event that night. She was Gryffindor, had a stubborn streak. She wasn't just going to give in.
vii.
Three years after their marriage he decides to take her on a vacation to England.
She is happy. She excitingly sends an owl informing her family and friends that she would be there to meet them soon.
He says to consider it as a gift for their wedding anniversary.
Arriving in England he gives her the divorce papers.
"It isn't working out." He says. His voice is oddly cold and distant.
"You brought me to England so that you could just end our marriage?" She asks, her voice trembling.
"I can't give you what you are asking me." He explains, "Like I said before you are just a wife."
A toy. That I am finished playing with.
"I haven't asked much, have I?" She smiles suddenly. Her eyes shed tears and she still smiles clutching the papers tightly.
"You used me." Her voice is low.
He shrugs, motioning her to sign the paper.
"I never wanted to be a part of this relationship…." She continues ignoring his muttering to just sign the paper.
"I knew you would be a right bastard from the beginning, I wasn't wrong."
Her smile turns into a frown.
"I hate you."
Loving you wasn't possible.