Author's Note: This is my second go at the Secret Relationship Challenge. This time, it gets a bit more heated than my last story. I hope I didn't cross the borders of good taste, and that this story is coherent and makes sense, as it was written over about three days. If you feel that my choice to rate this story Teen was incorrect, please tell me. If you like the story, feel free to favorite or review. As always, I don't own the Potterverse, J.K. Rowling does. The plot is mine. And now, on with the show!
Professor Flitwick looked up at the sound of the bell. "Well, ladies, that is the end of your detention. I hope both of you have learned that arguing over which charms are better for "cleaning up" during the middle of class is not what I want in this classroom. Am I making myself clear?"
"Yes, Professor Flitwick," said Padma Patil and Pansy Parkinson.
"Good," said the Professor. "Perhaps next time we'll keep our arguments on a quieter level." He chuckled to himself as he left the room, summoning the parchments of lines on his way out.
Padma looked to make sure that Flitwick was quite far down the hallway, before pulling the door shut and locking it securely.
Pansy grinned, an expression reserved solely for Padma. "I can't believe the prim, proper Ravenclaw is the one arranging for us to get together in every teacher's classroom. I couldn't even get Greengrass to believe we're doing this, and she's the one making the arrangements for her and your sister."
Padma fluttered her eyelashes enticingly. "Parvati has never been the one to do the heavy thinking in a relationship. And besides, why become just another member of Club 138 when we can found Club 12?"
Padma and Pansy had often joked that while the membership of the Hogwarts Broom Closet Club was ever expanding, no one in recorded history had ever managed to cover the same ground in the professor's classrooms. Sure, lots of people had made it on top of the Astronomy Tower, but few students had ever considered going further than that. Those that had considered it took one look at the Potions dungeon, and stopped right there. Except for the Patil twins.
It had all started during a random lunch period during their first year at Hogwarts. It wasn't hard to hear about Club 138; one only had to keep their ears open for a day or two. Padma had gone to sit next to Parvati at the Gryffindor table, and once she was sure no one was sitting to close by, she asked Parvati what she had heard about the Club.
"Well, the Weasley twins have gone on and on about it, but no one I trust has said anything useful. Any helpful news from Ravenclaw?"
"There was some talk about it, then one of the 7th years suggested that they should take the real challenge of Club 12. After lots of questions, he finally explained that no one in school history has ever had intimate relations in all 12 professor's classrooms. Many have tried, but fewer ever since Snape started teaching Potions. Still have a few that got the 11 others, but his room is considered the Holy Grail of Club 12. Even the Slytherins draw the line at trying to sneak past their Head. Which means we'll have to pick good ones if we're to do the impossible." Padma's wide grin startled her sister for a moment, then a similar grin found her face as well. It only took the twins the rest of the year to find their Slytherin pairs.
Though Daphne Greengrass projected her Ice Queen image throughout the school, Parvati had managed to catch her completely by surprise with a mention of Club 12, and the intelligent Slytherin was soon rarely seen out of the company of the Gryffindor Patil. Anyone who questioned the pairing would be met with dual "Study partners" and glares until they backed away slowly. It took a few years after that for the rumors to begin spreading about them being more than study partners (something about Harry Potter kept the rumor mills occupied up to that point), but by then the pair had begun their Club 12 quest, and didn't bother denying the rumors.
In contrast to her sister, Padma didn't make an obvious show of finding her Club 12 partner. She considered the options, as any Ravenclaw would, and while she was disappointed that her sister took the brightest Slytherin, Padma felt she still got the best Slytherin. Early during second year, Pansy Parkinson had very loudly declared herself available after Draco Malfoy had attempted to play up being the Heir of Slytherin. Pansy, realizing this to be nothing more than ignorant boasting, broke up with Malfoy in front of the entire school at breakfast. Padma understood that Pansy needed to make a statement, and let her go on a rampage through the boys of Slytherin House for about a month. Once she had gone through the lot and was considering returning to Malfoy, Padma knew it was time to make a move.
That move came after the last Transfiguration class before the Christmas holidays. Padma had hung near the back of the class for a couple sessions, making sure that she would time it just right when it counted. As Pansy was always among the last students packed up, Professor McGonagall thought nothing of leaving her classroom to have some dinner while Padma and Pansy were still in the room. As soon as the professor had cleared the door, Padma walked to the front of the room and sealed the door tightly. A very surprised Pansy had looked up as the spell was being cast.
"Patil? What the hell do you think you're doing?" questioned Pansy. Padma touched a finger to her lips, then walked over to Pansy and began using the same finger to trace her mouth.
"It's rather simple, Pansy," said Padma in a sultry voice. "I'm saving you the trouble of searching this school for your perfect man. You won't find him, because he doesn't exist. Instead, you're going to help me create Club 12, and we're going to beat my sister in doing so, and we're going to start right here, right now."
"What do you mean, right here, ri-" was all Pansy was able to say before Padma captured her lips with a searing kiss. Once she had gotten over the shock of the quiet Patil twin snogging the life out of her, Pansy returned the kiss with just as much passion as she could muster. They finally broke apart, both breathing heavily.
"Here's how it's going to go, Pansy," said Padma. "You're mine now. Any boy tries to change that, you tell me, and I'll make him stop. As far as the rest of the school knows, we're just two girls from different houses who are looking for any friends they can get. What we actually are stays on a need to know basis, and no one but us needs to know. You're going to help me achieve the unachievable Club 12, and beyond that the sky's the limit. Understand?"
Pansy looked on in shock, before blinking and finding her voice again. "All but that last bit. What's Club 12?"
Padma gave Pansy a predatory grin as she gathered her belongings. "Club 12 is a lot like Club 138, except that instead of counting broom closets, we'll be counting the professors' classrooms. 1 down, 11 more to go. See you around, Pansy." Padma unsealed the door and walked out, leaving Pansy to collect her thoughts.
Over the course of the next couple years, Padma and Pansy found discreet places to plan their encounters. The closest they had come to being caught thus far was in the Divination room, where the old bat Trelawney had come back from lunch 5 minutes earlier than Padma had expected, causing the pair to have to hide quickly and make a clever escape. They took a couple weeks off after that, to make sure that no one would get suspicious of their sneaking around, before the planning and execution of their latest adventure, room 11, the Charms classroom.
Pansy checked the door to make sure that no one would be getting in any time soon. As always, Padma's charms were heavenly. And the door was rather secured as well. It amazed Pansy how Padma could be this good-looking, this intelligent, this sneaky, and she still ended up in Ravenclaw. And for being able to arrange this without making even her own sister raise an eyebrow, she was about to get the snog of her life.
Twenty minutes later, once both girls had fixed their clothes, Padma looked Pansy right in her eyes. "There's only one room left now, and you know which one it is," said Padma. "I do," said Pansy. "The Potions dungeon. And you've been saving it for last because you know as well as I that Snape actually puts a ward on his door to prevent this exact thing." "Which is why I picked the Slytherin with the most cunning to help me complete this task," said Padma confidently. "You're asking for a lot, but as you know, flattery will get you everywhere," grinned Pansy, before pulling her girlfriend in for another passionate kiss. "Now, let's beat this ward!"
Pansy and Padma took it in turns to check the library for information on ward breaking. They made some steady progress, but were at least a couple weeks from any kind of breakthrough. Therefore, it was an exhausted Padma who saw Parvati approaching the Ravenclaw table looking excited and terrified at the same time. "I've almost beaten the challenge, Pad," said Parvati. "All Daphne and I need to do now is check off Snape's room, and Club 12 becomes a reality! It's just disappointing that I've done so much for our cause while you haven't made a bit of progress." "Oh, you might be surprised on that front, dear sister," Padma said mysteriously. She said nothing to her sister's quizzical expression, and soon after departed for the library.
An invigorated Padma met Pansy in the library, and under the guise of making casual conversation about Charms, they discussed how far Parvati said she had gone, and how to beat Snape's ward. Two solid hours of looking through books later, Pansy was ready to give up, but at that exact moment, Padma found what she was looking for, and slid the book across to Pansy. "You really think this will be enough?" asked Pansy. "If we can get a little help from Dumbledore, it will be," said Padma. "As much as he believes in the power of love, I'm sure he'd be willing to help us." The two girls exchanged matching grins that were just a bit feral. Good thing no one was around to see them.
So it was that Padma Patil found herself in the office of Albus Dumbledore the next day.
"What is it exactly that you want me to do, Miss Patil?" asked Professor Dumbledore. The ever-present twinkle in his eye was brighter than usual, an effect that made the normally unflappable Padma Patil a little nervous. "Well, Professor," said Padma. After a bit of hesitation, she continued, "after a youthful challenge from my sister, I need to get some alone time in Professor Snape's classroom, and I really don't think I can get past his protective ward. So, I need your help to make him more agreeable to leaving his room unwarded for one night." "I must admit, your idea is one that has never been proposed to me before," said Professor Dumbledore. "Therefore, I shall talk it over with the other senior staff. If they are amenable to my idea, I shall make an announcement to the school during dinner that specifically mentions the phrase 'lake adventure'. That will be your sign that the spell has been cast. I will only do this once, because Severus will get suspicious if he feels it more than one time. I hope that you do not betray my trust in this matter, Miss Patil." "Of course not, Professor. Thank you for your help," said Padma.
Padma turned to leave, and almost missed the Professor's parting comments. "I am glad to see more love and happiness in my school, Miss Patil. I hope your endeavor inspires others." Padma paused, then continued out of the room with a small smile on her face.
For the next week, Padma paid attention to every happening at dinner, but was sorely disappointed each time. Pansy noticed this, and sent reassuring smiles at her each time. In the mean time, Padma heard tales of Parvati and Daphne attempting to finish the job by breaking directly through the ward, but being caught by Snape before they could even get halfway through. They both received a full week of detentions from the Potions professor, and Parvati got a nasty burn that Madam Pomfrey had to treat for three days. Padma grinned the first time she saw her sister's bandage, then offered sympathy for her pain.
Padma was beginning to wonder if Professor Dumbledore had forgotten their agreement, when during dinner he stood up and announced that classes for the next day would be cancelled (which drew a large cheer from the Great Hall) so that the school could have what the senior staff was calling (he looked directly at Padma as he said this) "a Lake Adventure." All four heads of house looked out at their houses and gave them smiles, including a brief one from Professor Snape. This confirmed Padma's hopes, and she returned Dumbledore's smile with a mouthed "Thank you."
After dinner, Padma found Pansy. "It's tonight. We've got to do it tonight," said Padma, urgently dragging Pansy towards the Potions dungeon. "You mean he actually did it?" asked Pansy incredulously. "I'm 99% certain that he did, which is as good as we're gonna get," said Padma. The girls managed to avoid the rest of the school, and soon were standing outside the door. Padma cast a ward-detecting spell, and found nothing, as she had hoped. She lightly pushed the door open, let Pansy walk in before her, and shut the door carefully, ready to finish her mission.
The next morning, Padma was awakened by the low trill of a phoenix next to her bed. Tied to its leg was a note from Professor Dumbledore, asking to meet with her before breakfast. She scribbled a quick reply before quickly running to take a shower.
20 minutes later, Padma found herself in Professor Dumbledore's office. "You wanted to meet with me, sir?" asked Padma tentatively. "Yes, I did, Miss Patil, and I only have one question for you: Did you accomplish your task?" said Professor Dumbledore. Padma smiled gratefully. "Yes, sir," said Padma. "Excellent," said Dumbledore. "Then I hope you will accept this plaque with my complements." He handed a small bronze plaque to Padma, which read, "In celebration of the founding of Club 12, this award is presented to Padma Patil. Signed, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster." Padma accepted the plaque, and shook Dumbledore's hand. "Thank you, sir," said Padma. "I couldn't have done this without your help." "Twas no trouble at all, Miss Patil," said Dumbledore. "The senior staff unanimously thought Severus could do with a Cheering Charm, and that it happened to make him trust the students not to disrupt his room for one night is a happy coincidence." His eyes were twinkling at record levels. "Good day, Miss Patil." "Good day, Professor."
The Lake Adventure was greatly received by the student body, and after a fun day, the school gathered in the Great Hall for dinner. After the meal, Professor Dumbledore stood for his second announcement to the school in as many days. "I am glad so many of you enjoyed your day off. We may just have to do this every year," said Professor Dumbledore. "Though I must confess, the planning for the event was rather unusual. It came together at the last minute, as a result of some unique circumstances. You owe the happenings of today to Miss Padma Patil of Ravenclaw, Miss Parvati Patil of Gryffindor, and Miss Daphne Greengrass and Miss Pansy Parkinson, both of Slytherin House." Most of the Great Hall looked puzzled, Daphne, Parvati, and Pansy looked surprised, and Padma looked a bit embarrassed. "If not for a much needed charm, none of this would have been possible. As I see many of you are still confused as to how this involves the ladies I mentioned, I ask that you allow me to explain. A few years ago, Miss Patil and her sister hatched a plan to get themselves a place forever in the history of Hogwarts. They intended to found Club 12." Some of the older students got knowing looks on their faces, while the first and second years outside Ravenclaw still looked puzzled. "I am happy to announce that the first two members of Club 12 joined last night." Parvati's surprise turned to utter shock, then understanding, then back to surprise while staring at her blushing sister. "A plaque honoring their accomplishments will be hung in the Trophy Room, and each of them will receive their own personalized version with my signature engraved. Thus, I would like to congratulate Miss Padma Patil and Miss Pansy Parkinson on their accomplishment." Dumbledore clapped his hands, and soon the clapping was taken up by most of the Great Hall. Pansy slowly got up from her seat at the Slytherin table and walked over to Padma, who was still seated, staring straight ahead. She was followed closely by Daphne, and was met at the table by Parvati, who had also walked over to her sister.
"You mean to tell me," said Parvati, "that you have actually been following the challenge for all these years, and you never even told your own sister that you were with someone?"
Padma looked up at Parvati, then over at Pansy. "I had no idea he was going to do that, Pansy," said Padma. "I'm sorry…" "About what?" said Pansy. "We accomplished something that no one before us has ever been able to do. We were the first, Pad. Were you about to apologize for that?" A confused Padma shook her head. "Was it because you convinced the Professor to hex another teacher just so we could sneak in?" Again, Padma shook her head no, as Parvati and Daphne both said "So that's how you…" before Pansy cut them off. "Was it because the Professor just outed both of us to the school?" Padma looked up at Pansy with tears starting to form in her eyes, and started to nod her head yes before Pansy pulled Padma up out of her seat and kissed her full on the lips. Padma melted into Pansy, before both had to come up for air. "Since the school just found out, I figured it was OK to make it official. You don't mind, do you?" Padma's only response was to recapture Pansy's lips with her own, and the clapping and cheers around them only increased as Hogwarts' newest official couple lost themselves in their own passion.