"Mistletoe," Padma says in amusement.

Anthony follows her gaze and laughs. "Silly tradition, isn't it?" he muses. "It's a parasitic plant, and you're supposed to kiss under it."

Padma rolls her eyes. "A kiss underneath a parasite," she laughs. "How romantic."

His eyes widen. "I- I mean… You don't want to, right?"

"Of course not! Like you said, it's a silly tradition," she assures him quickly before offering him a nod and hurrying away from the doorway.

Whoever thought that it would be a good idea to hang mistletoe in a school must be out of their mind, she thinks as she finds a spot at the Ravenclaw table for breakfast.

…

"Oi! Padma, Anthony!" Michael calls. "Look! You're right under the mistletoe."

Padma groans. Sure enough, leathery green leaves dangle over their heads.

Anthony's cheeks darken. He shakes his head. "Mistletoe again," he groans. "They didn't decorate with it last year, did they?"

Padma shakes her head. She can't remember the plant being around the day before either.

"Aren't you going to kiss?" Michael demands. "It's a tradition!"

Padma ignores him. With a quick smile at Anthony, she ducks into the Potions classroom and takes her seat. No one else comments on the mistletoe, and no unsuspecting duo pauses to kiss one another. Perhaps she and Anthony aren't the only ones who find the lore completely absurd.

…

"All this bloody mistletoe is driving me crazy."

"What are you talking about?" Parvati asks without glancing up from her book.

"The stupid mistletoe hanging over every other bloody doorway," Padma answers. "Anthony and I have been caught under twice already!"

This gets her sister's attention. Parvati closes her book and leans in, her eyes wide and curious, like she's waiting for a particularly juicy revelation. "You and Anthony Goldstein?" she presses.

"I didn't kiss him."

Parvati pouts. "Why not? He's kind of cute."

"Because the tradition makes no sense. Are you telling me you haven't gotten caught under it yet?"

"I wish. I know a few people I'd like to lure under it," her twin says with a grin.

Padma rolls her eyes and scowls at her book. No one else has even mentioned the ridiculous decoration, and yet she keeps getting caught under it. She wonders if she just has horrible timing.

"Maybe it's enchanted. Just one thing of mistletoe that keeps relocating," she ponders, frowning. "If that's the case, I'm pretty sure it's stalking me."

"Maybe it's the universe telling you to kiss the boy already," Parvati chimes in before climbing to her feet. "Got to go. I have to meet Lavender."

"You've barely studied!"

Parvati shrugs. "I never study."

…

"There it is again," Anthony says as head to the Great Hall for dinner. "This is getting ridiculous."

Padma thinks about what Parvati had said. Maybe it's the universe telling you to kiss the boy already.

She glances at Anthony, swallowing dryly. Parvati is right. He is cute with his dark curls and golden eyes. But he's Anthony. She's known him for years, and he's one of her closest friends. It doesn't matter how cute he is. Kissing him would be wrong.

"Do I have something on my face?"

Her cheeks warm as she realizes she's still staring. "No. Sorry. I just, sort of… I don't know. My mind went blank."

Anthony shrugs. "Ah well, let's go. I'm starving!" he says, grabbing her hand and pulling her through the crowd.

…

"It's even in the common room!" she groans.

"I told you. It's getting ridiculous," Anthony says.

"It's like it's following us. No one else seems to get caught under it," she says, regretting how paranoid she sounds.

It's a silly thought. All just coincidence. It's a bloody plant, after all. How could it follow them?

But Anthony nods, as though this thought has crossed his mind as well. "I've noticed that," he agrees, frowning. "I mean, there would be quite an uproar if everyone stopped for a quick snog whenever they ended up under it, right? So, it's safe to assume that it isn't always there. Plausible, but what are the odds that we would end up under it every time?"

"I'm guessing slim?"

"Should be impossible, given any random combination of students passing any random spot," he confirms. "It's almost like something- or someone- is placing it wherever we're going to be together."

Padma ponders this, frowning. "So, someone apparently really wants us to kiss," she says.

"It seems so."

She looks at the mistletoe and wants to laugh. It's a clever prank. If they had gone along with it, they would have never even realized that something isn't what it seems. Instead, they've been stalked by a plant at every corner.

"All right, Anthony," she says. "Kiss me under the parasitic plant."

"What?"

"If we do this, maybe the mistletoe will stop following us. So, kiss me. Please?" she requests, stepping directly under the plant.

Anthony hesitates but follows her. "I've never really done this before," he admits.

"Me neither."

She closes her eyes as he leans in, his lips finding hers. It surprises her how natural it feels, as though kissing him is the only thing her lips are made for.

She pulls away, out of breath, her face flushed. "That was nice," she says, her voice trembling.

He nods and kiss her again, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her close.

"Well, it's about bloody time!"

The two of them break away, faced with a triumphant Terry, Michael at his side.

"We've been following you two around all day," Michael says. "Merlin! I have never seen anyone so opposed to kissing one another."

"I don't think they're opposed to it anymore," Terry snorts.

"You?" Anthony asks. "But why?"

"Because you two are cute together and horribly oblivious," Terry answers.

"So, no more mistletoe now?" Padma asks.

"I'm sure you two will be kissing each other enough without our prompting," Michael confirms.